EDrL443 ~ Balanced Literacy Unit Plan

Copies of: Trophies: Volume 1-Changing Patterns-Theme 3- Friends to Grow With “Sayings We Share: Proverbs and Fables”

RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determining the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

Denise Crosby

3/1/2012

At the end of this week’s unit study, the children will be able to answer the following questions: 1) What is a moral? What do you think it means to say that someone is a moral person? 2) What lessons did you learn from these fables, stories or articles? 3) Which fable, story or article do you think teaches the most important lesson? Why? Include real life examples that support your claim. 4) What animal characters are usually hard working in proverbs and fairy tales? Why do you think this is?

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Balanced Literacy Lesson Plans

Day: 1

Goal: SWBAT to determine the moral or lesson from the story The Empty Pot by Demi and support their choice with details from the text.

Standard: RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determining the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

Stage One: Pre-Reading/Direct Lesson – (I Do, You Help) 15 – 20 minutesIntroduction: Gather children in circle and review that stories often have a lesson or theme the author wants us to learn. “We have learned how and why readers determine importance in fiction. We have learned to make predictions about the stories’ organization and content, to use what we’ve learned about the characters to distinguish important from unimportant information and how to identify key themes in stories.”

Review the key themes charts.Demonstration/model: Share with the students that sometimes there is more than one theme in a story, but the key factor for determining the theme is providing evidence from the text that back up your ideas of the theme. Write “I wonder” on a chart paper.

Thinking aloud: “While I am reading, I will think to myself, “I wonder what the gist or the theme of this story is? What important event or events happened to the character?” These questions will help me determine the importance of this story.” Write these wonderings on the chart paper.

1. Teacher reads the story emphasizing with voice fluctuation the supporting details for main idea. For example, if teacher has chosen “Ping did his very best” as a theme, while reading the story she/he may read with much emphasis “He watered it every day” or “Day after day passed, but nothing grew in his pot…He put new soil into a bigger pot.”

2. After reading, teacher thinks aloud what the main idea is. “The gist of the story is Ping did his very best.” Model aloud why you have identified this as a theme by going back into the story and rereading the details that support my theme and placing a post it by those details. Then teacher will then write the answers to the “wondering” questions with supporting details on the chart paper.

3. Have the students discuss with each other “knee-to-knee, eye-to-eye” any of their ideas of other important themes there might be in this story. Allow time for sharing making sure the students support their thinking from the story. Have partners share with you one idea their partner had about a theme and it’s supporting detail from the story. Record it on the chart.

4. Connect the theme with asking the students: “What do you think the wise emperor looked for in his successor and why this is so important to the Emperor? Review with the students that determining what is important in fiction often depends as much on the reader as it does on the text and that we use all our other strategies; inferring, questioning, schema, to help us understand the theme of a story.

Share, Review, Closure: The teacher will say, “Today we reviewed that often authors have a theme or lesson for us to learn through a story. We learned how to use details from the story to

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help us determine the gist or theme. Today you will be reading with your partner some fables. Fables are short stories that almost always have animals with human traits teaching a lesson. You will read with you partner from Fables by Arnold Lobel the fables The Ducks and the Fox page 5 and King Lion and the Beetle page 7. In your reading journals, make an “I Wonder” chart and write your wonderings. As you read, answer your wonderings with details from the story and write the theme of each fable. Remember to support your choice of theme from detail in the fable.” Stage Two: During Reading/Independent WorkStudents will read will work in pairs with their reading buddy reading the two fables. They will create their own “Wondering” chart in their journals with supporting detail from the fables. Teacher will be visiting each pair and listening to them read a short paragraph from their reading. When students have finished their reading they will visit one of the centers (listed at end of Unit), completing the assignment there and then they will independently begin a reader’s workshop picking a “just right” book from their personal bin. They will read their books and apply the same strategy of wondering and recording details from their books describing the main idea, theme, or lesson learned from their reading.Stage Three: After Reading/ReflectionThe class will meet in the circle bringing their reading journals. The students will share their ideas about the theme/themes of each fable with supporting details while the teacher writes their ideas on chart paper; one for each fable. The teacher can direct the conversation with guiding questions if needed: “Did the illustrations help support the details in your reading?” “Did the moral at the end of the fable help or did you have to reread the fable to understand the moral?” “What were the problems the characters in the fables faced?” Together the class and teacher will reflect, “Today we learned that stories have themes or lessons and that we can look for details in a story that help us identify the lesson or theme. For the next minute, share with your shoulder partner one detail from either fable that supports your choice of its lesson.”Materials/Resources Needed:Chart paper; markers; The Empty Pot by Demi; copies of Fables by Arnold Lobel (Scholastic Guiding Reading Program Level N); reading journals; variety of leveled books for Reader’s Workshop (2000+)

