Summary
In this video segment from Between the Lions, Cliff Hanger realizes that it is his birthday. Two people showing up in a hot air balloon bring him a birthday cake with lit candles. He wishes to be rescued and attempts to blow out the candles but instead he blows away the hot air balloon while the candles remain lit. Vocabulary words include: remember, rescue, remarkable, Happy Birthday, and rats!
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
"Happy Birthday, Cliff Hanger" is all about listening for the sounds inside words — rhyming, blending, or breaking words into parts.
- What sounds, rhymes, or word parts did you hear?
- How were the sounds put together or pulled apart?
- Can you make another word that plays with those same sounds?
Quick work-a-long
Practice: sound, rhyme, word part.
Try it: Pick a short word, say each sound slowly, then blend it back together — and think of one word that rhymes with it.