Moon Myths Lesson Plan

Kelly Stavrides
Lesson Plan

Goals/Objectives
SWBAT use the knowledge and tropes identified in the myths talked about in class to create their
own myths.
SWBAT identify popular tropes used in moon myths across the cultures.
SWBAT use the common themes identified in class and complete a graphic organizer for
creation of their own myth.
Standards
Reading
CC.1.3.4.A
Determine a theme of a text from details in the text; summarize the text.
CC.1.3.4.H
Compare and contrast similar themes, topics, and patterns of events in literature, including texts
from different cultures.
Writing
CC.1.4.4.O
Use dialogue and descriptions to develop experiences and events or show the responses of
characters to situations; use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey
experiences and events precisely.
Materials and Preparation
Materials
Blank graphic organizer sheet
PowerPoint about moon myths
projector
whiteboard and markers
Students science notebooks
Preparation
1) Make copies of blank graphic organizers
2) Create the moon myth PowerPoint ahead of class
3) Prep the equipment needed for the PowerPoint projector and computer
Learning Environment and Management Issues
This lesson will take place in the main classroom. The students will be sitting at the
regular seats at their tables. The classroom will be in its normal set up. I am keeping the
classroom in this set up because the students are familiar with it and are comfortable within the
space. The materials needed for the lesson will be passed out by two students selected by the
teacher using the new popsicle stick method (popsicle sticks with every students name on them
in a jar). Students will also be allowed to move seats if they cannot see the PowerPoint from the
back of the classroom, on the condition that they follow proper behavior expectations for the
classroom.

Moon Myths Lesson Plan

Kelly Stavrides

Any management issues will be taken care of using the reward and consequence system
already in place. If there is conflict between two students, one student may need to be moved.
Plan
1) Introduction (approx. 15 mins)
Each student will be writing down the objective and the homework
T Who can tell me what we did yesterday?
o Ss We made a chart about the moon.
o Ss We read a book about traveling to the moon.
o Ss We made a KWL chart.
Ask about the ongoing homework assignment the students are working on (moon
journals)
o T Did anyone go look for/at the moon last night? What time did you see it?
o Ss tell teacher when they saw the moon and the teacher points the students
towards the time to look at the moon for the current night
Questions about the moon journal
2) Body of the Lesson (approx. 50 mins)
Introduce the idea of myths
o T Does anyone know what a myth is?
o Ss make some guesses, try to answer
o T shows the first slide of PowerPoint and asks the Ss to copy the definition of a
myth in their social studies/science notebooks
T and Ss discuss why myths might be important (show PowerPoint slides)
Ss brainstorm what ancient cultures might have made/had myths about the moon (show
PowerPoint slides)
Read 4 myths together, choose one popsicle stick and that student will read part of the
myth that is on the screen
o Greek Myth Selene, goddess of the moon
o Maori Myth Rona and the moon
o Inuit Myth Anningan, god of the moon, and Malina, goddess of the sun
o Japanese Myth Tsuki-yomi, god of the moon, and Amaterasu, goddess of the
sun
T asks Ss to think about what all the myths had in common: themes, ideas, characters,
settings, What is similar/different about these stories? Why do you think that?
o Ss There was usually a sun and a moon
o Ss The moon was always doing something bad
o Ss The sun had to punish the moon
o Ss The sun and the moon were related
o T writes down the different themes on the board and the students copy them into
their notebooks
3) Ending (approx. 25 mins)
T Think about the different themes you just brainstormed and then wrote down. Do you
think they would make good stories?
o Explain that students will be making their own myths, 1-2 paragraphs minimum
with no maximum limit. They must include one of the themes we discussed.
2

Moon Myths Lesson Plan

Kelly Stavrides

o Explain that the Ss will fill out graphic organizers and then write the myths as
homework.
o Pass out the graphic organizers
Students fill out graphic organizers while teacher circulates around the room

Assessment of the Goals

The assessment of this lesson will be a mixture of informal and formal. The informal
assessment will consist of teacher observation of the students, specifically how the students
contribute to class discussions and their overall participation. There will be multiple
opportunities to contribute to the discussions. There is a classroom culture of open discussion
and no wrong answers, which encourages students to take risks when taking part in class
discussions. The teacher will also check the students science notebooks to see if they taking
notes and copying down what is asked of them.
The formal assessment will be the completed graphic organizer and the myth. For the
graphic organizer I will be looking for whether are all the boxes filled out, did they make an
effort to complete the organizer in class, and were they working independently/collaboratively
(not off task). The myth will receive a homework grade and then a completion grade. The
students will earn full marks on completion if they wrote a myth about the moon, it was at least a
paragraph long, and it included one theme discussed.
Anticipating Students Responses
One student response I expect for this lesson is students to say they already know some of
the myths. If some students say this I plan on telling them that it is great they already have the
knowledge and I would love it if they could share their knowledge with the class during the
discussions. I also expect that some of the students prior knowledge will be incorrect, which
means I will have to gently correct them without making it seem like the person who taught them
was wrong or unintelligent.
I expect another response to be that students think the myths are weird and dont
understand why I am teaching them about myths. I plan on saying that myths are important
because they help us understand how ancient peoples looked at the moon, long before there was
technology. I also plan on relating it back to them, asking the students what they would have
thought the moon was if they didnt have their cell phones, or computers, or internet.
Accommodations
For students who find the material too challenging
Some of the students may find the material too challenging. Some students already have
accommodations that they will be using. For other students who say they have problems I will
allow them to work with their group or partner for completing their graphic organizer. I have
already modified the graphic organizers, allowing the students who struggle with the English
language or with writing to complete a few select parts while other students will complete the
entire organizer. For students who still struggle I plan on working with them during RTII time.
For students who may need greater challenge or finish early

Moon Myths Lesson Plan

Kelly Stavrides

If students finish their work early, I will ask them to start working on their myth. If they
manage to finish both their graphic organizer and their myth during class I will look at their
graphic organizer/myth and ask them to expand upon the favorite part of the myth.