SYRACUSE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Grade 06 Unit 03 Reading Unit Tutorial
Hybrid Unit – Literary & Informational Text
Reading Standards: RL.6.2, RL.6.3, RL.6.4, RL.6.5 RL.6.6, RL.6.9
RI.6.2, RI.6.3, RI.6.4, RI.6.5, RI.6.6, RI.6.9
6th Grade Tutorial Block – Unit 3 Reading: Hybrid Text Study
What is Close Reading? by Timothy Shanahan
In this unit:
•Readers use multiple genres of text to develop ideas about the world.
•Readers use their knowledge of text structure to understand text.
•Readers’ perspectives are influenced by gathering information from a variety of texts.
•Readers make connections among texts of different genres to uncover meaning.
General Information regarding tasks for each text:
Reading Task: Students will silently read the passage in question on a given day - first independently and then following along with the text as the
teacher and/or skillful students read aloud. Depending on the difficulties of a given text and the teacher’s knowledge of the fluency abilities of
students, the order of the student silent read and the teacher reading aloud with students following might be reversed. What is important is to allow
all students to interact with challenging text on their own as frequently and independently as possible. Students will then reread specific passages in
response to a set of concise, text-dependent questions that compel them to examine the meaning and structure of the information texts. Therefore,
rereading is deliberately built into the instructional unit.
Discussion Task: Students will discuss the exemplar text in depth with their teacher and their classmates, performing activities that result in a close
reading of the informational texts. The goal is to foster student confidence when encountering complex text and to reinforce the skills they have
acquired regarding how to build and extend their understanding of a text. A general principle is to always reread the passage that provides
evidence for the question under discussion. This gives students another encounter with the text, helping them develop fluency and reinforcing their
use of text evidence.
Writing Task: Students will paraphrase different sentences and paragraphs of the text and then write an informal explanatory essay detailing how
one of the interactions illustrates a deeper understanding of the text. Teachers might afford students the opportunity to revise their in-class
paraphrases after participating in classroom discussion or even rewrite their explanation after receiving teacher feedback, allowing them to
refashion both their understanding of the text and their expression of that understanding.
Implementation Dates:
January 10, 2014 – February 26, 2014
(Every other day according to Tutorial Schedule)
6th Grade: Unit 3 Reading / Hybrid Unit
Teaching Points
3.1 Readers develop
possible themes or
central ideas by reading
a chunk of text and
asking, “What is this
starting to be about?”
and “What patterns am
I noticing?”
Focus Correction Areas
By this point in the year, students should be starting to internalize the practices of close reading. The activities in this unit
are intended to support students’ beginning attempts at independently applying close reading strategies to complex
text. The selected texts include a variety of structures and formats for student to sample, and the content of the texts
directly supports and will hopefully deepen students’ comprehension of the text students are reading in their ELA unit.
Focus: Theme, Central/Main Idea, Relevant Supporting Details, Vocabulary, Questioning, Text Structure, Comparing &
Contrasting, and Making Connections Between Texts
Unit 3 Readings: What is a Myth? from Mythology Packet (pg. 1&2), The Greek Creation Myth, Cronus, The Key Elements of
Mythology, Prometheus, The Olympians, Along Came Zeus
Important: Texts in this tutorial unit will spiral together. Make sure to collect texts
from students at the end of each lesson so that they can be used on multiple days.
3.2 Readers develop
several possible theme
statements or central
ideas and support/verify
their thinking by citing
specific, relevant details
in a text.
Day 1: Approaching the Text / Getting the Flow
3.3 Readers explain
themes or central ideas
by providing a text
summary of important
relevant
Before beginning the reading, have students prepare for the task by activating their prior knowledge about myths.
Students may stop and jot or think-pair-share anything they know or any connections they can make to the word “myth”.
Students should be encouraged to think of other words they know – “mythical” – or other books they have read that
mention myths. (Several students may already be familiar with the Percy Jackson series, and may be quite
knowledgeable about myths.) After a structured share, assess what students know and identify any misconceptions or
confusion.
3.4 Readers determine
character traits by
recording and analyzing
characters’ words,
thoughts, actions, and
choices.
3.5b Readers track
connections between
individuals, ideas, and
events related to the
central idea. They ask,
“How are the
individuals, ideas, and
events connected?”
