Pecos Bill and Sluefoot Sue Teacher’S Guide

leVelS 13–30 h–n tall tales and legends Pecos Bill and Sluefoot Sue teacher’s guide

Objectives Summary Fluency The image of the American frontier cowboy Students will: as a confident risk-taker able to survive the • Build fluency through echo-reading, hardships of westward expansion is influenced choral-reading, and repeated reading by tall tales such as the legend of Pecos Bill. • Read with appropriate pacing The tale began when Bill was a baby and fell • Read exclamation points out of a covered wagon as his family crossed the cOmprehenSiOn Pecos River in Texas. He was rescued and raised Students will: by coyotes. In this script, we meet Coyote, • Analyze character who named and raised Pecos Bill. Coyote and • Interpret figurative language • Make inferences a cowgirl, Dixie, tell the tale of how Pecos Bill • Summarize or paraphrase met and then married Sluefoot Sue, the only information person who could match Pecos Bill’s riding and • Use text features to locate roping abilities. information Writing Students will: characters levels • Create a poster advertisement Pecos (PAY-kohs) Bill H/13–14 genre Students will: Cactus Pete J/18 • Identify and analyze features of tall Coyote M/28 tales Sluefoot (SLOO-fut) Sue M/28 VOcabulary and WOrd Study Students will: Dixie N/30 • Build vocabulary: feats, prairie, stampede • Use vocabulary in context • Understand similes and comparisons character educatiOn Students will learn about: • Caring • Respect

™ Reader’s Theater for Fluency and comprehension

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Build Background Learning About Genre: • Ask students to share what they Tall Tales know about cowboys and the Western frontier. If available, show • Exaggerated characters and actions historical photographs of cowboys, • Use casual speech and dialect their equipment, and the American • Sometimes explain the reason for West. Create a concept map titled something in nature “Cowboys: Long Ago” and record • Usually humorous what students know on the map. • Usually feature a hero or heroine • Use a map of North America to locate • Often take place on the American the Pecos River, starting in New frontier Mexico and continuing into Texas to • Use figurative language the Rio Grande. • Illustrate how skilled or powerful the • Write the names Pecos Bill and Sluefoot hero or heroine is Sue on the board. Invite students to share what they know about the characters, reinforcing that the • Encourage students to make legendary characters were created predictions about the exaggerated long ago to tell how the “Wild West” antics of the cowboy and cowgirl was tamed. characters. Ask: What do you think Pecos Bill and Sluefoot Sue will be like? Introduce the Script What do you think they will do?

• Give each student a copy of the script. See page 8 for English-Language Learner Read the title and the back cover and Striving Reader Support. blurb aloud. Explain that the students are going to read a tall tale about Introduce Vocabulary Pecos Bill and the cowgirl he loved, • Introduce the three glossary words Sluefoot Sue. Ask students to tell what and read the definitions with students. they know about tall tales and if they • Reread the first word, feats. Say: have read any other tall tales. Someone who can accomplish great feats • Use the Learning About Genre sidebar is able to accomplish great things. to help teach characteristics of tall tales.

Copyright © 2007 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. ISBN: 978-1-4108-7182-4 2

