adriannesckans.weebly.com · web viewthroughout the duration of this unit, students will learn...

“Koalaity”Reading!

A reading comprehension unitGrade Level: Kindergarten

Date: March 8th, 2017By: Adrianne Bontempo

Southwestern College-Educator Preparation ProgramUnit Template with Lesson Plan format

Directions: Use the following template for unit and lesson planning

Standards include:

For ELA use-

Strand: Reading Literature Code: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1

Boxed Sub-heading: Key Ideas and Details Standard: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.


Boxed Sub-heading: Key Ideas and Details Standard: With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.


Boxed Sub-heading: Craft and StructureStandard: Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.


Boxed Sub-heading: Craft and StructureStandard: With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.


Boxed Sub-heading: Integration of Knowledge and IdeasStandard: With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).


Boxed Sub-heading: Range of Reading and Level of Text ComplexityStandard: Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding

Strand: Writing Code: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.1

Boxed Sub-heading: Text Types and PurposesStandard: Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is...).

Strand: Writing Code: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.8

Boxed Sub-heading: Research to Build and Present KnowledgeStandard: With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question

Strand: Speaking and Listening CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.5Boxed Sub-heading: Presentation of Knowledge and IdeasStandard: Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

Strand: Speaking and Listening CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1Boxed Sub-heading: Comprehension and CollaborationStandard: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

What will student know, understand, be able to do as a result of this unit? (The nouns and verbs to be listed come from the standards for the unit-select the key nouns/verbs or noun phrases that will focus the learning and instruction.)

Know (nouns) DefinitionList the key concepts (nouns/noun phrases) and provide a common definition of the nouns/noun phrases as used in this context.

Visualization- Students will be able to create pictures in their mind while reading. Retelling- Students will be able to recall the main facts about a story and retell them in sequential order. Connecting- Students will be able to make text-self, text-text, and text-world connections when reading a book. Inference- Students will be able to use both their background knowledge and evidence in a text to understand what is not said by the author. Fiction- Students will understand and know that fiction books contain stories are made up by the author. Non-fiction- Students will understand and know that non-fiction books contain facts and information about real things.

Be Able to Do (Verbs) Level I Level II Level III Level IV Level V

List the verbs that are key learning targets, then determine the cognitive demand level (Bloom’s) with verbs in context by highlighting the appropriate box:

RememberMemorize facts,

definitions, & formulas

UnderstandPerform

Procedures

ApplyDemonstrate

understanding

AnalyzeConjecture, Generalize,

Prove

Evaluate/Create Solve non-routine problems; make

connections

Understanding ☐ X X ☐ ☐ Recalling X X X ☐ ☐ Connecting ☐ X X ☐ X Inferring ☐ X X ☐ X Comparing/Contrasting ☐ X X X ☐This standard means a student will know and be able to do…(use your own student friendly words)

FORMTEXT The students will be able to learn and apply their knowledge of different reading comprehension strategies.Essential Questions: What big idea question(s) focus this unit? Think: broad overarching question that can bridge subject areas and units.-This unit won’t end

the learning on this question.(1 question is sufficient but definitely not more than 3.)

What reading strategies or tools can we use to make us better readers? How do different reading strategies or tools help us to remember and understand what we read?Unit Questions: Guiding, open-ended, unit-specific question(s) that help build understanding of the Essential Question. (insert addition rows below if needed)

What is visualization and how can it make us better readers? What does it mean to retell a story and how does that help us to be better readers? What are ways we can connect to a story and how does that tool help us to be better readers?

What does it mean to infer and how can this tool help us to become better readers? What is the difference between non-fiction and fiction and how does this knowledge help us to become better readers?

Summary: In the space below, write a brief summary for the unit. Provide a concise overview of your unit explaining what is to be learned and how students will attain the learning goals. Consider answering: Why is this unit/lesson needed? How will students benefit?

Throughout the duration of this unit, students will learn various reading comprehension strategies to aid them in their reading comprehension skills. During each individual lesson, the students will learn, understand, and apply their newfound knowledge through various activities, technology, class discussions, and reading and writing tasks. This particular lesson is needed to equip students will valuable reading tools that will assist them in better understanding and comprehending what they read, yielding better readers.

Data analysis: What data do you have showing the need for this unit/lesson(s)? How does the data indicate differences in learner needs?

The data supporting that this unit is necessary is justified through the CCSS that I have selected and the information taught within the unit is required by the school and state. In order to best gain insight into the differences of learner needs, I will gain access to reading units that were completed in previous months to assess individual student understanding.

Data type: (standards review-looking at grade level before and after standards to get baseline and toward line; pre-assessment; previous unit work that connects to upcoming unit; informal assessment; student surveys)

There is no prior grade level standards to get a baseline regarding reading comprehension. In first grade, students are to know various reading comprehension strategies. This particular Kindergarten unit will assist in building that foundation for future units and lessons that will be implemented in first grade.

Analysis details:

The student data from previous reading units reveals that students need more practice and guidance regarding reading comprehension skills, hence the purpose behind this unit. Additionally, it assists me in gaining insight into which students may need more challenging tasks and which students may need less challenging tasks throughout the duration of the unit. All of this information will help me in planning and differentiating instruction accordingly so that each student can meet their objectives for each lesson.

Assessment: How will you know students have learned? It is important to think about your assessment before planning lesson(s). How will the student(s) demonstrate they have met the objective?

Throughout the entirety of the unit, students will be assessed using both formative and summative assessments. All of the assessments will assist me in understanding how the students are progressing, will inform my instruction, and will help me gain insight regarding if students met their objective. All of the objectives are measureable which will help me to better determine if they are being met.

