ACTIVITIES ON THIS PAGE:
Write and draw a super-hero comic strip
Help rid Centerburg of excess donuts
Assemble a suburb
Come unraveled in a silly contest
Pitch a product
Get your bearings
Learn some outdated phrases
Meet the author
Wrap it up with a sticker!
ON THIS PAGE:
Printables: preview of worksheets and activity printables for sale
Takeaway Topics: teaching points made meaningful through activities
Prop Ideas: story objects that make abstract ideas more memorable
Learning Links: curated external links for lesson prep or tangential learning
Terms of Use: how you may use LitWits® resources
"
LitWits makes a small commission on supplies or books you buy through our Amazon affiliate links.
Creative Teaching Idea #1
Homer's pretty disiillusioned about superheroes and comic books after finding out that Super-Duper is only human. But there's another hero in this story, right under his nose (and behind and above it, too)! Really, there's no greater hero in this book than Homer himself, especially when the author clears the way for him to shine.
In this activity, kids get to immortalize his heroism in words and art.
Discuss the concept of the narrative arc (if you'd like help with that, here's our free download: "How to explain the narrative arc to kids.")
Draft a short "cliffhanger" story of Super-Homer dealing with a Super-Villain, following the six points of the arc.
Create a comic strip from their story., using one panel for each of the plot points. It's extra fun to add these classic comic stickers.
Or get our printables set, which includes a explanatory narrative arc worksheet, a fill-in-the-blank story template, and our six-panel comic template.
Creative Teaching Idea #2
BookBites
The kids will be disappointed to hear that there were technical difficulties in the doughnut shop when you stopped in this morning . . . but they'll beam when they find out it was because the owner was trying out an antique doughnut-making machine he'd just bought in Centerburg, Ohio. Apparently it had been working fine for about eighty years and then POOF, this morning, problems galore! Doughnuts galore!
Imagine that! Are your kids up for helping rid the town of some extras? We think they will be just as solution-oriented as Homer himself. 😋
If you'd like to add a serious lesson while the kids are gobbling, you might want to talk about Robert McCloskey's illustration of Rupert Black finding the bracelet, and the author's forward-thinking ideas about the past, and about civil rights.
Creative Teaching Idea #3
This book is full of mid-century, mid-western vibes, including the ideas of mass production and labor-saving devices that were such a big deal in post-WW2 America. At one point the philanthropic Miss Enders has a whole suburb built using Henry Ford's assembly line process—something your kids can do too! It's a lot of fun and an opportunity to literally grasp the mixed blessings of mass production—for instance, the ingenuity and monotony of assembly line work, and the affordability and homogeneity of the homes.
Every child will go home with a house built by everyone. It's a lot of fun for them to call out "HOLD THE LINE!" when the parts pile up, or "WE NEED MORE PRODUCT" when things get slow. The last one on the line rings a bell every time a completed house rolls off the line, and everyone cheers as the subub grows. Afterward, as a reward, it's fun to watch this famous clip of Lucy and Ethel on the chocolates assembly line.
We've designed roof and siding printables to fit these wooden houses, and also a printable/foldable house... along with landscaping and window treatment elements for both options, so kids can personalize their very affordable, very tiny homes.
Option 1
Foldable template; each child "builds" his or her own house, or you could set this up assembly-line style—fold, glue, pass!
Option 2
For gluing to a wooden house, assembly line style—glue, stick, pass!
The new suburb (using Option 2 homes)
As the houses come off the assembly line, the last builder will ring a bell and set the new house in place. ALL CHEER!
Wooden houses OR printed foldable paper houses, one per child.
Scissors
Glue sticks
One bell
In our printables set:
foldable houses and decor for Option 1
house sides/roof and decor for Option 2
FOR WOODEN HOUSE
Print out house papers and trim. Set landscaping/decorating elements aside for later.
Divide all parts of all houses into stacks. (Wooden and paper house fronts, house backs, left sides, right sides, left roof, right roof, and wooden base).
Plan ahead to divide the assembly of a house into as many tasks as you have children.
For example, the houses have 7 wooden parts (including the base) and 6 paper parts. If every child is either a “Gluer,” (who applies the glue) a “Sticker” (who sticks the paper to the wood) or a “Builder” (who fits wooden pieces into their slots) there is a job on the assembly line for 18 children. Adjust for the size of your class by giving older kids a double job, if necessary.
Choose a place in the room where your suburb will be built (e.g. a nearby table).
When it’s time to start the assembly line, seat kids along tables in a row, close enough to reach each other easily. Put a stack of one kind of part in front of each gluer and/or sticker, in the order shown.
Take the time to walk through the assembly of a single “demo” house as it goes down the line, making sure each child is comfortable with their role. Explain that anyone who feels like things are moving too quickly can call out “hold the line!” at any point, until they are able to catch up. And of course that you will be there to help! (Kids can chat quietly amongst themselves or work on another project during this time… this is a time for you to speak to and affirm each child individually about their part in the process). Tell everyone they must WAIT to start assembling until everyone has heard their instructions, the first “demo” has been built, and the starting bell rings. They will be ITCHING to get started!
