Cameron Calland-Jones

Expanded Ticket in the Door #2

Course: TAG Identification and Assessment of the Gifted Learner

On March 2, 2017, I implemented my Metaphorical Expression lesson plan with my 2 nd

grade Reading/ELA class. The focus was dictionary and glossary skills, which are new
concepts for my students. The original lesson plan was written to cover three days, but it
took us five days to complete the entire lesson. I had several students out sick, so I had to
rearrange my groups to accommodate the numbers and assigned jobs, along with reviewing to
catch everyone up. I also had to adjust modes of learning because one-to-one technology was
not available at the last minute.
Review: In my ELA class I had 18 students that day. Two are currently serviced in the
TAG program, 1 girl and 1 boy. There were 9 girls and 9 boys who participated. Of the 18
students, 1 girl has an IEP in Reading/ELA for visual processing difficulties, and 4 boys and 1
girl have a 504 plan for attention issues. I originally planned to document the lesson using the
SEESAW App on a class set of iPads, but the iPads became unavailable due to updates being
made in preparation for a school-wide device rollout.
My students were already familiar with alphabetical order and how words and
definitions are found in a dictionary. Unfortunately, not many of my students use the
dictionary during the writing process. I asked students why that was the case. The answer I
received was because they believe that spelling matters only on a spelling test. The next
hurdle was getting the students to continue thinking and making connections when dealing
with metaphors. Thinking metaphorically was a challenge for my second graders, but if they
could explain the connection between their answer and what they were comparing, we seemed
to make progress. I admit that I am still a little uncomfortable with the metaphorical
expression strategy. I think older students might have a better understanding.
For the most part, I followed the lesson plan, but made a few adjustments in
organization and wording. I did make a correction to the main essential question to keep it
open-ended so it could transfer across disciplines. Thank you for the clarification. Im still
working on it! The lesson started off a little rocky because we were doing something
completely new and they had trouble understanding what I was asking. After getting past the
riddles, the first two days of lesson went well and the students stayed engaged. On the third
day, I modeled and explained how to think about metaphors. Students struggled with the
direct analogy and were more at ease with the personal analogy, which was expected. Some
groups were more successful in completing the compressed conflict. It was key to place a
strong, verbal student in each group to help guide the assignment. Students were more
comfortable and successful when working in small groups.
Reflect: When I posed the new essential question, students were quick to offer a
variety of answers. They were also able to get to the point where they realized that answers
depend on the questions. I was pleased and I thought we were moving in the right direction
with this lesson. I believe the broadness of the essential question allowed students to think
deeper, beyond a dictionary skills lesson. I had to provide more guidance during the warm-up
because my students had difficulty with the words personality and gloomy. My students
were also stumped on all the hook riddles, so I ended up giving the answers quickly. I thought
the lesson was taking a downward spiral until a few of students made the connection to brain
teasers. This led perfectly into my introduction to Metaphorical Expression!
I told my students that we were going to practice a new way of thinking that would
stretch their brains. A student who keeps Silly Putty in his desk, for tactile reasons, was
excited to show the class that his ball was like our brain and how it was going to stretch. I
should just let the kids teach the lesson. My students were excited to see what we were
going to do that was new. My students were slow to respond to questions involving
metaphorical comparisons. I had to explain, provide guidance, and help students towards
possible connections. Again, I think that developmentally, this strategy is a reach for many of
my students. I also know they enjoyed the idea that their answers could be different and
still be correct. At the end of the five days, I asked my class what they thought about
stretching their thinking like the Silly Putty and working with creating metaphorical
expressions. One student responded by saying her brain hurt from having to think so hard.
Another student said that it was easier to explain the connections than it was to come up
with connections on their own. I thought that was a great observation that would lead me to
provide practice with metaphors earlier in the year.
Refine: I see how this strategy could be used effectively across all content areas. I
would like to see how teachers successfully use metaphorical expressions with younger
students. I continue to struggle and not feel confident that I was modeling correctly and
leading students to a better understanding. When I do this lesson next year, I plan on using
the SeeSaw App so we can document (for reflection later) and share the students thinking
with parents. I will probably keep the lesson duration to four-five days. There were so many
different pieces from the riddles, group and independent work, dictionary exercises, and the
three types of analogies. Students had many pieces to complete and needed time to process
and understand their thoughts and the thinking of their group mates.
I would like to try this strategy in another content area with a skill that students are
more familiar with. When I do this lesson again, I will be sure to allow more time for students
to struggle through the warm-up where they were presented with three analogies. I might
have been a little too quick to come to their rescue with suggestions or answers. I could see
presenting a metaphorical expression to the class as morning work or tied to different
content areas like math, science and social studies after instruction has taken place. The
biggest challenges my students had centered around understanding vocabulary and concepts
that were abstract to a second grader. I think I could help improve the success with
metaphorical expressions by providing more opportunities for students to stretch their
thinking through this strategy.
Cameron Calland-Jones

TAG Strategy in this lesson: Metaphorical Expression (All changes are listed in Red)

UNIT NAME: Dictionary & Glossary Skills

LESSON NAME: Look It Up!

