EDUC 520: Term III Integrated Assignment

Analysis of TeachingLiteracy Lesson Design Draft

Student teacher: Kelsey Jurewicz
Grade: First
Lesson time: 50 minutes

Location: Penn Alexander School

Number of students: Six

Core Decisions
What
The curricular content goal of this lesson is for students to develop a more thorough
understanding of setting. While my first grade students have previously learned setting in class,
the purpose of this lesson is to elaborate on their current knowledge and to deepen their
comprehension of this literary element. Many of my students know that setting has to do with
where a story takes place, so this lesson will emphasize that the setting also includes when a
story takes place. Furthermore, students will learn to use and interpret clues in both the text and
the illustrations that indicate the setting of a book. In addition to these content goals, students
will practice speaking and listening skills by engaging in thoughtful discussion with their peers
regarding these literary topics.
How
This lesson is structured to provide students with multiple opportunities to engage with the
content. Several of the students chosen for this group either have difficulty focusing during
whole class instruction or show reticence to participate in a large group setting. I have previously
worked with some of these students in small groups and have observed an increased readiness to
participate in discussion in a small group setting. Some students in this small group also struggle
with independent work, which is why the majority of the lesson involves guided practice and
whole group instruction. At the start of the lesson, prior knowledge will be activated by asking
students to make a distinction between characters and setting before moving into a discussion
about the components that make up setting. As students explore various texts as a group, in pairs,
and independently, higher order thinking will be invoked by having students identify the setting
of each book and justify their answers with details from the text or illustrations. Finally, students
will complete an independent activity that requires them to apply their understanding of setting.
Why
In discussing the needs of my class with my Classroom Mentor, she indicated that, regardless of
reading level, students in our class are struggling to understand that the setting of a story includes
more than just the place. As such, she suggested that I design a lesson that emphasizes that
setting also includes the time a story takes place. This topic is closely aligned with a number of
first grade English Language Arts Common Core standards involving identifying, describing and
illustrating setting. These specific Common Core standards are outlined in the Standards
section below. Additionally, this lesson fits in well with the literacy focus in our classroom. My
Classroom Mentor follows the reading workshop model, starting each reading workshop with a
mini-lesson. Recently, mini-lessons have covered skills and strategies related to using context
clues (such as illustrations) to make inferences and predictions about the plot, characters or main
idea of a book. In this lesson, we will be reviewing how to use illustrations and text to identify
elements of setting of a story.

Lesson Design Draft

Goals/Objectives
Literacy content objectives
Students will be able to distinguish between the story elements of character and setting.
Students will be able to identify and describe both the time and place of a storys setting, using
key details from the text and/or illustrations to justify their answers.
Literacy practice objective
Students will engage in discussion with their peers about literary elements, taking turns
participating in the conversation and listening to their classmates.
Kid-friendly learning objectives
We can identify the characters and setting in a book.
We can point out time and place to describe setting.

Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3
Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7
Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1
Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts
with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.A
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one
at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.B
Build on others talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others through
multiple exchanges.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.C
Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.4
Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings
clearly.

Materials and preparation

Teacher needs
Character/setting picture sort
Time/place word sort
2

Sticky tack
Chart paper (2) character/setting and where/when
Picture of detective
Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie DePaola
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
Carefully selected book from each students independent reading level (6)
Post-It notes
Exit slips (6)
Crayons
Markers
Students need
Pencils

Classroom arrangement and management issues

Classroom arrangement
This lesson will be conducted in one of the small conference rooms at Penn Alexander. The room
contains one small circular table with room for about six students. Around the perimeter of the
room, there are several armchairs where my Penn Mentor and/or observing classmate will sit
during the lesson. There is a counter behind the circular table where the behavior chart and
materials will be arranged. When we enter the room, I will ask each student to take a seat at the
table. The students will remain in these seats for the duration of the lesson. In choosing where to
conduct my lesson, this room seemed to be the obvious choice. It has many affordances,
including privacy, limited distractions, proximity to our classroom and adequate seating space,
which neither the hallway nor the classroom would have provided.
Materials
Since this lesson primarily involves whole group work and discussion, students will only need
materials for the independent activities at the end of the lesson. For both activities, I will pass out
materials to each student after explaining the directions.
Management concerns
My primary management concern for this lesson is a lack of student participation. Several of the
students chosen for this lesson were selected because they have difficulty focusing during whole
group instruction in class, so my Classroom Mentor and I thought they would benefit from a
review of this topic in a small group setting. I have worked with some of these students in small
groups before and have found that they are much more engaged in this type of setting. In this
way, the small group itself serves as a means of addressing this management concern.
Additionally, adequate time will be taken at the start of the lesson to explicitly establish the
behavioral expectations and norms of our small group work. Furthermore, to avoid distractions, I
will wait to hand out materials (when needed) until after I have given instructions.

