Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Lesson Plan
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES:
Content Objectives:
After a review of the previously learned fictional story elements of character and setting, the
students will learn about the story element of “problem” through the use of a retell rope and
images (displayed on an iPad using Nearpod) depicting a problem.
After reading/interacting with the fictional story, The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry,
and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood, students will be able to use a technological device
(Nearpod -or- SMART Notebook) to draw (or match) and explain about the story’s: (1)
characters, (2) setting, and (3) main problem with 100% accuracy.
MOTIVATION:
Prior to beginning the lesson, students will participate in a ‘brain break’ activity involving story
retell words and interactive full-body movements. Students will act out the (teacher-created)
movements to the following lyrics, sang to the tune of The Itsy Bitsy Spider:
Retelling Song
When I retell a book to a teacher or a friend.
I tell the beginning and the middle and the end.
First, next, and last are the words that help me out.
When I read my favorite book, I can tell what it’s about!
MATERIALS:
For Lesson: Retelling Song on Chart Paper, iPads (15), Class Retell Rope, “Problem” Icon for
Retell Rope, Pre-Made Teacher-Created Nearpod Lesson, The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe
Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood, Easel, Large (Blank) Story Retell Graphic
Organizer, Desktop Computers (5), Pre-Made Teacher-Created SMART Notebook Assessment
Activity, Pre-Made Teacher-Created Nearpod Assessment Activity
For Homework: Individual Book Baggies filled with Independent Level Fiction Texts – OR –
RAZ Kids Username/Password, Reading Log, Blank Story Retell Graphic Organizer Worksheets
For Intervention: Fictional Story Scene Illustrations, Blank Story Retell Graphic Organizer
Worksheets
STRATEGIES:
Direct and Explicit Teaching
Group Discussion
Use of Technological Devices
Interactive Read Aloud
Auditory Learning
Kinesthetic Learning
Teacher Modeling
Partner Work
Turn & Talk
ADAPTATIONS:
Student with visual impairment will be seated in the front of the room, in close proximity to the
teacher. If needed, zoom screen will be enabled on his iPad.
Student with ADHD will be provided with optimal seating, in close proximity to the teacher or
teacher assistant and will receive a checklist for tasks throughout the lesson.
Student with hearing difficulty will be provided with an FM monitor during the entirety of the
lesson.
DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION:
After participating in the whole class lesson and interactive read aloud, students will be grouped
homogenously, by ability:
Below Grade Level
This group will work with the teacher. Students will be placed at a desktop computer. Each
separate computer will display an interactive SMART Notebook sort. The sort will contain a
box for: (1) characters, (2) setting, and (3) problem. The sort will also contain 4 (screenshot)
images from the story depicting each of the elements (2 characters, 1 setting, 1 problem).
Students will sort/drag each picture into the appropriate column in the sort. The teacher will take
anecdotal notes on each student’s performance.
On Grade Level
This group may use the teacher assistant for support, if needed. These students will continue
working on their iPads. After breaking off into groups, teacher assistant will give students a new
Nearpod code to access a “student-led” story elements assessment lesson. In this lesson, students
will use the “Draw It” feature to draw an appropriate picture for the: (1) characters, (2) setting,
and (3) problem from The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear.
Directions will be on each slide. Students will draw each element on a separate slide. Once
complete, students will submit their work.
Above Grade Level
This group may use the teacher assistant for support, if needed. These students will continue
working on their iPads. After breaking off into groups, the teacher assistant will give students a
new Nearpod code to access a “student-led” story elements assessment lesson. In this lesson,
students will use the “Draw It” feature to draw an appropriate picture for the: (1) characters, (2)
setting, and (3) problem from The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry
Bear. Students will also add text to each slide, describing (or labeling) what they drew.
Directions will be on each slide. Students will draw and write about each element on a separate
slide. Once complete, students will submit their work.
DEVELOPMENTAL PROCEDURES:
1. All students have their own iPad to use during the lesson. Prior to beginning the lesson, the
teacher will direct students to input a code into Nearpod in order for students to be able to
access the “teacher-paced” lesson.
Questions/Prompts: N/A
2. In order to review the information learned during previous lessons, the students will review
the class Retell Rope, then participate in a quick interactive character vs. setting formative
assessment on Nearpod. Using the “Draw it” tool, students will be instructed to circle a
character OR setting from familiar stories.
Questions/Prompts: What does the word “character” mean when talking about a fictional
story?, What does the word “setting” mean when talking about a fictional story?, Please
circle a character from The Little Red Hen. Why is that image a character/setting? How do
you know?
