Grade: Middle

#518. Foltales around the World

Reading/Writing, level: Middle
Posted Fri Jun 11 18:13:41 PDT 1999 by Elaine Suvak, Reading Specialist, Secondary English (mesuvak@penn.com).
Folktale Resources
Seneca Highlands Intermediate Unit #9, Smethport, PA
Materials Required: Internet Access, Graphic Organizers, Evaluation Forms, Running Records
Activity Time: Unit:4-6 weeks
Concepts Taught: Strategic Reading; Internet Integration; Multicultural; Multi-Intelligences


Folk Tale around the World and across the Language Arts
Elaine Suvak
Unit Plan

Internet Integration Lesson Pan #1
Lesson 1: (Week 1- 5 days 47 minutes each) Genre and Story Grammar

Learners:
Age and Grade Level: Intermediate 9-11 year olds.
Characteristics: The students have a year and a half experience using computers daily for 15 minutes Reading and 15 minutes Math Computer Assisted Instruction. They have about a semester of 40 minute weekly Internet exploration experience mostly for reference. They have little primary and some secondary multicultural experience. They have had several didactic experiences with folk and mapping through their Language Arts literature-based series. There are 14 girls and 11 boys with diverse learning styles and heterogeneously grouped. Language Arts experiences have mainly been didactic and product oriented. The students don't generally appreciate the differences between group work and cooperative learning. They are somewhat intimidated by self generating experiences, but have been receptive to and motivated by them most times I have applied them with explicit prompts and guidance. They have practice with readers' theatre readings using narration and dialogue parts. The students study US History and have surface knowledge of genre (stronger in fiction), story grammar, and elements. Students are familiar with analytic rubric evaluation.
Implications: The Internet would be a source of expanding multicultural awareness with careful attention to maturity and background levels. A choice of expression would address various learning styles. Students will need low risk cooperative group learning prompting and facilitating in generating their own responses. Specific roles for cooperative group members will have to be
brainstormed and assigned. The use of the more commonly appreciated folk tale medium with a review of the elements and mapping could lead to higher risk projects with nonfiction in which the students will develop the metacognition necessary to transfer knowledge.. Beginning with US regions before working with global tales will help connect their prior experiences to their new experiences in developing a broader schema for multicultural experience. Students will be
evaluated with an analytic rubric.

Expected Outcomes and Purpose:
Goals: Students will individually and cooperatively be able to analyze, synthesize, and use the elements of various US cultural folk tales.
Concepts and Generalizations: Students will be able to describe the elements of fiction in general and in folk tales specifically. Students will be able to collaboratively choose a representative folk tale from various textbooks, a computer software library, or from Internet sites to read before choosing an appropriate story map to analyze their cultural tale. Once the tale is mapped out, cooperative groups will construct a project that will illustrate the mapping to the whole class. Students will self evaluate their cooperative groups and projects. Students will be able to describe various learning styles, and be able to identify their own strengths and aptitudes.
Objectives: complete degree and 1 hr.47 min. time per numeric objective: 1a) In a whole class teacher directed lesson, students will review the differences between fiction and nonfiction before brainstorming the elements of a familiar folk tale on three different story maps. 1b) In a whole class directed lesson, students will complete and discuss teacher made, seven-question peer interviews that will facilitate identification of their individual learning style tendencies. 2) In cooperative groups formed by learning style strength, students will choose and orally read a representative folk tale chosen by their teacher assigned cultural group. 3) In their cooperative groups, students will choose and complete a map of the elements in their folk tale. 4) In cooperative groups, students will construct a project that will illustrate their learning style tendency and the elements of their folk tale (still life collage; readers' theatre; creative dramatics; music score; matrix; diorama, or rewrite by changing an element). 5a) In their cooperative groups, students will demonstrate the construction of their project to the whole class, and share their project with the whole class. 5b) Students will evaluate their cooperative groups by individually completing an evaluation form.

