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The Story

Jacob’s Ladder Goals & Objectives

Habits of Mind

The Judge: A Tale from West AfricaTwo mice stole a large chunk of cheese. Both

wanted to have what they thought was their fair share. But neither of them trusted the other to divide the cheese fairly. So they went to the lion, the king of all animals. “King, we want to divide this cheese, but we can’t do it fairly. We can’t agree on what is fair. Please help us.” The lion frowned at the mice because he was very busy but believed it was his duty to help. “I’ll send you to the monkey. He’s the judge and will help you, but it would be better if you could do it yourselves. Once you bring in a judge, many new problems might come up.” But the mice wanted the monkey, and so the king sent them to his law court.

The monkey was seated in a big chair behind a large table. The mice asked for his help in dividing the cheese. The monkey said, “Of course I’ll be the judge if you want me to.” He sent his helper for a scale and a knife. With the knife, he cut the cheese so that one piece was much bigger than the other. Then he ate some of the bigger piece. The mice asked him what he was doing. “I’m eating from this piece so that it will be equal to the smaller piece,” he said. He ate so much that when he put both pieces on the scale again, the one that used to be smaller was now bigger. So he began to eat from that piece.

Students will be able:Students will be able:

Ladder A

A1 Sequencing-To list in order of importance specific events or plot summaries

A2 Cause and Effect-To identify and predict relationships between character behavior and story events, and their effects upon other characters or events.

A3 Consequences and Implications-To predict character actions, story outcomes, and make real-world forecasts.

Habits of Mind: • Thinking and communicating with clarity• Gathering data through the senses• Apply past knowledge to new situations• Creating, imagining, innovating

Refer to Jacob’s Ladder Story Table for Ladder A Thinking Questions.

(Discussion)High Level Strategies with

Ladder A Questions

Discussion Strategies: Think-Pair-Share, Write-around, 3-4 Podcast slides (Pixie, Frames)

**Complete 2 of the 3 questions.

A3 Consequences and Implications – The mice did not listen to the warning from the lion. What was the thinking they had for making that decision? Explain a time when correct advice was not listened to. This story has a moral or a lesson to be learned. Explain what that moral is. Support your answer with evidence from the text.

A2 Cause and Effect – The lion cautioned the mice about going to the monkey for help. What did he say would be the effect of them going for advice from the monkey? Support your answer with evidence from the text. What was the effect of the monkey ate a part of the larger piece of cheese? Remember what the monkey’s solution to the mice’s problem. What was the final outcome of this solution?

A1 Sequencing – Think about the major event of this text. Sequence or put in order what you determine to be the 5 main events of the story.

Reflections/Relevance

Choose one of the writing ideas to complete.  Be creative. 

Write 2 writing activities based on Ladder skills for students to choose to complete.

1.Trust was an important theme in this story. Write an original story using other characters and setting in which trust in each other is just as important and is tested with in the story.

2.Write a new ending if the mice would have listened to lion and not gone to the monkey. What effect/s would that have in how the story continued. Be sure to be descriptive and detailed.

Be creative with either question you choose to complete.  Here are some suggested project strategies:  Write a podcast script; create a puppet show; develop a PSA; a PowerPoint presentation; write and be an actor in a skit; write a persuasive speech and give before the class.