3.6 Readers pay
attention to the author’s
Text Under Discussion: What is a Myth? from Mythology Packet (pg. 1&2)
If you have not used the “Reading Closely: Guiding Questions” chart with students before, introduce it to them now.
Explain to students that while you have led the previous close reading activities, Good Readers learn to apply the skills of
close reading independently. In this unit, you will be giving students several resources to help support their beginning
efforts and independent close reading. In this first lesson, students will focus on the first step of close reading –
Approaching the Text. When we approach the text, we are preparing to “get the flow” and learn basic about the topic,
structure, language, author, and viewpoints. Pass out Reading Closely: Approaching the Text. Work through the sheet
with the students. Prompt them to consider how these guiding questions will help them to focus their first look at the text.
Pass out the text “What is a Myth?”. Invite students to recall the opening conversation and consider the guiding questions
from “Reading Closely: Approaching the Text” that will help them in this first reading of the text. Have students share
which guiding questions seem particularly important. (Help students identify that their purpose in reading the text is to
learn more about myths, so they should pay attention, as they read, to what the text is saying about myths.)
The teacher may begin reading the text aloud and check-in frequently to see if students are noticing information
relevant to the guiding questions that were discussed. After a time, however, the reading should be turned over to
students to complete independently or in pairs.
After students are finished with the first read, have them complete the 3-2-1 exit ticket question
6th Grade: Unit 3 Reading / Hybrid Unit
Teaching Points
choice of words and
phrases by asking
themselves, “Why did
the author choose this
word instead of another
one?”
Focus Correction Areas
3 – What are 3 things you learned about myths from this text?
2 – Give two things you “noted” about the text (see Guiding Questions “I take note of..”) i.e. author, structure,
publisher, etc....
1 - Which question from the Reading Closely: Approaching the Text was most helpful in understanding the text on
your first read?
Day 2: Read for the Gist
3.7 Readers notice
figurative language by
looking for double
meanings of words.
Text Under Discussion: What is a Myth? from Mythology Packet (pg. 1&2)
3.9 Readers determine
tone by explaining
connections between
individuals words/
phrases and overall
tone.
3.10 Readers can
analyze an event that
shifts the theme, setting
or plot by noting the
character’s reactions to
the event.
3.11 Readers recognize
that texts have different
structures that organize
the ideas and how
those ideas contribute
to the development of
the theme or central
idea. They ask, “What is
the author trying to
show me in this
section?”
3.12 Readers identify the
author’s point of view or
purpose and cite
Display the word allusion on the board or document camera. Gauge students’ knowledge of the word. Briefly explain
that an allusion is an indirect reference to something. It is a phrase or expression intended to call something to mind
without mentioning it explicitly. It comes from the root word allude, which means to “play beside.” Have students
consider for a moment what “play beside” means. Have them visualize two of the same game being played directly next
to each other. Many similarities between the two games would become apparent. Explain that Rick Riordan, author of
the novel students are currently reading in the ELA unit, made many allusions to Greek myths in The Lightning Thief and
knowing more about myths, specifically those alluded to in the story, will help them to understand Percy and his journey
more deeply. It may be helpful for students to think of an allusion as one story “playing beside” another .
Explain that today students will read “What is a Myth?” again. During the second reading of the text, students read for
the gist and use guiding questions to help understand the text. Good Readers pose new questions as they read and
search for answers to deepen their understanding. Remind students that throughout this unit, you will be transferring the
responsibility of close reading over to students. Review the resource from the last lesson – Reading Closely: Approaching
The Text. Then pass out Reading Closely: Questioning the Text. Work through the sheet with the students. Prompt them to
consider how these guiding questions will help them to focus their second reading of the text, now that they are already
familiar with the flow of the piece. Ask students to identify several guiding questions that, based on their knowledge of the
text, will help focus their reading and improve their comprehension of the text’s idea during this second read. Record
these questions on the board or on chart paper. Instruct students to jot the gist or main idea of each paragraph in the
margin of the text. Also, pass out sticky notes to each student. As they read, students should record information pertinent
to the established guiding questions or new questions they think of as they read the text.
Classroom Conversation:
After reading the text, have students work in pairs or small groups to share out the information they found in the text.
Prompt students to consider if the guiding questions helped to focus their reading and glean more meaning from the text.
