Reading
Lesson Plan


Myths and Legends

Learning Objective:
 Identify definitive features of two different literary forms (journals and fables).

Teacher Directions:
Ed’s journals can be described as a personal narrative. Personal narratives:

  • are about a real event
  • are told in narrative form
  • are told by a participant using the word “I”
  • include descriptions of the writer’s feelings
  • include detailed descriptions of events, people and places to help the reader feel as if they were there

Traditional folk tales, myths and legends have some similarities to personal narratives:

1. They are written in narrative form.
2. They include descriptions of events, people, and places.

However, they also:

  • blend reality and fantasy
  • have events happening very quickly with little explanation
  • have characters with incredible abilities
  • will often be an attempt to explain a natural event or belief
  • have characters being rewarded or punished based on their actions
  • will often have symbols that represent important ideas
  • will often have a “moral to the story”

Let’s compare one or more of Ed’s journals (personal narratives) to one or more folk tales. The following Web site has lots of folk tales from around the world to choose from:

Absolutely Whootie

Use the Venn* diagram for the comparison. In the left circle, write specific characteristics or elements of Ed’s journals that you would not find in the folk tales. Give examples. In the right circle, write characteristics of folk tales that you would not find in Ed’s journals. Give examples. In the center area where the two circles overlap, write shared characteristics or elements and list the examples.

Resources:
All Journals (listed in Reading Trails)
Absolutely Whootie

Activity Sheet:
Venn*

Assessment:
Use the Comprehension section of the Reading Assessment* sheet.

* pdf document (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, available free from Adobe)

Close this window