Build Background

• Write the word circus on the board and read the word aloud with students. Invite students to share what they know about a circus. Invite students to share whether or not they have been to a circus.
• Have students share information they know associated with a circus, such as animals, entertainment, and food. Write the information on the board.

Preview the Book

Introduce the Book

• Give students their copy of the book. Guide them to the front and back covers and read the title. Have students discuss what they see on the covers. Encourage them to offer ideas as to what type of book it is and what it might be about.
• Show students the title page. Talk about the information on the page (title, author's name, illustrator's name).

Introduce the Reading Strategy: Make, revise, and confirm predictions

• Explain to students that good readers often make predictions, or guesses, about what will happen in a book based on the series of events and what the characters say, do, and think in the story. As they read the story, readers make, revise, or confirm predictions based on what they learn from reading. Before reading a book, readers can use the title and illustrations as the basis for making predictions.
• Model using the title to make a prediction.
  Think-aloud: When I look at the title, I see the words oatmeal and babysitter. I know that a babysitter is someone who watches children when the adults leave the house. The title is Morty and the Oatmeal Babysitter, so Morty must be the child in the story. Since oatmeal is a type of food people eat, I wonder why the word oatmeal would describe the babysitter. I know that sometimes I have dreams about things I do not like. I wonder if Morty does not like oatmeal. Maybe Morty also does not want to have a babysitter, so he has a dream about a babysitter that is made of oatmeal.
• Introduce and explain the prediction worksheet. Create a similar chart on the board. Model writing a prediction in the Make column, such as Morty dreams about his babysitter being made of oatmeal. Invite students to make a prediction based on the table of contents and cover illustrations, and write it on their worksheet in the Make column. Share and discuss the predictions as a group.
• 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: Sequence events

• Review or explain that stories are generally told in order from beginning to end.
• Model sequencing the main events of the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Write key words about each event in order on the board as you describe them to students.
  Think-aloud: If I want someone to be able to retell the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, certain events need to be included in order to tell the story correctly. In this story, the first event that happens is that Goldilocks goes into the house of the three bears. Next, she tastes three bowls of porridge, but only the third bowl tastes just right. Then she sits on three different chairs, but only the third chair feels just right. Then she sits on three different beds, but only the third one feels so good that she falls asleep. Last, the three bears come home and see what Goldilocks has done with the porridge and the chairs, and they find her asleep in the bed. Goldilocks wakes up and runs away. I will write these events on the board in order.
• Explain that certain words are often used to explain a sequence of events. Read the list of events on the board to students in order, using words such as first, next, then, and last. Ask students to identify these types of sequencing words from the example.
• Have a volunteer use the key words on the board to sequence the events of the story out of order. Ask students to explain why the order of the steps is important (the sequence does not make sense out of order).
• Point out to students that the sequence of events listed on the board shows only the events that are most important for someone to understand the story. It does not include all the details of a retelling of the story.

Introduce the Vocabulary

• Write each content vocabulary word on a large piece of paper and hang them up around the room. Read each word aloud with students.
• Place students in small groups and assign each group to a word. Have them discuss what they know about the meaning of their word and write a definition on the paper. Rotate the students until each group has visited every word.
• Review each word and the information about the word that students wrote on the paper. Create a definition based on the students' knowledge and write it on the board.
• Explain to students that sometimes they will not find any context clues that define an unfamiliar word. Review with students how to locate a word and its definition in the dictionary. Have a volunteer read the definition for each word. Compare the students' definitions with the dictionary definition. Use the comparison to modify the definition for each word written on the board.
• For tips on teaching word-attack strategies, click here.

Set the Purpose

• Have students read the book to find out more about Morty and the oatmeal babysitter. Remind them to make, revise, and confirm predictions as they read. Have them think about the events that happened first, next, and so on.

During Reading 

Student Reading

• Guide the reading: Have students read to the end of page 7 and then stop to think about the events that have happened so far in the story. Encourage students who finish before others to reread the text.
• Model revising a prediction.
  Think-aloud: Before reading, I predicted that Morty dreams about his babysitter being made of oatmeal. So far, I have not been able to confirm that prediction. However, I learned that Morty's mother needs to leave the house and puts Morty in charge of his brothers and sisters. Based on this information, I know that Morty is likely the babysitter in the story. I will write this information in the Actual column on the chart. Therefore, my previous prediction no longer makes sense. I'm still not sure why the word oatmeal is used to describe the babysitter. I read that Morty's friends come over and want to go to the circus. I wonder if Morty leaves the house to go with them. Since he is supposed to be watching his siblings, he might have to find someone or something else to watch them while he is gone. Earlier in the story Morty waited too long to eat his oatmeal, and it became very sticky. Maybe Morty puts his siblings in containers of sticky oatmeal so they can't move. This would explain the word oatmeal in the title. I will write this revised prediction on the chart in the Revised column.
• Have students review the prediction they made before reading. Have them write a revised prediction next to the first prediction on their worksheet or place a check mark in the Confirm box if their prediction was correct. If they confirmed their prediction, have them make a new prediction and write it on their worksheet in the Make column.
• Write the following events on the board: Morty's oatmeal is cold and thick; Morty skips breakfast; Morty's mother asks Morty to babysit; Morty's mother tells him that she will take him and his friends to the circus the next day; Morty watches television; Morty's friends come over and ask him to go to the circus.
• Discuss and circle the events that are the most important to correctly tell the story. (Morty's mother asks Morty to babysit; Morty's friends come over and ask him to go to the circus.) Point out that the other information is details that make the story interesting but are not important events.
• Introduce and explain the sequence events worksheet. Have students write the important events from the discussion on their worksheet.
• Check for understanding: Have students read to page 12. Remind them to use the illustrations, sentences, and what they already know to make predictions as they read. When they have finished reading, have them make, revise, and/or confirm their predictions on their worksheet. Discuss whether their predictions turned out to be true or whether they needed to be revised. Reassure students by explaining that predicting correctly is not the purpose of this reading strategy.
• Ask students to write additional important story events in order on their sequence events worksheet. Discuss the important events as a class and write them on the board in order. (Morty puts his siblings in an oatmeal bath; Morty and his friends explore at the circus.) Allow students to make corrections to their worksheet.
• Have students read the remainder of the book. Encourage them to continue to make, revise, and confirm predictions as they read the rest of the story.

