ED 450 Student Teaching in the Urban Elementary Classroom I
Instructor: Arthi Rao Fall 2013
Thematic Unit Project
Topic: Greek Mythology
3 content areas you will integrate: Science Math Literacy Social Studies
Introduction Students and teachers need to know what will be learned as a result of participating in this unit. In this section, explain why your unit topic is an important one for young learners. Describe how students might use this knowledge "in the real world". How is this unit relevant to your current students?
This unit is a series of lessons based on Greek mythology relating it to the solar system. The study of Greek mythology is important for students because it can help students be exposed to a culture that is different from theirs. Students will be able to know about the Greek culture and understand how Greek mythology shaped their understanding of the world. My students are fascinated with the Percy Jackson books, which includes Greek mythology. My students are curious to learn more about Greek mythology. I decided to create this unit on Greek mythology with the solar system because I want to provide students with multiple perspective of the same topic. In this unit, for example, students will learn about how we get seasons. Students are going to be introduced to the Greek myth of how seasons happen, and the scientific explanation of how seasons happen. Furthermore, it is important because the rewards of studying mythology are many. Knowledge of mythology increases the appreciation of literary reference, provides a basis for the understanding of art, aids in the acquisition of vocabulary, and helps to create historical perspective. An interest in mythology can be a springboard to the study of foreign language, comparative mythology, anthropology, literature, art history, and world history.
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Essential Questions: What questions should students be able to discuss, address, and analyze at the end of the unit (consider higher order thinking, big picture questions).
How does Greek Mythology shape\effect our culture, vocabulary, and literature? What do Greek myths reveal about Greek culture? How do Greek myths help explain scientific phenomenon? How do Greek myths entertain, instruct and explain everyday experiences? How are the plots, themes, and characters of classical literature still relevant today? What are morals and themes that we can learn from Greek myths?
Activation: Focus students attention and assess their prior knowledge (upon introduction of the unit). Activate students background knowledge using a KWL Chart Students will read about the authors, so they know the reason for writing the book and the important of Greek mythology. Students will read a short summary of the book, so they become curious for reading the book.
Common Core State Standards and Illinois State Standards (if applicable) addressed:
English Language Arts & Literacy CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.6 Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a characters thoughts, words, or actions). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.9 Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.
Math CCSS.Math.Content.4.OA.A.1 Interpret a multiplication equation as a comparison, e.g., interpret 35 = 5 7 as a statement that 35 is 5 times as many as 7 and 7 times as many as 5. Represent verbal statements of multiplicative comparisons as multiplication equations. CCSS.Math.Content.4.OA.A.2 Multiply or divide to solve word problems involving multiplicative comparison, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem, distinguishing multiplicative comparison from additive comparison
Social Studies (ISBE) 16. A.1b Ask historical questions and seek out answers from historical sources (e.g., myths, biographies, stories, old photographs, artwork, other visual or electronic sources) 16. A.1c Describe how people in different times and places viewed the world in different ways. 16. B.1 (W) Explain the contributions of individuals and groups who are featured in biographies, legends, folklore and traditions. Melchor 3
16. E.1 (W) Compare depictions of the natural environment that are found in myths, legends, folklore and traditions.
Science (ISBE) 12. F.2a Identify and explain natural cycles and patterns in the solar system (e.g., order of the planets; moon phases; seasons as related to Earths tilt, ones latitude, and where Earth is in its yearly orbit around the sun) 12. F.1a Identify and describe characteristics of the sun, Earth and moon as familiar objects in the solar system. 12. F.1b Identify daily, seasonal and annual patterns related to the Earths rotation and revolution. 12. F.2c Identify easily recognizable star patterns (e.g., the Big Dipper, constellations).
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Lesson 1
Content Area(s): Literacy/Social Studies
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to explain the background of Greek Myths. Students will be able to activate their background knowledge by completing a KWL chart. Students will be able to read a summary about the book and about the authors.
How does this lesson adhere to your essential question(s) and how does it empower your students to further consider the question?
This lesson will introduced students to Greek mythology and the impact that it had on Greek culture. The lesson will provide background knowledge of the authors that wrote the book and a summary of the book.
