Guided Reading Activities

Licenced for use at WAIMEA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL only
GUIDED
SILENT
READING
Using narrative text
BOOK FIVE
Part 1 and 2 School Journals 2000-2002
Hilton Ayrey
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GUIDED SILENT READING BOOK 5
CONTENTS
Introduction to this Resource
Guided Silent Reading
Lesson format for Guided Silent Reading
Follow up Activities - Blooms Taxonomy
9
Lesson plan
Page nos
Activities
Page nos
13
45
SET 1 : Instructional Reading Age 7-8 years

1:1
The Best Way to Eat Spaghetti by Rachel Hayward

School Journal Part 1 Number 4 2001
1:2
Think of a Name
by Simon Cooke
15
46
1:3
Breakfast in the Bus
by Dot Meharry
17
47
1:4
The Mousetrap
19
48
by Janet Pereira

2:1
Chester by John Lockyer

21
49
2:2
Rubys Sunflower by Sally Stephenson

23
50
2:3
Three of the Best
by Annie Oliver
25
51
2:4
And the Winner is. by Kathleen Osullivan

27
52

3:1
Coyote and Turtle
retold by Jane Buxton

29
53
3:2
BAA!
by David Hill
31
54
3:3
Tusk the Cat
by K.E. Anderson
33
55
3:4
Tom and Frankie
35
56
by Unn West

4.1
The Cindy Limpics
by Michael Wilson
37
57
4.2
Whats the Matter
by David Hill
39
58
4.3
Jeremiahs Teeth by Peter Friend
41
59
43
60
4.4
Time for a Spell
by David Hill
Copyright 2004 Handy Resources
Guided Silent Reading Book 5
May be photocopied for use in school of purchase only

visit our website at www.handyres.com
INTRODUCTION TO THIS RESOURCE

The intention of this and the other books in this series, is to provide support
for the classroom teacher in the use of the instructional reading process,
Guided Silent Reading, using the New Zealand School Journal resources.
Each book contains
practical suggestions for implementing the Guided Silent Reading process
detailed lesson plans for the stories or articles chosen from School Journals
follow up activities using Blooms Taxonomy to encourage children to be
active readers and to develop the higher level thinking skills
A list of these resources to date is as follows
Using Narrative Text

Guided Silent Reading Book 1: Part 1 and 2 School Journals 1990-1999
Using Non Fiction Text

Using Narrative Text

Using Non Fiction Text

To view sample pages and details of our other reading resources, visit our website
www.handyresources.co.nz
BACKGROUND
The ideas presented here are based on current research on best practice in reading
instruction, 18 years of my own experience teaching reading in New Zealand
primary schools, and most recently, six years as a tutor with the New Zealand
Graduate School of Education, a private teacher training organisation located in
Christchurch.
The training model used at NZGSE means that as tutors we spend 7 weeks of every
term working alongside our trainees in classrooms, so the methods suggested here
have been extensively trialled, tested and proven in the classroom.
My feeling is that while we as teachers do a good job with the Learning to Read
phase of reading instruction, we are not so successful with the Reading to Learn
process that follows in the middle and senior primary school. This is backed up by
recent ERO and Ministry reports and the research by Tom Nicholson on readers
in secondary school.
The feedback I have received suggests that many teachers recognise this need as
well, and find that these resources help to develop the close reading and comprehension skills which are so important for fluent readers.

GUIDED SILENT READING

Guided Silent Reading is a powerful instructional tool that is used in many classrooms
throughout New Zealand. It gives the opportunity for the teacher and a small group of
students to talk, read and think their way through a text.
The students are responsible for the reading, while the teacher guides them through
questioning, helping students to identify the text structures and language features
used by the author. The questions the teacher asks provide a model of the type of
questions that the reader should ask themselves as they read.
SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES

The Achievement Objectives in EINZC have been used to develop the following SLOs
for these resources on narrative text. These are the outcomes that can be expected
when following the Guided Silent Reading process outlined in the lesson plans.
Students will be able to.
1. Identify the features of NARRATIVE text structure, namely setting,

characters, problem, response, action, outcome, theme.
A number of studies have shown that when readers are taught about the
structure of narrative text there are significant gains in comprehension.
For a review see Susan Dymock and Tom Nicholson (1999), Wellington NZCER
Reading Comprehension : What is it? How do you teach it
Teaching children about narrative structure and the way stories work provides
them with a powerful comprehension strategy.
2. Identify language features used in NARRATIVE text

This springs naturally out of the discussion of the text as students seek to
clarify the message and develop the language of critique.
How does an author use language to create a good story?
3. Make valid predictions about the plot

Prediction is one of the most important skills to develop in the active reader.
The concept of a good reader being like a detective, always looking for clues,
is a good way of explaining this to children.
This is encouraged at the beginning of each chunk of text as the teacher and
the readers establish a purpose for reading on. The validity of a prediction
reflects the extent to which active reading and comprehension is taking place.
4. Justify their ideas or responses from within the text or by inference

Requiring the reader to substantiate his or her ideas from text is another
very effective tool for developing active readers.
5. Demonstrate the use of higher thinking skills (Blooms Taxonomy)

The follow up activities give the students the chance to explore some higher
level thinking and require further processing and revisiting of the text in an
interesting way.
While not neglecting the systematic development of decoding skills, the emphasis here
is on teaching comprehension strategies through identifying text structure and the
skills and attitudes of being an active rather than a passive reader.

LESSON FORMAT for GUIDED SILENT READING

The lesson planning format presented here is highly predictable for the teacher and
the learner and aims to develop the internal dialogue of the active reader. There are
three steps to follow for each chunk of text.
Step 1 : SET A PURPOSE FOR READING and READ SILENTLY

Before starting the story and subsequently, with each chunk of text, it is important
to help the reader make connections to personal experiences and prior knowledge
and to establish a purpose for reading. Raising an expectation for what will come
next is easy with narrative text as the story structure is explored and the obvious
question presents itself, What do you think will happen next? (Prediction).
Step 2 : RETELL and CLARIFY - Have we got the message right ?

Once the chunk of text has been read silently by your readers, it is important to
make sure that the correct message has been received. Many children have picked
up glib reading habits and make assumptions about text as a result of a quick skim.
While skimming and scanning are important reading skills in their own right, in this
instance it is important to encourage close, deliberate processing of the story to
make sure children are aware of the nuances and subtleties that are tucked away in
the text before attempting to discuss the content. Detailed Retelling coupled with
Clarify as you go are recommended strategies for this step (see page 7 for details).
Step 3 : ADD TO YOUR STORY WEB - Looking for the story structure
Once the chunk of text has been reviewed and any possible misunderstandings
clarified, the next step is to think about the ongoing story structure and what new
information can be added to the story web from what has just been read.
It is suggested that the readers should have some paper on which they can be
building up their own story web as a fast finishers activity. The teacher may also
record information on a story web during this Step 3 discussion as a visual prompt
for the readers and to model the process of story webbing.
To provoke and guide discussion the teacher asks such questions as ..
Have we identified the story problem yet?.
There may be a range of problems occurring or a sequence of episodes, but what we are looking for here
is the main driving force behind the story. Sometimes it isnt until the story has been completed that the
big picture becomes obvious and the story problem can then be easily identified.
Has there been any development of the problem?

Has a new problem emerged?
Is there more information about the setting?
Is the setting important to what is happening in the story or is it incidental?
Have we found out anything new about the characters?
Have new characters been introduced?
How are the characters responding to the problem?
What action are they taking?
Are there any clues about the outcome?
As you can see, these are all generic questions aimed at developing the internal
dialogue of the active reader and encouraging the group members to do the thinking
rather than relying on the teachers questions. As students become familiar with the
process they can take increasing responsibility for it.
Not all stories follow a neat Problem, Response, Action, Outcome sequence and that
should be acknowledged and discussed. The framework is there as a reference point
only, a set of coat hangers for the reader to hang the story on.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The children seem bored and disinterested. I find it hard to get them
to concentrate on the lesson. They are fidgety and off task and I end up
feeling very frustrated with the Guided Silent Reading process.
Detailed Retelling is an excellent strategy for establishing routines and getting
everyone focussed. Having read the passage silently, explain that you as a group
are going to go through it again to make sure everyone understands the story and
the vocabulary. You go first to model the process. Retell the first idea in the chunk
of text. It may be a sentence or just a phrase and then someone else continues
with the next idea.
Why such short chunks? It increases the chance for everyone to participate and one
person doesnt hijack the retelling (great for them but you lose everyone else).
Encourage this retelling from the text not from memory. It starts off as a second
reading but as you model paraphrasing or changing the words around a little, the
children will pick up on this and do it too. By doing it systematically, in sequence,
event by event, everyone is at the same point in the story. The key here is to get
everyone involved in doing the work. You can take turns working your way around
the group. This can be helpful to start off with because students know their turn is
coming up next, but it can look a bit like Round Robin Reading and can produce the
same effect - children tuning out when it isnt their turn. So maybe start with it, but
move away to random selection. This keeps everyone on their toes. It doesnt take
long for them to realise that they have to stay tuned in and suddenly the focus of
the group has improved dramatically. As the routine improves with practice, allow
them to have a go without prompting from you. Keep an eye on the ones who dont
offer and prompt them. Apart from having a turn yourself, your only contribution to
keep the retelling flowing is to say what comes next.
The other benefit of this process is that as you work through the passage using
detailed retelling you can then clarify as you go.
Avoid the temptation to paraphrase the text and ask content questions.
Try to stick with
What does that mean?
Why did they do that?
I dont understand what is happening?
By doing this you are modelling the internal dialogue of the active reader who is
concerned about getting meaning from text.
And over a period of time you will have transformed your bunch of disinterested
squirmers into a group of self motivated, self directed readers..
But it takes such a long time to read a story this way.

Yes it does. The benefit for a lower ability group is that they get a lot of reading
mileage and they learn to scan to keep up with the detailed retelling. With practice
they will get much better and the lesson will go much faster, but it does take practise and this sort of practise is very beneficial for a less fluent readers. Choose
short stories!!!! Start with material below their instructional reading age so that
there are not lots of decoding problems while you are trying to teach new routines
and the concepts about story structure.
With more fluent readers, encourage them to move quickly into paraphrasing rather
than rereading the text. You can move towards bigger chunks of retelling once you
have a well established routine.
You dont have to do the whole story this way. It is a good idea to always do some
detailed retelling for the first two or three chunks so that you can make sure the
text is being read properly as it reinforces that close, active reading you are after.
Another possibility is to do a bit of detailed retelling within each chunk but not for
the whole passage.

GUIDED SILENT READING using narrative text

Sample Lesson Plan from Book 5
NZ School Journal
where the text for this
story can be found
A summary of the
storyline of this
text
A description of special
language or structural
features found in the text
Possible story structure that

can be identified from each
chunk of text as the story is
being read and discussed
Instructional reading
age of the story
Specific Learning
Outcomes for this
lesson
Questions to access
prior knowledge and
personal experiences
Questions and prompts

to establish a purpose
for reading this chunk
of text
Suggested fast finishers activity to take care

of those children who
read faster than others
Points in the text where

clarification may be
required during
detailed retelling
Questions that will help

children clarify concepts
or vocabulary
Suggested answers to
the questions asked.
Childrens responses
may differ


Sample Lesson Plan from Book 5
Suggestions for summarising
the story structure once the
guided reading has been
completed
Suggestions for critiquing the story.

