Lessons & Units :: Officer Buckle and Gloria 2nd Grade Unit

Read-Aloud Lesson: Officer Buckle and Gloria

Lesson Plan

Officer Buckle and Gloria | 510L

Officer Buckle and Gloria
Learning Goal
Identify the two main problems and solutions in the story to determine the theme.
Necessary Materials
Provided:
  1. Detailed lesson plan
  2. Graphic organizer for guided practice
  3. Independent student worksheet


Not Provided:
Officer Buckle and Gloria

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

We will talk about two problems in this story and the solutions to them.

 
Transition Students into the Text
 
Teacher says: Can a dog help a police officer solve a problem? Let’s read this book and find out.
 
Open the book and read page 1. Page 1 ends with, “SWIVEL CHAIR.” Show illustration. Unless otherwise directed, always show students the illustrations on the pages you read throughout the lesson.
1.
Teacher says (models thinking): Officer Buckle knows lots of safety tips, including “NEVER stand on a SWIVEL CHAIR.” But the illustration shows him flying off his chair! I’m thinking that Officer Buckle may be a bit silly, as he forgets on the first page to take his own tip! Also, I want you to notice that I used both the illustrations and the text to help me make that inference. An inference is something a person figures out by using evidence and putting clues together. As we read today, use both the text and the illustrations to make inferences.
 
Read pages 2-3, then stop. Page 3 ends with, “...didn’t hear him.”
2.
Teacher asks: What happens while Officer Buckle shares his tips?
 
Students answer (both of the following are acceptable):
  • Nobody ever listens.
  • Sometimes there is snoring.
3.
Teacher says (models thinking): You told me that nobody listens and sometimes students snore while Officer Buckle shares his tips. Then we read that afterward, it was business as usual. This means that nothing really changed. Now look at the picture on page 3. It shows two students falling, another student on the ground, and Mrs. Toppel standing on a swivel chair. All of these things look like accidents that are happening, have happened, or will happen. Accidents often happen when people do not follow safety tips. I am going to conclude from this information that nobody at the school listens to Officer Buckle. This is Officer Buckle’s first problem.
 
Read pages 4-5, then stop. Page 5 ends with, “Gloria sat.”
4.
Teacher asks: Who is Gloria?
 
Students answer: Gloria is a police dog.
5.
Teacher asks: What does Gloria do when it is time for Officer Buckle to give his safety speech at the school?
 
Students answer: Gloria goes along with him.
Read more
 
Read page 6-7, then stop. Page 7 ends with, “She was.”
6.
Teacher asks: Look closer at the illustration on page 6. What is Gloria doing?
 
Students answer: Gloria is standing up in the same exact position as Officer Buckle.
7.
Teacher asks: What do the children do when Officer Buckle gives his safety tip?
 
Students answer (elicit both of the following):
  • The students sit up.
  • The students stare.
8.
Teacher asks: What did the students used to do when Officer Buckle shared safety tips?
 
Students answer (both of the following are acceptable):
  • They did not listen.
  • They sometimes snored.
9.
Teacher asks: Think about how this safety speech is different from Officer Buckle’s earlier speeches. Why are the children sitting up and staring now?
 
Students answer (may vary and include the following):
  • The students sit up and stare because Gloria is standing up in the same exact position as Officer Buckle.
  • The students sit up and stare because Gloria is with Officer Buckle.
10.
Teacher says (models thinking): Now let’s look at the next page more closely. The text says that Officer Buckle checked to see if Gloria was sitting at attention, and she was. This is surprising, because the illustration just showed that she was standing up. I am beginning to think that Officer Buckle did not notice she was standing up, and by the time he checked, she had sat back down.
 
Read page 8, then stop. Show the illustration on page 8 only.
11.
Teacher says: Let’s look at the words and picture on this page more closely.
12.
Teacher asks: Gloria is shown behind Officer Buckle’s back in this illustration. What is she doing behind his back?
 
