TCNJ Lesson Plan

Reading: Using Background Knowledge to Better Understand a Book

Student Name: Jessica Burch School Name: Clara Barton School

Grade Level: 1st Host Teacher’s Name: Mrs. Silva

Guiding and/or Essential Questions:

1. Why are we learning about using our background knowledge when reading?
2. How does adding background knowledge to your book make you understand it better?

Pre-lesson Assignments and/or Student Prior Knowledge (ex. background knowledge,

possible misconceptions, prior lesson content)
Students most likely have background knowledge on what background knowledge is and what a
text to self connection is. Despite this, to counter any misconceptions, I will address what
background knowledge is, along with what a text to self connection is and that we will be doing
this today as a class.

Standards:
RL.1.1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
RL.1.4. Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the
senses.
RL.1.7. Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
RL.1.9. Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.

Learning Objectives and Assessments:

Learning Objectives Assessment

Students will be able to create text to self
connections by relating to the feelings of
the character
Students will be able to use their own
background knowledge and feelings to
connect to the story/character in the book
they are reading
Students will be assessed by full class discussion of
what Dayeon is feeling in the class-read story.
Students will be assessed by their post-it notes that
they make when they relate to a characters’ feelings
or experiences in the book they are reading.

Materials/Resources: (List materials, include any online or book references and resources)
● Slides
● The Ocean Calls book to read aloud
 Plan for set-up/distribution/cleanup of materials:

● Students will not need any materials until the instruction part of the lesson is over.
I will call students by rows to get their bag of books and start reading

Step by Step plan (numbered):

1. Lesson beginning/Instruction: I will first introduce the lesson by asking students what
they think background knowledge is and I will take a few hands to share their thoughts.
2. I will then state that, “we are learning about adding our own background knowledge and
feelings and thoughts into reading so we can become better readers and better understand
the books we are reading”
3. I will then go into the connection of the lesson. The purpose of this part of the lesson is to
create a connection between what the lesson is about and what we already know, in this
case, the book The Ocean Calls, that we have been continuing to read as a class.
4. I will recall what we have learned in the book The Ocean Calls and about Dayeon and her
journey with her grandmother. I will also recall that we have been using our imagination
skills to imagine what is going on in the story to better understand what the story is about
5. I will then introduce the new concept for today; bringing background knowledge into our
reading. I will say that readers do not only use what is inside the books, but also what
they already know about what the story is about to make text to world and text to self
connections. I will explain that these connections make us better understand our books.
6. Next, I will then state the teaching point of this lesson which is to provide background
knowledge to what we are reading to have a better understanding and grasp of what we
are reading.
7. Reading: I will then go into the part of the lesson where I read a few pages from the story
pre-selected and ask prompting questions about background knowledge and adding our
own feelings to the characters’ experiences.
8. I will ask, “Can you imagine this?” “Have you felt afraid like this before?” “Was there a
time when you felt scared and were brave like her?”
9. I will then allow a few moments for students to share some feelings and experiences
10. I will then read the rest of the pre-selected pages to the class and ask, “Why do you think
that happened? What do you think she was feeling?”
11. I will allow some students to share their thoughts
12. I will then state what we just did as readers, using background knowledge and our
feelings to connect and better understand the story.
13. I will then jump to the end of the story and finally ask, “Can you imagine this?” Have
you ever felt confident and proud of yourself like she is feeling?”
14. I will allow some moments to share
15. I will then introduce the anchor chart we have been adding to each time we do reading,
emphasizing that we are now on the skill of adding a bit of what we know to our reading.
 16. I will then state what their job as a reader is today and what to focus on.
17. Independent Reading Time: I will give instructions on what they are to do during
independent reading time, which is to jot down on a post-it when you feel like you are
related to the character in the story.
18. I will then dismiss students by rows to go into independent reading time
19. When the timer is up, I will give a mid-workshop teaching reminder that if they do not
understand their books and therefore cannot create connections, they should reread to
clarify any misconceptions.
20. Buddy Reading: I will then dismiss students into buddy reading groups around the
classroom.
21. Share: When the timer is up, I will ask students to go back to the rug for share time. I will
ask students who would like to share a connection they felt with the characters' feelings
in their book. I will allow for a few students to share their experiences, depending on
time, I will call on more students.
22. Closure: As a closure, I will ask students to tell the class what we learned in reading. I
will then restate what we learned in reading and why. “Today, we learned about using our
background knowledge and our own feelings to create text to self connections to better
understand our books as we read!”

Key Questions (that you will ask):

1. What is background knowledge?
2. How can we use background knowledge while reading a book to better understand it?
3. What type of background knowledge can you apply to your books while reading?

Key Vocabulary (with child friendly definitions)

● Background knowledge – knowledge that you have prior to reading a book/text

Logistics:
Timing: Given around 45 minutes (10:00-10:45 am)
● Introduction - 5 min.
● Reading - 15 min.
● Independent Reading - 10 min.
● Buddy Reading - 10 min.
● Share - 5 min.
● Conclusion - 3 min.
.
Transitions:

I will transition between instruction and reading part of the lesson by waiting for respectful
listening and calling students row by row to go from the rug to then get their reading materials to
then go to their seats to start reading.
I will transition between reading part of the lesson to the closure by indicating that the timer is
done by gaining the students’ attention. I will do this by clapping or providing a call and
response for students to respond to. When I have students’ attention, I will then ask the question:
what did we learn today in reading?

Classroom Management:

If students become too rowdy during the video or during the instruction, I will pause what we are
doing in the lesson and explain that we cannot do a fun activity if there is talking during the
video and/or the lesson. If there are particular students being disruptive (talking when they are
not supposed to), I will ask them to go back to their seats. If students are not very focused at their
desk, other teachers in the classroom, along with myself, will help guide the student's attention
and focus on what they are doing by helping them with some brainstorming ideas if they are
stuck while reading. I will make sure to tell students that this is a quiet, low voice activity and
there should be little to no loud noises. If needed, I will also conduct a mystery student
component during the lesson as classroom management, where I will then reveal who that
student is at the end of the lesson and if they did well to earn a blue note.

Differentiation Notes:

Content (what the teacher plans to teach/what the students need to learn): Students who are
struggling with what the content of adding background knowledge and personal connections to a
story may go to the back table with Miss Maura or Mrs. Silva to be explicitly shown what is
being taught in the whole class lesson.

Process (how the students will access the information/activities students use to learn the
content): Students who have a hard time accessing the information to complete the activities for
this reading lesson of adding background knowledge and personal connections to a story, can
work one on one with any adult in the room if they need extra help.

Product (the method students use to demonstrate learning): Students who are struggling with
the method used to demonstrate their ability to add background knowledge and personal
connections to a story can be expected to fill out less (at least 1) post-it notes when independent
and buddy reading.