Kristy Ulrich

Sonya Peters

Lesson Plan
Title: What Makes A Legend,A Legend?
Concept: Legends
Grade Level: Fourth
Approximate Duration
of the lesson: 30-40 minutes
Overview: This lesson introduces students to the defining characteristics of a legend.
Through the use of examples and non-examples, students will be able to distinguish
between the story genres of legends, myths, tall tales, and fantasy.
Learning Objective: Students will be able to define the characteristics of a legend.
Students will be able to distinguish between the characteristics of
myths, tall tales, and fantasy stories.
Students will be able to explain why a legend is not a myth, tall
tale, or fantasy story.
Content Standard(s): EL(4)

EL(4)

EL(4)

3. Use a wide range of strategies including distinguishing

fiction from nonfiction and making inferences to
comprehend fourth-grade recreational reading materials
in a variety of genres.
4. Identify literary elements and devices, including
characters, important details, and similes, in
recreational reading materials, and details in
informational reading materials.
6. Compare the genre characteristics of tall tales, fantasy,
myths, and legends, including multicultural literature.

Materials and Equipment: One toy plastic shining knight costume, matrices for each
student, book examples of legends, tall tales, fantasy stories,
and myths, and worksheets
Technology Resources Needed: Classroom Smart board and/or computer
Background Preparation: Students will already have knowledge on how to define a topics
basic characteristics. Students will have also been introduced to
legend, myth, tall tale, and fantasy stories.
Procedures/Activities: 1. Teacher 1 will engage students by asking for a volunteer.
Teacher will then have volunteer put on a toy knight shield and
helmet.
Student will be given a toy sword to hold. The class will be
asked to pretend that the shield, helmet, and sword, are real.
Class will then be asked to define the characteristics of
each piece. Teacher 2 will write class responses on the board.
2. Teacher 1 will read a short excerpt from King Arthur And The
Knights Of The Round Table. Students will not know the book
title. They will guess what the title is and the kind of story.

Kristy Ulrich

Sonya Peters
3. Teacher 1 will then define the characteristics of a legend.
Students will record characteristics on their matrices.
4. Teacher 2 will define the characteristics of myths, tall tales, and
fantasy stories. Teacher 1 will write characteristics on the smart
board. Students will record characteristics on their
matrices.
5. Teacher 1 will then engage class in whole group discussion.
Teacher 1 will briefly discuss Johnny Appleseed and Rip Van
Winkle. Class will be asked if these stories are legends.
6. Teacher 2 will provide other examples for the purpose of
understanding which stories are legends and which stories are
of another genre.
7. Teacher 2 will give students a worksheet. The worksheet will
assess students understanding of legend characteristics.
8. Teacher 1 will conclude by summarizing the defining features
of a legend.

Assessment Strategies: Students will be given a worksheet. Students will have to identify
and write the characteristics of a legend. Time permitting, students will write
a short legend. They must include all of a legends defining characteristics.
Accommodations for Special Ed.: Student A will be asked to be the volunteer for the
lesson introduction. Student B will be seated in the front of the classroom.
Instructional Model: Guided Discovery Model
This lesson defining legend characteristics, will be taught using the Guided
Discovery Model. This model focuses on a specific topic and through a series of
examples helps to guide students learning to an understanding of that topic. The specific
topic of the story genre, legend, is a topic well suited for this model. The topic of the
legend has specific defining features/characteristics. Concepts associated with this topic
are easily exemplified as well as the ability to provide non-examples. Generalizations
will be communicated through the initial introduction of the topic and throughout the
lesson. All four phases of the model will be utilized in implementing the lesson. The
introduction is described in the above lesson plan. The open-ended phase will include
examples and non-examples of the topic. During the convergent phase the students will
be questioned and guided to a better understanding of the topic. The closure and
application phase of the lesson will incorporate a summary of the definition of the topic.
The assessment will consist of a worksheet. Students will demonstrate their
understanding of the topic by answering the questions on the worksheet.

Kristy Ulrich

Sonya Peters