Students will build vocabulary by reciting new and familiar words, especially transition words used frequently in chain-of-events narratives. 

Read the entire story to students. Explain the uniquely graphic aspects of story by showing how each panel illustrates a specific action. Point out that just as Little Mouse follows a series of steps to get ready, so the cartoonist Jeff Smith tells the story one step at a time. Ask them to identify the action in each panel, Little Mouse’s expression or feeling, and how this information connects to the panels that precede or follow.

As you read, write the following “order” words on the board: first, then, next, last, new, and almost. Also write the following “content” words and phrases that people use to talk about things that they do: love, I can’t wait, have to, hard, and done. Have volunteers use the items in a similar context as it relates to their own lives.  Estimated time for this section: 25-30 minutes.

Share your model of a four-panel strip that outlines the steps you take to “get ready” for an activity. Narrate your comic strip by using as many of the vocabulary items from the reading as possible.  Guide students to understand how you use “order” words to link the steps in sequence. Distribute the activity sheets while explaining to students that they will create similar “pictures that tell a story in steps.” Advise students to choose a simple topic with only a few steps such as getting ready to go out on a rainy day. Emphasize that they should identify the four steps before actually drawing in each panel.  Estimated time: 15-25 minutes.