lesson plans - the ned sho · seven book-based lesson plans that elaborate on the first letter of...

Seven book-based lesson plans that elaborate on the first letter of NED’s name.

The Little Engine that CouldWatty Piper

• Kid Writing: Write key phrases & story recall

• Adjective Images: Oral language development

Printable Activities Big IdeasBook Title and Author

Thank You, Mr. FalkerPatricia Polacco

Luke Goes to BatRachel Isadora

A Boy Called SlowJoseph Bruchac

The Junkyard Wonders Patricia Polacco

Snowflake Bentley Jaqueline Briggs Martin Illustrated by Mary Azarian

Martin’s Big Words Doreen Rappaport Illustrated by Bryan Collier

• Goal Setting: Identify goals and achievable steps

• Emotion Words Slide: Identify emotions

• Sweet Bookmarks: Personalize inspiring bookmarks

• Story Structure: Create a new, personalized story based on the book structure

• The Definition of Genius: Poem memorization

• Character Chart: Recall details and characters (includes guide)

• Wilson’s Snowflakes: Discussion starter/building background

• KWL Chart: Critical thinking/building background

• Speech Transcript: MLK’s I Have a Dream speech

Book Title and Author

Every Lesson:• Identifies key vocabulary and tricky phrasing• Includes discussion starters and questions to

check for understanding• Features engaging writing prompts• Includes activities and at least one printable

activity or resource

Lesson Plans

Aligned to Common StandardsEvery lesson plan aligns with grade-level standards in Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening and Literacy and supports age appropriate learning mindsets and behaviors.

Ages 5-8 Lesson Plans

DeterminationConfidencePositive ThinkingRisk-TakingPracticeEncourage OthersPerseverance

Determination Taking Risks Perseverance Overcoming Obstacles Learning from Mistakes Problem SolvingPracticeAcceptanceEmpathy/CompasionResolve

Printable Activities Big Ideas

©2015 All for KIDZ®, Inc. Producers of The NED Show®

More lesson plans & resources at www.theNEDshow.com/teachers

5-8LESSON PLANS FOR AGES

LESSON PLANS FOR AGES 8-12

IDEAL FOR

5-6AGES

Key V

ocab

ulary

BIG IDEAS

To Reinforce

©2014 All for KIDZ®, Inc. Producers of The NED Show® All Rights ReservedFree lesson plans & resources at www.theNEDshow.com/teachers

Discussion Starters 1. What was the happy little train loaded with? Toy animals, dolls, toy clown, engines, airplanes, tops, picture puzzles, books, oranges, apples, milk,

spinach, peppermint drops, lollypops. NOTE: In 1930, when this classic book was published, jack-knives were listed too. The image can easily be covered with a white sticker and the word should not be read to students if it is still included in your published book.

2. Where was the train going? Over to the other side of the mountains to deliver toys and food to good little boys and girls.

3. What was the problem? The train came to a jerk and the wheels wouldn’t turn any more. The train couldn’t get over the

mountain. Show a picture of a valley and mountain to illustrate the problem. Explain that the wheels were not broken; it just became hard and it took more effort to get up the steep mountain.

4. How did they try to solve the problem? First, they asked a shiny new engine for help. Did it help? Why not? Thought they were too

important to carry toys. How did the little train and toys feel? Sad. Second, they asked big strong engine for help. Did it help? Why not? Thought they were too

important to carry toys. How did the little train and toys feel? Very sad. Third, they asked the dingy, rusty old engine for help. Did it help? Why not? Too tired. Must rest.

