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Using Literary Elements to Compare Fiction Texts

Unit Plan

Using Literary Elements to Compare Fiction Texts

Objectives

Students will review and utilize the elements of fiction within and across texts. Students will:

  • identify and review literary elements in fiction texts—setting, character, plot, and theme.
  • focus on similarities and differences among versions of the same story by examining how the evidence found in a text can be cited to support key information.
  • use literary elements to compare the point of view in multiple versions of a fiction text.
  • draw conclusions based on literary elements in multiple versions of a fiction text.
  • summarize text based on literary elements.

Essential Questions

How do readers know what to believe in what they read, hear and view?
How do strategic readers create meaning from informational and literary text?
How does a reader’s purpose influence how text should be read?
How does interaction with text provoke thinking and response?
How does what readers read influence how they should read it?
What is this text really about?
  • How does interaction with text provoke thinking and response?
  • How do strategic readers create meaning from informational and literary texts?
  • How do readers know what to believe in what they read, hear, and view?
  • What is this text really about?
  • How does what readers read influence how they should read it?
  • How does the reader’s purpose influence how a text should be read?

Related Unit and Lesson Plans

Related Materials & Resources

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Formative Assessment

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    Short-Answer Item:

    Using a story you have read, identify and describe these literary elements: setting, characters, conflict, resolution, and theme.

    Short-Answer Scoring Rubric:

    Points

    Description

    5

    Student correctly identifies and describes all literary elements:

    • setting
    • characters
    • conflict
    • resolution
    • theme

    4

    Student correctly identifies and describes four literary elements.

    3

    Student correctly identifies and describes three literary elements.

    2

    Student correctly identifies and describes two literary elements.

    1

    Student correctly identifies and describes one literary element.

    0

    Student incorrectly identifies and describes literary elements or does not attempt to answer the question.

     

     

    Performance Assessment:

    Materials:

    • multiple copies of The Three Little Pigs books, such as the following:
    • The Three Little Pigs retold by Barry Moser (easy). Little, Brown, and Company, 2003.
    • The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas (medium). Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1997.
    • The Three Little Hawaiian Pigs and the Magic Shark by Donivee M. Laird (medium). Barnaby Books, Inc., 1981.
    • The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka (medium). Puffin, 1996.
    • The Three Little Cajun Pigs by Mike Artell (challenging). Dial Books for Young Readers, 2006.
    • The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell (challenging). Northland Publishing Co., 1992.
    • Note: Any other folklore with multiple versions may be substituted for the suggested resources.

    Purpose:

    Student will demonstrate understanding of:

    • setting
    • character
    • conflict
    • resolution
    • theme

    Performance Task:

    Each student will select and read two of the Three Little Pigs stories or other similar stories. After reading the stories, the student will complete one of the performance tasks listed below:

    1.   Story cube—use Story Cube Template 1 and Story Cube Template 2 (L-5-1_Story Cube Template 1.pdf and L-5-1_Story Cube Template 2.pdf). On the faces of a large paper cube:

    • Face 1: summarize the setting and cite evidence from both texts.
    • Face 2: summarize the main characters for both texts.
    • Face 3: summarize the conflict and resolution, citing evidence for each story.
    • Face 4: summarize the similarities of both stories, citing evidence from the texts.
    • Face 5: summarize the differences between stories, citing evidence from the texts.
    • Face 6: identify the conclusions that can be made across both texts and give textual evidence.

    2.   Three Little Pigs Comparison Chart (L-5-1_Three Little Pigs Comparison Chart.xls). Complete a graphic organizer comparing the Three         Little Pigs stories.

    3.   Poem—write a poem about the two stories, weaving in the literary elements (setting, characters, conflict, resolution, theme).

    4.   Song—write a song about the two stories, weaving into the song the literary elements (setting, characters, conflict, resolution, theme).

          5.   New version of the Three Little Pigs—write a new version of the Three Little Pigs story, weaving in the literary elements (setting, characters, conflict, resolution, theme).

    6.   Illustration of the two stories—illustrate the two stories (using watercolors, paint, collage, or chalk), making sure to include the literary elements (setting,       characters, conflict, resolution, theme).

    Performance Assessment Scoring Rubric:

    Points

    Description

    5

    Student completes one of the performance tasks by accurately including all of the requirements: setting, character, conflict, resolution, and theme.

    4

    Student completes one of the performance tasks by accurately including at least four of the requirements.

    3

    Student completes one of the performance tasks by accurately including at least three of the requirements.

    2

    Student completes one of the performance tasks by accurately including at least two of the requirements.

    1

    Student completes one of the performance tasks by accurately including at least one of the requirements.

    0

    Student demonstrates a lack of understanding of the task or makes no attempt to complete one of the performance tasks.

Final 05/10/2013
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