hercules’ 11th labor pandora’s box demeter and …hercules’ 11th labor pandora’s box demeter...

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Reading Objectives• Comprehension: Make judgments;

Identify sequence of events; • Tier Two Vocabulary: See book’s Glossary• Word study: Prefixes (im-, in-)• Analyze the genre• Respond to and interpret texts• Make text-to-text connections• Fluency: Read with characterization

and feelings

Writing Objectives• Writer’s tools: Word choice• Write a myth using writing-process steps

Related Resources• Comprehension Question Card• Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart• Using Genre Models to Teach Writing• Odysseus and the Cyclops, Circe

Enchants Odysseus, The Call of the Sirens (Level S/44)

Hercules’ 11th Labor

Pandora’s Box

Demeter and Persephone

Teacher’s Guide: Three MyThs

While you are meeting with small groups, other students can:• read independently from your classroom library• reflect on their learning in reading response

journals• engage in literacy workstations

Unit-at-a-Glance

Day 1 Prepare to Read

Day 2 Read “Hercules’ 11th Labor”*

Day 3 Read “Pandora’s Box”*

Day 4 Read “Demeter and Persephone”*

Day 5 Literature Circle Discussion/Reinforce Skills*

Days 6–15 Write a myth using the process writing steps on page 10.

Level T/44

® B e n c h m a r k e d u c a t i o n c o m p a n y

• Ask students to turn to pages 5–7. Say: The myths in this book involve Hercules, Pandora, Demeter, and Persephone. Let’s read about what these mythic figures meant to the ancient Greeks.

• Have a student read the background information aloud while others follow along.

• Say: Although they have human qualities, these gods and goddesses are larger than life, able to perform superhuman feats. What can you infer, or tell, from this? Allow responses. Prompt students to understand that the gods and goddesses of mythology gave ancient cultures a way to explain and accept events that were beyond their control.

Introduce the Tools for Readers and Writers: Word Choice• Read aloud “Word Choice” on page 4. • Say: Writers try to choose their words with great

care. “Just right” words help writers communicate their thoughts and feelings clearly. Myths are filled with vivid, precise language. Let’s practice identifying effective word choice so we can recognize it in the myths we read.

• Distribute BLM 1 (Word Choice). Read aloud sentence 1 with students twice, using a different parenthetical word each time.

• Model Identifying Word Choice: I can use either of the adjectives in parentheses to complete this sentence, but which is the better word choice? Bad-looking is negative in a general way; it does not create a specific picture in my mind. Spindly suggests that the plants are tall and thin—they are not full and bushy. The word spindly, along with the drooping and dust, creates a specific image of unhealthy, uncared-for plants. Spindly is the better word choice.

• Ask students to work with partners or in small groups to choose the words in parentheses that create more exact or detailed pictures and complete the unfinished sentence using precise words.

• Bring the groups together to share their findings.• Ask each group to read one or more sentences

they completed. Use the examples to build their understanding of how and why writers choose particular words. Remind students that an author’s word choices can help the reader understand and make inferences about the characters and plot of a myth and the natural event it explains.

• Ask groups to hand in their sentences. Transfer student-written sentences to chart paper, title the page “Word Choice,” and post it as an anchor chart in your classroom.

three mythsfrom Ancient Greece

2

Prepare to ReadBuild Genre Background• Write the word genre on chart paper. Ask: Who

can explain what the word genre means? (Allow responses.) The word genre means “a kind of something.” Would you rather watch a musical or a tragedy? Musicals and tragedies are genres, or kinds, of stage dramas. All musicals share certain characteristics. All tragedies have some features in common, too. As readers and writers, we focus on genres of literature. As readers, we pay attention to the genre to help us comprehend. Recognizing the genre helps us anticipate what will happen or what we will learn. As writers, we use our knowledge of genre to help us develop and organize our ideas.

• Ask: Who can name some literary genres? Let’s make a list. Allow responses. Post the list on the classroom wall as an anchor chart.

• Draw a concept web on chart paper or the board. Write Myth in the center circle of the web.

• Say: A myth is one example of a literary genre. Think of any myths you know. How would you define what a myth is?

• Turn and Talk. Ask students to turn and talk to a classmate and jot down any features of a myth they can think of. Then bring students together and ask them to share their ideas. Record them on the group web. Reinforce the concept that all myths have certain common features.

