Unit Plan Overview Template
___ 1) Unit Title: (Name of Unit)
___ 2) Unit Overview:
(What information would a colleague need to decide whether or not to use the unit?)
This three-week-long, 8-10-lesson unit is based on legends, fables and myths (LFaM) that
come from Spanish-speaking cultures. It engages beginning high school Spanish I
students in exploring the theme of cultural folklore. During the unit, students will learn to
create and tell a legend, myth, or fable using imperfect and preterit tenses and
vocabulary that includes personality adjectives, transition vocabulary, and geography
vocabulary.
The unit will revolve around three primary topics: The use of storytelling to pass on morals,
how myths, legends, and fables come to be, and how to create fables, myths, and
legends. Major activities include: researching and presenting LFaMs (history, purpose,
etc), creating their own LFaM (writing), and dramatizing their chosen story. The unit
culminates in the dramatization of their own myth, legend, or fable.
Additional assessments of student progress include: Presentation of a researched LFaM,
practice stories (telling a story in the class, with a partner, etc.) and warm-up exercises
with preterit and imperfect. The unit assumes that students already know 1) how to form
preterit, imperfect, and present tenses, 2) use and concordance of adjectives, action
verbs (hacer, decir, pedir, ver, etc. 3) Use of articles 4) comparison vocabulary 5) opinion
vocabulary
___ 3) Unit Rationale:
(What are the pedagogical purposes of the unit & why will they matter to students?)
This unit is designed to help students understand the importance that folklore plays in the
life of all latinoamericanos. It engages students in exploring how and why storytelling
shapes assumptions and references in speech and life. This unit gives students
opportunities to explain why things happen in their lives—for real or to be silly, and they
will be able to present what they have created to their peers in whatever manner they
wish. These explorations support students in developing communicative proficiency by
researching (interpretive), presenting their own myth/legend/fable and a traditional
fable (presentational), listening to others’ presentations and teacher presentations
(interpretive), discussing the stories (interpersonal), and writing down their own stories
(presentational).
Unit Plan Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Unit Plan Template
___ 4) Standards-based Guiding Question:

Students will explore the question: Why are myths and legends
are important in people’s lives, and how can I create and
present stories and legends about things that happen to me?
___ 5) National Standards:
Students will demonstrate progress toward the 5 C’s in the following
ways:
Standard 1.1, Communication (Interpersonal):
Students will discuss legends, myths, and fables,
their purposes and structures.
Standard 1.2, Communication (Interpretive):
Students understand and interpret written and
spoken language on legends, myths, and fables
by reading or viewing interpretations of folktales
in Spanish.
Standard 1.3, Communication
(Presentational) Students present information on
legends, myths and folktales to an audience of
listeners.
Standard 2.1, Cultures: Students demonstrate an
understanding of the relationship between the
practices and perspectives of the culture
studied by explaining how the myth, legends,
and fables are important to the culture
Standard 2.1, Cultures: Students demonstrate an
understanding of the relationship between the
products and perspectives of the culture studied
by discussing in small groups how they see the
culture (viewpoints, etc.) of the folktale in the
culture in general.
Standard 3.1, Connections: Students reinforce
and further their knowledge of story writing
through the foreign language and its cultures by
writing a story with exposition, complicating
incident, climax, and falling action. (English)
Standard 3.2, Connections: Students acquire
information and recognize the distinctive
viewpoints that are only available through the
foreign language and its cultures by discussing
with the teacher aspects of culture that seem
different from their native culture.
Standard 4.1/4.2, Comparisons: Students
demonstrate understanding of the distinctive
sayings through comparisons of the stories
studied and their own knowledge of English
sayings.
Standard 5.1, Communities: Students use the
language within and beyond the school setting
by writing and rehearsing their performances for
their parents.
Standard 5.2, Communities: Students use the
language for personal enjoyment and
enrichment when they show their friends their
dramatization of their own folktale.
___ 6) Standards-based Unit Objectives
a) Students will research and present a legend, folktale, or fable
using preterit and imperfect, and will present it in a two-minute
presentation.
b) Students will listen to other students’ presentations about
legends, myths, and fables using preterit and imperfect and will
take a test in which they match the group that presented with
the plot line of the fable presented by that group.
c) Students will discuss the fables presented compare and contrast
the ideas in the stories and with cultural values using opinion
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Unit Plan Template
vocabulary (pienso que, etc.) and comparison vocabulary for
five minutes with a partner.
d) Students will write their own fables, myths, or legends about their
own lives, using sequencing and storytelling vocabulary and
preterit/imperfect. The stories will be at least fifteen sentences
long and have the characteristics of the chosen genre.
e) Students will discuss and explain to a partner the main parts of a
fable, myth, or legend using possessive verbs, sequencing words,
and fairytale vocabulary accurately.
f) Students will dramatize (in whatever form they wish) their own
myth, fable, or legend and explain its significance to their lives,
using correct verb tenses and sequencing vocabulary.
