ELA Plan (90 Minute Block)
1st 9 Weeks: Week 1
Day 1
10 minutes
Set the
Stage
10:20-10:30
DEAR Time
10 minutes


Independent Reading – Choice short reader or vocabulary reader from
the teacher’s basket
10:30-10:40
Spelling
/Grammar
Mini-Lesson
10 minutes
10:40-10:50
Flashback
Overview of Learner Outcomes
Spelling:
Grammar: nouns

Show students the cover of Little Red Riding Hood (be sure to use an
illustrated version of Grimm’s original version) of the traditional tale.
10:50-11:05
 Before reading the story ask students to talk about the title and
illustrations on the front and back covers and opposite the major
page title page. Make a point to discuss how pictures of the setting
and characters set the mood. (Hint…this will be different in various
text and digital versions).This will set the stage for them to draw on
their prior knowledge of the well-known story and to engage in
inferential thinking to interpret the traits, feelings, and motives of the
central characters, based on the clues in the pictures.
 Make a group list of the characters they see in the picture walk.
Discuss who they think are the “main” characters and what it means
to be a main character.
 As the story unfolds, ask students to continue to talk about the
textual and visual portrayal of each character in the story: red riding
hood, mother, grandmother, wolf, the hunter.
 Tell students they will be looking at other “versions” of the Little Red
Riding Hood story in their small groups. Explain that they will be
looking at how these different versions are alike or different.
New Unit Highlight (6 weeks) This unit is a comparative study of selected, illustrated retellings of traditional
folktales, specifically “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The 3 Little Pigs”, including versions from several different
cultures. This unit continues with a study of modern revisions of this well-known tales. After students have an
opportunity to explore similarities and differences among the retellings and revisions, they are introduced to
fiction and nonfiction texts featuring wolves in order to provide them with a different perspective of the
“villain” in the tales. Students will be exposed to various other folktales where they will analyze characters
and their motivations as well as identify the “moral” or theme of the stories. It will conclude with a class
written version of a folktale.
Centers
Reading
40 minutes
Groups /
11:05-11:45 Groups (1&2)
THINK PAD BRAINSTORM – cards on the center of the table. Ask them
Centers
to share events, characters, setting, etc. from the story and as they
share they write it down and put it in the middle of the table (BUILDING
A THINK PAD)
Whole
Group MiniLesson
15 minutes

Writing
MiniLesson
15 minutes
12:35-12:50
Writer’s
Workshop
20 minutes
Closure &
Homework
12:50-1:10
10 minutes
1:10-1:20
Read a different version of the story with your group. Ask them to
focus on the way the words and pictures provide clues about the
traits, feelings, and motives of the characters in the books that they
have chosen.
 TIMED THINK PAIR SHARE ( 4 minutes)Discuss the moral or “central
message of the story”
 Ask them to identify interesting differences found in these retellings
and record the in their journals. They can make a T-Chart where
they also identify similarities.
Read The Mystery of Harris Burdick by Christopher Van Allsburg. Talk
about the beginning, middle and end. Tell them that it does not matter
how long the story is, just that it has a beginning, middle and
end. Mention that every story has as problem and a solution, as well.
Discuss with students these components. Specifically mention that
pictures/illustrations often add details or feelings to the text that help us
understand it better. Discuss how the pictures help the mood. Ask
students what they think the author’s purpose was for writing this book.
ASK these questions using FAN and PICK Strategy! Groups of 4 #1 fans,
#2 picks and reads the question #3 answers the question #4
paraphrases in writing on an index card what #3 says.
Students will pick one picture to write about and explain. They will share
their picture and describe what is happening ORALLY with their partner
BEFORE they write in their journals. Students should do a brief sketch of
the picture and then describe in words what is happening in the picture.
They should then circle all the NOUNS in their writing piece. (grammar
link)
 Oral discussion (Think Pair Share) have students discuss or prove to
their partners that they can demonstrate understanding of the
learner outcome
 Pass out Reader’s Theater Script Assign Parts
Day 2
10 minutes
Set the
Stage
10:20-10:30
DEAR Time
10 minutes


Independent Reading – Choice short reader or vocabulary reader from
the teacher’s basket
10:30-10:40
Spelling
/Grammar
Mini-Lesson
10 minutes
10:40-10:50
Whole
Group MiniLesson
15 minutes
Flashback
Overview of Learner Outcome
Spelling:
Grammar: nouns

