Bianca Cerniglia
March 18, 2011
Author Study
Mr. Alton Woodman
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Table of Contents
Introduction…………………………………..…pg 3
Objectives…………………………………….....pg 3
Overview/Book Summaries………………...…...pg 3
Biography……………………………....…...….pg 11
Concept Webs………………………….…...….pg 13
Activities……………………………….………pg 16
Culminating Activity……………….…………..pg 17
Lesson Plans………..…………………………..pg 18
Favorite Lines…………………………..………pg 28
Resources………………..………………..……pg 29
Assessment/Evaluation…………....……………pg 28
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Title: Story time with Robert Munsch!
Duration: 5 Weeks
Disciplines: Literacy, Art, Social Studies
Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Description of school and students:
Public School 76, also known as The Bennington School located in Bronx, N. PS
76 is one of 25 elementary schools in New York City Geographic District #11. It is a
public school that serves 1102 students in grades K-5.
This author study will be taught to a general education class comprised of 28
students, 12 of who are English Language Learners. The reading levels range from D to
P.
Objectives:
o Stephanie’s Ponytail - Students will appreciate Robert Munsch’s humor, language
and learn the importance of individuality.
o I Love You Forever - Students will identify literary techniques unique to
Munsch’s writing style (including repetition and onomatopoeia, as well as others).
o I’m So Embarrassed - Students will be able to make connections with situations
Robert Munsch’s characters experience in their every lives.
o The Paperbag Princess – Students will be able to define what it means to
stereotype and make connections to their lives.
o Purple, Green and Yellow – Students will become aware of the theme of peer
pressure with a kind moral undertone.
o From Far Away – Students will become familiar with the struggles of adapting to
a new place.
Overview & Book Summaries
This unit allows for an incredible amount of text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-toworld connections. Robert Munsch’s books all send across strong messages through
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creative, funny, and dramatic stories. This unit is great for second graders because it
address certain issues that they may not typically understand, however, with the aid of
Munsch’s stories these issues will become easy for them to understand and talk on the
subject. Students will learn about individuality, repetition, exaggeration, stereotyping,
family values, sequencing, cultural differences, and moral issues. Munch’s books are
engaging, entertaining and have an incredibly intelligent undertone that second graders
will easily pick up on!
In Stephanie’s Ponytail, a little girl is determined to go against originality. She
arrives at school with a hairdo wilder than the day before. And each time, the group of
“copycats” gets larger and larger. Stephanie grows angrier and eventually threatens to
shave her head! The twisted ending is surprising, a skill that Munsch masters in most of
his works. The book also includes repetition, another technique unique to Munsch’s style.
In Stephanie’s Ponytail, the repetition begins as Stephanie tells her mother that she wants
a ponytail coming right out the back of her head. When she goes to school with the
ponytail, the other kids tell her it is “ugly, ugly, very ugly.” Stephanie replies that she
likes her ponytail. The next day, the other kids have a ponytail just like Stephanie’s. This
pattern repeats three times as Stephanie moves her ponytail in different directions, with
her classmates still copying her. By showing what Stephanie does, thinks, and says makes
her a memorable character, therefore, making Stephanie’s Ponytail a memorable story.
The watercolor illustrations are cartoon-like and bring this story to life. Students will find
Munsch’s language hilarious! They will also learn to value in the final lesson in the end,
which states the importance of individuality and independent thought. As Stephanie
repeated throughout the story, “It’s my ponytail and I like it!” Munsch’s choice of
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italicizing and bolding certain words of phrases in these books show the effects of
exaggerated speech. Aside from repetition being a dominant writing style for Munsch,
this particular book presents themes of individuality. The themes of individuality help
children “value their own uniqueness.” It is important for children to be able to make
their own decisions, have individual preferences, and know their special talents. Munsch
puts certain words in bold to emphasize repetition and onomatopoeias.
In Purple, Green, and Yellow, a young girl named Brigid who loves to color,
convinces her mother to buy her markers instead of crayons because all of the kids in
school are using them. At first, Brigid asks her mom for 500 washable markers. Brigid
colors pictures with “lemons yellower than lemons, roses redder than roses, and oranges
oranger than oranges.” She then gets tired of them and asks for a set of 500 scented and
ultimately, 500 super-indelible-never-comes-off-till-you're-dead-and-maybe-even-later
markers! Brigid is having a ton of fun with her markers until she takes the coloring a little
too far. She paints on herself with her permanent markers! Her mother even takes her to
the doctor but nothing will remove the color. Students will again enjoy Munsch’s
outrageous plot, hilarious language, repetition, and surprise ending!