Technologies, Resources, and Materials:
Teacher: Different Shoes (Multi Intelligence); Successmaker CAI Reading Adventures; Frank Shaffer Publications' Folk Tales ; Internet Yahoo URL's www.classroom.com and www.readers'theatre.com; 1996 Harcourt Brace Signature series reading anthologies from grade one through five; holistic and analytic rubrics for task (form) and audience and purpose; and classroom chalkboard, overhead, and multi media projector and screen.
Student: Harcourt Brace literature anthologies; Internet access for URL's http//darsie.ucdavis.edu/tales and www.aaronshep.com/RTE22html "How to" link; shoe boxes, music score sheets, clay, construction paper, poster board scissors, glue, markers, camera, recorder, camcorder, script forms, scripts, story maps, analytic rubrics, multi intelligence interview forms, and group evaluation forms.

Learning Environment:
Time: 1 hour 45 minutes per numerical objective.
Setting: classroom; seating arrangement moved from whole class to five cooperative squares to classroom computer lab (textbooks are in the desks).
Technology Setup: CCC access, Internet access, projector and screen setup (no printing).

Teaching/Learning Strategies:
Instructional Procedures:
1) Explain objective number 1 Use the blackboard to draw a continuum between fiction and nonfiction to review the contrast between the 5w's and 1H in the two extremes. The 5w's and 1 h will be listed down the center of the continuum. Emphasize character traits (who), setting (where and when), and plot (what problem, why a problem, and how solved) on the fiction end, and the topic, main idea (5 w's and 1 h summary), and supporting details (5w's plus 1 h) on the nonfiction end (review non prefix to reinforce differences between the two extremes). Have students guide the teacher into placing marks on the continuum for various familiar pieces of all three genres (prose, poetry, and drama) using the Table of Contents of their literature anthologies. Brainstorm and map three folk tales on the blackboard using two different character, setting, and plot maps (5-stage plot map and webbing, and one overhead cloze procedure map (story map). Conduct a mini lesson on the seven ( the eighth learning style will be combined with the kinesthetic). Distribute interview forms and explain the procedure. Facilitate the student completion of the form and collect it. Compile the results and assign cooperative groups. Closure.
2) Brainstorm and assign group roles. Explain the objective. Explain the analytic rubric for the map and project. Assign a culture to each group. Have the groups select a map. Use the projector to demonstrate the surfing of http://darcie.ucdavis.edu/tales for a representative tale to map. Have the group facilitators lead their members to their computer stations, and the group surfers begin to search the sight. Remind the facilitators to check the time while skimming three tales for one choice (20 minutes). The groups oral reader will read the tale to the group. The group printer will secure copies of the tales. The Facilitator will guide the movement of the groups from the computers back to their seats. Closure.
3) Explain the objective. The groups will reread the folk tales using the readers' theatre reading parts assigned by the group Oral Reader. The groups will map the tale with the Recorder completing the written form Closure
4) Explain the objective. The groups will roughly draft their learning style projects. The facilitator will collect the supplies itemized by the recorder. The groups will complete their projects. Closure
5) Explain the objective. The groups will prepare their 5 min. presentations (10 minutes). The groups will present (30 minutes). The audience will respond with questions and comments. The groups will disperse to directed format to complete group evaluations. Closure.

Connections to Outcome: The teacher will complete the individual student rubrics from the maps, projects, and group evaluations for a total possible 75 points; the students will check them and have opportunities to question and discuss them before the grades are recorded. The teacher will add the grades and responses to her ongoing anecdotal records.

Extensions: Students will write ( via the writing/reading process) and perform their own cultural folk tales using a combination of readers' theatre and sock, shadow, or marionettes puppet theater using their strengths to build their weaknesses.
Folk Tales Around the World and Across the Language Arts
Elaine Suvak
Lesson Plan#2 (Directed Lesson) two 47 minute sessions

Learners:
Age and Grade level: Intermediate 9-11 year olds.
Characteristics: The students just completed a week long directed (see plan #!) Students have no classroom experience with Internet tutorials on writing or producing readers' theatre from stories. They have read several stories in teacher constructed readers theatres, and may have deduced the general concept of dialogue and narration. They have been highly motivated by the readers' theatre approach to reading all genres of narration. They recently constructed and performed a readers' theatre whole class narrative poem for a younger audience to inform, entertain, and persuade the audience that the fourth grade is a great place to learn.
Implications: The students need directed in using Internet tutorials in general, and will get a specific teacher directed model in this lesson which will specifically prepare them for cooperative group readers' theatre scripting of multicultural folk tales in lesson #3 and readers' theatre staging and performance in lesson #4. They will also review the elements of a good folk tale through the tutorial.

