Moving From Lists to Myths and Epics

David Ostheimer

This unit is for 1st grade but could be easily adapted for another elementary grade. The goal of this unit is to have students understand that writers write for a reason and then students will create a piece of writing in one of the styles we will study. Students will understand that authors have an audience and their work is designed to elicit some sort of response from that audience. We will take what we learn from our readings and discussions and apply it to a story that the students will write. Students will work on their stories to take them from lists of events to showing some of the hallmarks of Myths, especially pourquoi stories and Epic. Students will use the ideas that they learn during the unit to facilitate this process. Students will work individually and in groups to create a performance that they will share with the teacher and the class and the world via YouTube. After their performance students will revise their story, write it down, and we will create a classroom book. Standards addressed include RL 1.1, 1.2, 1.7 RI 1.1, 1.2 W 1.2, 1.3