Catch Me If You Can!
By Carpenter, Sandy
January 03, 2011
Run run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man! Marshall Elementary first grade students just completed a literacy unit on the gingerbread man by sending their own gingerbread men across the state of Kansas. With the help of
Kansas school librarians and friends, the Eureka gingerbread men traveled as far west as Garden City, as far east as Leawood, as far north as Almena, and as far south as Wichita. All of the places where the gingerbread men were found were marked on a map in the Marshall Library.
Most all of the gingerbread men returned to Eureka before Christmas break with the story of their escapades while on the run. Some even brought back pictures and souvenirs.
The very first Gingerbread Man to return came from Burlington with an additional visit to Lawrence. Escorted by former first grade teacher, Debbie Reed, this gingerbread man ran as fast as he could to watch a Kansas University basketball game. This Gingerbread Man was particularly interested in watching Tyrel Reed play since Tyrel is a former Eureka student and an avid reader. One of Tyrel Reed’s achievements while attending Mulberry Elementary School in Eureka was to read LOTS of library books so that he accumulated over 750 Accelerated Reader points, a hefty feat. While in Lawrence for the KU basketball game the Gingerbread Man had his picture taken with Tyrel, former Marshall student Kathleen McKensie, the KU Jayhawk and on the KU basketball practice court. He also came back with Tyrel’s autograph on the back of his card.
Another gingerbread man visited Cawker City and returned with a piece of twine from the world’s largest twine ball. One returned with a hugh notebook of pictures and travel folders while visiting Topeka. One gingerbread men visited Eureka alumnus Catherine Mariani Bettis in her school library in Kansas City.
Previous to this activity first grade teachers Teresa Detwiler, Trudy Evans and Misty Lazar had read and compared/contrasted different versions of the gingerbread man with their classes. The first grade students made gingerbread man glyphs, wrote new endings for the traditional Gingerbread Man story, completed a GB Man sequencing activity, and of course ate gingerbread men cookies followed by graphing first bites.