How did the little train and toys feel? Very, very sad. Ready to cry. Note that the sadness got

Train

Voc

abula

ry Hitched: train cars join together at the hitchRoundhouse: round building where trains are repaired or can be turned aroundEngine: the first car on the train that has the power to pull other carsBerths: a sleeping bunk bed on a trainDining cars: train car just for eatingParlor cars: train car for sitting and talkingPlate-glass windows: large sheet of glassPassenger Engine: pulls train cars with people rather than boxes and crates of thingsFreight Engine: pulls train cars with boxes or crates of thingsSwitching Engine: used to move trains to a different track

Rumbled: move forward with a sound like thunder in the distanceMerrily: happily, joyfullyJerk: sudden motion, and uneven tug Steadily: in a regular, even waySnorted: noisy breathing, often to express dislikeIndignantly: feeling or showing angerWeary: tired

Aligned to Common Standards

Reading: Literature• Key Ideas and Details• Craft and StructureSpeaking & Listening• Comprehension and

Collaboration• Presentation of Knowledge

and IdeasLiterature• Vocabulary Acquisition and

Use

ThemesNever Give UpDeterminationConfidencePositive ThinkingRisk-TakingEncourage Others

The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper

This classic children’s story reinforces the power of positive thinking and hard work through the character of a little blue steam engine. Young children will love the brightly coloured illustrations and easily connect to the characters and their message of “never giving up” to accomplish a goal. This is an ideal book to read at the beginning of the school year to direct your students to an“I think I can!” attitude when talking about reading, maths, writing or other skills they will learn throughout the year!

Use a toy train, photographs or illustrations in the book to help students understand specialized vocabulary.

IDEAL FOR

5-6AGES


The Little Engine that Could

Reso

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s Accelerated Reading Quiz: 5477

worse with each no. Have you ever felt that way? Fourth, they asked the little blue engine for help. Did it help? Not at first, but the blue

engine saw tears and thought of kids not getting toys or food so it decided to try and help.

5. What helped the little blue engine get over the mountain? Positive thinking, ‘I think I can’ (never gave up), helped the engine to keep trying. The clown,

animals and dolls smiled and cheered, which encouraged the engine (encourage others)!

Writing PromptDraw a picture of the little blue engine going up the mountain. Include details from the story! Trace over letters “I think I can” and “Never give up.”

ActivitiesClass Project or Display Board Together, brainstorm a list of what the students will learn (or have learned already) this school year! Add to the list, as you enthusiastically explain the year. Like the little blue engine, they need to think they can. Post the list in the classroom. Create a ‘Think I Can’ display board in your room. Include a mountain and valley, car trains, with room to add pictures of students, and engines that pull the cars up the mountain with the phrase “I think I can.” Move the train further up each week. Eventually, have it go over the top and add the phrase “I thought I could” as students grow and learn in kindergarten!

Oral Language DevelopmentThis story is a great example to use when teaching adjectives. The describing words used for the engines and toys provide great examples of one and two word adjectives. Help develop oral language by working with students to come up with other words that describe the nouns in the story. Insert the new adjectives into the short story (provided in the printable) to create an innovation of The Little Engine That Could. Consider introducing synonyms - other words that can be used to describe the same things.

Brain Break: Student Train

ThemesNever Give UpDeterminationConfidencePositive ThinkingRisk-TakingEncourage Others

The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper

PRINTABLE:

Adjective Images

This activity can be an ideal transition activity when lining students up for lunch, break time or meeting the bus!

Start the train:1. Slowly move legs in small steps... Kid engine says,

“I want to ______ (something from the list). I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!”

2. Have the rest of the room whisper cheer… “Never give up, Never give up, Never give up!”

3. Move a little faster, with the kid engine saying, “I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN!” with more excitement.

4. Response from class… “NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER GIVE UP!”

Repeat with different ‘kid engines’ each day!

Have student line up to make the train. Select a student to be the engine. Using the list of things they will learn this year, have the engine choose one thing they really want to be able to do this year.

PRINTABLE:

Kid Writing

© 2014 All for KIDZ®, Inc. Producers of The NED Show® All Rights Reserved • www.theNEDshow.com/lessonplans

Directions: Draw a picture of the little blue engine going up the mountain. Include details from the story! Trace over letters.

