Maggie's Literacy Blog

DRTA Lesson Plan for “Cookies” (Frog and Toad)

*Do a preview of pictures: ask students what they think is going to happen in the story based on the pictures 

Opening questions:

Tutor: The title of this story is “Cookies.” What do you think Frog and Toad are going to do in this story?

Kids: Bake some cookies; eat cookies.

Tutor: Okay. Do you think they’re going to eat just one cookie, or a whole bunch of cookies?

Kids: A whole bunch of cookies!

Tutor: Okay. I want you (first student) to read pages 30-32 aloud, while everyone else follows along.

 Stop one:

Tutor: Were you all right that Frog and Toad were going to eat a lot of cookies?

Kids: Yes!

Tutor: Why did Frog think that they should stop eating so many cookies?

Kids: Because they were going to get sick from eating too many!

Tutor: What do you think is going to happen next in the story?

Kids: They’re going to get sick; they’re going to stop eating cookies.

Tutor: Do you think Frog and Toad are going to stop eating so many cookies now?

Kids: Yes, they feel sick; no, they really like the cookies.

Tutor: Okay, I’d like you (second student) to read pages 33-35 aloud while everyone else follows along. 

Stop two:

Tutor: Did Frog and Toad stop eating the cookies?

Kids: No!

Tutor: What is will power?

Kids: Trying not to do something you really want to do.

Tutor: Do Frog and Toad have will power?

Kids: No! They can’t stop eating cookies!

Tutor: What do you think is going to happen next?

Kids: They’re going to stop eating cookies; they’re going to keep eating more cookies; they’re going to get sick; they’re going to get will power

Tutor: Okay. I want you (third student) to read pages 36-38 aloud please.

Stop three:

Tutor: Do you want to change your mind about what you think is going to happen in the story?

Kids: Yes! They’re going to try to get will power; they’re going to try to stop eating cookies.

Tutor: Okay. Why did you Frog and Toad put the cookies in a box?

Kids: To try to stop themselves from eating anymore.

Tutor: Do you think putting the cookies in the box will stop Frog and Toad from eating them?

Kids: No, because they can open the box.

Tutor: Now do you think Frog and Toad have will power? Remember, will power is trying really hard not to do something you want to do.

Kids: Yes! They’re trying really hard not to eat the cookies, even though they want to.

Tutor: What do you think is going to happen next?

Kids: They’re going to keep trying not to eat the cookies.

Tutor: Okay, I want you (fourth student) to read until the end of the story aloud please.

Stop four: end of the story

Tutor: What happened to all the cookies?

Kids: Frog and Toad let birds eat them.

Tutor: Why did they do that?

Kids: So they wouldn’t eat them.

Tutor: But then why are Frog and Toad sad?

Kids: Because they wanted to eat the cookies, but just didn’t want to get sick from eating too many.

Tutor: What is Frog about to do now?

Kids: Go home and bake a cake.

Tutor: So does Frog have will power or not?

Kids: Yes, because he didn’t eat the cookies; no, because he’s giving in and is going to eat cake.

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Goldilocks Text Talk Lesson

Title: Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Author: James Marshall

Illustrator: James Marshall

Publication date: 1988

ISBN #: 1-8037-0542-5

Summary: There once was a little girl named Goldilocks. One day, her mother told her not to take the shortcut through the forest, but that’s exactly what Goldilocks did. As she was walking through the forest, she came upon the home of the three bears. She let herself in and tried all three of the bears’ bowls of porridge. Then, she tried out all three of the bears’ chairs. Next, Goldilocks laid down in all three of the bears’ beds, until snuggling into Baby Bear’s bed for a nap. While Goldilocks was sleeping, the three bears came home. They were not happy when they realized someone had eaten their porridge, sat in their chairs, and laid in their beds. And right when they found Goldilocks sleeping in Baby Bear’s bed, she jumped out of bed and out the window, and they never saw her again.

Focus: The moral of this story is that we should all respect other’s privacy and property. We should be considerate of others.

Questions and Comments:

Cover:

1. Read the students the title of the book and show them the cover.

2. Ask the students if they have read this book before.

Page 2:

1. “Do you think Goldilocks is going to take the shortcut?” (Answers may vary: “Yes!”, “No, she’s going to listen to her mama.”

2. “Why or why not?”

3. Show pictures on pages 2-3

Page 4:

1. “What do you think the word “charming” means?” (“Charming means nice, sweet, pleasing, delightful.”)

2. “Why do you think the Bears’ house is charming?” (“Because it’s nice, in the forest, yellow.”)

3. Show the picture on page 5.

Page 6:

1. “What do you think the word “scalding” means?” (“Scalding means burning hot.”)

2. “Why did the bears decide to leave their house?” (“To let the porridge cool off.”)

3. Show the pictures on pages 6-7.

Page 8:

1. “What is Goldilocks doing right now?” (Answers may vary: “She is in the bears’ house”, “She is eating the biggest bowl of porridge.”)

2. “Do you think the bears would be upset if they knew Goldilocks was in their house?”

3. “Well let’s find out!”

4. Show the pictures on pages 8-9.

Page 11:

1. “Do you think it is okay that Goldilocks is eating the porridge?”

