The Best of the West

By: Kelli Brennecke

● Time: 35 minutes
● Subject: English Language Arts
● Grade Level: Kindergarten - Whole Group Instruction
● Objectives:
1. Content: By the end of this lesson students will be able to demonstrate their
comprehension of an informational text by creating an illustration and
voice recording to describe the settings mentioned in the text.
2. Academic Language: Careful, Travel, Country, Symbol, Informational text,
Illustration
● Standards:
1. CA Common Core: Vocabulary Acquisition & Use K.4, K.5, K.6
2. CA Common Core: Reading: Information Text K.1, K.2, K.4, K.7, K.10
3. CA Common Core: Speaking & Listening K.1, K.2, K.3, K.5, K.6
● Assessment:
1. Pixie App: Students will illustrate drawings that represent the four settings
discussed in the text. Students will create voice recordings on their
drawings using at least two sentences to describe the place that they
created.
2. Student self-assessment exit slip
● Teaching Materials (In Class)
Promethean Board, MacBook, Vocabulary cards, Interactive Read aloud, 1:1
iPads, Pixie application, Student self-assessment exit slip

Step Teaching & Learning Activities Notes Time

 Activate prior knowledge: This week
we are learning all about our
country, The United States of
America! Think-pair-share: I want
you to turn to your partner and tell
them one U.S. symbol that you have
learned. Ask for volunteers to share Need:
answers & discuss as a class (Bald MacBook,
eagle, Statue of Liberty, The White Vocabulary
Introduction
House, Liberty Bell, etc.) cards, 10 min.
(Anticipatory Set
 Academic Language: Use the Promethean
+ Vocabulary)
define/example/ask routine to Board
introduce careful, travel, and
country.
 Our first vocabulary word is careful,
say it with me: careful. En Español:
Cuidadoso. Define: To be careful is
to pay close attention to what you
are doing or saying. Example +
Visual: The teacher was careful
 when he put staples into the stapler.
 Ask + Think-pair-share: You have
to be careful with scissors. You
should never point them at anyone.
Tell your partner how you should be
careful with scissors. Share some
answers. Now let’s say “careful”
three times to the ceiling.
 Our next vocabulary word is travel,
say it with me: travel. En Español:
Viaje. Define: To travel is to move
from one place to another. Example
+ Visual: One way to travel is to fly in
an airplane. Ask/Think-pair-share:
Where in the world would you like to
travel? Tell you partner. Ask
volunteers to share what their
partner said to demonstrate
listening skills. Now say the word
travel three times to your pinkie.
 Our last vocabulary word is country,
say it with me: country. En Español:
pais. Define: A country is an area of
land and people who are ruled by one
government. Example + Visual: The
United States of America is the
country where we live. Ask: Many
families come from other countries.
What country does your family come
from? Use the sentence: “my family
comes from ____.” Ask for volunteers
to share. Now say the word country
three times to the person next to you.
  Tell students that today you will be
reading aloud an informational text.
Remind students that informational
texts give true information about a
subject. In this case, this
informational text is going to give us
information about special places in
our country.
 Read aloud the title, “The Best of the
West.” Tell children that the West is
a part of our country. Display a
photo of the United States on the
Promethean board and point out the
West. We live in California, which is
also considered the West!
 Read aloud the essential question:
What do you know about the
American West?
Need:
 Read aloud each page stopping at
Whole group Interactive
the vocabulary words to review
Interactive Read read aloud
definitions. 10 min.
Aloud cards,
 While reading, make meaning clear
(Guided Practice) Promethean
by pointing to specific places or
board
objects in the illustrations,
paraphrasing text, and asking
children questions.
 Retell: Display Card 1: What is this
place called? Why do so many people
visit it? Display Card 2: Where is
this? What animals do the people see
here? Display Card 3: What city is
shown in this photograph? What is
the purpose of this building? Display
Card 4: What is this bridge called?
What is the purpose of this bridge?
 Show me thumbs up if you think you
could describe each of these places
to someone.
  Ask students to list the four places
of the West that we read about,
showing each one on the
Promethean board. (Grand Canyon,
Yellowstone National Park, Seattle,
Golden Gate Bridge.)
 Review objective: Today we are
going to be creating illustrations on
Pixie based off of the places in this
text. Model: screencast teacher iPad
to Promethean board to show an
example. First, you must illustrate
your photo. Draw a photo of the
Golden Gate Bridge. Next, I want you
to click this recording button (point
to it) and describe the place you
Pixie draw using two sentences. For
Need: iPads,
(Independent example: I drew a photo of the 15 min.
Promethean
Practice Golden Gate Bridge. People use this
board
+ bridge to connect San Francisco to
Closure) other places in California. This bridge
is orange.
 Tell students that they need to
create illustrations for all four of the
places mentioned.
 Release students by row to grab
their iPads and find a quiet,
independent spot in the classroom
to create their illustrations and
recordings.
 Tell students to regroup at the rug
once they have finished creating
their illustrations.
 Pass out the student self-assessment
exit slip and ask students to fill it
out at their desks and bring it to you
when they are done.
● Differentiation Strategies:
- Pre-taught academic vocabulary + visual cards
-Think-Pair-Share
- Visual aids
- Scaffolds + Modeling
- Retelling cards
- Freedom of choice + flexible seating