Thematic
Unit
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Language Arts
(
Speaking, Listening, and Viewing
Many of the skills used in reading and writing are first learned and practiced
through oral language. Most children enter school with the basic ability to use
language to understand and talk with others. However, they still have much to
learn in order to become confident, responsible, clear, adaptive, and fluent
communicators. Such learning is facilitated through instructional programs that
intentionally provide for growth in speaking and listening and recognize that
today much communication is transmitted through visual means.
Students will be able to:
Lesson
Read the story to the children. Many will be familiar with
the story. Retell the story asking what happened first, next and so on to
anchor the sequence of events in the minds of the children. Have the children
construct a bridge of large hollow blocks or low student tables. Ask the
children who are most familiar with the story to be the first set of
billy-goats. Ask the audience to help out by saying, "trip-trap,
trip-trap, who's that tripping over my bridge? Narrate the story and ask the
first set of Billy Goats to act out their parts. As it becomes more familiar
ask the children to take over the telling of the story.
Lesson
In the reading corner have the flannel board and felt characters and shapes
ready for the independent retelling of the story. Students might like to use the patterns and
script from http://www.legendsandlore.com/after_goatsplay.html
to put on a puppet show.
Literature and Culture
Literature provides a ready means for
students to understand not only American culture but also the world in which
they live. It provides students with the opportunity to gain an appreciation of
the universality of human experience and a better understanding of themselves
and others.
Students will be able to:
Lesson
In his non-fiction book Tree and Leaf , J.R.R.
Tolkien speaks of the story cauldron. The stories remain the same but each
culture adds its own element to reflect the political and societal variations
of that culture. Here are three versions of the same story from three different
countries. Have the children listen to the stories and see how they are the
same and how they are different.
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0122e.html
Other Interesting Sites:
Click here to visit real goats on a farm at http://www.kidsfarm.com/goats.htm
or go to http://www.davisfarmland.com/fun/funsound.htm
to hear a goat. View a "Goat Cam" see the
"flying goats" at http://www.teleport.com/~randyf/goat.html Goat
Math
(
http://www.ed.state.nh.us/CurriculumFrameworks/k-123.htm
Geometry
Provide children opportunities to sort and classify common geometric shapes,
such as squares, circles, triangles, and diamonds using pattern blocks,
attribute blocks, tangrams, etc.
Opportunities should be provided for children to sort and
classify objects according to attributes.
Students will be able to:
· Use models, known facts, properties, and relationships to explain their thinking.
· Use position terms (for example: inside, outside, above, top-to-bottom, over, or under).
· Copy and make shapes by drawing and using manipulatives (for example: pattern blocks, or tangrams).
· Draw, compare, and visualize shapes in various positions.
· Investigate and predict results of combining, subdividing, and changing shapes using manipulatives (for example: pattern blocks, or tangrams).
Lesson
Find out how to make tangrams at the following site.
http://forum.swarthmore.edu/trscavo/tangrams/construct.html . Talk about the shapes of the tangram pieces. Ask the children to describe what they see. Challenge them to create a picture with their tangrams. Use the tangrams to construct a bridge an ogre,a goat or all three. Use crayons, markers or colored pencils to add to their pictures. Talk about position words. Example: Place the ogre under the bridge.
Problem solving
(Math Frameworks) Problem solving should serve as the organizing feature of the
mathematics curriculum as well as other areas of study and be applied to
everyday activities. Problem solving must not be seen as a separate topic, but
rather the centerpiece of the mathematics curriculum. Students should have many
experiences in posing and solving problems from their world, from data that are
meaningful to them, and from mathematical investigations.
Students will be able to:
Lesson
Create word problems using the story of the Three Billy
Goats Gruff.
Example: There are three billy goats. One crosses over the bridge to eat grass on the other side. How many are left on this side of the bridge. Have the students make up their own word problems and illustrate it for a Three Billy Goat Gruff Math Book.
Work in teams to complete the math word problems based on
the Three Billy Goats Gruff from: http://www.mathstories.com/bookstories/Book_5_Goat_Gruff.htm.
Measurement
Students will develop an understanding of
measurement and systems of measurement through experiences which enable them to
use a variety of techniques, tools, and units of measurement to describe and
analyze quantifiable phenomena.
Students will be able to:
Lesson
Create 3 full size billy goats using whatever materials available. Explore measuring using various units. Examples:
hands, shoes, unifix cubes, body lengths etc. Introduce rulers and yard
sticks. Compare the measurements. Talk about how much easier it is to compare
measurements using a standard unit of measure.
