Characters
Choose the character you will play.
Continue hanging out with Aesop in “The Tortoise and the Hare,” another classic fable with an important moral.
Art by Jesús Lopez
Play,
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
In this classic fable, Peter thinks lying is fun. Will anyone believe him when he finally tells the truth?
By Sari Bodi and Karen Trott | Art by Jesús Lopez
From the September 2023 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will identify the theme of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.”
Complexity Factors
DRA Level: L
Featured Skill:
Theme,
Other Key Skills: vocabulary, main idea, cause and effect, plot, summarizing, text features, how a character changes, character’s motivation, connecting to the text, explanatory writing
Standards
Narrators 1, 2 (N1, N2)
Brother
Sister
Aesop (EE-sahp)
Peter
Sheep 1, 2
Ella, Peter’s friend
All Sheep, to be read by everyone
Villagers 1, 2 (V1, V2)
Mother
Father
Wolf
Scene 1
A hilltop city in ancient Greece
N1: A brother and sister wait by the city gates.
Brother: I can’t wait any longer!
Sister: Relax. Aesop should be here soon.
Brother: Waiting is so boring though!
Sister (waving): Look! There he is!
Brother: Where have you been, Aesop?
Aesop (panting): I’ve been telling my fables across the land.
Brother: Like “The Tortoise and the Hare”?
Sister: Or “The Lion and the Mouse”?
Brother: Oh, I have a pet lion!
Sister: No, you don’t. Leave storytelling to Aesop.
Aesop: Ah, but I tell fables.
Sister: That’s right, each has a lesson at the end.
Aesop: Which is called a moral.
Sister: And in your fables, animals can talk.
Brother: Animals talk to me all the time!
Sister (stamping her foot): Stop making things up!
Aesop: Aha! Now I know which fable to tell.
Scene 2
A sheep meadow
Aesop: One day, a boy named Peter is counting his sheep.
N2: His job is to protect the sheep and make sure none are missing.
Peter (in singsong): 1, 2, 3, 4 . . . this is such an awful bore.
Sheep 1: Baaaa!
Peter: Where was I?
Sheep 2: Foooour!
Peter: Right. 4, 5, 6 . . . let’s play some tricks.
Sheep 1: Not on us!
Sheep 2: Seeeeven!
Peter (yawning): Right. 7, 8, 9 . . . time to recline.
N1: Peter naps on the grass.
N2: His friend Ella arrives.
Ella: Peter, wake up!
Peter (sighing): Oh, this day will never end!
Ella: It’s still morning! You can’t protect the sheep with your eyes closed.
Peter: Why not? All they do is eat grass.
All Sheep: Heeeey!
Sheep 1: We also help you count!
Ella: But what if a wolf shows up?
Peter: I’ve never even seen one, have you?
Ella: No. But if you do, just yell “Wolf!” Then the villagers will come help. See you later.
Peter: At least that would be exciting. Hey, I have a fun idea!
Scene 3
A sheep meadow
Aesop: Peter decides to give his plan a try.
Peter (cupping his hands and shouting): WOLF! WOLF! HELP!
N1: The villagers stop working and race to the meadow, swinging their rakes and shovels.
V1 (yelling): Get away, wolf!
V2: Leave our sheep alone!
V1: Wait! The sheep are all right here!
N2: The villagers look around.
V2: The sheep don’t seem upset. They’re just munching grass.
All Sheep: Munch. Munch. Munch.
V1: Peter, are you sure you saw a wolf?
V2: What did it look like?
Peter: Uh . . . it had yellow fur and a red tail.
N1: The villagers shake their heads.
V1: Wolves do not have yellow fur or red tails.
V2: Don’t call us unless you actually see a wolf!
V1: Let’s go!
Peter (to the sheep): Well, that was thrilling! They all came running!
Scene 4
A sheep meadow
Aesop: Later that day, Peter is more bored than ever.
