the tortoise and the hare the lion and the mouse …€¦ · *select the appropriate text to meet...

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Level N/30 Level J/18

Genre Workshop titles are designed to accommodate a combination of whole- and small-group instruction.Use the suggested timetable below to help you manage your 90-minute literacy block. You may also conductthe entire lesson within small-group reading time by adjusting the length of time needed per group.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Days 6–15

Whole Group(25 minutes)

Prepareto Read

Before Reading Before Reading Before Reading Before Reading Write a fable.

Use thetimetableand dailysuggestionsprovided.

Small Group #1*(15 minutes)

Read “The Tortoiseand the Hare”

Read “The Lionand the Mouse”

Read “The Ant andthe Grasshopper”

Reread “The Antand theGrasshopper”











Whole Group(20 minutes)

After Reading After Reading After Reading After Reading

*Select the appropriate text to meet the range of needs and reading levels of your students.

While you are meeting with small groups, other students can do the following:• Reread the text with a partner to practice fluency or read independently from your classroom library• Reflect on their learning in reading response journals• Engage in literacy workstations or meet with literature circles/discussion groups

B E N C H M A R K E D U C A T I O N C O M P A N Y

Reading Objectives• Comprehension: Analyze character;

Make judgments• Tier Two Vocabulary: See book’s Glossary• Word study: Synonyms• Analyze the genre• Respond to and interpret texts• Make text-to-text connections• Fluency: Read with dramatic expressionWriting Objectives• Writer’s tools: Personification• Write a fable using

writing-process stepsRelated Resources• Comprehension Question Cards• Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart• Using Genre Models to Teach Writing• Town Mouse and Country Mouse;Belling the Cat; The Dog and the Wolf(Levels P/38 and K/20)

The Tortoise and the Hare

The Lion and the Mouse

The Ant and the Grasshopper

TEACHER’S GUIDE: FABLES

Y04775_TG.qxd:RulesatSchool 2/24/11 2:11 PM

• Post this chart in your classroom during your fablesunit. Say: As we read fables this week, we will comeback to this anchor chart. We will look for how thesefeatures appear in each fable we read.

• Ask students to turn to pages 4–5. Say: The fables inthis book are based on stories by Aesop. Let’s readabout Aesop.

• Have a student read aloud the biographicalinformation while others follow along.

• Say: Aesop first told these fables more than 2,000years ago. People are still reading them today.What can you infer, or tell, from this? Allow timefor responses. Prompt students to understand thatthe lessons, or morals, in Aesop’s fables are stillrelevant to people today.

Introduce the Tools Writers Use: Personification• Read aloud “Tools Writers Use” on page 5.• Say:Many writers use personification. This techniquehelps make their writing unique and interesting.Aesop’s fables are filled with personification. Let’spractice identifying personification so we can noticeit in the fables we read.

• Distribute BLM 1 (Personification). Read aloudsentence 1 with students.

• Model Identifying Personification: Can a rabbitreally be “upset”? I don’t think so. Being upset isa human emotion. The author of this sentence istreating Rabbit and Deer like people. Notice howthe animals speak to each other in quotations. AndRabbit tells Deer, “I will not be your friend any more.”In real life, rabbits and deer are not friends. Theauthor has given human characteristics to theseanimals.

• Ask students to work with a partner or in smallgroups to identify the examples of personification inthe remaining sentences, and to write one or moresentences of their own showing personification.

• Bring the groups together to share their findings.Point out that writers show personification in manyways—through dialogue, actions, feeling, andthoughts.

• Ask each group to read one or more sentences theywrote. Use the examples to build their understandingof how and why writers use personification. Remindstudents that how an author uses personificationcan help the reader understand, make connections,visualize, and make inferences about the characters,plot, and moral of a fable.

• Ask groups to hand in their sentences. Transferstudent-written sentences to chart paper, title thepage “Personification,” and post it as an anchorchart in your classroom.

THREE FABLES FROM AESOP2

Prepare to ReadBuild Genre Background• Write the word genre on chart paper. Say:Whocan explain what the word genre means? (Allowtime for responses.) The word genre means “a kindof something.” How many of you like to watchaction movies? How many of you prefer comedies?Comedies and action movies are genres, or kinds, ofmovies. All action movies share certain characteristics.All comedies have some features in common, too. Asreaders and writers, we focus on genres of literature.As readers, we pay attention to the genre to helpus comprehend. Recognizing the genre helps usanticipate what will happen or what we will learn.As writers, we use our knowledge of genre to helpus develop and organize our ideas.