Expected Outcomes and Purpose:
Goals: Students will be able to use an Internet web site tutorial to script a folk tale for readers theatre. Students will develop and use a strategy for
for analyzing a story before, during, and after reading.
Concepts and Generalizations: Students will be able to select an appropriate folk tale for readers theatre scripting. Students will recognize the elements of fiction by analyzing a folk tale for it's use of dialogue and narration.
Objective: In two teacher directed 47 minute whole class lesson, students will use an Internet web site tutorial to script a folk tale for a 5 minute readers theatre production.

Technologies, Resources, and Materials:
Teacher: Internet access, computer projector and screen, URL www.aaronshep.com, student handouts with a cloze review map of the elements of fiction and elements of a good folk tale for readers theatre scripting and a graphic organizer for using Aaron Shepherd's tutorial for scripting readers theatre.
Students: Handouts and pencils.

Learning Environment:
Time: 2/47 minute classes
Setting: student desks arranged for whole class teacher and screen directed with a center aisle for the projector set connected to the center computer in the classroom computer lab.
Technology setup: Projector and screen set up for Internet access and tutorial use set up and ready. Download the scripting sheets ahead of time.

Teaching/ Learning Strategies:
Instructional Procedures: 1) Explain the objective. 2) Project the www.aaronshep.com web site. 3) Ask students what link we should choose to meet our objective ("Aaron's RT Page"). 4) Do a think aloud for using the RT page and have the students complete their cloze passages: a) "Tips for Young Authors"; b) "What Makes a Good Story"; c) "What is Readers' Theatre"; d) "RT Tips on Scripting"; and e) "RT Scripting Sheets". (short versions)
(5) Show a variety of script sheet choices, and choose one to model. 6) Read the story to the students while they follow along. 7) As a class, identify the elements of fiction and complete the story map 8) Model identifying the roles in the story by dialogue and narration and divide the roles for a whole class choral reading of parts. 9) Model deciding what to cut and change. 8) Model punching the script for pause emphasis and volume emphasis. (9) Conduct a whole class readers' theatre reading of the completed script.
Connections to Outcome: The teacher will add to the anecdotal records from classroom observances, the completed cloze passages, and the whole class readers' theatre performance.
Extensions: Students will use Shephard's tutorial to script a story to readers'theatre perform in cooperative groups. In cooperative groups, they will choose a multicultural tale from an Internet site to script, stage and perform. They will eventually write their own stories to script, stage, and characterize through puppet readers' theatre.
Folk Tales around the World and Across the Language Arts
Elaine Suvak
Lesson Plan #3 : (Constructivist) Three 47 minute sessions

Learners:
Age and Grade Level: Intermediate 9-11 year olds
Characteristics: (see plans #1 and #2) The students just completed a teacher directed lesson on scripting and performing a whole class readers' theater of a multicultural folk tale.
Implications: Students can now attempt to use the Aaron Shephard web site tutorial to script, perform, and evaluate a readers' theater of a multicultural folk tale in cooperative groups.

Expected Outcomes and Purpose:
Goals: Students will be able to use an Internet web site tutorial to script and perform a cooperative group readers' theatre version of a multicultural folk tale.
Concepts and Generalizations: They will be able to select a tale and scripting sheet, cut and change the prose form, assign roles, practice reading in character with appropriate vocal expression, determine and practice staging, perform for the whole class, evaluate their group performance, and critique other group performances.
Objectives: Teacher time and production facilitated: 1) In cooperative groups (see plan #1), students will select a multicultural folk tale to script, stage, and perform for a 5 minute readers' theatre. 2) Cooperative groups will use Aaron Shephard's Internet web site tutorial to prepare readers' theatre scripts that meet the analytical rubric requirements from their multicultural folk tale. 3a) Cooperative groups will use Aaron Shephard's tutorial to stage and practice a five minute readers' theatre performance of their selected and constructed script. 3b) Students will evaluate other group performances and their own group cooperation on a rubric and evaluation form.

