Literacy Lesson Plan With Comments

7/30/2019 Literacy Lesson Plan With Comments

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Gaja StirbysLiteracy Methods

21 November 2012

Core Decisions and Lesson Plan

Grade 4Cooperating Student Teachers Gaja Stirbys & Allison ArcherRevised Lesson Plan Implemented 29 November 2012

Core Decisions

What?Since the beginning of the school year, students have been learning about

meaningful approaches for discussing and describing characters. While initially

this included identifying round, flat, dynamic, static and protagonist versus

antagonist characters in texts, the use of character traits as an approach has been

incorporated in the last few weeks. The ability to identify and describe characters

using internal traits will be a reoccurring theme in the students school year.

Eventually, these approaches will be used to generate peer letters and the

students own creative writing as a way to communicate depth and knowledge of


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student s own creative writing as a way to communicate depth and knowledge of

sustained reading and writing are accounted for, there is nonetheless little time

left over for students to work and support one anothers knowledge through

cooperative work or discussion. When students fill out graphic organizers it is

mostly through the instruction of their teacher. Although this has proved to be an

effective form of direct modeling, I hope to truncate this portion in my lesson to

provide time for students to apply their learned strategies for identifying

character traits with a new text and context independent of their teacher. They

will be working in pairs with a selection fromFables by Arnold Lober.

My inquiry question addresses how cooperative whole- and small- groups

of students can be utilized to support academic and social success within the

classroom. Specifically, how can students become sources of knowledge for one

another and in turn foster a sense of community?

How?

The read aloud portion of the lesson will provide students with an

opportunity to see their teacher modeling the qualities of an effective reader. The


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positing answers to the teachers think aloud questions (Fountas, 1996). Students

will then also be given the opportunity to help complete the initial graphic

organizer.

Completing the graphic organizer in this lesson will require students to be

able to lift information from unfamiliar text, organize it effectively and make

inferences that require qualitative judgments. With my own teacher collected

informal assessments as fodder for selecting participants, students in these

cooperative groups will represent a range of abilities and skills. Research has

demonstrated that diverse grouping appears to increase student achievement

(Fountas, 1996). After students have read, they will meet with their partners to

discuss and engage the task of identifying and understanding character traits

cooperatively. In order to ensure that this grouping feature is fruitful, students

will be reminded that they must take turns, discuss their ideas before recording

them and resolve problems democratically (Gillies, 2007, p. 50).


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dimensions to a students story as their characters grow into dynamic and

interesting personalities.

Reorienting their energy towards constructing understanding through the

interaction of their ideas, studentswho dialogue together, [they] learn to use

language to explain their ideas and experiences, negotiate meaning around a task,

and develop new ways of thinking and behaving that they may not have

previously considered (Gillies, 2007, p. 37). In fostering this type of learning

through cooperative grouping, I am creating a platform for scaffolding student

understanding and practice that learning needs not be solely teacher-to-student

directed. By sharing with one another, they will have the opportunity to build

appreciation for each others ideas and conjectures.


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Initial Lesson Plan: 28 November 2012, Allison ArcherRevised Lesson Plan: 29 November 2012, Gaja Stirbys

Lesson Plan

Objective:SWBAT use supporting evidence to identify character traits.SWBAT draw on character traits to make connections to the characters personalqualities and intent.

PSSA Standards:Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing onspecific details in the text (e.g., a characters thoughts, words, or actions).

Classroom Arrangement and Management Issues:Teacher and students will be situated in library (subject to change) with an easel.There will be a total of six students, assigned into groups of two for the group

activity of completing a Graphic organizer based on their shared reading. Teacherwill stand near the easel during the read-aloud, but will walk around whennecessary, should students demonstrate off-task behaviors. Students will beseated at shared tables.

Materials:Easel, markers, eraser

Read-aloud bookReading handouts for studentsGraphic diagrams for studentsExit slips


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Since students are working on character traits, they should be somewhat familiarwith how to conduct this lesson. This is a fun sentence for students to try to

attribute character traits to.