Time Needed (Hours/Days): 3 days (45 min. each day) Changed to 5 days total

Grade: 2nd

Subject: Language Arts

Course: TAG Curriculum and Strategies for the Gifted

STANDARDS/ELEMENTS: CCGPS, GPS/GSE (where applicable) and TAG Standards

ELAGSE2L1e: Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and
correct spelling.
ELAGSE2L4e: Use glossaries and beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify
the meaning of words and phrases.

Creative Thinking & Creative Problem Solving Skills

7. The student uses analogies, metaphors, and/or models to explain complex concepts.

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING:
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to use guide words in a dictionary to find words, their
spelling, definitions, part of speech, syllable count, and plural spelling form. In this lesson, students
will use metaphorical expressions to make connections and comparisons between topics that are not
truly similar in order to improve comprehension and find or make meaning through creative
comparisons.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION(s)
Main EQ: When we want to know the answers to our questions, what do we do?
If Im stuck, how can words help me find what Im looking for?
What can a dictionary be used for?
How does knowing alphabetical order help me learn more about a word?
What are the purpose of guide words in a dictionary?

TEACHER LESSON PREPARATION What needs to be done prior to the lesson?

Students should have access to personal alphabet strips or a classroom poster to all letters in
order.
 Students should engage in alphabetizing activities to sharpen this much-needed skill. Special
attention needs to be made towards words that have the same 2 nd or 3rd letters and how to
determine which word would come first.
Teacher should create an anchor chart for dictionary skills that highlight guide words and how
they are used to locate words in the dictionary. (Previously taught)
Materials needed: chart paper, notebook paper, markers (regular and dry-erase), pencils, index
cards & iPads with the SEESAW app installed
Flexible- heterogeneous student groups of 4 will be assigned the roles of: photographer,
recorder, writer & artist to document student work over the duration of the lesson using the
SEESAW app. Teacher will stop to allow time for students to capture their learning via
photographs, illustrations, annotations, voice recordings, as well as prompt reminders. The
hashtag symbol (#) will be used throughout this lesson plan to denote time
set aside to have student document the learning. Make sure devices are
available to document the lessons over the span of the week!
Vocabulary to pre-teach
alphabetical order (ABC Order)
guide words
bold print
syllables
parts of speech
definition (word meaning)
thesaurus

ACTIVATING STRATEGY
Warm-up:
Students will visit 3 different tables in the room as a part of a Carousel activity. At each table, a
question will be posted on chart paper. Student will read the questions and record their responses in
marker. Students will rotate through three stations to respond to the following questions:

1. If you were an ice cream sundae, what topping would best match your
personality? Why?
2. What are some things that are BOTH joyful and gloomy?
3. How is a 2nd grader like summer time?
Do not provide suggestions, allow students extended time come up with responses.
After students have rotated through all 3 stations and recorded their responses, the teacher will
bring all students together to discuss the ideas recorded. (#-photos only, annotations added
later)
The teacher will point that in this activity, students were asked to answer questions that
contained metaphors. A metaphor is a word or phrase that compares one thing to another.
Sometimes the comparisons are easy to understand and other times they are not.
Hook:
Students will view the white board to read the following 3 riddles. Students will be given time with
their table mates to read, discuss and answer the riddles on their desks using dry erase markers. (#)
When does Friday come before Thursday? Answer: in the dictionary
What starts with aardvark and ends with zyzzyva? Answer: the dictionary
 Which word in the dictionary is spelled incorrectly? Answer:
incorrectly
The teacher will go over the answers to the riddles to see if the students can make the
connection: ALL 3 riddles must do with a DICTIONARY
Show examples of classroom dictionaries, including picture dictionaries, Childrens First
Dictionary, my Merriam-Webster pocket dictionary, and on-line dictionary for kids
http://learnersdictionary.com/

The teacher will say, In this lesson we are going to learn MORE about dictionary skills using a
strategy called Metaphorical Expression. That is just a fancy way to say we will explore learning about
dictionary skills in an unusual way! This will be a new way of thinking that will stretch your brain.
**Use Silly Putty as a visual to show the stretch !The purpose of this lesson is to help us better
understand dictionary skills, what they are for, and how to use them.

Instructional Sequence and Activities including use of technology

Day 1 and 2 of lesson: Examine the content
1. TTW ask students Why do people use dictionaries? When we want to know the answers
to our questions, what do we do?
(Dictionary Skills content focus)
2. TSW think-pair-share their responses.
3. TTW record answers on anchor chart for dictionary skills.
4. TTW pull up BrainPOPs Dictionary and Thesaurus POP Quiz to quickly asses students prior
knowledge. (whole group)
5. After informal observation of shared answers, TTW use this information to form guiding
questions to ask during the BrainPOP movie. TTW pause and discuss when needed. TTW will
only show 2 min. 41 sec. of the movie to skip detailed information on the thesaurus.
6. (Dictionary Challenge) Student groups will each be given ONE index card. TSW record 2
content-based words from the word wall (in the front of the classroom), onto the top of a desk
using a dry erase marker. (Examples- addition, noun, setting, community, energy). TSW will also
have 2 dictionaries per group. (#)
7. TTW explain that each group will need to look up the 2 words in the dictionary and record the
guide words and page number ONLY of each word on the index card. The word is a secret and
will need to be discovered by another group using the page numbers and guide words as clues.
8. Student groups will switch index cards and begin searching for the content word to add to the
index card, once the group has agreed on the correct answer using the clues provided.
9. TSW share their findings and check back with the original group to verify correct words. (#)