Plan (50 minutes)

Before Lesson
Expectations and Norms (5 minutes)
a. Go over behavior expectations and norms for small groups with anchor chart.
i Small group rules anchor chart:
1. Give thoughtful feedback
2. Respect others and their thoughts
3. One person speaks at a time
4. Use indoor voices
5. Participate
6. Stay on task
b. This review of norms and expectations will involve a discussion of what each of these small
group rules means and looks like, as well as a reminder of other relevant classroom norms
(raising hands, not calling out, etc.).
Hook
Activation of prior knowledge -- Character vs. setting (5 minutes)
a. Ask students to provide definitions of character and setting. (Note: if definition of setting
is incomplete, let it go for now since this is the focus of the remainder of the lesson).
b. Ask each student to provide an example of either a character or a setting from Junie B.
Jones, which my Classroom Mentor reads aloud every day after lunch. (Note: this
activity incorporates higher order thinking because it asks students to apply their
understanding to a context in which they have not previously discussed the elements of
character and setting).
c. As a group, students will complete a picture sort, separating pictures of character from
pictures of setting. Each student will be called on to sort one picture independently, and
the remaining pictures will be sorted by students saying the answers as a group. To
contextualize this activity, the settings included in this picture sort will come from the
texts they will be examining later in the lesson.
Body
A closer look at setting (5 minutes)
a. Draw students attention to the fact that some of the setting pictures are the same place.
b. Ask students what differences they notice between two pictures of the same place, for
example:
i.
One picture shows a house in the fall, and one picture shows a house in the winter.
ii.
One picture shows a forest in the daytime, and one pictures shows a forest at
night.
c. Ask students what clues they used to determine that it was [fall, winter, daytime,
nighttime] in each picture. (Note: this activates higher order thinking by asking students
to defend their assertions with evidence from the picture).
d. Ask students if the two pictures of a house are different settings. Repeat for the two
pictures of a forest.
e. Explain to students that the setting includes both the place and time of the story (in other
words, the where and the when). We need to visualize the setting of a story in our head to
understand the story more completely.

Setting word sort (5 minutes)

a. Students will take turns placing word cards under the headings when and where on the
sorting chart.
i.
Each word card will have a word that describes either a time or place and comes
from one of the independent reading level texts being used later in this lesson.
ii.
Each word card word will be accompanied by a picture of the time or place to
help ensure that all students understand what time or place is being represented on
each card.
b. After each card is placed, I will ask other students if they agree or disagree and why.
c. Once all words are sorted, we will discuss any patterns students notice about where
words are placed on the chart.
Exploring setting in various texts (15 minutes)
a. Tell students that we will be acting as detectives today. Ask them if they know what a
detective is, show them a picture of a detective and discuss what a detective does. Have
students put on their imaginary detective hats and pull out their imaginary magnifying
glasses so that we can look for details in the in the books that give us clues about the
setting.
b. Note: this activity involves higher order thinking because students are being asked to
justify their claims with specific evidence from the illustrations.
c. Mentor text: Pancakes for Breakfast (wordless book)
i.
Tell students that one way we can figure out the setting of a book is by looking at
the illustrations.
ii.
Show students the first page of Pancakes for Breakfast.
iii.
Have students turn and talk about the setting of the book. Remind them that
setting includes both when and where.
iv. Bring students back together and ask individuals/pairs to share out about specific
details in the illustrations that helped them figure out the setting. Make sure
students identify both the when and the where.
d. Mentor text: The Polar Express
i.
Tell students that another way they can figure out the setting of a book is by
looking for details in the text. Sometimes the author tells us exactly what the
setting is; other times, they only give us clues, but we can use the clues to figure
out the setting.
ii.
Read an excerpt (one page) from The Polar Express. (Text only, not showing the
illustration).
iii.
Have students turn and talk about the setting of the book. Remind them that
setting includes both when and where.
iv. Bring students back together and ask individuals/pairs to share out about specific
details from the text that helped them figure out the setting. Make sure students
identify both the when and the where.
e. Mentor text: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
i.
Tell students that good readers use the text and the illustrations to figure out the
setting of a book.
ii.
Read an excerpt (one page) from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
iii.
Have students turn and talk about the setting of the book. Remind them that
setting includes both when and where. Remind students that they can look for
clues in the text and the illustrations.

iv.

Bring students back together and ask individuals/pairs to share out about specific
details from the text that helped them figure out the setting. Make sure students
identify both the when and the where. Make sure details are provided from both
the text and the illustrations.

