Lessons & Units :: The Little House 2nd Grade Unit

Read-Aloud Lesson: The Little House

Lesson Plan

The Little House | AD890L

The Little House
Learning Goal
Identify and summarize the changes in the Little House’s life to determine a theme of the book.
Necessary Materials
Provided:
  1. Detailed lesson plan
  2. Graphic organizer for guided practice
  3. Independent student worksheet

Not Provided:
  1. The Little House
  2. Copy, transparency, or projection of illustration on page 15 of The Little House
 
  1. This lesson is a close reading of the entire text. So it’s important to engage students often, to enhance their learning. Here are two tips:
    •   When you ask the more complex questions from the lesson, ask students to “turn-and-talk” or “buddy-talk” before answering.

    •   Once you are deep into the lesson, instead of asking students every question provided, ask them to share with you what questions they should be asking themselves at that point in the text. This is also a great opportunity to use "turn-and-talk."
       
  2. Suggested teacher language is included in the lesson.

  3. We recommend you read the book once to your students, either the day or morning before teaching the lesson.

  4. This research-based, read-aloud lesson may seem long. Why do students need the lesson to be this way?
 

Part 1: Teacher Modeling and Questioning

 

Write the student-friendly learning goal on the board, then read the learning goal out loud with the class:

We will identify the changes that take place in the Little House’s life.

 
Prepare Students for the Lesson
 
Place a copy, transparency, or projection of the illustration on page 15 on the board. (Page 15 depicts the paving of a country road near the Little House.) Ask students to a) identify the contents of the illustration and b) say where each one is normally found—the city or the country. (Examples of what can be identified include houses, animals, people, workmen, trees, grass, water, smoke, fences, a steamroller, dump trucks, cars, streets, “Road Closed” sign.)
 
Make sure students understand that some of what the illustration depicts is normally found in the city or the country, while other things are normally found in the city and the country.
 
Transition Students into the Text
 
Teacher says: Today we are going to read a book titled The Little House. Remember, we are keeping track of the changes in the Little House’s life. In this book the main character is a house whose name is the Little House.
 
Read page 1. Page 1 ends with, “‘...living in her.’” Show illustration.
1.
Teacher asks: The book just gave us important information about the Little House. Where is the Little House, in the city or in the country?
 
Students answer: The Little House is in the country.
2.
Teacher says (models thinking): We also read that the house is strong and well-built. The man who builds her says that she will never be sold. He says that the Little House “‘will live to see our great-great-grandchildren’s great-great-grandchildren living in her.’” These details make me think that this house has been built to last and to stay in the family for a long time.
 
Read page 2, then stop. Page 2 ends with, “...just the same.” Show illustration on page 3.
3.
Teacher asks: Remember, the main character in the story is the Little House. What is the Little House doing?
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should include at least two of the following):
  • The Little House is sitting on a hill.
  • The Little House is watching the countryside.
  • The Little House is watching the sun rise.
  • The Little House is watching the sun set.
4.
Teacher says: Let’s reread the last two lines on this page. The book says, “...but the Little House stayed just the same.” I want us to remember this.
5.
Teacher asks: What do we want to remember?
 
Students answer: The Little House stayed just the same.
Read more
 
Read page 4, then stop. Page 4 ends with, “...live there.” Show illustration on page 5.
6.
Teacher asks: What is the Little House curious about?
 
Students answer: At minimum, students should respond that the Little House is curious about the city. They may add that she wonders what it would be like to live there.
 
Read pages 6-10, then stop. Page 10 ends with, “...back to school.” Show illustrations on pages 7, 9, and 11 as you read the facing pages.
7.
Teacher asks: What is changing outside the Little House?
 
Students answer: The seasons are changing outside the Little House.
 
Depending on your assessment of students’ understanding, you may follow up with support or querying. (For example, you may support your students by referencing the pictures or emphasizing the words “Spring,” “Summer,” and “Fall.” Alternatively, query your students by asking, “What clues did you use to determine that the seasons were changing?”)
8.
Teacher asks: What is the Little House doing as these changes occur?
 