• Ask:Who can name some literary genres? Let’s makea list. Allow time for responses. Post the list on theclassroom wall as an anchor chart.

• Draw a concept web on chart paper or the board.Write Fable in the center circle of the web.

• Say: Fables are one example of a literary genre.Think of any fables you know. How would you definewhat a fable is?

• Turn and Talk: Ask students to turn and talk to aclassmate and jot down any features of a fable theycan think of. Then bring students together and askthem to share their ideas. Record them on the groupweb. Reinforce the concept that all fables havecertain common features.

Introduce the Book• Distribute the appropriate-level book (N/30 or J/18)

to each student. Read the title aloud. Ask students totell what they see on the cover and table of contents.

• Ask students to turn to pages 2–3. Say: This week weare going to read fables that will help us learn aboutthis genre. First we’re going to focus on this genreas readers. Then we’re going to study fables from awriter’s perspective. Our goal this week is to reallyunderstand this genre.

• Ask a student to read aloud the text on page 2 whileothers follow along. Invite a different student to readthe web on page 3.

• Point to your fables web on chart paper. Say: Let’scompare our initial ideas about fables with whatwe just read. What new features of this genre didyou learn? Allow time for responses. Add newinformation to the class web.

©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in wholeor in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-60859-844-1

Day 1


3THREE FABLES FROM AESOP©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Reflect and Review• Turn and Talk: Write one or more of the following

questions on chart paper:What is a literary genre, and how can understandinggenres help readers and writers?What did you learn today about the fable genre?How can readers recognize the technique ofpersonification?Ask partners or small groups to discuss their ideasand report them back to the whole group as a wayto summarize the day’s learning.

Before ReadingIntroduce “The Tortoise and the Hare”• Reread the fables anchor chart or the web on page 3

to review the features of a fable.• Ask students to turn to page 6. Ask: Based on thetitle and illustrations, what do you predict this fablemight be about? Allow time for responses.

• Invite students to scan the text and look for theboldfaced words (boasted, swift, snoozing). Say:As you read, pay attention to these words. If youdon’t know what they mean, try to use clues in thesurrounding text to help you define them. We’llcome back to these words after we read.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the fable to focus on the genre

elements they noted on their anchor chart. Theyshould also look for examples of personification andthink about how the author’s use of personificationhelps them understand the characters.

Read “The Tortoise and the Hare”• Place students in groups of three or four based on

their reading levels. Ask students to read the fablesilently or to whisper-read. If students need moresupport, you may have them read with a partner.

• Observe students as they stop and think about thefable. Confer briefly with individual students tomonitor their use of fix-up strategies and theirunderstanding of the text.

Management TipAsk students to place self-stick notes in the marginswhere they notice examples of personification orfeatures of the genre when they are reading.

After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Analyze Character• Lead a student discussion using the “Analyze the

Characters” questions on page 9, or use thefollowing steps to provide explicit modeling of howto analyze characters in a fable.

• Explain:We learned yesterday that fables containa moral, or lesson. The writer uses the characters,setting, and plot to convey, or tell, this moral. Whenyou read a fable, you need to pay close attention tothe characters. One of these characters has a flaw.One or more of the other characters help yourecognize that flaw. Recognizing the character’sflaw in a fable can help you figure out the moral.

• Distribute copies of BLM 2 (Analyze Characters)and/or draw a chart like the one on page 4.

Day 2

Management Tips• Throughout the week, you may wish to use some

of the reflect and review questions as promptsfor reader response journal entries in addition toturn and talk activities.

• Have students create genre study folders. Keepblackline masters, notes, small-group writing, andchecklists in the folders.

• Create anchor charts by writing whole-groupdiscussion notes and mini-lessons on chartpaper. Hang charts in the room where studentscan see them.