Instructional Materials: DAulaires book of Greek Myths About the Authors Handout Book Summary Handout KWL handout
Instructional Strategies: Discussions Modeling/Think Alouds Read Aloud Group collaboration
Assessments (Formative and/or summative): Throughout the lesson, I will be asking questions to check for student understanding. The KWL chart will be collected, so I can see what students know about the topic and what needs to be taught based from students curiosity about the topic.
Summary/Brief Description: I will start the lesson by asking the students if they know anything about Greek mythology. I will introduce the book that we are going to read and provide background knowledge of Greek myths. We then read about the authors who wrote the book, so students get an understnading of why this book was written and the importance of Greek mythology. I will then share a short summary of the book with the students, so they get background knowledge. Students will be asked to brainstorm all the things that they either know, think they know, or want to know about Greek Mythology. Students will be divided into groups of five to have six groups and write their ideas on the KWL chart. Students will work together to generate many ideas about the topic. We will come together as a class, and we will discuss the ideas that students came up with in their groups.
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Lesson 2
Content Area(s): Literacy
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to describe the setting and how it impacts the plot of the story. Students will describe the conflict of the story (e.g. Character vs. Character, Character vs. Nature, Character vs. Self, or Character vs. Society).
How does this lesson adhere to your essential question(s) and how does it empower your students to further consider the question?
This lesson will present students with the conflict in Greek mythology. Since the story begins, there is conflict between characters because they want to be the most powerful Gods. Studets willl be able to talk about the conflict in story and relate it to their experiences insde school and outside of school.
Materials: DAulaires book of Greek Myths Map of Greece Identifying setting handout Conflict handout Pens/Pencils Chart Paper Markers
Assessments (Formative and/or summative): Throughout the lesson, I will be asking questions to check for student understanding. As students are working with their groups, I will be listening to their conversations about conflict and how they are relating it to Greek myths. I will collect their setting handout to see if students were able to identify the settings and how it will impact the plot. Also, I will collect their conflict handout to see what types of conflicts they talked about and how they related it to their own personal experiences.
Summary/Brief Description: This lesson will be divided into two days. I will present the book DAulaires book of Greek Myths. Students will have background knowledge of the book because in the first lesson I provided a short summary. I will remind students of the different types of conflict (e.g. Character vs. Character, Character vs. Nature, Character vs. Self, or Character vs. Society) by having an anchor chart. I will also remind students of the term setting and how it is identified in a story. Students will need to know conflict and setting because as a class, we are going to identify those components when we are reading. We will have shared reading time by having popcorn reading. As we are reading the story, I will be writing down the conflicts that arise on chart paper. I will model how to complete the setting handout, and the students will need to complete it with their group members. Students will also have a discussion about the conflicts in Melchor 6
the story and relate them to their personal experiences. Students will need to write a personal paragraph how they were able to relate a conflict in the story with their own personal experience.
Lesson 3
Content Area(s): Literacy
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to describe the character traits of Hera, Hephaestus, Ares, Aphrodite, Athena, and Poseidon who are the Olympic Gods. Students will be able to relate their characters to other characters literature/movies Students will be able to create a presentation of their character to the class.
How does this lesson adhere to your essential question(s) and how does it empower your students to further consider the question?
This lesson will continue to introduce students to Greek mythology characters in the book. Students will be able to relate the characters to other relevant characters that they know. They will see that the characters that are presented are not different to characters that they know.
Instructional Materials: DAulaires book of Greek Myths Character traits handout Chart paper Markers Pens/Pencils Reading Notebooks
Instructional Strategies: Modeling/Think Alouds Group collaboration Discussions Questioning Group presentations
Assessments (Formative and/or summative): Throughout the lesson, I will be asking questions to check for student understanding. I will be assessing how students are collaborating together through their listening and speaking skills. I want students to practice using their communication skills because it is important for their development. They will need to complete a graphic organizer where students decided on the character traits and use text evidence to support their character traits. Also, students will be evaluated on the presentation that they give to their classmates about their Greek mythological character. They will have a rubric to prepare for their presentations.
Summary/Brief Description: I will explain the group activity that students will need to complete. I will review the character traits that we have discussed in previous language arts lessons. Students will be divided in groups of five to have six groups in the classroom. Each group will receive a Greek mythological character. They will read their short biography as a group. They will need to fill out the graphic organizer as a group to discuss the character traits of their character and relate it to other character that they are familiar with. Groups will Melchor 7
then present their mythological characters to the class. As each group is presenting, students will be writing their notes on a graphic organizer that I will provide students.