71824_TG.indd 2 9/15/10 12:06:58 PM • Ask students to locate the sentence Background Information that includes feats on page 3. Read the The Legend of Pecos Bill sentence together. Discuss the part of speech that feats represents and ask Pecos Bill is an American folklore hero who students to think of another noun personified the Western values of stamina that could be used in its place. and fearlessness. He was invented by • Introduce and teach the remaining journalists and other writers, and was said to two glossary words, prairie and have been born in Texas in 1832 and raised stampede. Repeat the activity above, by coyotes. He became the toughest cowboy asking students to suggest nouns that around. The legend of Pecos Bill details his could replace each word. remarkable skills, which included using a rattlesnake as a whip, roping an entire herd • Provide time after reading the script of cattle at once, and riding a tornado. to discuss the meanings of slang words and dialect from the script. The Story of Sluefoot Sue Create a chart to compare phrases from the script to their meanings in When Pecos Bill first saw Sluefoot Sue, standard English. For example, refer riding a catfish down the Rio Grande, she to Dixie’s line on page 3, “Coyote was shooting at the clouds and making did a right-fine job raising Bill,” and pretty patterns in them. She had the the following phrases, among others: strength of ten men. For Pecos Bill, it was “little fellow” (page 2), “I ever did see” love at first sight. (page 4), “spitfire of a horse” (page 6), While most tales of Pecos Bill and Sluefoot “lickety-split” (page 10), and “get Sue incorporate the story of her being hitched” (page 11). bucked from Pecos Bill’s wild horse, Widow-maker (also known as Lightning), See page 8 for English-Language Learner some say that Sluefoot Sue’s life ended and Striving Reader Support. when she was bucked off and the bustle Model Fluent Reading she was wearing made her bounce so high that she hit her head on the moon and Ask students to listen and follow along died. According to legend, Pecos Bill was so with you as you read the script aloud to saddened by the loss of his true love that he model fluency and expression. howled at the moon. Later, when Pecos Bill died, the coyotes howled at the moon.

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71824_TG.indd 3 9/15/10 12:06:58 PM Day Two

build Fluency: echo-read build comprehension • Read the script aloud, and ask students Ensure students understand the ideas in to echo-read, or repeat, the lines after the story, as well as character development, you. Stop where necessary to explain by involving them in discussion. unfamiliar words or expressions—for • Which genre is the script Pecos Bill example: slue in Sluefoot Sue’s name, and Sluefoot Sue? (use text features to which means to turn or twist to the side, locate information) and “mutt,” which usually refers to a • What features of the genre does this script mixed-breed dog (page 2), “slingshot” include? (analyze features of tall tales) (page 8), and “polecat,” which probably • What are examples of Pecos Bill’s refers to a skunk (page 11). Encourage amazing feats? (summarize or students to ask about any words they paraphrase information) are unsure of and then look up the words in the dictionary together. • What type of character is Pecos Bill? Sluefoot Sue? (analyze character) • Point out the stage direction in parentheses on page 11 of the script. • How are Pecos Bill and Sluefoot Sue Explain that the stage direction similar? Different? (compare and contrast) “(angrily)” tells the reader that Sluefoot Sue should speak to Pecos Bill as if she • Why does Sluefoot Sue call Pecos Bill a is annoyed with him. “polecat” when he lassoes her back to the • Point out the exclamation points in ground? (make inferences) Coyote’s and Dixie’s lines on page 2. • What does the author mean when Explain that exclamation points in she writes, “The horse took off like a these lines create emphasis or show firecracker in a frying pan” (page 8)? strong emotion. For example, the (interpret figurative language) expression “Hey!” shows Coyote’s • Would the script have been different if surprise when Dixie refers to him as none of the characters used slang or spoke “a dirty, skinny mutt that eats trash.” in dialect? How? (make judgments) Read the lines without any emphasis and then read them a second time, See page 8 for English-Language Learner and Striving Reader Support. modeling each character’s emphasis or strong emotion. Ask students which version was more interesting. Ask students to echo-read the lines. • Point out the dashes on pages 2 and 3. Explain that these dashes represent a break or a pause. Model how to read each line, pausing where the dash is. 4

71824_TG.indd 4 9/15/10 12:06:59 PM build Vocabulary assign roles Make sure students fully understand • Use the reading levels provided on the the glossary terms. The Vocabulary in front of this guide to help you assign Action suggestions on the inside back roles that support or challenge each cover of the script provide further ideas student appropriately. for building students’ understanding. • This script contains five parts. If you have more students than roles, Fluency assessment rubric you may assign stage roles, such as • The Reader’s Theater Overview managers for props or sound. contains an assessment rubric you can • Encourage students to read the use to quickly assess each student. roles of Dixie and Sluefoot Sue with Use the rubric at different times energy and expression. Invite students during the lesson to assess different reading the roles of Pecos Bill and skills. For example, you may want Sluefoot Sue to practice saying to select students to assess their “Hoo-whee!” and “Yee-haw!” understanding of characterization during the comprehension discussion. • If it seems appropriate, students may Alternatively, you may wish to use wish to read the script with “Western” their performance to assess how accents. appropriately they develop their characters. character tips for Voice and expression • Discuss the assessment rubric with students so that they know what you Coyote energetic, friendly expect of them. Dixie funny, energetic Cactus Pete surprised Pecos Bill confident, proud, polite, impressed Sluefoot Sue confident, challenging, believes in equal rights

