Shared Reading – 5-Day Lesson Plan
Lesson Focus:What is the focus of the lesson?
The focus of the lesson will be on reading informational text presented in a variety of forms. This includes written paragraph, diagram information, and point form facts and/or data. The lesson will be based on the science strand “Space” that is covered in the grade 6 curriculum.
How will I teach it?
1. Lessons will be covered during the Language portion of the 80 minute Literacy Block in the morning.
2. Students will be required to complete a KWL Chart exercise, participate in various shared reading exercise that explores information about our “Sun”.
Rationale:
Why am I teaching this lesson?
The students need more experience in reading and writing informational texts. They need to learn to use all the information presented to them, in order to construct meaning and to use specific scientific vocabulary to express their learning and move towards a level of higher order thinking.
Students have shown evidence that they do not read science material with a high level of understanding, and they seem unsure about how to quickly access topics in books and articles. "The Sun", from the book “the Big Book of Knowledge, by Starry Dog Books Ltd., has been selected to scaffold the students' learning in language and science.
Assessment:
How will I know when my students are successful?
1. Questions and Answers (Oral)
In the question-and-answer strategy, the teacher will pose a question and the students will answer verbally, rather than in writing. This strategy will help the teacher to determine whether student’s understand what is being, or has been, presented, and helps students to extend their thinking, generate ideas, or solve problems.
2. Observation
Observation is a process of systematically viewing students and recording their behaviour while they work, for the purpose of making programming and instruction decisions. Observation will take place at any time during the lessons. It provides information on students' strengths and weaknesses, learning styles, interests, and attitudes.
3. Learning Logs
A learning log is an ongoing, visible record kept by a student to record what he or she is doing or thinking while working on a particular task or assignment. It will be used to assess student progress and growth over time.
4. Performance Task
During a performance task, students will create, produce, perform, or present work on "real world" environmental issue concerning the sun. The performance task will be used to assess skill or proficiency, and provide useful information on student process as well as the product.
Assessment (Con”t)
What are the assessment tools for Tracking Student?
Checklist
A checklist is a focused tool listing performance criteria, which will be used to chart student progress over time. It can list actions, descriptions, skills, concepts, processes, and/or attitudes that a teacher checks off as he or she observes them. It can be also used to assess written work or other products such as oral presentations, art and media works, and models.
Rubric
A rubric is a scoring scale that consists of a set of achievement criteria and descriptions of levels of achievement for a particular task. It provides an effective and consistent means of assessing the level of student performance in a performance task.
Prior Knowledge:
What prior knowledge do my students need in order to be successful with this lesson's focus?
Prior to this lesson, students will need to:
1. Students should have some knowledge of the differences between Fictional and Informational text.
2. Students should be able to identify different informational text features such as Print, Illustration, Organizational, and, Graphic features.
Curriculum Expectations: Which expectations will I address?
Specific reading expectations
Students will:
1. Identify different forms of writing and describe their characteristics (Grade 6)
Overall science expectation (Grade 6)
Students will:
1. investigate characteristics of the systems of which the earth is a part and the relationship
between the earth, the sun, and the moon
2. demonstrate an understanding of components of the systems of which the earth is a part,
and explain the phenomena that result from the movement of different bodies in space.
3. use appropriate vocabulary, including correct science and technology terminology, in
describing their investigations, explorations, and observations.
Materials/Preparation for Teaching:
What do I need to know, have, and be able to do before I can begin the lesson?
1. Text: The Big Book of Knowledge” by Starry Dog Books Ltd. Copyright Parragon Books Ltd., 1999.
2. Other informational text on the Sun.
· Text Why, Why, Why?
· Yes Magazine
· Student Text
2. Prepare teaching strategies to accommodate learning.
3. Have materials such as Anchor Chart, chart paper, markers, computer, internet access, overhead projector, copies of text/articles for each student.
Differentiated Instruction:
How can I ensure that I am meeting the needs of all my students?
Text/articles will be provided for analysis based on the level of difficulty rating determined by the teacher.