Introduce the Book• Distribute the book to each student. Read the title

aloud. Ask students to tell what they see on the cover and table of contents.

• Ask students to turn to pages 2–3. Say: This week we are going to read myths that will help us learn about this genre. First we’re going to focus on this genre as readers. Then we’re going to study myths from a writer’s perspective. Our goal this week is to really understand this genre.

• Ask a student to read aloud the text on pages 2–3 while others follow along. Invite a different student to read the web on page 3.

• Point to your myths web on chart paper. Say: Let’s compare our initial ideas about myths with what we just read. What new features of this genre did you learn? Add new information to the class web.

• Post this chart in your classroom during your Myths unit. Say: As we read myths this week, we will come back to this anchor chart. We will look for how these features appear in each myth we read.

Day 1

©2011 Benchmark education company, LLc. All rights reserved. teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. no other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.isBn: 978-1-4509-2963-9

Before ReadingIntroduce “Hercules’ 11th Labor: The Golden Apples”• Reread the myths anchor chart or the web on page

3 to review the features of a myth.• Ask students to turn to page 8. Ask: Based on the

title and photographs of statues, what do you predict this myth might be about? Allow responses.

• Invite students to scan the text and look for the boldfaced words (immortal, impossible, immobilize, interminable). Say: As you read, pay attention to these words. If you don’t know what they mean, try to use clues in the surrounding text to help you define them. We’ll come back to these words after we read.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the myth, focusing on the

genre elements they noted on the anchor chart. They should also look for examples of well-chosen words and think about how the author’s attention to words helps them understand the characters and actions.

Read “Hercules’ 11th Labor: The Golden Apples”• Place students in groups based on their reading

levels. Ask students to read the myth silently, whisper-read, or read with partners.

• Confer briefly with individual students to monitor their understanding of the text and their use of fix-up strategies.

Management TipAsk students to place self-stick notes in the margins where they notice examples of effective word choice or features of the genre.

After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Make Judgments • Lead a student discussion using the “Analyze the

Characters and Plot” and “Focus on Comprehension” questions on page 14. Then, use the following steps to provide explicit modeling of how to make judgments about characters and plot events in a myth.

• Explain: We learned yesterday that myths tell about the adventures of gods and superhuman heroes who have special powers and perform remarkable feats. When we read a myth, we can make judgments. We can evaluate what the characters say and do and whether the plot unfolds in an exciting, yet logical way. As readers, we form judgments about the myth to help us better understand the author’s intentions.

3three mythsfrom Ancient Greece

©2011 Benchmark education company, LLc

Reflect and Review • Turn and Talk. Write one or more of the following

questions on chart paper. What is a literary genre, and how can understanding

genres help readers and writers? What did you learn today about the myth genre? How can a writer use word choice to communicate

his or her ideas to readers? Ask partners or small groups to discuss their ideas

and report them back to the whole group as a way to summarize the day’s learning.

Day 2

Management Tips• Throughout the week, you may wish to use

some of the reflect and review questions as prompts for reader response journal entries in addition to turn and talk activities.

• Have students create genre study folders. Keep blackline masters, notes, small-group writing, and checklists in the folders.

• Create anchor charts by writing whole-group discussion notes and mini-lessons on chart paper. Hang charts in the room where students can see them.

Days 6–15

Word ChoiceDirections: Read each sentence. Underline the word or phrase in (parentheses) that

creates the more exact, vivid image or idea. Then write what the word choice helped you see or understand.

1. A few (bad-looking, spindly) plants drooped in the dust.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

2. On his birthday, the boy’s face (radiated joy, was happy).

________________________________________________________________

3. A worried mother (walked, paced) in the hallway.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

4. The grizzly bear (stood up, reared suddenly) on its hind legs and roared.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

5. The Wolf said in a sly, (wheedling, false) voice, “I’ll be glad to help you.”

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Directions: Complete the sentence with carefully chosen words.

6. I returned to my seat with the ribbon, smiling ____________________

________________________________________________________________

Possible answer: The plants looked skinny and weak. No one had been

caring for them.

Possible answer: The mother walked nervously back and forth. She

was so upset that she couldn’t sit still.

