Lesson 2

Class Description: Elementary 3rd Grade

Unit: Multicultural Literature

Topic: African Folklore

Unit Goals: At the conclusion of the lesson, SWBAT:
1. Recognize multicultural literature by reading various multicultural texts.
2. Understand cultures other than their own through reading about other cultures.
3. See similarities between cultures by doing activities.

Lesson Objectives: Students will:
1. For reading growth third grade students will each read Why Mosquito's Buzz in People's Ears using tape assistance, post-it-notes, or rewrite the story in their own words.
2. For content knowledge students will each answer six QAR questions and make their own tribal mask to participate in an African custom.

Performance Assessment:
Objective Performance Assessment
1. Completed six QAR questions worth one point each equaling 6 points.
2. Completed tribal mask worth 9 points.

Reading Type: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s ears. Students listen to be informed about African folklore.

Macrostructure Thinking for Reading: QAR questions consisting of question types such as: Think & Search, Right There, On My Own, and Author & Me.

Materials:
Book: Why Mosquito’s Buzz in People’s ears
Tribal Mask materials-
Cardboard stencil mask (circle with two holes to serve as eyes)
1 6” x 7” (15.24 x 17.78 cm) piece of corrugated cardboard
feathers
construction paper
beads
cloth
post-it-notes
pre-recorded tape of story

1. Readiness:

a) Anticipatory Set: Look at the bulletin board entitled Africa. Notice what is on it. Map of Africa, tribal mask, pictures of places in Africa, African people.

b) Background Knowledge: What do you know about Africa? It is a country. People that live there are Africans, it is hot there.

c) Concept Development: Teach students new vocabulary words which are in the story. Remember before we read Grandfather's Journey we went over the new vocabulary in the book? Well I need you to help define these new words. Teacher asks the questions and guides students to the definitions.
What is a mosquito?- insect
What is an iguana?- liz
What is a Python?- snake
What is a council?- group of people who make decisions
What is an owlet?- baby owl
What is an antelope?- deer like animal

d) Purpose for Reading: For enjoyment and a better understanding of African Folklore.

2. Silent Reading:

Students will each read Why Mosquito’s Buzz in People‘s ears. For students who have difficulty reading the text, they may listen to the tape with others in group and write down the concepts they think are important to remember together. For students who need a little extra help in understanding the words, they will be given post-it-notes to write the important concepts of the story while they read. For high level readers they will read the story individually and then will be put into groups of two and will rewrite the story in their own words. This shows differentiation of strategy through independent study, interest groups, and tiered products.

3. Discussion: Ask Students six QAR questions.
1. Which insect is the book about? The answer is Right There because the title says, “why mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears.”
2. Why doesn't’t mother owl wake the sun? The answer is Think & Search because the story says, “mother owl won’t wake the sun because her owlet was killed.”
3. Who walks around with sticks in their ears? The answer is Right There because the story says, “the iguana stuck sticks in his ears.”
4. How does mother owl feel after her baby is killed? The answer is Author & Me because the author has words in the story that say mother owl was sad, and I know she was sad by the picture.
5. What do you think happened to the mosquito at the end of the story? The answer is On my Own, because the story doesn't’t say what happened.
6. What kind of animal was the python? The answer is Right There because the story says, “the big snake raised his head.”

4. Rereading: look back over reading if needed to answer QAR questions.

5. Follow-up (reinforcement): Students will make a tribal mask by following the directions given by the teacher. The tribal mask is used here a fun activity to reinforce the African culture. A tribal mask sets African tribes apart from one another, whether use in dancing, hunting, or celebrating. No students masks have to be identical.
Directions for teacher in guiding students to make tribal masks:
1. Have materials ready for students to begin making their masks.
2. Make stencil mask out of cardboard. (You may want to make more than one for students to trace on their cardboard.)
3. Give them the following directions to make the masks.

Directions
Trace the basic mask shape onto brown corrugated cardboard. Cut Out.
Glue feathers around the edge.
Make a large nose from cardboard or construction paper. Glue on.
Make large lips, eyelashes, eyebrows and ears from construction paper.
Add long earrings and a collar of colorful cloth or a beaded, wide necklace. (These are optional materials)

Differentiation of Instruction

Content: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears
Written by: Verna Aardema
Pictures by: Leo and Diane Dillon
3rd Grade level reading
Process:
Teachers will provide a tape for second grade reading level students to listen to. They will be to write down the main concepts as a group when they finish. For third grade level reading students the teacher will provide them with the opportunity to write down the main points of the story as they go along on post-it-notes. Fourth grade level reading students can expand their knowledge by rewriting the story and creating their own version.

Product: Students will each complete the six QAR questions. They will each make an African Tribal Mask.

Instructional Tools

Assessment of QAR Strategy

*Worth 6 points

Name of Student	# of Questions for QAR answered correctly
Example: Jason Johnson	5/6
Example: Ann Woods	3/6
Example: Mathew Jacobs	6/6