1. Mary's Unit & Lesson Plans
LITERARY ORIGINS: FOLKLORE AND LEGENDS UNIT
(Entire Goals and Objectives Posted at Discussions: Unit Ideas)
OVERVIEW OF UNIT 12 week
Unit is designed for a 12 week unit of which eleven weeks are used for
instruction, one week for assessments. Lessons are designed for 84
minute blocks with two blocks for each class per week. The short 50-
minute block (one per week) will be used for targeted Language Strand
instruction and for assessment review when appropriate.
Week 1 Class 1
Introductory Week
Using Voice Thread to demonstrate what it would be like with a
story teller telling stories.
Week 1 Class 2 &
Week 2 Class 1
Eight Stations (students in groups of 3-4) to Acquaint Students
with Characteristics of Different Categories of Folklore as follows:
The following stations are a work-in-progress and I could use some
suggestions from the group as to both activities and items to include.
Station 1:
Tall Tales Tales of Exaggeration: View Tall Tales
on-line from United Streaming - Discovery Channel
(Computer station)
Station 2:
Legends Tales of Exaggeration: Read 3-4
picture books of Legends, both American
Station 3:
Riddles Reading riddles and activity creating
riddles
Station 4:

2. Origin Tales Pourquoi Tales: Activity on "Where do
we come from?" with addition of several origin stories via United
Streaming
(Computer station)
Station 5:
Fables Tales of Talking Animals: Read 3-4
fables and determine characteristics & activity to create one using cloze*
to expedite
*not technology
Station 6:
Folk Songs/ Students investigate what meaning is
behind many of our nursery rhymes such as "Ring Around the Rosie"
Nursery Rhymes (Computer station for on-line
investigations)
Station 7:
Use of Language Examples and activities to create clever
word combinations using a Web Quest
with Folklore
Station 8:
Asian Folklore Activity to plot line Chinese, Japanese,
Thai, Indian folklore & later into our categories based on
characteristics (coordinates with Asia
unit in Social Studies)
(Computer station using a Podcast of a
reader reading these stories as either they read them in a picture book
or ??)
Station 9:
Folklore Formula Students review a list of common motifs
and elements (see "Elements of a Folktale") and read a familiar story,
discuss, and write a paragraph
composed by the group as to why the story is/is not a folk tale.
Students type their paragraph on Word and print it for submission.
(Computer Station)
Station 10:
Trickster Tales View Trickster Tales on-line from United
Streaming - Discovery Channel

3. (Computer station)
While students pass through stations and complete activities, they will
also be completing an organizational chart about characteristics of each
of the above which I developed when I taught this unit in the past.
Week 2, Class 2
Reserved to finish stations and discuss organizers and construct a
master list of the characteristics and elements of a folk tale.
Weeks 3 Class 1
Fairy Tales Tales of Magic: Read two versions of the
fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood" ie the original Perrault and Grimm's
versions
in preparation for next section of unit.
Complete a Venn diagram comparing the two
Weeks 3, Class 2 & 4, 5, 6
We will be viewing the movie Hoodwinked and looking at how the story
of "Little Red Riding Hood" has changed, from Perrault to Grimm to the
movie. Students will be assigned a character (Little Red, the wolf,
granny) to watch in all three versions. Discussion (with historical
background provided for the first two by the instructor) of changes and
the significance of those changes as they reflect the culture. (Compare &
Contrast, Point of View, Folklore as a reflection of society) Students will
have organizers and Venn's to work while viewing the movie.
(Computer to show movie through Data Projector on wall)
(Computer to investigate history of period on teacher-selected web
sites)
Weeks 7, 8, & 9
Either in partnerships of two or individually, students will create a
Folklore project from the following list or any approved student-
proposed project. Students will be using google.docs for collaboration
so that they can work on the project both in class and as homework and

4. students may create a podcast, screencast, voicethread, or video to
share their stories.
(Computers, video cameras, etc will be needed for these three weeks of
school.)
Possible Projects:
• Create a Folklore Story to be read to class
• Create a Folklore Play to be performed for class
• Create an original folk tale & video tape for presentation to the
class
• Write, collect, & publish a book of riddles
• A trial of a Folklore character
• A rewrite of an old folk tale as Hoodwinked was
• Series of original art pieces representing a folk tale
• A storyboard with pictures of an original folk tale
• A comic book or cartoon of a folk tale Check for cartoon web
site x-tra normal.com?
• Investigation of modern-day children's movies to determine if
any will become 21st century folk tales
• A musical score for a visual (either PowerPoint or filmed folk
tale)
• An original folk tale told via PowerPoint
• A study of today's urban legends & why they fit or do not fit as
folktales
Weeks 10 & 11
All of the above projects will be shared with the class during the last
few classes of the fourth quarter.
Howard County Secondary Teaching Strategies
Language Arts Lesson Plan _x_ Scaffolded Questioning
Format
Unit: Folk Tale Unit ___ Independent Reading
___ Interpretation of Primary
Lesson Title: Introducing Story
Sources

