2005 Lesson Plans
Grades 2 and 3

3: Let’s Look at Legends
Based on the Oregon quarter reverse

OBJECTIVE
Students will use a Venn diagram to compare two historical legends relating to volcanoes.

MATERIALS
• 1 overhead projector (optional)
• “Oregon quarter reverse” page
• 1 class map of the United States
• “Lake Explosion” page
• 1 copy of an age-appropriate legend about the creation of Crater Lake, such as:
– Coyote in Love by Mindy Dwyer
– Legends of Landforms: Native American Lore and the Geology of the Land by Carole Garbury Vogel
• Variations on a Klamath Indian legend such as those available at:
– www.craterlake.wr.usgs.gov/history.html
– www.nps.gov/crla/notes/vol2-3a.htm
– www.nps.gov/crla/hrs/hrsae.htm
• “Break It Down” graphic organizer
• Overhead transparency markers
• 1 copy of an age-appropriate legend about Hawaiian volcanoes, such as:
– Volcanoes by Seymour Simon
– The Volcano Goddess Will See You Now by Don Greenburg
– Mt. Kilauea: Home of the Hawaiian Goddess of Fire by Kathy Furgang
• Butcher paper

PREPARATIONS
• Make copies of the “Break It Down” graphic organizer (1 per student).
• Make an overhead transparency of each of the following:
– “Oregon Quarter Reverse” page (or photocopy)
– “Lake Explosion” page
– “Break It Down” graphic organizer
• Locate an age-appropriate text that relates to the creation of Crater Lake (see examples under “Materials”).
• Locate an age-appropriate text that relates to Hawaiian volcanoes (see examples under “Materials”).

GROUPINGS
• Whole group
• Pairs

CLASS TIME
Four 30- to 45-minute sessions

CONNECTIONS
• Language Arts
• Social Studies
• Science

TERMS AND CONCEPTS
• Quarter
• Reverse (back)
• Volcanoes
• Legends
• Venn diagram
• Comparisons

BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Students should have a basic knowledge of:
• Venn diagrams
• Compare and contrast
• Volcanoes

STEPS
Session 1
1.	Describe the 50 State Quarters® Program for background information, if necessary, using the example of your own state, if available. Then display the transparency or photocopy of the Oregon quarter reverse. Locate Oregon on a classroom map. Note its position in relation to your school’s location.
2.	With the students, examine the coin design. Have the students identify the images and writing in this coin design, including the words “Crater Lake,” the water, the trees, and the land.
3.	Ask the students why they think that this lake might be important to Oregon, and accept all responses.
4.	Ask the students how they think that this lake was formed. Display a copy of the “Lake Explosion” overhead transparency. Read the passage aloud, having the students follow along.

Crater Lake is actually the deepest lake in the United States and one of the deepest lakes in the world. Scientists say that, a very long time ago, a volcano stood where Crater Lake is now. 
	The rocks deep in the ground under the mountain got very hot and pushed upward in an eruption. When the volcano erupted, the explosion was so great and threw out so much material that the mountain collapsed!
	Once the eruption was over and the hot rocks (or lava) cooled off, the mountain looked like a deep bowl. Over the years, this bowl filled up with rain and melting snow, creating Crater Lake.

5.	Explain that many people had ideas about how this lake was originally formed. Tell the students that, long ago, people would often make up stories to explain things that they didn’t understand. They would tell these stories to explain things that occurred in nature like big storms and, in this case, volcanoes. Some of these stories are called “legends.” A legend is a story handed down from the past. The story can’t be proven, but it’s sometimes based on historical events.
6.	Introduce the students to the selected text. Explain that the story is an American Indian legend about how Crater Lake was formed. Explain that this legend comes from the American Indians who lived in the area in Oregon near where Crater Lake is located.  Preview the text and illustrations and allow students to generate observations and predictions about what is happening at each point in the text.
7.	Read the selected text to the class. Attend to any unfamiliar vocabulary.
8.	After reading the selection, display the overhead transparency of the “Break It Down” graphic organizer.
9.	As a class, discuss how to organize information from the text into the different rows of the graphic organizer.
10.	Work with your students to complete the first column of the chart as a class.
11.	Before Session 2, fill in the chart and make copies.