As the first (demo) house comes off the end of the line, have the final Builder ring a little bell and proudly walk it to the plot of land chosen for your suburb. Everyone cheers!
Now comes the exciting moment when you will (with much official decorum and hoopla) ring the bell to start the line!
FOR FOLDABLE PAPER HOUSE:
Print out house parts and trim. Set landscaping/decorating elements aside for later.
Divide house parts into two stacks (main house and roof section).
Plan ahead to divide the folding, gluing and tucking of a house into as many tasks as you have children, starting with the base and then adding the roof section.
For example, the houses have 13 folds to crease, 6 places to put glue, and one tab to tuck. If every child is either a “Folder,” “Gluer” or “Tucker,” there is a job on the assembly line for 20 children. The child at the first position will start the main house section with a single fold, with each child adding their fold until the main portion is completed. At that point the partially completed house will go to the child with the roof portion, who will make their first fold, and so on. For a smaller class, just combine tasks, giving older kids a double job, if necessary.
Choose a place in the room where your suburb will be built (e.g. a nearby table).
When it’s time to start the assembly line, seat kids along tables in a row, close enough to reach each other easily. Put the stack of unfolded houses in front of the first child and the stack of unfolded roof sections in front of the child who will begin that part of the house project.
Take the time to walk through the assembly of a single “demo” house as it goes down the line, making sure each child is comfortable with their role. Explain that anyone who feels like things are moving too quickly can call out “hold the line!” at any point, until they are able to catch up and that you will be there to help. (Kids can chat quietly amongst themselves or work on another project during this time… this is a time for you to speak to and affirm each child individually about their part in the process). Tell everyone they must WAIT to start assembling until everyone has heard their instructions, the first “demo” has been built, and the starting bell rings. They will be ITCHING to get started!
As the first (demo) house comes off the end of the line, have the final Builder ring a little bell and proudly walk it to the plot of “land” chosen for your suburb. Everyone cheers!
Now comes the exciting moment when you will (with much official decorum and hoopla) ring the starting bell! And the line will start!
Scroll for more, or browse other titles.
Creative Teaching Idea #4
Oh that clever, resourceful Miss Terwilliger, outwitting (or is it outknitting) those two suitors of hers! This activity has kids wind volunteer "Miss Ts" in a long length of robin's-egg blue yarn, then twirl down the Hallway Racetrack to see which Miss T was wearing the most yarn.
We love that Homer's the one who wonders what Miss Terwilliger might think about her suitors' agreement—and that the author lets her make her own decisions. He even throws in a little speech by the judge about womens' rights:
"The American female is beginning to find her rightful place in the business and public life of this nation." -"Mystery Yarn"
That's pretty advanced for the 1940s! If your kids are old enough, this would be a good time to give them an overview of the history of American women's rights.
Creative Teaching Idea #5
In this activity, you'll help your kids analyze some hyperbolic 1940s ads of your choice, break down their “arguments,” and create a similar ad for a product of their imagination or of your choice. (We had the kids put a spin on a blender—yes we said that. You can’t beat our puns.).
To do this they'll need to come up with a catchy name, a memorable slogan, and some marketing copy. We've got a creative writing worksheet for this in our printables set.
Creative Teaching Idea #6
Help your kids find Ohio on a USA map, and talk about the possible location of fictional Centerburg. (There's a real Centerburg right in the middle of Ohio, but it's not "where route 56 meets route 56A".) The author grew up in another small town in Ohio, Hamilton, much like the story's Centerburg.
Have the kids find route 56, which runs east-west, and mark it near the center of the state on a map of Ohio—or draw the two highways crossing on the map worksheet included in our printables set.
Scroll for more, or browse other titles.
Creative Teaching Idea #7
Everyone likes to be "in the know." It makes kids feel good to be able to understand outdated phrases, and recognize them when they come up in older books (or older people). You can pick out some kid-friendly 1940s slang here, or use our illustrated vocabulary worksheet to make learning from Homer Price easy and memorable.
Creative Teaching Idea #8
Without the author, we wouldn't have this marvelous story—or Make Way for Ducklings, Blueberries for Sal, or Lentil, or so many more great books he wrote! All of them have an element of autobiography in them, and besides, it's important to know where your books have come from. So introduce your kids to the multi-talented, forward-thinking Robert McCloskey through this video, which shares kid-friendly, interesting aspects of his life.
Our printables set includes a worksheet for author note-taking and conversation-starting.
Creative Teaching Idea #9
You've just taken your kids on a field trip through this great book! Don't you think they'd love a sticker to prove they've "been there and back again"?
Reward everyone with a souvenir travel sticker, included in our printables set. Kids like to collect our stickers to decorate a reading kit, like an old briefcase or suitcase that can hold a book, bookmark, glasses, snack, blanket, journal, pen, and whatever!
You're off to share the best of this great book in fun, hands-on ways!
