Exploring Madeline

Grade Level

2nd Grade

Duration

30 minutes

Class Size

3 students

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Answer WH questions (who, what, where, when, why, how) related to the story Madeline.
• Make simple inferences based on story details.
• Use complete sentences to verbally respond.

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Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Alignment

English Language Arts: Reading Literature

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1:
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3:
Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

English Language Arts: Speaking & Listening

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.4:
Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.

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Materials Needed

• The book Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans (preferably a big book or a version with large, colorful pictures)
• WH question flashcards (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How)
• Inference sentence stems on visual cards (e.g., "I think...", "Maybe because...", "This tells me that...")
• Drawing paper and crayons
• Whiteboard and marker for visual scaffolding

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Lesson Procedure

1. Introduction & Background (5 minutes)

• Engage: Show the cover of Madeline and ask students what they notice.
• Prompt with a simple WH question, e.g., “Who do you think Madeline is?”
• Briefly explain that today, they will read a story about Madeline and answer questions about it.
• Display WH question flashcards and briefly review each question word, highlighting what kind of answer each expects.

2. Read Aloud with Guided WH Questions (10 minutes)

• Read Madeline aloud slowly, showing pictures to all students.
• After each page or significant event, pause and ask a WH question related to the text. Examples:
  • Who is the main character?
  • Where does Madeline live?
  • Why do you think Madeline is feeling brave?
• Provide wait time and encourage students to use complete sentences.
• Repeat or rephrase questions as needed for comprehension support.

3. Making Inferences Activity (8 minutes)

• Explain what an inference is using simple language: “Sometimes the book doesn’t tell us everything. We have to be detectives and use clues.”
• Use an example from the story: “Madeline is holding her head — how do you think she feels?”
• Show inference sentence stems and model a response, e.g., “I think Madeline feels proud because she is standing tall.”
• Ask each student to make one inference about a character or event from the story using the stems. Write their sentences on the whiteboard to support their language production.

4. Drawing & Speaking Share (5 minutes)

• Give students paper and crayons and ask them to draw their favorite scene or character from the story.
• Once drawings are done, prompt each student to explain their picture using a WH question starter (e.g., “Who is in your picture?” or “Why do you like this part?”).
• Support sentences as needed but aim for full sentences connected to the text and inferences.

5. Conclusion & Assessment (2 minutes)

• Recap the story and highlight some key WH questions answered.
• Informally assess students by asking a final WH question, encouraging inference, and noting sentence formation.
• Praise their effort in answering and inferring.

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Adaptations and Supports

• Use visual aids (WH question cards and inference stems) to scaffold language needs.
• Encourage peer modeling by prompting students to listen and learn from each other's answers.
• Provide affirmative feedback and positive reinforcement to build confidence.
• Use gestures and visuals to support comprehension of WH questions and inference vocabulary.

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Notes for Teachers

• Revisit WH question frames regularly in future sessions to build automaticity.
• Integrate inference practice across other storybooks and related activities.
• Modify wait time depending on individual processing speeds.
• This lesson can be extended by creating a "Madeline Inference Garden" mural where students add inference-related sentences and drawings from multiple sessions.

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Reflection

After the lesson, consider the following:

• Which WH questions were easiest and hardest for students?
• How well could students use inference stems?
• How effectively did visuals and modeling support language goal achievement?
• What adjustments will support even deeper engagement next time?