Discover Our Topic: Greek Mythology | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G6:M1:U1:L1

Discover Our Topic: Greek Mythology

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RL.6.1, RI.6.1, L.6.4b

Supporting Standards: These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards.

  • RL.6.10, W.6.10, SL.6.1, L.6.4
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can infer the topic of this module from the resources. (RL.6.1, RI.6.1)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 1 (W.6.10)
  • Work Time A: Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher (RL.6.1, RI.6.1)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - W.6.10 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Infer the Topic - RL.6.1 (15 minutes)

B. Introduce the Performance Task and Module Guiding Questions (10 minutes)

C. Launch the Text: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflect on Learning Targets (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Read and Reflect: Students read and reflect on the guiding questions for the module and discuss them with their families. Students should consider how the guiding questions make them feel. They may sketch or write about their ideas.

B. Preread Anchor Text: Students should preread chapter 1 in The Lightning Thief in preparation for studying an excerpt from the chapter in the next lesson.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • L.6.4b – Opening A: In this lesson, students do not collect new vocabulary independently. New vocabulary is collected as a class on the academic word wall. Students are introduced to their vocabulary logs in Lesson 2, where they collect vocabulary from the texts they read. Strategies for determining the meanings of unfamiliar words begins to be practiced in this lesson, specifically using affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word.
  • RL.6.1 – Work Time A: Students participate in the Infer the Topic protocol by engaging with literary texts and images that represent the concepts they will read about throughout the module. Students use these resources to make inferences about the topic of the module.
  • RI.6.1 – Work Time A: Students participate in the Infer the Topic protocol by engaging with informational texts and images that represent the concepts they will read about throughout the module. Students use these resources to make inferences about the topic of the module.
  • SL.6.1b – Work Time A: Students participate in the Infer the Topic protocol.
  • In this lesson, students engage in a protocol. A protocol consists of agreed-upon, detailed guidelines for reading, recording, discussing, or reporting that ensure equal participation and accountability in learning. Protocols are an important feature of our curriculum because they are one of the best ways we know to engage students in discussion, inquiry, critical thinking, and sophisticated communication. You can download the Classroom Protocols document from our Tools page for the full versions of all protocols, which you will use throughout the curriculum. Students engage in the following new protocols in this lesson (instructions for which appear at the first point of use in the lesson):
    • Infer the Topic offers students a chance to work together to uncover the heart of a larger concept before they begin to study a new topic. Students also get a chance to experience the ways an inference can change as they take in new information. It allows students to draw on their own background knowledge and work in a fun, collaborative environment with new information from a variety of peers to uncover meaning.
    • Think-Pair-Share promotes productive and equitable conversations wherein all students are given the time and space to think, share, and consider the ideas of others. It ensures that all students simultaneously engage with the same text or topic, while promoting synthesis and the social construction of knowledge.
  • In this lesson, students also engage in several total participation techniques. Total participation techniques are used to solicit answers to questions or prompts from a wide variety of students. Rather than just calling on those students who may have their hands raised, these total participation techniques challenge and hold accountable all students. In this lesson, students engage in the following new total participation techniques (instructions for which appear at the first point of use in the lesson):
    • Turn and Talk is one of the easiest, quickest, and most efficient means of creating collaboration among students. It can be used practically at any time, anywhere, in a lesson in any content area.
    • Cold Call serves as an engaging and challenging yet supportive way to hold students accountable for answering oral questions, regardless of whether a hand is raised. Cold Call requires students to think and interact with the question at hand, even if they’re not sure of the answer. Cold Call also promotes equity in the classroom; students who normally dominate the discourse step back and allow other students to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise.
    • Thumb-O-Meter helps students visualize student comfort level or readiness in relation to a learning target or aspect of their work, using their thumb. Adjust the instruction accordingly.
    • Equity Sticks ensure academic equity by physically tracking who has been called upon or interacted with during the course of the class. This is especially useful during whole-class discussions or while working with large groups of students.
  • This lesson is the first that includes built-out instruction for the use of Goal 1 Conversation Cues. Conversation Cues are questions that promote productive and equitable conversation (adapted from Michaels, Sarah and O’Connor, Cathy. Talk Science Primer. TERC, 2012. http://inquiryproject.terc.edu/shared/pd/TalkScience_Primer.pdf. Based on Chapin, Suzanne, O’Connor, Cathy, and Anderson, Nancy. Classroom Discussions: Using Math Talk to Help Students Learn, Grades K–6. Second Edition. Math Solutions Publications, 2009). Goal 1 Conversation Cues encourage all students to talk and be understood. As the modules progress, Goals 2, 3, and 4 Conversation Cues are gradually introduced. To review the complete set of cues, refer to Overview–Conversation Cues on the Tools Page (http://eled.org/tools). Examples of the Goal 1 Conversation Cues used in the next two units include:
    • After any question that requires thoughtful consideration and allows time for students to think and process language internally:

“I’ll give you time to think and write or sketch.”

“I’ll give you time to discuss this with a partner.”

    • To help students share, expand, and clarify thoughts:

“Can you say more about that?”

“Can you give an example?”

“So, do you mean _____?”

  • Conversation Cues are similar to discussion norms, which are introduced in Lesson 13, in that they seek to foster productive and collaborative conversation. Furthermore, Conversation Cues aim to ensure equitable conversation by gradually building student capacity to become productive, collaborative participants. Goal 1 Conversation Cues focus on the fundamentals of encouraging students to talk and be understood. Goals 2–4 take students to deeper levels of conversation, from listening to others, to deepening their thinking, to thinking with others.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • This unit is designed to focus on specific excerpts of the text during class so as to provide time for analysis. To cover the entire text, encourage students to read each chapter in its entirety outside of class time.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • If students have worked on EL Education modules in Grades 3–5, this module will build on those foundations.

Support All Students

  • Integrated ELL supports are marked throughout lessons with a ▲. These teaching suggestions support student comprehension without disrupting lesson flow or requiring extensive class time or additional materials. Deeper, high-leverage supports, designed to accelerate ELLs’ language development, can be found in the Levels of Support columns in each lesson.
  • Note there is a differentiated version of the I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher used in Work Time A in the supporting materials download. Differentiated versions of some materials are available in many lessons as a way to provide additional support to ELLs. ▲
  • Students may need additional support reading the text excerpts in the Infer the Topic protocol. Invite students to help one another by reading the excerpts aloud to one another. Students with mobility issues may need access to the resources in print or digital versions that can be accessed from a single location.
  • Pair ELLs with a partner who has more advanced or native language proficiency. The partner with greater language proficiency can serve as a model in the pair, initiating discussions and providing implicit sentence frames, for example. ▲
  • Acknowledge that many cultures, not just the Greeks, developed their own myths. While Module 1 focuses on Greek mythology, encourage students to share myths from their own cultural or religious backgrounds.

Assessment Guidance

  • Monitor students’ Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catchers to ensure they are on the right track for inferring the module topic.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will spend some time discussing their reflections on the module guiding questions and will read an excerpt from chapter 1 of The Lightning Thief. As students move through Units 1, 2, and 3, they continue to build their understanding of the module questions, which they’ll revisit at the close of the module.
  • In the next lesson, students will also set up their vocabulary logs.

