Lesson: Animals and Human Traits

Grade 3 ELA

Module 3-2

Lessons

Lesson: What is a fable?

Lesson: Animals and human traits

Lesson: Cause and effect relationships

Lesson: What is the moral of the story? Grade 3 Module 3-2 Lesson: What is a fable?

Content Overview for Lesson Students will read and classify fables by characteristics. They will analyze the evolution of fables and note the connection of fables to real life. They will organize cause and effect relationships.

Instructional Progression Previous and Future Knowledge Students will use what they know about other genres they have studied to make connections to what they are learning about fables. They will continue to build their knowledge base about features of different kinds of text as they study other genres. The teacher will need to collect a variety of fables and other folktales to use for teaching purposes. He/she should identify and record features in the texts that are characteristic of fables and return to charts that have feature of other folktales previously studied.

The fables collected should intentionally represent different authors and different dates of origins, as well as different versions. For example, Aesop’s fables and Phaedrus’ fables are considered to be ancient fables. More modern fables are written by De La Fontaine, Rodari, and and Lev Tolstoj and many have different versions.

The teacher should establish and record standard criteria for understanding reading and writing folktales for assessment purposes.

Discuss expectations for reading and writing time. Students need to sit so that they can see and hear the teacher during instruction so they need to be aware of their space and that of the people around them. Establish expectations for how students communicate when they need to ask a question or respond to the lesson. Remind students of how books should be handled and stored during the school day. Point out where students are expected to sit and how they should behave during independent work time.

Instructional Considerations (Misconceptions/Common Errors, Additional Instructional Strategies) Vocabulary and word study must be included as part of each unit as well as conventions and correct letter formation.

Key Vocabulary and Concepts Fables are short narratives that use animal characters with human features help readers understand human nature and human behaviors. A moral is a lesson, usually regarding right or wrong, taught by a fable and usually revealed at the end of the story. Sometimes it’s delivered as a statement such as “be happy with what you have”.

Materials Needed A collection of fables from anthologies and Internet websites. Chart Reading response notebook Books and charts from previous modules

Suggested Resources http://www.aesops-fables.org.uk/ The dragon's tale and other animal fables of the Chinese zodiac / [retold and illustrated by] Demi. The fables of Aesop / retold by Frances Barnes-Murphy ; collected and illustrated by Rowan Barnes-Murphy. The exploding frog and other fables from Aesop / retold by John McFarland ; illustrated by James Marshall. Fables Aesop never wrote / but Robert Kraus did.

Technology Connections Use websites like http:// www.elook.org to add to your collection of fables. Use electronic books with action graphics to enhance the main idea of each story and for visual appeal. Use student blogs and wikis to share and respond to the texts read.

Teaching Lesson Introduction to the lesson Teaching Lesson A Lesson focus: What is a fable? (Repeat with similar books on subsequent days as needed– demonstration, independent practice, share)

Demonstration: Using a folktale previously read to the class, have students brainstorm the features of that genre. Read a selection from the collection of fables. After allowing students to give their initial reaction (things the story reminded them of, favorite parts, questions, etc.) discuss the differences between this text and the genre you talked about at the beginning of the lesson. Discuss with the students that fables are important because they are universal. They allow us to connect with cultures different from ours and they teach us lessons about traits that make us human.

Engagement: Using a comparison chart (title on the left column, features across the top) chart some of the things that make fables different/unique.

Independent Practice: Have students work in pairs and read from a set collection of fables. Assign them an open-ended reading response eliciting information like what they are learning about or how is this genre different from the other genres they have read. They may also use the comparison chart format to record some of the things that make fable unique as they did in the demonstration using the books they are reading independently.

Share. Gather students together and choose several to share their responses with the group.

Assessing the Lesson Formative Assessment and Summative Assessment Formative Assessment: Listen in on the type of talk to gather information about what students are learning about the genre.

Unit should be assessed based on student talk and written responses. Rubrics can be created to assess knowledge of the features of fables.

Extending the Learning Intervention In small groups have students talk about what they know about features of the genres, and strategies for reading. Some students may need help organizing their responses or distinguishing features of the texts. If necessary model your thinking, give additional examples or offer strategies for verbalizing and writing responses. Throughout the study students collect texts to add to the collection of fables.

Differentiation Choose fables that have been rewritten for language level or rewrite them for language level. Use Internet sites like www.thormay.net for simple succinct retellings. You may also partner students having difficulty with more proficient readers.

