Hush - ALL

HUSH! A Thai LullabyA RIF GUIDE FOR COMMUNITY COORDINATORSThemes: Poetry, Thailand, Bedtime Stories,Family RelationshipsGrade Level: K to 2nd gradeBook Brief: A mother tries to help her baby sleepon a noisy night in Thailand.Author:Minfong HoIllustrator:Holly MeadeTIME TO READ!Before reading: Tell children that this story takes place in Thailand. Show Thailand ona map or globe. Thailand is in a tropical part of Asia. Ask children to look for signs ofthis type of environment in the pictures and story.RELATED ACTIVITIESELEPHANT PENCIL HOLDER (AGES 6-12)Elephants are a traditional symbol in Thailand.Materials: empty soup can, construction paper, tackyglue, scissors, tape, wiggle eyes1. Cut paper to fit can. Wrap around can and tape.2. Cut out ovals for ears. Fold in 1/2 inch so earsstick out and glue onto can.3. Cut out thin strip ofpaper for trunk.Roll on pencil orfold and unfold tomake it curl. Glueon can.4. Glue oneyes.RICE PICTURES (AGES 5-12)The staple food item in Thailandis rice. The Thai people eat itat almost every meal.Materials: large plasticbaggies, rice, food coloring,rubbing alcohol, newspaper, glue,thick paper1. Place 3 cups rice in baggie.2. Mix 1/4 cup alcohol and food coloring. Pour intobaggie and mix with rice.3. Once colored, lay rice out on newspaper to dry.Repeat with different colors.4. When dry, use rice to create pictures.5. Draw design in pencil on thick paper. Place glueon part of design; cover with rice. Shake off extra.Repeat until picture is complete.ADDITIONAL RESOURCESOTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHORPeek! A Thai Hide and Seek (2004), Rice Without Rain (1990), The Stone Goddess (2005).TECHNOLOGY LINK FOR KIDSwww.rif.org/kids

HUSH! A Thai LullabyA RIF GUIDE FOR EDUCATORSThemes: Poetry, Thailand, Bedtime Stories,Family RelationshipsGrade Level: K to 2nd gradeBook Brief: A mother tries to help her baby sleepon a noisy night in Thailand.Author:Minfong HoIllustrator:Holly MeadeContent Connections:Social Studies, ArtTIME TO READ!BEFORE WE READ, LET’S LOOK AT...The Cover: The title is “Hush!” What is the motherdoing on the cover? Why is she doing it? What doesit mean? At whom is she looking?The Pictures: The illustrations in this textgive the reader an insight into thecultural landscape of Thailand.What do you notice about theenvironment? What are theclothes like? The buildings?Identify the animals that livenear the family.Prior Knowledge: Build schema by locating Thailandon a map or globe. Tell students that Thailand is in atropical area that can get a lot of rain. How do youthink this affects the house they see in the pictures?Was it built for tropical weather?Vocabulary: weeping, rice barn, sty, glossy,loose-limbed, shrieking, dozesPurpose for Reading: Focus on summarizingand sequencing. “As we read today, think aboutthe animals in the story. How is each onemaking noise? In what order does the mother‘hush’ them?”WHILE WE READMONITORING COMPREHENSION◆ Why does the mother want the animals tobe quiet?◆ What do you think is waking up the baby?◆ Which words on this page rhyme/sound alike?◆ What is the baby doing?◆ What animal do you thinkwill make noise next?◆ Why is the mother so tired?◆ Why do you think theseanimals are making somuch noise?LET’S THINK ABOUTOur Purpose: Revisit the purpose: “What was each animal in the story doing? Which one showed up first?Which one showed up last?”Extending Our Thinking: Ask these open-ended questions: “Why did the mother want the animals to be quiet?”“Would you be able to sleep with those animals around?” “Why do you think the baby woke up?” “Do you thinkit’s hard to take care of a little baby?”NOTE TO EDUCATORS◆ Extension Activities for Educators also available.◆ Vocabulary Scaffolding Sheet also available.

HUSH! A Thai LullabyA RIF GUIDE FOR PARENTS AND FAMILIESThemes: Poetry, Thailand, Bedtime Stories,Family RelationshipsGrade Level: K to 2nd gradeBook Brief: A mother tries to help her baby sleepon a noisy night in Thailand.Author:Minfong HoIllustrator:Holly MeadeTIME TO READ!Before reading, look at thecover: Ask your child what themother is doing. What is thebaby doing? The title is“Hush!” What does that mean?While reading, sound it out: Have your child makethe animal sounds in the story. Guess which type ofanimal will be next.After reading, ask questions:◆ What did you notice about the baby in the story?◆ Did the animals listen to the mom?◆ What happened to the mom at the end of thestory?◆ Could you sleep with all that noise?◆ What is different about where this family lives fromwhere you live?RELATED ACTIVITIESWATERMELON SLUSHIESIngredients: watermelon (no seeds), ice cubes,a little sugarPut 6 ice cubes in blender. Crush. Add 2 cups ofwatermelon. Blend until slushy, about 1 minute.Add 1 tbsp. sugar. Blend 10 seconds. Pour and enjoy!In Thailand, watermelons are round like balls andweigh from 5 to 15 pounds.OUT AND ABOUTSuperstitions are everywhere. Some think it’s badluck to step on cracks, break a mirror or walk undera ladder. Some people in Thailand step over thethresholds in doorways. Try to count how manydoorways you can step over in one day!ELEPHANT PENCIL HOLDERMaterials: empty soup can, construction paper, tackyglue, scissors, tape, wiggle eyes1. Cut paper to fit can. Wrap around can and tape.2. Cut out ovals for ears. Fold in 1/2 inch so earsstick out and glue onto can.3. Cut out thin strip ofpaper for trunk. Roll onpencil or fold andunfold to make it curl.Glue on can.4. Glue on eyes.ADDITIONAL RESOURCESOTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHORPeek! A Thai Hide and Seek (2004), Rice WithoutRain (1990),The Stone Goddess (2005).

HUSH! A Thai LullabyA RIF VOCABULARY SCAFFOLDhush:be quiet!peeping:lookingwell:hole in theground fromwhich youget watersqueaking:a high-pitchednoise, like amouse makescreeping:walking whilebeing quietand sneakyshrieking:yelling reallyloudlydozes:sleeps, napssniffling:breathing inthrough your nose,when you’recrying or whenyou have a coldloose-limbed:relaxed, canmove easilymosquito:bug that sucksyour blood andmakes you itchy

HUSH! A Thai LullabyRIF EXTENSION ACTIVITIES FOR EDUCATORSCOMPARE/CONTRASTHave students complete a Venn Diagram toshow the differences and similarities betweenwhere the family in Hush! lives and wherethey live.CLASS BOOKGive each student or small group of studentsa line from the story to illustrate. For example,“Lizard, lizard, don’t come peeping/Can’t yousee that baby’s sleeping?” Combine theillustrations to form a classroom version ofthe book.BOOK EXTENSIONHave students work in pairs to find otheranimals that are native to Thailand.1. Let each studentpair pick ananimal toillustrate.2. Students shouldcreate a poemthat follows thepattern from thebook.3. When they aredone, havestudents sharetheir picturesand poems withthe class.ACROSTIC POEMHave students write an acrostic poem about ananimal from the story.Example: