The Moral of the Story

1. Title: The Moral of the Story
2. Author: Morgan Hawthorn
3. Subject: Literacy
4. Grade Level: 2nd
5. IEP classification(s): ADHD, Speech Language Impairment
6. Common Core Standard(s):
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.2
  Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3
  Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
7. Lesson Goals:
• Students will determine the moral of a folktale.
• Students will describe character’s actions in a folktale.  
8. Lesson Materials:
• Smart Board
• Elmo
• Video of The Tortoise and the Hare
• Journals
• Copies of fables for group work
• Poster board
• Markers
• Checklist
• Fables for independent practice
• Assessment questions-worksheet

Instructional Lesson Methods and Assessment

Anticipatory Set

·  I will begin by introducing the term “fable.” I will have the word as well as the definition written on the Smart Board.

·  I will explain to the students that a fable is a short story, usually with animals as the main characters. It is fictional and we read them to learn a lesson or a moral. (I will also write the word moral and talk about how it is another word for a lesson or message.)

·  I will ask students if they are familiar with any fables and allow them to share it with the class if they know one.

·  We will watch a video of The Tortoise and the Hare and I will ask students to pay close attention so we can determine what lesson they want us to learn. I will ask them to write down their ideas about the moral on their person white boards.

·  After the video, they will chat with a buddy about what they think the lesson or moral is and then we will discuss it as a class.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb2RmZ8nP-w  

Recognition “What” Multiple means of Representation	Strategic “How” Multiple means of Action and Expression	Affective “Why” Multiple means of Engagement
Checkpoint 2.1: Clarify vocabulary and symbols	Checkpoint 6.2: Support planning and strategy development	Checkpoint 8.4: Increase mastery-oriented feedback
Teacher will clarify vocabulary by providing definitions of new terms. (fable, moral)	Teacher will support planning by telling them exactly what to look for in the video and asking them to write down their ideas on their white board.	Teacher will give specific feedback when discussing the moral of the fable as whole group. For example, say “I like how you described the characters actions and thought about how that could contribute to the moral of the story.”

Introduce and Model New Knowledge 

·  I will ask the students “Why is it important to read or listen to fables?” (Possible answer: They teach us important lessons and can show us “right and wrong.”) “How can we know what lesson the author is trying to teach us?” (Possible answer: We can look at the characters and see how they are acting.)

·  We will refer back to The Tortoise and the Hare and recall that the moral is “Slow and steady wins the race.”

·  I will explain to students that we can make connections to fables. That is how we learn from them. I will explain that sometimes we act like the Hare because we are really good at something and we get in a big hurry. I will ask them to write down in their journal one time they might have acted like the Hare.

·  I will then explain that sometimes we are more like the Tortoise. We are not very good at some things but we try really hard and never give up. They will write down a sentence or two about a time they were the Tortoise in a situation.

·  I will list 4 questions on the Smart Board that we will answer based off of the fable we just watched. These questions will show students how we determine the moral of a story.

o   How do you think the tortoise felt when the hare kept bragging about how he was going to win?

o   Why do you think the tortoise won?

o   How did the hare feel at the end of the story?

o   Did the tortoise’s feelings change from the beginning of the story to the end? How?

·  Students will chat with their peers at their table group about any questions they still have about fables, determining the moral, or understanding the characters actions. I will answer any questions they have.

Recognition “What” Multiple means of Representation	Strategic “How” Multiple means of Action and Expression	Affective “Why” Multiple means of Engagement
Checkpoint 3.4: Maximize transfer and generalization	Checkpoint 4.1: Vary the methods for response and navigation	Checkpoint 8.1: Heighten salience of goals and objectives
Students will apply their understanding of the moral of The Tortoise and the Hare to a real-life situation.	Students will discuss questions with their peers and then I will discuss it with the class as a whole.	I will explain thoroughly that our main goal when reading a fable is to determine the moral.

Guided Practice 

·  Students will get in groups of three and will be assigned one of Aesop’s fables.

·  Students will each get a copy of the fable and they will take turns reading it in their group. The teacher will assist with any unknown words or other issues.

·  Together students will discuss the characters’ actions, feelings, etc. until they can reach an agreement of what the moral is.

·  Teacher will be walking around with a checklist, monitoring participation and understanding.

·  After every group has had time to discuss and reach an agreement, they will be given a poster board. Their task will be to draw a picture, or pictures, explaining the moral of their fable.

·  These pictures will be shared with the class. The group presenting will give a short summary of the fable, talk about the characters’ actions, and explain how they determined the moral of the story. The other students will be able to ask questions or add to the discussion.

Recognition “What” Multiple means of Representation	Strategic “How” Multiple means of Action and Expression	Affective “Why” Multiple means of Engagement
Checkpoint 3.3: Guide information processing, visualization, and manipulation	Checkpoint 4.1: Vary the methods for response and navigation Checkpoint 5.1: Use multiple media for communication	Checkpoint 7.3: Minimize threats and distractions
The teacher will guide processing by explaining unknown words and answering any questions the students have.	Students will be placed around the room to work in groups.  Students will be able to respond through both pictures and words.	To keep students engaged and free from distractions, the teacher will be walking around the room monitoring each group.

Independent Practice 

·  Students will work individually but will be allowed to pick their own fable from a provided list. The list of fables will not include any of the ones used during presentations.

·  Students will be given a copy of the fable and a worksheet with 4 open ended questions, specific to their fable. The will be expected to write one sentence for each answer.  

·  Teacher will be monitoring students as they work.

·  Example:

Fable: The Shepherd Who Cried “Wolf!”

Questions: “Have you ever played a trick on someone?”

“How do you think the villagers felt after being lied to so many times?”

“Why did no one come to the Shepherd’s reuse when the wolves were really attacking his flock?”

“What is the moral of the story?”

Recognition “What” Multiple means of Representation	Strategic “How” Multiple means of Action and Expression	Affective “Why” Multiple means of Engagement
Checkpoint 1.3: Offer alternatives for visual information Checkpoint 2.4: Promote understanding across languages	Checkpoint 5.3: Build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance	Checkpoint 7.1: Optimize individual choice and autonomy
Students can be given a copy of their fable in larger print, if they need it. I will allow non-English speaking students to listen to the fable on an audio tape in their native language before answering the questions.	Students will be applying their knowledge from guided practice to answer the questions.	Students will be given a choice in the fable they wish to read. The list will be predetermined.

Wrap-up 

·  After collecting the worksheets, the teacher will read aloud one of the fables from the list. (picked at random)

·  The teacher will use the Elmo to display the worksheet corresponding to the chose fable on the Smart Board. Teacher will think aloud while she is reading and refer back to the fable to model how she found the answers.

·  Teacher will restate how important morals are and that reading fables is really valuable. Teacher will ask a few students to share something the learned, liked, or still have questions about based on this lesson. Teacher will lead this class discussion.

  

Recognition “What” Multiple means of Representation	Strategic “How” Multiple means of Action and Expression	Affective “Why” Multiple means of Engagement
Checkpoint 3.2: Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships	Checkpoint 6.3: Facilitate managing information and resources	Checkpoint 9.3: Develop self-assessment and reflection
Teacher will review high-points of this lesson by asking questions and leading discussion.	Students will be shown how to manage given information as the teacher reads the fable and models how she is determining the moral and finding answers to the questions.	Students will be asked to reflect upon their learning and share with the class.

Assessment 

Formative (Informal – must be a written assessment)

·         Teacher will be monitoring students as they work independently and will collect their complete worksheets to be assessed.

Recognition “What” Multiple means of Representation	Strategic “How” Multiple means of Action and Expression	Affective “Why” Multiple means of Engagement
Checkpoint 2.1: Clarify vocabulary and symbols	Checkpoint 6.4: Enhance capacity for monitoring progress	Checkpoint 8.4: Increase mastery-oriented feedback     Checkpoint 8.2: Vary demands and resources to optimize challenge
Given with the assessment questions, the teacher will have a vocabulary box explaining words students might not know. They will need to know these words to understand the fable.	Students’ worksheets will be graded and given back with comments from the teacher.	Teacher will give specific feedback on the assessment questions. Higher-level students will have 6 questions on the assessment, as opposed to 4.