10:50-11:05

Begin by having the students help you write a BRIEF summary of the
sequence of the events in the story (use bullets and phrases, not
necessarily sentences or a paragraph)
Read a version of the story from another culture (list provided). Ask
Reading
Groups /
Centers
40 minutes
11:05-11:45
Writing
MiniLesson
15 minutes
12:35-12:50
Writer’s
Workshop
20 minutes
Closure &
Homework
12:50-1:10
10 minutes
1:10-1:20
students to predict how the story will compare to those they have
already read just by looking at the cover and/or pictures. USE the
strategy (Give One Get One) t-chart…share one thing get one thing
 Read the story aloud and make comparisons of the two stories.
 Ask students what surprised them about the story.
Centers
Groups (3&4)
 Read a different version of the story with your group. Ask them to
focus on the way the words and pictures provide clues about the
traits, feelings, and motives of the characters in the books that they
have chosen.
 Discuss the moral or “central message of the story”
 Ask them to identify interesting differences found in these retellings
and record the in their journals. They can make a T-Chart where
they also identify similarities.
Squiggle line writing - Read aloud the story It Looked Like Spilt Milk or
Not a Box. Use this time to introduce the word schema and what it is.
Relate how what the narrator saw in the clouds or the child saw the box
as depended on their personal schema. Show students the squiggle
paper. Ask students what THEY see. Model for students how to add to
the squiggle to turn it into something else.
In their journals, have students draw their own picture from the squiggle
and then write about what it is, where it is and so on. Have them tell a
story about their squiggle. They should circle all of the nouns they used
in their writing piece. If time allows use Inside Outside Circle strategy –
inside folks have a partner outside the circle. Inside folks read their
piece and share and outside circle gives feedback. Rotate 1-2 times
then have outside circle share, etc.
 Oral discussion (Think Pair Share) have students discuss or prove to
their partners that they can demonstrate understanding of the
learner outcome
 Assign journal prompt for homework.
Day 3
Set the
Stage
DEAR Time
10 minutes
10:20-10:30
10 minutes
10:30-10:40
Spelling
/Grammar
Mini-Lesson
10 minutes
10:40-10:50
Whole
15 minutes


Flashback
Overview of Learner Outcome
Independent Reading – Choice short reader or vocabulary reader
from the teacher’s basket
Spelling:
Grammar: nouns

Begin by having the students help you write a BRIEF summary
Group MiniLesson
10:50-11:05
Reading
Groups /
Centers
40 minutes
Writing
MiniLesson
11:05-11:45
15 minutes
12:35-12:50
of where you sequence the events in the story (use bullets
and phrases, not necessarily sentences or a paragraph)
 Read a version of the story from another culture (list
provided). Ask students to predict how the story will
compare to those they have already read just by looking at
the cover and/or pictures.
 Read the story aloud and make comparisons of the two
stories.
 Ask students what surprised them about the story.
Centers
Groups (1&2)
 Read a different version of the story with your group. Ask
them to focus on the way the words and pictures provide
clues about the traits, feelings, and motives of the characters
in the books that they have chosen.
 Ask them to identify interesting differences found in these
retellings and record the in their journals. They can make a
T-Chart where they also identify similarities.
Read aloud the story My Map Book by Sara Fanelli. Draw student’s
attention to the page with the heart map on it. Explain to students
that today we are going to make heart maps.
Explain to students that our heart maps will how what is close to our
hearts; people, places events and memories (you may need to teach
this word), objects, etc. Model for students with a large heart on
chart paper.
*You may end this part of the lesson early for students to work in
writer’s workshop so they will have a little more time, to come back
to whole group and share (see below).
Writer’s
Workshop
20 minutes
12:50-1:10
Gives students their own heart. You can use the attached
worksheet. When students are finished you can either hang to on
the wall OR have students glue it into their writer’s notebooks. The
most import thing is that this is ACCESSIBLE to the students. The
heart map has now become a brainstorm list of what to write about!
Bring students to the carpet. Model share time. Explain to student
s where they need to sit (mine sit in a circle around the carpet so we
can see well). Papers/ notebooks are in the floor, not in
hands. Hands are in your lap. Good listeners turn their bodies and
look at the speaker. Only about 3-4 kids share each time. Model
for students how I want them to start, ”This is my heart map. The
two best things on my map are...” Pick a few children to share. If
time they can all then turn pair share.
Closure &
Homework
10 minutes

