Lesson Plan Design Template

Literacy Minilesson

Objective
Students will learn the style and format of a fable and write one on their own.

Connected Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.9
Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on their
approaches to similar themes and topics.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,
descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Before the lesson:

The 5th graders have been learning about and writing fiction in different genre types. They will
write their own fable in workshop today. They will place their writers notebook and pencil at
their table seat and then sit in theatre style on the carpet carrying nothing.

Mini Lesson Plan:

Connection You have been working on writing in different fictional genres. Today, we will
be working together to write fables. Has anyone heard of a fable? Does anyone
want to tell me what a fable might be? Today we will practice writing a moral.

Teach Who is the moral for, anyway?

I will read you a fable and then tell you the moral. Then we will try to come up
with morals for the short fables I read to you.

THE ANT AND THE DOVE

A Dove saw an Ant fall into a brook. The Ant struggled in vain to reach the
bank, and in pity, the Dove dropped a blade of straw close beside it. Clinging to
the straw like a shipwrecked sailor to a broken spar, the Ant floated safely to
shore.

Soon after, the Ant saw a man getting ready to kill the Dove with a stone. But
just as he cast the stone, the Ant stung him in the heel, so that the pain made him
miss his aim, and the startled Dove flew to safety in a distant wood.

A kindness is never wasted.

or
Even a small friend can be powerful.
Or
Help can come when you least expect it.
Or
 Someone might have allies even if they look alone.

(act out me thinking about what the lesson might be, or other options for lesson.
Discuss which character these morals might be for.)

So, the moral is the lesson of this story. These stories are short and designed to
teach us something. Now I will read two more fables to you and you and your
partners will practice coming up with the morals for yourself. As you can see, if
you look at the story from different points of view, the moral can be different.

Active Read:
Practice
THE FOX AND THE STORK
The Fox one day thought of a plan to amuse himself at the expense of the Stork,
at whose odd appearance he was always laughing.

“You must come and dine with me today,” he said to the Stork, smiling to
himself at the trick he was going to play. The Stork gladly accepted the
invitation and arrived in good time and with a very good appetite.

For dinner the Fox served soup. But it was set out in a very shallow dish, and all
the Stork could do was to wet the very tip of his bill. Not a drop of soup could he
get. But the Fox lapped it up easily, and, to increase the disappointment of the
Stork, made a great show of enjoyment.

The hungry Stork was much displeased at the trick, but he was a calm, even-
tempered fellow and saw no good in flying into a rage. Instead, not long
afterward, he invited the Fox to dine with him in turn. The Fox arrived promptly
at the time that had been set, and the Stork served a fish dinner that had a very
appetizing smell. But it was served in a tall jar with a very narrow neck. The
Stork could easily get at the food with his long bill, but all the Fox could do was
to lick the outside of the jar, and sniff at the delicious odor.

Turn and talk to your partner about what the moral could be.
Give time to talk and then share out, checking to see if anyone had different
ideas.
Guiding question: does anyone have a moral from the point of view of the
“stork” (or fox, depending on the answers.)

Read:
THE ROOSTERS AND THE EAGLE
Once there were two roosters living in the same farmyard who could not bear the
sight of each other. At last one day they flew up to fight it out, beak and claw.
They fought until one of them was beaten and crawled off to a corner to hide.

The Rooster that had won the battle flew to the top of the hen-house, and,
 proudly flapping his wings, crowed with all his might to tell the world about his
victory. But an Eagle, circling overhead, heard the boasting rooster and,
swooping down, carried him off to his nest.

His rival saw the deed, and coming out of his corner, took his place as master of
the farmyard.

Turn and talk to your partner about what the moral could be.
Give time to talk and then share out, checking to see if anyone had different
ideas.
Guiding question: Does anyone have a moral from the point of view of the
“eagle” (or other rooster, depending on the answers.)

Link Today, we gained some experience with fables, and practiced finding the moral
of the story. We are going to practice fable writing today, and remember,
sometimes different morals can be found from a certain point of view.

After the lesson: (3 part lesson)

1. We will make a smartboard list of elements of a fable story (review)

2. Students will do a quick write of a fable. (4 minutes)
a. They will share out afterward
b. Afterward they will transition into writing time, where they can write another
fable, or continue their other story. “PROMPT: As we learned when we worked
with fairy tales, the elements of a fable can be played with. Feel free to write a
deconstructed fable like you did with fairy tales, if you like.”

Assessment
I will see which students decided to write more than 4 minutes of a fable. I will also hear their
quick writes and read them in their notebooks after class.

Classroom Arrangement & Management & Materials Issues

1. Transitions: Students will sit theatre style on the carpet for the minilesson. They will
have their writing notebooks and a pencil at their table seats.

2. Seating: Students will sit in self directed rows in theatre style. They have assigned table
seats.

3. Materials: Writers notebooks, pencils.

4. Expectations: Begin lesson by stating all eyes and ears on me. Use quieting signals when
necessary.
 5. Individual management concerns:

Accommodations and Differentiation

You may consider modifying any combination of: space, seating, timing, materials/tools, texts,
modes of participation, grouping, objective, and assessment.

1. Stumbling blocks:

2. Finishing Early: Ask them to find a moral from a different point of view.