• Goals:
(1) Students will use Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs as a model to write their own version of a tall tale.
(2) Students will become familiar with what tall tales are composed of (exaggerations).
(3) Students will include details about the setting, problem, and solution in their own stories.

• Teacher Input:
(1) The teacher will read aloud excerpts of various tall tales such as Davy Crockett, John Henry, Paul Bunyan, and Pecos Bill. They
will discuss what all these stories have in common in order to be considered tall tales (exaggerations).
(2) The teacher will inform the students that they will be writing their own tall tales entitled “Cloudy With a Chance of .....” using Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Barrett as a model.

• Activities:
(1) Students will draw a picture of a town and cut out pictures from magazines or use stickers to show “precipitation” falling from the sky to depict “Cloudy With a Chance of .....” Cutting out pictures of precipitation first enables students to be more focused on their writing.
(2) Students will complete a web describing the setting of the town in their story. This activity along with the picture of the town showing “precipitation” will serve as pre-writing activities. At the bottom of their web, they will write the problems created by the type of “precipitation.” Also, a web could be done for the problem and solution of their story if needed.
(3) Students will begin writing their own tall tale entitled, “Cloudy With a Chance of .....” Their tall tale must include at least three paragraphs vividly describing : (1) the setting, (2) the problem, and (3) the solution.

• Homework:
Finish writing the tall tale.

• Conclusion:
Students will share their tall tales aloud to class. Then they will be displayed with their pictures on a mural entitled, “Cloud With a Chance of .......”

• Materials:
(1) Tall tale books of various characters.
(2) Magazines and/or stickers.
(3) Drawing paper.
(4) Crayons and/or magic markers.
(5) Scissors.
(6) Web for setting.
(7) Notebook paper.
(8) Poster board for mural.