This is a great story with underlying themes of peer pressure with a kind moral
undertone. The uses of exclamation points add a lot of feeling and exaggeration to the
story. The humorous use of rhythmic repetition, “super-indelible-never-comes-off-tillyou're-dead-and-maybe-even-later coloring markers,” is a great approach to getting
children’s attention. The pictures are colored from top to bottom, side to side, with
markers, obviously. The illustrations are fantastic and correlate with what is written on
the right hand side of the page. It is effective for students to see rhythmic repetition in
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writing because it is designed so that students read naturally by observing possible uses
of written language themselves. For example, the phrases “lemons that smelled like
lemons, roses that smelled like roses…” By showing students repeated phrases in writing
they then are able to generalizations on their own. By letting children read these repeated
rhymes they are more able to recognize them in their environment and relate them to
pictures. The first letter on each new page is bolded and colored a bright color to
reinforce reading from left to right, which is very important for young readers. At the end
of the story Bridig is invisible, this can be used as a way to prompt students for a creative
writing assignment that would address how they would feel being invisible.
I’m So Embarrassed! is about a boy named Andrew who has a mother that always
seems to embarrass him. His mother wants to take him to the mall but he is hesitant to go
because he knows she will embarrass him. She promises Andrew that she will not
embarrass him, and he agrees to go because he needs new shoes. Unfortunately for
Andrew, this trip to the mall is no different. His mother puts spit into her hands and then
uses it to smooth our Andrews hair, in front of everyone! Andrew and his mother meet
his aunt at the mall who gives him endless hugs and kisses, embarrassing Andrew ever
more. His mother then showed his baby picture to his teacher and Andrew was horrified!
Eventually, Andrew meets his friend Taylor-Jae at the mall and he asks his mother is they
can shop by themselves. Andrew ends up realizing that Taylor-Jae has the same problem.
His mother embarrasses him as much as Andrews mother does to him. The two boys
decide that it is time that they get back at their mothers for ALWAYS embarrassing them.
They announce to the entire mall that their mothers snore and blame it on their fathers!
The mothers are now the ones with the embarrassed red faces, the tables had turned.
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Similar to other Munsch illustrations, this book is very bright and filled with live
colors on every page. The illustrations are over the top. The facial expressions on the
boys and their mothers are expressive and animated to really show how they feel. This
book is an outstanding way to help students to understand and express their emotions. It
not only shows what happens to the character and also shows how they feel. Literature
that shows students they are not “alone” contributes to their emotional growth. It shows
students that they share feelings and experiences similar to others, and how to deal with
emotions. This book showed a common childhood experience to help children express
and share heir feelings, similar to those that the character feels.
Love you forever begins when the mother had just had a new baby and she rocks
him back and forth singing: I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m
living, my baby you’ll be. As this baby grew he ran around the house making a mess,
taking food out of the refrigerator, books off the shelves, and even flushed his mothers
watch down the toilet. But around bedtime, when the baby was eventually tired and
asleep, the mother would take him into her arms and sing to him. The little boy continued
to grow, and by the time he was 9 he never wanted to eat dinner at the table, take a bath,
and even said bad words. When it was bedtime, the mother would go into his room and if
he was asleep, she would take him into her arms, rock him, and sing him the same song.
Once he was a teenager he wore weird clothes and listened to odd music, but when he
was asleep his mother would hold him and sing, just as she always had. Eventually, the
mother got to old and singing and rocking became harder for her. The son was now the
one who sang and rocked his elderly, sick mother to sleep. The roles were then reversed.
The son had now become a father and carried on his mother’s tradition to his new family!
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This book would help students lead naturally into reading. This is a story that
parents would share with their children as their “bedtime story.” Therefore, the setting of
this book is very appropriate since it predominantly takes place in the bedroom. It has
been proven that repetition help children generalize about speech and print. The adult
reading this story could point to words, especially the repeated phrases, to show children
how to read from left to right and allowing the child to chime in and read words he or she
recognizes. The song in Love You Forever was written after Munsch and his wife born
two children who were dead. He said it was his song to his two babies. It was only a song
for a while until Munsch realized he could make a story around it. Since this book has so
much meaning behind it, Munsch shares with his readers something that was very
emotional and heart wrenching for him. Munsch’s regular publisher did not think that this
was an appropriate children’s book so he published this book with another publisher. A
short time after everyone was buying this book. Munsch thinks that this is his best book
because it has sold over 15,000,000 copies. This book differs from most of Munsch’s
books because it is so incredibly personal and shows a different side of him. Munsch adds
realism to this story by saying the boy is mischievous and the mother as loving. The
colored pencil illustrations are essential to the story because they add rich detail to the
mother and her son.
From Far Away is about a six-year-old girl named Askar and her family who left
Beirut in order to join their father who was living in Canada. They left Beirut because
there was a war going on there and the family was afraid. This book shows Askar’s
adjustment to North America. School is very difficult because she doesn’t speak English
and is not familiar with the rules. In the book she gets frightened by Halloween skeleton
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and even pees on her teacher lap because she was so scared! Eventually Askar and her
family adjusted to their new lives in Canada. This story teaches students that being scared
is normal and overcoming fears is possible. The fact that this books it told in first person
makes it easier for students to relate to and understand Askar’s feelings. Literature is
known to sometimes help students cope with fears because reading about characters that
have similar fears puts children at ease. Children will subconsciously be facing their fears
when they are able to read and speak about common fears mentioned in books without
being fearful. Books such as From Far Away are incredibly supportive of children
battling their fears. This is a difficult theme for this book to take on, however, the
message seems to be communicated very successfully.