• Model:When I analyze a character, I use all the cluesand evidence the writer provides. I think about thecharacter’s description, and I pay close attention towhat the character thinks, feels, and says. I’m goingto think about Hare. I know he is an animal. He sayshe’s very fast. According to Tortoise, he’s alwaysbragging. He seems overly confident to me. I know Idon’t like people who brag all the time. I think thistrait is a flaw, or imperfection, in Hare’s character.Right in the first paragraph he tells Tortoise that heis a fast runner. Later, Hare is so confident he willwin the race that he even stops to take a nap. Hareis not very likeable. I wanted him to lose the race. Iwanted Tortoise to teach him a lesson!

• Guide Practice: Work with students to analyzeTortoise’s character. Help them understand thatTortoise has some positive attributes, or qualities.These are character “assets.” Ask students to thinkabout how this character helps teach Hare a lesson.

• Have students keep BLM 2 in their genre studiesfolders.

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment• Remind students that when they answer questions

on standardized assessments, they must be able tosupport their answers with facts or with clues andevidence directly from the text.

• Use the appropriate-level Comprehension QuestionCard (N/30 or J/18) with small groups of students topractice answering text-dependent comprehensionquestions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer FindIt! questions. The answer to a Find It! question isright in the book. You can find the answer in oneplace in the text.

• Model: Read the Find It! question on theComprehension Question Card. Say:When I readthe question, I look for important words that tellme what to look for in the book. What words inthis question do you think will help me? (Allowstudent responses.) Yes, I’m looking for the words

THREE FABLES FROM AESOP ©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLC4

crossed, finish line, and first. On page 8, I read,“Tortoise crossed the line first.” This sentence hasthe words I’m looking for. This sentence answersthe question.

• Use the Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart tohelp you develop other Find It! questions to usewith students.

Focus on Vocabulary: Synonyms• Explain/Model: Synonyms are words that meanthe same thing. For example, I can say, “I am veryangry,” or I can say, “I am very mad.” The wordsmad and angry are synonyms. Sometimes readerscan figure out an unfamiliar word by looking forsynonyms in a text.

• Practice: Ask students to think of synonyms theyalready know. List the synonyms on a two-columnchart. (for example: sad/unhappy, tired/exhausted,happy/cheerful)

• Say: Let’s find the boldfaced words in this fable.What can you do if you don’t know what thesewords mean? (Allow time for responses.) One thingyou can do is look in the glossary or a dictionary,but sometimes there is no glossary or dictionaryavailable. In those cases, you need to look forclues in the text to help you define the unfamiliarword. One strategy you can use is to look forsynonyms in the text.

• Ask students to work with a partner to completethe “Focus on Words” activity on page 9 using BLM 3(Focus on Synonyms). Explain that they should readthe sentences around the boldfaced word to find asynonym that helps define the word. They shouldbe able to explain how they know the word is asynonym.

• Transfer Through Oral Language: Ask groupsof students to share their findings. Then challengeindividual students to use the words in completelynew contexts. Ask other students to listen carefullyand give a thumbs-up if they think the word wasused correctly. Encourage all students to make aneffort to use the words.

• Ask students to save their work in their genre studiesfolders to continue on Days 3 and 4.

Character Hare TortoiseDescription,Feelings,Traits

Description: animal; fastrunnerTraits: boastful;overconfident;unlikeable

Description: animal; slowFeelings: mad at Hare’sbraggingTraits: determined to teachHare a lesson

Flaw/Assets assumes he’s the best determined; doesn’t give up

Examples • tells Tortoise he is afaster runner

• thinks he will win• sits down to rest in themiddle of the race

• challenges Hare to race• plods on without stopping• wins the race

Day 2 (cont.)

Page Word Synonym How Do You Know?

7 boasted bragging Hare boasts, “I am so much faster”and that is the same as bragging.

7 swift fast “He ran so [Bridges: very] fast.” Fastis the same as swift.

8 snoozing sleeping The sentence before reads, “Harewas sleeping.”



Reflect and Review• Turn and Talk: Ask partners or small groups to

reread the “Features of a Fable” on page 5 anddecide if all of these features were present in “TheTortoise and the Hare.” Ask groups to share andsupport their findings.

Fluency: Read with Dramatic Expression• You may wish to have students reread the fable with

a partner during independent reading time. Havethem focus on reading with appropriate expression.Ask students to use what they know about the traits,flaws, and assets of Tortoise and Hare to conveyemotions in their reading.