Lesson 4
Content Area(s): Literacy/Social Studies
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to analyze the text to determine the theme/moral of the story. Students will be able to discuss their themes with their classmates in a jigsaw.
How does this lesson adhere to your essential question(s) and how does it empower your students to further consider the question?
Students will learn about the themes and morals that are found in Greek Myths. Students will use the text evidence to support their themes.
Instructional Materials: DAulaires Book of Greek Myths Theme/Moral Handout Chart paper Markers Reading notebooks Pen/Pencils
Assessments (Formative and/or summative): Throughout the lesson, I will be asking questions to check for understanding and clarify student thinking. Also, the handout where students wrote their themes/morals with text evidence will be collected. I want students to use text evidence to defend their themes/morals of the story.
Summary/Brief Description: I will start the lesson by asking students what they think the words theme and moral mean. Once I get students to provide their ideas, I will explain what the terms theme and moral mean. I will provide different examples of themes/moral so students get a better understanding. As a class, we will practice identifying the theme, and I will write it on our chart paper. Students will then be in groups of six to have five groups. Each group will get a different Greek God with a short story. The groups will read their story together and discuss the possible themes/morals that are found in their Greek character. Students will record their ideas on their handout. Each student will receive a number that will tell them which group they will form for our jigsaw. In the jigsaw groups, students will share their characters, and the themes that they talked about in their first group with their text evidence.
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Lesson 5
Content Area(s): Literacy/Science
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to compare and contrast the mythological explanation of seasons and the scientific explanation of seasons. Students will be able to explain the scientific explanation and myth version of seasons.
How does this lesson adhere to your essential question(s) and how does it empower your students to further consider the question?
This lesson will present students with a different explanation of why we get seasons. Students will learn in one of our science lessons the scientific explanation for how we get seasons. The goal of this lesson is for students to understand how Greek mythology helped explain seasons.
Instructional Materials: DAulaires Book of Greek Myths Venn diagram handout Chart paper Markers Pens/Pencils Reading notebooks
Assessments (Formative and/or summative): Throughout the lesson, I will be asking questions to check for student understanding. There Venn diagram handout will be collected with their summary. Also, I will be listening for students explanations on which version of seasons they think is the best. I will collect their short explanation.
Summary/Brief Description: I will activate students background information by asking them about the scientific explanation of why we get seasons. I will then tell students that we will be reading about the Greek myth version of seasons. As we are reading, I want students to pay attention to the information that is being presented in the Myth. We will compare and contrast the Greek myth and the scientific version on how we get seasons. We will have a grand conversation on the different versions on how we get seasons. I want students to understand how cultural explanations about certain events that happen in world are also valuable. Students will write a one paragraph explanation on which version of seasons they support.
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Lesson 6
Content Area(s): Literacy/Social Studies
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to compare and contrast Hercules and Odysseus. Students will be able to describe the character traits of both Hercules and Odysseus. Students will be able defend which hero is the most heroic in Greek mythology.
How does this lesson adhere to your essential question(s) and how does it empower your students to further consider the question?
This lesson will provide students with two of the heroes of Greek Myths. We will discuss the question, What makes someone a hero? Students will use their background knowledge of what makes someone a hero, and we will read about Hercules and Odysseus.
Instructional Materials: DAulaires Book of Greek Myths Venn diagram handouts Character traits handout Chart paper Markers Pencils/Pens Reading notebooks
Assessments (Formative and/or summative): Through the lesson, I will be asking questions to check for student understanding. Students will complete a Venn diagram of Hercules and Odysseus and determine the character traits of each heroic figure. The handouts will be collected to see how students used text evidence to determine the character traits of the two heroes. Also, students will need to defend which character shows the most heroism.
Summary/Brief Description: I will start the lesson by asking students, What makes a hero? We will have a discussion on the different components of what makes someone a hero. I will then introduce Hercules and Theseus as the heroes that we will be reading about. Both these characters are characterized as being heroes in Greek mythology. I will tell students that we will be comparing and contrasting Hercules and Theseus and identifying the character traits of why they are considered heroes in Greek mythology. As a class, we will have a debate where the class will be divided into two groups. One group will be supporting Hercules and another group will be supporting Odysseus. They will need to support which character has shown the most heroism in Greek Myths. Students will need to use text evidence to support their reasons. Students will be able to use the character traits that they wrote for their character.
