Lessons from Anansi the Spider

Explain why people in West Africa tell folktales about Spider by making inferences about key details that support the central message of a story.

The Adventures of Spider — Introduction

Standards

RL.2.1RL.2.2

Describe Spider by describing how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

The Adventures of Spider — "How Spider Got a Thin Waist"

Standards

L.2.6RL.2.2RL.2.3

Recount “How Spider Got a Thin Waist” and determine the central message or lesson.

The Adventures of Spider — "How Spider Got a Thin Waist"

Standards

RL.2.2SL.2.1SL.2.2SL.2.4

Describe Spider by describing how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

The Adventures of Spider — "Why Spider Lives in Ceilings"

Standards

L.2.6RL.2.2RL.2.3

Retell “Why Spider Lives in Ceilings” and determine the central message or lesson.

The Adventures of Spider — "Why Spider Lives in Ceilings"

Standards

RL.2.2RL.2.5RL.2.9SL.2.1SL.2.2SL.2.4

Writing

Construct better and more informative sentences by using question words to add more details.

The Adventures of Spider

Standards

L.2.1.eL.2.1.f

Explain if Spider had been helpful or not by explaining how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

The Adventures of Spider — "How Spider Got a Bald Head"

Standards

L.2.6RL.2.2RL.2.3RL.2.9

Retell “How Spider Got a Bald Head” and determine the central message or lesson.

The Adventures of Spider — “How Spider Got a Bald Head”
Teacher-created materials — Props or picture clues to help retell the story

Standards

RL.2.2RL.2.5RL.2.9SL.2.1SL.2.2SL.2.4

Describe Spider by describing how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

The Adventures of Spider — "How Spider Helped a Fisherman"

Standards

L.2.6RL.2.2RL.2.3RL.2.9

Retell “How Spider Helped a Fisherman” and determine the central message or lesson.

The Adventures of Spider — “How Spider Helped a Fisherman”

Standards

RL.2.2RL.2.5RL.2.9SL.2.1SL.2.2SL.2.4

Explain what lesson Spider learned and how he learned it by recounting stories and determining their central lesson.

The Adventures of Spider — “Why Spiders Live in Dark Corners”

Standards

L.2.6RL.2.2RL.2.3RL.2.9

Retell “Why Spiders Live in Dark Corners” including the central message or lesson.

The Adventures of Spider — “Why Spiders Live in Dark Corners”
Teacher-created materials — Props or picture clues for student retells (optional)

Standards

RL.2.2RL.2.5RL.2.9SL.2.1SL.2.2SL.2.4

Writing

Construct better and more informative sentences by using question words to add more details.

The Adventures of Spider

Standards

L.2.1.eL.2.1.f

Explain why Spider decided to throw the pot on the ground by describing how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

The Adventures of Spider — "How the World Got Wisdom"

Standards

L.2.6RL.2.2RL.2.3RL.2.9

Retell “How the World Got Wisdom” and determine the central message or lesson.

The Adventures of Spider — "How the World Got Wisdom"

Standards

RL.2.2RL.2.5SL.2.1SL.2.2SL.2.4

Argue if Spider has more positive or negative traits by defending claims or opinions to content-related questions.

The Adventures of Spider

Standards

L.2.6RL.2.3RL.2.9SL.2.1SL.2.2W.2.1

3 days

Perform a reader’s theater version of Anansi by reading with sufficient accuracy and fluency.

Anansi's Feast

Standards

RF.2.3RF.2.4RL.2.4SL.2.4

Narrative Writing

4 days

Write a trickster tale featuring Spider that includes details about a beginning, middle, and end.

Standards

L.2.2.cL.2.6W.2.3W.2.5