Hook

Educator says: "Imagine you're a special guest author, asked by Tui T. Sutherland to help create a brand new, secret dragon tribe for the world of Pyrrhia! What kind of dragon would you create? Today, we get to be world-builders and inventors, just like real authors. Our mission is to design a never-before-seen dragon tribe."

Objectives

Educator says: "By the end of our mission, you will have invented your very own dragon tribe. You will know exactly what makes them special, you'll draw a picture of your dragon, and you'll write a cool description about them."

I Do: Analyze a Tribe (5-10 minutes)

Educator says: "First, let's look at how a master author does it. Let's think about a tribe we already know, like the SeaWings. What makes them unique?"

• Appearance: "What do they look like? They are usually blue or green, have gills to breathe underwater, and have stripes on their tails that glow."
• Habitat: "Where do they live? They live in the ocean, in a huge underwater palace!"
• Abilities: "What are their special powers? They can breathe underwater, see in the dark, and are powerful swimmers. They also have those cool glowing stripes to talk to each other."
• Queen: "Who is their leader? Their famous queen is Queen Coral."

Educator says: "See? Every tribe has these special parts: what they look like, where they live, and what they can do. That's our blueprint for creating a new tribe!"

We Do: Brainstorm a New Tribe Together (10 minutes)

Educator says: "Now, let's brainstorm a new tribe together. Let's call them the 'StoneWings'. Let's fill out a profile for them as a team."

(Educator takes a sheet of paper or whiteboard and writes down ideas as they are discussed with the learner.)

• Tribe Name: StoneWings
• Appearance: "What could they look like? Maybe they are gray and rocky-looking, like a mountain. Maybe they have gems growing on their backs instead of spikes?"
• Habitat: "If they're called StoneWings, where would they live? Inside a mountain? In a cave system?"
• Abilities: "What cool powers could they have? Maybe they can make themselves look like a boulder to hide. Or maybe they have super strong claws for digging through rock?"
• Queen: "Let's give their queen a powerful name. How about Queen Geode?"

Formative Assessment Check: "Great job! Do you see how we gave our new tribe all the same kinds of details as the SeaWings? What are the three most important things we need to decide for our tribe?" (Answer: Appearance, Habitat, Abilities).

You Do: Create Your Own Tribe (15-20 minutes)

Educator says: "Okay, your turn to be the lead author! Your mission is to create your very own dragon tribe. Use this 'Dragon Tribe Profile' sheet to guide your ideas. First, fill in the details, then draw a picture of your dragon showing off its cool features."

(Provide the learner with a blank piece of paper or a simple worksheet with these prompts):

Dragon Tribe Profile
Tribe Name: __________________
Appearance (What do they look like? Colors, scales, horns, tail?): __________________
Habitat (Where do they live?): __________________
Abilities (What are their special powers?): __________________
Queen/Leader's Name: __________________
A fun fact about this tribe: __________________

(The learner works independently while the educator is available for questions or encouragement.)

Success Criteria:

• My tribe has a creative and unique name.
• I have described its appearance, habitat, and abilities.
• My drawing matches the description I wrote.

Share and Recap

Educator says: "Amazing work, author! Now it's time for the big reveal. Tell me all about the new dragon tribe you created. I want to hear every detail!"

(Learner presents their drawing and reads their Dragon Tribe Profile aloud. The educator asks encouraging questions like "Wow, how did you come up with that ability?" or "I'd love to visit their habitat! What would I see there?")

Reinforce Takeaways

Educator says: "You did the exact same work that a real author does when they create characters and worlds. You thought about what makes something special and used your imagination to bring it to life. What was your favorite part about inventing your own tribe?"

Formative: Observe learner's participation in the "We Do" brainstorming session and their answers to check-in questions to ensure they understand the core components of a tribe.

Summative: The completed "Dragon Tribe Profile" and the accompanying drawing serve as the final assessment. Evaluate based on the success criteria: completeness of the profile, creativity, and the connection between the written description and the illustration.

For Scaffolding/Younger Learners:

• Provide sentence starters on the worksheet (e.g., "My dragon looks like...", "It lives in the...").
• Offer a pre-drawn dragon outline that the learner can color and add details to.
• Focus more on the drawing and verbal description rather than the writing.

For Extension/Advanced Learners:

• Challenge the learner to write a short paragraph about a day in the life of their dragon.
• Ask them to design the tribe's kingdom or palace on another sheet of paper.
• Have them write a short scene where their new dragon meets a character from the books, like Clay or Tsunami.

For Classroom or Group Settings:

• The "We Do" activity can be a whole-class brainstorm on a whiteboard.
• The "You Do" activity is done individually.
• The "Share" portion can be a "gallery walk" where students place their drawings on their desks and walk around to see everyone's creations.