This cluster includes the following access points.
Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this topic.
| Name |
Description |
| Getting to Know Andy and His Yellow Frisbee: | This lesson introduces students to a young boy, Andy, who has autism. Students learn about common characteristics of autism and how to act when they want to make friends with a child who has a disability. The literacy standards that are included in this lesson are: asking and answering questions about text, retelling stories, demonstrating understanding of the lesson in the story, describing story elements using text and illustrations, and writing an informative piece. |
| Be Good to Eddie Lee: | This close reading lesson addresses both literacy standards and the topic of disability awareness. Using the text, Be Good to Eddie Lee by Virginia Fleming, this lesson helps children understand why they shouldn't use hurtful words when talking about a child with a disability. It shows how children can learn important things from children with disabilities. Finally, it addresses the following literacy standards: asking and answering questions about text, retelling a story, determining the lesson learned in a story, identifying story elements, and writing an opinion piece. |
| Who Will Help the Little Red Hen?: | The Little Red Hen is a classic folktale that children always enjoy. Students will be exposed to new vocabulary, identify story elements, and then write a paragraph retelling the story. There are certainly some important lessons learned by the characters in this folktale. Students will identify the moral of this story and add these lessons to their writing. |
| A Love for Koala Lou: | In this reading lesson, students will fall in love with the engaging book Koala Lou by Mem Fox. Through several readings, the students will increase their comprehension of the text by identifying and describing story elements, learning new vocabulary, and thinking about the moral of the story. Students will use their imagination to rewrite the ending of the story wondering what would have happened if Koala Lou she did win the race. |
| Fill It Up - Piñatas!: | This MEA focuses on students' problem solving skills. After reading a story about what is in a piñata, students are asked to help a company find the best way to fill a piñata. It focuses on math skills, including counting and adding three numbers to make 20. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom. |
| Traveling With Clifford: | In this MEA lesson plan, students will work on their map skills while they practice collecting data in categories, representing data using pictographs, and interpreting data in pictographs to solve a problem. Students will read and/or listen to the story Clifford Takes a Trip. After discussing the story, they will then plan a trip for Clifford to visit the great state of Florida. |
| Pinata! Pinata!: | This is a Science lesson based on force and movement. As a plus the students will also be learning a little bit about the Hispanic culture and use of piñatas. Students will practice their math skills by reading a data table and adding tens and ones. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom. |
| A Chilly Feeling: | In this reading lesson, the students will analyze the poem "It Fell in the City" by Eve Merriam. They will read the poem, identify words or phrases that show feelings or appeal to the senses, describe the place in the poem and add drawings to express their feelings. They will also write an opinion paragraph about how the poem made them feel after reading it. |
| What’s the Argument in "The Quarrel"?: | Students will listen to the poem The Quarrel by Maxine Kumin. They will analyze the story it tells, comparing and contrasting the characters' opinions and recording their findings on graphic organizers. They will write a paragraph retelling the story and explaining the moral or lesson. |
| Character Traits with Chrysanthemum: | During this reading lesson, students will analyze the text Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. The students will determine the moral or lesson of the story, be exposed to new vocabulary, and demonstrate knowledge about the character, Chrysanthemum. The students will choose one character trait of Chrysanthemum to write about using textual evidence. This writing can be attached to an art project celebrating this wonderful story about friendship and believing in yourself. |
| Listen Up! A Closer Look at Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen: | In this lesson, students will listen to readings of Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen by Howard Binkow. They will complete a story map, a character analysis, and answer discussion questions. Students will be led to understand the change that the character makes and the lessons learned. Students will write an expository text to respond to a prompt while demonstrating grade-appropriate grammar, conventions, and spelling. |
| What Do You Think About Cats and Dogs?: | In this lesson, the teacher uses the story Cat Stories that Dogs Tell by Robert G. Moons to help students focus on essential ideas of a story. Through pictorial reading and making predictions about the end of the story, students are given the opportunity to form their opinions about characters based on details given. The teacher uses sentence frames as scaffolded activities (activities to assist students initially so they can be gradually released to independence) to help students write their opinions. |
