Lead-In Activities Engagement Question: Ask students, “If you were granted three wishes, what would you wish for?” Encourage brief pair or group discussion to activate prior knowledge and personal connections. Prediction Prompt: Show students a key word from the story—“paw”—and ask, “Can you predict the title of the story or what it might be about?” Introduce Connotation vs. Denotation: Use the word “paw” to explore emotional/cultural vs. literal meanings. E.g., Connotation: mystery, danger; Denotation: the foot of an animal.

Pre-Reading Activities Vocabulary Pre-Teaching: Present key terms from the story (e.g., sinister, debt, superstition, mangled, fakir) in a matching exercise where students pair each word with its definition. KWL Chart (K–W–L): K: What do you already know about the idea of making wishes or changing fate? W: What do you want to learn from the story?

While-Reading Activities Guided Reading: Read the story in sections, stopping at key moments to ask guided comprehension and prediction questions: What do you think will happen after Mr. White makes his first wish? Why do you think Morris tried to destroy the paw? Skimming Activity: Ask students to skim the story to find and summarize “Morris’s warning” in their own words.

Plot Structure Identification: As students read, have them label the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution using a graphic organizer. Character Tracking: Encourage students to note how Mr. and Mrs. White’s attitudes and emotions change throughout the story.

Post-Reading Activities Theme Exploration: Discuss major themes (Desire, Fate, Consequences) using guiding questions and text evidence. Literary Techniques Discussion: Identify and analyze examples of: Foreshadowing – Morris’s warning. Dramatic Irony – The reader knowing the compensation comes at a cost. Symbolism – The monkey’s paw as a symbol of greed and fate. Character Analysis: Distinguish between dynamic and static characters using provided questions. Why is Mr. White a dynamic character? Why is Mrs. White considered dynamic too? Freer Practice: Students choose two reflective questions to answer in writing or orally: Compare and contrast Mr. and Mrs. White. What would you do if you were in Mr. White’s place? What did you enjoy or dislike about the story? What inner and outer conflicts did Mr. White face? Complete the KWL Chart: Fill in the L (What I Learned) section. Moral Discussion: Lead a wrap-up discussion or written reflection on the moral lessons: Trying to change fate can lead to consequences. Greed and impatience can bring sadness. Some things are better left alone.