CreatedbyMaryBlow©2016

PlottingwiththeGrinchbyMaryBlow

Overview:YoucanusemanyotherChristmasbooks,butIchosetouseHowtheGrinchStoleChristmas!byDr.Seusstoreviewelementsofplotwithmystudents.Icanstatement:Icanapplymyunderstandingofacademicvocabularytoanalyzehowtheauthordevelopsplot.Grades:6-8CommonCoreStandards:RL.3,L.6,W.3Materials

• HowtheGrinchStoleChristmas!byDr.Seuss• Listofdiscussionquestions• GrinchGramHearts(reproducibleordiecuts)

BeforeReadingThinkaboutanddiscussthequestion:Whatdoesitmeanwhenapersonisdescribedashavingabigheart?

DuringReadingReadHowtheGrinchStoleChristmas!tothestudents.Studentslisten,identifyingtheelementsofplotandthinkingaboutthepurposetheseelementsserveinthedevelopmentofthestory.AfterReadingDiscussionQuestionsStudentscanworkingroupstodiscussthequestions.However,Ididn’thavealotoftime,soIaskedaquestion,providedtimeforthink-pair-share,andthenstudentsresponded.Sincethisistheirfirstexperiencewithapplyingacademicvocabularytoanalyzingastory,theywereencouragedtoreferencetheirnotesduringthediscussions.

1. Identifytheexpositioninthe“HowtheGrinchStoleChristmas!”[Themaincharacter,theGrinch,isintroduced.ThesettingisMt.Crumpit,justnorthofWho-ville.ThemainconflictisthattheGrinchhatesChristmasandwantstostopit.]

2. WhyistheMt.Crumpitsettingimportanttothedevelopmentoftheplotorstory.[Itisisolated,revealingthattheGrinchisaloof.Hedoesn’tlikepeople.Helives3,000feetaboveWho-ville,whichsuggeststhathelooksdownontheWhosasthoughtheyarebeneathhim.]

3. Howdoesthesettingscontributetothemood?[TheMt.Crumpitsettingcreatesa

desolate,eeriemood.Itis3,000feetaboveWho-ville,sohighupthatitwoulddeteranyonefromvisiting.Despitebeingtheholidayseason,itlacksChristmasdecorations.

CreatedbyMaryBlow©2016

Itissnowcoveredandcold,areflectionofthecold,heartlessGrinch.Incontrast,Who-villeispeacefulandwelcoming.ThehomesaredecoratedforChristmasandthepeoplearepeacefullysleeping.Thesettingscombinedareareflectionofthecharacters’hearts.]

4. Whattypesofconflictsarerevealedinthestory?[ManversussocietyisrevealedwhentheGrinchdislikesthetraditionofcelebratingChristmasandwantstopreventChristmasfromcoming.ManversusselfisdepictedattheendofthestorywhentheGrinch’spuzzlesovertheWhos’happinessdespitehisstealingChristmas.HishatredtowardChristmaschangeswhenherealizesthatitismuchmorethanpresents.]

5. WhatdoestheGrinch’sattemptstosolvehisproblemrevealabouthischaracter?

[Heisuntrustworthyandconniving.HemakesaSantyClaussuittopasshimselfoffasSantaClaus.Whenhecan’tfindanyreindeer,hedisguisesMaxasareindeerandforceshisdogtobeapartofhisevilplan.]

6. WhatotherdetailsrevealthattheGrinchisameancharacter?[TheGrinchhates

ChristmasandalltheWhosdowninWho-ville.Heisdescribedashavinga“sour,Grinchyfrown,”whichsuggestsheismiserableallthetime.HebreaksintotheWhoshousesandstealstheirgifts.HeliestoCindy-Lou.]

7. Cindy-Louisaflatcharacter,aninnocentlittlegirl.Whydoyouthinktheauthor

wrotethestorywithaninnocentchildquestioningtheevilGrinchashestealsthegifts?[HavingtheGrinchinteractwithaninnocentchildcharacteremphasizestheGrinch’sevilnessormeanness.]

