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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for Where the Wild Things Are

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Use Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak to strengthen your students' comprehension skills, build their vocabulary, and help them understand how words work.

Max has caused a great deal of mischief in his house and hasn't been very nice to his mother. So, Max's mom sends him to bed without any supper, calling him a "Wild Thing." That night, Max's room grew into a forest and he became the king of all wild things, but it wasn't everything he imagined it would be. This classic picture book is perfect for supporting early readers who are working on retelling and summarizing, visualizing, making inferences, and understanding multiple text structures.
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Explore lesson plans and activities to help you teach with Where the Wild Things Are in the drop down below.

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Making Inferences with Where the Wild Things Are

This lesson plan supports readers by asking them to apply their own experiences to connect to the text and infer details about Max's actions and feelings. Readers will also be asked to infer the hidden story behind Where the Wild Things Are.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RL.1.1,RL.1.7,RL.1.10,RF.1.1,RF.1.2,SL.1.1b,SL.1.2,SL.1.3,W.1.5,W.1.8,L.1.6
TEKS Alignment
1.7D,1.13E,1.13D,1.10E,1.9C,1.8C,1.8B,1.7F,1.7E,1.1A,1.7C,1.7B,1.6I,1.6F,1.6E,1.6A,1.1D,1.1C
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Retelling & Summarizing with Where the Wild Things Are

This book and lesson plan work well for early readers who need a new challenge retelling and summarizing. Readers will be able to clearly identify the important events and characters in the story, but readers will also have to comprehend the multiple problems and solutions to fully and accurately retell.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RL.1.1,RL.1.2,RL.1.3,RL.1.7,RL.1.10,RF.1.1,RF.1.2,SL.1.1b,SL.1.2,SL.1.3,SL.1.5,W.1.5,W.1.8,L.1.6
TEKS Alignment
1.7F,1.13E,1.13D,1.10E,1.10A,1.9C,1.8D,1.8C,1.8B,1.8A,1.1A,1.7E,1.7D,1.7C,1.7B,1.6I,1.6G,1.6A,1.1D,1.1C
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Understanding Text Structure with Where the Wild Things Are

Using this book and lesson plan, students will be able to identify and discuss multiple text structures, such as description, sequence, compare and contrast, and problem and solution.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RL.1.1,RL.1.6,RL.1.7,RL.1.10,RF.1.1,RF.1.2,SL.1.1b,SL.1.2,SL.1.3,SL.1.5,W.1.5,W.1.8,L.1.6
TEKS Alignment
1.7E,1.13E,1.13D,1.10E,1.10D,1.10C,1.10B,1.9C,1.8C,1.8B,1.8A,1.7F,1.1A,1.7D,1.7C,1.7B,1.6I,1.6G,1.6E,1.6D,1.6A,1.1D,1.1C
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Visualizing with Where the Wild Things Are

Students will love the detailed descriptions of the Wild Things and the forest in which they live. These descriptions provide a fabulous support for readers who are working to visualize while reading.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RL.1.3,RL.1.4,RL.1.7,RL.1.10,RF.1.1,RF.1.2,SL.1.1b,SL.1.2,SL.1.3,SL.1.5,W.1.5,W.1.8,L.1.6
TEKS Alignment
1.7E,1.13E,1.13D,1.10E,1.10D,1.10C,1.9C,1.8D,1.8B,1.7F,1.1A,1.7D,1.7C,1.7B,1.6I,1.6E,1.6D,1.6A,1.1C
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Consonants with Where the Wild Things Are

This word work lesson plan and set of teaching resources use Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak as a springboard for instruction focused on consonants.

By anchoring word study to the text, students will benefit from seeing how beginning consonant sounds (w, s, m) are used inside of the text before engaging in both guided and independent practice with consonants.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
RF.1.3,RF.1.4
TEKS Alignment
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Vocabulary Connections with Where the Wild Things Are

This set of vocabulary development resources for Where the Wild Things Are highlights the words that are most important for students to know and understand while reading the book.  Through engaging in fun word games, matching words to definitions and pictures, and practicing how to categorize words, students will develop the vocabulary necessary to comprehend this story and many others.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
L.1.4a,L.1.5c,L.1.6
TEKS Alignment
1.7F,1.3A,1.3B,1.3C,1.3D
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Comprehension Assessment with Where the Wild Things Are

Use this Common Core aligned comprehension assessment to evaluate students' comprehension of Where the Wild Things Are.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Running Record with Where the Wild Things Are

Use this Running Record to assess oral reading fluency with Where the Wild Things Are. Track meaning, structure, and visual accuracy using the first 100 words of the text to determine whether or not this book is a good fit for the readers in your classroom.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Cause and Effect Matching with Where the Wild Things Are

Read Where the Wild Things Are then have some fun matching cause and effect sentences from the book. By using these cause and effect cards, students will demonstrate both their comprehension of the text and their understanding of cause and effect relationships in hands-on and interactive way.

This resource includes matching/sorting cards and a sorting mat for four cause and effect sentences in Where the Wild Things Are. Each cause card is marked with a square and each effect card is marked with a circle, making it easy to support students who struggle with matching cause and effect relationships.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Cause and Effect Sentence Stems with Where the Wild Things Are

Understanding cause and effect is a key comprehension and language skill. The text structure of Where the Wild Things Are includes several examples of cause and effect relationships, making it easy to use as a springboard for modeling or independent practice.

This simple resource includes four sentence stems. Each sentence stem presents an effect. Students will use what they know about the book to fill in the cause of the effect.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Writing with Where the Wild Things Are

The BookPagez extension activities are a great way to push student engagement beyond the pages of the text. Try using this activity with early finishers, with students who show a deeper connection with the text, or as a center activity.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Making Inferences with Where the Wild Things Are (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Retelling & Summarizing with Where the Wild Things Are (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Understanding Text Structure with Where the Wild Things Are (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Visualizing with Where the Wild Things Are (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Writing with Where the Wild Things Are (Spanish)

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About the Book

The cover for the book Where the Wild Things Are
Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Author: Maurice Sendak
Genre: Fantasy
Themes: Award Winners, Family
ISBN: 9780060254926
Publisher's Summary:
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak is a timeless picture book that invites young readers into the imaginative world of Max, a spirited boy with a wolf suit and a wild streak. Sent to his room without supper after causing mischief at home, Max's bedroom transforms into a lush, mysterious forest. He sets sail to an island inhabited by the Wild Things—fantastical creatures both fearsome and fascinating.

Max's journey becomes an exploration of emotions, independence, and the comforting pull of home. On the island, Max is crowned king by the Wild Things, who recognize a kindred wildness in him. Together, they embark on energetic, joyful adventures, giving Max the freedom to lead and express himself. Yet, in the midst of the rumpus, Max begins to feel lonely and yearns for the love he left behind.

This book's evocative illustrations and concise text make it an ideal resource for classroom discussions about imagination, feelings, and family. Teachers will find it especially useful for lessons on social-emotional learning, visual literacy, and creative storytelling. Where the Wild Things Are continues to resonate with generations of readers, celebrating the power of imagination and the enduring warmth of home.
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