Social studies concept being taught in this lesson: Everyone has bad days, but we have to stick with it!

Book Kit Title:Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Book Author and Publication Date:Judith Viorst 1977

ISBN#:0-689-30072-7

This Book Kit was planned by: Whitney M. Lethcoe

Level this kit is intended for:2nd Grade

Core Curriculum Standard and Objective OR NCSS Standard this lesson teaches: Bad days happen to everyone! Persevere.

Materials for the Lesson:

  • Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
  • Paper
  • Pencils
  • Markers or crayons
  • Photo scanner, computer, and i-movie

Lesson Objective:

Students will realize that everyone has bad days, but that we should never give up.

Background Knowledge:

None needed.

Anticipatory Set/Invitation to Learn:

Show a montage of movie clips where things go wrong, things that could lead to a bad day. Movie montage should be 30-45 seconds. Once the movie clip ends, ask what all those clips had in common. Tell the children (after they have given a few answers or after the right answer has been given) that the clips all have events that could lead to someone having a bad day.

Listening Focus:

Tell the children that we are going to read a story about a boy who from the moment he wakes up until the moment he goes to sleep is having a bad day. They should be listening for the problems the main character faces in the story and what he does in response.

Method for sharing the book:

The story will be read by the teacher. The teacher will stop at certain pages, asking questions.

  • Read page one, stop: “He woke up with gum in his hair, he tripped on his skateboard, and he got his shirt wet. How many of you have had those things happen to you? Show me by raising your hands.” Let the children respond. “How did you feel?” Let the children respond. They might say angry, sad, frustrated, mad, etc. “Well, let’s keep reading to see how Alexander feels.”
  • Read page four and five, stop. “Alexander was trying to tell his friends how he felt and what did they do? Did they pay attention to him?” Let the children respond. They should say no. “Have you ever had someone ignore you when you told them how you felt? Nod your head if you have.” Let the children participate. “How did you feel when you were ignored?” They might say angry, sad, hurt feelings, mad, etc. “Well, I bet Alexander was feeling that way, too.”
  • Read page ten and eleven, stop. “Did Alexander’s mom forget to give him a dessert when she packed his lunch? Have you ever forgotten a dessert? Have you ever forgotten your lunch? Nod your head if you have.” Let children respond. “Look at Alexander’s face. What do you think he’s feeling right now?” The children might say he’s upset, he’s hungry, he’s jealous. “Maybe you’re right. Let’s keep reading and find out.”
  • Read page 23 and stop. “Do you think lima beans are Alexander’s favorite food?” The children should say no. “Alexander hates lima beans, doesn’t he? Have you ever had to eat something you didn’t want to? What was it?” The children may say all sorts of things… “Wow, well Alexander had to eat lima beans even though he hates them. Let’s see what happens next.”

Instructional Procedures:

  • Talk to the children about bad days. “Today we are going to talk about bad days and how we need to persevere. ‘Persevere’ means to stick with something until it gets better. For example, I am taking a guitar class. Playing the guitar hurts my fingers, but if I persevere, meaning that I stick with it and keep practicing, my fingers won’t hurt anymore and playing the guitar will be easier. Learning how to persevere is important because it will help us get through the bad days and look forward to the good days that are coming our way.
  • Tell the children to think of a time when they had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day and share their story with a partner. Partners will take turns listening to and telling the story. Give the children 3-4 minutes.
  • Ask the children if anyone would like to share their stories. Pick three or four volunteers. Take about 5 minutes for sharing.
  • Tell the children that everyone is going to write about a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day that they had. They will also draw an illustration. The illustration must include at least 1 person, 1 object, and a background. Once the children finish, the teacher will scan the stories and drawings and make a digital story. She will ask the children to narrate their page by having them read what they wrote. Once the story is compiled, the teacher will premiere it to the class.

