SecondGradeEnglishLesson

Author:KendalCarter
Datecreated:10/05/20148:49PMESTDatemodified:11/10/20143:16PMEST

VITALINFORMATION
TotalNumberofStudents

Thisactivityhasfourstudents.

Area(s)StudentsLiveIn
ThesestudentsarefromSanAnselmoandFairfax.

Free/ReducedLunch
Noneofthestudentsinthisclassroomareonfree/reducedlunch.

EthnicityofStudents
ThereisoneCaucasianstudent,oneChinesestudent,oneHispanicstudent,andonePacificIslanderstudent.

EnglishLanguageLearners
ThisclassdoesnothaveanyEnglishlanguagelearners.

StudentswithSpecialNeeds

TherearenotanystudentswithIEPsinthisgroup,butoneofthestudentsispulledoutofclasstwiceaweekforspeech
help.

Subject(s)

LanguageArts(English)

TopicorUnitofStudy
ThisisthethirddayofthelessononthebookYehShen(theChineseCinderellastory)fromtheunitonCinderellastories
aroundtheworld.

Grade/Level

Grade2

Comments

KEYCONCEPTS&STANDARDS
BigIdea&Essential
Questions

Theoverallgoalofthisactivityisforstudentstobeabletofindinformationinatext.WeareusingtheChineseversion
oftheCinderellastoryfromthebookYehShentomodelthisskill.

LearningOutcome(s)

Onthisdayofthelesson,wearefocusingonteachingthesestudentshowtolookupinformationfromatextandplace
itintoachart.Whilewestillwantthestudentstolearntheplot,keyideas,facts,andinformationfromthetext,thereal
focusofthisactivityistolearnhowtofindtheinformation.Attheendofthisunitstudentswillbeabletorecountdetails
fromtheirversionofthebook,discussitwiththeirclassmateswhohavenotreadthebook,andcomparethebookto
theotherbookstheirclassmateshaveread.

Summary
Standards

CACaliforniaCommonCoreStateStandards(2012)
Subject:EnglishLanguageArts&LiteracyinHistory/SocialStudies,Science,andTechnicalSubjects
Grade:Grade2students:
ContentArea:LiteratureK5
Strand:Reading
Domain:KeyIdeasandDetails
Standard:
2.Recountstories,includingfablesandfolktalesfromdiversecultures,anddeterminetheircentralmessage,
lesson,ormoral.
Standard:
3.Describehowcharactersinastoryrespondtomajoreventsandchallenges.

Comments

ASSESSMENTS

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Assessment/Rubrics

Thesestudentswillbeassessedbymonitoringtheirparticipationinthediscussion,seeingwhatdetailstheyrecallfrom
thestoryandshortYouTubevideo,byobservinghowthestudentsfindtheinformationtheyareunsureof,andby
collectingtheirworksheetsattheendofthelesson.

Comments

MATERIALSANDRESOURCES
InstructionalMaterials&
Technology(handouts,etc.)

Forthisactivity,IwillneedthebookYehShen,anipadwiththeYouTubevideoonChina,asmallwhiteboard,anexpo
marker,fivecopiesoftheworksheet,andpencilsforeachofthestudents.