Day 3: Model How to Think Metaphorically

1. TTW review from the previous day, How is a 2nd grader like summer time? TSW share &
discuss responses and add new connections they may have. Be sure to refer to the chart. Leave
it in a highly visible spot for students to refer to over the course of the lesson.
2. TTW remind students that this is a metaphor and they are taking two different ideas
(students & the season summer) and thinking about how they can be connected or separated
and why.
 3. In groups, TSW view the Dictionary Skills Prezi and document answers to questions in one
SEESAW slide per group. ALL group members will be tagged in photo for the teacher to access
in real time. (#)
4. TSW be placed into A/B Partner groups and asked to respond to the following Direct Analogy:
How are dictionaries like video games?
5. TSW record their thoughts and ideas of how dictionaries are like video games and how they
are different on the graphic organizer with their A/B partner.
6. Next, TSW be given the graphic organizer titled Personal Analogy to work on independently.
The question reads: Pretend you are a word that is found in the dictionary and answer the
following questions:
a. What do you look like?
b. Where can we find you?
c. How do you feel when students misspell you?
d. Why do you get used in writing?
Students will be answering the questions as if they were their chosen word. For
differentiation, students can work in groups of 3, if needed, for support and
comprehension of questions.

7. The final analogy will be the Compressed Conflict. TSW list 5 important words to describe
dictionaries and also list 5 opposites or antonyms for the same important words. Responses will
be recorded on the graphic organizer for Compressed Conflict.
Differentiation: TSW work in their original groups of 4 for peer support of understanding
the material and concept.

Day 4 and 5: Synthesis & Summary

Assessment Strategies
Assessment is this: aligned to the essential question(s), includes either informal or formal assessment of
student learning,
and any assessment tools or questions used are included

Students will generate another direct analogy by completing the following sentence:
A dictionary is like a __ because __. Students will be asked to give at least 3 reasons, with supporting detail,
explaining why a dictionary is like the object they listed. Students will pick ONE classmate to share and explain
their analogy to on notebook paper. TTW share a slide show of what was captured over the 3- day lesson with
the whole class for discussion, glow and grow, with reflection.

Ticket-Out the Door:

Students will be asked to answer the essential question from the first day of the lesson:
When we want to know the answers to our questions, what do we do?
Answers must contain at least 5 sentences and illustration/photograph of the students choosing. Student can
use the SEESAW app journal pages to review the 3-day lesson and utilize a voice RECORDING to be shared with
parents, with the opportunity for teacher & parent feedback. (#)

Differentiation
Lesson is clearly differentiated for gifted learners by use of one or more of the following:
Acceleration- Students can research the thesaurus (upper grade skill) and create their own analogies involving
the thesaurus
Extensions- Students can design a new dictionary challenge (Day 1) using definitions. instead of guide words, as
clues.
Enrichment- Students ca work individually, with partners or a small group to create a product (video, song,
artifact) that could be used to teach others about dictionary skills and why its important that students learn
how to use a dictionary.

Materials/Links/Text References/Resources

How to Use the Dictionary Kids Video (for remediation- basic)

https://youtu.be/r_NyZq-qDh4

Guide Words and Dictionary Skills Prezi

https://prezi.com/pq_nqptvbbqk/dictionary-skills-guide-words/

BrainPop Dictionary and Thesaurus Movie and POP Quiz

https://www.brainpop.com/english/studyandreadingskills/dictionaryandthesaurus/

Teacher resource on Dictionary skills using Arthur Books by Marc Brown

https://books.google.com/books?id=DUYtnbVJ6YoC&lpg=PT63&ots=sas6Dz-vNs&dq=Arthur%20and
%20dictionary%20skills&pg=PT63#v=onepage&q&f=false

Graphic Organizers (BEGIN ON THE NEXT PAGE)

Direct Analogy
How are dictionaries like video
games?

How are they NOT alike?

Personal Analogy
Pretend you are a word that is found in the dictionary and answer
the following questions:

What do you Where can we

look like? find you?

How do you feel Why do you get

when students used in writing?
misspell you?

Write a paragraph, poem or song telling us about your life as a

word in the dictionary.

Compressed Conflict
 List 5 important List antonyms
words to describe (opposites) for
dictionaries. each word to the
left.
1.
1.

2. 2.

3.
3.
4.

4.
5.

5.

Review your list above and the antonyms (opposites). Do any of the pairs of
words seem to fight each other, but still describe dictionaries? Create 2
Compressed Conflict phrases. Write them below.

1.

2.