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Balanced Literacy Lesson Plans

Day: 2

Goal: SWBAT to determine the moral or lesson from their Trophy stories and support their choice with details from the text.

Standard: RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determining the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

Stage One: Pre-Reading/Direct Lesson - Introduction: Gather children in circle and review that yesterday we learned that stories and fables often have a lesson or theme the author wants us to learn. Teacher will ask the children: “Can you finish this wise saying: An apple a day ___________. What other ‘wise’ sayings do you know?” The teacher then would introduce the Trophy story entitled: Sayings We Share: Proverbs and Fables by reading the title page and discussing the kinds of things people learn from oral traditions. Demonstration/model: The teacher would then read aloud page 391 titled Proverbs. As she/he reads the teacher would model; “Proverbs and sayings are ways of giving advice. I’ll see what advice they give.” After the teacher reads the United States saying, “Don’t spread yourself too thin” and the Vietnam saying, “Even with two hands, one cannot catch two fish at one time,” she/he will stop and reflect about the meaning of these proverbs: “I think the advice of these two sayings is that it is better to do one thing well than to do too many things poorly.” Continue to read the rest of the page, stopping to reflect and model in the same way the African proverb “As a crab walks, so walk its children” and the US proverb, “Like father, like son,” thinking out-loud as to the advice the proverbs are teaching.Share, Review, Closure: “Today we learned that proverbs are another type of oral tradition that gives us wise advice. You will read with your reading partner pages 392 – 394. After you have read the different proverbs, you and your partner will discuss and each of you will choose the proverb that you think gives the best advice and explain Why? Write your ideas in your reading log and be prepared to share.” The students will be directed to continue to preview or read from their Trophy story the four fables when they finish with the proverbs.Stage Two: During Reading/Independent WorkStudents will read with their reading buddy reading the proverbs. They will discuss their choice of the proverb that gives the best advice and record the reasons in their journals. Students will continue to read the Trophy story while the teacher continues to visit with each pair, listening to them read a short paragraph from their reading. When students have finished their reading they will visit one of the centers (listed at end of Unit), completing the assignment there and then they will independently begin a reader’s workshop picking a “just right” book from their personal bin. They will read their books and apply the same strategy of wondering and recording details from their books describing the main idea, theme, or lesson learned from their reading.Stage Three: After Reading/ReflectionThe class will meet in the circle bringing their reading journals. The students will share their ideas about the proverb with the best advice and why. The teacher will write their ideas on chart paper. Together the class and teacher will reflect, “Today we learned that proverbs are sayings

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that give advice or lessons like stories and fables. We also learned that we share advice with other countries using different sayings. For the next minute, share with your shoulder partner another saying or proverb that you feel gives good advice.”Materials/Resources Needed:

Chart paper; markers; reading journals; variety of leveled books for Reader’s Workshop (2000+)

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Balanced Literacy Lesson Plans

Day: 3

Goal: SWBAT to determine the lesson or theme from Guided Reading Article and support their choice with details from the text.