Students answer: Gloria is standing on her head.
13.
Teacher says: The book tells us that “the children’s eyes popped.” That means their eyes opened very wide.
14.
Teacher asks: Why might the children’s eyes have popped?
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): The children’s eyes popped because Gloria was doing something unusual behind Officer Buckle’s back.
15.
Teacher says: I want to be clear here. Officer Buckle cannot see Gloria.
16.
Teacher asks: What do you predict Gloria will do when Officer Buckle looks at her?
 
Students answer: Gloria will sit down.
 
Read page 9, then stop. Page 9 ends with, “...that morning.”
17.
Teacher asks: What does Officer Buckle say when he checks on Gloria again?
 
Students answer: He says, “Good dog.”
18.
Teacher asks: Why, most likely, does Officer Buckle say “Good dog”?
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): Gloria is doing what Officer Buckle wants.
19.
Teacher asks: When Officer Buckle checks on Gloria, what is she doing? Explain how you know, using evidence from the book.
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):
  • Gloria is sitting down again. I know because Officer Buckle told her to sit earlier, and now he says, “Good dog.” That probably means Gloria is still sitting, like Officer Buckle wants her to.
  • Gloria is sitting down again. I know because the illustration shows her sitting down.
 
Read pages 10-11, then stop. Page 11 ends with, “...a single accident.”
20.
Teacher says (models thinking): I am thinking back to Officer Buckle’s earlier problem: Students never listened to him, and sometimes there was snoring when he shared his safety tips at Napville School. Also, we saw in the illustration before that there were accidents, probably because nobody listened to Officer Buckle.
21.
Teacher asks: What do the students at Napville School do during his safety speech with Gloria?
 
Students answer (elicit at least three):
  • They clap their hands.
  • They cheer.
  • They sit up.
  • Their eyes pop.
22.
Teacher asks: Are there any accidents after Officer Buckle’s speech with Gloria?
 
Students answer: No, there are no accidents after his speech.
23.
Teacher asks: The students at Napville School clapped and cheered during Officer Buckle’s speech. There was not a single accident after the speech. What do these details suggest about Officer Buckle’s earlier problem?
 
Students answer: Officer Buckle has solved the earlier problem we identified.
24.
Teacher asks: Before, what was his safety speech like?
 
Students answer: His safety speech was just him sharing his tips.
25.
Teacher asks: How is his safety speech different now?
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): His safety speech includes Gloria doing tricks now.
26.
Teacher asks: How has Officer Buckle solved his problem?
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): Officer Buckle solved his problem by bringing along Gloria, who performed tricks behind his back, which made the students pay attention.
 
Read page 12-15, then stop. Page 15 ends with, “...that police dog.”
27.
Teacher asks: Why are students writing to Officer Buckle?
 
Students answer: They are writing to thank Officer Buckle and Gloria for coming to school.
28.
Teacher asks: Why are the schools and day-care centers calling Officer Buckle?
 
Students answer: They are calling to request Officer Buckle’s safety speech with the police dog.
29.
Teacher says: I am noticing that every single thank-you letter includes a drawing of Gloria, and every school or day-care center is asking Officer Buckle to bring along Gloria.
30.
Teacher asks: Thinking about that information, help me answer this question. Do the schools and day-care centers want to see only Officer Buckle, only Gloria, or both of them?
 
Students answer: The schools and day-care centers want to see both of them. When the schools and day-care centers call, they request Officer Buckle but also mention Gloria.
 
Various responses without a sure conclusion are adequate here. The point is to get students thinking about motives behind actions in a story.
 
Read pages 16-17, then stop. Page 17 ends with, “...having a buddy.”
31.
Teacher asks: What does Officer Buckle do with Gloria after each every speech?
 
Students answer: Officer Buckle takes Gloria out for ice cream.
32.
Teacher asks: How does Officer Buckle feel about having a buddy?
 
Students answer: Officer Buckle loves having a buddy.
33.
Teacher asks: How does Officer Buckle feel about Gloria? Support your answer with evidence from the book.
 