In Advance

  • During all interaction, be aware that partnering with, looking at, talking with, or touching a student of a different gender may be uncomfortable and inappropriate for some students. In addition, some students may believe it is inappropriate to speak with other students of another gender at all during class. In advance, speak with students to determine their needs, and if necessary, seek alternative arrangements for students according to their cultural traditions.
  • Prepare
    • Equity sticks: write the name of each student on popsicle sticks, and store them in a jar or container.
    • Academic word wall with blank word cards and markers located close by. This is an area of the classroom in which academic words (rich vocabulary used mostly in writing) will be added throughout the year.
    • Domain-specific word wall with blank word cards and markers located close by. This is an area of the classroom in which domain-specific words (low-frequency and specific to a content area) will be added throughout the year.
    • Infer the Topic resources (download these and all other supporting materials by clicking Download Materials at the top of the lesson pages): post them around the room.
    • Performance Task anchor chart (see the Module Overview page to download the Performance Task materials)
    • Module Guiding Questions anchor chart. To make the Module Guiding Questions anchor chart, locate the module guiding questions on the Module Overview page, and write them on chart paper.
    • Optional materials (sticky notes, whiteboards, and dry-erase markers) for Work Time C.
  • Review the Think-Pair-Share and Infer the Topic protocols. You can download the Classroom Protocols document from our Tools page for the full versions of all protocols, which you will use throughout the curriculum.
  • Prepare copies of handouts for students, including the entrance ticket (see Materials list).
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Opening A: Complete the modeling for the Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher with the class in a word-processing document such as a Google Doc.
  • Work Time A: Students complete their Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catchers in a word-processing document such as a Google Doc.
  • Work Time A: Students complete their note-catchers in a word-processing document using text-to-speech facilities activated on devices or using an app or software such as http://eled.org/0143.
  • Work Time B: Create the anchor charts in an online format, such as a Google Doc, to display and share with families.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 6.I.A.1 and 6.I.B.6c.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson explicitly outlines discussion protocols; integrates Goal 1 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation among students; pairs students to collaborate and co-construct ideas; introduces strategies that help students investigate the meanings of unknown words; and validates differences in students' experiences, opinions, and background knowledge.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to infer the topic of the module due to the volume of potentially unfamiliar new language. Encourage students to focus on language that is familiar. Invite students to use the differentiated note-catcher, which scaffolds the Infer the Topic protocol. Celebrate students' ability to make inferences based on the information they are able to comprehend.

Vocabulary

  • infer, notice, respect, wonder (A)
  • mythology (DS)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • N/A
  • N/A

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 1 (for teacher reference)
  • Academic word wall (for display; see Teaching Notes)
  • Domain-specific word wall (for display; see Teaching Notes)
  • Infer the Topic resources (for display)
  • Directions for Infer the Topic (one to display)
  • Performance Task anchor chart (one to display; see the Performance Task download)
  • Module Guiding Questions anchor chart (one to display; see Teaching Notes)
  • Set of equity sticks for the class (popsicle sticks with one student's name on each one)
  • Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (example for teacher reference)
  • Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (one to display)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 1 (one per student)
  • Online or paper dictionary (one per triad)
  • Online or paper translation dictionary (one per ELL in home languages)
  • Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher (one per student)
  • Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher ▲
  • Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (text; one per student)

Assessment

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Download the Performance Task

Opening

Opening

A. Engage the Learner – W.6.10 (5 minutes)

  • As students enter the classroom, distribute Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 1 and allow time for students to record their responses.
  • Turn and Talk:

“Why do we have learning targets? What is the purpose of learning targets?” (To give us a goal; the goal is to be able to say “I can . . . ,” which means that the target has been achieved.)

  • Direct students’ attention to the posted learning target, and select a volunteer to read it aloud:

“I can infer the topic of this module from the resources.”

  • Underline the word infer in the first target.
  • Ask:

“What does infer mean? If you are going to infer the topic, what does that mean?” (When we make an inference, we make a good guess based on the evidence we have seen. Inferring the topic means making a good guess about the topic based on the content of the resources we will look at.)

  • Ensure that students have access to an online or paper translation dictionary. ▲
  • Model using a dictionary to check the preliminary definition of infer.
  • With student support, record the meaning of infer on the academic word wall with translations in students’ home languages (to make a guess based on facts and observations; conclude). Write synonyms or sketch a visual above each key term to scaffold students’ understanding. ▲

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Infer the Topic – RL.6.1 (15 minutes)

  • Focus students on the Infer the Topic resources posted around the room.
  • Distribute the Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher or Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher ▲ Focus students on the question at the top and read it aloud:

“What do you think you will be learning about in this module?”

  • Tell students that the purpose of the note-catcher is to take notes to help them remember their thinking. It isn't something they will hand in for assessment, so they can record in pictures or words. They do not need to write in full sentences.
  • Be transparent about why students are noticing and wondering (because it is a helpful way to understand and explore a new topic or text).
  • Read aloud and ensure students understand the Directions for Infer the Topic. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document located on the Tools Page (http://eled.org/tools) for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Guide students through the protocol. Allow them to choose what resources to observe, so those who may not be able to read independently have the option to view an image. ▲ Mixed-proficiency pairs can choose the resources they want to observe and begin by discussing what the text means. Encourage students to agree or disagree with one another about what the text means using sentence frames. Examples: “I agree because _____.” “I disagree because _____.”
  • Refocus whole group. Think-Pair-Share:

“Now that you have looked at some resources, what do you think this module might be about?” (Responses will vary, but could include: Greek mythology, gods, history, myths.)

“What evidence supports your inference?” (Responses will vary.)

  • Use Goal 1 Conversation Cues to encourage students to expand their ideas.

“Can you say more about that?” (The resources seem to show figures from the past. They are depicted in statues and paintings, rather than in photographs. Some of the images show imaginary creatures. The quotes reference Greek mythology or are from resources that name Greek mythology in the title.)

  • Scan student responses. Make a note of students who might need support, and check in with them moving forward.

For Lighter Support

  • During Work Time A, as a lighter-support alternative to the Infer the Topic: I Notice/I Wonder note-catcher ▲ , distribute a partially completed copy of the undifferentiated note-catcher. With some model answers available as a reference, students will be better able to complete the note-catcher appropriately and within the allotted time.

For Heavier Support

  • To support ELLs’ independent notices and wonderings when launching the text, provide students with scaffolded instructions for locating important information (e.g., main characters) within the text. These instructions could include
    • “Scan the text for character names that you see repeated many times. Remember that names always begin with a capital letter. Who do you think are the three main characters of this book?”; or
    • “Read the chapter titles on the Contents page. Do the titles seem serious? Silly? Strange?”; or
    • “Go to page 1, and find the paragraph that begins ‘My name is Percy Jackson.’ How old is he?”

B. Introduce the Performance Task and the Module Guiding Questions (10 minutes)

  • Tell students that they will now look at a few additional artifacts as they continue to hone their understanding of the module topic.
  • Direct students' attention to the Performance Task anchor chart, and read the task aloud.
  • As students may be overwhelmed by the Performance Task anchor chart, assure them that they will continue to explore the meaning of the chart in subsequent lessons and units.
  • Turn and Talk:

“What do you notice?” (We will write narratives and then explain our choices for our narratives in a multimedia presentation.)

“What do you wonder?” (Responses will vary, but may include: What does multimedia mean?)

“Now that you have analyzed the performance task, has your inference of what this module might be about changed? How?” (Responses will vary.)

  • Clarify anything pertinent to this specific Performance Task. If possible, display a model performance task from a former student. Ask students to make connections between the model and the performance task.
  • Direct students' attention to the Module Guiding Questions anchor chart, and read the questions aloud.
  • Turn and Talk:

“Why do we have guiding questions for each module?” (Responses will vary, but may include: to help focus our learning, to help us think about the performance task.)

  • Underline the word mythology. Turn and Talk:

“What does this mean? What strategy can you use to find out the meaning or confirm that the word means what you think it does?”

  • Use a think-aloud to model making a guess about the word’s meaning based on context, then verifying the initial determination by looking up the word in a dictionary (mythology – the study of a collection of stories featuring traditional figures that explain natural phenomena and convey the values of the culture).
  • Draw students’ attention to the affix -ology as a way to expand word knowledge. Invite them to think of other words that end with the same affix. Tell them that, in Lesson 5, they will learn more about affixes that can be added to roots to change the meaning or part of speech of different words. ▲
  • Add this word to the domain-specific word wall, including translations in home languages. ▲ If students ask about point of view, explain that they will unpack that in a later lesson.
  • Tell students that these are the questions that will guide their thinking and learning throughout the module. Turn and Talk:

“What do you notice?” (Responses will vary, but may include: we will be studying the stories and figures of Greek mythology.)

“What do you wonder?” (Responses will vary, but may include: I wonder what stories we’re going to read? I wonder how Greek mythology pertains to my life?)

“Now that you have analyzed the guiding questions and performance task, has your inference of what this module might be about changed?” (Responses will vary.)

“What evidence did you find to support your inference?” (Responses will vary.)