The Paper Bag Princess is a fairytale that is by far original. Elizabeth is a princess
who lives inside the castle and always wears very fancy clothes. The Princess and Prince
Ronald are about to get married when a dragon brings down her castle, burns all of her
pretty clothes, and takes Ronald with him. The princess decided to dress herself in a
paper bag and go rescue her Prince Ronald. When Princess Elizabeth finally finds the
Prince he tells her that she is dirty, she smells funny, and her hair looks bad. He then tells
her to come back when she looks like a real princess. They do not end up happily ever
after but the Princess however, takes away from the typical princess stereotype. Munsch
uses very specific vocabulary to make this story come alive. For example he refers to the
prince as “Bum,” as a way to put him in his place. The princess is trying to explain that
you don’t always have to do what society expects of you.
This is one of the books that have broken away from sex-role stereotypes.
Children’s literature now includes females that are more active and competent and males
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that are allowed to cry and be emotional. It is important that men and women are depicted
as being equal, sharing similar emotions, jobs, and lifestyles. The fact that after the price
told the princess to come back when “you are dressed as a real princess,” supports this
anti –sex-role expectations. The princess was not pleased with how the prince was not
accepting of her therefore; they did not go through with the marriage. It was important for
Munsch to make this princess into a tough character because it proves to young children
that females have just as much strength and power as do males. The illustrations are very
simple in this story, watercolor and pen, reflecting the story line. Like all of Munsch’s
books, the facial expressions on the characters offer so much about their personality and
feelings to readers.
Most of Munsch’s books are those that are used in read-alouds, shared reading, or
acting out the story. Young children really enjoy humor when reading because verbal
humor of puns and riddles are valued. Children especially respond to exaggeration in
words or illustrations. They enjoy being told about pranks and jokes being played on
other characters because they feel as though they are in on the joke as well. Munsch’s
books are versatile because his characters are outgoing and funny, his language is
dramatic and exaggerated, stories are easy to relate to, and illustrations match and
compliment the narrative perfectly. Munsch makes sure that the plot, setting,
characterization, theme, and style in his books all blend together and compliment each
other. His books are great for children ages 3 to 7 because those students are able to
follow simply plots and are beginning to develop and understand what a story is all about.
Children at this age are at an important stage for language development and growth. They
are known to respond to rhythm and repetition in language, something Munsch does in all
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six of these stories. Munsch’s books are representative of traditional literature because
they contain refrains. Refrains are great for children within this age group because it
encourages students to repeat the refrains, clap to the rhythm, and to participate more.
Munsch chose to vary his main characters in every book as a way to prevent females
looking more powerful than males and vice versa. It is very important to show equal roles
of both sexes, especially to an audience of children as early as kindergarten. Literature
has a tremendous effect on the development of our imagination, which is why Munch’s
far-fetched and outrageous stories are pieces of literature that extend the imagination and
make up a great unit of study!!!
Biography
Robert Munsch was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1945 and grew up with 8
brother and sisters. When Munsch was in elementary school he barely passed. He
graduated from eighth grade without academic growth or success. It is evident school was
not Munsch’s “thing” because throughout these years he would spend his time writing all
types of poetry. High School was not much easier for Munsch. He had no friends and
therefore, read a lot of books that mad him decide on becoming a priest. While he was
studying to become a priest he would go to orphanages and worked in a daycare, where
he realized that that was what he wanted to do. He discovered in daycare that he had a
storytelling and writing talent. It was the only thing that would get all of the children’s
attention and keep them quiet. He read stories aloud to children for ten years until he
realized that he had a talent. Munsch’s wife’s boss over heard him telling one of his
stories aloud and was the one who convinced him to publish them. After this his
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storytelling spread all over Canada but Munsch still visited daycares because he enjoyed
visiting and reading to them. In 1979 and 1980, Munsch’s wife delivered two stillborn
babies, which encouraged him to produce one of his best-known books, Love You
Forever. Munsch is known for his manic storytelling manner. He is also known to use
exaggerated expressions and is great at acting out voices! He makes up his stories in front
of viewers and improves them through frequent telling. His stories do not have one single
main character. The characters are based on the children who he first told these stories to
and his three children. Munsch has written over 50 books and is known to be a bestselling
author in both the United States and Canada. There are still a number of unpublished
stories. Stephanie’s Ponytail, Purple, Green, and Yellow, I’m So Embarrassed, Love You
Forever, From Far Away, and The Paper Bag Princess are a few of my favorite childhood
books growing up, that I decided to include as part of this author study.