Comments

IMPLEMENTATION
SequenceofActivities

1.TobeginthislessonIwillgatherallofthestudentsIamworkingwithtothebacktable.Previewthelessonwith
fortunecookiefunfactquestion.(SinceIknowyouhavebeenlearningaboutChinainclassallweek,Isearchedreally
hardtotryandfindafunfactthatI'hopingwillstumpafewofyou.Doyouknowwherefortunecookiesarefrom?I'll
giveyouafewsecondstothinkitoversincetheymightnotbefromwhereyouwouldoriginallythink.Theywerecreated
inSanFrancisco,Californiain1912.)IwillthenaskthestudentswhattheyalreadyknowaboutChina.Iwillallowas
manyofthestudentstoshareoutasmuchastheywouldlikewiththerestofthegroup.(Oneofthelittlegirlswasborn
inChinasoIamhopingthatshewillhavesomethingthatwehavenotalreadycoveredtosharewiththeclass.)
2.ThenIwillshowthestudentsthevideoMoreFactsAboutChinawhichgivesthestudentsabriefsnapshotofseveral
interestingfactsaboutthecounrtyspokenbyaChinesewoman.(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFgZXcY7tU)
whichisalittleovertwominuteslongfromYoutubetogivethestudentsmorebackgroundinformationaboutChina.
Beforehavingthestudentswatchthevideo,Iwillaskthemtofindonethingtheylikedfromthevideowiththerestof
thegroup.
3.Next,Iwillaskthestudentstothink,pair,sharewiththestudentsittingnexttothem.ThenIwillhavethe
studentsnameonenewfactthatthevideotaughtthemortosharesomethingthevideomentionedthattheyalready
knewwiththerestofthegroup.Asthestudentsaresharingtheirfacts,Iwillwritethemdownontheminiwhiteboard
inbulletpointformat.Onceallofthestudentsfinishingsharing,Iwillaskthemiftheyknowwhatbulletpointsare.I
willthenusethelistoftheirfunfactsfromthevideotoillustratewhatbulletpointsareandhowweusethem.
4.AfterwefinishdiscussingbackgroundinformationonChina,IwillpassouttheOnceUponaTimeworksheetand
copiesoftheYehShenbooktothestudents.
5.Iwillpollthestudentsandhavethemchoosethefirstboxtheywouldliketouseasanexample.Forexampleifthey
choosethe"Setting/Country"boxwewilltalkasagroupaboutwherethestoryisset(inthemountaincavesofChina).I
willthenmodelhowwewouldwritetheiranswerusingbulletpointsoracompletesentenceonmysmallwhiteboard
(mountainsofChina/YehShenissetinthemountaincavesofancientChina).Iwillmodelbothexamplesfortheclass
andallowthemtodecidewhichwaytheywouldliketofillouttheirworksheets.
6.Asagroupwewillthencontinuetoworktogethertofillthreeorfourboxes.Iwillallowmystudentstowritetheir
answersinbulletpointsorfullsentences.Whenstudentsunderstandhowtolookinformationbackupinthetext,Iwill
dividetheboxesupbetweenthestudentssotheycangobackintothetextandpracticefindingtheanswersfromthe
book.Ifthestudentshavealreadyfinishedfillingouttheirboxeswhiletherestofthegroupisworking,theymaylook
throughtherestofthetexttofindtheanswerstotheotherquestions,ortheymaycomeupwithonechallenging
questionfromthebooktoasktheirclassmateswhentheyshareouttothegroup.Onceeveryoneisdone,the
studentswillshareouttheiranswerswiththerestofthegroup.
7.WhenthestudentscomeacrossaquestiontheyareunsureofIwillmodelhowtofindinformationinthetext.For
example,ifthestudentsarestrugglingwiththe""Where'Cinderella'MeetsthePrince"boxIwillletthemknowthatthey
havethegreatestresourcerightinfrontofthem.IwillinstructthemtofliptheirYehShenbookstothesectionthat
discussesYehShensearchingforhershoe.Whenthestudentsgobackinthetextandrereadthissectiontheywill
rediscoverthatthePrincefirstseesYehShenwhenshegoesdowntothepaviliontoretrieveherslipper.
8.Whilethestudentsareworking,Iwillaskthemhowtheyknowandwhatevidencetheycanusefromthetexttoback
uptheirstatementsandtoshowmewhereinthebooktheyfoundtheirinformationfrom.Ifthestudentsgivemean
answeralongthelinesofIjustremembereditorwellIthinkthisiswhathappened,Iwillchallengethemtogobackto
thetextandsearchforthecontextcluesfromthestorytoprovetheirthoughts.Forme,itismoreimportantfor
studentstolearnhowto
9.Onceallofthestudentsaredoneworking,Iwillhavethemshareouttheiranswerstothegroup.Onceeveryoneis
donesharing(iftimeallows)Iwillaskthemthefollowingquestion.Whatwasyourfavoritepartofthebook?What
similaritiesdoyouseebetweentheChineseversionandtheDisneyversionofaCinderellastory?Whichonedoyou
preferandwhy?ThenIwillcollectallofthestudent'sworkandhavethemreturntotheirdesks.

GroupingStrategies

Thisgroupoffourstudentswereselectedbytheteacher.Theyareinoneofhertablegroupsandshewantedthemto
readthisversionoftheCinderellastorybecausethegirlinthisgroupisfromChina.Shewasadoptedwhenshewasan
infantandherparents,eventhoughtheyarenotChinesebelievethatitiscrucialtoteachtheirdaughterabouther
nativecountry.

