Text Type: Fiction/Fantasy
Page Count: 16
Word Count: 339

Book Summary
Uzzle has a problem--he wants a football helmet but cannot afford one. Jupe suggests they look for one at a thrift store. Uzzle chooses a helmet that he thinks makes him look like a star. But it is too big, which causes him to trip and fall. What will Uzzle do with his new helmet? This book provides an excellent opportunity to introduce problem and solution. Entertaining pictures support the text.

About the Lesson

Targeted Reading Strategy

• Retell

Objectives

• Use the strategy of retelling to understand and remember story events
• Identify problem and solution
• Discriminate consonant digraph /th/ sound
• Identify consonant digraph th
• Complete sentences
• Alphabetical order

Materials

• Book -- Uzzle, the Football Star (copy for each student)
• Chalkboard or dry erase board
• Problem and solution, consonant digraph th, complete sentences, alphabetical order worksheets
• Discussion cards

    Indicates an opportunity for students to mark in the book. (All activities may be completed with paper and pencil if books are reused.)

Vocabulary

• High-frequency words: can't, just, looks, play, says, there, they, would
• Content words: curb, football, helmet, mirror, pass, punt, score, thrift

Build Background

• Ask students whether they have ever tried on something that was too big for them. Invite them to share what the item was and whether it is safe to wear something that doesn't fit.

Book Walk

Introduce the Book

• Show students the front and back covers of the book and read the title with them. Ask what they think they might read about in a book called Uzzle, the Football Star. (Accept all answers that students can justify.)
• Show students the title page. Discuss the information on the page (title of book, author's name, illustrator's name.)

Introduce the Reading Strategy: Retell

• Explain to students that one way to understand and remember what they are reading is to stop now and then during reading to retell in their mind the events of the story.
• Explain to students that when people retell something, they explain the details that happened in the order in which they happened. Point out that people retell stories as part of their daily lives, such as explaining a favorite story or the events of a television show. Ask students to share other examples of when people might give a retelling.
• Model retelling a familiar story in detail, such as The Three Little Pigs.
  Think-aloud: In The Three Little Pigs, the pigs decide to build their own houses. The first little pig gets some straw to build his house. After the pig builds the house, the big bad wolf comes along and asks the little pig to let him in. The first little pig refuses, so the wolf huffs and puffs and blows down the house of straw. The first little pig runs away. The second little pig builds a house of sticks. The big bad wolf comes along and asks to be let in. When the second little pig refuses, the wolf huffs and puffs and blows down the house of sticks. The second little pig runs away.
• Continue retelling in detail until the end of the story. Invite students to suggest information for the retelling of the story.
• Have students place sticky notes on pages 6, 10, 14, and 16. Explain that as they read, they should stop on these pages to think about what has happened so far in the story. Encourage students to retell in their mind what happens in the story as they read.
• As students read, encourage them to use other reading strategies in addition to the targeted strategy presented in this section. For tips on additional reading strategies, click here.

Introduce the Comprehension Skill: Problem and solution

• Explain to students that certain elements are included in a fictional story. Write the words problem and solution on the board. Explain that in most stories, a character is faced with a problem that needs to be solved, and the solution is how the problem is fixed.
• Model identifying the problem and solution in a familiar story.
  Think-aloud: In the story The Three Little Pigs, the pigs are bothered by the big bad wolf. This is a problem for them because they are afraid he might try to eat them. However, the third pig builds a house of bricks. All the pigs hide from the wolf in this house. When the wolf comes to the brick house, he can not blow it down. This is the solution to the pigs' problem.
• Have students think of other familiar stories to share. Discuss the problem and solution of each of these stories.

Introduce the Vocabulary

• While previewing the book, reinforce the vocabulary words students will encounter in the story. For example, while looking at the picture on page 3 you might say: Uzzle loves football. He plays it at the playground and even dreams about it at night.
• Remind students to look at the picture and the letters with which a word begins or ends to figure out a difficult word. For example, point to the word price on page 5 and say: I am going to check the picture and think about what would make sense to figure out this word. The picture shows Uzzle looking at the tag on the helmet in the window. When I look at the first part of the word, it starts like /pr/. However, the word tag starts with the /t/ sound, so this can't be the word. I know that the price of an item is written on the tag. The word price starts with the /pr/ sound. The sentence makes sense with this word. The word must be price.
• For additional tips on teaching high-frequency words and word-attack strategies, click here.

Set the Purpose

• Have students read to find out why Uzzle is called a football star. Remind them to stop reading at the end of each page with a sticky note to retell in their mind the details of the story.

Student Reading

• Guide the reading: Give students their copy of the book. Have them read to the end of page 6 and then stop to think about what had happened so far in the story. Encourage students who finish before others to reread the text.
• Model retelling and identifying a problem and solution.
  Think-aloud: I stopped after a few pages to retell in my mind what I had read so far. First, Uzzle sees a football helmet in the store window and thinks he could be a star if he had it. Next, he looks at the price and decides it costs too much money. Then, Jupe suggests that they could look for a helmet at a thrift store. The thrift store has cowboy and baseball hats, but does not have any football helmets. Uzzle's problem is that he wants a football helmet and it costs too much money. Jupe suggests a solution by suggesting they look for a helmet at a thrift store. However, this creates a new problem--there are no football helmets. I wonder whether they will find a helmet and solve this new problem. I will keep reading to find out.
• Introduce the problem and solution worksheet. Have students write the information they know about the problems and solutions in the story on their worksheet.
• Check for understanding: Have students read to the end of page 10. Have them retell the details about the events after Uzzle and Jupe go to another thrift store. Allow students to use the pictures as a guide. Listen to their retellings for correct order, details, and description of the problem and solution.
• Have students read the remainder of the book. Remind them to retell what they have read so far and think about the solution to Uzzle's problem to help them understand information as they read.

