Curriculum / ELA / 2nd Grade / Alternate Unit 3: Lessons from Anansi the Spider / Lesson 1
ELA
Alternate Unit 3
2nd Grade
Lesson 1 of 19
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Explain why people in West Africa tell folktales about Spider by making inferences about key details that support the central message of a story.
Book: The Adventures of Spider: West African Folktales by Joyce Cooper Arkhurst — Introduction
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Tasks that represents the peak thinking of the lesson - mastery will indicate whether or not objective was achieved
How does the author show that storytelling was an important part of some West African communities?
An example response to the Target Task at the level of detail expected of the students.
Questions about the text that will help guide the students understanding
What is one reason people love to listen to stories?
Describe the setting. What is happening? Would you want to be a part of this? Why or why not?
Describe Spider. Why did people tell stories about Spider in West Africa?
Model fluent reading: “As we read these stories, we are the storytellers. It is important we do our best to sound like storytellers as we read. I want you to notice how I read with expression in this part of the text. How do I use my voice to help you understand that I am a storyteller?”
Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text
clever
adj.
smart in a tricky way
mischievous
likes to cause trouble (in a playful way)
Suggestions for teachers to help them teach this lesson
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RL.2.1 — Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
RL.2.2 — Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
RL.2.10 — By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2—3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
SL.2.1 — Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
SL.2.2 — Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
Lesson 2
RL.2.1 RL.2.2
Describe Spider by describing how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
L.2.6 RL.2.2 RL.2.3
Discussion & Writing
Recount “How Spider Got a Thin Waist” and determine the central message or lesson.
RL.2.2 SL.2.1 SL.2.2 SL.2.4
Retell “Why Spider Lives in Ceilings” and determine the central message or lesson.
RL.2.2 RL.2.5 RL.2.9 SL.2.1 SL.2.2 SL.2.4
Writing
Construct better and more informative sentences by using question words to add more details.
L.2.1.e L.2.1.f
Explain if Spider had been helpful or not by explaining how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
L.2.6 RL.2.2 RL.2.3 RL.2.9
Retell “How Spider Got a Bald Head” and determine the central message or lesson.
Retell “How Spider Helped a Fisherman” and determine the central message or lesson.
Explain what lesson Spider learned and how he learned it by recounting stories and determining their central lesson.
Retell “Why Spiders Live in Dark Corners” including the central message or lesson.
Explain why Spider decided to throw the pot on the ground by describing how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
Retell “How the World Got Wisdom” and determine the central message or lesson.
RL.2.2 RL.2.5 SL.2.1 SL.2.2 SL.2.4
Argue if Spider has more positive or negative traits by defending claims or opinions to content-related questions.
L.2.6 RL.2.3 RL.2.9 SL.2.1 SL.2.2 W.2.1
3 days
Perform a reader’s theater version of Anansi by reading with sufficient accuracy and fluency.
RF.2.3 RF.2.4 RL.2.4 SL.2.4
Narrative Writing – 4 days
Write a trickster tale featuring Spider that includes details about a beginning, middle, and end.
L.2.2.c L.2.6 W.2.3 W.2.5
Assessment
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