Text Type: Fiction/Fantasy
Page Count: 20
Word Count: 1,608 

Book Summary
Chef Morty's Party Surprise follows young Morty as he helps his parents prepare for their party. He quickly becomes disappointed when he must miss out on playtime to help clean the house before the party. Although his conscience gets the best of him, it happens after he ruins the party. Illustrations support the text.

About the Lesson

Targeted Reading Strategy

• Make, revise, and confirm predictions

Objectives

• Use the reading strategy of making, revising, and confirming predictions to understand the text
• Analyze the problem and solution in the story
• Identify and use contractions
• Understand -s, -es, and -ies suffixes

Materials

• Book -- Chef Morty's Party Surprise (copy for each student)
• Chalkboard or dry erase board
• Prediction, problem and solution, contractions, suffixes worksheets

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

Vocabulary

• Content words: anticipating, apology, chompers, consistency, frantically, hesitated, intent, lingered, mimicked, mischievous, nasally, reflect, unpleasant

Build Background

• Ask students if they have ever done something that they later regretted. Invite them to share their experiences and feelings.
• Explain to students that in this story, Morty and his family are mice who live their lives much as humans do. Discuss the definition of fantasy (a story in which the imagination makes the impossible seem possible). Have students list other stories that give human traits to animal characters (The Three Little Pigs, Stuart Little, and so on).

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. Discuss the information on the page (title of book, author's name, illustrator's name).

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

• Explain to students that good readers often make predictions 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 revise or confirm their 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 and illustrations to make a prediction.
  Think-aloud: When I look at the illustration on page 3, I see a young mouse sweeping a porch. He does not appear to be very happy. It seems as though he does not want to be doing this chore. The title of the book is Chef Morty's Party Surprise. I remember that the word chef means head cook. I wonder if the story is about a mouse named Morty who likes to cook. I think that he wants to be the chef but instead has the job of cleaning. Maybe a chef gets sick and the only one who can fill in is Morty. Making predictions as I read helps me to enjoy reading and anticipate what might come next. I'll have to read the book to confirm or revise my prediction.
• Create a four-column chart on the board with the headings Make, Revise, Confirm, and Actual. Model writing a prediction in the first column, Make. (For example: Morty will fill in as the chef.)
• Introduce and explain the prediction worksheet. Have students preview the covers of the book and the title page. Ask them to make a prediction before they begin reading and write it on their worksheet in the Make column. Discuss with students that the reasons behind their prediction are what make their predictions valuable. Invite them to share their prediction and why the reasons they think that event might happen.
• 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 writers have reasons for what they write. Write the following words on the board: problem and solution. Review or explain that a problem is a conflict that needs to be worked out or solved. A solution is the process of solving the problem. Tell students that in fictional writing, an author usually poses a problem to one or more characters and that the rest of the story evolves around solving the problem.
• Create a chart on the board with the headings problem, possible solutions, and consequences. Write the phrase want to play but have homework on the board under the heading problem. Model identifying possible solutions and consequences for the problem.
  Think-aloud: I know that when a problem arises, I can react to it in different ways. If I want to play, I know that I also have to get my homework done. One possible solution might be to play first and then do homework. That would ensure that I have time to play. However, I might not have enough time or be too tired to get my homework done. Another possible solution to this problem is to do homework first and then play. This way, I know I'll have enough time to get homework done. However, there might not be enough time left over to play. I've identified two possible solutions to the problem and thought of positive and negative consequences of each. Since getting homework done well is more important, my solution would be to do homework and then play.
• Model filling in the chart on the board with the information for this problem.
• Write the following phrase on the board under the heading problem: want a bike but don't have enough money. Discuss possible actions a person might take to solve this problem and list them on the board under possible solutions.
• Have students consider a positive and a negative consequence for each of the possible solutions. Write these on the board under the heading consequences. Circle the possible solution that the class thinks is best based on the consequences listed.
• Explain to students that good readers look for problems and solutions as they read. Model finding problems and solutions.

