A graphic organizer should be constructed as a tool for learning. This graphic organizer follows the lesson plan template on page 15 in CS4TRC. Read the additional information provided on this graphic organizer and use it to analyze the lesson plan you are deconstructing.
Important:
Each partner should use a different color font to indicate her/his contributions to this collaborative assignment. Do not use black!
Where you see a diamond-shaped bullet (turned into a "v" by wikispaces), you will need to provide a response.
“Yes” and “no” (or variations of these such as “none”) are incomplete answers and will earn zero points, except as noted on the checklist.
v Which AASL indicators align with this reading comprehension strategy? Note both the number and the actual language of the indicator. Personally, I would choose fewer indicators that align directly with this RCS strategy: RCS and S4L Alignment Matrix -http://storytrail.com/Impact/matrix.htm
1.1.2: Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning. 1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual, visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning. 1.2.1 Display initiative and engagement by posing questions and investigating the answers beyond the collection of superficial facts. 1.3.4 Contribute to the exchange of ideas within the learning community. 2.1.3 Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real world situations, and further investigations. 2.1.5 Collaborate with others to exchange ideas, develop new understandings, make decisions, and solve problems. 2.2.3 Employ a critical stance in drawing conclusions by demonstrating that the pattern of evidence leads to a decision or conclusion. 2.3.2 Consider diverse and global perspectives in drawing conclusions. 4.1.3 Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and genres. 4.1.5 Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience. 4.2.3 Maintain openness to new ideas by considering divergent opinions, changing opinions or conclusions when evidence supports the change, and seeking information about new ideas encountered through academic or personal experiences. 4.4.4 Interpret new information based on cultural and social context. 4.4.5 Develop personal criteria for gauging how effectively own ideas are expressed.
· Reading Development Level
Note: The levels indicated on the CS4TRC lesson plans correspond roughly as follows:
Emerging: Grades K-1
Advancing: Grades 2-3 Advanced: Grades 4-6
However, these are approximations. Depending on the reading proficiency of the students with whom you work, these grades levels should be adjusted up or down. I have used some of the advanced lesson with 8th-grade students. LS 5443 students who are interested in serving at the high school level should choose an advanced lesson for this assignment or email the professor for several high school examples from her forthcoming book.
· Instructional Strategies
Review these strategies on page 13 in CS4TRC.
v Which of these research-based instructional strategies have you used in your teaching? Name them. In my teaching career I have had an opportunity to use many instructional strategies, such as identifying similarities and differences, cooperative learning and nonlinguistic representation. We start early having children notice similarities and differences in all subject areas. We use such graphic organizers as Venn Diagrams and T-charts. Cooperative learning is another strategy that is important for children. Children learn from each other and it is important that they are paired in cooperative groups. Young children especially love illustrating their work therefore nonlinguistic representation is very important . Drawing is the beginning stages of writing because it helps children get their thoughts together, however not just young children like to illustrate, older children like this as well and the arts should not be left out of the curriculum. I do set objectives for my students and give accurate feedback to them and their parents.
Good. See comment below about matrices and webs.
Of these strategies I have used all of them at one time or another throughout my teaching career. Identifying similarities and differences is a huge strategy that we use all the time. Starting in 4th grade the TAKS test includes a paired passage in which the student has to answer questions comparing and contrasting two stories that have some common thread. I love to use Venn diagrams and Double Bubble maps to teach this concept. Cooperative learning is nice when we have finished reading a story and the students create Thinking Maps in small groups on a certain aspect of the story. Summarizing is another big objective for me. The students use Flow Maps to write the main events of the story to help them write their own summary of the story. Notemaking comes in to play in the fact that the students have to use their own words in the Flow Map. Of course creating illustrations is a favorite part of the reading lesson. My students love to decorate their Thinking Maps with scenes from stories. As for setting objectives, my district has us create "kid friendly TEKS" in which we reword the TEKS language so that the students understand what their learning objective is for the day, week, etc. I do use questioning and cues to generate prior knowledge and create anticipation, however, I need to use advance organizers more often.
Good. Note that category matrices and category webs are other ways to practice identifying similarities and differences.
v Which of these instructional strategies do you need to learn? Name them and describe them. Since I taught most of my career in first and second grade I have not had practice with summarizing and note taking. This was not a skill that we practiced in those grade levels. I feel like I do a good job with questioning my students but I could do a better job with cues and advanced organizers. It is important for school librarians to learn several notemaking strategies for use at different developmental levels.
I would say the one strategy I need to improve on is using advance organizers. I tend to use organizers as a closing activity or assessment piece. Although I have used K-W-L charts in the past, I need to use them consistently to generate prior knowledge. Good. Advanced organizers are especially important when learners don't have much "K" to contribute to a K-W-L chart.
· Lesson Length
v What are your questions about the lesson length? You must have at least one. Should the lesson length be altered depending on how the students are learning the material? Could the teacher librarian schedule the class to come back again in the afternoon in an open slot and count that as day 2 of the lesson? The lessons are designed based on my experience. Two sessions, for me, means two 45-minute sessions on consecutive days. If continuing in the afternoon on the same day works for the library and classroom schedule, why not? Yes, educators need to schedule library time based on their prediction of how long a particular assignment will take a specific group of students.
