SMWC Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate Kendra Rambo

Name of Lesson Wintertime Work With Vowel Families ee and ea
Subject Language Arts
Grade Kindergarten
Designed for Small Group
Rationale for lesson: This lesson will introduce winter hibernation to students. It will also give
students practice reading words and sorting them into categories.
Learning outcomes: Students will be able to explain what hibernation is after reading the book.
Upon completion of the related activity, students will know how to correctly sort words
according to the vowel family they belong to.
Assessment of student outcomes: Students will show that they know what hibernation is by
retelling the story and explaining the main characters actions. Students will show that they know
how to correctly sort words when they turn in their completed activity and all words are sorted
and glued under the correct category.
Related Foundations/Indiana Academic Standards:
K.RF.2 Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
K.RL.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a
text.
K.RL.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.
K.RL.6 With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define
the role of each in telling the story.
K.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on kindergarten reading and content.
K.L.5 With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in
word meanings.
Materials Needed:
o Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep! by Maureen Wright
o Two different colored circle rings
o 13 word cards (ea, ee, leaves, neat, lean, leap, street, deep, sleep, sweep, each, steep,
jeep) and related pictures backed with colored construction paper
o Activity sheet with table of words from word cards that need to be cut out
o Activity sheet with two circles for sorting the words into their vowel families

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Scissors
Glue
Clutter baskets
Pencils

Lesson/Activity Presentation:
Anticipatory set:

Boys and girls, do you know what season it is? Yes, it is winter! Although we have had a
mild winter so far, this is the time for many animals to hibernate. Today we are going to
read a book to learn about hibernation. After that, we are going to do a cut and paste word
sort activity. Lets begin by reading the book. It is called Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep!
Teaching procedures:

1. Seat students at teacher table. Introduce book to students by showing front cover and
back cover. Ask students what they see on each cover. Have them make guesses about
what the book might be about.
2. Introduce students to the author and illustrator. Ask them what the role of each person
is.
3. Read the book to the students pausing often to ask them questions about what is taking
place in the book.
4. After finishing the book, let the students take turns retelling key events in the story. Be
sure to explain what hibernation is and ask students if they know of any other animals,
besides bears, that hibernate.
5. Transition from the book to the activity. Hold up each word card and have the students
read each card out loud. These words come directly from the book. Also be sure to
discuss the meaning of each word using the context from the story.
6. Place circle rings flat on table in front of students. Show the students how to put a few
of the word cards into the correct vowel family (either ee or ea). With the next few cards,
have the students put them into the correct vowel family with you. With the remaining
cards, give the students an opportunity to place the word card under the correct vowel
family on their own.
7. After all cards have been placed into the two circles, pick up all word cards and put
them away. The circle rings can also be put away.
8. Hold up the activity sheet with words that need to be cut out. Explain the directions.
Next, do the same with the activity sheet that has the two circles. Explain those directions
to the students.

9. After students know what they will be doing, pass out the scissors, glue, and clutter
baskets.
10. Give the students about 15-20 minutes to cut and glue the words where they belong.
During this time, keep students focused on the task. Limit talking so that students may
get their work completed.
11. After all students have finished the activity, pass out the pencils so that they may write
their names on their papers. Once names are on all papers, have the students turn them
into the teacher basket. Students should clean up their areas and put supplies away.
Guided &Independent Practice:

Students will have guided practice on the activity as they use the word cards to place
them under the correct vowel family. After students have had guided practice, they will
do a cut and paste activity on their own to reinforce what they have learned.
Closure:

After students have cleaned up their areas and put supplies away, review key ideas from
the book. Ask the question, What is hibernation? After the students have answered,
restate the answer to the question. Finally, summarize what the students did on the cut
and paste activity. Also ask what they enjoyed most about the activity. Release students
back to the carpet area.
Differentiated instruction: If a student is having trouble sorting the words into the correct
vowel family, give the student the number of words that go under each circle. For example, if the
words neat, leaves, lean, leap, and each belong under the vowel family ea, tell the student that
five words should be glued under that circle.
Reflection: The lesson went pretty well, but the students were really fast at completing the
activity. I thought the activity might be somewhat difficult, but I guess it needed to be more
challenging than it already was. In addition, the students told me that they had heard the book
before when they learned about hibernation earlier in the month. It would have been better if
Mrs. Sumner told me that they had read it before so that I could have picked out a different book
to read to the students. In the future, I will specifically ask and make sure the students have not
heard the book before.