Understanding By Design Unit Template
(Revised & adapted)
Title of Unit / Analyzing Mythology / Grade Level / 5Subject / Reading / Time Frame / 4-6 weeks
Developed By / Flora Zhong, Stephanie Bass, Danielle Zoldak
Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results
Narrative about this Unit of Study: (including the Big Idea)
What's more compelling--reading about a river that is deep and fast, and dangerous; or about one that's "deeper than darkness and with a current that's faster and deadlier than a starving tiger"? The answer's clear. Figurative language draws you into the story. This four-six week unit has been created to provide an opportunity for students to explore the themes of different myths and the language used within them. Students will start by identifying the text structures and features of myths and begin thinking about why myths were created. Myths are ancient stories that have been handed down from older generations in a certain culture. By studying myths, a person can learn how a culture thought, lived, and expressed themselves. As we read myths from ancient cultures, it also causes us to think of our own culture. What stories are we leaving behind for generations to come? What do we value? What mark are we leaving on an ever-changing world? Students will be expected to read and analyze myths, interpret figurative language, determine the theme and even begin to start to analyze the author’s craft. Why does the writer use figurative language in the text? Teachers will model using close reading strategies in order to meet the standards and the students will be provided with opportunities to deconstruct and analyze myths.
BIG IDEA: By studying myths, a person can learn how a culture thought, explained their world, lived, and expressed themselves.
Learning Outcomes – Identified Primary Standards
What relevant goals will this unit address?
R.5.2 à Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
R.5.4 à Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.
Understandings
What understandings about the big ideas implied in the PLOs are desired? / Essential Questions
What provocative questions will foster inquiry into the content?
Students will understand that...
· Being familiar with the features, conventions and writing approaches typical of myths can make it easier for you to understand them
· Myths often provide clues that help to build a picture of the beliefs, lifestyles and ideology of the people who first told them.
· Readers will have to synthesize details throughout the text in order to determine the theme of a myth
· Authors use figurative language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters. / 1. How do we identify a myth? Why do we read myths?
2. What do myths reveal about the culture in which it’s found?
3. Why and how is figurative language used in myths?
4. How does a reader identify the theme of a myth?
Knowledge:
What knowledge will student acquire as a result of this unit? / Skills
What skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?
Students will know...
· A myth is a traditional story about heroes or supernatural beings, often attempting to explain the origins of natural phenomena or aspects of human behavior
· Myths often have common themes that can teach a lesson, explain natural events, describe a hero, explain the beginnings of a culture, or express the values of a culture. (good vs. evil, wise and foolish, quest, etc.)
· Sometimes sacred in nature, a myth can involve gods or other creatures. And, a myth represents reality in dramatic ways.
· Theme represents a view or comment on life
Figurative Language:
· A simile is a figure of speech that draws a comparison between two different things, especially a phrase containing the word "like" or "as," e.g. "as white as a sheet"
· A metaphor is implicit comparison: the use to describe somebody or something of a word or phrase that is not meant literally but by means of a vivid comparison expresses something about him, her, or it, e.g. saying that somebody is a snake
· An idiom (Latin: idioma, "special property", f. Greek: ἰδίωμα – idiōma, "special feature, special phrasing", f. Greek: ἴδιος – idios, "one’s own") is a combination of words that has a figurative meaning, due to its common usage. An idiom's figurative meaning is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made.[ / Students will be able to…
· Use the text features to make predictions to help comprehend the text
· Apply a variety of reading strategies (Visualization, Summarizing, Think-aloud, Making Predictions, Text Features & Structures, Questioning)
· Infer and draw conclusions about what the writer is trying to express (determining the theme)
· Interpret the meaning of figurative language used in the text
· Re-read for a for a number of different purposes (close reading)
· Recognize the writer’s purpose in using figurative language and how it adds meaning to the text
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task
Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate the desired understandings, knowledge, and skills?
Brief Written Description of the Performance Task
1.) What is a theme of the myth “Why the Evergreen Trees Never Lose Their Leaves”? Use two details from the myth to support your answer. Write your answer in complete sentences.
2.) Highlight two examples of figurative language that the author used in the text. Use post its to annotate: What do these words and phrases mean? What type of figurative language is this? Why does the author use it?
Rubric for Assessment:
*(Please see separate document on server.)
Other Evidence
Through what other evidence – student work samples, observations, quizzes, tests, self-assessment or other means – will students demonstrate achievement of the desired results?
Graphic organizers (Analysis of characters, text structures and features, theme diagram, etc.), conferences, observations, short scripts, students’ annotations, student post its, running records, Dramatic monologues (Laura Robb), etc.
