1. “The Spiders’ Gift” A Christmas Story based on a Ukrainian Folktale By Diana Childress http://www.highlightskids.com/stories/spiders-gift

2. Performance Task (Unit Outcome/Product) Compare and contrast two folktales that share a central theme and similar protagonist. Annotate for theme and character development. Reference annotations(author’s words) to deduce author’s claim/argument/message. Use past tense verbs(regular and irregular) to retell or paraphrase a story. Summarize each text. Develop academic and at-level English language.

3. Essential Questions How do the actions of the protagonist influence the events and resolution in each story? What character or personality traits are valued by each culture as deduced from the argument/claim/message in each folktale? Give evidence—use inference skills.

4. First Lesson(s) DLTs (repeat for each text) By the end of class today, I will be able to: Identify and restate text: source, author, title(SAT) genre, purpose, and audience(GPA); Predict a story plot; answer and ask questions about a story; summarize the story; Use past-tense verbs to describe actions and events; Use context clues to define new words in text;

5. Pre-Reading 1. Getting Ready to Read 2. Introducing Key Concepts 3. Surveying/scan the Text 4. Making Predictions/Asking Questions 5. Introducing Key Vocabulary

6. Key Concepts for Text 1 The Ukraine is an Eastern European country. The capitol city is Kyyiv, or Kiev in English. Traditional clothing and school kids today:

7. The Ukraine has the four seasons: winter spring summer fall, or autumn

8. Pre-Reading: Scan the Text What is the title? The title is... Turn the title into a question if you can. Use Who? What? Where? When? Why? Or How? to do so. Author’s name: The author’s name is... “The Spider’s Gift” By Diana Childress

9. Date of publication / publication source? The date of publication is December, 2000. The source is Highlights for Children, print and online.

10. Pre-Reading: Making Predictions A weatherman makes predictions about what the weather will be like. Sometimes, the predictions are correct, but sometimes they are incorrect. Predict what you think this text will be about. I predict the text will be about... Predict the purpose of this text. I predict the purpose of this text is to... Predict the intended audience of this text. I predict that the intended audience for this folktale is...

11. Reading: 1. First Reading 2. Looking Closely at Language 3. Rereading the Text 4. Analyzing Stylistic Choices 5. Considering the Structure of the Text

12. Long ago, in a forest clearing not far from a small Ukrainian village, an old woman lived alone. She had no companions except the spiders who wove their lacy webs in the dark corners of her cabin and feasted on the fat flies they caught. Long ago, in a forest clearing not far from a small Ukrainian village, an old woman lived alone. She had no companions except the spiders who wove their lacy webs in the dark corners of her cabin and feasted on the fat flies they caught. A cabin is a small house. A clearing is a field, or empty land, between trees in a forest. “The Spiders’ Gift” by Diana Childress. Art by Phillip W. Smith.

13. Read the first paragraph only then:

14. Details about her life She had few possessions: a straw-stuffed mattress to sleep on, an earthenware pot for cooking, and a rough-hewn table and bench where she ate and worked. But she did not think of herself as poor, for she owned a fine steel needle and she earned her living with it. She had few possessions: a straw-stuffed mattress to sleep on, an earthenware pot for cooking, and a rough-hewn table and bench where she ate and worked. But she did not think of herself as poor, for she owned a fine steel needle and she earned her living with it.

15. Her routine Every morning she would climb down from her warm bed atop the clay oven, eat a breakfast of bran porridge, and sweep out her one room with a broom made of sticks from the forest. Every morning she would climb down from her warm bed atop the clay oven, eat a breakfast of bran porridge, and sweep out her one room with a broom made of sticks from the forest.

16. Her work If the weather was fine, she would take her work outside to a bench in front of her cabin. There she would embroider red and black flowers and leaves on white linen blouses while the birds sang and small forest creatures scurried through the ferns outside her door. If the weather was fine, she would take her work outside to a bench in front of her cabin. There she would embroider red and black flowers and leaves on white linen blouses while the birds sang and small forest creatures scurried through the ferns outside her door.

