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Student: Rina Hartigan Professor: Danielle Rosenberg

Course: EDU 527 Date: 4/21/2018


Grade: K/1 - Special Education Topic: Elements of Fiction Content Area: ELA

Lesson #1: Introduction to Characters


During this lesson, students will review fiction vs. nonfiction using a song/video from YouTube
displayed on the class SMART Board. This song will help remind students how to distinguish
fiction vs. nonfiction texts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFbX-wFPvWo. The teacher
will explain that fiction books contain certain elements, which we will learn about over the next
few days. Today’s element will be: characters. In partnerships, students will explore the term
“characters” using a Thinglink. Attached to the Thinglink will be images and clips of characters
from mentor texts that have been read throughout the year. After interacting with the Thinglink,
teacher and students will have a discussion on noticings and what they think a “character” might
be. The teacher will add the “character” icon to the top of the class Retell Rope and explain that
this rope will contain fiction elements, which will help us retell fiction stories in order. Next,
students will participate in an interactive read aloud of the text, The Little Red Hen by Paul
Galdone. The teacher will focus all discussions/questions on the main content objective of the
lesson. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to match or draw the correct characters
from the text.

Lesson #2: Introduction to Setting


Students will begin by reviewing the class Retell Rope and the element of “character.” Teacher
and students will discuss the characters from The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone. In order to
introduce the element of “setting,” the teacher will display various pictures of places on the
SMART Board: school, farm, mall, playground, library, etc. The teacher and students will
discuss what’s the same about all of the images in order to define the element of “setting.” The
teacher will add the “setting” icon to the class Retell Rope and remind students that this rope will
contain fiction elements, which will help us retell fiction stories in order. Using their individual
iPads, students will scan a QR Code in the front of the room, which will take them directly to a
YouTube link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3TfOH7Yn-A) of The Little Red Hen by
Paul Galdone being read aloud. Students will use their individual earphones to re-listen to the
story. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to match or draw the correct setting from
the text.
Lesson #3: Introduction to Problem
See lesson plan below.

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.

STANDARDS/KEY CONCEPTS (Kindergarten and First Grade):


 RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
o This will be evident when students interact with the teacher read aloud. Students will
ask and answer both literal and inferential story questions during the read aloud
portion of the lesson.
 RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a
story.
o Students will discuss the characters, setting, and problem in The Little Mouse, The
Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear throughout the read aloud. Students
will be assessed on their ability to identify, match/draw, and explain each of these
elements as well.
 RL.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the
story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).
o When students are asked to identify/explain the characters, setting, or problem, they
will be prompted to use the picture clues and illustrations to aid with understanding.
 SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten
topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
o Students will be given opportunities to “turn and talk,” then share their thoughts
throughout the entirety of the lesson. After students complete their differentiated
assessments, they will be guided to work in partnerships to use their completed
activities in order to orally retell the story so far.
 RL.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
o This will be evident when students interact with the teacher read aloud. Students will
ask and answer both literal and inferential story questions during the read aloud
portion of the lesson.
 RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
o Students will discuss the characters, setting, and problem in The Little Mouse, The
Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear throughout the read aloud. Students
will be assessed on their ability to identify, match/draw, and explain each of these
elements as well.
 RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
o When students are asked to identify/explain the characters, setting, or problem, they
will be prompted to use the picture clues and illustrations to aid with understanding.
 SL.1.7 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics
and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
o Students will be given opportunities to “turn and talk,” then share their thoughts
throughout the entirety of the lesson. After students complete their differentiated
assessments, they will be guided to work in partnerships to use their completed
activities in order to orally retell the story so far.

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

For Enrichment: 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.

Lesson #5: Introduction to Solution


In order to begin this lesson, students will use their iPads to participate in a QR Code Scavenger
Hunt. Students will walk around the classroom, scan a code, and answer the question that
appears (recording their answers using pencil a paper). Each question will relate to the fictional
elements that have been previously learned. After the activity, the teacher and students will
discuss the answers. In order to introduce today’s element of solution, students will scan another
QR Code that will lead them to the “Problem” Nearpod lesson utilized in Lesson #3. Students
will be given the appropriate code to input. Students will revisit the same “problem” images
from Lesson #3 (i.e., untied shoe, dirty dog, cut on finger). Students will “turn and talk,” about
how these problems can be fixed, or solved. Students will share their findings and the teacher
will explain that a solution refers to how a problem becomes fixed. After the activity is
complete, the teacher will add the “solution” icon to the class Retell Rope. Next, the teacher will
read the ending to The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don
Wood in order for students to discover how the mouse solved his problem. After the read aloud
and discussions, students will be instructed to match or draw the story’s solution.
Lesson #6: Review of All Fictional Story Elements
This lesson will serve as an overall review (and assessment) of the 5 fictional story elements: (1)
Character, (2) Setting, (3 Problem, (4) Events, and (5) Solution. The teacher and students will
begin by using the completed class Retell Rope to review each of the 5 story elements. The
teacher will read aloud No, David!, by David Shannon. After the read aloud, students will login
to their Google Classroom App and open up the blank “Elements of Fiction” Google Slides
Presentation. This presentation will include a cover slide and blank slides. Each blank slide will
contain a title relating to one of the 5 story elements. Students will insert text and images that
correlate to the corresponding element using the text No, David! In the “Character” slide, for
instance, students will write “David” and/or insert a picture of David from the story. A YouTube
video of the No! David text (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61DD6aay4jE) will be
embedded into the first slide of the presentation. Students will be encouraged to go back and
revisit the text, if needed. The teacher and teacher assistant will be available to support with all
technological needs.

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