2. “Why or why not?”

3. “Why did Goldilocks choose the littlest bowl of porridge to eat?” (“Because the big bowl was too hot and the medium bowl was too cold, and the littlest bowl was just right.”)

4. Show pictures on pages 10-11.

Page 12:

1. “Do you think the fur Goldilocks found is from the kitties?”

2. “Then what do you think the fur is from?” (“The bears!”)

3. “What do you think is going to happen next?” (Answers may vary.)

4. “Let’s see!”

5. Show the pictures on pages 12-13.

Page 16:

1. “What does the word “tuckered” mean?” (“Tuckered means to be very tired, or to be worn out.”)

2. “Why is Goldilocks “tuckered out”?” (“Because she has been messing around in the Bears’ house all day.”)

3. Show pictures on pages 16-17.

Page 18:

1. “How do you think the bears will feel when they find Goldilocks in their house?” (Answers may vary: “sad”, “mad”, “upset.”

2. “Why do you think the Bears are going to feel that way?” (Answers may vary: “because Goldilocks ate their porridge, broke their chairs, and broke their beds”, “because Goldilocks went in their house without asking.”)

3. Show pictures on pages 18-19.

Page 23:

1. “What happened to Baby Bear’s chair?” (“Goldilocks broke it, it was broken to smithereens.”)

2. “What do you think the word smithereens means?” (“Broken into a ton of little pieces, ruined, destroyed.”)

3. Show pictures on pages 22-23.

Wrap up questions:

1. “Do you think Goldilocks is a “sweet child” like the neighbor said at the beginning of the story?”

2. “Why or why not?”

3. “What did Goldilocks do that wasn’t “sweet”?” (“She ate their porridge, broke their chairs, broke their beds, and went in their house without asking.”)

4. “How would you feel if someone did all those things in your house?” (“Upset”, “angry”, “mad.”)

Vocabulary:

1. Charming

“Meanwhile in a clearing deeper inside the forest, in a charming house all on their own, a family of brown bears was sitting down to breakfast.” Page 4

Charming is a word used to describe something that is pleasing or delightful. I’m going to name some things, are if you think they are charming nod your head and say, “charming.” If you don’t think they are charming, then shake your head and say, “no way!”

            Flowers (charming)                   Rats (no way)

            Pigs (no way)                           Prince (charming)

            Chocolate (charming)                Mean people (no way)

What is our word? Charming

 2. Scalding

“Patooie!” cried big Papa Bear. “This porridge is scalding! I’ve burned my tongue!” Page 6

Scalding is a word that describes something that is really hot. I’m going to name things that might be scalding. If you think this is something that is scalding, fan your face and say, “scalding.” If you don’t think this is something that could be scalding, then hug your chest like you are cold and say, “brrrr!”

            Coffee (scalding)                      Ice (brrrr)

            Fire (scalding)                           Ice cream (brrrr)

            Snow (brrrr)                             Hot chocolate (scalding)

What was our word? Scalding

3. Smithereens

“Somebody has been sitting in my chair,” said Baby Bear. “And broken it to smithereens!” Page 23

If something is broken to smithereens, that means it is broken into tons of little pieces. I’m going to name some things that could be broken into smithereens. If you do think it could be broken into smithereens, give a thumbs up and say, “smithereens.” If you don’t think it could be broken into smithereens, then give a thumbs down and say, “no way.”

            Glass (smithereens)                   Snow (no way)

            Cookie dough (no way)            Mirror (smithereens)

            Dish (smithereens)                    Sheets (no way)

What was our word? Smithereens.

_____________________________________________________

The Pig Who Went Home on Sunday

By: Donald Davis

Illustrated by: Jennifer Mazzucco

Published by: August House Littlefolk 2004

Summary: This is an alternative version of the traditional “Three Little Pigs” story. It is an Appalachian Folktale about three little pigs, Tommy, Willie and Jackie, and their mama. When they grew old enough to leave the cave, Tommy Pig was going to be the first to move out and build his own house. His mama told him two things: to build his house out of bricks and rocks, and to come home on Sunday to visit his mama. When Tommy Pig was on his way, a fox approached him and tricked him into making his house out of cornstalks instead. Tommy Pig listened to the fox, and the fox ate him up. Next, Willie left home to live on his own and build his own house. The fox approached him too and tricked him into making his house out of hay. Then, the fox ate up Willie Pig too. When the youngest pig left home, he did not listened to the fox’s advice, and he made his house out of bricks and rocks like his mama told him to. But the fox tricked Jackie Pig into letting him into his house! Luckily, Jackie figured out what the fox was up to, and kicked him out of his house. Then, he went home on Sunday to see his mama!

Focus: The focus of this story is to protect children’s lives by teaching them hard lessons. The main messages Davis is trying to portray are that leaving home is dangerous, the woods are dangerous, wild animals are dangerous, and you must do what adults advise to stay safe.

