Teaching Unit · 2018. 9. 6. · 1 Introduction INFORMATION ABOUT THE AUTHOR (PART A) The Tale of Tricky Fox was written by Jim Aylesworth and illustrated by Barbara McClintock. The

Teaching Unit created by

Andréa Barber and André Deschênes

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Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 Information About the Author (Part A) ................................................................................................ 1 Short Literary Analysis (Part B).......................................................................................................... 1 References ........................................................................................................................................ 1

Link with the MELS ..................................................................................................... 2 Unit overview ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Description of the activities ................................................................................................................ 5

Activity 1: The Teacher’s Yard (Part C) ..................................................................... 7 Lesson Plan ....................................................................................................................................... 7 Worksheet 1.1 ................................................................................................................................... 8 Worksheet 1.2 ................................................................................................................................... 9 Answer Key 1 .................................................................................................................................. 10

Activity 2: What’s in Tricky Fox’s Bag? (Part C) ..................................................... 11 Lesson Plan ..................................................................................................................................... 11 Worksheet 2.1 ................................................................................................................................. 11 Worksheet 2.1 ................................................................................................................................. 12 Answer Key 2 .................................................................................................................................. 13

Activity 3: Dealing with Feelings (Part D) ................................................................ 14 Lesson Plan ..................................................................................................................................... 14 Worksheet 3.1 ................................................................................................................................. 15 Worksheet 3.1 ................................................................................................................................. 15 Answer Key 3 .................................................................................................................................. 16 Flashcards ....................................................................................................................................... 17

Activity 4: Homework (Part G).................................................................................. 28 Description ....................................................................................................................................... 28 Worksheet 4.1 ................................................................................................................................. 29 Worksheet 4.2 ................................................................................................................................. 30 Answer Key 4 .................................................................................................................................. 31

Activity 5: Tricky Grammar: Simple Past (Part E) ................................................... 32 Lesson Plan ..................................................................................................................................... 32 Worksheet 5.1 ................................................................................................................................. 33 Worksheet 5.2 ................................................................................................................................. 34 Answer key ...................................................................................................................................... 35

Activity 6: What if… (Part C – Long Term) .............................................................. 36 Lesson Plan ..................................................................................................................................... 36 Worksheet 6.1 ................................................................................................................................. 38

Activity 7: Help Me Remember… (Part C) ............................................................... 39 Lesson Plan ..................................................................................................................................... 39 Worksheet 7.1 ................................................................................................................................. 41

Activity 8: Story Scramble (Part C) .......................................................................... 42 Handout 8.1 ..................................................................................................................................... 44 Handout 8.1 (continued) .................................................................................................................. 45 Answer Key 8 .................................................................................................................................. 46

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Activity 9: What Do YOU Remember? (Part F) ........................................................ 48 Lesson Plan ..................................................................................................................................... 48 Worksheet 9.1 ................................................................................................................................. 49 Worksheet 9.1 (continued) ............................................................................................................... 50 Answer Key 9 .................................................................................................................................. 51

Evaluation (Part H) .................................................................................................... 53 Description ....................................................................................................................................... 53 Evaluation Criteria ........................................................................................................................... 53 Evaluation Sheet.............................................................................................................................. 54 Evaluation Sheet (continued) ........................................................................................................... 55 Evaluation Answer Key .................................................................................................................... 56

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Introduction

INFORMATION ABOUT THE AUTHOR (PART A)

The Tale of Tricky Fox was written by Jim Aylesworth and illustrated by Barbara

McClintock. The book was published in 2001 by Scholastic Press, New York.

There were many books we wanted to use to

create this teaching unit. The books we first thought of

were from renowned authors, therefore, we kept looking

and we eventually found The Tale of Tricky Fox from an

author we had never heard of. We were instantly attracted

by its catchy title and its beautiful illustrations. The cover

page shows the fox with his sack on his back winking at

the reader and a lady standing in the distance with her arms crossed. McClintock, the

illustrator, clearly accomplished her work by capturing the essence of the entire story in

a single illustration. The reader knows what to expect from the story just by looking at

the cover page. After reading the book for the first time, we thought the story was quite

interesting. We loved how the author, Jim Aylesworth, begins his story in a classroom

with a teacher telling the tale of Tricky Fox. By doing this, Aylesworth slightly twists the

classic fairy tale formula we are used to by encasing his actual tale within a specific

context. Thus, we believed this opens the door to a second level of understanding and a

deeper literary analysis. We also thought there was a valuable lesson in the story that

may discourage students from trying to trick their teacher. Additionally, we noticed there

is a great deal of symbolism and typical fairy tale elements such as the

anthropomorphized foxes and repeated story patterns for instance. The unexpected

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ending of the story was also a feature in which Aylesworth defied the classic fairy tale

characteristics.

After doing some research on the story, we discovered that it was originally called

The Travels of a Fox. The tale originated from Massachusetts and was first collected by

Clifton Johnson and printed in The Outlook in 1987. Students will probably enjoy the

story as much as we did. The author’s “generous doses of loud sounds, rhythms, and

rhymes” (Aylesworth.net, 2000) is the key to ensure the students’ enjoyment of the

story. He has learnt that children enjoy finding these elements in stories so he tries to

integrate them as much as possible in his writing.

The author, Jim Aylesworth, has a graduate degree in

elementary education. As a teacher, he has to deal with children’s

literature on a regular basis. This has led him to value this type of

literature. As it is said on the Scholastic’s website, Aylesworth “is

amazed how a good book will make a room full of children sit and

pay attention.” He made his writing debut in 1980 with Hush Up! and has written more

short stories ever since. Aylesworth mentions that “[w]riting children’s books is the way

of being the teacher beyond the walls of my classroom for children that I may never

know.” By writing stories, he discovered a passion for children picture books and won

many awards during his teaching years.