An opportunity for children to learn
what to look for when evaluating a
story
Suggestions for presenting follow up activities

which encourage revisiting the text while
doing independent work (Blooms Taxonomy}
A completed story web that can be used as

guidelines for the teacher or presented as a
model for children

FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES : BLOOMS TAXONOMY

A good story should entertain its audience by its characters, the action, and the
language used. It should also give insights into how people think and feel.
Follow up activities should encourage children to revisit the text and think further
and more deeply about how the author has achieved this and the techniques used.
They should also promote creativity and be motivating and fun.
The follow up activities for each story in these resource have been designed using
Blooms Taxonomy. Each of the levels represent a higher level of thinking skills.
The activities therefore present a range of challenges for children with different
abilities and learning styles. Most activities allow for an answer in writing or by
drawing and labeling to encourage those who prefer visual responses over writing.
It is not expected that students will be asked to work their way through
all the activities. Students find it motivating to be able to choose activities and
where possible several options have been offered within a level. More able students
often opt for the higher levels while less able students enjoy the security of Levels
One and Two. The teacher may choose to assign specific activities or allow choice
depending on the students needs or the amount of time available. Another approach could be to set up a work contract with a points target to be met, where
higher level activities attract more points than lower level activities.
Follow up activities are an organisational necessity to allow the teacher to spend
time in small instructional groups. One of the essentials for keeping a small group
instructional programme stress free and running smoothly is to ensure that the
independent workers are on task and the classroom is relatively quiet. For this
reason, the activities in these resources are written with an individual response
in mind. However, they can easily be adapted to co-operative activities if your
classroom organisation and work ethic allows it.
There is a deliberate continuity in the activities chosen. As the student become
fluent with the activity the challenge comes from applying the process to new
content and frees the teacher from having to teach new activities when they
want to focus on group instruction. It does helps to spend time teaching the
activities to the whole class.
It is always important to allow time for sharing of poems, role plays, and posters
to a live audience so that the work is seen to be purposeful and not just done for
the teacher. The more you can develop a learning community in your classroom,
the more motivated and creative the students will become as they piggyback off
each others ideas and enthusiasm.
Blooms Levels defined

Blooms levels of thinking can be used in many different ways. The following
definitions indicate the particular emphasis chosen for these resources.
Level 1 : Knowledge What are the facts

These activities require students to locate factual information that can be found in
the text.
Book 5 : Creating lists of characteristic or attributes from the story
See page 12 Book 5 for an example of this activity.
Book 6 : List the characters and all the literal information about them, then
choose one and show the information in a CHARACTER WEB.
See page 12 Book 6 for an example of a Character Web.

Level 2 : Comprehension Reading between the lines

These activities require some inferential understanding of the text or the ability
to make connections between information from different parts of the text.
In Book 5 there are two activities at this level.
Book 5 : The reader is asked to answer a question or explain a problem.
The reader is asked to think of another title that gives further
clues about the story problem. This helps the student to develop
overall text comprehension, the ability to see the big picture.
Book 6 : Answering an inferential question is taken a step further with the
reader being asked to provide a quote or quotes from the text to
support their answer.
Level 3 : Application Using what you have read

These activities require students to take the information in the story and present it
in a different way while making a response to the concepts covered in the sory.
Book 5 : Two activities at this level. The first is a poster which requires the
reader to use the information in the story in another way.
The second gives those who enjoy writing poetry a chance to respond
to the content in this way. Of course not all children find this easy and
may need some specific instruction in simple acrostic and descriptive
poems.
Book 6 : Only one activity at this level and this provides some variety with
T-shirt design, writing letters, posters and news presentations.
Level 4 : Analysis Breaking down the story to see how it works

These activities involve some form of analysis of the plot in the story and are seen
as a very important part of helping students to understand text structure.
Book 5 : Windows into the story requires the reader to select the most important
moment in the story and explain their choice.
See page 12 Book 5 for an example of this activity.
Book 6 : Story Maps show the readers understanding of the settings, the where
and how the action took place. See page 12 Book 6 for an example of a
Story Map.
Story Graphs require an analysis of the feelings of a character over
time.
Story Webs continue the analysis which will have been started or
discussed during the reading of the story. Story Webs for all the
stories are included in the relevant lesson plan.
Level 5 : Synthesis Coming up with new ideas

The activities in both books require students to make some creative connections to
the information in the stories. The focus is on creative problem solving.
Level 6 : Evaluation
For each story there are two activities, each one covering a different evaluation skill.
The first activity is to do with evaluating the ideas or issues raised in the story.
Book 5 : Sorting out the good from the bad
De Bonos Black and Yellow Hat thinking skills are used here when evaluating
an idea or issue from the story.
Book 6 : Seeing both sides
These activities encourage students to look at both sides of an issue and can
be extended into short debates.
The second activity is designed to develop the ability to critique a story.
Book 5 : The reader is asked to give the story a rating and justify with a reason.
Book 6 : The reader is asked to give each of 5 criteria a rating and write a short
review based on these ratings.

10

Sample Activity sheet from Book 5
Assign these activities based on ability or needs, allow choice, or set up as a work contract
Blooms Level One

Locating literal
information from
the text
Blooms Level Two

Developing inferential
comprehension
skills
Blooms Level Three

Using the information
from the story in
another way
Blooms Level Four

Identifying the most
important event in the
story
Blooms Level Five

Creating new solutions
to the problems and
concepts in the story
Blooms Level Six

Using de Bonos
Thinking Hats to
identify the
advantages and
disadvantages of
an idea from the story
Blooms Level Six

Developing criteria to
be able to critique a
story

11

12
Set 1:1 LESSON PLAN

RA 7-8 years
The Best Way to Eat Spaghetti

By Rachel Hayward
SJ Part 1 Number 4 2001
Story Summary
Students can
Identify features of narrative text structure
- characters, setting, problem, response, action, outcome, theme
Identify language features used in narrative text
Make valid predictions about plot
Justify their ideas from within the text or by inference
Demonstrate the use of higher thinking skills (Blooms Taxonomy)
in follow up activities
Max is having trouble eating spaghetti. All the family make suggestions
about how to go about it. In the end Max comes up with his own solution.
Special Features : Repetitive storyline supports the reader
Familiar subject matter and disgusting eating
suggestions appeal to the reader
Groups of words that suggest sounds and actions
twirl, twiddle, twirl, splish, splash, splosh, gobble, glug, gulp
Guided Silent Reading strategies - suggestions for the Guided Silent Reading process
Prereading
Discussion
Read out the title and ask for predictions about this story - What clues has the author given us in the title ?
- Brainstorm possible characters, setting, problem
How do you eat spaghetti ? Why is spaghetti so difficult to eat ?
SET PURPOSE and READ

When you are reading look for .
CHUNK 1 Page 29
READ page 29 and look for
information or clues about
the setting, characters, and
the story problem
RETELL and CLARIFY

Making sure we have got the message right
ADD to STORY WEB

What new information have we found ?
..It was very frustrating..
What is another word for frustrating ?

Show me what it looks like when you are
frustrated
Setting
Probably at home
Characters
Max and Dad - no information about them
..Sauce sprayed around the table..
Fast finishers
Start recording your ideas on a
story web
Show me how Dad eats his spaghetti.

Problem
Why does sauce spray around the table ? Max is having trouble eating spaghetti
[Because Dad twirls it around]
Response
Max is getting very frustrated
Do you think this is the best way to eat

spaghetti ?
Action
Asks Dad to show him the best way to do it
Dad demonstrates his method
CHUNK 2 Page 30
What do you think will
happen on the next page ?
READ page 30 and see if
Dad has solved Maxs
problem
...and scooped it up with a spoon.
Show me how mum eats spaghetti

Why do you think Mum thinks her way is
the best ?
[Probably because it isnt so messy]
New characters
Mum - likes things to tidy and clean
Tim - Maxs brother
- likes things to be fun
...protested Maxs big brother
What is another word for protested ?

Fast finishers
Add to your story web
Action
Mum suggests a way that isnt so messy
Brother Tim suggests a more fun way
..like the bathwater going down the plughole..
Show me how Tim eats spaghetti

Why does Tim think his way is the best?
[Because its fun]
Discuss the simile

CHUNK 3 Page 31
Look at the picture on page
31. What do you think is
going to happen next ?
READ page 31
Fast finishers
CHUNK 4
Page 32
What do you think Maxs

answer to the problem will be?
What would your answer be?
READ page 32 and find out
..and shoved it into her mouth..
New character
Show me how baby Emily eats spaghetti Baby Emily - likes to eat with her hands
Why do you think Emily thinks her way is
the best?
Action
Baby sister Emily shows her way
..Max put his hands over his ears
How is Max feeling about all this ?

[Confused - he doesnt look happy]
Outcome
Max has worked out the answer to his problem
..up all his spaghetti in peace
Outcome
What did Max decide was the best way to Max decides that the best way to eat spaghetti is
eat spaghetti ?
on his own
[It doesnt matter how you eat it as long as
you can eat it in peace]

13

Post Reading Story Structure : Review the story web now that the whole story has been read
Summarise the main problem and how the characters deal with it (see suggestions below)
Discussion
What was the story about ? (theme)
Story Evaluation : What has the author done to try and make this a good story ?
[Made me laugh, created a real character, described a place well, surprised me with the outcome, used interesting words]
What do YOU think of this story ? Give it a rating out of 10 and say why ?
STORY WEB
The Best Way to Eat Spaghetti
Plot
Characters
Max
Problem
Likes peace and quiet when hes

eating
Max is having trouble

eating spaghetti
Dad
Thinks spaghetti is delicious
Mum
Doesnt like things to be messy
Response
Max feels very frustrated
Action
Max asks for help

Everyone in the family
has their own ideas
about the best way to eat
spaghetti
Tim
Maxs older brother

Likes eating to be fun
Emily
Maxs baby sister
Setting
At home in the kitchen
Outcome Max decides that it doesnt

matter how you eat it.
The most important thing is
for it to be peaceful and quiet
Theme(s)
Everyone
has their own way of

doing things
Asking for help sometimes makes
it worse
Follow up
Activities
Go through the ACTIVITIES sheet with your students

Brainstorm and discuss ideas, model activities where necessary.
Assign activities or allow choice depending on time constraints and / or the needs of your students

14
Set 1:2 LESSON PLAN

RA 7-8 years
SJ Part 1 Number 1
Think of a Name
by
2000
Simon Cooke
Story Summary
Students can
Robbie has a new puppy and has to come up with a name for it. Everyone
in the family has suggestions but Robbie didnt think his puppy likes any of
them, he just runs off to check his dinner bowl . Finally he decides to call
him Dinner because when he calls Dinner the puppy always comes to him.
Special Features : Repetitive storyline supports the reader.
Note the RESPONSE follows the ACTION
Appeals because of the cute puppy
Prereading
Discussion
Discuss naming pets. Ask the children how they decide on names for their pets.

