Lesson PlanThe Gruffalo

Common Core Standards Addressed

RL.1.1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

RL.1.2. Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

RL.1.3. Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

RL.1.4. Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

Materials: The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson Butterfly wings, owl hat, fox ears, mouse ears, rubber snake

Procedure1. Show students the cover of the book. Read the title, author, and illustrator. Ask them if

they have ever heard the word “Gruffalo” before. What do they think “Gruffalo” might mean?

2. Read aloud until the end of the mouse’s encounter with the fox. Explain that you are going to step into the role of one of the creatures in the forest to help get a different point-of-view on the scene that just occurred. Say that you are going to need their help though, because the forest creatures can be nervous sometimes. They might need to ask questions to get information. Put on the butterfly wings and show the butterfly on the front cover.

3. Begin by acting very nervous and upset. Try to encourage the children to ask you questions about what you have seen. Answer by describing the scene as the butterfly would have seen and reacted to it (frightened, wanting to warn the mouse, surprised at how calm the mouse was, now wondering about the gruffalo).

4. Then continue the story, and read through the mouse’s encounter with the owl. Repeat the role-play activity with you in the role of the owl (don hat, of course).

5. Then repeat as the snake.6. Then ask students to create a forest scene. Brainstorm some of the things they could be

(butterfly, tree, bird, owl, fox, squirrel, snake). The only rules are that they cannot make any sound and they cannot touch anyone. They can move around until I ring the bell. At that time, they have to freeze, and stay frozen.

7. Begin the scene. Let students improvise for 60 seconds or so, and then ring bell. Call out the things you saw. If a student was a fox, he or she should return to the reading area when you name fox. Repeat until all students are seated again.

8. Allow them to act out the scene again, but they must be a different thing.9. Freeze the action, and recall the students by object or animal. 10. Then read the rest of the story. Stop along the way for students to infer how the

characters are feeling and then act out that feeling with facial expressions.