Bubba the Cowboy Prince Lesson Plans

Warhola’s drawings are colorful cartoon stereotypes. Facial expressions combined with exaggerated features (Dwayne’s big teeth, Milton’s size, Daddy’s evil mustache, Miz Lurleen’s big hair, Bubba’s good looks) create the story’s stock (Texas style) characters. Warhola does not shy away from the bigness of the Texas Plains, incorporating the best clichés of our state: big sky, stars at night, cactus and mesquite, tornadoes and thunderstorms.

Bubba The Cowboy Prince is a great book to introduce literary techniques like simile and hyperbole.

Lone star similes: “darker than a black bull at midnight,” “whiter than a new salt lick,” “ten-dollar Stetson on a five-cent head,” “chicken-fits,” to inject humor into a traditional plot.

Students explore the story Bubba, the Cowboy Prince, through rich text and interpretations of the story.

·  Students will: apply strategies and skills to comprehend the text

·  make connections with text through the use of oral language, written language, media, and technology

·  apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts

Critical vocabulary

Ranching cowpatties “fer” “purtiest” duds

Clods decent pasture herd cud

Stetson stallion hoedown do-si-do-ing lumbered

Ruckus obliged salt lick steer fracture

Strapping feller wicked sun up/sundown complaining

Bossing doggies gal aim gussied

Ragged hisself fetch bolo tie git

Hooted decent brewing bonked bejeebers

Hollored cow’s ear

Pre-activities

To stimulate student’s prior knowledge of the Cinderella story, all students will be given an anticipation guide to access that prior knowledge.

Before reading the picture book, the teacher will need to introduce the vocabulary words using a spider web graphic organizer. As the teacher introduces each term, she and the students will collaborate on completing the graphic organizer. Have available picture cards for further explanation of the vocabulary words.

Activities

  1. The teacher will explain to the students the significance of the setting in the story (i.e. Texas ranch).
  2. The teacher will pass out handout, listing the idiomatic phrases that are found throughout the story. The teacher will ask the students to listen for these phrases to determine the meaning and the teacher will then discuss the phrases after reading the story.
  3. The teacher will read the story, Bubba The Cowboy Prince, aloud without stopping, stressing the accent of the southern culture.
  4. The teacher will divide the students in heterogeneous cooperative groups. Each group will discuss and record their meanings of the idiomatic phrases. When given enough time to complete, the teacher will then bring the groups back together and tell the meanings of each phrase. (If the students are confused with the phrases the teacher will need to read the phrase as it is printed in the story.)
  5. The teacher will review story elements with the class. She will then have the students individually complete a story map. Teacher will monitor student work as it is completed.
  6. The teacher will pair the students in order to complete a character comparison, comparing Bubba and the step-brothers.
  7. The teacher will show samples of different wedding invitations to give personal experiences for all students, so they will understand the format and purpose of a wedding invitation. The teacher will assign each student the task of creating their own wedding invitation for Bubba and Miz Lurleen. The teacher will list criteria that must be included on the invitations. However, students may include other details. Use items on the materials list.

Assessment

·  The teacher will use the story map completed by individual students that checks for understanding story elements.

·  The teacher will use the character comparison graphic organizer of each student to check for understanding of character analysis.

·  The teacher will use the attached rubric to assess the wedding invitation.

Writing

Have students predict what kind of mate would be good for the step brothers.

Have students write a different version of the story using a minor character such as the stepbrothers or the fairy God Cow.

Social Studies

Review with students the Texas state symbols that are used in the book.

Have students identify the different ways the characters interact with each other. In what ways do they show good character and use manners, when do they not. Ex. When is Bubba respectful? How do the Stepbrothers show they are mean? How can we tell Lurleen doesn’t judge anyone?

In the book it uses colors to represent different emotions, ex. Purple with jealousy, turned fourteen shades of red. Have students create their own way to use colors to represent their emotions.

Have students identify the different landforms from the various regions in Texas.

Have students practice their map skills by drawing a map of Texas and various landmarks and big cities in Texas.