CHUNK 1 Page 22
the story problem
Fast finishers
Start recording your ideas on

a story web
RETELL and CLARIFY

ADD to STORY WEB

Characters
Dad
Robbie - has a new puppy
...yapping loudly..
What is yapping ?
[barking - a high pitched puppy bark]
Setting
At home
...he doesnt want to be called Yapper.
How does Robbie know he doesnt want

to be called Yapper ?
[Because he didnt come when he called
him Yapper]
Problem
Robbie has to think of a name for his new puppy
Action
Dad suggests Yapper because the puppy yaps
loudly
Response
Robbie doesnt think the puppy wants to be called
Yapper
CHUNK 2 Page 24
How do you think Robbie is
going to find a name for the
puppy ?
Brainstorm ideas
what happens next
Fast finishers
CHUNK 3 Page 25
happen next ?
..you could call him Jaws..
Why did Patrick think Jaws would be a

good name ?
[The puppy was biting at Patricks trousers]
...he doesnt what to be called Jaws.

to be called Jaws ?
him Jaws]
..you could call him Sniffer..
Why did Mum think Sniffer would be a

good name ?
[The puppy was sniffing around the room]

Fast finishers
CHUNK 4 Page 26
How do you think the story
will end ?
What will be the outcome ?
...he doesnt what to be called Sniffer.

to be called Sniffer ?
him Sniffer]
.leftovers... Check understanding

.the sound of paws pattering on the floor..
What was happening ?
New Character
Patrick - Robbies older brother
Action
Patrick suggests Jaws because he bites his
trousers
Response
Jaws
New Character
Mum - Robbies mother
Action
Mum suggests Sniffer because she sees the puppy
sniffing around
Response
Sniffer
Response
Robbie doesnt feel hungry because he is worrying
about a name for his puppy
[The puppy was coming]

15

CHUNK 6 Page 27
What do you think Robbie
will have decided ?
RETELL and CLARIFY

...you like being called Dinner
How did Robbie know that the puppy

liked being called Dinner ?
READ page 27 and see if

you are right
[Because he came when he called Dinner]
ADD to STORY WEB

Outcome
Robbie called his puppy Dinner because whenever
he called Dinner the puppy always came to him
Discussion
STORY WEB
Think of a Name
Plot
Characters
Robbie
Has a new puppy

Wants his puppy to like his new
name
Robbie has to think of a

name for his new puppy
Problem
Puppy
Very playful
Very hungry
Dad
Patrick
Robbies older brother
Everyone in the family

has a suggestion for
a name
Action
Mum
Response
Setting(s)
Robbie doesnt think the

puppy likes any of the
suggestions
At home
Outcome Robbie called his puppy
Theme(s)
Follow up
Activities
Dinner because whenever

he called Dinner the puppy
always came to him
Living with pets

Solving a problem


16
Set 1:3 LESSON PLAN

RA 7-8 years
SJ Part 1 Number 4
Breakfast on the Bus

by
2002
Dot Meharry
Story Summary
Students can
Grandad loses his hearing aid and it looks like Five the dog has swallowed
it. An x-ray shows something in Fives stomach but when the hearing aid is
found everyone is left wondering what else has gone missing.
Special Features : Simple plot which ends with a new problem
Another story with a dog. Also provides insights into
the problems of getting olderloss of hearing
Prereading
Discussion
Discuss grandparents. What do they notice about older people ? [They dont hear so well]

CHUNK 1 Page 27
the story problem
RETELL and CLARIFY

ADD to STORY WEB

Characters
Grandad - has a house bus, maybe lives in it
- doesnt really think dogs should go in
his house bus
The storyteller
Five - the storytellers dog
- howls when he doesnt get what he wants
- likes toast
Setting
The house bus which is parked on the storytellers
front lawn
...arrived in his house bus....
What is a house bus ?

[A mobile home]
...This house bus is for people, not dogs....

Fast finishers
story web
CHUNK 2 Page 28
Are there any clues about
the problem yet ? (no)
Ask for predictions
READ page 28
Fast finishers
CHUNK 3 Page 29
How will Grandad respond
to this?
What will they do about it?
Fast finishers
How does Grandad feel about dogs ?

[Probably doesnt like them very much]
...hearing aid..
Characters
Grandad - has a hearing aid
Check understanding
.you really swallowed the hearing aid?
Why does the storyteller think the dog

swallowed the hearing aid?
Problem
Five swallowed Grandads hearing aid
[Because he was wagging his tail and licking

the storytellers hand ]
Response
Grandad was furious
.What programme?...
Why did Grandad say that? Why did he

shout?
[He cant hear very well without his hearing aid]
.Well have to keep him (Five) tied up
Why did they have to keep Five tied up?

[They were going to wait for the hearing aid to
come out in Fives pooh]
.Yuck
Action
They took Five to the vet for an x-ray
They tied up Five and waited for the hearing aid to
come out
New Characters
Mum
Vet
Why did the storyteller say Yuck?

[She thought that was gross]
.Grandad won
Why was Grandad good at read my lips?

[If you cant hear very well you end up watch
ing peoples lips to help you understand what
they are saying]
CHUNK 4 Pages 30+31

..and pulled out something small and hard.
What is going to happen?
Where was the hearing aid?
Brainstorm possibilities
READ page 30 and 31
Outcome
Five hadnt swallowed the hearing aid
[It must have been on or under the cushion of

the seat in the bus]
New Problem
What was it that he had swallowed?
Fast finishers

17

Discussion
STORY WEB
Breakfast on the Bus
Plot
Main Characters
The storyteller
Problem
Has a dog called Five
Five swallowed Grandads

hearing aid
Five
Likes to be in on everything
Howls when he doesnt get what he
wants
Likes toast
Grandad
Lives in a house bus

Needs a hearing aid
Response
Action
Minor Characters
Mum
The Vet
Outcome
Grandad was furious
They took Five to the vet

Five had to be tied up and
they had to wait for the
hearing aid to come out
Five hadnt swallowed

the hearing aid
Setting(s)
The bus on the storytellers lawn

At the vet
New
Problem
What is it that Five has

swallowed ?
Theme(s)
Follow up
Activities
Grandparents
Coping with hearing loss
Look properly before you blame
the dog


18
Set 1:4 LESSON PLAN

RA 7-8 years
The Mousetrap
by Janet Pereira
Story Summary
Students can
Mum wants to get rid of a mouse in the house. Dad doesnt like hurting
animals so he invents a mousetrap to catch but not kill. Everything is going
according to plan but the mouse keeps turning up again. Mani is to blame.
He was supposed to take the mouse down to the park but instead he was
letting it go at the back of the house.
Special Features : A more complicated plot. The original problem is
solved (mouse is caught) but there is a new problem because it keeps
coming back. The reader has to make an inference about the ending
Prereading
Discussion
Discuss students experiences with mice in their houses.
How do you get rid of mice ? What do you think about killing mice in mousetraps ?

CHUNK 1 Page 8
the story problem
Fast finishers
story web
RETELL and CLARIFY

ADD to STORY WEB

...cockles..
Characters
Dad - is a softie
- doesnt like to kill things
Mum - hates mice
Check understanding
.and put the rest back...
Why does dad make the kids put the

cockles back ?
Setting
At home
[Doesnt think they should be wasted]

.mouse droppings in the cupboard.
Problem
There are mouse droppings in the cupboard.
Mum wants something done about it
What does having mouse droppings in

the cupboard mean ?
[There must be mice in the house]
What is Mum going to do about the

droppings in the cupboard ?
[She will set a mouse trap if Dad doesnt]
CHUNK 2 Page 9
We know that Dad doesnt
like killing things. What do
you think he will do ?
New Character
Little sister
.a mousetrap invention...
What does Dad mean ?

[He is inventing / making a special mousetrap]

what Dad does
Action
Dad makes a special mousetrap that will catch the
mouse but not kill it
Fast finishers
CHUNK 3 Pages 10+11

How do you think Dads
invention will work ?
READ pages 10 and 11 and
find out whether the invention does work
Fast finishers
Reponse
We already know that Dad doesnt like killing
things
..the trapdoor would snap shut.
New Character
Describe or draw a diagram showing how Mani - storytellers big brother
the trap works
- thought he and Dad were pretty clever
- wasnt impressed with stage 2 of Dads plan
..Mani didnt look too impressed
What does this mean?

What do you think stage two of Dads
plan was ?
Outcome
The trap worked - they caught a mouse
..Mission accomplished
What did Dad mean ?

[He had caught the mouse]
CHUNK 4 Pages 12+13

Do you think this is the end
of the story ?
Brainstorm what might
happen next
READ page 12 and 13
Fast finishers
.Weve never had that many before
What is Dad puzzled about ?

.she had that told you so look on her face.
How did Mum feel about how things are

working out
..He couldnt look Dad in the eye....
What does that usually mean ?
New Problem
They kept catching mice
Response
Dad is puzzled and then gets mad
Action
Dad paints a blue dot on the mouse tail
Outcome
Finds out that it is the same mouse
[A person feels embarrassed or guilty]

19

CHUNK 6 Page 14
What is going on?
Why is Mani behaving the
way he is?
READ page 14 to find out
the whole story
RETELL and CLARIFY

...the luckiest mouse in the world
Why does Mum think that the mouse is

the luckiest mouse in the world ?
[Because of all the special attention it has had.
Most mice would be well and truly dead by this
time]
ADD to STORY WEB

Outcome
Mani had been letting the mouse go at the back of
the house instead of taking it down to the park.
This was a lucky mouse.
Discussion
STORY WEB
The Mousetrap
Plot
Mum was sick of mouse
droppings in the cupboard.
She wanted something done
about it
Problem
Main Characters
Dad
He is a softie
Doesnt like killing things
Good at solving problems
Response
Dad doesnt like killing things
Mum
Hates mice
Action
Dad builds a special mouse trap

with big brother Manis help
Mani
The storytellers big brother

Is lazy
Outcome
Little sister
The mousetrap worked.

Dad was very pleased with
himself
Wanted a mouse as a pet
The Storyteller
There is no information
Setting(s)
New
Problem
They kept catching a mouse

every day
Response
Dad was puzzled

Mum wasnt impressed
Dad got mad - he reckoned
it was the same mouse
At home
Action
Dad paints a blue dot on the

mouse tail
Theme(s)
Solving problems
Be kind to animals
If you want a plan to
Outcome
work you
have to keep to it
Follow up
Activities
Found out it was the same

mouse.
Mani had been letting it go at
the back of the house instead
of taking it down to the park


20
Set 2:1 LESSON PLAN

RA 8-9 years
Chester
by John Lockyer
Story Summary
Students can
Make valid predictions about plot from the text or by inference
Identify themes (insights into behaviour)
Chester is a very enthusiastic puppy. However the storyteller and his mum
get frustrated with him jumping up and licking their faces. Chester has to
go to Dog School where Mum and the storyteller learn how to treat him and
he learns how to behave and do lots of clever tricks. However he still cant
resist a wet sloppy kiss.
Special Features : Simple story line that reverts back to the original
problem at the end. Another dog story which appeals to this age group
Prereading
Discussion
Discuss owning puppies.
What are the problems ? How do you train them to do the right things?

CHUNK 1 Page 2
the story problem
Fast finishers
story web
CHUNK 2 Page 3
What will happen next ?
RETELL and CLARIFY

..stop that noise..
Why was the puppy barking ?

[Didnt like being on its own]
.and give me a wet sloppy kiss..
Why did he jump up and give wet sloppy

kisses?
[playful, liked company]
..basement...
What is a basement ?
What was Chester doing in the basement ?
[He had to sleep there at night]
CHUNK 3 Page 4
What would you do about
this problem ?
What do you think the storyteller and his mum will do ?
READ page 4
Fast finishers
CHUNK 4 Page 5
Look at the picture. What
else has Chester learnt to
do ?
READ page 5
ADD to STORY WEB

Characters
Chester - new puppy
- didnt like being on his own
Setting
At home
Problem
Chester made lots of noise when he was left on his
own
Would jump up and give wet, sloppy kisses
Response
Storyteller got cross when the puppy made lots of
noise
Problem
The problem gets worse
- Chester scratches at the garden gate
- Chester howls in the basement at night
Response
Mum finally had had enough
Action
They took Chester to Dog School
..At Dog School hell learn to behave.
Outcome
Do you think Chester was misbehaving ? Chester learnt to do what he was told
[He is just being a puppy - doesnt know any
New Setting
better]
Dog School
...praise
What does it mean ?

