Functional Reading (Barnes) May 18th-June 5th FABLES

Functional Reading (Barnes) May 18th-June 5th

FABLES

Overview In this unit, you will read one nonfiction article and four fables. You will answer questions for each reading. Once you have completed all of the readings and questions, you will answer the following writing prompt in one paragraph: What lessons can fables teach us about life? Calendar of Assignments Below is the calendar of assignments for the Fables Unit. This is a tentative calendar and can be changed to fit your needs. I also have two catch up days built in to help you stay on track. These catch up days can be used to work on assignments for Functional Reading or assignments in other classes if needed.

5/18 Read “What is a Fable” by Barbara Radner

5/19 Answer the questions for “What is a Fable?”

5/20 Read “The Sheep and the Pig” by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey

5/21 Answer the questions for “The Sheep and the Pig”

5/22 Read “Zebra and Wasp” by Claire Mishica

5/25 NO SCHOOL

5/26 Answer the questions for “Zebra and Wasp”

5/27 Read “The Cave That Talked” by Jyoti Singh Visvanath

5/28 CATCH UP DAY

5/29 NO SCHOOL

6/1 Answer the questions for “The Cave That Talked”

6/2 Read “Lazy Anansi” by Ghanian Folktale

6/3 Answer the questions for “Lazy Anansi”

6/4 Writing Prompt: What lessons can fables teach us about life?

6/5 CATCH UP DAY

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"Tortoise and hare" by Elizabeth is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

“What is a Fable?” from Center for Urban Education at DePaul University by Barbara Radner © 2008 Used with permission. All rights reserved.

What is a Fable?By Barbara Radner

2008

Fables are a popular form of storytelling, and chances are you’ve read one. But what makes a story a fable?In this informational text, Barbara Radner explores what a fable is. As you read, take notes on the featuresof a fable.

A fable is a story. A wise1 author would write thefable to tell a lesson. Long ago, people wrotemany fables. They wrote them to help otherpeople learn. For example, the tortoise and thehare2 is a fable. That fable tells people it is notwise to show off. It is wise to work hard.

Most fables have animals in them. The animalstalk. Of course in real life an animal can’t talk. Butin the fables they do. The animals often dofoolish3 things. For example, in one fable there isa crow. It wants to get a delicious fruit. It takes itfrom a garden. And it gets it. But then as the crowsoars4 it shows off. It opens its mouth to shout, “Look, I got the best fruit.” But of course the crow losesthe fruit. It falls out of its mouth because it opened its mouth to shout.

Fables have a moral. A moral is the lesson it teaches. The fable about the crow makes an importantpoint. It tells you that people should be careful. It tells you that the crow was foolish.

There is another fable about the ant and the grasshopper. The grasshopper played all summer whilethe ant toiled.5 The ant got ready for winter. The ant was a hard worker. It dug a hole to stay in duringwinter. It carried food to that hole. When winter came, the ant was able to live. The grasshopper didnot have any food. It had no place to stay. Winter was a great challenge for the grasshopper. It askedthe ant for help. The ant was generous.6 The ant did help the grasshopper. The grasshopper learned alesson. So did everyone who read the fable.

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1. Wise (adjective): having or showing knowledge and good judgement2. a large rabbit3. Foolish (adjective): lacking good sense or judgement4. Soar (verb): to fly or rise high in the air5. to work very hard6. Generous (adjective): showing a willingness to give more of something than necessary

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Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: What is the central idea of the text?A. Fables are light-hearted stories about animals meant to merely entertain

readers.B. Fables are old stories with lessons that people no longer tell.C. Fables are stories about animals to help readers learn important lessons.D. Fables are better than fantasies when telling stories that teach important

lessons.

2. PART B: Which quote from the text best supports the answer to Part A?A. “Long ago, people wrote many fables.” (Paragraph 1)B. “For example, in one fable there is a crow. It wants to get a delicious fruit.”

(Paragraph 2)C. “Fables have a moral. A moral is the lesson it teaches.” (Paragraph 3)D. “The grasshopper learned a lesson. So did everyone who read the fable.”

