StoryMakers The Truth About Twinkie Pie

with Kat Yeh

A Student V iewing Guide

This student viewing guide is designed for students in fifth through ninth grade. It is assumed that teachers will adapt each activity to fit the needs and abilities of their own students.

This Viewing Guide focuses on “listening and observing” questions which relate directly to the KidLit TV episode and are designed to engage students through the viewing of the episode of study through comprehension and prediction questions, and one or two written activities. All activities were created in conjunction with the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts in Speaking and Listening and other relevant content standards.

 Take two sisters making it on their own: brainy twelve-year-old GiGi (short for Galileo Galilei, a name she never says out loud) and junior-high-dropout-turned-hairstylist DiDi (short for Delta Dawn). Add a million dollars in prize money from a national cooking contest and a move from the trailer parks of South Carolina to the Gold Coast of New York. Mix in a fancy new school, new friends and enemies, a first crush, and a generous sprinkling of family secrets.

That's the recipe for The Truth About Twinkie Pie, a voice-driven middle grade debut about the true meaning of family and friendship by Kat Yeh.

You’re invited to step into the KidLit TV kitchen as StoryMakers host, Roco Staino, bakes up a treat with Kat who dishes about the bond between sisters, her love of retro recipes, and the story that brings both together.

Storymakers  episode  available  at:                                                                                      http://kidlit.tv/2015/05/kat-­‐yeh-­‐the-­‐truth-­‐about-­‐twinkie-­‐pie/

S t a n d b y Before Viewing

You are about to watch cooking segment and interview with author Kat Yeh about her debut novel, The Truth About Twinkie Pie.

• Look closely at the cover of The Truth About Twinkie Pie. Describe what you see. Can you predict what this book might be about?

• List at least five questions that you have about this novel after looking at the cover. • What do you think are the ingredients needed to make a Twinkie Pie?

L i g h t s , C a m e r a … While You (and Your Class) Watch Your focus during the viewing of the video should be on listening and observing as much as possible. Do not write anything down. Use your memory only. Once the first viewing is done:

• Write down something you remember from the video. It can be a statement, a piece of information, or a visual.

• Share what you wrote with the class. o Did anyone share the same thing? o Why did this particular bit of information stand out to you?

Test Your Memory

• What color shirt is Kat Yeh wearing in the video? • What color bowtie is Rocco wearing in the video? • Name four ingredients in Twinkie Pie. • What kind of pan do you use? Why? • At what temperature do you bake the crust? • What was Kat Yeh’s inspiration for the novel? • What fruit, not in the recipe for Twinkie Pie, is displayed on the kitchen counter? • What are the names of the two sisters in the novel?

o Where did they grow up? o What do they win in a cooking contest? What do they do with the prize?

• How many tablespoons of cherry juice do you save? • What two ingredients are used to embellish the top of the pie? • What is GiGi’s Recipe for Success? • Describe the plates that Rocco and Kat use to serve the pie. • What are some variations of Twinkie Pie that Kat mentions?

How did you do? Now, watch the video a second time. Put the questions to the side and do not look at them, but take notes during the viewing. Do the Test Your Memory questions again.

• How do you do this time? • Look over your notes. • What did you jot down in your notes this time that was not in the questions? Why did you find that particular

information note-worthy?

A c t i o n ! After Viewing Acitivites

Further More—Additional Research and Questions

• Visit http://www.katyeh.com/ for further research. • If you could interview Kat Yeh what is one question you would ask? • Compile your questions and send them to Kat via her Twitter feed at @yehface. Be sure to use #kidlittv in your

Tweet. Create Your Own Recipe for Success

Using GiGi’s recipe in The Truth About Twinkie Pie inspiration, create your very own Recipe for Success.

What ingredients would you include for success at home? At school? With friends?

Write out your Recipe for Success on a recipe card, complete with a list of ingredients and steps to follow.

Guide content copyright © 2016 by KidLit TV and Marcie Colleen. Available free of charge for educational use only; may not be published or sold without express written permission. www.kidlit.tv