  • To support ELLs’ comprehension, invite a student to paraphrase the module guiding questions using familiar synonyms. Provide sentence frames to prompt paraphrase construction (e.g., “What is the value of studying other cultures?” could be paraphrased with a question that begins “Why . . .?”). ▲
  • Clarify that this module is about Greek mythology and how it is woven into the fictional text, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.
  • Acknowledge that students may have strong feelings about mythology and religious figures. Tell students that for homework they will reflect on the module guiding questions and how they feel about them based on their personal experiences, and that this will be discussed more at the beginning of the next lesson.

C. Launch the Text: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (10 minutes)

  • Move students into pairs and invite them to label themselves partner A and partner B.
  • Distribute the text, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.
  • Tell students to take 2 minutes to look through the book with a partner and discuss what they notice and wonder about the book, including the cover, synopsis, and chapter titles. Partner B shares a notice or a wonder first, then partner A, then partner B again, and so on.
  • Provide whiteboards and dry-erase markers or sticky notes as an option for students to record (in drawing or writing) their ideas. This helps scaffold active listening for key details.
  • Use equity sticks to select students to share out what they notice and wonder about the book. Listen for suggestions such as:
    • Notice: first book in a series
    • Notice: cover art shows a male main character in the midst of an action sequence
    • Notice: humorous chapter titles
    • Wonder: Percy Jackson is the protagonist but he appears to be in trouble often. Can he be a hero if he is not disciplined and obedient?
  • After spending some time looking through the book, invite students to spend 1 minute reflecting silently. Ask:

“What does what you read or saw in the book make you think about? Why?” (Responses will vary.)

  • After 1 minute, refocus whole group.
  • Tell students that reflections can be very personal based on an individual’s background and previous experiences. Guide students through an intentional Think-Pair-Share, ensuring that partner A and partner B both have think time, both get to say the question aloud to the other, and both have an allocated time to respond and then to discuss to build deeper understanding. Cold call students to share their responses with the whole group:

“Knowing that reflections can be very personal, how do you think we should behave when people share their reflections?” (Responses will vary, but may include: listening without interrupting, not disagreeing with how someone feels as that is personal to them, showing respect and empathy—thinking about how they feel and treating them with care.)

  • Focus students on the Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart. Explain that, as it says at the top of the chart, ethical people are people who treat others well and stand up for what is right.
  • Read aloud the habit of character recorded:

“I show respect. This means I appreciate the abilities, qualities, and achievements of others, and treat myself, others, and the environment with care.”

  • Invite students to Turn and Talk to an elbow partner:

“Using the anchor chart as a guide, what does respect mean in your own words?”

“What does respect look like? What might you see when someone is showing respect to someone else?”

“What does respect sound like? What might you hear when someone is showing respect to someone else?”

  • See Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (example for teacher reference).
  • If helpful, provide some visual examples of showing respect and empathy. These can be images or short videos. ▲
  • Tell students they will now have the opportunity to share their reflections, if they would like to, with the whole group. Remind students to respond with respect as necessary.
  • Invite volunteers to share their reflections with the whole group. Be prepared to discuss any issues students feel they need to discuss further.

Closing & Assessments

Closing

A. Reflect on Learning Targets (5 minutes)

  • Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the learning target, using a checking for understanding technique--for example, Thumb-O-Meter.
    • Thumb-O-Meter:
      • Tell students they are going to use the Thumb-O-Meter strategy to reflect on their comfort level or readiness on the learning target.
      • When prompted to reflect on the learning target, students show their comfort level with it by holding their thumb up, down, or sideways. By holding their thumb sideways, they are indicating they will need some support. By holding their thumb down, they are indicating they feel uncomfortable with the learning target.
      • Use students' self-assessment to adjust instruction, and check in with students showing a thumb-down or thumb-sideways.
  • Scan student responses, and make a note of students who might need support. Check in with them moving forward.

Homework

Homework

A. Read and Reflect

  • Students read and reflect on the module guiding questions and discuss them with their families. Students should consider how the guiding questions make them feel. They may sketch or write about their ideas.

B. Preread Anchor Text

  • Students should preread chapter 1 in The Lightning Thief in preparation for studying an excerpt from the chapter in the next lesson.

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