Common Core:

-CCSS.RL.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says
explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
-CCSS.RI.4.5: Describe the overall structure of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text
or part of a text.
-CCSS.RL.4.4a: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. Read
grade-level text with purpose and understanding
Objective:
-Students will be able to apply the strategy of character and plot
-Students will be able to define the following words (amphibians, crime, exhibit, lizards,
reference, reptiles, salamanders, stumped)
Assessment:
-Students will be able to complete character and plot worksheets
-Students will be able to complete vocabulary worksheets
Essential Question:
-How can students use the strategy of character and plot to better understand the text?
Academic Language:
-Amphibians: A cold blooded animal like a frog, newt, and salamander that can live on land and
in water
-Crime: an act punishable by law. Usually it is thought to be an evil action.
-Exhibit: To display something in public like in an art gallery or museum
-Lizards: A reptile that has a long body and tail, four legs, movable eyelids, and a rough, scaly,
or spiny skin.
-Reference: The act of mentioning something
-Reptiles: cold-blooded animal like snakes and lizards that have dry scaly skin, and lay eggs
-Salamanders: An amphibian that has bright markings
-Stumped: A question that is too hard to answer or understand
Materials:
-Somebody Wanted But Then So Anchor Chart
-Somebody Wanted But Then So Worksheet (2)
-Three Little Pigs story
-Headbandz game
-Vocabulary Cards
-Vocabulary Worksheet
-Top Hat Tompkins
Content Focus:
-To practice reading and comprehension skills through Character and Plot

Anticipatory Set:
1.)

*"Good morning everyone. Today we are going to be doing a shared reading together.
Before we read, I would like you each to take a look at the cover of the book I have here.
What do you notice about it?"
-Anticipated Responses:
The kid has a top hat on
The boy on the cover is probably top hat Tompkins
The boy has a magnifying glass
He looks like a detective
*"Very good. Let's look at the title, Top Hat Tompkins, The Detective....What is a
detective what do they do?
-Anticipated Responses:
They solve crimes
They investigate things
They solve mysteries
They look for clues
*"So based on your responses about what a detective does what kind of a story do you
think this will be?"
-Anticipated Responses:
Mystery
*"I think so too! But what kind of a mystery? Do you think this will be fiction or
nonfiction?
-Anticipated Responses:
Fiction
*"Very good! People have been writing mysteries for many, many years. One of the most
famous fictional detectives is Sherlock Holmes. Have any of you heard of him? He was
created in 1887 by Sir Conan Doyle and his books are still read today! People love
mysteries! Have any of you ever read or seen a mystery?
-Anticipated Responses:
I've watched Sherlock Holmes
Boxcar Children
*Those all sound like excellent mysteries! Now our story structure for this book is
problem/solution. What do you suppose this means?
-Anticipated Responses:
They will solve a problem
They will solve a mystery

2.) Students will take a picture walk.

*"Let's take a picture walk through our book. Can you each turn to page 3 of the book?
Here we have the same boy who is on the cover. Who do you suppose this boy is?
-Anticipated Responses:
The detective
Top Hat Tompkins
*"Looking at the pictures on page 4 and 5, can you make a prediction about what the
problem or mystery of the book will be?"
-Anticipated Responses:
The boy lost his lizards
The boy found lizards
The boy thinks lizards took something of his
*"On page 7 we see three different kids. Who do you suppose they are? Do you think they
are suspects or other detectives?"
-Anticipated Responses:
They are suspects
*"Look at page 9, what is the girl doing in this picture? Do you think she had anything to
do with your mystery?"
-Anticipated Responses:
No, she looks like she was at the park
Yes, she is telling them clues
*" Let's turn to page 11, here the one boy looks pretty angry at the boy in sunglasses. If
you could read this first boy's thoughts, what do you think he would be thinking?"
-Anticipated Responses:
"You stole my Lizards, give them back!"
"I think you're the bad guy!"
"Hey! You can't play hockey here!"
*"On page 12, we see three different animals. Are any of these the salamander? How do
you know?"
-Anticipated Responses:
The bottom one because it looks like the ones at the beginning of the
book.
I don't know which one
*"What is the boy in the red coat doing in the picture on page 13?"
-Anticipated Responses:
He's making sculptures
He's building something out of snow

*" On page 15 we get a better look at what he was doing. Do you think he had anything
to do with the salamanders?"
-Anticipated Responses:
No, he was busy making ice sculptures
*"On page 17 what is happening in this picture?"
-Anticipated responses:
The boy found his lizards
Someone returned the lizards
*"Now on the next page we see the salamanders in the snow! Why do think that
happened?"
-Anticipated Responses:
The boy with the ice put them there to cool them off
I don't know
*Can you make a prediction about what happened to the salamanders?"
-Anticipated Responses:
I think the boy with the ice took them
I think the girl who was singing took them
I think the salamanders ran away
Sequence of Events:
Character and Plot Mini Lesson
1.)
*"Before we start reading our book, let's learn about character and plot. What can you
all tell me about characters? What are they? Why are they important?"
-Anticipated Responses:
They are the main people in the story
They are who the story is about
*Now, what can you tell me about plot?"
-Anticipated Responses:
Plot is what happens in the story
It's what the story is about
*"Very good. Plot and summarizing a plot can sometimes be difficult. To practice
identifying the plot I have a quick activity we are going to do together."
2.) Teacher will introduce the Somebody Wanted But Then So anchor chart to the students.
*When we are discovering what the plot of a story is, it sometimes helps to use the
Somebody Wanted, But Then, So strategy. This strategy helps us to sort out what the plot
of a story is without leaving out any information or putting in too much. The first

question we need to ask ourselves is 'Who is involved in this story?' The next question is
'What do they want?' Do they want to find something? Go somewhere?; Our next word is
'but'. So you need to ask yourself "But what happened that stopped them from doing what
they wanted?" What kind of conflict or struggle happened? Next, we have 'Then'. You
have to ask yourself "What happened after their struggle or conflict?"; Finally, we come
to 'so'. "What was the solution to the problem? How did the story finally end?""
3.) Students will practice the new skill.
*"Now that we know about this new strategy, let's practice. We are going to read the
story of The Three Little Pigs."
-Teacher will read short story to students.
*"Now I would like you to each fill in your blank chart. Let's do the first one together.
Who is the Someone in our story?"
-Anticipated Responses:
The Three Pigs
The Wolf
*"Good! Now, if we chose the wolf, what is it that he wanted? What about the three pigs"
-Anticipated Responses:
The wolf wanted to eat the pigs, the pigs wanted to hide from the wolf
*"Very good, I now want you to finish your chart on your own!"
-Students will finish the chart on their own.

1.) Teacher will Debug the text for students

*"Before we read, we need to go over some of the vocabulary we will be encountering as
we read."
-Teacher will hold up a vocabulary card with the definition for each word.
2.) Students will practice the words.
*"Now, that we have learned these new words, let's practice them with a game! In this
game each one of you will put on this headband with a vocabulary card in it. The person
wearing the headband has to guess which card is on the headband while everyone else in
the group gives them clues and definitions."
-Students will play the game Headbandz.
3.) Students will start silent reading as teacher comes around to assess fluency.
*"I would now like you each to start reading silently. When I come around to you I am
going to give you this sheet of paper from the story. I want you to whisper read it to me in
your 3 inch voices."

4.) Teacher will read the text out loud to the students, pausing on appropriate pages to ask
comprehension questions.
-Pages 6-7
*What information or event on these pages is important to the plot? What is
not?"
-Anticipated Responses:
After the salamanders disappeared all that was left was a puddle
The butterfly Sid chased was beautiful
-Page 10
*"Do you think it is important to the plot that Penny does not sing the correct
words to "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"
-Anticipated Responses:
No, it's not important to the plot because the mystery is about
Sid's salamanders, not the words to the song
Yes, because it may be a clue that she's making the story up.
-Page 12
*" In the third paragraph on this page, Top Hat talks about the characteristics of
salamanders. Which statements in this paragraph are facts, and which are
opinions? Why?
-Anticipated Responses:
All of the statements are facts except the last one, because it is
Top Hat's opinion.
You can't tell if it's true or false.
-Page 16-17 *"Based on your prior knowledge of mysteries, did you expect that Top hat would
solve the puzzle? Why?"
-Anticipated Responses:
Yes, because in most mysteries the detective solves the crime
5.) Students will be given the option of doing popcorn reading or choral reading to reread the
book.
6.) Students will fill in their SWBTS chart.
*"Let's take out our Somebody Wanted, But Then, So charts and fill them out for our
story. Please work independently filling out the sheet. When you are done, set down your
pencil and look up at me."
*"Let's discuss what each of you filled out on your sheets. Who would like to volunteer
and read what they wrote on their chart?"
7.) Students will complete their vocabulary worksheet.
*"I would like you to all fill out your vocabulary worksheets independently. When you are
done, please put your pencils down and eyes on me."
Blooms Questions:
- In the third paragraph on this page, Top Hat talks about the characteristics of salamanders.
Which statements in this paragraph are facts, and which are opinions? Why?(Analyze-classify)

-Please fill out your Somebody Wanted But Then So charts to explain the plot of the story.
(Analyzing-Explaining)
Summary:
*"You all did a really good job today. We learned about mysteries today while reading
our book. We learned about character and plot and filled out our SWBTS charts. We
practiced our vocabulary throughout the book and you each practiced your reading
skills. Before we leave, let's play one more round of Headbandz."
Academic Language:
-Amphibians: A cold blooded animal like a frog, newt, and salamander that can live on land and
in water
-Crime: an act punishable by law. Usually it is thought to be an evil action.
-Exhibit: To display something in public like in an art gallery or museum
-Lizards: A reptile that has a long body and tail, four legs, movable eyelids, and a rough, scaly,
or spiny skin.
-Reference: The act of mentioning something
-Reptiles: cold-blooded animal like snakes and lizards that have dry scaly skin, and lay eggs
-Salamanders: An amphibian that has bright markings
-Stumped: A question that is too hard to answer or understand