Term: 2, 2009 Duration: Approx.

6 Weeks

Major Learning Area FOCUS: Level: 3 -4 (Year 5 and 6)

Children explore the different myths and English
legends that exist within different cultures – Minor: Social Sciences
how they have evolved, their purpose and the Key Competencies Values Explored
overall Learning Suggested
structure. Using analytical skills, theyActivity
thinking Key Questions
Ecological Sustainability Learning Outcomes
will create a Success Criteria for creating their using language, symbols, and texts
Intention
own myth which explains a natural
1.Establish a
phenomenon. • KWL chart of Myths and Legends Cultural DiversityHow and why have myths and A purpose for the telling of
purpose for myths • Discussion: If you
managing selfhad no way of physically legends changed over the years? myths and legends both in
and Legends in a
Listening Reading and Viewing AO’s recordingIndicators
stories, what Yellowwould
indicatesyou do to keep
Assessment the
Opportunities Why would someone want to the past and present
historical Context story alive? – selects and reads texts for enjoyment and personalrecord a myth or legend in written
fulfilment;
Processes
(R) and strategies - The students will… format?
• Pros’ and Cons Chart
– selects of Myths
and uses a range and legends and
of processing beingcomprehension strategies with
Integrate sources of information, processes, and
told
strategies with developing confidence to identify,
orally as opposed
growing to written
understanding and confidence;
2.Differentiate
form, and express ideas. • Jigsaw activity – thinks critically of
in groups about texts with
3. Learn developing
about and confidence;How are they similar? Different? A definition for each genre
between myths, read examples – of each genre
recognises and then gethow
understands together
texts arewith Which
constructed for ado youofprefer and why?
range
Purposes and audiences
legends and folk their core group to agree
purposes, on
audiences,a definition of
and situations; each
Show a developing understanding of how texts
tales (R)
are – evaluates the reliability and usefulness of texts with increasing confidence.
3.Identify
shaped the purposes and audiences
for different • Make available a good selection of myths and How are the Myths similar and A clear Success Criteria for
features of myths
Ideas legends. Encourage
– uses their students
personalto read and
experience and reread, different?
world and literacy knowledge the features and structural
Show
througha developing
evidenceunderstanding of ideas
both at a homeconfidently to makeand
and at school meaning from texts;
to share their Which do you prefer and why? elements of a myth
within, across, and beyond texts.
gathering (R) favourites in– anstarts
oraltolanguage
make connections by thinking about underlying ideas in and
between texts;
story-telling situation.
(Establish a Success For each text – read,
makeschn fill in a Retrieval
and supports inferences from Chart.
texts with increasing independence.
A collation of information
Criteria) • Compare and – contrast
identifies a Greek
oral, written, Myth
and and alanguage
visual Maori features used in texts and related to different myths
Language features
from a variety of cultures
Show a developing understanding of howMyth using a Ven Diagram.
recognises their effects;
Extension:
language features are used for effect within and – usescircle
a third an increasing
with avocabulary
fairytale to make meaning; gathered by the children
4.Explore the
across texts. • Gather myths about Maui. Complete a character What are the personal An outline for the different
characters in Myths
Structure analysis grid – understands
where thethat children
the order have
and to provide of words,
organisation characteristics
sentences, of the characters required to
(Gods, Villains, paragraphs, and images contribute
justifications and use inference when recording their
Organise texts, using a range of appropriate to and affect heroes/heroines/mythical
text meaning; create a myth
Heroes/Heroines,
structures. ideas – identifies a range of text forms and recognises some of their characteristics
beasts/villains?
and conventions.
animals) • Repeat for ‘Greek Myth Example’ Minos, Cyclops, What was the problem they had to
Speaking, Writing and Presenting Indicators solve? How did their characteristics
Jason…
– uses a developing understanding of the connections between oral, written,
(R)
Processes and strategies - The students will…
and visual language when creating texts;
help them solve it?
Integrate sources of
5.To explore information, processes,
the • and
Identify similes and metaphors – create better ones Why use these features when A short piece of
– seeks feedback and makes changes to texts to improve clarity, meaning,
strategies with developing confidence to
use of similes and
identify, form, and express ideas. or more descriptive
and ones
effect; writing? descriptive writing using
metaphors in • Create their–own description using metaphors and How often is too often? metaphors and similes to
Purposes and audiences constructs texts that show a growing awareness of purpose and audience
descriptive writing similes and draw a picture of a mythical beast Apply: Why other types of writing give detail and create
Show a developing understanding of how to shape through careful choice of content, language, and text form;
(Link to LI below
texts for different purposes and audiences. (Flanimals By Ricky Gervais?) do you see these features in? imagery
(R and W) • Extension: Use other forms of figurative Language
Ideas – forms and expresses ideas and information with increased clarity, drawing
Select, form, and communicate ideas on a range on a range of sources;
6.To
of create their
topics. • Read the examples
– adds orofchanges
different Mythical
details Beasts.
and comments Thinkshowing
to support ideas, about some
the background of
own mythical Discuss characteristics ie:the
selectivity in one weakness, banished
process; your monster. Why has it ended up