Enrichment Students can talk about other stories that they have read that have similar features and may be considered fables. Students may use the Internet to find websites that have descriptions about the authors or origins of the texts you have already read. Grade 3 Module 3-2 Lesson: Cause and effect relationships

Content Overview for Lesson Students will read and classify fables by characteristics. They will analyze the evolution of fables and note the connection of fables to real life. They will organize cause and effect relationships.

Instructional Considerations (Misconceptions/Common Errors, Additional Instructional Strategies) Students should have a writer’s notebook and/or reader’s response notebook. Vocabulary and word study must be included as part of each unit as well as conventions and correct letter formation. The teacher will need to collect a variety of fables and other folktales to use for teaching purposes. He/she should identify and record features in the texts that are characteristic of fables and return to charts that have feature of other folktales previously studied.

Suggested Resources The ant or the grasshopper? / by Toni & Slade Morrison ; pictures by Pascal Lemaître. Poppy or the snake? / Toni & Slade Morrison ; pictures by Pascal Lemaitre. Who's got game? : three fables / by Toni Morrison & Slade Morrison ; pictures by Pascal Lemaitre. Rabbit's gift : a fable from China / told by George Shannon ; illustrated by Laura Dronzek. Teaching Lesson Introduction to the lesson Teaching Lesson E Lesson focus: Cause and effect relationships

Demonstration: Discuss how knowledge of cause and effect relationships helps you understand what you’re reading. Choose a fable and highlight the cause and effect relationships throughout the story.

Engagement: Create a diagram that records cause and effect relationships.

Independent Practice: Student partners read fables and record their cause and effect relationships in their reader’s response notebooks.

Share: Gather students together and choose several to share their ideas. Give students a chance to jot down new connections they made from listening during the group share.

Assessing the Lesson Formative Assessment and Summative Assessment Formative Assessment. Listen in on the type of talk to gather information about what students are learning about the genre. Reader’s responses can be used as summative assessment.

Extending the Learning Differentiation Students may need additional support as they chose how to represent what they have learned. Provide demonstrations and explanations as needed.

Enrichment Compare cause and effect relationships between fables.

Intervention In small groups have students talk about what they know about features of the genres, and strategies for reading. Some students may need help organizing their ideas. If necessary model your thinking, give additional examples or offer strategies.

Intervention In small groups have students talk about what they know about features of the genres, and strategies for reading. Some students may need help organizing their ideas. If necessary model your thinking, give additional examples or offer strategies. Grade 3 Module 3-2 Lesson: What is the moral of the story?

Content Overview for Lesson Students will read and classify fables by characteristics. They will analyze the evolution of fables and note the connection of fables to real life. They will organize cause and effect relationships and infer the moral of fables.

Instructional Considerations (Misconceptions/Common Errors, Additional Instructional Strategies)Students should have a writer’s notebook and/or reader’s response notebook. Vocabulary and word study must be included as part of each unit as well as conventions and correct letter formation.

The teacher will need to collect a variety of fables and other folktales to use for teaching purposes. He/she should identify and record features in the texts that are characteristic of fables and return to charts that have feature of other folktales previously studied.

Suggested Resources Squids will be squids: fresh morals, beastly fables / by Jon Scieszka & Lane Smith ; designed by Molly Leach. Two mice in three fables / Lynn Reiser. Chanticleer and the fox. Adapted and illustrated by Barbara Cooney. New tales from Aesop (for reading aloud) / [retold by] Paul Roche ; illustrations by Pandora Smith. Teaching Lesson Introduction to the lesson Teaching Lesson E Lesson focus: What is the moral of the story?

Demonstration: Review the purposes of fables and the significance of the moral of the story. Choose a fable and highlight the moral.

Engagement: Read several fables stopping before you share the moral. Have students predict what the moral may be.

Independent Practice: Student partners read fables and predict the moral before reading the author’s intended moral or lesson.

Share: Gather students together and choose several to share their ideas. Give students a chance to jot down new connections they made from listening during the group share.

Assessing the Lesson Formative Assessment and Summative Assessment Formative Assessment: Listen in on the type of talk to gather information about what students are learning about the moral. Students can write the morals to selected stories as summative assessments.

Extending the Learning Differentiation Students may need additional support as they predict the moral. Instead of asking them to decide what the moral is, give several choice and have them match the correct moral to the fable.

Enrichment Create fables based on a lesson you’ve learned from your own life.

Intervention In small groups have students talk about what they know about features of the genres, and strategies for reading. Some students may need help organizing their ideas. If necessary model your thinking, give additional examples or offer strategies