After hearing others’ questions and responses, tell students to analyze if some of the guiding questions seemed more
helpful than others for this text. How will they use this experience to help improve their close readings of text? After the
discussion, students can post their sticky notes onto the guiding questions chart.
Additional Resources: You may opt to use these additional resources from the Mythology Packet as homework or
extension:
 “What is a Myth?” fill in the blank worksheet (pg. 3)
 “What is Mythology?” quick reference guide (pg. 4&5)
6th Grade: Unit 3 Reading / Hybrid Unit
Teaching Points
Focus Correction Areas
examples that support
Day 3: Approaching a Text / Reading for the Gist
point of view. They ask,
“Who is speaking? What Text Under Discussion: The Greek Creation Myth
is he/she trying to tell me
in this text?”
1. Begin the lesson with an activity that will activate students’ prior knowledge, link to the previous learning, and prepare
them for the day’s lesson. Direct students work in pairs or small groups to create a definition for the word “myth” in 20
3.14 Readers identify the words or less. Students must pull information from the text that they read – “What is a Myth?” After several minutes, have
features of a genre
the groups share out their definitions. One suggestion is to have students post their definitions around the room and
(poetry, short story,
conduct a gallery walk, so students can read and comment on others. After reading all the different definitions, students
biography, news article, place a post it on the definition they think best captures the meaning of “myth.” The teacher can help blend different
interview) by examining
definitions together to create a comprehensive class definition. One sample a class might come up with, based on the
its structure, language
text, is “Myth: a story that explains “how things came to be the way they are” and typically involving supernatural beings
and sound.
or events.” Your class definition should be posted in the room, as it will be referenced regularly throughout the remainder
of the unit.
3.15 Readers compare
and contrast various
Tell students that today they are going to read The Greek Creation Myth. Ask if students are familiar with any other
genres in terms of their
Creation stories. They may mention The Creation Story from the Bible or Native American creation stories they’ve read in
approach to theme and Social Studies. Introduce that Creation Stories are intended to explain how life as we know it first started many years ago,
topic by noting their
“In the beginning...”
similarities and
differences.
Quickly review the guiding questions for Reading Closely: Approaching the Text and discuss the purpose for reading this
text with students. Invite students to wonder why they are reading this text? Is it to learn content – for example to learn
about Greek Mythology? Is it to learn about different types of text structure? Is it to learn a new perspective or point-ofview? Have students notice and wonder things about the text, such as the author, title, structure, etc…
Then have students review the guiding questions for Reading Closely: Questioning the Text. Have students suggest 2-3
questions the class can focus on as they read to guide their thinking and learning. The teacher may choose to read the
first few paragraphs of the text and turn the reading over to students to read in pairs or independently. As they read,
students might jot down their thoughts and responses to the text and guiding questions.
After reading, have students share out their thoughts and learning as well as the information in the text that responded to
the guiding questions. Tell students that they are going to go back into the text to collect specific evidence from the text
about the Creation Myth and the mythical beings introduced. Break students into small groups and assign them one of
the following tasks.





Create a timeline of the events in the Greek Creation Story
Create a family tree or web showing the relationships of the different immortals.
Draw the Hundred-Handed Giant and list all the details from the text that informed your illustration
Draw a Cyclopes and list all the details from the text that informed your illustration
Draw the Furies and list all the details from the text that informed your illustration
Allow students 10-15 minutes to work. If time permits, allow students to share out at the end of class, otherwise have
6th Grade: Unit 3 Reading / Hybrid Unit
Teaching Points
Focus Correction Areas
students share work at the start of the next class. Invite students to comment on each other’s’ work and recognize details
from the text, or suggest additional details the illustrators could add based on evidence in the text.
Day 4: Reading for Key Ideas and Details
Text Under Discussion: The Greek Creation Myth / Cronus
If time ran out last before students could share their illustrations from the previous lesson, allow them to do so now, or,
review the work students completed to refocus their thinking on the ideas of the text. Explain to students that today they
are going to dive back into the text to think deeply about some of the big ideas presented in the text. Students may
work independently or in pairs to respond to the following questions.
Text-Based Questions: Support all responses by explaining your thinking and citing evidence from the text that supports
your ideas!
 According to the text, why was Gaea angry at Uranus?
