Giggle, Giggle, Quack
Living on Farms
Subject(s): Language Arts, Science
Grade Level(s): preK-3
Learning Objectives
Students will make text- to- self connections about being left with a babysitter or caretaker.
Students will practice sequencing to assist comprehension.
Students will compare and contrast fiction and nonfiction texts.
Fiction Resource
Giggle, Giggle, Quack
By Doreen Cronin
Illustrated by Betsy Lewin
Grades: K-3; Ages: 4-8
Lexile Level: 330; Guided Reading Level: K
Themes: Farm Animals, Humor
Running Time: 9:44
Plot Summary: In this hilarious sequel to Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, Farmer Browns animals pull their
old tricks on Farmer Browns brother, Bob. Farmer Brown goes on vacation, leaving his brother Bob in
charge. Little does Bob know that Duck has gone around and changed all of Farmer Browns instructions on
how to take care of the animals. Duck orders pizza with anchovies for the hens and rents the video "The
Sound of Moosic" for the cows. The lively animation and witty ploys of the animals will keep kids laughing!
Nonfiction Resource
Living on Farms
By Allan Fowler
Grades: 1-2; Ages: 6-7
Lexile Level: 680; Guided Reading Level: H
Description: Introduces readers to farms, farm chores, and farm animals.
Before Viewing the Video
1. Introduce students to the vocabulary. You can write vocabulary words on index cards and place them around
the room, or pair words with pictures. If you have ESL students, make sure that you introduce the vocabulary
words to them a few days before the lesson.
anchovies: small, salty fish
giggle: laugh
influence: to affect or persuade someone or something
instructions: directions on what to do
reply: to answer
sensitive: delicate
snicker: to laugh under your breath
2. For comparison, read Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type to the students. Talk with students about character
development. Guiding questions:
. What is a character trait?
. Name some character traits of a person you know.
. How does the author tell us/ show us the traits of different characters?
. What predictions can we make about a book/ video with the same characters? How do you think they will act? What
might they do?
After- Viewing Activities
1. Practice the comprehension strategy of sequencing with the children. Write the following sentences on
sentence strips. Mix the sentence strips up, read them aloud with the students, then have them rearrange the
sentences in the correct order.
. Farmer Brown left his brother Bob in charge of the farm.
. Bob ordered pizza for the animals.
. Bob gave the pigs a bath.
. Bob rented a video for the animals.
. Farmer Brown called and heard "Giggle, giggle, quack!"
As an extension, give students a worksheet with these same sentences and pictures to match. After doing the
group activity, the students can cut out the sentences and pictures, match them, and paste them in the correct
order.
™ & © 2012 Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved.
order.
2. Did they hear the new vocabulary words? Did it help them to know what those words meant before they
watched the video?
3. Ask students to think about a time when they were left with someone other than their parents or guardians. Let
them swap stories with partners or small groups about what things were different when they were with a
babysitter or caretaker. Each student can then share a funny anecdote from his or her partners story with the
whole class.
4. Bring the students attention to the illustrations. What information do the illustrations give us that cant be found
in the text alone? Share different types of comics that have few words, but are funny and comprehensible
through the pictures. Encourage children to draw their own comics and add short captions. Students may
alternatively make a comic or comic strip in which the humor is expressed through the drawings only. Model
this process and talk about what makes things funny as a precursor to the activity.
Paired- Text Activities
1. Review with students the difference between fiction and nonfiction. Explain that fiction tells about things that
are imaginary, or make- believe, while nonfiction tells about things that happen in real life. Tell the students
that they will be reading (or listening to) a nonfiction book about farms. A nonfiction book contains true facts
about a subject.
2. After students have read Living on Farms, draw a Venn Diagram on the board or chart paper. Label one side
of the Venn Diagram "Farm – Nonfiction," label the other side "Giggle, Giggle, Quack – Fiction." Guide
students through the process of filling out the Venn Diagram. Ask: "What happens in Giggle, Giggle, Quack
that does not happen in Living on Farms?" Record their answers under the "Giggle, Giggle, Quack" section of
the diagram. Examples:
. Duck writes notes to Bob.
. The animals talk to each other and communicate with the farmer.
. The animals ask for things that humans want, such as pizza and videos.
Ask: "What happens in Living on Farms that does not happen in Giggle, Giggle, Quack?" Record their
answers under the "Farm" section of the diagram. Examples:
The animals do not talk.
The farmers plant and grow many types of crops.
Machines are used to do much of the farm work.
Ask: "Is there anything that happens in both books?" Record their answers in the middle section of the Venn
Diagram. Examples:
Both take place on a farm.
Both show different types of farm animals.
3. Discuss with students the differences on the Venn Diagram. Are there more similarities or differences between
the two texts? What clues in Giggle, Giggle, Quack tell a reader that it is a fiction book? (Animals talking,
animals writing, animals acting like people.) What clues in Living on Farms tell a reader that it is a nonfiction
book? (Photographs of the farm and animals, no story elements — problem, solution, climax, information.)
4. Conclude by having students draw pictures of the different types of crops and animals that are found on farms.
Further Research
Explore with the students the related Web links about farms that accompany this selection.
Assessment
Have the students play the educational games about Giggle, Giggle, Quack and Living on Farms. Review their
results to assess their comprehension of the words and events in the story, as well as their ability to distinguish
between fiction and nonfiction.
™ & © 2012 Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved.