ELA 1 The Grouchy Ladybug

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts: K-12 Close Reading Task. This exercise is used to be able to read and understand all the main points of the story. And then in return be able to communicate that back in verbal and written form.

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Standards & Objectives

Learning objectives: 

Key Insights:

  • The lesson learned by the ladybug (sharing is not so bad after all).
  • What events caused the ladybug to change?  (identify key ideas and events from the text)
  • How the author used the size of the animals to impact the ladybug’s attitude.
  • Connect the clocks in the story to a lesson on time to the hour, half hour, etc.
  • The importance of being kind and considerate.  Allow the students to write a narrative from the ladybug’s point of view.
     
Essential and guiding questions: 
  • What time of day is it when the story begins?
  • Why do you think the print is changing throughout the story? 
  • After the ladybug meets each animal, what does she say? 
  • What is she feeling when she responds this way? Give text evidence to support your answer.
  • In this story, the animals the ladybug meets up with grow larger and larger.  How do you think that affects the ladybug’s attitude? Cite evidence to support your answer.
  • Why did the author choose to change the ladybug’s feelings by the end of the story?

Activity/Task Variations

Blooms taxonomy level: 
Understanding
Differentiation suggestions: 

Scaffolding and support for special education students, English language learners, and struggling readers:

  • Preview content and complete before reading activities (vocabulary instruction, establish background knowledge about the animals in the story; strengthen connections between this text and other texts and/or real-life situations).
  • Break down the reading of this text over the course of a few days or a week. This will provide time to review what has been previously read and work on re-telling to ensure students have a firm understanding of the events in the story
  • Pair students with peers so students have opportunities to share thoughts and ideas.
  • Have time for a whole-class discussion about the text. Allow time for students to ask and answer questions. Students learn from their peers and their learning is strengthened through interactions with peers.
  • Complete graphic organizers to help with sequencing key events, analyzing the character’s feelings and the setting, and explore the author’s message.
  • Provide repeated readings of the text.
Originator: 
Tennessee Department of Education