Name:

The Little Engine that Could © 2014 All for KIDZ®, Inc. Producers of The NED Show® All Rights Reserved • www.theNEDshow.com/lessonplans

Oral Language Development based on The Little Train that Could

Choose new adjectives:Little train __________ trainHappy little train _______ _______ trainJolly load __________ loadToy animals __________ animalsLong necks __________ necksBlue eyes __________ eyesYellow curls __________ curlsBrown eyes __________ eyesBrown bobbed heads _______ _______ heads

Insert your new describing words into this story and reread to the class!

The ______ train rumbled over the tracks. She was a _______, ________ train for she had such

a _______ load to carry. There were _____ animals, giraffes with _____ necks, dolls with _____

eyes and _____ curls, dolls with _____ eyes, and _______, _______ heads and the funniest

_____ toy clown you ever saw. But that was not all. Some of the cars were filled with all sorts of

good things for boys and girls to eat - ________, _________ oranges, ________, _________

apples, bottles of _________ milk for their breakfast and _______ spinach for their dinners. The

little train was carrying all these ________ things to the ______, ________ boys and girls on the

other side of the mountain. All of sudden she stopped with a jerk. She tried and she tried, but her

wheels would not turn. Here comes the _________, __________ engine, maybe she will help us.

I’m not very big, said the _______, _______ engine but I THINK I CAN. I THINK I CAN. I

THINK I CAN. And she hitched herself to the little train. She tugged and pulled and pulled and

tugged.

I THINK I CAN….I THINK I CAN….I THINK I CAN…..Up, up up. Faster, faster, faster they

climbed until they reached the top of the mountain. HURRAY! And the _______, ________

engine smiled. “I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could.”

Little toy clown __________ toy clownBig golden oranges _______ ________ orangesRed cheeked apples _______ _________ applesCreamy milk __________ milkFresh spinach __________ spinachWonderful things __________ thingsGood little boys & girls ______ ______ boys & girlsLittle blue engine ________ _______ engine

Help develop oral language by working with students to come up with OTHER words that describe the nouns in The Little Engine That Could. Insert the new adjectives into the short story provided to create an innovation of the story.

Key V

ocab

ulary

BIG IDEAS

To Reinforce


Discussion Starters 1. What did the kids in Brooklyn play during the summer in the story? Stickball

2. How is it different from Little League baseball that you may play? Stickball is played on the street rather than a field and uses a stick instead of a bat. BACKGROUND INFO on STICKBALL: Stickball uses a rubber ball instead of a baseball, so it won’t

fly as far (since houses and windows are nearby) and is easier to catch without a mitt. Cardboard or manholes are often used for bases - cars mark “foul lines.” Broom handles serve as bats!

3. Why do you think they didn’t play at a field with baseball equipment? Lived in the city, didn’t own baseball equipment

4. Why did Luke not play with the boys? Too young, too little. Big kids called him a squirt

5. What did Luke choose to do when he couldn’t play ball? What other choices COULD he have made? Did he make the right choice? He chose to watch the games and practise catching, swinging and running. He watched the Dodgers play from his roof. He could have chosen to be mad, fight, cry, or give up on wanting to play ball.

Trick

y Phr

asin

g Crowd goes wild: crowd is excited – usually noisy and jumping up and downBattle it out: play hard with both sides wanting to winCrowd roared: cheering and yelling in excitementPitcher wound up: the motion of getting ready to throw the ball to home plateAll eyes rested on: everyone looked at the same thingCrack of the bat: the sound made when the bat hits the ball

Squirt: a name for a young or small kidMuttered: to speak in a soft voice that only you hearAblaze: bright with lightStickball: baseball played on the street rather than a field. Often uses rubber ball and a stick or broom handle instead of a bat.

ThemesNever Give UpDeterminationPractisePositive ThinkingEncourage OthersPatienceMaking Good Choices

Aligned to Common StandardsReading: Literature• Key Ideas and Details• Integration of Knowledge and

IdeasSpeaking & Listening• Comprehension and


and IdeasLiterature• Vocabulary Acquisition and

Use

Luke has been waiting for his turn to join the big boys on the street in their games of stickball. He has practised and practised for the day that he is old enough to join the game. When he finally gets his chance, will his “Never Give Up” attitude pay off?