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71824_TG.indd 5 9/15/10 12:07:00 PM Day Three

Build Fluency Skills: Repeated Reading: Read with Appropriate Pacing Rehearse the Script • Model: Ask students to read with • Discuss the expectations you have for appropriate pacing, action, and student behavior during the rehearsal. mood so that their lines make Use the suggestions provided here and sense. Ask students to evaluate how in the Reader’s Theater Overview. you read two different lines by • Use small-group time for students to showing thumbs-up if you read with rehearse their script. Monitor students appropriate pacing and thumbs-down as they rehearse, and tell them you will if you do not. Say: When you read be listening to how they develop the with appropriate pacing, the script characters through their reading. is more interesting to listen to. Show • Offer suggestions for expression, voice, the character’s mood by paying close and characterization as you monitor attention to the punctuation marks. students’ work. See the chart on page 5 • Guide: Locate Dixie’s second set for tips on voice and expression. Use of lines on page 2. Point out the specific comments, rather than general exclamation point after “Splash!” Read ones, directed at the character, not the the line and ask students to echo-read. student. For example: Pecos Bill, you • Apply: Invite students to practice need to sound very surprised at seeing their parts with a partner. Encourage such a skilled cowgirl! partners to coach each other as they • Use this time to observe particular practice reading. Students may make students and assess for behavior. Remind suggestions about how to change the students of the assessment rubric and let pacing to make it more interesting them know you will be assessing them as to listen to. Monitor students’ use you monitor the rehearsal. of pacing. Echo-read for students needing additional support. See page 8 for English-Language Learner and Striving Reader Support. Choral-Read for Fluency Involve students in a choral-reading Expectations for Rehearsing of the script to reinforce the fluency When working in a group, students should: skill of reading with appropriate • follow along as the script is being read; pacing. Remind them to use dramatic • remain quiet while others are reading expression to bring each character’s their parts; mood or personality to life. • wait and watch for their turn to read; • ask for help when needed; • read clearly, using expression and fluency. 6

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repeated reading: perform the Script rehearse the Script Invite students to present the script to • Use small-group time for student an audience. The audience might be rehearsal. Do not interrupt this second members of their class, students from rehearsal, but simply observe students other classes, school staff members, as they read. and/or parents. • Use the assessment rubric to monitor assess Students’ Fluency students’ rehearsal behaviors and reading fluency. • Use the assessment rubric to complete your assessment of Staging and performance students’ fluency. Suggestions • Take time to briefly conference with Decide on a stage area, how students each student to provide feedback on will be positioned, and whether props his or her reading and behavior. or movements will be added. See staging tips in the Reader’s Theater Overview. Here are some other ideas:

prOpS/cOStumeS • A gallery box set stage right for Coyote and Dixie (Coyote and Dixie narrate the legend as the performers act it out; ask these narrators to watch performers when not speaking) • Rope for reins and lassos • Cowboy hats for cowhand characters • Stick horse for Widow-maker • Fan to blow when Pecos Bill rides the tornado

muSic/SOund eFFectS • Galloping sound effects with quick clap/pat patterns using hands or hollow coconuts • A wire toy or a spring-effect bouncing sound (ask music teacher) • Create rushing/whirring sound for tornado with voice(s) 7

71824_TG.indd 7 9/15/10 12:07:02 PM Support for nglish anguage earners and Striving Readers