Formative Assessment should be conducted regularly throughout the lesson(s). Pre-assessment may be conducted prior to lesson(s). Assessment may be informal-teacher observation, checklist, journal entry, practice tasks. It may

Students will be assessed through questioning, discussion, and observation. Students will also be assessed through the independent writing tasks that are listed in each lesson plan. All of the aforementioned assessments will give me insight into the students understanding and help me understand how I can adjust my instruction if needed.

Summative assessment will generally be at the end of a unit or series of lessons on similar learning goals. be formal-written task, performance task, paper/pencil or computer based quiz/test. You may come back and make adjustments to the assessments as you progress through planning or even after teaching the lesson to ensure objectives, instruction, and assessment are aligned and students are meeting the objectives.

The students will be given a summative assessment at the end of the fifth lesson. The assessment is a short test to assess the students’ reading comprehension.

Performance Task(s): Through what authentic performance tasks will students demonstrate the desired understandings?

By what criteria will performances of understanding be judged?

Students will be given a task at the end of each lesson that allows them to apply their understanding of the reading comprehension skill that was learned. Student understanding will be judged by their ability to meet their measureable objective specified for each particular lesson.

Other Evidence: Through what other evidence (e.g., quizzes, tests, academic prompts, observations, homework, journals) will students demonstrate achievement of the desired

results?Evidence of student learning will be gained through discussion, observation, questioning, and independent tasks.

How will student reflect upon and self-assess their learning?At the end of each lesson, students will share their completed independent tasks with the class, in both large group and small groups, to help them reflect upon what was learned.

Formative-

1. Questions2. Whole group and small group discussions3. Writing activities and other tasks4. Observations

Summative-

1. Reading comprehend test at the very end of the fifth lesson that tests the students’ ability to utilize the skills they learned throughout the duration of the unit.

Materials and Resources: In the space below, brainstorm any materials you might need to complete the lesson in your classroom. This may include teacher and student books, guest speakers, technology, materials/supplies needed for demonstration and instruction or needed by students to complete tasks, etc. As you continue to work on your lessons, you will likely add to this list.

Pencils, small whiteboards, dry erase markers, pencils, crayons, scissors, glue, retelling task cards, pocket chart, smart board, dice from smart board exchange, access to ABCya.com story maker, i-pad with QR code reader, QR code maker, anchor charts (visualization, connections, retelling, inference, and fiction vs. nonfiction), K-W-L chart, pictures of children feeling sad, sick, or sleepy, inference task cards, indepdendent writing tasks worksheets, access to National Geographic Koala Video, access to Live Koala Cam at San Diego Zoo, two hula hoops, task cards, magnifying glass, summative comprehension test, wobbly chairs, the book, Koala Lou by Mem Fox, and the book, Koalas by Kate Riggs

Unit Outline-Lesson Segments: Provide a brief description of each session in the unit sequence.

Session Instruction and Learning Experience1 Students will learn the tool of visualization and practice and apply their understanding.2 Students will learn how to retell a story and practice and apply their understanding. 3 Students will learn the tool of connecting and practice and apply their understanding.4 Students will learn the tool of inference and practice and apply their understanding.5 Students will learn the difference between fiction and non-fiction stories and compare and contrast two.

Lesson one:

Visualization

Objective (s):

1. Students will be able to participate in both small and large group discussions2. Students will be able to understand and apply the strategy of visualization to help them better understand and comprehend

the story, Koala Lou by Mem Fox3. Students will be able to create drawings and writings to illustrate their own visualizations after reading a text

Students will know they have met their objective for the day if they can actively participate in each “turn and talk” for a minute while staying on topic and if they can write at least one sentence and draw a picture of their visualization during their independent task.

Assessment: I will utilize a formative assessment during lesson one. I will assess students through questioning, discussion, and observation. I will take anecdotal notes of my observations for each student. Students will also be assessed through their independent visualization worksheet that is completed at the end of the lesson.

Meeting the needs of various learners/accommodations:

There are a few students that struggle with focusing and sitting still. If they are having difficulties, they will be given wobbly chairs to sit in to help them better focus. Additionally, I will ensure that I utilize modeling, think alouds, and give many visuals and examples of visualizations for students who are struggling to understand. Lastly, I will give individual or small group assistance for students who are struggling with visualizing the story. I will do so during all activities and discussions.

I will utilize an anchor chart and show a video of Koalas for the visual and auditory learners. There will also be opportunities for students to act out the story for the kinesthetic learners. There will also be much reading and writing incorporated throughout the entire lesson plan for the reading/writing learners. Lastly, there will be both discussion and individual tasks for both the social and solitary learners.

If there are any students that are English Language Learners, I will provide many visuals and verbal cues for them to better help understand what I am saying. I could also provide them with an audio version of the book in their native language to help them better comprehend and make connections with the story. During the turn and chat, the student will be paired with a classmate but could be given a translator app or can draw pictures to assist them in communicating. Lastly, I will stay in close proximity and assist the student when needed, especially during the drawing and writing activity.

For high performing students, I will challenge them to write more than one sentence on the independent assignment. I will also allow them to model their thinking during class discussions to show their peers how to make visualizations. If there are students that struggle with writing, I will give them a sentence stem to assist them in writing a full sentence.

Instructional Plan- after detailing each plan component, indicate the approximate time allocated to carry out that part.

Opening:

1. To open the lesson, students will be sitting as a large group on the class carpet facing the SmartBoard. If there are students that are struggling to sit still/focus, they will be told to grab a wobbly chair

2. I will show a silly video of a koala (http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/videos?videoGuid=3F198358-41F8-D7D6-B8B5-1A9CE6F1D411)

3. I will then ask students, “Who knows what animal that is?” and “have you ever seen a Koala in real life?”4. I will point out that the Koala’s are sitting in “gum trees” which have a type of leaf called “eucalyptus” that Koala bears eat. I

will also mention that gum trees and Koalas are found in Australia. This will give all students background knowledge prior to reading the book

5. I will explain to students that we are going to read a story about Koalas and learn about a strategy called visualization. I will explain to them that this is one of many strategies that good readers use while reading

5 minutes

Instruction:

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/videos?videoGuid=3F198358-41F8-D7D6-B8B5-1A9CE6F1D411

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/videos?videoGuid=3F198358-41F8-D7D6-B8B5-1A9CE6F1D411

1. For instruction, students will remain sitting as a large group on the carpet, however they will be asked to turn and face the reading chair where I will be sitting.

