Introduction activities
Intro Activity #1
Activity: Whole Class Folktale, Legend, Oral Narrative etc.
Instructional Grouping(s): Individual, whole class, partner and group work
Materials:
Pencils, pens, colored pens
Highlighters
Stickies/Post It notes
Two-Column or T-Style journal
Copies of the folktale, legend, oral story, etc.
Clip boards and wipe boards
Name of the Lesson: Name that moral!
- Students, on their own, do a close reading of the folktale, legend
- Next a whole class reading is done. Then students individually and make annotations or document their questions and “noticings.”
- Students do a paired/partnered reading of the folktale, legend, etc. and provide analysis
- Have students discuss and analyze its meanings or morals as well as share what they noticed. These notes should be written on their photocopies of the folktale, legend, oral narrative etc. (Clip boards or a similar item will provide easy organization as student will do close readings of the oral pieces and will also need an item with firm backing while writing.)
- Students can report out their findings, “noticings,” using mini-erase boards
Note: (Whole class activity, led by the teacher or students may be broken up into small groups, and students will be responsible for helping to guide their own lesson.)
Intro Activity #2
Activity: Legends, Myths and Heroes
Instructional Grouping(s): Whole Class, partner and group work
Materials:
Pencils, pens, colored pens
Highlighters
Stickies/Post It notes
Two-Column or T-Style journal
Excerpts of the entire novel Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief
*Movie format of the text is suggested
Clip boards
Name of the Lesson: Mythological Archaeology…Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
- Students work in archaeological dig/observation teams to find common:
- Symbols
- Morals
- Messages
- Note the use of magic or mythical creatures or beings
- Suggestions about how to live in that society
- Student notes will be listed on a teacher created worksheet
- Students will create a quick poster or chart that lists or shows the interrelationships between symbols, messages, magic, morals etc.
- Gallery walk of students’ findings
- Have students create “post-sign” notes (denoting agreement, questions or “aha moments”) written on stickies and placed on posters as they complete the gallery walk
Intro Activity #3
Activity: Matching the Myth / Finding the folktale
Instructional Grouping(s): Whole Class, partner and group work
Materials:
Teacher created cards/index cards with:
- the names of folktales, fairytales, myths, tall tales
- the other portion of cards contains descriptors, characters, morals, plots from folktales, myths, tall tales, etc.
- As students enter the room, pass out the cards and have students find their match without talking
- At the end of the activity students will stand with their “match” and report out the name of the folktale and the descriptor
- Special Note: The instructor should purposely include several versions of familiar or popular folktales in the set of cards.
