Subject: Language Arts Grade: Three

Standard: #3 Reading : Application

Key Concept: Comparing and contrasting new information in reading with what is already known helps with application.

Generalization: Different forms of literature often address the same ideas in different ways. The main idea of helping others is understood by looking at a variety of information. Today, students will compare and contrast the idea of helping others in "Music, Music for Everyone" by Vera Williams, with fantasy literature (e.g. Harry Potter, One of the Chronicles of Narnia, the Hobbit, one of the Prydain Chronicles, or any other piece of fantasy literature they have read). Students will be placed in tiers according to learning preference. They will use different processes to understand the concept of helping others as they compare fantasy with reality portrayals of this theme.

This lesson is tiered in process according to learning style.

Tier I: Visual/Spatial Learners

Create a visual representation of the idea of helping others as depicted in a fantasy piece as compared to the idea represented in a real story such as "Music, Music for Everyone." Students may choose to web this or they may choose to draw a picture that clearly shows the main idea of helping others but the different ways of providing the help. An example from Harry Potter would be Harry's, Hermione's, and Ron's actual care and help of Hagrid in Book #3 when Hagrid was in trouble for what happened with Buckbeak. Compare how they used their talents to help with how the girls used their talents to help in "Music, Music for Everyone." Students can discuss their pictures with their own group and then with the whole class (or display the pictures in the class).

Tier II: Auditory Learners

Listen to an excerpt of a fantasy story on CD that has an example of helping others on it. Compare and contrast the way the helping incident happened by telling the main idea first and then how a real-life depiction deals with helping as compared with the fantasy story. Orally describe this to the rest of the group in a shared discussion. Everyone should share. Audiotape the sharing session and play it back to the students.

Tier III: Kinesthetic Learners

Choose a fantasy story and act out a scene that particularly shows helping another person. Do the same for the real life depiction found in "Music, Music for Everyone." In acting out the two different scenes, show the ways the subject of helping is treated in the different stories. Use everyone in the group to act out these two different scenes.

Tier IV: Interpersonal Learners

Divide in twos. Think of interview questions that focus on the theme of helping others. Do two interviews: one with a character from a fantasy story; one from a character from "Music, Music for Everyone." As you do this, perhaps one interview partner can be a character in one type of story and then in the second interview, the other person can be a character from the second type of story.

The main idea is helping others. Share your interviews with other people in your group.

Assessment:

Each group is doing a task according to their preferred learning profile (in this case Multiple Intelligences helped with determining the profiles). The teacher should be an active observer during the group process. Use a rubric for each group to help them keep on task. Since there are so many activities happening, perhaps sharing within individual groups (with like learning profiles) will inspire group discussions that you can also observe and assess.

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3LL-FAD