Session 2
1.	Revisit the image of the Oregon quarter and ask the students to recall what they discussed relating to the coin’s design.
2.	Display the overhead transparency of the “Break It Down” graphic organizer complete with the information from the last session. Ask the students to recall the basic story that they heard about the creation of Crater Lake.
3.	Explain that today they are going to hear a legend about volcanoes that comes from a different group of people.
4.	Introduce the students to the selected text about Hawaiian volcanoes. Explain that this legend comes from the native people of Hawaii. Use a map of the United States and show the location of Hawaii. Preview the text and illustrations and allow the students to generate observations and predictions about what is happening at each point in the text.
5.	Read the selected text to the class. Attend to any unfamiliar vocabulary.
6.	After reading the selection, distribute a copy of the “Break It Down” graphic organizer to each student.
7.	Divide the students into pairs and direct them to complete the second column of the chart based on the story that they just heard.
8.	As a class, discuss the legend that they heard about the Hawaiian volcanoes.
9.	As a group, complete the second column on the overhead transparency and direct the students to fill in their individual graphic organizers.

Session 3
1.	Display the overhead transparency of the “Break It Down” graphic organizer complete with the information from the first and second sessions.
2.	Introduce the students to the concept of a Venn diagram by drawing two interlocking circles on the chalk board. Explain that a Venn diagram is used to compare two things.
3.	Explain that the students will work with a partner to use a Venn diagram to compare the two stories that they heard. In the overlapping space, the students will record the similarities in the two stories. In the outer parts of the circles, the students will record the parts of the stories that are different.
4.	Explain that, rather than just writing about the similarities and differences between the two stories, the students will be creating an illustrated Venn diagram that they will share with the class. They will draw images to accompany the information that they included in the Venn diagram.
5.	Model writing a piece of information and then drawing a picture that relates to this story fact.
6.	Direct the students to pair up. Distribute a large piece of butcher paper to each pair of students.
7.	Allow an appropriate amount of time for the pairs to work on their Venn Diagrams and to present them to the class.

ENRICHMENT/EXTENSION
Direct the students to examine other types of legends from around the world and make comparisons between these different stories. What differences do the students notice between legends that come from countries with different climates?

DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING OPTION
Record the information paragraphs on tape for later use.

CONNECTION TO WWW.USMINT.GOV/KIDS
Help your students explore another well known volcano when they watch Plinky the Mint Pig’s adventures at Mount Fuji in the Japanese segment of the United States Mint H.I.P. Pocket ChangeTM cartoon, Coins of the World. (www.usmint.gov/kids/ index.cfm?fileContents=cartoons)

Student Worksheet
NAME__________________________
Break It Down
[This sheet contains a three-column chart with five rows.  The first column row labels are:  NAME OF STORY; CENTRAL CHARACTER(S); DESCRIPTION OF CENTRAL CHARACTER(S); PROBLEM OR SITUATION THAT ARISES; and RESOLUTION

Student Worksheet
Lake Explosion
Crater Lake is actually the deepest lake in the United States and one of the deepest lakes in the world.  Scientists say that, a very long time ago, a volcano stood where Crater Lake is now.
	The rocks deep in the ground under the mountain got very hot and pushed upward in an eruption. When the volcano erupted, the explosion was so great and threw out so much material that the mountain collapsed!
	Once the eruption was over and the hot rocks (or lava) cooled off, the mountain looked like a deep bowl. Over the years, this bowl filled up with rain and melting snow, creating Crater Lake.

Student Worksheet
Oregon Quarter Reverse