Rock Around The Clock!

This catchy, rhyming book Boom Chicka Rock by John Archambault is about twelve mice sneaking out in the middle of the night, trying to reach a piece of delicious chocolate birthday cake that they have spotted. The only problem they approach is the cat, Max, is sleeping in front of the cake! They have to dance around the kitchen, quiet as a mouse (get it?!), in order to get to the dessert and not wake up Max. As the mice hop out of the kitchen clock, they each represent a number on the clock (One through Twelve). They do a number of dances, from the Tango, to the Bunny Hop, as they reach closer to the birthday cake. As the clock strikes twelve, Max wakes up. The mice are frightened and must all get back to their home—the kitchen clock. In the lines and picture below it shows that each mouse gets back home and is safe and sound.  

“Every hour is home. Every number’s

tucked in.

The last stroke of twelve, now

tomorrow can begin!”

Boom Chicka Rock can be used in the first grade classroom, with a connection to the CCGPS, MCC.1.MD.3, Tell and write time in hours and half-hours using analong and digital clocks. This book allows children to practice telling time by the pictures and information in the book. There are many illustrations in the books with different times shown on the clocks. Also, one page reads

"Big hand, little hand, straight up--

TWELVE O'clock.

It's midnight, tip-toe, rickety-rock.

Counting our way 'round the kitchen clock."

This picture illustrates the mice in their spots on the clock. It shows Number Twelve holding the knife and spoon straight up, presenting what the hands will show for twelve o'clock. This will give students an idea of what twelve o'clock looks like on an analog clock.

 

This charming book can be used to teach students how to tell time in a fun and interactive way. When you read the book aloud, pause on each page to change your analog clock to the time that relates to the page in the book. To have the activity be more interactive for the students, each student could make their own clock out of a paper plate, numbers, and arrows for the hands. As you read the book aloud, pause on each page that has a mouse telling a different time. Students will then move the hands on their own paper clock to the time that correlates with the page in the book. For example, when you read, “No time to wait! Said number EIGHT,” have the students move the long hand to the number twelve, and the short hand to the number eight, to show the time of eight o’clock on each of their clocks. This is a great way for students to have hands-on practice with telling time and changing the hands for different times on the clock that coorelates to the standard, MCC.1.MD.3.

 

 

All the students will be dancing along with the words of the book as they

"Boom Chicka Rock around the clock!"