Possible answer: The bear’s surprise move was frightening. It was

probably hungry or angry.

Possible answer: The Wolf’s voice was whiny and sickly sweet. He was

probably trying to trick someone.

Possible answers: ecstatically; with satisfaction.

Possible answer: The boy was delighted. His face shone like the sun.

• Distribute copies of BLM 2 (Make Judgments) and/or draw a chart like the one below.

• Model: When I make a judgment about a myth, I evaluate it based on elements such as its characters and plot. I think about whether the plot holds my attention and includes the important features of a myth. I study the characters and decide whether their feats and decisions are wise or foolish, brave or cowardly, kind or wicked, thrilling or humdrum. In this myth, King Eurystheus sends Hercules to gather golden apples guarded by a dragon and goddesses. This feat is intriguing, so I want to keep reading. At first, Hercules thinks the task is impossible. But when the king gloats that Hercules must be his slave forever, Hercules shouts, “Never!” and accepts the task.

• Guide Practice. Work with students to make a judgment about Hercules’ character. Help them understand that Hercules’ responses to King Eurystheus show his human qualities as well as his god-nature. Readers understand Hercules’ exhaustion and discouragement—the mortal side of the equation—and admire his superhuman will and strength that lead him to take on the impossible.

• Have students keep BLM 2 in their genre studies folders.

©2011 Benchmark education company, LLc4

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Find It! questions. The answer to a Find It! question is right in the book. You can find the answer in one place in the text.

• Model. Read the Find It! question. Say: When I read the question, I look for important words that tell me what to look for in the book. What words in this question do you think will help me? (Allow responses.) Yes, I’m looking for the words Prometheus and chained. On page 9, I read, “He came upon Prometheus chained to a mountain.” This sentence answers the question.

• Use the Flip Chart to help you develop other Find It! questions for students.

Focus on Vocabulary: Prefixes (im-, in-)• Explain/Model: Read aloud “Prefixes” on page 4.

Say: A prefix is a word part that has its own meaning. Sometimes readers can figure out an unfamiliar word by putting together the meanings of the prefix and base word. The prefixes im- and in- mean “not.” For example, something that can move around is mobile or active. Something that cannot move around is immobile or inactive.

• Practice. Write the words measurable, patient, accurate, and edible on a chart. Discuss each word’s meaning. Then, invite volunteers to add the prefixes im- or in-. (immeasurable, impatient, inaccurate, inedible) Point out that adding these prefixes changes each word to its opposite meaning.

• Say: Let’s find the boldfaced words in this myth. What can you do if you don’t know what these words mean? (Allow responses.) Besides looking for clues in the text, you can break the words into parts and look for a prefix and base word.

• Ask students to work with a partner to complete the “Focus on Words” activity on page 15 using BLM 3 (Focus on Prefixes: im-, in-). Explain that they should cover the prefix and analyze the base word. Then, they should explain how the prefix changes the meaning of the base word.

• Transfer Through Oral Language: Ask groups of students to share their findings. Then challenge individual students to use the target word and its base word in a sentence to show opposites. Ask other students to listen carefully and give a thumbs-up if the words are used correctly.

• Ask students to save their work in their genre studies folders to continue on Days 3 and 4.

Day 2 (cont.)

Judgment about Characters or Plot

Details to Support Judgment

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment• Remind students that when they answer questions

on standardized assessments, they must be able to support their answers with facts or clues and evidence directly from the text.

• Use the Comprehension Question Card with small groups of students to practice answering text-dependent comprehension questions.




Reflect and Review • Turn and Talk. Ask partners or small groups to

reread the “Features of a Myth” on page 3 and decide whether all of these features are present in “Hercules’ 11th Labor: The Golden Apples.” Ask groups to share and support their findings.

Fluency: Read with Characterization and Feelings• You may wish to have students reread the myth with

partners during independent reading time. Have them focus on reading with appropriate expression to reflect the characters’ feelings. Ask students to use what they know about Hercules’ and Atlas’ traits, flaws, and circumstances to convey each character’s personality and emotions in their reading.

Before ReadingIntroduce “Pandora’s Box”• Ask students to turn to page 16. Say: You are going

to read another myth today. Turn to a partner to discuss how you will use your genre knowledge as a reader to help you understand the myth.

