1 / Grade, Subject(s) / Integrated Learning Experience Title / Unit
First Grade
Social Studies / Abiyoyo
(adapted from Susan Griss) / Tall Tales/Folktales
Lesson Goals
MA/CC Standards (ELA and subject)
LITERATURE:
· 1.RL.1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text
· 1.RL.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
· 1.RL.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
· 1.RL.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
LANGUAGE (VOCABULARY):
· 1.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 1 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.
· 1.L.5 With guidance and support from adults, demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings
SPEAKING AND LISTENING:
· 1.SL.4. Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly
· 1.SL.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
SOCIAL STUDIES (MA):
· 1.7 After reading or listening to folktales, legends, and stories from America (e.g., Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyan, Davy Crockett, John Henry, and Annie Oakley) and from around the world (e.g., Anansi, Issun Boshi, the Knee-High Man, Lon Po Po, and Medio Pollito), describe the main characters and their qualities. (H)
MA Arts Standards
DANCE:
· 1.4 Demonstrate the ability to define and maintain personal space
· 1.5 Recognize and explore space, time, and force as three elements of movement and dance For example, students explore changing shapes; moving at different levels, speeds, and directions; and changing dynamics such as strong/light, sudden/sustained, ordirect/indirect.
· 1.6 Demonstrate partner skills of copying, leading, following, and mirror imaging
· 3.1 Observe, explore, and discuss how movements can show feelings, images, thoughts, colors, sounds, and textures
THEATRE:
· 1.1 Read, listen to, and tell stories from a variety of cultures, genres, and styles
· 1.2 Imagine and clearly describe characters, their relationships, setting, conflict, and plot from a variety of appropriate literature
· 1.3 Pretend to be someone else, creating a character based on stories or through improvisation, using properties (props), costumes, and imagery
Students will know… (content)
Exaggeration is an element of Tall Tales/Folktales
Students will be able to…(skills)
· Define and demonstrate with movement the following vocabulary words: ukulele, precious possession, and ostracized
· Define and demonstrate with movement the following emotions: annoyed, afraid, sad, surprised, and joyful
· Act out sections of the story; demonstrating emotions, tone, and body posture to match the text
· Recall a main character from Abiyoyo and draw and write about the character’s emotions and the source of those emotions, as described in a scene from the story
2 / Assessments (note: include differentiation as needed) / Rubrics / Exemplars / Expectations
Informal observations
Students will draw and write about one character from Abiyoyo, including that character’s emotions and the source of those emotions, as described in a scene from the story. / See attached assessment rubric
3 / Lesson Plan
Activities (Things to include: hook, student-centered activities, 21st Century skills, writing component, good work habits)
The following sections can all be completed in one day or spread across multiple days. Suggestion:
Day 1: Introduce vocabulary from story
Day 2: Emotions vocabulary statues
Day 3: Character introduction, improvisational reading of Abiyoyo, and assessment / Expectations (procedures, timing) / Needs
(people, space, materials)
Introduce vocabulary from story:
1. Introduce the story Abiyoyo by displaying the cover of the book and explaining that we will be reading and acting out the story today.
2. Point out the 3 vocabulary words (written on board): ukulele, precious possession, and ostracized.
Ukulele (show an image or actual instrument): a small four-stringed guitar. Have students pretend to play a ukulele.
Precious possession: something you own that holds great value to you (give personal example). Have students close their eyes and think of their most prized possession. Call on 3-4 students to share (example: doll, cat, necklace).
Ostracized: to exclude someone, or not let them in, to a group or activity. Call 4 students to the front and have them present a tableau (frozen group statue) to demonstrate “ostracized” (example: 3 students stand in a group, while the 4th student sadly stands excluded and away). / 10 minutes / Abiyoyo
Ukulele (image of or actual instrument)
Emotions vocabulary statues:
1. Tell students that each of them has an invisible bubble around their bodies (at the edge of their fingertips when arms are extended in all directions). They must stay in their own bubbles during today’s activities.
2. Have each student choose one space to stand on (dot or “x”) (see “Needs” column).
3. Explain that during the activity, students will be moving from dot to dot and need to do so without disturbing someone else’s bubble. Explain that they will have 10 seconds to calmly move to a new dot and that music will play during these transitions.
4. Practice moving from dot to dot.
5. Tell students that we will be practicing some of the emotions that the characters in Abiyoyo experience. Explain that you will tell the students an emotion and they will need to act out that emotion while moving to another dot.
6. Say “afraid” and have students demonstrate that emotion with their faces/bodies. Play music or an instrument for a designated amount of time (the count of 10). During this time, the students should carefully move to another dot or “x” without disturbing someone else’s “bubble.” When the count is up, say another emotion word from the list: annoyed, sad, surprised, joyful (feel free to add own words). After each word, students again practice moving to another dot or “x”. Repeat until all emotion words have been acted out. / 10 minutes / Markings on the floor as place holders (one for each student): ideas – circle dot stickers for tile floors or make “x” with painter’s tape on carpeted floors. Space these out so that each student has their own “bubble space”
CD player or instrument
Character introduction:
1. Introduce the three main characters in Abiyoyo by having students practice each character’s main movement. They will use these movements when acting out the story later. Have students stay on their last dot or “x” (from Emotions Vocabulary Statutes) for this whole section.
