Marc Steiner Teaching Language Arts in Elementary Schools Lesson Plan/Technology/Personality Grade 4 Objective SWBAT correctly write and

utilize words of varying spelling patterns, grammar, and sentence structure while rotating through different learning centers.

Materials Spelling words for each group (Worksheets), Scissors Students spelling journals, Pencils Computers and/or Laptops Internet access (Explorerhttp://languageartsgames.4you4free.com/sentence_structure.html) Microsoft Word

Introduction/Motivation Today, we will be having a lot of fun in working with our language arts skills. You will all get the opportunity to practice working with your spelling words and patterns, grammar in writing, and sentence structure. Everyone will rotate through some fun centers where you will spend 20 minutes working with each language arts skill! The class will be split into groups based on the spelling group you are a part of each week (group 1, 2, or 3). There will be 3 different centers for each group to rotate through during the block. First, one center will consist of each student getting to make up your own spelling quiz by selecting any 10 of the 20 words to give to another classmate in your spelling group. Each student will quiz a classmatepartner who will write their answers in their spelling journal. You will also get to grade your partners quiz when they are finished! A second center will allow each student to put some of their spelling words into use through creating a short story using Microsoft Word on the computer. You will be required to use at least 5 of your spelling words of which you will have the freedom to select which words you want to use. You will type your story and print it out before switching centers. These stories will all be hung up in the classroom or on the bulletin board for others to enjoy! The third center will also involve using the computers or laptops. Each student will open Internet Explorer

and go to the web address http://languageartsgames.4you4free.com/sentence_structure.html in order to practice sentence structure skills. The students will all have to opportunity to choose which games they would like to play during their time in this center! Teachers will circulate around the room throughout the rotations to observe students working together and to assist students as necessary! If everyone participates during the group activities and at each center rotation, you will earn 5 minutes of free time at the end of the class period to sit wherever you would like and do whatever you want!

Presentation The objective and introduction will be presented to the students to get all the students of the different personality types excited about the days class and grab their attention. Guided Practice Students will have their spelling words (worksheets) with the focal spelling patterns of the week on their desks. This is the usual routine for when the students receive new spelling words. They will immediately begin cutting out their words and putting them in their plastic bags in their spelling journals. After having a couple minutes to complete this task, the students will be shown an overall example of what is expected of them in each center. So, as the centers are described to the students in more detail, the teacher will model what is to be done in each center! Center 1 (Spelling Quiz) The students will need their spelling journals and new set of spelling words/patterns to utilize in this center. The students will be responsible for pairing up in this center with another classmate. They will have the freedom to choose which 10 out of the 20 words they have received to quiz their partners with on a spelling pre-test. After each of the students has taken their quiz that their partner made up for them, they will get to grade each others quizzes in their journals as well! With any remaining time left in the center after each student has given, taken, and graded a quiz, they can practice sorting all their words into the focal spelling patterns of the week. The students will hand in their spelling journals to be reviewed by the teacher after rotating through the centers.

Center 2 (Spelling Short Story) The students will either work on the computers in the room (or in the lab) or on the laptops from the cart for this center. The students will get to put some of their new spelling patterns and words into use by creating their own short stories using Microsoft Word. Each student will be responsible for typing their own short story including their name, date, and title for their work.

Each story must include using at least 5 of the students new spelling words they were given. The students will identify these words in their story by using some of the features on Word such as bold, italics, different font type and/or color. The teachers will give a two minute warning before the students are to rotate to the next center during which they will finish the sentence they are on, save their work, and print their document out. The students will hand in their stories to be hung up on the wall in the classroom and/or bulletin board in the hallway for others in the school to view and enjoy!

Center 3 (Sentence Structure/Grammar Games) Students will have an opportunity to work on their computers or laptops again when working in this center as well. The students will all log on and open Internet Explorer. They will visit the web address http://languageartsgames.4you4free.com/sentence_structure.html. From here, each student will have the freedom to choose what game or games they would like to play during this rotation! Each game helps the students to strengthen and build their grammar/sentence structure skills. All of the games will help the students with different aspects of sentence structure. Therefore, all that is required of the students is to be actively participating in playing the games during this rotation!

Independent Practice While the students will be monitored and guided throughout the center rotations, they will be responsible for some independent work in each of the centers as well. The students will independently select, administer, and practice their spelling patterns and words in Center 1. Also, the students will independently create writing samplesshort stories in Center 2. In Center 3, the students will be selecting which games to play to practice their grammar/sentence structure skills. So, while the students are supervised during the centers and rotations, they are independently responsible for practicing the skills and completing the activities in each of the centers they rotate through! Given the outcome that all the students actively participated in the days center rotations, the students will have 5 minutes of free time at the end of the block in which they can spend independently doing anything they chose with anyone in the class (games, drawing, writing, sitting, reflecting, reading, etc).