Could the lesson be done in one longer library visit rather than two if two consecutive visit aren't available? Could the day 1 lesson be cotaught in the library and then the day 2 part be taught in the classroom? It's always a question of determining which components of the lesson benefit the most from having two educators coteaching. What would be lost on day two if the classroom teacher or as suggested the librarian taught the students on her own? Since this is a difficult strategy for students to master, the more student-educator interaction the better.
Note: If you have worked within the constraints of a fixed schedule in which students come to the library just one time per week, there are many options for increasing the amount of time you spend with students. School librarians must think about the fact that NO other teachers in their buildings introduce and teach a concept on Tuesday morning at 10:00 and NEVER mention it again until the next Tuesday morning at 10:00. This is simply not an effective instructional practice. What are your strategies for getting out of the fixed schedule library box? I do have some extra slots that teachers can sign up for in between my fixed periods. I could encourage the teacher to bring her class in a couple of more times during that week in order to finish the lesson, preferably consecutive days if at all possible. Librarians could hang a chart tablet page in the lounge with available time slots listed. The teachers could sign up to come to the library at a certain time with a certain objective in mind. The fixed schedule could still be in place, if necessary, with the flexibility to schedule more visits if possible. It is essential that administrators and classroom teachers experience the potential of the library program before we can expect them to get on board to advocate for flexible scheduling.
· Purpose
v How is the purpose of the lesson connected—or not connected—to your idea of the type of instruction that “should” take place in the school library? This lesson is connected to the library because we must use inference skills in orders to comprehend what we read and everything in the library revolves around reading. Students also need to be able to make good predictions based on the context clues they are given in their reading. All of these skills are essential and are a large part of what must take place in the library setting. The library teacher should help develop these skills at any given opportunity. The theme is sometimes the most important piece of learning a student can take away from a book. Many times, students miss the theme of a story because they are simply trying to decode and comprehend. What better place to teach theme and inference skills than in the one room in the school that is filled with books? In addition, themes go across texts which can help students make text to text connections. Agreed. It is my opinion that school librarians should not limit their work to "information literacy" narrowly defined. Contributing more broadly to reading achievement increases our impact and makes our work more valued by others.
v List at least one verb that is used to name what students will do for every objective in this lesson; list the corresponding level on Bloom’s. Use this chart.
Note that students are working at various levels in one lesson.
· Resources, Materials, and Equipment
Children’s Literature: Freedom Summer, by Deborah Wiles, illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue Goin' Someplace Special, by Patricia McKissack, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney Teammates, by Peter Golenbock, illustrated by Paul Bacon The Unbreakable Code, by Sara Hoagland Hunter, illustrated by Julia Miner Voices of the Alamo, by Sherry Garland, illustrated by Ronald Himler
Websites http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/editions/webextras/moreillon09294/moreillon09294.cfm#6
Graphic Organizers: Anticipation Guide (Web Supplement 6J), Teacher Resource: Evidence-Background Knowledge-Inference Category Matrix (Web Supplement 6K), Evidence-Background Knowledge-Inference Category Matrix (Web Supplement 6L)
Materials
Equipment: Overhead, data projector, or interactive whiteboard
v Which are the different formats or genres used to support learners? historical fiction, biography or information picture books
v Which technology tools are used? If technology is not used in this lesson, do you think there are appropriate tools to help students meet the lesson objectives? Name those tools and how you would use them. Technology isn't utilized by students in this lesson. Students could use Wordle to make a word collage of their final theme sentence. Students could make a Voki booktalk using a final theme sentence of the book.
Good. Few cool Web 2.0 tools were available when this book was written. Never let a published lesson plan limit your creativity.
· Collaboration
v How does this lesson maximize the benefits of two (or more) educators coteaching? Be specific. While one educator reads the anchor book, the other records both educators evidence and inferences both during and after the reading on a class-sized category matrix. After reviewing the evidence, background knowledge and inferences. each educator proposes a theme for the book. One or two small groups are sent to the library for guided practice in order to learn the strategy. Day 1 - One teacher reads while the other models how to record the information on the category matrix.(team teaching) This allows the teachers to focus on different but equally as important aspects of modeling. Day 2 - The teacher can keep groups in the classroom to work on other inference related material while small groups are sent down to the library to work with the librarian. (alternative teaching) This allows the teachers to give more individualized attention to the students in mastering the objective. Good.
· Assessment
v Are there multiple methods/tools for assessing student outcomes?If there’s one, name it. If there are multiple, name them.The students' category matrices show their use of evidence, background, knowledge and inference to construct themes. Educators should set criteria for assessing the completeness of graphic organizers. Students can share their themes in small groups or with the entire class. The use of the matrices allows the teachers to assess their students' process skills in making inferences and creating their theme sentences. Yes.
v Are there opportunities for learners to self assess? (AASL Strand #4: Self-Assessment Strategies) What are they? Is reflection a self-assessment activity?
Yes to these but... they would have to be written into the lesson and assessed. Remember objectives must be both measurable and measured. 3.4.3 Assess own ability to work with others in a group setting by evaluating varied roles, leadership,and demonstrations of respect for other viewpoints. - In the reflection component students discuss other student's inferences and theme sentences to see if they are all the same or not. 4.4.1 Identify own areas of interest. - Students choose their books of interest after the booktalks on day 1. 4.4.4 Interpret new information based on cultural and social context. - Students are using text evidence and combining it with personal experiences to make inferences about themes.