Peter: I think I’ll cry “Wolf!” again.
Sheep 2: That is a baaaad idea!
Peter: What’s the harm? It’s just for fun. WOOOOOOLF!
N2: Again, the villagers come running.
N1: They find Peter laughing.
N2: Peter’s mother and father are furious.
Mother (frowning): Peter! Your father tripped and dropped his hammer.
Father: Right onto your mother’s big toe!
Mother: It’s not OK to lie! No one will trust you now.
Ella: I can’t be friends with a boy who lies.
Peter: Wait! I’m sorry!
N1: But Ella and the villagers storm off.
N2: In the distance, a wolf approaches.
N1: He sees the sheep and licks his lips.
Wolf (whispering): Here I come, little lamb chops.
Scene 5
A sheep meadow
Aesop: A short time later, Peter is sitting, sad and lonely.
All Sheep: Baaaa! Baaaa!
N2: Peter turns to see a giant beast running toward them.
Peter (shaking): A wolf! A-a-a real wolf!
N1: Peter quickly leads the sheep away.
Peter: WOLF! HELP! WOLF! I really mean it!
N2: The wolf runs off, scared that the villagers are coming.
N1: The villagers hear Peter’s cry, but no one makes a move.
V2: I’m not falling for that again.
V1: Not three times in one day.
N2: In the meadow, Peter leads the sheep to some thorny bushes.
Peter: Hide in here! With your thick wool, you won’t get scratched.
N1: Peter climbs a tree as the wolf returns.
Wolf (growling): No one came to help you, boy! Now where are my lamb chops?
Peter: They all ran away!
N2: The sheep tremble in the bushes.
N1: The wolf searches the field but doesn’t see the sheep. He howls and runs away.
Wolf: Aroooooooooooo!
Scene 6
A sheep meadow
Peter: It’s safe to come out now, little sheep!
Sheep 1: We do not trust you, Peter.
Sheep 2: You liiiie!
N2: Peter crawls into the bushes to talk to the sheep. He gets cut by all the thorns.
Peter: I’m sorry, sheep. I know I lied before, but I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll never lie again.
All Sheep: All riiiight.
N1: They crawl out of the bushes as Ella rushes to the meadow.
Ella: Peter, what happened?
Peter: A wolf really came! I cried “Wolf!”, but none of the villagers believed me.
Ella: I’m sorry no one came to help.
Peter: Me too. When I finally told the truth, no one listened. I’ve learned my lesson.
Scene 7
A hilltop city in ancient Greece
Aesop: So what did you learn?
Brother: Never tell the same lie twice?
Sister and Aesop: Nooooooo!
Brother: Just kidding. I learned the importance of telling the truth.
Sister: And what can happen if you tell lies.
Brother: Thanks for the story!
Aesop: It’s not just a story, it’s a—
All Sheep: Faaaable! Baaaah!
Think and Write
Think about the events in the play and what Peter learns. What is the moral of this fable? Answer in a well-organized paragraph, using details from the play.
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Can't Miss Teaching Extras
Compare the two main characters in “The Horse and the Donkey” while learning a meaningful lesson about teamwork. Then click the Resources tab for a worksheet on identifying the moral of the story.
Your students will learn another thing or two about honesty in “Who Stole My Cactus Arm?” This fiction story teaches readers the importance of telling the truth and the repercussions of lying.
Teach your class the difference between a polite fib and an actual lie in “Is it Ever OK to Lie?,” a debate that explores situations when lying might be OK.
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Table of Contents
5. Differentiate and Customize
Struggling Readers, Multilingual Learners, Advanced Readers, Creative Writing
1. Preparing to Read
Set a Purpose for Reading/Preview Text Features
- Instruct students to study the title, subtitle, and illustration on pages 24-25. Ask them to describe the illustration and predict what the play will be about.
- Call on volunteers to read aloud the Think and Read box on page 25 and the Think and Write box on page 29.