Students answer: She is watching the changes.
9.
Teacher asks: Is there any evidence in the story that the house herself is changing?
 
Students answer: No, there is no evidence that the house herself is changing.
10.
Teacher says: Let’s summarize what we just went over. Although the seasons outside the Little House are changing, the Little House herself does not change. As we keep reading, pay special attention to the changes that happen. Think about whether they are changes happening outside the Little House or whether they are changes happening to the Little House.
 
Read page 12, then stop. Page 12 ends with, “...brighter and closer.” Show illustration page 13.
11.
Teacher asks: What changes are happening now?
 
Students answer (answers may vary and include the following):
  • The season is changing to winter.
  • The apple trees are getting old.
  • New apple trees are being planted.
  • The children grow up.
  • The children go away to the city.
  • The lights of the city seem brighter and closer.
12.
Teacher asks: Are these changes happening outside the Little House or to the Little House?
 
Students answer: These changes are happening outside the Little House.
13.
Teacher says: Now listen as I reread a line from the story, “...now at night the lights of the city seemed brighter and closer.”
14.
Teacher asks: Why might the lights of the city seem brighter and closer?
 
Students answer (answers may vary and include the following):
  • The city lights might be getting brighter and more powerful, so they seem closer.
  • The city might be getting bigger, so its lights are moving closer to the Little House.
 
Read page 14, then stop. Page 14 ends with, “...the road was done.” Show the illustration on page 15. You may point out that this illustration is the same as that used for the pre-reading activity at the beginning of the lesson.
15.
Teacher says: Listen again to a sentence from the story: “Pretty soon along came some surveyors and surveyed a line in front of the Little House.” Surveyors are people whose job it is to look at and examine land in different places. They examine the land to determine whether it would be good to build on.
16.
Teacher asks: Why might there be surveyors near the Little House?
 
Students answer (answers may vary but should resemble the following): The surveyors might be examining the land near the Little House to determine whether it would be good to build on.
17.
Teacher says: The arrival of the surveyors is one change happening near the Little House. Now I am going identify some other changes and draw a conclusion based on those changes. On the next page you will do the same thing.
18.
Teacher says (models thinking): Here are some of the changes the books mentions:
  • Steam shovels come and dig a road.
  • Trucks come and dump big stones on the road.
  • Trucks with little stones, tar, and sand come.
  • A stream roller comes and rolls the road smooth.
Based on these changes, I can conclude that a new road is being built near the house.
 
Read page 16, then stop. Page 16 ends with, “...faster now than before.” Show illustration on page 17.
19.
Teacher asks: What changes are described on this page?
 
Students answer (elicit at least three):
  • Trucks and automobiles go back and forth to the city.
  • Gasoline stations are built.
  • Roadside stands are built.
  • Small houses are built.
  • Everyone and everything moves much faster than before.
20.
Teacher asks: Based on these changes, what can you conclude about what is happening near the house?
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): A town or city is being built near the house.
 
Read page 18, then stop. Page 18 ends with, “...stayed there and watched.” Show illustration on page 19.
21.
Teacher asks: Even more changes are happening now. What is the Little House doing as all these changes occur?
 
Students answer: The Little House is watching the changes.
22.
Teacher asks: Is there any evidence in the story that the Little House herself is changing?
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):
  • No, there is no evidence that the Little House is changing.
  • Yes, there is evidence that the Little House is changing. No one wants to live in her or take care of her anymore.
 
Read page 20, then stop. Page 20 ends with, “...in the moonlight.” Show illustration on page 21.
23.
Teacher asks: What does the Little House think to herself on this page?
 
Students answer (all of the following responses are acceptable):
  • The Little House thinks that she is now living in the city.
  • The Little House does not know whether she likes the city or not.
  • The Little House misses the field of daisies and the apple trees.
 
Read page 22, then stop. Page 22 ends with, “...in a hurry.” Show illustration on page 23.
24.
Teacher asks: What changes are happening now?
 