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English - rhyming,
repetition, exaggerated
phrases
Themes - Peer
pressure.
Moral endinl
Writing - How would
students feel if they were
invisiible? Where would
they go , what would they
do?
Purple,
Green
and
Yellow
Understand the
importance of
individuality.
Art creatingdifferent
ponytail positions
and identifying
what type of
language is used
wich each
position.
English - exaggerated
speech, repetition,
hyperbole,
sequencing.
Stephanie's
Ponytail
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English sequence of
events,
exaggeration.
Text to Self Understand and
express emotions
with people who are
in similar situations.
Connecting with
character.
Social Studies different gestures and
facial expressions.
Cultural differences.
I'm So
Embarrassed
Writing - Come up with
common phrases or
share a phrase your
parents often say.
Illustrate your feelngs.
English repeated phrases.
Lead naturally
into reading
Social Studies Importance of
families
Love
You
Forever
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English - reflect on
comming to a new
country, new school,
new friends. Use
appropriate language
Theme overcomming
fears
Social Studies adjusting to
different
cultures
From Far
Away
English - internal
and external
character traits.
Text to self
connections.
Social Issues stereotyping and
gender roles
Art - create
princess that goes
against typical
gender roles
The
Paper Bag
Princess
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Activity 1
Title: Munsch’s Wacky Styles!
Purpose: To identify common themes, styles, and language in Robert Munsch’s books.
Content area: English Language Arts
Materials:
 From Far Away
 I’m So Embarrassed
 Stephanie’s Ponytail
Procedure:
1. The teacher will call students to the meeting area with their reading
notebook out.
2. Teacher will tell students to divide a page in their notebooks into 3
parts labeled; Themes – Styles – Language.
3. Teacher will explain that students are to take notes while reading each
story and then make comparisons and place them under the appropriate
category.
4. Teacher will reread From Far Away, I’m So Embarassed, and
Stephanie’s Ponytail
5. Teacher will ask students to share their similarities amongst the three
books.
6. Teacher will record responses on the class’ chart with the three
sections labeled.
7. Teacher will call students back to their seats and encourage them to
draw their favorite scene from one of the three books.
8. Students will include examples of a theme from the book, the style of
the author and language he uses on their drawings.
Evaluation:
Teacher will evaluate and assess their students understanding of the
commonalities amongst three of Robert Munsch’s books by collecting the
student’s writer’s notebooks and seeing what they each found after reading.
Teacher will also assess every students drawing and examples of the themes,
style, and language taken from the book they chose.
Activity 2
Title: Ten Important Sentences!
Purpose: To sequence the most important events in I’m So Embarrassed by using ordinal
numbers
Content area: English Language Arts
Materials:
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 I’m So Embarrassed
 Cut-outs of embarrassed smiley faces
 Markers
Procedure:
9. Teacher will read aloud I’m So Embarrassed to the class.
10. The teacher will re-read the book but this time by conducting a choral
reading.
11. Teacher will then conduct a class discussion about the main sequence
of events in the story.
12. After students have a general idea of the main sequence of events, they
are to list the events on their embarrassed smiley face using ordinal
numbers, and then place them in sequential order.
13. After the ten main sentences are copied onto ten faces, students will
consult with one another to make sure their order of events is correct.
14. As a class, students will tape their smiley faces, in sequential order, on
the board that will be checked by the teacher when completed.
Evaluation:
Teacher will evaluate and assess their students understanding of sequencing of
events and ordinal numbers by asking students, for homework, to list ten activities
they do during their weekend and compare it to ten activities they do during the
week, using ordinal numbers.
Culminating Activity:
The culminating activity for this author study will be called “Munsch’s
Fingerprints,” in which the students will express how they’ve mastered identifying
characteristics of Munsch’s writing, as well as the literary devices he most often utilizes.
The students will be encouraged to brainstorm a class list of these different
characteristics. Examples include using NNNNNOOOOOO, repetition of funny parts,
kids as characters, problems kids can relate to, using characters from other books in a
story, using onomatopoeia, and having the unexpected happen. The students will act as
“reading detectives” and choose 4 of these “fingerprints” to locate and support in the
books that they have read throughout the unit. They will record this information in large
precut fingerprints, to be posted on a class bulletin board. The students will come
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together as a class to create the beautiful bulletin board, and have a party celebrating their
appreciation for Robert Munsch as an author and storyteller.
Lesson Plan 1
Grade: 2nd
Type of Setting: P.S. 76, The Bennington School, in a second grade classroom that
consists of 29 students.
Purpose: Students will demonstrate their understanding of sequencing and learn the
meaning and definition of hyperbole and repetition.
Vocabulary Terms
a. sequencing
b. hyperbole
c. repetition
Skills:
a. Students use prior knowledge of sequencing and are familiar with other
Robert Munsch books.