(Paragraph 4)

3. Which of the following describes how the information is organized?A. The author defines what a fable is and then provides examples of different

fables.B. The author compares her favorite fables and her least favorite fables.C. The author provides examples of fables and then provides a definition of a

fable.D. The author describes fables and other forms of popular literature.

4. How do fables differ from other stories?

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"Happy pig, Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire" by Orangeaurochs islicensed under CC BY 2.0

The Sheep and the PigBy Carolyn Sherwin Bailey

1906

Carolyn Sherwin Bailey (1875-1961) was a principal of an elementary school and wrote stories for herstudents. In this retelling of an old fable, a sheep and a pig want to find a home. As you read, take notes onthe conversations between the sheep, pig and other animals.

One morning, bright and early, a sheep and acurly-tailed pig started out through the world tofind a home. For the thing they both wantedmore than anything was a house of their own.

“We will build us a house,” said the sheep and thecurly-tailed pig, “and there we will live together.”

So they traveled a long, long way, over the fields,and down the lanes, and past the orchards, andthrough the woods, until they came, all at once,upon a rabbit.

“Where are you going?” asked the rabbit of thetwo.

“We are going to build us a house,” said the sheepand the pig.

“May I live with you?” asked the rabbit.

“What can you do to help?” asked the sheep and the pig.

The rabbit scratched his leg with his left hind1 foot for a minute, and then he said: “I can gnaw2 pegswith my sharp teeth; I can put them in with my paws.”

“Good!” said the sheep and the pig; “you may come with us.”

So the three went on a long, long way farther, and they came, all at once, upon a gray goose.

“Where are you going?” asked the gray goose of the three.

“We are going to build us a house,” said the sheep, the pig and the rabbit.

“May I live with you?” asked the gray goose.

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1. located in the back2. Gnaw (verb): to bit or nibble something

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“The Sheep and the Pig” from For the Children’s Hour by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey (1906) is in the public domain. This text has been modified.

“What can you do to help?” asked the sheep, the pig and the rabbit.

The gray goose tucked one leg under her wing for a minute, and then she said: “I can pull moss,3 andstuff it in the cracks with my broad4 bill.”

“Good!” said the sheep, the pig and the rabbit; “you may come with us.”

So the four went on a long, long way, and, all at once, they came upon a barnyard rooster.

“Where are you going?” asked the rooster of the four.

“We are going to build us a house,” said the sheep, the pig, the rabbit and the goose.

“May I live with you?” asked the barnyard rooster.

“What can you do to help?” asked the sheep, the pig, the rabbit and the goose.

The rooster preened5 his feathers and strutted6 about for a minute, and then he said: “I can crow veryearly in the morning; I can awaken you all.”

“Good!” said the sheep, the pig, the rabbit, and the goose; “you may come with us.”

So the five went on a long, long way until they found a good place for a house. Then the sheep hewed7

logs and drew them; the pig made bricks for the cellar;8 the rabbit gnawed pegs with his sharp teeth,and hammered them in with his paws; the goose pulled moss, and stuffed it in the cracks with her bill;the rooster crowed early every morning to tell them that it was time to rise, and they all lived happilytogether in their little house.

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3. flowerless plants that grow in green clumps or mats4. Broad (adjective): wide5. to straighten and clean feathers6. Strut (verb): to walk proudly7. to chop or cut8. a room that is below ground level in a house

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Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: What is the main theme of the short story?A. Home is where the people you care about are.B. If you want something, you have to work for it.C. Animals work harder than humans.D. Friendships can occur when you least expect it.

2. PART B: Which quote from the text best supports the answer to Part A?A. “For the thing they both wanted more than anything was a house of their own.”

(Paragraph 1)B. “‘I can gnaw pegs with my sharp teeth; I can put them in with my paws.’”

(Paragraph 8)C. “‘Good!’ said the sheep, the pig and the rabbit; ‘you may come with us.’”

(Paragraph 16)D. “‘What can you do to help?’ asked the sheep, the pig, the rabbit and the goose.”

(Paragraph 21)

3. Which of the following describes why the sheep and the pig allow other animals to live withthem?

A. The sheep and the pig are lonely.B. The sheep and the pig don’t know how to build a house.C. The other animals promise to help out.D. The other animals don’t have anywhere else to go.