17. Rainy days, market days On rainy days, she worked indoors near the spiders, who were just as busy as she was. On rainy days, she worked indoors near the spiders, who were just as busy as she was. On market days, the woman walked to the village, where she caught up on news and visited friends as she traded needlework for such items as cheese, oats, flour for bread, carrots and onions for soup, and more plain garments and thread. On market days, the woman walked to the village, where she caught up on news and visited friends as she traded needlework for such items as cheese, oats, flour for bread, carrots and onions for soup, and more plain garments and thread.

18. The Four Seasons In the spring she picked sorrel for salad; in the summer she had berries for dessert; and in autumn she found mushrooms to flavor her soup, and walnuts to save for Christmas. In the spring she picked sorrel for salad; in the summer she had berries for dessert; and in autumn she found mushrooms to flavor her soup, and walnuts to save for Christmas. spring Su summer autumn, fall

19. But in winter, snow covered all the wild things that the forest provided.

20. Summer and fall One summer it rained almost every day. The old woman and the spiders worked hard indoors. That fall the wind blew, and she huddled near her warm stove. The spiders moved boldly out of their corners and built their webs close to the fire. One summer it rained almost every day. The old woman and the spiders worked hard indoors. That fall the wind blew, and she huddled near her warm stove. The spiders moved boldly out of their corners and built their webs close to the fire. When villagers dropped in to visit after gathering mushrooms, they wondered about the webs. But the old woman said, "The spiders do their work and I do mine. We live peacefully together." When villagers dropped in to visit after gathering mushrooms, they wondered about the webs. But the old woman said, "The spiders do their work and I do mine. We live peacefully together."

21. Christmas Eve That winter the snow fell early and long. Soon it was too deep for the woman to walk all the way to the village. That had never happened before. So each day she ate a little and embroidered a little and ventured into the forest for fallen branches to burn. That winter the snow fell early and long. Soon it was too deep for the woman to walk all the way to the village. That had never happened before. So each day she ate a little and embroidered a little and ventured into the forest for fallen branches to burn. When Christmas Eve came, the snow was still very deep. Cold and hungry, the woman went to look for wood and found the broken-off top of a large pine tree lying green and beautiful in the snow. "A Christmas tree!" she exclaimed. When Christmas Eve came, the snow was still very deep. Cold and hungry, the woman went to look for wood and found the broken-off top of a large pine tree lying green and beautiful in the snow. "A Christmas tree!" she exclaimed.

22. Christmas Tree The tree filled the cabin with its wonderful scent. But it also made her sad, for it reminded her that she could not celebrate the holy day in the candle-filled wooden church in the village. The tree filled the cabin with its wonderful scent. But it also made her sad, for it reminded her that she could not celebrate the holy day in the candle-filled wooden church in the village. "This tree is as bare and empty as my cooking pot," she thought. "I am too poor even to decorate it." "This tree is as bare and empty as my cooking pot," she thought. "I am too poor even to decorate it." With a heavy heart, the woman climbed into bed. The spiders listened as she said her prayers. With a heavy heart, the woman climbed into bed. The spiders listened as she said her prayers. That night the wind blew and sleet drummed against the wooden walls of the cabin. The woman slept, but the spiders stayed up spinning. That night the wind blew and sleet drummed against the wooden walls of the cabin. The woman slept, but the spiders stayed up spinning.

23. Christmas Day When the pink and yellow fingers of dawn pried their way through the shutters, the old woman awoke to see her little tree transformed. Gossamer strands looping from branch to branch caught the light and shimmered with a silvery gleam. Her heart lightened as she admired the decorations the spiders had spun. How could she be sad amidst such beauty? When the pink and yellow fingers of dawn pried their way through the shutters, the old woman awoke to see her little tree transformed. Gossamer strands looping from branch to branch caught the light and shimmered with a silvery gleam. Her heart lightened as she admired the decorations the spiders had spun. How could she be sad amidst such beauty?

