Lesson Topic: Where the Wild Things Are, Creating Our Own Wild Thing

Grade level: 2nd- 5th grade

Length of lesson: 45 min

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Content Standard(s):

● 2.RL.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
● 3.RL.7 Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed
by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).
● 4.RL.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on
specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).
● 5.RL.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the purpose, meaning, or
tone of the text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, and
poem).

Understanding (s)/goals Essential Question(s):

● Students will understand how to identify
characters, settings and major events in a
story while also being able to explain
how a text’s illustration contributes to
what is conveyed by the words in a
story.
● Students will understand how to recall
specific details of a setting, the
characters and events in a story, using
the text.
● What role do the monsters play in the
story?
● How do the characters interact with each
other?
● Where does this setting take place?
● Why does Alexander get upset?

Student objectives (outcomes):

Students will be able to:
● Answer questions that relate back to character, setting, and plot
● Analyze the illustrations in the story and how it contributes to the mood of the story
● Students are to reflect what they took from the story and then create their own monster using
the materials that are being provided

Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s): Other Evidence:

● Students will demonstrate an
understanding of the story by orally
answering questions asked throughout
the story to then begin creating their own
monster at the end
● Student teachers will analyze the
student’s projects and observe the
students understanding
 Stage 3 – Learning Plan

Learning Activities:
● Read the story Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
● Answering who, what, where, when, why, and how questions
● Creating a Wild Thing monster
○ Sharing with their peers the characteristics their monster has
Pre-Assessment
● We will ask the students a series of who, what, where, when, why, and how questions that
will introduce and develop our lessons topic of creating our own Wild Thing. The pre-
assessment questions will allow us to understand how much knowledge the students have
about making predictions
Procedure
● Pre-Assessment Questions to help introduce the book and activity
○ Show the children the cover of the book, and then ask them what they think the book
will be about based on the title and the cover illustration
○ Ask the children about the setting of the book; if it seems like a real place or an
imaginary place
○ Then asking the students if there was ever time when they were sad and used their
imagination to pretend they were somewhere else
● Read the story Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
● While the story is being read students will be asked who/what/where/why/how questions
based on setting, characters, or major events in the story
○ “Why does Max get sent to bed without supper?”
○ “What grows in Max’s room?”
○ “Who is the king of all wild things?”
○ “Where do the wild things live?”
○ “How does Max get back home?”
● Activity
○ Students will be shown examples of a monster they can create
○ Every student will be handed a paper bag that will form the face/body for their
monster
○ We will have set out collage materials for the students to choose from to create their
own monster
○ They will then name their monster
● Ask students what they learned from the story and record their responses
● Close the lesson with reviewing the questions asked throughout the story and students will
share their monster with their small group

Materials
● Paper Bags- Giving children the option between brown/white bags
● Markers/Color Pencils/Do-a-dot Markers/Crayons
 ● Crinkle Paper
● Glue Sticks
● Googly Eyes
● Cut out triangles to represent teeth and horns
● Tape
● Colored Construction Paper
● Ribbon

Extensions & Enrichment:

● Students will be asked to create and write their own story that revolves around the monster
they made in class. The story must contain a setting, characters and illustrations to present in
class the following day.
● Students will be asked to orally describe their monster by stating its name, where it lives and
what it likes to do.

Differentiated Instruction:
● Provide Where the Wild Things Are book in a different language. For example, provide a
Spanish version for any ESL students.
● Have some of the paper bags already halfway decorated for students with sensory issues
Accommodations:
● Materials are precut for those who have difficulty with fine motor skills
● Providing chunky crayons for those students who have difficulty grasping the skinny
crayons.

Technology:
● Using a doc cam to display the pictures from the book was considered but was deemed
unnecessary

Sources:
Arizona English Language Arts Standards. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2020, from
https://www.azed.gov/standards-practices/k-12standards/english-language-
arts-standards/
Sendak, M. (1988). Where the Wild Things Are. Harper & Row.