Fourth graders have likely heard the expression to cry wolf, but they may not know the saying's origin. A short reading passage tells the story and includes four comprehension questions for pupils to demonstrate their understanding.

Concepts

reading comprehension, folktales, morals

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Attach to a homework packet in a unit about fables and folktales
• Use the moral of the story as a writing prompt in which learners write a narrative essay, short story, or poem that reflects the same lesson

Classroom Considerations

• Questions do not address the distinctive idioms and phrases in the passage; consider adding a question about the phrase a great many and laughing in his sleeve for both mainstream readers and English learners
• Have class members write their answers on the back of the sheet if they don't have enough space on the front
• The story is titled The Wolf, but is more commonly known as The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Pros

• Reading passage and questions fit onto one page
• Uses a well-known story to reinforce reading comprehension skills
• Moral is written is a rhyming pattern

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.4.1 RL.4.2 RL.4.3