Book 13: The Selfish Crocodile

Standards:

K-4.1 Identify qualities of good citizenship, including honesty, courage, determination, individual responsibility, and patriotism.

K-4.2 Demonstrate good citizenship in classroom behaviors, including taking personal responsibility, cooperating and respecting others, taking turns and sharing, and working with others to solve problems.

Summary:

The book The Selfish Crocodile is a story about a crocodile that only cares about himself. The crocodile lives in a large lake and he does not let anyone near the lake and he calls it “his lake” All of the other animals avoid the selfish crocodile and if they came near the lake the crocodile would say to the animals “stay away from this lake, this is MY lake!” The animals had to walk miles to get their water. One day the animals hear a loud sound. They figure out it is the crocodile and no one wants to help him because he is so mean that they are scared of him. Finally, a little mouse decides to ask the crocodile what is wrong. The crocodile tells the mouse that he has a toothache and the mouse takes out the crocodile’s hurting tooth. Once the crocodile felt better his whole personality changed. He let everyone come in the water and called it everyone’s lake and not just his.

Objective:

The students will demonstrate qualities of a good citizen by re-enacting the story of the selfish crocodile.

Materials:

Book: The Selfish Crocodile by Faustin Charles and Michael Terry

Procedure:

1. The teacher will read the book The Selfish Crocodile to the children.
2. After the book, the teacher will talk to the students about how the crocodile acted in the book and ask them if they think that the crocodile acted like a good citizen of his community at the beginning of the book.
3. Then the teacher will ask the students if they think that the crocodile acted like a good citizen at the end of the book.
4. The teacher will ask the students what changed about the crocodile for him to be a better citizen.
5. The teacher will discuss with the students what qualities make a good citizen and why it is important to be one in a community.
6. The teacher will place the children in groups and have them act out the crocodile and the other animals in the area and replay the first scene in the book where the crocodile does not let any of the animals into the lake.
7. The teacher will explain to the students that she wants them to act out the beginning part of the book but by changing it to where the selfish crocodile is a team player and a good community member.
8. Each group will present their version of the beginning portion of The Selfish Crocodile and once they have presented the teacher will asked them about what they changed and why and how the crocodile in their version represented a good citizen of his animal community.