· Standards
Reading and/or writing
Listening and speaking
Other content areas
Information literacy
Educational technology
Same comment here... Are all of these standards and indicators taught and measured in this lesson as written? From my perspective, this is way too many.
v What content-area standards are integrated into this lesson? List them. Use specific standards from state standards in Texas or the state you and your partner have negotiated. 4th grade TEKS (2) Listening/speaking/critical listening. The student listens critically to analyze and evaluate a speaker's message(s). The student is expected to: (A) interpret speakers' messages (both verbal and nonverbal), purposes, and perspectives (3) Listening/speaking/appreciation. The student listens, enjoys, and appreciates spoken language. The student is expected to: (A) listen to proficient, fluent models of oral reading, including selections from classic and contemporary works (B) describe how the language of literature affects the listener (C) assess how language choice and delivery affect the tone of the message
(10) Reading/comprehension. The student comprehends selections using a variety of strategies. The student is expected to: (A) use his/her own knowledge and experience to comprehend (B) establish and adjust purposes for reading such as reading to find out, to understand, to interpret, to enjoy, and to solve problems (C) monitor his/her own comprehension and make modifications when understanding breaks down such as by rereading a portion aloud, using reference aids, searching for clues, and asking questions (H) draw inferences such as conclusions or generalizations and support them with text evidence and experience (11) Reading/literary response. The student expresses and supports responses to various types of texts. The student is expected to: (A) offer observations, make connections, react, speculate, interpret, and raise questions in response to texts (C) support responses by referring to relevant aspects of text and his/her own experiences (13) Reading/inquiry/research. The student inquires and conducts research using a variety of sources. The student is expected to: (E) summarize and organize information from multiple sources by taking notes, outlining ideas, or making charts (H) use compiled information and knowledge to raise additional, unanswered questions (18) Writing/grammar/usage. The student applies standard grammar and usage to communicate clearly and effectively in writing. The student is expected to: (B) write in complete sentences, varying the types such as compound and complex to match meanings and purposes (22) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology. The student is expected to: (A) differentiate between, locate, and use primary and secondary sources such as computer software; interviews; biographies; oral, print, and visual material; and artifacts to acquire information about the United States and Texas; (B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions (D) identify different points of view about an issue or topic; (E) identify the elements of frame of reference that influenced the participants in an event
Note: These lesson plans were published before AASL’s Standards for the 21st Century Learner were available.
v Which AASL indicators align with this lesson? Give both the number and the description for each. INDICATOR 1.1.1: Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects, and make the real-world connection for using this process in own life. INDICATOR 1.1.2: Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning. INDICATOR 1.1.3: Develop and refine a range of questions to frame the search for new understanding. INDICATOR 1.1.4: Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions. INDICATOR 1.1.5: Evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context. INDICATOR 1.1.6: Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual, visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning. INDICATOR 1.1.7: Make sense of information gathered from diverse sources by identifying misconceptions, main and supporting ideas, conflicting information, and point of view or bias. INDICATOR 1.1.8: Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry. INDICATOR 1.1.9: Collaborate with others to broaden and deepen understanding. INDICATOR 2.1.1: Continue an inquiry-based research process by applying critical thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, organization) to information and knowledge in order to construct new understandings, draw conclusions, and create new knowledge. INDICATOR 2.1.2: Organize knowledge so that it is useful. INDICATOR 2.1.3: Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real-world situations, and further investigations. INDICATOR 2.1.5: Collaborate with others to exchange ideas, develop new understandings, make decisions, and solve problems. 3.1.3 Use writing and speaking skills to communicate new understandings effectively. 3.2.2 Show social responsibility by participating actively with others in learning situations and by contributing questions and ideas during group discussions. 3.2.3 Demonstrate teamwork by working productively with others. 3.4.3 Assess own ability to work with others in a group setting by evaluating varied roles, leadership,and demonstrations of respect for other viewpoints. 4.1.3 Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and genres. 4.1.5 Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience. 4.2.3 Maintain openness to new ideas by considering divergent opinions, changing opinions or conclusions when evidence supports the change, and seeking information about new ideas encountered through academic or personal experiences. 4.4.4 Interpret new information based on cultural and social context. 4.4.5 Develop personal criteria for gauging how effectively own ideas are expressed.
Motivation is also known as “anticipatory set” in the Madeline Hunter, EEI lesson plan design. Will this invitation to learn be effective in capturing students’ interest? Why or why not? Yes, because the lesson begins with stories that the students are familiar with, therefore creating prior knowledge so that they are comfortable and not threatened. The smaller groups which are accomplished with two teachers also motivated students too because of the individualized attention they receive during the lesson. Yes. Using timeless fables that children love and are familiar with will create an excitement about learning how to make inferences about themes. The anticipatory guide also creates motivation because the students are asked questions about real world generalizations. This will pique their interest to actually read the book to see what it is about. Agreed.
v What are your ideas to increase student buy-in to this lesson? Give at least one. You could bring in a trunk full of old relics to relate this back to historical fiction before reading the book Freedom Summer to hook students attentions. I always like to use some type of visual because this always gets the students excited and ready to listen.
I like to tie in pop-culture movies when teaching reading comprehension strategies. For example, the teacher could talk about a movie that all the students have seen such as Finding Nemo or something. They can then have a discussion about the theme of the movie. Another source of motivation can be to tell the students that they get to pick the book they are going to read for the second part of the lesson. Students love to feel like they have a choice in their learning.
Agreed. Remember: You want to keep the focus on making inferences and you want to choose an artifact or another text that has a similar theme or tone.