Independent activity (10 minutes)

a. Students will apply what they have learned thus far to identify setting in a (carefully
selected) book at their independent reading level.
i. Explain to students that thinking about the setting is not just something we do when
a teacher asks us to. Good readers look for clues about setting while they are
reading so that they can picture the story in their head like a movie.
ii. Tell students that now we are going to look for clues about setting in the books they
read independently. Explain to students that I will be giving them two Post-It notes.
One will say When and one will say Where. They will look for clues in the text
and illustrations of their book, write the when and where on the appropriate Post-It
notes, and place the Post-It over top of one of the clues that helped them figure out
the when and/or where.
iii. Give each student a book at his or her independent reading level.
1. These books have been carefully selected to ensure that the when and where
are easily identifiable and remain constant throughout the book.
2. All times and places from students independent texts will be included in the
setting word sort. The setting word sort chart will remain displayed for the
lesson, creating a word bank for students to use as they complete this
independent activity.
iv. Give each student two Post-It notes. One will be labeled When and one will be
labeled Where.
v. Give each student a pencil.
b. Students will complete the activity as instructed.
i. While students are working, I will move throughout the room, talking to and
assisting students as needed. My discussions with students during this independent
activity will serve as a formative assessment for determining students
understanding of setting with regard to both where and when.
Closure
Exit slip (5 minutes)
a. As a closing activity (and form of assessment) students will identify the when and where
of a setting using a series of clues.
i. Ask students if anyone remembers the Who am I? riddles about pumpkins and
turkeys that we have solved in class. (Most, if not all, students should remember
this).
ii. Tell students that we will be doing something similar with setting.
iii. Show students the worksheet (attached at the end of this lesson plan) but wait to
hand out worksheet until after directions have been given.
iv. Explain to students that they will be using the clues to figure out the setting
described.
v. Hand out worksheet, pencils and crayons.

vi. Instruct students to listen closely as I read aloud the clues, following along and
circling words that give them a hint about the setting.
vii. Students will write the when and where in the provided boxes.
viii. If time permits, students who finish early may draw a picture of the setting
described.
ix. When all students are finished, I will collect the exit slips, and we will return to the
classroom.

Assessment of the goals/objectives listed above

The primary assessment of this lesson will be the independent activity where students identify
the setting in a book at their reading level. I will be looking to see that students have correctly
identified both a when and a where for their setting and matched the identified setting with
appropriate clues in the text. This activity provides students with an opportunity to apply and
demonstrate their understanding of setting and will allow me to determine each students
progress in achieving the stated learning objectives. Our group discussions during the other
components of the lesson will also provide substantial insight into each students ability to
identify, interpret and describe setting. Finally, the exit slip serves as another way for me to
evaluate how well students are able to infer setting from text clues.

Anticipating students responses and your possible responses

Management issues
Scenario 1: Students are disengaged and not paying attention during the lesson.
Response: Remind students of the behavioral expectations and norms. Direct questions at
specific students to keep their attention rather than only calling on students that raise their hands.
Scenario 2: Students are not doing what they are supposed to be doing during independent work
time.
Response: Ask questions to guide student work (ex. [When, where] do you think this story is
taking place? How can you tell it is [winter, daytime, in the forest, etc.]?)
Response to content of the lesson
Scenario 1: Students are having difficulty getting started on the independent assignment.
Response: Use guiding questions to help students make meaning from clues in the text or
illustrations (ex. What color is the sky? What do you think it means if the sky is that color?).
Scenario 2: Students incorrectly identify the when and/or where.
Response: Ask students what clues they used to figure out the setting. Determine how they
misinterpreted the text and/or illustration and redirect with specific questions. Point out key
details that give an indication about the setting and ask students to make inferences about the
setting based on these clues.

Accommodations
Accommodations for students who may find the material too challenging
7

For students who find the concept of setting too challenging, this lesson is structured in a way to
provide various examples and points of entry. Students will have the opportunity to identify
setting within a variety of contexts and practice with texts at their independent reading levels.
This set of activities should provide the necessary level of scaffolding to support students at any
level of beginning understanding. If students are struggling to complete the independent activity,
I will meet with them one-on-one to assist them.
Accommodations for students who may need a greater challenge and/or finish early
Students who grasp the concept of setting easily will be provided with many opportunities
throughout the lesson to deepen their understanding by articulating their thinking to the rest of
the group. The independent activity is differentiated for students at various levels by providing
each student with a text at his or her independent reading level. As such, students who need a
greater challenge than they will receive during the whole group portion of the lesson should be
challenged appropriately during the independent activity. If students finish the exit slip early,
they will be encouraged to illustrate the setting described.

Whats the setting?

Name __________________________________________________________________
Use the clues to figure out when and where this
story takes place.

When
Sarah is in her bed.
Her mom is reading
her a bedtime
story.
Sarah sees snow
outside the window.
She thinks there
will be a snow day
tomorrow.

Where

Draw a picture

10