Week 4 Lesson Plans

I am still in the process of writing my first lesson plan.  This is the one that I will be teaching next week during my observation.  The teacher sent me this list of standards to choose from for my lesson plan:

Determine Important Information

Make Inferences

Make Predictions

Summarize

Determine Author's Purpose

Paraphrase

Sequence

Generalize

Ask and Answer Questions

Monitor Comprehension

Visualize

Make Connections

Categorize and Classify

Identify Main and Ideas and Details

Draw Conclusions

Recall and Retell

I decided to go with Make Predictions since that is what we just talked about in class.  The first thing that came to my mind was the anticipation guide.  I may use this:

image source: http://childliteratureblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/sylvester-and-magic-pebble.html

I found these worksheets for writing predictions.  As I read the story, I am going to have students make predictions.  I think I will pass out this handout for students to write down their predictions on.


image source: https://www.dailyteachingtools.com/language-arts-graphic-organizers.html



I think this one would be good for independent practice.


image source: http://mrspetlak.weebly.com/cruisin-through-class-in-class/category/interactive-reading-notebooks


This would be good for BDA.  I might use this in the input to explain some strategies on how to make predictions.


image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/258042253630020802/

When I talked to Mrs. Steffes after class, she gave me some great suggestions.  She suggested I use The direct reading thinking activity.  I think it will work out great in the lesson.  The story I chose for my prediction lesson is Sylvester and the Magic Pebble.  I used the Good Reads website to search for prediction books.  This was also a book that Mrs. Steffes had found and suggested.  I had it in my library.  I wish that I had copies of the book for students.  I could have chosen a short story, but I wanted to use a picture book so that they can use the illustrations to make predictions.  I had wanted to use the book, What Would You Do With a Tail Like That?, but I don't have the book.  I plan on doing what the teacher in the video did that we watched in class.  I am going to read parts of the book, and stop and discuss it and make predictions as we read. 

image source: https://www.slideshare.net/pondskater/pre-reading-strategies

I may stop in the story and have students do this activity:

image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/74872412529891891/

For Independent Practice, I am going to have students work in small groups and use the prediction strategies that we discussed on a book of their choice.  I also thought about printing out some handouts like this:

image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/564779609504891622/

For the closing activity, I am going to have students do a quick write.  Here is what I have chosen"

image source: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sylvester-and-the-Magic-Pebble-Printables-Freebie-1242429

I think I will print out these bookmarks and pass out to the students.

image source: http://www.aspecialsparkle.com/2013/09/what-good-readers-do-making-predictions.html

What do you think?  Do you have  suggestions or ideas for my lesson plan? 

Thinking About Thinking Maps

image source: https://gty.leeschools.net/thinking-maps

Tonight, I am thinking about thinking maps.  The above double-bubble map shares some of the benefits of using thinking maps.  One of the things I like about thinking maps is that they are student-centered and based on thinking skills not tasks.  Thinking maps can be used in every subject. I like that thinking maps are visual.  As you can guess, I am a visual learner.  I have never heard of many of these thinking maps before tonight.  This graphic shows what my brain is like.  I think I am the photo on the left.  I have all of these ideas and they are all over the place.  However, when you use a thinking map, it organizes your thoughts and groups everything together. 


image source: https://pin.it/td3dny7ffxafz6



The only thinking map that I was familiar with were the bubble maps.  I found this graphic that lists and describes when to use them.

image source: https://www.dvusd.org/Page/3834

I wish I could embed this video from the teaching channel.  I love how the teacher uses the circle map to engage the students in thinking about what makes up soil.  Here is the link:
 https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/circle-maps-nea#

I have started to work on my lesson plans.  Oddly enough, I am doing science lessons so far.  I never thought I would enjoy writing science lessons.  I love exploring the natural world and that is what science is all about. Last semester, I took the teaching of reading and science and I taught a science lesson for my observation.  I used reading strategies in the science lesson and I really enjoyed combining the two subjects.  I found this circle map for ecosystems and I think I am going to use this in a lesson plan on ecosystems.  I love how the students define each term and draw pictures with their definitions.  The use of the circles also lend themselves to understanding the concept of the systems within a system. In my opinion, this supports higher levels of thinking.  By creating their own visual representations, this will help students retain the information longer.  I think most students like to draw and this makes the assignment more engaging and meaningful than just words on a page.


image source: https://binged.it/2IALABT

I really like how this is used for math.  I think graphic organizers should be used more in math. This one has a brace map and a circle map.  This teacher was on the ball!  I think these maps are great ways to help students think about the relationship of the numbers.  I could see myself incorporating this into a lesson.


image source: https://binged.it/2prOccy

I found this use of a circle map to be creative.  This could be used as a "hook" to introduce a book about either one of these topics.


image source: https://binged.it/2IC5cpk

I like incorporating art into lessons.  I like this crafty version of the circle map.  This would be fun for kindergartners.

image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/452752568761276798/

Here is another one.  This would be a good first day of school activity for students to write about themselves.  I like that they are telling math facts about themselves.


image source: https://aroundthekampfire.com/2013/08/first-week-back-five-for-friday-and-a-freebie.html


I love this bubble map using pictures to compare and contrast animals that live on land and water.

image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/452752568761276628/

How I would use a R.A.F.T. and an Anticipation Guide

I am doing a RAFT writing this blog post.  Mrs. Steffes is sneaky.  Every week we are writing a RAFT.  I am writing from the role of a student teacher to my audience, which are the people in my blog group, my formant is the blog, and my topic is the RAFT, a classroom reading strategy.  