• Ask partners to summarize what they heard.• Say: Let’s look at the title and illustrations of this

myth. What do you predict it might be about? Give students time to share their predictions.

• Ask students to scan the text and look for the boldfaced words (incessantly, incapacitated, impenetrable, infinite, innocuous). Ask: What do you notice about these words? Why do you think they appear in boldfaced type? Point out that all the words begin with im- or in-.

• Say: As you read, try to figure out the meanings of these words. Cover the prefix and look at the base word to see whether you know this word or a similar one. Look for context clues, too. After we read, we will talk about how you used prefixes and context clues.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the myth, focusing on how the

characters and plot explain something about life or the world. Encourage them to notice word choice.

Read “Pandora’s Box”• Place students in groups based on their reading


• Confer briefly with individuals to monitor their understanding and their use of fix-up strategies.

After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Make Judgments• Say: Yesterday we made judgments about the plot

and characters of “Hercules’ 11th Labor.” The author skillfully interwove Hercules’ super powers and weaknesses to make the story’s problem and solution more complex and interesting. What character in today’s myth has both strength and weakness? What actions show a mix of good and evil? What common human response is intensified to increase the story conflict? As students share their analyses, synthesize their responses into a chart.

• Discuss Making Judgments Across Texts. Lead a discussion using the following questions.

Compare and contrast Zeus and King Eurystheus. What traits or conditions cause Hercules and

Pandora internal conflict? What causes Hercules and Pandora to err and suffer?

Day 3

Page WordPart of Speech

Prefix and Its Meaning

How Prefix Changes Meaning of Base Word

8 immortal adjective im-, “not” makes mortal (“dying”) mean “not mortal; never dying”

8 impossible adjective im-, “not” makes possible (“capable of being done”) mean “not possible; not capable of being done”

10 immobilize verb im-, “not” makes mobilize (“can move”) mean “cannot move; fix in place”

12 interminable adjective in-, “not” makes terminable (“able to be ended”) mean “not able to be ended; never ending”

Note Regarding This Teacher’s GuideEach book provides an opportunity for students to focus on an additional comprehension strategy that is typically assessed on state standards. The strategy is introduced on page 4 (the third item in the “Tools for Readers and Writers” section) with text-specific follow-up questions found on the Reread pages. Some Reread sections also introduce an advanced language arts concept or comprehension strategy, such as protagonist/antagonist, perspective, or subtitles, because students at this level should be able to consider more than one comprehension strategy per text.


• Transfer Through Oral Language. Invite pairs of students to assume the characters of Pandora and Epimetheus and talk about the box using the target words they defined.

What word choices do you find particularly powerful? How do these examples of strong word choice help you better understand the characters and plot?

Day 3 (cont.)



“Pandora’s Box”

Zeus is both generous and vengeful.

Zeus makes Pandora “perfect” but sets her up to fail.

The gift makes Pandora—and readers—curious.

Most humans are tempted by the forbidden.

Inventing creatures to embody life’s miseries enables readers to perceive the ugliness of pain and sorrow.

An icy, powerful wind accompanies the slimy, snarling, ugly creatures.

The author leaves hope in the box.

Hope can alleviate suffering; human misery is not the final word.




16 incessantly adverb in-, “not” makes root word that means “stop or cease” mean “not ceasing; constantly”

17 verb in-, “not” makes root word that means “made capable” mean “took away the capacity to do; disabled”

17 impenetrable adjective im-, “not” makes penetrable (“able to be penetrated”) mean “not able to be penetrated”

17 infinite adjective in-, “not” makes finite (“having limits”) mean “not finite; having no limits”

19 innocuous adjective in-, “not makes nocuous (“harmful”) mean “not nocuous; harmless”

Reflect and Review • Turn and Talk. Ask partners or small groups to

discuss the following questions. Do you think this myth would have ended differently

if Pandora were a goddess instead of a human? Why? What other ways could you explain why we have

suffering in the world?


partners during independent reading time. Have them focus on using what they know about Pandora’s and Epimetheus’ personalities to express the characters’ emotions through tone of voice and pacing.

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment • Use the Comprehension Question Card with small

groups of students to practice answering text-dependent questions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Look Closer! questions. The answer to a Look Closer! question is in the book. You have to look in more than one place, though. You find different parts of the answer and put them together.

