Illustration of a pig flying with wings and three unicorns looking on
Art by Alex Patrick
Fiction,

Mort the Pigacorn

By Katie Mach
From the February 2024 Issue

Learning Objective: Children will identify a character’s traits and the central message in a fiction story.

Lexile: 380L
Featured Skill: Main Idea,
Topic: Fiction Genres, SEL,
Common Core Standards
  • RF.1.1 Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print RL.1.2 Retell stories RL.1.3 Describe character and setting using key details RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events RL.1.10 Read prose and poetry of appropriate complexity for grade 1 SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with peers and adults
TEKS Standards
  • Health
    Health (3) Mental health and wellness—social and emotional health. The student identifies and applies strategies to develop socio-emotional health, self-regulation, and healthy relationships. The student is expected to: (E) describe ways to build and maintain friendships; (G) identify feelings and emotions expressed by others; and (H) identify and practice ways to solve conflicts with friends and peers. (5) Mental health and wellness—identifying and managing mental health and wellness concerns. The student develops and uses appropriate skills to identify and manage conditions related to mental health and wellness. The student is expected to: (B) identify situations that can create positive stress and positive emotions.

Magazine View
See Student View

Everybody knows that unicorns are real.

But nobody had ever heard of a pigacorn until Mort. He had a horn. He had wings. He was a pigacorn!

PAUSE AND THINK:  What is a pigacorn?

He was different from unicorns. They liked rainbows.

Mort liked the rain. He also liked mud.

They had long, soft ponytails.

Mort had a curly little pig tail.

PAUSE AND THINK:  How is Mort different from the unicorns?

Mort was happy today. A new babycorn had just been born. There was going to be a party! 

Mort had just enough time for a mud bath.

“Maybe you should stay home, Mort,” said Glitter. 

“But I love parties! And I love babycorns,” said Mort.

“OK, just don’t touch our gift,” said Glitter. “It’s a birthday crown. You’ll get it muddy.”

PAUSE AND THINK:  Why doesn’t Glitter want Mort to come to the party?

They all flew to the babycorn’s castle.

Just then, a storm blew in. Wind blew the crown out of Glitter’s bag.

“Oh no!” said Glitter. She pointed her hoof. “The crown fell into the mud.”

“The mud!” cried the unicorns.

“The mud!” snorted Mort happily. 

PAUSE AND THINK: How do you think they will get the crown back?

“Don’t worry,” said Mort. “I’ll be right back.”

Mort dove into the mud. He sniffed and he dug. He got the crown!

But then the castle gates opened. It was the babycorn! The unicorns gasped. Mort flapped his muddy wings.

“Are you here for my party?” asked the babycorn.

PAUSE AND THINK: Who came through the castle gates?

“We are so sorry, babycorn,” said Glitter. “Your gift is ruined. Mort has it in the mud.”

“Why are you sorry?” The babycorn laughed. “I love playing in the mud! It is more fun than rainbows.”

For Mort, it was the best party ever. Now he had a friend who liked mud as much as he did. 

video (1)
Activities (2)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
video (1)
Activities (2) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)

About the Story

English Language Arts Focus

Sequencing, problem and solution, characters

Social and Life Skills Focus

Social awareness

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Implementation

Whole Group; Small Group

Pairings and Text Connections

  • Suggested books: Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima; Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patti Lovell

Suggested Reading Focus

Central message/character traits (15 minutes)
  • Preview the first few pages and illustrations of Mort. With your students, chart Mort’s traits. How is he different from the other unicorns? You might choose to use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast Mort with other unicorns.
  • Read the story out loud while students follow along in their magazines, or have students read a sentence or page at a time. Model summarizing the section and asking comprehension questions at each Pause and Think.
  • Finally, discuss the ending of the story. How does Mort help his friends? What do students think will happen now that Mort discovered he has a new friend with similar interests? What do Glitter and the other unicorns learn?

After-Reading Skills Practice

  • Skills: Character traits; main idea (15 minutes)

Extension Writing Activity

Skills: Art/self-awareness (15 minutes)

  • Mort’s love of mud helped him solve the problem when Glitter’s crown fell out of the bag. Have students construct crowns out of construction paper and art materials. On their crown, students can collage or write characteristics and strengths that are unique to them that can help others.

Text-to-Speech