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= //**Chrysanthemum**// =



// Author: Kevin Henkes // Author's website On the first day of school, I read this book to my students. The story is about a sweet mouse whose beautiful name is Chrysanthemum. She loves her name and is very excited about her first day in Kindergarten. I change the story to reflect the grade I am teaching so it has more relevance for the kids.

Some of the students in her class make fun of her name and of course this hurts her feelings. When she tells her parents what has happened, they try to reassure her that her name is beautiful. She continues to be teased and laughed at each day, and she continues to be reassured by her parents. But Chrysanthemum hates her name and wants to change it.

One day, the class meets their new music teacher, Mrs. Delphinium Twinkle, who is going to have a baby. The students like her a lot. Mrs. Twinkle is assigning the parts in the class play and tells Chrysanthemum she is going to be a daisy. The class breaks out in laughter and more teasing. When Mrs. Twinkle hears the students teasing Chrysanthemum she informs them that she too was named after a flower, Delphinium. She also tells the class that she is considering naming her baby Chrysanthemum if it is a girl. When Chrysanthemum hears that someone else thinks her name is special, she finally believes that her name is perfect, just like her parents have told her since she was born.

This unit incorporates Reading, Writing, Math, Science and Social Studies lessons. The lessons align with the NCSOS Competency goals for each content area, as well as the Technology standards.

**// COME JOIN CHRYSANTHEMUM ON HER FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! //**