LESSON 24 TEACHER’S GUIDE
The Girl Who Helped the Wolf
by Katrina Van Horn
Fountas-Pinnell Level N
Fiction
Selection Summary
Villagers living below a mountain have driven all the wolves away but
one. When that wolf howls, the people decide to kill it. One girl saves
the wolf by leading it down the mountain and across a bay, to a valley
full of wolves. The wolf joins the pack with a joyful howl and the girl
goes home.
Number of Words: 999
Characteristics of the Text
Genre
Text Structure
Content
Themes and Ideas
Language and
Literary Features
Sentence Complexity
Vocabulary
Words
Illustrations
Book and Print Features
• Fiction
• Setting described on first page
• Organized chronologically
• Problem introduced near the beginning of the story
• Wolf behavior
• Following one’s beliefs
• Do what you believe is right
• Trust is an important part of any relationship.
• Compassion can help bridge disparate worlds.
• Written in traditional folktale style
• Figurative language: The howls rippled through the tree branches like waves.
• A mix of short and longer, more complex sentences
• Some split dialogue, all assigned
• Precise verbs for ways of speaking: whispered, cried, called
• Words for emotions: scared, afraid, angry, lonely, sad, calm, quiet, joy
• Names for places: mountain, village, bay, shore, woods, valley
• Target vocabulary highlighted in text
• Multisyllabic words that might not be familiar to English language learners: understand,
protected, volcano’s, easier, suddenly
• Illustrations communicate sense of traditional story.
• Illustrations carry emotion of story: loneliness of wolf, anger of townspeople.
• Thirteen pages of text; illustrations on every page
• Captions and labels that provide additional information and clarify text
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner unless such copying is expressly
permitted by federal copyright law.
Permission is hereby granted to individual teachers using the corresponding (discipline) Leveled Readers to photocopy student worksheets from this publication
in classroom quantities for instructional use and not for resale. Requests for information on other matters regarding duplication of this work should be
addressed to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, Attn: Contracts, Copyrights, and Licensing, 9400 SouthPark Center Loop, Orlando, Florida 32819.
Printed in the U.S.A.
978-0-547-30924-8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0940 15 14 13 12 11 10 09
If you have received these materials as examination copies free of charge, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company retains title to the materials and
they may not be resold. Resale of examination copies is strictly prohibited.
Possession of this publication in print format does not entitle users to convert this publication, or any portion of it, into electronic format.
3_309248_ELL_LRTG_L24_GirlHelpedTheWolf.indd 1
11/2/09 11:56:10 PM
The Girl Who Helped the Wolf
by Katrina Van Horn
Build Background
Help students think about wolves. Build interest by asking a question such as the
following: What do you know about wolves, both story wolves and real wolves? Read the
title and author and talk about the cover illustration. Point out that the story is fiction with
the feel of a traditional tale.
Front-Load Vocabulary Some everyday words may be unfamiliar to English
learners. Before reading, check understanding of the following words: alone, howl, trusted,
follow, still, silent.
Introduce the Text
Guide students through the text, reading the captions, noting important ideas, and helping
with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Call their
attention to any important labels. Here are some suggestions:
Page 2: Explain that this is a story about a girl who wants to save a wolf.
Suggested language: Turn to page 2 of this book. Read the first sentence: Once
there was a wolf who lived alone on a mountain.
Page 4: Call attention to the illustration. The village people met to talk about the
wolf. Why might the villagers be afraid?
Page 5: Draw attention to the illustration of the young girl. Not everyone is afraid
of the wolf. What can you tell about her from the look on her face?
Page 7: The girl climbed up the mountain to find the wolf. It’s night, and the young
girl is guided up the path by the light of the moon. Then she calls out to the wolf to
let it know about her arrival.
Pages 8–9: The girl spotted the wolf, and the wolf saw her too. What might
happen when the girl and the wolf meet? What can you predict from the picture?
Now turn back to the beginning of the story and read to find out what happens to
the girl and the wolf she tries to help.