Comments and Questions:

 

Cover:

1. Read the children the title of the book and show them the cover.

2. Ask the students what they think the story will be about.

3. Ask them “What makes you think the story will be about that?”

4. Explain what a folktale is. Ask students if they know any folktales.

Page 3:

1. Ask the children if this story reminds them of any they’ve ever heard before. (The Three Little Pigs.)

2. “What do you think is going to happen?” (Answers may vary: “The pigs are going to have to build their own houses”; “the pigs are going to move out”; “the wolf is going to eat them.”)

3. Show children the pictures on page 3.

4. “Let’s see what happens next!”

Page 5:

1. “Why do you think Mama Pig told Tommy Pig to build his house out of rocks and bricks?” (“Because rocks and bricks would make a safe, stable home.”)

2. Show children the pictures on page 5.

Page 8:

1. “What do you think is going to happen next?” (Answers may vary: “the fox is going to huff and puff and blow the house down”; “the fox is going to eat him.”)

2. “Do you think it’s a problem that Tommy Pig is building his house out of cornstalks?” (Answers may vary: “Yes! The fox is going to get him”, “No, cornstalks would make a good house.”)

3. Do not show the pictures because the pictures on page 9 will give away the answers.

Page 11:

1. “Why didn’t Tommy Pig go home to see his Mama on Sunday?” (“The fox ate him.”)

2. “What could Tommy Pig have done to avoid being eaten by the fox?” (Answers may vary: “He could have built his house out of bricks and rocks”, “He could have listened to his Mama’s advice.”)

3. Show the pictures on page 11.

Page 13:

1. “Do you think Willie Pig is going to listen to his Mama?”

2. “Why do you think that?” 

3. Show pictures on pages 12 and 13.

Page 17:

1. “Are you surprised that the fox ate Willie Pig?”

2. “What did Willie Pig make his house out of?” (Hay.)

3. Show pictures on pages 16 and 17.

Page 21:

1. “Do you think Jackie Pig is going to listen to the fox like his brothers did?”

2. “Why was the fox surprised?” (“Because Jackie Pig said hello to him first”; “Because he didn’t think the pig would speak to him.”)

3. Show the pictures on page 21.

Page 25:

1.  “What is the fox trying to do?” (“Get into Jackie Pig’s house”, “Eat Jackie Pig.”

2. Show pictures on pages 24 and 25.

Page 29:

1. “What was Jackie Pig doing to the fox?” (Answers may vary: “Slamming the door on him”, “Trying to hurt him”, “Trying to keep him away.”)

2. “What do you think is going to happen next?” (Answers may vary: “The fox is going to eat Jackie Pig”, “Jackie Pig is going to kill the fox.”)

Page 32:

1. “Are there really fox hunters outside?” (“No, Jackie Pig was tricking the fox.”)

2. “How do you know?”

3. “What did the fox do?” (“He hid from the fox hunters”, “He climbed in a churn.”)

4. Show the pictures on pages 32 and 33.

 

Page 34:

1. “What do you think Jackie Pig is going to do now?” (Answers may vary: “Go back to his house”, “Go home on Sunday to see his Mama.”)

2. “How did Jackie Pig trick the fox?” (“He told him fox hunters were coming”, “He told him to get in the churn.”)

Wrap up:

1. “What do you think is the message or moral of the story?”

(Answers may vary: “leaving home is dangerous”, “the woods are dangerous”, “wild animals are dangerous”, “you should listen to what adults advise you.”)

Vocabulary:

1. Mash

“Don’t build a house out of rock,” said the fox. “A house of rocks might fall down and mash you flat. Build yourself a house out of cornstalks.” Page 7

To mash means to crush something. I’m going to name some things you might or might not mash. If it is something you should mash, give a thumbs-up and say, “Mash.” If you don’t think it is something you should mash, give a thumbs down and say “no way.”

            Potatoes (mash)            Play dough (mash)

            Glasses (no way)          Wrapping paper (no way)

            TV (no way)                 Snow (mash)

What is our word? Mash

2. Company

“This isn’t a good time,” said Jackie. “I haven’t had time to get things ready for company. You’ll have to come back later.” Page 25

Company means guests or visitors. It also can mean a business, but that’s not what it means here. I’m going to name some things. If it is something or someone you would want to have over for company, nod your head and say, “Company.” If it is not something or someone you would want to have for company, shake your head and say, “No way.”

            Your grandparents (company)   Harry Potter (company)

            Your friends (company)                        Strangers (no way)      

            Dragons (no way)                                 A mean dog (no way)

What is our word? Company

3. Croaked

“The fox could hardly talk, but he croaked, “It feels sooooo good! Now, would you let me get my body warm?” page 27

To croak means to make a low sound like a frog or a crow. I’m going to say some animals, and if you think they would make a croaking sound, croak and say, “Croak.” If you don’t think the animal would make a croaking sound, make the sound that animal would make and say, “No way.”

            Cat (no way)                Snake (no way)

            Dog (no way)               Crow (croak)

            Frog (croak)                 Toad (croak)

 

What is our word? Croak

*We talked about three vocabulary words: mash, company, and croaked. Let’s talk about each of them again.

What is something you would mash? Wrapping paper or potatoes (potatoes)

Who is someone you would want to have over for company? Your friends or strangers (your friends)

Which is an animal that croaks? Snake or frog (frog)____________________________________________________