Students answer (may vary but should resemble the following): Officer Buckle probably loves Gloria. The book says that he takes her out for ice cream and loves having a buddy. Gloria is Officer Buckle’s buddy.
34.
Teacher says: The book says that children sit and listen everywhere Gloria and Officer Buckle go. It sounds like Officer Buckle’s earlier problem is still solved. Remember that we are looking for two problems in this story. Be prepared to tell me the second problem in the next few pages.
 
Read page 18-23, then stop. Page 23 ends with, “...10 o’clock news.”
35.
Teacher asks: What is Officer Buckle watching on the 10 o’clock news?
 
Students answer: Officer Buckle is watching himself give a safety speech on the 10 o’clock news.
36.
Teacher asks: What do you predict Officer Buckle will see when he watches himself?
 
Students answer: Officer Buckle will see Gloria performing behind him.
 
As you ask the following question, draw students’ attention to the reflected image of Gloria and Officer Buckle on the television screen, page 23.
37.
Teacher asks: What is shown on the television screen?
 
Students answer: The television screen shows Gloria jumping up behind Officer Buckle as he bows.
38.
Teacher asks: How might Officer Buckle feel now that he sees Gloria’s actions behind his back? Explain why.
 
Students answer (responses may vary):
  • Officer Buckle may feel surprised because he did not know of her actions before.
  • Officer Buckle may feel hurt because he thought Gloria was his buddy, but she was actually stealing all the attention during his safety speeches.
  • Officer Buckle may feel stupid because he did not realize his audiences had been reacting to Gloria. He thought they had been clapping and cheering for him.
 
Read page 24, then stop. Page 24 ends with, “‘Could she come?’”
39.
Teacher asks: What does Officer Buckle do when he is asked to give a safety speech?
 
Students answer: Officer Buckle frowns.
40.
Teacher asks: What does Officer Buckle say when he is asked to give a safety speech?
 
Students answer (elicit both of the following responses before moving on):
  • He says he will not give any more speeches.
  • He says that nobody looks at him.
41.
Teacher asks: Based on this information, how is Officer Buckle feeling? Support your answer with information from the book.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary but should recognize that Officer Buckle feels upset and hurt. As support, students may cite Officer Buckle’s frown as well as his comments about not giving any more speeches and nobody looking at him.
42.
Teacher asks: Why does Officer Buckle feel this way?
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following): Officer Buckle feels upset because he just found out what Gloria was doing behind his back. Now he thinks that students at his speeches were only paying attention to her, not him.
43.
Teacher asks: What is Officer Buckle’s problem now?
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): Officer Buckle’s problem now is that he is upset because he thinks students only pay attention to Gloria during his speeches.
 
Read pages 25-26, then stop. Page 26 ends with, “...her hammer.”
44.
Teacher asks: What does Gloria do while she is onstage at school?
 
Students answer:
  • Gloria sits onstage looking lonely.
  • Gloria falls asleep.
45.
Teacher asks: What do the students in the audience do while Gloria is onstage?
 
Students answer: They fall asleep.
46.
Teacher asks: What happens at Napville School after Gloria’s visit?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary in specificity but should recognize that a big accident occurs.
47.
Teacher asks: Why might there have been such a big accident? Use evidence from the book to support your answer.
 
Students answer (responses may vary):
  • There was such a big accident because Gloria did not share any safety tips.
  • There was such a big accident because Officer Buckle was not there to share any safety tips.
 
Read pages 27-28, then stop. Be sure to read the note on page 28 that ends with, “(Safety Tip #7).”
48.
Teacher asks: The book says Officer Buckle smiled when he read the note. What did the note say that may have made Officer Buckle smile?
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):
  • The note said, “Gloria missed you yesterday!”
  • The note was signed, “Your friend, Claire.”
  • The note said, “Don’t worry, I was wearing my helmet (Safety Tip #7).”
 
Read pages 29-30, finishing the book.
49.
Teacher asks: What does Gloria give Officer Buckle?
 
Students answer: Gloria gives Officer Buckle a kiss on the nose.
50.
Teacher asks: What does Officer Buckle give Gloria after she kisses him on the nose?
 