| Close Reading of Tikki Tikki Tembo: | Enjoy sharing this enchanting Asian folktale while introducing your primary students to close reading. This story is filled with rich vocabulary and detailed describing words that allow students to interact with context clues and text-evidence to produce a character comparison. Students will be excited about the multi-tiered activities and extensions that will keep their interest throughout the entire lesson. |
| Are We There Yet? Take A Road Trip with The Relatives Came: | Your class will enjoy reading The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant. Through several readings, the students will increase their comprehension of the text by focusing on the story elements, discussion questions, and by composing a personal narrative after making connections to their own lives. |
| Reading of Little Bear’s Friend: | In this lesson, the teacher will guide the students through two readings of Little Bear's Friend. Students will identify new vocabulary words, practice identifying story elements, and analyze characters in the story. For independent practice, students will write a letter responding to the letter written to Emily in the story. |
| Let's Go to the Outback: Mem Fox's Possum Magic: | Your primary students will love this magical adventure with Possum Magic by Mem Fox. This wonderful Australian folktale shares delicious academic vocabulary that allows students to interact with context clues and discussion questions throughout the story. Students and teachers alike will be charmed by multi-tiered activities and extensions that will keep their interest throughout the entire lesson. |
| A Young Bird's Quest: A Study of Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman: | Children will be delighted by the funny and sweet book, Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman. They will participate in discussions about what happens, retell the story through drawings, and participate in an activity to identify the main story elements of this book. |
| Anyone for Mouse Soup?: | In this lesson, the teacher will guide the students multiple readings of Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel. This will be done as a read-aloud. Students will practice identifying story elements and learn new vocabulary words. For independent practice, students will retell this delightful story through writing. |
| I Love You Just the Way You Are: Unlovable by Dan Yaccarino: | In this lesson, students will enjoy listening to Unlovable by Dan Yaccarino and think deeply about the moral of this story. In addition to participating in a story mapping activity, students will answer discussion questions about the story to gauge their comprehension and expand their vocabulary. This set of lessons will be concluded with students writing an opinion piece about Unlovable’s biggest lesson. |
| A Close Reading of The Little Red Hen: | In this lesson, the students will listen to the teacher read aloud the folk tale The Little Red Hen. The students will collaborate with their teacher and peers during a close reading in order to determine the story elements and the moral or lesson that the story teaches. The students will work in pairs to describe the characteristics of the Little Red Hen and write a sentence about it. |
| It’s Mine! A Book About Sharing and Cooperation: | In this lesson students will use details from the story It's Mine! by Leo Lionni to describe story elements, determine unknown words, and understand the moral or lesson of the text. This will be done with teacher support, in pairs, and by working independently. The lessons will conclude with a piece of opinion writing to show students’ perspective on the text. |
| Be Brave and Fearless: A Closer Look at Sheila Rae, the Brave: | In this reading lesson, students will identify and describe story elements and retell the major events in the story Sheila Rae, the Brave by Kevin Henkes. Students will also identify the moral or the lesson learned in the story and write an opinion paragraph about the main characters as they explore the concept of bravery. |
| Let's Talk About the Three Little Pigs: | During these lessons, students will read two stories: The Three Little Pigs by James Marshall and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka. Students will complete a variety of activities to help them identify the story elements and compare and contrast the two main characters of the story. Students will write an opinion piece explaining which version they think is the real version. |
| Close Reading Exemplar: The Wind: | The goal of this exemplar is to teach young students to read closely and critically in order to comprehend complex literary text. In this lesson sequence, the teacher uses a variety of strategies to actively engage students in searching for meaning in the figurative language and rich vocabulary of a poem. Students learn to test inferences against specific details of the text, to take three dimensional "notes" and to use those notes to more deeply understand the meaning of the poem. Discussion and a short writing exercise help students to synthesize what they have learned. |
