WU Plan Elayne Prescott

Teacher Elayne Prescott Date 7/23/09 Writing genre Report

CENTRAL IDEAS

Content: Abenaki stories teach a great deal about their culture.

Reading: Effective readers analyze information for the theme/lesson within a
story
Writing: To show understanding, writers select and organize evidence to inform.

Focusing Question

What life lesson is taught by the Abenaki stories?

Focus (answer to focusing question)

Abenaki stories teach that determination leads to success, humans must respect/appreciate nature; selfishness will not be rewarded

Building Content Knowledge, Understanding of Writer’s Craft


• Share pictures of Abenaki artifacts/hunting/fishing to reinforce the importance of materials found in nature for everyday life. The Abenaki by Colin Calloway
• Build birch bark and dugout canoe models. A Maritime History of Vermont
• Draw an Abenaki Longhouse
• Partner read Reader’s Theater about Abenaki everyday life.
• Read and discuss Abenaki stories.
• Create public notes about the life lessons from the stories read using t-chart format with story/evidence from text.
• Review the format (painted essay) for writing a report
• Guide students in choosing a point for their report

Structures

• Guide students in using the Painted Essay by working through piece one section (color paragraph) at a time.
• Review hamburg paragraph
• Emphasize using evidence from the public notes to support the point of the report.
• Provide a partially written frame for students in need of this support.

Writing / Revising

• Students will write in chunks. Write a section at a time.
• Students will share introductions with class to help students who need an example to get started.
• Students will revise with share partners as each section is completed.

Lesson Sequence

1. Introduction: share pictures of Abenaki artifacts and homes/ fishing/hunting-
discussion about Abenaki reliance on nature
2. Have students write a reflection (already familiar with) about the importance of nature in the Abenaki culture.
3. Make dugout and birch bark canoes using natural materials.
4. Read aloud excerpts from resources that describe the family life and larger groups “bands” of which they were a part. Discuss responsibilities of members of that group.
5. Class write-comparison between Abenaki community and the classroom with a focus on responsibilities.
6. Focus on the oral traditions of the Abenaki and the art of storytelling.
7. Read aloud “Gluscabi and the Wind Eagle”. Discuss the lesson in the story: nature provides a balance and must be respected. Post information on a public chart.
8 Read aloud “Gluscabi and the Game Animals”. Discuss the lesson in the story:
Selfishness will not be rewarded. It may also be appropriate to nature provides a balance and must be respected. Post notes on the public chart already created.
9. Read aloud “The Earth on Turtle’s Back”. Discuss the lesson in the story: Determination leads to success. Post information on public chart.
10. Read three more stories that have similar lessons to those previously read. (“Gluscabi and the Game Animals”, “How Gluscabi Stole Tobacco”, ) Have students decide which theme the story fits. Record discussion information on the public charts.
11. Introduce focus question: What life lesson is taught by the Abenaki stories? Review public charts as a class and ask students to choose one focus to write a report about.
12. Review the structure of a report as related to the painted essay.
13. Share the model for a report with students.
14. Work through the painted essay one section (color) at a time. Have students partner share/edit each section. * Note to teacher: check with each student for understanding of content and structure as students work through their report.
15. Visit the Abenaki exhibit at the Echo Center as a celebration.

Model Report

“Even a pig knows when it’s had enough,” declared Uncle Henry after refusing an umpteenth helping at a family meal. “Then I guess you don’t care for any more,” responded Grandma. This is a story that was shared by my mother after hearing it told at another family gathering. There were many stories about Uncle Henry’s eating too much, talking too much, focusing on himself too much. Embedded in these stories was a message that helped me learn not to do things in excess or be greedy. Like the stories passed down in families, there are stories that were passed down in the Abenaki tradition of storytelling. These stories teach a great deal about the Abenaki culture. One common theme in the Abenaki stories is to repect and appreciate nature.
. In the story “Gluscabi and the Wind Eagle” the main character, Gluscabi, is annoyed with the wind that keeps pushing his canoe back to shore as he attempts to hunt ducks. He visits the wind eagle and tricks him into moving to a new spot to blow the wind. As he moves, Gluscabi pushes him into a crevice. Gluscabi soon learns that without the wind the air became hot and the water became so dirty with foam that he couldn’t row. He finally understands that there is a balance in nature when he says, “It is good that the wind should blow sometimes and other times it is good that it should be still”. This story demonstrates an important belief in the Abenaki culture that nature should be respected and appreciated.
In a second story, “Gluscabi and the Game Animals”, Gluscabi once again tries to trick animals. He convinces all the raccoons, foxes, deer, bears, moose and eventually all the animals in the world to climb into his game bag. He will never have to go hunting again. When he explains this to Grandmother Woodchuck she reminds him that the animals will sicken and die in the bag, Then there will be no animals left for their children and their children’s children. She says, “ It is right that it should be difficult to hunt them (the animals). You will grow stronger trying to find them. And the animals will also grow stronger and wiser to avoid being caught. Then things will be in the right balance.” Once again there is a lesson that nature should be respected and appreciated. Abenaki hunters hunted only the amount of food needed. They were careful not to deplete herds of animals and kept a balance in nature. . They also thanked the animals after the hunt. Abenakis lived with nature and not in control of nature.
When you read the Abenaki stories it is obvious that they were designed to teach members of the community and especially children the values that were important in the Abenaki culture. Achieving a balance in nature through respect and appreciation was and still is very important to the Abenaki culture. It is interesting that currently people around the world are concerned with achieving a balance in nature to prevent further damage to our environment. Perhaps our culture has something to learn from the Abenakis.

Framework for Students Needing Support

We have read many Abenaki stories in class. One common theme in these stories is __________________________________________________. This is an important value in the Abenaki culture.
In the story _____________________________________________there is a lesson that is learned. In the story (relate what happens)______________
___________________________________________________________. This story shows that ___________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Another story that shows _________________is important in the Abenaki culture is _________________________________________________. In this story (relate what happens)___________________________________
___________________________________________________________.
I think ___________________________________________.
Abenaki stories are passed down from generation to generation. They demonstrate the beliefs of the Abenaki. I think it is important to read these stories because______________________.

Assessment: How are students doing? What are my next steps as a teacher?

After checking student’s progress, I can determine whether a next step would be to assign a report without a framework/model.