Giant Story Fun

Standards

Common Core State Standards – English Language Arts (ELA)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3: Describe characters in a story and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.F: Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1.A: Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.

Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) – English Language Arts

ELAGSE3RL1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
ELAGSE3RL3: Describe characters and their actions in a story, including the use of dialogue, to explain a sequence of events.
ELAGSE3L1c: Use and understand complex sentences in speaking.
ELAGSE3SL1a: Engage effectively in collaborative discussions.

Lesson Overview

Book: The Big Friendly Giant by Roald Dahl
Grade: 3
Duration: 60 minutes
Class size: 25 students
Focus: Using picture cards and letters to support receptive and expressive language development in students with language disorders
Learning Domains: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, Language Comprehension, Expressive Language

Learning Objectives

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

I can... ask and answer questions about The Big Friendly Giant using picture cards to support my answers.
I can... identify key characters and explain their actions using simple and compound sentences.
I can... use new vocabulary words in sentences to describe the story.
I can... participate in group discussions, taking turns and sharing my ideas clearly.

Success Criteria

Students will be successful if they can:

Correctly match picture cards to parts of the story during discussion.
Verbally use at least three targeted vocabulary words related to the story.
Create 1-2 simple or compound sentences describing a character or event.
Engage in group activities, responding appropriately during conversations.

Language Function Targets

Asking and answering questions
Describing characters and events
Using vocabulary in context
Formulating simple and compound sentences

Content Vocabulary

Giant
Friendly
Dream
Whisper
Stealthy
Catch
Roar

Syntax & Discourse Targets

Use of simple and compound sentences (e.g., "The giant is friendly, and he whispers to Sophie.")
Use of descriptive language in oral and written form
Taking turns in conversation (discourse engagement rules)
Sequencing story events

Materials & Resources

The Big Friendly Giant by Roald Dahl (dyslexia-friendly edition or audiobook)
Picture cards illustrating key characters, settings, and actions from the story
Letter cards (individual letters and simple sight words)
Whiteboard or chart paper with markers
Sentence stems on posters or cards (e.g., “The giant is...”, “I think Sophie is...”)
Audio player for story read-aloud
Visual timers for activity management
Individual dry erase boards and markers for students
Headphones for auditory processing supports
Graphic organizer templates for sentence building

Lesson Layout & Time Segments

1. Introduction & Engagement (10 minutes)

Activity: Listen to an engaging excerpt of The Big Friendly Giant using the audiobook or teacher read-aloud while viewing picture cards.
Supports: Use picture cards shown on a board to accompany story elements.
Teacher Prompt: “Who can show me the giant on the picture card? What do you think he is like?”
I can statement: “I can listen carefully to the story and recognize important characters.”
Differentiation: For English language learners (ELLs), use gestures and visuals when introducing vocabulary. Provide bilingual picture labels if needed. For dyslexic students, follow along with the dyslexia-friendly edition of the book or listen to the story while viewing pictures to link sounds and words visually.

2. Guided Practice (20 minutes)

Activity A: Use picture cards in pairs to retell parts of the story. Students are paired with one fluent speaker or speech therapist where possible.
Activity B: Model and scaffold sentence building on whiteboard using letter cards:
- Example: “The giant is friendly.” then expand → “The giant is friendly, and he helps Sophie.”
Teacher Prompt: “Let’s make a sentence together about the giant. Who wants to help me?”
I can statement: “I can use words and letters to make sentences about the story.”
Differentiation:
- For ELLs: Use sentence stems and prompt cards.
- For kinesthetic learners: Manipulate letter cards physically.
- For visual learners: Highlight key words with color coding (e.g., nouns blue, verbs red).
- For auditory learners: Say words aloud as they construct sentences.
Success Criteria: Students correctly build at least one sentence with the letter cards related to the story.

3. Independent Practice (20 minutes)

Activity: Students independently select 3 picture cards and write or verbally describe the scene or character using complete sentences on dry erase boards.
Teacher Role: Circulate, provide prompts and support as needed using sentence frames.
I can statement: “I can describe parts of the story using my own words.”
Differentiation:
- For students with expressive language delays: Use picture-to-word matching with letter cards.
- For students with dyslexia: Encourage oral responses first; optionally use voice-to-text software if available.
- For advanced learners: Challenge them to create a compound or complex sentence using “because” or “and.”
Success Criteria: Students produce 1-2 sentences describing story elements.

4. Closure & Reflection (10 minutes)

Activity: Circle discussion – students share their favorite picture card and sentence while classmates listen and ask one question using sentence stems.
Teacher Prompt: “What did you learn about the giant? Can you ask your friend a question about their picture card?”
I can statement: “I can share my ideas and ask questions about the story.”
Differentiation: Support students with communication difficulties by allowing non-verbal responses (pointing to cards) or using augmentative communication tools.
Success Criteria: Students take turns speaking and asking/answering questions confidently.

Differentiation Strategies for Diverse Learners

Learner Profile	Strategies
English Language Learners	Visual supports with picture/word cards; post vocabulary with translations if needed; use sentence stems.
Students with Dyslexia	Provide dyslexia-friendly texts or audiobooks; multi-sensory letter cards; oral storytelling option.
Kinesthetic Learners	Letter/word card manipulation; acting out scenes; movement breaks during activities.
Visual Learners	Use colorful visual vocabulary cards; graphic organizers; picture-supported instructions.
Auditory Learners	Read-alouds; echo reading; discussion-based tasks.
Advanced Learners	Extension activities such as creating own story ending; writing compound/complex sentences.

Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

Write a short paragraph retelling the story from another character’s viewpoint (e.g., Sophie or the queen).
Create a new picture card to add a new character or scene and describe it orally or in writing.
Use a word web graphic organizer to explore synonyms for “friendly” and “giant.”
Perform a role-play dialogue between the giant and Sophie using expressive language targets.

Assessment

Formative: Observation during guided and independent practice; note correct use of vocabulary and sentence formation.
Summative: Students’ ability to produce 1-2 sentences describing picture cards based on the story and participate in group discussion asking and answering questions.

This lesson supports language development through a multi-sensory approach targeting receptive and expressive skills essential for students, particularly those with language disorders and English learners—all aligned with the Common Core and Georgia Standards.

Teaching Instructions