One of the things I love most about Children’s Literature is the pattern stories. Books that follow a repetitive pattern sneak in lots of practice of key structures while limiting vocabulary for novices.
This book would obviously work around the theme of fear, or Halloween. If you did not want to go scary, it is a good way to introduce rooms in a house, and would also work in a collection of black cat and/or mouse stories.
I start out with the question “What are you afraid of?” Then I do a whip around with the most common fears listed on the board in the target language, and I have a student tally the answers. Props of spiders, snakes, bees, mice, and pictures of heights, public speaking, and other fears help to stay in the target language.
Here is a copy of the story in French. Here is a copy of the story in Spanish. I like this copy because you can cut it apart and have the students race to put it in order.
The video I like to use for French is not working here but you can copy and paste: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPwOVyicdrM&feature=youtu.be
Here is a copy in English, you can mute the volume and tell the story in any language.
I love these websites with activities made by French teachers for their French students, Good website in French with vocabulary practice, sequencing activities, and cloze exercises. Good website in French with worksheets. Here is a website in Spanish with a copy of the story. Here is a website with information about the author Ruth Brown in Spanish.
Have students write different versions of the pattern, Using Pattern Stories in the World Language Classroom Helena Curtain. Create a shadow box theater. Have students read aloud as a chorale reading.
End with a game of Atchi Patchi: List things people are afraid of, or items or words from the story, Or popcorn down trying to retell story. What would be in the box for you? Change the ending of the story to reflect a personal fear.
