Build Background

• Ask students if anyone in their family is, or has ever been, away for a long period of time. Invite them to share their experiences. Ask how it makes them feel or how it would make them feel. Encourage students who have experienced this to share the challenges they faced.
• Ask them to share what they know about World War II. Discuss the hardships people might have endured during that difficult time.

Preview the Book

Introduce the Book

• Give students their copy of the book. Guide them to the front and back covers of the book and read the title. Have students discuss what they see on the covers. Encourage them to offer ideas as to what type of book it is and what it might be about.
• Show students the title page. Discuss the information on the page (title of book, author's name, illustrator's name).

Introduce the Reading Strategy: Make, revise, and confirm predictions

• Explain that good readers often make predictions about what will happen in a book based on the series of events and what the characters say, do, and think in the story. As they read the story, readers revise or confirm their predictions based on what they learn from reading. Before reading a book, readers can use the title and illustrations as the basis for making predictions.
• Model using the title and cover illustrations to make a prediction as you preview the book.
  Think-aloud: Let's look at the front cover. I see a girl asleep. She appears to be dreaming about herself with a man and woman giving her a cake. It seems as though the people know and love each other. I wonder if the two people with her are her mother and father. It looks as though the cake might be a birthday cake, since it has candles on top, and in the title I see the word Birthday. Perhaps the girl is dreaming about her birthday. The title, Alice's Birthday Cake, makes me think that the cake is hers and that she is Alice. I'll have to read the book find out what happens.
• Create a four-column chart on the board with the headings Make, Revise, Confirm, and Actual. Model writing a prediction in the first column, Make. (For example, Alice dreams that her mom and dad will surprise her with a special cake to celebrate her birthday.)
• Introduce and explain the prediction worksheet. Have students preview all the illustrations in the story. Invite them to make a prediction before they begin reading and record it on their worksheet.
• As students read, encourage them to use other reading strategies in addition to the targeted strategy presented in this section. For tips on additional reading strategies, click here.

Introduce the Comprehension Skill: Cause and effect

• Write the following sentence on the board: I put on my hat. Model identifying cause-and-effect relationships.
  Think-aloud: I know that there are reasons, or causes, for events to happen. When I put on a hat, it might be because it is hot outside. The hat shades me from the sun and keeps me cool. So, a cause for putting on the hat might be because it is hot and I wanted to stay cool. However, I also sunburn easily. Since a hat shades my face from the sun, another cause, or reason, to put on a hat might be to prevent me from getting sunburned. Sometimes there is more than one cause associated with an effect.
• Review or discuss that a cause is an event that makes something happen, and the effect is what happens because of, or as a result of, the cause. Create a two-column chart on the board with the headings Cause and Effect. Write I put on a hat under the heading Effect. Ask students to identify from the discussion the two causes for the effect (it is hot outside; to prevent sunburn). Write these under the heading Cause.
• Invite students to explain other possible causes for putting on a hat (it is cold, windy, raining; it is part of a costume; and so on).
• Write each of the following sentences on index cards: I go to sleep. I am tired. I put on my coat. It is cold outside. I drink water. I am thirsty. I eat an apple. I am hungry. Mix up the cards and give each volunteer a card. Have volunteers find a match to their sentence on one of the other cards. Then have each person in the pair identify who is the cause and who is the effect. Ask the remaining students to explain whether or not the match and explanation are correct.

Introduce the Vocabulary

• Write each content vocabulary word on a large piece of paper. Hang the pieces of paper on the walls around the room. Read each of the words aloud to students.
• Have groups of students rotate around the room to each vocabulary word. For each word, have them discuss what they know about the word. Then have students write or draw what they know about the word on the paper.
• Discuss what students wrote or drew for each vocabulary word. Review or explain that the glossary and dictionary contain a list of vocabulary words and their definitions. Model how students can use the glossary or a dictionary to find a word's meaning. Have students locate the glossary at the back of the book. Invite a volunteer to read the definition for each word in the glossary. Have students compare the definition with their prior knowledge of the word.
• Have students follow along as you read the sentence in the book in which each vocabulary word is found to confirm the meaning of the word.
• For additional tips on teaching word-attack strategies, click here.

