Nicole Dzikas Dr.

Wilson Education 353 November 29, 2013

Complete Teaching Episode 1. Lesson Plan:

Wilson EDUC 353 Name: Nicole Dzikas Target Grade Level: First Date: November 21, 2013 Curriculum Topic: Literacy/Language Arts

UbD Lesson Plan Template Stage 1: Desired Outcome

Established Goals:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
o o o

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.2a Capitalize dates and names of people. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.2b Use end punctuation for sentences. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.2c Use commas in dates and to separate single words in a series.

Understandings: Capitalization is used for the first letter of days of the week, months of the year, and names of people. The first letter of the first word of every sentence and the pronoun I are always capitalized. A period, question mark, or exclamation point is used to end a sentence. A comma is used to separate words in a list and to separate the month and date from the year.

Essential Question(s): What is capitalization? When do we use capitalization? What is punctuation? What are the different types of punctuation? When do we use punctuation?

Students will know. Academic Vocabulary: Capitalization is the use of uppercase letters in writing. Punctuation is the use of certain marks to show separation of words and phrases in writing.

Students will be able to Capitalize dates and names of people. Use end punctuation for sentences. Use commas in dates and to separate single words in a series. Properly use capitalization and punctuation in their own writing. Identify capitalization and punctuation errors in the writing of others.

Stage 2: Assessment Evidence

Performance Task:

Other Evidence:

Students will play the roles of writers and editors. Each student must write three sentences using the rules of capitalization and punctuation taught in the lesson. Each student will then pair up with a partner. Students will exchange their papers with their sentences written down with their partner. Each student will read the sentences of their partner, checking for proper capitalization and punctuation use, and will edit any errors he/she finds.

Informal entrance survey SmartBoard activities

Stage 3: Learning Plan

Learning Activities: I will begin my lesson by first asking students if they have heard of capitalization and punctuation. I will conduct an informal entrance survey by asking students to raise their hands if they have heard of either of the terms of capitalization or punctuation before. Students should have some prior knowledge about capitalization and punctuation. I will tell students that we will be learning about capitalization and punctuation. I will then provide students with a definition of each of the terms.

I will use a SmartBoard lesson I created to teach students the rules of capitalization and punctuation. The lesson also contains interactive activities for students to practice these rules. After students become familiar with the rules of capitalization and punctuation following the SmartBoard lesson, I will explain the Performance Task to students. Students will complete the Performance Task. Students will be given the opportunity to share their findings from working with their partners and comment on the activity of writing and editing with a focus on the rules of capitalization and punctuation. Students will be allowed to ask any questions they may have about capitalization and punctuation. To conclude the lesson, I will summarize the rules of capitalization and punctuation. I will restate that you capitalize dates and names of people, use end punctuation for sentences, and use commas in dates and to separate single words in a series. Students can visit the following websites at home to play games to practice the rules of capitalization and punctuation: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/grammar/capitalization.htm

http://www.funenglishgames.com/grammargames/punctuation.html

Materials: SmartBoard, paper, pencils Differentiation: For the Performance Task, ELL students will be given sentences that require them to fix capitalization and punctuation errors. Advanced students and struggling students can be paired together for the Performance Task.

Resources

Itemized Attachments:

Sentences for ELL students:

1. sam went to the park 2. Cats dogs and birds are my favorite animals 3. i am so excited today

Citations:

New York State Education Department. (2013). Common Core Learning Standards: C&I: P-12: NYSED. C&I: Curriculum and Instruction. State Education Department. Retrieved November 11, 2013, from http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/common_core_standards/

2. Observation Partners Report: Identification of lesson strengths: Nicoles lesson was organized and engaging for students. She was enthusiastic and excited during the lesson. She used the SmartBoard for her lesson which involved the students in a positive way. Use of the SmartBoard activities was an effective way for students to test their understanding of the content of the lesson. Nicole interacted well with the students and was encouraging towards them. She provided students with positive feedback after they offered responses. Overall, Nicole presented a successful lesson. Identification of lesson weaknesses: When Nicole started her lesson, she appeared to be nervous. As the lesson progressed, she became more comfortable in front of the classroom. Nicole was able to hold the attention of the students, but some students would look around the classroom and become distracted. To improve her lesson, I would recommend for her to find a way to better engage these students who are easily distracted.