It's helpful to know this book's big teaching points ahead of time, and explore some fascinating links to add to your lessons. Read through these Takeaway Topics, then explore the supportive Prop Ideas and Learning Links below them. Make notes as you go, so you’ll remember what you want to share, and when.
Our worksheets and activity printables connect to these key ideas.
Robert McCloskey makes sure Centerburg's sheriff isn't doing his job—so Homer can. Our solution-oriented hero uses his wits to catch the bad guys, help a superhero out of a ditch, come up with an advertising campaign that saves a treasure, and protect Centerburg kids from a potential "pied piper"—by virtue of his having read so many great books, and learned their valuable lessons. Because Homer's interested in others and wants to help, he figures out how. It's that easy to be a hero—what a great lesson for kids!
Homer and Freddy are so disappointed to find out Super-Duper's only human—but he does turn out to be a nice one, and that's the lesson here: perfect people are too good to be true, but they can still be pretty good. Even the incredibly inept sheriff, whose bumbling means that Homer always saves the day, has his good points. This story is also about the UNcredible people who seem good but might not be, like the mysterious inventor. But mostly, it's about ordinary people doing incredible things.
Whether we're reading about a product, a production process, or the marketing of new-fangled things, this story gets the point across that machines aren't perfect either, and neither is mass production—yet those inventions do have their virtues. McCloskey's wit and illustrations make good points about the pros and cons of advances in funny, memorable ways. For a deeper dive, see our blog post about our perspectives on the book's social commentaries.
Scroll for more, or browse other titles.
A table of props pulled “straight from the story” can lead to all sorts of wonderful discussions and wide-eyed, “aha!” moments. Props that are unique to the setting, help kids understand “what that was like,” and props that are symbolic of takeaway topics make big ideas visual and tangible.
As you read, keep an eye out for items from the book you might like to collect and share, and ask your kids to do the same. You’d be surprised how many things might be hiding in plain sight. Grandparents, garages, attics, and junk drawers sometimes yield the greatest treasures.
Here are a few prop ideas for this book.
The tool box contains tool-shaped writing pens, which we gave to the kids as "tools of ingenuity" for their creative writing and other worksheets. (The doughnut box is under the dish towel—we told the kids we knew they'd be expecting doughnuts so to not be predictable we brought Miss Terwilliger's fried chicken instead. 😆 S0 MEAN!)
If you have a sweet patient black dog, you can add an Aroma to your classroom.
Explore these links to supplement your reading experience, research points of interest, and prompt tangential learning opportunities.
About the Book & Author
Biography of Robert McCloskey - Heritage Hall Museum, Hamilton OH
A wonderful documentary on the author's life (movie starts at 8:42) - TVHamilton
A slightly awkward but very endearing interview with the author, including a film dramatization of the donut scene from Homer Price
A charming peek into the author's life on a lake in Maine
McClosky exhibit - Hamilton Heritage Museum
Obituary of the author - New York Times
Story Supplements
“The History of Centerburg, OH” - Centerburg Source
VIDEO: 1963 movie of the doughnut episode 1963 movie of the doughnut episode
VIDEO: How Ford Built America - The Man Behind The Automobile
VIDEO: Lucy and Ethel on the assembly line, from the "Job Switching" episode of I Love Lucy
The Truth in Advertising law - Federal Trade Commission
The origin and history of "cliffhanger" stories - Wikipedia
The History of Household Technology - Library of Congress
About the extra robber in bed (author letter) - Once Upon a Homeschooler
VIDEO: The history of tract homes and suburbs - Smithsonian
Beyond the Book
Our blog post on forward-thinking ideas and incidents in Homer Price
USA Treatment of Native Americans - Bridgewater Univ
Lunch counter sit-ins - African American Midwest
“A Lunch Counter?” post about lunch counter sit-ins - Food Tells a Story
You're literally on our page about inspiring kids to love great books. YAY! We're eager to share our passion for LitWitting and the work we've been doing ever since 2010.
We're also eager to keep doing it! :) So if you've found this page. inspiring and useful, please share it with your social world. And if you buy our printables for this book, thank you. We appreciate you helping us keep the lights on at LitWits!
Happy teaching,
Becky and Jenny
Sisters, best friends, and partners
The Becky & Jenny version: Feel free to print pages for teaching use, and make copies of printables for your students. Please don’t use our name, ideas, or materials commercially or share our printables, though we'd love for you to share these free pages with your fellow educators.
The blah legal version: You are granted exclusive use of our products in download or print version as follows: You have the right of reproduction that is limited to your use only in whatever quantity is necessary to meet your needs and those of your student participants. This right is unlimited and extends for as long as you need the materials during which time they cannot be given to or shared with any other person(s) through any means of delivery, materially or digitally via the Internet. As such you have the right to store the product(s) on the hard drive of your computer or as hard copy in your resource file. Any misuse of these rights is in violation of copyright law.
LitWits® is a registered trademark of LitWits Workshops, LLC.
LitWits teaching ideas and materials for Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
Copyright 2019 by LitWits Workshops, LLC. All Rights Reserved.