Student-friendly Objectives
v Are these objectives at the instructional level of the targeted students? Give an example. Yes, 4th grade student should be learning about reading comprehension strategies through inferencing and making predictions per TEKS 4.11 A & C: The student expresses and supports responses to various types of texts. The student is expected to: (A) offer observations, make connections, react, speculate, interpret, and raise questions in response to texts. (C) support responses by referring to relevant aspects of text and his/her own experiences. Yes, the 4th TEKS follow the student friendly objectives. Example: 4.10 H states: The students is expected to draw inferences such as conclusions or generalizations and support them with text evidence and experience.
v Are there terms in these objectives that may need to be taught to students? Give an example. Objective 4. Uses the word "craft," Craft a one sentence theme at the end of the reading. This word "craft" may need to be defined. Tell children that this word means the same thing as write. The students may not have had experience in note taking or notemaking. The teacher(s) may need to do a prerequisite lesson on note taking. Agreed... and an assumption here is that students and educators have work together in the library previous to this lesson. (As to the word "craft," I worked with teachers who used that term extensively. Students prior knowledge and the terms used in your building should guide your objective terminology.)
Presentation
v Describe the modeling aspect of this lesson. The teachers are modeling good reading habits such as pausing to make inferences and reading fix-up strategies. The teachers are also modeling for the students how to complete the Inference Category Matrix. Teachers lead the class in a discussion on how inferences are constructed. One teacher reads the anchor book while the other records inferences, evidence,and back ground knowledge.
See photo on my Web site.
v How are the benefits of two or more educators maximized in the presentation component? One educator reads the anchor book Freedom Summer while the other records evidence, background knowledge, and inferences. A teacher and/or librarian cannot be all things at all times. Although we try, it is very difficult to read aloud, pause to model good reading habits, and model for the students how to complete an assignment. Having four hands is better than having two in this case. In addition, the second day the teachers are working with smaller groups of students in different locations. This allows the teachers to give more individualized attention and feedback to the students.
Agreed.
Student Participation Procedures
or
Student Practice Procedures
v Are the directions clear? Give an example. Yes, the student practice procedures are clear and understandable. For example, the student is ask to select a piece of evidence from the text and record it on the graphic organizer. Yes. The students can easily follow the clearly written three step directions. They use student friendly vocabulary (select evidence, record a note about background knowledge, compose one sentence about the theme) and students will have already seen the teachers model how to complete the matrix, so they should understand how to do it themselves.
Agreed. Modeling is key; it makes the objectives/procedures clear to students.
Guided Practice
v How are the benefits of two or more educators maximized in the guided practice component? With two or more educators monitoring students' reading and pausing to make inferences, recording their information, taking comprehensible notes in notemaking format and crafting themes it will be much easier to see which students mastered these skill and who needs more individualized attention and guided practice in order to attain the skills. Agreed. On day 2, the students are to go to the library in small groups while the teacher works with the other students on related but different inference material. Obviously this allows the teachers to give more individualized attention to the students while they are taking notes, making inferences, and creating theme sentences. Agreed.
Closure
v Are students active in the closure component? What are students doing for closure? Day 1 Students are actively sharing their themes in small groups or with the entire class. Students booktalk the historical fiction titles from the text set and record their first and second choice book. Day 2 After reading students actively share the process of making inferences and developing one sentence themes. Students can share themes in small group or with entire class. Agreed.
Closure Day 1: Students share their themes with small groups or the entire class. Students are allowed to pick their top two choices of books to read the following day after listening to the booktalks. Agreed.
Closure Day 2: Students again share their themes with small groups or the entire class. An option on day two is to allow the students to create an anticipation guide to share with a group that hasn't read that particular book yet.
Students love to be the teachers! Basing student-made graphic organizers on educators' examples is powerful for kids.
Reflection
v How is the reflection component related to the learning objectives?During the reflection component students are ask how making inference during and after reading keeps them engaged with the text. They also reflect on how inferences help them craft a one sentence theme. A reflection is made of do all readers make the same inference? Therefore, do all readers come away with the same theme? The reflective component is intertwined throughout this entire lesson as students question themselves and teachers question students to further their learning about inferencing and making predictions. The reflection component asks the students to think further about inferences and themes. Students should have mastered the objectives of making inferences and themes in order to answer these reflection questions.
· Extensions
v What are your other ideas for extensions to this lesson? Describe at least one. Students can use their one sentence themes to create an anticipation guide and exchange it with a group that has not yet read the book they explored. The groups can be paired and then repeat the process of this lesson. After reading, inferring, and crafting themes, both groups can come together to share their interpretations of the texts. Students can create booktalks incorporating their themes via podcast or Voicethread. They can then be posted to the school's website (if one exists) to share with other students. Students could create a poster via Glogster or paper showing several books that have common themes.
Hurray for integrating Web 2.0 into this lesson... most likely job (coteaching) security for the school librarian.
Brava for your thoughtful and thorough analysis of this lesson.
Remember: Extensions are further invitations to classroom-library collaboration. They are worth thinking about during the planning stage!
Individual Reflection – 20 Possible Points – See the Assignment Sheet: A. 3.2 for details.
Important:
- Each partner should use a different color font to indicate her/his contributions to this collaborative assignment. Do not use black!
- Where you see a diamond-shaped bullet (turned into a "v" by wikispaces), you will need to provide a response.
- “Yes” and “no” (or variations of these such as “none”) are incomplete answers and will earn zero points, except as noted on the checklist.
Reading Comprehension Strategy:Instructional Level:
Planning
· Reading Comprehension Strategy (RCS)
Kara Johnson
Lisa Dover
Dr. M.
v Name the RCS. Making Predictions and Inferences
v Which AASL indicators align with this reading comprehension strategy? Note both the number and the actual language of the indicator.
Personally, I would choose fewer indicators that align directly with this RCS strategy: RCS and S4L Alignment Matrix - http://storytrail.com/Impact/matrix.htm
1.1.2: Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual, visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning.
1.2.1 Display initiative and engagement by posing questions and investigating the answers beyond the collection of superficial facts.
1.3.4 Contribute to the exchange of ideas within the learning community.
2.1.3 Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real world situations, and further investigations.
2.1.5 Collaborate with others to exchange ideas, develop new understandings, make decisions, and solve problems.
2.2.3 Employ a critical stance in drawing conclusions by demonstrating that the pattern of evidence leads to a decision or conclusion.
2.3.2 Consider diverse and global perspectives in drawing conclusions.
4.1.3 Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and genres.
4.1.5 Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience.
4.2.3 Maintain openness to new ideas by considering divergent opinions, changing opinions or conclusions when evidence supports the change, and seeking information about new ideas encountered through academic or personal experiences.
4.4.4 Interpret new information based on cultural and social context.
4.4.5 Develop personal criteria for gauging how effectively own ideas are expressed.
· Reading Development Level
Note: The levels indicated on the CS4TRC lesson plans correspond roughly as follows:
Emerging: Grades K-1
Advancing: Grades 2-3
Advanced: Grades 4-6
However, these are approximations. Depending on the reading proficiency of the students with whom you work, these grades levels should be adjusted up or down. I have used some of the advanced lesson with 8th-grade students. LS 5443 students who are interested in serving at the high school level should choose an advanced lesson for this assignment or email the professor for several high school examples from her forthcoming book.
· Instructional Strategies
Review these strategies on page 13 in CS4TRC.
v Which of these research-based instructional strategies have you used in your teaching? Name them. In my teaching career I have had an opportunity to use many instructional strategies, such as identifying similarities and differences, cooperative learning and nonlinguistic representation. We start early having children notice similarities and differences in all subject areas. We use such graphic organizers as Venn Diagrams and T-charts. Cooperative learning is another strategy that is important for children. Children learn from each other and it is important that they are paired in cooperative groups. Young children especially love illustrating their work therefore nonlinguistic representation is very important . Drawing is the beginning stages of writing because it helps children get their thoughts together, however not just young children like to illustrate, older children like this as well and the arts should not be left out of the curriculum. I do set objectives for my students and give accurate feedback to them and their parents.
Good. See comment below about matrices and webs.
Of these strategies I have used all of them at one time or another throughout my teaching career. Identifying similarities and differences is a huge strategy that we use all the time. Starting in 4th grade the TAKS test includes a paired passage in which the student has to answer questions comparing and contrasting two stories that have some common thread. I love to use Venn diagrams and Double Bubble maps to teach this concept. Cooperative learning is nice when we have finished reading a story and the students create Thinking Maps in small groups on a certain aspect of the story. Summarizing is another big objective for me. The students use Flow Maps to write the main events of the story to help them write their own summary of the story. Notemaking comes in to play in the fact that the students have to use their own words in the Flow Map. Of course creating illustrations is a favorite part of the reading lesson. My students love to decorate their Thinking Maps with scenes from stories. As for setting objectives, my district has us create "kid friendly TEKS" in which we reword the TEKS language so that the students understand what their learning objective is for the day, week, etc. I do use questioning and cues to generate prior knowledge and create anticipation, however, I need to use advance organizers more often.
Good. Note that category matrices and category webs are other ways to practice identifying similarities and differences.
v Which of these instructional strategies do you need to learn? Name them and describe them. Since I taught most of my career in first and second grade I have not had practice with summarizing and note taking. This was not a skill that we practiced in those grade levels. I feel like I do a good job with questioning my students but I could do a better job with cues and advanced organizers.
It is important for school librarians to learn several notemaking strategies for use at different developmental levels.
I would say the one strategy I need to improve on is using advance organizers. I tend to use organizers as a closing activity or assessment piece. Although I have used K-W-L charts in the past, I need to use them consistently to generate prior knowledge.
Good. Advanced organizers are especially important when learners don't have much "K" to contribute to a K-W-L chart.
· Lesson Length
v What are your questions about the lesson length? You must have at least one. Should the lesson length be altered depending on how the students are learning the material? Could the teacher librarian schedule the class to come back again in the afternoon in an open slot and count that as day 2 of the lesson?
The lessons are designed based on my experience. Two sessions, for me, means two 45-minute sessions on consecutive days. If continuing in the afternoon on the same day works for the library and classroom schedule, why not? Yes, educators need to schedule library time based on their prediction of how long a particular assignment will take a specific group of students.
Could the lesson be done in one longer library visit rather than two if two consecutive visit aren't available? Could the day 1 lesson be cotaught in the library and then the day 2 part be taught in the classroom?
It's always a question of determining which components of the lesson benefit the most from having two educators coteaching. What would be lost on day two if the classroom teacher or as suggested the librarian taught the students on her own? Since this is a difficult strategy for students to master, the more student-educator interaction the better.
Note: If you have worked within the constraints of a fixed schedule in which students come to the library just one time per week, there are many options for increasing the amount of time you spend with students. School librarians must think about the fact that NO other teachers in their buildings introduce and teach a concept on Tuesday morning at 10:00 and NEVER mention it again until the next Tuesday morning at 10:00. This is simply not an effective instructional practice. What are your strategies for getting out of the fixed schedule library box? I do have some extra slots that teachers can sign up for in between my fixed periods. I could encourage the teacher to bring her class in a couple of more times during that week in order to finish the lesson, preferably consecutive days if at all possible.
Librarians could hang a chart tablet page in the lounge with available time slots listed. The teachers could sign up to come to the library at a certain time with a certain objective in mind. The fixed schedule could still be in place, if necessary, with the flexibility to schedule more visits if possible.
It is essential that administrators and classroom teachers experience the potential of the library program before we can expect them to get on board to advocate for flexible scheduling.
· Purpose
v How is the purpose of the lesson connected—or not connected—to your idea of the type of instruction that “should” take place in the school library?
This lesson is connected to the library because we must use inference skills in orders to comprehend what we read and everything in the library revolves around reading. Students also need to be able to make good predictions based on the context clues they are given in their reading. All of these skills are essential and are a large part of what must take place in the library setting. The library teacher should help develop these skills at any given opportunity.
The theme is sometimes the most important piece of learning a student can take away from a book. Many times, students miss the theme of a story because they are simply trying to decode and comprehend. What better place to teach theme and inference skills than in the one room in the school that is filled with books? In addition, themes go across texts which can help students make text to text connections.
Agreed. It is my opinion that school librarians should not limit their work to "information literacy" narrowly defined. Contributing more broadly to reading achievement increases our impact and makes our work more valued by others.
· Objectives
Review Bloom’s Taxonomy: http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm
v List at least one verb that is used to name what students will do for every objective in this lesson; list the corresponding level on Bloom’s. Use this chart.
Example:
Objective 2
Objective 3
Objective 4
Objective 5
Combine
Record
Use
Craft
Evaluation
Application
Application
Evaluation
· Resources, Materials, and Equipment
Children’s Literature: Freedom Summer, by Deborah Wiles, illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue
Goin' Someplace Special, by Patricia McKissack, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Teammates, by Peter Golenbock, illustrated by Paul Bacon
The Unbreakable Code, by Sara Hoagland Hunter, illustrated by Julia Miner
Voices of the Alamo, by Sherry Garland, illustrated by Ronald Himler
Websites http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/editions/webextras/moreillon09294/moreillon09294.cfm#6
Graphic Organizers: Anticipation Guide (Web Supplement 6J), Teacher Resource: Evidence-Background Knowledge-Inference Category Matrix (Web Supplement 6K), Evidence-Background Knowledge-Inference Category Matrix (Web Supplement 6L)
Materials
Equipment: Overhead, data projector, or interactive whiteboard
v Which are the different formats or genres used to support learners? historical fiction, biography or information picture books
v Which technology tools are used? If technology is not used in this lesson, do you think there are appropriate tools to help students meet the lesson objectives? Name those tools and how you would use them.
Technology isn't utilized by students in this lesson. Students could use Wordle to make a word collage of their final theme sentence. Students could make a Voki booktalk using a final theme sentence of the book.
Good. Few cool Web 2.0 tools were available when this book was written. Never let a published lesson plan limit your creativity.
· Collaboration
v How does this lesson maximize the benefits of two (or more) educators coteaching? Be specific. While one educator reads the anchor book, the other records both educators evidence and inferences both during and after the reading on a class-sized category matrix. After reviewing the evidence, background knowledge and inferences. each educator proposes a theme for the book. One or two small groups are sent to the library for guided practice in order to learn the strategy.
Day 1 - One teacher reads while the other models how to record the information on the category matrix.(team teaching) This allows the teachers to focus on different but equally as important aspects of modeling.
Day 2 - The teacher can keep groups in the classroom to work on other inference related material while small groups are sent down to the library to work with the librarian. (alternative teaching) This allows the teachers to give more individualized attention to the students in mastering the objective.
Good.
· Assessment
v Are there multiple methods/tools for assessing student outcomes?If there’s one, name it. If there are multiple, name them.The students' category matrices show their use of evidence, background, knowledge and inference to construct themes. Educators should set criteria for assessing the completeness of graphic organizers.
Students can share their themes in small groups or with the entire class. The use of the matrices allows the teachers to assess their students' process skills in making inferences and creating their theme sentences.
Yes.
v Are there opportunities for learners to self assess? (AASL Strand #4: Self-Assessment Strategies) What are they?
Is reflection a self-assessment activity?
Yes to these but... they would have to be written into the lesson and assessed. Remember objectives must be both measurable and measured.
3.4.3 Assess own ability to work with others in a group setting by evaluating varied roles, leadership,and demonstrations of respect for other viewpoints. - In the reflection component students discuss other student's inferences and theme sentences to see if they are all the same or not.
4.4.1 Identify own areas of interest. - Students choose their books of interest after the booktalks on day 1.
4.4.4 Interpret new information based on cultural and social context. - Students are using text evidence and combining it with personal experiences to make inferences about themes.
· Standards
Reading and/or writing
Listening and speaking
Other content areas
Information literacy
Educational technology
Same comment here... Are all of these standards and indicators taught and measured in this lesson as written? From my perspective, this is way too many.
v What content-area standards are integrated into this lesson? List them. Use specific standards from state standards in Texas or the state you and your partner have negotiated.
4th grade TEKS
(2) Listening/speaking/critical listening. The student listens critically to analyze and evaluate a speaker's message(s). The student is expected to:
(A) interpret speakers' messages (both verbal and nonverbal), purposes, and perspectives
(3) Listening/speaking/appreciation. The student listens, enjoys, and appreciates spoken language. The student is expected to:
(A) listen to proficient, fluent models of oral reading, including selections from classic and contemporary works
(B) describe how the language of literature affects the listener
(C) assess how language choice and delivery affect the tone of the message
(10) Reading/comprehension. The student comprehends selections using a variety of strategies. The student is expected to:
(A) use his/her own knowledge and experience to comprehend
(B) establish and adjust purposes for reading such as reading to find out, to understand, to interpret, to enjoy, and to solve problems
(C) monitor his/her own comprehension and make modifications when understanding breaks down such as by rereading a portion aloud, using reference aids, searching for clues, and asking questions
(H) draw inferences such as conclusions or generalizations and support them with text evidence and experience
(11) Reading/literary response. The student expresses and supports responses to various types of texts. The student is expected to:
(A) offer observations, make connections, react, speculate, interpret, and raise questions in response to texts
(C) support responses by referring to relevant aspects of text and his/her own experiences
(13) Reading/inquiry/research. The student inquires and conducts research using a variety of sources. The student is expected to:
(E) summarize and organize information from multiple sources by taking notes, outlining ideas, or making charts
(H) use compiled information and knowledge to raise additional, unanswered questions
(18) Writing/grammar/usage. The student applies standard grammar and usage to communicate clearly and effectively in writing. The student is expected to:
(B) write in complete sentences, varying the types such as compound and complex to match meanings and purposes
(22) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
(A) differentiate between, locate, and use primary and secondary sources such as computer software; interviews; biographies; oral, print, and visual material; and artifacts to acquire information about the United States and Texas;
(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions
(D) identify different points of view about an issue or topic;
(E) identify the elements of frame of reference that influenced the participants in an event
Note: These lesson plans were published before AASL’s Standards for the 21st Century Learner were available.
Same comment here: These are the two AASL indicators I chose for this lesson: http://storytrail.com/Impact/Chapter_6/main3.htm
v Which AASL indicators align with this lesson? Give both the number and the description for each.
INDICATOR 1.1.1: Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects, and make the real-world connection for using this process in own life.
INDICATOR 1.1.2: Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
INDICATOR 1.1.3: Develop and refine a range of questions to frame the search for new understanding.
INDICATOR 1.1.4: Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.
INDICATOR 1.1.5: Evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.
INDICATOR 1.1.6: Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual, visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning. INDICATOR 1.1.7: Make sense of information gathered from diverse sources by identifying misconceptions, main and supporting ideas, conflicting information, and point of view or bias.
INDICATOR 1.1.8: Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry.
INDICATOR 1.1.9: Collaborate with others to broaden and deepen understanding.
INDICATOR 2.1.1: Continue an inquiry-based research process by applying critical thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, organization) to information and knowledge in order to construct new understandings, draw conclusions, and create new knowledge.
INDICATOR 2.1.2: Organize knowledge so that it is useful.
INDICATOR 2.1.3: Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real-world situations, and further investigations.
INDICATOR 2.1.5: Collaborate with others to exchange ideas, develop new understandings, make decisions, and solve problems.
3.1.3 Use writing and speaking skills to communicate new understandings effectively.
3.2.2 Show social responsibility by participating actively with others in learning situations and by contributing questions and ideas during group discussions.
3.2.3 Demonstrate teamwork by working productively with others.
3.4.3 Assess own ability to work with others in a group setting by evaluating varied roles, leadership,and demonstrations of respect for other viewpoints.
4.1.3 Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and genres.
4.1.5 Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience.
4.2.3 Maintain openness to new ideas by considering divergent opinions, changing opinions or conclusions when evidence supports the change, and seeking information about new ideas encountered through academic or personal experiences.
4.4.4 Interpret new information based on cultural and social context.
4.4.5 Develop personal criteria for gauging how effectively own ideas are expressed.
http://aasl.ala.org/aaslstandindtf/index.php?title=Benchmarks
Implementation
· Process
Motivation
Motivation is also known as “anticipatory set” in the Madeline Hunter, EEI lesson plan design. Will this invitation to learn be effective in capturing students’ interest? Why or why not? Yes, because the lesson begins with stories that the students are familiar with, therefore creating prior knowledge so that they are comfortable and not threatened. The smaller groups which are accomplished with two teachers also motivated students too because of the individualized attention they receive during the lesson.
Yes. Using timeless fables that children love and are familiar with will create an excitement about learning how to make inferences about themes. The anticipatory guide also creates motivation because the students are asked questions about real world generalizations. This will pique their interest to actually read the book to see what it is about.
Agreed.
v What are your ideas to increase student buy-in to this lesson? Give at least one.
You could bring in a trunk full of old relics to relate this back to historical fiction before reading the book Freedom Summer to hook students attentions. I always like to use some type of visual because this always gets the students excited and ready to listen.
I like to tie in pop-culture movies when teaching reading comprehension strategies. For example, the teacher could talk about a movie that all the students have seen such as Finding Nemo or something. They can then have a discussion about the theme of the movie.
