Legend or History

Introduction

GRADE LEVEL: Grades 6-8

SUBJECT: Language Arts

OVERVIEW: Students will watch a movie loosely biased upon a legend biased on facts. The will also read the known facts of the true story, and compare and contrast.

PURPOSE: To discuss literature and history through a compare/contrast essay. To discover how fact becomes legend and legend becomes myth.

Outcomes
The student will write an essay between 500 and 1,000 words in length.
The student will use proper spelling and grammar.
The student will use examples from the movie, the pamphlet and ideas from class discussion.
The student will include at least one quote from either the movie or the pamphlet.
The student will have an introductory paragraph.
The student will have at least 2 body paragraphs at least one compare paragraph and one contrast paragraph.
The student will have a closing or concluding paragraph.
The student will have at least 2 points of comparison and two points of contrast.

Standards
Matching Standards from 'AZ English Language Arts Key'
Standard 1: Reading
ESSENTIALS
(Grades 4-8)
R-E2. Use reading strategies such as making inferences and predictions, summarizing, paraphrasing, differentiating fact from opinion, drawing conclusions, and determining the author’s purpose and perspective to comprehend written selections
(Grades 6-8)
PO 1. Identify the main ideas; critical and supporting details; and the author’s purpose, feelings and point of view of the text
PO 2. Distinguish fact from opinion
PO 3. Summarize the text in own words (assessed at district level only)
PO 4. Compare and contrast the text (e.g., characters, genre, cultural differences, fact, fiction)
PO 5. Determine cause-and-effect relationships
PO 6. Summarize the text in chronological, sequential or logical order
PO 7. Predict outcome of text
R-E3. Analyze selections of fiction, nonfiction and poetry by identifying the plot line (i.e., beginning, conflict, rising action, climax and resolution); distinguishing the main character from minor ones; describing the relationships between and motivations of characters; and making inferences about the events, setting, style, tone, mood and meaning of the selection
(Grades 6-8)
PO 1. Describe the setting and its relationship to the selection
PO 2. Describe the motivation of major and minor characters in a selection
PO 3. Draw defensible conclusions, based on stated and implied information according to style, meaning and mood
PO 4. Differentiate fiction, nonfiction or poetry based on their attributes
PO 5. Identify the theme
R-E4. Identify the author’s purpose, position, bias and strategies in a persuasive selection
(Grades 6-8)
PO 1. Identify the author’s purpose and use of details to support the purpose
PO 2. Describe the author’s use of strategies to convince or persuade
- bandwagon
- peer pressure
- “loaded” words
PO 3. Identify the author’s bias Standard 2: Writing
ESSENTIALS (Grades 4-8)
W-E1. Use correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and usage, along with varied sentence structure and paragraph organization, to complete effectively a variety of writing tasks
(Grades 6-8)
PO 1. Spell correctly
PO 2. Punctuate correctly (e.g., sentence endings, commas in a series, commas in compound sentences, abbreviations, quotation marks, colon in a business letter greeting, apostrophes)
PO 3. Apply rules of capitalization (e.g., sentence beginnings, titles, abbreviations, proper nouns, direct quotations)
PO 4. Apply standard grammar and usage (e.g., subject-verb agreement; simple, compound and complex sentences; appropriate verb tense; plurals; prepositions)
PO 5. Organize paragraphs with a variety of sentence structures (e.g., simple, compound, complex)
W-E3. Write a summary that presents information clearly and accurately, contains the most significant details and preserves the position of the author
(Grades 6-8)
PO 1. Use own words except for material quoted
PO 2. Preserve the author’s perspective and voice
PO 3. Contain main ideas of event/article/story plus the most significant details
PO 4. Present clearly written and organized information
W-E5. Write a report that conveys a point of view and develops a topic with appropriate facts, details, examples and descriptions from a variety of cited sources
(Grades 6-8)
PO 1. Write a report in own words (except for material quoted) that states, develops and provides a concluding statement for a point of view (perspective) about a topic that is narrow enough to be adequately covered
PO 2. Organize a report with a clear beginning, middle and end including use of smooth transitions
PO 3. Provide support through facts, details, examples or descriptions that are appropri-ate, directly related to the topic, and from a variety of cited sources
PO 4. Use personal interpretation, analysis, evaluation or reflection to evidence under-standing of subject
W-E7. Write a response to a literary selection by supporting their ideas with references to the text, other works or experiences
(Grades 6-8)
PO 1. State clearly a position that is interpretive, analytic, evaluative or reflective
PO 2. Support inferences and conclusions with examples from the text, personal experience, references to other works or reference to non-print media
PO 3. Relate own ideas to supporting details in a clear and logical manner
PO 4. Provide support adequate to the literary selection (e.g., short poem vs. novel) Standard 3: Listening And Speaking