Standard: RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determining the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

Stage One: Pre-Reading/Direct Lesson - Introduction: See Guided Reading Lesson at end of Unit PlanDemonstration/model:Share, Review, Closure:Stage Two: During Reading/Independent WorkStudents will read with their reading buddy reading the article. They will create their own “Wondering” chart in their journals with supporting detail from the article. Teacher will be visiting each pair and listening to them read a short paragraph from their reading. When students have finished their reading they will visit one of the centers, completing the assignment there and then they will independently begin a reader’s workshop picking a “just right” book from their personal bin. They will read their books and apply the same strategy of wondering and recording details from their books describing the main idea, theme, or lesson learned from their reading.Stage Three: After Reading/ReflectionThe class will meet in the circle bringing their reading journals. The students will share their ideas about the theme the article with supporting details while the teacher asks the students the questions to lead them in a “grand conversation.” Together the class and teacher will reflect, “Today we learned that nonfiction articles can have themes or lessons like fiction and that we can look for details in the article in the same way to help us identify the lesson or theme. Today we read an article about the civil rights movement of the 1960’s and how everyday people doing very simple, peaceful protests were able to make a major difference and change laws. Share with a new friend an item of new information you learned from the article, something from the article that was a “Wow” for you or something you still don’t understand.”Materials/Resources Needed:The article: Sitting Down to Take a Stand by Suzanne ZimblerZimbler, S. (2010). Sitting down to take a stand. Times for Kids. Retrieved from:http://www.timeforkids.com/news/sitting-down-take-stand/5426Reading journals; variety of leveled reading books (2000 or more)

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Balanced Literacy Lesson Plans

Day: 4Goal: SWBAT to determine the moral or lesson from their Trophy stories and support their choice with details from the text.

Standard: RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determining the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

Stage One: Pre-Reading/Direct Lesson - Introduction: Gather children in circle and review that stories often have a lesson or theme the author wants us to learn. “We have learned how and why readers determine importance in fiction. We have learned to make predictions about the stories’ organization and content, to use what we’ve learned about the characters to distinguish important from unimportant information and how to identify key themes in stories.”Demonstration/model: The teacher will have prepared a large chart. (See below) “Today I am going to read aloud the fable The Baboon’s Umbrella from the “Fables” book by Arnold Lobel. As I read I am going to fill in my T-Chart. On this side I will write the conflict or problem that is in the fable. On the other side, I will write how the conflict was solved or the resolution. This will help me determine what the lesson or moral of the fable is.” The teacher will then read the fable modeling the thought process of the conflict and resolution.

Conflict Resolution ThemeIt is sunny and the baboon can’t enjoy the sunshine because he is carrying his umbrella in case of rain.

Gibbon tells him to cut some holes in the umbrella to let the sun shine on him.

Sometimes advice can be good and sometimes it is bad.

The teacher will then read the fable The Bad Kangaroo. The students will then fill out the chart as a group with the assistance of the teacher asking guiding questions.Share, Review, Closure: “Today we learned how to create a conflict-resolution chart to help us find the theme of a fable. You create a chart in your reading journals and reread the four fables in your Trophy books with your reading buddy. As you read you will record the conflict, the resolution and the theme of each fable.” Stage Two: During Reading/Independent WorkStudents will read with their reading buddy reading the fables. They will record the conflict, resolution and theme in their reading journals. Students will continue to read the Trophy story while the teacher continues to visit with each pair, listening to them read a short paragraph from their reading. When students have finished their reading they will visit one of the centers (listed at end of Unit), completing the assignment there and then they will independently begin a reader’s workshop picking a “just right” book from their personal bin. They will read their books and apply the same strategy of wondering and recording details from their books describing the main idea, theme, or lesson learned from their reading.

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Stage Three: After Reading/ReflectionThe class will meet in the circle bringing their reading journals. The students will share their charts. The teacher will write their ideas on chart paper. Together the class and teacher will reflect, “Today we learned that by creating a chart to help us identify the conflict and resolution in a fable we are able to determine the lesson or theme. For the next minute, share with your shoulder partner what advice you would give the hare if he has to run another race.”Materials/Resources Needed:

Chart paper; markers; reading journals; variety of leveled books for Reader’s Workshop (2000+)

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Balanced Literacy Lesson Plans

