Fred and Ted Go Camping by Peter Eastman

(TESOL Materials--Story Time)

I've already done this story before as part of my Storybooks ESL Listening, but I was doing it for a Kindergarten class recently, and so I found it useful to convert it into another format.  

Google Drive Folder HERE

Slideshow: slides, pub

Matching activity: slides, pub

Coloring sheet: slides, pub

Lesson Plan: docs, pub

 

Target vocabulary:  many, few, hard easy, asleep awake, early, late, heavy, late, wet, dry, big, little

Content objective: Read Fred and Ted Go Camping for General Understanding
                  Be able to distinguish between the two characters, and identify their characteristics

 Language objective: adjectives for opposities

Stage Name	timing	Procedure
Expectations and Learning Target	10:25- 10:30
Lead-in	10:30-10:35	Slide 3 on the slideshow.  Elicit from students what the situation is.  Get them to predict any problems that could happen while camping.  Use slide 4 for support if necessary
Gist Reading	10:35-10:45	Read Story
Vocabulary	10:45-10:50	Slides 47-60.  Elicit the vocabulary from students.  Provide vocabulary where necessary.  Confirm that students understand which vocabulary applies to which character
Distinguish characteristics	10:50- 11:00	Matching worksheet–demo the first one with students, then have them complete the rest of it at their desks.  Students draw a line from the adjective to the character.  If necessary, go back to slides 47-60 to remind students of the answers
Time allowing		Coloring Sheet

Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel

(Graded Readers)

I don't remember this book from my own childhood.  Although according to Wikipedia, it predates me, so it's possible I may have encountered it in elementary school and just forgotten about it.  (The author, Arnold Lobel, was also the author of the Frog and Toad books, which I definitely remember from elementary school.)

Anyway, I found this book in the school library, and found it worked very well with beginning readers.  The words were simple and easy to read, and I thought the story was also good.  (Although my students were somewhat unimpressed about the story, but I thought it was good.)

I designed this Kahoot game for review after we had finished reading the book: Mouse Soup

 

Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

 (Graded Readers)

I've previously recorded a version of this book for my ESL Listening Storybook project.  

And I also posted about it for my grammar questions.  

And here I am posting about it again.  (I recently used this book with a group of students who to practice their reading.)

So for all that, you would think I was a big fan of this book.  But truth be told, I never liked this book when I was a kid.  I always found it boring, and repetitive, and the ending I thought had very little pay-off.

But, despite my own lack of enthusiasm, it has remained a popular book over the years, and is still in bookstores and libraries everywhere.

And it is good for beginner readers, because of it's simple words and repetition of vocabulary.  Which is another reason I used it.  (In addition just the fact that it was readily available in my school library.)

Supplementary materials:

Kahoot: I found a Kahoot online that worked well with this book.  After my students had read through the book, we played the Kahoot as a reward: Are You My Mother? Kahoot 

Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik

(Graded Readers)

I recently used this book with some of my students who were beginning readers.  It worked well.  The book is just about the perfect level for beginning readers.

My students weren't terribly enthusiastic about the story. (The story is about the relationship between a baby bear and his mother, which is not something that young boys are very interested in.)  But they put up with it well enough, and it was good reading practice for them.

The book has a very familiar feel to it.  I don't remember clearly, but I must have been exposed to it in childhood myself.

The illustrations also have a very familiar feel to that, but that could be because it's illustrated by Maurice Sendak, most famous for Where the Wild Things Are (a book that I definitely remember).

When using this book in my class, I played used this Kahoot game as a review at the end: Quiz over the book "Little Bear"

Miss Nelson has a Field Day by Harry G. Allard Jr. and illustrated by James Marshall

(Graded Readers)

After having had success with the first book in this series, I discovered my school library had copies of one of the sequels.  

My students liked this book, for the most part.  Although they got a disproportionate amount of amusement out of the fact that the word "pussyfoot" occurs in this book.  Which made it a bit difficult to refocus them.

Supplementary materials:

Kahoots: I found this Kahoot for this book.  It contained some questions which weren't applicable to my students, so I copied it and made my own edit here.  

Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff

(TESOL Materials--Story Time)

This is another book by Syd Hoff, who also wrote Sammy the Seal.  Although unlike Sammy the Seal, I don't think I've read this book in my childhood.  At least not that I can remember.

The premise, however, is golden--a young boy gets to spend a day playing with a dinosaur.  How could you not go wrong with a book like that?  And indeed, it went over pretty well with my students.

Unfortunately, there are a couple pages near the beginning of the book which are a bit dated: stereotypical portrayals of Indians and Eskimos, as well as some depictions of guns and swords.  These things made me pause a bit before taking it into the classroom, but I ultimately decided that the positives of this book outweigh the negatives.

Supplementary Materials
Google Drive Folder HERE

Slideshow: slides, pub

Circle the things in the story worksheet: docs, pub

Coloring sheet: docs, pub

Sammy the Seal by Syd Hoff

(Graded Readers)

I used this book with a small group of emerging readers, and I found it worked well. 

I chose this book up primarily just because my school had multiple copies, because it seemed to be at a suitable level, and because the animation looked appealing.  Once we got into the book, however, it started to sound familiar, and I am relatively sure that I myself read this book in elementary school at one point (or perhaps had it read to me by a teacher.)

The book is just about the perfect length--not too long, not too short.  And the words are easy for emergent readers, but the sentences are long enough to give them some decent practice.

A trip over to Wikipedia reveals that the guy who wrote this book, Syd Hoff, had an interesting life.  See his wikipedia article Here.

Supplementary Materials:
I found a good Kahoot for this book here: Sammy the Seal Second Grade Review by cnayman.  I made a duplicate of this Kahoot so I could edit it slightly.  My duplicate version is here.

It's Not Easy Being a Bunny by Marilyn Sadler

 (TESOL Materials--Story Time)

I've already done this story before as part of my Storybooks ESL Listening, but I was doing it for a Kindergarten class recently, and so I found it useful to convert it into another format.  

Supplementary Materials:

Google Drive Folder HERE

Slideshow: slides, pub

Matching Worksheet: docs, pub

Animal cards: docs, pub

Lesson Plan: docs, pub

Objectives: Understanding the main idea of the story, understanding key details from the story, predicting and checking

Language objectives: animal names

Lead-in/ Building Background: Show picture of rabbits.  Elicit from students what they already know about rabbits.  Elicit from students what problems rabbits could have

Reading: Gist Question: Read story for understanding of main ideas. At each stage, get students to predict what problems living with the animals will have.

Language skill: drill the names of the animals

Reading Skill: Key details--use this sheet to match the animals with their characteristics

Time allowing: more practice on animal names with the cards

Flap Your Wings by P.D. Eastman

(TESOL Materials--Story Time)

I've already done this story before as part of my Storybooks ESL Listening, but I was doing it for a Kindergarten class recently, and so I found it useful to convert it into another format.  

Supplementary Materials:

Google Drive HERE

Lesson plan: docs, pub

Google Slides: slides, pub

Compare and Contrast Worksheet: docs, pub

Coloring Sheet: docs, pub

My Video HERE

Objectives: Understanding the main idea of the story 

Compare and contrast

Lead-in: Show picture of bird sitting on eggs in nest.  Elicit from students what they already know about the picture.  Elicit or teach about how birds sit on nest eggs to build background.

Reading: Gist Question: Read story for understanding of main ideas.  Introduce the question: “Whose egg is it?”  Read story, and then check for understanding.

Reading Skill: Compare and contrast--use this sheet.  Which pictures go with birds?  Which with alligators?  Which with both?

Fast Finishers: Work on coloring sheet

A Fish Out of Water by Helen Palmer

(TESOL Materials--Story Time)

I've posted versions of this book twice before (here and here), but I've retooled this for one of my Story Time lessons.  I used the images on this youtube video for creating the slideshow.

My materials for this book are below:

Google Drive HERE

Slideshow: slides, pub

A great sequencing activity can be found here on Teachers Pay Teachers.  (This particular resource is free, although you will need to create an account and log-in.)

Coloring sheet: docs, pub

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4pPoP0O     (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)

Kahoots for Folk Stories / Fairy Tales

* Rumpelstiltskin

* The Three Little Pigs

* Henny Penny Combined Kahoots (made from here and here)

I've recently been using picture books of folk stories or fairy tales in my classes.  I've also been using Kahoots as rewards for good behavior.  To save time, I try to find premade kahoots.

The picture books I've been using are by Paul Galdone (W), just because that is what's available in my school library.  But these Kahoots are generic Kahoots that work with most versions of the folk tales.

Big Dog... Little Dog by P.D. Eastman

(TESOL Materials--Story Time) 

Once again, I've already done this book before as part of my Storybooks ESL Listening, but I was doing it for a Kindergarten class recently, and so I found it useful to convert it into another format.  I found a copy of the book online here.

In my class, we read through the book together as an all class activity.  Then we did a compare and contrast worksheet. [It's actually all contrast.] I also created a coloring sheet (using Google Gemini) for fast finishers.

Supplementary Material:

Google drive HERE: 

Google Slides: slides, pub

Compare and Contrast sheet: docs, pub

Coloring Sheet: docs, pub

I also found this website to have some good ideas for how to teach this book.