Before ReadingIntroduce “The Lion and the Mouse”• Ask students to turn to page 10. Say: You are goingto read another fable today. Turn to a partner todiscuss how you will use your genre knowledge as areader to help you understand the fable.

• Ask the partners who listened to summarize whatthey heard.

• Say: Let’s look at the title and illustrations of thisfable. What do you predict it might be about? Givestudents time to share their predictions.

• Ask students to scan the text and look for theboldfaced words (furious, terrified, generous).Ask:What do you notice about these words? Whydo you think they appear in boldfaced type? Allowtime for responses. Encourage students to notice thatall of these words describe character emotions.

• Say: As you read, try to figure out the meaning ofthese words. Look for synonyms in the text. After weread, we will talk about how you used synonyms andother context clues provided by the author.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the fable and to focus on

how the characters and plot illustrate the moral.Encourage them to notice the author’s use ofpersonification.

Read “The Lion and the Mouse”• Place students in groups of three or four based on


• Observe students as they stop and think about thefable. Confer briefly with individual students tomonitor their use of fix-up strategies and theirunderstanding of the text.

After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Analyze Character• Say: Yesterday we analyzed Tortoise and Hare.One of those characters—Hare—had a flaw. Whatcharacter in this fable has a flaw, and how do youknow? Which character has positive characteristics,or assets? Allow time for responses. As studentsshare their analyses, synthesize their responses intoa whole-group chart like the one on page 6.

Day 3

Note Regarding This Teacher’s Guide

The genre models in the Bridges books areadapted for a lower reading level. To facilitatewhole-group instruction, citations from the Bridgesversion of this book are shown in square brackets.



As a result, the lion let him go. I have found theanswer in the book. I looked in several sentencesto find the answer.

• Guide Practice: Use the Comprehension Power ToolFlip Chart to help you develop other Look Closer!questions to use with students.

Focus on Vocabulary: Synonyms• Ask students to work with a partner to complete the

“Focus on Words” activity on page 15 using BLM 3,which they started on Day 2. Have groups of studentsshare their findings.

• Transfer Through Oral Language: Invite pairsof students to role-play conversations between thelion and the mouse using the adjectives they definedwith synonyms. Encourage them to use each wordmultiple times.

Reflect and Review• Turn and Talk: Ask partners or small groups

to discuss the following questions and reporttheir ideas to the whole group:Do you agree with this fable’s moral? Why orwhy not?Think of a time in your life when you had theopportunity to help someone stronger or morepowerful than you. What happened?


a partner during independent reading time. Havethem focus on reading with appropriate expression.Ask students to use what they know about the lion’sand the mouse’s personalities to convey emotions intheir reading.

• Discuss Characters Across Texts: Lead a discussionusing the following questions:How is the lion’s flaw similar to and/or different fromHare’s?What events in each fable help Hare and the lionchange?How did Tortoise and the mouse help Hare and thelion?Where in the fables has the author usedpersonification?How do these examples of personification help youunderstand the characters better?

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment• Use the appropriate-level Comprehension Question

Card (N/30 or J/18) with small groups of students topractice answering text-dependent questions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer LookCloser! questions. The answer to a Look Closer!question is in the book. You have to look in morethan one place, though. You find the different partsof the answer. Then you put the parts together toanswer the question.

• Model: Read the Look Closer! question on theComprehension Question Card. Say: I will show youhow I answer a Look Closer! question. The questionsays, “What made the lion let the mouse go?” Thisquestion asks me to identify a cause-and-effectrelationship. Now I need to look for other importantinformation in the book. What information do youthink will help me? (Allow student responses.) Yes,I’m looking for what caused the lion to let the mousego. Now I will look back in the book. On page 11,I read that the mouse had made the lion laugh.He was no longer mad. This is why he decides hewill not eat the mouse. This is the cause-and-effectrelationship. The mouse made the lion feel good.