 In the text, the author states that “the Titans were too terrified of their father and turned away” when Gaea asked
them for help. Why did these immortal gods who controlled all the major function of the universe, fear Uranus?
 What do Uranus’s actions towards his creations, the Hundred-handed Giants and the Cyclopes, reveal about his
character?
Partner Talk and Check Meaning: Students may respond to questions verbally or in writing. If you opt to have students
discuss their answers, it is helpful to first give students time to process and independently construct their own responses to
the questions before partnering up. This can occur in the form of a Think-Write-Pair-Share. As students share with one
another, the teacher should circulate to assess what ideas students have gleaned from the text.
Assessing for Understanding and Confusion: Invite students to share key points from their reading and partner discussions
with the whole group. This will provide insight into which portions of the text students understood. Ask students what words
or phrases were unfamiliar or unclear to them and how they attempted to resolve them.
If time permits, pass out Cronus and invite students to take an initial look at the text to get the flow and learn the basic
structure and topic of the text. Quickly review the Reading Closely: Approaching the Text guiding questions. Then
complete a first read to/with the students as they follow along. Invite them to share what they notice about the text
(referencing the guiding questions) and share the topic of the text.
Day 5: Reading for the Gist / Reading for Key Ideas & Details – Theme
Text Under Discussion: Cronus
Students should have some familiarity with this text from the previous lesson, but invite them to remember and share what
they noticed and learned about the text during their first read at the end of the previous lesson. Review the Reading
Closely: Questioning the Text guiding questions and invite students to identify several questions that may help them focus
their thinking as they read. Then read aloud or invite students to read, stopping after each paragraph to allow students
to jot down the gist and/or important ideas/questions that came up within the section of text. You may also opt to stop in
6th Grade: Unit 3 Reading / Hybrid Unit
Teaching Points
Focus Correction Areas
the appropriate places to ask the following vocabulary questions: (Reinforce the value of noticing and learning new
vocabulary as one of the most powerful ways to become a stronger reader.)
 It says: ‘His father had predicted that this would happen. In order to be sure that he kept power and the prophecy did
not come true, Cronus attempted to escape fate by swallowing each child as soon as it was born.’ What does the word
prophecy mean in this context?
 It says: ‘They told her to wrap a stone in baby-clothes and give it to Cronus. She did, and he swallowed the stone
without noticing the deception.’ What does the word deception mean in this context?
 It says: ‘Cronus was so enraged that war between the father and son became inevitable. Zeus eventually dethroned his
father Cronus, who was banished from his kingdom and deprived forever of the supreme power.’ What does inevitable
mean in this context? What does dethroned mean in this context?
Invite students to share out some of their thinking or questions about the text. Explain that you are going to take some
time to review the concept of theme, which is a central concept to their learning in this unit and throughout the year
(and their reading careers!) Students should be very familiar with “theme,” by now. Invite students to recall the definition
of theme – “A theme is a significant idea or lesson conveyed in a text. It is a message the author conveys through
important details or events.” Explain that one of the reasons literature is so powerful is that through entertaining stories,
readers are invited to learn and think about those truths that make us human and our universal experiences. A universal
theme is one that has meaning to people across time and cultures.
Write the thematic topic on the board: Parent-Child Relationships. Write the thematic statement on the board: “A mother
will put her love for her children above every other relationship.” Invite the students to note the differences between a
thematic topic (big idea) and the thematic statement (theme). Accept appropriate responses and reinforce that a
thematic statement is expressed in a complete sentence and conveys an author’s claim or thinking about a topic.
Explain to students that they will now have an opportunity to explore the themes in the myth of Cronus that relate to the
topic of parent-child relationships. Group students into triads and explain they will complete a Chalk Talk. Each group
gets a piece of chart paper and each student gets a marker. Give students 5-7 minutes to complete a Chalk Talk on the
question: “What themes are conveyed in the Cronus myth about parent-child relationships?” Encourage students to go
back into the text to spur their thinking.
As students work, circulate to listen in and support as needed. Observe the comments that students are writing during the
Chalk Talk in order to informally assess specific students’ understanding of theme generally and the theme of this specific
myth. Also look for patterns of insight or confusion to address with the whole class later in the lesson. After 7 or 8 minutes,
refocus the whole class, and invite groups to share one thematic statement about parent-child relationships in the Cronus
myth. Challenge students to explain their reasoning and support with evidence from the text. Create a list of these
thematic statements to reflect back on in future lessons.
