LEARNING EXPERIENCE TITLE: Interpreting Fables
Grades: 4-6
By: Bonnie Grogan and Maureen Frye
LEARNING CONTEXT: ELA standard #1
The students will use strategies for organizing and categorizing information. The students will use personal experiences to explain or clarify information
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE:
PROCEDURE:
What the teacher will do:
-Introduce lesson by identifying three main characteristics of a fable ie. ( short story; animal characters; has a moral).
-Read a fable to the students and discuss the moral.
-Model a real-life experience to a moral of a fable.
What the students will do:
-Conduct an internet search for fables
-Choose a fable to read
-Identify /relate the moral to a life experience
-Record moral/experiences on graphic organizer
MODIFICATIONS:
-Read/reword fables for students.
-Provide a list of morals to match with fables.
-Teacher scribes student information for student to complete graphic organizer
.
MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES:
-Computer with internet capability
-Graphic organizer
-fables found within books and the internet
ASSESSMENT TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES:
-Teacher observation
-Group discussions
-Graphic Organizer
-Teacher rubric
- Student rubric (chart form)
TIME REQUIRED:
-One week for planning
-Two 50 minute periods for implementation
-Time necessary for grading with a rubric
REFLECTION: Students were able to identify the moral of the fable. It was much more difficult for them to relate the moral from the given fable to a real-life experience or situation. The language experience might better meet the needs of all learners if teachers were to provide more examples of real life experiences that relate to a moral.
Support for attaining the learning standard needs to be ongoing. Continuing practice should be given in completing graphic organizers as a means of categorizing information. In terms of students using personal experiences to explain information, it may be helpful to initially provide real-life stories to which morals can be related due to their limited experiences.
This learning experience may be expanded to include Standard #2 (Language for Literary Response and Expression). Students could write their own modern-day fables based on a traditional fable and moral.
Submitted by: Bonnie Grogan and Maureen Frye
Remsen Elementary School
Name __________________ Matching Fables and Morals
Match the following fables with their correct moral. Place the number of each fable before the matching moral.
1. The Lion and the Mouse
___Do not tell others how to act unless you can set a good example.
2. Hercules and the Wagoner
___ A kindness is never wasted.
3. Belling the Cat
___ Too much of any thing often leaves one with a feeling of regret.
The Hippopotamus at Dinner
___ It is one thing to say something should be done, but quite a different
matter to do it.
| Elements
Scale |
Identifies 3 characteristics of a fable |
Graphic organizer for fable |
Graphic organizer for personal experience |
Matches moral to correct fable |
| Weights |
||||
| 4 |
Names all 3 characteristics
|
Completes with accurate details; clear connection to moral |
Appropriate details from personal experience; strong connection to moral |
5/5 |
| 3 |
Identifies 2 characteristics |
Accurate details; less elaboration |
Appropriate details; less strong of a connection to the moral |
4/5 |
| 2 |
Identifies 1 characteristic |
Provides some detail; weak connection to moral |
Less detailed; weak connection to moral |
3/5 |
| 1 |
Inaccurate or identifies minimal characteristics |
Unfocused; minimal connection to moral |
Gives details with minimal connection to moral |
2 or less |
Teacher Rubric
Student Rubric
Interpreting Fables
| Yes No |
|
| I can name the 3 characteristics of a fable. |
_________ |
| I can name the characters in my fable. |
_________ |
| I can name the problem in my fable |
_________ |
| I can name the solution in my fable |
_________ |
| I can name the moral in my fable |
_________ |
| I can tell a real-life story that has the same moral. |
_________ |
TITLE III LOG FOR BONNIE GROGAN & MAUREEN FRYE
| Date |
Meeting Notes |
| 12/98 |
Title III information meeting held at BOCES |
| 1/12/99 |
Mary Margaret Snyder came to Remsen for Learning Unit Design training |
| 2/4/99 |
Decided on topic: Interpreting Fables; explored websites regarding fables |
| 2/9/99 |
Title III meeting at Harts Hill to review standards and the peer review process |
| 2/10/99 |
Subscribed to Title III e-mail, list serve |
| 2/25/99 |
Met to review the ELA standards and to determine what standards we would focus on in our Learning Experience |
| 3/4/99 |
Began to develop a rough draft of our Learning Experience (Objectives, prior knowledge, procedures Modifications, and materials and supplies) |
| 3/19/99 |
Continued with development of Learning Experience outline (assessment tools and techniques including graphic organizer and teacher rubric) |
| 3/22 – 4/9/99 |
On various dates throughout this 3-week period, we introduced, implemented and practiced our Learning Experience with our respective students |
| 4/29/99 |
Met to evaluate our respective Learning Experiences within our classrooms; completed our Learning Experience outline (time required and reflection) |
| 5/13/99 |
Met with Remsen Title III participants to discuss progress; developed a list of questions to be submitted to Marilyn Skermont |
| 6/24/99 |
Typed Learning Experience on the hard drive as the lap- top was being repaired |
| 6/25/99 |
Attempted to send Learning Experience via e-mail to Title III website, however, we were unsuccessful Sent a hard copy through the mail to Marilyn Skermont |
| 7/6/99 |
Successfully e-mailed Learning Experience!! |
| 7/9/99 |
Met to prepare for the Peer Review Process |
| 7/13/99 |
Attended Peer Review at Harts Hill |
| 7/15/99 |
Met to make suggested revisions to Learning Experience per peer review |