Character Lion Mouse

Description,Feelings,Traits

Description: animal; kingof the forest; large andpowerfulFeelings: mad at mouseTraits: proud; self-confident

Description: animal; smallFeelings: afraid of lionTraits: kind; grateful; a friend

Flaw/Assets arrogant; assumes he willnever need help fromanyone

loyal; remembers his promiseto help the lion if he’s everin trouble

Examples says, “A mouse help alion? I am strong and youare weak. What can youdo for me?”

chews through the ropesto free the lion

Day 3 (cont.)


11 furious very mad The sentence before says, “He wasvery mad.”

11 terrified very scared The little mouse “shook with fear.”

11 generous giving Lion says, “I will not eat youtoday . . . Next time, I may notbe so bighearted [Bridges: nice].”


THREE FABLES FROM AESOP©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLC 7

Before ReadingIntroduce “The Ant and the Grasshopper”• Ask students to turn to page 16. Say: Today weare going to read “The Ant and the Grasshopper.”This fable is written in a different format fromthe other fables we have read. Notice how in themargins there are notes to you, the reader. The firsttime we read the text, we will read to understandthe fable, focusing on the characters, plot, and moral.Tomorrow, we will reread this fable like a writer andthink about the notes in the margin as a model forhow we can write our own fables.

• Point out the boldfaced words (exhausted, tireless,famished). Say:When you see these words in thefable, look for synonyms to help you know whatthey mean. Remember that finding synonyms incontext clues is a strategy to help you defineunfamiliar words.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the fable and to focus on how

the characters and plot illustrate the moral. Theyshould also look for examples of personification andthink about how the author’s use of personificationhelps them understand the fable.

Read “The Ant and theGrasshopper”• Place students in groups of three or four based on


• Observe students as they stop and think about thefable. Confer briefly with individual students tomonitor the use of fix-up strategies and theirunderstanding of the text.

After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Analyze Character• Lead a whole-class discussion about the strategy of

analyzing character. Ask:When you analyze thecharacters in a fable, what are you looking for?(Allow time for responses.) Make sure studentshave internalized the understanding that readerslearn about characters by paying attention to theiractions, thoughts, feelings, and dialogue. They alsolearn about the characters through the author’sdescriptions. In a fable, one of the characters has aflaw. Other characters model positive qualities. Thestory events help teach readers a lesson.

• Divide the class into two teams. One team is Ant andthe other team is Grasshopper.

• Give each team time to analyze their character’s traitsand flaws or assets with supporting examples usingBLM 2.

• Then pose questions to each team. A differentmember of each team must speak each time you askthe team a question. Use these sample questions andcreate more of your own:What adjective(s) best describe(s) you?How does the other character think of you, and why?How did the author personify your character in thefable?What did you do during the summer? Was it theright thing to do? Why or why not?If you could go back in time, would you do anythingdifferently? If so, what and why?What would you like to say to the other character inthis fable?



• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer ProveIt! questions. The answer to a Prove It! question isnot stated in the book. You have to look for cluesand evidence to prove the answer.

• Model: Read the first Prove It! question on theComprehension Question Card. Say: I will show youhow I answer a Prove It! question. The questionsays, “What clues on page 18 tell you that nothingcould stop Ant from working?” This question asks meto draw a conclusion. I know because the questionsays, “What clues tell you.” Now I need to look forother important information in the question. Whatinformation do you think will help me? (Allowstudent responses.) Yes, I need to find clues thatshow Ant works very hard, that he never stopsworking. I need to look on page 18. The text says,“He worked without stopping until the sun wentdown. Ant was tireless. The next day, he workedjust as hard.” I have found the evidence to supportthe conclusion that Ant never stops working.

Day 4

Character Ant Grasshopper


Description: ant; worksvery hard; plans aheadFeelings: tired; concernedabout winter comingTraits: determined

Description: grasshopper;likes to singFeelings: enjoys relaxingTraits: lazy; carefree

Flaw/Assets never stops working;always thinks about thefuture

doesn’t think ahead; doesn’tplan for the future; wants toenjoy the moment

Examples • works tirelessly• has plenty of foodduring the cold winter

• rests while Ant is working• doesn’t realize until winterhas come that he won’thave any food

• realized he should havelistened to Ant


Before ReadingSummarize and Make Connections Across Texts• Engage students in a discussion about the three

fables in this book. Invite a different student tosummarize each fable. Encourage other studentsto add their ideas and details.