Objectives:
a. Students will demonstrate their understanding of sequencing
b. Students will learn the meaning of hyperbole and repetition
c. Students will be able to identify repeated and exaggerated phrases
Pre-Assessment:
Students have read Robert Munsch before and are familiar with sequencing and
repetition.
Lesson Presentation:
Set- Induction: The teacher will come into the classroom with a wacky hairstyle and
hold a class discussion on different hairstyles for boys and girls.
Procedure:
1. The teacher will read the book, Stephanie’s Ponytail, to the class.
2. While reading, teacher and students will find examples of repeated and
exaggerated phrases.
3. Teacher will play an audio recording of Munsch reading aloud Stephanie’s
Ponytail so that repetitions and exaggerations will be more easily identifiable for
students.
4. Teacher will re-read Stephanie’s Ponytail and ask students to join in on the
repeated and/or exaggerated phrases.
5. After completing the book, the teacher will hold a grand conversation with the
class and will discuss what happened in the book and will then define sequencing,
repetition, and hyperbole.
6. Students will be broken up into 3 groups and each group will be responsible for
one of Stephanie’s 3 ponytail positions.
7. Teacher will give each group a head shape and removable ponytail.
8. On the head, students are to write any repetitions or hyperboles that are mentioned
during the part of the book that corresponds with Stephanie’s type of ponytail.
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Closure: Students will volunteer to share their different ponytail positions, in the order
that Stephanie has them in the story, and the repeated phrases and hyperboles their group
found.
Material and Resources:
 Stephanie’s Ponytail
 Blackboard
 Chalk
 Head shape
 Removable ponytail
 Makers
 Crayons
 Scissors
 Glue
Follow-Up Activity: The teacher will explain to the students that it is okay Stephanie
wanted to be different and that some of her classmates wanted to be like her. Teacher will
ask student if there is a right or a wrong and when should we do what others do and
should we not do what others do.
Evaluation/Assessment: The teacher will evaluate and assess the students on whether or
not they were able to ask appropriate questions, if student was engaged in the lesson, and
if the student could identify repetition and exaggeration in sequential order.
Differentiated Learning: The lesson is beneficial to all different types of learners.
Visual learners will benefit from this lesson, because students are able to visually see
different examples of repetition and exaggeration. Visual learners will also be able to
identify the plot and sequencing of the story based on the position of Stephanie’s
ponytail. Auditory learners will benefit from this lesson as well, because they are able to
listen to the phrases and make connections to the text.
Standards
READING
tandard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and
understanding.
• Identify a conclusion that summarizes the main idea, with assistance
Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and
expression.
• Engage in purposeful oral reading in small and large groups
• Use previous reading and life experiences to understand literature, with assistance
• Make predictions and draw conclusions and inferences about characters, with
assistance
• Recognize the value of illustration in literary text
• Use specific evidence from stories to describe characters and relate
Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and
evaluation.
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• Evaluate the content by identifying, with assistance
- the author’s purpose
Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.
• Share reading experiences to build relationships with peers or adults; for example, read
together silently or aloud
• Respect the age, gender, position, and cultural traditions of the writer
• Recognize the types of language (e.g., formal and informal vocabulary) that are
appropriate to social communication
WRITING
Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and
understanding.
• Support explanations with evidence from text
Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and
expression.
• Create clear, well-organized responses to stories read or listened to, supporting
understanding of genres, characters, and events with details from the story, with
assistance
Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and
evaluation.
• Analyze and evaluate the author’s use of plot and character in written and visual text
LISTENING
Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and
understanding.
• Acquire information and/or understand procedures
• Identify essential details, with assistance
• Determine a sequence of steps given, with assistance
• Identify main ideas and supporting details, with assistance
• Interpret information by drawing on prior knowledge and experience, with assistance
• Collect information, with assistance
Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and
expression.
• Identify elements of character, plot, and setting to understand the author’s message,
with assistance
• Connect literary texts to previous life experiences to enhance understanding
• Identify the author’s use of repetition and rhyme
Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and
evaluation.
• Evaluate the speaker’s style of delivery by using criteria such as volume and tone of
voice
SPEAKING
Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and
understanding.
• State a main idea with supporting examples and details, with assistance
Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and
expression.
• Describe characters
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Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and
evaluation.
• Explain the reasons for a character’s actions, considering the situation
• Express an opinion or judgment about a character and plot in a variety of works, with
assistance
• Discuss the impact of illustrations and titles in evaluating ideas, information, and
experiences
LESSON PLAN 2
Grade: 2nd
Type of Setting: P.S. 76, The Bennington School, in a second grade classroom that
consists of 29 students.
Purpose: Students will apply the idea of stereotyping and the role that they play in the
stories, movies, and their everyday lives.
Vocabulary Terms
a. Stereotyping
b. Media
c. Brainstorming
Skills:
a. Students can make text-to-self connections and understand gender roles.
Objectives:
a. Students will understand that representations made by the media are not
always accurate.
b. Students will understand the concept of stereotyping.
c. Students will be able to identify their own perceptions of various stereotypes.