4. How does the repeated question “What can you do to help?” contribute to the story?

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“One day I will return the favor and help you.” by BenjaminSchipper is used with permission.

Zebra and WaspBy Clare Mishica

2017

Clare Mishica has written for Highlights. In this fable, a zebra finds a wasp trapped in a spider web. As youread, take notes on what the wasp does.

One sunny morning, Zebra visited the river to geta cool drink. As he dipped his mouth into thewater, he heard a tiny voice coming from nearby.“Help me, Zebra!” cried Wasp. “I’m caught in aspider web.”

Zebra flicked his ears and peered into athornbush. He spied Wasp tangled in a web ofsilver thread. Carefully, Zebra reached into thebranches to free her. But the thorns jabbed hislips.

“Ouch!” wailed1 Zebra. He jerked his head back. “IfI save you, I’ll hurt myself.”

“Please help me,” said Wasp. “One day I willreturn the favor and help you.”

Zebra laughed. “I’m fast and strong. No spider can trap me in its web! Besides, I have a whole herd2 offriends. Why would I need help from a little wasp?”

“Please try one more time,” Wasp said.

Zebra stared at the little insect. She was struggling to beat her wings. With a sigh, Zebra poked his headinto the bush again and knocked at the web. Luckily, it was enough to free Wasp. She tumbled3 to theground.

“Thank you, thank you!” Wasp cried.

“Try to stay out of trouble,” Zebra said to Wasp. “I might not be nearby the next time a spider getshungry.” Then Zebra turned around and galloped back to his herd.

All day, the herd wandered across the plain. They quietly munched on grass. Zebra stayed with hisherd until he noticed some berries. Licking his lips, Zebra went to taste the berries.

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1. Wail (verb): to cry out in pain2. a large group of animals3. to fall suddenly and clumsily

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Copyright © Highlights for Children, Inc., Columbus, Ohio. All rights reserved.

Wasp was resting in the bushes when she saw Zebra walking in her direction. She also spied Lionhiding quietly in the leaves. If Zebra got too close to Lion, Lion would catch him!

Thinking quickly, Wasp zoomed down and stung Lion.

The surprised lion howled. “Roooooaaar!”

Zebra heard the loud cry. In a flash, he whirled around and galloped back to his herd.

A moment later, Wasp buzzed around Zebra’s head. “Try to stay out of trouble,” Wasp said with achuckle.4 “I might not be nearby the next time a lion gets hungry.”

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4. to laugh quietly

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Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: What is the theme of the fable?A. It’s more important to be smart, than it is to be strong.B. You never know when you might need someone else’s help.C. It’s a friend’s job to make sure you stay out of trouble.D. You should help people because it’s the right thing to do.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?A. “Carefully, Zebra reached into the branches to free her. But the thorns jabbed

his lips.” (Paragraph 2)B. “With a sigh, Zebra poked his head into the bush again and knocked at the web.

Luckily, it was enough to free Wasp.” (Paragraph 7)C. “Zebra heard the loud cry. In a flash, he whirled around and galloped back to his

herd.” (Paragraph 14)D. “‘Try to stay out of trouble,’ Wasp said with a chuckle. ‘I might not be nearby the

next time a lion gets hungry.’” (Paragraph 15)

3. What does Zebra do when Wasp promises to “return the favor” in paragraph 4?A. Zebra realizes how helpful Wasp could be in the future.B. Zebra doesn’t think that he will ever need Wasp’s help.C. Zebra thanks Wasp for her kind promise.D. Zebra doesn’t think that Wasp will keep her promise.

4. Why is it important to the story that Zebra frees Wasp from the spider web?

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Name: Class:

"Black back jackal" by Christine Olson is licensed under CC BY-ND2.0

The Cave That TalkedA Tale from the Panchatantra

By Jyoti Singh Visvanath2004

Jyoti Singh Visvanath has written for Highlights. In this retelling of a fable from India, a lion waits in a caveto eat a jackal. As you read, take notes on the jackal’s actions.

The Panchatantra is a collection ofstories written long ago in India. Ateacher wrote them to show hisstudents, three young princes, how tolive wisely.