• Ask students to turn to the inside back cover of thebook. Say: Good readers think about how literaryworks are related. We know, for example, that all ofthese fables share certain features. They all have amoral. They all have animal characters. What else dothey have in common? (Allow time for responses.)Today we will think about the characters in all threefables. We’ll think about how the characters are alikeand different and what we can learn from them.

• Ask students to work individually or in small groupsto complete BLM 4 (Make Connections Across Texts).Then bring students together to share and synthesizetheir ideas.

Set a Purpose for Rereading• Have students turn to page 16. Say: Until now,we have been thinking about fables from theperspective of the reader. Learning the features offables has helped us be critical readers. Now we aregoing to put a different hat on. We are going toreread “The Ant and the Grasshopper” and think likewriters. We’ll pay attention to the annotations in themargins. These annotations will help us understandwhat the author did and why he did it.

Reread “The Ant and theGrasshopper”• Place students in groups of three or four based on

their reading levels. Ask students to reread the fablesilently or to whisper-read, and to pay attention tothe annotations.

• Guide Practice: Use the Comprehension PowerTool Flip Chart to help you develop other Prove It!questions and support students’ text-dependentcomprehension strategies.

Focus on Vocabulary: Synonyms• Ask students to work with a partner to complete the

“Focus on Words” activity on page 21 using BLM 3.Have groups of students share their findings.

• Transfer Through Oral Language: Divide theclass into two teams (making sure that each teamhas a balance of on-, above-, and below-grade-levelreaders). Write the target words on chart paper orthe board. Assign a word to each team. Have teamsgenerate as many sentences as they can in oneminute using their word. Count all sentences thatuse the word correctly. The team with the mostcorrect sentences wins.

Reflect and Review• Ask and discuss the following questions:What new words have you added to your vocabularythis week? Which is your favorite?Which of the fable characters you’ve met do youidentify with the most and why?How can you use synonyms or personification as awriter?


a partner during independent reading time. Havethem focus on reading with appropriate expression.Ask students to use what they know about Ant andGrasshopper to convey the personality of eachcharacter in their reading.


Day 4 (cont.) Day 5


16 exhausted very tired Author says, “Ant lookedvery tired. He lookedexhausted.”

18 tireless hard working Author says that Ant“worked without stoppinguntil the sun went down.”

20 famished very hungry;starving

Author says, “Grasshopperwas very hungry. He wasstarving.”


characters be? Let’s make a list of characters whocould help us communicate our moral. Rememberthat often the characters in a fable are animals.(Allow time for responses. Write down students’ideas on chart paper.)

• Read step 3 with students. Say: Before you’reready to write a fable, you need a setting andplot. “The Ant and the Grasshopper” took placein a field. This was a perfect setting for the plot.The Ant was working in the field collecting food.Meanwhile, the Grasshopper was sitting in the sunrelaxing. When you write your fable, think aboutwhat setting is right for your characters. Whatplot, or actions, will help you act out the moralof your fable? Choose one of the morals andsome of the characters the class has brainstormed,and work as a group to construct a possiblesetting and plot.

Build Comprehension: Make Judgments• Explain:When authors write, they usually makejudgments about their characters. In these fables,Aesop not only made judgments about how hischaracters should act, but also how people ingeneral should and shouldn’t behave. Readersknow this because Aesop ended each fable witha moral, or lesson. As readers, we pay attentionto the judgments an author makes so that wecan evaluate whether or not we agree with theauthor’s judgment. Readers can form their ownjudgments about an author’s judgment.

• Model: The moral of “The Ant and theGrasshopper” was that you shouldn’t put offuntil tomorrow what you can do today. Aesopwas making a judgment about the behavior ofGrasshopper and Ant. Based on the moral, hejudged Ant to be the better—more prudent orwise—character. He judged Grasshopper to beshortsighted and foolish for not preparing forwinter. Once I understand the author’s judgment,I can decide if I have the same judgment. In thiscase, I do. When I think about how Grasshopperwas starving during the winter, I can’t help butthink that he acted foolishly during the summer.But I also think Ant was not perfect either. Antdid not show sympathy or compassion. He letGrasshopper starve.

