TEACHING
GUIDE
TEACHING
Little Wolf
Adventures
4th Grade Reading Level
ISBN-10: 0-8225-6117-4 Magenta
ISBN-13: 978-0-8225-6117-0
2
TEACHING
LITTLE WOLF ADVENTURES
Standards
Language Arts – • Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the reading process.
Reading
• Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for reading a variety of
literary texts.
• Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media.
Language Arts – • Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process.
Writing
• Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing.
• Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions.
Language Arts – • Demonstrates competence in listening and speaking as tools for learning.
Listening and
• Uses listening and speaking strategies for a variety of purposes.
Speaking
Geography
• Understands the characteristics and uses of maps, globes, and other geographic tools
and technologies.
Multiple Intelligences Utilized
• Linguistic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, spatial, and naturalistic
Copyright © 2006 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Student pages may be
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resale. No other part of this teaching guide may be reproduced, stored in a
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mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written
permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief
quotations in an acknowledged review.
LernerClassroom
A division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
241 First Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55401 U.S.A.
800-328-4929
Website address: www.lernerclassroom.com
Manufactured in the United States of America
3 4 5 6 7 8 — IG — 12 11 10 09 08 07
Go to www.lernerbooks.com for
a list of all Little Wolf Adventures
titles.
TEACHING
LITTLE WOLF ADVENTURES
Lesson 1
Letter Formats
Purpose: Students will learn the proper format for
formal and informal letters.
Materials
• Little Wolf
Adventures books
• Types of Letters and
Parts of a Letter
p. 10
• Letter Formats p. 11
• pencils
Objectives
• Identify the format of letters in Little Wolf Adventures
books.
• Compare and contrast formal and informal letters.
• Determine similarities and differences between
formal and informal letters.
• Classify parts of a letter.
• Compose definitions for letter formats and parts of a
letter.
• Explain why it is important to know proper letter
formats.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Copy Types of Letters and Parts of a Letter p. 10 for
each student.
• Copy Letter Formats p. 11 for each student.
• Gather examples of formal and informal letters.
Pretest
(students)
• Is there a right way to write a letter?
• What are some reasons that people write letters?
• Have students brainstorm the different parts of a
letter and some possible reasons for writing letters.
Read
(students)
• Read one or more of the Little Wolf Adventures
books.
Model
(teacher, students)
• Show students examples of formal and informal
letters and discuss their similarities and differences.
• Little Wolf writes letters to various people in his
books. Choose one of Little Wolf’s letters to read
and analyze together.
• What do you notice about the format of Little Wolf’s
letter? Describe the parts of the letter.
Practice
(groups, individuals)
• Students will work together to develop definitions for
the types and parts of a letter.
• Write the definition for each part of a letter on Types
of Letters and Parts of a Letter p. 10.
• Using these definitions, students will individually
complete Letter Formats p. 11.
Discuss
(teacher, students)
• When would you write a business or formal letter?
• When could you write a friendly or informal letter?
• Is there something even less formal than a friendly
letter? What is it?
• Why is attention to detail more important when you
write a business letter?
Evaluate
(teacher, students)
• Review Letter Formats p. 11 to assess whether or not
students have correctly labeled the parts of the
letters.
3
4
TEACHING
LITTLE WOLF ADVENTURES
Lesson 2
Word Detectives
Purpose: Students will decipher the meanings of
words created by Little Wolf based on the words’
constituent parts.
Materials
• Little Wolf
Adventures books
• Word Tracking p. 12
• pencils
• whiteboard or
chalkboard
• dry erase marker or
chalk
Objectives
• Review the definitions of root word, prefix, and suffix.
• Classify words as real or created (made up).
• Examine the parts of a created word and create a
definition for it.
• Create a word using known root words, prefixes, and
suffixes.
• Write sentences using self-created words.
• Assess the value of knowing the meanings of prefixes
and suffixes.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Copy Word Tracking p. 12 for each student.
• Select a section of one of the Little Wolf Adventures
books to use as an example for Word Tracking p. 12.
• Locate or create a list of root words, prefixes, and
suffixes for students to use as a reference (optional).