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Lesson 7
Content Area(s): Science/Literacy
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to define rotate and axis by writing their words in vocabulary word maps. Students will be able to explain that the Earths rotation is what causes day and night. Students will be able to create a diagram showing the Earths rotation on a tilted axis as it moves around the sun.
How does this lesson adhere to your essential question(s) and how does it empower your students to further consider the question?
This lesson will explain the scientific explanation of why we get night and day. In Greek myths, there is a story that explains night and day. HEMERA was the Protogenos (primeval goddess) of the day. She was a daughter of Erebos (Darkness) and Nyx (Night) and the sister-wife of Aither (Light).
Instructional Materials: Science book Earth rotation video Vocabulary word maps Globe Lamp Construction paper Markers, crayons, colored-pencils Loose-leaf paper
Instructional Strategies: Shared reading with the science book pages C66-C67 Demonstration of the globe rotating around the lamp to show night and day Questioning Modeling/Think Alouds
Assessments (Formative and/or summative): Through the lesson, I will be checking for student understanding by asking questions while having our shared reading time and modeling how Earth rotates around the Sun to show night and day. Students should understand that the Earths rotation around the Sun causes day and night. Also, I will collect their diagram of the Earth rotating on a tilted axis as it moves around the sun with their explanation. Their vocabulary word map will be collected, and I will be looking that students were able to define the words correctly.
Summary/Brief Description: To begin the lesson, I will ask students if they ever called someone in another country and found out that it was night time. We will have a discusssion of why it was nighttime in another country and still daytime in Chicago. We will have shared reading time by reading pages C-66 and C-67. As we are reading the text, I will point out the headings, subheadings, diagrams, captions, and higlighted words in the text. I will model how to complete their vocabulary word map for the words rotates and axis. I will demonstrate using a globe (Earth) and lamp (Sun) how Earth Rotates around the Sun. Students will then need to create a diagram on how the Earth rotates on a tilted axis around the sun and write a summary.
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Lesson 8
Content Area(s): Science/Literacy/Math
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to define revolves and orbit by using vocabulary word maps. Students will be able to explain that Earths axis of rotation is tilted, which is what causes seasons. Students will be able to create a diagram of Earth orbiting the Sun showing where Earth is during winter, spring, summer, and fall. Students will be able to solve a math word problem involving how Earth orbits around the Sun.
How does this lesson adhere to your essential question(s) and how does it empower your students to further consider the question?
This lesson will present the scientific explanation of why we have seasons. There is a Greek myth about Hades and Persephone that helps explain the seasons. In this myth, when Persephone and her mother Demeter were reunited, the earth flourished, and when Persephone returned to the Underworld, the world was barren.
Instructional Materials: Science book Vocabulary word maps Globe Lamp Construction paper Markers, crayons, and colored-pencils Loose-leaf paper
Instructional Strategies: Shared reading with the science book pages C68-C69 Demonstration of the globe revolving around the Sun to show seasons Questioning Modeling/Think Alouds
Assessments (Formative and/or summative): Through the lesson, I will be checking for student understanding by asking questions while having our shared reading time and modeling how Earth revolves around the Sun to show how we get seasons. Students should understand that the Earths revolution around the Sun causes seasons. Also, I will collect their diagram of the Earth orbiting the Sun. The diagram should show where Earth is during winter, spring, summer, and fall. Their vocabulary word map will be collected, and I will be looking that students were able to define the words correctly.
Summary/Brief Description: I will start the lesson by reviewing what we learned in the previous lesson. We will discuss how Earths rotation causes night and day. I will then ask the students how we get spring, fall, summer, and winter to activate their background knowledge. We will have shared reading time by reading pages C-68 and C-69. As we are reading the text, I will point out the headings, subheadings, diagrams, captions, and higlighted words in the text. I will model how to complete their vocabulary word map for the words revolves and orbit. I will demonstrate using a globe (Earth) and lamp (Sun) how Earths axis of rotation is tilted and Melchor 12
revolves around the Sun to create seasons. Students will then need to create a diagram on how the Earths axis of ration is tilted and rotates around the Sun to get seaons. They will need to explain their diagram and show the seasons.