(509 words)

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SHORT LITERARY ANALYSIS (PART B)

The Tale of Tricky Fox is a tale where greediness and honesty battle over the

best. Tricky Fox’s greediness brings him to say that he will catch a pig. He plans to

exchange three goods in order to obtain it. He first exchanges a piece of log for a loaf of

bread. Then, the loaf of bread for a chicken and finally, he trades it again in order to

obtain the pig. Tricky Fox thinks he is wiser than humans and rejoices too early. It leads

to his perdition because the teacher sees him singing and dancing and beats him at his

own game by putting her bulldog in the sack instead of a pig. The story promotes

positive values; it teaches students the importance of being honest and that their actions

always have consequences.

There are multiple characters in the story but the two main ones are Tricky Fox

and the teacher. Tricky Fox and Brother Fox have anthropomorphic characteristics such

as the ability to speak. It would be logical to believe that the author gave these

characteristics to the foxes in order for them to be able to interact with the human

characters in the story and, ultimately, trick them. Basically, the author could have made

Tricky Fox and Brother Fox human characters, but he used the fox as a symbol. In

common lore, the fox is a symbol of cunningness and trickery. Therefore, through the

humanistic appearance and fox symbolism used to portray Tricky Fox and Brother Fox,

the author criticizes the greediness of human nature and serves a moral to the reader.

Moreover, Tricky Fox’s superiority in relationship to his brother is also symbolically

portrayed in one of the first illustrations. Tricky Fox is standing tall with an arrogant and

confident look while Brother Fox, on the other hand, is sitting down and seems to be in

admiration of his brother. Throughout the story, Tricky Fox encounters three ladies. The

first two ladies are portrayed wearing an apron and are given no specific title. On the

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other hand, the third and final lady Tricky Fox encounters is described as a teacher and

is the only lady portrayed wearing a skirt and holding a book in her hands. The book she

is holding and her teacher status can be analysed as symbols of knowledge and

wisdom, thus, giving her the ability to foil Tricky Fox’s cunning plan.

Aylesworth presented the story in a fairy tale manner and some of the

characteristics can be observed. The tale has a timeless setting and it is set in the

woods. The talking fox is a magical event since usually foxes cannot communicate orally

with humans. The one possessing the magic, the fox, is the evil character. In

opposition, there are the ladies who are innocent and generous. The protagonist of the

story, even though it may seem to be Tricky Fox, is the teacher. She is wise and

discovers the evil character’s plans. She completes her quest since her goal is to teach

her students a life lesson by telling them a tale. Moreover, the tale has a happy ending;

that is, foxes are respectful towards humans. Another important characteristic that may

be found in the story is the use of repetition. Tricky Fox goes to see humans three times

in order to get the pig. He says his little rhyme and has a pitiful look when he knocks on

the door and every time he obtains what he desires, he sings his lively song.

The illustrations are important in the development of the story because they are

used to support the words. By moment, the meaning of the story is enhanced by the

illustrations and other times, the illustrations give more information than the story itself.

For example, although the story omits telling that the teacher telling the tale is the

teacher in the tale, the illustrations provide this information. The facial expressions

accurately report the feelings that are either implied or describe by the author. The

illustrator took everything in consideration when she illustrated the tale. For example, as

the fox starts to put larger objects in his bag, the illustrations portray it.

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The tale is appreciated by many and as it can be read in the March 2001 issue of

School Library Journal, "... The romping good humour of the story is carried by the old-

fashioned illustrations in sepia tones. ... priceless." And the Publishers Weekly, in March

2001, announced that the tale’s “[c]leverly paced repetition and an unexpected ending

make this droll caper a winning choice".

(760 words)

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REFERENCES

Aylesworth.net. Jim Aylesworth. 2006. 15 Oct. 2009.

http://www.aylesworth.net/Confidence_family_DWT_CSS/ff_jim.htm

Buckley, Barbara. "The Tale of Tricky Fox: A New England Trickster

Tale.(Review)(Children's Review)(Brief Article)." School Library Journal 47.3 (2001):

192. CPI.Q (Canadian Periodicals). Web. 13 Nov. 2009.

<http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/start.do?prodId=CPI&userGroupName=crepuq_ulava

l>.

"THE TALE OF TRICKY FOX: A New England Trickster Tale.(Review)(Children's

Review)(Brief Article)." Publishers Weekly 248.11 (2001): 88. CPI.Q (Canadian

Periodicals). Web. 13 Nov. 2009.

<http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/start.do?prodId=CPI&userGroupName=crepuq_ulava

l>.

2

Link with the MELS

Broad areas of learning

health and well-being

environmental awareness and consumer rights

and responsibilities

personal and career planning

citizenship and community life

media literacy

x

Focus of development: Understanding how the media portray reality

Cross-curricular competencies

INTELLECTUAL METHODOLOGICAL PERSONAL AND SOCIAL COMMUNICATION RELATED

To use information

To adopt effective

work methods

To construct his/her

identity

To communicate

appropriately

x x x

To solve problems

To use information and communication technologies

To cooperate with

others

x x

To exercise critical judgment

To use creativity

x

ESL Competencies

TO INTERACT ORALLY IN ENGLISH

TO REINVEST UNDERSTANDING OF ORAL AND WRITTEN TEXTS

TO WRITE TEXTS

The student reacts to messages using strategies

The student prepares to listen to

and read texts using strategies

The student prepares to write

texts using strategies

x x x

The student takes the initiative to transmit oral messages using strategies

The student demonstrates understanding of oral and written texts using strategies

The student composes texts

using strategies

x x x

The student maintains oral interaction using strategies

The student carries out meaningful tasks using strategies

The student revises his/her texts

using strategies

x x x

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Title: The Tale of Tricky Fox Teaching Unit

Description: The Tale of Tricky Fox is a wonderful story that can be used with Elementary Cycle 3 students. Many activities were designed in order to maximize the use of the story. All three competencies will be set forward throughout the various activities. By using this unit, students will learn about various animals and how to describe them. They will also learn different types of feelings and various grammar notions.