Build Background and Make • Invite students to draw pictures of Connections (Day One) images from the Old West. Pictures may • Find a historical map of the United include cowboys on a prairie, simple States in a book or on the Internet wooden fences, covered wagons, or showing the states and their borders other connections with the photographs around 1880. Use photographs and students viewed earlier. Encourage the map to explain that people use students to label their drawings. the terms “the frontier” or “the Old Develop Vocabulary and West” to talk about this time and Language (Day One) area in U.S. history. Explain that the United States was growing and • Give students four sheets of blank people were moving west to live on paper. Ask them to fold all four sheets the land to farm and ranch. Use in half to create an eight-page book. historical photographs of cowboys to Ask students to title their books “Pecos help students make connections with Bill and Sluefoot Sue Vocabulary.” cowboys and the Old West. • Introduce genre-related vocabulary such • Create a time line beginning at 1880 as lickety-split, fret, polecat, and hitched. and ending at 2020. Mark every twenty Read the script aloud for students. years on the time line. Label the After they listen to the script, encourage current year on the time line “Today.” students to discuss the meanings of new or unusual vocabulary words. Write the • Explain to students that they will words on the board. Use the context read a tall tale. Explain that people of the script and pantomime or simple have been telling tall tales for many illustrations to help students make years. Refer to the time line to show connections. students the time in which the story of Pecos Bill is set. Say: Tall tales like • Ask students to write six or seven of the Pecos Bill and Sluefoot Slue exaggerate words you discussed in class in their ideas. Tall tales tell stories about the Old blank vocabulary books. They should West. This tall tale is about a cowboy. use one page per word. Then ask them This tall tale has a cowgirl. The cowboy to draw a picture to illustrate each word. is Pecos Bill. The cowgirl is Sluefoot Sue. • Emphasize that the glossary word The cowboy and cowgirl are not real. feats does not mean many feet. Explain • Write the characters’ names from that feats are great accomplishments. the script on the board. Ask students Encourage students to draw Pecos Bill to look at the illustrations in the or Sluefoot Sue performing one of the script. Guide students to name the feats from the script. characters.

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• Help students understand the concept read and perform of exaggerated language used in tall (days two–three) tales. Connect the discussion to Cactus • Provide extra practice reading the Pete’s lines on page 11: “Don’t you script as a group before students read know that Bill saved your life? You their individual parts to ensure they wouldn’t have stopped bouncing for are familiar and comfortable with the a hundred years!” Ask students if language and vocabulary. they think Sue really would have kept • You may want to assign two students bouncing for 100 years. Say: So you see, to a role so they can read the part Cactus Pete is exaggerating. together. This will help support their build comprehension reading. (day two) • Be sure to use the reading levels Engage students in discussion about provided on the cover of this Teacher’s the script, starting with simple literal Guide to help you assign the roles. questions and progressing to more difficult ones. As students discuss the questions, ask them to point to places in the script that best answer the questions. Suggested questions: • Where can you locate the author’s name? (use text features to locate information) • Who are the characters in the script? (recall details) • What is the setting of the tall tale? (analyze story elements) • Why does Coyote name Bill “Pecos Bill”? (recall details) • Why does Sluefoot Sue bounce? (identify cause and effect) • Why does Sluefoot Sue ask Pecos Bill to ride the tornado? (make inferences) • What features make this script a tall tale? (analyze features of tall tales) • How big is the wedding cake? (recall details)

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71824_TG.indd 9 9/15/10 12:07:03 PM Literacy Extensions

Word Study another. Say: Similes usually use the words like or as. Similes help readers Use vocabulary in Context create a picture in their minds. For • Review the three glossary words with example, ask students what they think students: feats, prairie, and stampede. of when they hear the simile, “The Discuss how the words were used in horse took off like a firecracker in a the script and invite students to use frying pan” (page 8). the words in their own sentences. • Invite students to locate the simile. • Write the following sentence stems on Discuss what the author is trying to the board: According to legend, Pecos communicate. Ask students about the Bill accomplished great feats because . . . ; visual image that this simile produces. Pecos Bill rode the tornado out to the prairie because . . . ; A stampede can be • Encourage students to make up an dangerous because . . . Read the original simile that creates a colorful sentence stems together as a group. image. For example: The horse took Say: You will work with a partner to off like a supersonic jet. Or, The horse complete each sentence. It is important jumped like a giant jackrabbit. to show that you understand the • Continue the same process with the meaning of each vocabulary word. following similes from page 8: “Sue For example, a sentence such as “Pecos was as strong as ten grown men”; Bill accomplished great feats because he “She hung onto Widow-maker like a was Pecos Bill” does not show the burr on a dog’s tail”; and “When Sue meaning of feats. You and your partner landed on her bustle, she bounced may want to discuss examples of his up into the sky like a frog from a feats and include an example to slingshot!” complete the sentence. Reader Response • Pair students and provide each set of partners with a copy of the Ask students to reflect on their reader’s sentence stems or ask them to copy theater experience by writing or drawing the sentence stems from the board. in their journals. Students could: Ask students to discuss a meaningful • reflect on and illustrate a favorite completion of each sentence before simile from the script; writing. Invite students to share their • reflect on the humor in the script; sentences aloud when all students • reflect on the character traits that they have finished. respect and explain why; similes and comparisons • reflect on their role in the • Explain that writers sometimes use performance and their use of a simile to compare one thing to appropriate pacing. 10