Technology, Resources, and Materials:
Teacher and Student: Classroom Computer Lab; Internet Access; URL: www.aaronshep.com;
dramatics space, student cloze passages from lesson #2, group evaluation sheets, rubrics, and individual guided performance critique sheets. Teacher running anecdotal record.

Learning Environment:
Time: Three 47minute sessions
Setting: Computer Lab arranged for cooperative grouping (4-5 students-see plan#1); desks in theater in the round arrangement so students will know their space when planning performances; evaluation, critique sheets, rubrics, and cloze passages on the supply table..
Technology Setup: Computers set for Internet access and printing.

Teaching/Learning Strategies:
1) Explain the objective using the analytic rubric. Review the cooperative group roles. Demonstrate staging area. Return the cloze passages from lesson #2. Facilitate the cooperative group work and timing. Closure; review and preview.
2) Explain the objective. Facilitate the group work and timing. Have the students print their scripts. Closure; review and preview.
3a) Explain the objective. Facilitate staging and practice.
3b) Facilitate performances and evaluations.

Connections to Outcome: The teacher will compile evaluation onto an analytical rubric for percentage grades based on task (form), audience, and purpose. The teacher will distribute rubrics and discuss them with the students. The teacher will update the running anecdotal record.

Extensions: Students will write and produce their own cultural folk tales for puppet readers' theatre performances that will be audio taped for oral expression critique and video taped for visual critique and performance school wide.

Folk Tales around the World and Across the Language Arts
Elaine Suvak
Internet Lesson Plan #4: Five 47 minute sessions

Learners:
Age and Grade Level: Intermediate 9-11 year-olds
Characteristics: (See Plans 1-3) Students have researched, mapped, constructed, performed, and evaluated cooperative group readers' theatre generic performances of multicultural folk tales.
Implications: Students can now learn to apply puppetry and puppet staging to their performances by viewing puppet theaters and performances around the worldwide web.

Expected Outcomes and Purpose:
Goals: Students will be able to use two Internet web sites to explore puppetry and staging styles in order to choose a style to apply to their previous cooperative group performances of readers' theatre. Their puppet show readers' theatre will be performed as though for a whole school audience.
Concepts and Generalizations: Through the Internet research of puppetry and staging, students will learn the multicultural history of puppet theatre as the links are categorized by cultures. After the cooperative groups select a puppet and scenery from the sites, they will acquire additional skills and practice with analyzing and synthesizing literary elements when they construct their own puppets and scenes to apply to their readers' theatre performances. In addition, they will experience the consideration of and adaptations for a broader audience.
Objectives: 1) In cooperative groups, students will surf an Internet site to complete a teacher made Cloze procedure graphic organizer of puppet and staging styles. 2) In cooperative groups, students will select and draft a puppet and three scenery styles to apply to their readers' theatre performance. 3) In cooperative groups, students will surf a web site to find and print directions for making their puppets and scenes. 4) In cooperative groups, students will construct their puppets and scenes following their rough drafts and Internet site directions. 5) In cooperative groups, students will adapt and practice their readers' theater scripts and performances for puppetry and audience. 6) Cooperative groups will practice five minute performances and evaluate their puppet readers' theatre practice using an analytic rubric as a guide.

Technology, Resources, and Materials:
Teacher and Student: Internet access; URL's www.itdc.sbcss.k12.ca.us/curriculum/puppetry.html, www3.ns.sympatico.ca/onstage/puppets, and www.sagecraft.com/puppetry ; three scene generic folding screen; craft supplies, socks; Bulletin board paper; Cloze graphic organizer; rubric; Rough draft form; Assignment Board procedure posters with timing guides; cooperative group evaluation form; camcorder; TV/VCR and the Library.