Science

Discuss with students the different types of climate and weather that are represented in the book.

Discuss with students the phases of the moon.

Discuss with students the idea of time lapse. Night/day

Discuss with students the different types of clouds. Point out the different shapes that form.

Discuss with students the different desert animals that are found in Texas.

Math

Discuss with students the various math concepts such as: size, area, perimeter

Have students use various measurement tools to determine what is larger and smaller.

Have students create their own Clock face with a hour hand and minute hand. Have them use the clock to practice time lapse. How long does it take to walk to the office? To the cafeteria?

Websites:

·  Video (English/Spanish/Subtitles) of author, Travis Tritt reading the story titled, Bubba the Cowboy Prince

http://www.gpbkids.org/georgiareadmore/

·  A Picture Book Writing Lesson from WritingFix-Focus Trait: Idea Development Support Trait: ORGANIZATION

http://writingfix.com/Picture_Book_Prompts/Bubba3.htm

·  Inspired by the picture book Bubba the Cowboy Prince, these two first graders worked very hard to write the following original fairy tales in new settings. Read both stories and talk about where you see both writers show off skills of idea development and organization.

http://writingfix.com/PDFs/Pic_Book_Prompt_Worksheets/Bubba_1st_grade_samples.pdf

·  After hearing the book and comparing it to Estrellita de Oro/Little Gold Star retold
by Joe Hayes, illustrated by Gloria Osuna Perez and Lucia Angela Perez, students wrote
which book they liked better and why. They also illustrated their writing and composed
captions.

http://storytrail.com/SWCL/pages/bcp2.htm

Anticipation Guide

Name:

Directions: After reading each statement, write agree or disagree under the pre-reading column. Once the story has been read aloud, complete the post-reading column with agree or disagree.

Pre-reading / Statements / Post-reading
The story takes place on a ranch.
The main character is a girl.
The fairy god mother uses her wand.
There are animals at the ball.
The step-siblings are evil.
The main character loses a slipper.

Idiomatic Phrases

Phrase / Meaning
the biggest spread
cute as a cow’s ear
throw a ball
gussied up
sorrier than a steer in a stockyard
bonked the beejebers out of his bean
ten-dollar Stetson on a five-cent head
turned fourteen shades of red
Book Jacket Report : Bubba Wedding Invitation
Teacher Name: Karen Wright Jennifer Fessler
Student Name: ______
CATEGORY / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 / Points Earned
Spelling / There are 3 or fewer spelling errors on the book jacket. The author's name and the title are spelled correctly throughout! / There are 3 or fewer spelling errors on the book jacket, but the author's name is not always spelled correctly. The title is always spelled correctly. / There are 3 or fewer spelling errors on the book jacket, but the title and author's name are not always spelled correctly. / There are more than 3 spelling errors.
Vocabulary / Student correctly uses 2 or more new words (at least one from the story) and can define them, if asked. / Student uses 2 or more new words, but may not be able to accurately define one of them. / Student uses 1 new word, but may not be able to accurately define it. / Student has not used any recently studied vocabulary in the book jacket.
Neatness and Effort / The book jacket has no distracting errors, corrections or erasures and is easily read. It appears the student spent a lot of effort getting things just right. / The book jacket has almost no distracting errors, corrections or erasures and is easily read. It appears the student worked hard on it. / The book jacket is fairly readable but the quality is not too good on some parts. It looks like the student ran out of time or didn't take care of it. / Very messy and hard to read. It looks like the student threw it together at the last minute without much care.
Illustration(s) / Illustrations were creative, drawn and colored neatly and were a good size. / Illustrations were drawn and colored neatly and were a good size. / Illustrations were drawn and colored neatly, but some were too large or too small. / Illustrations were drawn and/or colored carelessly.
Persuasive/Propaganda Techniques / Reviews of book used 3 persuasive techniques and student can name each and show where s/he used it. / Reviews of book used 2 persuasive techniques and student can name each and show where s/he used it. / Reviews of book used 1 persuasive technique and student can name it and show where s/he used it. / Student cannot describe what persuasive technique was used.