Make Way for Ducklings

Written by Robert McCloskey
Published by Puffin Books
ISBN: 0-14-056434-9

About the book

To protect their ducks, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard move from their pond in a public park to a quiet island. When the ducks hatch, Mrs. Mallard must walk her ducklings across Boston to reach the water and food in the public park. The Boston police help her take care of her ducklings as they parade across a busy street.

Pre-Reading

Have the students look at the front and back cover of the book. From the illustrations what do the students think the story is about?

Read the notes on the back cover. Based on this information do the students want to read the book? Why/why not?

What do the students know about ducks?

Reading

Read the story to the children. The teacher may want to talk about when the story was written and why the story is not "in colour".

Reviewing the book

Which part of the story did the students like the best? Why?
Would this story happen in Ottawa? Why/why not?
What do they think will happen to the duck family?
When do you think this story took place? Why?
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Who? Why?

Book follow-up

Vocabulary

Habitat
Endangered
Environment
Eco-system

1. Draw a Map: Have the students draw pictures of objects and characters from the story, and then they can place them on a map of Boston. (The teacher will have to make one). You may want to make a large-scale, simplified map of just the streets that are mentioned in the story. Students can practise retelling the story and retracing the ducks' routes.

2. Music: Coordinate this story with the Raffi song "Six Little Ducks" (Six little ducks went out one day over the hill and far away. Mother duck called "quack, quack, quack, quack." But only five little ducks came back . . .) Have children act this out or do it on the flannel board. Coordinate it with subtraction sentences, ending with an addition sentence when all of the ducks return.

3. Egg-carton Ducklings: You will need a two-cup section from an egg carton (with the sections still attached), glue, construction paper, scissors, feathers, beads, or other decorations. Bend the egg carton cups towards each other, rim to rim (making an oval shape). Glue the cups together to form the duck's body. Cut out a bill and feet from the construction paper. Glue the feet and bill to the duckling's body. Add feathers, beads for eyes, or other decorations to complete your duckling.

4. The Ducklings' Names: The ducklings are named in alphabetical order -- Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack. Have the students write each duckling's name on a file card, then scramble the order of the file cards, and practise putting them back in alphabetical order.

5. Ducklings Quiz: Have the students answer the following questions:

What's the duck family's last name?
Where do the ducks decide to build their home?
What is the name of the policeman in the story?
What are the names of the ducklings?
What things did the ducklings have to learn?
At the end of the story, where in the city does the duck family make its home?

6. Story Map: This story is a good example for illustrating events in sequence. Together the class makes a map of locations visited in the story in sequence. The characters of the story can be made by a group of students and then moved along the path in the oral retelling of the story.

7. Writing: The students select to be one of the ducklings. They write a paragraph about their experience moving to their new home.

8. For the Author: Students choose one of the following:

Write to the Author and give your reaction to the book.
Make up 5 interview questions for the author.
Pretend you are the author and explain why you chose the title for the book.

9. Duckling to Duck: Students write a paragraph/story explaining what has happened to the Mallard family one year later.

10. Theme Work:

Students draw a picture of the most important moment in the story.
Students write a letter to the author describing what they have learned from the book and will use in their own lives.

11. Research: The ducks were very lucky to survive in Boston. Students list the hazards that they encountered and how they avoided them. Students analyze the lists to identify which ones exist today. They could also identify new hazards for ducks not mentioned in the story. Discuss with the students the recent sightings of wildlife in the city - bears, moose, owls, etc. Why is this happening? What can be done about it?

Resources

For information on ducks check out www.hww.ca