Gila monsters meet you at the airport
By Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Lesson plan by Marty Mater
Teacher Consultant in Residence
Michigan Geographic Alliance
English Language Arts Content Expectations
Writing Process:
W.PR.03.02: apply a variety of pre-writing strategies for both
narrative and informational writing (e.g., graphic organizers such as
maps, webs, Venn diagrams) in order to generate, sequence, and
structure ideas (e.g., compare/contrast).
Writing Genre
W.GN.04.03: write an informational comparative piece that
demonstrates understanding of central and supporting ideas using an
effective organizational pattern (e.g., compare/contrast) and
informational text features.
Reading Comprehension:
R.CM.03.03: compare and contrast relationships among characters,
events, and key ideas within and across texts to create a deeper
understanding; including a narrative to an informational text, a
literature selection to a subject area text, and an historical event to a
current event.
R.CM.03.04: apply significant knowledge from grade-level science,
social studies, and mathematics texts.
R.CM.04.01: connect personal knowledge, experiences, and
understanding of the world to themes and perspectives in text through
oral and written responses.
Reading Narrative Text
R.NT.03.04: explain how authors use literary devices including
prediction, personification, and point of view to develop a story level
theme and depict the setting..
Social Studies Content Expectations
The World in Spatial Terms:
3 – G1.0.1 Use cardinal directions
(north, south, east, west) to describe
the relative location of significant
places
4 – G1.0.2 Use cardinal and
intermediate directions to describe the
relative location of significant places
in the United States.
4 – G1.0.4 Use geographic tools and
technologies, stories, songs, and
pictures to answer geographic
questions about the United States.
Places and Regions:
4 – G2.0.1 Describe ways in which the
United States can be divided into
different regions (e.g., political
regions, economic regions, landform
regions, vegetation regions).
4 – G2.0.2 Compare human and
physical characteristics of a region to
which Michigan belongs (e.g., Great
Lakes, Midwest) with those of another
region in the United States.
Overview: In this humorous book, exaggerated impressions about “Out West” and the “East” are used to
describe physical and human characteristics of both desert areas and urban areas.
Purpose: Students will decipher exaggerations to find meaning and compare desert living with city living.
Materials: Gila monsters meet you at the airport by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat; blank map of the United
States; Physical and thematic maps of the United States (optional) worksheet (included)
Grade Level: 3-4
Objectives: TLW
 Identify exaggerations used for effect
 Explain how parts of exaggerations are based on facts
 Describe physical and human characteristics of “Out West” and “East”
 Compare life in a large city with life in a desert area
 Compare one region with a region that includes Michigan
Procedures:
1. Discuss exaggeration (to state that something is better, worse, larger, more common, or more important
than is true or usual). Have students give some examples (“It’s always cold in Michigan” “My teacher
yells at us all the time” “Moose Tracks ice cream is to die for” “That fish I caught is bigger than a
house” “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse”). All these are based on something that is true, but not
always or as much as described. What part of each is true? Why exaggerate?
2. Ask students if they know what a Gila monster is (It is a venomous lizard living primarily in Arizona
and Mexico, the extreme southeastern corner of California, the southern tip of Nevada, and the
southwestern corners of Utah and New Mexico. It can grow to 22 inches long).
3. Give students an outline map of the United States. The young boy in our story has been told that Gila
monsters will meet him at the airport. Do you think this is true? Some of the ideas the boy has are
unusual and funny. When you hear them, write them on your map in the place he thinks they are true.
(See phrases from worksheet, to be written on the Out West or East side of the map).
4. Read the story, showing the pictures, and stop before reading chapter 4. Have students share the phrases
they wrote on the map. Which phrases do you think are true?
5. Read the rest of the story. Have students work in groups on the worksheet to try to determine which
parts of the phrases are true, and what they tell us about the places.
6. After sharing the answers, have students complete the writing piece (see directions below).
Extension: Discussion Questions: (Using some or all of these questions before students write will give them
more information and understanding for their final report.)
 Do you live on the ‘left’ or the ‘right’ in our country? Why don’t we use these words to tell about
location?
 Where in the west might this story have taken place? Use a physical map of the United States to mark
areas that have at least some of the characteristics mentioned about “Out West”. What region is this?
 How does the population of “Out West” compare to that of the “East”?
 Are there desert regions in the eastern part of our country? Are there large cities “Out West”? Use
maps to explain your answer.
 How did the author use humor in this story? What made the story funny? What would the boy write in
a letter to Seymour about “Out West”?
Writing about our story: In addition to being funny, this story helps us understand the place characteristics of
2 types of regions, a desert region and a large city. Your report should include 3 paragraphs:
Paragraph One should include a topic sentence and two or three sentences that tell how life in the desert region
and the large city are similar.
Paragraph Two should include a topic sentence and two or three sentences that tell how life in the desert region
and the large city are different.
Paragraph Three should include a topic sentence and two or three sentences that compare (likes and/or
differences) the characteristics of one of the regions with the region that includes Michigan.
Use the information on your graphic organizer to help you.
Student Worksheet #1 (possible answers)
“Out West” Phrases
What part of this, if any, is true?
Is this a physical or
human characteristic
of place?
Nobody plays baseball; too busy chasing buffaloes
Not true; buffaloes only on farms; kids playing baseball
Cactus everywhere
Cactus grows in this area
Physical
H-O-W-W-W-D-Y, P-A-A-A-R-D-N-E-R
People in this area speak with a drawl
Human
Wear chaps, spurs, bandana, big hat
Some people, sometimes, when riding horses
Human
Ride a horse to school
Riding bikes to school; people may ride horses for pleasure
Physical
Everyone grows up to be a sheriff
Not true; some people might, but very few
Friends named Tex or Slim
Maybe some boys are named this
Human
Chili and beans for breakfast, lunch, dinner
Sometimes; people in this area like these foods and familiar
foods
Human
So hot you collapse
Sometimes; it gets hot in this area
Physical
Buzzards circle overhead
Sometimes; true in most other places too
Physical
Gila monsters meet you at the airport
Not at the airport, but these animals live in this areas
Physical
Streets full of gangsters
Not true. Some criminals may live in the area
Is this a physical or
human characteristic
of place?
Human
Zoom around in big cars with screeching brakes
Some big cars, may speed on interstates
Human
Snows and blows all the time
Only in cold seasons
Physical
Spring and summer for 5 minutes
Not true; seasonal spring and summer
Physical
Live on 50th floor
High rise apartments are common
Human
Airplanes fly through your bedroom
Not true
People sit on top of each other when riding to work
Crowded subways during rush hours
Human
Alligators wait for you at the airport
Not true. May live in southern parts, but not usually in cities
Physical
“East” Phrases
What part of this, if any, is true?
Student Worksheet #1
“Out West” Phrases
What part of this, if any, is true?
Is this a physical or
human characteristic
of place?
Nobody plays baseball; too busy chasing buffaloes
Cactus everywhere
H-O-W-W-W-D-Y, P-A-A-A-R-D-N-E-R
Wear chaps, spurs, bandana, big hat
Ride a horse to school
Everyone grows up to be a sheriff
Friends named Tex or Slim
Chili and beans for breakfast, lunch, dinner
So hot you collapse
Buzzards circle overhead
Gila monsters meet you at the airport
“East” Phrases
Streets full of gangsters
Zoom around in big cars with screeching brakes
Snows and blows all the time
Spring and summer for 5 minutes
Live on 50th floor
Airplanes fly through your bedroom
People sit on top of each other when riding to work
Alligators wait for you at the airport
What part of this, if any, is true?
Is this a physical or
human characteristic
of place?