Classroom Conversations:
By this point in the unit, students should have started reading The Lightening Thief in their ELA classes. Tell them to think of
the parent-child relationships in The Lightning Thief. What is a theme around parent-child relationships in that story? What
message about this topic does Rick Riordan convey through details?
6th Grade: Unit 3 Reading / Hybrid Unit
Teaching Points
Focus Correction Areas
Interactive Learning & Review:
If time permits, have students complete the Envelope Please – Thematic Topic/Statement activity.
Day 6: Reading for Key Ideas & Details / Comparing Texts
Texts Under Discussion: The Greek Creation Myth, Cronus, The Key Elements of Mythology
If students did not get to complete the Envelope Please activity from the previous lesson, use it as a warm-up.
Explain to students that today they are going to compare and contrast parts of the two myths they have read so far in
order to better understand myths in general. Assign students to small groups and ask them to discuss and create a
response to the question - “What does the word compare mean?” Invite a few students to share out. Be sure to clarify
that compare means to notice how two or more things are similar. Then explain that contrast means to look for things that
are different. Tell students that as they learn more about myths, they will start to recognize things that many myths have in
common.
Prior to the lesson, the teacher should prepare several posters with these excerpts from The Greek Creation Myth and
Cronus. These should be hung around the room in different places. Explain that today students will complete a Text
Graffiti activity in which they look at quotes from the two different myths and compare and contrast the quotes. Instruct
students to discuss: “What is similar and different between the two passages?” and write their thinking onto sticky notes,
and stick those notes on the chart paper. Students can talk with peers and explore ideas with them, creating and
adding more sticky notes as necessary. Encourage students to question one another’s thinking – “You may see things
that others don’t see. Others may see things that you don’t see.”
After the groups have traveled to all the posters, bring the whole class back together. Place a blank Venn Diagram on
the document camera and distribute one to each student. Invite students to share their observations and sticky notes,
recording the similarities and differences they note between the passages on the Venn Diagram. Tell students that much
of what they put in the center of their Venn diagram is common in many myths. See the Sample Completed Venn
Diagram for ideas of what be included.
Explain that now students will build more background knowledge about a question many of them may have already
wondered: “What makes a myth a myth?” Distribute the informational text, The Key Elements of Mythology. Focus
students on the title. Briefly define elements in this context: a part or aspect of something, especially a part of something
that is really important or typical. Tell them that this definition will become clearer as they read. Prompt triads to spend a
couple of minutes discussing: “What does theme mean?” (Point out to students that the “themes” mentioned in the
passage – “forces of good and evil, question for a hero,” etc… are really thematic topics vs. thematic statements.)
Ask students to read the remainder of the text slowly for the gist. Encourage them to annotate in the margins. At the end
of the reading, ask students to take 2 minutes to share their gist notes with their triad. Students will use this document
again in a later lesson. Remind students that rereading is one of the main “things close readers do.”
6th Grade: Unit 3 Reading / Hybrid Unit
Teaching Points
Focus Correction Areas
Day 7: Reading for the Gist / Learning Vocabulary in Context
Text Under Discussion: Prometheus
Remind students that they are studying and learning Greek myths because Riordan makes many allusions to the myths in
his novel The Lightening Thief. If students have their text, or if the teacher has a copy, refer to page 156 and read/display
the following quote from the text:
“So what was it like…before the gods?”
Chiron pursed his lips. “Even I am not old enough to remember that, child, but I know it was a time of darkness
and savagery for mortals. Kronos, the Lord of the Titans, called his reign the Golden Age because men lived
innocent and free of all knowledge. But that was mere propaganda. The Titan king cared nothing for your kind
except as appetizers or a source of cheap entertainment. It was only in the early reign of Lord Zeus when
Prometheus the good Titan brought fire to mankind, that you species began to progress, and even then,
Prometheus was branded a radical thinker. Zeus punished him severely, as you may recall. Of course, eventually
the gods warmed to humans, and Western civilization was born.”
Invite students to reflect on how their knowledge of The Greek Creation Myth and Cronus inform their interpretation and
understanding of this excerpt. Ask students if they notice any additional allusions in this excerpt to other gods or myths.
Help students identify that Riordan also references the gods Zeus and Prometheus.