Students answer (answers may include any of the following):
  • There are trolley cars going back and forth in front of the Little House.
  • Everyone seems to be very busy.
  • Everyone seems to be in a hurry.
 
Read page 24, then stop. Page 24 ends with, “...about the same.” Show illustration on page 25.
25.
Teacher asks: What goes back and forth above the Little House?
 
Students answer: A train goes back and forth above the Little House.
 
You may wish to define the term “elevated train” as a train that travels on tracks raised high above the ground.
26.
Teacher asks: What is the air filled with?
 
Students answer: The air is filled with dust and smoke.
27.
Teacher asks: What happens to the Little House because the noise is so loud?
 
Students answer: The Little House shakes because the noise is so loud.
28.
Teacher asks: The train, the smoke, and the loud noise are more examples of changes in the story. Are these changes happening outside the Little House, to the Little House, or both?
 
Students answer: Answers may vary. The train going back and forth, and the air filling up with dust and smoke are changes happening outside the Little House. The increased noise is a change happening both outside the Little House and to the Little House, as it causes her to shake.
29.
Teacher says: Earlier in the story, changes were only happening outside the Little House. Now we are beginning to notice changes happening to the Little House herself. Keep paying attention to these changes as we read on.
 
Read pages 26-28, then stop. Page 28 ends with, “...on the other.” Show illustrations as you read.
30.
Teacher asks: What are some of the changes that have happened now?
 
Students answer (elicit at least three):
  • Subway cars go back and forth underneath the Little House.
  • People are moving faster and faster.
  • No one notices the Little House anymore.
  • The apartment houses and tenement houses around the Little House are torn down.
  • Big cellars are dug up around the Little House.
  • A twenty-five story building and a thirty-five story building go up next to the Little House.
 
Read pages 30-31, then stop. Page 31 ends with, “...as ever underneath.” Show illustrations as you read.
31.
Teacher asks: What are some of the changes that have happened now?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary but should all come from the story. Examples include the following:
  • The lights of the city become so bright that the Little House cannot see the moon or stars at night.
  • The Little House is sad and lonely.
  • The Little House’s paint is cracked and dirty.
  • The Little House’s windows are broken.
32.
Teacher asks: Are these changes happening outside the Little House, to the Little House, or both?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, depending on the changes pointed out. Most changes described on pages 30 and 31 are changes to the Little House. Her paint becomes cracked, her windows break, and so on. On the other hand, the lights of the city becoming so bright as to prevent the Little House from seeing the moon and stars is a change that happens both outside the Little House and to her.
33.
Teacher asks: How does the Little House feel?
 
Students answer (all of the following are acceptable):
  • The Little House feels sad.
  • The Little House feels lonely.
  • The Little House dislikes living in the city.
34.
Teacher asks: Based on what we have read, why is the Little House sad and lonely?
 
Students answer (answers may vary and include the following):
  • No one lives in her anymore, so she feels lonely.
  • She is sad because she misses the daisies and apple trees in the country.
  • She is sad because she cannot see the moon and stars at night.
  • She is sad because she has become dirty and run-down.
 
Read pages 32-37, then stop. Page 37 ends with, “...road to the hill.” Show illustrations as you read.
35.
Teacher asks: Where is the Little House moved away from?
 
Students answer: The Little House is moved away from the city.
36.
Teacher asks: Where is the Little House moved to?
 
Students answer: The Little House is moved to the country.
37.
Teacher asks: How does the Little House feel as she is being moved?
 
Students answer (responses may include all of the following):
  • The Little House feels frightened.
  • The Little House likes being moved.
  • The Little House stops feeling sad.
 
Read pages 38-40, finishing the book. Show illustrations as you read.
38.
Teacher asks: What changes have happened now?
 
