CHALLENGING WORDS
cellarcorner
either
forward
garden
interesting
laughed
monster
something
whispered
SUMMARY
Knowing that he must satisfy their curiosity, an old mouse agrees to show three young mice the “monster” at the top of the stairs.--- Conversation Questions---
(1) / Explain what the wise old mouse was faced with.(Answer) / The little mice chose to climb to the top of the stairs to see the monster.
(Follow Up) / How do you think the wise old mouse felt about that?
(2) / Suppose the wise mouse had told the little mice no. Do you think they would have climbed up there by themselves?
(Answer) / Any logical answer.
(Follow Up) / Have you ever let your curiosity get you into an uncomfortable situation?
(3) / Imagine the little mice climbing the stairs. What do you think they thought the monster would be like?
(Answer) / Any logical answer.
(Follow Up) / Tell me about a time that you found a situation you were in to be different than you thought it would be.
(4) / Tell me about a time you wanted something very much but when you got it, it was very different than you thought it would be.
(Answer) / Any logical answer.
(Follow Up) / Do you think the mice ever wanted to climb up there again?
(5) / Define the word “crept”.
(Answer) / To move along quietly, slowly.
(Follow Up) / Describe a time that you have “crept”.
(6) / List the names, from oldest to youngest, of the little mice.
(Answer) / Cob, Hazel, Berry-Berry.
(Follow Up) / List your brothers and sisters from oldest to youngest.
(7) / Name the suggestions that the wise mouse had instead of climbing up the stairs.
(Answer) / Walk to the acorn tree; visit to the cousins; swing on the seed heads.
(Follow Up) / What is your favorite thing to do on a hot summer day?
(8) / Find the point they little mice crept to when they met the monster.
(Answer) / To the crack of light.
(Follow Up) / Do you think they expected to find light at the top of the stairs?
(9) / Find the one strange word the monster breathed.
(Answer) / MEOW.
(Follow Up) / Did you expect that from the monster?
(10) / List the activities the mice preferred after their trip up the stairs.
(Answer) / Walk to the acorn tree; visit to the cousins; swing on the seed heads.
(Follow Up) / Do you think they listened to the wise old mouse ideas more often after this?
Activities
1. / Write a few sentences about a time you were scared of something, new or different.
2. / Write a different ending to this story.
3. / Imagine you are the three young mice. Write a few sentences about how you think the monster was going to look.
4. / Write about something that you wanted very much, but when you got it, it wasn’t what you thought it was going to be.
Introductions
1. / Show the students a shoebox with a hole poked in the end. Let them look through the hole into the dark. Ask them what could be in there. Talk about other dark places and what we imagine is there. In our story today little mice want to find out what is at the top of the stairs. Let’s read and see what they find.2. / Show the students a tiny mouse. Ask them students what mice are afraid of. In our story today little mice want to find out what is at the top of the stairs. Let’s read and see what they find.
3. / Ask the students what they most like to do when they are not in school, other than videos games. Make a list as they name their ideas. In our story today, three mice choose an activity they really want. I think you will be surprised as to what they will find.
Book Title: The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
Author: Sam McBratney / Illustrator: Ivan BatesISBN: 1-56402-640-x / # of Text Pages: 32 AR: 3.9 LEX: AD650
Building Oral Vocabulary
1 / wise / 2 / snuggling / 7 / dared
Prediction Questions
1 / What do you think the mice want to do?
3 / Will he be able to talk them into something else?
9 / What will they see at the top of the stairs?