Closure:

Remind the children of what was learned. “Today we read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” by Judith Viorst. We could relate to what Alexander was feeling, because we’ve all had similar experiences resulting in terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days of our own. We shared stories with a partner about times when we’ve had bad days, and we’ve written them down and illustrated them for our class book. The most important thing we’ve learned today is that when we have bad days, we need to persevere. Who can remember what that word means?” Let a child respond. If no one can tell you, give them hints, i.e. does it mean give up? Does it mean stick with it? “That’s right! If we persevere, good days are sure to follow.”

Evidence of Student Learning:

The teacher will know if students understood the concept by obtaining the completed SWS story and illustration. She will also gauge understanding by noting responses given in large group and conversations held in small groups.

Instructions:

(1)Record the entire sotry on a cassette tape (or CD or MP3). Make sure to ring a bell or sound a beep when it is time to turn the page.

(2)Have the cassette player and headphones at a table or in a place where the children can sit and listen quietly without the noise of other centers bothering them.

(3)Enough copies of the story should be at the center for the children to be able follow along. One or two children to a book will work best.

(4)Each child should have a set of headphones.

(5)Tell the children to listen to the story and follow along using their copy of the book. Once the story ends, they should rewind the tape for the next group.

(6)If they finish before it is time to rotate centers, tell them to read the book silently to themselves until it is time to clean up and go to the next center.

Instructions:

(1)The children should be able to generate a story about good things that happen to Alexander.

(2)Have supplies at a table for the children to use.

(3)Children need to write about or draw at least five good things that happen to Alexander that help him have a wonderful day.

(4)Children who finish before others can write about a time they had a good day of their own.

(5)Once everyone has finished writing their sequels, add them to the class library or take one good thing that everyone wrote about and compile it into a classroom literary masterpiece.

*NOTE: In order to post a review, you must be a member. Teachers can purchase classroom memberships for a fee. If you are not a member and do not wish to become one, you can read reviews other students have posted. Read those and discuss whether you agree or disagree, why or why not.

NOTE #2: Children may need a mini-lesson on what a literary review is. Cover the basics, let them turn in a practice draft to you if necessary before they post anything.

Instructions:

(1)Find out what type of resources your school has. Can you check out a laptop cart for the class or just a few at a time? Do you need to take the class to the computer lab in order to access computers?

(2)Have the children access the website by going to spaghettibookclub.com.

(3)If you do have an account, have the children post their reviews as mentioned above.

(4)If you do not have an account, have the children read what other students have written about the book. Engage in a discussion about the book—what did you relate to, how do your bad days compare with Alexander’s bad day? Would you want to read another book about Alexander?

*NOTE: This activity could not be used as a center. The teacher should plan for this activity by taking her students to the library. Students will choose books about a place they’d like to visit in preparation for this activity. Using the information in the books they chose, they can then create a travel brochure. Time can be given in classroom to complete the majority of the project; however, anything not finished can be done at home.

Instructions:

(1)Before the children make the brochure, the teacher should inform them of what they will be doing (introduce this form of writing… a brochure may be a novel thing). She can bring in sample brochures from a travel agency and bring an example of one that she created.

(2)Tell the students that they are welcome to research at home on the internet or by looking through books to decide what place they would like visit. They should choose their escape destination by the next class.

(3)The next day, the children should have the place decided. Take them to the library to find books about their destinations. Ask the librarian for help, see if any parents can come in during the trip—just in case children need help navigating the library in search of their books.

(4)Instruct the children that once they find their books, they can choose 5 interesting aspects about that place (things they’d like to see, do, or experience) and write/illustrate them on the brochure (one for each panel).

(5)Once the children are finished, they can set the brochures on their desks and walk around looking at all the different places that were chosen.

Instructions:

(1)Print out questions about the story that children can answer. The template is located below. Give one paper to every child.

(2)The children answer the questions independently.

(3)Collect the questions when everyone has finished.

Name______

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

(1)Name three things that happened to Alexander during his bad day.

