Brief Description

Middle school students read a fable and demonstrate comprehension and higher level thinking by performing the following tasks.  Students determine two main characters of the story and compare and contrast their individual personality traits. Students then produce a visual representation of those similarities and differences by developing a Venn diagram, a graphic organizer and/or an excel spreadsheet.  Students then examine up to three events in the story and decide if those events could have actually happened or not and defend why.  Finally, students write an alternative ending to the story and rate which ending is best before putting all their information in a word processing summary.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

• 3T-F1/3T-E1 Use prescribed technology writing or drawing tools for communicating and illustrating.
• 3T-F2/3T-E2 Use prescribed technology tools for data collection and basic analysis.
• 3T-F3 Use prescribed technology tools for publishing and presenting information.

• RE-3 Students analyze selections of fiction, nonfiction/poetry by identifying plot line, distinguishing main characters, describing relationships between characters, making inferences about events, settings and meaning of selection.
• WE-1 Students use correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization grammar and usage, along with varied sentence structure and paragraph organization to complete effectively a variety of writing tasks.
• LS-FS-3 Students prepare and deliver information by generating topics, identifying the audience, organizing ideas, facts or opinions for a variety of speaking purposes such as giving directions, relating personal experiences, telling stories or presenting reports.

Academic

• Students will read and comprehend on a variety of levels a fable.
• Students will identify the two main characters and classify their roles.
• Students will compare and contrast personal qualities (characteristics) of the two individuals that they chose.
• Students will produce a visual demonstration of similarities/differences they developed will comparing and contrasting main characters.
• Students will discuss relationships of activities in fable and decide if events could have really happened and explain why or why not.
• Students will assess the ending of the fable and construct an alternative ending to the story.
• Students will prepare a written summary.

• Students will accurately type in and locate a number of URL addresses.
• Students will use word processing skills including copy, paste, editing, tabs, margins, and etc. to create and revise a document.
• Students will use technology options to collect and record data and to produce a visual presentation-either a Venn diagram, graphic organizer, web from Inspiration or Excel spreadsheet.
• Students will use word processing to create a written summary, will save it to their working floppy disc and will send it to the instructor.

• Students are comfortable with keyboarding.
• Students have been exposed to working on and from their floppy discs.
• Students have been taught and have practiced working with Excel spreadsheets and graphs.
• Students have practiced word processing and editing tools.

• Computer with Internet.
• Excel capabilities.
• Floppy disc (optional, but good to save their work).
• Examples of Venn diagrams, graphic organizers.
• Inspiration.

• http://www.pacificnet.net/~johnr/aesop/
• http://www.venndiagram.com/ creating Venn diagrams
• http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/svenn.htm  Venn example
• http://teachers.teach-nology.com/web_tools/graphic_org/venn_diagrams/  generating Venn diagrams
• http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/scomp.htm  compare/contrast graphic organizer example/create
• http://wwwfac.worcester.edu/owl/teacher/writing_summaries.htm
• http://www.english.udel.edu/wc/handouts/writing_summaries.html
• http://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/standsum/pop2j.cfm

• All of the students that I work with and that this lesson was designed for are special needs children. Certainly an intervention and/or adaptation for more involved students might be to allow them to use pictures to present their summaries.  They are also provided with the Venn Diagrams and may list and discuss fewer characteristics, write shorter summaries and have additional time as needed.  The SEI, SLD and some of MIMR students were provided with ready made Venn diagrams and graphic organizers and were given the choice of describing characters from a movie if the reading levels were a bit too difficult for them.  The more advanced students were asked to produce both an Excel spreadsheet and a Venn diagram or graphic organizer.

• Students select a fable to read from http://www.pacificnet.net/~johnr/aesop/ Aesop fable site.
• Students identify at least two main characters and their prominent roles in the story.
• Students formulate lists of characteristics/traits of each individual.
• Students take their lists of similarities and differences and develop a visual representation comparing and contrasting the individuals.  Students are provided with information on Venn diagrams, graphic organizers, excel spreadsheets and webs on Inspiration.  Students may select which form they will use.
• The following sites are available to the students throughout the lesson

http://www.venndiagram.com/ creating Venn diagrams
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/svenn.htm Venn example
http://teachers.teach-nology.com/web_tools/graphic_org/venn_diagrams/  generating Venn diagrams
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/scomp.htm  compare/contrast graphic organizer example/create
• Students select at least three events/activities from the story and distinguish which could have actually happened and discuss why or why not.
• Students produce at least one alternative ending to the story and defend which one is better.
• The students write a summary of similarities/differences of characters, discussion of events with justification of which could and could not have actually happened and presentation of alternative ending.  Information on writing summaries is provided to them through the following sites as needed

http://wwwfac.worcester.edu/owl/teacher/writing_summaries.htm
http://www.english.udel.edu/wc/handouts/writing_summaries.html
http://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/standsum/pop2j.cfm
• Students save their work to their working floppy disc and send a copy to the instructor.
• Students present their completed work to the class.

The students were provided with the rubric so they were aware of the criterion levels in assessing their work.  In addition a number of questions were provided to prompt higher-level thinking and to keep them on track.

1. Did I distinguish between characters?
2. Did I show similarities/differences (compare/contrast) that exist between the characters?
3. Did I explain which events could and could not have happened and discuss why or why not?
4. Did I create a new ending for the story?
5. Did I rate which ending is better?
6. Did I discuss the overall theme of the reading?

Teacher Name: Gerri Beth Borga
Site: Amphi Middle School
Date Submitted: November 19, 2003