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Advanced/Gifted and Talented: An advanced/gifted and talented tool is an idea for a complex, multi-step instructional task that requires students to apply knowledge and skills of multiple objectives that support one indicator. Tasks require students to interpret, analyze, and evaluate text at an appropriate level of complexity and embed a variety of differentiation strategies to challenge advanced readers. Many of these strategies and activities can be adapted for use with all students.

Standard 3.0 Comprehension of Literary Text

Indicator 3. Use elements of narrative texts to facilitate understanding

Objective f. Identify and describe the narrator

Other Objectives Addressed
a.Identify and distinguish among types of narrative texts such as characteristics of the general categories of fiction versus nonfiction, realistic fiction, tall tales, legends, fables, fairy tales, biographies
b.Identify and explain the elements of a story
c.Identify and describe the setting and the mood
d.Identify and analyze the characters
e.Identify and explain relationships between and among characters, setting, and events

Instructional Task
Students will use elements of narrative text to produce a "To Tell the Truth" game show based on a literary text (synthesis). "To Tell the Truth" is based on a television game show in which a panel asks questions of three contestants all claiming to be the same character. The panel members use their understanding of the narrative elements to distinguish the real character from the imposters, and the contestants use their understanding of narrative elements to write their "real" and "impostor" answers (evaluation).

Development of Task
  • Students will read text of appropriate complexity and map the elements of narrative text.
  • The teacher will introduce the concept of the game "To Tell the Truth," which demonstrates that good questions and thorough understanding can help you to distinguish whether or not someone is telling the truth (kinesthetic/tactile learning style). See "How to Play To Tell the Truth," below.
  • To play "To Tell the Truth," students should be divided into panel and contestant groups. The class should select several characters from the text so that there are enough rounds of the game for everyone to play as a panel member or a contestant. Both the panel groups and the contestant groups will answer questions based on the elements of narrative text in preparation for the game. Students in the contestant group must also compose "bluff" answers.
  • The teacher may use the "To Tell the Truth" Panel questions to model the types of questions students should create.
Objectives "To Tell the Truth" Panel Questions
Identify and distinguish among types of narrative texts
  • What type of narrative text was your story? (tall tale, realistic fiction, poetry, etc.)
  • Give an example from your story that demonstrates the type of narrative text.
Identify and explain the elements of a story
  • Describe the main problem you face.
  • What do you do to solve the problem?
  • How does the order of the events in your story lead to a solution to the problem?
Identify and describe the setting and mood
  • At what time period does your story occur?
  • Where and when does your story take place?
  • Describe the mood of your story.
Identify and analyze the characters
  • Tell one character trait that describes you and an example of how you showed that trait.
  • Describe one character trait you have that caused a problem in the story.
  • How have you changed from the beginning of the story to the end?
Identify and explain relationships between and among characters, setting and events
  • How was the setting of your story important to the events that occurred?
  • What characters would have to be changed if your story took place in a different setting?
  • What story event had the greatest effect on you?
  • What other character was most similar to you? What character was the most different?
Identify and describe the narrator
  • Who is the narrator in your story?
  • How are you related to the narrator?
  • Describe the narrator.
How to Play "To Tell the Truth"
  • In the television game show "To Tell the Truth," three contestants, each of whom claims to be the same person, are questioned by a panel of four celebrities in an attempt to identify who is the real one and who is bluffing. The contestant usually holds an unusual occupation or has done something noteworthy.
  • After each celebrity has had a turn in asking several questions of the guests, they each vote as to who they think is the real person.
    When this is finished, the panel moderator says, "Will the real ________ please stand up?"
     
    The real person stands, the other two reveal who they really are, and the contestants win money based on how many incorrect votes were placed.
/instruction/advanced/reading/grade3/xml/3A3f.xml
Resources for Objective 3.A.3.f:
Lesson Seeds | ADVANCED/G-T |