ESSENTIALS
(Grades 4-8)
LS-E3. Interpret and respond to questions and evaluate responses both as interviewer and interviewee

Resources

The Man in the Iron Mask
A five-act drama by Alexandre Dumas, available in English for the first time.

The Man In The Iron Mask
Man In The Iron Mask

Integration of Technology:
Research Urban Legends, How they start and What the effect is.
You have 3 choices.

1. Pick a popular or well-known urban legend and try to research its origin. You can try or

2. E-mail a created or little well-known urban legend to friends and family and track it, by asking anyone who receives it to send you an e-mail. Report how many e-mails you have received and where the farthest in miles your e-mail legend has reached.
Or
3. Research a family story that has been exaggerated. E-mail all the family members who know the story and ask them what really happened. Then, tell the story as it is told presently, and compare it with what really happened.

Materials
MGM Video “Man in the Iron Masks”
“The Mystery of the Iron Mask” by Theodore M. R. Von Keler (little blue book #34)
Paper and pen, computer or equivalent writing implements
Thinking Cap

Process
Introduction
Day 1: (Monday) I will start a game of telephone, to demonstrate how the phenomenon of History into legend might occur. I will talk about rumors and gossip. I will lead the class in a guided discussion focusing on facts in history getting distorted and becoming exacerbated and morph in to something unrecognizable from the original. I will ask them how they think this occurs. I will ask them for examples, from personal experience or from books or movies. I will ask them if anyone knows the legend of “The Man in the Iron Mask”.
At the end of class the students will be handed a pamphlet “The Mystery of the Iron Mask” (26 pages in length). They will be asked to read it and come back to class prepared to discuss the contents.
Day 2: I will lead the class in a guided discussion connecting the pamphlet with the pervious class’ discussion. I will hand out a note taking sheet, for the students to make notes on about the movie “The Man in the Iron Mask”. I will explain what need to be on it and how they might take notes. I will then start the movie.
Day 3–5: Depending on time and length of class period and length of movie, we will finish the movie. At the beginning of each class period, I will show them my own note sheet on the movie and pamphlet, and begin to discuss how they might go about writing the paper, discussing comparison and contrast. I will hand them an assignment paper detailing what is expected of them.
Day 6: (Monday) The rough draft will be due. I will hold a writing workshop, calling each student up for 5 or 10 minutes, to ask questions and get feedback on the paper. The final paper will be due Wednesday.

Assessment
Legend of the Iron Mask vs. History of the Velvet Mask

100 points

Write an essay between 500 and 1,000 words in length, that begins by stating the thesis (purpose) in an introductory paragraph

The essay will have at least two body paragraphs, at least one comparison paragraph and one contrast paragraph, totaling at least two points of comparison and two points of contrast.

The essay ends with a closing or concluding paragraph restating the thesis, and summary or a clincher statement

Create a title for your essay.

Use proper spelling and grammar (i.e. punctuation, capitalization, subject-verb agreement; simple, compound and complex sentences; appropriate verb tense; plurals; prepositions etc.)

Use examples from the movie, the pamphlet and ideas from class discussion. At least one example must be a quote from either the movie or the pamphlet.

Use your own words (except for quoted material), to explain your views.

20 points each:
Length and number of points
Organization
Spelling and grammar
Creativity
Use of examples and quotes

A	100 to 90 points
B	89 to 80 points
C	79 to 70 points
D	69 t0 60 points
F	Below 59 points

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