Target Vocabulary
aboard – to be on or inside a
vehicle, such as a boat or a
train, p. 11
bay – a sheltered part of the sea
that cuts into land, p. 11
spotted – saw, p. 8
guided – showed the way, p. 7
anchor – a heavy metal object
that keeps a ship in place,
p. 11
lava – melted rock that flows
from a volcano, p. 8
voyage – a long trip, often across
water, p. 12
arrival – getting to a place, p. 7
Grade 3
twisted – wound together, p. 3
rippled – moved by forming tiny
waves, p. 3
2
Lesson 24: The Girl Who Helped the Wolf
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
3_309248_ELL_LRTG_L24_GirlHelpedTheWolf.indd 2
7/28/09 7:12:48 AM
Read
Have students read The Girl Who Helped the Wolf silently while you listen to individual
students read. Support their problem solving and fluency as needed.
Remind students to use the Question Strategy
out more about the selection.
to use clues to figure
Discuss and Revisit the Text
Personal Response
Invite students to share their personal responses to the story.
Suggested language: What do you think of the girl’s decision to rescue the wolf? Why do
you think that?
Ways of Thinking
As you discuss the text, help students understand these points:
Thinking Within the Text
Thinking Beyond the Text
Thinking About the Text
• Villagers want to kill a wolf, but a
girl decides to save it.
• Compassion can make a person
act bravely.
• The story is told with some
traditional storytelling language.
• The girl trusts the wolf; the wolf
trusts the girl enough to follow
her to safety.
• Trust can repay trust.
• Vivid details of night scenes add
to the dreamlike story.
• In the end, the wolf has joined a
pack of wolves and howls with
joy.
• Sometimes you have to go
against the crowd to do what
you believe is right.
• The author’s purpose was to tell
a traditional tale about courage,
compassion, and trust.
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
Choices for Further Support
• Fluency Invite students to choose a passage from the text to read aloud. Remind them
to pay attention to phrasing to capture the mood of the story.
• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion,
revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go
back to the text to support their ideas.
• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using
examples from the text. Guide students to work flexibly with base words, making new
words by changing letters and adding prefixes, suffixes, and inflected endings. Use
the example of the different forms of howl in the story: howl, howled, howls, howling.
Have students choose a word from the story and see how many different new words
they can create; for example: trust-trusted-trusts-distrust-trusting-trustful.
Grade 3
3
Lesson 24: The Girl Who Helped the Wolf
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
3_309248_ELL_LRTG_L24_GirlHelpedTheWolf.indd 3
11/2/09 11:56:54 PM
Writing about Reading
Critical Thinking
Have students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 24.10.
Responding
Have students complete the activities at the back of the book. Use the instruction below as
needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.
Target Comprehension Skill
Author’s Purpose
Remind students that they can use text details to tell
why an author writes a book. Model the skill, using this Think Aloud:
Think Aloud
The author’s purpose in writing this story was to entertain readers. The
setting is mysterious. The girl is brave and trusting. And the wolf is
trusting, too. The ending of the book is perfect. The wolf is safe and the
girl can go home. The story was very entertaining.
Practice the Skill
Have students tell about another story they have read that was meant to entertain readers.
Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the Text
Have students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they
think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings.
Assessment Prompts
• Find a sentence on pages 7 – 8 that shows the girl’s courage.
• In paragraph 2 on page 12, find the word that means almost the same as journey.
• Complete this sentence in your own words: The reader can tell that the girl was caring
because she ________________________________________________________.
Grade 3
4
Lesson 24: The Girl Who Helped the Wolf
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
3_309248_ELL_LRTG_L24_GirlHelpedTheWolf.indd 4
11/2/09 11:57:22 PM
English Language Development
Reading Support Give English learners a “preview” of the text by holding a brief
small-group discussion with them before reading the text with the entire group. Or have
students use the audio or online recordings.
Figurative Language Help students understand the figurative language used in
the story, such as howls rippled through the tree branches like waves (p. 3), wolf’s eyes,
glowing red like a volcano’s lava (p. 8), moonlight made a path across the bay (p. 12), and
shining as bright as the sun (p. 13).
Oral Language Development
Check student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’
English proficiency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.
Beginning/Early Intermediate
Intermediate
Early Advanced/Advanced
Speaker 1: Where does the lone wolf
live?
Speaker 1: What do the villagers want to
do to the wolf?
Speaker 1: How does the girl find
her way up the mountain?
Speaker 2: on a mountain
Speaker 2: They want to kill it.
Speaker 1: What does the wolf do that
scares the villagers?