creature
Language or villain
features – uses
to one particular oral, hideous…
spot, written, and visual
Drawlanguage
picturesfeatures
to as themeaning
to create villain?and
How would the Hero
(R and W) effect and engage interest; defeat your beast? Where would
match
Use language features appropriately, showing a the descriptions.
– uses a range of vocabulary to communicate meaning;
developing understanding of their effects. your beast live and why would
– demonstrates good understanding of all basic spelling patterns and sounds
in written English; they live there?
– uses an increasing range of strategies to self-monitor and self-correct
spelling;
Structure organises written ideas into paragraphs with increasing confidence;
Organise texts, using a range of appropriate organises and sequences ideas and information with increasing confidence;
Learning Intention Suggested Activity Key Questions Learning Outcomes
7. Myths attempt Look at the Big Myth Website explaining how Rangi and Papa Are these real explanations as to A creative list of possible
to explain a were separated. What explanation was used to describe how the formation of natural mythical explanations for
natural rivers were formed? Maui and the Sun – what explains how the phenomena? natural phenomena
phenomenon sun rises and falls each day? Is there anything that you can
(R and W) Explanation Key: Give the chn a list of natural phenomenon. think of that could be explained by
Can they create a way that these might have been formed in a a myth?
mythical setting?
Ted Hughes – How the Whale Became and other stories
8. To reflect how Homework Activity What is your view on the name An opinion with
myths effect us in Current Events: The issue has been raised that some people change? Justify your opinion. justifications on a current
today’s society would like to change the name of North and the South Island How would it affect you as a event
(R) to their former Maori names. Explore the myth of Maui and the person?
Fish. Why would they not call the south island Te-Waka-a-Maui
if they are calling the Nth islands Te-Ika-aMaui?
What if Key: What if they did change the names of the north
and south Islands?
9. To plan a myth Brainstorm a variety of natural phenomenon that relate to Have I covered all of the features A plan for a myth
Learning
to explainIntention
a Suggested Activity
environmental sustainability. Children create a hero and a Key Questions
of myths? Learning Outcomes
natural
12. To write a mythical villain or beast, problem and solution on a
Using the plan, and prior knowledge from this unit, chn createplanning What is themy
Am I using purpose of my writing
plan effectively? Children will create a first
phenomenon
myth sheet
a mythwith a checklist
in Writers to mark
@ Work of the different structural
Book. this myth?
How have I used metaphors and draft of the myth
(W) aspects
Give theof a mytha mini version of the Success Criteria as
children similes to describe different
10. To break my Create a plan
established that
with outlines
the class. what will be covered in each When is a logical time to start or
things?
work into clear paragraph. end a paragraph?
andTo
13. logical
edit my Model using an example of a child’s work how the order of the What How do canI show
I do tothat
makea paragraph
my writing Children will complete an
paragraphs
myth effectively words can be changed around. (the Verb before the noun) has started
more clear? or begun? edited version of their myth
11. To use
(W) Oral Language:
Encourage chn to Use the twice
do this sentence starters
in their and connectives
own writing. Questions
Have to askthe
I followed your partner
success
interesting when orally
Remind retelling
children howthe story
to use toThesaurus
the a partner. and
Partner asks a
the dictionary. • What is the purpose for you
criteria?
sentence starters varietyup
Come ofwith
questions
a colourthat encourages
code the writer
for the children to consider
to use which the Are mywriting the myth?
paragraphs logical and
and rearrange sequence
shows they ofhave
events.
used these in the editing process. • Why did you decide to put
sequential?
the order of Continuously refer to the Success Criteria for a Myth. Where can____ Ibefore
rearrange_____the? order of
words in Ask a peer to peer edit their work using a different coloured the •textWhat
to make
is themy writing more
weakness of
sentences to pen effective andbeast?
your interesting for the
create more Offer suggestions for improvements as well as 2 positive reader?
• How is the problem solved?
effective writing points Has•myWhatwriting fulfilled the
is the natural
(W) purposephenomenon
I intended inyou the are
beginning of my plan?
explaining?
14. To Publish my Advantages Key: What is the benefit of publishing our work Why• is Why
it important
did you to proofread
decide to …? A completed version of the
Myth on the class on the blog as opposed to on a piece of paper in our my work thoroughly? myth posted on the
Blog classroom? IS the font and layout easily read classroom blog
(W) Copied and Pasted on to the blog. Children and parents by the audience?
encourage to leave comments (which will be monitored closely
by the classroom teacher)
Also produce a hardcopy for display in the classroom.
How does the following statement relate to the concept of ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN NEW ZEALAND?

‘’Behind every myth are many possible truths allowing us to discover who we were as peoples and who we are today. Although few young people realize it,
understanding the myths that are part of our life (past and present) is an important activity because their values and beliefs have been shaped by the stories they
have grown up knowing, by the education they have received, and by the landscape within which they have lived. All these contexts have contributed to their world
views as individuals, as members of families, and as members of communities.’’
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