Read Write Think Lesson
Title: Cloudy With a Chance of “Tall Tales” : Teaching Literacy Genres
Grades: 2-4
Lesson Type: Standard Lesson
Estimated Time: Five 45 minute lessons
Learning Objectives:
 Collaboration

Comprehension

Listening
 Reading Genres
 Writing Genres

Writing Process

Digital Literacy
Themes:
 Fiction

Science
Keywords:

Tall Tales
 Read Alouds

Sequence of Events

Story Maps

Genre
 Text Structure

Weather

Partner Writing

Story Map
 Peer Editing
 Proof Reading

Publishing

Brief Description
What is a tall tale? Exploring the genre, students read to discover tall tale literature, create and write a tale collaboratively.
Overview
This lesson is intended to be used as an integration study at the end of a Weather unit.
Students will explore the literacy genre of tall talles. They will listen and read tall tales to evaluate examples of the genre. After reading and hearing a plethora of tall tales, students will select two tall tales they have read. They will compare and contrast the tales. Students will evaluate and identify the tall tales by shared characteristics of the tales. Cloudy With a Chance
of Meatballs, will be read aloud to students. There will be a discussion of the tall tale that grandpa tells in the story, identifying the elements that make the story a tall tale. Using what they have learned about tall tales, students will work collaboratively to write a tall tale of their own.
Featured Resources

Story Map : The story map tool allows students to summarize a tall tale that they have read as well as help them plan out their tall tale that they have written.
 Venn Diagram : The venn diagram tool can be used to compare and contrast two tall tales that have been read. The visual tool will assist students in identifying characteristics of a tall tale.
From Theory to Practice
Buss, K., & Karnowski, L. (2000). Teaching Realistic Fiction. In Reading and Writing Literary Genres.
Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
 Teaching children in grades 3-5 to bridge reading and writing while discovering literary works strengthens comprehensions.

Innovative strategies researched available to implement and guide teaching multiple literary genres to enhance student knowledge.

Exploration and understanding of literacy genres affects student writing.

Wilcox, D., & Sterling, D. R. (2006). Twisters Tall Tales, & Science Teaching. Science Scope, 29(8), 36-41.
Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Integration of a surplus of childrens’ literature and content is valuable in student learning.
 Incorporating Tall Tales (genre studies) in science lessons promotes reading comprehension.

Teaching literacy genres in multiple content areas allows the opportunity to differentiate between fact and fiction.
Gray, Y. (2001). Exploring America with TALL TALES. Instructor, 111(2), 72. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
 The article provides evidence of the importance of reading tall tales aloud to students and how teachers can effectively teach tall tales in the classroom.

Lesson activities and quizzes are tools which are included to enhance and assess student learning.

Teaching tall tales allows students to build upon the art of creativity and imagination.
Standards
3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts.
They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound–letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
Resources
Materials and Technology:
Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett (Scholastic Inc, 1978)
Large chart paper for Tall Tale elements (posted in classroom)

Student Interactives:
 Story Map : The story map tool allows students to summarize a tall tale that they have read as welll as help them plan out their tall tale that they have written.

Venn Diagram : The venn diagram tool can be used to compare and contrast two tall tales that have been read. The visual tool will assist students in identifying characteristics of a tall tale.
Printouts:
Tall Tales Booklist (ReadWriteThink.com)
Tall Tales Checklist (Guide if needed- artsedge.kennedy-center.org)
Student Tall Tale Element Map
Websites: Tall Tale Resources
Tall Tales
Kids Connect to Tall Tales
Student Objectives
Students will
 Activate students’ prior knowledge about tall tales.

Be engaged in a read-aloud by listening to the book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and partipate in a class discussion about the book.

Demonstrate comprehension skills and build upon own reading strengths by working with a partner to review the events of the story and creating a story map.

Identify the common elements of a tall tale to be charted during a whole class discussion.

Apply the writing process (use a story map for planning, prewriting, writing, editing, and publishing) practice collaboration by working with a partner.
Preparation
1.
Before starting the lesson, gather the following materials

A copy of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

A variety of tall tale texts for students to read- see Tall Tales Book List from RWT
(check reading levels appropriate for students)

One copy of the writing rubric

Poster Paper to chart elements of a tall tale

Paper for student writing

2.
Locate and bookmark the story map and venn diagram tools from the ReadWriteThink website on school computers for students to use prior to writing their tall tale.
Instruction and Activities
Session 1-A- What is a Tall Tale?
1.
In a whole group setting, access prior knowledge by asking students, “ Have you ever read a Tall Tale?”, “What stories that you have read were tall tales
List student ideas and responses on the board in a cocept map.
2.
Continue class discussion by showing students examples of tall tales and stories that are not tall tales, having students determine if the story was a tall tale by previewing the book.
Session 1-B- Discovering Tall Tales : activity may be used in a Reading Center if centers are used in the classroom.
1.
Have students explore additional tall tales.
2.
Students will work in pairs to review two books that are tall tales.
3.
Use the RWT booklist to desginate books that are tall tales.
4.
Allow time for students to read the two tales aloud together. While students are working on their readings and diagram, walk around and monitor that students are on task.
5.
Students will use the Venn Diagram at ReadWriteThink.com to compare and contrast the two tales that they read.
Venn diagram
Session 2- A Tall Tale Is…..
1.
Show students the book, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Preview the text looking at the title page and illustrations (picture walk). Have students make predictions about what the story is going to be about and if they think the story is a tall tale or not.
2.
Begin the session by saying, “Let’s read the story to find out if it is a tall tale”. “Look for elements or ideas that the story shares with those that we have written on the board.”
Read aloud, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
3.
Read the first few pages and stop to check students’ predictions made prior to the story- “Did your prediction come true? Explain.” Also ask, “What elements did we list on the board have we read if any are in the story thus far?”
4.
Finish reading the story aloud. Ask once again, “Did your prediction come true?
Explain.” Allow time for students to discuss their predictions. (A Think, Pair, Share