• Model. Read the first Look Closer! question. Say: I will show you how I answer a Look Closer! question. This question asks me to identify a sequence of events. I know because it has the clue words Then what happened? Now I need to look for other important information to find in the book. What information do you think will help me? (Allow responses.) Yes, I’m looking for the part about Pandora’s fingers touching the latch on the box. On page 19, I read that Pandora touched the latch. Then she slowly turned the latch and opened the box. An icy wind blew through the room and knocked her down. Ugly creatures flew out of the box. This is the sequence of events in this scene. I looked in several sentences to find the answer.

• Guide Practice: Use the Flip Chart to help you develop other Look Closer! questions.

Focus on Vocabulary: Prefixes (im-, in-)• Ask students to work with a partner to complete the

“Focus on Words” activity on page 21 using BLM 3. Have groups of students share their findings.


©2011 Benchmark education company, LLc three mythsfrom Ancient Greece

7

Before ReadingIntroduce “Demeter and Persephone”• Ask students to turn to page 22. Say: Today we are

going to read “Demeter and Persephone.” This myth is written in a different format from the other myths we have read. Notice how in the margins there are notes to you, the reader. The first time we read the text, we will read to understand the myth, focusing on the characters, plot, and natural event explained. Tomorrow, we will reread this myth like a writer and think about the notes as a model for our own writing.

• Point out the boldfaced words (inconsolable, innocent, implacable, insurmountable). Say: When you see these words in the myth, cover the prefix in each word and look at the base word to see whether you know it or it reminds you of a similar word. Also consider the context, or other words, around the target word. Remember that breaking a word into its prefix and base word can help you define unfamiliar words.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the myth, focusing on how the

characters and plot work together to explain a natural event. They should also look for effective word choice and consider its effect.

Read “Demeter and Persephone”• Place students in groups based on their reading


• Confer briefly with individuals to monitor their understanding individuals and their use of fix-up strategies.

After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Make Judgments• Lead a whole-class discussion about the strategy of

making judgments. Ask: When you make judgments about a myth, how do you support your judgments? Make sure students understand that readers make judgments by evaluating the myth’s elements, such as a divine or superhuman main character or a creative explanation of something in nature. They support their judgments with details and examples.

• Divide the class into two teams. Give each team time to make judgments about the myth, citing details and examples that support the judgment on BLM 2. Invite them to share ideas with the group.

• Next, read the judgment statements below. Alternate having each team provide a detail or example from the myth that supports the judgment. Hades is frightening and fills readers with dread. Demeter’s loss of power is understandable. The author has prepared readers for it. The solution to the problem is satisfying, because it combines both human and god-like elements.

Day 4



Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment • Use the Comprehension Question Card with small


• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Prove It! questions. The answer to a Prove It! question is not stated in the book. You have to look for clues and evidence to prove the answer.

• Model: Read the second Prove It! question. Say: I will show you how I answer a Prove It! question. This question asks me to identify an unstated main idea. I know because it asks what a paragraph is mainly about. Now I need to look for other important information in the question. What information do you think will help me? (Allow responses.) Yes, I need to reread the third paragraph on page 27. The text says, “But during those four months, I will need to rest from my duties tending Earth”; “nothing will grow or be harvested”; “Earth will reflect my feelings and become cold and barren.” These details all tell about what Demeter will do during the four months that Persephone is in Hades. This is the unstated main idea.

• Guide Practice: Use the Flip Chart to help you develop other Prove It! questions and support students’ text-dependent comprehension strategies.

Focus on Vocabulary: Prefixes (im-, in-)• Ask students to work with a partner to complete the

“Focus on Words” activity on page 29 using BLM 3. Have groups of students share their findings.

• Transfer Through Oral Language. Divide the class into two teams. Assign each a target word. Have teams brainstorm things their words describe. Then, have the teams act out why each person, place, or thing on their list is (inconsolable, innocent, implacable, or insurmountable).

Before ReadingSummarize and Make Connections Across Texts• Engage students in a discussion about the three

myths in this book. Invite a different student to summarize each myth.

• Ask students to turn to the inside back cover of the book. Say: We know that all of these myths share certain features—divine or superhuman main characters who perform incredible feats. What else do they have in common? (Allow responses.) Today we compare and contrast the characters and problems in all three myths.

