Unit Guide

Find Your Own “ Why”

Julie V. McCann

In this three-four week unit, elementary students will learn vocabulary and the characteristics of pour quoi stories. The third graders will investigate etiological, or creation, stories across cultures. They will learn the value of diversity, but also see commonalities among cultures and religions. Following Common Core standards, the children will be able to read and answer questions, produce stories, engage in collaborative discussions, and work in groups. The students will participate in classroom activities, engage in readings and produce their own stories to help build their knowledge about these topics. The unit’s purpose will be for students to see that they are connected to each other in many ways, even though we celebrate our differences. At the conclusion of the unit, students will work in groups to create a culminating project. These original productions, of a play or an illustrated narrative form, will be presented to the first grade class as their introduction to their unit on pour quoi stories.