Poppa’s New Pants

by Angela Shelf Medearis

Background and Vocabulary

Our theme is Smart Solutions

• Think back to our story about Pepita. How did she solve her problem?

• In this story, Poppa’s New Pants, family members work too hard to solve a problem.

• Think about a time you worked really hard to solve a problem. Discuss with your neighbor.

What do you know about sewing pants?

• What materials do you need?

• What do you do if you have a hole in your pants?

• What if your pants are too long?

Let’s name some clothing patterns:

solid polka dot

stripesplaid

Vocabulary

draped

My mom draped the fabric over my arms.

Draped means hung loosely in folds.

fabric

I couldn’t wait to make my own dress, but there were so many types of fabric to choose from.

Fabric is cloth.

hem

Josh’s pants were too long, so his grandmother had to hem them.

Hem means to fold back and sew down the edges.

pattern

I finally found the fabric with the coolest pattern.

A pattern is a repeated design or decoration.

plaidOur dad loved the

plaid pants we gave him for Father’s Day.

Plaid is a pattern of stripes that cross each other.

rustling

When the wind blows, you can hear the corn rustling.

Rustling is a quick, soft, fluttering sound.

mended

Jimmy’s pants had a hole in them, so his dad mended them.

Mended means repaired by sewing.

Put on your thinking caps!It’s time to practice!

Pick the answer that best matches the vocabulary word.

1. Pattern- (a.) large patches (b.) repeated design (c.) colored paper

2. Plaid- (a.) crossing stripes (b.) wild circles (c.) solid stripes

3. Rustling- (a.) fake fighting (b.) fluttering sound (c.) steady dripping

4. Fabric- (a.) plastic (b.) heavy cardboard (c.) cloth

5. Draped- (a.) loosely folded (b.) pinned (c.) dropped

6. Mended- (a.) painted (b.) repaired (c.) thrown out

7. Hem- (a.) shorten (b.) stretch (c.) loosen