• Ask students to work individually or in small groups to complete BLM 4 (Make Connections Across Texts). Then bring students together to share and synthesize their ideas.


Day 4 (cont.) Day 5

Reflect and Review • Ask and discuss the following questions. What new words have you added to your vocabulary

this week? Which is your favorite?Which mythic character do you admire most? Why?How do effective word choice and prefixes help writing?


partners during independent reading time. Have them focus on reading with appropriate expression. Have students use what they know about the traits and emotions of Hades, Persephone, and Demeter to express the personality and feelings of each character.




22 inconsolable in-, “not” makes consolable (“able to be comforted”) mean “not able to be consoled or comforted”

25 innocent in-, “not” makes root word that means “wicked” mean “not wicked; free from guilt; blameless”

26 implacable im-, “not” makes root word that means “please” mean “not able to be placated, or pleased”

Hercules’ 11th Labor

Pandora’s BoxDemeter and Persephone

Who are the main characters?

Hercules, Atlas, King Eurystheus

Zeus, Pandora, Epimetheus

Demeter, Persephone, Hades, Zeus

What challenge does the main character face?

Hercules must take golden apples from his enemy, the goddess Hera.

Pandora wants to know all things, especially what is in the forbidden box.

Demeter is too grief-stricken to care for Earth when her daughter is kidnapped.

How are the other characters involved in the challenge?

King Eurystheus gives Hercules the impossible task. Atlas gets the apples for Hercules but then deceives him.

Zeus creates Pandora, knowing that her curiosity will draw her to the box. Epimetheus enforces Zeus’ command.

Persephone is trapped between two people who need and want her. Zeus negotiates with Hades.

Set a Purpose for Rereading• Have students turn to page 22. Say: Until now, we

have been thinking about myths from the perspective of the reader. Learning the features of myths has helped us be critical readers. Now we are going to put on a different hat. We are going to reread “Demeter and Persephone” and think like writers. We’ll pay attention to the annotations to understand what the author did and why she did it.


• Read step 3. Say: Before you’re ready to write, you need to rethink the myth’s setting and plot so you can retell them. “Pandora’s Box” takes place long ago before suffering came into the world. When you write your myth, think about how the setting will allow you to creatively explain something that occurs in nature. What plot, or actions, will help you show the origin of this natural occurrence? Choose one of the myths the class has brainstormed. Work as a group to retell its problem and solution.

Build Comprehension: Identify Sequence of Events• Explain: When authors write a story, they

describe the plot events in sequence. For example, Hercules encounters Prometheus on his way to get the apples. Hercules helps Prometheus, who is grateful. As a result, Prometheus suggests a plan for acquiring the apples. Readers pay attention to the sequence of events by noting clue words that signal time order.

• Model: In “Demeter and Persephone,” Demeter watches Persephone picking flowers in a meadow. Then, Hades emerges from the Underworld and spies the girl. Once Demeter falls asleep, Hades kidnaps Persephone. The sequence of events allows a twist to occur.

• Guide Practice. Invite students to work in small groups to identify and list the sequence of events in the rest of “Demeter and Persephone.” Remind them to watch for clue words that signal time order.

Reread “Demeter and Persephone”• Place students in groups based on their reading

levels. Ask students to reread the myth silently or whisper-read and pay attention to annotations.

After ReadingAnalye the Mentor Text• Read and discuss the mentor annotations.

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment• Use the Comprehension Question Card with small


• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Take It Apart! questions. The answer to a Take It Apart! question is not stated in the book. You must think like the author to figure out the answer.

• Model. Read the first Take It Apart! question. Say: This question asks me to think about the author’s purpose. I know because it says “Why does the author ...” Now I need to look for other important information in the question. What information do you think will help me? (Allow responses.) Yes, I need to look at the illustration on page 23 and see how it fits in with the story. I think the author wants to show what the Underworld looked like to help readers understand what it would be like to live there. Thinking about the author’s purpose helped me answer this question.

• Guide Practice. Use the Flip Chart to help you develop other Take It Apart! questions.

Analyze the Writer’s Craft• Ask students to turn to page 30. Explain: In the

next few days, you will have the opportunity to write your own myth. First, let’s think about how the author wrote “Demeter and Persephone.” When she developed this myth, she followed certain steps. You can follow these same steps to write your own myth.

