The Enchanted Knife
 Preparation Notes
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Preview the electronic version of the story before sharing it with students.
Preview any additional content you plan to share with students.
At least one constructed-response (CR) task requires a dictionary.
At least one constructed-response (CR) task requires a thesaurus.
At least one constructed-response (CR) task requires additional text.
At least one activity/discussion requires an additional text.
 Selected-Response Items
o These items target standards within the RL and L strands of the CCSS:
Item Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Reading Literature – 8
CCSS Target
RL.8.4
L.8.5c
RL.8.1
L.8.4a
RL.8.3
L.8.4a
L.8.5b
L.8.5b
L.8.5c
RL.8.1
RL.8.1
RL.8.1
RL.8.3
11/11/2013
 Constructed-Response Tasks
CR1 (RL.8.2)
Student prompt:
Summarize the story. Include at least three important details to support your
answer.
3
2
1
0
The response accurately summarizes
the story and includes at least three
important details.
The response accurately summarizes
the story and includes two important
details.
The response accurately summarizes
the story and includes one important
detail.
The response does not accurately
summarize the story.
CR2 (RL.8.2)
Student prompt:
Determine one central idea in the story. Use at least two details from the
story to support your answer.
3
2
1
0
The response includes one central
idea and at least two supporting
details from the story.
The response includes one central
idea and one supporting detail from
the story.
The response includes one central
idea but does not include any
supporting details from the story.
The response does not include a
central idea.
Reading Literature – 8
11/11/2013
CR3 (RL.8.5)
Teacher instructions:
Give students another fairy tale.
Student prompt:
Compare "The Enchanted Knife" to the story provided by your teacher.
Analyze how the different structure of each story contributes to each story's
meaning and style. Use at least one detail from each story to support your
answer.
3
2
1
0
The response effectively analyzes the
two stories' structures and includes at
least one supporting detail from each
story.
The response effectively analyzes the
two stories' structures but only
includes a supporting detail from one
story.
The response effectively analyzes the
two stories' structures but does not
include any supporting details.
The response does not include an
analysis.
Reading Literature – 8
11/11/2013
CR4 (RL.8.6)
Student prompt:
How does the emperor's point of view at the beginning of the story create
suspense as the story develops? Use at least two details from the story to
support your answer.
3
2
1
0
The response includes an accurate
analysis of the point of view's effect
and includes at least two supporting
details from the story.
The response includes an accurate
analysis of the point of view's effect
and includes one supporting detail
from the story.
The response includes an accurate
analysis of the point of view's effect
but does not include any supporting
details from the story.
The response does not include an
analysis.
CR5 (L.8.4c)
Student prompt:
Look in a dictionary for the pronunciation of "cypress." Write the pronunciation.

1
0
Pronunciation for "cypress":
The response includes an accurate
pronunciation of the word.
The response does not include an
accurate pronunciation of the word.
Reading Literature – 8
11/11/2013
CR6 (L.8.4c)
Student prompt:
A. Look up the word "betrothal" in a thesaurus. Write two synonyms for the
word "betrothal."

Synonym 1:

Synonym 2:
B. Choose the best synonym for the word "betrothal" as it is used in the story.

Best synonym:
C. Use a dictionary to check the definition of the new word. Explain why you
chose that synonym.

4
3
2
1
0
Explanation:
The response includes all four of the
required elements:
- synonym 1
- synonym 2
- the best synonym
- an explanation for why that
synonym was chosen
The response includes three of the
required elements.
The response includes two of the
required elements.
The response includes one of the
required elements.
The response does not include any of
the required elements.
Reading Literature – 8
11/11/2013
CR7 (L.8.4d)
Student prompt:
Use a dictionary. Write the definition of the word "dowry" and then use "dowry"
in a sentence.

Definition:

Sentence:
2
1
0
The response includes an accurate
definition and an appropriate
sentence.
The response includes either an
accurate definition or an appropriate
sentence.
The response does not include an
accurate definition or an appropriate
sentence.
Reading Literature – 8
11/11/2013
 Activity/Discussion Ideas
Activity1 (RL.8.7)
Teacher instructions:
Place students in groups to write a script and act out "The Enchanted Knife."
Have students watch their classmates' productions.
Student prompt:
Choose one group's production of "The Enchanted Knife." Did the production
stay faithful to or depart from the story? Use at least two details from the
story to support your analysis.
3
2
1
0
The response includes an analysis of
whether the production stayed
faithful to or departed from the story
and includes at least two supporting
details from the story.
The response includes an analysis of
whether the production stayed
faithful to or departed from the story
but includes only one supporting
detail from the story.
The response includes an analysis of
whether the production stayed
faithful to or departed from the story
but does not include any supporting
details from the story.
The response does not include an
analysis.
Reading Literature – 8
11/11/2013
Activity/Discussion2 (RL.8.9)
Teacher instructions:
In many myths, a princess defies her father, the king, through the use of
some kind of magic in order to win favor with a suitor who faces an
impossible task.
Have students read a modern version of a myth that follows this storyline.
Have students compare that myth to "The Enchanted Knife."
Ask students to analyze how each princess's behavior and use of magic
affects her kingdom. Discussion questions to consider: What do these stories
suggest about the role of women in these cultures? How do these cultures
view magic? What are shared themes in these stories?
 Other Standards
Not available for this story
Reading Literature – 8
11/11/2013