Pre-Assessment:
Students have been introduced to stereotypes by brainstorming characters that
they have met from fairy tales and Disney movies.
Lesson Presentation:
Set- Induction: The teacher will ask students to brainstorm a list of character traits that
describe males and females. Their responses will be recorded on a T-chart provided by
the teacher.
Procedure:
1. The teacher will define stereotyping to the class based on the traits they came up
with.
2. Teacher will leave the definition visible during the entire lesson.
3. The teacher will ask for examples from Disney movies and other popular
children’s books that do not fit into the typical stereotypical role.
4. The teacher will ask for students to keep the traits they came up with on the Tchart in mind while reading The Paper Bag Princess, by Robert Munsch.
5. The teacher will tell students they will be asked to compare the Princess and
Prince traits after the read aloud to the chart they constructed.
6. While reading, teacher will exaggerate certain parts where stereotypes are not
“typical”
7. After the read aloud teacher will ask students if the traits of the Princess and
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Prince seemed matched what the media portrays them as.
8. Based on the students’ responses teacher will cross off the male and female traits
on the T-chart that contrast the male and female the just learned about in the story.
9. Teacher will then reinforce that stereotyping is all around us based on the class’s
ideas and what the book explained.
10. Teacher will ask questions such as:
a. How is Elizabeth different from the stereotype females that we talked
about earlier?
b. How is Prince Ronald different from the handsome princes in movies
such as Snow White or Cinderella?
c. Are The Paper Bag characters like anyone that you know? In what ways
are they like real people?
d. What do you think of these characters? Do you like them? Why?
11. Teacher will explain the activity that follows the read aloud.
12. Teacher will tell students they are to make their own Paperbag Princess and
decorate their Princess based on how the story described her.
13. Teacher will tell students to write 5 words from the book that described the
Princess that contrast the stereotypical ideas/traits of a Princess on the Princess’
paper bag.
14. Teacher will call students back to their seats.
15. Teacher will hand out a paper princess, a brown paper bag that will resemble the
one from the story, markers, etc.
16. Teacher will ask students to be very creative.
17. Teacher will have students share their Paper Bag Princesses’ with the class and
the 5 traits they chose as well.
Closure: Students will volunteer to share their Paper Bag Princesses’ with the class and
the 5 traits they chose to describe her. Teacher will once again ask students to define
stereotyping.
Material and Resources:
 The Paper Bag Princess
 Poster board
 Markers
 Princess cut out
 Paper bag dresses
 Scissors
 Glue

Follow-Up Activity:
Teacher will explain that it is ok to cross over stereotypical lines because not everyone
acts how society perceives them to. Teacher will explain that is doesn’t make an
individual any less of a person if they do not fall into the typical male/female categories.
Evaluation/Assessment:
Teacher will ask students to free write what the feel about “stereotypes.” Do they think
they are fair? Unfair? By doing so, teacher will assess their understanding of stereotyping
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and how the media affects it.
Differentiation:
This lesson will benefit many types of learners. It will allow those who are creative to
express their artistic sides. It will allow those who are more intrapersonal learners to
reflect on the lesson in their journals. It will allow those who are interpersonal to share
ideas about stereotyping with their classmates and be able to hear their ideas as well.
Auditory learners will benefit from the mini lesson, read aloud, and class discussion as
well.
Standards
READING
Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and
understanding.
• Relate data and facts from informational texts to prior information and experience,
with assistance
• Compare and contrast information on one topic from two different sources, with
assistance
• Use graphic organizers to record significant details from informational texts, with
assistance
Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and
expression.
• Select literature on the basis of personal needs and interests from a variety of genres
and by different authors, with assistance
• Engage in purposeful oral reading in small and large groups
• Recognize differences among the genres of stories, poems, and plays, with assistance
• Relate characters in literature to own lives, with assistance
• Use previous reading and life experiences to understand literature, with assistance
Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and
evaluation.
• Compare characters in literary works
Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.
• Respect the age, gender, position, and cultural traditions of the writer
WRITING
Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and
understanding.
• Connect personal experiences to new information from school subject areas, with
assistance
Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and
expression.
• Use resources such as personal experiences to stimulate own writing
Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and
evaluation.
• Express opinions and make judgments that demonstrate a personal point of view, with
assistance
Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.
• Respect the age, gender, social position, and cultural traditions of the recipient
23
LISTENING
Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and
understanding.
• Interpret information by drawing on prior knowledge and experience, with assistance
Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and
expression.
• Use note taking and graphic organizers to record and organize information and ideas
recalled from stories read aloud, with assistance
Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and
evaluation.
• Form a personal opinion about the quality of texts read aloud, on the basis of criteria,
such as characters and plot
Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.
• Respect the age, gender, social position, and culture of the speaker
SPEAKING
Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and
understanding.
• Express an opinion
Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and
expression.
Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and
expression.
• Compare literary texts and performances to personal experiences and prior knowledge,
with assistance
Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and
evaluation.
