Lesson Plans

TEXT-TALK

Title: Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Author & Illustrator: James Marshall

1998

ISBN: 0-14-056366-0

Summary:  Goldilocks appears to be a little girl who likes to do exactly as she pleases!  This could pose a problem seeing how Goldilocks’ mother has sent her to buy muffins in the nearby village.  As she begins her travels to the nearby village, she decides to take the short cut through the woods, which she PROMISED her mother she would not do.  Here she finds a house that has been abandoned temporarily and she decides to make herself right at home with some porridge, a chair, as well as taking a nap in the unknown bed.  Unfortunately, Goldilocks was woken up by a roaring Papa Bear and jumped through the window, never to be seen again!

Focus:  The focus of the story is to do as you are told.  There are times when we are directed in certain directions to keep “curiosity from killing the cat” so to speak.

(Make sure to share pictures at every stopping point)

Cover:

• Show cover and read title
• “Who has read this story before?”
• “What is this story about?”
• Have students expand on what they think the story will be about.
• “Who is the little girl on the cover of this book?”
• “Where do you think the bears are going?”

Page 2:

• Why do you think Goldilocks was told not to take the shortcut through the woods?
• What do you think will happen as Goldilocks adventures off to buy muffins for her mother?

Page 7: (Read pages 3-7, ask questions, and then show the pictures)

• What are the three bears doing?
• Why are they going on a bicycle ride?

Page 12

• What is Goldilocks doing in this house?
• Why did Goldilocks think that they had cats?
• Where do you think she will go next?

Page 18

• What trouble has Goldilocks gotten into after eating the porridge left on the kitchen table?
• What do you think is going to happen after she falls asleep?

Page 23

• What do you think is going to happen now that the bears have come home?
• Vocabulary: SMITHEREENS- pieces, bits
  • “Let’s all say smithereens.”  “Repeat: SMITHEREENS”

Page 27

• What just happened?  Why are the bears yelling?
• How do you think Goldilocks is going to react?

Page 30

• What do you think happened to Goldilocks after her escape from the bear’s house?
• What was your favorite part of the book?
• Have students share a time where they have been scared out of doing something they knew they shouldn’t have done.

Vocabulary Review:

• Who can remember what “SMITHEREENS” means?”
• “Can you use it in a sentence?”
• Ask another student to depict what the sentence just made up meant.
• Have everyone say the word again.

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Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella

By: Susan Lowell

Summary: Cindy Ellen is a western cowgirl whose father has remarried. Her step-sisters are so rude to her, and all Cindy Ellen ever is, is NICE!  She is forced to do all of the hard labor on the farm and her step-sisters have to do nothing.  A nearby cattle king is hosting a two-day celebration and has invited all of the locals.  Unfortunately, Cindy Ellen does not get to attend because of her mean step-sisters.  Little do they know her fairy godmother has come to rescue her and make her as pretty as pretty can be!  Cindy Ellen ends up stealing Joe Prince’s heart.  Together the two live dirtily, happily ever after!

Focus: The focus on this story will be Cindy Ellen and all of the problems she tackles to get to the western fandango!  With the help of her fairy godmother, the two are able to conquer the impossible, and make love happen for Cindy Ellen!

COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS:

Cover:  show the cover

• Who do you think this girl is who is on this white horse?
• What do you think this story is going to be about?  What might happen?

Read pages 2 and 3; share pictures:

• What do you think it means when the step-mother is referred to as “the orneriest woman west of the Mississippi”?
  • VOCAB: ORNERY
  • Say ORNERY together.
    • Definition: Stubborn, disagreeable, to have a difficult disposition
  • Can anyone use “ornery” in a sentence?

“My sister was being very ___________ this morning; she did not want to do anything!”

Page 5:

• Can anyone predict what is going to happen to Cindy Ellen?

Page 9:

• When Cindy Ellen shows p to the Western Fandango, how will all of the other guests react to her?
• Who might Cindy Ellen meet at this Western Fandango?

Page 13:

• VOCAB: GUMPTION
• Say GUMPTION together
  • Definition: Common sense; sound practical judgment.
• Can anyone use “gumption” in a sentence?

“My mother told my brother that he had absolutely no _________ because of his decision to grab the electric fence by the palm of his hand.”

Page 16:

• How do you think Joe Prince felt about Cindy Ellen?
• What will Joe Prince do now that Cindy Ellen has run off without any notice?

Page 18:

• Do you think Cindy Ellen will join her step sisters at the dance the next night?
  • If yes, how will she get there?

Page 25:

• After finding Cindy Ellen’s spur on the ground, how will Joe Prince be able to find her with only a spur?
• Do you think he will find Cindy Ellen?

Page 29:

• Is he missing Cindy Ellen?  Do you think he’ll leave without seeing her?

Page 31:

• What do you think the noise sounded like? 
• What was the noise from?

Page 35:

• How do you think Cindy Ellen’s step sisters felt about Cindy Ellen living happily ever after with Joe Prince?

Vocabulary Review:

• First we will review GUMPTION.  Can anyone tell me what the word means?
  • “Gumption means to have common sense.”
• So, class, if I cross the road without looking both ways do I have gumption or no gumption?
  • “No gumption!”
• Can we have a few volunteers to use the word in a sentence, again?
  • Have the class share.