Pretest
(students, teacher)
• What are the parts of a word?
• What is a root word? A prefix? A suffix?
• Have students generate a short list of root words,
prefixes, and suffixes. Print these on the board.
• Add additional prefixes, suffixes, and base words they
will need to know for this lesson.
Read
(students)
• Read Little Wolf Adventures books.
• As they are reading, students should write down any
words that they think Little Wolf made up in the first
column of section A on Word Tracking p. 12.
Model
(teacher, students)
• Look at one of the words that the group found.
Separate the word into its parts.
• Discuss the meaning of each word part and then
create a reasonable definition for the made-up word.
Use the list on the board as a reference.
• Analyze a couple of words as a class, using the format
on Word Tracking p. 12. Verify that students
understand how to complete the worksheet.
Practice
(students, pairs)
• Students will work in pairs to complete sections A
and B of Word Tracking p. 12.
• Individually, each student will write a sentence using
one of the words they created to complete section C
of Word Tracking p. 12.
Discuss
(teacher, students)
• How do you feel about Little Wolf creating all of
these words?
• When would it be inappropriate to create a word?
• What value is there in knowing the meanings of
suffixes and prefixes?
• When could this be helpful to you?
Evaluate
(teacher, students)
• Students will give examples of created words they
found in their reading, show how they broke the
words apart, and give their definitions.
• Assess Word Tracking p. 12 for completeness and
accuracy.
TEACHING
LITTLE WOLF ADVENTURES
Lesson 3
What Is He REALLY
Like?
Purpose: Students will analyze fictional characters
and determine differences in the way the characters
really are and how they wish others to perceive them.
Materials
• Little Wolf’s Book of
Badness
• lined paper
• pencils
• overhead projector
• overhead markers
• You Think You’re So
________, But
You’re Really
________ p. 13
Objectives
• Describe Little Wolf’s character traits.
• Compare and contrast a person’s character traits with
how that person wishes to be perceived.
• Identify when someone might want to give the
perception that they are different than they really are.
• Explain why someone might want to give a false
impression of himself/herself.
• Relate a character’s experience to one’s own
experience.
• Justify reasons for giving a false impression.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Prepare a character sketch, describing a fictional
character (other than Little Wolf) who acts in a way
that is not how he/she is “supposed” to be. (For
instance, the cowardly lion from The Wizard of Oz.)
• Copy one overhead of You Think You’re So
__________, But You’re Really __________ p. 13.
• Copy You Think You’re So __________, But You’re
Really__________ p. 13 for each student.
Pretest
(students, class)
• Think about characters from movies, TV shows, or
books who act one way but believe or wish they
were a different way.
• Make a list of those characters.
Read
(students, class)
• Read Little Wolf’s Book of Badness (This will require
several class periods).
Model
(teacher, class)
• Using the cowardly lion from The Wizard of Oz (or
another example), complete the overhead of You
Think You’re So __________, But You’re Really
__________, p. 13 as a class, describing how (lions)
are perceived and how (the cowardly lion) really is.
• Discuss reasons that the character might want to be
perceived in a different way than he/she really is.
Practice
(students)
• Referring to Little Wolf’s character, complete You
Think You’re So __________, But You’re Really
__________ p. 13.
Discuss
(class)
• Students will share their You Think You’re So
_________, But You’re Really __________ p. 13
with the class.
• Why does Little Wolf want his parents to think that
he is different than he really is?
• Have you ever pretended to be different than you
really are? Why?
Evaluate
(teacher)
• Evaluate each student’s You Think You’re So
__________, But You’re Really __________ p. 13
for understanding.
5
6
TEACHING
LITTLE WOLF ADVENTURES
Lesson 4
Riddle Me This
Purpose: Students will write riddles and poems using
Little Wolf’s style as a model.
Materials
• Little Wolf’s Handy
Book of Poems
• books or websites
featuring nursery
rhymes and/or other
kinds of poems
• pencils
• Write a Riddle p. 14
• Nursery Rhyme Time
p. 15
Objectives
• Recall a favorite poem.
• Describe an object using sensory words.
• Compose a riddle.
• Diagram the lines of a riddle using a graphic organizer.