2. I will tell students that before we begin to read our new book, I want to teach them about the strategy of visualization using an anchor chart that is hanging in the classroom.

3. I will explain to students that visualization is very exciting because their brains are able to create pictures about what something sounds like, feels like, tastes like, smells like, and looks like. I will then give students some examples.

4. I will ask students to close their eyes and say aloud, “If I read a story and it said, The cold vanilla ice cream tasted very good on the hot summer day...” I will ask, “can you picture in your mind what the summer heat felt like and what the cold vanilla ice cream tasted like?”

5. I will ask students to keep their eyes closed and give another example and say, “If I read a story and it said, the black fluffy dog was barking at the mailman…” Can you create a picture in your mind that fluffy black dog? What does the dog feel like? What is the mailman wearing? Can you imagine the sound of the dog barking?

6. I will ask students, “Did we really taste the ice cream? Did we really hear a dog barking? Could we feel the soft fluffy fur?... no, but we were able to create those pictures in our minds to help us better understand and connect with what the story is saying.”

7. I will then tell students we are going to read a story about a koala and use visualization to help us create images in our minds.

3 minutes

Practice:

I do:

1. To begin practice, students will remain sitting on the carpet facing the reading chair where I will be sitting2. I will introduce the book, author, and illustrator. I will ask students, “What job did the author have for this book?” and “What

job did the illustrator have for this book?”3. To get students thinking about the book, I will ask, “Based on the cover picture, what do you think this story might be about?

What about the title? What do you already know about Koala bears?”

4. I will then explain to students that I am going to read the book and model to them what visualization looks like and once again reference the anchor chart that gives a visual and describes visualization as creating an image in their mind as we read

5. I will begin to read the story. When I come to a pre-planned stop, I will turn the book around so the students cannot see the picture and read the sentence, “Koala Lou began her training right away. She jogged and puffed and lifted weights and panted.”

6. I will think aloud and say, “What are some things I saw in my visualization? I pictured Koala Lou running and lifting weights with her arms. What are some things I heard? I could imagine Koala Lou huffing and panting as she ran and lifted weights. Could I feel anything in my visualization?” I could feel how tired Koala Lou was after running and lifting weights.”

7. I will then turn the book back around and show the students the picture and continue reading.

3 minutes

We Do:

1. As I continue on reading the story, I will stop at another pre-planned place in the story. I will once again turn the book around and ask students to close their eyes and visualize what I read.

2. I will read aloud the paragraph that says, “It was Koala Klaws who went first. Her first climb was a record breaking 22 meters in 70 seconds flat. The spectators whistled and cheered and wildly waved their party hats.”

3. I will tell students to continue their visualizations while I read it aloud one more time.4. I will give students about 30 more seconds to think. 5. I will guide students while they are visualizing. I will say, “What are some things you can see in your visualization?” What are

some things you can hear?” Can anyone feel anything?” 6. We will discuss students’ visualizations as a whole class. I will ask the question, “why do you think the author didn’t just say,

“The crowd cheered!” We will discuss that the author wants to help the reader create picture in their heads to help them better understand and connect with the story.

7. We will continue reading the story.

3 minutes

You do:

1. I will continue to read the story to the students. I will once again come to a pre-planned stopping point and turn the book around.

2. I will read aloud the sentence that says, “Koala Lou leapt onto the tree. Up and up and up she climbed- higher and higher and higher.”

3. I will tell students to close their eyes and create a picture in their head as I read it again. We will pause the story and students will complete a worksheet.

4. I will explain the worksheet to them and ask if they have questions5. I will dismiss students to their tables in small groups at a time (i.e. yellow table may come get a worksheet and go to their

table). Students will be drawing the picture they created in their minds. Students will be reminded to put their name on their paper. Students will be given approximately 5 minutes to complete their drawing.

6. If any students finish, they will be told to continue to close their eyes and visualize and add to their picture. I will say, “when you think you are done, you have only just begun!”

7. On the worksheet, students will draw the picture they created in their minds. 8. Once everyone is done, students will leave their papers at their table, and come back and sit on the carpet. I will call tables

that are sitting nicely to come sit down one at a time. 9. We will then finish the story. 10. I will then tell students to face the smart board. To finish up the lesson, students will assist me in creating a sentence about

their visualizations. I will write a sentence on the smart board that the students help me to create. I will emphasize capital letters, punctuation, spacing in between words, etc.

11. Students will then be dismissed back to their table to write their own sentence on their worksheet in the lines below their pictures. Students who need more of a challenge will be encouraged to write more than one sentence. Students who are struggling will be given a sentence stem to start them off. Students will receive an additional five-seven minutes to complete this task.

12. I will stay in close proximity to struggling students to assist them when needed. I will circulate the classroom throughout the duration of this activity to observe, ask questions, and assist.

15 minutes

Closing:

1. To close the lesson, students will get a partner and share their visualizations and sentences with each other.2. Students will then hand in their worksheets to me.

3 minutes

After Assessment:

1. I will look at the worksheets that the students completed independently. I will look to see if students met their objective for this lesson. I will use this information to guide and inform my next lesson.

2. I will read over my anecdotal notes to see what students are still struggling. If there are still students struggling, I will form a small group and work with them. I will read continue to model, use think alouds, and practice using visualization sentences to assist them in better learning the strategy.