• Does anyone remember what our other vocabulary word was?
  • ORNERY
• What does it mean to be ornery?
  • “To be stubborn or to not agree.”
• I am going to say a sentence, tell me if the person in the sentence is ornery or not.  For example: My sister would not go outside to play with me today. In this sentence, the sister was being ornery.

• My brother brought me a popsicle. (NOT ORNERY)
• I went to pet my cat and she scratched my arm really bad.  (ORNERY)
• Susan came to play at my house, but she would not share her bike with me.  (ORNERY)
• My best friend gave me a piece of candy at school today. (NOT ORNERY)

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DRTA Lesson Plan: Frog and Toad Together

(I have divided the stories up per chapter.  Each chapter starts back over with stop 1, stop 2, etc.  This will make it easier for if the stories have to be divided up over a few days)

Before Reading:

• Frog and Toad Together is the title of the book that we will be reading today.  Has anyone ever read this story before?
• What do you think this story is going to be about?
• Who do you think is on the front cover?  Where do you think they are going?
• Let’s look through the pictures together and see if we can decide what this story may be about!
  • Have students look through the pages and make predictions based on the pictures. Afterwards, return to the front cover.

The List

Stop 1 (Pages 4-7)

• BEFORE SHOWING THE PICTURES!!!!
• What types of things do you think Toad has on his list to do?
• Have you ever made a list of things to do?  What types of events did you put on your list?
• Do you think Toad will finish his entire list?

Stop 2 (Pages 8-13)

• What is Toad going to do without his list?
• How will Toad get his list back?

Stop 3 (Pages 14-17)

• Do you think Toad will make another list for the next day?
• Have you ever made something or had something important, and lost it?  How did you cope without it?
• What else could Toad have done to finish things that were on his list?

The Garden

Stop 1 (Pages 18-21)

• Have you ever had a garden?
• What types of things do you think Toad will plant in his garden?
• What else, besides talking to the seeds, could Toad have done to get the seeds to grow?
• What do you think he will do next?

Stop 2 (Pages 22-23)

• Do you think Toad really scared the seeds from growing?
• Why do you think the seeds weren’t growing?
• Will the seeds start to grow in a few days?

Stop 3 (Pages 24-25)

• Toad thinks his seeds really are scared to grow!  Will reading a story to the seeds make them grow?
• Have you ever been scared of something?  What made you feel better about the situation?

Stop 4 (Pages 26-27)

• It seems as if Toad is getting very frustrated with his seeds that refuse to grow.  Do you think Toad is going to give up on his seeds?

Stop 5 (Pages 28-29)

• Was it really a lot of work for Toad to grow the seeds?
• If Toad had planted the seeds and left them alone for a few days without singing, writing, talking to the seeds, would they have grown anyway?
• Do you think Toad will ever plant a garden again?

Cookies

Stop 1 (Pages 30-33)

• Do you like cookies?
• What happens when you eat too many cookies?
• Do you think Frog and Toad will get a tummy ache after eating so many cookies?
• Why do you think they keep eating these cookies?  They must be super yummy!?

Stop 2 (Page 34)

• Does anyone here have will power?
• What is will power?
• Do you think Frog and Toad will persevere and not eat anymore cookies?

Stop 3 (Pages 35-39)

• Why do you think Frog and Toad are coming up with so many ways to hide and protect these cookies?
• Where do you think they will put the cookies next?
• Do you think Frog and Toad trust their will power around those cookies?

Stop 4 (Pages 40-41)

• Did Frog and Toad really have will power?
• Have you ever been powerless over something?  Maybe food, video games, candy, or something else?

Dragons and Giants

Stop 1 (Pages 42-43)

• What does it mean to be brave?
• Have you ever been brave or been forced to be brave? How?
• Do Frog and Toad look brave?

Stop 2 (Pages 43-48)

• How have Frog and Toad been brave so far?
• What do you think Frog and Toad are going to do next?
• Can you be brave and scared at the same time?

Stop 3 (Pages 49-51)

• Do you think Frog and Toad will go on another “brave” adventure together?
• What else do you think they could to together and be brave at the same time?
• Have you ever been in similar situations as Frog and Toad?

The Dream

Stop 1 (Pages 52-23)

• What are dreams?  Do you ever dream?
• What do you think the strange voice was in Toad’s dream?

Stop 2 (Pages 53-57)

• Why is Toad able to things in his dream that he cannot do in real life?
• What else do you think Toad will do in his dream?
• Have you ever had a dream like this one?

Stop 3 (Pages 58-60)

• Where do you think Frog is going to?  Why is he spinning away?

Stop 4 (Pages 61-64)

• Why was Toad so glad that Frog came over?
• Have you ever woken up confused as to whether you were still dreaming or not?
• Toad and Frog really seem to cherish their friendship together.  Have you ever had a best friend like Frog or Toad?

Wrap Up Questions:

What other adventures do you think Frog and Toad will go on together?

Do you think there will be more Frog and Toad stories?

What was your favorite part about the book?