Lilly's Chocolate Heart Writing Lesson Plan

Teach Elementary Students How to Use Prepositions and Adjectives

Feb 8, 2009

Use the picture book Lilly's Chocolate Heart in a candy writing lesson plan to teach students how to write with prepositional phrases and adjectives to describe locations

In this elementary writing lesson plan, teachers use Kevin Henkes's picture book Lilly's Chocolate Heart [HarperFestival, 2004] to provide students with examples of how to use prepositions to describe an object's location. The story's setting and plot make this book appropriate for use as part of a Valentine's Day writing lesson plan that can be adapted for use with any holiday during which children receive treats.

Display the cover and have students identify the object Lilly is holding (a red foil-wrapped chocolate heart). Discuss when a child would most likely receive this kind of treat (Valentine's Day) and have children brainstorm a list of other Valentine's Day treats. Ask children if they have any special places in their homes where they would keep such treats.

Teach Elementary Students How to Recognize and Use Prepositions

Encourage students to use prepositional phrases to describe the places where they could keep Valentine's Day candy. For example, students might say on my shelf or in a small box. Record students' descriptions on the board and identify and underline the preposition in each one.

Remind students that prepositions are words used to relate nouns to something else. Often, writers use prepositions as part of prepositional phrases that tell where a noun is located in space. Note that using prepositional phrases helps a reader or listener understand more clearly where something can be found.

Tell students to listen for prepositional phrases as you read the book. Then, share the book with students, stopping whenever Lilly considers whether to store her Valentine's Day chocolate heart in a certain place. Have students identify each prepositional phrase and the preposition in the phrase.

Discuss how each prepositional phrase helps the reader picture exactly where Lilly might keep her chocolate heart. Have students identify in the accompanying pictures each place described.

Next, give students either red foil-wrapped chocolate hearts or red construction paper hearts. Then, read a series of prepositional phrases that describe places in the classroom and have students place their hearts in these places. Phrases might include above your desk or beneath the window.

Teach Elementary Students How to Recognize and How to Use Adjectives

Remind students that an adjective is a word that tells about somebody or something. Often, adjectives tell what something looks or feels like. Good writers use vivid adjectives to help readers picture a place or object clearly.

Note that in this book, Kevin Henkes uses adjectives to explain why Lilly decides not to keep her chocolate heart in any of the places but her mouth. Skim through the book and have students identify the phrases that are used to describe each rejected place:

Work with students to identify what exactly each vivid adjective tells about a place. For example, the adjectives dusty and messy tell what a place looks like, while the adjective warm describes how a place feels. Have students think about the places Lilly considers and brainstorm other adjectives that could be used to explain why these places would not be good locations in which to keep a chocolate heart. For example, perhaps under the bed might be too dark.

Have Students Write with Prepositions and Adjectives

Ask students to think of two places in their homes that would not be good places in which to keep a Valentine's Day chocolate heart. Provide them with the following frame to use to write about these two places: I would not keep it _______ the _______. That place would be too _______. Students should fill in the first blank with a preposition, the second with a noun to complete the prepositional phrase, and the third with an adjective that explains why this place is not good for storing Valentine's Day candy.

Then, have students think of a good place to keep Valentine's Day treats. Provide them with the following frame to complete to explain why this is a good place: I would keep it _______ the _______. This place is very _______.

Using chocolate hearts as the focus for this candy writing lesson plan will keep students interested in learning how to use prepositions and adjectives in their writing. Teachers searching for other Valentine's Day elementary writing lesson plans can use Lauren Thompson's Mouse's First Valentine [Simon & Schuster, 2002] to teach elementary students how to use adjectives to write directions.

For other candy elementary lesson plans based on books from Kevin Henkes's A Box of Treats, teachers can use Sheila Rae's Peppermint Stick [HarperFestival, 2001] in a Christmas writing lesson to teach how to use descriptive adjectives and in a Christmas math lesson to teach fractions.

The copyright of the article Lilly's Chocolate Heart Writing Lesson Plan in Primary School Lesson Plans is owned by Renee Carver. Permission to republish Lilly's Chocolate Heart Writing Lesson Plan in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.