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Unit Plan Template
___ 7) Unit Assessments:
Large, formal assessments
Students’ progress toward unit objectives will be assessed formally by a presentation
of an existing myth, legend, or folktale, and by a write-up of the research they did for
the presentation. The culminating assessment for this unit will be a project in which
students will write and dramatize a legend, myth, or fable that has to do with their
own lives. Rubric categories include: Correct use of elements of the specific kind of
story, creativity, correct use of preterit and imperfect, use of at least ten sequencing
words, and clear explanation of how the story connects with students’ lives.
Periodic assessments
o Students’ progress toward correct use of preterit and imperfect will be assessed
periodically by:
 Pre-assessment: Students will, immediately after having been introduced
to the idea of preterit v. imperfect, be given a worksheet in which they will
fill in the correct form of the verb. Ex: Un día mientras Cienicientas
_____________ (estar) lavando la ropa, su hada madrina _____________
(aparecer). (no points officially, just for comparison purposes and students
feedback)
Checks of work done as bell-ringer activities (format to be introduced the
day before) (score 0-5 pts, based on completion)
 Informal checks by teacher during group or partner discussion time
 Informal checks by the teacher during whole-class or group activities
 Worksheets (score 1-10 pts, based on correctness)
 Post-assessment: Students will be given the same type of assessment or
“quiz” as they were for the pre-assessment, to see if their percentage of
understanding has improved (1-10 pts)
o Students’ use of sequencing vocabulary will be assessed periodically by:
 Informal notes by the teacher during a “round-the-world” storytelling
 Correct/incorrect use in bell-ringer activities (scored on completion,
assessed for correctness by teacher)
o Students’ understanding of connections between concepts in the tales and real
life will be assessed by
 Oral interviews by the teacher (score 0-20 pts, part for correct use of
language, part for content, rubric)
 Informal observation
 Statement of how ideas in the tales connect with real life in the
presentation of both latino legend and self-created legend (scored 1-10
pts, in rubric)

Adaptations: Students may have difficulty when:
 Creating a large project (their own story)
 Modeling
 Providing opportunity for smaller-scale practices
 Allowing students to work in groups (with a bump in the requirements)
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Unit Plan Template
Creating checkpoints for the students to have parts of the project
done by
 Giving the students the requirements far in advance
Understanding the differences between the different types of tales
 Providing a guided note sheet
 Demonstrating each type of tale (acting it out) and guiding students
to guess what type of tale it is.


Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Unit Plan Template
Assessment Plan Chart
Learning
Goal and
Objectives
Assessments
(Speaking and at least one other
modality assessed)
(Variety of assessment modes
appropriate to objectives)
PreStudents
will
Assessment participate in a
discussion
of
stories and why
stories
are
important.
PostStudents will
Assessment present their ideas
of importance of
stories when they
present their
stories.
Scoring
Performance Adaptations
Methods
Criteria
(Based on
(Letter
contextual
grades,
factors)
pass/fail,
points, +/1)
Participation
Must
points, get 1
contribute
pt per
to the
participation
discussion
Overarching
Learning
Goal:
Students will
be able to
use the
preterit and
rubric
imperfect
correctly
when telling
a story, and
be able to
relate the
story to their
lives.
Objective 1:
PreBefore this unit has
Pass/fail,
Students will Assessment* started, students
based on
be able to
will have just
whether
narrate in
learned how to
they
the preterit
form preterit.
prepared
and
Students will be
and tried
imperfect
asked to talk for
with 80%
one minute about
0-5 pts on
accuracy
a fairy tale. They the fill-in-the-
Must
connect
stories to
real life
Students
must talk for
the full
minute as
much as
they can
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Students
must
prepare
before they
come to
speak, may
work with
partners
Unit Plan Template
will also do a fill-inthe-blank fairy tale
as described
above.
Formative
PostAssessment
blank,
based on
whether
they tried
Fill-in-the-blank
0-15 pts on
fairy tale, narrate the fill-in-thetheir own fairy tale
blank quiz
for
accuracy
Narrate own
fairy tale:
***See
rubric
below
***Correct use of elements of the specific kind of story, creativity, correct use of preterit and imperfect, use of at least
ten sequencing words, and clear explanation of how the story connects with students’ lives.