My video HERE

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4pKNzHt      (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)

Rosie: A Visiting Dog's Story by Stephanie Calmenson and Justin Sutcliffe

(Graded Readers)

Yet another book that I used in my reading groups just because my school library had multiple copies of it.  When every student can follow along with their own copy, it makes it was easy to use as a class reader.

I'd never heard of this book before.  It looks like it was published in 1994, so after my elementary school days.  Although with the stilted "made-for-school" style the book is written in, one could easily imagine it having been published in the 1970s or 1980s.

Everyone likes a cute dog story, so this book works well enough in my classroom.  Although when my students asked what Rosie is doing now, I had to tell my students that Rosie is most likely dead at this point.  (That's the problem with cute dogs.)  Which sobered the mood of the class a bit.

I was able to easily find ready made Kahoots on this book, which indicate it must be popular in other classrooms.

Speaking of which, here are the Kahoots: Rosie, the Visiting Dog's Story comprehension test, Rosie, A Visiting Dog's Story. I used both of these Kahoots in my class, and also combined them into one Kahoot.  That Kahoot is here.  

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/49hY3cy      (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)

Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Seuss

(TESOL Materials--Story Time) 

I've already done this book before as part of my Storybooks ESL Listening, but I was doing it for a Kindergarten class recently, and so I found it useful to convert it into another format.  I found a copy of the book online here.  I also used screenshots from a Youtube video that counted all the wacky things.

In my class, I did most of this as an all class activity, but for the final wacky count, I gave students each a copy of the page, and they tried to circle all the wacky things, before I revealed the answers.

Supplementary Material:

Google drive HERE: 

Google Slides: slides, pub

My video HERE

I also found coloring pages can also be found at this link here.

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3JSeC4p      (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)

Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry G. Allard Jr. and illustrated by James Marshall

 (Graded Readers)

Once again, I selected this book for my reading group primarily just because the school library had multiple copies of it.  

However in this case, this is also a book that I have fond memories of from my own childhood.

It's a book in which the teacher wins against the children, so it's not the type of book that children are children are supposed to like.  And yet it's done with such humor, and such funny illustrations, that it's easy to like.  I liked it as a kid, and my students now really liked it.  (They've even asked to read it multiple times.)

According to Wikipedia, this book is the first book of a series of Miss Nelson books.  I think I may even vaguely remember the other books from childhood, but I'm not 100% sure.

Supplemental Materials:

Kahoots: I found two kahoots suitable for use in the classroom here and here.  I combined them both into this kahoot.

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/49PVrTk      (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)

There's No Such Thing as a Dragon by Jack Kent

(TESOL Materials--Graded Readers) 

I decided to use this book with some of my students primarily because it was written at an easy reading level, and because my school had multiple copies of it (so in my reading group, every student could get their own copy.)

I'd not heard of this book before, but it looks like a classic.  And according to Wikipedia, it was first published in 1976.  When I started searching around for more information, I quickly discovered many people on the Internet claim to have fond memories of this book.

The other thing that quickly pops up when searching for information about this book is that it turns out that this is one of Jordan Peterson's favorite books.  He's got a whole 40 minute lecture on it.

  

As for me, I don't remember this book from childhood at all.  Somehow I must have missed it.  But it's a short, but charming little story, and it worked fine in my class.

Supplemental Materials:

Kahoots: There's No Such Thing as a Dragon Part 1, There's no Such Thing as a Dragon Part 2, Parts 1 and 2 Combined

Specific Information Questions for part 1: docs, pub

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3LthmWo      (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)

The Gingerbread Cookie Mystery by Judy Katschke and Clare Elsom

(TESOL Materials--Graded Readers) 

I used this graded reader with some of my students.  I attempted to get several readings out of it--one reading for general understanding, and another reading for specific details (i.e. the old Celta method of gist reading and then specific information).  Because I was using this book for reading groups time, I used it over several days.

My students enjoyed the gist reading, as they got hooked on the mystery of who ate the Gingerbread Cookie.

Unfortunately, once they knew the ending, they were not so enthusiastic about subsequent readings.  Perhaps it was a mistake to try to milk this book for several readings.

However, if you were to try to work through this book in detail, it does have a lot of good vocabulary you can pull from it.  The sentences are simple and basic, so it's easily understood by the students, even though some of the vocabulary is more advanced.  And then once they've understood the main idea, then you can go and teach the vocabulary.

