The Journey of Alysis

Grade Level: Sixth

Learning Objective:Retell a short story’s plot using details from the story then write your own myth

Duration: One 45-minute class period and a couple of weeks to work on the short story, but the amount of class time to be spent on the short story will be up to the teacher

Necessary Materials:Enough copies of the short story The Journey of Alysis for your class, slips of paper with things about the main plot on each of them, slips of paper with plot elements, worksheets with questions that relate to retelling the plot of the story

Activation and Motivation

To start the lesson, give each group in your class a set of the slips of paper with the plot of The Journey of Alysis on each of them and ask them to put them in the order they happened in the story. After each group works together to remember what happened in the story and put the plot in chronological order, discuss the correct order with the students. Ask for volunteers to come up and put the correct order on the board – have one person from each group come up to the board and put them in order so each group is still involved. Have a teacher copy for yourself so you can be sure that you remember the plot correctly and can discuss that with the students if they have any questions or disputes with the order.

Teacher Modeling

Iwill explain that with this plot order, we are refreshing our memories about the elements of a plot and will review the names of those things. Include the introduction, problem, action rising, climax, action falling, and resolution in the recap about what the plot of a story is made of. While discussing these elements, have students in the class take little slips of a different colored paper and put them next to the slip they belong to on the board. Discuss any problems the students have, if any, when putting up the plot elements. After having a discussion about the plot, make sure to record what you have written on the board or move it over to a more permanent board that you can cover while they do their worksheets.

Think Check

After having this discussion, it is necessary to check for understanding. Ask the students how to retell a short story using plot elements. Students should answer that they can retell a short story by identifying its plot elements – if that is the only answer they give, ask them what the plot elements are. They should say the plot elements are introduction, rising action, problem, climax, falling action, and resolution. Something that would be good to do to make sure they have an understanding of these elements and a way that you can check the understanding of all students is to have them write a very short story using each element of plot.

Guided Practice

We, as in your groups, will work together on a worksheet to recall the plot of this story. In your groups, you will recall details from the story about the plot elements and write them down into the worksheet you are given.

Independent Practice

You will write a short 500-word story about a myth. It should include all or most mythological elements including, gods/goddesses/heroes, an appropriate setting, appropriate characters, magic, and consequences from a higher power.

Reflective Practice

Have them write how they felt about doing the short story project and what they learned from the process. Since many students do not like to talk aloud about their own work at this age, this writing option will give them an outlet where they feel free to talk about anything they liked or disliked about this project. This is an important part of the checking for understanding aspect of learning so a teacher will know that the students have learned from the assignments and if not, they can continue to work on myths.