Set the Purpose

• Have students read the book, making predictions about what will happen in the story based on the events and what the characters say, do, and think. Remind them to revise or confirm their predictions as they learn more about the events of the story.

During Reading 

Student Reading

• Guide the reading: Have students read to the end of page 7. Encourage those who finish early to go back and reread.
• Model making, revising, and confirming a prediction.
  Think-aloud: I predicted that Alice dreams that her mom and dad will surprise her with a special cake for her birthday. As I read, I learned that that girl on the cover was Alice, she was dreaming, and the two people in her dream were her mother and father. This part of my prediction was confirmed. However, I also learned that Alice's father had been shipped out to fight the war in Europe, and that her birthday was the next day. She was sad that her father would miss it. My revised prediction is that her surprise will be her father coming home on her birthday. I will write this prediction next to my original prediction under the heading Revise.
• Have students turn to page 5. Point out the words blackout curtains. Ask students to explain what caused people to put up blackout curtains during World War II (enemy planes might see lights from the city and know where to drop bombs). Introduce and explain the cause and effect worksheet. Have students record this information under the heading Cause and write people put up blackout curtains under the heading Effect.
• Check for understanding: Encourage students to use the information they've read and discussed to revise or confirm their prediction. Have them write their new prediction under the heading Revise on their worksheet. Remind them that if their first prediction has been confirmed or has not yet been proven, they may write another prediction in the Make section of their worksheet. Model for students how to think through whether or not their predictions were confirmed, and if not, explain why not. Invite students to share their predictions.
• Ask students to explain what Alice's mother did after her father went to Europe (she took a job in a factory). Have them explain the reason why she did this (the factories needed to keep running while the men were at war). Have students use this information to record a cause and effect relationship on their worksheet. Invite them to share their responses.
• Have students read to page 11. When they have finished reading, have them share their predictions and the outcome of their predictions. Remind them to revise or confirm their predictions and write on their worksheet what actually happened.
• Invite students to read the remainder of the book. Encourage them to continue to make, revise, and confirm their predictions as they read the rest of the story.

    Have students make a question mark in their book beside any word they do not understand or cannot pronounce. Encourage them to use the strategies they have learned to read the words and figure out their meaning.

After Reading 

Reflect on the Reading Strategy

• Ask students what words, if any, they marked in their book. Use this opportunity to model how they can read these words using decoding strategies and context clues.
• Think-aloud: I predicted that Alice's father would surprise her by coming home for her birthday. This prediction was not confirmed. However, it would be accurate to say that Alice received a surprise because her family and friends gave her an unexpected birthday party. She also received a letter from her father to wish her a happy birthday. The information in the book about ration stamps leads me to think that the war was an incredible hardship for families during World War II. Loved ones were far away and people at home often had to make sacrifices. This makes me wonder what life was like when the war ended and how long it took for the country to return to normal.
• Ask students to share their predictions about what they thought might happen in the story. Ask them to compare their predictions with what actually happened in the story and to share any predictions that were confirmed. Reassure students by explaining that using story events and prior knowledge to make predictions, and not predicting correctly, is the purpose of this reading strategy.
• Ask students to explain how the strategy of making, revising, and confirming predictions helped them understand and enjoy the story.
• Independent practice: Have students finish filling in their prediction worksheet. Invite students to share their predictions, reasoning, and revisions, as well as how their predictions related to the actual outcome of the story.

Reflect on the Comprehension Skill

• Discussion: Review the cause and effect relationships listed on their worksheet. Ask students to explain or show how the strategy of identifying cause-and-effect relationships helped them understand the story.
• Discuss additional effects that might result from the causes listed (fears of bombing, people not spending as much time with their family, and so on).
• Independent practice: Have students complete the cause and effect worksheet. If time allows, discuss their responses.
• Enduring understanding: Alice and her family had to give up things they liked in order to help others. Now that you know this information, how will you react next time you are asked to give up something you like?