For more ideas using measurement http://ericir.syr.edu/Virtual/Lessons/Mathematics/Measurement/MEA0005.html
Teacher Resources
http://www.meddybemps.com/7.026.html
http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/math/mathout.html
http://www.coreknowledge.org/CKproto2/resrcs/lessons/K98LiveHappily.htm
Science
(
Life Science
Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to recognize
patterns and products of evolution including genetic variation specialization,
adaptation, and natural selection.
Students will be able to:
Lesson
Students will explore pictures of the various types of goats from around the
world, and compare and contrast the various types. The following sites have
information and pictures: http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/GOATS/
http://www.ics.uci.edu/~pazzani/4H/DairyGoats.html
Life Science
Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to understand how environmental factors affect all living systems.
Students will be able to:
Lesson
Use models of animals from the farm and zoo animal sets. Create a floor
graph with two headings: wild and tame. Ask students to sort and graph the
models.
Students think of goats as farm animals. Explore the various types of wild
goats and their habitats. http://tscheezy.tripod.com/frset2.html http://indigo.ie/~ironside/ilgoat.htm
http://www.bearcountryusa.com/animals/goatim.htm http://www.wildernesspark.com/MountainGoats.html
Lesson
Talk about different types of habitats in
http://www.funschool.com/current/games/ank_ds1 . Discuss the habitats where you find wild goats. Goats have been able to adapt to most habitats. Discuss the adaptations of various types of goats
Social
Studies
(
Students will be able to:
·
Locate events in
time--past, present, and future--by using basic chronological concepts
including calendars, elapsed time, and story sequence (beginning, middle, end).
Lesson
Create a time line with the events of the story. Discuss what happens at the
beginning, middle and end of the story. To listen to the story of the Three
Billy Goats Gruff told in song visit http://www.sterlingtimes.co.uk/bill_goats_gruff.htm
Play a sequencing game at: http://www.funschool.com/current/games/sqp_ds1
Vital Themes for the Study of History
The Bradley Commission on History in Schools has identified the following theme in the search for historical understanding of ourselves and others:
Conflict and cooperation the many and various causes of war, and of approaches to peacemaking and war prevention.
Lesson
Use the activities at http://www.esrnational.org/cap/elementary.html to teach students strategies for peaceful conflict resolution.
Lesson
Have the students come up with a peaceful resolution to the problem between the troll and the three billy goats. Using shared writing; rewrite the ending of the story to reflect a peaceful solution. Have the students illustrate the story with the new ending.
Visit this interactive site for activities on values education: http://library.thinkquest.org/J001709/thinkquest_values/introfolder/intropage_frameset.html
Music
(
http://www.ed.state.nh.us/CurriculumFrameworks/curricul.htm
Sing, alone and with others, a varied
repertoire of music.
Students will be able to:
posture,
and maintain a steady tempo;
Lesson
Listen to the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff told in song at: http://www.sterlingtimes.co.uk/bill_goats_gruff.htm . Learn the words to the chorus through charts and repetition. Join in on the chorus.
Lesson
Sing
the echo song Bill Grogan's Goat. The lyrics can be found at
http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/b007.html
Sing the Animal Rhyme song. The lyrics and music can be found at http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/a045.html
Sing Old MacDonald. The lyrics and music are at http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/o009.html
Perform on instruments, alone and with
others, a varied
repertoire of music.
Students will be able to:
Lesson
Use classroom instruments to perform the trip-trap part of the Three Billy
Goats Gruff song, in rhythm, as a group.
Visual Arts
(New Hampshire Curriculum Frameworks for the Arts)
http://www.ed.state.nh.us/CurriculumFrameworks/curricul.htm
Apply appropriate media, techniques, and
processes.
Students will be able to:
Lesson
Check out the Stamps and Stomps farm and use the
mouse to create farmyard pictures http://www.mamamedia.com/activities/stamps/
. Explore the other Stamps and Stomps areas.
Lesson
Use playdough to create
sculptures of the goats and/or the troll. Use construction paper or other found
items to create the scenery for the Three Billy Goats Gruff
Materials:
Clay
Plastic knives for sculpting
Construction paper
Other items from
around the classroom to add to the scene
Playdough
Here is a great recipe for playdough,
http://www.homestead.com/mrsroseshowsyou/doughrecipe.html
Lesson
Review the use of the toolbar on the
computers Paint program. Create Billy Goat Art using the tools in the program.
Visit http://www.ibm.com/stretch/EOS/ to
see other computer art or to publish student art go to http://www.telenaut.com/gst/
Students will make connections among the
visual arts, other
disciplines, and daily life.