3. I will also reflect on my own instruction by watching the video recording of myself teaching to see what I can do better.

Personal Notes Post Lesson:

There was one particular student that struggled with the strategy of visualization. This student is an extremely logical thinker. I assisted him one on one and adjusted my instruction to help him better connect. I asked him, “I want you to close your eyes and picture your mom…can you see her in your mind? Now I want you to imagine her with a clown nose on! Do you see it?” I think that by allowing him to visualize something he is extremely familiar with, he was able to see it. I also read other visualization sentences to him. I will review the strategy of visualization using this technique for all students in the next lesson that I teach.

Student Sample Work: For the sake of privacy, I have cropped out the names of the students. I have provided a sample of a higher level learner and a lower level learner.

Lesson Two:

Retelling(Disclaimer: This was not one of the required four lessons that I taught)

Objective (s):

1. Students will be able to participate in both small and large group discussions2. Students will be able to retell the story, Koala Lou by Mem Fox using sequential order

Students will know they have met their objective for the day if they can actively participate in each “turn and talk” for a minute while staying on topic and if they can complete their retelling strip independent task with an accuracy of 8/10.

Assessment: I will utilize a formative assessment during lesson two. I will assess students through questioning, discussion, and observation. I will take anecdotal notes of my observations. Students will also be assessed through their independent story retelling worksheet that is completed at the end of the lesson.


There are a few students that struggle with focusing and sitting still. If they are having difficulties, they will be given wobbly chairs to sit in to help them better focus. Additionally, I will ensure that I utilize modeling, think alouds, and give many visuals and examples of retelling for students who are struggling to understand. Lastly, I will give individual or small group assistance for students who are struggling with retelling the story. I will do so during all activities and discussions.

I will utilize an anchor chart and show a video of Koalas for the visual and auditory learners. There will also be opportunities for students to act out the story for the kinesthetic learners. There will also be much reading and writing incorporated throughout the entire lesson plan for the reading/writing learners. Lastly, there will be both discussion and individual tasks for both the social and solitary learners.

If there are any students that are English Language Learners, I will provide many visuals and verbal cues for them to better help understand what I am saying. I could also provide them with an audio version of the book in their native language to help them better comprehend and make connections with the story. The retelling independent activity is all pictures, therefore this may assist them in better understanding the task. During the turn and chat, the student will be paired with a classmate but could be given a translator app or can draw pictures to assist them in communicating. Lastly, I will stay in close proximity and assist the student when needed, especially during the independent activity.

For high performing students, I will challenge them to write a sentence after they complete their story retelling strip. If there are students that struggle or need the task simplified, I will fill in some of the story strip for them and allow them to complete the rest independently.


Opening:

1. To open the lesson, students will be sitting on the carpet as a group. If there are students that are struggling to focus, they can sit in a wobbly chair.

2. I will ask students if they can remember the strategy that we used to help us become good readers. 3. I will tell them that today, we are going to learn another strategy to help us become good readers.4. I will tell them that we are going to learn how to retell a story.

1 minute

Instruction:

1. Students will remain seated on the carpet2. I will create a “five finger retell” anchor chart and model and explain to students how to retell a story using characters, the

setting, and the beginning, middle, and end of a story. 3. I will re-read the story, Koala Lou, to the students

4. Before I begin reading, I will tell students that I want them to think about the five things from the anchor chart. Who are the characters? Where is the setting? What events take place?

5. I will stop and ask questions during the reading to guide their thinkinga. “I am curious who the characters are in the story?b. “I wonder where this story is taking place?c. “What was the problem?”d. “How did Koala Lou want to fix the problem?”e. “What does bravely mean? What is the opposite of brave?”

6. After re-reading the book, we will move on to the practice portion of lesson

7 minutes

Practice:

I do:

1. Students will once again remain seated on the carpet for this portion of the lesson.2. Before I model how to retell a story I will ask students, “Why is it important when I retell a story to tell it in the correct

order?” We will discuss this as a whole group. I will explain to students that if they re-tell a story out of order, it won’t make any sense.

3. I will have Koala Lou retelling story cards in a blue pocket chart. I will think aloud and go through the five finger retell. I will first think aloud about who the main characters were and where the story took place. I will then think aloud about the beginning, middle, and end parts of the story.

4. As I think aloud I will place the correct picture sequence on the blue chart. I will welcome the students help.5. After the picture cards are put in the correct order, we will move onto the “we do” portion.

5 minutes

We do:

1. Students will remain sitting on the carpet2. I will put a dice on the smart board. When students tap the dice, it will roll and land on a number 1-6. Each number will have

a question that goes with it. 1. Who are the characters? 2. What was the setting? 3. What was the beginning of the story? 4. What was the middle of the story 5. What was the end of the story? 6. What was your favorite part of the story?

3. I will call on different students to come up and roll the dice to see what question we will answer. 4. Students will answer the questions in different ways. For example, I will take answers from the whole group during some

questions and for others I will have students turn and share an answer with a partner.5. After we are done with this activity, students will complete their final “I do” task.6. Students will be dismissed from the carpet one table at a time. They will be told to get their glue and scissors ready. I will give

instructions on what to do.

7 minutes

You Do:

1. Students will be given a worksheet with 10 pictures on it. Students will use the 10 pictures to create a retell story strip.2. Students will have to glue each picture in order on a piece of construction paper to retell the story3. For students who need a challenge, they will be encouraged to write a sentence about their story strip. For students who are

struggling with the task, I will complete some of the story strip for them and have them complete the rest independently4. I will circulate the classroom and assist students as needed5. Once students are done, they will be instructed to turn in their story strips.6. Students will then have a seat on the carpet to close

10 minutes

Closing:

1. Students will sit in a circle on the carpet.2. Students will share their story strips as a whole group3. I will tell students that we have learned how to visualize a story, retell a story, and that tomorrow we are going to learn how

to connect with a story.