In order to continue to support their deep understanding of Riordan’s allusions and the different events and backstories in
the text, today students will read the myth of Prometheus to get the gist of the text.
Briefly display the Reading Closely: Approaching the Text guiding questions and prompt students to quickly scan the text
and share what they notice about the text and what they believe the topic will be. Have them set a purpose for reading.
Then display the Reading Closely: Questioning the Text guiding questions. Have students Think-Pair-Share: “Which of these
questions do you think will help guide our close reading so we can get the gist of Prometheus?” Remind students their
intended purpose is to earn about the story of Prometheus, so they should focus on the Topic, Information, and Ideas
questions. (What is this text mainly about? What information or ideas does the text present? What details stand out to me
as I read?)
Ask students to read along silently as you read the text aloud. As with other read-alouds, remember that the purpose of
this first read is to introduce/approach the text - read the text slowly, fluently, and without interruption. Don’t stop to
address comprehension or vocabulary issues, as these will be addressed later and it will interrupt the flow of the text. After
listening to a first read, prompt the students – “What are the main ideas you understand from the myth of Prometheus so
far?”
Once students are oriented to the text, they will read again to build meaning and get the gist of each chunk of text.
Have students reread the first paragraph of the myth of Prometheus for the gist and then prompt them to Think-Pair-Share
“What is the gist of this paragraph? What is this paragraph mostly about?” Listen for students to say something like:
“Prometheus stole fire and gave it to people on Earth even though Zeus said no.” Model annotating your text, recording
the gist in the margin next to the first paragraph and circling unfamiliar words to come back to later. Then instruct
6th Grade: Unit 3 Reading / Hybrid Unit
Teaching Points
Focus Correction Areas
students to go through each paragraph of the myth of Prometheus to annotate the gist and circle words that are
unfamiliar. Circulate and support students as they read. For students who need more support, ask them to practice telling
you the gist of a section before they write it in the margin. Students may talk with a partner to compare what they wrote
for their gist statements. Reconvene class. Go through the story paragraph by paragraph again and ask students to share
the unfamiliar words they circled. Use the following strategies to help students understand what the words mean:
 Read from the sentence around the word to help students understand the meaning from the context.
 Read words from the sentences or paragraphs around the word that might provide context clues.
 Invite other students to help you explain what the word means.
 If the strategies above fail, tell students what the word means.
Words students may struggle with: in vain, defied, wrath, downfall. Be sure to address these words here. Cold call to ask
students what each word means and how they figured it out. Direct students to use context clues when possible. If
students are stuck on a word, model briefly, to ensure understanding for all.
If time permits, have students Think-Pair-Share or complete an Exit Slip for the following questions:
 “What is an allusion?”
 “How did the allusion to Prometheus, and reading the myth of Prometheus, improve your understanding of The
Lightning Thief?”
Day 8: Reading for Key Ideas & Details
Text Under Discussion: Prometheus
Have students warm-up by leading a brief activity in which students individually select a short portion of the text to reread and generate three written comments about the text using the following questions as a guide:
•What are some important details of this text?
•What is this part of this text about?
•What is a central idea of this text?
•Is there a pattern in this text? What is that pattern starting to look like?
•What have you learned about the central idea in this text?
Have student share their 3 written comments with a partner. Walk around and listen in. Identify a few students to share out
their comments whole group to spark a whole class conversation
Remind students that in the previous lesson they read the myth of Prometheus to get the gist and become familiar with
the text’s vocabulary. Explain that in this lesson they will reread this myth to support deep understanding of the text in
order to prepare to write an essay in which they make claims about the text’s structure (as a myth) and possible themes.
Emphasize that strong readers often read texts multiple times. There is no formula to this, but the Reading Closely: Guiding
Questions document gives some general guidelines of the things close readers think/do differently each time they read a
text.
Remind students that they have already been practicing independently using the Reading Closely: Approaching the Text
6th Grade: Unit 3 Reading / Hybrid Unit
Teaching Points
Focus Correction Areas
and Reading Closely: Questioning the Text resources in the previous lessons. Today they are going to focus on Analyzing
Details in the text in order to make claims about the text. Display and distribute Reading Closely: Analyzing Details (the
third row of the Reading Closely: Guiding Questions resource). Explain that this section of the close reading document will
help students to connect the details to make claims. Direct the class to focus on two of the questions:
 What details, information, and ideas are repeated throughout the text?