It should be noted that the story should be read as often as possible, in order to familiarize the students with the language used and the development of the story. Though, throughout the first section of the unit, the story should only be read until the part where the teacher says, “That rascal!”she said to herself. “I’ll fix him!”

Cycle: 1st year 3rd cycle Duration: 9-10 periods

Essential knowledge

Functional language

Useful expressions Asking for help or clarification Suggestions, invitations Requests for information Expressions to make rejoinders Expressions promoting harmonious exchanges and teamwork

Vocabulary Animals Descriptive language Feelings Verbs Theme-related vocabulary Question words

Strategies

Asking for help or clarification Use of prior knowledge Planning Note-taking Risk taking Attention Resourcing Predicting Cooperation

Language conventions Verb tenses (simple past) Word order

Text components Overall meaning Key elements

Cultural product Text, media

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UNIT OVERVIEW

Worksheets Other materials

Preparing the task

Activity 1: The Teacher’s Yard

Activity 2: What’s in Tricky Fox’s Bag?

Activity 3: Dealing with Feelings

Activity 4: Unit Review

Activity 5: Tricky Grammar (Simple Past)

Activity 6: What if…

Activity 7: Help Me Remember…

Activity 8: What Do You Remember?

Activity 9: Story Scramble

Evaluation

Worksheet 1.1 Worksheet 1.2

Worksheet 2.1

Worksheet 3.1



Worksheet 6.1

Worksheet 7.1

Worksheet 8.1

Evaluation sheet

PowerPoint presentation: Story.ppt (on CD)

PowerPoint presentation: Activity_3_Introduction.ppt (on CD) OR Flashcards: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11.

Handout 9 (scrambled story envelopes)

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DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITIES First section: Activity 1: The Teacher’s Yard

It is a jigsaw puzzle about animals: Students will have to read their clues and discuss together in order to find the animal that was seen in the teacher’s yard.

Activity 2: What’s in Tricky Fox’s Bag?

Students are given a list of farm and wild animals. They have to classify them according to their size.


In the story, many emotions can be found. This activity will enable students to familiarize themselves with the vocabulary.

Activity 4: Homework

Since the rest of the unit focuses more on grammar and creating a small project, the unit review was put here. It’s a crossword that can be done either as a homework or in-class. It reviews the animals and feelings seen in the previous activities.


This activity was made in order to give students the opportunity to get familiar with the simple past. This activity will help them get prepared for the following activity. Students will be put in context, then the grammar will be decontextualized and finally, students will be asked to recontextualize their learning.

Activity 6: What if...

Every time the story has been read to the students, the ending was never read. This was to ensure that students’ imagination is not constrained by the real ending. In this activity, students have to create their own story ending. Students must present their version of the story to the class.

Second Section: Activity 7: Help Me Remember...

In this activity, students are asked to discuss in groups, write questions for another team and exchange papers. Once they have received new questions, they discuss together in order to find the answers.


In the previous activity, students were given the opportunity to reflect and analyze the story on their own. In this activity, students have to work in teams in order to reorganize the scrambled story segments.

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Activity 9: What Do You Remember? It’s a comprehension activity. The whole story has been read to them now. They must reinvest their understanding of the story in order to answer questions about the story. Moreover, they are given the opportunity to practice using the grammar forms seen previously.

Evaluation

To end the unit, an evaluation activity was created to verify what students have acquired throughout the unit.

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Activity 1: The Teacher’s Yard (Part C)

LESSON PLAN Activity Description

Students, in teams of 4, have to read their clues and discuss with their teammates in order to determine which animal is described.

Materials Needed

Didactic Other

Worksheets (1 per team) Pencil Eraser

ESL Competencies



TO WRITE TEXTS


The student prepares to listen to and read texts using strategies

The student prepares to

write texts using strategies

x x



The student composes


x x



The student revises his/her


x x

Procedure

Read the story.

Ask what animal is seen in the story.

Before presenting the activity, verify prior knowledge.

Teach the new vocabulary that will be used in the exercise.

Explain the activity. o Ask students to place themselves in teams of 4. o Tell them that each team will have an answer sheet to write their answers on

it. o Explain that each student will have different clues. o They will each take turns reading their clue. o Once all four students have read their clues, they must discuss together in

order to determine which animal is defined by the clues. o One student must write the answers on the answer sheet.

After the activity: o Go over the answers with the class.

Ask students to take turn giving the answers

Close-Up: As a close-up activity, you can ask students to describe their favourite animals.

The remaining students must try to guess what animal the person has in mind.

WORKSHEET 1.1

WORKSHEET 1.1

8

WORKSHEET 1.2

9

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ANSWER KEY 1

1. rabbit 2. frog 3. snail 4. duck 5. cat 6. squirrel 7. sheep 8. snake 9. horse 10. raccoon

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Activity 2: What’s in Tricky Fox’s Bag? (Part C) LESSON PLAN Activity Description

In the story Tricky Fox keeps changing the objects in his bag for bigger objects/animals. In this activity, students will have to help Tricky Fox plan his tricks by helping him place the animals in an increasing order. This activity will also allow them to increase their vocabulary by learning the name of various wild and farm animals.

