About this book
Subject Area: Language Arts, Social Studies
Book Summary
This new version of the classic folktale "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" features the beloved Clifford the Big Red Dog and his friends T-Bone and Cleo. Easy-to-read text and bright illustrations will delight young readers while teaching a valuable lesson. The book includes reading comprehension questions.
Objective
Children will use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the story of The Dog Who Cried "Woof!" with the original tale "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and discuss the important lessons that both stories emphasize.
Before Reading
Show the class a copy of the Clifford story The Dog Who Cried "Woof!" Tell the children that this story is based on a very old folktale titled "The Boy Who Cried Wolf . " Ask if they have ever heard the original folktale. Encourage them to share what they know. Tell the class they will listen to and compare both versions of the story.
Teaching Plan
Compare, Contrast, and Learn
Materials
- Copy of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"
- Chart paper
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Poster board
- Marker
In advance: Prepare the Venn diagram by drawing two intersecting circles on a sheet of posterboard. Label the circles with the title of each story.
Activity
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Read both stories to the class. Tell them that they will be asked to recall some concepts presented in each story. On a sheet of chart paper write the following questions:
Who are the main characters in the story?
Where is the setting of the story?
What happens in the beginning of the story?
What happens in the middle of the story?
What happens at the end of the story?
Did this story teach a lesson?
How were the stories similar?
Could this story really happen?
Leave space between each question to record the children's responses for both stories. Use two different color markers when recording their responses to distinguish between the stories. Review their responses when completed. -
Rewrite the children's responses on small strips of paper so that they will fit inside each area on the Venn diagram. Show them the prepared Venn diagram and the strips of paper. Explain that they will create a graph to compare and contrast both stories. Tell the children that the circle on the left and the circle on the right will contain information based on each version. The area in the center, where both circles overlap, will contain information that is the same for both stories.
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Reread each strip of paper with the class. Encourage them to discuss where the information belongs. Invite students to use a glue stick and attach the information in the appropriate area. Review the information when finished. Do the stories have more similarities or more differences?
- Engage the class in another discussion about the main ideas of each story. Ask the children one or all of the following questions:
How do the lessons taught in each story relate to our lives?
Do the stories remind you of another story you have heard?
Do the stories remind you of anything that you have experienced?
Record the children's responses on chart paper to create another language experience chart. Display their language experience charts along with the Venn diagram. Invite them to dictate information about the process of the project to include in the display.
Other Books Based on Popular Folktales
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
retold in rebus by Ellen Schecter
A new version of a favorite fable that uses rebuses to tell the story of a young shepherd whose thoughtless pranks bring him great misfortune.
The Little Red Hen
illustrated by Lucinda McQueen
The popular tale of a busy little hen who teaches her lazy friends a very important lesson.
The Enormous Potato
retold by Aubrey Davis
A lovely tale about a farmer who has grown the biggest potato in the world, and the incredible helpers who assist him in his efforts to remove it from the ground.
Other Books from Clifford the Big Red Dog's Big Red Reader Series
The Runaway Rabbit
Tummy Trouble
Show-And-Tell Surprise
The Stormy Day Rescue
Teaching plan written by Risa Young
- Subjects:Main Idea and Details, Compare and Contrast, Drawing Conclusions and Making Inferences, Literature Appreciation, Listening Comprehension, Animals, Dogs, Character and Values, Early Reading, Early Writing, Opposites and Contrasts, Safety, Friends and Friendship
- Skills:Development of Reading Comprehension, Compare and Contrast, Diagrams, Listening Comprehension, Writing