Closure There will be mini closure sessions conducted by the teachers throughout the time students are working in the centers and rotating from activity to activity. Teachers will observe students and have discussions with the students about the work completed in each rotation! Also, after all the students have rotated through all the centers and have had their free time that they earned, we will regroup as a whole group to discuss the work completed during the class. Students will be given the opportunity to discuss what they learned working on the different language arts skills in their rotations. The students will also be allowed to volunteer to read some of their short stories to the classhighlighting the spelling patterns and words they are studying this week! The students will be asked questions regarding some of the sentence structure skills that worked on when playing the games on the computer. An overall whole group discussion will be lead to get a sense of the students feelings working on the language arts skills (spelling, grammar, sentence structure, and writing) in the manner of rotating through the centers like we did today! Finally, the students will be given their free time to do what they choose for the final 5 minutes of the block!

Assessment The teachers will circulate around the room during the center rotations to monitor and assess students participation (to earn free time at the end of the block). This means that the students were able to cooperatively work with one another and independently, staying on task, appropriately using the materials at each center, completing the activities, and handing in the required assignments. The students will be creating short stories (writing samples) that they will hand in to be assessed for their usage of spelling words, grammar, and sentence structure todays language arts skills! These short stories will be hung to display the students work as well. The students will also be giving and taking spelling quizzes in their spelling journals which will be peer administered and graded. The spelling journals will be handed in after rotating through the centers and then reviewed by the teacher. These spelling quizzes will serve as practice and pre-assessments for this weeks focal spelling patterns and words for each student and spelling group! The students understanding will be constantly gauged throughout the rotations through teacher observation, questioning, and discussion (also through class discussion during closure).

Elements of the Plan for each Personality Type... ReactorOpportunities to process by themselves or with the group WorkaholicTime structure for stations (20 min. per rotation/5 min. free time), recognition of work (display short stories/writing samples on the wall or bulletin board) PersisterDemonstrate their knowledge by developing/taking spelling quizzes, creating own stories, and independently test their understanding playing games on the computer DreamerReflection time (free time) at the end to take care of their personal needs RebelPlayful stations (games), cooperative learning environment and situations PromoterAction of moving and working through different stations

Elements of the Plan for the Different Learning Intelligences Verbal/Linguistic This intelligence refers to an individual's ability to understand and manipulate words and languages. This includes reading, writing, speaking, and other forms of verbal and written communication. Throughout this lesson, the students are given many opportunities to work with their spelling words and patterns. They take the written spelling quizzes in their journals, write short stories on the computer, and play word games involving sentence structure on the Internet. The students are also given the opportunity to have dialogue with each other and the teachers and read their stories aloud to the class if they choose to. Logical/Mathematical Logical/Mathematical intelligence refers to an individual's ability to do things with data: collect, and organize, analyze and interpret, conclude and predict. The students work with this intelligence when they are given the chance to score and grade each others spelling quizzes that they administer. Also, the students use their logic and understanding when working on the Internet playing different kinds of sentence structure games.

Visual/Spatial Visual/Spatial intelligence refers to the ability to form and manipulate a mental model. This intelligence is fostered in the lesson as the students are given the time to work on the computer to strengthen their grammar/sentence structure skills. The computer games offer the students a more visual learning experience filled with pictures, sounds, colors, computer graphics, etcto help facilitate their learning!

Bodily/Kinesthetic Bodily/Kinesthetic intelligence refers to people who process information through the sensations they feel in their bodies and through movement. The students are able to move around the room throughout the rotations from center to center. They also get to work with hands on activities in the centers (physically manipulating the mouse and keyboard while using the computer, using scissors to cut their words out and sorting their wordsusing spelling journals). Interpersonal Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to interpret and respond to the moods, emotions, motivations, and actions of others. Interpersonal intelligence also requires good communication and interaction skills, and the ability show empathy towards the feelings of other individuals. This is included in the lesson by having the students involved in group work and cooperative learning activitiesworking together to administer, take, and score their spelling quizzes, and moving as a group rotating through the different centers. They are involved in group and class discussion throughout working in the centers and during wrapping up the blockclosure. The students are also given free time to interact with each other as they would like at the end of the block as well. Intrapersonal Intrapersonal Intelligence, simply put, is the ability to know oneself and to work independently. This lesson includes several opportunities for the students to work by themselves to complete several different activities and assignments. To exhibit strength in Intrapersonal Intelligence, an individual must be able to understand their own emotions, motivations, and be aware of their own strengths and weaknesses. This is accomplished as the students write their own short stories based on the requirements set forth and independently play the different games on the computer to strengthen their grammar and sentence structure skills. And for those that desire, they can use

their free time at the end of the block to reflect and/or do whatever they would like to on their own!

*All in all, this lesson provides the students of all the different personality types and those that learn using multiple intelligences the opportunity to be actively engaged and to flourish as there are elements specifically included in this plan to accommodate their many varying academic strengths and needs!