A lesson in Retelling by Mrs. Holloway

Day One: Sneak Peek Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain That needed the rain from the cloud overhead The big, black cloud, all heavy with rain. That shadowed the ground on Kapiti Plain.

Vocabulary

Set a Purpose What are context clues? How do we use pictures to help us understand what the word means? How do you use text to help us understand the word? Turn and Talk

First Read Along with Teacher

Complete Vocabulary Chart Use context clues and the illustrations to determine the meaning of the words as they are used in the text. Complete the last column by writing the meaning of the word from the story. You may work with a partner.

Day Two: Set a Purpose What is a retelling? What parts does a good retelling have? Turn and Talk

Second Read Along with Teacher

Turn and Talk What do we need to know about the story to do a retelling? Who is the main character in the story? How would you describe him? What is the setting? What is the problem in the story? Why is rain important to Kapiti Plain? How did Ki-pat react when he saw how hungry and dry his cows were? How does the character respond to the problem? What is the result of his actions? What is the solution in the story? What is the central message of the story? What are the key details in the story that support your answer?

Culminating Activity Students will complete a Story Map using text evidence from the story. Students may use shoulder partners.

Third Read Along with Teacher

Find the Rhyme Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain That needed the rain from the cloud overhead The big, black cloud, all heavy with rain. That shadowed the ground on Kapiti Plain.

Turn and Talk How does the use of rhyming words supply rhythm when reading the story aloud? Why does the author keep repeating the lines of the text? What type of feeling does the use of rhyme, rhythm, and repeated lines create? This is an African folktale. How does the author's use of words represent the African culture?

Group Retelling Cards Work with your table partners to create retelling cards about the story, Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain. Use text-evidence from the story to guide your retelling. When your cards are complete, we will have time to share.

Student-Created Rubric

Use your own words to describe you retelling pictures. Add pictures to illustrate.

Narrative Retelling Paragraph First, Next, Then, After that, Finally, In the end,

Final Thoughts… How can we use context clues to figure out the meaning of new words? Why is it important to use text evidence when answering a question? How do characters' actions contribute to the events in a story? How do you retell a story? How do we determine the central message of a story? How does an author's use of words create rhythm and meaning in a story?