3. Teacher will introduce the element of “problem” using Nearpod. On the next few slides,
students will view various images of someone experiencing a problem (i.e., untied shoe, dirty
dog, cut on finger). Students will “turn and talk,” then share their findings. After the activity
is complete, the teacher will add the “problem” icon to the class Retell Rope.
Questions/Prompts: Can you describe what is happening in this picture? Is this bad or
good? Why is this a problem?
4. Students will participate in an interactive read aloud of the text, focusing all
discussions/questions on the main content objective of the lesson:
a. After listening to the story title, students will be prompted and encouraged to make
predictions about what the story might be about.
b. Prior to reading, the teacher will explain that we will be reading The Little Mouse,
The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood to identify 3 of the
story’s elements: (1) characters, (2) setting, and (3) problem.
c. The teacher will review the Retell Rope, referring specifically to the newly added
“problem” icon.
d. Students will ask and answer comprehension questions about key details in the story
in order to support and monitor attention/understanding. Teacher questioning
level/difficulty will be strategically modified towards each student’s ability level.
e. While reading, the teacher will have a large poster of a blank Story Retell graphic
organizer. When group discussions occur about the characters, setting, and/or
problem, the teacher will point to the appropriate box.
f. The teacher will stop the story prior to finding out the solution (the ending will be
saved for a subsequent lesson).
Questions/Prompts: Let’s make a prediction - What do you think this story might be about?
Who is the character(s)? How do you think the character is feeling right now? Why? Where
does the story take place? Why do you think the mouse is locking up the strawberry? What
is the main problem in this story?
5. After the interactive read aloud and discussions, students will be informed that they will now
break up into 3 table groups and work independently (on a technological device) to identify
the characters, setting, and problem from The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and
the Big Hungry Bear. **Identified students will receive differentiated instruction depending
on need (see ADAPTATIONS /DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION section above).
Questions/Prompts: Only if needed, teacher/assistant may prompt: What is this a picture
of? Where do you think it belongs? Why? This box is asking you to draw a character. What
is a character? What would you draw in the box? Why?
6. After organizers/activities are complete, students will be paired with a table partner(s) to
orally retell the story so far. The teacher and teacher assistant will conference with
partnerships in order to assess students’ understanding of the lesson objective.
Questions/Prompts: N/A
ASSESSMENT:
Students will use a differentiated activity (Nearpod -or- SMART Notebook) in order to
identify and draw (or match) the elements of: (1) characters, (2) setting, and (3) main
problem in the story, The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear
by Don Wood with 100% accuracy.
Teacher will take anecdotal notes on students’ ability to use their completed
organizers/activities about the story elements in order to orally retell the story so far.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE:
Homework
All students take home a “book baggy” which contains 5 books on their independent reading
level. This month, all the books in their baggies are fiction. (If students have access to a
computer at home, they will be encouraged to choose a fiction book from their RAZ Kids
account). Students will read and log their book. After reading, students will identify and draw
about the story’s: (1) character(s), (2) setting(s), and (3) problem using a Story Retell graphic
organizer worksheet.
FOLLOW-UP:
Academic Intervention
Students who did not understand the lesson will attend extra help, which is held during 2 lunch
periods per week. The students will work with the teacher and/or teacher assistant to practice
orally producing, identifying, and drawing the 3 story elements learned. Given a fictional story
scene illustration, the students will:
1. Identify, then verbalize the character/setting/problem in the scene.
2. Draw the character/setting/problem from the scene in the appropriate box on a Story
Retell graphic organizer worksheet.
Academic Enrichment:
The student(s) will be given a blank Story Retell graphic organizer worksheet. The students will
fill-in the elements to create their own fictional story. The students will then be able to use their
completed graphic organizer to tell/verbalize the creative story to the class.
Lesson #4: Introduction to Events
Students will review previously learned fictional elements (character, solution, problem) using a
Kahoot lesson on their iPads. The teacher will use results/feedback from the lesson activity as
informal assessment data regarding previous lesson objectives. In order to introduce today’s
fictional element of events, the teacher will display photographs on the SMART Board. These
photographs will include images of a boy sleeping in bed, a girl eating dinner, children taking a
test, etc. The teacher will explain that events had to happen in order for these people to complete
such tasks. Before a boy goes to sleep in his bed, for instance, he must change into pajamas and
brush his teeth. The teacher will explain that these tasks are called events. The teacher and
students will participate in several “think-pair-share” opportunities in order to share their
thinking about the events of other photographs. The teacher will then add the “events” icon to
the class Retell Rope. Next, the teacher will reread The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry,
and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood, but stop the story prior to finding out the solution. The
ending will be saved for Lesson #5: Introduction to Solution. After the read aloud and
discussions, students will be instructed to match or draw (at least 2) different events that took
place, leading up to the solution.