Instruction:
Day 1:
• Before Reading: (40-50 minutes)
1. As an introduction to the lesson, brainstorming will be used as an appropriate before-reading strategy. The teacher will allow students, in pairs, to brainstorm their prior knowledge on fiction and informational text. The students will record their knowledge on sticky notes and add them to the KWL Chart. The whole group will discuss the KWL Chart to establish common understandings and specific language used in an informational text vs. fictional text. (10 Minutes)
2. As a second introductory exercise, brainstorming will be used as a before-reading strategy to access student understanding of the “Sun”. The teacher will allow students, in pairs, to brainstorm their prior knowledge on this informational text. The students will record their knowledge on sticky notes and add them to the KWL Chart. The whole group will discuss the KWL Chart to establish common understandings and specific language used in informational text concerning the topic of the “Sun”. (10-15 minutes)
Focus Point for reading strategies:
· Prediction about what text is about (Looking for picture clues, keywords, facts, data, and dates.)
· Making connections with the text to yourself and the world
1. What do you know bout the text?
2. Why do you think this text would be important?
3. Create an anchor chart on vocabulary by finding familiar words. With Unfamiliar words use phonic skills and reading around sentences to find meaning.
• During Reading: Creating strategies for reading with meaning (10 minutes)
3. Teacher will read part of the informational text “The Sun”. This could include a paragraph, specific facts or data, a chart, or illustration. Engage students with questions concerning the content of the material read.
4. Teacher could also continue to build vocabulary and add to anchor chart.
• After Reading: (10-15 minutes)
5. Students will read text individually as a large group. Each student will be invited to read a line or two of the text.
6. In peer practice, students will help each other to review, drill, and rehearse in pairs or in small groups of three or four, in order to consolidate their understanding or enhance skill development through communication.
7. Teacher will assess student progress using assessment technique and tool.
Instructions
Day 2:
• Before Reading: (5 minutes)
1. Review the introductory exercises from last day. “What do you remember from the informational text “The Sun”.
2. Review the anchor chart on vocabulary. With Unfamiliar words use phonic skills and reading around sentences to find meaning.
3. Share as a large group what they learned from their small peer group activity from last day.
• During Reading: (15 minutes)
4. Teacher will re-read the informational text “The Sun”. This could include a paragraph, specific facts or data, a chart, or illustration.
5. Teacher could also continue to build vocabulary and add to anchor chart.
6. Students will read text individually as a large group. Each student will be invited to read a paragraph for increasing fluency.
7. Students will read text to a partner.
• After Reading: (30 minute)
8. Anchor Chart activity that will discuss “What did we learn about the Sun”.
9. Lesson: Short worksheet note summarizing the key points about the sun. The note will include specific facts and data about the Sun.
10. Engage students with a high level of thinking question concerning the content of the material read. Use a student generated rubric to assess the writing response.
11. Students will participate in a Think-pair-share strategy whereby students think alone for a specified amount of time in response to a question posed by the teacher. Students then form pairs to discuss their ideas, and after this, share responses with the class. Think-pair-share will be used to help students check their understanding and provide opportunities for practice or rehearsal.
Day 3/4/5
• Before Reading:
1. AS a large group, share the reading responses from last day. Provide an opportunity to participate in a moderate marking session to assess their work.
2. Provide immediate feedback to the students and create a level 4 reading response sample (anchor chart) for the next informational text.
3. Provide students with the opportunity to bump up their response to a better level.
4. Introduce next text. ( Refer to Materials/Preparation for Teaching)
5. Repeat procedures from Day 1 forward to analysis several (2 to 3) new piece of informational text on the Sun.
Note: At this point, I would add other reading strategies to increase the level of understanding of the topic by reading for meaning with the goal of writing a high level of reading response independently.
Reflection:
Were my students successful?
Based on a non-threatening environment where students can feel valued for their efforts, the chances of success are high that students will succeed. In addition, proper monitoring and immediate feedback also contributes to student success.
Did my instructional decisions meet the needs of all students?
Yes! Base on my instructional timelines, I feel students have the appropriate amount of time to learn and achieve success in this cross-curricular exercise.
What are my next steps?
Continue to engage in reading materials concerning balanced literacy as an extension to the process.
Continue to extend the model offered by the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat on Teaching Learning Critical Pathway using Data Wall to reflect progress of students.
References
The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8: Science and Technology, 2007 http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/scientec18currb.pdf
Literacy Modules: Grades 4 to 6: Shared Reading http://www.eworkshop.on.ca/edu/core.cfm?p=main&modColour=1&modID=21&m=111&L=1
Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat on Teaching Learning Critical Pathway
http://www.curriculum.org/secretariat/criticalpathways/files/TeachingLearningCriticalPathways.pdf
TFO and Ontario Ministry of Education. 2005. “Shared Reading – 5-Day Lesson Plan.”
http://www.eworkshop.on.ca/cfmx/edu/pdf/Mod21_5day_lessonplan.pdf.