Text Talk Lesson Plans

Text Talk Lesson

For

Dusty Locks and the Three Bears

By: Susan Lowell

Illustrator: Randy Cecil

Henry Holt and Company, 2001

 

Summary: There were three grizzly bears that lived in a cabin in the woods; a bear cub, a mild-mannered mama, and a rough and tough big bear.  They each had their own plate, their own chair, and their own bed.  One day, the bears decided to go on a walk while their beans cooled.  As soon as the bears left their house, Dusty Locks barged inside.  Dusty Locks tried all three plates of beans, sat in all three chairs, and tested all three beds, but she liked bear cub’s beans, stool, and bed the most.  Dusty Locks fell asleep, meanwhile the three bears arrived back home.  Dusty Locks awoke to the three bears staring at her.  When she saw the bears she immediately sprung out of bed and made a dash for the window.  When Dusty Locks arrived at home she was met by her mother.  Dusty Locks’ mother met her at the door and immediately gave her a bath.  Dusty Locks looked like a brand new person. Dusty Locks never encountered the three bears again, or did she?

Comments and Questions:

 

Cover:

1. Read children the title, Dusty Locks and the Three Bears, and show them the cover of the book.
2. Ask, “What do you think the story is about?” (If children have heard the story before, ask them not to share what happens.)
3. Point out the author and the illustrator of the book.

 

Page 2:

1. What do you think the girl hiding behind the tree is about to do? (Answers will vary.  Example: Run into the bear’s house after they leave.)
2. Where do the three bears live? (In a cabin in the woods out west.)

 

 

 Page 5:

1. Do you think the big grizzly bear’s heap of prickly green branches would be comfortable to sleep on? (Answers will vary.  Example: No, the branches would be very uncomfortable.)
2. Can you predict what the bears will do next? (Go on a walk.)

 

Page 8:

1. Why do the bears go on a walk? (To let their beans cool.)
2. How did Dusty Locks get her name?  (She had not had a bath in a long time.)

 

Page 12:

1. What can you tell me about the character of the three bears? (They were fine and upstanding creatures.)
2. Did Dusty Locks act in a respectful manner by breaking into the bear’s home? (NO!)
3. Why didn’t Dusty Locks like the big grizzly’s beans?  (They were much too hot.)

 

Page 14

1. Why did Dusty Locks not like mama bear’s rocking chair? (It was too fancy for her.)
2. What happened when Dusty Locks sat on bear cub’s stool?  (She broke it to pieces.)

 

Page 16:

1. What does tuckered mean? (tired or exhausted)
2. Why did Dusty Locks like bear cub’s bed?  (It was neither too soft nor too hard; it was just right.)

 

Page 20:

1. When the bears first arrived back at their cabin what did they think had happened? (They thought a sandstorm had struck their cabin.)
2. How did the bears feel when they arrived home? (They were upset.)
3. What does flinders mean? (small pieces or fragments)

 

Page 24:

1. What does gruesome mean? (frightful and shocking)
2. Why do you think the bears were so angry?  (Because someone had broken into their house and ruined their belongings.)
3. Why did mama bear think that a skunk was sleeping in bear cub’s bed? (The person sleeping in the bed smelled very bad.)

 

Page 26:

1. When Dusty Locks heard mama bear’s voice what did she dream of?  (She dreamed of her own mother’s voice.)
2. What did Dusty Locks do when she saw the three bears standing over her bed? (She slipped out of bed and took a flying leap out of the window.)
3. At this point, do you think Dusty Locks regretted her decision to enter the bear’s home? (Answers will vary.  Example: Yes, Dusty Locks began to regret her decision and she became scared when she saw the three bears staring at her.)

 

Page 29:                                                                                                                                 

1. What did Dusty Locks’ mother do as soon as she arrived home? (Her mother scolded her and gave her a bath.)
2. Do you think the bear cub recognized Dusty Locks? (Answers will vary.  Make sure students give an explanation for their answers.)

 

Wrap Up:

1. Have students discuss different endings to the story.  Ask them what they think would happen if the big grizzly bear would have recognized Dusty Locks in town? Moral of the story: Ask before you enter.

 

Vocabulary:

 

tuckered

flinders

gruesome

 

1. It says that Dusty Locks was “…all tuckered out.”  Tuckered means tired or exhausted.

I am going to name some things that might make you tuckered.  Answer tuckered or no to each example.

Running 5 miles  (tuckered)                            watching a movie (no)

Playing outside all day (tuckered)                   Jump roping for 1 hour (tuckered)

What is our word? tuckered

2. In the story it says that bear cub’s stool was smashed to flinders.  Flinders means small fragments or pieces.

I am going to tell you the name of an object, if you have every smashed it to flinders then raise your hand.

A lamp

A plate

A chair

An item in an antique store that your mom said not to touch.

What is our word?  flinders               

 

3. In the story it says that the big grizzly bear growled in his “..great big gruesome voice.”  Gruesome means frightful or shocking. 

 Think of times when you have seen or heard something gruesome.  Answer gruesome or not gruesome to each example.