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Unit Plan Template
Unit At-a-Glance (You may either use this grid, the web on the next page, or both)
Learning Goal(s):
Lesson Topic
Major Activities
Lesson 1:
Brainstorming:
what is a fable,
legend, myth,
what are ones
we know
Lesson 2:
Unit Outline
Primary Instructional
Strategies
Read-aloud (with
pictures!) of a
familiar fable, myth,
legend. Outline
primary
characteristics with
student input
Read-aloud (with
pictures!) of a
familiar fable,
Introduce different
myth, legend.
stories (short versions,
Outline primary
lots of pictures),
characteristics
visually categorize
with student input them (on the board,
etc.
Brainstorm
familiar examples
of the different
types of stories
Teacher models
Teacher uses
telling a story
sequencing
simply in 1
vocabulary in the
minute, saying
story, writes it on the
how it relates to
board as she uses it
her life
Student Use
of
Technology
Technology
will be used
to present
some of the
fables
Adaptations
for Individual
Students
Students will
find familiar
tales either
on the
internet or in
books
Students will
use the
computer to
find familiar
tales in
Spanish
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Unit Plan Template
Learning Stations:
1
Students
individually
choose a story to
reduce to 1
minute, say how
it relates to them
(preparing for
pre-assessment
2
Students work
with teacher in
reviewing and
identifying
elements of
different types of
stories
3
Students begin to
work in groups to
prepare their
presentation on a
story of some
type or other.
Lesson 3:
Students will finish
the learning
stations if they
have not already
done so
Teacher models how
to choose the most
important parts of
the story to include
Teacher continues
discussion from the
day before on what
the parts of the
different types of
stories are
Students will
use the
computer to
find
information
on a predetermined
fable,
legend,
myth
N/A
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Unit Plan Template
Students will
listen to the
teacher do a
read-aloud of a
familiar story.
Teacher will prompt
students as to which
should be used,
preterit or imperfect.
During instruction,
one student at a
time will record
his or her oneminute story
Students will take
a “quiz” of fill-inthe-blank for
preterit and
imperfect
Lesson 4:
Students will
review as a
whole class with
the teacher the
important
elements of the
stories
Students will
participate in an
“around-theworld” story
Students will work
in groups to finish
Teacher will model
the parts of what she
wants
Teacher will model
looking for important
cultural ideas in a
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Unit Plan Template
their
presentations on
an existing
legend, myth,
fable
story
Lesson 5:
Students will
present the
fables they have
researched, as
well as why they
think it’s
important
culturally
Teacher will reinforce
(briefly) after each
presentation the
main ideas/plot
Lesson 6:
Students will take
a quiz on the
main ideas from
each
presentation
Students
can use the
computer
(pwerpoint,
videos, etc.
to present
Students will
compare
answers, discuss
with partners
themes from the
stories
Learning stations:
1
Students will
discuss with the
teacher the
stories presented
Teacher will
introduce themes
students might not
Students could
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Unit Plan Template
Lesson 7:
Lesson 8 and
and cultural
themes
2 and 3: Students
will work on
writing their own
story
Students will take
another quiz on
using
preterit/imperfect
(same format)
have seen,
encourage
discussion. Pesos for
those who
participate the best.
Round Robin:
Students will
share their stories
with 2 others
(either other
groups or other
people,
depending on
whether they
worked alone or
in pairs). They will
also share why
their story is
culturally relevant
to them. Dry run
for the
presentation,
discussion of
stories. 7-10min
per match.
Teacher will float,
answering questions,
reinforcing the
requirements, calling
attention to
something done well
work in pairs
Teacher will once
again model
storytelling before
the quiz
Students will
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Unit Plan Template
maybe 9,
depending on
how long this
takes
present their
stories and why
they are
culturally relevant
to the class
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Unit Plan Template
___ 6) Unit Planning Web: (How will you provide colleagues with a visual overview of the unit’s key concepts and
activities?)
Unit At-a-Glance unit
Lesson 1- Topic
Major Activities
Lesson 3 –
Major Activities
Lesson 2 –
Major Activities
Lesson 8 –
Major Activities
Lesson 7 –
Major Activities
Unit Topic
Lesson 4 Major Activities
Lesson 6 –
Major Activities
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Lesson 5 –
Major Activities
Unit Plan Template
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu