Title – Lesson Plan on Legends – Writers Workshop

By – Anonymous

Subject – Language Arts

Grade Level – 5-8

Date: January 12, 2000

Time Limit: 1 Hour

Previous Knowledge: This lesson is the introduction to the topic of Legends

Objectives: Student will be able to learn what legends are and why they where created.

Student will be able to compose a legend in groups

Students will be able to encourage ideas.

Materials: Legends – handout on various types of legends, blank sheets of paper one for Ideas and one for writing the legend.

Organization: Students will be arranged into groups of 4/5 to create mini legends.

Procedure:

Set: I will be reading the students a legend then discussing it with the class as to why it was created.

1) People told legends were told in many cultures to try and explain their surrounding in a way that made sense to them.

2) You could call it the predecessor of science, before the scientific world began studying the world people were already asking questions.

3) People had to attempt to answer these questions by using stories that made some sort of sense to them. Legends was their vehicle

4) You need a reason to tell a legend for example you could tell a legend to show why you should not do something or you can tell a legend to explain why something is the way it is.

5) What kind of legend was the one I just read why do you think it was created?

Middle: 1) Introduce the topic for the day which is Aboriginal legends.

2) Relating to the set topic I will go into dept what compromises a legend.

3) We are going to be learning a social skill of encouraging ideas from each other. We will need this skill in creating a legend toward the end of this class.

4) Separate the class into groups of 5 students per group. Explain that each group will come up with a legend based on a choice of the topic list or one of their own choosing. The legend must include all the requirements based on the select number of topics that I have given them or one of their own choosing.

5) Each group will have writer, task manager, legend teller, encourager, and presenter, but all group members are being evaluated on their ability to encourage ideas from each other.

TOPICS:

1) Why the squirrel got his bushy tail

2) Why the Bear had to go to sleep in the winter.

3) A legend about not swimming in the deep water by yourself.

4) A legend about respecting your parents

5) Why the beavers teeth never stop growing

6) A legend about why the eagle has his sharp claws

You can also come up with your own topic, but it mast explain something or warn of a consequence of why something happens.

Closure: Discuss the encouragement I heard throughout the lesson and give feed back to the students.

End the class with some of the students reading out loud their legends

Reorganizing: Students will be turned over to Miss Roske to prepare for dismissal.

Assessment: Outcome of the legends and the discussion during the group work. The encouragement that should be occurring in the groups.

Professional Target: Cooperative Teaching

Individual Group Task

Writer – Write down all ideas and also the story

Presenter – Present the completed legends to the class from their desks.

Encourager – All people within the group will be encouraging