Materials Needed

Didactic Other

Worksheets (one per student) Answer key

Pencil Eraser Blackboard Chalk

ESL Competencies



TO WRITE TEXTS





x x





x x





x x

Procedure

Review animal vocabulary seen the previous class

Verify prior knowledge -Draw pictures on the blackboard and ask students what the names are in English

Teach students the new vocabulary using the same technique used to verify their prior knowledge

Ask a student to help you distribute the worksheets (one per student)

Explain the activity -Ask students to get in teams of two -Tell students that they have to place the vocabulary at the top of the page in

an increasing size order. -They must write the name of the animals on the lines provided

Close-up activity -Correct the activity with the students, using the answer key provided and the blackboard to provide students with visual support

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WORKSHEET 2.1

Name :______________

Activity 2 : What’s in Tricky Fox’s Bag?

Tricky Fox tricks the humans in putting animals in his sack. He

starts by putting a small log in it and then trades it for a loaf of bread and again for

animals. He first asks for a chicken and then a pig. Help Tricky Fox decide in which

order he should ask for these animals by placing them in order from the smallest one to

the biggest.

(He has a huge bag; an elephant would fit in it.)

Frog Snail Sheep Cow Snake

Chicken Duck Cat Dog Rabbit

Mouse Raccoon Squirrel Pig Bear

Smallest

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6) 8)

7) 9)

10)

11)

12)

13)

14)

15)

Biggest

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ANSWER KEY 2

1. snail 2. frog 3. mouse 4. squirrel 5. rabbit 6. chicken 7. duck 8. cat 9. raccoon

10. snake 11. dog 12. sheep 13. pig 14. cow 15. bear

*Note that some answers may vary. For example: snake, and dog may be placed elsewhere.

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Activity 3: Dealing with Feelings (Part D)


Students have to identify different feelings using the provided context and the scrambled letters of the word. Students are prepared to do this activity by an introduction showing images from the story showcasing the different feelings the activity focuses on.

Materials Needed

Didactic Other

PowerPoint presentation or Flashcards Worksheets (one per student) Answer key

Projector and laptop computer (optional) Pencil Eraser Dictionary

ESL Competencies



TO WRITE TEXTS









x





x

Procedure

Before the activity

Prepare the PowerPoint presentation, set up the laptop and the projector if you decide to use it.

During the activity

Show images of the story and ask the students to identify the feeling for each image and explain them if necessary. (flashcards or PowerPoint presentation)

Mention to the students that they can use their dictionary if they need it.

Have the students complete the activity sheet.

Correct the activity with the students by having them give their answers.

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WORKSHEET 3.1

Name :______________


Use the clues given and the scrambled words in parenthesis to fill the blanks.

1. (agroatrn) ______________ is the opposite of bashful.

2. Curious is the opposite of (nnfiitdfere) ______________.

3. To be (thdignfere) ______________ means to be very scared.

4. (setideertn) ______________ is the opposite of bored.

5. (lyofju) ______________ is the opposite of sad.

6. To be (isuvmecisoh) ______________ means to be badly behaved.

7. Tricky Fox is (luitfpi) ______________ when he goes to each house.

8. Brother Fox is (epzzlud) ______________ when Tricky Fox returns with something in his sack.

9. Tricky Fox is (tfiisades) ______________ after he successfully tricks the ladies.

10. The ladies are (isucpsusio) ______________ when they decide to let Tricky Fox stay for the night.

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ANSWER KEY 3


Use the clues given and the scrambled words in parenthesis to fill the blanks.

1. (agroatrn) Arrogant is the opposite of bashful.

2. Curious is the opposite of (nnfiitdfere) indifferent.

3. To be (thdignfere) frightened means to be very scared.

4. (setideertn) interested is the opposite of bored.

5. (lyofju) joyful is the opposite of sad.

6. To be (isuvmecisoh) mischievous means to be badly behaved.

7. Tricky Fox is (luitfpi) pitiful when he goes to each house.

8. Brother Fox is (epzzlud) puzzled when Tricky Fox returns with something in his sack.

9. Tricky Fox is (tfiisades) satisfied after he successfully tricks the ladies.

10. The ladies are (isucpsusio) suspicious when they decide to let Tricky Fox stay for the night.

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FLASHCARD 3.1

FLASHCARDS

Arrogant

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FLASHCARD 3.2

Tired

19

FLASHCARD 3.3

Curious

20

FLASHCARD 3.4

Pitiful

21

FLASHCARD 3.5

Interested

22

FLASHCARD 3.6

Frightened

23

FLASHCARD 3.7

Satisfied

24

FLASHCARD 3.8

Mischievous

25

FLASHCARD 3.9

Puzzled

26

FLASHCARD 3.10

Suspicious

27

FLASHCARD 3.11

Happy

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Activity 4: Homework (Part G)

DESCRIPTION

The crossword is intended as an assignment. It was created with the idea of giving students more practice with the vocabulary learnt since the beginning of the unit. However, it should be noted that this activity could be done in class if desired.

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WORKSHEET 4.1

Name : ___________________

Use the clues to find the correct words and write them in the grid. Try not using your notes to do the crossword.