• Explain the reasons for a character’s actions, considering the situation
• Express an opinion or judgment about a character and plot in a variety of works, with
assistance
• Discuss the impact of illustrations and titles in evaluating ideas, information, and
experiences
• Use personal experience and knowledge to analyze new ideas
Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.
• Respect the age, gender, social position, and cultural traditions of the listener when
speaking
LESSON PLAN 3
Grade: 2nd
Type of Setting: P.S. 76, The Bennington School, in a second grade classroom that
consists of 29 students.
Purpose: Students will identify the symbolism in the book and learn about different
genres.
Vocabulary Terms
a. Fiction
24
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Non-fiction
Tall tale
Sequence
Symbolism
Exaggeration
Skills:
a. Students can sequence events in a story.
b. Students read with help from context clues.
c. Students read to find the BIG ideas.
Objectives:
a. Students will examine the difference between fiction, non-fiction, and Tall
Tale.
b. Students will be able to explain the term “exaggeration.”
c. Students will be able to identify and label events in sequential order.
d. Students will be able to define the term “continuity”
e. Students will be able to discuss the idea of unconditional love
f. Students will be able to examine symbolism
g. Students will practice note-taking skills
Pre-Assessment:
Students have been reading for meaning and looking for “BIG ideas.” They have
been working on digging deeper into reading to find deeper meaning.
Lesson Presentation:
Set- Induction: In a short paragraph have students explain the difference between “like”
and “love.”
Procedure:
1. Show the class the cover of Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and ask them
what the picture has in common with the title.
2. Share the student answers to the Do Now and discuss the differences.
3. Draw a chart on the board and ask the children to copy:
Baby
Behavior
2 yr. Old
Behavior
9 Yr. Old Teenage
Behavior Behavior
Adult
Behavior
4. Teacher will ask the children to take notes in the chart while listening to the story.
This chart will function as the summary of the story and show sequence.
5. Teacher will read aloud Love You Forever.
6. Teacher will ask the students how they would classify the story - is it a nonfiction, realistic fiction, Tall Tale (exaggeration)?
7. Teacher will ask: At what point in the story did the author change the genre from
realistic fiction to Tall Tale?
8. Teacher will ask: When does the story revert back to realistic fiction? Why does
the author blend the two genres?
9. Teacher will try to get the children to realize that the author's purpose is to show
that the mother would have liked to pick up her grown son but could not.
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10. Teacher will explain what symbolism is.
11. Teacher will then explain that this is the symbolism of her unconditional, eternal
love for her son.
12. Ask the students why the author ends the story this way. Explain the word
“continuity” and show how it applies to the ending.
Closure: Ask the children to write a summary of this story based on the notes that they
took (the chart). Teacher will have some students share their summaries.
Follow-up: Have the students to write an essay explaining a tradition that has been
passed along in his/her family. Encourage students to be creative with their projects
because they will be displayed on the bulletin board.
Material and Resources:
 Love You Forever
 Reading Journals
 Pencils/Pens
 Markers/crayons
 Writers Notebooks
Evaluation/Assessment:
Teacher will ask students to write about what they learned today. They are to include any
text to self connections and use vocabulary learned in this lesson. Students will be
assessed based on their understanding and connections made amongst the ideas raised
during the lesson.
Differentiation:
For those students who struggle with writing will be encouraged to draw pictures that
illustrates their understanding. They will also be given a copy of the book to refer to
while writing about this lesson in their writer’s notebook. For enrichment students will be
asked to choose another book from the same genre and write about symbolism in that
book.
Standards:
READING
Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and
understanding.
• Recognize and use organizational features of texts, such as page numbers and chapter
headings/subheadings, to locate information, with assistance
• Relate data and facts from informational texts to prior information and experience,
with assistance
• Compare and contrast information on one topic from two different sources, with
assistance
• Identify a conclusion that summarizes the main idea, with assistance
• Use graphic organizers to record significant details from informational texts, with
assistance
26
Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and
expression.
• Engage in purposeful oral reading in small and large groups
• Recognize differences among the genres of stories, poems, and plays, with assistance
• Relate characters in literature to own lives, with assistance
• Explain the difference between fact and fiction, with assistance
• Use specific evidence from stories to describe characters and relate sequences of
events, with assistance
• Use knowledge of story structure and story elements to interpret stories, with
assistance
• Use graphic organizers to record significant details to compare and contrast characters
and events in stories, with assistance
• Summarize main ideas and supporting details from literary text, both orally and in
writing, with assistance
Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and
evaluation.
• Evaluate the content by identifying, with assistance
- the author’s purpose
- important and unimportant details
- whether events, actions, characters, and/or setting are realistic
• Compare characters in literary works
Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.
• Share reading experiences to build relationships with peers or adults; for example, read
together silently or aloud
WRITING
Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and
understanding
• Take notes to record facts by following teacher directions, with assistance
• State a main idea and support it with facts, with assistance
• Use organizational patterns, such as time/order, for expository writing
• Connect personal experiences to new information from school subject areas, with
assistance
Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and
evaluation.