DifferentiatedInstruction

Sincethesestudentsareplacedinaheterogeneousgroup,Iwillaskthestudentswithhigherlevelthinkingmore
thoughtprovokingquestionsabouthowandwhytheseeventsoccurredmakingsuretheyfindproofoftheiranswerfrom
thetext.Iwillalsoallowthesestudentstohelptheirclassmatesfindinformationinthetextiftheyoffertoassistthem
oriftheyfinishtheirworksheetsearly.Iwillalsoaskthemtocomeupwithonechallengingandthought
provokingquestiontoasktheirclassmateswhiletheyshareout.Iwillhelpthelowerscoringstudentssucceedinthis
activitybyallowingthemtoaskforhelpfindinginformationbyaskingmyselforoneoftheirgroupmateswhatpagethe
informationtheyaresearchingforislocatedonwhentheyhavequestionsorareunsureofwheretolocatetheanswers.
Thesestudentswillalsobeallowedtowritetheiranswersinbulletpointsorcompletequestionsdependingonwhich
onetheyprefer.IfmyclasshadELLstudents,Iwouldtranslatetheworksheetintotheirnativelanguage,comeupwith
aterminologyguideofchallengingwordsfromthetext,andlastlyIwouldpartnerthemwithupwithabuddytoworkon
theactivitywith.

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Comments

REFLECTIONS
PriortoLesson

Beforethelesson,IfeelhappywithmylessonplanandthegroupofstudentsIwillbeworkingwith.Sincetheteacher
choosethebookandtheworksheetIwasnotgivenmuchflexibilitycontentwise,butIunderstandherreasoningbehind
thisdecision.Shewantedtomakesurethatallofthestudentsinallofthegroupscoveredtheirversionsofthe
Cinderellastoryinthesamewaysothattheywillallbeabletodiscussthesamekeyelementsandideasafterallofthe
groupshavecompletedthierversionsofthestory.TheteacheralsochosethestudentsIwillbeworkingwithonthis
lesson.Whilethesestudentsareextremelybright,twoofthemareextremelyshyaboutworkingwithandspeakingup
infrontofothers.Ihopethathavingsomeoneobservethemwillnotdistractthemfromstayingontaskand
participatinginthelesson.ThestudentsinmygroupwerechangedonMonday(thestudentwhoIwasplanningon
adaptingthelessonfor)sincesheisnolongeratthisschool.EvenwiththelastminutestudentchangeIstillfeelfairly
comfortablewithmylesson.NexttimeIamformallyobserved,IwillasktoteachalessonthatIwillallowmetohave
moreflexibility.

PostLesson

Afterthislesson,Iamhappywithhowitwent.Thegroupofstudentschangedthemorningofmylessonandwentfrom
fourtothreestudents,butIstillfeelgoodaboutthelesson.Nancysaidthatshewasreallyhappywiththehookabout
fortunecookiesIusedtoleadintomylesson,withhowenthusiasticandengagedIwasthroughoutthelesson,and
howImadesureeverystudentreceivedtheoneononeattentiontheyneeded.Iwashappywithmystudent'sfocus,
willingnesstoparticipate,andhowwithallthingsconsideredtheystillparticipatedeventhoughsomeonetheywere
unfamiliarwithwaswatchingmeteach.IfelthappywithmychoicetointroduceNancytothestudentsbeforethelesson
beganandlettingthemknowwhyshewasobservingtheirlesson.Theyseemedtofeelmoreateaseoncetheysaw
thatshewasnottheretowatchorjudgeme,buttomakesurethatIcanbethebestteacherpossibleforthem.Today,
thegroupofstudentsIwasteachingmylessontochangedthemorningofmylesson.Oneofthestudentstransferred
schools,theteacherchangedonelittlegirl'sseating,andoneofthelittleboyswasabsenttoday.Sincetherewereonly
threestudentsinsteadoffour,IwasnotabletoutilizethinkpairsharewhichIthinkwouldhavebeenextremelyhelpful
inthislesson.OnceIsawthestudentsweremovingatdifferentpaces,Imodifiedmylessonanddelegatedoutdifferent
boxestodifferentstudentsandthenweallcametogetheranddiscussedwhatwelearnedinourownboxes.IfIcould
teachthislessonagain,Iwouldhavemadesurethattherewereatleastfourstudentssotheycouldthinkpairshare
andconsultwitheachotherwhiletheyhadquestionswhenIwasworkingwithotherstudents.

Comments

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