Overview

This 5-day unit focuses on the Common Core standard RL.3.2: Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral. The unit will engage 3rd-grade students in listening, reading, discussing, and retelling folktales using key story elements (characters, setting, events) organized by beginning, middle, and end.

The unit draws heavily from the provided resource Lesson 7 Recounting Stories (Curriculum Associates, LLC), which offers rich multilayered activities based on diverse folktales such as Brother and Sister (Korean folktale) and How the Bat Got Wings (Cherokee Nation tale).

Each day’s lesson is 20 minutes long, suitable for small whole-class instruction with 30 students. The activities are designed to scaffold students’ thinking and oral/written responses developmentally and to deepen comprehension through collaboration and reflection.

---

Common Core Standards

RL.3.2 - Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral.
SL.3.1 - Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts.
W.3.2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas clearly.

---

Learning Objectives

By the end of the week, students will be able to:

• Identify and recount the key events of a story in sequential order (beginning, middle, end).
• Use story elements (character, setting, events) to support retelling.
• Collaborate with peers to orally retell folktales using academic talk terms (recount, sequence, character, setting, events).
• Write a short response identifying the most important details in a story and explain their choices.
• Describe the central message or moral of a folktale.

---

Day 1: Introduction to Recounting Stories

Focus: What does recounting mean? How to identify key details and sequence events?

Materials

• A Bundle of Sticks folktale from the resource
• Story elements chart (Beginning, Middle, End) displayed visually
• Academic talk word wall (recount, sequence, character, setting, events)

Activities (20 min)

1. Quick Write/Think (3 min):
   Ask students: What would you tell a friend if you had to tell them about your favorite story?
2. Read Aloud (5 min):
   Teacher reads A Bundle of Sticks aloud expressively, modeling noting key events.
3. Think Aloud / Chart Fill (7 min):
   Together as a class, identify and fill in the story elements chart with key events from the beginning, middle, and end.
4. Partner Talk (3 min):
   Turn and talk with a partner using academic talk words to verbally recount the story, focusing on the sequence of events.
5. Exit Ticket (2 min):
   Write or draw one important event from the story and why it’s important.

Assessment

• Observation during partner talk
• Exit tickets showing students can identify key events in order

---

Day 2: Retelling Brother and Sister - Key Details & Sequencing

Focus: Identifying and underlining key details in folktales.

Materials

• Brother and Sister folktale printed for students
• Story elements chart for individual completion (Beginning, Middle, End)
• Highlighters or colored pencils

Activities (20 min)

1. Review (3 min): Review recounting vocabulary and story elements chart.
2. Guided Reading (6 min): Students read Brother and Sister silently or in pairs, underlining sentences that tell key events (guided by prompting questions).
3. Chart Fill (5 min): Individually or in pairs, fill out the story elements chart with beginning, middle, and end details from the folktale.
4. Partner Retell (4 min): Take turns retelling the story aloud to a partner, using the details in the chart and applying sequencing language.
5. Write Short Response (2 min): On paper, list the most important details and tell why they were chosen (based on page 112 prompt).

Assessment

• Student-highlighted texts showing key detail recognition
• Story elements chart completed correctly
• Short written response with reasoning included

---

Day 3: Reading How the Bat Got Wings - Sequencing & Comprehension

Focus: Ordering events and understanding how details support the story's lesson.

Materials

• How the Bat Got Wings folktale excerpt
• Numbered event cards (7 events, shuffled) for sequencing activity
• Choice boards or graphic organizers for cause and effect

Activities (20 min)

1. Read Aloud & Think (5 min): Teacher reads How the Bat Got Wings with student follow-along; students listen for key events.
2. Number the Events (6 min): In small groups, students arrange event cards in correct order based on story sequence. Groups discuss why they chose their order.
3. Group Discussion (5 min): Whole class discusses how the bat’s flying helps the birds win, referencing text details.
4. Exit Reflection (4 min): Write or share verbally a summary recounting what happens when the bat plays the game, including key story details.

Assessment

• Accuracy and reasoning in sequencing cards
• Participation in group discussion demonstrating comprehension
• Verbal/written recount reflecting understanding

---

Day 4: Collaborative Retell & Discussion

Focus: Using academic language to collaboratively retell stories and discuss morals.

Materials

• Copies of both folktales or summaries
• Story elements anchor charts
• Academic Talk Word Bank (recount, sequence, character, setting, events, moral)

Activities (20 min)

1. Quick Review (3 min): Recap key story elements and academic words.
2. Group Jigsaw (10 min): Divide class into groups—each group retells one folktale to another group using story elements, then listens and responds with questions or comments using academic talk terms.
3. Moral Discussion (5 min): Groups discuss the lesson or moral of their story and share with class. Teacher models framing opinions with evidence from the text.
4. Closing Partner Talk (2 min): Turn and talk: Why is it important to include key details and sequence when retelling a story?

Assessment

• Informal observation of participation and use of academic discourse
• Students’ ability to summarize story and articulate moral

---

Day 5: Independent Writing & Reflection

Focus: Writing to recount a folktale, including important details and moral.

Materials

• Writing templates with sentence starters (e.g., "In the beginning...", "Next...", "At the end...", "The moral of the story is...")
• Folktale texts or summaries for reference
• Checklists (Did I include... key events in order? Clear sentences? Spelling?)

Activities (20 min)

1. Mini-lesson/I Do (3 min): Model writing a short recount paragraph of a folktale using the sentence starters, emphasizing clear sequence and moral.
2. Write (12 min): Students write their own recount of either Brother and Sister or How the Bat Got Wings, focusing on beginning, middle, end, and moral.
3. Peer Review (3 min): Swap with a partner who uses the checklist to give kind feedback.
4. Self-Check & Share (2 min): Students use checklist to revise and share one sentence aloud if time permits.

Assessment

• Completed writing with correct sequence of events
• Inclusion of central message/moral
• Use of academic vocabulary and sentence clarity

---

Teacher Tips to Wow

• Use dramatic voices or sound effects to engage students during read-alouds.
• Create interactive story element anchor charts with Velcro pieces students can move around during verbal retells.
• Incorporate movement in sequencing event card games to increase engagement, e.g., students physically arrange upside down cards in order on the floor.
• Use technology (if available) to record students’ oral retells and let them listen to their progress.
• Connect with students’ home cultures by inviting them to share folktales from their heritage and use the learned framework to recount them.

---

This unit integrates rich culturally diverse literature with scaffolded support designed specifically for third graders to master RL.3.2 while building collaborative and writing skills aligned to Common Core standards.