Why do you praise a dog ?
...Chester was amazing
Why was Chester amazing?
Outcome
The storyteller and Mum learnt how to treat
Chester
Chester did really well in the competition on the
last day
[Chester did really well in the competition]
CHUNK 5 Page 6
How will the story end?
What will be the outcome?
Fast finishers
Why did Chester jump up again ?
Outcome
Chester did so well he won a red ribbon and a
plastic bone
[He just got excited - he is still a puppy]
Do you think Chester has learnt to be a

good dog?
Problem
Chester still likes to jump up and give wet sloppy
kisses

21

Discussion
STORY WEB : Chester
Plot
Problem
Main Character
Chester
The storytellers new puppy

Made lots of noise
Jumped up and gave sloppy kisses
Learnt lots of skills at Dog School
Still liked to give sloppy kisses
Chester is naughty
He wants lots of attention
He jumps up and gives
wet sloppy kisses
Response Storyteller and Mum got

cross with Chester
Stop that noise!
Minor Characters
Mum
Storyteller
Action
They took Chester to Dog

School
Outcome Storyteller and Mum learnt

Setting(s)
how to treat Chester
Chester learned to do what

he was told. He won a
competition
At home
Dog School
Problem
Chester still likes to jump

up and gives wet sloppy
kisses
Theme(s)
Follow up
Activities
Looking after pets

Training puppies


22
Set 2:2 LESSON PLAN

RA 8-9 years
Rubys Sunflower
by Sally Stephenson
Story Summary
Students can
Ruby likes winning contests and is excited about the sunflower growing
contest. Saul down the street hopes to win but he has never won anything.
Ruby accidentally breaks the stem of her sunflower and has to decide
whether she wants to win by cheating or give Paul the chance to win.
Special Features :
Ruby changes her response to the problem - slightly more complex story
web. The theme is a moral dilemma.
Prereading
Discussion
Discuss entering competitions, what it feels like to win, what it feels like to never win anything.

CHUNK 1 Page 2
the story problem
Fast finishers
story web
CHUNK 2 Page 3
Look for more information
or clues about the setting,
characters, and the story
problem
RETELL and CLARIFY

ADD to STORY WEB

Characters
Ruby - likes winning contests
- won best story prize
- won a green badge for swimming
Spider - Rubys dog
- likes digging
Grandad - knows about gardening
Setting
Rubys garden at her place
Problem
No problem yet
...special plant food
Check understanding
What was the contest that Ruby wanted

to win ?
[It doesnt actually say but we can infer that it
is a sunflower growing competition]
Characters
Saul - in Rubys
- lived 2 doors away
- had a tall sunflower
- never wins anything
Mr Buckley - coming to measure the sunflowers
- maybe a teacher from school
Ruby and Spider - very excited
Mum - got cross with Ruby
.Im sure mine is tallest...Saul never wins

anything
What does that tell you about Ruby?

[Maybe she thinks she is better than Saul]
Who is Mr Buckley
READ page 3
Fast finishers
[Probably one of the teachers]
..The stem of the tall sunflower snapped..
Problem
The ball broke the stem of Rubys sunflower
Show how the accident might have

happened
CHUNK 3 Page 4
...It looked as good as new.
Brainstorm how Ruby might
Show how Ruby made the sunflower look
feel and what she might do.
as good as new
READ page 4
Fast finishers
CHUNK 4 Page 5
What is going to happen
next?
Will Rubys plan work?
READ page 5
CHUNK 5 Page 6
Do you think Sauls sunflower will be bigger than
Rubys ?
Lets find out.
READ page 6
...But Im not very good.
What does the author tell us about Saul?

[Saul isnt very good at basketball and he
knows it]
Response
Ruby felt like crying
Action
Ruby had an idea - she found a way to fix the
sunflower
Characters
Saul - isnt very good at basketball
Setting
Out in the street
...He missed again.
What happened when Ruby had a go?

[Ruby got the ball in the hoop first time]
How did this make Saul feel?

[Even worse - he wished he was good at things]
Saul had his fingers tightly crossed...
Why did Saul have his fingers crossed?
Characters
Saul - wished he was good at things
Action
Rubys sunflower gets measured
Reaction
Ruby feels bad about cheating
[He was hoping that he would win]
Action
Whos sunflower was actually the tallest? Ruby says that Sauls flower is bigger than hers
Ill tell you later
What was Ruby going to tell him later?

23

CHUNK 6 Page 7
How is the story going to
end?
RETELL and CLARIFY

..Ruby clapped louder than anyone..
Why did she clap louder than anyone?

[She was happy for Saul]
Do you think Ruby was cheating?
ADD to STORY WEB

Outcome
Saul finally gets to win something
Ruby feels good about what she did
Discussion
STORY WEB :
Rubys Sunflower
Main Characters
Ruby
Likes winning contests

Good at solving problems
Realised that winning wasnt everything
Plot
Problem
Saul
In Rubys class
Lives 2 doors away
Never wins anything
Not very good at basketball
Wishes he was good at things
(like Ruby)
Ruby breaks the stem

on her sunflower just
before it gets measured
Response Ruby felt like crying
Minor Characters
Mum
Action
Spider
Rubys dog
Likes digging
Mr Buckley
Teacher who measures the sunflowers
Ruby fixed up the sunflower so you couldnt

tell it was broken
Response
Ruby feels bad about

cheating
Setting(s)
Rubys garden
Out in the street
Sauls garden
School assembly
Theme(s)
Follow up
Activities
Winning isnt everything

Considering others
Being honest
Action
Ruby says that Sauls

flower is bigger than
hers
Outcome Saul finally gets to win

something. Ruby feels
good about what she did


24
Set 2:3 LESSON PLAN

RA 8-9 years
Three of the Best

by Annie Oliver
Story Summary
Students can
A story from the 1970s when corporal punishment was allowed in schools.
Ralph gets in trouble with the teacher. She asks Tim to go and get the
strap from Mr Stewart. Unfortunately, when Tim asks for the strap, he ends
up getting 3 of the best himself.
Special Features :
Simple storyline about a communication mistake - being misunderstood.
The time setting significant.
Prereading
Discussion
Discuss what the children know about what school was like when their parents were children.
Explain the use of the strap and what the term 3 of the best meant.

CHUNK 1 Page 18
the story problem
Fast finishers
story web
RETELL and CLARIFY

ADD to STORY WEB

..Ill never forget that day. And Im sure Tim

wont forget it either..
Setting
At school (1970s)
Why has the author written this ?

[A hook to get the readers interest]
Characters
Mrs Hawke - the teacher
- black rimmed glasses
- when she gets angry she bellows
Ralph - is being naughty, talking, singing, jiggling
..bellowed
Check understanding
.We hardly dared to breathe
Problem
Ralph has gone too far
[They knew the teacher was angry]
Response
Mrs Hawke is furious
Action
Calls Ralph to the front of the class
CHUNK 2 Page 19
What will happen next ?
What will Mrs Hawke do
with the strap ?
READ page 19
Fast finishers
CHUNK 3 Page 20
What will be the outcome ?
How will the story end ?
Fast finishers
..we all shook in our shoes..
Discuss this (an example of a metaphor)
Action
Tim has to go and get the strap from Mr Stewart
..big man with a big, gruff voice..
New Characters
Why do you think the children were all so Mr Stewart - big man with a gruff voice
frightened of Mr Stewart ?
Tim - small boy who sits at the front of the class
[Maybe he was grumpy - shouted at them.
He was the one who usually gave the strap]
..he whacked me with the strap..
Check understanding of whacked

Why did Tim get hit on the hand by Mr
Stewart ?
Outcome
Mr Stewart gave Tim the strap
Mrs Hawke had to sort out the mistake
[Mr Stewart thought Tim had been sent to

him to be punished]
.Mrs Hawke turned bright pink.
Why did Mrs Hawke turn bright pink ?

[She was embarrassed about what had
happened]
Refer back to the introduction

Ill never forget that day

25

Discussion
STORY WEB :
Three of the Best
Plot
Characters
Mrs Hawke
Teacher
Black rimmed glasses
Bellows when she gets angry
Problem
Ralph is naughty in class

- talking, singing, jiggling
Ralph
A boy in the class

Naughty - talks, sings, jiggles when
he isnt supposed to
Tim
A small boy who sits at the front of

the class
Response Mrs Hawke gets angry.

She has had enough of
Ralphs behaviour
Mr Stewart
A big man
Has a gruff voice
Kids are scared of him
Action
Mrs Hawke sends Tim to

Mr Stewart to get his strap
so she can punish Ralph
Setting(s)
Outcome Tim gets punished by Mr
A school classroom in the 1970s
Stewart by mistake
Mrs Hawke has to sort out
the mistake
Theme(s)
Follow up
Activities
Make sure you get your message

right
Dont upset the teacher


26
Set 2:4 LESSON PLAN

RA 8-9 years
And the Winner is...

by Kathleen OSullivan
Story Summary
Students can
Chris has to mow the lawn today. He rings up his mates and gets them to
come around for a competition...mowing the lawn. His plan works perfectly
with mum arriving home just as he is sweeping the path. Meanwhile the
storyteller, his sister, just gets a dirty look because she hasnt finished the
dishes
Special Features :
The theme - are the main characters actions justified ?
Prereading
Discussion
Discuss doing jobs at home. What do you have to do and how do you feel about it ?

CHUNK 1 Page 2
the story problem
Fast finishers
story web
RETELL and CLARIFY

ADD to STORY WEB

Characters
Chris - tries to avoid doing work around the house
Dad - angry with Chris
Mum - also upset with Chris
Sally - baby sister
Storyteller - no information
Why are the words today and this

written in italics ?
[Emphasize them when reading]
...The way Mum was holding her mouth
What does this mean ?
[She was angry]
Show me how you think Mum was holding

her mouth.
If we read between the lines, what does
this tell us about Chris ?
.Youll be in trouble..
Why does the storyteller think that Chris

would be in trouble ?
[Hes not going to mow the lawn]
CHUNK 2 Page 3
happen to Chris if he
doesnt mow the lawns ?
what he is up to
..dragging the old hand mower.....
Characters
Storyteller - her/his turn to do the dishes this
week
Josh, Blake, Hemi - Chriss mates
Check understanding of hand mower .

Why would Dad say it did a better job ?
[He thought it was too dangerous for kids to
use the motor mower]
Action
No obvious development of the Action. Chris is
thinking about mowing the lawns because he got
the mower out
CHUNK 3 Pages 4 + 5
What do you think the boys
are planning to do ?
.wheelie.
READ pages 4 and 5
.almost as if he was measuring it up.
CHUNK 4 Page 6 + 7
What is going to be the outcome ?
What are some different
ways this story could end ?
Action
Chris is getting his mates to mow some of the
lawns by organizing a competition
Check understanding
What is going through Chriss mind ?

[He was working out how he was going to get
the rest of the lawn mown]
..he (Chris) grinned with delight when they all

nodded
Outcome
Boys finished the lawn without Chris doing any
Mum came home and was very pleased
Gave Chris money to go and buy ice creams
Why did Chris grin with delight ?

[His plan was working]
Storyteller only got a dirty look because she

hadnt finished her job yet
READ pages 6 and 7

Fast finishers
Response
We dont know how Chris feels about this
Action
Chris rings up his mates - he appears to be be
avoiding mowing the lawns. The storyteller
certainly thinks so.
Fast finishers
Fast finishers
Problem
Chris HAS to mow the lawns
Do you think the story has a fair ending?