8. Whichpartofthestoryistheclimax?[TheclimaxoccurswhentheGrinchbreaksinto

thehomeandstealsthegifts.Heescapes,leavingthereaderwaitingfortheWhostofindoutthathestoleChristmas.]

9. Inthefallingaction,themaincharacterusuallylearnsalesson(theme).Whatlesson

doestheGrinchlearn?[TheGrinchlearnsthatyoucannotpreventChristmasfromcoming.Herealizesthatitdoesnotcomefromastore.Itisfoundinourhearts,ourvalues,andourbeliefssharedwithfamily,whichiswhytheWhosaresingingdespitethelackofpresents.]

10. Theresolutionorendingofthestoryoftengivesyouapeekintothefuture.What

canyouinferabouttheGrinch’sfuture?[TheGrinchisnotonlyhavingChristmasdinnerwiththeWhos,butheiscarvingtheroastbeast,afoodhedetests,butobviouslynowenjoys.WecaninferthathebecomesapartoftheWho-villesocietyandbecomesfriendswiththeWhos.]

11. IstheGrinchastaticcharacteroradynamiccharacter?[TheGrinchisadynamic

character.Afterhisheartgrowsthreesizes,hechangesfrommeantoamiable.Hereturnsthegifts,trees,andfood,andthenhejoinstheWhosintheirChristmascelebration.]

CreatedbyMaryBlow©2016

12. TheGrinch’sheartgrowsthreesizesonChristmasday.Whatdoesthissymbolize?(Apersonwithabigheartiskind,generous,andthoughtful.TheGrinch’sgrowingheartsymbolizesthesepositivecharacteristicsandthathehaschanged.)

GrinchGramsExtensionActivityStudentssendGrinchGrams,agiftofwords,thisholidayseasontotheirclassmates.Theylearnthatwordshavethepowertomakeheartsgrow–justliketheGrinch’sheartgrew.Havethemdrawclassmates’names.Giveeachstudentaheart.TheheartsonmybulletinboardaremadewithdiecutsthatItriplelayered(red,gold,andwhite)tosymbolizehowtheGrinch’sheartgrewthreesizes.Youcertainlycandothis,butifyouwanttosaveclasstime,download“GrinchGramHearts”touseinyourclassroom.Thestudentsthinkaboutthepersonwhosenametheydrewandwriteonepositivecomment,asentenceortwo,ontheheart.Asanexample,IcreatedGrinchGramsformyhomeroomstudentsandputthemonmyhallwaybulletinboardfortheholidays.Whenstudentsarefinished,theygivetheirheartstotheirclassmates.Mysixthgraderslovetodecoratelockersonbirthdaysandholidays,sotheyjumpontheopportunitytodecoratetheirlockerswiththeGrinchgrams.BelowareotherChristmaspicturebooksthatyoumightlikeuseinyourmiddleschoolclassroomwhileexploringliteraryelements.

• ChristmasDayintheMorningbyPearlS.Buck,illustratedbyMarkBuehner• TheChristmasMiracleofJonathanToomeybySusanWojciechowski,illustratedby

P.J.Lynch• TheGiftoftheMagibyO.Henry,illustratedbyP.J.Lynch• TheLittleMatchGirlbyHansChristianAndersen,illustratedbyRachelIsadora• OwlMoonbyJaneYolen,illustratedbyJohnSchoenherr• ThePolarExpressbyChrisVanAllsburg• ChristmasintheTrenchesbyJohnMcCutcheon,illustratedbyHenriSorensen• ChristmasTapestrybyPatriciaPolacco• ChristmasfromHeaven:TheTrueStoryoftheBerlinCandyBombersbyTomBrokaw,

illustratedbyRobertT.Barrett• ANewCoatforAnnabyHarrietZiefert• HomeforChristmasbyJanBrett