Build Skills 

Grammar and Mechanics: Adverbs with the suffix -ly

• Have students turn to page 7 and read the following sentence aloud: "Nothing," Alice lied as she absently wiped her brother's face with a napkin. Ask students how Alice wiped her brother's face (absently). Explain that absently is an adverb that describes the verb wiped.
• Review or explain that adverbs are words that describe or modify verbs or adjectives. Adverbs express the time, manner, or degree in which a verb occurs. They usually tell how something happens. They may also tell how often, how many, or how much.
• Ask students what the root or base word of absently is (absent). Explain that many adverbs are formed by adding -ly to the end of a word.
• Write the question How often? on the board. Have students turn to page 16 and read the sentence aloud: Usually her friends went to the movies on Saturdays. Ask students how often her friends went to the movies (usually). Explain that usually is an adverb that describes the verb went. Ask students what the root or base word of usually is (usual).
• Write the words slow, careful, and sudden on the board. Have student volunteers come up to the board and add -ly to each root or base word and then use the resulting adverb in an oral sentence.
• Check for understanding: Have students work in pairs to find all of the adverbs with an -ly suffix in the book and identify the verb or adjective that each adverb describes. When students are done, discuss their findings.
• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the adverbs worksheet. If time allows, discuss their responses.

Word Work: Prefix un- and suffix -ful

• Write the following sentence on the board: Alice woke up just as she was unwrapping the present. Point out the word unwrapping. Ask students to explain the meaning of the word.
• Erase the prefix un- from the beginning of the word unwrapping. Reread the sentence using the new word. Ask students to explain how the meaning of the sentence changed.
• Write the prefix un- on the board and discuss its meaning (not). Have students locate the word with the un- prefix on page 7 (unlucky). Ask students to explain the meaning of the word (not lucky).
• Write the following sentence on the board: This morning Alice felt cheerful. Point out the word cheerful. Ask students to explain the meaning of the word.
• Write the suffix -ful on the board and discuss its meaning (full of). Have students locate the words with the -ful suffix on pages 7 and 11 (mouthful, thankful). Ask students to explain the meaning of each word (mouth full of, full of thanks).
• Check for understanding: Write the following words on the board: clear, fair, help. Have students identify the meaning of each base word. Then have students add the prefix un- to the words clear and fair, and add the suffix -ful to the word help (unclear, unfair, helpful). Have students identify how the meaning of each word has changed.
• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the prefix and suffix worksheet.

Build Fluency 

Independent Reading

• Allow students to read their book independently or with a partner. Encourage repeated timed readings of a specific section of the book.

Home Connection

• Give students their book to take home to read with parents, caregivers, siblings, or friends. Have students identify cause and effect relationships that happen at home. For example: I set the table (effect); It is time for dinner (cause). Have them write each cause and effect on a piece of paper and practice matching them with someone at home.

Extend the Reading 

Writing and Art Connection
Have students write an additional chapter to Alice's Birthday Cake, detailing the events of the birthday party. If time allows, invite students to illustrate their work, including period clothing and settings as shown in the book.

Social Studies Connection
Have students use the information provided in the book to compare and contrast life in modern times and life during the World War II. Students may also use print and Internet resources to research additional details about World War II. Have them locate information on period clothing, transportation, food, shelter, and pastimes. Have them share their findings in the form of an oral presentation.

Assessment 

Monitor students to determine if they can:

• make logical predictions based on available pictures and text; revise and/or confirm predictions as they preview and read the book and record predictions on a worksheet
• understand and identify cause-and-effect relationships in text during discussion and on a worksheet
• recognize and use adjectives with the suffix -ly during discussion and on a worksheet
• understand how prefixes and suffixes change the meaning of words; correctly identify the meaning of words with the prefix un- and suffix -ful during discussion and on a worksheet 

Comprehension Checks

• Book Quiz
• Retelling Rubric

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