3 minutes

After Assessment:

1. I will look at the completed story strips that the students completed independently. I will look to see if students met their objective for this lesson. I will use this information to guide and inform my next lesson. I will also use it to gain insight into how I need to better modify my future instruction and accommodate each student’s individual needs.

2. I will reflect on my anecdotal notes and see if there are still students struggling. If there are, I will pull them aside and continue to model, use think alouds, and assist them with retelling a story. I will utilize the story cards and work through the story with them. This will give me insight into their thinking so that I can better assist them.

Sample of retelling story cards for whole group practice and independent task:

Independent Task Retelling Picture Cards

Lesson Three:

ConnectingObjective (s):

1. Students will be able to participate in both small and large group discussions2. Students will be able to understand and apply the strategy of making connections to help them better understand and

comprehend the story, Koala Lou by Mem Fox3. Students will be able to create drawings and writings to illustrate their own connections after reading the text

Students will know they have met their objective for the day if they can actively participate in each “turn and talk” for a minute while staying on topic and if they can write at least one sentence and draw a picture of their connection during their independent task

Assessment:

I will utilize a formative assessment during this lesson. I will assess students through questioning, discussion, and observation. I will utilize anecdotal notes to record my observations. Students will also be assessed through their independent connection worksheet that is completed at the end of the lesson.


There are a few students that struggle with focusing and sitting still. If they are having difficulties, they will be given wobbly chairs to sit in to help them better focus. Additionally, I will ensure that I utilize modeling, think alouds, and give many visuals and examples of making connections for students who are struggling to understand. Lastly, I will give individual or small group assistance for students who are struggling with making connections. I will do so during all activities and discussions.

I will include and explain an anchor chart for the visual and auditory learners. I will also have an interactive story maker on the SmartBoard for the kinesthetic learners. There will also be much reading and writing incorporated throughout the entire lesson plan for the reading/writing learners. Lastly, there will be both discussion and individual tasks for both the social and solitary learners.

If there are any students that are English Language Learners, I will provide many visuals and verbal cues for them to better help understand what I am saying. I could also provide them with an audio version of the book in their native language to help them better comprehend and make connections with the story. During the turn and chat, the student will be paired with a classmate but could be given a translator app or can draw pictures to assist them in communicating. Lastly, I will stay in close proximity and assist the student when needed.

For high performing students, I will challenge them to write more than one sentence on the independent assignment. I will also allow them to model their thinking during class discussions to show their peers how to make connections. For students that are struggling, I will give them extra assistance and I will also give them a sentence stem to help them create their one sentence.


Opening:

1. Students will begin the lesson on the carpet as a whole group2. If there are students who struggle focusing, they can sit on a wobbly chair3. I will explain to students that we have now learned two strategies to help make us good readers and that today, we are going

to learn one more. I will recap the other two strategies of visualization and story retell, particularly the strategy of visualization. Some students struggled with this particular strategy, therefore I wanted to quickly review before moving forward.

4. I will read a paragraph about the students going outside for morning recess to help students visualize. This is something they are very familiar with therefore it should help them to better understand visualization.

5. I will ask them to close their eyes as I read the paragraphs. If students seem to better understand the strategy, we will proceed with the next strategy, making connections.

6. I will explain to students that we are going to learn how to make connections7. I will proceed with instruction

3 minutes

Instruction:

1. For instruction, students will remain sitting on the carpet2. I will create an anchor chart with visuals to explain and introduce students to the strategy of making a connection (text-self,

text-text, text-world).3. After explaining the anchor chart, I will ask students, “Why do you think it is important to make connections while we read?”4. I will have students turn and talk to each other for a minute. After, I will call on some groups to share their answers.5. We will discuss that making connections while reading helps readers to better understand the characters and what the story

are reading. 6. I will then ask students, “I want you to stand up if you have a brother or sister”. I will explain to students standing that they

already have a connection to Koala Lou who had brothers and sisters. 7. I will then ask students, “I want you to stand up if there is someone in your life that you love very much.” I will explain that if

they stand up, they have another connection with Koala Lou because she loved her mom very much.8. I will re-read the story and tell students to think about connections they have with the story. 9. I will stop at pre-planned places in the story to model my connections with the story.10. We will move on to practice

7 minutes

Practice:

I do:

1. Students will still be sitting on the carpet facing the SmartBoard.2. I will open on ABCya.com and go to the story maker option (http://www.abcya.com/story_maker.htm).3. I will think aloud and say, “In the story, Koala Lou loved her mom very much. Have I ever loved anyone this much? This story

reminded me of how much I love my mom” 4. I will use the story maker on the SmartBoard to draw a picture of my connection and write out my sentence, This story

reminded me that I love my mom”

5. I will do another example. I will say, “In the book Koala Lou climbed trees. Have I ever seen Koala’s climb trees? Actually, I have not seen it, but I am reminded of a book I have read about Koala’s climbing and living in trees!

6. I will use the story maker on the SmartBoard once again and write, “This story reminds me of a book that said Koala’s live in trees”.

7. I will explain to students that I was able to make a connection to the character or story, which better helps me to understand what the character and the story.

8. We will move on to the “we do” portion

5 minutes

We Do:

1. Students will remain on the carpet as a whole group. 2. I will pose the question,” what connection did you have with the story? “ I will tell students to close their eyes and think

about it. I will give specific examples from the book and ask students what it reminded them of.3. I will pass out white boards and dry erase markers to the students. The will draw their connections on the white board.4. While the others are drawing, I will call on a student to draw their connection on the Story maker. Then, they will help me to

create a sentence about their connection.5. After, I will call on a few students to share their responses. 6. I will then ask the student who completed their connection on the Story Maker to share their connection drawing and

sentence with the class. I will encourage all students to speak in a complete sentence (i.e. this reminds me…)7. We will discuss the different connections that students have made8. We will move on to the “you do” portion of the lesson9. I will call small groups of students to go to their tables and I will then give instructions for the independent task

5 minutes

You do:

1. Students will receive a worksheet that says, “Readers make connections. Koala Lou loved spending time with her mother. Who do you like to spend time with?”