Students will be able to:
Lesson
Look at the picture of Picasso's She Goat. Respond to the questions on the page at http://artsafari.moma.org/shegoat.html
Timeline
for Thematic Unit to be woven within the daily schedule and specials:
Week 1
Monday
Circle - Introduce the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Have the Children respond with the trip-trap, trip-trap part of the story.
Reading
Half the class will be at guided reading and half the class at reading
centers, switch the next day.
Reading Centers (Week Long)
Computer-Introduce the sequencing game at http://www.funschool.com/current/games/sqp_ds1
ABC center - Use magnetic letters to make animal words
Journals- Write about your favorite animal and draw a picture
Listening - Listen to the tape and read along with The Three Billy
Goats Gruff
Math - measuring activity using full-scale models of the Billy Goats
Choice Centers
(for the week)
Science
Whole class, view pictures of different kinds of goats using the big screen television on the sites http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/GOATS/
http://www.ics.uci.edu/~pazzani/4H/DairyGoats.html
Brainstorm similarities and differences between the different types of goats
after viewing them. Draw a picture of your favorite goat
Final Circle - Begin peaceful conflict resolution activities from www.esrnational.org/cap/elementary.html
Tuesday
Circle
Listen to the story sung at http://www.sterlingtimes.co.uk/bill_goats_gruff.htm. Students participate in reading and singing the chart for the chorus of the story.
P.E.
Reading
Math
Continue measuring activity.
Centers
Continue centers for the week
Final Circle
Continue peaceful conflict resolution
Wednesday
Circle
Begin acting out Three Billy Goats Gruff
Reading
Math
Continue Measuring Activity
Centers
Final Circle
Continue peaceful conflict resolution
Thursday
Circle
Continue acting out the story.
Math
Create
story problems. Each student illustrate their problem. Put them all
together to make a Billy Goat Gruff
Math Book
Centers
Weeklong centers
Music
Introduce the chart and Sing the echo song Bill Grogan's Goat. The lyrics
can be found at
http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/b007.html
Final Circle
Continue conflict resolution
Friday
Circle
Continue acting out the story. Make sure everyone has had a chance to play
a role
Centers
Last day for weeklong centers, make sure that everyone has had a chance at each
center
Science
Graph wild and tame animals and explore habitats. Visit Websites using the
"Big Guy"
Final Circle
Continue conflict resolution
Week Two
Monday
Circle
Listen to the three different stories about Three Billy Goats. Brainstorm ways the stories are alike and different
Reading
Half the class will be at guided reading and half the class at reading
centers, switch the next day.
Independent work - Sequencing activity. Put the major events in order. Paste
onto sentence strip.
Reading Centers (Week Long)
Computer-Introduce the sequencing game at http://www.funschool.com/current/games/sqp_ds1
ABC center - Use magnetic letters to make animal words
Journals- Write about your favorite animal and draw a picture
Listening - Listen to the tape and read along with The Three Billy
Goats Gruff
Math - measuring activity using full-scale models of the Billy Goats
Choice Centers
(for the week)
Have the stick puppets ready for a puppet
show
Go to http://www.davisfarmland.com/fun/funsound.htm to hear a goat. View a "Goat Cam" and see the "flying goats" at http://www.teleport.com/~randyf/goat.html. Have the sites set up one on each computer and ask the students who are signed up for computer each day to take turns viewing the sites
Science
Whole class, view pictures of different kinds of goats using the big screen television on the sites http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/GOATS/
http://www.ics.uci.edu/~pazzani/4H/DairyGoats.html Brainstorm similarities and differences between the different types of goats.
Final Circle
Tuesday
Circle
Listen to the story sung at http://www.sterlingtimes.co.uk/bill_goats_gruff.htm. Students participate in reading chart and playing instruments to keep time to the music.
P.E.
Reading/Reading Centers
Math/Art
Introduce Tangram activity
Centers
Continue centers for the week
Final Circle
Brainstorm Peaceful solutions to the story
Wednesday
Circle
Read Gregory The Terrible Eater
Introduce The Animal Rhyme Song
Reading
Math
Continue Tangram Activity
Centers
Final Circle
Sing all the songs, use instruments to keep the rhythm
Thursday
Circle
Math
Centers
Weeklong centers
Music
Introduce the chart and Sing the echo song Bill Grogan's Goat. The lyrics
can be found at
http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/b007.html
Final Circle
Continue conflict resolution
Friday
Circle
Math
Divide into teams to answer the word problems at www.mathstories.com/bookstories/Book_5_Goat_Gruff.htm
Centers
Last day for weeklong centers, make sure that everyone has had a chance at each
center
Final Circle
Darlene will bring in one of the baby miniature goats for the children to
touch. She will answer questions about her goats.