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Term III: Literacy Lesson Plan

Core Decisions of Lesson Design:

What:
The main purpose of this lesson is for students to be able to listen to a story read aloud
and then identify the theme/main idea using key details from the text. Key ideas and details is the
very first category on College and Career readiness anchor Standards for reading in the K-5
standards. If a student cannot articulate the theme and key details of the text, then they have not
understood the text that has been read. It is from this point that all other literacy standards are
built. Because it is the bedrock of the foundation, first grade students should be asked to identify
the theme and use key ideas and details as often as possible.
My two underlying goals are to increase collaboration between students through partner
work and whole group discussion, and to encourage students to think about their own lives and
connect it to the main theme of the text. These are not goals explicitly outlined in the ELA
standards, however, they support understanding and it will provide opportunities for the theme
and details to be immediately applied.
These purposes tie into my focusing question through the collaborative work and
application from their own lives. My focusing question seeks to incorporate community through
student collaboration while also drawing on students individual identities and making the
lessons applicable and engaging to the students.

How:
I will start the lesson by reading aloud JoJos Flying Side Kick, by Brian Pinkney. It is a
fun book, with a strong main character, who learns a valuable lesson and overcomes a great
challenge. The students will help me to identify the main theme of the story by using key details
in the text. Then after we have determined that the theme is JoJos overcoming of a challenge,
the students will think of a time in their own lives that they worked hard to overcome a
challenge. Then they will work on their own to draw an illustration of their personal story and
write one to two words describing the illustration. Upon completion, we will come back together
as a group and students will share their illustrations and give a brief oral description.
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Why:
In my classroom there are very few read alouds that are done. From what we have been
learning in class this semester, and from my own experience as a child, I know without a doubt
that listening to stories being read aloud not only increases understanding of written stories and
expands vocabulary. It also opens childrens minds to new ideas, teaches valuable lessons, and
encourages creativity. Listening to a story read aloud is also an important skill that requires
discipline, self-control, and an attention span that last more than five minutes. Because there are
few opportunities for my students to be read to, when they do sit down to listen to a read-aloud
they are often disengaged and miss out on the explicit lesson as well as additional learning. I
want to give my students the opportunity to practice their active listening skills; skills they will
need for life.
I specifically chose this book because it is a story about a young black girl. Most of my
students are children of color, and most unfortunately, most of the stories they have read or have
heard so far this semester, have featured animals or white characters. I believe that representation
is very important. So, I not only chose a story with Black characters, but I also chose a story
whose main character is a young girl engaging in an activity usually thought of as a boys
activity.

Lesson Plan:
1. Goals/Objectives
a. SWBAT listen to a read aloud without becoming distracted, or distracting others.
b. SWBAT ask and answer key details about the text in whole-group discussion.
c. SWBAT turn and talk to peers about the key details. They will share their own ideas
and will also listen politely to the ideas of their peer.
d. SWBAT draw a picture, using the main theme (overcoming a challenge), about a time
they had to overcome a challenge of their own.
e. SWBAT write one to two sentences describing their drawing.
2. Standards
Reading Literature
a. CC.1.3.1.B Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
b. CC.1.3.1.C Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details
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c. CC.1.3.1.G Use illustrations and details in a story to describe characters, setting or

events
Speaking and Listening
a. CC.1.5.1.A Participate in collaborative conversations with peers and adults in small
and larger groups

3. Materials/Preparation
Unfortunately I do not yet know where I will be teaching this lesson. There is no secure
spot that I can count on using. Thankfully, this lesson requires limited materials, and so I will be
able to teach in whichever room is available to us. I am prepared to be very flexible.
The read-aloud book: JoJos Flying Side Kick
Chart paper
Markers
White printer paper
Pencils
Students small whiteboards
Colored pencils

4. Classroom Arrangement and Management Issues

a. As I mentioned in the previous section, I will not know until the day of my lesson
where I will be teaching. I will need to secure the location the morning of and
have all of the materials ready, so that if I have to teach my lesson in another
classroom, I will be able to quickly move the students so that we do not waste any
time.
b. The only real arrangement that I need is a chair for me to sit on, a place to hang up my
chart paper, and space for the students to sit and listen to the story and then space
for them to spread out to do their work. If there are desks in the room, students
will sit at the desks during their drawing and writing portion. If not, they may sit
on the ground and use their whiteboards as writing surfaces. Sitting around me,
and sitting next to a partner are necessary for the whole-group read-aloud and turn
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and talk. Afterwards, I want students to be able to spread out and be comfortable
while they work on their individual work.
c. My norms are different from My Classroom Mentors, so I will need to make sure to
review my norms with the students very carefully.
d. My CM has helped me to choose students whose reading and writing abilities are on
grade level as well as students who generally take direction well and should
participate in my lesson without much difficulty.
e. I will role play with a student what a turn and talk should look like.
d. If serious behavior issues come up, I will speak with the student privately and work out
a solution with them.

