ALEX Learning Activity

The purpose of this after activity is to provide opportunities to continue to build students' comprehension of the two versions of "The Three Little Pigs.” When students retell and summarize, they are activating prior knowledge and understanding of the story. When comparing and contrasting, students review story elements and analyze them for similarities and differences. 

This resource was created in partnership with Dothan City Schools.

Students will compare and contrast important details and literary elements from different versions of the same story.  

The student will create their own Venn diagram using Canva software based on their paper copies created in the “During” portion of the learning activity and utilizing the question responses given in the "during activity," to support the development of the Venn diagram.

The student will complete a digital Venn diagram using the free online software offered by Canva at https://www.canva.com/. 

As students independently create their Venn diagrams, the teacher can use the following questions to assess student understanding of the stories and the development of their digital Venn Diagram:

1. At the beginning of the stories, what reasons do the authors present for the threesomes to leave their current habitat? What were the plot differences? (One group was leaving to seek their fortune. The other author simply writes that it was time for the pigs to leave home.)

2. The author describes the coyote as quick, quiet… almost invisible, and a magical trickster. How does this differ from the way the wolf is portrayed in the first story?

• Similar: both were canine
• Different: Wolves are larger/Coyote smaller~ live in different habitats

3. Who were the “bad” characters in the stories?

4. How were the number of animals, and houses similar in both stories? 

• 3 pigs/3 javelinas

• 3 houses

• 1 bad guy wolf/coyote

5. How are the settings similar/different?

• both outdoors

• edge of a beautiful forest/desert 

6. How are the houses similar or different? 

• Straw/tumbleweed (type of desert straw)

• sticks/saguaro ribs (a form of long stick from the desert)
• bricks/adobe bricks (a type of mud brick baked in the sun from the desert)

7. What do the “bad guys” retort in both books?

• “I’ll huff and puff and blow down your house.”

8. What do the pigs tell the “bad guy” in both versions?

• “Not by the hair on my chinny, chin, chin.”

9. Why did the first pig run to the pig that made her house out of sticks?

• Probably because it was closest, and he could warn her that the wolf was coming.  

10. Why do you think the first pig went to the second pig’s house instead of somewhere else? 

The teacher should evaluate each student's Venn Diagram for evidence that the student was able to accurately compare and contrast important details and story elements from the two versions of "The Three Little Pigs." An example of a completed Venn Diagram is available here:  Sample of completed Digital Venn Diagram from Canva.

Note: Before students begin to create their digital version of the Venn Diagram, the teacher will have completed checking each student's paper copy of the Venn diagram completed at the end of the "during activity," related to this "after activity." This is another assessment strategy to ensure understanding and an opportunity to provide deeper, more critical support for EL and Special Education students. The review questions provide another layer of assessment, as well as potential assessment support questions. 

Begin this activity with a quick demonstration of how to use the Canva program (see direct, explicit instructions for getting started for both teacher and student below). I have also included a "getting started," link to a Canva presentation you can use with your students.  

Teachers will need to go to the site ahead of time and set up their accounts and place an invitation in their learning management system (for example, Google Classroom) for their students.

Once you have set up your own account, you can set up student invitations to your account by clicking on the "invite members" in the bottom left-hand column of your screen. Once there, click "invite via share link." This will allow you to copy and paste the link into your learning management system directly. Once copied, the link can be shared via e-mail, learning management system, or even text message. For a more in-depth description, you can click on the "Canva Getting Started Guide Tutorials." 

Intervention: One tier 2 teaching option is to have students compare and contrast individual story elements, such as characters (pigs/javelinas, wolf/coyote), environments/settings, or plots.  

The completed compare/contrast Venn diagram (see link below) can be used as the answer key for a completed Venn Diagram. It will also make an excellent anchor to facilitate progress with your Special Education and EL students. 

Sample of completed Digital Venn Diagram from Canva

Extension: Advanced students can read a third retelling of "The Three Little Pigs" story (such as The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf by Mark Teague) and compare and contrast using another graphic organizer, such as a table or T-chart.  

Canva~https://www.canva.com/

“The Three Little Pigs”~https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNYBQsay_Ek

"The Three Little Javelinas" ~https://youtu.be/pPNl5KEgof4

Information for books that can be used during the activity:

The Three Little Pigs written and retold by Clare Lloyd, illustrated by Giuseppe Di Lernia 

The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell, illustrated by Jim Harris

The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf by Mark Teague

The Three Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas

Links to related activities:

#The Real Story of the Three Little Pigs (What Really Happened)

#The Real Story of the Three Little Pigs (What Really Happened) During