Students answer (all of the following are acceptable):
  • The windows and shutters of the Little House are fixed.
  • The Little House is repainted.
  • The Little House can again watch the sun, moon, and stars.
  • The Little House can again watch the seasons come and go.
  • The Little House is again lived in and taken care of.
39.
Teacher asks: How does the Little House feel at the end of the story? Support your answer with evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary but should recognize that the Little House’s feelings are positive. The book states that the Little House “smiled happily.” Students may also infer that the Little House enjoys being in the “quiet and peaceful” country more than in the noisy, busy city.
40.
Teacher asks: Many changes take place in this book. Some of them happen outside the Little House. Some of them happen to the Little House. Of all the changes, which one is the most important? Support your answer with information from the story.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, as long as they are supported by the story. For example, students may respond that the moving of the Little House from the city back to the country was the most important change in the book. It made the Little House happy after she had become sad. Students may also respond that the building of the city was the most important change. Of all the changes in the story, it had the biggest effect. Because of the city, the land changed, the air changed, and people started moving faster.
 

Part 2: Guided Practice and Discussion

 
For this oral lesson, it is suggested to have the completed graphic organizer on the board with the answers concealed before this part of the lesson. After students provide a correct answer, reveal the corresponding answer on the graphic organizer. Because the number of acceptable answers to some questions is so high, listing them all in the teacher version of the graphic organizer is impractical. The answers provided there are meant to be examples of the many possible responses.
1.
Teacher asks: Where is the Little House in the beginning of the story?
 
Students answer: The Little House is in the country.
2.
Teacher asks: What changes take place in the beginning of the story?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, as long as they reflect the text. Examples include the following:
  • The seasons change outside the Little House.
  • New apple trees are planted.
  • The children go away to the city.
3.
Teacher asks: What are some of the changes that show a city is starting to be built around the Little House?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, as long as they reflect the text. Examples include the following:
  • Steam shovels come and dig a road.
  • Gasoline stations are built.
  • Everyone and everything moves much faster than before.
4.
Teacher asks: Where is the Little House in the middle of the story?
 
Students answer: The Little House is in the city.
Read more
5.
Teacher asks: What changes take place in the middle of the story?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, as long as they reflect the text. Examples include the following:
  • There are trolley cars going back and forth in front of the Little House.
  • The air becomes filled with dust and smoke.
  • The Little House starts to shake because the noise is so loud.
  • The lights of the city become so bright that the Little House cannot see the moon or stars at night.
  • The Little House becomes sad and lonely.
6.
Teacher asks: Where is the Little House at the end of the story?
 
Students answer: The Little House is in the country.
7.
Teacher asks: What changes take place at the end of the story?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, as long as they reflect the text. Examples include the following:
  • The Little House is repainted.
  • The Little House can again watch the seasons come and go.
  • The Little House is again lived in and taken care of.
  • The Little House becomes happy.
 
After the answers for the graphic organizer have been completed and discussed with the class, ask the following two extension questions.
 
Teacher asks: Which of the changes in the story were caused or done by people?
 
Students answer (responses may vary, as long as they have a basis in the story):
  • The building of the road near the Little House was done by people.
  • The construction of tall buildings next to the Little House was done by people.
  • The moving of the Little House back to the country was done by people.
 
Teacher asks: Based on the events of the story, is change a good thing or a bad thing? Support your answer with an example from the story.
 
Students answer: Students may argue either side, or both, as long as they support their position. Students arguing that change is bad may cite the negative effects that the construction of roads, tall buildings, and train tracks had on the Little House. Being surrounded by these features of urban life made her dirty, lonely, and sad. Conversely, students may argue that change is good. They may point out that the changing seasons were a source of pleasure to the Little House, and the final move from city to country made the Little House happy.
 

Part 3: Student Independent Practice

 
Read each question out loud to your students and have each student complete the worksheet independently. The worksheet can be found in the materials section.

Texts & Materials

Standards Alignment

(To see all of the ReadWorks lessons aligned to your standards, click here.)

User Comments

This is my all time favorite book for the age level. Thank you so much for the lesson!

Submitted by mkubaska_1086829 on 4/5/16

Thank you for creating this outstanding lesson

Submitted by plwithers on 10/7/15