Lesson 9
Content Area(s): Science/Literacy
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to define the term craters using a vocabulary word map. Students will be able to compare and contrast the Moon and Earth using a Venn Diagram. Students will be able to observe pictures that show the ways the Moon appears from Earth at night. Students will be able to interpret data on a calendar to know on which day or days there was a New Moon, Crescent Moon, Full Moon, Gibbous Moon, etc.
How does this lesson adhere to your essential question(s) and how does it empower your students to further consider the question?
This lesson will explain the moon phases, and students will be able to relate it to Selene. In Greek mythology, Selene is the goddess of the moon. She is the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, and sister of the sun-god Helios, and of Eos, goddess of the dawn. She drives her moon chariot across the heavens.
Instructional Materials: Science book Chart paper Venn diagram handout Markers Vocabulary word maps Pictures that show the ways the Moon appears from Earth at night
Instructional Strategies: Shared reading with the science book pages C670-C73 Questioning Modeling/Think Alouds Group collaboration
Assessments (Formative and/or summative): Through the lesson, I will be checking for student understanding by asking questions while having our shared reading time and modeling all the activities. Also, I will be checking for student understanding when students are observing the pictures of the Moon by asking questions to the groups. I will also collect the students Venn Diagrams to see how students compared the Moon and the Earth. Their vocabulary word map will be collected, and I will be looking that students were able to define the words correctly.
Summary/Brief Description: I am going to start the lesson by reviewing the previous lesson of seasons. We then have shared reading time by reading pages C70-C73. As we are reading about the Earth and the Moon, we are going to be filling out a Venn diagram to compare and contrast. As we are reading the text, I will point out the headings, subheadings, diagrams, captions, and higlighted words in the text. Once we are done reading Melchor 13
the text, I will model the next activity that students will need complete with their groups. Each group will get eight pictures that show the moons in their different phases (New Moon, Crescent Moon, Full Moon, Gibbous Moon, First Quarter Moon, Last Quarter Moon). Students will then need to interpret data on a calendar that shows the different phases of the Moon on different days. Students will need to identify which Moon is shown on those particular days using the calendar and answer the questions.
Lesson 10
Content Area(s): Science/Literacy/Math
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to define star, planet, and solar system using vocabulary word maps. Students will be able to compare the diameters of the Earth, Moon, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, and Sun. Students will be able to create models for each of the objects listed on the table. Students will be able to arrange the objects, so they can compare their sizes.
How does this lesson adhere to your essential question(s) and how does it empower your students to further consider the question?
This lesson will present students the solar system. Students will be able to relate the solar system to the Greek myths that we will be reading about. Students will begin to see the similarities and differences between the Greek myths and scientific explanations.
Instructional Materials: Science book Vocabulary word maps Construction paper Comparing diameters handout Sheets of news paper Meter stick Metric ruler Makers Scissors
Instructional Strategies: Shared reading with the science book pages C80-81 Questioning Group collaboration Modeling/Think Alouds
Assessments (Formative and/or summative): I will check for student understanding by asking questions while modeling and throughout structured and guided practice. When we have shared reading time, I will ask students to identify the main idea of the text and to summarize the section. I will collect their handout where students compared the diameters of the Earth, Moon, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, and Sun and answered the questions. Also, there vocabulary word maps will be collected to see if students were able to correctly define the words.
Summary/Brief Description: Melchor 14
I will start the lesson by having shared reading time from the science book. We will discuss the terms start, planet, and solar system. Students will record the terms in their vocabulary word maps. I will introduced the explore activity where students will compared the diameters of the Earth, Moon, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, and the Sun. I will review the term diameter, which is the distance across the middle of a circle of sphere. I will then model what will be expected from the activity by cutting a paper circle 1 cm across to model Earth. Students will be working in group of five, and they will need to measure and cut paper circle to model each of the planets and the Star and the Moon. Each group will then to answer the questions on the handout, such as How can the Moon and the Sun look the same size in our sky? Or The Sun is an average-sized star. Why do the stars look so much smaller than the sun?
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Content Area(s): Science/Literacy
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to describe the inner planets and the outer planets. Students will be able to analyze diagrams to compare each of the inner and outer planets. Students will be able to dramatize how Earth is moving in conjunction with her sister planets around the sun.