5. Hook (5 minutes)
This weekend I was working really hard on a math problem. I worked on it for a long
time and had to try a lot of different strategies. At first I was discouraged that I wouldnt be able
to get it, but then it was like a light came on and it suddenly clicked. I felt so good when I figured
out the problem. Have you ever had something that you worked really hard on? It could be
something in or outside of school?
Take three to four different responses from students
Today we are going to read a story about a young girl named JoJo who had a difficult
challenge that she worked hard to overcome. Lets read the story to find out what happens.

6. Body (25-30 minutes)

a. Review norms for participation and behavior.
b. Introduce the title and author/illustrator
c. Can anyone tell me what the theme of a story is? Instruct them to pay close attention
to the illustrations, and key details so that they can decipher the theme of the
story.
d. Read the story. Ask students to pay attention to details and make predictions in
their minds as we read. Introduce unfamiliar vocabulary as I am reading. Before
giving a definition, I will ask if there is a student who can explain the word. I will
then either restate the definition or give it if no one knows the word.
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Questions:
How do you imagine you would feel if you were JoJo?
Can we compare and contrast how she felt at the beginning of the story
and then at the end?
What can we speculate?
e. How do we figure out what the main theme of a story is?
f. After finishing the book, the students will turn and talk to a partner about what they
think the main theme of the story is. Make sure to recall some of the key details
in the text because the details are our evidence.
g. We will come back as a whole group and I will turn to the chart paper and the students
and I will write down the main theme of the story.
h. Students will use key details from the story to support their answer for what the main
theme is. I will first draw out a detail that supports a different element in the story.
E.g. I will find a detail that helps me learn about JoJo. Then I will explain to the
students that they can use the same strategy, of finding a key detail that helps
explain the main theme.
i. Now that we have identified the main theme, I will instruct students to turn and talk to
a partner about a time that they had a challenge that they had to work hard to
overcome. Were they successful? How did they feel?
j. Instruct students to draw an illustration of their challenge that they identified. Before
you start drawing, come up with a plan in your mind about how you want to tell
your story. Your illustration will help you to tell it, so you need to plan a bit first.
In addition to an illustration we also need to write two sentences about our story.

7. Closing (5 minutes)
Have the students come to a stopping point (tell them that if they did not finish their
illustrations completely that they can take them home to work on them at another time.
Ask each student to briefly tell the group what they drew and what their challenge was.

8. Assessment of Goals and Objectives

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a. A lot of my assessment will be done informally throughout the read aloud. By

recording my lesson I will be able to look back and see who was participating by answering
questions during the read aloud. I will also listen to what the students say during their turn and
talk and take a few written notes, but mostly mental notes about what is being said.
b. I will use the chart paper, to assess whether or not the group understood what the main
idea/ theme was. I will also make notes on the chart paper about some of the key details that the
students identified that they used to support their suggested main idea/ theme.
c. I will look at each student made illustration along with their written and oral
descriptions to determine if they were able to apply the them of the story to their own lives and
write about a time they had to face a difficult challenge.

9. Anticipating Students Responses and My Possible Responses

a. I think students will need to be gently reminded throughout the lesson of what our
norms for participation are.
b. They might need help identifying some of the key details of the text. I can ask guiding
questions such as, Who is the main character? What is the setting of the story? Is there
more than one setting? How does the main character feel when such and such happens?
c. I think that the students will be very excited about the story. But, they may blurt out
while we are reading it. I will gently redirect them to our read-aloud if the comment is not
pertinent.
d. When the students are doing their individual work, there may be some argument over
the use of colored pencils. I will help mediate these interactions, and make sure the the students
take turns.
c. There may be difficulty in presenting their illustrations to the whole group. So, I will
ask questions such as, What is your illustration about? What sort of challenge did you have to
face?

10. Accommodation
a. If a student struggles to think of a time they had to overcome a challenge, I will do a
brief conference session with them, asking questions to help them come up with an idea.
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b. If writing a sentence or two, I will tell the student that they do not have to write the
sentence, but should add as much detail to their illustration as possible so that they will know
exactly what to say to the group when they present their illustration.
c. If the assignment is to easy for a student I will have them write three-four sentences
about their illustration. I do not however, think that the assignment will be too easy given our
time constraints and my in-class observations of their writing abilities. Also, most of my students
like to add a lot of detail to their pictures, so that might take up a lot of time.
d. Drawing on students lives and personal experiences will automatically give them an
easier entry point into this assignment. I will specifically differentiate first by the amount of
conferencing and support that I give to students while they are working on their illustrations and
brief written descriptions. I will encourage peers to help one another with spelling and will spend
more time conferencing with students who need more help. If a student finishes with their
illustration and writing before that part of the lesson is over, I will ask them to write two more
sentences and to plan in their minds what they will say when they present their work.