Speaker 1: How does the girl get the
wolf across the bay?
Speaker 2: She follows a path in
the moonlight.
Speaker 2: It howls.
Speaker 2: They go in a boat.
Speaker 1: What does the wolf do
when it sees the other wolves?
Speaker 2: It joins the circle of
wolves and howls.
Speaker 1: Who rescues the wolf?
Speaker 2: a young girl
3_246239RTXEAN_L21-25CT.indd Page Sec3:12 3/7/09 5:02:28 AM user-043
/Volumes/118/HS00117/work%0/indd%0/Critical_Thinking/3_246239RTXEAN_U05L21-25CT
Lesson 24
Name
BLACKLINE MASTER 24.10
Date
Critical Thinking
The Girl Who Helped the
Wolf
Critical Thinking
Read and answer the questions.
1. Think within the text How are the girl and the mayor
different?
The mayor wants to kill the wolf and the girl wants to save it.
2. Think within the text How does the girl find the
valley?
She follows the sound of the wolves.
3. Think beyond the text How do you think the author
feels about wolves?
Possible response: She feels wolves should be saved.
4. Think about the text What does the author mean
when she writes “the boat’s oars were wet, as if the boat
had just lifted its anchor and rowed itself to the water’s
edge”?
The boat looked as if it were waiting for the girl and wolf to use.
Making Connections Think of a story about another animal that
scares people. What was the story about?
Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.
Read directions to students.
12
Critical Thinking
Grade 3, Unit 5: Going Places
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Grade 3
5
Lesson 24: The Girl Who Helped the Wolf
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
3_309248_ELL_LRTG_L24_GirlHelpedTheWolf.indd 5
7/28/09 7:12:50 AM
Name
Date
The Girl Who Helped the Wolf
Thinking Beyond the Text
Read the following paragraph. Then write your letter below.
Imagine you are the girl in the story. Write a letter to the mayor of the town.
Tell why you think the wolf should be allowed to live in peace. Use details
from the story to support your reasons.
Grade 3
6
Lesson 24: The Girl Who Helped the Wolf
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
3_309248_ELL_LRTG_L24_GirlHelpedTheWolf.indd 6
7/28/09 7:12:51 AM
Lesson 24
Name
BLACKLINE MASTER 24.10
Date
Critical Thinking
The Girl Who Helped the
Wolf
Critical Thinking
Read and answer the questions.
1. Think within the text How are the girl and the mayor
different?
2. Think within the text How does the girl find the
valley?
3. Think beyond the text How do you think the author
feels about wolves?
4. Think about the text What does the author mean
when she writes “the boat’s oars were wet, as if the boat
had just lifted its anchor and rowed itself to the water’s
edge”?
Making Connections Think of a story about another animal that
scares people. What was the story about?
Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.
Grade 3
7
Lesson 24: The Girl Who Helped the Wolf
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
3_309248_ELL_LRTG_L24_GirlHelpedTheWolf.indd 7
7/28/09 7:12:52 AM
Student
Lesson 24
Date
BLACKLINE MASTER 24.14
The Girl Who Helped the Wolf
The Girl Who Helped
the Wolf
Running Record Form
LEVEL N
page
3
Selection Text
Errors
Self-Corrections
Accuracy Rate
Total SelfCorrections
When the wolf howled, it howled loudly and for a long time.
The howls rippled through the tree branches like waves. The
howls twisted and turned down the rocky paths. The howls
went down into the village and into the ears of the people. The
children kept sleeping, but their parents felt afraid. The people
were sure the wolf was angry and wanted to hurt them.
The people in the village never thought about how lonely the
4
wolf was. The people were too afraid of the wolf to try to
understand it.
One night there was a meeting in the village.
Comments:
(# words read
correctly/101 ×
100)
%
Read word correctly
Code
✓
cat
Repeated word,
sentence, or phrase
®
Omission
—
cat
cat
Grade 3
Behavior
Error
0
0
Substitution
Code
cut
cat
1
Self-corrects
cut sc
cat
0
Insertion
the
1
cat
Error
1414317
Behavior
ˆ
Word told
1
8
T
cat
1
Lesson 24: The Girl Who Helped the Wolf
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
3_309248_ELL_LRTG_L24_GirlHelpedTheWolf.indd 8
7/28/09 7:12:53 AM