We Found a Hat is part of our Starts With a Story Collection, which includes more than 550 picture book companions based on high quality children’s literature that support you in delivering highly-engaging interactive read alouds with follow up activities. Learn more about this children’s book below! - Jodi and the Starts With a Story Team
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SUMMARY
"We Found a Hat" by Jon Klassen is a charming and thought-provoking picture book that explores themes of friendship, fairness, and selflessness. The story follows two turtles who stumble upon a single hat in the desert. They both desire the hat, but they also value their friendship and want to make sure neither of them feels left out. The turtles devise a plan to each take turns wearing the hat, but their selflessness and genuine care for each other make it difficult to find a fair solution. Through Klassen's distinctive minimalist illustrations and sparse yet impactful text, the book captures the turtles' dilemma and their internal struggle with honesty and empathy. "We Found a Hat" gently prompts readers to reflect on the value of friendship and the choices we make when faced with conflicting desires. In the end, the story delivers a surprising twist that emphasizes the depth of the turtles' bond and the beauty of compromise.
 USE THIS BOOK TO TEACH:
Our read aloud lesson plans for this picture book come with reading comprehension questions (with sample student responses), 30 writing prompts, teaching ideas for grammar skills, social emotional learning discussion ideas, and more. Check out our list below to get a sneak peek at some of the skills this resource teaches.
- Encourage students to use their summarizing and retelling strategies.
- Discuss the different characters in the story and analyze their thoughts and actions.
- Help students to analyze what the author’s purpose for writing the book might be.
- Use examples from the book to teach a lesson on subject and predicate.
- Practice reading sentences with question marks with appropriate expression.
- Use this book to discuss compromising.
- Encourage students to think about ways they can show compassion.
NO-PREP PRINTABLE ACTIVITIES:
If you are looking for “ready to go” activities for the first day of school, be sure to check out the book companion. With it you’ll receive all of the following resources to align with this specific book:
- comprehension questions
- 30Â writing prompts with themed paper
- vocabulary activities
- word study print & go activities
- ideas for grammar lessons with focus sentence printables
- social emotional learning discussion topics
- graphic organizers to target specific comprehension skills and strategies
This book is a must have for your school or classroom library. Your students are going to love completing these activities for the book and you will be impressed with how much they learn. You will want to read this book to your class every year.
GET THE PRINTABLE ACTIVITIES
ADDITIONAL BOOK SUGGESTIONS
You and your students will love the similar books listed below, which can all be found in our free picture book list.
- I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
- The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
- A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
TRY OUT A SAMPLE COMPANION
It's hard to explain how amazing the Starts with a Story book companions are because there is just so much goodness included in each one. It's best if you experience using one for yourself. Sign up below & we'll send you an entire book companion to try out for FREE!