Objective(s)
Related to knowledge, skills or both? / Listed Aim or Learning Intention of Each Lesson. / Assessment / Resources
Immersion
Review features of Myths/ Setting a purpose for reading Myths / · immerse students in various myths
· Teacher will chart student observations from the different myths / · Students will read myths on their level, and highlight features unique to myths
· Students will read a script to role play characters from common myths to develop fluency
· Introduce domain specific vocabulary
· Introduce the concept of tier two words
· Have students identify the words they are unsure of and build word banks to extend their vocabulary and increase their understanding / http://myths.e2bn.org/mythsandlegends/
*See resources folder on server for plays
Notice and understand figurative and descriptive language and the role it plays in enhancing the text (providing specific examples). / · Identify figurative language used in each of the different myths and visualize to aid comprehension
· Readers need to figure out what the author is trying to say in order to interpret how different kinds of figurative language work. (Difference between similes, metaphors, idioms, personification, symbolism, etc.)
· Begin to analyze craft:
-Why does the author use a simile here?
-Why do they use a metaphor?
-How does this add to the understanding of the reader? What would happen if this device was not used?
· Myths may use figurative language (similes, metaphors, idioms, etc.) to help readers visualize experiences, events, setting, and/or characters. / Annotation:
· Students will read myths on their level, and highlight figurative language that is used in each myths.
· Students will revisit the myths that they highlighted to interpret the meaning of the figurative language. (close reading)
· Students complete a range of double entry journals (quote from text with “my thoughts”)
· Teachers compare two texts with and without this imagery. What does figurative language do to enhance the text?
· Students will revisit the myths that they highlighted to analyze the meaning of the figurative language. / Greek Myths Retold by Geraldine McCaughrean Illustrated by Emma Chchester Clark
Favorite Greek Myths Retold By Mary Pope Osborne
http://udleditions.cast.org/craft_intro.html (author’s craft)
Analyze plot(causes)
Readers pay attention to characters’ actions and look for underlying causes. / · The characters in myths are often faced with supernatural problems or explanation a typical person could never solve.
· Students will infer motivation and changes through examining how the author describes them, what they do, what they say and think and what other characters say about them. / · Students will revisit plays read earlier in the unit and will work in small groups to analyze the characters and create their own script or dramatic monologue.
· Students take notes about very specific details about the character in a graphic organizer including “what the character says and does, what others think about the character, how the character looks and feels, how I feel about the character”
· Students create a “Plot diagram” to keep track of the important events and changes in the story. (Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution) / -Laura Robb: Dramatic Monologues pg. 131-134 Readers Theater Script pg.166
-Reader’s Handbook: A Student Guide for Reading and Learning: Using a character map (graphic organizer) pg.244-245
- Reader’s Handbook: A Student Guide for Reading and Learning: Plot Diagram pg. 263
Myths reward characters with good traits and punish those with bad ones in order to teach lessons. / · What are the qualities of the gods/goddesses, heroes/villains, etc. in myths and what happened as a result of their characteristic?
· How does knowing these qualities help me as a reader?
· Derive the author’s purpose for including these characters (gods/goddesses, heroes/villains, etc) in the myths / · Students complete graphic organizer on character traits and what is a result of the trait in several books. Students analyze findings and make generalizations: In myths what usually happens with characters that have traits similar to this one? Why do you think the author includes characters like these in myths? For what purpose? / - Reader’s Handbook: A Student Guide for Reading and Learning
Determine a theme of a myth / How to find a Theme:
· What is the topic or big idea of the myth?
· What do the characters say or do that relates to each topic?
· What do these things tell you about how a culture thought, lived, and expressed themselves? / · Students complete Theme Diagram / - Reader’s Handbook: A Student Guide for Reading and Learning: pg. 267-274
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/sites/default/files/images/blogs/81/6a00e54faaf86b88330147e2a042f3970b-320wi
Compare/contrast different themes in myths / · Compare/contrast themes of myths. What are some reoccurring themes in myths?
· What is the same and different about what the author is saying about these themes?
· Teachers explains the difference between significant vs. surface, literal or superficial similarities and differences
· What are the similarities and differences about how the authors convey the themes throughout the myths? / · Students create a Venn Diagram with a larger area (independently, cooperative learning groups, or partners) / http://content.scholastic.com/te-static/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/0/5/0545207150_e030.jpg
Determine the author’s purpose in creating myths / · Model how to determine the author’s purpose in creating this particular myth. Why was the myth created? What are the elements? Etc. / Students will re-visit the myths that they have already read to determine the author’s purpose in creating them.
Universal Design for Learning
REPRESENTATION
The ‘what’ of teaching & learning.. / ACTION & EXPRESSION
The ‘how’ of teaching & learning… / ENGAGEMENT
The ‘why’ of teaching and learning…
Text Structures and Features Graphic Organizer / Allow students to create podcasts (record) instead of jot notes to annotate / Offer choice of myths to read
Discovery Education Video Clip: Telling Tales: Narcissus and Understanding Genre / Provide sentence starters for discussion (Talk Moves) / Self-monitoring checklists for students to self-assess
Provide Translation for Text Features/or images / Allow different ways to respond to myths: speech, drawing, illustration, comics, storyboards, design, film, music, visual art, sculpture, or video / Paired with peers for role-play activities
Embed new ideas in familiar ideas and contexts (e.g., use of analogy, metaphor, drama, music, film, etc.)
From: Wiggins, Grant and J. McTighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (pbk)