 How are the details I find related in ways that build ideas and themes?
Have students take out their Prometheus and follow along as you read aloud the first paragraph. After the first
paragraph, ask students to Think-Pair-Share about the guiding questions as well as the elements of mythology they notice
in the text. Distribute the Elements of Myth graphic organizer. Quickly review with students what kind of information might
go in each box. Tell students that they can use the “Key Elements of Mythology” from Day 6 to support them in identifying
details of elements of myth in the text.
Circulate to observe how pairs are organizing their thinking on the graphic organizer. Emphasize that not all students
need to choose the same details. Different details in the text can support the same idea. If students are having problems
figuring out what to write on their charts and/or have recorded responses that don’t reflect what the content should be,
ask them probing questions. For example:
* Can you find any of the key elements of mythology in Prometheus? Where? How do you know it is an element of
mythology? What does it say?
* So where are you going to record those details? Which box should they go in?
* So what do you think should go in this box? Why?
* What does the title of the box suggest?
* Why have you chosen that detail? What was the thinking that made you choose it?
* How are all the details you have chosen connected?
* What is your claim about Prometheus? Is it a myth? Why do you think so?
Tell students they will use the information and thinking they recording today to draft the first paragraph of the body of
their essay.
Day 9:
Text Under Discussion: Prometheus
Reconvene the class. Invite pairs to share some of their thinking about elements of mythology using what they recorded
on their graphic organizers. Notice where there are misconceptions and return to those pairs to help them recognize and
correct their mistakes in the next section.
Have students take out their Prometheus and follow along as you read aloud the first paragraph. After the first
paragraph, ask students to Think-Pair-Share about the guiding questions above as well as:
 Are there any elements of mythology that keep coming up?
 Are you getting any ideas about the theme? Is there an idea that seems to run all the way through the text?
 Is there a significant element of mythology that points you toward a theme?
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Display and distribute the Theme Graphic Organizer. Although this graphic organizer is formatted differently than the
Elements of Myth graphic organizer, it is asking students the same questions – but today the focus of their claim is on
theme rather than on the key elements of mythology. Remind them, however, that focusing on the key elements will still
be useful, because recurring elements of mythology (e.g., the struggle for power) often point to a theme. Again,
emphasize that not all of them will choose the same details for this graphic organizer.
Again, circulate to observe how pairs are organizing their thinking on the graphic organizer. Use the Reading Closely:
Analyzing Details guiding questions and the questions below to ensure students understand how to use the graphic
organizer to organize their thinking. If students are having problems figuring out what to write on their charts and/or have
recorded responses that don’t make sense, ask them:
* What seems to be a significant element of myth in Prometheus—one for which you can find throughout?
* Does that give you any ideas about theme?
* So what do you think should go in this box? Why?
* What does the title of the box suggest?
* Why have you chosen that detail? What was the thinking that made you choose it?
* How are all the details you have chosen connected?
*What is your claim about the theme in Prometheus? What is the theme? Why do you think that?
Reconvene the class. Invite pairs to share some of their thinking about theme using what they have recorded on their
graphic organizers.
Classroom Conversations:
 What elements of myth did you find in Prometheus?
 What was a significant theme you found in Prometheus? What message are you taking away from the myth?
 How did the graphic organizer help you to understand the purpose and elements of the myth more deeply?
Day 10: Analyzing Texts / Making Claims & Writing About Texts
Text Under Discussion: Model Analytical Mini-Essay
Explain to students that they will be writing a “mini” analytical essay with a very short introduction and conclusion and two
body paragraphs that allow them to demonstrate their understanding of myths and theme from the unit. Students will
make claims about the text and explain/support their thinking with evidence from the text. Learning to effectively
communicate one’s thinking and understanding of a text is critical to supporting interactions with others about texts and
improving students’ performance in their academic courses.
Distribute the Model Analytical Mini-Essay to each student. Tell them that this is an example that is about the myth of
Cronus, with which they are familiar. Explain that they will write their own analytical mini-essay about Prometheus.
Tell students that they first are going to read the model essay just to think about the content: what the writer is telling the
reader. Invite students to read along silently as you read the Model Analytical Mini-Essay. After reading, invite students to
Think-Pair-Share, “What is this text about? What is the author trying to tell us?” (Listen for responses like: “The author has
6th Grade: Unit 3 Reading / Hybrid Unit
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described the significant elements of mythology in the Cronus myth and also the theme.”)