Another source of motivation can be to tell the students that they get to pick the book they are going to read for the second part of the lesson. Students love to feel like they have a choice in their learning.
Agreed. Remember: You want to keep the focus on making inferences and you want to choose an artifact or another text that has a similar theme or tone.
Student-friendly Objectives
v Are these objectives at the instructional level of the targeted students? Give an example.
Yes, 4th grade student should be learning about reading comprehension strategies through inferencing and making predictions per TEKS 4.11 A & C: The student expresses and supports responses to various types of texts. The student is expected to:
(A) offer observations, make connections, react, speculate, interpret, and raise questions in response to texts.
(C) support responses by referring to relevant aspects of text and his/her own experiences.
Yes, the 4th TEKS follow the student friendly objectives. Example: 4.10 H states: The students is expected to draw inferences such as conclusions or generalizations and support them with text evidence and experience.
v Are there terms in these objectives that may need to be taught to students? Give an example. Objective 4. Uses the word "craft," Craft a one sentence theme at the end of the reading. This word "craft" may need to be defined. Tell children that this word means the same thing as write.
The students may not have had experience in note taking or notemaking. The teacher(s) may need to do a prerequisite lesson on note taking.
Agreed... and an assumption here is that students and educators have work together in the library previous to this lesson. (As to the word "craft," I worked with teachers who used that term extensively. Students prior knowledge and the terms used in your building should guide your objective terminology.)
Presentation
v Describe the modeling aspect of this lesson.
The teachers are modeling good reading habits such as pausing to make inferences and reading fix-up strategies. The teachers are also modeling for the students how to complete the Inference Category Matrix.
Teachers lead the class in a discussion on how inferences are constructed. One teacher reads the anchor book while the other records inferences, evidence,and back ground knowledge.
See photo on my Web site.
v How are the benefits of two or more educators maximized in the presentation component? One educator reads the anchor book Freedom Summer while the other records evidence, background knowledge, and inferences.
A teacher and/or librarian cannot be all things at all times. Although we try, it is very difficult to read aloud, pause to model good reading habits, and model for the students how to complete an assignment. Having four hands is better than having two in this case. In addition, the second day the teachers are working with smaller groups of students in different locations. This allows the teachers to give more individualized attention and feedback to the students.
Agreed.
Student Participation Procedures
or
Student Practice Procedures
v Are the directions clear? Give an example. Yes, the student practice procedures are clear and understandable. For example, the student is ask to select a piece of evidence from the text and record it on the graphic organizer.
Yes. The students can easily follow the clearly written three step directions. They use student friendly vocabulary (select evidence, record a note about background knowledge, compose one sentence about the theme) and students will have already seen the teachers model how to complete the matrix, so they should understand how to do it themselves.
Agreed. Modeling is key; it makes the objectives/procedures clear to students.
Guided Practice
v How are the benefits of two or more educators maximized in the guided practice component? With two or more educators monitoring students' reading and pausing to make inferences, recording their information, taking comprehensible notes in notemaking format and crafting themes it will be much easier to see which students mastered these skill and who needs more individualized attention and guided practice in order to attain the skills.
Agreed.
On day 2, the students are to go to the library in small groups while the teacher works with the other students on related but different inference material. Obviously this allows the teachers to give more individualized attention to the students while they are taking notes, making inferences, and creating theme sentences.
Agreed.
Closure
v Are students active in the closure component? What are students doing for closure?
Day 1 Students are actively sharing their themes in small groups or with the entire class. Students booktalk the historical fiction titles from the text set and record their first and second choice book.
Day 2 After reading students actively share the process of making inferences and developing one sentence themes. Students can share themes in small group or with entire class.
Agreed.
Closure Day 1: Students share their themes with small groups or the entire class. Students are allowed to pick their top two choices of books to read the following day after listening to the booktalks.
Agreed.
Closure Day 2: Students again share their themes with small groups or the entire class. An option on day two is to allow the students to create an anticipation guide to share with a group that hasn't read that particular book yet.
Students love to be the teachers! Basing student-made graphic organizers on educators' examples is powerful for kids.
Reflection
v How is the reflection component related to the learning objectives?During the reflection component students are ask how making inference during and after reading keeps them engaged with the text. They also reflect on how inferences help them craft a one sentence theme. A reflection is made of do all readers make the same inference? Therefore, do all readers come away with the same theme? The reflective component is intertwined throughout this entire lesson as students question themselves and teachers question students to further their learning about inferencing and making predictions.
The reflection component asks the students to think further about inferences and themes. Students should have mastered the objectives of making inferences and themes in order to answer these reflection questions.
· Extensions
v What are your other ideas for extensions to this lesson? Describe at least one.
Students can use their one sentence themes to create an anticipation guide and exchange it with a group that has not yet read the book they explored. The groups can be paired and then repeat the process of this lesson. After reading, inferring, and crafting themes, both groups can come together to share their interpretations of the texts.
Students can create booktalks incorporating their themes via podcast or Voicethread. They can then be posted to the school's website (if one exists) to share with other students.
Students could create a poster via Glogster or paper showing several books that have common themes.
Hurray for integrating Web 2.0 into this lesson... most likely job (coteaching) security for the school librarian.
Brava for your thoughtful and thorough analysis of this lesson.
Remember: Extensions are further invitations to classroom-library collaboration. They are worth thinking about during the planning stage!
Individual Reflection – 20 Possible Points – See the Assignment Sheet: A. 3.2 for details.