created by Elisa Wagner 

Grade Level: K-3

Critical Task: Is the Grinch a good or bad person?

Students will consider whether or not the Grinch is a good or bad person on the basis of his actions throughout the story. In Language Arts one of the outcomes is to look at, and understand the difference between, good and bad characters. The Grinch's character develops throughout the story. This gives students the opportunity of seeing the good and bad in this "green", "garlic-souled" character.

In conjunction with this critical challenge students will look at character development using the Grinch as an example.

Background Knowledge: Students should have an understanding of:

• the concepts of good and evil.
• what kind of things people do if they are good or bad. 

Criteria for Judgment:

• Involvement in discussion
• Verbal, written or pictorial decision and supportive evidence drawn from story. 

Thinking Strategies:

• Outline main events of the story
• Discuss parts of the story that show the things that the Grinch did (good things? bad things?) and record these on a T-chart.
• Review and discuss evidence 

Habit of Mind:

• Critical, inquiring attitude 

• Watch the video How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
• As a class discuss and record evidence of the Grinch being good or bad. (a T-chart would probably be most effective)
• Have students consider the question; Is the Grinch good or bad? - Share their ideas using parts of the story to support their beliefs,
• Have students go back to their desks and record on a form (sample below) their belief whether the Grinch is good or bad. Have them support this belief in either a written or pictorial form (this would be using something that happened in the story as evidence).

Grade K/1, Grade 2/3

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