• Express opinions and make judgments that demonstrate a personal point of view, with
assistance
LISTENING
Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and
understanding.
• Determine a sequence of steps given, with assistance
• Identify main ideas and supporting details, with assistance
• Interpret information by drawing on prior knowledge and experience, with assistance
Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and
expression.
• Identify elements of character, plot, and setting to understand the author’s message,
with assistance
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• Identify the author’s use of repetition and rhyme
• Use note taking and graphic organizers to record and organize information and ideas
recalled from stories read aloud, with assistance
SPEAKING
Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and
understanding.
• Provide simple directions
• Express an opinion
• Ask questions
• Summarize, with assistance
• Provide a sequence of steps
• Describe a problem and suggest a solution
• State a main idea with supporting examples and details, with assistance
Favorite Quotes
Stephanie’s ponytail  “It’s my ponytail and I like it!”
- This quote is repeated throughout the book and makes it clear that Stephanie likes being
her own, unique individual. It also reinforces that it is ok to be different, the main theme
of the book.
Purple, Green and Yellow  “Super-indelible-never-comes-off-till-you're-dead-andmaybe-even-later coloring markers.”
- I love Robert Munsch’s outlandish use of language in all of his books. However, this
quote might be the most bizarre, which is why it’s my favorite! It allows readers to sense
the severity behind these markers
I’m So Embarrassed  "Our moms snore like grizzly bears and blame it on our dads!"
- This quote is when the sons “turn the tables” on their mothers and embarrass them! This
quote made me laugh out loud because the mothers finally felt how their sons did when
they were embarrassed.
Love You Forever  “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m
living my baby you’ll be.”
- Robert Munsch is famous for this quote. This quote sends such a strong message that is
carried through families. It is repeated at every stage of the boys life and he carries this
tradition when he has his own family.
From Far Away  “I didn’t know how to say I’m sorry but the big tear that ran out of
my eye said it.”
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- This quote explains the theme within this book. It explains the cultural struggle that the
Canadian girl had to overcome after she came to America. I felt her uncomfortably
through this quote, which was happily followed by her adjustment to a new culture.
The Paper Bag Princess  "You smell like ashes, your hair is all tangled and you are
wearing a dirty old paper bag. Come back when you are dressed like a real princess."
- I felt that this quote challenged the ideal image of a princess. It went against typical
stereotypical female traits. I like how the princess wasn’t fazed by it and simply called off
her engagement with the prince.
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AUTHOR STUDY RUBRIC
Satisfactory
1
Good
2
Very Good
3
Excellent
4
Understanding You
understanding
very few of
the author’s
styles and
cannot
identify main
ideas.
You
understand
some of the
author’s styles
but struggle
coming up
with the main
ideas.
You
understand
most of the
author’s style
and main idea
from each
book/lesson.
Participation
You have
trouble
staying
involved in
lessons and do
not share
ideas during
lessons.
You are
somewhat
involved in
lessons but
rarely share
your ideas
during
lessons.
You are
involved in
every lesson
and often
share your
ideas during
lessons.
Creativity
Your
creativity does
not match
correct
understanding.
You
demonstrate
understanding
through
creativity.
Connections
You struggle
understanding
and applying
text-to-text,
text-to-self,
and text-toworld
connections to
books.
You have
trouble
demonstrating
your
understanding
creatively.
You make
some text-totext, text-toself, and textto-world
connections to
few books.
You
understand all
of the author’s
style and main
idea from
each
book/lesson
and make
many
connections
You are
actively
engaged and
enthusiastic in
every lesson
and always
share ideas
during each
lesson.
You fully
demonstrate
understanding
through
creativity.
You make
text-to-text,
text-to-self,
and text-toworld
connections to
most books.
You make
text-to-text,
text-to-self,
and text-toworld
connections to
each book.
Score
30
Works Cited
Munsch, Robert. Stephanie’s Ponytail. Buffalo, NY: Annick Press Ltd., 1996. 24. Print.
Munsch, Robert. Purple, Green and Yellow. Toronto, CN: Annick Press Ltd., 1992. 32.
Print.
Munsch, Robert. I’m So Embarrassed. New York, NY: Cartwheel Books., 2006. 32.
Print.
Munsch, Robert. Love You Forever. Ontario, CN: Firefly Books Ltd., 1986. 32. Print.
Munsch, Robert. From Far Away. Buffalo, NY: Annick Press Ltd., 1995. 24. Print.
Munsch, Robert. The Paper Bag Princess. Buffalo, NY: Annick Press Ltd., 1992. 32.
Print.
Giorgis, Cyndi, and Joan I. Glazer. Literature for Young Children: Supporting Emergent
Literacy, Ages 0-8. Boston: Allyn and Bacon/Pearson, 2009. Print.
31