1st Grade ELA

Mirrors & Windows: Family Folklore — Grade 1

Every family has stories — funny ones, brave ones, and ones that teach big lessons. In this unit, we read folktales and family stories from all over the world, including Anansi the Spider, Coyote trickster tales, abuela stories from Latin America, and Moon Festival traditions from Asia. We use author Rudine Sims Bishop's idea that books are "mirrors" (we see ourselves!) and "windows" (we look into someone else's world). By the end, students discover that their own family's stories are just as powerful and worth telling.

📚 4 Lessons
✎ 1 Writing Assignment
📅 3 Weeks
Essential Question
What stories does YOUR family tell — and what do they teach?
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Lessons

🔒 1

How Anansi Got All the Stories

West African & Caribbean Trickster Folklore

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🔒 2

Coyote and the Stars

Native American Trickster Tradition

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🔒 3

Abuela's Recipe Book

Latin American Family Storytelling Traditions

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🔒 4

The Moon Has a Story Too

Asian & Pacific Islander Family Traditions

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Writing Assignment

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My Family's Story

Unit Writing Assignment · Unlocks with full unit purchase

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Standards Alignment

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.1 RL.1.2 RL.1.3 RL.1.6 RL.1.9 RI.1.1 RI.1.3 W.1.3 W.1.7 SL.1.1 SL.1.2 SL.1.4
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