• Modify a nursery rhyme.
• Compare a riddle and a nursery rhyme.
Read
(class, small groups)
• Read Little Wolf’s Handy Book of Poems.
• Choose your favorite poem from the book to share
with the class.
Discuss
(class)
• Why does Little Wolf write poems?
• What kinds of poems does he write?
• Share your favorite Little Wolf poems.
• What is a riddle? Look at pp. 21–22 of Little Wolf’s
Handy Book of Poems for examples.
Model
(teacher, students)
• Read your prepared riddle for the class and have
students guess what it describes.
• Show students how they can use Write a Riddle p. 14
to create their own riddles.
Practice
(students, pairs)
• Complete Write a Riddle p. 14. Have students read
their riddles to a partner. Partners should guess what
they are describing. Students may write several riddles
if time allows.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Prepare examples of each kind of poem the students
will be writing.
• Copy Write a Riddle p. 14 and Nursery Rhyme Time
p. 15 (optional) for each student.
• Prepare a riddle using sensory clues as described on
Write a Riddle p. 14.
Pretest
(class)
• What is a poem? What do poems sound like?
• What is your favorite poem?
• What are some different kinds of poems? Do all
poems rhyme?
• As you read Little Wolf’s Handy Book of Poems, take
note of the poems you like the best.
Evaluate
(teacher, class)
• Assess each student’s Write a Riddle p. 14 for
completeness and understanding.
• Which was more fun, writing the riddle or guessing
your partner’s riddle? Why? How did the clues help
you guess?
Extension
(class)
• On Nursery Rhyme Time p. 15 create your own silly
nursery rhymes. Use the poems on pp. 40–42 of
Little Wolf’s Handy Book of Poems as models for your
writing.
• Share your revised nursery rhymes with the class.
TEACHING
LITTLE WOLF ADVENTURES
Lesson 5
Mapmaker, Mapmaker,
Make Me a Map
Purpose: Students will create maps with scales,
compass roses, and keys.
Materials
• One or more of the
following Little Wolf
Adventures titles:
Little Wolf, Forest
Detective
Little Wolf, Pack
Leader
Little Wolf’s Diary of
Daring Deeds
Little Wolf’s Haunted
Hall for Small
Horrors
Little Wolf, Terror of
the Shivery Sea
• large map
• poster board
• pencils
• colored pencils or
markers
• chalkboard or
whiteboard
• chalk or dry erase
markers
• Map Key p. 16
Objectives
• Describe the features of a map.
• Compare different maps.
• Construct an original map.
• Identify a map key, a compass rose, and a scale.
• Design a map key.
• Evaluate a map.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Copy Map Key p. 16 for each student.
• Make a simple map of the classroom.
Pretest
(students, teacher)
• What is a map? Why do people use maps?
• Look at a large map. What features do you see? List
these on the board.
Read
(students, small groups)
• Students will read one of the Little Wolf Adventures
books that contains a map. (This will take several
class periods.)
Discuss
(class)
• What did you see in the map at the beginning of the
book? (landforms, scale, compass rose, roads/trails, etc.)
• How is this map like the wall map? How is it
different?
• How did the map help you understand what was
happening in the book?
Model
(teacher, students)
• Show students how to use the map in the front of
their Little Wolf Adventures book to complete Map
Key p. 16.
• Show students your map of the classroom.
• Ask student volunteers to add classroom features, a
scale, and a compass rose to the map. Add and
discuss a map key.
• Is it necessary to include every detail of the classroom
on the map? Why or why not?
• Why is the map key useful?
Practice
(students, pairs)
• Students individually complete Map Key p. 16.
• With a partner, make a map of your school or
neighborhood. Be creative!
• Label the map features with fun names. For example,
Little Wolf likes to use alliteration. See if you can use
alliteration in the feature names on your map.
• Create a map key for your map. Add a scale and
compass rose.
Evaluate
(students, teacher)
• Evaluate each student’s Map Key p. 16 for
completeness and accuracy.
• Display student maps in the classroom.
• Explain the strongest features of each map.
• Evaluate maps for general features, compass rose,
scale, and key.
