TLED 408: Comprehension Activity Assignment

For this assignment you will develop a comprehension activity to be used with one or more of
your chosen texts in your unit plan. To complete this assignment you will need to have an idea of
the grade level, discipline, and both the content and literacy standards that will be addressed.
Using your knowledge of comprehension activities and their impact on student comprehension,
fully develop a lesson that uses a questioning strategy as well as a graphic organizer or reading
guide activity. This activity should help students to build their comprehension through
questioning and interacting with the text.

Grade Level, Content Area, and Theme: Grade 2, Science, Solar System

Standards/Learning Objectives:

▪ English Standard 2.12: The student will write stories, letters, and simple explanations.
 a) Generate ideas before writing.
 b) Expand writing to include descriptive detail.
 c) Revise writing for clarity.
▪ English Standard 2.13: The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling
▪ English Standard 2.14: The student will use available technology for reading and writing.
▪ Science Standard 4.7: The student will investigate and understand the organization of the
solar system. Key concepts include
 a) the planets in the solar system;
 b) the order of the planets in the solar system; and
 c) the relative sizes of the planets.

Overall Description: The comprehension strategy that will be used is a Description Web for
each planet. Each web will have 3 fact lines. The worksheet will have question prompts to give
students an idea on what information is considered factual. The students do not need to find 3
facts for each planet if they feel like they cannot find any more, however, they are to try to find
up to 3.

Rationale: Description webs give detailed descriptions of topics. This comprehension strategy
will be the most beneficial as science is very factual and a web will support the organization of
facts. This activity gathers all the facts of a topic together so students can easily read the
information. Organizing information in a systematic, graphic way, helps students remember what
they read.

Materials: The materials used for this assignment will be writing utensils, a blank piece of
paper, and the web worksheet attached below:

• writing utensils (preferably pencil)

• loose-leaf paper
• one web worksheet
Instructional Steps:

1. Following the K-W-L, TTW pass one web worksheet and one piece of loose-leaf paper to
each student and ask the students to take out one writing utensil.
2. TTW tell the students not to write on the loose-leaf paper yet.
3. TTW ask the students to label the center of each web with the names of the planets,
explaining that only one planet should be in each bubble.
4. TTW explain to the students that they are going to re-read their book (as they should have
already read it for the LEARNED part of their K-W-L), only this time, they need to try to
find 3 facts about each planet and write them on the lines.
5. As the students are finding information, TTW put a bigger version of one web on the
board.
6. When everyone has finished, or feels like they cannot find any more information, TTW
ask the students to set their worksheets aside and no longer write on them.
7. TTW choose one planet and write it in the center of the web on the board.
8. TTW call on students to state ONE fact about that planet and write it on the board.
9. When all 3 lines are filled for that planet, TTW have the students write those facts, along
with what planet it is, on their blank loose-leaf paper.
10. TTW then erase the planet and facts and write a new planet in the center.
11. TTW repeat steps 9-12 until all planets have been discussed and all students have the
same facts about each planet.
12. TTW then have the students write, on the back of their web worksheet under the webs,
one thing that they learned from the class discussion, or one fact they didn’t have in their
web that we had in our class webs and collect their web worksheet.

Differentiation: Because this activity is primarily written, the students will also be given the
option to draw something to represent their facts. Students who have limited mobility, or cannot
write or draw, may participate in the class group discussion. The teacher or assistant/aid will be
able to write what the child is saying so s/he can have a written form as well. When it comes
time to write something that they have learned, the students can either draw or write it and those
who cannot do either will have time to discuss with the teacher what they have learned.

Assessment Plan: Throughout the activity, I will be walking around the class and observing the
students, watching how they work independently, determining whether they are able to find the
given information in the text. After everyone has finished, I will assess their knowledge and
comprehension through class discussion. After the activity, I will have the students write one
thing that they learned from the class discussion, or one fact they didn’t have in their web that we
had in one of our class webs. This will help me determine which students comprehended both the
text and what was being asked to find, and which students have a hard time navigating the text.
Description Webs: Planets Name: __________________
Date: ___________________
Possible Questions:
1. Size? 4. Color?
2. Atmosphere? 5. Gasses?
3. Temperature? 6. Distance from sun?
Something You Learned:
 Comprehension Activity Assignment Rubric
Points Possible
Grade Level, The student specifies the grade level, content area, and theme
Content Area, the unit will cover. The precise learning objectives that will be
Theme, and addressed by the unit are identified for both literacy and the
Standards discipline.
.5

Description The student clearly identifies the comprehension activity and

provides a brief description of how they will be used in the .5
unit.
Rationale The student provides a clear rationale as to why this
comprehension strategy is appropriate for the unit. There are
.5
clear connections made between the strategies chosen and the
comprehension benefits for the students.
Materials The student provides a clear description of the materials used
in this activity. The student creates all of the materials needed .5
for the students to successfully complete the activity.
Instructional The student outlines all of the instructional steps for the
Steps comprehension activity. There is a clear beginning, middle 1
and end to the activity.
Differentiation The student clearly explains how and why the teacher will .5
differentiate during the comprehension activity.
Assessment Plan The student clearly explains how the teacher will assess
comprehension throughout the activity. The specific types of 1
assessments are clearly identified, and a clear rationale for the
types of assessments chosen is provided.
Format The assignment is presented using the bold headings provided.
There are no formatting or spelling errors. It is written in 12pt .5
black font.

Total _____/5
Points
Comments: