Southwest Children's Literature

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The Tale of Rabbit and Coyote/El cuento del conejo y el coyote

In the classroom/library:

INTRODUCTION:
Grade Level: 1st Grade
Subjects(s): Reading, Writing, Art
Overview: The teacher(s) will read a read aloud and help students make predictions, and write/draw their predictions for the end of the story using the same character(s) and setting(s) that are in the book.
Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to allow students to predict what will happen in a story. Based on their predictions, they will be able to contemplate the many different possibilities that can occur in a story. This will give then the skills to use when they read on their own.

OUTCOMES:
Students will be able to:
1. Make oral predictions based on information given.
2. Write their predictions based on information given.
3. Draw their predictions based on information given.

STANDARDS:

LANGUAGE ARTS/READING
Strand 1: Reading Process
Concept 6: Comprehension Strategies
Employ strategies to comprehend text. (ROI-SIC6)
PO 1. Predict what might happen next in a reading selection.

LANGUAGE ARTS/WRITING
Strand 3: Writing Applications
Concept 5: Literary Response
Literary response is the writer's reaction to a literary selection. (W01-S3C5)
PO 1. Write a response to a literature selection that identifies the:
character(s)
Setting
main idea

VISUAL ARTS
Standard 1: Creating Art
Select and use subjects, themes and symbols in works of art. (AV1-F1)
PO 1. use subjects in a work of art
PO 2. use themes in a work of art
PO 3. uses symbols in a work of art

ELL STANDARDS -
Analyze text for expression, enjoyment and response to other related content areas. (ELL-R-5)
2. Express in writing his or her own thinking and ideas. (ELL-W-1)
3. Predict what might happen next in a reading selection
4. Compare and follow 2 or 3 step written direction for classroom activities with some picture cues to assist.

RESOURCES:
umbrella, The Tale of Rabbit and Coyote/El Cuento del Conejo y el Coyote by Tony Johnston with illustrations by Tomie dePaola, A word wall of vocabulary (in English and Spanish) from the story, a sample of the teacher(s) prediction of what happens next in the story.


MATERIALS:
Paper, pencils, crayons

Process - EEI
1. Introductory/Anticipatory Set

Ask the students if they know what a prediction is. Talk about what predictions are and how we might use them. Relate predictions to the "real world" (such as weather prediction) so the students gain a better concept of what they are. Let the children know that upon completion of the story, they will draw and write their predictions.

2. Objectives
Students will be able to:

1. Make their own predictions based on the plot of the story. (ROI-SIC6)
2. Write their own response about the story using characters and a setting. (W01-S3C5)
3. Use subjects, themes and symbols in works of art. (AV1-F1)

3. Input
Read The Tale of Rabbit and Coyote (In English) as well as El Cuento del Conejo y el Coyote (in Spanish) by Tony Johnston with illustrations by Tomie dePaola. Upon completion of the book, students will predict what they think will happen next.

4. Modeling
Provide a word wall (in English and Spanish) of vocabulary from the story and go over the words. Share the teachers' predictions for what we predict will happen next in the story. Emphasize that Rabbit has to get away safely in their predictions of what will happen next. Several different sample predictions can also be made to assist the children.

5. Check for Understanding
First, review what happened in the story together with the class. Next, review the illustrations in the story with the class. After the review, ask the students if they remember what "prediction" means. Students will draw their predictions first and then write about them.

6. Guided Practice

Walk around the classroom to observe how the students are doing on their work. They can use some of the words on the word wall to help them with their writing. When viewing their work, focus on their understanding of what they are doing. Encourage them to orally tell you what their predictions are to help them focus more.

7. Independent Practice - or Homework
None

8. Closure
Post the predictions and pictures throughout the classroom. Then, as a class, discuss a few of the predictions that were made and why the students made them. The students will continue to predict what they think will happen in the next story that is read to them. The following day the students can be shown the cover of a different book and asked what they think will happen.

ASSESSMENT:
Students will be assessed by the picture they draw and the sentences they write predicting the end of the story. Students can get into small groups and talk about what they predicted and why.

EXTENSIONS AND MODIFICATIONS:
The lesson could be extended to have the children write out more of their predictions of what could happen next in the story. The students can also participate in a small dramatization of the story in which they act out their predictions.

This lesson plan could be modified by just drawing pictures and orally telling what happened next based on the picture. It can also be modified so that the students work in groups to produce a group prediction. These modifications may be particularly effective for ELLs.

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