2. Students will be asked to draw a picture of their connection3. I will write, “I like to spend time with___________________” on the smart board using proper grammar, punctuation, capital

letters, spacing, etc. I will then encourage students to use their skills to stretch out words to fill in the blank. 4. Students will receive approximately five minutes to complete this task. I will circulate the class and assist as needed5. If students finish early, they will be encouraged to add to their picture. I will remind them of the phrase, “when you think you

are done, you have only just begun!”6. Students who need a challenge will be encouraged to write more than one sentence about their connection. Students who

are struggling will be given more assistance and will also have the sentence stem to assist them in writing a full sentence.

7 minutes

Closing:

1. To close the lesson, students will share with a partner their connection drawing and sentence.2. Students will turn in their independent worksheets

After Assessment:

1. I will look at the connections worksheet that the students completed independently. I will also reflect on my observations, the discussions, and how engaged students were. I will use the aforementioned evidence to see if students met their objective for this lesson. I will use this information to guide and inform my next lesson. I will also use it to gain insight into how I need to better modify my future instruction and accommodate each student’s individual needs.

2. I will review my anecdotal notes to see if there are still students struggling to make connections with the story. If there are, I will place them in a small group and continue to model, use think alouds, and assist them in making connections. I will use the story, Koala Lou and continue to give several examples.

3. I will also watch the recorded video of me teaching to see how I can better improve for my next lesson.

Personal notes Post Lesson:

The students really seemed to catch onto making connections very quickly. They particularly like the “text-self” connections which was very expected for this age group.

Student Sample Work: For the sake of privacy, I have cropped out the names of the students. I have provided a sample of a higher level learner and a lower level learner.

Lesson Four:

InferenceObjective (s):

1. Students will be able to participate in both small and large group discussions

2. Students will be able to understand and apply the strategy of inference to help them better understand and comprehend the story, Koala Lou by Mem Fox

3. Students will be able to create drawings and writings to illustrate their own inferences after reading a text

Students will know they have met their objective for the day if they can actively participate in each “turn and talk” for a minute while staying on topic and if they can write at least one sentence and draw a picture of their inference during their independent task.

Assessment: I will utilize a formative assessment during lesson one. I will assess students through questioning, discussion, and observation. I will utilize anecdotal notes to record my observations. Students will also be assessed through their independent inference worksheet that is completed at the end of the lesson.


There are a few students that struggle with focusing and sitting still. If they are having difficulties, they will be given wobbly chairs to sit in to help them better focus. Additionally, I will ensure that I utilize modeling, think alouds, and give many visuals and examples of inference for students who are struggling to understand. Lastly, I will give individual or small group assistance for students who are struggling with inference. I will do so during all activities and discussions.

I will include and explain an anchor chart for the visual and auditory learners. I will also have an investigation activity for kinesthetic learners. There will also be much reading and writing incorporated throughout the entire lesson plan for the reading/writing learners. Lastly, there will be both discussion and individual tasks for both the social and solitary learners.

If there are any students that are English Language Learners, I will provide many visuals and verbal cues for them to better help understand what I am saying. I could also provide them with an audio version of the book in their native language to help them better comprehend and make inferences throughout the story. During the turn and chat, the student will be paired with a classmate but could be given a translator app or can draw pictures to assist them in communicating. I will also stay in close proximity and assist the student when needed. Because there is much verbal communication during this lesson plan, in addition to many visuals, I would utilize a translator or a translator app throughout the duration of the entire lesson to assist the student in best understanding how to make an inference.

For high performing students, I will challenge them to write more than one sentence on the independent assignment. I will also allow them to model their thinking during class discussions to show their peers how to make inferences. For students that are struggling, I will give them extra assistance and I will also give them a sentence stem to help them create their one sentence.


Opening:

1. Students will begin the lesson on the carpet as a whole group2. If there are students who struggle focusing, they can sit on a wobbly chair3. I will explain to students that we have now learned three strategies to help make us good readers and that today, we are

going to learn one more. I will recap the other strategies of visualization, story retell, and making connections.4. I will explain to students that we are going to learn how to make inferences5. I will ask students to repeat the word, “Inference” with me several times. I will explain to students that we are going to learn

about the big word inference and how it can make us good readers.6. I will proceed with instruction

3 minutes

Instruction:

1. For instruction, students will remain sitting on the carpet2. Students who are struggling to focus or sit still can grab a wobbly chair3. I will create an anchor chart with visuals to explain and introduce students to the strategy of making an inference4. I will explain to students that sometimes authors don’t tell us everything about characters, settings, or things that happen in

the story, so we have to use clues from the book (pictures, words, or both) and what we already know to make and inference.

5. I will show students pictures of children experiencing different emotions (sad, sleepy, and sick). I will tell them we are going to look for clues in the pictures to help us figure out how they are feeling.

6. I will hang the pictures on a white board and write the different clues to the side.7. I will do the first one by myself while using thinking alouds and modeling how to make inferences8. For the next two pictures, I will ask students to assist me in looking for clues in the picture to help us infer how the child is

feeling.9. We will move on to the practice portion

7 minutes

Practice:

I do:

1. I will have students remain sitting on the carpet2. I will pull out a “case file” with “clues” and have a magnifying glass as a prop. I will tell students they are going to be

investigators and help me solve different cases. 3. I will read a clue out lout, “Emma said, I want to go look at the Zebra first! Where might Emma be?” I will think aloud and say,

Well, I know the text said that Emma wanted to see a zebra, and I know there are zebras at the zoo, so I think Emma is at the zoo!”

