Grade: Grade 2 Subject: English Language Arts Created by: Krystle Bertoncini Lesson Length: 1 hour Keywords/Tags: reading folktale firefly moon Lesson Description: This lesson uses a folktale to go through word meanings, it gives the students the opportunity to evaluate the meaning of words using a passage. The goal is to help students strengthen their understanding of folktales and help them to infer information from reading.
Common Core Standards Covered with This Lesson
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.4: Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.7: Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.2.1: Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.3: Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.5: With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.
Lesson Content: Reading
Instructions: Please read the following reading passage as many times as needed (aloud and silent) before starting to go through other lesson pages. Understanding the content of this passage is very important since the lesson activities will be all about this content. Feel free to print the passage if needed.
How the Firefly Got Its Light
This is a story based on an old folktale.
This is a story about long ago. There was a little fly. It wanted to be special. The fly was sad. It did not feel special. It looked at the bee and thought it was great. “Look at how big it is. Hear it buzz.” It looked at the butterfly and said, “See how pretty. Look at the colors. Look at the big wings. I am just like all the other flies.”
The fly stayed awake one night. It was worried. It was sad. All the other flies were sleeping. A moth was awake. So was a mouse. They did not notice the fly. It was too small. It was hard to see in the dark.
The fly saw the stars. They were shining. “I want to shine like that. That would be special.”
The moon heard the fly. The moon said, “Little fly. You can help me. If you do, I will help you. I will make you shine.”
“How can I help?”
The moon said, “You can be my friend. I am lonely at night. I come out when it is dark. Most animals are asleep. If you stay awake every night I will help you shine. Then you can be my friend.”
“Yes, yes,” the fly said. So the moon helped it. The moon told the fly the secret. The moon told the fly how to shine.
The next night, the fly stayed awake. It used the secret. It was shining. On, off, it made its body light. It looked like magic.
“Look,” said the mouse. “Look at that fly. How special.” The mouse said, I’d like to shine, too.” His mother said, “NO! That would be dangerous. You know we need to be able to hide.”
The fly was very glad. The fly told the moon, “I will always be your friend. When you come out at night, I will be here. I will shine my light to welcome you.” Then the fly went to sleep. “Finally. Now I have what I need.”
Task 1: Vocabulary Activity
(40 points)
Instructions: Please complete the following vocabulary activity by choosing the correct meaning of each word selected from the passage and use of each word correctly in a sentence.
Vocabulary Questions
Word/Phrase: Help | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q1
The moon said, “Little fly. You can help me. If you do, I will help you". What does the word "help" mean?
A. To make easier for someone or something. *
B. To be differently colored than other bugs.
C. Something that is unknown to others.
D. To follow through with task
What sentence correctly uses the word "help"?
A. The girl helped me by stealing my eraser.
B. Could you please pass the help?
C. I helped a friend complete her reading. *
D. Why did the help go?
Word/Phrase: Special | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q2
In the story the fly feels that he is like all the other flies, he wants to be special, what does the word "special" mean?
A. To be like all the other flies.
B. To have large wings and buzz.
C. To be different from others. *
D. To fly around making buzzing sounds.
After reading the story, what sentence correctly uses the word "special"?
A. Every fly was special because they had the same wings.
B. The fly was special because he was different from the other flies. *
C. What color is special?
D. There was a special on last night.
Word/Phrase: Folktale | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q3
There are different types of stories, the story of the firefly is called a folktale, what does the word "folktale" mean?
A. A story that is told on the internet by the news.
B. A type of unique animal.
C. A book that is the library.
D. A story that is fictional, but is told to teach lessons of deeper meaning. *
What sentence correctly uses the word "folktale"?
A. I heard a folktale today about a fairy today. *
B. I cant find my folktale anywhere!
C. What color is my folktale?
D. When can we see the folktale at the zoo?
Word/Phrase: Shining | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q4
"It was shining. On, off, it made its body light. It looked like magic" What does the word "shining" mean in this sentence?
A. To be dim and dull.
B. Glow or be bright light. *
C. The color yellow.
D. A magical body.
Choose the correct us of "shining".
A. The cat was shining under the car.
B. There was a cookie shining in the park.
C. The moon was shining bright this evening. *
D. I'm shining dinner tonight.
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.7,
Task 2: Discussion Activity
(30 points)
Instructions: This discussion forum will have questions for students to respond. Read the posted questions, and respond to each. Students are responsible for posting one initial and and two peer responses for each topic.
Topic Title
Replies
What makes you feel special?
In the story, the word special is used several times, why does the fly want to feel special? What else does the fly feel when it does not feel special? Is there a time that you felt special or unspecial? How did you feel during those times?
Sent on: Feb 19, 2018 by: Krystle Bertoncini
0
Exploration of the purpose folktales.
What is the meaning of this folktale? Does it teach a lesson? Why do they refer to the moon?
Sent on: Feb 19, 2018 by: Krystle Bertoncini
0
The importance of friendship.
Why do you think the moon was lonely? Do you think friends should help each other? Why is it important to build friendships?
Sent on: Feb 19, 2018 by: Krystle Bertoncini
0
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.2.1,
Task 3: Writing Activity
(30 points)
Instructions: Think about the firefly and the moon and using the vocabulary from this lesson. Write a short story about how you and a friend were able to help each other just as the fly and the moon did. Think of how the fly felt throughout the story. Did you have similar feelings before a friend helped you?
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.5,