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WORKSHEET 4.2

Across 3. I am a small wild animal. I can climb trees and I have a long furry tail. Answer: squirrel 4. I am a small slimy jumping creature. 5. I crawl very slowly and I carry my home with me. 8. When you don’t trust someone or something 9. You listen to the rules. 12. Tricky Fox traded the loaf of bread for me. 13. I am a farm animal. I have feathers and I can swim. 14. Tricky Fox is very __ when he obtains what he wants. He dances and he sings. 15. I am a little furry animal that hops. 16. The look Tricky Fox has when he knocks on the doors. 17. The feeling you have when you are happy with the results.

Down 1. I am a wild animal. I look like a fox but I am gray and I wear a black mask. 2. All three ladies are . They look into the sack. 4. The feeling the foxes had when they saw the dog instead of the pig 6. The look Brother Fox has when he sees Tricky Fox with the big sack. 7. A synonym for sleepy 10. Tricky Fox thinks he is the best. He likes to brag to Brother Fox. He is . 11. When you like to play tricks or cause trouble 12. I am a black and white farm animal. 16. I am the animal that Tricky Fox would love to have.

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ANSWER KEY 4

Across: 3. Squirrel 4. Frog 5. Snail 8. Suspicious 9. Well-behaved 12. Chicken 13. Duck 14. Happy 15. Rabbit 16. Pitiful 17. Satisfied

Down: 1. Raccoon 2. Curious 4. Frightened 6. Puzzled 7. Tired 10. Arrogant 11. Mischievous 12. Cow 16. Pig

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Activity 5: Tricky Grammar: Simple Past (Part E)


An excerpt from the story is presented to the students. The verbs in the simple past are highlighted. The grammar rule for the simple past is explained and the irregular verbs needed to complete the activity are listed. Students have to complete an excerpt of the story from which the verbs in the simple past have been removed and only the infinitive form is provided.

Materials Needed

Didactic Other


Pencil Eraser

ESL Competencies



TO WRITE TEXTS





x x





x



The student revises his/her texts using strategies

x

Procedure

Contextualization

Read the story to the students

Ask the students to read the text in the contextualization part individually and to pay attention to the highlighted verbs in the simple past tense.

Decontextualization

Ask questions to the students and try to elicit the grammar rules from them:

What did you notice about the highlighted verbs?

How do they end? (-ed for some, different spelling for others)

What are the verbs in –ed called?

What are the other verbs called? (irregular verbs)

Clearly explain the grammar rules for the simple past tense Recontextualization

Explain and have the students complete the activity.

When the students are finished, correct the activity by eliciting the answers from the students.

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WORKSHEET 5.1

Name :______________

Activity 5: Tricky Grammar

Read the following excerpt from the story and notice how the highlighted verbs are written. And Tricky Fox, he picked up his sack, and he ran off into the woods. Tricky Fox ran, and he ran, and he kept on running until just before it started getting dark. Then he stopped, and he picked up a little piece of log, and he put it into his sack. Then he knocked on the door of a nearby cottage. When a lady opened the door, Tricky Fox hunched over like he was feeble, and in a rickety voice he said: “I’m on my way to Bonny Bunny Bay. The night grows cold, And I’m so old. Please let me stay.” The lady felt sorry for him, and she said, “Okay, I’ll let you stay, but no tricks!” “Oh, no!” said Tricky Fox. “I’m so worn out, I can’t think of anything but curling up in front of your fire. I’m just worried about my sack, is all. I don’t’ like for anyone to look in it, and I’m too tired to guard it.” “Don’t worry,” said the lady. “Leave it with me. I won’t look in your sack.” “I know you won’t,” grinned Tricky Fox, and he handed her his sack and pretended to fall asleep.

Focus on Form – Simple Past Action done and completed in the past / Past Habit / series of past events

Is it an irregular verb? YES -> 2nd column of the irregular verb list NO -> 1- Does the verb end in a consonant + y -> ied Example: (carry) carried 2- Add –ed Double the last consonant of the verb if… 1- One syllable verb

Example: (stop) stopped 2- Consonant + Vowel + Consonant ending

Example: (admit) admitted

Some irregular verbs

Base Form Simple Past

be was/were

keep kept

feel felt

go went

hear heard

hang hung

put put

run ran

say said

take took

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WORKSHEET 5.2

Name: ___________________


Complete the following sentences by writing the verb in parenthesis using the simple past. Refer to the previous explanation and irregular verbs list. All day long, Tricky Fox, he (hang) out in the woods until just before it (start) getting dark again. Then he (knock) on the door of another nearby cottage. A lady (open) the door, and Tricky Fox (hunch) over; and in a rickety voice he (say) : “I’m on my way to Bonny Bunny Bay. The night grows cold, And I’m so old. Please let me stay.” This lady (feel) sorry for him, too, and she (say) , “Okay, I’ll let you stay but no tricks!” “Oh, no!” (say) Tricky Fox. “I’m just worried about my sack, is all. I don’t like for anyone to look in it, and I’m too tired to guard it.” “Don’t worry,” (say) the lady. “Just leave it with me. I won’t look in it.” But even so, this lady couldn’t resist a quick peek into that sack, either: “Just a loaf of bread,” she (say) to herself, and she (go) to sleep. When Tricky Fox (hear) her snoring, quiet, quiet, quiet, he (go) over, tippy toe, tippy toe, (take) out his loaf of bread…