71824_TG.indd 10 9/15/10 12:07:03 PM Writing Read Across Texts • Ask students to create a poster • Review with students the features of advertisement. Encourage students to tall tales and discuss what makes Pecos create a “Wanted” poster as if Pecos Bill and Sluefoot Sue a tall tale. Ask Bill and Sluefoot Sue are looking for students if this story reminds them of more cowboys and cowgirls to join any other tall tales they know. their team. In the poster, students • Visit the school or local library to should try to persuade others to check out another version of the tall join this team. Encourage them to tale of Pecos Bill and Sluefoot Sue. include interesting elements from the • Read your alternate version aloud and script that will make people want to discuss the similarities or differences join. Also, the poster should include between the script and the book. descriptions of what students need Work with students to create a Venn from new team members, such as the diagram to compare and contrast ability to do great feats (make sure the two versions. Record similarities students describe them) and other in the middle where the two circles skills and qualities. overlap.

Pecos Bill and Sluefoot Sue Both Book: ______

• Pecos Bill lassoes • • Sluefoot Sue from the sky. • • • Pecos Bill and Sluefoot Sue get • • married. • • Pecos Bill and • Sluefoot Sue live happily ever after.

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71824_TG.indd 11 9/15/10 12:07:03 PM Character Education Connection

Caring • Point out the example of Sluefoot Sue’s • Ask students to describe someone who “Respect Don’t” in her first line on page 11: is caring. Ask them how the person “Pecos Bill, you polecat!” Discuss how shows caring. What does the person do? calling Pecos Bill a polecat is a put-down. Say: People who are caring treat others Ask students how Sluefoot Sue could have the way they want to be treated. A caring responded more respectfully. person is kind and considerate. Caring • Ask students to name some “Respect Dos” people think about how their actions will and “Respect Don’ts” that they observe in impact others. Caring people think about their daily lives. “we” instead of “me.” Demonstrate Caring • Ask students to brainstorm examples of characters in the script who demonstrate • Invite students to develop a class list caring, for example, Coyote shows of ways to show they care. Encourage caring when he raises Pecos Bill. Ask: students to include a range of actions, What is at least one action you can take such as picking up a dropped pencil for today to demonstrate caring? Challenge a classmate, writing a note to someone, students to meet the goal by the end of calling an old friend, or holding a canned the day. Follow up on the next school food drive. day and provide time for each student to • Guide students to include actions reflect on his or her action. that help a variety of people, such as children, older adults, single parents, or Respect unemployed people. • Discuss how people who demonstrate • Challenge students to choose at least one respect are polite and accept individual way to demonstrate being caring each differences. Respectful people do not day. Provide time for students to share insult others or use put-downs. examples aloud or reflect in writing how • Discuss how Sluefoot Sue’s character they demonstrate caring. showed examples of “Respect Dos” and • Create a “Caring Counts!” display. Ask “Respect Don’ts.” For an example of a students to draw a picture of something “Respect Do,” discuss how Sluefoot Sue that demonstrates being caring and to was polite when she rode into town. On write a caption at the bottom. page 5, she said, “Howdy, boys!” and introduced herself to Cactus Pete and Pecos Bill.

B e n c h m a r k Ed u c a t i o n Co m p a n y

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