• Read step 1. Say: First, decide on a myth to retell. Let’s think of some cultures whose myths you might like to research. (Write cultures on chart paper.) Once you decide on a culture or a hero, research in books or online sources to find out as much as you can. Supply information about one mythic figure or culture’s myths on the chart to serve as an example.

• Read step 2. Say: In the three myths we read, the main characters were a god, a goddess, and a human with superhuman powers. Other characters were mostly gods and goddesses who could create problems for the hero. Who could our characters be? Let’s make a list of mythic figures who could help us explain some natural event in an exciting way. Capture ideas on chart paper.



Day 5 (cont.)

Write a Myth• Use the suggested daily schedule to guide students

through the steps of process writing. Allow approximately 45 to 60 minutes per day. As students work independently, circulate around the room and monitor student progress. Confer with individual students to discuss their ideas and help them move forward. Use the explicit mini-lessons, conferencing strategies, and assessment rubrics in Using Genre Models to Teach Writing for additional support.

• Before students begin planning their myth, pass out copies of BLM 5 (Myth Checklist). Review the characteristics and conventions of writing that will be assessed. Tell students that they will use this checklist when they complete their drafts.

• This daily plan incorporates the generally accepted six traits of writing as they pertain to myths.

Days 6–7: Plan • Ask students to use BLM 6 (Myth Planning Guide) to

record information about the characters, setting, and plot for their myth.

• Encourage students to refer to the “Features of a Myth” web on page 3 and to the steps in “The Writer’s Craft” on pages 30–31 of the book.

• Confer with individual students and focus on their ideas. Did students begin their myth with an explanation for some natural occurrence or a particular hero’s quest in mind? Did they develop the characters and plot so that the explanation or outcome naturally follows?

Days 8–9: Draft • Tell students that they will be using their completed

Myth Planning Guides to begin drafting. • Say: Remember that when writers draft their ideas,

they focus on getting their ideas on paper. They can cross things out. They can make mistakes in spelling. What’s important is to focus on developing your characters, setting, and plot. You can make corrections and improvements later.

• Confer with students as they complete their drafts. Use the Myth Checklist to draw students’ attention to characteristics of the myth genre that they may have overlooked. Focus on organization and voice in the writing.

• Pair students for peer conferencing.

Days 10–11: Edit and Revise • Based on your observations of students’ writing,

select appropriate mini-lessons from Using Genre Models to Teach Writing.

• Remind students to use the Myth Checklist as they edit and revise their myths independently.

Days 6–15• Confer with students, focusing on sentence fluency,

word choice, and conventions. Did students include both long and short sentences? Do the sentences read smoothly? Have students chosen interesting words and phrases? Did they use appropriate spelling, punctuation, and grammar?

• Students can continue editing and revising at home.

Days 12–13: Create Final Draft and Illustrations • Ask students to rewrite or type final drafts.• Invite students to illustrate their final drafts to depict

specific characters or events.• Confer with students about publishing plans and

deadlines.

Days 14–15: Publish and Share• Explain: One of the great joys of writing is sharing

it with others. Authors publish their books so that people can buy them. They make their work available on the Internet and hold readings. We can share our writing, too.

• Use one or more of the ideas below for sharing students’ work: Make a class display of students’ completed myths. Hold a class reading in which students can read their myths to one another and/or to parents. Create a binder of all the myths for the school or classroom library.


Days 6–15


Features of the Genre Checklist Yes No

1. My myth has a strong lead. 2. My myth is told in first or third person. 3. My myth takes place before time began. 4. My myth includes gods, goddesses, heroes, and fantastic

creatures with supernatural powers or abilities. 5. My myth includes humans, or humanlike characters,

who experience human emotions. 6. At least one character performs a heroic feat or goes on

a quest. 7. I tell the problem at the beginning of the myth. 8. I have 3–5 main events in my myth. 9. My myth has a solution to the problem. 10. I use precise words in my myth.

Quality Writing Checklist Yes No

I looked for and corrected . . .

• run-on sentences • sentence fragments • subject/verb agreement • verb tense • punctuation • capitalization • spelling • indented paragraphs

Myth Checklist

Myth Planning Guide

Directions: Use the chart below to plan your own myth.

