Standards Correlations

R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.7, R.9, W.2, SL.1, L.4, L.6

Learning Objective

Students will compare and contrast information from two texts.

Key Skills

compare and contrast, text features, vocabulary, inference, cause and effect, key detail, critical thinking, informational writing

Complexity Factors

Purpose: The first text explores how the vampire myth spread across Europe. The second explains the origins of the legend of the chupacabra.

 

Structure: Both texts are informational and chronological.

 

Language: The language is clear and accessible. Context-specific vocabulary is defined in the Vocabulary Box.

 

Knowledge Demands: Dracula and Twilight are mentioned.

Levels

Lexile: 600L-700L 

Guided Reading Level: S 

DRA Level: 40

Lesson Plan: The Rise of the Vampire/Hunting the Chupacabra

Essential Questions:

  • Why do people believe in monsters?
  • How do stories spread?

Literature Connections:

  • Novel: Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery by Deborah Howe and James Howe
  • Novel: Rules for Vampires by Alex Foulkes

1. Preparing to Read 

Preview Text Features (10 minutes)

Guide students to locate the articles in their magazines or at Action Online. Preview the text features by asking the following questions:

  • Read the titles and subtitles of the articles. What do you think these articles are about? Make a prediction. The articles seem to be about legendary creatures—like vampires and the chupacabra—and how people came to believe in them.
  • Look at the pictures and captions in the articles. What do they show? What do they make you wonder about? The pictures show creepy illustrations of monsters and old cemeteries, as well as movie posters for Dracula and Twilight. Lastly, there is a photo of a man sitting in front of a sign advertising the chupacabra as a sight to see. The images might make you wonder why people believed in these creatures and why some might even pay to see one.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Point out the vocabulary box. Read the words (decomposed, symptoms, captivated, livestock, panicked) aloud and discuss their definitions.
  • Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Make a Plan for Reading

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan:

  • Set a purpose for reading by telling students that the first article will explain how vampire stories began and why people believed in them, while the second explores how the legend of the chupacabra spread and what real events may have inspired it.
  • Tell students that after they read, they’ll compare and contrast information from the two texts to better understand how fear and confusion can lead to the creation of monster stories.

 2. Reading and Unpacking the Text

Read the texts. (Higher- and lower-Lexile versions are available on the Story page at Action Online. Click Presentation View to access an audio read-aloud.) Then discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (20 minutes)

  • The first article (about vampires) states that villagers believed the first person to die was rising from their grave to kill others. What can you infer about why they believed this? (inference) You can infer that because people didn’t understand how disease spreads, they looked for other explanations for a series of sudden deaths—and blaming the dead gave them a way to feel more in control of a scary situation.
  • Why did the legend of the chupacabra spread so quickly in Puerto Rico in 1995? (cause and effect) The legend spread quickly because people were already scared because of hurricane damage, disease outbreaks, and dead livestock. This fear made them more likely to believe and share stories about a monster.
  • How did scientists eventually explain the chupacabra sightings? (key detail) Scientists explained that many supposed chupacabras were actually animals like dogs or coyotes that were sick with mange. The disease made them look strange and scary.
  • What do the vampire and chupacabra stories have in common? (compare and contrast) Both stories began during times of fear and uncertainty—vampires when mysterious deaths were taking place in European villages, and the chupacabra when people were dealing with storm damage and disease in Puerto Rico. In both cases, people created monster stories to explain things they didn’t understand.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

  • The first article states that stories about vampires have captivated people for many years. Why might this be? Sample answer: Many people enjoy scary stories because they inspire strong feelings. Others might be interested in stories of people rising from the dead because the idea of living on after death can help us manage our fear of death.  
  • What are some other creatures that people still believe in today, even without scientific proof? How are those stories similar to the vampire and chupacabra legends? Some people still believe in creatures like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Yeti. Stories about these creatures are similar to the vampire and chupacabra legends because they often begin with mysterious sightings or strange events and grow through word of mouth and imagination.

3. Skill Building and Writing

Go-Further Activity

An enrichment activity to extend the learning journey

Project the task below on your whiteboard or share it with students in your LMS.

Learn About Another Mysterious Creature

After reading the articles, watch our video “Action Explains: Cryptids” to learn about some other creatures that people say they’ve seen but that have never been proven to exist. Then choose one of the creatures from the video (or another one that you’ve heard of) and do some research to learn more about it. 

Create a fact sheet with information about the creature and an image showing what it might look like.  Your fact sheet should answer at least some of these questions:

  • When did stories of the creature first spread?
  • Where did stories of the creature first spread?
  • What do people say the creature looks like?
  • What do people say the creature eats?
  • What real creature might people be mistaking for this creature?

Language-Acquisition Springboard

Teach Fact vs. Fiction to make this article more accessible.

After reading the article, ask students to think about the phrase “Is it fact or fiction?” Explain that “fact” means a statement is true and can be proved. “Fiction” refers to statements and stories that are made up. Read each sentence below out loud and ask students if it states a fact or if it should be considered fiction. Discuss students’ reasoning.

  • In Serbia in the 1730s, vampires were killing people by sucking their blood. (fiction)
  • Blood in a corpse’s mouth means that it is a vampire. (fiction)
  • People have been interested in stories about vampires for many years. (fact)
  • Rabies is a disease that is spread through animal bites. (fact)
  • In the 1990s, a monster called the chupacabra was killing livestock in Puerto Rico. (fiction)
  • Mange can cause an animal to become very thin. (fact)
  • Mange can cause an animal to lose its hair. (fact)

Looking for more ELL support? Download our full lesson plan and scroll to p. 5 to find questions that will help your ELLs respond to the text at the level that’s right for them.

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