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DODO Learning
Think Once. In Both Languages.
Lesson 13
Little DODO · Phase 3

Mouse Tricks the Bees with Mud

Mouse Soup · pp. 14-23 · Format A · Disposition: Wondering & Questioning · 25 min
Mouse Soup
Pages this lesson: 14-23
Fluency · Fiction · Folk Tale
Students build fluency by reading a humorous folk tale with highly repetitive phrasing.
Repeated Phrases · Fluency Practice · Folk Tale Structure · Prediction
Introduce

Vocabulary Exploration· 5 min

Target words
  1. nest 14: “A nest of bees fell from a tree.”
  2. whiskers 16: “we like your whiskers.”
  3. swamp 17: “He came to a muddy swamp.”
  4. ducked 22: “He ducked his head under the mud.”
Mouse has a problem — bees on his head! Let's learn the words that help him solve it. Watch my hands and say the words with me.
Exploration steps
  1. Show the word card and matching picture together
  2. Students chorus the word three times with you
  3. Act out each word: point to whiskers, duck head down, make nest shape with hands
Expected responses
  • nest is where bees live
  • whiskers are on mouse's face
  • swamp is muddy water
Differentiation

Fast finishers: find all four words on the pages; quiet kids: whisper-chorus first.

Transition cue

Pat head three times — Reading Time.

Anticipated pitfalls

Don't skip the acting — it anchors meaning before the reading starts.

Why this matters: Acting out protects kids who can't yet read the words independently.

Reading in Class· 10 min

Required reading pages: 14-23
Opening move: Point to the bees landing on mouse's head on page 14.
Mouse has a plan. Let's read how he tricks the bees. When I point to you, chorus the bees' words with me.
Read-aloud steps
  1. Picture-walk pages 14-23: bees land, mouse walks through mud getting deeper, bees fly away
  2. Read aloud once at storytelling pace
  3. Read again with students chorusing the bees' repeated lines
Call-and-response refrains
  1. What do the bees like? 16: “We like your ears, we like your nose, we like your whiskers.”
  2. What does mouse say at each mud level? 18: “"Oh yes," said the bees.”
Expected responses
  • the bees say the same thing every time
  • mouse goes deeper and deeper
Differentiation

Struggling readers: point to each word as class choruses; fast finishers: predict next page.

Transition cue

Buzz like bees flying away — Questions Time.

Anticipated pitfalls

Don't rush the mud pages — kids need time to see the pattern building.

Why this matters: Chorus refrains protect kids who can't yet read independently while building fluency.

Questions Time· 7 min

Comprehension questions
  1. Why did the bees want to stay on mouse's head? 16: “We like your ears, we like your nose, we like your whiskers. Oh yes, this is a fine place for our nest.”
  2. What made the bees finally fly away? 22: “He ducked his head under the mud.”
Extension

What would you do with bees on your head?

14: “It landed on the top of his head.”

What students produce: Draw your solution and tell one friend.

Mouse solved his bee problem with mud. Let's think about what happened and what we would do. Turn and talk first, then draw.
Expected responses
  • they liked his face
  • the mud bed was yucky
Differentiation

Quiet kids: pair with talk partner before whole-group share; fast finishers: add labels to drawing.

Transition cue

Hold up drawings — Conclusion Time.

Anticipated pitfalls

Don't accept one-word answers — ask 'why' to get kids reasoning from the pages.

Why this matters: Talk-first protects kids who freeze at a blank page.

Conclusion· 3 min

Routine: I Wonder · Disposition: Wondering & Questioning
Student-facing prompts
Recap: I wonder why mouse chose mud instead of...
Take-home: Ask someone at home: What would YOU do with bees?
Mouse wondered how to get rid of the bees. Now we wonder about his choice. Finish the sentence: I wonder why mouse chose mud instead of...
Expected responses
  • running away
  • asking someone for help
Differentiation

Struggling speakers: offer two choices to pick from; fast finishers: wonder about next story.

Anticipated pitfalls

Don't let kids retell the story — push them to the 'what if' question.

Why this matters: Same wonder stem every day so kids own the close.