Bedtime Ba-a-a-lk Teacher’s Guide for Grades K-3

With Student Activity Sheets

by Rukhsana Khan www.rukhsanakhan.com

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About Rukhsana Khan

Rukhsana has been writing seriously since 1989 with,

at this point ten books published, several of which

have been nominated and/or won various awards.

Along the way she also became a storyteller and has

performed at numerous festivals. For more information

on Rukhsana and her books please see her website:

www.rukhsanakhan.com

Rukhsana was born in Lahore, Pakistan and immigrated to Canada, with her family, at

the age of three. She began by writing for community magazines and went on to write

songs and stories for the Adam's World children's videos. Rukhsana is a member of

SCBWI, The Writers Union of Canada, CANSCAIP, and Storytelling Toronto. She lives

in Toronto with her husband and family. Rukhsana has four children, three girls and a

boy.

Books by Rukhsana:

Wanting Mor

A New Life

Many Windows

Silly Chicken

Ruler of the Courtyard

The Roses in My Carpets

Muslim Child

King of the Skies

Bedtime Ba-a-a-lk

Dahling if You Luv Me Would You Please Please Smile

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The following curriculum applications are fulfilled by the discussion topics and

activities outlined in this teacher’s guide:

Discussion topics and Activities before Reading the Book:

Grades K – Grade 3:

This book works very well for teaching story structure and

boosting vocabulary.

Vocabulary boosting exercise:

Explore the meaning of these words and phrases that will occur in the story:

Melody of yawns—as a class, produce a melody of yawns, make sure that when you

yawn there is a bit of a tune to it.

Conjured—this is something a magician would do. Make a motion of conjuring a rabbit

out of a hat

Furrowed—looks at me with forehead furrowed. Frown hard so that your forehead gets

all wrinkled up. Point out the furrows (wrinkles) and let them repeat the word after you.

Murmur—this word is great for demonstrating onomatopoeia. It sounds like what it

means! As a class „murmur‟.

Rickety—rickety old fence. It means shaky. This word has very good onomatopoeia too!

Mutiny—discuss in terms of context—„there‟s mutiny in the ranks‟ ie. the sheep are

rebelling.

Ram—male sheep

Ewe—female sheep

Legend

writing applications

visual art applications

drama applications

character applications

Math applications

Music applications

I‟m a ram!

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What is a baby sheep called? (Answer: lamb)

Make a poll to illustrate the point saying if everyone in the class were sheep, put up your

hand if you‟d be a ram…put up your hand if you‟d be a ewe.

Whim—Just wanting to do something for no particular reason. Ask the students, have

they ever felt like just doing something?

Snub—to treat with disdain, ignore someone. Ask if the students have ever seen someone

be snubbed. Act it out. Have one student come to shake your hand and then pass your

hand over your head, ignoring the student‟s outstretched hand—classic snub!

Discussion topics and Activities after Reading the Book:

Grades K - 3

Do you think it was fair for the little girl to vanish the carnival rides?

What would you have done if you were her and these sheep were treating you like that?

Do you think the old ram learned his lesson? If she brought him back do you think he‟d

listen to her now?

Refer to the illustrations. You first see the old ram on page 4. Look at the

expression on his face as he‟s looking at the little girl. What do you think he‟s

thinking?

How did the carnival music and vendors selling cotton candy, helium balloons and other

things get in the story? The little girl says she didn‟t put them there. Who did?

What was the last word the old ram was going to say before he disappeared? Read out the

paragraph:

“You truly are one of a kind. If you think we‟re jumping that rickety old fence, you must

be out of your…” (Answer: mind)

Teaching Story Structure:

Grades 2 - 3

All stories should have three major parts: A beginning, middle and end.

The beginning of a story has three ingredients: setting, characters and problem.

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What is the setting of this story? Ask the students to be as specific as possible. (Answer:

The story takes place in the little girl‟s imagination.)

Who are the characters? (Answer: the girl and the sheep—and in particular the old ram.

The girl and the old ram are main characters!)

What is the „problem‟? (Answer: the sheep won‟t listen to the girl. They won‟t obey. The

humour of the situation lies in the fact that these sheep are conjured from the girl‟s

imagination.)

Once the reader knows these three things: setting, characters and problem, the beginning

of the story is finished, and the middle has to start.

What constitutes a „middle‟ of a story. In the middle of a story, the problem actually has

to get worse. If the problem doesn‟t get worse then the story isn‟t very good.

Structurally, Bedtime Ba-a-a-lk is mostly middle. The beginning is very short and ends at

page 6, when the little girl says, “Leap sheep leap.” And the ram says, “Why should we?

…”

The middle starts from page eight and goes for almost the whole book, where the little

girl is trying to coax, then cajole and then threaten the sheep into listening to her. Even

after the sheep are over the fence and playing on the merry go round and rollercoaster,

the problem isn‟t solved, because they‟re still not listening to her.

The end of the story is when the problem finally gets solved. This is the last page—after

she‟s had to replace the rebellious sheep with more compliant sheep. Look back over the

story. Count how many pages are beginning, how many pages are middle and how many

pages are end. Make a graph to show the results. Read other books. Examine their story

structure, compare how many pages they have for their beginnings, middles and ends.

Activities:

Grades K – 3

In groups, act out the story.

Write and compose a song for the sheep to sing while they‟re playing on the

rides.

Many of the sentences in the story have a rhythm to them. Clap out the rhythm as the

teacher reads out the words.

Draw a picture of your favourite part of the story.

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Other Related Books:

Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw

Sheep in a Shop by Nancy Shaw

Sheep out to Eat by Nancy Shaw

Sheep Take a Hike by Nancy Shaw

Wool Gathering: A Sheep Family Reunion by Lisa Wheeler