Grandma Bird / After Reading / Wider Learning Opportunities /
Making Soup
Following and writing instructions.
Lesson length: 2 sessions
Lesson from Grandma Bird series
Required reading: Whole book

Text potential
- Writing opportunities: Procedural writing
Subjects
- English
- Writing
Strategies used
- Writing: Direct Experience
Purpose
Grandma enjoys making her seaweed soup, and it certainly helps the birds get back on their feet. This lesson introduces children to recipes, food preparation, and writing their own recipes.
Preparation
Choose a soup recipe to create together. You may want to choose something simple like chicken soup or vegetable soup, which many believe have health benefits. You can also find recipes for seaweed soup online, which explain the health benefits of seaweed.
Teacher’s note. Check for any allergies before choosing a recipe
Process
Part one of the process is to experience cooking soup.
Follow the instructions for your chosen soup recipe.
Record the process by filming or taking a series of photographs. The photographic record will be used to support the writing.
Look at some children’s recipe books to establish how recipes are written. Consider why they are written in this way.
- Are there any differences in the way the books look?
- Do some use photographs, and others use drawings? Which do you prefer?
- Do they all have lists of ingredients?
- Do they all have step-by-step instructions?
- Are safety points highlighted?
- Which would you find most straightforward to follow?
Depending on the experience of the children, you can model the writing process or ask them to write independently.
Final reflection
Invite the children to take their recipe home and have a go at following the instructions with an adult to make soup.
Key vocabulary
first, next, then, after that, finally, chop, stir, simmer, fry, boil, add