Toad was hopping along the hot desert sand looking for a place to get out of the heat. She was looking for a home to stay in when the sun was too hot for her bumpy skin. She needed a home that was not too hot, not too hard, and not too prickly.

The first graders listen intently as the bumpy green toad puppet defines her task. As the story develops, the students sing along with Toad and learn about the homes of various desert animals.

A picture of each animal and its home is placed on a flannel board. The children laugh and clap for Toad when she finally solves her problem. Use a poster to show the Super3 in question form, and explain to the students how Toad uses the process to solve her information problem.

(Plan): What do I need to do?
Toad needs a new home that cannot be too hot, too hard, or too prickly.

(Plan): What can I use to find what I need?
She can either look for a home herself, or ask one of the other desert animals. She decides to ask other desert animals.

(Do): Where can I find what I need?
She walks until she sees Javelina.
She walks until she sees Lizard.
She walks until she sees Pack Rat
She keeps walking until she decides to dig a hole in the sand.

(Do): What information can I use?
• She asks Javelina about his home and decides that it is too hot. Javelina tells her to find a cooler place with more water.
• She asks Lizard about his home and decides that it is too hard. Lizard tells her to find a place that is softer.
• She asks Pack Rat about his home and decides that it is too prickly. Pack Rat tells her to find a smoother home.

(Do): How can I put my information together?
Toad finds that the animals’ homes are not suitable for her and she uses what they tell her to find a home deep in the sand under the yucca plant.

(Review): How will I know if I did well?
Toad knows it is a good home because it is not too hot, not too hard, and not too prickly and she remembers the song.

Following this poster demonstration, the teacher librarian may provide story strips representing each story event to each group of three students. Groups then place the story strips onto chart paper in the Super3 sequence with the assistance of parent helpers. As they do so, students refer to the flannel board to check the order of the animals. In arranging the story strips, students easily understand how Toad had to revisit Super3 (Plan) several times before she found a place to live.

After students complete the story strip activity, the teacher and librarian may use the Super3 as they discuss each step of the ensuing desert study with students and their parent helpers. Parents help their groups locate information about a specific desert animal (a physical description and where it lives in the desert). Groups draw a picture of the animal in its habitat for a class book and write a sentence explaining why their animal’s home would or would not be suitable for Toad.

After the student groups and parent helpers complete their desert study, the teacher reads the completed class book to the class and the librarian administers a simple written evaluation instrument for each student to complete. The evaluation instrument requires students to focus on what they learned about the content and the Super3, how well they participated with their parent helper and partner, and their efforts in producing a page for the class book.

Story and activity written by Barbara A. Jansen.