Reading Lesson Plan 2: Overview, Lesson Plan, and Reflection

TE 402 READING LESSON PLAN

Reading Lesson Plan # 1

Your Name:  _Laura Tollis__   Grade Level:  __4^th _  

Date lesson was taught:  _3/16/2013____  Number of Students: _2_

Overview:

            The students I chose to work with during this lesson on figurative language were two students from my teachers highest reading group. She has them sectioned into groups based on reading level that she does reading work based on their current abilities. These students are reading above grade level. The can read difficult texts, but can improve on some of their writing skills and including figurative language so that it is interesting for another reader to read their work. They often do poetry as a class and see these figurative language styles.

            The students I will be working with for this lesson are Anna and Megan. Anna is outgoing and Megan is much more shy, but they are both very bright young girls. According to Miller, his text explained how to encourage students to make meaningful connections with the reading. I wanted to use figurative language in order for students to make connections between a story they wrote about their own lives and their writing. Having the students read their own writing will help them to see their story and allow for the other student to hear another students writing and see how it can be difficult for a reader to visualize what the other person wrote about. I wanted for the students to use figurative language so that they could help the students reading comprehend what their story was about.

1) Rationale (What evidence do you have that your focus students need to learn this skill/strategy?):

Students often read poetry and recite poetry in class. They see a lot of figurative language being used in the classroom. They often write in a notebook where they write short stories and practice writing strategies. The poetry that they see uses a lot of figurative language and the examples of their writing uses more basic language. I would like to use this lesson to encourage students to use figurative language that they see in poetry in their own writing.

2) List the reading skill/strategy that is the main focus of your lesson (select ONE area):

Figurative Language

3) Objective for this lesson (performance, condition, criteria):

Students will be able to read a passage from their own writing and include at least two types of figurative language into the passage.

4) Materials & supplies needed:

Students writing journal

Pencil

Paper

Figurative language definitions and examples

Poetry book

5) OUTLINE OF LESSON PLAN (Provide a bulleted list of ideas):

PRE-READING: make participation norms explicit, elicit background knowledge, develop interest, set purpose (_5__minutes)

• Make participation norms explicit How will you prepare the children to participate according to your lesson objectives? List ways you will help them understand behavior and participation expectations during the lesson. Be explicit about any changes in expectations if these are different from patterns they are used to (e.g., raising hands, asking their own questions, talking with each other rather than the teacher).

·         There are many ways to make writing more interesting for the person reading it. There are many different types of ways that you can do this, and they are together called figurative language.

·         Figurative language helps the reader to make that movie in their head of what is going on in the story you wrote.

·         Remember as a writer you have to remember that the person who will read your story probably wasn’t there, so you have to be descriptive so they know exactly what you are trying to say.

·         This is an open discussion so we can share our thoughts and help each other revise their papers to include figurative language.

•  Introduce the text  List what you will say/ask to activate children’s background knowledge (e.g., brainstorming, quick write, KWL). How will you help students understand the purpose of the lesson? List what you will say to motivate them to become engaged in the lesson. 

·         First they will share their writing piece

·         What words/phrases did they use to help their reader visualize?

·         Begin thinking of places where you could include some figurative language to help the reader understand your story better

DURING READING: Model how to engage with the text (e.g., use of reading strategies and analytic thinking process, inserting vocabulary support, comments and questions to support and extend comprehension and interpretation) (_5_ minutes)

We will read the handout of figurative language strategies. Then discuss other examples.

POST-READING ACTIVITIES AND DISCUSSION: Provide scaffolding for guided practice and/or application activity (_10_ minutes)

Students will then re-read their story and think of at least 2 spots to include figurative language. We will then discuss how they would like to revise their writing. We can brainstorm as a team some ideas of where would be could spots to add in figurative language and what kind would be best there. Then students will re-write their story including the figurative language.

ONGOING-ASSESSMENT: what will you pay attention to in order to evaluate the extent to which your students met the stated objectives for the lesson (_-_ minutes)

I will collect student work and determine if they meet the learning goals. The learning goal will be met if the student includes at least 2 figurative language strategies into their writing piece correctly.

6) Based on what you know about your focus students, what Academic, Social and/or Linguistic Support will be needed during the lesson?

Neither of the students are English language learners nor do they have any special needs. Students will be expected to listen to myself and their peers during the lesson. They will be expected to treat all materials with respect and to stay focused during the lesson.

REFLECTION

            After this lesson, I had mixed results from my students based on my objectives. Anna met all of the objectives. In the story that she read and edited she added in a lot of similes, but no other types of figurative language. She did give examples of other types of figurative language when we read the handout that included figurative language definitions. Megan on the other hand, did not meet my objectives. She refused to share her story with myself and the other student. She was also very resistant to discussing examples or ideas of figurative language she could include in her story. She did not show me her work at the end of the lesson, so I was unable to asses any of her skills based on the writing she did and the objectives of my lesson.

            I think that the strengths of my lesson was allowing students to use their creativity and build off something they had already seen in the classroom. Since they were familiar with some of the figurative language techniques from their poetry unit, they already had some background knowledge of how they could be used in the story. I think the negative part of my lesson was the group that I chose to do my lesson with. Anna is very outgoing and can get quite outspoken. She required a lot of attention and can get very excited when the attention is on her. This proposed a odd group dynamic because Megan is shy. Although I did not expect her to be as shy and unwilling to participate as she was, I think that Anna intimidated her. I am not sure if Megan felt intimidated my Anna, was not used to me teaching and was intimidated by me, or if she was embarrassed about her writing, but whatever the reason was the group dynamic did not help her open up.

            If I had any questions, I would say that I would want to know more of how to encourage students to stay involved in a lesson. I want to encourage a safe learning environment where everyone is proud of their own work and is not afraid to share it with others for fear of being ridiculed. I would also like to learn how to manage a student that is overly excited and overbearing in a lesson, in order to encourage the student to calm down so the other student(s) can participate.