Elizabeth Crim
CDEC 1358 P70
Dr. J. Hodge
11 October 2019
Topic​: Story Dramatization, “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.”
Description​: This activity is a dramatization of the poem, “There Was An Old Lady Who
Swallowed a Fly.” This poem will be read aloud first, then the second time I read it aloud to the
preschoolers they will each play the role of an assigned animal. The children will use their
gestures and voice intonations to make the sound of their animal, in order as the story progresses.
For their props, they will use flannelgraph animals that adhere to a flannelgraph of the “Old
Lady.”
Objectives​:
1. Predict what will come next.
2. Children practice waiting for their turn and listening carefully.
3. Match the rhyming words
4. Recognize and name the animals in the book.
5. Children categorize animals into either pets or barnyard animals.
Ages​: 3-6
Group size​: 7-14
Materials​: The book, “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly,” and flannel graphs of
the characters in the story or drawings made for each of the students of an animal.
Procedure:
1. Place the flannelgraph of the Old Woman onto a designated spot behind where you are
sitting for this dramatization. Set out the bag the flannels go in beside you. Then set out
the flannelgraph animals in your lap so they are ready to be handed out.
2. Lower the lights to signal we will be sitting on the circle time rug.
3. Make a circle with the children and tell them that first, you will read this story and then
everyone will get to participate in reenacting it.
4. Read the story, pausing after reading the first part of the sentence for the children to fill in
the last word.
5. After completing the story poem ask the open-ended questions.
6. Passout one flannelgraph animal to each of the children in the circle. Then place the
flannelgraph Old Woman in front of where you are sitting.
7. Read aloud the poem again and this time when the book names an animal the child with
that corresponding animal will be able to imitate and role-play being that animal through
their bodily movements, facial gestures, and voice.
8. When the story is complete and all the animals are on the Old Lady flannelgraph signal to
the children the activity is over by having everyone say, “goodbye,” to the storybooks
characters as they go back into their bag.
9. Transition out of this activity by playing a rhyming game. Say, “if your name rhymes
with ​Penny​, you can ​wash your hands for snack​!” or insert the next activity they will go
to.
Open-Ended Questions to ask:
1. What do you think about eating flies?
2. What have you eaten today?
Follow Up Activities:
1. Categorize the flannelgraph animals into either pets or barnyard animals.
2. Draw the animals in the story or create the animals with dough.
Reflection​:
Resource
Adams, P. (2002). ​There was an old lady who swallowed a fly​. Swindon: Childs Play
(International) Ltd.