Introduce the Vocabulary

• Write the following words from the content vocabulary on large pieces of paper and hang them up around the room: anticipating, frantically, mischievous, and unpleasant. Read each word aloud with students.
• Place students in small groups and assign each word to a group. Have them discuss what they know about the meaning of their word and write a definition on the paper. Rotate the groups 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 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. Point out that this book does not contain a glossary at the back of the book. Review with them how to locate a word and its definition in the dictionary. Remind them to look at parts of the word that they may be familiar with to help them with the larger word. (For example, the prefix un- and the meaning of the word pleasant could help them identify the meaning for the word unpleasant.)
• Have a volunteer read the definition for each word. Compare students' definitions with the dictionary definition. Use the comparison to modify the definition for each word on the board.
• For tips on teaching word-attack strategies, click here.

Set the Purpose

• Have students read the book, making predictions about what will happen in the story based on what the characters say, do, and think. Remind them to revise or confirm their predictions as they learn more about the events of the story.

Student Reading

• Guide the reading: Have students read to the end of page 6. Encourage those who finish early to go back and reread these pages.
• Model revising a prediction.
  Think-aloud: I predicted that a mouse named Morty filled in as the chef. As I read, I learned that Morty was helping his mother prepare for her party, and he was upset because his friends couldn't come. However, I infer that he will act as a chef to cause trouble for his mother because Morty complained that he wanted his friends come to the party, had a mischievous idea, and scampered off to help his mother with the cooking. I'm revising my prediction to: Morty decides to cause problems for his mother by cooking food that tastes bad. I will write this prediction on my chart next to my original prediction in the Revise column.
• Encourage students to use the information they've read and discussed to revise or confirm their prediction. Have them write their new prediction under the heading Revise on their worksheet. Remind them that if their first prediction has been confirmed or has not yet been proven, they may write another prediction in the Make column of their worksheet. Model for students how to think through whether or not their predictions were confirmed, and if not, why not. Help them think about whether or not the reasoning behind their prediction was valid.
• Write the following problem from the story on the board: Morty is upset because he wants his friends at the party. Introduce and explain the problem and solution worksheet. Ask students to write Morty's problem on their worksheet. Evaluate possible solutions aloud, discussing a positive and negative consequence of each one. Write the information in the chart on the board under the headings Problem, Possible Solutions, and Consequences. Have students write the information on their worksheet. Ask them to circle the possible solution they think would be best for Morty.
• Have students read to the end of page 9. Ask them to identify Morty's solution for wishing his friends could come to the party (he made the party food taste bad). Have them cite examples from the text that identify this solution (he used toothpaste in place of the cream cheese; he put garlic in the fruit slush). Point out the Evaluation column on their worksheet. Explain the meaning of evaluation (to carefully think about the options and decide if the one chosen was best). Encourage students to fill in the final column, Evaluation, writing their opinion about whether or not they think Morty made a good decision.
• Check for understanding: Have students read to the end of page 11. When they have finished reading, have them share their predictions and the outcome of their predictions. Remind them to revise or confirm their predictions and write what actually happened on their worksheet.
• Ask students to identify a new problem Morty faces (he feels bad about tampering with the food). Have them fill out the first three columns of their worksheet (Problem, Possible Solutions, and Consequences). Ask them to circle the possible solution they think would be best for Morty.
• Remind students to look for the solution Morty chooses as they read and to fill in the evaluation column on their worksheet.
• Have students read the remainder of the book. Encourage them to continue to make, revise, and confirm their 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.

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 cause problems for his mother by cooking food that tasted bad. I learned that he spread toothpaste instead of cream cheese on the bagels, put garlic in the fruit slush, and put onion powder in the popcorn. He eventually felt bad about ruining the food for his parents' party and decided to throw them a surprise party to make up for his mistake. I will write this information next to my prediction under the heading Actual.
• Independent practice: Have students complete their prediction worksheet. Invite them to share their predictions, reasoning, and revisions, and to tell how their predictions related to the actual outcome of the story. Ask students to explain how the strategy of making, revising, and confirming predictions helped them understand and enjoy the story.

