Description Supplemental Lexia Lessons can be used for whole class, small group or individualized instruction to extend learning and enhance student skill development. This lesson is designed to help students recognize that the storyteller in a written story is called a narrator. They are led to understand how the narrator tells what characters do and say, and how the characters spoken words are shown. Teacher Tips In this lesson, students listen to and read segments of a story that may be familiar to them: Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The lesson suggests that they follow along as you read aloud before rereading on their own. Preview the passages to make judgments about students ability to read them independently. If students are able, you may prefer to have them read silently first; then choose a volunteer to read aloud. Preparation/Materials Copies of passages to cut out (to pass out to students) Direct Instruction A colored highlighter for each student Today we ll be thinking about stories. We ll ask and answer questions about who is in a story, what they say, and what they are like. Let s start by listening to the beginning of a story. Before reading aloud the following passage, you may want to clarify that porridge is hot cereal, like oatmeal; and that the name Goldilocks suggests the golden-yellow hair, or locks, of the girl in the story. As you read, change your voice to show the parts of the narrator and each character. Read aloud: Once upon a time, three bears lived together in a house in the woods. The biggest of the three was Papa Bear. The middle-sized bear was Mama Bear. And the littlest was Baby Bear. One morning, after the three bears had made their breakfast, they found that the porridge was too hot to eat. Let s take a walk in the woods while our porridge cools, suggested Mama Bear. So the three bears went off for a walk in the woods. While the three bears were out, a nosy girl came snooping about their house. Her name was Goldilocks. She looked in the window and saw that nobody was home. She opened the door and stepped inside. She quickly noticed the three bowls of porridge on the table. She felt hungry. First, Goldilocks tasted the porridge from Papa Bear s big bowl. This porridge is too hot! she complained. Then she tasted the porridge from Mama Bear s medium-sized bowl. This porridge is too cold! she whined. But when she took a spoonful from Baby Bear s little bowl, she said, This porridge is just right! And she ate it all up. Script page 1
The animals or people in a story are called characters. One character in this story is the girl named Goldilocks. Who are the other characters? (the three bears: Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Baby Bear) The characters speak. Which character says, Let s take a walk in the woods while our porridge cools? (Mama Bear) What does Goldilocks say? ( This porridge is too hot! This porridge is too cold! This porridge is just right! ) Would you say that Goldilocks is polite, or is she rude? What makes you say that? (She is rude. She goes into a strange house and eats food that isn t hers.) Reread the first sentence of paragraph 3. Which words in the story show that Goldilocks is rude? Prompt students to tell what nosy and snooping mean. I read what the characters say in the story. But I also read other words. Those words belong to the storyteller. The storyteller in a written story is called the narrator. Tell students to listen as you reread the first paragraph. The narrator gives us important information about the story. What does the narrator help us understand? (the sizes of the three bears; who the three bears are; that the story is made up, because real bears don t live in houses) Guided Practice Display and distribute the first passage, a continuation of the story. Read aloud the passage as students follow along. After the reading, point out and circle the opening and closing quotation marks in Goldilocks s first speech. These marks are called quotation marks. In between are a character s spoken words. Quotation marks help us tell which words the character says, and which words the narrator says. These are the words that Goldilocks says. Highlight Goldilocks s spoken words, and have students do the same. Read aloud her words as she might say them, and have students echo-read. Who is saying the words that are not inside the quotation marks? (the narrator) Have students take turns reading the sentences in the voices of the narrator and Goldilocks. Distribute the next passage, which shows the next part of the story. Read it aloud to students as they follow along. Then have students highlight Goldilocks s spoken words and take turns reading the sentences in the voices of the narrator and Goldilocks. Independent Application Distribute the rest of the story, shown as a script. Offer reading support if necessary, pointing out that each character s spoken words follow the name in capital letters. Then distribute the parts of the narrator and the three bears to groups of four students. You may want to assign the narrator s part to a student who is a more able reader. Script page 2
