Kim Trivette
RE 3030
TextTalk Lesson: Stephanie’s Ponytail
Text Talk Lesson for
Stephanie’s Ponytail
By Robert Munsch
Annick Press Ltd. 1996
Summary:
Stephanie becomes frustrated when her classmates copy her ponytail. She begins creating unusual hairstyles, which are also copied by her classmates, dogs, and even the teacher. She finally tricks the class into thinking she is going to do something totally outrageous, then comes to school with a simple ponytail again.
Focus:
The focus for this story is individuality. Children often do things because they see their friends doing them, as is the case with the class copying Stephanie’s hairstyles.
Comments and Questions:
Cover
-Show cover and read the title. Ask students what they think the story might be about. Encourage students to suggest several different ideas, leading them beyond “Stephanie wears a ponytail.” Begin reading the story.
Page 1
-Why does Stephanie want to wear a ponytail? (introduce the word individual here)
-Why do Stephanie’s classmates think her ponytail is ugly?
Page 3
-Why would the kids say Stephanie’s ponytail was ugly, and then copy it?
-How does Stephanie feel when the other girls copy her ponytail?
-How do you think you would feel if everyone copied something you did?
Page 6
-Why does Stephanie want to put her ponytail on the side?
-What does Stephanie’s mom mean when she says “very strange”?
-Do you think it is strange that Stephanie wants a ponytail on the side?
Page 7 (after reading the part where the kids say the ponytail is ugly)
-What do you think will happen the next day?
-(answers should relate to the kids copying Stephanie again)
Page 13
-Definitely means without question and beyond doubt. What does Stephanie’s mom mean when she says “That is definitely that. There is no other place you can do ponytails”?
Page 18
-Do you think that Stephanie will really shave her head?
-Do you think that Stephanie’s classmates will shave their heads? (If no one suggests it, you may ask Do you think they might wait to see if she does it first?)
Pages 19
-How do Stephanie’s classmates react when they see her ponytail?
-Should they be upset with her? Should they be upset with themselves?
Wrap-Up
How did Stephanie trick her classmates? Do you think that she should have told them she was going to shave her head? Why?
Vocabulary:
strange
definitely
bunch
individual
Say the word: strange
strange: In the story, Stephanie’s mom says that it is strange for Stephanie to wear her ponytail on the side and on the top. Strange means that something is different than you normally see. Say the word strange.
I am going to say a few things and I want you to tell me if they are strange to you or not. If you think they are strange, say “very strange”. If you think they are not strange, say “ok”.
-People standing on the ceiling. (very strange)
-People standing on the sidewalk. (ok)
-A dog walking with a person on a leash. (very strange)
-A person walking with a dog on a leash. (ok)
What’s our word? strange
Say the word: definitely
definitely: In the story, Stephanie’s mom thought that there were definitely no other ways to fix a ponytail. This means that she was sure there wereno other ways. Say the word definitely.
Let’s think about things that we know definitely. I am going to talk about some things, and if we know them definitely, say “that is definitely that”. If we aren’t definitely sure, say “maybe so”.
-There are ten boys in our class. (that is definitely that)
-We might have a field trip next month. (maybe so)
-Halloween is on October 31 each year. (that is definitely that)
-Everyone will dress up for Halloween. (maybe so)
What’s our word? definitely
Say the word: bunch
bunch: In the story, Stephanie tells her classmates that they are a bunch of copycats. bunch means a group of people or things, or a crowd. Say the word bunch.
Think about the kinds of things you would see in a bunch. Which would be in a bunch?
-Grapes or apples?
-Houses in the city or out in the country?
-Kids reading or kids on the playground?
-What is something you might see in a bunch? Start your sentence with “I see a bunch of…” (for example: flowers)
What’s our word? bunch
Say the word: individual
Individual: In the story, Stephanie wants to be an individual by wearing her hair differently than her classmates. Individual means different from others because of a special quality. Say the word individual.
What would make someone an individual? I am going name some things that someone might do, and I want you to tell me if that is being an individual. If it is, say “individual”. If it is not, say “copycat”.
-I am wearing plain blue jeans because my friends wear them. (copycat)
-I put beads on my jeans to make them look different. (individual)
-I bought the same book bag as my friends have. (copycat)
-I found a neat bag to carry my books in that isn’t like anyone else’s. (individual)
What’s our word? individual
We talked about four words: strange, definitely, individual, and bunch. Let’s think about them some more.
-Which would you think was strange: a girl with blonde hair or a girl with purple hair?
-Which is being an individual: a girl with blonde hair or a girl with purple hair?
-Which do you know definitely: that you will go to school or that you will go to Disneyland? (some students may say definitely to both!)
-Which would you find in a bunch: bees or butterflies?