Text Talk Plan
Terry Deeney
EDC424
Rainbow Fish
By Marcus Pfister
Pre-Reading:
I will talk about the cover of the book with students by focusing on what students notice. My goal is to lay the foundation for Rainbow Fish being beautiful and special.
“Boys and girls, the story we’re going to read today is called, Rainbow Fish, and it’s by Marcus Pfister. What do you notice about the cover of this book?” (Shiny) “I noticed that, too. It is so shiny. We don’t see such shiny book covers very often. I’m wondering why the author called the book, Rainbow Fish.” (RF is all colors in a rainbow.) “Let’s read the book to see what’s going on with the Rainbow Fish.”
A long way out in the deep blue sea there lived a fish. Not just an ordinary fish, but the most beautiful fish in the entire ocean. His scales were every shade of blue and green and purple, with sparkling silver scales among them.
Question: Who did we meet on this page?
Answer: Rainbow Fish
Question; And what do we know about him?
Answer: He’s beautiful. MOST beautiful fish.
The other fish were amazed at his beauty. They called him Rainbow Fish. “Come on, Rainbow Fish,” they would call. “Come on and play with us!” But the Rainbow Fish would just glide past, proud and silent, letting his scales shimmer.
Question: What’s going on here?
Answer: The other fish want to play with him, but he doesn’t want to play.
Question: The author says RF would glide past, proud and silent. Proud is like that feeling you get when you’re really happy that someone thinks you did a good job, or you think you did a good job. So he’s gliding past proud and silent letting his scales shimmer. What does RF think of himself?
Answer: That he’s beautiful.
One day, a little blue fish followed after him. “Rainbow Fish,” he called, “wait for me! Please give me one of your shiny scales. They are so wonderful, and you have so many.
Question: From what we know of RF so far, how do you think he will respond to blue fish?
Answer: He won’t give BF a scale.
“You want me to give you one of my special scales? Who do you think you are?” cried the Rainbow Fish. “Get away from me!”
Question: Oh, my goodness! Why did RF respond like that?
Answer: He thinks he’s so beautiful, he couldn’t believe that BF would ask for one of his special scales.
Shocked, the little blue fish swan way. He was so upset, he told all his friends what happened. From then on, no one would have anything to do with the Rainbow Fish. They turned away when he swam by.
What good were the dazzling, shimmering scales with no one to admire them? Now he was the loneliest fish in the entire ocean.
One day he poured out his troubles to the starfish.
Annotation: That means he told the starfish his problems.
“I really am beautiful. Why doesn’t anybody like me?”
Question: What’s going on with RF?
Answer: He’s lonely. He has no friends.
Question: Yes. And he tells the starfish, “I really am beautiful. Why doesn’t anyone like me?” What does that tell us about how Rainbow Fish thinks you get friends?
Answer: RF thinks that just because he’s beautiful people should like him.
Question: What do you think about that?
“I can’t answer that for you,” said the starfish. “But if you go beyond the coral reef to a deep cave you will find the wise octopus. Maybe she can help you.”
The Rainbow Fish found the cave. It was very dark inside and he couldn’t see anything. Then suddenly two eyes caught him in their glare and the octopus emerged from the darkness.
“I have been waiting for you,” said the octopus with a deep voice. “The waves had told me your story.
Question: Wait a minute. I don’t get that. The waves told me your story? What does that mean?
Answer: That he heard it around the ocean.
This is my advice. Give a glittering scale to each of the other fish. You will no longer be the most beautiful fish in the sea, but you will discover how to be happy.
Question: So what was the octopus’s advice?
Answer: Give away a scale to each fish.
Question: That’s right. He says to give away a scale. But then he says, ‘you will no longer be the most beautiful, but you will learn to be happy.’ What is she telling him there?
Answer: Octopus is telling RF that you don’t have to be beautiful to be happy.
Question: Do you think RF will believe her?
“I can’t…” the Rainbow Fish started to say, but the octopus had already disappeared into a dark cloud of ink.
Give away one of my scales? My beautiful shining scales? Never. How could I ever be happy without them?
Question: What does RF think makes people happy?
Answer: Being beautiful.
Suddenly he felt the light touch of a fin. The little blue fish was back!
“Rainbow Fish, please, don’t be angry. I just want one little scale.”
The Rainbow Fish wavered.
Annotation: Wavered means RF was trying to decide. He’s thinking about it.
Only one very very small shimmery scale, he thought. Well, maybe I wouldn’t miss just one.
Question: What do you think RF will do?
Answer: Will vary.
Carefully the Rainbow Fish pulled out the smallest scale and gave it to the little fish. A
“Thank you! Thank you very much!” The little blue fish bubbled playfully, as he tucked the shiny scale in among his blue ones.
A rather peculiar feeling came over the Rainbow Fish.
Annotation: Peculiar means weird or strange.
Question: So what does that mean, “a peculiar feeling came over him.”
Answer: He never knew what it felt like to share before, so it was peculiar.
For a long time he watched the little blue fish swim back and forth with his new scale glittering in the water.
The little blue fish whizzed through the ocean with his scale flashing, so it didn’t take long before the Rainbow Fish was surrounded by the other fish. Everyone wanted a glittering scale.
The Rainbow Fish shared his scales left and right. And the more he gave away, the more delighted he became. When the water around him filled with glimmering scales, he at last felt at home among the other fish.
Finally the Rainbow Fish had only one shining scale left. His most prized possessions had been given away, yet he was very happy.
“Come on Rainbow Fish,” they called. Come and play with us!”
“Here I come,” said the Rainbow Fish and, happy as a splash, he swam off to join his friends.
Wrap up:
Question: What did Rainbow Fish learn in that story?
Answer: Will vary but need to get across
· Don’t need to be beautiful to be happy
· Don’t need to be beautiful to have friends
· Sharing/giving of oneself makes one feel good