activity can be used at this time to ensure that all students have a chance to share their predictions).
5.
Ask students to think about the tall tale that grandpa told in the story. Reread the part of the text in which grandpa tells the story. Ask students to listen carefully.
6.
After rereading the text, ask for a final time, “What elements from the map on the board did you see in the story that grandpa told?” Draw a box around the elements on the board that students saw in the story.
7.
Use the tall tale element map to write down the elements that have a box around them on the board. Guide students in writing a definition or meaning of a tall tale, concluding the elements from the board. (The amount of teacher input and guidance depends upon students’ prior knowledge of tall tales.)
Session 3- Mapping out Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
1.
Review the definition students wrote about a tall tale, as well as the tall tale elements map on the board.
2.
Reread the story Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs aloud. The story may be read more fluently the second time. The purpose of rereading the story for the story to be fresh in students’ minds for the comprehension activity.
3.
After reading the story, review the characters, setting, and plot of the story, focusing on the tall tale that grandpa told in the story.
4.
Explain to students that they are going to map out the story using a story map and working with a partner.
5.
Pair students up with a partner. Students will work on the computer and locate the story map bookmarked on ReadWriteThink.com
6.
Allow time for students to complete the story map using Cloudy with a Chance of
Meatballs. StoryMap
7.
As a whole group, review the parts of the story map that was completed by pairs.
Highlight the story’s essential parts and the neccessity for what makes it a story.
Session 4- Writing a Tall Tale
(Students may need more than one day to complete the writing process in the session).
1.
Recall the elements of a Tall Tale with students as a whole group and relate them to the story, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
(If further review of tall tale elements needs to be done, it is suggested that students read other examples of tall tales using the Tall Tale booklist).
2.
Tell students they are going to work together to create their own tall tale. Encourage students to incorporate the elements of a tall tale.
3.
Discuss the importance of working together and discuss appropriate student behavior.

4.
Explain to students that authors brainstorm and plan out their stories before writing them. Instruct students that they will use a story map to help them plan out their writing.
5.
Divide students into groups of two. Students will complete the story map on the computer and time allowed for students to plan out their stories. Assist students as needed.
6.
Upon completion of the story map, students will continue working through the writing process to complete their tall tale.
(If students are unfamiliar with the writing process, additional guidance or minilessons may be helpful for students).
7.
Concluding the writing of students’ stories, allow designated time for partners to share their tall tales aloud. Challenge listeners to identify the elements of the tall tales that are read.
Extensions
 Have students study the food pyramid integrating a health lesson by having a discussion of the foods that fell from the sky in the story, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi
Barrett. Classify foods according to the food pyramid.
 What are the three types of clouds? Teach a Science lesson about the three different types of clouds. Review the illustrations from the tall tale to determine the type of cloud.

Students act out the tall tale they wrote in the lesson (students may dress-up and use props).
 Students write an alternate ending to the story. What happened when the children woke up the next morning?

Have students further explore tall tales that include Heros that have super-natural powers as characters. Create a trading card using the interactive tool at
ReadWriteThink. Character Trading Cards
Student Assessment/Reflections

Informal assessment notes will be concluded based upon teacher observations from student participation during class discussions and cooperative writing work.
 Student concept maps (Tall Tales- What do you know?) completed prior to the lesson
 and again at the conclusion of the lesson. Student concept maps will be used in order to allow students to reflect on their learning.
Students will be evaluated using the lesson rubric which will give an overall grading based upon written story, writing produced and cooperative learning. Rubric may be modified to meet students’ learning needs. Lesson Rubric

Copyright 2004 IRA/NCTE. All rights reserved.
ReadWriteThink materials may be reproduced for educational purposes.

Student Guide
Lesson Connection: Tall Tales Today
Copyright The Kennedy Center. All rights reserved.
ARTSEDGE materials may be reproduced for educational purposes.
Instructions:
Use the following checklist to determine if your story has the characteristics of a tall tale. Check those statements that apply to your story and write a short explanation for each.
___ The story has many exaggerations in it.
___ The main character has a problem to solve.
___ The main character is bigger than life and has super-human abilities.
___ The plot of the story is funny and impossible.
___ In the end, the main character solves a problem, overcomes an obstacle and/or defeats a
“bad guy.”
___ The story includes lots of action.