Skills Building: Enemy Pie (PK-5)

Written by Derek Munson and Illustrated Tara Calahan King

TEKS: Reading K.5(D); 1.6(B); 2.6(B); 3.6(B); 4.6(B); 5.6(B)

Pre Reading Questions

  1. What does the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” mean?
  2. If we look at this book, what assumptions might we make?
  3. What happens when you judge a person before knowing them? Have you ever experienced this?
  4. What is an enemy? What is a “best enemy”? Can someone be your enemy if you don’t know them?


Post Reading Questions
 

  1. How did the main character judge Jeremy Ross before getting to know him?
  2. What did the main character learn about his “enemy” after spending time with him?
  3. What was the secret ingredient in enemy pie that taught the main character to learn more about Jeremy Ross?
  4. Have you ever been judged before someone got to know you? How did it feel to be judged based on something that wasn’t true?
  5. Think of a time when you judged someone before you got to know them. How do you think they felt?

Creative Enrichment Activity: Friendship Pie (Pre-K-5)

Overview:

What “ingredients” are important in a friend? In this activity, students will identify characteristics that make a good friendship and bake them into their “Friendship Pie.” Because we are all different, we might have different “ingredients” that we think make a friendship special. In this activity, we will create our own friendship pie with all of the ingredients that we need to build strong friendships!

Materials

● Paper plates (1 per pair)
● Markers, crayons, and/or colored pencils
● Six-inch strips of brown construction paper (6 per pair)
● Colored tissue paper cut into 1”x1” squares (approximately 12 per pair)
● Glue
● Pencils
● Scissors

Instructions

  1. Before class, cut brown construction paper into 6” strips and colored tissue paper into 1”x1” squares.
  2. Introduce the concept of Friendship Pie using the reflection questions below.
  3. Place students in pairs. (We suggest pairing an older student with a younger student, or pairing students who don’t know each other well.)
  4. Ask students to brainstorm with their partners about the “ingredients” that go into a friendship pie and write those words on their plate.
  5. Give each pair a plate, six strips of brown construction paper, coloring materials (markers, crayons, or colored pencils are all fine), glue, scissors and about 12 sheets of tissue-paper squares.
  6. Flip the plates over and color them to look like the tops of pies.
  7. Next, add the strips of paper to the plate, gluing three vertically and three overlapping horizontally to make a grid pattern.
  8. The students can use the tissue paper to add texture to the pie, either under or on top of the strips of brown paper.

Reflection Questions

  • What are some ingredients that you need for a friendship?
  • If you have a friend with all of these ingredients, how do they make you feel?
  • If you are this kind of friend to others, how do you think they feel?
  • Sometimes it can be hard to be patient when we’re excited, or kind to others when we’re sad. What ingredients might be difficult to keep in your friendship pie?