  1. ______
  2. ______
  3. ______

(2)Did you ever have a bad day? What happened?

______

(3) Did Alexander persevere (stick with it)? Circle one: Yes or No

(4)Why do you think Alexander hates his railroad train pajamas?______

(5)Will Alexander have a good or bad day tomorrow? What do you think will happen? ______

Instructions:

(1)Purchase foam board or poster board or butcher paper (or use the blackboard or whiteboard in the classroom). Use this as the game board.

(2)Five categories exist: (1) Bad Day, (2) The Characters, (3) The Story, (4) Who Said it? And (5) Alexander Trivia. In those five categories are five questions, placed according to level of difficulty (easiest ones on top for less points, hardest ones on bottom for most points).

(3)Glue or tape questions onto the board. Place a card on top stating the point value and covering the question.

(4)Three teams compete at a time, just as in regular jeopardy. Each team is given a buzzer or bell or whistly. The first team to “buzz” in correctly gets to answer the question. If a team answers incorrectly, points are deducted and the other teams get 10 seconds to answer. If no one can answer, the person who selected the category can select again.

(5)The goal is to earn all the points you can. The team with the most points at the end wins.

(6)Keep track of the score on the board so both teams can see it. At the end of the game or when center time is over, tally the points and name the winner.

*This game reinforces children’s learning, because it is reiterated that we all have bad days. The children will be exposed to everything that happened to Alexander again—this time they are responsible for the recall. They can use their text book to search for the answer. Recalling the answers will hopefully help children relate to the story and remember that some days are bad days, filled with being squished on the car ride to school, forgetting your lunch, getting in trouble for something that wasn’t your fault, and ultimately things not going your way at all. Things happen to us all, but we are still okay. 

Events in the Bad Day / People in the Bad Day / Places in the Bad Day / Who Said What in the Bad Day? / Bad Day Trivia
(100 pts)
What’s the first bad thing that happened to Alexander when he woke up? / (100 pts)
How many brothers does Alexander have? / (100 pts)
Where did Alexander trip on a skateboard? / (100 pts)
“I hope you sit on a tack.” / (100 pts)
Where does Alexander want to move to?
(200 pts)
What number did Alexander leave out during counting time? / (200 pts)
Who got window seats in the carpool? / (200 pts)
Where did Alexander’s mom take him and his brothers after school? / (200 pts)
“Come back next week and I’ll fix it.” / (200 pts)
What type of shoes did Alexander have to buy?
(400 pts)
What was missing in Alexander’s lunch? / (400 pts)
Who told Alexander that he had a cavity? / (400 pts)
Where did they go to buy sneakers? / (400 pts)
“Cry baby.” / (400 pts)
What kind of shoes did Alexander WANT to buy?
(800 pts)
What did Alexander’s brother Nick call him? / (800 pts)
Who did the cat want to sleep with that night? / (800 pts)
Where did they go to pick up Alexander’s dad? / (800 pts)
“We’re all sold out.” / (800 pts)
What two things did Alexander’s mom scold him for?
(1,000 pts)
What was on TV that Alexander hates? / (1,000 pts)
Who told Alexander that Alexander was no longer his best friend? / (1,000 pts)
Where did Alexander get soap in his eyes? / (1,000 pts)
“Please don’t pick me up anymore.” / (1,000 pts)
What three things does Alexander hate?

Answer map:

He woke up with gum in his hair. / Two / In his bedroom / Alexander / Australia
Sixteen / Becky, Elliot, and Audrey / To the dentist / Dr. Fields (or Dentist) / Plain old white ones
Dessert / Dr. Fields (or Dentist) / Shoe store / Nick / Blue shoes with white stripes
Crybaby / Anthony / Dad’s office / Shoe salesman / For being muddy AND fighting
Kissing / Paul / The bathtub / Alexander’s Dad / Lima beans, kissing, and his railroad train pajamas