7
8
TEACHING
LITTLE WOLF ADVENTURES
Lesson 6
Dear Wolfie
Purpose: Students will write letters of advice, using
proper letter format.
Materials
• Little Wolf
Adventures books
• lined paper
• pencils
• chalkboard or
whiteboard
• chalk or dry erase
marker
• Letter Formats p. 11
Objectives
• Identify the purpose of a letter.
• Articulate a response to a letter.
• Employ knowledge of letter formats to write an
original letter.
• Analyze a problem or issue.
• Formulate a solution to a problem.
• Recommend a course of action in response to a
situation.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Return students’ completed Letter Formats p. 11
from Lesson 1.
Pretest
(students)
• Preview the Little Wolf Adventures book you are
going to read.
• What do you notice about the format?
• What kinds of letters have you written? To whom?
Read
(students, class)
• Read one Little Wolf Adventures book individually or
as a class.
Discuss
(class)
• What kinds of things does Little Wolf write about?
• Are these formal or informal (business or friendly)
letters?
Model
(teacher)
• Choose one of Little Wolf’s letters to read aloud.
What kinds of problems has he encountered? How
would you reply to Little Wolf? What advice might
you give him?
• Brainstorm possible responses to one of Little Wolf’s
letters and write them on the board. Follow the
letter format from Letter Formats p. 11.
Practice
(students, pairs)
• Reread one of Little Wolf’s letters. Write Little Wolf
a response letter.
• Be sure to include all of the parts of a letter from
Letter Formats p. 11.
• Exchange letters with a partner. Students read their
partner’s letter and write a letter back to him or her
from Little Wolf’s point of view.
Evaluate
(teacher, students)
• Evaluate letters for creativity and letter format.
• Students may create response journals to continue an
ongoing dialog with their partner through Little Wolf
letters.
TEACHING
LITTLE WOLF ADVENTURES
Additional Resources
WEBSITES
Greek and Latin Base Transition Page
http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/KSD/MA/resources/
greekandlatinroots/transition.html
This site offers very basic yet extensive lists of root
words, prefixes, and suffixes for students of all
ages.
Letter Writing Contents
http://englishplus.com/grammar/letrcont.htm
Students and teachers can use this resource to
learn about formal and informal letter formats,
use of envelopes, and how to properly fold a
letter.
Map Coloring: How Many Colors?
http://www.nasaexplores.com/extras/maps/four
_color.html
Students learn how maps are colored with this
resource. They also use mathematical skills to
determine how several different maps can be
colored using official map-coloring guidelines.
Mother Goose Rhymes
http://www.amherst.edu/~rjyanco/literature/
mothergoose/rhymes/menu.html
Find the words to popular Mother Goose rhymes
on this site. Some are illustrated.
PoetryTeachers.com
http://www.poetryteachers.com
This site features poems, riddles, and teaching
ideas by poet Bruce Lansky.
Reading a Grid Map
http://www.nasaexplores.com/show_k4_teacher
_st.php?id=030108114014&gl=k4
This lesson on reading grid maps is one of many
lessons available on the NASA website. Students
learn how to read a grid map and can create
original maps. A worksheet is provided.
BOOKS
Bell, Babs, and Babs B. Hajdusiewicz. Words and More
Words. Tucson, AZ: Good Year Books, 1997.
This rhyming dictionary includes references on
such topics as word origins, prefixes, suffixes,
plurals, commonly misspelled words, and more.
Book of Mother Goose: A Treasury of More than 300
Classic Nursery Rhymes. New York: Random
House, 2003.
This collection of classic Mother Goose rhymes is
illustrated by Caldecott Medal-winner Arnold
Lobel.
Cleary, Brian P. Rainbow Soup: Adventures in Poetry.
Minneapolis: Lerner Publishing Group, 2004.
This book introduces students to the world of
poetry. Cleary uses rhyming poems and puns
while clearly explaining poetic features like
tempo and personification.
DiSpezio, Michael A. Map Mania: Discovering Where
You Are and Getting to Where You Aren’t. New
York: Sterling Publishing, 2002.
This illustrated book introduces students to floor
plans and various kinds of maps—complete with
activities, quizzes, and more.