Day: 5

Goal: SWBAT to determine the moral or lesson from the story of Little Prickles by Gavin Nelson, Kate Nelson and Layne Suhre (children authors) and support their choice with details from the text. Standard: RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determining the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

Stage One: Pre-Reading/Direct Lesson - Introduction: Gather children in circle and review that stories often have a lesson or theme the author wants us to learn. “Today I am going to read you a story that some Middle School students from Norwalk, Connecticut wrote about a little porcupine. As I read I am going to stop and make some predictions about what might happen next and what lesson I think is being taught and learned.” Demonstration/model: As I read Little Prickles I will stop on page 10 where Little Prickles says “WAIT!” I will then make the prediction that porcupine quills are sharp and thin and that I think Little Prickles is going to share them. I read on and find out that he does. I continue through the rest of the story stopping on pages 15, 16, 22 and 26. Making predictions. After the story, I will ask the students what the theme, moral or lesson of the story was. “You don’t have to give everything that is important to you to be liked.” Share, Review, Closure: “Today we read and made predictions as we read to help us discover the lesson, moral and theme of our story. As you read your fables today, use post-its to make your predictions and record the morals of 2 fables in your reading journals.”Stage Two: During Reading/Independent WorkStudents will read with their reading buddy reading 2 fables of their choice from “Fables”. They will mark their predictions with post-its on the page and record the theme of in their reading journals. When students have finished their reading they will visit one of the centers (listed at end of Unit), completing the assignment there and then they will independently begin a reader’s workshop picking a “just right” book from their personal bin. They will read their books and apply the same strategy of predicting and recording details from their books describing the main idea, theme, or lesson learned from their reading.Stage Three: After Reading/ReflectionThe class will meet in the circle bringing their reading journals. The students will share their predictions. Together the class and teacher will reflect, “Today we learned that predicting can also help us identify the lesson or theme of fables. For the next minute, share with your shoulder partner how you think proverbs and fables help us grow and learn.”Materials/Resources Needed:Copies of Fables by Arnold Lobel (Scholastic Guiding Reading Program Level N); reading journals; variety of leveled books for Reader’s Workshop (2000+); post-it notes

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Guided Reading Lesson Plan – For Day 3

Sitting Down to Take a Stand by Suzanne ZimblerZimbler, S. (2010). Sitting down to take a stand. Times for Kids. Retrieved from:http://www.timeforkids.com/news/sitting-down-take-stand/5426

Difficult Words & Strategies for decoding-Write the prompts segregationdemonstrationseparationnonviolentVocabulary: At least 4 words & why they were chosenI chose these words as they are specific to the 1960 civil rights movement and the students would need to know the definitions and have an understanding of them as they relate to this time period.civil rightssegregation/separation demonstrations/sit-insWoolworthlunch counternonviolentStage One – Pre-Reading:Introduction: I will gather all students in our circle area and distribute the article, a copy for each student.“Today we are going to read an article about the civil rights movement of the 1960’s and how simple acts by everyday people made a difference. As we read this article, we are going to look for details as to the theme of this article and ask ourselves “What does the author want us to learn or remember?”“Before reading our article today, let’s look at the title of this article from Time for Kids, Sitting Down to Take a Stand and think of ways to complete this sentence: “I wonder __________________________. Write your wondering statement or statements in your Language Learning Log. As we read the article, we will keep our wondering statements in the back of our mind to see if the article answers our wonderings.”Stage 2- During Reading:Let’s begin reading the article with our shoulder buddy. While you are reading the article, at the end of each section, I want you to stop and indicate your reaction to your reading by using the VIP strategy: *I already knew this!+New information! Wow!??I don’t understandMake your notations right on the text. After reading each section and posting your reactions, discuss and share with your shoulder partner your ideas about the article. Continue for the entire article reflecting on how you and your partner’s ideas are the same and/or different. Write your reflections in your Language Learning Log.Stage 3 – After Reading:Now that we have read the article, let’s look at each of your wondering statements from before

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we read the article. Were your wondering statements answered from the article? Turn to your shoulder buddy and discuss how each of your wondering statements was answered or not. Write down 2 or 3 wondering statements you have now. List 3 questions for Grand conversation and require students to dig deeper.1. “What was theme or lesson the author wanted us to learn from this article?” Support your

theme with ideas from the text. 2. “Do you think it took courage to continue to return to the lunch counter each day for 6

months?” “Why or why not?” 3. “Why do you think nonviolent protests work?”4. “Why should we remember this time in history?”