4. To retrieve the answer, I will scan a QR code with an I-pad.5. I will do a couple more to model and think aloud how I can use what I know and clues from the text and what I already know

to make and inference.

3 minutes

We Do:

1. Students will remain on the carpet as a whole group.

2. I will begin involving students in the inference task card activity. I will guide their thinking and encourage them to explain how they came to their inference (i.e. using what they know + clues from the text).

3. I will call on different students to scan the QR code to see if they are right.4. I will call on students individually on some occasions and I will also have students share answers with one another on other

occasions. 5. After I feel that students are comfortable with the idea of inferring, I will tell them that we are going to apply our new skill to

the book we have been reading, Koala Lou. 6. I will turn to page 9 and ask students, “how do you think Koala Lou is feeling and why?” Prior to asking students, I will direct

them to not say their answers out loud. I will then turn the book to page 29 and ask the same question.7. I will explain to students that they are going to complete an independent activity where they have to draw a picture of how

Koala lou is feeling. Next to their picture, they will write why.

You do:

7. Students will receive a worksheet that says, “How do you think Koala Lou is feeling on p.9/p.29”. Students will draw their picture and write how she feels next to it.

8. I will write, “Koala Lou feels ___________________.” on the smart board using proper grammar, punctuation, capital letters, spacing, etc. I will then encourage students to use their skills to stretch out words to fill in the blanks.

9. Students will receive approximately five-seven minutes to complete this task. I will circulate the class and assist as needed10. If students finish early, they will be encouraged to add to their picture. I will remind them of the phrase, “when you think you

are done, you have only just begun!”11. Students who need more of a challenge will be encouraged to write more than one sentence. I will assist students who are

struggling and they will also have the sentence stem to assist them in writing their sentence.

10 Minutes

Closing:

1. To close the lesson, students will share with a partner their inference drawing and sentence.2. Students will turn in their independent worksheets

3 minutes

After Assessment:

1. I will look at the inference worksheets that the students completed independently. I will also reflect on my observations, the discussions, and how engaged students were. I will use the aforementioned evidence to see if students met their objective for this lesson. I will use this information to guide and inform my next lesson. I will also use it to gain insight into how I need to better modify my future instruction and accommodate each student’s individual needs.

2. I will review my anecdotal notes and see which students are still struggling with making inferences. If there are, I will place them in a small group and model, use think alouds, and practice using the task cards from the lesson to continue to help them better understand.

3. I will watch the recorded video of me teaching to see how I can better improve for my next lesson.


Prior to teaching this lesson, I felt that this would be the hardest strategy for the students understand. The students did a fantastic job of looking for clues in the pictures to make inferences. This is a great start to assist students in understanding inferences, how to make them, and how they can be used to better understand and comprehend a story. This will build a great foundation for future learning.

Student Sample Work: For the sake of privacy, I have cropped out the names of the students. I have provided a sample of a higher level learner and a lower level learner. I have also included a sample of the task cards utilized during the lesson.

Learning Sprouts (2015, January 17). Inference Task Cards. Retrieved March 10, 2017, from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Inference-Task-Cards-1655037

Lesson Five:

Non-FictionObjective (s):

1. Students will be able to participate in both small and large group discussions2. Students will be able to understand and apply the difference between fiction and non-fiction3. Students will be able to compare and contrast two stories to help them better comprehend the stories, Koala by Kate Riggs

and Koala Lou by Mem Fox4. Students will be able to create drawings and writings to illustrate their own comprehension of the nonfiction text, Koala5. Students will be able to demonstrate their comprehension of the entire unit.

Students will know they have met their objective for the day if they can actively participate in each “turn and talk” for a minute while staying on topic and if they can write at least one sentence and draw a picture about the non-fiction text during their independent task. Lastly, students will take a summative test over the book, Koala Lou to see how well the reading comprehension strategies assisted them in comprehending the story. If students answer 3/5 questions correctly, they will have met their objective for the unit.

Assessment:

I will utilize a formative assessment during lesson one. I will assess students through questioning, discussion, and observation. I will use anecdotal notes to record my observations. Students will also be assessed through their independent fact worksheet that is completed at the end of the lesson. Students will also be given a summative assessment. Students will take a five question test to see how well the various reading strategies helped them to comprehend the story.


There are a few students that struggle with focusing and sitting still. If they are having difficulties, they will be given wobbly chairs to sit in to help them better focus. Additionally, I will ensure that I utilize modeling, think alouds, and give many visuals and examples of inference for students who are struggling to understand. Lastly, I will give individual or small group assistance for students who are struggling with inference. I will do so during all activities and discussions.

I will include and explain an anchor chart, K-W-L chart, and have a live Koala Cam for the visual and auditory learners. I will also have a hula hoop activity for the kinesthetic learners. There will also be much reading and writing incorporated throughout the entire lesson plan for the reading/writing learners. Lastly, there will be both discussion and individual tasks for both the social and solitary learners.

If there are any students that are English Language Learners, I will provide many visuals and verbal cues for them to better help understand what I am saying. I could also provide them with an audio version of the book in their native language to help them better comprehend and understand the non-fiction story. During the turn and chat, the student will be paired with a classmate but could be given a translator app or can draw pictures to assist them in communicating. During the hula hoop task, I would include visuals to better help them understand what we are discussing. Also, during the test, I could translate the questions using an app to

better gain insight into how well they comprehended the story. I will also stay in close proximity and assist the student when needed.

For high performing students, I will challenge them to write more than one sentence on the independent assignment. For students that are struggling, I will give them extra assistance and I will also give them a sentence stem to help them create their one sentence.