Luke Goes to Bat by Rachel Isadora


6. Why did Luke not give up? He REALLY wanted to play ball with the big kids. He believed that he could do it!

7. Why did the kids finally let Luke play with them? They were missing a player

8. How did his first game turn out? No balls were hit to him; he struck out hitting the ball.

9. Did Luke give up? No. How was he encouraged to “Never give up”? His grandma reminded him that not everyone plays like Jackie Robinson – not even Jackie Robinson.

10. How did Jackie Robinson “never give up”? Even with 3 balls and 2 strikes, he kept trying and he got a hit to win the game.

11. Do you think Jackie Robinson really told Luke…”You can’t give up”? Why or why not? Allow students to look back at the pages and give their ideas. Draw attention to the illustration style and how it is different from other artwork. Why did the illustrator do that?

12. In the end, did Luke’s “Never Give Up” attitude help him with stickball? How do you know this? The last page shows him playing ball with the big kids and hitting the ball.

13. Discuss the feelings and emotions kids have while playing a sport. Talk about how it feels to be great at something or how it feels to not be so great. Remind students to “Never Give Up”and “Encourage Others” every day at break time or P.E., remembering that each person has his or her own strengths.

Writing PromptThink of something YOU would like to do better. Use the printable to draw a picture and make a list of what you can do to NEVER GIVE UP and accomplish your goals!

ActivityMotivational PostersAs a class, create “NEVER GIVE UP” posters. Encourage students to use some of the lists they made in their writings, words from the book, or things said in class discussions (such as practise, watch & learn, encourage others, dream big, think positively). Help them plan their posters first (design, wording, spelling etc.) and then create them! Consider gifting a poster to other classrooms or hanging them in the halls at school.

ThemesNever Give UpDeterminationPractisePositive ThinkingEncourage OthersPatienceMaking Good Choices

Luke Goes to Bat by Rachel Isadora

Reso

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s Accelerated Reading Quiz: 86381

PRINTABLE:

Goal Setting


Name: Directions: Think of something YOU would like to do better. Draw a picture and make a list of what you can do to NEVER GIVE UP and accomplish your goals!

Here’s what I can do to make that happen:

1. 2. 3.

I want to learn to:

BIG IDEAS

To Reinforce



Trick

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Key V

ocab

ulary

Discussion Starters 1. Why did grandpa drizzle honey on the book? What did it mean? How did her family feel

about reading? Family tradition-did it for mother, uncles, brother before her. It was symbolic - The honey is sweet

and so is knowledge but knowledge is like the bee that made that sweet honey; you have to chase it through the pages of a book.

2. As reading got harder and harder for Trisha she chose to do three things instead of reading. What were they and why do you think she chose each of those things?

1) Drawing - because she was good at it 2) Sitting and Dreaming - inference...it was easy, she could do it 3) Walk with Grandmother - because her grandmother thought she was smart, quick and the dearest

thing.

3. Who influenced and encouraged Trisha? How did they influence her? Her family, who loved to read books Kinder friends, who watched her do her magic with the crayons Mr. Falker (and Miss Plessy), who encouraged her artwork, defended her in front of kids and told

them to stop their laughing, believed she could read and helped her step by step learn to read!