Little boy: have students practice “playing the ukulele”. Have them play it as fast as they can.
Father: have students pretend to have a magic wand. Have them repeat, “Zoop! Zoop! And things just disappeared!” Swing the wand as you say it (suggestion: “Zoop!” right hand goes to the right, “Zoop!” right hand goes to the left, “And things just disappeared!” right hand goes right, left, right).
Abiyoyo: have students pretend to be a giant (extend arms overhead, pick legs up high, etc). Practice dancing in place.
2. Teacher calls out “little boy”, “father”, or “Abiyoyo” in random order and students practice movements. / 10 minutes / Magic Wand for teacher model
Improvisational reading of Abiyoyo:
Read the story (with students standing on a dot or “x”), with students acting out the events in the story, repeating dialogue (use an open hand signal when you want them to repeat dialogue), and singing the song.
Page 1: students pretend to play ukulele and repeat dialogue (in quotes)
Page 2: students use motion and words for “Father” in the Character Introduction above
Pages 3-4: students pretend to drink from a glass; students use motion and words for “Father”
Page 6: students pretend to saw a log; students use motion and words for “Father”
Page 8: students pretend to sit in a chair; students use motion and words for “Father”
Page 9: students repeat dialogue (in quotes)
Page 10: students each do a tableau for the word “ostracized” (see above)
Page 14: students stomp to make “the whole ground shake”
Page 15: students repeat dialogue (in quotes)
Page 18: students pretend to be Abiyoyo, picking up “sheep” and “cow” and gobbling them up. Students pretend to hold most precious possessions in their hands and run in place
Page 19: students yawn and scratch their heads
Page 22: students repeat dialogue (in quotes) and run in place
Page 23: students repeat dialogue (in quotes)
Page 25: students pretend to play ukulele and sing song with or after teacher
Page 27: students pretend to be Abiyoyo and flash a “foolish grin”. They dance and sing song with or after teacher
Page 29: students pretend to play ukulele faster and sing song faster
Page 34: students pretend to be Abiyoyo, staggering and falling to the ground
Page 35: students use motion and words for “Father”
Page 38: students repeat dialogue (in quotes)
Page 39: students repeat dialogue (in quotes) and sing song
Assessment:
Remind students of the emotions we acted out in our “bubbles” and how the characters in Abiyoyo felt these emotions in the story. Tell students to close their eyes and visualize their favorite part in Abiyoyo. As a pre-writing think time, ask them (to answer silently to themselves): what character do you see? How does his face look? What emotion is he feeling? Why is he feeling that way?
Give students paper (blank or with a drawing and writing space) to:
· Draw a scene, including one of the three main characters
· Write the name of the character
· Write the emotion the character is feeling in this scene
· Tell why the character is feeling this emotion / 30 minutes / Abiyoyo (suggestion: notes on the left onto post-its and placed on corresponding page in text)
Markings on the floor as place holders (one for each student): ideas – circle dot stickers for tile floors or make “x” with painter’s tape on carpeted floors. Space these out so that each student has their own “bubble space”
Paper: blank or with designated drawing and writing spaces/lines; see sheet attached for use if desired
4 / Presentation/Closing Activity/Project / Rubrics / Exemplars / Expectations
Move into a large circle. Tell students that many events in Abiyoyo were exaggerated (this is when something is made to seem larger, bigger, better, or worse than it really is). Tell students to think of one event or element of Abiyoyo that was exaggerated. Call students, one at a time, to come into the middle of the circle and demonstrate the exaggeration (with a frozen tableau statue or some type of movement). Call on others (or allow student in the middle to call on peers) to guess what was being demonstrated. Example: acting out picking up a sheep and eating it, making the drinking glass disappear, etc…
If time and materials permit, the follow can also be used to end the lesson or as an activity for another day:
Shadow Screen fun:
Using a shadow screen (large white sheet, preferably with poles on either side for helpers to hold) and overhead projector as light source, allow students to go behind the shadow screen (2-3 at a time) to explore the idea of exaggeration. By moving closer to and further from the light source, students’ size will change. Play African folk music in the background, if desired. / Use a class list to track those able/unable to demonstrate an exaggeration
Teachers can model how to create size changes and how to interact with partners behind the shadow screen to re-create scenes from Abiyoyo or other multi-person interactions.
Assessment Rubric
1 / 2 / 3Draw a scene from Abiyoyo / This is not a scene from Abiyoyo / It is unclear whether this is a scene from Abiyoyo / This illustrates a scene from Abiyoyo
Include one of the three main characters / This is not a character from Abiyoyo / This is not a main character from Abiyoyo / This is one of the three main characters from Abiyoyo: father, little boy, or Abiyoyo
Write the name of
the character / Nothing written / Name written does not match character in illustration / Name written matches character in illustration
Write the emotion
the character is
feeling in this scene / Nothing written / Emotion written does not match illustration and/or how character was feeling in this scene according to the story / Emotion written matches the illustration and how the character was feeling in this scene according to the story
Write why the character
is feeling this emotion / Nothing written / Writing makes sense, but does not explain why character is feeling this way, as described in the story / Writing recalls details from the story to explain why the character is feeling this emotion in this scene
Name: ______Abiyoyo assessment
Draw a scene from the story Abiyoyo
Who is the character in your drawing? ______
What emotion is this character feeling? ______
Why is this character feeling this emotion?
______
______
______
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