Opening:

1. Students will begin the lesson on the carpet as a whole group2. If there are students who struggle focusing, they can sit on a wobbly chair3. I will explain to students that we have now learned 4 strategies to help make us good readers and that today, we are going to

read a non-fiction book about koalas. 4. I will present both the fiction and the nonfiction book to the students5. I will explain that a fiction book tells a story and is made up and a nonfiction book really happened and teaches us facts.6. I will show students both books and ask them which is the fiction books and which is the non-fiction book7. I will then tell students today we are going to learn real facts about Koalas.

3 minutes

Instruction:

1. For instruction, students will remain sitting on the carpet2. If students need a wobbly chair, they can grab one3. I will create a K-W-L chart on a white board at the front of the class4. I will ask students, “What are some things we already know about Koalas?”5. I will have students turn and talk to a partner for a minute. I will have students share their answers and I will write them on

the chart. 6. I will then say, “What are some things you want to know about Koalas?”

7. Once again, I will have students turn and speak to a partner about what they want to know. Students will share their answers and I will write them on the chart.

8. I will read students the book, Koalas by Kate Riggs, pointing out the cover and author9. After the story is read, I will show students a live koala cam from the San Diego Zoo (http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/cams/koala-

cam) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRgu8ZJq34Y10. We will observe the Koala and talk about the facts from the book that compare them to what we observe in the San Diego

zoo cam11. We will then finish up the “L” portion of the K-W-L chart and talk about what the students learned about Koalas12. We will move on to the practice portion.

10 minutes

Practice:

I do:

1. I will have students remain sitting on the carpet but ask them to sit in a circle 2. I will bring out two different hula hoops. One will be labeled, with the cover of the book, Koala Lou and the other with the

cover of the book, Koalas3. I will have sentences copied on strips of paper with information from both Koala Lou and the non-fiction book.4. I will explain to students that I am going to read sentences out loud to them, and they have to tell me if it came from the

fiction or nonfiction book about koalas.5. I will read out two or three sentences and use think alouds to help me sort the information from the fiction and nonfiction

books.6. After I do this numerous times, we will move on to the “We do” portion.

3 minutes

We Do:

http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/cams/koala-cam

http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/cams/koala-cam

1. Students will help me with sorting the sentence strips into the appropriate hula hoop.2. I will call on different students to help the class figure out whether the sentence strip belongs in the fiction, nonfiction, or

both hula hoop. 3. We will move on to the “You do” portion

5 minutes

You do:

1. I will call students in small groups at a time to return to their tables. I will explain the directions.2. Students will receive a worksheet that say “Interesting fact #1”3. Students will have to draw a picture and write at least one sentence about an interesting fact they learned about Koalas.4. Students will receive approximately five-seven minutes to complete this task. 5. If students finish early, they will be encouraged to add to their picture. I will remind them of the phrase, “when you think you

are done, you have only just begun!”6. If students need more of a challenge, they can include more than one fact. If students are struggling, I will assist them and I

will also give them a sentence stem to help them create their fact for the task.7. I will circulate the classroom and assist students as needed8. After, students will share their drawings and sentences with a partner.9. Students will turn in their independent worksheets

10 minutes

Closing:

1. To finish out the entire unit, students will take a comprehension test regarding the book, Koala Lou2. I will read the questions out loud to students and they have to circle the smiley face or the sad face for the answers3. Students will turn the test in to me

5 minutes

After Assessment:

I will look at the fact worksheets that the students completed independently. I will also reflect on my observations, the discussions, the anecdotal notes, and how engaged students were. I will use the aforementioned evidence to see if students met their objective for this lesson. If there are any students still struggling, I will place them in a small group and assist them with better understanding non-fiction vs. fiction. I will use modeling, think alouds, and the hula hoop activity used during the lesson to assist. I will also use the summative assessment to gauge the effectiveness of the reading comprehension strategies. The end of the unit test will also assist me in gaining insight into how well the students understood and comprehended the story, Koala Lou, and if they met their objective for the entirety of the unit.

I will also watch the recorded video of me teaching to see how I can better improve for future teaching


All of the students made a 3/5 of above on their test. Overall, I feel that this was a successful unit and the students now have more reading strategies that will assist them in their reading comprehension.

Student Sample Work: For the sake of privacy, I have cropped out the names of the students. I have provided a sample of a higher level learner and a lower level learner. I have also included a sample of the task cards utilized during the lesson.

Photos of ExperienceFor the purpose of privacy, as this will be posted on a public Weebly website, I did not want to take any pictures with the students in

it. However, I took pictures of the classroom in which I observed and taught.

This is a picture of the writing wall that the students used frequently during their independent writing assignments. The wall has many words with visuals to assist students in spelling particularly difficult words.

This is a picture of the front teaching area, equipped with a Smart Board. This area was utilized frequently during my lessons, especially during large group activities.

This is a picture of a bulletin board utilized to display anchor charts pertaining to reading strategies. Some of the strategies taught during the unit were already displayed.

In addition to the writing wall pictured above, the students also had previously learned sight words posted on their lockers. During the writing assignments, the students utilized many of their sight words. The classroom rule is, “If the word is posted in the classroom, it must be spelled correctly.” Many students would use the posted sight words to check their spelling.

Although this image does not directly pertain to my unit, I thought it was such a good idea! During guided reading, Mrs. Barrett gave the students items to help them follow along in their books. Students could use the pictured eye ball rings or a miniature finger

flashlight to help them. This was a fun and simple way to get them excited about reading!

Students in the school have access to their own individual I-pad with apps that are selected specifically for them. We used the QR code reader app during the unit.

These are the “wobbly chairs” that I frequently talked about during my unit. The chairs are for students who struggle focusing or sitting still during instruction. These chairs worked wonders!

adriannesckans.weebly.com · web viewthroughout the duration of this unit, students will learn...

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