1. Research myths and decide on one to retell.

3. “Rethink” setting and plot.

Characters Traits, Special Skills, Effect on Plot

Character 1:_______________

Character 2:_______________

Character 3:_______________

Setting

Problem

Events

Solutions

2. Identify and develop characters.

Days 6–15

©2011 Benchmark education company, LLcthree mythsfrom Ancient Greece

BLm 1

Name _________________________________________________ Date ___________________

Word ChoiceDirections: Read each sentence. Underline the word or phrase in (parentheses) that

creates the more exact, vivid image or idea. Then write what the word choice helped you see or understand.

1. ��A�few�(bad-looking,�spindly)�plants�drooped�in�the�dust.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

2. On�his�birthday,�the�boy’s�face�(radiated�joy,�was�happy).

________________________________________________________________

3. ��A�worried�mother�(walked,�paced)�in�the�hallway.�

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

4. The�grizzly�bear�(stood�up,�reared�suddenly)�on�its�hind�legs�and�roared.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

5. The�Wolf�said�in�a�sly,�(wheedling,�false)�voice,�“I’ll�be�glad�to��help�you.”

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Directions: Complete the sentence with carefully chosen words.

6. I�returned�to�my�seat�with�the�ribbon,�smiling�____________________

________________________________________________________________


Make Judgments

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Directions: Use the chart below to make judgments.

BLm 2



“Hercules’�11th�Labor”

“Pandora’s�Box”

“Demeter��and�Persephone”


Name _________________________________________________ Date ___________________

Focus on Prefixes: im-, in-Directions: Reread each myth. Identify each word’s part of speech, prefix, and

prefix’s meaning. Explain how the meaning of the prefix changes the meaning of the base word.

©2011 Benchmark education company, LLcthree mythsfrom Ancient Greece

BLm 3




Hercules’�11th�Labor

8 immortal

8 impossible

10 immobilize

12 interminable

Pandora’s��Box

16 incessantly

17 incapacitated

17 impenetrable

17 infinite

19 innocuous

Demeter��and�Persephone

22 inconsolable

25 innocent

26 implacable

26 insurmountable

Make Connections Across Texts

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Directions: Use the chart to answer the questions. Then, summarize how the myths are alike and different.

©2011 Benchmark education company, LLcBLm 4

“Hercules’ 11th Labor”

“Pandora’s Box”

“Demeter and Persephone”

Who�are�the�main�characters?

What�challenge�does�the�main�character�face?

How�are�the�other�characters�involved�in�the�challenge?

How�does�the�myth�end?




Features of the Genre Checklist Yes No

� 1.��My�myth�has�a�strong�lead.� � � 2.��My�myth�is�told�in�first�or�third�person.�� 3.��My�myth�takes�place�before�time�began.� � � 4.��My�myth�includes�gods,�goddesses,�heroes,�and�fantastic��

creatures�with�supernatural�powers�or�abilities.� � � �5.��My�myth�includes�humans,�or�humanlike�characters,��

who�experience�human�emotions.� � � 6.��At�least�one�character�performs�a�heroic�feat�or�goes�on��

a�quest.� � � 7.��I�tell�the�problem�at�the�beginning�of�the�myth.� � � 8.��I�have�3–5�main�events�in�my�myth.� � � 9.��My�myth�has�a�solution�to�the�problem.� � 10.��I�use�precise�words�in�my�myth.� �

Quality Writing Checklist Yes No

I�looked�for�and�corrected�.�.�.

•�run-on�sentences� � •�sentence�fragments� � •�subject/verb�agreement� � •�verb�tense�� •�punctuation� � •�capitalization� � •�spelling� � •�indented�paragraphs� �

Name _________________________________________________ Date ___________________

Myth Checklist

Title ________________________________________________________________________ ______


Myth Planning Guide

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Directions: Use the chart below to plan your own myth.

1. Research�myths�and�decide�on�one�to�retell.

3. “Rethink”�setting�and�plot.

Characters Traits, Special Skills, Effect on Plot

Character�1:_______________

Character�2:_______________

Character�3:_______________

Setting

Problem

Events

Solutions

2. Identify�and�develop�characters.


hercules’ 11th labor pandora’s box demeter and …hercules’ 11th labor pandora’s box demeter...

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