Then focus on the first sentence, the introduction. Ask students to Think-Pair-Share, “What is the main idea the author is
trying to tell you in this very first sentence?” (Listen for students to notice that this sentence tells readers the main idea of
the entire essay.)
Ask members of the class to label the four paragraphs – Introduction, Body Paragraph 1, Body Paragraph 2, Conclusion.
Tell students that now they will reread the essay to think about how it is structured: How did the author put his/her ideas
together to make it clear for the reader? Focus students on Body Paragraph 1. Ask them to notice, “What does the first
body paragraph include? How is it structured?” Cold call and use student responses to break down the structure. Create
an anchor chart to record students’ thinking – Mini Analytical Essay Structure. For example, you might start with  Introduction Sentence: gives the significant theme
 Body Paragraph 1: starts with a summary sentence, then includes and describes key mythological elements and
provides evidence of that mythological element from the text.
Repeat with the second body paragraph. Ask students to Think-Pair-Share, “What is the main idea the author is telling you
in the second paragraph? How are the two paragraphs linked? What does the opening sentence tell you? What does
the next part of the paragraph tell you?” Add their observations about the structure to the chart.
 Body Paragraph 2: starts with a summary sentence that describes the theme of the text, then provides evidence
of the theme in Cronus, and ends with a sentence that explains how the evidence supports the theme.
 Closing Sentence: links the theme with an element of mythology
Classroom Conversations:
* Can you describe the structure of an extended literary response?
* Can you identify the qualities of a strong extended literary response?
* How will being able to do this help you write your own mini-essay?
Day 11: Drafting the Mini Analytical Essay
Today students will write their mini analytical essay. Have students take out the Elements of Myth and Theme graphic
organizers they completed for the Prometheus myth. Remind students of the mentor text they analyzed in the previous
lesson and direct their attention to the anchor chart they created – “Mini Analytical Essay Structure.” Encourage students
to use the details they collected from the text and follow the structure they outlined in the anchor chart to draft their own
mini essays.
If students finish early, allow them to read/share their paper with a peer in order to receive feedback, revise, and edit
their work. You may choose to provide students with a peer edit worksheet
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Day 12 & 13: Concluding / Extension Activities
You may use the final two days of the unit to have students publish and share their mini essays, or you may choose to
complete one of the following extension activities that will allow students to practice literacy skills while contributing and
extending the knowledge of Greek Mythology they have been building throughout the unit.
Along Came Zeus – Readers’ Theatre Activity
Student must complete several readings of this text to become fluent, including use of appropriate phrasing and tone to
convey the intended meaning. Students may put on their “production” for visitors or other classes/grade-levels.
Classroom Conversations: Use the Think-Pair-Share model to engage students in discussion based on the play they
have just performed. Whole group discussion follows the sharing in partners.
 What changes does Zeus bring about in the organization of the universe?
 Compare/contrast Zeus and Cronus. Is the son better than the father? Explain.
 How were the dominions of the gods and goddesses decided? Was this a wise way to decide who rules
what? Why or why not?
 What other types of natural phenomena might be attributed to one of Gaea’s children?
 What role did fantasy play in the development of mythology?
 What characteristics and qualities do the gods and goddesses possess? Contrast and compare these to
characteristics and qualities of humans.
The Olympian Gods – Become an Expert Activity
Students are paired and assigned a god. Students read the text about their god and create a poster, PowerPoint slide,
or Mythological Biographical Poem that communicates the important information about the god. Students must also
prepare a short two-minute presentation about their god that they will deliver to the class. Students in the audience
record information from each of the presentations on the included graphic organizer, so that by the end, they have a
reference guide of all the gods of Olympus. (Many of these gods appear as characters in The Lightening Thief and in the
other novels in the series!) You may opt to have students complete the Olympian Quiz after this lesson to see how much
they know!
Create Your Own Myth – Creative Writing Activity
Students are challenged to pull from their knowledge of the elements of myths and author their own short myth to
address questions such as “Where did the Rocky Mountains come from?” or “What is in the middle of the Earth?”
Students may illustrate, publish, and share out their myth as time permits.