DODO Learning
Think Once. In Both Languages.
Lesson 15
Little DODO · Phase 3
Mouse Wisdom: What We See Depends Where We Stand
Mouse Soup
Fluency · Nonfiction
Students practice fluent reading with a nonfiction text about polar bear adaptations.
Vocabulary Exploration· 5 min
Target words
- wondered 24: “But I wonder”
- wonderful 27: “It is a wonderful sight.”
- valleys 27: “I can see mountains and valleys.”
- lie 32: “The bird told us a lie.”
Our stones sit on a hill and wonder what's on the other side. Let's learn the wondering words before we read. First word: wondered. The stones wondered — they asked a question in their minds. Chorus with me: wondered, wondered, wondered. What do you wonder about?
Exploration steps
- Show the word card for 'wondered' alongside the illustration of the stones looking at the hill.
- Students chorus 'wondered' three times, then share what they wonder about.
- Introduce 'wonderful' with the bird's picture; contrast with 'wondered'.
- Act out 'valleys' by making a low dip with arms; act out 'mountains' with arms high.
- Explain 'lie' using thumbs-down gesture; ask students to name the opposite truth word.
Expected responses
- what's for lunch
- if we'll go outside
- why the stones can't move
Differentiation
Quiet kids: partner-whisper their wonder before sharing aloud.
Transition cue
Pat head, rub tummy — Reading Time.
Anticipated pitfalls
Don't skip the wonder-versus-wonderful contrast; kids confuse them.
Why this matters: Wonder words anchor perspective: bird sees big, mouse sees small.
Reading in Class· 10 min
Opening move: Point to the two stones on page 24 and ask what they might be thinking.
Let's walk through the pictures first. Page 24: two stones sit on a hill. They wonder what's on the other side. Page 26: they ask a bird. Page 27: the bird sees big things — towns, castles, mountains. Page 30: they ask a mouse. Page 31: the mouse sees small things — earth, stones, grass. Now I'll read the whole story. Listen for the question the stones keep asking.
Read-aloud steps
- Picture-walk pages 24-33: stones sit sad, bird flies high, mouse climbs close, stones feel happy.
- Read aloud once at storytelling pace, pausing at the bird's list and the mouse's list.
- Reread pages 27 and 31 with students chorusing the 'I can see' lines in unison.
Call-and-response refrains
- what is on the other side of the hill? 26: “what is on the other side of the hill?”
- It is a wonderful sight. 27: “It is a wonderful sight.”
Expected responses
- what is on the other side of the hill
- can you tell us
- the bird lied
Differentiation
Fast finishers: count how many times the stones ask their question.
Transition cue
Flap arms like the bird — Questions Time.
Anticipated pitfalls
Don't rush the two 'I can see' lists; kids need time to hear the contrast.
Why this matters: Chorus the question refrain protects kids who can't yet decode 'other side'.
Questions Time· 7 min
Comprehension questions
- What did the bird see on the other side of the hill? 27: “IT can see towns and castles. I can see mountains and valleys.”
- What did the mouse see on the other side of the hill? 31: “I can see earth and stones. I can see grass and flowers.”
Extension
Why did the mouse and bird see different things?
32: “That side of the hill looks just the same as this side of the hill.”
What students produce: Draw what you would see from high up like the bird, then from low down like the mouse.
Let's think about what the bird and the mouse saw. Turn to a partner and tell them: What did the bird see? Now tell them: What did the mouse see. Good. Now our big question: Why did they see different things? The bird flew high. The mouse stayed low. What you see depends where you stand. Let's draw both views.
Expected responses
- the bird flew up high
- the mouse was on the ground
- they were in different places
Differentiation
Struggling artists: fold paper in half, label 'bird view' and 'mouse view' before drawing.
Transition cue
Touch the ground, reach for the sky — Conclusion Time.
Anticipated pitfalls
Don't let one loud answerer dominate; count to three before accepting answers.
Why this matters: Talk-first protects kids who freeze at a blank page.
Conclusion· 3 min
Student-facing prompts
Recap: Today I learned that what you see depends...
Take-home: Tonight I will wonder what my family sees from their view.
Take-home: Tonight I will wonder what my family sees from their view.
We read about two stones who wondered what was on the other side of the hill. The bird saw big things. The mouse saw small things. Both were right. What you see depends where you stand. Let's finish our sentence: Today I learned that what you see depends... Turn and tell your partner.
Expected responses
- where you stand
- if you're high or low
- on your view
Differentiation
Quiet kids: write their sentence stem completion instead of saying aloud.
Anticipated pitfalls
Don't skip the partner turn-and-talk; kids need rehearsal before whole-group share.
Why this matters: Same shape every day so kids own the close.