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Hercules' 11Th Labor Pandora's Box Demeter and Persephone

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Hercules' 11Th Labor Pandora's Box Demeter and Persephone TEACHER ’S GUIDE : THREE MY T HS ™ Reading Objectives • Comprehension: Make judgments; Hercules’ 11th Labor Identify sequence of events; • Tier Two Vocabulary: See book’s Glossary • Word study: Prefixes (im-, in-) • Analyze the genre Pandora’s Box • Respond to and interpret texts • Make text-to-text connections • Fluency: Read with characterization and feelings Demeter and Persephone Writing Objectives Level T/44 • Writer’s tools: Word choice • Write a myth using writing-process steps Related Resources • Comprehension Question Card • Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart • Using Genre Models to Teach Writing • Odysseus and the Cyclops, Circe Enchants Odysseus, The Call of the Sirens (Level S/44) Unit-at-a-Glance Day 1 Prepare to Read Day 2 Read “Hercules’ 11th Labor”* Day 3 Read “Pandora’s Box”* Day 4 Read “Demeter and Persephone”* While you are meeting with small groups, Day 5 Literature Circle Discussion/Reinforce Skills* other students can: • read independently from your classroom library • reflect on their learning in reading response Days 6–15 Write a myth using the process writing steps journals on page 10. • engage in literacy workstations ® B ENCHMARK EDUCATION COMPANY Day 1 Prepare to Read • Ask students to turn to pages 5–7. Say: The myths in this book involve Hercules, Pandora, Demeter, Build Genre Background and Persephone. Let’s read about what these mythic • Write the word genre on chart paper. Ask: Who figures meant to the ancient Greeks. can explain what the word genre means? (Allow • Have a student read the background information responses.) The word genre means “a kind of aloud while others follow along. something.” Would you rather watch a musical or • Say: Although they have human qualities, these gods a tragedy? Musicals and tragedies are genres, or and goddesses are larger than life, able to perform kinds, of stage dramas. All musicals share certain superhuman feats. What can you infer, or tell, from characteristics. All tragedies have some features in this? Allow responses. Prompt students to understand common, too. As readers and writers, we focus on that the gods and goddesses of mythology gave genres of literature. As readers, we pay attention to ancient cultures a way to explain and accept events the genre to help us comprehend. Recognizing the that were beyond their control. genre helps us anticipate what will happen or what Introduce the Tools for Readers and Writers: we will learn. As writers, we use our knowledge of Word Choice genre to help us develop and organize our ideas. • Ask: Who can name some literary genres? Let’s make • Read aloud “Word Choice” on page 4. a list. Allow responses. Post the list on the classroom • Say: Writers try to choose their words with great wall as an anchor chart. care. “Just right” words help writers communicate • Draw a concept web on chart paper or the board. their thoughts and feelings clearly. Myths are filled Write Myth in the center circle of the web. with vivid, precise language. Let’s practice identifying • Say: A myth is one example of a literary genre. Think effective word choice so we can recognize it in the of any myths you know. How would you define what myths we read. a myth is? • Distribute BLM 1 (Word Choice). Read aloud • Turn and Talk. Ask students to turn and talk to a sentence 1 with students twice, using a different classmate and jot down any features of a myth they parenthetical word each time. can think of. Then bring students together and ask • Model Identifying Word Choice: I can use either them to share their ideas. Record them on the group of the adjectives in parentheses to complete this web. Reinforce the concept that all myths have sentence, but which is the better word choice? certain common features. Bad-looking is negative in a general way; it does not create a specific picture in my mind. Spindly Introduce the Book suggests that the plants are tall and thin—they are • Distribute the book to each student. Read the title not full and bushy. The word spindly, along with aloud. Ask students to tell what they see on the the drooping and dust, creates a specific image of cover and table of contents. unhealthy, uncared-for plants. Spindly is the better • Ask students to turn to pages 2–3. Say: This week we word choice. are going to read myths that will help us learn about • Ask students to work with partners or in small groups this genre. First we’re going to focus on this genre to choose the words in parentheses that create as readers. Then we’re going to study myths from a more exact or detailed pictures and complete the writer’s perspective. Our goal this week is to really unfinished sentence using precise words. understand this genre. • Bring the groups together to share their findings. • Ask