3. Self-Reflection: 1. The lesson I taught was a first grade Language Arts lesson about capitalization and punctuation. My objectives were clear and focused. Students were to become familiar with the basic rules of capitalization and punctuation, apply these rules to their own writing, and identify capitalization and punctuation errors in the writing of others. The objectives remained focused on capitalization and punctuation throughout the lesson.

2. Students were interested and engaged in the lesson. Students were listening intently and looking at me and the SmartBoard. Students had many opportunities to come up to the SmartBoard and were eager to do so when given the chance. Many students raised their hands to try the SmartBoard activities. Prior to the lesson, I conducted an informal entrance survey to gather students prior knowledge about capitalization and punctuation. (Engaging Students in Learning) 3. I think my classroom management was effective. I had students come up to the front of the room to sit on the rug and face the SmartBoard. I explained to them what we would be learning about. I told them that they first had to listen to my explanation of capitalization and punctuation and that they would soon have a chance to participate. I reminded students to raise their hands to show that they wanted to say something or come up to the SmartBoard. 4. There were no major problems during my lesson. The only minor issues I had were that I had to remind students not to call out and to stay focused on me and the SmartBoard, rather than turning around and looking at the back of the classroom. 5. My manner with the children was friendly and encouraging. I tried to get students excited about the lesson. I provided positive reinforcement after each student gave a response. I smiled a lot and tried to make the students feel comfortable. I demonstrated respect and responsiveness for students in the class with varied needs. I offered longer wait time when asking questions for students so that those in the class with learning disabilities would be able to participate in the lesson as fully as other students. The visual aids I used in my

lesson were beneficial for ESL students. I used to the SmartBoard to engage students in the lesson. (Promoting a Positive Learning Environment) 6. Students were eager to participate with me. Since I had been a presence in the classroom since September, students were familiar with me and felt comfortable around me. Many students raised their hands to participate in the SmartBoard activities and were excited to do so. 7. Yes, I think I achieved my objectives. Students were more knowledgeable about capitalization and punctuation than at the beginning of the lesson. I began the lesson by modeling examples of capitalization and punctuation for my students so they could learn it, and then, I had them try SmartBoard activities on their own to practice what they learned. I had students apply what they learned about capitalization and punctuation by writing their own sentences. (Deeping Student Learning during Instruction) 8. Students were able to successfully complete the SmartBoard activities about capitalization and punctuation. I walked around and monitored students as they wrote their sentences and then edited those of their partners. Most students were properly using the rules of capitalization and punctuation during this activity. When students provided feedback about the activity, they seemed to have a more solid grasp of the rules of capitalization and punctuation. To improve this lesson, I would include small group instruction for students that need extra support and guidance and who benefit more from individualized attention. (Analyzing Teaching)

4. Identification of my Learning: I learned that teaching involves a lot of planning, preparation, and revision. An idea for a lesson and actually teaching a lesson in front of a classroom of students can turn out to be two totally different things. Teachers have to be flexible and able to adapt their lessons at all times. Presenting lessons to my peers is very different from teaching real children. Both are somewhat difficult tasks, but for the most part, I know that my peers will be supportive of my presentation whereas childrens reactions to my lesson could be varied. I think the most challenging part of teaching a lesson in front of children is making sure they are engaged. It is important that children actually understand what I am teaching and are interested in it. Knowledge of the age, maturity, ability, and interests of children relate to curriculum and pedagogy. This knowledge of the children in the class should help you determine what you are going to teach and how you are going to teach it. Learning was integrated in my lesson through the SmartBoard activities and the Performance Task. Students were able to test what they learned and see how much they actually know. I learned that I can successfully teach a lesson to a classroom filled with actual students, hold their attention, and make them enthusiastic about learning. This teaching experience made me excited and more motivated to become a teacher. The positive response of the students to my lesson made me feel more confident in my abilities and provided me with encouragement. Through this experience, I think I have become more comfortable in the role of teacher. I have grown professionally and know that I am capable of being the teacher I want to be.