27

Discussion
STORY WEB
And the Winner is ..
Plot
Main Character
Problem
Chris
Chris HAS to mow

the lawn
Tries to avoid doing jobs around

the house
Is a bit smarter than his friends
Likes to cheat at cards
Things work out for him
Minor Characters
Response Chris tries to avoid doing

jobs around the house
Dad
Mum
Storyteller - Chriss sister
Sally - baby sister
Josh, Hemi, Blake - Chriss mates
Action
Chris gets his mates to

come around.
He organizes a
competition mowing
the lawn
Setting(s)
At Chriss home
Outcome The lawn gets mown

without Chris having
to do anything
Mum thinks he did it
Theme(s)
Follow up
Activities
Life isnt always fair

Problem solving


28
Set 3:1 LESSON PLAN

RA 8-9 years
SJ Part 2 Number 4
Coyote and Turtle
2001
Retold by Jane Buxton
Story Summary
Students can
A young turtle goes exploring without thinking about the dangers in the hot
desert. She tries to get back but is exhausted. A coyote thinks her crying is
a beautiful song and insists that the turtle teach it to him. The turtle tricks
the coyote into taking her back to the river.
Special Features : Folk tale genre
Prereading
Discussion
Discuss folk tales stories about animals that act like humans - often passed down orally from generation to
generation, may convey a message or a moral
What do you know about turtles and coyotes ?......Turtle is a reptile, heats up in the sun, cools down in the shade

CHUNK 1 Page 2
the story problem
RETELL and CLARIFY

ADD to STORY WEB

...about how dangerous her journey was..
Characters
Turtle - lives in a river
- is only young
- doesnt know about the dangers of the
desert
Setting
Desert in Mexico - hot and dry
- only cactus plants can grow
Why was Turtles journey dangerous ?

[Access prior knowledge about reptiles
and deserts]
Fast finishers
story web
CHUNK 2 Page 3
Predict the story problem
from what you know so far.
What part do you think the
coyote is going to play in
this story ?
Brainstorm
..and began to cry..
Why was Turtle crying ?

[She was exhausted and knew she was in trouble]
READ page 3
Fast finishers
CHUNK 3 Pages 4 + 5
The turtle now has two
problems. What would you
do if you were the turtle?
happen next ?
..shook inside her shell.
Problem
The turtle is exhausted and a long way from the
cool river
Action
Turtle crawls into the shade of a cactus
Response
Turtle begins to cry
New Character
Coyote
New Problem
The coyote said he was going to eat the turtle
unless she taught him her song
Response
Turtle didnt want to be eaten

[She was frightened]
Action
Did some quick thinking to try and outwit the
coyote
..I wouldnt feel the sun at all

Why was this a brave thing to say?
[She was bluffing]
READ pages 4 and 5

..The turtle pretended to be upset..
Fast finishers
CHUNK 4 Page 6
What is going to happen
next?
What will be the outcome?
Fast finishers
Why did she pretend to be upset?

[She was trying to trick the coyote]
..Hiding a smile
What does it mean to hide a smile?

[She didnt want the coyote to see that she was
smiling]
Outcome
Coyote returns Turtle to the river.
Both of Turtles problems have been solved
What was Turtle smiling about?

[The coyote had fallen for her trick)
....I will never ever sing that song again, I hope.
What was she getting at when she said

this?
[She had learnt her lesson about the desert]

29

Discussion
STORY WEB
Coyote and Turtle
Plot
Characters
Problem
Turtle
Lives in a river
Is only young
Doesnt know about the dangers of
the desert
Is smarter than the coyote
Turtle went too far into

the desert and now she is
exhausted and cant get
back to the cool river
Coyote
Thinks that the turtles crying is a

beautiful song
Is a bully
Doesnt know much about turtles
Action
Turtle crawls into the

shade of a cactus
Response Turtle begins to cry
Setting(s)
The hot dry desert
New
Problem
Response
Theme(s)
Problem solving
You can outsmart a bully
Brains are better than brawn
Action
Coyote is going to eat

her if she doesnt teach
him her song
Turtle doesnt want

to be eaten
Turtle outsmarts the

coyote - tricks him into
taking her back to the
river
Outcome Turtle solves both her

problems. She escapes
the coyote, and gets
back to the river
Follow up
Activities


30
Set 3:2 LESSON PLAN

RA 8-9 years
BAA!
by
David Hill
Story Summary
Students can
Tasmin brings a baby lamb to school for the day. Ms Mika the teacher isnt
too keen but puts up with the lamb jokes. Mr Chan the caretaker has to
clean up the messes and Daniels science report gets eaten.
At the end of the day Ms Mika tries to avoid this happening again by telling
Andrew not to bring any more lambs tomorrow so he doesnt. He brings a
cow instead.
Special features :
The problem has to be endured for the daycute baby animals appeal
Prereading
Discussion
Discuss bringing pets to school. Kids love it. Why might the teacher not be so keen about it ?
What problems would different pets create for the teacher ?

CHUNK 1 Page 8
the story problem
Fast finishers
story web
RETELL and CLARIFY

ADD to STORY WEB

...No - it was a lamb..
What was different about the way the girls

and the boys reacted to the lamb ?
...Were feeding this one from a bottle...
Why was this lamb getting special

attention ?
Setting
The classroom at school - Room 7
[Its mother couldnt feed it]
...Ms Mika sighed...
Why do you think Ms Mika sighed ?

[Having a lamb in the class for a day is a big
distraction for the kids)
CHUNK 2 Page 9
How do you think the day
will go ?
Brainstorm some problems
that might happen
Characters
Tasmin - lives on a farm
The storyteller and other children in Room 7
The baby lamb
Ms Mika - Room 7s teacher
Problem for the Teacher

Tasmin had brought a newborn lamb to school
Response
Ms Mika - sighed when she realized the lamb
was there for the day
..just like my little sister, Stacey
Response
Why would the lamb remind the storyteller The kids - obviously enjoying having a lamb at
of her baby sister Stacey ?
school
[The way the lamb feeds from the bottle must
be similar to the way Stacey does]

how the day goes
New Character
Andrew - another boy in Room 7
- lives on a farm too
- knows a lot about lambs
Fast finishers
CHUNK 3 Pages 10 + 11
What else might happen
during the day ?
find out
.Get some disinfectant and a bucket of water..
Describe how you would clean up the

mess. What is the disinfectant for ?
[To get rid of the germs]
...Whys everyone laughing?
Why was everyone laughing ?

Fast finishers
[Pam was eating A Healthy Diet]

..and a big bucket of water
Who cleans up the mess ? (It doesnt say)

Who do you think should clean up the
mess ?
..just bring a photo.
What was Ms Mika trying to say to

Andrew
Action
Ms Mika said to Andrew not to bring any more
lambs to school tomorrow
[No more lambs in class please]

31

CHUNK 6 Page 12
what the outcome of the
story is
RETELL and CLARIFY

...MOOOO! Went the something outside.
What has Andrew brought to school ?
ADD to STORY WEB

Outcome
The next day Andrew brought a cow
Discussion
STORY WEB
BAA!
Characters
The storyteller
Plot
Has a baby sister called Stacey

The lamb reminds her of Stacey
Tasmin
Lives on a sheep farm
Problem
Tasmin brought a
lamb to school
Andrew
Also lives on a farm
Knows lots about lambs
Ms Mika
Response Ms Mika the teacher

wasnt too happy
about it
The kids in the class
thought it was great
Room 7s teacher
Has a good sense of humour
Wasnt too happy about having a
lamb in her classroom all day
Mr Chan
The school caretaker
Daniel
The class clown - always making
jokes
Jarred, Ripeka and other children

in the class
Setting(s)
At school
Action
Ms Mika suggested
Tasmins parents
pick up Pam at
playtime
The kids looked
after Pam the
Lamb during the day
Theme(s)
Outcome Next day Andrew
School is not the best place for

farm animals
Teachers need to say exactly
what they mean
Follow up
Activities
brought a cow


32
Set 3:3 LESSON PLAN

RA 8-9 years
SJ Part 2 Number 2
Tusk the Cat
2002
by K. E. Anderson
Story Summary
Students can
Tusk is a very fierce cat - a real handful. But the family realises how much
they miss him when they notice he isnt around anymore. Just when everyone has begun to accept that he has gone for good, they discover his
kittens.
Special Features :
Great use of descriptive language and humorous anecdotes to develop the
character of Tusk in the first 5 paragraphs.
Prereading
Discussion
- Brainstorm possible characters, setting, problem.
Discuss how the students feel about their pets. Ask them to share experiences with particularly scary pets.

CHUNK 1 Page 16
the story problem
Fast finishers
story web
CHUNK 2 Page 17
happen next? What will be
the problem in this story?
Fast finishers
CHUNK 3 Page 18
How do you think the family
will feel about Tusk disappearing (Response)
What are some things you
can do when your cat is
missing?
RETELL and CLARIFY

ADD to STORY WEB

..runt of the litter.....
Characters
Tusk - supposed to be a runt
[The runt is the smallest, weakest one]
- biggest cat storyteller had ever seen
- enormous ears and razor sharp teeth
..and knock all the ornaments off.....
- claws that ripped skin to shreds
What does boss of the house mean?
- very black and fierce
Was Tusk really in charge of the house?
- boss of the house
[No. He didnt run the place but he did what he
- showed he was unhappy if he didnt get
liked - he had ways of getting what he wanted]
his tea on time
- played mean games
Discuss the language features the author has
Setting
used to develop the character of Tusk
At home
Overstated adjectives
Anecdotes to support characterisation
Problem
No problem other than a very fierce cat
What did Corbin Anderson mean?
..used more plasters than anyone else in NZ...
Why did they use more plasters?

[Because Tusk was always attacking them]
..never missed a meal in his life.....
Why did they notice Tusk was missing?

[No one was covered in plasters and Dad had
been able to sit in his chair]
Fast finishers
CHUNK 4 Page 19
What will happen next?
How will the story end?
READ page 19 to find out
Fast finishers
Problem
Tusk has gone missing
Problem
It looks like Tusk is gone for good
..the cute way....the funny game..
Why were these now cute and funny games?

[When you dont have something anymore you
tend to remember only the good parts, not how
annoying it can be or the pain from the claws]
..I knew why she had really done it, though....
Why had Mum put away the bowl and mat?

Characters
Tusk - could be tricked because he was
greedy
[Because Tusk wasnt coming back]
Why did she say she had put them in a safe

place for when he came back?
[She didnt want to upset the storyteller]
Action
Organised themselves into search parties
Rang the radio station
Went to the SPCA
Response
Missed Tusk
Action
Mum put away Tusks mat and bowl
..Suddenly I realised that I had found Tusk..
What did the storyteller mean?