      Have students make a small question mark in their book beside any word they do not understand or cannot pronounce. These can be addressed in the discussion that follows.

Reflect on the Reading Strategy

• Ask students what words, if any, they marked in their book. Use this opportunity to model how they can read these words using decoding strategies and context clues.
• Retell in detail with students the events of the story after Uzzle tries on the helmet and discovers that it is too big.
  Think-aloud: Uzzle tries to wear the helmet to play football, but he discovers that he cannot punt, pass, or kick. He only trips, misses, and falls because the helmet is too big. When Lurk arrives, he admires the helmet and tries it on. The helmet fits him, and Uzzle can play better without the helmet.
• Have volunteers retell the events to the end of the book, using the pictures in the book as a guide if necessary. Then have them retell the story to a partner from the beginning. Listen for whether students include the following: correct events in detail, events in order, main characters, problem, and solution.
• Ask students how retelling the events of the story in their mind as they read helped them understand the story.

Reflect on the Comprehension Skill

• Discussion: Discuss with students the problems and solutions in the story.
• Independent practice: Have students complete the problem and solution worksheet. If time allows, discuss their answers.
• Enduring understanding: In the story, the Uzzle has a problem--the helmet he bought is too big for him. He decides to let Lurk try on the helmet, and it fits him. Now that you know this information, why might it be a good idea to give things that don't fit you to others?

Phonological Awareness: Discriminate consonant digraph /th/ sound

• Say the words this and that aloud to students, emphasizing the voiced /th/ sound. Have students say each word aloud and then say the /th/ sound.
• Read page 7 aloud to students. Have them raise their hand when they hear a word that has the voiced /th/ sound.
• Check for understanding: Say the following words one at a time and have students give the thumbs-up signal if the word contains the voiced /th/ sound: football, them, weather, helmet, there.

Phonics: Identify consonant digraph th

• Write the words there and another on the board and say them aloud with students.
• Have students say the voiced /th/ sound aloud. Then run your finger under the letters in the words as students say each word aloud. Ask students to identify which letters represent the voiced /th/ sound in the words there and another.
• Circle the th letter combination in each word. Explain to students that the letters t and h together represent the /th/ sound in the words there and another.
• Have students practice writing the th letter combination on a separate piece of paper as they say the sound the letters represent.
• Check for understanding: Write the following words that contain the voiced th digraph on the board, leaving out the th: mother, this, that. Say each word, one at a time, and have volunteers come to the board and add the th letter combination to each word. Have students read the completed words aloud.
• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the consonant digraph th worksheet. If time allows, discuss their answers.

Grammar and Mechanics: Complete sentences

• Write the following word on the board: Uzzle. Explain that although readers might understand that the idea is about Uzzle, there is no action to tell readers what happens to Uzzle. Explain that the word Uzzle does not form a complete thought.
• Have students turn to page 3 in the book. Read the first sentence aloud as students follow along. Ask students to tell what the sentence means in their own words. Explain that these words tell a complete thought.
• Ask students to suggest words to add to the word written on the board to create a complete sentence. (Uzzle loves football.)
• Underline the word Uzzle. Review or explain to students that this word is a noun (person, place, or thing) and that complete sentences usually contain a noun. Circle the word loves. Review or explain to students that this word is a verb (tells the action) and that complete sentences contain more or more verbs.
• Write the following sentence on the board: Jupe saw a football helmet. Ask volunteers to identify the noun and verb in the sentence.
• Check for understanding: Write the following on the board: Jupe and Uzzle; Uzzle wants to be a star; Jupe. Ask students to tell which of the examples on the board is a complete sentence. Ask them to make suggestions of words to add to the other phrases to create complete sentences. Remind students that complete sentences begin with a capital letter and end with punctuation, and include a noun and verb.
• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the complete sentences worksheet. If time allows, discuss their answers.

Word Work: Alphabetical order

• Review or explain the process of putting a list of words in alphabetical order by using the first and second letters.
• Write the words football and curb on the board. Have a volunteer explain which word would appear first in alphabetical order (curb) and why (because c comes before f in the alphabet).
• Write the words pass and punt on the board. Point out that the words begin with the same letter (p). Ask a volunteer to tell which word would appear first in alphabetical order and why (pass, because the second letter a in pass comes before the u in punt).
• Check for understanding: Write the words hats and helmets on the board. Have a student come to the board and circle which word would appear first in alphabetical order. Point out to students that they must look at the second letter of these words to correctly alphabetize them.
• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the alphabetical order worksheet. If time allows, discuss their answers.

Independent Reading

• Allow students to read their book independently. Additionally, partners can take turns reading parts of the book to each other.

Home Connection

• Give students their book to take home to read with parents, caregivers, siblings, or friends. Have students retell the story to someone at home. Remind them to include the problem and solution in the retelling.

Fantasy Writing Connection
Review the terms problem and solution with students. Have them write a fantasy story about a character who must solve a problem. Invite students to share their finished stories aloud.

Math Connection
Give students some play money and have them count the amount they have. Cut out pictures of items from sale flyers and place prices on each item. Post the items in a place for students to view them. Ask students to choose items they would like to buy. Have them add up the price of the items and determine whether they have enough money to buy the items they want.

Skill Review
Discussion cards covering comprehension skills and strategies not explicitly taught with the book are provided as an extension activity. The following is a list of some ways these cards can be used with students:

• Use as discussion starters for literature circles.
• Have students choose one or more card and write a response, either as an essay or a journal entry.
• Distribute before reading the book and have students use one of the questions as a purpose for reading.
• Cut apart and use the cards as game cards with a board game.
• Conduct a class discussion as a review before the book quiz.