Isabel and the Hungry Coyote
by Keith Polette, Illus.Esther Szegedy.
Raven Tree Press, 2004
 
Activities ©2004 Nancy Polette
Return to list of literature guides
ABOUT THE BOOK
Hungry coyote prowls the desert looking for something to eat.  He sees a little girl picking desert flowers.  She is on her way to her abuela's (grandmother's) with spicy tamales and red chili sauce in her basket. When she arrives she is surprised to find coyote in grandmother's bed. His boca grande (big mouth) gets an even bigger  surprise when he opens wide to eat her!

TIME FOR SKILLS (Recall and Sequencing)
Objective: Student will restate and summarize information
Write a song about Coyote. Sing to "Are You Sleeping?"

___________________coyote
(Adjective)
___________________coyote
(Adjective)
___________________________(where?)
___________________________(where?)
_______________ and ______________(ing words)
_______________ and ______________(ing words)
Read this book.   Read this book

SENTENCE EXPANSION
Objective:  Understand and apply rules of English language
Create a feast song to the tune of "Skip To My Lou"


We like:
Spicy  fajitas    sizzling      in the pan
____   _____    ______    ______________________
____   _____    ______   _______________________
      Eat good amigos, eat.

SPELLING: USE THESE LETTERS:

T     S     A      F      E
Objective: Use a range of cueing systems
1.  Take three letters and make a word that tells what coyote wanted to do with Isabel. 

          ___ ___ ___
2.  Take away one letter and add one letter to tell why coyote wanted to eat .He thought she was


         ____  ____  ____
3.  Add one letter  to tell how Isabel had to thinkto outwit coyote. 

        ___ ___ ___ ___
4.  Take away one letter and add one letter to tell whatdirection grandmother's house was from Isabel's.            

       ______    ______    ______     ________
5.  Add one letter  to make a word that means a largemeal.  

      ____     ____     ____     ____     ____

MAKE A COYOTE DATA BANK
Obj: Produce a report with appropriate organizing structure to achieve a particular purpose

THE COYOTE
Eats Lives Has
gophers N. America soft fur
rats Desert bushy tail
rabbits erect ears
rodents
What it Does Looks Like
howls in early evening size of a setter dog
destroys harmful rodents prairie wolf
runs fast yellowish-gray
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTION
Objective: Demonstrate comprehension of text.
Have a contest.  Use  groups of 4-5.  Which goup can list the most ways that this story is like the story of  Little Red Riding Hood?   Which group can list the most ways it is different?
PARTS OF SPEECH
Objective:  Identify name words and action words.

HOW MUCH ARE THESE SENTENCES WORTH?
Each name word is worth five cents.
Each action word is worth ten cents.
All other words are worth 0 cents.

1.  His yellow eyes flashed.____________cents
2.  Licking his lips, Coyote inched closer. _____cents.
3.  Isabel pointed to the adobe house.  ______ cents.
4.  Coyote kicked up a little dust.     _______ cents.

 

PATTERNS FOR REPORTING RESEARCH
1. London Bridge:
Coyotes have ____ and ____,
_________ and ___________,
_________ and ___________
Coyotes eat _____ and _____
And ______________(Tell something they do.)

2. If I had the feet of a coyote I would ________________
    and I'd _____________ and ______________ but I
    wouldn't ___________ because ___________s do that.

3.  Hey, kids, I have a coyote for sale.  It is the greatest
     thing you would ever want to have because it can
     ______________ and it will_______________ and
     ______________ but the greatest thing about is it
     ________________________________________.