When I plan a mini unit, I try to get all of the balanced literacy components to connect with a theme while

still supporting the work of independent readers and writers. I also include some things that I do for my thematic study time. In this unit you will find: Read Aloud Ideas: Usually, this is a list of stories I read in order for the students to employ their comprehension strategies while I take care of all the printwork, phrasing, etcStudents are free to predict, infer, connect, and ask questions which will support their comprehension skills as they read independently. Word Work Ideas/Printables: For the most part, I follow our reading series (Scott Foresman Reading Street) for WORD WORK. I like the scope and sequence. In this unit, youll find themed practice activities that speak to the phonics skill of the week. Ive learned that in order for this component to support their independent reading, they MUST see this skill in multiple contexts. I try to point the skills out in books, poems, words around the school anywhere I can. This will help them TRANSFER this work to independent reading. Before long, I notice my students pointing digraphs, diphthongs, and other skills in many different settings! Interactive/Shared Writing Ideas: I will include photos of what Ive done with these components for the week. However, these are mostly derived from the ideas of my students but I do usually have a plan for what Id like to write with them. This is such a great time to support your writers by modeling skills they need to constantly employ and expose them to different genres. This transfers easily to independent writing as I model things like stretching out the sounds of big words, using the word wall to spell high frequency words, or simple things like putting space in between each word I write. Shared Reading/Interactive Read Alouds with Accountable Talk Prompts I will share a list of read alouds that I use and Ill include some accountable talk prompts that I used. The point here, is to get them thinking and talking as they are comprehending. Its a great time to talk about how readers talk, listen, and respond to texts with a reading partner. Other things included... *Vocabulary Printables *Thinking Maps * Original Poetry * Small/Flexible Group Activities *Miscellaneous Themed Printables/project ideas that I happened to feel like including (maybe a math sheet or two). I hope you enjoy this unit. Feel free to use, adjust, print and file away, and fit it in your teaching life. Questions, comments, concerns, and feedback are welcomed and can be posted at www.anotherdayinfirstgrade.blogspot.com
Lanesha Tabb. www.anotherdayinfirstgrade.blogspot.com ClipArt: Scrappin Doodles

I read aloud TONS of non-fiction in order to keep those strategies for non-fiction text features fresh! :)

Lanesha Tabb.

This book was made so my students could get a little extra syllable practice. I noticed that some of them were still struggling with this skill. It was, oddly enough, the one syllable words that were confusing them. Instead of clapping out /star/ as one beat, they were trying to say something like st-ar-r...3 beats. Practice time! Directions: 1. Students will clap (or chin bump, tap, whatever you use!) the word and listen for the number of beats. 2. Then, cut out that many rockets and paste them in the boxes below the word. 3. When all the rockets have been used, cut the book pages out and staple. Practice the book with a friend.
Lanesha Tabb. www.anotherdayinfirstgrade.blogspot.com ClipArt: Scrappin Doodles

My Out-Of-This-WORLD Syllable Practice Book!

My Out-Of-This-WORLD

Clap Out the Word. Paste one rocket for each beat you hear. Cut and staple your syllable book.

Syllable Practice Book! Name__________________________

Lanesha Tabb. www.anotherdayinfirstgrade.blogspot.com

ClipArt: Scrappin Doodles

astronaut

constellation

Lanesha Tabb.

alien

planets

Lanesha Tabb.

galaxy

spacesuit

Lanesha Tabb.

telescope

stars

Lanesha Tabb.

rocket

moon

Lanesha Tabb.

Outer Space KWL: Activating Schema!

On day 1, we always activate our prior knowledge. On my first day, I focused on Spaceships and Astronauts. I record their Ks and Ws with their names next to them, it kind of makes them responsible for researching the answer (with help, of course) by the end of the week. Below, this is the thinking map for recording their schema.

Lanesha Tabb.

www.anotherdayinfirstgrade.blogspot.com

ClipArt: Scrappin Doodles

Our Astronaut Schema

They are

They can

_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________

______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

Astronauts

I know that

_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________

____________ ____________ ____________ What do I already know ____________ about astronauts? ____________

Lanesha Tabb.

_ _ _ Name_ ______________________

Word Work
These images were used as model words to make a list of /au/ and /aw/ words. Then, we played a game from the book Phonics They Use by Patricia M. Cunningham called What Looks Right? This is a game where you write the correct and incorrect spelling of a word and the students decide which word looks right. This easily can be done on regular paper, but I included a recording sheet.

Lanesha Tabb.

www.anotherdayinfirstgrade.blogspot.com

ClipArt: Scrappin Doodles

saucer

flying

awesome astronauts

Lanesha Tabb.

www.anotherdayinfirstgrade.blogspot.com

ClipArt: Scrappin Doodles

Watch as I write the words on the board and write it BOTH ways just like I do. Then, cross off the one that doesnt LOOK RIGHT!

The Awesome Astron ts Edition of What Looks Right? Name_____________________

Model Word : cause

Model Word : draw

Lanesha Tabb.

Choose two words from the back. Use it in a sentence and then illustrate it!

The Awesome Astron ts Edition of Sentence Practice! Name_______________

Word: _______________________

__________________________________________ __________________________________________ ____________________________________ Word: _______________________

__________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________

Lanesha Tabb.

Adorable Little Astronauts!

We had a mini lecture on astronauts, and then we made these little guys. The poem was copied over for handwriting practice. Then they partnered up to read the poem for fluency practice.

Lanesha Tabb.

Lanesha Tabb.

Alien Invasion!
This was a fun activity. After reading some books on aliens and flying saucers

We created our own symmetrical aliens that we had to take care of. We even adopted them as our very own! Directions: Fold a sheet of construction paper in half. Draw half of a head, arm, and leg. Open the paper to see your space creature! Decorate and describe its features on your adoption certificate!

Lanesha Tabb.

Alien Adoption Certificate

(name)

___________________________________

was adopted by ___________________

on ________________________________

Alien Description Below ______________________________________ ______________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________

Lanesha Tabb.

Super Space Vocabulary Words! Name______________________

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------orbit sun planet astronaut

We come in peace. We also want you to match these words and pictures.

star

rocket

comet

moon

Lanesha Tabb.

Shared Writing: Students and teachers negotiate the text. Students process sills and strategies and the teacher acts as the scribe. Below is a list of Shared Writing prompts/ides that would work towards improving the work of your writers during your Writers Workshop. Outer Space KWL I model: Punctuation (periods/ On Day 1, we fill out what we question marks) Know and Want to Know Spacing about Space! Word wall Strategies (modeling how I would locate, take asnap shot of the word instead of copy down letter by letter) and writing it down. A Post Card From Pluto After reading this story, create your own post card as a class. I model: Friendly Letter Format Complete sentences Punctuation Modeling that good writers go back and reread what they write in order to make sure it makes sense.

Extra Prompt: Alien Encounters! Pretend that weve just met and E.T. being. Negotiate what we would tell him in order to help him be successful on planet Earth!

Id model: Creative Writing The process of getting your thoughts on paper and monitoring along the way in hopes that they will do the same when they write independently!
Lanesha Tabb.

Interactive Writing: Provides an opportunity for your students to practice a specific skill. This can be done whole group or in the small group setting. The difference between Shared and Interactive writing is the students get to share the pen with the teacher. It is critical that you have an idea of a specific skill that you want to work on with certain students. While I will have certain skills I know Ill want to address with the whole group, I know my students writing needs well enough to call on certain students to come up and write certain things. Example: I may know that one student struggles with long vowels when writing. I might ask him to write a word in this text that has a magical e or vowel combo in the word. While he does that, I might ask the students to write (with their finger) the same word on the carpet, on their pant leg, or later in the year, on a whiteboard so that it remains interactive. *One interactive piece can take a few days to complete! (This one took three days because I only do this for 10-15 minutes! Prompts/Ideas As a follow up to the project where we created our own planet, we decided to create a how to essay to share with another class. Skills addressed: Non-Fiction/How-To genre specifics Adding details to writing Non-fiction text features that help readers understand (diagrams, labels, etc) Skills addressed: Exposing students to different genres: lists. They can be numbered, bullet pointed, etc...

Create a list of things we would need to pack in order to go on a trip through the solar system.

Lanesha Tabb.

Read Alouds With Accountable Talk We know how important reading aloud is. My literacy coach gave us an article once about getting as many as eight read alouds in in one day! We read aloud books, poems, articles, etc...but what Im finding through the more professional texts that I read is that talking about these things we read are critical. During a read aloud with accountable talk, I purposefully pick books and read them ahead of time. I will usually sticky note some places where Id like them to turn and talk to a reading buddy. When they are talking, Im listening for evidence of comprehension. This is a great time to review mini lessons that teach students that: *Readers have thoughts as they read *Readers share those thoughts by talking or sticky noting *Readers respond to others thoughts (bounce ideas off one another) I typically go into a read aloud with 2-3 places to stop and talk, but the conversations they have will usually lead us into deeper book talks!

Lanesha Tabb.

Read Alouds with Accountable Talk! Eric Carles Papa, Please Get the Moon For Me During my read alouds with accountable talk, I have place where Ive noted ahead of time that I would like for them to discuss with a partner. Ill normally pause the story, and ask them to turn and talk. Ill listen in (even if it means crawling around on the floor) to listen for evidence of thinking/comprehension. Id ask them to turn and talk with these prompts: * Eric wrote this book for his daughter. Do you think he really thought hed get the moon for her? (no) Then are you thinking that Eric wanted to show his daughter by writing this book? (He would do anything for her because shes his daughter whom he loves) * Monica danced with the moon. If you had the moon, what would you do with it? (see response and recording sheet. * Some talk prompts will usually grow out of the ones I planned for. Those are my favorites!

Lanesha Tabb.

Lanesha Tabb.

Our shared text: We negotiated a text and wrote a post card to our principal during shared writing.

Lanesha Tabb.

Create Your Own Post Card from Outer Space!

Lanesha Tabb.

* Why do you think the constellations had those types of names? * How would you feel if you saw a shooting star?

Lanesha Tabb.

Directions: Create a constellation using qtips. Dont forget to give your constellation a name!

Create Your Own Planet! Directions: Use old magazines to create your planet. Pick a color that you want your planet to be and search for those colors in the magazine. Decide if it is a gaseous or rocky planet. Then, write an article on your new planet!

Lanesha Tabb.

Lanesha Tabb.

Alien Story Math Problems! Name_____________________________________

Below, create an alien math story problem using addition.

2.

1.

______________

+ __________ = ___________

______________

+ __________ = ___________

3.

4.

Lanesha Tabb.

______________

+ __________ = ___________

______________

+ __________ = ___________

Alien Story Math Problems! Name_____________________________________

Below, create an alien math story problem using subtraction.

2.

1.

______________ - __________ = ___________

4.

______________ - __________ = ___________

3.

Lanesha Tabb.

______________ - __________ = ___________

______________ - __________ = ___________

Twinkle Twinkle... Name____________________

Directions: Count the stars by circling groups of 10.

____________ tens __________ones

____________ tens __________ones

____________ tens __________ones

____________ tens __________ones

____________ tens __________ones

____________ tens __________ones

____________ tens __________ones

____________ tens __________ones

LaNesha Tabb Clip Art Courtesy of Scrappin Doodles