3rd-grade Lesson Plans

Lesson Title: Paul Bunyan: A Tall Tale Full of Hyperbole and Similes

Created and Submitted by: Yvette Hernandez
School Name: Thomas Carter Nye Elementary School
District: United Independent School District
Role: School Librarian

Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Lesson Plan Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. identify characteristics of a tall tale.
2. define a hyperbole and a simile and be able to give examples.
3. create a composition.

ELA-R TEKS:
110.14. (5) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre.
(A) paraphrase the themes and supporting details of fables, legends, myths, or stories.

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner Indicators:
1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
1.2.3 Demonstrate creativity by using multiple resources and formats.
2.1.5 Collaborate with others to exchange ideas, develop new understandings, make decisions, and solve problems.

Classroom Teacher – School Librarian(s) Collaboration:
• The librarian leads the discussion of the characteristics of a tall tale and asks students to recall any other stories that have the characteristics of a tall tale. Define what makes it a tall tale.
• The classroom teacher defines a few vocabulary words such as hyperbole, simile, metaphor and legend.
• The librarian reads Paul Bunyan Tale retold by Bill Balcziak.
• The teacher shows a video “Folktales from around the World:  Paul Bunyan” (United States 11:21) available from http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com.
• The classroom teacher and the librarian will create Penzu accounts for the students to work on their expository composition.

Measurable Outcome or Final Product: The students create their own expository composition using their Penzu accounts.  In their expository composition, they cite evidence of their understanding of story elements and literary devices used in the tall tale genre.

Assessment Tool:  4th Grade Writing Spring 2012 Expository Scoring Guide - http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/writing

Resources:

• Paul Bunyan (Tall Tales) retold by Bill Balcziak (Compass Point Books 2003)
• “Folktales from around the World:  Paul Bunyan” (11:21): http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com 
• Penzu.com accounts
• 4th Grade Writing Spring 2012 Expository Scoring Guide: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/writing

Estimated Lesson Time: 55 minutes

Instructional Plan Outline:

Preparation
• Each student will be given a laptop to type their expository composition or use the computer lab.
• The classroom teacher and the librarian will create the students’ Penzu accounts.
• The classroom teacher and the librarian will demonstrate how to use Penzu to write their expository composition.
• The classroom teacher and the librarian will demonstrate how to write an expository composition using the story that was read and viewed.
• Prompt: Explain at least three examples of how Paul Bunyan deals with obstacles and comes up with different solutions for these challenges. Make sure to reference hyperboles and similes within this composition.

Motivation:
1. The classroom teacher and the librarian review the characteristics of a tall tale. They review the terms hyperbole and simile.
2. The classroom teacher makes a few statements. The students raise their hands if they know if the statement is a hyperbole or not. Example:  “I am so hungry I could eat a horse.” “I have a ton of homework.”
3. While the students are working on the statements with the teacher, the librarian draws two pancakes and two slices of bacon on the white board.
4. The librarian asks, “How can we change this drawing to make it into a hyperbole?”
5. The librarian records students’ ideas on the whiteboard.
6. The teacher selects one student to come to the white board and illustrate one of the ideas that exaggerates the drawing.
7. The librarian asks students if they would be able to eat all that for breakfast. The teacher explains how that would not be able to happen in real life.

Presentation:
8. The librarian reads Paul Bunyan retold by Bill Balcziak.
9. Students will view “Folktales from around the World:  Paul Bunyan” (11:21): http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com.
10. Teacher and librarian will first ask students questions about what a tall tale means and see if the students can give examples.
11. Educators lead a discussion of the characteristics of a tall tale.
12. Students list examples of hyperboles and similes based on the video while educators record them on the whiteboard.
13. The teacher will model an example of an expository composition. Have students give the teacher and librarian suggestions of the three main points they wish to write about.
14. Students will write their own expository composition, which entails characteristics of a tall tale, hyperboles, and similes, on their Penzu accounts.
15. Students will then pair off and peer tutor each other expository composition.

Guided Practice:
16. Educators monitor while students work to complete their expository composition and then work on their oral presentations once they have finished their expository composition.

Closure:
17. Discuss the characteristics of a tall tale and have students give examples of each characteristic to make sure they met that objective.
18. The classroom teacher will summarize the literary terms.

Assessment:
19. The classroom teacher and school librarian will use the 4th Grade Writing Spring 2012 Expository Scoring Guide to assess the students’ work. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/writing

Extension:
20. Students can read another tall tale and explain which characteristics of a tall tale were used by responding in their Penzu accounts.

Lesson Plan Resource

ELAR_3_5_A_Hernandez_TEKS_Alignment_Lesson_Plan.pdf