Summary

Rosie, the chicken, is going for a walk. She is oblivious to the fact that the fox is stalking her. Every time the fox is just about to pounce on Rosie, something happens to him, and he is deterred. Rosie makes it back home safely.

Activities

1. The story is written is one sentence as the narrator tells us where Rosie walked. Make each phrase into a sentence using a different word for walked. For example, Rosie marched across the yard. Rosie ____ around the pond.

2. Form groups of three. One student reads/tells what happened, while the second and third students role play the parts of Rosie and the fox.

3. Brainstorm: What might have happened if Rosie had seen the fox behind her?

4. Rewrite the story of Rosie’s Walk telling about what happened to the fox. Try to do it in one sentence, as Pat Hutchins did.

5. Rewrite the story of Rosie’s Walk as a playground story. Use the beginning sentence, "Rosie the hen went out on the playground." Rosie went across, around, over, past, through, under; so use each of these words with something on the playground (for example, under the parallel bars). What would make a good ending?

6. Make a list of other animals pictured on the farm with Rosie. Include insects.

7. Artist Claude Monet painted a picture of a Haystack over 100 years ago. You can color your version of his painting either online or after printing it out.
   Look at pictures of haystacks painted by Monet.

8. The state of Utah is nicknamed The Beehive State.
   • Find the beehive on the state flag.
   • Utah has a state insect - guess what it is. Check your guess.
   • The Utah state motto is "industry" Do you see "industry" on the flag? Look up the meaning of industry in Wordsmyth. Which meaning do you think the motto uses?
   • How are the state nickname, state insect, and state motto alike?
   Background for the teacher.

9. If you happen to have a floor robot or floor turtle: reproduce Rosie’s environment on a large sheet of paper to lay on the floor. Children use positional language to program the robot to follow Rosie’s journey. No robot?, try a Rosie marionette or paperdoll.

About the Author

• Carol Hurst’s author study for Pat Hutchins

• Featured Illustrator Pat Hutchins Kidstamps, photo

• Student site for Pat Hutchins

For the teacher: Pat Hutchins’ website focuses on the Titch series of books, now a TV series. You can find information about the author to paraphrase for children who are reading Rosie’s Walk.

Awards

• Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book - Picture Book, 1969

Related books

• El Paseo de Rosie : (Rosie’s Walk) by Pat Hutchins (Illustrator), Alma Flor Ada (Translator). Aladdin; Reprint edition (May 1, 1997). Spanish text. ISBN: 0689813171

• Schuh, M. (2002). Chickens on the farm. Capstone Press. grades k-2

More for the teacher

• Try the Chicken Dance Song (scroll down). it is a little tricky to match the words and music

• Activity card to send home for child to do with parents (PDF file)

• It’s not free, but worth knowing about: Texas School for the Deaf. (1995). Rosie’s Walk sign language CD-ROM. This product can be purchased or is available in many states through checkout collections for the hearing impaired. Review

• Rosie’s Walk is a resource in an extensive unit "Old MacDonald’s Farm".

• Rosie’s Walk is a resource in a first grade thematic unit "Birds"

Links to other online guides for Rosie’s Walk.

Assessment

Rosie’s Walk. Accelerated Reader: Quiz #59439EN EN; Book Level 0.6; Points= 0.5
Book Adventure (Sylvan): Quiz Level 1.5
Reading Counts: Reading Level 1.5; Points= 1.0
Guided Reading Level F
word count= 32

Other related books:

• Chickens on the Farm by Schuh, Mari C. AR Quiz #50967 EN; Book Level 1.4; Points= 0.5; Guided Reading Level E