Descriptive Data:  3^rd grade   Comprehension: Reasoning

Goal:

New Mexico State Standards - Language Arts

~ K-4 Benchmark I-C: Demonstrate critical thinking skills to comprehend written, spoken, and visual information.

Grade 3

1. Draw conclusions, make generalizations, gather support by referencing the text.

~ K-4 Benchmarks III-B: Identify and use the types of literature according to their purpose and function

Grade 3

2. Respond to fiction, non fiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by:

·               relating plots, settings, and characters to own experiences and ideas

·               considering main character’s point of view

·               participating in creative interpretations

*       making inferences and drawing conclusions about characters and events

Objective:

After reviewing and discussing character traits and the importance of setting and reading Otis’s Big Birthday Bang, the students will create a conclusion to the story in small groups using a bubble visual organizer and illustrations. They will be expected to include all the characters and the setting.  I will be able to observe their success by observation and finished product.  They will be able to reread the story shared, and use informational books to help with character traits and illustrations.

Method of Instruction:

A combination of whole group discussion and small group activity.

Time:

5-10 minutes review of character traits and setting. Discuss point of view and voice.

3 minutes to read Otis’s Big Birthday Bang.

5 minutes discussing story, characters, setting, point of view and voice.

Small Groups

40 minutes creating conclusion and illustrating book using visual organizer and informational books.

10 minutes sharing conclusions and illustrations as a whole group.

Modifications/Adaptations:

Students will have the choice to work in a small group or individually.  The length required for ending can vary.

Procedure:

To activate students prior knowledge we will have a group discussion about character traits, setting, point of view, and voice depicted in children’s books. 

HOOK: “I need and ending for my children’s book…can you help me?”

“What are some important things I need in my book?” 

I will reflect aloud my own strategy for the book and what challenges I had.  I will ask students to volunteer definitions of the above story traits.

During the small group activity, I will observe and interact with the students to help any that may be stumped for ideas.

Closure:

Students can volunteer to share their story conclusions and illustrations to the class.  We will discuss different endings and why.

Middle School Lesson Plan

Goals/Content:

~The students will be able to find patterns using Popsicle sticks that help them develop equations that correspond with algebra. 

Links to Curriculum Standards:

6^th grade Mathematics

* Benchmark: Understand patterns, relations, and functions.

            Objectives: #5 Make generalizations based on observed patterns and relationships.

* Benchmark: Use mathematical models to represent and understand quantitative relationships.

            Objective: #1 Develop and use math models to represent and justify mathematical relationships found in a variety of situations.

            Objective: #2 Create, explain, and use math models such as:          ·         Graphs, tables, and charts to interpret and analyze data.

Resources and Material:

~Notes from www.LessonPlanPage.com

·         Popsicle sticks

·         T-chart worksheet

Guiding Questions:

            ~Show the students triangles.  Can triangles be used to build a chain? 

~How do you make a chain? Is there a pattern or relationship? Who may use this kind of pattern to build stuff? What could they build?

~How many Popsicle sticks would you need to create a chain following this pattern?

Assessment:

~I will observe during the small group practice with the Popsicle sticks and during class discussion.  I will interact with the students while they work as groups finding patterns and making a graph.  I will not ask them to turn in, but will talk with them and look at outcomes during end of class discussion.

Learning Connections:

~Students will need to know basic algebraic ideas and functions.  This lesson is basically an idea for a visual learning tool on how to make connections with patterns and graphs and how they are helpful when solving problems.

Activity: The Triangle Chain · Demonstrate triangle chain pattern with popsicle sticks · Separate students into small groups of three or four. Hand out t-chart and popsicle stick ·   Draw a triangle on the board representing the three popsicle sticks make up one triangle ·  Direct students to T-chart.  Put a triangle on left side above the number 1. The left side represents number of triangles and the right side represents the number of Popsicle sticks.  · The students must connect the triangles with the sticks in order to find the pattern.  Show the students the correspondence between the two.  · Ask students to finish charts in their groups and discuss the patterns they found.  · Explain that the number of sticks is two times the number of triangles plus one. Ex. (2x3)+1=7  · Explain also, that the number of sticks is the number of triangles plus one more than that number. Ex.3+4=7 · Discuss how could we find the answer to guiding question. What is it? · Discuss graphs and how they show numerical relationships ·  Have students in their groups make a graph of their T-chart.  · Give students time to discuss what they are seeing while plotting out their points. · Point out to students that the points move over the same amount and up the same amount.

Teaching Strategies:

~ As the teacher I will facilitate discussion about patterns and the relationships with triangles and the chain pattern.  The class will be in whole group for discussion and in small group for practice.  During small group I will visit the groups to encourage different problem solving strategies and encourage group work. The students will be able to represent their ideas to each other as peers and as a whole group at the end of class to review and wrap things up.

Management:

~ I will demonstrate and instruct from the front of the class.  During the activities I will be sitting with the groups throughout small group practice and observing.