The Three Pigs

 Wiesner, D. (2001). The Three Pigs. New York: Clarion Books. Grades 1-3.
Written by: David Wiesner
Awards: Caldecott Award Winner

Subject Area: Language Arts
Genre: Folktale/Fairytale


Summary:
This story isn't your typical "Three Little Pigs" story. This is a story of three pigs who outsmart the evil fox. When the Fox huffs and puffs, he thinks he ate the pigs, but really they jumped right out of the story for safety. The pigs end up in other stories where they meet knew friends who will later help them defeat the Fox. The characters return to their own story to enjoy fox soup and everyone else lives happily ever after.

Theme: Writing/story telling, details


Initiating Questions and Activities:

1. Does anyone know the story of the Three Little Pigs?
2. What would you make your house of? (After asking question #1)
3. How do you think this story will be different from other Three Little Pig stories?
4. What character do you think will be in the story?

Have the children sit with a partner. Have each partner group discuss what they think will happen in the story. Have each group draw a scene of what they might think will happen in the story. Afterward, have them present it to the class.

Culminating and Extending Questions:

1. Did you think the Fox really ate the pigs at first?
2. Why do you think the Fox wanted to eat the pigs?
3. Did you like how the story started and began?
4. How did the Pigs end up in other stories?
   (More questions under activity)

Activity:

Give each student a blank booklet (approx. 5-10 pages). Have each students color her/himself in their favorite story (not literally, have them make a re-make of their favorite picture book/fairytale). Make sure there are multiple characters, the student them self being one of them. This story should be mostly pictures (if not all) and little words. Have each student present their story and the role they would play in the story. Then ask the children if them entering the story changed the story at all. Then, ask how the story changed when the pigs left the story. Think about who the pigs saved in the other stories--if the pigs never left what would of happened to the dragon? This activity can help kids realize that one addition or subtraction to a detail can change the whole story and maybe even other stories as well. This also helps with their literacy, because they're going through a picture walk in their own book and "reading" their story.