    Have students make a question mark in their book beside any word they do not    understand or cannot pronounce. Encourage them to use the strategies they    have learned to read each word and figure out its meaning.

After Reading 

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.
• Think-aloud: I predicted that Morty would put his brothers and sisters into containers of sticky oatmeal so he could go to the circus with his friends. This prediction was confirmed. However, instead of using more than one container, Morty placed all of his siblings in a bathtub full of sticky oatmeal. I will write this information on my chart under the Actual column.
• Independent practice: Have students complete their prediction worksheet. Ask them to explain other predictions they made while reading. Invite students to discuss whether their predictions turned out to be true or whether they needed to be revised. If time allows, ask students to explain how making, revising, and confirming predictions helped them to understand and enjoy the events of the story.

Reflect on the Comprehension Skill

• Discussion: Review with students the sequence of events on their worksheet using sequencing words (first, next, then, after that, and so on). Point out how they used their own words to write each event.
• Independent practice: Have students complete the sequence events worksheet. If time allows, discuss their answers aloud.
• Enduring understanding: In this story, Morty disobeys his mother and receives certain consequences for his actions. Now that you know this information, why do you think Morty's mother reacted the way that she did, and do you think her reaction was fair?

Build Skills 

Grammar and Mechanics: Contractions

• Review or explain that a contraction is two words that have been shortened by replacing one or more letters with an apostrophe.
• Have students turn to page 4. Point out the word didn't at the top of the page. Ask students to use the context clues in the sentence to identify the two words joined together to make the word didn't (did and not). Write both the contraction and the two words on the board.
• Ask a volunteer to read aloud the sentence with the contraction, substituting did not for didn't to check if this answer makes sense. (He did not look up.)
• Have students identify which letter was dropped to make the contraction (the o in not).
• Have students turn to page 7. Ask them to identify the contractions in the first paragraph (it's and they're). Ask which two words were joined together to make each word (it and is, they and are). Write both the contractions and the two words joined together to make each contraction on the board.
• Ask a volunteer to read aloud the sentences with the contraction, substituting it is for it's and they are for they're to check if their answers make sense. ("The circus--it is here!" Ben said. They are setting up.)
• Have students identify which letter was dropped to make each contraction (the i in is, the a in are).
• Review or explain that an 's that shows possession is not a contraction, such as in the following sentence on page 3: Morty's day started off badly at breakfast. Point out that the 's after Morty is not short for is but instead shows that the day belongs to Morty. Have students read the sentence aloud, substituting is for 's to illustrate how the sentence would not make sense. (Morty is day started off badly at breakfast.)

    Check for understanding: Have students locate and circle the contractions in the book. Have them write the two words that stand for each contraction near   the contraction in the margin. Remind students to substitute each contraction with their answer as they reread the sentence to check that the answer makes sense.

• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the contractions worksheet. If time allows, discuss their answers.

Word Work: Compound words

• Review or explain that when two short words are combined to form a new word, the new word is called a compound word.
• Write the word oatmeal on the board. Ask students which two words they see in oatmeal (oat and meal). Explain that this word is called a compound word. A compound word has two parts that make up one word meaning.
• Have students turn to page 6 in the book. Point out and read the following sentence while students follow along in their book: Morty could already smell the cheese popcorn and feel the excitement of the big tents, arcade games, and daring tricks. Have students identify the compound word in the sentence (popcorn). Explain that the definitions of the two separate words can help students figure out the meaning of the bigger word (corn that is popped).

    Check for understanding: Have students identify and circle the other compound words on page 6 (outside and doorbell). Have them write the two words contained in each compound word above the word.

• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the compound words worksheet.

Build Fluency 

Independent Reading

• Allow students to read their book independently or with a partner. Encourage repeated timed readings of a specific section of the book.

Home Connection

• Give students their book to take home to read with parents, caregivers, siblings, or friends. Have students work with someone at home to sequence the events of a familiar story, such as The Three Little Pigs.

Extend the Reading 

Writing Connection
Discuss with students Morty's alternative choices to going with his friends to the circus. Have students choose one of the alternatives and write an alternate ending to the story. Invite students to share their story with the rest of the class.

Social Studies Connection
Have students use the Internet to research facts about circuses, such as: where they are held, circus animals, entertainment, and food. Have students use their information to create a poster to persuade people to come to a circus.

Assessment 

Monitor students to determine if they can:

• consistently use the strategy of making, revising, and confirming predictions to comprehend the text during discussion and on a worksheet
• sequence story events during discussion and on a worksheet
• correctly identify and understand the use of contractions during discussion and on a worksheet
• correctly identify and form compound words during discussion and on a worksheet

Comprehension Checks

• Book Quiz
• Retelling Rubric

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