STORY BOOKS LEVEL 19 Linking with other PM books
Making party food PM Plus, NF Levels 14 & 15
Running words: 477 The Hut in the Old Tree PM Plus, Level 17
Puppy at the Door PM Plus, Level 18
Wet Weather Camping PM Plus, Level 18
The Chocolate Cake
About the story For the English language learner
This story is a sequel to Wet Weather Camping. Tess and Ask children what sorts of things they like to do
Nathan make a chocolate cake but are disappointed on a rainy day. Use some of their ideas to come
when it is cooked. The situation is saved when these up with alternate versions for what else Tess and
resourceful children make it into a delicious dessert. Nathan could do on a rainy day.
Creating the atmosphere Exploring language features
Reread Wet Weather Camping. Discuss various • Write the following sentences on the
activities that children engage in when chalkboard: “The rain bounced off the
continual rain keeps them indoors. Explain glass,” and “Next, Tess broke the eggs
that the new story is set the day after Tess and carefully and slipped them in.” Underline
Nathan camped in the basement. the words bounced and slipped. Talk about
the visual images the author has created by
Focusing on the story using these words in this context.
• Cover Read the title. Discuss the cover and • List words from the story that describe
title page illustrations. Predict the story content. feelings, e.g., excited, upset, wonderful. Add
• Pages 2–5 Talk about children’s own similar words to the list and talk about their
experiences of supervised cooking. Point out meanings.
that except for turning the oven on and
taking the cake out when cooked, Mom lets Going beyond the story
the children complete the task by • During class time, have the children make
themselves. either a chocolate cake (using a prepared
• Pages 6–13 Compare the children’s feelings mix) or some other food item from Making
of satisfaction while making the cake with Party Food.
their feelings of dismay when the cake will
not come out!
• Pages 14–16 Discuss what the children did
to make the cake into a dessert, i.e., “First
…,” “Then …” Invite children to talk about
their favorite desserts.
• Discuss how Tess and Nathan have once
again turned a disappointment into a happy • Review the procedures for writing
occasion. Discuss what the children instructions. Search the text for procedures
themselves might have done in a similar that Tess and Nathan followed to make “a
situation. chocolate cake dessert.” Write these together
in the form of a recipe.
Developing specific skills Using the blackline master
• Review words with difficult letter clusters: smooth, • Discuss with children how they will complete the
butter, oven, fridge. sentences. Encourage their own ideas and
• Discuss words that relate to time: Sunday, yesterday, opinions.
today, tomorrow, half an hour, morning, evening. • Write an ending for the first sentence together.
• Look at words that end with ful: wonderful, careful, • Read the verb choices aloud and remind children
beautiful. to listen to how each sentence sounds.
PM Plus Purple The Chocolate Cake 9992799595
The Chocolate Cake The Chocolate Cake
PM Plus Purple PM Plus Purple
F/P: K F/P: K
DRA: 20 DRA: 20
9992799595 9992799595
The Chocolate Cake The Chocolate Cake
PM Plus Purple PM Plus Purple
F/P: K F/P: K
DRA: 20 DRA: 20
9992799595 9992799595