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A Lesson on Learn about Fables Export Lesson as PDF | Save As Favorite

A Lesson on Learn about Fables Grade: Grade 4
Subject: English Language Arts
Created by: Allison Midden
Lesson Length: 1 hour
Keywords/Tags: fable, wise, moral, foolish, soars, generous
Lesson Description: Students will discover the basics of what a fable is and an opportunity to write a simple one themselves.
Common Core Standards Covered with This Lesson
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4a: Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4c: Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1a: Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.3a: Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
 
     
     
 
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.

Learn about Fables

A fable is a story. A wise author would write the fable to tell a lesson. Long ago, people wrote many fables. They wrote them to help other people learn. For example, the tortoise and the hare is a fable. That fable tells people it is not wise to show off. It is wise to work hard.

Most fables have animals in them. The animals talk. Of course in real life an animal can’t talk. But in the fables they do. The animals often do foolish things. For example, in one fable there is a crow. It wants to get a delicious fruit. It takes it from a garden. And it gets it. But then as the crow soars it shows off. It opens its mouth to shout, “Look, I got the best fruit.” But of course the crow loses the fruit. It falls out of its mouth because it opened its mouth to shout.

Fables have a moral. A moral is the lesson it teaches. The fable about the crow makes an important point. It tells you that people should be careful. It tells you that the crow was foolish.

There is another fable about the ant and the grasshopper. The grasshopper played all summer while the ant toiled. The ant got ready for winter. The ant was a hard worker. It dug a hole to stay in during winter. It carried food to that hole . When winter came, the ant was able to live. The grasshopper did not have any food. It had no place to stay. Winter was a great challenge for the grasshopper. It asked the ant for help. The ant was generous. The ant did help the grasshopper. The grasshopper learned a lesson. So did everyone who read the fable.

 
     
     
 
Task 1: Vocabulary Activity (30 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: wise | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q1 In the story the author says,"A wise author would write the fable to tell a lesson." What does "wise" mean in the sentence?
A. Pretending to know something. *
B. Having or showing knowledge or experience
C. Being foolish
D. To be very old.

Pick the best sentence below that uses the word "wise" correctly.
A. I don't want to be wise when I grow up because then people won't like me.
B. My baby sisiter is the wisest person I know.
C. It would be wise to dive into a pool with no water.
D. I would rather ask a wise person a question rather than someone who knows very little. *

Word/Phrase: soars | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q2 In the story the author says, "But then as the crow soars it shows off." What does the word "soars" mean in the sentence?
A. To fly high or rise in the air. *
B. To move slowly.
C. To be impatient.
D. To make people laugh.

Chose the correct sentence bellow using the word "soars".
A. As the catepillar soars on the leaf he becomes very full.
B. The elephant was soaring through the jungle.
C. I was waving at the plane as I saw it soar through the air. *
D. But when the girl soars they are late for the meeting.

Word/Phrase: Foolish | Tier: 3 | Points: 5
Q3 In the story the author says, "The animals often do foolish things." What does the word "foolish" mean in the sentence?
A. To dress nicely
B. Being lost
C. Not using good sense. *
D. To be clumsy.

Please pick the correct sentence using the word "foolish".
A. I was foolish when I got an
B. I did some foolish things when I was young and stupid. *
C. The police officer was foolish when he stopped the man for speeding.
D. My cat is so foolish when it licks my face.

Word/Phrase: Generous | Tier: 2 | Points: 5
Q4 In the story the author says, "The ant was generous." What does the word "generous" mean in the sentence?
A. Giving and friendly *
B. In a hurry
C. Sad and lonely
D. Silly

Pick the sentence correctly using the word "generous".
A. My sister is always very generous when she wakes up in the morning.
B. When I feel generous I like to be alone.
C. Mom was very generous when she told me she wouldn't drive to to the movies.
D. Thank you for your generous complement. *

Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4c, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.3a, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.4,
 
     
     
 
Task 2: Discussion Activity (35 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

Message Generous ant
What lesson did we learn when the ant gave the catepillar food.
Sent on: Feb 18, 2014 by: Allison Midden
0

Message Talking animals
Why would authors use animals who talk in their stories?
Sent on: Feb 18, 2014 by: Allison Midden
0

Message Mistakes
Do you think fables would teach us a lesson if the characters never made any mistakes? Please explain your answer.
Sent on: Feb 18, 2014 by: Allison Midden
0

Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4a, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1a,
 
     
     
 
Task 3: Writing Activity (35 points)
Instructions: You are to write and post here a fable of your own. Remember that you can use animals for your story and that they can talk to one another. Be sure to include a moral of the story.
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5,
 
     

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