 I had never heard of R.A.F.T. before this class.  I like the concept.  This type of writing makes students think outside of the box and write from a viewpoint that they are not acustom to.  Instead of passively answering questions, they are actively involved in the creative writing process based on text evidence.  RAFT also meets the content standards for reading, writing, and speech (by working in collaborative groups).  The textbook suggests to introuduce RAFT after completing a reading.  I think I would project this image of a RAFT on the board and go over the different parts.  I would have students think of the characters and objects in the text that was read that could be used as a point of view.   

image source: https://jelliseduc310strategies.wordpress.com/writing-strategies/raft-writing/

image source: http://rbcomprehensionstrategies.weebly.com/raft.html

My second strategy is the Anticipation Guide.  I really liked how the teacher in the video presented the anticpation guide.  I like how the teacher told the students not to look for the answers to the guide in their textbook because the anwers aren't there.  What I like about the guide is that it gets students to use their brain and create something original instead of scanning a text and looking for answers.  However, the textbook presents this strategy as being supported by text evidence.  The textbook suggests having students use the text to confirm, elaborate, or reject the statements in the anticipation guide. This strategy can be used with any subject and any topic.  You can make anticipation guides really simple like this bell ringer activity for math.  I think this would also be good to use with science vocabulary and concepts.  

image source: http://slideplayer.com/slide/7694772/

This slide closely models the description in the textbook. What I would do differently is have a before and after column to see if students changed their opinion after reading the text. 

image source: 

https://www.slideshare.net/matpolta/anticipation-guides-ppt-52507900

The textbook gave an example of using an anticipation guide with a book.  Here is one example that I found for a fourth grade class with a popular author, Judy Blume. 

image source: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Tales-of-a-Fourth-Grade-Nothing-Anticipation-Guide-Before-Reading-104388

Frayer Model : Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

The Frayer Model is the best thing since sliced bread. Just like bread, it goes with everything! And you can add pictures!!! Students can get super creative and put their own stamp on their vocabulary notebooks. I would use the Frayer model in every subject that I teach. For subjects like science and math, the organizer would be very beneficial for understanding concepts. Here is a good video on how to use the Frayer model in the classroom: 

video source: https://youtu.be/l2AjuMKVboQ

I might have understood harder math concepts better if we had done something like this with our math vocabulary words:


image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/296322850464240644/



image source: https://mathequalslove.blogspot.com/2014/02/linear-vs-non-linear-functions-inb-pages.html

I would use the Frayer Model as a tool to check for understanding as well.  As they fill out the graphic organizer, you can observe by their answers, if they understand the concept. 

The students can also use their graphic organizers as references throughout the unit.  I would have students keep their graphic organizers in a binder.  Each subject will have a binder. Here is an example of a science vocabulary binder. 

image source: https://ecdn.teacherspayteachers.com/thumbitem/Rotation-Revolution-Vocabulary-Frayer-Model-1133725-1520150973/original-1133725-1.jpg

You could also use a writing journal.

image source: https://ecdn.teacherspayteachers.com/thumbitem/7th-Grade-CCSS-Math-Vocabulary-Frayer-Model-Interactive-Notebook-Glossary-1944735-1459779921/original-1944735-1.jpg

The contents could look like this:

images source: 

https://ecdn.teacherspayteachers.com/thumbitem/7th-Grade-CCSS-Math-Vocabulary-Frayer-Model-Interactive-Notebook-Glossary-1944735-1459779921/original-1944735-1.jpg


For reading, it could look like this:



image source: http://thereadingnotebook.weebly.com/vocabulary.html


You can even use the Frayer Model with storyboardthat.com! What do I love about this?  If you know me, you probably guessed it.  Pictures!!! I love that it combines words with pictures. I think the visuals will help students remember the definitions better and really understand the concepts. I think student will love creating cartoon Frayer model vocabulary words. They can print them out or their notebook can be an e-notebook and save a tree!

image source: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/296322850464240941/



image source: http://www.storyboardthat.com/storyboards/anna-warfield/physical-change



Imagine reading Gary Paulsen's Hatchet with your students.  They can create this fun vocabulary storyboard.

image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/296322850464240596/?lp=true



What if you are analyzing a poem, such as Emily Dickinson's "A Bird Came Down The Walk?"  A Frayer model organizer would be the perfect tool for analyzing key words.


image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/296322850462750507/

There are other technology apps that expand the use of the Frayer model.  I haven't looked up the apps, but I like the thought of allowing students multiply entry points for using the Frayer model.  The online app may allow voice overs and inserting web images which could help students who can't draw very well or have trouble writing.  Here are some links:

http://www.karenogen.com/2013/11/ipad-piccollage-and-frayer-model-for.html
http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/frayer-model





image source: https://www.slideshare.net/karlaholt/i-pads-elemlafeb192015


Now that you know how I will use the Frayer Model, what about you?  How will you use the Frayer Model in your classroom?  What do you think about using storyboardthat.com to create your Frayer model?