The Wind Blew

Book Spotlight: The Wind Blew

Welcome to the STEMHAX Book Spotlight. Today, we explore The Wind Blew written and illustrated by Pat Hutchins. This is a wonderful introductory book for children to explore science. Although it was first published in 1974, it is still relevant today. The book introduces children to the concept of wind, through a whimsical and fictional story. Children will keep them captivated while they listen to the rhymes unfold.

Kids enjoy reading the same book over and over again. A physical copy of the book is highly recommended for the first reading of The Wind Blew.

HINT: After you have introduced and explored this book, kids can utilize the YouTube read aloud in a listening center or quiet activity when they have finished their work. FREE easy version book report CLICK===>HERE

Overview

Children are naturally curious about the weather. This book spotlight includes some fun activities you can do with your students, using The Wind Blew. This book is a great addition to any classroom library. Kids will want to read it over and over again. Especially after you introduce it and use the helpers included in this spotlight.

The Wind Blew – Read Aloud

Exploring The Wind Blew with Young Learners

First, start with a book cover inspection. Show children the cover of the book, and ask, “what do you think this book is about?” Follow this with some open ended questions to get their minds warmed up.

• Why do you think the object are floating in the air?
• What do you know about the wind?
• What is wind?
• What has it been like when you were in the wind?
• How do you know wind moves?

After reading the book for the first time, ask more open-ended questions. Remember there are no wrong answers. Some questions might include:

• What parts of the story could be real?
• What patterns did you notice in the book?
• What do you think about this wind?
• What was your favorite part of the story?

Vocabulary

We have a book companion packet that works perfectly with this book. CLICK ===>HERE to explore a preview in my TPT Store. Wind is a part of a larger weather unit, this packet covers the math component of the STEMAHX anagram. This book is great for reinforcing the concept of ordinals.

• snatched – take something by grabbing it suddenly.
• content – a state of peaceful happiness.
• hanky – a handkerchief.

History Helpers

If you are living in England, you might skip this section. However, if you live elsewhere a few of the characters in the book might need a little more attention.

• The Judge: When you read how the wind lifts the wig off the judges head, it might get some hands raised. Wigs are not associated with judges in most of the world today. In fact, in the 17th century wigs made their way into the courtroom. According to Harcourt.com “…headpieces were fully adopted as proper legal attire by 1685…” This tradition is still honored in England.
• The Guard: While the guard is at his station, he looks much different than other guardsman around the world. He is wearing a “busby” hat. This tall hat is made from bearskins. There are several places in England that use guards with this traditional dress code; Buckingham Palace is the most popular.

Fun Fact

Did you know that Poseidon was know as Neptune to the Romans. He was a god in Greek Mythology. Neptune was the god of the sea and the waters. Could this be why Pat Hutchins named the sail boat “Neptune” as seen on the last page of the book?

About the Author

Pat Hutchins loved drawing as a young child. She was known to carry a sketchbook wherever she went. She also enjoyed creating stories and paired these two loves into over 50 children’s books.

The Wind Blew was based on the town Pat Hutchins lived as a child. In an interview on the Pat Hutchins YouTube Channel, Pat shares that each year the town had drawing competitions, and she said she got pretty good at drawing the church in her town. As a matter of fact, the bride and groom are depictions of her and her husband Lawrence. To see the full interview CLICK===>HERE.

Pat Hutchins at Work

Extend the Lesson

As kids learn about weather, they are naturally curious as to how it forms. This quick clip from the 1980s, featuring Bill Nye the Science Guy, is excellent to share as an extension of the lesson.

HINT: Watch all videos before sharing with students, to ensure content is appropriate to the lesson.

Hands On Exploration

A fun activity to explore with young children is to go fly a bag (kite). Sounds strange, but on a warm windy Spring day, this is the ultimate fun.

Supplies

• Plastic grocery bag (recycling)
• Yarn or string
• Scissors

Directions

Cut a piece of yarn to about 3 feet long. Tie the two bag loops together using one end of the string. Kids hold the other end of the string as they run around and fly their kites.

HINT: You will need one kite per student. Many young children will need help with the string attachment. It is helpful to have the string pre-cut and inside each of the bags.

Book Companion

Free Read Aloud Book Report (Easy)

Perfect for iPad center and accountability. Free download at my TPT Store.

Thank you

We appreciate you taking the time to learn about this fabulous read aloud book The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins. Please consider following our YouTube Channel for more read aloud books relating to academic interest subjects.

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