Three Billy Goats Gruff

Students will examine language in three different versions of the traditional "Gruff" tale. These will be compared and contrasted through Venn diagrams. Each text will be introduced, examined, and contrasted in a different lesson.

A lesson plan for grade 1 English Language Arts

By Sandra Doyle

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Related pages

• Comparing and contrasting Little Red Riding Hood stories: This lesson will introduce the Venn diagram to students. They will read two versions of the story "Little Red Riding Hood" and list details from each in separate diagrams.
• The wolf in children's books: Students will explore the ways wolves are represented in children's stories. They will decide if the wolf is a protagonist or an antagonist in the story. They will also attempt to determine if these representations are scientifically accurate. The first in a two-part lesson.
• The Frog Prince: Compare and contrast: This lesson can be used with numerous pieces of literature, videos or cassette material to develop viewing and listening skills and the students ability to compare and contrast. One of the richest sources is in the area of fairy tales and folktales. This an especially good source if you can find a modernized version in video or cassette form to contrast with the more traditional written form. I have used the "Frog Prince" because of this factor and because it was part of the 4th grade language arts reading unit.

Related topics

• Learn more about Venn diagrams, compare and contrast, folktales, graphic organizers, language arts, and literature.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• compare language used by different authors.
• create simple Venn diagrams to show comparison.
• use higher level thinking skills to discuss character behavior and relate to own experiences.
• explore elements of a story (beginning, middle, end…) and express their understanding through the arts.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

3 hours

Materials/resources

• Three Billy Goats Gruff (Two different book versions)
• Three Billy Goats Gruff puppets (Can be made by children after hearing story as an added art activity)
• Dry erase board, chalk board, or chart paper for diagrams

Pre-activities

• Visit a goat farm, observe, describe and learn about goats
• Read simple factual books on goats

Activities

Day 1

1. Teacher reads classic version of Three Billy Goats Gruff. Children discuss the question: Was there a lesson in this story?
2. Children respond verbally then through writing and drawing to the question: How would you have treated the goats if you were the troll? Why?
3. Place the first book and the puppets in the drama center. Let children model the proper use of the puppets to act out the story at another time during the day before opening the center. Allow 4 children at a time to be in this center.

Day 2

1. Read version 2 of The Three Billy Goats Gruff to the class.
2. Have the class verbally compare and contrast version one to version two of the story: Draw a Venn Diagram on the board or chart. List story elements that are the same (as children say them) inside the intersection of the circles. Then list the story elements that are different in the opposing circles outside the intersecting area--one version listed on one side one on the other.
3. Place book version two in the drama center next to version one (readers familiar with the story are often recruited by puppeteers to read some of the narration).

Day 3

1. Reread the children’s favorite version of The Three Billy Goats Gruff.
2. Have the children listen for descriptive story language that helps them imagine things in the story and point out these phrases after the reading.
3. Have the children write their own versions of The Three Billy Goats Gruff using story board pictures and/or writing.

Assessment

Anecdotal observations or notes on the children’s use of story language and their ability to respond to and analyze story elements during writing, class discussions, and drama center work.

Supplemental information

Comments

Exploring simple traditional tales in this way has really helped my children understand the elements of stories.

They develop a sense of ‘ownership’ in the story after hearing it several times and seem freer to experiment with story dialogue both verbally and in their writing.

As a follow up you can try other tales that come in threes such as The Three Little Pigs, The Three Bears…