24. Christmas Day surprise A jingling startled her. The ice storm had formed a crust hard enough to support a sleigh, and the villagers had remembered her. They bustled in, bringing beets, potatoes, cabbage, and freshly baked poppy- seed buns. A jingling startled her. The ice storm had formed a crust hard enough to support a sleigh, and the villagers had remembered her. They bustled in, bringing beets, potatoes, cabbage, and freshly baked poppy- seed buns. "How horrid it must have been for you," said a villager, "snow-bound out here all alone." "How horrid it must have been for you," said a villager, "snow-bound out here all alone." But the old woman smiled. "My spiders kept me company," she said. "Look at their lovely gift." But the old woman smiled. "My spiders kept me company," she said. "Look at their lovely gift." The villagers gazed in awe at the sparkling tree. The villagers gazed in awe at the sparkling tree.

25. Through the year Winter eventually eased its grip on the Ukrainian highlands. The ferns of spring uncurled on the forest floor; summer sunshine brought rich harvests. That fall the old woman gathered many walnuts. Winter eventually eased its grip on the Ukrainian highlands. The ferns of spring uncurled on the forest floor; summer sunshine brought rich harvests. That fall the old woman gathered many walnuts. When winter returned with gentle snows, she brought a small pine tree into her cabin. The aroma stirred memories of the glittering decorations the spiders had given her the year before. "This year," she thought, "I shall honor them for their kindness." When winter returned with gentle snows, she brought a small pine tree into her cabin. The aroma stirred memories of the glittering decorations the spiders had given her the year before. "This year," she thought, "I shall honor them for their kindness."

26. Christmas Again On the last market day before Christmas, when she had sold her blouses and bought her week's provisions, she kept a few coins to purchase some colored glass beads. On the last market day before Christmas, when she had sold her blouses and bought her week's provisions, she kept a few coins to purchase some colored glass beads. That evening she made decorations by stringing the beads on pieces of straw and anchoring them to walnut shells: eight spangly legs radiating from each round hump. She hung the nut-shell spiders on the tree in tribute to the busy creatures who had woven magic and hope into her Christmas the year before. That evening she made decorations by stringing the beads on pieces of straw and anchoring them to walnut shells: eight spangly legs radiating from each round hump. She hung the nut-shell spiders on the tree in tribute to the busy creatures who had woven magic and hope into her Christmas the year before. She also gave decorations to the villagers as thanks for their thoughtfulness. They, too, hung the nutshell spiders on their trees. She also gave decorations to the villagers as thanks for their thoughtfulness. They, too, hung the nutshell spiders on their trees.

27. Story Resolution And to this day, Ukrainian children make jeweled spiders to decorate their Christmas trees, and small spiders smile to see their dazzling likenesses dangling from the branches. And to this day, Ukrainian children make jeweled spiders to decorate their Christmas trees, and small spiders smile to see their dazzling likenesses dangling from the branches.

28. Post-Reading: 1. Summarizing and Responding 2. Thinking Critically DLT: By the end of class today I will be able to identify the author’s claim(argument) and use quotes to summarize the message and purpose of the text as evidenced by my summary paragraph and rubric score(proficient).

29. Re-read the story and answer these questions What is a problem/issue being addressed by this text? What is the author’s main argument or claim? Does this text have a message or moral? What is it? What words does the author repeat? Why? What figurative language is used: similes, metaphors, idioms, analogies, personification? Find examples and cite(paragraph)

30. Connecting Reading to Writing ACTIVITIES Writing to Learn Using the Words of Others Negotiating Voices

31. Writing Rhetorically ACTIVITIES Pre-Writing: 1. Reading the Assignment 2. Getting Ready to Write 3. Formulating a Working Thesis Writing: 1. Composing a Draft 2. Organizing the Essay 3. Developing the Content Revising and Editing: 1. Revising the Draft 2. Revising Rhetorically 3. Editing the Draft Reflecting, Evaluating, and Responding: 1. Grading Holistically 2. Responding to Student Writing 3. Using Portfolios Insert image of my summary rubric here. Use/model of a summary for this text(WE DO/YOU DO).

32. Text 2 “Hungry Spider” Anonymous author Ashanti Tribe folktale Like many African cultures, the Ashanti Tribe uses oral tradition storytelling. The stories are so old, ancient, and have been retold so many times that none is certain who the original author is.