TCNJ Lesson Plan

Story Lab: Bear Says Thanks by Jane Chapman

Student Name’s: ​Emma Lamperti

School Name: Lawrenceville Elementary School
Grade Level: ​ Pre-K
Host Teacher’s Name:​ Katie Bergan

Guiding and/or Essential Questions

- How does ______ feel?
- What does ___________ mean?
- How can we connect the story to ourselves and the world around us?
- Who are the characters in the story?
- What is the setting?
- What is the problem and solution?
Student Prior Knowledge
- Students are familiar with the function and structure of story labs as well as terms such as
author, illustrator, setting, characters, problem and solution.

Standards
- Language Arts and Literacy:
- 3.1: Children listen and respond to environmental sounds, directions, and
conversations.
- 3.2: Children converse effectively with different audiences in their home
language, English, or sign language for a variety of purposes related to their
experiences.
- 3.3.B.4: Answer simple recall and comprehension questions about a book being
read
- 3.3.B.6: Show an understanding of story structure (e.g., comment on characters,
predict what will happen next, ask appropriate questions, act out familiar stories).
- Social Emotional:
- Standard 0.1: Children demonstrate self-confidence
- Standard 0.2: Children demonstrate self-direction.
- Standard 0.4: Children exhibit positive interactions with other children and
adults.
- Standard 0.5: Children exhibit pro-social behaviors.
Learning Objectives and Assessments:

Learning Objectives Assessment

Students will discuss the story, make connections
and answer the questions asked by the teacher
with their partner (when instructed to turn and
talk), individually by raising their hands and
chorally (when prompted).
Students will have a productive conversation
with their peer when instructed to turn and talk.
Teacher will listen to student conversations and
monitor discussions as well as listening to
student’s answers. Teacher will be listening for
students ability to answer questions such as,
“how is ______ feeling?” and “have you ever
felt the same was llama is feeling?” etc.
Teacher will monitor student discussions to
make sure the students are speaking to their
partner, giving their partner time to answer and
making eye contact with their partner.

Materials/Resources:
- Bear Says Thanks
- Mediator Cards (connections and character empathy)
- Bell

Step by Step plan:

1. Lesson Beginning: ​Teacher will call students onto the carpet and perform an attention
focusing song or fingerplay with the students. Then, the teacher will pair students up for
the turn and talk portions of the story lab. Teacher will then introduce ​Bear Says Thanks,
including who the author and illustrator are, connections that can be made, emotion
words that the students can use to describe the characters as well as vocabulary words
they will encounter.
2. Read-Aloud: Teacher will then read aloud ​Bear Says Thanks, ​asking students questions
about the text (below) and encouraging conversation among the students. Teacher will
help to redirect students conversation if necessary and help any students who are
struggling to talk with their partner.
3. Closure:​ Teacher will review the story with the students again, going over the title,
character, problem and solution. Then, the teacher will call students to individually assess
their comprehension of the story using the Bear Says Thanks Story Assessment Sheet.
While the teacher assesses the students individually other students may play with floor
toys or puzzles on the carpet.

Key Questions:
 - What is the title of the story?
- What connections can we make between Bear’s feast and our lives?
- How is Bear feeling?
- Why is he feeling like that?
- What is the problem and solution?
- What would you bring to the feast?
Logistics:
Timing:
- Lesson beginning: 5 minutes
- Read-Aloud: 15-20 minutes
- Closure: 5 minutes per student (over the course of several days)
Transitions:
- Students will be called onto the carpet by teacher and do a song/finger play
- After story lab students will have a movement break and play on the carpet until
they are called to be assessed
- At 12:00 students will be called to wash hands and line up for lunch
Classroom Management:
- “1, 2, 3 eyes on me, 1,2 eyes on you” or “macaroni and cheese, everybody freeze”
will be used if students begin to lose focus
- Bell will be used if students get too loud, or have trouble coming back together
after a turn and talk
- If a student is having a hard time focusing or regulating their body they will be
asked to sit in the cube chair

Differentiation Notes
- EW, DS and JS will sit in the front row and be paired with an adult and a peer to speak
during a turn and talk
- EW will have help from his one on one assistant if needed
- Students with processing issues may be asked questions one on one in order for them to
be able to hear the question and answer it