Lesson Planning Form for Accessible Instruction Calvin College Education Program

Teacher Kathleen Fuller

Date

Subject/ Topic/ Theme

Laura Numeroff Background/ Writing a letter

Grade _____1st_______

I. Objectives
How does this lesson connect to the unit plan?
Introducing the author of which this unit plan focuses
cognitiveR U Ap An E C*

Learners will be able to:

physical
development

U
An
U
An,
E

Summarize Laura Numeroffs background

Develop their own questions about Laura Numeroff
Basics of writing a letter
Write a letter to someone

socioemotional

Common Core standards (or GLCEs if not available in Common Core) addressed:
W2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic,
and provide some sense of closure.
(Note: Write as many as needed. Indicate taxonomy levels and connections to applicable national or state standards. If an objective applies to particular learners
write the name(s) of the learner(s) to whom it applies.)
*remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create

II. Before you start

Identify prerequisite
knowledge and skills.

Basic knowledge of questioning

Pre-assessment (for learning):

What kinds of questions can you ask people to get to know them?
Formative (for learning):

Outline assessment
activities
(applicable to this lesson)

Basics of letter writing, basic information about Laura Numeroff

Formative (as learning):

Thinking of different appropriate questions or things to say to Laura Numeroff in the letter
Summative (of learning):
Writing a letter to Laura Numeroff displaying writing skills, and information they now know about her.
What do you know about Laura Numeroff now?
What are the important parts of writing a letter?
Provide Multiple Means of
Representation
Provide options for perceptionmaking information perceptible
Powerpoint, verbal, writing

What barriers might this

lesson present?
What will it take
neurodevelopmentally,
experientially,
emotionally, etc., for your
students to do this lesson?

Provide options for language,

mathematical expressions, and
symbols- clarify & connect
language

The correct language to use

when writing a letter to
someone you do not know.
Provide options for comprehensionactivate, apply & highlight

These writing skills are a good

part of Daily Five which helps
students learn to read/write

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Provide Multiple Means of Action

and Expression
Provide options for physical actionincrease options for interaction
Students will be at their desks and
can talk to their desk partners for
ideas about the letter

Provide Multiple Means of

Engagement
Provide options for recruiting
interest- choice, relevance, value,
authenticity, minimize threats
Choose what questions to write to
Ms. Numeroff

Provide options for expression and

communication- increase medium
of expression

Provide options for sustaining effort

and persistence- optimize
challenge, collaboration, masteryoriented feedback

Writing a letter, raising hands

for review information

Collaborate with other students

to come up with questions to
ask Ms. Numeroff

Provide options for executive

functions- coordinate short & long
term goals, monitor progress, and
modify strategies

Provide options for self-regulationexpectations, personal skills and

strategies, self-assessment &
reflection

Long term: knowing about the

author, learning to write a letter

Reflection: letter to Ms.

Numeroff

Materials-what materials
(books, handouts, etc) do
you need for this lesson
and are they ready to
use?

Computer (a way for teacher to present information)

Lined paper for students to write on
Pencils for students to write with
Envelopes

How will your classroom

be set up for this lesson?

Students will be at their desk clusters with the teacher in the front of the room.

III. The Plan

Time

Components

3-5
min

Motivation
(opening/
introduction/
engagement)

Describe teacher activities

AND
student activities
for each component of the lesson. Include important higher order thinking questions and/or
prompts.
Have any of you heard of Laura Numeroff?
Answer questions.
She is our author of the month.
Have you heard of the book If you Give a Mouse a
Cookie? Or If you Give a Cat a Cupcake?
These are books written by Laura Numeroff.
What do you think of these books?

1.
2.
5-7
min
3.
5-7
min

3-5
min

Development
(the largest
component or
main body of
the lesson)

4.

10
min

5.

10
min

6.

7.
5 min

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Closure

Put picture of Laura Numeroff on the

author of the month board.
Introduce author Laura Numeroff
Answer questions on Laura
Numeroff powerpoint such as:
Life when she was younger?
What kinds of books she writes?
Have students brainstorm questions they
can ask in their letter to Laura Numeroff
Why does she write?
What made her want to write
about animals?
What does she do in her free
time?
Talk about how to properly write a letter
Call her Ms. Numeroff
Start with Dear
End with Sincerely or something
like that
Say who you are
Have students write a letter asking Laura
Numeroff more questions about herself
and telling her about themselves.
Talk about addressing a letter on
envelopes.
Write her name
Write her street address
Write her town and state
Write her zipcode
Have students address letters

What do we know about Ms. Numeroff?

What do we now know about writing a letter?

Students will learn about the author through the

brief powerpoint.
Students will answer review questions at the end of
the powerpoint.
Students will write a letter to Laura Numeroff

Students answer questions.

(conclusion,
culmination,
wrap-up)

Why is writing important?

How can we use our writing to love God? Love
others?
How can we use our writing to dig deep and reach
out?

Your reflection about the lesson, including evidence(s) of student learning and engagement, as well as ideas for improvement
for next time. (Write this after teaching the lesson, if you had a chance to teach it. If you did not teach this lesson, focus on the
process of preparing the lesson.)
I thought this lesson went pretty well. I think the content worked really well for my class. I think I struggled a bit in the beginning by
talking too fast and having choppy transitions, but I quickly put my nerves aside and it became much better. This lesson took a lot
longer than I thought (an hour), however, I thought this lesson was very valuable and the first graders seemed to really enjoy it. I
know they learned a lot because they were able to come up with questions and things to say to her in their letters based off things we
learned about her in class. The one thing I need to consider is that this lesson to a group of unusually patient, and well behaved first
graders. They worked quietly and efficiently the entire time this lesson was being taught. I think if they had become rowdy, I would
have first had them do some go noodle get the wiggles out dances and then if that did not work I would have had them finish drawing
a picture on the back of their letter and close the lesson from there. I could have written all the addresses on the backs of the
envelopes. All in all. I think it was good for being the first lesson of my own creation that I have taught. My teacher had a very
positive response to it, as did Amanda who was observing me at the time.

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