• Guide Practice: Invite students to work in smallgroups to identify the author’s judgments aboutcharacters in one of the other fables in the book.Then challenge them to make their own judgmentsabout the characters. Do they agree with theauthor? Do they have a different judgment? Askeach group to share and support their ideas withexamples from the fable.

After ReadingAnalyze the Mentor Text• Read and discuss the mentor annotations with the

whole group.



• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer TakeIt Apart! questions. The answer to a Take It Apart!question is not stated in the book. You must thinklike the author to figure out the answer.

• Model: Read the Take It Apart! question on theComprehension Question Card. Say: This questionsays, “Why did the author include the informationabout Grasshopper in the last paragraph of thefable?” This question asks me to think about theauthor’s purpose. I know because the questionsays, “Why did the author . . .” Now I need to lookfor other important information in the question.What information do you think will help me?(Allow student responses.) Yes, I need to rereadthe last paragraph and look for information aboutGrasshopper. The author says, “Grasshopper knew hehad been wrong. He should have listened to Ant. Heshould have thought ahead . . .” I think the authorwanted to make a point. I think he wanted me to seethat Grasshopper was wrong not to have plannedahead. This is the important message in his fable.

• Guide Practice: Use the Comprehension Power ToolFlip Chart to help you develop other Take It Apart!questions.

Analyze the Writer’s Craft• Ask students to turn to page 22. Explain: In the nextfew days, you will have the opportunity to write yourown fable. First, let’s think about how the authorwrote “The Ant and the Grasshopper.” When hedeveloped this fable, he followed certain steps. Youcan follow these same steps to write your own fable.

• Read step 1 with students. Say:When you write yourfable, the first thing you’ll do is decide on a moral,or lesson, that you want to communicate. Let’s turnback to pages 8, 14, and 20 and reread the morals ofthe stories we read. (Write morals on chart paper.)What lesson would you like to teach someone else?For example, I might write a fable to teach peoplethat it’s important to be kind. What other lessonscould we teach? (Allow time for responses. Writedown students’ ideas on chart paper.)

• Read step 2 with students. Say: In each fable weread, one character had a flaw. The other characterhelped show that flaw. For example, the lion believedhe would never need help. The mouse proved noone is too small to help another. Who could our



Write a Fable• Use this suggested daily schedule to guide students

through the steps of process writing. Allowapproximately 45 to 60 minutes per day. As studentswork independently, circulate around the room andmonitor student progress. Conference with individualstudents to discuss their ideas and help them moveforward. Use the explicit mini-lessons, conferencingstrategies, and assessment rubrics in Using GenreModels to Teach Writing for additional support.

• Before students begin planning their fable, pass outcopies of BLM 5 (Fable Checklist). Review thecharacteristics and conventions of writing that willbe assessed. Tell students that they will use thischecklist when they complete their fable drafts.

• This daily plan incorporates the generally acceptedsix traits of writing as they pertain to fables.

Days 6–7: Plan• Ask students to use BLM 6 (Fable Planning Guide), to

brainstorm the moral, characters, setting, and plotfor their fable.

• Encourage students to refer to the “Features of aFable” web on page 3, and to the steps in “TheWriter’s Craft” on pages 22–23 of the book.

• Confer with individual students and focus on theirideas. Did students begin their fable with a moral inmind? Did students support the moral through thecharacter and plot?

Days 8–9: Draft• Tell students they will be using their completed Fable

Planning Guide to begin drafting their fables.• Say: Remember that when writers draft their fables,they focus on getting their ideas on paper. Theycan cross things out. They can make mistakes inspelling. What’s important is to focus on developingyour characters, the setting, and the plot. You willhave an opportunity to make corrections andimprovements later.

• Conference with students as they complete theirdrafts. Use the Fable Checklist to draw students’attention to characteristics of the fable genre thatthey may have overlooked. Focus on how studentshave organized their ideas and the voice of thewriter. Did students introduce characters at thebeginning of the fable? Did they set up a problemand then show a resolution? Does the fable have astrong voice? Will the voice keep readers interested?

• Pair students for peer conferencing.

Days 10–11: Edit and Revise• Based on your observations of students’ writing,

select appropriate mini-lessons from Using GenreModels to Teach Writing.

• Remind students to use the Fable Checklist as theyedit and revise their fables independently.

