This lesson plan is for a 3rd grade class and focuses on teaching students about pourquoi tales, which are folktales that explain natural phenomena. The lesson will use the story "Anansi Goes Fishing" to teach students that pourquoi tales explain "why" something exists in nature. Students will learn that the story features the character Anansi and explains why spiders can spin webs. They will discuss Anansi's character traits and whether he is trustworthy. The purpose is for students to recognize features of a pourquoi tale and explain what one is.

1. LESSON PLAN
Your name: Caitlin Bergan Cooperating teacher-librarian: Kathy Bennett
Date: Dec 5-10 School & City: Lincoln Trail, Mahomet
Lesson Title: Anansi Pourquoi Tale
Grade level: 3rd grade Length of lesson: 15 min
Purpose: (“why” of the lesson; where and how does it fit in the curriculum?)
Students will be able to recognize the features of a pourquoi tale
Learning Outcome(s): (what will students be able to do/know by the end of the
lesson?)
Students will…
• Be able to explain what a pourquoi tale is
• Review of what a folktale is
Illinois Learning Standard(s) Addressed:
1.B.1a Establish purposes for reading, make predictions, connect important ideas,
and link text to previous experiences and knowledge
1.B.1b Identify genres (forms and purposes) of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and
electronic literary forms.
1.C.1c Make comparisons across reading selections
18.A.1 Identify folklore from different cultures which became part of the heritage
of the United States
Standards for 21st Century Learner Addressed:
1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
4.1.1 Read, view, and listen for pleasure and personal growth.
4.1.2 Read widely and fluently to make connections with self, the world, and
previous reading.
4.1.3: Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats
and genres.
4.4.4: Interpret new information based on cultural and social context.
Materials:
Needed by you: Needed by students:
Anansi Goes Fishing retold by Eric A. Kimmel
Instructional procedures:
Focusing event: (how will you get the students’ attention?)
Folktale – what is it? Pourqoui story – what is it? “Pourquoi” is the French word for
“why”? Pourquoi tales tell a made up story about why something exists in nature.
Input from you: (what are you teaching & how are you delivering the content?)
This story is from West Africa. It features a character named Anansi. Let’s talk
about Anansi – does anyone know Anansi? Let’s see how he acts and we’ll talk about
him at the end of the story.
Guided practice: (application of knowledge by students)

2. Anansi is already a spider – he isn’t changed into a spider like Arachne, so what does
it explain the “why” of? What can Anansi do now that he couldn’t at the beginning of
the story?
What is Anansi like? Is he a nice person? Do other people trust him? Why not?
Let’s remember these things about Anansi – they may come back up.
Closure (how will you end the lesson?)
What were some differences between the stories? What was similar?
What’s next? (another related lesson, review, end of unit?)
Trickster characters in folktales.