a student to read aloud the text on pages 2–3 • Ask each group to read one or more sentences while others follow along. Invite a different student they completed. Use the examples to build their to read the web on page 3. understanding of how and why writers choose • Point to your myths web on chart paper. Say: Let’s particular words. Remind students that an author’s compare our initial ideas about myths with what we word choices can help the reader understand and just read. What new features of this genre did you make inferences about the characters and plot of a learn? Add new information to the class web. myth and the natural event it explains. • Post this chart in your classroom during your Myths • Ask groups to hand in their sentences. Transfer unit. Say: As we read myths this week, we will come student-written sentences to chart paper, title the back to this anchor chart. We will look for how these page “Word Choice,” and post it as an anchor chart features appear in each myth we read. in your classroom. ©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. ISBN: 978-1-4509-2963-9 2 THREE MYTHS FROM ANCIENT GREECE Day 2 Days 6–15 Before Reading Word Choice Directions: Read each sentence. Underline the word or phrase in (parentheses) that Introduce “Hercules’ 11th Labor: creates the more exact, vivid image or idea. Then write what the word The Golden Apples” choice helped you see or understand. • Reread the myths anchor chart or the web on page 1. A few (bad-looking, spindly) plants drooped in the dust. 3 to review the features of a myth. Possible________________________________________________________________ answer: The plants looked skinny and weak. No one had been • Ask students to turn to page 8. Ask: Based on the caring________________________________________________________________ for them. title and photographs of statues, what do you 2. On his birthday, the boy’s face (radiated joy, was happy). predict this myth might be about? Allow responses. Possible________________________________________________________________ answer: The boy was delighted. His face shone like the sun. • Invite students to scan the text and look for 3. A worried mother (walked, paced) in the hallway. the boldfaced words (immortal, impossible, Possible________________________________________________________________ answer: The mother walked nervously back and forth. She immobilize, interminable). Say: As you was________________________________________________________________ so upset that she couldn’t sit still. read, pay attention to these words. If you don’t 4. The grizzly bear (stood up, reared suddenly) on its hind legs and roared. know what they mean, try to use clues in the Possible________________________________________________________________ answer: The bear’s surprise move was frightening. It was surrounding text to help you define them. We’ll probably________________________________________________________________ hungry or angry. come back to these words after we read. 5. The Wolf said in a sly, (wheedling, false) voice, “I’ll be glad to help you.” Set a Purpose for Reading Possible________________________________________________________________ answer: The Wolf’s voice was whiny and sickly sweet. He was • Ask students to read the myth, focusing on the probably________________________________________________________________ trying to trick someone. genre elements they noted on the anchor chart. They Directions: Complete the sentence with carefully chosen words. should also look for examples of well-chosen words 6. I returned to my seat with the ribbon, smiling ____________________Possible answers: ecstatically;________________________________________________________________ with satisfaction. and think about how the author’s attention to words helps them understand the characters and actions. Reflect and Review Read “Hercules’ 11th Labor: • Turn and Talk. Write one or more of the following The Golden Apples” questions on chart paper. • Place students in groups based on their reading What is a literary genre, and how can understanding levels. Ask students to read the myth silently, genres help readers and writers? whisper-read, or read with partners. What did you learn today about the myth genre? • Confer briefly with individual students to monitor How can a writer use word choice to communicate their understanding of the text and their use of his or her ideas to readers? fix-up strategies. Ask partners or small groups to discuss their ideas and report them back to the whole group as a way to summarize the day’s learning. Management Tip Ask students to place self-stick notes in the margins where they notice examples of Management Tips effective word choice or features of the genre. • Throughout the week, you may wish to use some of the reflect and review questions as prompts for reader response journal entries in After Reading addition to turn and talk activities.
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