Days 6–15• Conference with students, focusing on sentence

fluency, word choice, and conventions. Did studentsinclude both long and short sentences? Do thesentences read smoothly? Have students usedinteresting words and phrases? Did they use examplesof personification? Did they use appropriate spelling,punctuation, and grammar?

• You may want students to continue their editing andrevision at home.

Days 12–13: Create Final Draft and Illustrations• Ask students to rewrite or type a final draft

of their fables.• Invite students to illustrate their final drafts with

one or more drawings that depict specific actionsin their fables.

• Conference with students regarding their publishingplans and deadlines.

Days 14–15: Publish and Share• Explain: Authors work long and hard to developtheir works. You have worked very hard. And oneof the great joys of writing is when you can shareit with others. Authors do this in many ways. Theypublish their books so that people can buy them.They make their work available on the Internet.They hold readings. We can share our writing, too.

• Use one or more of the ideas below for sharingstudents’ work:Make a class display of students’ completed fables.Hold a class reading in which students can read theirfables to one another and/or to parents.Create a binder of all the fables and loan it to thelibrary so that other students can read them.

• Create a binder of all the fables for your classroomlibrary.


Days 6–15


©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLCTHREE FABLES FROM AESOP BLM 1

Name _________________________________________________ Date ___________________

PersonificationDirections: Read each sentence. Underline the words that

show personification.

1. Rabbit told Deer, “I am very upset with you! I will notbe your friend anymore.”

2. The big oak tree stood on the hill and watched thehouses below.

3. The sun smiled brightly in the morning sky.

4. Bear put on his hat and coat and left his house.

5. Donkey waited patiently. He was sure his master wouldbe back soon.

In the space below, draw or write your own sentenceusing personification.

Y04775_TG.qxd:RulesatSchool 2/24/11 2:11 PM Page BLM1

THREE FABLES FROM AESOP ©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Analyze Characters

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Directions: Use the chart below to analyze characters.

Character


Flaws/Assets

Examples

BLM 2


Name _________________________________________________ Date ___________________

Focus on SynonymsDirections: Reread each fable. Find synonyms for

each word.

Word Page Synonym How Do You Know?

The Tortoiseand the Hare

boasted 7

swift 7

snoozing 8

The Lion andthe Mouse

furious 11

terrified 11

generous 11

The Antand theGrasshopper

exhausted 16

tireless 18

famished 20

©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLCTHREE FABLES FROM AESOP BLM 3


Make Connections Across Texts

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Directions: Use the chart to answer the questions below.

FableThe Tortoise andthe Hare

The Lion andthe Mouse

The Ant andthe Grasshopper

Character #1

Character #2

What isCharacter #1like?

How isCharacter #2different fromCharacter #1?

How does thefable end?

1. Which characters in all three fables are alike? How arethese characters alike?_____________________________________________________________

2. How are the fable endings alike? How are they different?

_____________________________________________________________

THREE FABLES FROM AESOP ©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLCBLM 4



Features of the Genre Checklist YES NO

1. My fable is short. � �2. My fable has a strong lead. � �3. My fable has a setting with time and place. � �4. The main characters are animals. � �5. The main character has a flaw. � �6. The other character does not have a flaw. � �7. I tell the problem at the beginning of the fable. � �8. I have 3 to 5 events in my fable. � �9. I have a solution to the problem in the fable. � �10. The character with a flaw learns a lesson. � �11. I state the moral at the end of the fable. � �12. I used figurative language in my story. � �

Quality Writing Checklist YES NO

I looked for and corrected . . .

• run-on sentences � �• sentence fragments � �• subject/verb agreement � �• correct verb tense � �• punctuation � �• capitalization � �• spelling � �• indented paragraphs � �

Name _________________________________________________ Date _________________

Fable Checklist

Title ______________________________________________________________________________



Fable Planning Guide

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Directions: Use the steps below to plan your own fable.

1. Decide on a moral.

2. Brainstorm characters.

3. Brainstorm setting and plot.

Setting

Problem

Events

Solution

CharactersDescription,Feelings, Traits

Flaw/Asset Examples

Character #1:

_______________

Character #2:

_______________


the tortoise and the hare the lion and the mouse …€¦ · *select the appropriate text to meet...

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