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ANSWER KEY

Activity 5: Tricky Grammar: Simple Past

Complete the following sentences by writing the verb in parenthesis using the simple past. Refer to the most common irregular verbs list. All day long, Tricky Fox, he (hang) hung out in the woods until just before it (start) started getting dark again. Then he (knock) knocked on the door of another nearby cottage. A lady (open) opened the door, and Tricky Fox (hunch) hunched over; and in a rickety voice he (say) said: “I’m on my way to Bonny Bunny Bay. The night grows cold, And I’m so old. Please let me stay.” This lady (feel) felt sorry for him, too, and she (say) said, “Okay, I’ll let you stay but no tricks!” “Oh, no!” (say) said Tricky Fox. “I’m just worried about my sack, is all. I don’t like for anyone to look in it, and I’m too tired to guard it.” “Don’t worry,” (say) said the lady. “Just leave it with me. I won’t look in it.” But even so, this lady couldn’t resist a quick peek into that sack, either: “Just a loaf of bread,” she (say) said to herself, and she (go) went to sleep. When Tricky Fox (hear) heard her snoring, quiet, quiet, quiet, he (go) went over, tippy toe, tippy toe, (take) took out his loaf of bread…

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Activity 6: What if… (Part C – Long Term)


Students will be asked to write an ending to the story. They will then present it to the class. Since students will work hard on it, it is suggested to display their work either in the English classroom, the library or in the hallway. This activity is intended to last two periods.

Materials Needed

Didactic Other


Pencil Eraser Blackboard Chalk

ESL Competencies



TO WRITE TEXTS





x x





x x




x x

Procedure

1st period:

Read the story and stop at “That rascal!” she said to herself. “I’ll fix him.”

Review the vocabulary related to animals and feelings

Review how to form the simple past

Verify prior knowledge about grammatical sentences

Write the “formula” for writing grammatical sentences

(adjective)+ subject + verb + object

Explain the activity

Tell students that they will write their own ending of the story

Tell students that they will need to write at least 10 sentences (one full page)

The first sentence written should be “That rascal!” she said to herself. “I’ll fix him.”

Write the first sentence on the blackboard to provide visual support

Encourage students to use their creativity as much as they can

Mention that they will have to present their ending to the class afterwards.

Hand out the worksheets

Give the remaining period as working time to create their version of the end.

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Ask students to finish their story for homework if it is not completed 2nd period:

Close-up activity

Read the story up till “That rascal!” she said to herself. “I’ll fix him.”

Ask students to present their endings

(you can read some of the endings yourself and post the others around the classroom and ask students to circulate around or ask all students to come to the front of the class and read their work)

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WORKSHEET 6.1

Name: ___________________

Activity 6: What If...

Imagine if the teacher had put a pig in the sack instead of the dog. How do you think the

story would have ended? Would the fox have eaten it? What would have happened to

the pig? Would the teacher have followed Tricky Fox into the woods?

Write your own ending to the story (about 10 sentences).

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________

___________________________________________

_______________________________________

___________________________________

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Activity 7: Help Me Remember… (Part C)


In this activity, students will have the opportunity to interact orally and reinvest their understanding of the text. For the first time, since the beginning of the unit, the story will have fully been read to them before doing the activity. They will have to discuss in groups and create questions for another team. Afterwards, they will have to answer another team’s questions. This activity will allow students to assimilate the story more in-depth.

Materials Needed

Didactic Other

Worksheets (one per team) Pencil Eraser Blackboard Chalk

ESL Competencies



TO WRITE TEXTS





x x x





x x x




x x x

Procedure

Read the story

Review the story with the students

Ask students to explain the story in their own words, paraphrase the story

Write the main ideas on the blackboard.

Teach students how to create grammatical questions

Question word + verb + subject + object + ?


Ask student to get in teams of four

Tell students that they will have to write four questions related to the story

Once they are done, they raise their hands so you know they are finished

When two teams are done, they switch papers and answer the questions

When they are done answering the questions, they return the paper to the other team and they must correct the answers.

Give student time to complete the activity

Close-up activity

Ask a few students to ask one of their questions (one or two students per team)

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Ask the class if they know the answer

41

WORKSHEET 7.1

Activity 7: Help Me Remember...

1) In teams of four, discuss about the story.

2) Write four questions.

3) When you receive another team’s copy, try answering the questions. Write your

answers on the sheet.

4) Once you have completed, exchange papers. Correct the answers.

Names (questions):

Names (answers):

Questions: 1)

2)

3)

4)

Answers: 1)

2)

3)

4)

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Activity 8: Story Scramble (Part C) Activity Description

Students, in teams of 4, have to place the events of the story in chronological order. Each team is given an envelope with the scrambled story parts. The events of the story are paraphrased so the students must reinvest their comprehension of the story in order to be able to accomplish the task.

Materials Needed

Didactic Other

Handout 9 (Envelopes containing scrambled story) Answer key

ESL Competencies



TO WRITE TEXTS





x x





x x





x x

Procedure

Before the activity

Make enough photocopies in order to give one scrambled story to each team of 4 students.

Cut the different parts of the story and place them in an envelope for each team. During the activity

Read the whole story

Have the students get in teams of 4.

Assign and explain cooperative learning social roles

Student 1: Materials Manager -> is responsible for getting and returning his team’s materials (envelope with scrambled story)

Student 2: English Monitor -> reminds his teammates to speak English at all times

Student 3: Time Keeper -> keeps track of the time remaining

Student 4: Task Keeper -> makes sure his teammates stay on task


Teammates will have to work together in order to place the story’s events in chronological order. (Task Keeper)

They must speak English at all times. (English Monitor)

Provide functional languages for communication within the team.

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What do you think?

I think this part goes before/after that one.

Tell the students they have 20 minutes to complete the task.

Ask the Materials Manager to get an envelope containing the scrambled story for his team and they begin doing the activity.

Correct the activity with the whole group eliciting the answers from students.

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HANDOUT 8.1


A) When Tricky Fox gets home, his brother sees the sack and he thinks there is a pig inside so he eats his hat.