How does this lesson adhere to your essential question(s) and how does it empower your students to further consider the question?
This lesson will introduced students to the solar system. The solar system is referenced in Greek mythology: Mercury (Hermes), Venus (Aphrodite), Earth (Gaia), Jupiter (Zeus), Mars (Ares), Saturn (Cronus), Neptune (Poseidon), and Pluto (Hades).
Instructional Strategies: Shared reading with the science book pages C82-85 Questioning Group collaboration Dramatizing Modeling/Think Alouds
Assessments (Formative and/or summative): I will check for student understanding by asking questions while modeling and throughout structured and guided practice. As we are having shared reading, I will ask students to identify the main idea of the text and ask questions. Students will need to write description for each of the planets, which will be collected. Students will complete a handout where they will compare the inner and outer planets and complete questions. Students will also dramatize how the planets are arranged in the Solar System. Students will need to know where the outer and inner planets go in the Solar System.
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Summary/Brief Description: We will start the lesson by having shared reading time learning about the inner and outer planets in the Solar System. As we are reading, I will point out the text features of the text such as the headings, subheadings, diagrams, captions, and questions that are being asked to check for comprehension. Also, students will be describing the inner and outer planets. Once we finish reading, students will complete an activity where they will need to read a diagram and compare and contrast the inner and outer planets. They will need to answer questions using the diagram provided. Students will then work in groups of eight, and they will need to simulate the planets and have they mover around the sun.
Lesson 12
Content Area(s): Science/Literacy
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to define asteroids, comets, meteors, and constellations using a graphic organizer. Students will be able to explain the different objects that exist in the Solar System. Students will be able to explain why constellations happen at different times of the year.
How does this lesson adhere to your essential question(s) and how does it empower your students to further consider the question?
This lesson will introduced students to the different objects that are found in outer space. This lesson will remind students of the Greek myth. The Greek gods put up constellations to remind people of their leacy when their reign ended.
Instructional Materials: Science book Vocabulary word maps Paper Pencils Handout
Instructional Strategies: Shared reading with the science book pages C86-C88 Questioning Modeling/Think Alouds
Assessments (Formative and/or summative): Throughout the lesson, I will be asking questions to check for students understanding of the material. Also, students will need to determine the main idea of the text. I will collect their vocabulary word maps to see that students will able to define the words correctly. I will also collect their handout where students will need to explain what constellations are and why they happen at different times of the year. Also, students will need to explain the different objects that can be found in the Solar System.
Summary/Brief Description: The lesson will begin by reviewing what we learned in the previous lesson about the inner and outer planets. We will then continue by having shared reading time. As we are reading, I will point out the text features of the text such as headings, subheadings, captions, diagrams, and guiding questions for comprehension. As we are reading, students will be completing their vocabulary word maps for the terms Melchor 16
of study. Once were are finish reading and with the vocabulary, students will receive a handout where they will need to explain what are meteors, asteroids, comets, and constellations.
What do you see as a culminating project that would demonstrate students growth in their understanding of the underlying concepts of the unit (i.e. your essential questions)?
Students will be able to select from one of the five projects that are listed below.
Project One: Mount Olympus Newspaper Students will need to create a newspaper that the Gods might have read. Students will need to include popular sections just like a real newspaper: sports, world news, local news, entertainment, comics, advice column, etc.
Project Two: Essay on "Heroism" Students will need to write a four paragaph essay on "The Nature of Heroism". In this essay, students will need to compareand contrast the ancient Greek concept of heroism versus the modern definitions of heroism and what type of new heroes have emerged. Our modern day heroes do not slay monsters or engage in bloody battles, but have captured the imagination of many people What qualities of heroism, redefined to these modern day heroes possess versus the classic concept of heroism?
Project Three: Myth Writing Students will need to create their own myth. Students will need to include the different components of myths that we have learned in the lessons.
Project Four: Skits Students will need to plan a skit with groups of three. Students will need to select different scenes that we have read about and perform a six minute skit.
Project Five: Movie Soundtrack: Students will select three scenes from the book and select music that goes with that scene. Students will need to support their song choices by including lyrics from the songs and text evidence.
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Bibliography
DAulaires Book of Greek Myths by Ingri d'Aulaire and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire Ancient Greece by Michael Kerrigan Hercules by Robert Burleigh and Raul Colon