Outcome
Where was Tusk?
Tusk is a she not a he
[She had stumbled across Tusks kittens. It doesnt Tusk was only hiding while she was having
say where Tusk is but we can assume she is
kittens
nearby. Cats will sometimes go away and hide
The family is in for a lot of pain
when they have kittens]
The storyteller is happy that Tusk is still
around
..never trust ...and tell you its a tomcat ....
[Tusk wasnt a tomcat...she was a female]

33

Discussion
[eg. made me laugh, created a real character, described a place well, surprised me with the outcome, used interesting words]
STORY WEB
Tusk the Cat
Characters
Tusk the Cat
Plot
The runt of the litter

Grew to be very big
Enormous ears
Razor sharp teeth and claws
The boss of the house
Played vicious games
Greedy- easy to fool
Tusk has gone missing
Problem
Corbin Anderson
Doesnt know much about cats
Storyteller
A girl (from the illustrations)
Mum and Dad

Tusks 3 Kittens
Action
Organised themselves into

search parties
Rang the radio station
Went to the SPCA
Setting(s)
Response
At home
Searching
the neighbourhood
The family miss him even

though he was very
fierce
Theme(s)
Living with pets
You dont know what
Outcome Tusk is a she not a he

youve got
until its gone

with loss
Coping
Follow up
Activities
Tusk was only hiding while

she was having kittens
The family is in for a lot of
pain
The storyteller is happy that
Tusk is still around


34
Set 3:4 LESSON PLAN

RA 8-9 years
SJ Part 2 Number 2
Tom and Frankie
2000
by
Unn West
Story Summary
Students can
Tom has some learning difficulties. His younger brother is disappointed

when he chooses a boring goldfish for a pet and tells him he has to look
after it properly or hell never get another one.
Tom gets distracted while staying at Grandpas and the fish dies. Grandpa
suggests getting another one but Tom feels that it would be cheating.
Special features : Characterisation of Tom who is slow
Needs careful discussion to understand Toms response
Prereading
Discussion
Discuss children with learning difficulties. What does it mean when people say they are slow?

CHUNK 1 Page 6
the story problem
Fast finishers
story web
RETELL and CLARIFY

ADD to STORY WEB

Characters
Tom - wanted a goldfish for his birthday
- wasnt interested in fancy fish
Louie - Toms younger brother
- sticks up for his slow older brother
- sometimes wishes Tom acted normally
.fish swam in quick shoals
Check understanding
...dangerous piranhas, lurking.
What do you know about piranhas ?

Why has the author used lurking
[ the fish are dangerous, waiting to strike]
..if only hed act cool sometimes..
What does this tell us about Tom and the

way Louie feels about him?
[Louie is slow. Louie doesnt mind sticking up for
him, just wishes he would be normal sometimes]
CHUNK 2
Page 7

clues about the story
Problem
Fast finishers
..he was still sore..
Setting
At the Pet Shop
At home
Problem
Louie has a problem with Toms choice of fish
but this is probably not the main story problem
Characters
Grandpa - was visiting Tom and his family
- teases Tom about his fish
Frankie Fish - Toms new goldfish
Check understanding of sore

[Louie was still annoyed with Tom]
Why did Louie say that to Tom ?

[He was being mean]
.big enough to have for dinner?.......
Did Grandpa really think this fish was for

eating? [Grandpa was just making a joke]
.this is a pet. You dont eat it.
What does this tell us about Tom ?

[He didnt pick up on Grandpas joke]
CHUNK 3 Page 8
READ page 8
Fast finishers
.move the tank to the other side of the room
Why did Tom have to move the tank?

[The sun heats the water and the fish would die]
Problem
Tom forgets to move Frankie and he dies
...Frankie was still resting...
What does this tell us about Tom ?

[He doesnt realise that his fish is dead.slow]
CHUNK 4 Page 9
How will Tom feel about
Frankie dying ?
Fast finishers
...he always treated Tom the same as everyone

else.
What clues are there here about Tom ?

[More evidence that Tom is slow]
..it wouldnt be the same.
Why does Tom feel like this ?

[To do with his slowness - finds it hard to move on]
Response
Tom felt sorry for Frankie, he felt sorry for himself, he felt angry with Louie, and Grandpa
Felt sad when he went to bed
Action
Grandpa suggested getting another fish

35

RETELL and CLARIFY

CHUNK 5 Page 10 + 11
What made up Toms mind to not buy

READ to the end of the story another goldfish ?
to see what Tom decides to [Grandpas plan hadnt worked. His mum knew
what had happened]
do
ADD to STORY WEB

Action
Grandpa tells him a story about a plant that he
didnt look after which died
Outcome
Tom finds out that Grandpas plan didnt work
He decides he doesnt want to get another fish
Post Reading What clues are there in the story that make you think that Tom is slow - doesnt pick things up as
Discussion quickly as others ?
Story Structure : Review the story web now that the whole story has been read
STORY WEB
Tom and Frankie
Plot
Characters
Tom
Wanted a pet goldfish

Wasnt interested in fancy fish
Doesnt get Grandpas joke
Has trouble remembering
Problem
Tom forgets to move

Frankie his pet goldfish
and it dies
Louie
Toms younger brother

Sticks up for his older slow brother
Sometimes get frustrated with Tom
Response
Grandpa
Always treated Tom the same as

everyone else
Didnt want to hurt Mums feeling
Thinks that people are more
important than plants or fish
Tom is very upset

He feels sorry for Frankie
and himself
He feels angry with Louie
and Grandpa
He feels sad when he
goes to bed
Mum
Action
Setting(s)
Pet Shop
At home
At Grandpas farm
Theme(s)
Follow up
Activities
Grandpa suggests getting

another one
Grandpa tells him a story
about a time when he let
a plant die
Outcome Tom finds out that Grandpas

plan didnt work.
He decides not to get another
goldfish
Looking after pets

Coping with loss
Not hurting peoples feelings


36
Set 4:1 LESSON PLAN

RA 9-10 years
The Cindy Limpics

by Michael Wilson
Story Summary
Students can
The Olympic Games are on and Cindys class decides to have their own
Olympics. Cindy is keen to enter all the events, so she decides to do some
serious training. Unfortunately all sorts of things go wrong and leave her
with a broken leg. The teacher organized a special event called the Limpics
and Cindy wins!
Special Features : We are told the outcome right at the beginning of the
story and then the accumulation of events that led up to the accident.
Prereading
Discussion
Discuss the sort of training that children could do if they wanted to do well at the school athletics sports.

RETELL and CLARIFY

ADD to STORY WEB

CHUNK 1 Page 22
..This how it happened..
What is different about the way this story
starts ?
[It starts with the outcome then goes back in
the story problem
time to explain how it happened]
Fast finishers
story web
Setting
At school
.Cindy thought that was stupid. It made her

angry. If she had been there..
Do you agree or disagree with Cindy?

Why?
CHUNK 2 Page 23
There are no real clues yet
about the story problem.
Brainstorm possibilities.
READ page 23 and see
if any of your ideas are
mentioned here
Fast finishers
CHUNK 3 Pages 24+ 25

What do you think is going
to happen to Cindys training programme?
READ pages 24 and 25 to
find out
Characters
Cindy - got angry that only men were allowed to
compete in the ancient Olympics
- wanted to enter all the events in her
school Olympics
Problem
Cindy is having problems with her training
programme for the class Olympics
- didnt have the right equipment
- not allowed to pole-vault (too dangerous)
- tomato stake javelin went through the green
house
Response
Thought it was stink that she wasnt allowed to
pole-vault
Action
Has to improvise with training equipment
Characters
Cindy - isnt afraid of doing dangerous things
(pole-vaulting the fence)
- is accident prone
Mum - gets a bit cross when she thinks Cindy is
disobeying her
.discus.pole-vault
Check understanding of these events

.and this was for the javelin.
Check understanding of javelin.

Was Cindy disobeying her mother by
using the tomato stake ?
[ Her mother said she wasnt to use a tomato
stake to pole-vault. She was using it for the
javelin]
.She tried not to cry..
What happened to make her cry ?
Action
More improvisation - more accidents
- used river rock for shot put (dropped on toes)
- went out into the paddock to practise the
discus and thats where it really started to go
wrong
[Cindy dropped the river rock on her toes]

.holding pen.drenched
Check understanding
.she decided not to stretch her left leg.
Why didnt she stretch her left leg ?

[Her shoe had gone into the water trough when
she kicked her right leg]
Fast finishers
Draw a diagram showing what
happened
Outcome
Cindy broke her leg - this comes at the very
beginning of the story
Problem
No problem yet. Cindy is just keen to take part in
all the events
.took off down the race towards the paddock
Outcome
She hits the goat with the Frisbee
The goat frightens the sheep
The sheep come straight for her
Check understanding of a race and what

actually happened

37

RETELL and CLARIFY

ADD to STORY WEB

CHUNK 6 Pages 26 + 27
How is this disaster going to ..if she hadnt cracked her ankle on the edge
Make sure students understand the
end ?
sequence of events
Outcome
...and bunted her into the water trough where she
cracked her ankle (broke her leg)

find out
Mrs Simpson made a special event called the

Limpics which Cindy won
Do you think Cindy will go about her

training any differently next time ?
Discussion
STORY WEB
The Cindy Limpics
Plot
Main Character
Cindy Baxter
Very enthusiastic about the school

Olympics
Isnt worried about doing dangerous things
Lots of ideas for training for the
different Olympic events
Is accident prone
Problem
Cindy wants to train for her

school Olympics but doesnt
have the right equipment
Response Cindy thinks it is stink when

her mother wont allow her
to practice the pole-vault
because it is too dangerous
Minor Characters
Mum
Dad
Mrs Simpson
Cindys teacher
The goat and the sheep
Action
Cindy has to improvise with

her training
equipment
Setting(s)
At school
At home on the farm
Outcome It all goes horribly wrong

when she practices the
discus in the sheep
paddock and she ends
up with a broken leg
Theme(s)
Follow up
Activities
Dont give up
Make do with what you have
Being accident prone
Mrs Simpson has a

special event called the
Limpics which Cindy wins


38
Set 4:2 LESSON PLAN

RA 9-10 years
SJ Part 2 Number 3
Whats the Matter?

by David Hill
2002
Story Summary
Students can
Dan orders a Matter Mover that is supposed to make anything you want
appear. However you have to be very careful what you ask for as Dan finds
out. The angrier he gets with the machine the more mistakes he makes
and soon his bedroom is a disaster site.
Special Features:
The play on words - how the Matter Mover interprets Dans instructions.
The episodes are cumulative - the problem gets bigger and bigger
Prereading
Discussion
Discuss advertising flyers / junk mail. Ask students if this sort of advertising works on them or their parents?

RETELL and CLARIFY

ADD to STORY WEB

CHUNK 1 Page 28
the story problem
Characters
Dad - Doesnt like advertising flyers
Dan - wants to try out the Amazing Matter Mover
Setting
At home
...a small parcel with his name on it.

Fast finishers
story web
CHUNK 2 Page 29
Do you think this sounds
like a good idea ?
What would you do if you
had a Matter Mover ?
READ page 29 and see how
Dan gets on
Fast finishers
What is the small parcel ?

[Dans Matter Mover has arrived]
.say cancel to remove object.
How does the Matter Mover work ?

..should he tell his parents? Nah, this was his
Why did he decide not to tell his parents?

[Maybe he wanted it all to himself]
Fast finishers
Why did Dan cancel the icecream ?

[It wasnt quite what he expected.messy]
Why did a little cotton reel appear ?

[He said Get real]
..Cancel! he yelled. Cancel!
Why was Dan unhappy with the lego ?

[He asked for lego and got purple legs]
CHUNK 4 Page 31
huge feet poked his face...
What will Dan get this time ?
What had he done wrong this time ?
Fast finishers
Problem
His first go with the Matter Mover didnt turn out
how he expected
.soaked into the carpet
CHUNK 3 Page 30
How will Dan respond to the ..Dan gaped at it. Get real!.
Show me what gaped looks like.
problem ?
Why did Dan say get real
What do you think Dan will
[It wasnt what he had asked for]
do next ?
Problem
No problem yet
[The first 3 words were My own giants]
Check understanding of each order that

goes wrong
Response
Dan realised he had to be more careful
Action
He made sure he had the right number of words
He asked for lego
Outcome
He got a video cassette instead of his own video
machine
Got a whole lot of purple legs
Response
He was getting angry but he was determined to
get what he wanted
Response
Dan was determined to get something he wanted
from the Matter Mover
Action
He keeps trying to get it right
Outcome
It just gets worse - nothing he orders is how he
wants it

39

CHUNK 6 Page 32
How will this end ?
Will Dan master the Matter
Mover or will it destroy
him?
What would you do?
what happens
RETELL and CLARIFY

.showered down on him.
Response
Dan is really angry now
Why was this happening?

