Grades 4, 5:  Language Arts

Goal:  Students will investigate the meaning of penny adages.

Objectives: 
Comprehension of Literary Text: Students will read, comprehend, interpret, analyze, and evaluate literary texts.
Grade 4/5.A.6.  Determine important ideas and messages in literary text

1. Identify and explain main ideas and universal themes
2. Paraphrase the text
3. Explain the implications of the text for the reader and/or society

Writing: Students will compose in a variety of modes by developing content, employing specific forms, and selecting language appropriate for a particular audience and purpose. Grade 4/5.A.5.  Assess the effectiveness of choice of details, organizational pattern, word choice, syntax, use of figurative language, and rhetorical devices in the student's own composing.

Launch:
What is an adage?  Ask students to give examples.
Matching game:  Match the adage to its meaning.

1. Waste not, want not
2. If you make your bed, you must lie in it.
3. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
4. Little and often fills the purse.
5. A friend to everybody is a friend to nobody.

Explore:
Have students read the follow adages and answer questions.  These questions can be informal or part of a larger project that includes research and a more creative component.  Suggestions appear in the summary section.

1. A penny saved is a penny earned
2. Penny for your thoughts?
3. Save your pennies, the dollars take care of themselves
4. See a penny pick it up, all the day you’ll have good luck.

Questions:

1. To whom is this adage attributed? (Students will have to look this up.)
2. What does it mean?
3. Choose one and write a story in which it is used.
4. Write an essay about one of the adages listed above.
5. Create a “What would you say” exercise for one of the adages above, a la Marilyn Vos Savant in Parade magazine
   • For example: John Keats wrote, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” Here’s what you’d say:
     • “A think of beauty can shop forever.”-Terry O’Connor, Fresno, Calif.
     • “A thing of beauty usually costs a whole lot more than a thing of ugly.”            -Frank Howanic, Universal City, Tex.
     • “A thing of beauty will eventually get half of your stuff.”-Scout B., New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
   • “Work while it is day.” What would you say?
   • “Work while ________________________.”
     • W.E. Henley wrote, “I am the captain of my soul.”  What would you say?
   • “I am the captain of ____________________.”
     • Sophocles said, “Kindness begets kindness.”  What would you say?
   • “Kindness begets ___________________________.”

Summary:
Students can share the answers to the questions through several different means – journals, posters, reading them aloud in class. 

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