Introduce Vocabulary
- The play includes bolded vocabulary terms in the text but does not include definitions. A Vocabulary Skill Builder online previews the vocabulary terms (protect, bore, recline, munching, furious, storm off, and tremble). You may also show our Vocabulary Slideshow.
2. Close Reading
- Storyworks 3 plays provide a perfect opportunity for students to build fluency.
- Remind students that the stage directions tell a reader or actor how to say a line or perform an action in the play. Point out the words waving and panting on page 25. Read the dialogue aloud with appropriate expressions or actions. Ask students to repeat after you.
- You may want to read the setting descriptions at the start of each scene, or you can add those to one of the narrator’s lines.
- Project or assign the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions. (Alternatively, assign all or part of the Learning Journey Slide Deck.)
Close-Reading Questions
- Read Scene 1. What is so special about the fables that Aesop tells? Aesop’s fables are special because each one has a lesson at the end called a moral. In his fables, animals can talk. (main idea)
- Read Scene 2. What does Ella tell Peter to do if a wolf shows up in the meadow? Ella tells Peter to yell “Wolf!” and the villagers will come to help him. (cause and effect)
- Read Scene 3. What happens after the villagers race to the sheep meadow to help Peter? After the villagers race to the sheep meadow, Peter tells them he saw a wolf. The villagers know he didn’t really see a wolf because wolves don’t have yellow fur and red tails. The sheep also don’t seem upset. They tell him not to call “WOLF!” again, but Peter thought it was thrilling. (plot)
- Read Scene 4. How do Peter’s parents and his friend Ella react when he cries “Wolf!” again? Peter’s parents are very angry with him. His mother tells him it’s not OK to lie and no one will trust him now. Ella says she can’t be friends with a boy who lies. (summarizing)
- How does the illustration on pages 26 and 27 show what happens in scene 4? In the illustration, the villagers are angry with Peter for lying about seeing a wolf. His father points to his mother’s injured toe. Ella looks at him angrily. Peter lies on the ground laughing because he fooled the villagers again. (text features)
- Read Scene 5. How do Peter’s feelings about taking care of the sheep change? In Scene 2, Peter is bored and doesn’t care about taking care of the sheep. In Scene 5, Peter protects the sheep. He realizes it’s important to take care of them and keep them safe. Peter protects the sheep by having them hide in the thorny bushes. (how a character changes)
- Read Scene 6. What lesson does Peter learn? Peter learns that he must always tell the truth. Because he lied to the villagers before, they didn’t believe him when he really saw a wolf and cried for help. (theme)
Critical-Thinking Questions
- Why does Aesop choose to tell this fable? Aesop chooses to tell this fable because, at the beginning of the story, Brother likes to tell lies. He lies to his sister by saying he has a pet lion and that animals talk. Aesop wants to teach Brother a lesson by explaining what can happen when you tell lies. When you lie too much, no one will believe you when you tell the truth. (character’s motivation)
- Would you like to read other fables by Aesop in which animals talk? Explain your answer with details from the play. Answers will vary. (connecting to the text)
3. Skill Building and Writing
Featured Skill: Theme
- Distribute or digitally assign the Theme Skill Builder.
- Ask students to write a response to the Think and Write prompt on page 29.
Differentiate and Customize
For Striving Readers
Build fluency and boost confidence with unison reading. Choose a scene, preview any challenging words, then assign students two or three of the characters to read aloud together while you take on the other roles.
For Multilingual Learners
Read the play together as a group, pausing after each scene to summarize what happened. Then go through the play’s illustrations and prompt students to describe the action in each one. Have them draw one new illustration for the play. Ask them to include a one-line caption.
For Advanced Readers
Have students read a different read-aloud play, based on another classic story, from our May/June 2020 issue. “The Emperor’s New Clothes” also offers a lesson on telling the truth. Ask students to compare and contrast that play with “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” including any differences in their themes.
Text-to-Speech