This is a read aloud lesson plan designed for students in kindergarten.
SYNOPSIS:
A “bad animal” invades rabbit’s house and blocks the door. Frog offers to help,
but rabbit thinks frog is too small to do any good. Other animals offer to help,
but all of them plan something that will damage or destroy rabbit’s house.
Finally, frog uses his brain instead of brawn and scares out the caterpillar in
the house. At first everyone laughs at rabbit, and then
they laugh at the caterpillar. The story is written as a play within a story.
OBJECTIVES:
Students will be able to:
- Define the story as a folktale
- Locate Africa and Kenya on a globe or map
- Distinguish stories that are fantasy from realistic stories
- Define vocabulary words:
- Make a text-to-text connection
- Identify that stories have a problem and a solution
- Make an animal mask
- Discuss why the frog was successful when other animals were not
- Take turns in acting out favorite animal from story
MATERIALS:
Materials needed for this lesson include:
PROCEDURE:
Before Reading:
- If folktales have been discussed before, ask students to explain what a folktale is. If the students
have not discussed folktales before, provide definition.
- Discuss that there are folktales from all over the world.
- This folktale is form the tribe of the Masai found in Africa. Many of the Masai live in Kenya.
- Display cover of book. Discuss the animals that are on the cover. Point out that these are people wearing animals
masks. Discuss that this story is written like a play is happening.
- Discuss what a play is.
- Take a partial picture walk. Ask children if these animals could really talk. When animals talk or people
fly, what kind of story is it? Lead students to the word "fantasy."
- There are two words in the story that you may not know. Write the word "bluff on the chart paper. Explain that
in this story, a bluff is a place that is very steep and then drops off quickly, like a cliff. The word "bluff means other things,
but this is what it means here.
- The other word is "mirth." Write word on chart paper. Explain that when somebody is excited and laughing, the person is
showing mirth.
During Reading:
- Make "I wonder" statements:
- I wonder what animal is called the "long one." Maybe it's a snake.
- I wonder what Jackal is going to do with those sticks.
- I wonder what idea frog has. He keeps laughing.
- Oh, no! I wonder if rabbit is going to be okay. Can he swim in the lake?
- Point out to students that certain words, like kabak, kpata, and nn-huu are not English words. Maybe they are Masai
words that sound like the action happening.
- When answers to "I wonder" questions are presented, point out the answers to students. Mention that good readers
ask themselves questions and then look for the answers.
After Reading:
- Ask children which animal is their favorite. Why?
- What was rabbit's problem? How does it get solved? Discuss that stories have a problem and
a solution. Many stories, like this one, have several ideas that don't work before the problem is resolved.
- Does the story remind you another story? Which one? Allow 3 to 4 students to respond. Any answer with something similar is
correct - the same animal, another African tale, a story where somebody thinks out a problem instead of using power.
- On chart paper, draw a chart with three columns. Tell students you are going to compare one specific story with this story.
- Mark the first column as "Who's in Rabbit's House?"
- Mark the middle column as "The Same"
- Mark the last column by the name of the other story
- Discuss how the stories are the same and different. Fill out this modified Venn Diagram.
- Note: while students need to know how to use a Venn Diagram, this three-column approach will be easier for students to work with.
- Why do you think frog was successful? Lead discussion to the fact that frog used cunning and "brain power" instead of brawn and
"muscle power" to stolve the problem.
- Tell children they are going to be able to choose which animal they liked best and make an
animal mask for that animal. Display patterns for masks. It is suggested that students work on these masks during centers with
the help of an adult.
- After masks are finished, have students break into groups of three. Students then each get one minute to act out being the animal
they chose to make. Make certain to time this portion and assure that students trade opportunities at the proper time.
EVALUATION:
- Student participation
- Teacher observation
- Class discussion
- Completion of animal mask
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