Grade level:    Second          Subject:  Language Arts

Overview:  Students will read a story that has a villain as a character.  Using a web, students will brainstorm ways to describe the villain.  Students will create a “Wanted Poster” of the villain, describing him or her.

Focus Question: How can we describe someone when we write?

Time Frame:  two 1-hour class periods

Resources/ Materials:  the story Little Red Riding Hood

several books (on grade level) with villains as characters

(i.e. Billy Goats Gruff, Snow White, Cinderella, The Three Little Pigs)

most wanted practice sheet (attached)

most wanted overhead transparency (make a copy of sheet)

overhead projector & pen

chart paper

student supplies: poster board or large white paper,    notebook paper, pencils, crayons

editor’s checklist

http://hiyah.com/library/red_riding_hood.html-Little Red Riding Hood Site

http://www.animationusa.com/wd82.html-Disney Villains

http://www.animationartgallery.com/ddffwitchapple.html-Snow White Villain

http://.wbanimation.warnerbros.com/cmp/spooky97/villains/looneyvl-Looney Tunes Villains

http://wbanimation.warnerbros.com/cmp/spooky97/villains/batmanvl.htm-Gotham City Villains

http://wbanimation.warnerbros.com/cmp/spooky97/villains/jamvl.htm-Space Jams Villains

6.  Culminating Assessment:  Students will create a “Wanted Poster” of the villain in the story, with a partner.  Students will describe the villain in detail and illustrate to match the details.  The teacher will use the following rubric to score the posters:

7.     Instructional Activities: 

Preparation – Teacher needs to make a transparency of the “Most Wanted” sheet. 

Activity One:  Go to the Little Red Riding Hood site http://hiyah.com/library/red_riding_hood.html and listen to the story together.  Ask the students if they know what a villain is.  Ask the students who the villain is in Little Red Riding Hood.  Ask the students to think of and share stories they have read in the past that have villains in them.  Show examples of villain web sites to students.

http://www.animationusa.com/wd82.html-Disney Villains

http://www.animationartgallery.com/ddffwitchapple.html-Snow White Villain

http://.wbanimation.warnerbros.com/cmp/spooky97/villains/looneyvl-Looney Tunes Villains

http://wbanimation.warnerbros.com/cmp/spooky97/villains/batmanvl.htm-Gotham City Villains

http://wbanimation.warnerbros.com/cmp/spooky97/villains/jamvl.htm-Space Jams Villains

Model how to make a web of a villain.  Write “WOLF” in the center of the chart paper (hang it on the board).  Have the students describe the characteristics of the wolf.  Record their responses on the chart paper creating a web.  (Students should have had prior experience reading with a partner.)  Students will then choose a partner and select a book to read.  Partners will read their book together, brainstorm details about the villain, and then create a web of the villain on notebook paper.

A sample web may look like this:

To close this activity, have students share their webs with the class.  Have students give feedback as each student shares. 

Activity Two:  Using the wolf web, model how to transfer the details from the chart paper to a paragraph on the “Most Wanted” transparency.  Explain that they will need a topic sentence first.  Have the students help think of one.  Then show them how to look on the web for ideas and turn them into complete sentences.  For example, “Sharp Claws” can be turned into “The wolf had sharp claws.”  Then model how to illustrate the villain to match the details in the paragraph.

Have the students write paragraphs describing the villains in their books using the “Wanted Poster” practice sheet.  Teacher should monitor and assist students with writing.  When the children are finished with their paragraphs, have the students trade papers and edit them using the editor’s checklist.  Once edited, give students a poster or large piece of white paper.  Have students rewrite the paragraph on the bottom of the poster and illustrate the villain at the top.  Students will share their posters with the rest of the class.  Other students and the teacher should give feedback to the people sharing.  Finally, let the students choose whether they want to hang their poster up in the hallway or post it on the school’s web page. 

Example of an editor’s checklist:

1.      I capitalized the beginning of every sentence.

2.      I have a punctuation mark at the end of every sentence. 

3.      I capitalized all the proper nouns.

4.      My writing makes sense and flows.

Most wanted sheet attached below.

Name________________________________________________________

  WANTED

Reward $_____________ __________

By _________________________________________________