B) The lady agrees to let Tricky Fox stay for the night. Before going to sleep, the lady looks inside Tricky Fox’s bag and finds out there is a piece of log.

C) Tricky Fox does not know the lady is a teacher and that teachers aren’t easy to fool. The lady is suspicious so she comes around the side of her house and looks through the window. She sees Tricky Fox dance and sing his sassy song.

D) A teacher begins telling a story to a group of children.

E) The teacher finishes telling a story to a group of students.

F) Just as it happened before, while the lady is asleep, Tricky Fox let the chicken loose and goes back to sleep.

G) Tricky Fox hangs out in the woods all day. When it starts to get dark, he goes to a nearby cottage and asks to stay for the night for a third time. The lady agrees to let Tricky Fox stay for the night. Before going to sleep, the lady looks inside Tricky Fox’s bag and finds out there is a chicken.

H) While the lady is asleep, Tricky Fox puts the piece of log on the fire and goes back to sleep. In the morning, Tricky Fox pretends he had a loaf of bread in his sack and the lady gives him a loaf of bread.

I) In the morning, Tricky Fox pretends he has a pig in his bag. The lady goes out to the pigpen to get a pig.

J) Tricky Fox runs off into the woods with his sack. He spends the day in the woods. When it starts to get dark, he goes to another nearby cottage and asks to stay for the night. The lady agrees to let Tricky Fox stay for the night. Before going to sleep, the lady looks inside Tricky Fox’s bag and finds out there is a loaf of bread.

K) Tricky Fox unties the sack and the lady’s bulldog jumps out and chases them off into the woods.

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HANDOUT 8.1 (CONTINUED)

L) Tricky Fox brags to Brother Fox that he can get a pig.

M) While the lady is asleep, Tricky Fox eats the loaf of bread and goes back to sleep. In the morning, Tricky Fox pretends he had a chicken in his sack and the lady gives him a chicken.

N) The lady is very mad at Tricky Fox. Instead of putting a pig into Tricky Fox’s sack, she puts her bulldog in it. Then, she gives back the sack to Tricky Fox and he leaves.

O) Tricky Fox puts a piece of log in his bag. Then, he stops at a nearby cottage and asks to stay for the night.

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ANSWER KEY 8


1. D 2. L 3. O 4. B 5. H

6. J 7. M 8. G 9. F 10. I

11. C 12. N 13. A 14. K 15. E

D) A teacher begins telling a story to a group of children.

L) Tricky Fox brags to Brother Fox that he can get a pig.

O) Tricky Fox puts a piece of log in his bag. Then, he stops at a nearby cottage and asks to stay for the night.

B) The lady agrees to let Tricky Fox stay for the night. Before going to sleep, the lady looks inside Tricky Fox’s bag and finds out there is a piece of log.

H) While the lady is asleep, Tricky Fox puts the piece of log on the fire and goes back to sleep. In the morning, Tricky Fox pretends he had a loaf of bread in his sack and the lady gives him a loaf of bread.

J) Tricky Fox runs off into the woods with his sack. He spends the day in the woods. When it starts to get dark, he goes to another nearby cottage and asks to stay for the night. The lady agrees to let Tricky Fox stay for the night. Before going to sleep, the lady looks inside Tricky Fox’s bag and finds out there is a loaf of bread.

M) While the lady is asleep, Tricky Fox eats the loaf of bread and goes back to sleep. In the morning, Tricky Fox pretends he had a chicken in his sack and the lady gives him a chicken.

G) Tricky Fox hangs out in the woods all day. When it starts to get dark, he goes to a nearby cottage and asks to stay for the night for a third time. The lady agrees to let Tricky Fox stay for the night. Before going to sleep, the lady looks inside Tricky Fox’s bag and finds out there is a chicken.

F) Just as it happened before, while the lady is asleep, Tricky Fox let the chicken loose and goes back to sleep.

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I) In the morning, Tricky Fox pretends he has a pig in his bag. The lady goes out to the pigpen to get a pig.

C) Tricky Fox does not know the lady is a teacher and that teachers aren’t easy to fool. The lady is suspicious so she comes around the side of her house and looks through the window. She sees Tricky Fox dance and sing his sassy song.

N) The lady is very mad at Tricky Fox. Instead of putting a pig into Tricky Fox’s sack, she puts her bulldog in it. Then, she gives back the sack to Tricky Fox and he leaves.

A) When Tricky Fox gets home, his brother sees the sack and he thinks there is a pig inside so he eats his hat.

K) Tricky Fox unties the sack and the lady’s bulldog jumps out and chases them off into the woods.

E) The teacher finishes telling a story to a group of students.

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Activity 9: What Do YOU Remember? (Part F)


In this activity, students will be asked to answer questions regarding the story. This activity is to be done in two steps, the first part is to be done individually and the second part is to be done in groups of 3-4 students.

Materials Needed

Didactic Other


Pencil Eraser

ESL Competencies



TO WRITE TEXTS





x x x





x x x




x x x

Procedure

Read the story to the students

Review the story


The first part is to be done individually

Answer the questions to the best of your capacities

The second part is to be done in groups of 3-4 students

Using a Round Robin structure, review all the answers.

First student reads the 1st question and his answer

All students discuss to verify if the answer is correct

If the answer is incorrect, modify it

Second student reads the 2nd question and his answer

They discuss about the answer

Modify the answer if it is incorrect

Do the same for the third and fourth students

Repeat until all the questions have been verified

Give time to do the activity

Close-up activity

Go over the answers with the whole class.

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WORKSHEET 9.1

Name:____________________

Activity 9: What Do YOU Remember...?

Now that you have heard the whole story, answer the questions.

