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A Lesson on How the Firefly Got Its Light	Export Lesson as PDF \| Save As Favorite

	Grade: Grade 3 Subject: English Language Arts Created by: Aja Galioto Lesson Length: 1 hour Keywords/Tags: Reading, writing, firefly Lesson Description: The goal of this lesson is to provide reading and writing skills that give students the knowledge and ability to comprehend multiple aspects of a passage and use context clues to interpret it. By carefully reading and thinking about what the passage is saying, the students will be able to identify how the firefly got it's light and everything that happened along the way.
Common Core Standards Covered with This Lesson CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.3: Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1b: Provide reasons that support the opinion. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4a: Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

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 2: Discussion Activity (25 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

	Why is the moon lonely? Why did the moon tell the fly he didn't have any friends? What about the moon makes it hard for him to make friends? What is everyone else doing when the moon is awake? Sent on: Oct 10, 2016 by: Aja Galioto	0

	Why do the mice need to hide? “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.” Why do you think the mice need to hide? What or who would the mice need to hide from? Is shining dangerous for the fly, like it would be for the mice? Sent on: Oct 10, 2016 by: Aja Galioto	0

	Why does the fly have everything he needs? "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.” When the fly says, "now I have what I need," what do you think he is talking about? How is this sentence like the beginning of the story? How did the fly change in the story? Sent on: Oct 10, 2016 by: Aja Galioto	0

Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.1,

Task 3: Writing Activity (35 points)
Instructions: Write at least 5 sentences about why the fly didn't think he was special at the beginning of the story. Make sure you use examples from the passage!

Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1b,

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