Title: Pourquoi
Grade Focus: 6
Subject: Language Arts, Technology and Science
Technology Integration: PowerPoint Presentations
Recommended Time to Completion: 8 43 minute R/LA periods/ 2 Computer Lab period
Introduction:
What are folktales? What is a pourquoi? Students will learn the basic components of the folktale genre and pourquois in particular. Then, they will write an original pourquoi explaining how an animal got a feature or trait and transform the tale into a PowerPoint.
Prerequisite Experience:
Technology Skills Needed by Students:
Basic Computer Skills
PowerPoint basics
Additional Skills:
Research skills to investigate the main animal in the story, which will be endangered, and the other 2 support characters.
Teacher Prep Time:
This lesson is provided in totality by the Library Media Specialist
Student prior knowledge of basic story elements, (plot, setting, characterization, problem climax, resolution), and proper use of quotation marks is helpful.
Materials:
-A lesson PowerPoint which details the folktale genres, pourquoi elements, and story elements as well as story elements and reasons animals become endangered.
-Sample PowerPoint of a pourquoi finished product.
-Handouts which include:
- Double bubble compare and contrast graphic organizer to compare 2 pourquois; How Rhinoceros Got His Skin and How Camel Got His Hump.
- Story Element sheet for the analysis of How Horse Got Fast.
- Research sheets for each of the three animals.
- Pourquoi guide sheet for the original tale
- PowerPoint guide sheet.
Project:
The Pourquoi
Students will create an original Pourquoi and transform it into a PowerPoint.
They will develop an understanding of folktale, story element, research skills, technology and endangerment.
Assessment: Rubric
Lesson Plan Details
Engage
Students will review their knowledge of folktale utilizing a PowerPoint presentation with a folktale umbrella and specific examples in raindrops. Students discover that they understand myth from social studies and have basic memories of fable, legend, tall tale and fairytale based on prior classroom experience or cultural exposure. (Disney plays a large role in this realization). Students will learn that pourquoi is French for how or why and this type of tale explains nature, often times specific traits of an animal.
Explore
Students listen to How Rhinoceros Got His Skin by Rudyard Kipling and read How Camel Got His Hump by the same author. They ascertain how these pourquois have similar or different pourquoi elements such as animals, magic, the change and the reason for the change in the animal’s trait. They will also read How Horse Got Fast, a Navaho tale, to examine the story elements which include setting, problem, plot summary, climax, resolution and main characters.
Explain
Students will select their own endangered species, after a brief lesson on the 4 reasons for endangerment, (poaching, pollution, lose of habitat, invasive species), then research it with 2 other support animals and select a specific feature as a basis for their pourquoi.
Elaborate
Students will create an original pourquoi which exemplifies the basic story elements and explains why an endangered animal has a specific characteristic. They will transform this into a PowerPoint.
Use LearniT PowerPoint Basics for description of template
Go to PowerPoint in the Classroom Adding Motion for Transitions, Sound and Animation
Utilize LearniT PowerPoint Story Board
Evaluate
The class can celebrate their pourqois in a writer’s workshop presentation of their tales on the interactive whiteboard. A rubric will evaluate the finished product
Extend
The library eboard can provide an online conduit for sharing PowerPoint pourquois.
Name______Teacher______
PowerPoint Pourquoi Rubric
Criteria / Exemplary 4 / Satisfactory3 / Inconsistent
2 / Unfinished
1
Research / Thorough research is evident in completion of the 3 animal research
sheets / The details are not specific in all categories of the research sheet / Weak details in many categories / Information is missing
Storyboard / Thorough planning evident / Some planning evident / Limited planning evident / Missing slides
Content / All story elements are evident from planning sheet / Most elements are present / Some elements are present / Most elements are lacking
Technology / PowerPointincorporates template, clipart,transition, sound and animation / Technology use is very evident, but one aspect of the PowerPoint is lacking / Technology use is acceptable, but several aspects are not well developed / Little attention to technology requirements.
Overall Final Project / The pourquoi presentation is well written, creative, and
flawless technologically / There are a couple of a errors in presentation / There are many errors in the presentation / Missing several aspects of the presentation.
Adapted from
Total ______x 5 = ______