Long ago, deep in a forest, a jackal1 discovered acave. He decided to make it his home. He left hiscave every morning to hunt for food, andreturned in the evening.

In the same forest lived an old lion. He had oncebeen the king of the forest, but a younger,stronger lion had taken his place. The old lionwandered through the forest looking for food. But as he was too old to hunt, he often had to gohungry.

One day the lion wandered off his usual path in the forest. He tripped on a branch and tumbled downa small hill, landing near the mouth of a cave. The lion picked himself up slowly and walked to thecave’s entrance. He looked inside. There seemed to be no one there. He sniffed. Aha! His nose told himthat an animal lived in this cave. Sooner or later it would return home.

The lion licked his lips. “At last I’ll get something to eat,” he thought.

“I will hide in this cave and eat the animal that lives here as soon as it enters.”

Late in the afternoon the jackal returned to his cave. As he walked toward the entrance, he noticedsomething strange. Near the mouth of the cave were footprints of some big animal. He saw that thefootprints went into his cave but did not come out. That meant the animal was still inside. Hewondered what to do. Then he had an idea.

“Oh, cave, my dear cave,” he shouted. “Please talk to me.” There was no reply. “Why are you so quiet?”called the jackal. “You promised to greet me every day when I came home.” Still no reply. “All right! Ifyou will not speak to me, I will go to the other cave that talks,” said the jackal. He made sounds to showthat he was leaving.

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1. a type of wild dog

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Copyright © Highlights for Children, Inc., Columbus, Ohio. All rights reserved.

The lion sat in the cave, wondering what was happening. He heard the jackal call out to the cave, butthe cave did not reply. “The cave must be keeping quiet because I am here,” thought the lion. “If I callout a greeting, the jackal will come into the cave, and I can eat him up.” The lion roared out a greeting.The sound bounced off the walls and came out through the mouth of the cave. It was loud enough tobe heard by all the animals in the forest. The jackal quickly understood that a lion was hiding in hiscave. Chuckling to himself, he said, “Long years through these woods I’ve walked, but I’ve never heard acave that talked.” Then he ran far from the cave to find himself a new home.

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Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which sentence describes the theme of the short story?A. Smaller creatures tend to be more intelligent than larger creatures.B. Being thoughtful and clever can help you get out of trouble.C. Being intelligent is more important than being large or strong.D. The young have an easier time surviving and succeeding than the old.

2. PART B: Which detail from the story best supports the answer to Part A?A. “The old lion wandered through the forest looking for food. But as he was too

old to hunt, he often had to go hungry.” (Paragraph 2)B. “There seemed to be no one there. He sniffed. Aha! His nose told him that an

animal lived in this cave. Sooner or later it would return home.” (Paragraph 3)C. “Late in the afternoon the jackal returned to his cave. As he walked toward the

entrance, he noticed something strange.” (Paragraph 6)D. “It was loud enough to be heard by all the animals in the forest. The jackal

quickly understood that a lion was hiding in his cave.” (Paragraph 8)

3. What does paragraph 6 reveal about the jackal?A. The jackal is smart.B. The jackal is mean.C. The jackal is fearless.D. The jackal is trusting.

4. Why did the lion roar at the jackal?

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"untitled" by Dev Leigh is licensed under CC0

Lazy AnansiBy Ghanian Folktale

In this folktale from Ghana, a country in West Africa, a lazy spider named Anansi learns an importantlesson. As you read, take notes on how Anansi interacts with his friends.

There was a spider called Anansi. Anansi was toolazy to cook his own food. Instead, he used tovisit his friends and eat the delicious1 food theyhad cooked.

One day, Anansi was passing Rabbit's housewhen he smelled green vegetables cooking. Hewas very excited. Rabbit said to Anansi, “They'renot quite ready yet. You can help me to wash upwhile we wait.” Anansi replied, “Sorry, I havethings to do. I'll come back later.”

“How will I call you when they're ready?” askedRabbit. Anansi thought for a minute. “I'll spin aweb,” he said. “I'll tie one end around my leg and one end to your pot. When the greens are ready, pullon the web string. I'll come right away.” So Anansi tied the web to the pot, and walked on.