He had ordered rubbish]
..the Matter Mover was gone..
Why did the Matter Mover disappear?

Dan said get lost]
.and give it one order: Cancel..
What did Dan want to happen?

[He wanted to disappear]
Post Reading
Discussion
ADD to STORY WEB

Action
Says Rubbish and Get Lost
Outcome
A room full of rubbish and the Matter Mover has
gone.
Dans parents are coming down the hall and Dan
knows he is in big trouble
Story Structure : Review the story web now that the whole story has been read
STORY WEB
Whats the Matter?
Plot
Characters
Problem The Matter Mover wasnt
Dan
quite as easy to control

as Dan had thought it
would be
Wanted to have it all

Gets angry when things dont go
his way
Dans Dad
Doesnt like junk mail
Response
Mum
Dan was determined

that the Matter Mover
wasnt going to beat
him
He got increasingly
angry when his orders
didnt work out
Setting(s)
At home mostly in Dans bedroom
Action
Dan kept testing his

Matter Mover to try and
get it right. He kept
saying the wrong things
and the situation kept
getting worse
Theme(s)
Follow up
Activities
Expecting to get something for

nothing doesnt always work out
Sometimes parents know best
Beware of junk mail
Outcome
Dan was in big trouble.

If only he still had the
Matter Mover he could
make himself disappear


40
Set 4:3 LESSON PLAN

RA 9-10 years
SJ Part 2 Number 1
Jeremiahs Teeth
2002
by Peter Friend
Story Summary
Students can
Jeremiah hates the taste of toothpaste and says he is never going to brush
his teeth again. However his teeth object and he has to find a compromise
to keep his teeth and his tongue happy.
Special features :
More complex structure - the first problem develops into a second problem
Personification of the teeth and the tongue makes this a fantasy
Prereading
Discussion
Discuss childrens tooth brushing routines. Are they regular brushers? Why is it important?

CHUNK 1 Page 8
the story problem
Fast finishers
story web
RETELL and CLARIFY

ADD to STORY WEB

..Your teeth will fall out if you dont clean them...
Characters
Jeremiah - doesnt like the taste of toothpaste
Dad
Dentist
Problem
Jeremiah doesnt like the taste of toothpaste.
It makes his tongue shake and shudder
Response
His father told him they would fall out if he didnt
brush them
Action
Dentist gave him some different flavoured toothpastes
Why would your teeth fall out ?

[An exaggeration by Dad. He means that they
will decay]
.Ill give you some samples..
What did the dentist mean?

What are samples?
[She gave him some flavoured toothpastes]
CHUNK 2 Page 9
Will this solve Jeremiahs
problem?
What will happen next if it
doesnt?
Fast finishers
CHUNK 3 Page 10
How will Jeremiah solve his
new problem?
Brainstorm possiblities
Fast finishers
....it made his tongue shake and shudder......
Response
Jeremiah didnt like the taste of any of the new
flavours
Action
He was never going to brush his teeth again
New Problem
His teeth decide they have had enough and are
going to leave
Response
Jeremiah thinks its a silly dream
Why would this happen ?

[Taste buds are in the tongue]
....Were leaving......
Who are the tiny voices ?

[His teeth]
...and they ran away screaming..
Why did they run away screaming?

[The gummy smile was frightening / gross]
.soup and spaghetti and jelly and icecream..
What do you notice about the food

Jeremiah is having for dinner?
[It is all soft - doesnt require chewing]
CHUNK 4 Page 11
.youre torturing me..
How would you feel about
Why was the tongue feeling tortured?
having to eat soft food?
[Taste buds are in the tongue]
What will Jeremiah do next?
Action
Jeremiahs teeth have gone
Response
Jeremiah doesnt care - wont have to brush them
again
Outcome
Cant eat hard food
New Problem
Jeremiahs tongue wants him to get his teeth back
His teeth are demanding clean working conditions

Fast finishers

41

RETELL and CLARIFY

CHUNK 5 Pages 12+13

How is Jeremiah going to
keep his teeth and his
tongue happy?
..toothbrush full of toothpaste that he doesnt

taste at all...
How has Jeremiah solved the problem ?

[He takes out his tongue]

find out what he does
ADD to STORY WEB

Action
Jeremiah comes up with a solution to the problem
He takes his tongue out while brushing his teeth
Outcome
Now his teeth and his tongue are happy
Discussion
STORY WEB
Jeremiahs Teeth
Plot
Problem
Main Characters
Jeremiah
Doesnt like the taste of toothpaste
Jeremiahs tongue
hates the taste of
toothpaste
Jeremiahs teeth
Are sick of being neglected
Response
Jeremiahs tongue
Doesnt like the taste of toothpaste

Doesnt like boring mushy food
Dentist
Jeremiah is never
going to brush his
teeth again.
Jeremiahs teeth
arent happy because
they are sick of never
being cleaned
Dad
Kids at school
Setting(s)
At home
At the dentists
At school
Action
Jeremiahs teeth leave
Outcome
Jeremiah can only eat

soft food
New
Problem
Action
His tongue is not

happy with boring
mushy food
Jeremiah takes his

tongue out when he
is brushing his teeth
Theme(s)
Follow up
Activities
Problem solving
Dental hygiene
Outcome
His teeth and his

tongue are happy


42
Set 4:4 LESSON PLAN

RA 9-10 years
SJ Part 2 Number 4
Time for a Spell

2002
by David Hill
Story Summary
Students can
Slade keeps getting emails threatening him with an alien invasion. They
must be from his friend Tyrone who is always playing these kind of tricks
on him but when Tyrone denies it is him Slade starts to wonder.
Special Features : Science Fiction genre
The layout of the text for email messages
Humour associated with the misspelt words
Requires some inference to understand the ending
Prereading
Discussion
Discuss childrens experiences with email. Do they use it? What are the dangers / problems associated?

CHUNK 1 Page 8
the story problem
Fast finishers
story web
RETELL and CLARIFY

ADD to STORY WEB

.His friend was always playing email tricks...
Characters
Slade - spends a lot of time on his computer
Fluffguts - Slades cat
Tyrone - Slades friend
- always plays email tricks on Slade
Grark - Captain of the alien battleship
- not a very good speller
Setting
At home in front of his computer
What is an email trick ?

[When someone sends a fake email]
..Get a dictionary!.........
What is Slade going on about ?

[He is giving his friend Tyrone a hard time
about the spelling in the email]
Problem
Aliens from the star Sirius are planning an invasion
on Earth
CHUNK 2 Page 9
What will happen next?
Fast finishers
CHUNK 3 Pages 10+11

Is this email from his friend
Tyrone or from a real alien
empire?
look for further clues
Fast finishers
..He stratched and the itch went away...
Response
Slade thinks it is his friend Tyrone
Why did Slades head feel itchy ?

[The terrible pain from the Alien Empire]
Action
Ignores the second message
Tells him to get a dictionary
..something tickled inside Slades nose...
What made Slade sneeze ?

[A laser bean from the Alien Empire]
.A breeze blew and the cloud floated away...
Response
Slade still thinks it is Tyrone sending the emails
What does this have to do with the

story?
[This was the demonstration of the Empires
huge power]
..It couldnt really be aliens from another planet..
Action
Ignores Grarks threats and continues to correct
corrects his spelling
Were the emails from Tyrone ?

[He says they werent and he was out last night]
CHUNK 4 Page 12+13

What will the change of plan .Sure enough a tickle ran through his feet...
What was the tickle?
be?
[The Alien Empires huge electric shock]
find out
.Fluffguts settled down to sleep again...
Slade still thinks this is Tyrone and
Fast finishers
another one of his tricks.
What do you think ?
Outcome
Grark and his Alien Empire are not that powerful
and have to abandon their mission
Slade is not convinced
[The tiny piece of metal was all that was left of

another very small alien invader]
New Problem
Another attack - the invaders from Aldebaran
Outcome
Fluffguts deals with that one

43

Discussion
STORY WEB
Time for a Spell
Plot
Main Characters
Slade
Problem
Spends a lot of time on his

computer
Aliens from the planet

Sirius are planning an
invasion on the planet
Earth
Fluffguts
Slades cat
An alien destroyer
Response Slade thinks it is his

friend Tyrone playing
email tricks on him.
He ignores them apart
from correcting the
very bad spelling
Tyrone
Slades friend
Is always playing email tricks on
Slade
Grark
Captain of an alien battleship from
the planet Sirius
Not a very good speller
Setting(s)
Action
The aliens demonstrate

their power on Slade
Outcome
The aliens use up so

much of their mighty
power, they have to
postpone their invasion
New
Problem
There is another alien

attack - the invaders
from Aldebaran
Outcome
Fluffguts deals with

that one
At Slades place
At school
Theme(s)
Follow up
Activities
Danger on the internet


44
by Rachel Hayward
Set 1:1
ACTIVITIES
School Journal
Part 1 Number 4 2001
KNOWLEDGE - What are the facts

1. Make a list of the different ways of eating spaghetti in the story.
COMPREHENSION - Reading between the lines

2. Why did Max end up eating his spaghetti on his own ?
3. Think of another title that gives you different clues about the story.
APPLICATION - Using what you know from the story

4. Make a poster to go on the wall of your dining room describing the
different ways that you can eat spaghetti.
Remember a poster should have a title, some information, and drawings.
5. Write a poem about eating spaghetti.

Use some of the sound words in the story like splish, splash, splosh or
make up your own.
ANALYSIS - Windows into the story

6.
You are looking through a window at the most important event

in this story. Draw what you see. Explain what is happening.
Give a reason why you think this is the most important event.
SYNTHESIS - Coming up with new ideas

7. Design a new tool or gadget for eating spaghetti. It can be very simple or
very complicated.
Label your drawings or write descriptions to explain your interesting ideas
EVALUATION - Sorting out the good from the bad

8. Make a list of the good things (Yellow Hat thinking) and the bad things
(Black Hat thinking) about eating spaghetti.
Yellow Hat Thinking (Good)
Black Hat Thinking (Bad)
9. Give this story a rating out of 10 depending on how much you enjoyed it.
Write down a reason for giving the rating you did.
10---------------------5----------------------1
This was a great story
This story was OK
I didnt like this story

45
Think
of a
by Simon Cooke
Set 1:2
NAme
ACTIVITIES
School Journal

1. Make a list of all the names that were suggested by the family.

2. How did Robbie know that the puppy liked his new name ?
3. Think of another title that gives you different clues about the story.

4. Make a poster about how to go about naming your puppy.
Remember a poster should have a title, a list of instructions, and drawings.
5. Write a poem or a rap song about this new puppy called Dinner.

6.


7. Design a really interesting place for Dinner to sleep. Make sure it has his
name on it and some doggie toys to play with.

(Black Hat thinking) about naming a dog Dinner.
10---------------------5----------------------1
This story was OK

46
Csfblgbtu!!
Jo uif Cvt
Cz!epu!nfibssz!
Set 1:3
ACTIVITIES
School Journal

1. Make a list (or draw pictures with labels) of the characters in the story.
Write down words from the story that tell you something about them.

