Observation

Instructional Lesson
Classroom: Ms. P
Grade: 4
Curriculum Area:
Reading/Writing
What I notice

Observer: Kristen Pashkof

Date: 3/16/16
Time: 9:30-10:50am
Thoughts, Questions,
Connections to Methods
Classes

First the students went over Ms. P asked the students

a reading comprehension
to state their answer
homework sheet
with evidence from
which paragraph they
Transition into read aloud
got the answer from. She
would commend
students who had textual
Book: Sweet Clara and the
evidence.
Freedom Quilt
Students were engaged
Ms. P sat on a stool while
students sat on the carpet, She read the long pages
some sat at their desks
without having the book
nearby. They discussed
facing students, and
what theyve already read
then showed them the
about/checked for
pictures. Did this make
comprehension.
them listen to the words
more?
Discussed the meaning
after reading each page to
check for comprehension
and discuss themes and
plot events
Students returned to
Transition into plot activity
their desks and took out

 Class discussed plot

mountain
o Exposition
o Rising action
o Climax
o Falling action
o Resolution
After discussion, Ms. P
wrote on the answers on
the board. Students
copied what she wrote
into the paper with the
plot diagram on a
mountain (already glued
into their daybooks)
Transition into project
based learning
Students returned to seats
in groups
Working on Point of View
story (changing the point
of view of a commonly
known story)
2 groups presented per day

Transition into lesson on

collaborative annotation

their books quietly

Students had half of
their plot mountain filled
out already. What was in
the board was also in
their books.
She would prompt them
with questions
Example: She would
explain what the word
climax meant and then
say What happens after
the climax etc
Ms. P would circulate the
room while having the
whole class discussion
then return to the board
to write what they had
come up with (students
copied).
Ms. P said I need eyes
here, lips quiet and
minds thinking when
she sent them of to
work.
I loved this project idea.
Very creative and
diferent but efective.

 Ms. P presented
collaborative annotation
as reading tweets
Students could write a
statement, question,
opinion (etc.) about
something on the given
document about the Civil
War
People can share, agree,
disagree or comment on
others comments
Transition into independent
writing
Students took out
Chromebooks and worked
on their historical fiction
stories
Ms. P gave a few students
tips for editing
Some students had a
fluency phone (made out
of PVC pipe) to read their
story aloud to check for
fluency

This was such a great

way to relate a complex
concept to 4th graders
I loved this lesson.
Students were very
engaged and
understood what they
were doing. They
worked attentively in
groups. Each student
had a diferent color
marker.

Ms. P acknowledged the

fact that each student
was most likely on a
diferent stage of the
writing process and
advised them to
continue where they
were at. She preferred
them be up to editing
but some were still
catching up.