Stated OpeningJust like what you students did with this sentence, we are going to discusscharacter traits by giving supporting details.

Direct Instruction (3 minutes)Teacher addresses the list of character traits generated by students.

If students have included common character traits, teacher challengesstudents to utilize their character trait lists to find more meaningful,specific traits.

If students use precise traits to describe Mr. Kangaroo, teacher does athink-aloud, asking, What if I used a word like bad to describe him?

Teacher will select approach depending on the trend of character traitssuggested by students. These character traits may include:Outlawed DesiredBad, interesting, funny, mean Mischievous, quirky, bold,

humorous

We will present students with a chart with this information as a reference for theremainder of the lesson:

Instead of Why not?Sad Melancholy, blue, depressed


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Ooh, its a stormy day. I wonder if thats an example of foreshadowing?Why would he be surprised?

I wonder what foolhardy means?I wonder what squall means?The lobster wants to go out on a stormy day. That cant be good. Or can it?Wow, the crab sounds like a good friend to try to protect lobster from the storm.Hmm, buffetedthat sounds like a synonym for tossed.The lobster sounds like an adventurist.Uh oh, crab sounds worried.The lobster sounds so nonchalantlike he doesnt care theyre in danger.

I like this word even better than using the word uh oh.This is what I say when I ride on a roller coaster!Why are they able to walk on the ocean floor? Oh, theyre sea creatures!Why was the crab ever even worried? Hes silly.That sounds exciting. Im glad it got resolved!

Direct Modeling (5 minutes)Teacher uses a graphic organizer to model how to lift information from text to

give traits, supporting evidence and making connections for the lobster

Character Trait Proof/Evidence Connection(Lobster)Adventurous

But I love a squall at sea! The lobster isnt afraid to goout to sea on a stormy day.

(Crab)Caring

I will not let you face suchdanger alone.

The crab thinks he can helpthe lobster.

G id d P i ( i )


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Teacher emphasizes ability to use context clues to figure out new/unfamiliarvocabulary.

Independent Reading (10 minutes)Teacher assigns each group of two a different fable, for a total of three differentfables.Students will read their own fables independently.Teacher will walk around, making sure students are reading, and help studentswho need clarification, encouraging them to utilize their tools.*Early finishers begin working on their graphic organizers*

Graphic Organizers (10 minutes)Groups of two will work together to fill in graphic organizer.Teacher will walk around and listen in on group conversations, making surestudents are providing reasoning and not using outlawed words by telling themto refer to their outlawed lists.

Shared Information

Students have an opportunity to discuss their graphic organizers.

Closing (3 minutes)Ask students what was learned in that day. How can learning to identify charactertraits help us become better readers and writers?

Formative Assessment Verbal responses Observations of students Video recorded discourse Written product (based on graphic organizer)


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see that they cannot finish, then I will pull them aside to discuss charactertraits one-on-one at the completion of the lesson.


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Name: _____________________

Exit Slip:Find character traits from your independent reading book for the main character.

Traits Evidence/Because Connections1.

2.

3.

Challenge: Createyour own sentencedescribing a character.Then write thecharacter trait.

Name: _________________________Exit Slip: Character TraitsFind character traits from your independent reading book for the main character.

T i E id /B C i


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Story Title: Author: Character:

Character Trait Evidence Connection

Story Title: Author: Character:

Character Trait Evidence Connection


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ASSESSMENTChecklist

Understandscharacter traitsare useful indescribingcharacters

Uses supportingevidence from textto explain traits

Uses effectivestrategies:highlighting, post-its, writing notes

Describescharacters usinghigher-level traits,traits not found onoutlawed lists

Applies knowledgeof character traitsto charactersacross texts

Extension:Student is able tocreate adescription andgenerate their owntraits based onthat creation


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Literacy Lesson Plan With Comments