5. Telling - Folk Tales ___ Interpretation of Graphics
(maps, graphs, cartoons,
Essential Objective(s):
Introductory Lesson tables,…)
___ Concept Attainment
Goal 1. The student will
demonstrate the ability to ___ Grouping Strategies
recognize that folklore preserves
_x_ Think-Pair-Share
a community’s cultural beliefs,
customs, and history, through the ___ Roundtable
oral tradition.
___ Jigsaw
a. Summarize the
___ Pairs Check/Review
text.
_x_ Indep/Group Project
b. Paraphrase the
text. _x_ Integration of Technology
_x_ Audio
c. Connect the text
to prior knowledge or ___ Formal Writing
personal experience
___ Informal Writing
___ Modeling/Demonstration
Lesson intended for a short 50
_x_Small/Large Group
minute block
___ Reading (Pre, During, Post)
___ Simulation/Act-it-Out
Materials:
___ Video Clips
1. Projection of Exhibit A on
___ Cross-Curricular Connections
classroom wall
___ Other___________________
2. A short Grimm fairy tale, a
fable, & The Magical, Mystical,
Marvelous Coat
3.
http://voicethread.com/share/462

6. 25/
4. USB Microphone
4. Handouts of 4-5 well-known
fairy tales, fables, riddles
5. Color squares to hand out as
students come in to room to help
place
Them in groups later in
class.
Anticipatory Set/Context Setting:
Project the picture of the Story
Teller on the wall using LCD
Read three short tales as noted
above while sitting on stool just
below picture on wall
Development/Procedures: Differentiation/Strategies
Questions to students: ___ Tiered assignments
First to determine that everyone _x_ Flexible grouping
knows what happened in ___ Learning centers
Stories ___ Curriculum compacting
Have student(s) summarize and/ _x_ Varying questions
or paraphrase stories
___ Independent Projects
First with their seat partner, Learning Modalities
then to class as whole
_x_ Visual
Ask what the purpose of each

7. story might have been _x_ Auditory
_x_ Tactile/Kinesthetic
First with their seat partner,
then to class as whole Modifications
___ Adapting the skill level
Tell students that original
stories were told by "story ___ Adapt the number of items
___ Adapt materials
tellers" like the one on the wall
who traveled around the ___ Provide learning strategy
___ Provide audio/video/digital
countryside telling stories for
food and a place to sleep access
Ask if they think that the story _x_ Increase personal assistance
is as it was originally told IEP Goals/Accommodations
Take a vote (Based on Student IEP/504 )
______________________________________
Stop and play a short game of __________
"Telephone" pair to pair
Ask again if they think that the
story is as it was originally
told
Take a vote
Tell them that we will be
examining folk tales for the next
Few weeks and determining why
stories were told, why
they have lasted, how they have
changed, and if there are
stories today that people will be

8. reading or telling 100 years
from today.
Transition:
Play first slide of
http://voicethread.com/share/462
25/
(The rest will be used when I
talk about possible projects
For this unit. At that point I

9. will need the
Help Guide for "Voice Thread"
to give to students.)
Tell students we are going to
take some time today and
They are going to be "story
tellers."
Assign students to groups of
four randomly using colored
squares
Give them hand-out of other
short fables, fairy tales &
riddles
Assign one per group
Have groups of students
practice their story; Encourage
Drama & voice & each student
must have a part - either
read, act, or sound effects
Development/Procedures: Reading Strategies
Using picture on wall, mike, and Text
voice thread,
_x_Literary ___Informational
have students sit in front of Before
picture on wall and
___ Purpose
read/dramatize their story for

10. the class. ___Prior knowledge
___ Preview ___Voc./Concepts
___ Predict
During
___ Chunking
___ Self-monitoring through
clarifying questions and
notations on text
___ Reread
___ Metacognitive conversation
After
_x_ Summarize or paraphrase
___ Write BCRs in answer to
reading questions
___ Use rubrics
General Reading Processes
_x_Decoding
_x_Vocabulary
_x_Fluency
_x_Comprehension
___ Reading Apprenticeship®
___ Other
Transition: ASSESSMENT
___ Collect and Grade
Congratulate each pair for their
performances ___ Check for Completion
Summary/Closure: ___ In-Class Check
Have students talk in their group

11. about what they have learned ___ Rubric
___ Checklist
One spokesperson from each group
must report out to the class ___ Peer/Self Assessment
___ Journal/Learning Log
(This is also the form of assessment)
___ Portfolio
___ Constructed Response
___ Quiz
Homework/Enrichment:
___ Test
Students are to bring in their
_x_ Presentation
favorite "folk tale" to share in class.
___ Performance Assessment
_x_ Informal Assessment
___ Exit Slip
___ Other
I have a picture of just this story teller on a page for display on my wall - larger than life!
Exhibit A www.medievalworld.org.uk/Story%20Teller.html
Story Teller