Anansi saw Monkey and his wife, cooking beans in a large pot. “Come and join us! The beans are nearlyready.” Monkey said. Anansi replied, “Sorry, I have things to do. Let me tie one end of this web aroundmy leg and one end to your pot. When the beans are ready, pull on the web string, and I'll come.”

As Anansi walked by Warthog's house, he smelled sweet potatoes. Warthog told Anansi, “My pot is fullof sweet potatoes and honey! Come and share my food with me. Take this fork and help me to stir it.”Anansi replied, “I'll come back later. Let me tie one end of this web around my leg and one end to yourpot. When the sweet potatoes are ready, pull on the web string, and I'll come.”

By the time Anansi arrived at the river, each of his eight legs was tied to a pot of delicious food. Then,Anansi felt a pull on one of his legs. “Rabbit's food is ready!” Anansi thought, licking his lips.

He felt a second pull. And a third. And a fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth pull. Everyone was pullingon the web strings at the same time! “Stop! Stop!” he cried in pain, as his legs were stretched thinnerand thinner. But no one could hear him.

Finally, the web strings could hold no longer. They snapped, one by one. Anansi rolled into the river tosoothe his painful legs. But his legs would not return to their normal shape. Anansi was tooembarrassed to go to any of his friends that day.

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1. Delicious (adjective): pleasant to taste

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Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: What is the main theme of the fable?A. People who are lazy don’t get to benefit from others’ hard work.B. Sometimes people take advantage of the kindness of their friends.C. Sharing food with others is a good way to show that you care.D. People are less likely to share with you if you don’t help them in some way.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?A. “‘I'll tie one end around my leg and one end to your pot. When the greens are

ready, pull on the web string. I'll come right away.’” (Paragraph 3)B. “By the time Anansi arrived at the river, each of his eight legs was tied to a pot of

delicious food. Then, Anansi felt a pull on one of his legs.” (Paragraph 6)C. “And a fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth pull. Everyone was pulling on the web

strings at the same time!” (Paragraph 7)D. “But his legs would not return to their normal shape. Anansi was too

embarrassed to go to any of his friends that day.” (Paragraph 8)

3. Which is the best summary of the fable?A. A spider’s friends work together to punish their lazy friend who never helps

them.B. A spider’s legs are stretched out when he’s too lazy to help his friends prepare

food.C. A spider doesn’t know how to cook for himself, but his friends are there to help

him out.D. A spider is embarrassed when all of his friends invite him to dinner at once.

4. How does paragraph 8 provide a conclusion for the fable?A. It reveals that Anansi’s friends never planned to let him eat their food without

working.B. It shows how Anansi suffers consequences for not helping his friends prepare

their food.C. It stresses how important it is for Anansi to learn how to make or catch his own

food.D. It shows how Anansi is to blame for why all spiders are ugly.

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Functional Reading (Barnes) May 18th-June 5th

FABLES

Directions: Before you begin answering this writing prompt, you should have completed all of the readings and questions. Once you are totally finished with the readings and questions, you are to answer the writing prompt in a five sentence paragraph. Writing Prompt: What lessons can fables teach us about life? Helpful Tips for Writing: Think of a paragraph like a hamburger. A hamburger has a top bun, tomato, lettuce, a burger patty, and a bottom bun. Those are five pieces that make up a hamburger. A paragraph also has five pieces or five sentences. The top and bottom bun represent the topic sentence and concluding sentence. The burger patty and toppings represent the body sentences, also known as supporting sentences. See the diagram below for more information about each of the sentences in a paragraph.

Functional Reading (Barnes) May 18th-June 5th Outline: Use the outline below to write your paragraph. Sentence frames have been provided. All you have to do is fill in the blanks. Topic sentence: Three lessons that fables teach readers are ______________________________________,

(Lesson #1) ________________________________, and __________________________________.

(Lesson #2) (Lesson #3) Supporting sentence #1 → lesson #1: The first lesson is important because ___________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________.

Supporting sentence #2 → lesson #2: The second lesson is important because _________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________. Supporting sentence #3 → lesson #3: The third lesson is important because ___________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________. Concluding sentence: __________________________________, __________________________________,

(Lesson #1) (Lesson #2) and __________________________________ are three important lessons learned from

(Lesson #3) fables.