Reflect on the Comprehension Skill

• Review with students the last problem they wrote on their worksheet (he feels badly about tampering with the food). Discuss Morty's solution for feeling badly (he lay in bed feeling guilty and eventually fell asleep). Have them cite examples from the text that identify this solution (he was starting to feel bad inside, he felt guilty about using up all the toothpaste, and so on.) Have students fill in the Evaluation column on their worksheet.
• Independent practice: Have students complete their problem and solution worksheet using Morty's final problem (his parents were upset about him ruining their party). Discuss their responses aloud once students have finished.
• Enduring understanding: In this book, you read about how Morty chose to sabotage his parents' party because he was mad at them for not inviting his friends. Now that you know this information, why is it important to think about the decisions you make, taking into consideration the feelings of others as well as the consequences of your actions?

Grammar and Mechanics: Contractions

• Direct students to page 4 and point to the word It's. Review or explain that this word stands for two words. Ask students to use context clues to identify which two words were joined together to make the new word (It and is). Write both the contraction and the two words on the board. Point out that the letter i in is is dropped to make the contraction.
• Ask a volunteer to read aloud the sentence on page 4, substituting It is for It's to check if these words make sense. (It is always the same.)
• Review or explain that a contraction is a word formed by joining two words, and that an apostrophe shows where the letter or letters have been left out.
• Ask students to turn to page 8 and identify the contractions (That's and I'm). Ask students to identify which two words were joined together to make the new word That's (That and is). Ask students to identify which two words were joined together to make the new word I'm (I and am).
• Ask students to identify which letter was dropped to make the contraction That's (the i in is). Ask students to identify which letter was dropped to make the contraction I'm (the a in am). Ask a volunteer to read the last paragraph on page 8, substituting That is for That's and I am for I'm.
• Have students turn to page 9. Point to the word Mother's in the first sentence of the second paragraph. Have a volunteer read the sentence aloud, substituting is for 's. (Everyone loved his mother is famous fruit slush.) Ask students to tell whether the sentence makes sense. Review or explain that an 's that shows possession is different from a contraction. In this sentence, the 's shows possession: his mother's fruit slush. Point out that using context clues helps readers determine whether a word is possessive or a contraction.

    Check for understanding: Have students circle all of the contractions in the book and write the two words each contraction stands for next to the word. Remind them not to circle any words with an 's that shows possession. If time allows, discuss their responses.

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

Word Work: Suffixes -s, -es, and -ies

• Show students a pencil. Have a student identify the object. Write the word pencil on the board. Have a volunteer identify the part of speech of this word (noun).
• Show students two pencils. Have a student identify the objects. Write the word pencils on the board. Ask students how the meaning of the word pencil changed (the -s ending on pencils means more than one pencil).
• Write the following nouns on the board and ask students to provide the plural form of each word by adding -s: banana, lime, peach, orange. Write the plural form of each word on the board as students provide answers (bananas, limes, peaches, oranges).
• Have students identify the plural form of the word dish. Write the plural form dishes on the board. Point out that the plural was formed by adding the suffix -es. Ask students to tell the difference in meaning between the two words.
• Write the nouns strawberry, strawberries, party, and parties on the board. Have students explain how the first word in each pair was changed to make the other word (the y was changed to i and the suffix -es was added).
• Explain that the plural form of many nouns ending in -y is created by first changing the -y to -i and then adding ­-es. Write -s, -sh, -ch, -x, and -z on the board and explain that words with these endings are also made plural by adding -es.

    Check for understanding: Have students turn to page 3 and underline all of the plural nouns (parties, flowers, bags). Have them write the singular forms above the words (party, flower, bag). Ask a volunteer to identify the noun that ended in y (party) and give its plural form (parties).

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

Independent Reading

• Allow students to read their book independently. Additionally, allow partners to read parts of the book with each other.

Home Connection

• Give students their book to take home to read with parents, caregivers, siblings, or friends. Have students also take home their prediction worksheet and explain to someone the process of making, revising, and confirming predictions.

Persuasive Writing Connection
Have students identify a decision Morty made in the story that they disagreed with. Have them write an opinion paper citing Morty's problem and choice, their idea for a better choice, and their reasons for their choice. Remind them to include examples of why they think their choice might be better.

Math Connection
Bring in a simple recipe for students to follow, such as making homemade ice cream. Provide the measuring cups and utensils necessary for students to prepare and measure the correct amount of each ingredient.