Teacher Candidate: Amanda Wood

Date and Time of Lesson: February 8, 2013 at 9 a.m. Subject/Grade Level: Language Arts/ 2nd grade

School: Merrywood Elementary

Description of Lesson: The teacher will talk with students about big ideas in books. The students will practice finding the big ideas in a story that the teacher will read aloud, and, in the end, students will write the over-all main idea of the story on a blank sheet of paper.

Lesson Title: The Main Idea

Curriculum Standards Addressed:

Common Core Standard(s): 2.RI.2 Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text. EEDA Standard 2: Students will demonstrate decision-making, goal-setting, problem-solving, and communication skills. 2.3. Describe how choices are made SSCA Section 59-63-130. (A) A person may not engage in: (1) harassment, intimidation, or bulling

Cross Curricular Connections: Social Studies will be integrated in the lesson because the class will be locating South America on a map as well as locating the Amazon Rainforest in South America. Social Studies: Standard 2-1 Instructional Objective(s) Criteria: Students will write and discuss the big ideas from the conversations and actions of different animals in a story that the teacher will read aloud. After identifying and writing the big ideas of what each animal is saying or doing, students will synthesize the big ideas they identified from each animal and find the over-all main idea of the book. During Assessment: Students will discuss, with a partner, the different animals conversations and actions in a read aloud and write what they think the ideas are on Post-its. Assessment(s) of the Objectives: Pre-Assessment: Students will write one or two sentences on what they think the main idea means.

Post-Assessment: After the teacher reads the book aloud, each student will write what the main idea of the story is.

Materials/Resources: markers map of the continents large map of South America Post-its clipboards blank sheet of paper- enough for each student (20) pencils book- The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry SMARTBoard that the teacher will use project a large map of South America. The teacher will also use the SMARTBOARD to model what students will write in the post-assessment. Prerequisites (Prior Knowledge): Students should know the difference between fiction and non-fiction and have some experience with finding key details in texts. Students should also be able to cooperatively work in small groups.

References: Bellos, A. (2005, October 1). Amazon dries out as Worst ever Drought hits Rainforest: Blamed on Gulf Coast Hurricanes. Retrieved from http://www.mindfully.org/Air/2005/AmazonRainforest-Hurricanes1oct05.htm Cherry, L. (1990). The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Harvey, S., & Goudvis, A. The Primary Toolkit-Strategy 6 Book: Summarize and Synthesize. Firsthand Heinemann.

Procedures: Step 1: Ask students to quietly tiptoe from their desks to the group carpet and ask them to sit in their normal spots on the carpet.

Step 2: Begin the lesson by reviewing what the difference between fiction and non-fiction is. Allow a few different students to describe their ideas of fiction and non-fiction.

Step 3: After reviewing, tell students that the story that they will be hearing, The Great Kapok Tree- A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry, is fiction. Explain to students that although a book is fiction, there can still be important ideas.

Step 4: Tell the students that the book is about the Amazon Rainforest. Before reading the book, present a map of the continents (located in the front and back of the book) and ask students to work together to locate where the Amazon Rainforest is.

Step 5: After students locate where the Amazon Rainforest is on the book map, present a large map of South America on the SMARTBoard and ask the students to work together to locate the Amazon Rainforest again on the larger map. Explain to students that in the book there will be some animals that will give some reasons as to why they do not want a tree in the rainforest to be cut down. Explain to students that while they listen to the story, they will be asked from time to time to write what they think the big idea is based on what each animal says or does.

Step 6: Read the story until the part about the boa arrives. After arriving at that part of the story, model to students how they are to write their big ideas on the post-its. Read what the boa says and write the big idea on a post-it. Present it to the class.

Step 7: Continue reading the book and stopping after reading about each animal to give students a chance to think about and write what they believe the big ideas are from what the animal is saying or doing.

Step 8: After reading the book, discuss with students the big ideas in the story. Allow students to

present what they believe the big idea is for each animal. It is important to remind students to be mindful and respectful while other students are presenting ideas (SSCA). Step 9: Tell students that they have been focusing on each characters words and actions in order to infer big ideas. Explain to them that they will now think about all of the characters and events in the story and try to figure out what the most important thing the author wants them to learn from the story is. Explain to students that this is known as the main idea of the story.

Step 10: Dismiss students by rows and ask them to quietly go back to their desks. On the SMARTBoard model how students should begin their sentences. Provide each student with a blank sheet of paper. Instruct students to individually write, in complete sentences, what they believe the main idea of the story is. Once the student has written what they believe the main idea is, ask them to put all of their post-it notes on the paper as well and collect all papers.

Step 11: Once all papers are collected, conclude the lesson by discussing with whole group what the main idea of the story was. Allow each student to explain what they believe the main idea of the story was.

Accommodations: Time will be given during the story for students to think about and write their ideas. The students will have a model as to how they will write their ideas on the post-its. Students will also have a model as to what their final sentences on the over-all main idea should look like.