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VJt4hG      (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)

The materials I used to teach this book are below:

Google Drive Folder HERE ; Quizlet Folder HERE

* Youtube video HERE

Part 1 p.3-11

* Board Race: Gap-fill Sentences: slides, pub

* Quizlet: The Gingerbread Cookie Mystery p.3-11

* Grab the Card: docs, pub

* Specific Information Questions: docs, pub

* Kahoot: The Gingerbread Cookie Mystery p.3-11

Part 2 p.12-21

* Quizlet: The Gingerbread Cookie Mystery p.12-21 ; The Gingerbread Cookie Mystery p.3-21

* Grab the Card: docs, pub

* Specific Information Questions: docs, pub

* Kahoot: The Gingerbread Cookie Mystery p.12-21

Part 3 p.22-32

* Quizlet: The Gingerbread Mystery p.22-32 ; The Gingerbread Mystery p.3-32

* Specific Information Questions: docs, pub

Review Game: Flippity Quiz Game: docs, pub, playing link

The Gingerbread Man and The Stinky Cheese Man: Write Your Own Twisted Fairy Tale

(TESOL Materials--Time Fillers, Writing, Storytime, Interesting Input plus Production Prompts)

Google Drive Folder HERE

Slideshow: slides, pub

Worksheet: docs, pub

This is the latest entry in my Interesting Input plus Production Prompts collection.

The input is a reading of The Gingerbread Man (link to PDF HERE).  Then, I ask my students how the story might be different if the Gingerbread Man was made out of stinky cheese instead.  Then we go to the Stinky Cheese Man (link to picture book HERE--skip to p.36.)

Then the production prompt is for students to write their own twisted version of a famous fairy tale: docs, pub.

In my class, they were having trouble thinking of ideas, so I gave them a few more examples from the Stinky Cheese Man book.  First, I asked them if they knew the story of the Frog Prince.  They said they did, and I asked the class to tell it to me.  Then, I showed them the version on pages 18-19.  I did the same thing with the Ugly Duckling (p.14-17) and The Princess and the Pea (p.12-13), etc.

In fact, once I got thinking about it, there's no shortage of examples of subverted fairy tales out there:

This Playlist of Fractured Fairy Tale Cartoons, for example, could also be used as input.

Or this copy of The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig.  

In fact, as I thought about it, I remembered I had even written a subverted fairy tale back in 6th grade: The True Story of Little Red Riding Hood--which I then went on to film and add to my Storytime collection.

Think of a well-known fairy tale or folk tale.  Retell the fairy tale, but give it a twist to make it different than the original

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The Monkey's Paw: Reading and Writing Prompt

(TESOL Materials--Time Fillers, Writing, Interesting Input plus Production Prompts)

I'm continuing to look for new materials to add to my "Interesting Input plus Production Prompts" project.  I was searching around on esl-bits and found the original version of The Monkey's Paw.  

It seemed like a good story to use: nice and short, and also suitably creepy.  (As I've mentioned before, my teenage students love horror stories.)

The original ungraded version could almost be used in the ESL classroom (with a high level class, of course.)  The sentences are pretty short and simple and easy to understand.  An advanced level class could almost understand it without help.

There's just some vocabulary that would need to be adjusted to make it more comprehensible for an ESL class.

I was in the process of trying to re-write the story myself, when I thought to myself, "You know what?  I bet somebody's done this already."

So, I searched for "The Monkey's Paw ESL" and sure enough, found a pretty good version here.  For the most part, it manages to preserve the vibrancy of the original text, while also simplifying the vocabulary where necessary.

For the purposes of sharing this version with my students, I took the liberty of copying and pasting it over to Google docs, so I could print it out and distribute in in my classroom (docs, pub).  While I was at it, I also edited it slightly--e.g. cleaned up a few typos and grammar mistakes that had been in the original.

I distributed the google document to my students, and we read it together in class.

The production prompt, then, is to write about what happens to the Monkey's Paw next.  The Monkey's Paw finds a new owner, who will make new wishes.  How will these new wishes go wrong?

For the purposes of giving my students maximum freedom, I left the prompt as wide open as possible--i.e. I didn't specify who the new owner would be.  But for students who were having trouble getting started, I gave them some helpful ideas.

"Imagine there's a Vietnamese boy who wishes to be a gamer.  But then" (spooky voice) "the wish goes horribly wrong."

or "Imagine there's a Vietnamese boy who wants to be a famous tiktoker.  So he makes the wish but then" (spooky voice) "the wish goes horribly wrong."

Etc.  Other ideas I gave were students who wished to get a band 9 on the IELTS, or become a successful businessman, or get into a top university, etc.

[Sidenote: The original story of The Monkey's Paw states that the paw was only cursed for 3 owners, and that this old couple is now the 3rd owner, so presumably in the original story the curse of the Monkey's Paw is now finished.  But I just ignored this little detail when designing the production prompt, and so far my students haven't noticed the contradiction.]

Production worksheet is here: docs, pub

Now, imagine that someone else finds the Monkey’s paw, and tries to make three wishes.  Write about what will happen next.

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