Norris, Jill. Literacy Centers, Grades 4–5 (Take It to
Your Seat Centers Series). Monterey, CA: Evan
Moore Educational Publishers, 2004.
This teacher’s resource shows you how to create
literacy centers based on the following themes:
poetry writing, creative writing, root words,
compound sentences, paragraph editing, and
more.
Orloff, Karen Kaufman. I Wanna Iguana. New York:
Penguin, 2004.
This illustrated story features Alex, who, through
an exchange of letters, tries to convince his
mother to let him have a pet iguana.
OTHER RESOURCES
Flashkids Editors. Vocabulary (FlashCharts Series). New
York: Spark Publishing, 2004.
This set of vocabulary charts includes lists of root
words and prefixes that can be posted in the
classroom as reference tools.
9
10
Types of Letters
Name
Directions: On the lines below, explain the features of business letters and friendly letters.
When would you use each one?
Business Letters
Friendly Letters
Parts of a Letter
Directions: Write a definition for each part of a letter.
Heading
Inside Address
Greeting
Body
Complimentary Close
Signature Line
Teaching Little Wolf Adventures
Little Wolf
Little Wolf
Sincerely,
P.S. You can have a postscript (P.S.) in an informal letter.
A postscript is a simple thought you did not write in the
body.
Little Wolf
Little Wolf
Yours truly,
Skip a line when you start a new paragraph.
What differences do you notice between business
letters and friendly letters?
Teaching Little Wolf Adventures
Skip a line when you start a new paragraph. Do I follow
the correct format for writing letters in my books?
Go back and look.
This is the part of the letter where the writer shares his
or her thoughts. What do you think I have to say
to you?
Dear Mr. Wolfson:
Dear Mom and Dad,
Mr. Peevish Wolfson the 3rd
Editor
Wolf Weekly
P.O. Box 13
Frettnin Forest, Beastshire
You have probably already read some of my letters
to you. This type of letter is called a friendly or informal
letter. Why do you think that is?
April 1
April 1
Friendly Letter
12 Big Bad Lane
Frettnin Forest, Beastshire
Business Letter
Letter Formats
12 Big Bad Lane
Frettnin Forest, Beastshire
Name
11
12
Word Tracking
Name
A. Directions: Find words in a Little Wolf Adventures book that are new to you.
Break them apart and create definitions for them.
Word
Prefix
Root
Suffix
Possible Meaning?
B. Directions: Use Little Wolf’s strategy to create some words of your own.
Word
Prefix
Root
Suffix
Possible Meaning?
C. Directions: Select one of your words and use it in a sentence.
Teaching Little Wolf Adventures
13
You Think You’re So __________,
But You’re Really __________.
Name
Directions: Fill in your character’s name in the blank below, then complete the
statements that describe how the character pretends to be and how he/she
really is. Give several examples with page numbers.
Character’s name
This character pretends to be
I know this character is REALLY
by:
Teaching Little Wolf Adventures
because:
14
Write a Riddle
Name
The object or person I am describing is
Directions: Write the name of the object or person in the circle below. Fill in the boxes
with sensory words to describe the person or object. Be creative!
It looks like
It feels like
(object/person)
It sounds like
It smells like
It tastes like
Directions: On the lines below, write your clues in full sentences. See if a friend can guess
the object or person you are describing.
What is it?
Teaching Little Wolf Adventures
15
Nursery Rhyme Time
Name
On pp. 40–42 of his Handy Book of Poems, Little Wolf changed
the words to some popular nursery rhymes. He started with the
first line of each poem then changed the following lines. They
sounded pretty silly!
Directions: On the lines below, rewrite some of your favorite nursery
rhymes, using the original first line, followed by your own rhymes. Use the
margins next to the lines to draw cartoons that illustrate your poems.
Teaching Little Wolf Adventures
16
Map Key
Name
Directions: Draw your map features (mountains, water, forest, etc.) in the boxes on the left.
Write the name of the features on the lines next to each box. Then add the letter symbols for
cardinal directions to the compass rose below.
drawing
feature
=
=
=
=
Teaching Little Wolf Adventures