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Centers

DOK Level One Literacy Center – Who Am I?A set of matching laminating cards of a character from a fable and the title of the fable or for the more advance students, one card can have written “Who am I? riddles and the children can match them to the character.Two students working together will match the character to its correct fable. This can also be a concentration matching game where the cards are placed upside down and the children take turns to draw a match. It is simply recalling the characters from each of the fables.

DOK Level Two Literacy Center – “My Favorite Fable”At this center the students will make a poster illustrating their favorite fable and it’s moral. They will create the art and underneath write the moral of the fable. Art materials will be available for them to create their posters for display.

DOK Level Three Literacy Center – “Compare and Contrast”At this center, students will work in pairs using a graphic organizer of a Venn diagram to compare and contrast two of the four fables from the book.For the advanced readers – I would have them make comparisons to real life – What is one situation in real life that is like one described in one of the fables? And have them write a paragraph about it.

DOK Level Four Literacy Center – Writing Center/Author’s CornerAt this center the students will be asked to become authors and write their own fable. I would remind them that many fables use animal characters to act out a simple lesson and that each fable has a moral or lesson that teaches us about life. The fables will be compiled in a class book title “Fables We Share.” I will encourage them to illustrate their fables after they write them as well.

Comprehension Center – “What’s the Purpose of this Proverb or Fable?”Objective: The student will identify the author’s purpose.Materials: Header cards: Persuade Inform Entertain Explain Passage cards: 16 passage texts; either proverbs or fables, that are appropriate for each

reading level identified by different colors with 4 matches to each header card. Activity: Students determine author’s purpose by reading and sorting passages.

1. Place header cards in a row. Place passage cards face down in a stack.2. Taking turns, students select the top card from the stack and read it aloud.3. Determine the author’s purpose.4. Place under the appropriate header card.5. Continue until all cards are sorted.6. Peer EvaluationExtensions: Bring in examples of magazine, newspaper, and other articles to discuss and identify the

author’s purposeReference: http://www.fcrr.org/curriculum/studentCenterActivities45.shtm

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Rubric:

Comprehension Center: “What’s the Purpose of This Fable or Proverb?”

Teacher Name: Ms. Crosby

Student Name: ________________________________________

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1

Chooses Appropriate Passage/Article

Student chooses a passage or article which s/he has not read before, which is at or above grade level, or has been previous approved by the teacher.

Student chooses a passage or article which s/he has never read before and which is slightly below his/her reading level.

Student chooses a passage or article s/he has read once before that is close to his/her reading level and was approved by the teacher.

Student chooses a passage or article that s/he has read many times before or which is more than one grade below student\'s reading level.

Follows Along Student is on the correct page and is actively reading along (eyes move along the lines) or finger is following words being read aloud by others.

Student is on the correct page and usually appears to be actively reading, but looks at the reader or the pictures occasionally. Can find place easily when called upon to read.

Student is on the correct page and seems to read along occasionally. May have a little trouble finding place when called upon to read.

Student is on the wrong page OR is clearly reading ahead or behind the person who is reading aloud.

Identifies important information

Student lists all the main points of the article without having the article in front of him/her.

The student lists all the main points, but uses the article for reference.

The student lists all but one of the main points, using the article for reference. S/he does not highlight any unimportant points.

The student cannot important information with accuracy

Respects Others Student listens quietly, does not interrupt, and stays in assigned place without distracting fidgeting.

Student listens quietly and does not interrupt. Moves a couple of times, but does not distract others.

Student interrupts once or twice, but comments are relevant. Stays in assigned place without distracting movements.

Student interrupts often by whispering, making comments or noises that distract others OR moves around in ways that distract others.

Reference : http://rubistar.4teachers.org/

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