| When You Are Pocketless: A Closer Look at Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Payne: | In this lesson, the teacher will read the book Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Payne. Through separate readings of the book, students will identify new vocabulary and practice identifying story elements. For independent practice, students will retell the story by writing a narrative that offers a new and different solution to the main character's problem. |
| A Toot and Puddle Adventure: | In this reading lesson, students will analyze two characters from the same book, Toot and Puddle by Holly Hobbie, and identify their similarities and differences. Students will compare themselves to one of the characters and write a paragraph describing their chosen character and how they are similar. |
| Mr. Duck Means Business: A Reading and Writing Lesson: | Students will be engaged with the adorably illustrated and written children's book, Mr. Duck Means Business. They will discuss the story elements, practice retelling it, and create an expository writing piece about how the main character changed from the beginning to the end of the book. |
| Who Will Win? A Race Between the Tortoise and the Hare: | In this lesson, the students will listen to the teacher read aloud the fable The Tortoise and the Hare. The students will play a story cube game to record the story elements of the beloved fable, study the main characters, and write an opinion piece on which character they would be friends with and what they would do. |
| Caps For Sale, Come and Get Them!: | In this lesson, students will work with the text Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina. They will identify and describe the characters, settings, and major events using a graphic organizer. The students will then have an opportunity to retell the story by recalling the sequence of events. Finally, the students will write a narrative of the text using their own words to explain what happened first, next, then, and finally to the peddler. |
| Click, Clack, Moo: A First Grade Reading Lesson: | In this lesson, students will learn about story elements as they describe the characters, settings, and events from Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin. Students will be dectectives as they use the text to help them learn new vocabulary words and have a chance to get creative as they write a new ending to the original story. |
| Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge Finds a Memory: | After students read the delightful book Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox, they will discuss the story elements and retell this tale. As the teacher guides the class through activities and discussion, students will learn about the significance of memories and the importance of friendship. The students will write an opinion piece about their definition of a memory. |
| First Day Jitters: A Reading Activity: | In this lesson, the teacher and students will read the engaging book First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg. They will identify and describe the story elements in the illustrations and text and analyze the author's use of specific words to suggest the main character's feelings. Students will write an opinion paragraph in response to a prompt about the book using text to support their opinion.
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| Chameleon Mix Up: | The teacher will read the stories The Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle and Chameleons, Chameleons by Joy Crowley. Students will use the texts as research to answer and discuss the question, “What kind of habitat is good for chameleons?” Students will be assigned to write an expository response about a chameleon’s habitat and draw a habitat for a chameleon. |
| What Happens Next? Opinion Writing: | In this lesson, students will engage in questioning activities as they make predictions throughout the story Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel, using text evidence to support their predictions. Students will write an opinion response stating their prediction of what will happen at the end of another teacher-chosen story. |
| A Recipe for Sequencing Success: | In this lesson, students will learn about the importance of the sequence of steps in a recipe. They will explore student-friendly recipes and follow a recipe created in class to make a popular food for kids. Students will then write their own recipe for one of their favorite foods. |
| Pizza Party Planners: | In the story Curious George and the Pizza Party (by Rey, H.A., and Margret Rey), Curious George attends a pizza party for a friend. Now the man with the yellow hat wants to plan his own pizza party for Curious George, but he needs the students' help. Help the man with the yellow hat use the data about the different pizza companies in his area to rank the options from best to worst, considering the toppings offered, crust options, prices, and customer satisfaction ratings. Then the students will use the special promotions from each pizza company and their math skills to figure out which pizza place offers the best deals. Each team of students will write letters to the man with the yellow hat explaining how they ranked the companies and why they chose their rankings to help him choose the best pizza for George's party. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom. |