Students answer: Officer Buckle gives Gloria a pat on the back.
51.
Teacher asks: How is Officer Buckle feeling now? Explain your answer with evidence from the story.
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):
  • Officer Buckle is feeling happy. Getting a kiss on the nose from Gloria makes him happy.
  • Officer Buckle is feeling friendly toward Gloria. That is why he gives her a pat on the back.
52.
Teacher asks (showing the picture on page 30): Now it looks like Officer Buckle and Gloria are giving a safety speech together again. Why might Gloria and Officer Buckle be giving a speech together again?
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following): They are giving a speech together again because Officer Buckle is not upset at Gloria anymore.
53.
Teacher asks: Are Officer Buckle and Gloria better at giving safety tips together or on their own? Support your answer with information from the story.
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): They are better at giving safety tips together. Students do not pay attention to Officer Buckle or Gloria when either one is alone.
54.
Teacher asks: Think back to the second problem in the story that we identified. What was Officer Buckle’s second problem?
 
Students answer: Officer Buckle was upset because he did not feel like anyone was paying attention to him, only to Gloria.
 
If students cannot remember Officer Buckle’s second problem, you may jog their memory with prompts. For example, you might ask, “Why was Officer Buckle upset after watching the 10 o’clock news?”
55.
Teacher asks: Has this problem been solved? Why or why not? Support your answer with evidence from the story.
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): Yes, the problem has been solved. Officer Buckle now realizes that both he and Gloria need to be present for students to pay attention.
56.
Teacher asks: What has Officer Buckle learned about teamwork, or working together, by the end of the story?
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): Officer Buckle has learned that his safety speeches are only successful when he works together with Gloria.
57.
Teachers ask: What is the theme, or main idea, of the story? Use information from the book to explain your answer.
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):
  • The theme is that teamwork can make someone successful at something the person cannot do well alone.
  • The theme is that following safety tips is important, or else accidents happen.
 

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. After students provide a correct answer, reveal the corresponding answer on the graphic organizer.
1.
Teacher asks: What is Officer Buckle’s first problem in the story?
 
Students answer: Nobody listens to him during his safety speeches.
2.
Teacher asks: How is Officer Buckle’s first problem solved?
 
Students answer: Officer Buckle brings along Gloria, who performs tricks behind his back.
3.
Teacher asks: What are the results of this solution?
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):
  • The students pay attention to the safety speeches.
  • The students enjoy the safety speeches.
  • Accidents stop happening at Napville School.
4.
Teacher asks: What is Officer Buckle’s second problem in the story?
 
Students answer: Officer Buckle gets upset because he thinks students only pay attention to Gloria during his speeches.
Read more
5.
Teacher asks: How is Officer Buckle’s second problem solved?
 
Students answer: Officer Buckle realizes that both he and Gloria need to be present for students to pay attention.
 
After the responses for the graphic organizer have been completed and discussed with the class, ask the following two extension questions.
 
Teacher asks: Look at the results of the solution to Officer Buckle’s first problem. What might be the results of the solution to Officer Buckle’s second problem?
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):
  • Students will pay attention to the safety speeches again.
  • Students will enjoy the safety speeches again.
  • Napville School will not have any more accidents.
  • The results of the solution to Officer Buckle’s second problem will be the same as the results of the solution to his first.
 
Teacher asks: Officer Buckle’s Safety Tip #101 is “ALWAYS STICK WITH YOUR BUDDY!” Think about what happened in the story. What might have given Officer Buckle the idea for this tip?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary but should mention Gloria as part of the inspiration for the tip. Gloria is Officer Buckle’s buddy, and his experiences with and without her onstage showed him that they both need each other to give a good safety speech.
 

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.)

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Submitted by Theresa.mallet_1913084 on 3/23/16

Really liked the lesson on this particular book. For an extension activity to the lesson, I made cut out stars, and asked the students to think of their own Safety Tip #101 that the students in our school should follow. Great and fun lesson. Thank Readworks!!

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Submitted by Angel Grimes on 5/18/14