“Have you become a mole?”: small animal that likes to be underground & in the dark“School was all abuzz”: excitement with everyone whispering or talking about what is happening

Drizzled: lightly poured overLadle: a spoon with a little bowl on the endTwilight: time of day when the sky is just barely lit as the sun is settingMiracle: a wonderful or remarkable event or thingTorture: causing pain…sometimes physical, sometimes mental…when something feels too hard to doParagraph: Several sentences on the same topicOdyssey: a journey or adventure

Aligned to Common Standards

Reading: Literature• Key Ideas and Details• Integration of Knowledge and

IdeasWriting• Text Types and Purposes• Research to Build and Present

KnowledgeSpeaking & Listening• Comprehension and


and IdeasLiteracy• Vocabulary Acquisition and

Use

ThemesNever Give UpDeterminationPerseveranceEncourage Others

This personal narrative by author Patricia Polacco recounts her early school years. As a child, Patricia struggled to learn to read. It wasn’t until she was nearly a teenager that she connected with her teacher, Mr. Falker, who gained her trust and spent countless hours patiently teaching her to read. Today, Ms. Polacco’s story shows how important it is to “Never Give Up.” Mr. Falker’s encouragement and Ms. Polacco’s perseverance have resulted in dozens of beautiful books that we can all now enjoy!

Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco


Reso

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© 2014 All for KIDZ®, Inc. Producers of The NED Show® All Rights Reserved • www.theNEDshow.com/lessonplans Thank You, Mr. Falker

For more info...Accelerated Reading Quiz: 27677 Author website: www.patriciapolacco.com

Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco

Writing PromptsStruggles Write about something you have struggled to learn? How did you feel when you couldn’t do it at first? How were you encouraged? What did you do (or can you do) to “never give up” even when it is difficult? How did you feel as you became better at it?

EmotionsChoose any word from the Emotions Word Slide list (printable) and write about a time you felt that way. Include specific descriptions of the event and how it impacted your actions when you felt that way.

Activities Identifying Changing Emotions Trisha has many different emotions and feelings throughout the story. Retell the story by going page by page through the book - asking students to choose a word from their Emotions Word Slide that best describes how Trisha is feeling at that moment. Remind them that there isn’t just one right answer. Ask “Why” questions and “What makes you think that” questions, encouraging students to find evidence in the text or illustrations to support their responses. NOTE: Go through the words on the list to make sure everyone understands each word - allow students to give you their definitions of these words! Encourage them to add their other words too! This a great list to keep in their writing journals to help with the overuse of words like happy and sad in their writing.

ThemesNever Give UpDeterminationPerseveranceEncourage Others

PRINTABLE:

Emotion Words Slide

PRINTABLE:

Sweet Bookmarks

Bookmark Use the printable to create inspiring bookmarks that feature the following quote from the book: “Honey is sweet and so is knowledge. Knowledge is like the bee that made sweet honey; you have to chase it through the pages of the book.” - Patricia Polacco Cut out and colour bookmarks. Note: Laminate for extra durability.

is sweet and so is knowledge. Knowledge is like the bee that made sweet honey;

you have to chase it through

the pages of the book.PATRICIA POLACCO

Honey is sweet and so is knowledge. knowledge is like the bee tHat made sweet honey;

you have to cHase it tHrough the pages of the book.- P A T R I C I A P O L A C C O -

Cont

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Directions Create bookmarks that feature the inspiring quote from the book.

Sad

Tear

ful

Disco

urag

ed

Doub

tful

Frus

trat

edTo

rtur

edAf

raid

Terrified

Dumb Sick

____

____

____

____

is sw

eet a

nd so

is kn

owled

ge.

Know

ledge

is lik

e the

bee

th

at m

ade s

weet

hone

y;

you h

ave t

o cha

se it

thro

ugh

the p

ages

of th

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k.

PATR

ICIA

PO

LAC

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ney

is s

wee

t and s

o is

kno

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ge.

kno

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ge

is l

ike

the

bee

tH

at m

ade

sw

eet

hon

ey;

you

have

to

cH

ase

it

tH

roug

h t

he

page

s

of

the

boo

k.

- PA

TR

ICIA

PO

LA

CC

O -

Hon

ey

is s

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is

know

ledg

e.

Kno

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is li

ke

the

bee

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mad

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you

have

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se

it th

roug

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ges

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- Pa

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Thank You, Mr. Falker

lesson plans - the ned sho · seven book-based lesson plans that elaborate on the first letter of...

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