| Arthur's Perfect Pet: | In the story Arthur's Pet Business, Arthur shows his parents that he is responsible enough to deserve a pet dog and his mom gives him permission to get one. However, Arthur needs your help choosing the perfect dog. Help Arthur meet all the requirements needed to find the perfect pet for his family from the research he shares with you about the breeds they are considering, taking into consideration size, shedding, barking, friendliness, etc. Then write a justification to describe why you chose the perfect pet for Arthur and his family. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom. |
| Describing Characters Using the text Jamaica and Brianna: | This lesson focuses on describing characters using the story, Jamaica and Brianna, by Juanita Havill. The students will work in groups to bring a character to life by describing what the character said, did, thought, and felt. Students will then utilize these sketches to write a paragraph about the character. |
| Cause and Effect: Practicing the Skill with Picture Books: | In this lesson, students will listen to picture books and then use a graphic organizer to explain the cause-and-effect relationships in the picture books. Students will create their own storybook using cause-and-effect relationships. |
| What Makes a Book a Story?: | This lesson is designed to introduce students to the concepts of characters, setting and the sequence of events that make a story complete. This lesson allows teachers to choose from three different book suggestions to engage the class in group discussions on how these story elements make the story complete. Students will have time to work with a shoulder partner to discuss the characters, the setting of the story and the sequence of events in a story. Students are given time to work with these concepts independently to further grasp their own understanding and practice using the concepts in an oral presentation. |
| Basic Story Elements Read Aloud: | Read aloud that incorporates basic story elements and conflict resolution |
| Identifying Story Elements: Franklin and the Honey Cake: | In this lesson, students will identify and describe story elements. The teacher modeling phase features the story 100th Day Worries by Margery Cuyler, and the guided practice phase features Don't Forget to Come Back by Robie H. Harris. In the independent practice, students will listen to Franklin and the Honey Cake, which is provided with the lesson, and then identify and describe the elements of the story. Graphic organizers are provided. |
| Doing Our Jobs: | Students will learn that there are rules to be followed or jobs to be done in the classroom. Students will also learn how to listen and speak to others. |
| A Closer Look at Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes: | In this lesson, students will examine character development based on the events of the book Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. During multiple readings of the text, students will take a deep dive into text dependent questions and participate in group activity determining how Chrysanthemum felt during different parts of the story. Finally, students will take the perspective of the character, Victoria, to write a letter of apology to Chrysanthemum to say that she was sorry for the way she treated her. |
| Beautiful Butterfly, How do you Grow?: | In this lesson the teacher will read aloud Marc Learns to Fly by Alma Sanchez, and use an animated informational video to help students understand the life cycle of a butterfly. Students will use both a response to reading and a cloze activity to learn new vocabulary and demonstrate understanding. |
| Describing the Looks, Actions, and Feelings of Characters: | In this lesson, students will describe the physical appearance, actions, and feelings of the character David from the story David Goes to School by David Shannon. This is the third lesson in a unit about characters. The other lessons in the unit have been attached as related CPALMS resources. |
| Identifying and Describing the Actions of a Character: | In this resource, students will practice identifying and describing the actions of a character. Teachers will model these skills through use of text and pictures from the story No, David! by David Shannon. Students will conduct guided practice through use of David Gets in Trouble, also by David Shannon. Students will then draw a picture and write a sentence to describe one of David's actions from the story. This is the first lesson in a unit of three lessons about characters. The other lessons are attached as related CPALMS resources. |
| Identifying and Describing the Feelings of a Character: | In this resource, students will practice identifying and describing the feelings of a character based on events in a story. The teacher will model these skills and conduct guided practice with students using No, David! by David Shannon. The teacher will then read aloud David Gets in Trouble, also by David Shannon, and students will independently write a sentence to describe David's feelings during one of his actions in the story. This is the second lesson in a unit of three lessons about character. The other lessons are attached as related CPALMS resources. |
| Identifying Explicit Information in Fiction: | In this lesson, students will practice identifying explicit information in fiction. In the teacher modeling and guided practice activities, the featured text is Stellaluna by Janell Cannon. The passage for independent practice is provided with the resource. |