2. What actually happened to Grandads hearing aid ?
3. Think of another title for the story that tells you more about the problem.

4. Make a poster to put next to Five explaining why he is tied up and
warning the rest of the family NOT to let him go.
Remember a poster should have an eye catching title, information, and drawings

5.


6. Design the inside of a bus that you would like to live in.
Include all the things you would need.
7. Five seems to have a problem - he swallows things he is not supposed to.

Design something that allows him to eat his food but not other things.
Write descriptions or draw pictures with labels to explain your interesting ideas

(Black Hat thinking) about living in a bus or a house truck.
10---------------------5----------------------1
This story was OK

47
by Janet Pereira
Set 1:4
ACTIVITIES
School Journal

1. Make a list (or draw pictures with labels) of all the characters in the
story.

2. Describe in words or draw a picture with labels to show what Mum would
have done to get rid of the mouse.

4. Make a Getting Rid of the Mouse poster for Mani clearly showing all the
steps in the plan so that he knows exactly what he is supposed to do.
Remember a poster should have a title, information, and drawings
5. Write a poem or a rap song about The Luckiest Mouse in the World.

6.


7. Design your own mousetrap that doesnt harm the mouse.

(Black Hat thinking) about being a softie towards animals.
10---------------------5----------------------1
This story was OK

48
by John Lockyer
Set 2:1
ACTIVITIES
School Journal

1. Make a list (or draw pictures with labels) of all the things that Chester
learnt at Dog School.

2. Why does Chester jump up and give wet, sloppy kisses ?

4. You are going to start your own Dog School.
Think of an interesting name for your new school
Make a poster advertising how your school will run and what you will
teach your dog students.
5. Write a poem or a rap song about wet, sloppy puppy kisses.

6.


7. Design a robot to keep Chester company while there is no one at home.
Think about all the special features this robot would have to have.

(Black Hat thinking) about having a new puppy.
10---------------------5----------------------1
This story was OK

49
Rubys Sunflower
by Sally Stephenson
Set 2:2
ACTIVITIES
School Journal


2. Why did Ruby let Saul win the sunflower competition ?

4. Make a poster advertising the sunflower competition.
Include a set of rules that the contestants have to follow.
5. Write an acrostic poem about sunflowers.

6.


7. Design something to protect sunflowers from dogs and balls and to make
sure they get exactly the right amount of plant food, sunlight, and water.

(Black Hat thinking) about always winning everything.
10---------------------5----------------------1
This story was OK

50
Three
of the
best
by Annie Oliver
Set 2:3
ACTIVITIES
School Journal


2. Why did Mr Stewart give Tim the strap ?

4. Make a poster about what will happen to you if you are naughty in Mrs
Hawkes class. Have a list of all the things you must not do on your
poster.
5. Write down what Tim might have written in his diary that night.
Describe how he felt about what happened to him.

6.


7. Make a list of all the different things you could use a teachers strap for
now that they are not allowed to use them on kids.

(Black Hat thinking) about teachers being able to give kids the strap.
10---------------------5----------------------1
This story was OK

51
And the Winner is

by Kathleen OSullivan
Set 2:4
ACTIVITIES
School Journal

1. Draw a picture of Chris. Write down the sentences or words in the story
that tell you something about him.

2. What clues are there in the story to suggest that Chris is sneaky and
maybe not very honest (you should be able to find three).

4. Make a poster advertising a weekly lawn mowing competition at Chriss
place. Explain the rules of the competition and the rewards for winning.
5. Write a poem or a rap song about mowing the lawns.

6.


7. Design a new, fun lawn mower that would make kids want to mow the
lawns.

(Black Hat thinking) about Chriss plan for getting the lawns mown.
10---------------------5----------------------1
This story was OK

52
retold by Jane Buxton
Set 3:1
ACTIVITIES
School Journal

1. Draw a picture of the coyote and the turtle. Around your drawings write
down any words you can find in the story that tell you something about
them. Here is an example .. Coyote - snarled

2. Why did the turtle get into this mess in the first place ?

4. Make a poster for young turtles warning them about the dangers of the
desert.
5. Write an acrostic poem about coyote or turtle.

6.


7. Design a cooling system for Turtle that would help her survive her walks
in the desert heat.

(Black Hat thinking) about Turtles trick.
10---------------------5----------------------1
This story was OK

53
BAA!
By David Hill
Set 3:2
ACTIVITIES
School Journal

1. Make a list (or draw pictures with labels) of all things that the lamb did
during its day at school.

2. Write down the things in the story that tell you that Ms Mika wasnt too
happy about having a lamb in the classroom for the day.

4. Make a poster for the classroom with a set of rules for bringing pets to
school so that everyone knows their responsibilities.
5. You are the lamb that has just spent a day at school. Write about it in
your diary describing what happened and how you felt about it.

6.


7. Design a classroom where you could have large pets every day.

(Black Hat thinking) about bringing pets to school.
10---------------------5----------------------1
This story was OK

54
by K. E. Anderson
Set 3:3
ACTIVITIES
School Journal

1. Draw a picture of Tusk labeling all his fierce features.

2. How did the storyteller know she had found Tusk ?

4. Make a MISSING poster to put around the neighbourhood advertising
your missing cat, Tusk.

5.


6. Draw pictures of Tusks kittens after a few months.
Give them names and describe their mean personalities and the strange
things they do.
7. Design some Tusk proof protection for your legs.


(Black Hat thinking) about having a cat like Tusk as a pet.
10---------------------5----------------------1
This story was OK

55
by Unn West
Set 3:4
ACTIVITIES
School Journal

1. Make a list of the different settings in the story.

2. Make a list of the things in the story that tell us that Tom is slow.
Explain in your own words what this means.

4. Make a poster about looking after goldfish using the information in the
story and anything else you know about it.

5.


6. Design a goldfish tank that would have kept Frankie alive without having
to move it in and out of the sun every day.
Write descriptions or draw pictures with labels to explain your interesting ideas
7. Instead of a goldfish, Tom chose a .(you decide on another pet).

Explain what happened to this pet once Tom got busy with other things at
Grandads place.

(Black Hat thinking) about spending time with grandparents.
10---------------------5----------------------1
This story was OK

56
The Cindy
Limpics
by Michael Wilson
Set 4:1
ACTIVITIES
School Journal

1. Make a list (or draw pictures with labels) of all the Olympic events Cindy
practised and the accident she had with each one.

2. Explain why Cindy decided not to stretch her left leg.

4. Make a poster advertising Cindys school Olympic Games.
Include information about the special Limpics event.
5. Write a poem or a rap song about accident prone Cindy.

6. Draw a map of the setting out in the sheep paddock showing how the
final accident happened. Include labels and arrows to show the action.
You need to include the goat, the tin shed, the holding pen, the race, the gate, and the water trough.

8. Design other Olympic events for people with broken legs.

(Black Hat thinking) about the school athletic sports
10---------------------5----------------------1
This story was OK

57
Whats
the
by David Hill
Set 4:2
Matter?
ACTIVITIES
School Journal

1.
Make a list of all the things Dan asked for and the things he got instead.

2.
Think of a reason why the Matter Mover was so hard to control.
3.
Think of another title for the story that tells you more about the problem.

4.
Make a poster with a very clear set of instructions about how to use the
Matter Mover.
5.
Think of some 3 word instructions you could give the Matter Mover that
couldnt possibly get you into trouble. Check with someone else to make
sure you are going to be safe using them.

6.


7.
Design your own Matter Mover. Make sure that this one gives you what
you want.

8.
Make a list of the good things (Yellow Hat thinking) and the bad things
(Black Hat thinking) about getting junk mail delivered to your house
9.
Give this story a rating out of 10 depending on how much you enjoyed it.
10---------------------5----------------------1
This story was OK

58
JEREMIAHS
TEETH
By Peter Friend
Set 4:3
ACTIVITIES
School Journal

1. Make a list of the toothpastes that the dentist gave Jeremiah to try.

2. Why was Jeremiahs tongue so concerned about what Jeremiah ate ?

4. Make a scary poster about what will happen if you dont brush your teeth.

5.


6. Think of another way that Jeremiah could have solved his problem.
Start from I ha an idea, said Jeremiah and write a different ending
to this story.
7. Design a very different flavoured toothpaste.
Draw a picture of a tube of this new toothpaste and an advertisement to
go with it, describing why people should buy it.

(Black Hat thinking) about looking after your teeth
10---------------------5----------------------1
This story was OK

59
T imefor a
by David Hill
Set 4:4
Spell
ACTIVITIES
School Journal

1. Make a list of the Alien Empires terrible displays of power.

2. Give 3 reasons why you know this wasnt Tyrone sending emails.

4. Make a poster warning the world about the coming invasion of the Alien
Empire from the star Sirius. Make sure you include all the information you
can find in the story so that everyone knows what to expect.
5. Write a poem or a rap song about alien invasions.

6.


7. Plan an alien invasion. Draw or describe what your aliens look like and
the terrible weapons they possess.
Describe their plan of attack. How will they gain control of Earth.

(Black Hat thinking) about computers in the home.
10---------------------5----------------------1
This story was OK

60

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Licenced for use at WAIMEA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL only

SCHOOL SITE LICENCE

This eBook is the property of the school, campus, or educational institution of

Copyright Handy Resources. All rights reserved.

Licenced for use at WAIMEA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL only

GUIDED SILENT READING BOOK 5

Guided Silent Reading

Lesson format for Guided Silent Reading

Follow up Activities - Blooms Taxonomy

SET 1 : Instructional Reading Age 7-8 years

The Best Way to Eat Spaghetti by Rachel Hayward

Breakfast in the Bus

SET 2 : Instructional Reading Age 8-9 years

Chester by John Lockyer

Rubys Sunflower by Sally Stephenson

Three of the Best

And the Winner is. by Kathleen Osullivan

SET 3 : Instructional Reading Age 8-9 years

Coyote and Turtle

retold by Jane Buxton

Tusk the Cat

Tom and Frankie

SET 4 : Instructional Reading Age 9-10 years

The Cindy Limpics

Whats the Matter

Jeremiahs Teeth by Peter Friend

School Journal Part 2 Number 1 2002

Time for a Spell

Copyright 2004 Handy Resources

Guided Silent Reading Book 5

May be photocopied for use in school of purchase only

Licenced for use at WAIMEA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL only

INTRODUCTION TO THIS RESOURCE

Using Narrative Text

Using Non Fiction Text

Using Narrative Text

Using Non Fiction Text

Copyright 2004 Handy Resources

Guided Silent Reading Book 5

May be photocopied for use in school of purchase only

Licenced for use at WAIMEA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL only

GUIDED SILENT READING

SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Identify the features of NARRATIVE text structure, namely setting,

2. Identify language features used in NARRATIVE text

3. Make valid predictions about the plot

4. Justify their ideas or responses from within the text or by inference

5. Demonstrate the use of higher thinking skills (Blooms Taxonomy)

Copyright 2004 Handy Resources

Guided Silent Reading Book 5

May be photocopied for use in school of purchase only

Licenced for use at WAIMEA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL only

LESSON FORMAT for GUIDED SILENT READING

Step 1 : SET A PURPOSE FOR READING and READ SILENTLY

Step 2 : RETELL and CLARIFY - Have we got the message right ?

Has there been any development of the problem?

Copyright 2004 Handy Resources

Guided Silent Reading Book 5

May be photocopied for use in school of purchase only

Licenced for use at WAIMEA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL only

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

But it takes such a long time to read a story this way.

Guided Silent Reading Book 5