Learning Environment:
Time: Five 47 minute sessions
Setting: Classroom and classroom lab set for cooperative groups; supply table; hallway tack board with bulletin board paper; and Library set for performance and recording.
Technology Setup: classroom Internet access, classroom TV/VCR and Library camcorder recording

Teaching/Learning Strategies:
Day 1) Review cooperative group roles (time keepers, materials and supplies coordinator, web surfer, and recorders). Explain the objective #1, TAP rubric, the Assignment Board steps, and the graphic organizer. Guide the groups through the steps to the completion of the organizer posted on the assignment board. Day 2) Return and discuss evaluated Cloze organizers and Explain the objectives #2 & #3 , go over the assignment board, and explain the rough draft form. Facilitate the completion of the Assignment Board steps. Day 3) Return and discuss evaluated rough draft drawings of puppets and three scenes. Discuss objectives #4 & #5. Explain the tacking and undoing of the scenes to the generic screen. Facilitate the group constructions by dividing scene making and puppet making groups. Day 4) Facilitate the completion of scene and puppet making.. Day 5) Facilitate performance practice and recording to be viewed for group evaluations. View and complete performance and group evaluation forms.

Connections to Outcome: The teacher will compile evaluations onto the analytic rubric for TAP percentage grades on form, audience, and purpose. The teacher will return and discuss the rubrics. The teacher will update a running record of student growth as guided by the goals and objectives evaluations.

Extensions: Students could perform their readers' theatre puppet shows for a live audience.
The teacher could record the audience behaviors during the live performance so the students could assess the audience reactions in relation to their production.
Folk Tales Around the World and Across the Language Arts Unit Plan
Elaine Suvak
Lesson Plan #5

Learners:
Age and Grade Level: Intermediate 9-11 year-olds.
Characteristics: (See lesson plans #1 - #4) Students have completed four weeks of instruction, practice, and performance of scripting and staging readers' theatre puppet shows using the internet for research and direction. They have evaluated their projects and cooperative groups using a teacher made analytic rubric as a guide for forms of evaluation.
Implications: Students could perform and evaluate for a live audience. The students have developed a good automaticity in attending to form and purpose, but often forget their audience possibly due to lack of response from an audience other than a teacher audience; therefore, evaluations from a live audience response might provide authenticity for attending to audience as well.


Expected Outcomes and Purpose:
Goals: Students will be able to evaluate a live cooperative group constructed readers' theater puppet show performance for audience response.
Concepts and Generalizations: Students will be able to adjust their performances by evaluating them from a younger audience's perspective. Students will be able to evaluate their performances according to audience response s that they will see on a video recording. Students will learn to attend to audience as well as purpose and form (TAP).
Objectives: 1) Cooperative Groups will perform their readers theater puppet shows of multicultural folk tales to a live audience using their practice performance critiques (rubric and evaluations) to guide them. 2) Students will use the rubric to reevaluate their performances for live audience response.

Technology, Resources, and Materials:
Teacher and Student: Library, puppets, scenes, folding screen stage, scripts, rubric, camcorder, TV/VCR, and live audience. Advanced invitations and scheduling for performances.

Learning Environment:
Time: Two 47 minute sessions
Setting: Library for performance and recording of audience, and the classroom for viewing and evaluating
Technology Setup: Set the Camcorder for audience taping in the Library. Set the TV/VCR
Student viewing in the classroom.

Teaching/Learning Strategies:
Day 1) Explain and discuss the objective. Facilitate the performances and recording of audience response. Day 2) View the recording of audience response to one group at a time. Facilitate a whole class discussion and cooperative group completion of rubric to each viewing.

Connections to Outcome: The teacher will return and discuss graded rubric and explain future emphasis on audience for all the language arts assignments of the future via more points for audience on the TAP rubric. The teacher will update the running record of individual student growth, and confer with individual students regarding growth.

Extensions: The teacher could provide the student with several different hypothetical assignments across the Language Arts for students to analyze for TAP (Task/Form, Audience, and Purpose) to provide reinforcement and internalization of attending to those three crucial elements of reading, writing, speaking, and listening.