English Lesson Plan - Tall Tales/Play

Unit of Study - Literature
Grade Level - Fourth Grade
Content Area - English
Length of Lesson - 42 - 60 minutes

Behavioral Objective -The students will be able to identify the elements of a Tall Tale and a Play.

Aim - Can you identify the elements of a Tall Tale and a Play?

Motivational Activity - For Homework the students were given the assignment to bring in a list o the names of their favorite plays. The students will be given the chance to share their lists with the rest of the class.

Vocabulary - Tall Tale, Play, lie, truth, character, setting, plot

Procedure -
1. First I will do my motivational activity.
2. Next we will talk about their lists they wrote up.
3. Then I will break the class up into groups to look up vocabulary words.
4. I will ask the students if they know what a Tall Tale is. (Fictional story that is written about heroes in the exaggerated form. They usually are doing something funny or crazy.)
5. I will ask the students if they know what a Play is. (A story usually performed by actors on a stage or before TV cameras.
6. We will talk about examples of each one.
7. I will post a web on the board showing the elements of a Tall Tale.
8. I will also post a web on the boards showing the elements of a Play.
9. We will have class discussion comparing the two. How are they alike and how are they different.
10. The students will then open up their readers to the story "Tall Tale Man." I will assign the different parts to the class. We will read this and discuss the pictures that go along with it.
11. At the end I will ask the question, "Was the man in the story lying or telling the truth?" Was he telling a "Tall Tale?"
12. We will talk about the difference between an exaggeration and a lie. An exaggeration is when someone stretches the truth. A lie is when someone isn't telling the truth at all. They are making it up. I will record their responses on the boards.
13. Sum it up - What have we learned today?

Follow up - For homework the students will have to write their own Tall Tale. They can make it as funny as they like.

Elements - character, setting, plot, beginning, middle, end

Assessment - The students will have to write their own Tall Tale and Play. They can draw pictures to go along with them. I will be looking to make sure they have included all of the elements that are required.