1:10-1:20

Oral discussion (Think Pair Share) have students discuss or
prove to their partners that they can demonstrate
understanding of the learner outcome
Have students read each other’s homework response from

their journals.
Assign vocabulary words for students to do Frayer Model
with.
Day 4
Set the
Stage
 Flashback
10
minut  Overview of Learner Outcome
es
10:20
10:30
DEAR
Time
10
minut
es
Independent Reading – Choice short reader or vocabulary reader from the teacher’s
basket
10:30
10:40
Spelling
/Grammar
MiniLesson
Whole
Group
MiniLesson
Reading
Groups /
Centers
Spelling:
10
minut
Grammar: nouns
es
10:4010:50
 Show a version of Little Red Riding Hood in Digital Text form. Below is more than one.
15
Compare the multimedia version seen with the print versions students read. Discuss
minut
how they are alike or different. Discuss how the character’s looked and talked in the
es
digital version…is it what they expected them to look and sound like? Ask students if
10:50
11:05
the digital version followed the same story line. Was the problem and solution the
same? Were the characters and setting the same?
You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpL1C7ljzo0&feature=related (cartoon)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7K9YrldhE4&feature=related (cartoon)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EenmeL0n_MY&feature=fvwrel (cartoon)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ7_ofrbPjU&feature=related (puppet show)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq161aoLQ1A&feature=related (puppet show)
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/english/Little%20Red/Northumberland%20NGfL%20Littl
e%20Red.html (cartoon)
http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/littlered/1.htm (cartoon)
Centers
40
minut Groups (3&4)
 Read a different version of the story with your group. Ask them to focus on the
es
11:05
-
way the words and pictures provide clues about the traits, feelings, and motives
of the characters in the books that they have chosen.
Ask them to identify interesting differences found in these retellings and record the
Writing
MiniLesson
Writer’s
Worksho
p
11:45
in their journals. They can make a T-Chart where they also identify similarities.
15
minut
es
12:3512:50
Some students find it very hard to know what to write about in their Writer's
notebooks. To help solve this problem we brainstorm all the things you can write
about and where to get ideas on "finding" a story.
20
minut
es
12:50
-1:10
10
Closure
minut
&
es
Homewo
1:10rk
1:20
Ask students if they have ever had a hard time knowing what to write about. Ask
students what we already have created that can give us story ideas. Lead students
to realize that the heart map from yesterday is also a brainstorm map. Then read
aloud the book Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk. Just like Sam, we are all authors and
we all have something important to say. Discuss how Sam wrote about what he
knew; so we should write about what we know. Brainstorm as a whole class WHAT
topics students can write about. If needed go back to the story and see if some of
the pictures give ideas (writing an ABC book, a letter to someone, write all about
myself, my pets, etc.)
Students should create their own brainstorm list of topics they might like to write
about in their journals. Have them list 5 topics that they may want to write about
and draw a table in their notebook with these topics as the heading for each column
(you may have to demonstrate this). Next have students write 2 facts, details,
definitions or examples that they know about the topic. Make the connection that if
students can’t come up with details or things to SUPPORT the topic…they will not be
able to write a good piece. Have them share the topic and supporting details they
like best of the 5 they brainstormed with their partner. (2 minutes)
 Oral discussion (Think Pair Share) have students discuss or prove to their
partners that they can demonstrate understanding of the learner outcome
 Students complete summary Graphic Organizer GO.19.5.
Day 5
1. Discuss with students how watching a digital version of the story adds to the tone, mood or beauty of the
story.

Watch a Gullah version of the folktale.
http://www.knowitall.org/gullahtales/tales/red/flash/index.html

Discuss those words with students in reference to the digital story.
Look at the cover of Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood. This book will highlight the dialect of Cajun story
tellers. In this story she manages to outwit the villain. (Claude the alligator) Discuss the similarities and
differences. Have students predict how the story will be different. Have students retell this version.
2. Reader’s Theater Production
3. Spelling Test
4. DEAR Time – teacher pulls students for small group or individual intervention