Have each student highlight his or her speaking part. Give students time to read and reread until they are confident that they can give a smooth reading for listeners. Remind them that each character uses a different voice: Papa Bear speaks most loudly, Mama Bear uses a medium-sized voice, and Baby Bear has a little, high voice. You may want to have students record their reading or perform before the rest of the group. Wrap-Up Check students understanding. Why does a story need a narrator? (The narrator is the storyteller. The narrator tells what is happening and what characters are like. The narrator tells how the characters sound when they talk.) What do quotation marks help you understand in a story? (The words that the characters say are inside the quotation marks.) When you read the part of a character, what are some things to think about? Encourage students to give examples from the just-read story, showing how they decided how the character felt and how to show that feeling with their voice. Use students responses to guide your choice of activities in the Adaptations section on the following page. Script page 3
Adaptations For Students Who Need More Support For Students Ready to Move On Help students distinguish the voices of the narrator and characters. Find a short passage that students can read with you; it should include a narrator and one or two characters who speak. After reading, turn the passage into a script together: Prompt students to tell you what to write after each name in the script. An example is shown below. Text as a narrative: Once upon a time, a lion was sleeping. A mouse ran over his face. The lion woke up suddenly. He grabbed the mouse in his giant paw. You just woke me up! the lion roared. Now I m going to eat you! No, no, please let me go! begged the mouse. Why should I? asked the lion. If you let me go, someday I ll help you, said the mouse. The lion threw back his head and laughed. How could a tiny mouse help a mighty lion? he asked. Text as a script: NARRATOR: Once upon a time, a lion was sleeping. A mouse ran over his face. The lion woke up suddenly. He grabbed the mouse in his giant paw. LION: You just woke me up! Now I m going to eat you! MOUSE: No, no, please let me go! LION: Why should I? MOUSE: If you let me go, someday I ll help you. NARRATOR: The lion threw back his head and laughed. LION: How could a tiny mouse help a mighty lion? There are many picture-book retellings of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and variations that include versions set in other lands and versions that are parodies. Multiple retellings and variations of the classic tale are likely to be available in the school or public library. Select several for students to read with you. This list shows just some of the picture books you may find: Askew, Amanda. Goldilocks and the Three Bears Aylesworth, Jim. Goldilocks and the Three Bears Brett, Jan. Goldilocks and the Three Bears Brett, Jan. The Three Snow Bears Clark, Emma Chichester. Goldilocks and the Three Bears Elya, Susan Middleton. Rubia and the Three Osos Galdone, Paul. The Three Bears Perl, Erica. Goatilocks and the Three Bears Sanderson, Ruth. Goldilocks Willems, Mo. Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs Yim, Natasha. Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas Spend time discussing how the stories are alike and different. Encourage students to note big differences and small variations. Suggest that they evaluate the books for best in different categories, such as Best Pictures, Funniest Story, Most Interesting Ending. Script page 4
Then Goldilocks saw three chairs. She sat in Papa Bear s big chair. This chair is too hard! said Goldilocks. Next, she sat in Mama Bear s middle-sized chair. This chair is too soft! said Goldilocks. At last, Goldilocks sat in the littlest chair. It belonged to Baby Bear. This chair is just right! said Goldilocks. But the chair could not hold her. It broke apart. Then Goldilocks saw three beds. She lay down in Papa Bear s bed. This bed is too hard! she said. Next, Goldilocks lay down in Mama Bear s bed. This bed is too soft! she said. At last, Goldilocks lay down in Baby Bear s bed. This bed is just right! she said. She pulled the blanket up. Soon she fell asleep. Reproducible page 1
NARRATOR: The three bears came home. Papa Bear looked at his bowl of porridge. He saw the spoon in it. PAPA BEAR: Somebody has been eating my porridge! NARRATOR: A spoon was in Mama Bear s porridge, too. MAMA BEAR: Somebody has been eating my porridge! NARRATOR: Then Baby Bear looked at his bowl of porridge. BABY BEAR: Somebody has been eating my porridge. And it is all gone! NARRATOR: Papa Bear saw that his chair had been moved. PAPA BEAR: Somebody has been sitting in my chair! 1 Reproducible page 2
NARRATOR: Mama Bear saw a squashed spot in the seat of her chair. MAMA BEAR: Somebody has been sitting in my chair! NARRATOR: Then Baby Bear looked at his chair. BABY BEAR: Somebody has been sitting in my chair and broke it! NARRATOR: The three bears looked at their beds. PAPA BEAR: My pillow has been moved. Somebody has been lying in my bed! MAMA BEAR: My blanket has been moved. Somebody has been lying in my bed! BABY BEAR: Somebody has been lying in my bed. And here she is! NARRATOR: Goldilocks woke up. She saw the three bears. She jumped out of the bed. She ran out the door. And the three bears never saw her again. 2 Reproducible page 3