1) Who said he was able to steal a pig?

2) What would happen if Tricky Fox brought back a pig?

3) What did he do to trick the humans into giving him more valuable goods?

4) How many times did he try to trick humans?

5) What did he say to be able to sleep in the houses?

6) What was the third lady’s job?

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WORKSHEET 9.1 (CONTINUED)

7) How did the third lady learn that the fox was trying to trick her?

8) What did Brother Fox and Tricky Fox find when they finally opened the big

sack?

9) What happened when the animal came out of the sack?

10) Who is the teacher telling the story?

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ANSWER KEY 9

Activity 9: What Do YOU Remember...?

Now that you have heard the whole story, answer these questions.

1) Who said he was able to steal a pig?

Tricky Fox said he was able to steal a pig.

2) What would happen if Tricky Fox brought back a pig?

Brother Fox would eat his hat.

3) What did he do to trick the humans into giving him more valuable goods?

He put goods in a bag and when the humans were asleep, he got rid of the

good and then ask the ladies to replace it with a better good.

4) How many times did Tricky Fox try to trick humans?

Tricky Fox tried to trick humans three times.

5) What did he say to be able to sleep in the houses?

He said he was on his way to Bonny Bunny Bay and that he needed a

place to sleep for the night.

6) What was the third lady’s job?

She was a teacher.

7) How did the third lady learn that the fox was trying to trick her?

She peaked through the back window.

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8) What did Brother Fox and Tricky Fox find when they finally opened the big sack?

They found the teacher’s bulldog.

9) What happened when the animal came out of the sack?

The fox were frightened and they ran off.

10) Who is the teacher telling the story?

The teacher telling the story to the student is also the teacher in the tale.

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Evaluation (Part H)

DESCRIPTION

The evaluation consists of three parts. Part 1: Multiple choice questions (6 marks)

Animals: 2 questions (2 marks) Feelings: 2 questions (2 marks) Story-related: 2 questions (2 marks)

Part 2: Short answer questions (6 marks)

Animals: 2 questions (2 marks) Story-related: 4 questions (4 marks)

Part 3: Writing (10 marks)

Must summarize the important events of the story. See evaluation criteria.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Part 3 : Evaluation criteria

Use of strategies Resourcing Dictionary Irregular verb list

Compliance with instruction Must write using his own words. Must use simple past tense

Language conventions targeted for task Simple Past

Characteristics of final product Must mention these events: Tricky Fox’s bet with Brother Fox (1 mark) First lady: trades piece of log for loaf of bread (1 marks) Second lady: trades loaf of bread for chicken (1 marks) Third lady: does not successfully trick her, she puts a dog in the sack (2 marks) The dog comes out of the sack and chases the foxes (1 marks)

Use of simple past (2 marks) Language use (2 marks) Total: 10 marks

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EVALUATION SHEET

Name: ___________________

Evaluation

Part 1: Multiple choice (6 marks) Circle the appropriate answer. (Only one answer is possible)

1. I am a small slimy green creature and I can jump. a. Snail b. Frog c. Rabbit d. Snake

2. I am a large strong farm animal. The car replaced me. a. Cow b. Duck c. Sheep d. Horse

3. How does Tricky Fox look when he knocks on the door. a. Joyful b. Arrogant c. Pitiful d. Satisfied

4. Tricky Fox and Brother Fox were _______ when they saw the bulldog come out of the sack.

a. Frightened b. Suspicious c. Curious d. Mischievous

5. Tricky Fox traded the loaf of bread for what? a. Chicken b. Pig c. Dog d. Log

6. How many ladies did Tricky Fox trick? a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4

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EVALUATION SHEET (CONTINUED)

Name: ___________________

Part 2: Short answer (6 marks)

7. Name an animal bigger than a dog.

______________________________________________________________________

8. Name an animal smaller than a squirrel.

______________________________________________________________________

9. What is the job of the last lady Tricky Fox encounters?

______________________________________________________________________

10. Who said he would eat his hat if a pig was brought to him?

______________________________________________________________________

11. Where was the teacher when she found out Tricky Fox wanted to trick her?

______________________________________________________________________

12. What did the teacher put in the sack?

______________________________________________________________________ Part 3: Writing (10 marks) Describe the main events of the story in your own words. (minimum 5 sentences)

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

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EVALUATION ANSWER KEY

Evaluation

Part 1: Multiple choice

1. Frog 2. Horse 3. Pitiful 4. Frightened 5. Chicken 6. 2

Part 2: Short answer

1. Name an animal bigger than a dog.

A sheep, a cow, a bear, a horse, an elephant, etc.

2. Name an animal smaller than a squirrel.

A mouse, a frog, a snail, etc.

3. What is the job of the last lady Tricky Fox encounters?

She was a teacher

4. Who said he would eat his hat if a pig was brought to him?

Brother Fox

5. Where was the teacher when she found out Tricky Fox wanted to trick her?

Outside, along the side of her house looking through the window.

6. What did the teacher put in the sack?

She put her dog in the sack.

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ILLUSTRATION SOURCES

Activity 1: The Teacher’s Yard

Illustrations created by Andréa Barber


Smiley-faces taken from:

http://www.comet-cartoons.com/images/www/oddsandends/smileyFeelings.jpg

Flashcards taken from The Tale of Tricky Fox and modified by André Deschênes

Other Activities

Background images taken from The Tale of Tricky Fox

Documents

Teaching Unit · 2018. 9. 6. · 1 Introduction INFORMATION ABOUT THE AUTHOR (PART A) The Tale of Tricky Fox was written by Jim Aylesworth and illustrated by Barbara McClintock. The