| It's Time for the Fair!: | This lesson integrates science and reading. This lesson is about demonstrating how objects move and describing how they move (fast or slow, straight line, round and round). |
| Lesson Learned Using the Text Jamaica and Brianna: | In this lesson, students will retell the major events of the story Jamaica and Brianna by Juanita Havill. Students will then use details from the story to identify and explain the moral or lesson learned from the story. This lesson can follow as lesson 2 in a series using the same text. |
| Make Your Mark with the Mice: | In this lesson, students will be engaged with the story The City Mouse and the Country Mouse and see what happens when the mice visit each other’s homes. Students will take part in a discussion about the characters, setting, and the major events of the story. They will be asked to take the perspective of the City Mouse and write a letter of complaint about how visiting the countryside was just not a good thing to do. There are also several opportunities in these lessons for students to practice grade appropriate conventions of writing including ending punctuation and capitalization. |
| The Big, Bad Wolves: | In this lesson, students will read two versions of the classic fairy tale, the Three Little Pigs, as they identify and describe the characteristics of the wolf character. They will then complete a Venn Diagram to determine the similarities and differences in the characteristics of the two wolf characters. Students will complete a writing response that describes the wolf characters evidence from the text and providing a sense of closure. |
| Name |
Description |
| Comprehension: Story Book: | In this activity, students will sequence events in a story using a graphic organizer. |
| Comprehension: Story Line-Up: | In this activity, students will sequence events in a story. |
| Comprehension: Character Characteristics: | In this activity, students will describe a character by using a graphic organizer. |
| Comprehension: Character Compare: | In this activity, students will identify similarities and differences between characters and record them on a graphic organizer. |
| Comprehension: Character Connections: | In this activity, students will identify similarities and differences between characters. As an extension activity, students will compare the perspectives of two characters. Graphic organizers are provided for character analysis and comparisons. |
| Comprehension: Character Consideration: | In this activity, students will describe characters using a graphic organizer. |
| Comprehension: Check-A-Trait: | In this activity, students will identify similarities and differences between characters' traits (as determined by actions, thoughts, and feelings). |
| Comprehension: Compare-A-Character: | In this activity, students will identify similarities and differences between characters and will record their findings on a graphic organizer. |
| Comprehension: Compare-A-Story: | In this activity, students will identify similarities and differences between stories using a graphic organizer. |
| Comprehension: Hoop-A-Story Venn Diagram: | In this activity, students will identify story elements in two stories and compare the similarities and differences using a Venn diagram. |
| Comprehension: Make-and-Check-A-Prediction: | In this activity, students will make and check predictions about text. |
| Comprehension: Picture the Character: | In this activity, students will describe a character using a graphic organizer. |
| Comprehension: Retell Recap: | In this activity, students will retell or summarize a story. |
| Comprehension: Retell Review: | In this activity, students will retell or summarize a story. |
| Comprehension: Retell Ring: | In this activity, students will retell a story using story question cards. |
| Comprehension: Retell Wheel: | In this activity, students will retell a story using a question retell wheel. |
| Comprehension: Sequence-A-Story: | In this activity, students will sequence events in a story. |
| Comprehension: Side-by-Side Stories: | In this activity, students will identify similarities and differences between stories and record them on a graphic organizer. |
| Comprehension: Story Element Sort: | In this activity, students will identify story elements by sorting them into appropriate categories. |
| Comprehension: Story Element Web: | In this activity, students will identify story elements and record them in a graphic organizer. |
| Comprehension: Story Grammar: | In this activity, students will identify story elements and record them on a graphic organizer. |
| Comprehension: Story Grammar Yammer: | In this activity, students will identify story elements and record them on a graphic organizer. As an extension activity, students will retell the story using the recorded story elements. |
| Comprehension: Story Mapping: | In this activity, students will identify story elements (character, setting, events, problem, solution) and record them in a graphic organizer. |
| Comprehension: Story Question Cube: | In this activity, students will discuss and record the elements of a story using a question cube. |
| Comprehension: Story Sequence Organizer: | In this activity, students will write the main events of a story in sequential order using a graphic organizer. |
| Comprehension: The Main Events: | In this activity, students will sequence events in a story using a graphic organizer. |
Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this topic.