A big spider (gruesome)

Someone screaming at the top of their lungs. (gruesome)

A little girl picking dandelions in a field. (not gruesome)

What is our word? gruesome

 

 

Text Talk Lesson

For Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Retold and Illustrated by: James Marshall

Puffin Books, 1998

SUMMARY: Goldilocks was a very curious little girl.  One day her mother sent her to the next village to buy muffins and her mother told her not to take the shortcut through the forest.  Of course, Goldilocks took the shortcut and she came upon a house.  The house just so happened to belong to three bears that had left to go on a bicycle ride while their porridge was cooling.  Goldilocks entered the house and immediately went to the three bowls of porridge sitting on the kitchen table.  The porridge in the biggest bowl was too hot, the porridge in the medium-sized bowl was too cold, but the porridge in the little bowl was just right, so she at all of it. Then, Goldilocks proceeded to the parlor.  She sat in the biggest chair but it was too hard, the medium-sized chair was too soft, but the little chair was just right.  Goldilocks sat in the little chair and she rocked so hard in the chair that it broke into pieces.  Goldilocks became tired after eating so much, therefore she walked upstairs to take a nap. The biggest bed was too high, the medium-sized bed was too low, but the little bed was just right.  Goldilocks snuggled into the little bed and she fell fast asleep.  While Goldilocks was asleep the three bears arrived home and were met with the awful mess that Goldilocks had made of their house.  The three bears made it to Baby Bear’s room and Goldilocks immediately hopped out of bed and jumped out of the window before the bears could get a proper explanation.  The bears never saw Goldilocks again.

COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS:

Cover

Show cover and read title. Ask the students if they are familiar with the classic story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears

 

Page 1

1. What do you think the neighbor means? (The neighbor thinks that Goldilocks is a little naughty and not as nice as she looks.)

Page 2

1. What do we know about Goldilocks’ character? (She is very adventurous and does not always do what her mother tells her to.  Goldilocks is disobedient.)

2. Where do you think Goldilocks is going to go? (She is going to go through the forest.)

Page 7

1. Does anyone know what porridge is? (It is a thick food made of oatmeal or cereal.)

2. Why do you think the three bears are going on a bicycle ride? (To have fun while their porridge cools.)

3. What does scalding mean? (It means very hot or burning.)

4. What do you think will happen while the three bears are gone?  (Goldilocks will go into the house.)

Page 11

1. Which porridge did Goldilocks like and why? (Goldilocks liked the porridge in the little bowl because it was not too hot or too cold, it was just right.)

2. What do you think of Goldilocks?  (Answers will vary.  Example: Goldilocks is very sneaky to go into the Bear’s house without permission.)

Page 15

1. Goldilocks thought the coarse brown hair in the parlor was from a cat.  Where was it really from? (The fir was from the bears.)

2. What happened when Goldilocks rocked in the little chair?  (She rocked too hard and the chair fell to pieces.)

 

Page 16

1. What does tuckered mean? (Tuckered means tired or exhausted.)

Page 18

1. What do you think the bears will do when they find out Goldilocks is in their house.  (Answers will vary. Example: The bears will become very mad and kick Goldilocks out of their house.)

Page 23

1. What does smithereens mean? (Smithereens means fragments or pieces.)

2. How are the bears feeling?  (The bears are feeling very upset that someone has entered their home and destroyed their belongings.)

Page 27

1. Who is lying in Baby Bear’s bead?  (Goldilocks is lying in Baby Bear’s bed.)

Page 30

1. How do you think Goldilocks felt when she saw the three bears? (Goldilocks probably felt scared and very nervous.)

2. Where do you think Goldilocks went after she left the Bear’s house?  (She probably went back home and did not tell her mother where she had been all of that time.)

WRAP-UP: What do you think of what Goldilocks did?  (Give the children time to think and express their own ideas. A writing activity could be used for students to write a sentence or a paragraph, depending on the grade level of the children.)

VOCABULARY

 

Porridge (p. 7)

Scalding (p. 7)

Tuckered (p. 16)

Smithereens (p. 23)

Porridge: In the story, the bears eat porridge for breakfast.  Porridge is a thick food made of oatmeal or cereal.  If you think you would like porridge put your thumb up, if you do not think you would like porridge put your thumb down.

What’s our word?  Porridge

 

Scalding: Papa Bear took a bite of his porridge and it was scalding.  Scalding means very hot or burning.  I am going to name a food, if it is a hot food say “scalding” if it is a cold food say “cold”.

Soup (scalding)

Ice Cream (cold)

Frozen fruit (cold)

Spaghetti (Scalding)

What’s our word? Scalding

 

Tuckered: Goldilocks had rocked in Baby Bear’s rocking chair until she broke it to pieces.  Now Goldilocks is all tuckered out and ready for a nap.  Tuckered means tired or exhausted.  Answer yes or no to these questions.

Have you ever been tuckered out after playing in a soccer game?

Does school tucker you out?

When you get a lot of sleep at night are you tuckered out in the morning?

What’s our word?  Tuckered

 

Smithereens: When the bears arrive home from their bicycle ride, Baby Bear notices that someone has been sitting in his chair and has broken it to smithereens.  The word smithereens means fragments or pieces.

Have you ever broken anything in your house to smithereens?  (Examples: lamps, dishes, etc.)

What is our word? smithereens

 

 

DRTA Lesson- Frog and Toad Together: A List

Key:

PQ-prediction question

Q-question back into the story

 

 

Beginning of Story

Read the title and author

PQ1: What do you think this story is going to be about?

Stop 1 (Page 5)

Qa: Who makes “A List of things to do today”?

Qb: Where is Toad when he makes his list?

PQ2: Would you like to change your original prediction?  Why or why not?

Stop 2 (Page 9)

Qc: What had Toad crossed off of his list so far?

Qd: Where is Toad going?

PQ3: Predict what you think will happen next in the story.

Stop 3 (Page 13)

Qe: Can you retell what happened in the section you just finished reading?

PQ4: Base on what you’ve told me, what do you think will happen now?

End of Story

How did the story end?

Was your prediction correct?