Thursday, May 30, 2013

Lesson Day One

Component I:  Classroom Teaching
Task A-1:  Teaching and Learning Context



Intern Name: Casey Unger
                                                                                         Date: 6/1/13
Content Areas:
Fluency, Comprehension and Expression
Grade Level(s):
2nd  

Daily average number of students taught
18

School Instructional Goals 

Analyze major school instructional goals, and briefly describe your anticipated contribution.  Work with your resource teacher, colleagues, principal, or other school personnel to help identify these goals.

In the 2012-2013 school year the school wide goal is to make a difference and be "difference makers."  In order for the school district to begin to make a difference the teachers aligned the curriculum.  District wide, each grade level aligned the currciulum and made a pacing guide for each six weeks.  We have district wide "I can" statements and assessments that each school will use.  Throughout this year, the teachers are to meet and help improve the alignment of the curriculum.  Making the pacing guide has been very benefial and a learning experience.

Resources/Assistance 
Develop (conduct) an inventory of available resources and assistance. (Possible examples: technology, parent involvement, supplies, and human resources available to you.) 

According to the school report card, Stanton Elementary has 1,882 hours of parent volunteers.  Each classroom has four computers for students use and one for teachers use.  All teachers have a document camera, tv, and sound systems that include hands free microphone and hands free mic for teachers.  All teachers maintain teacher websites that informs parents and students of upcoming events and educational materials to work with at home.  Students and teachers have access to: school computer lab, internet, laptops, laptop carts, portable Smartboards and digital cameras.   Parents are very involved at Stanton Elementary.  Last year, 473 parents attended at least one teacher conference .  Number of parents who have voted for SBDM members is 21 and 15 have served on this committee.



Describe how you will utilize resources to implement school and instructional goals.  

I utilize available resources on a daily bases.  Students have the opportunity to use computers daily during Fast ForWord (reading program aligned with standards).  I use the sound system on a daily bases because it projects my voice for the student and it keeps them focused.  Students enjoy the use of the microphone and all students listen to each other speaking.  The document camera is used daily as well and used to model work and the computer and projector is used for Discovery Education videos and other great resources on the computer.  These resources will help implement my instructional goals, while helping teach the common core standards.



Critical Student Characteristics or Attributes
  1.  Using appropriate student achievement and demographic data, identify and describe the characteristics of your students that will require differentiated instruction to meet their diverse needs. (In developing your response, you may need to examine characteristics such as differences in culture, language, and learning styles as well as differences in developmental levels and achievement levels.)
N/A

  1. Based on the diversities you’ve described in a above develop a profile for three specific students in your class(es) that you teach during your school day.  See KTIP Completed Tasks Examples for a sample.
N/A





Your committee members will review and evaluate your performance on this task using Standard 1: The teacher demonstrates applied content knowledge and Standard 2: The teacher designs and plans instruction.
Component I: Classroom Teaching
Task A-2:  Lesson Plan

Intern Name:      Casey Unger                               Date:            6/1/13                                 Cycle:

# of Students:    18                               Age/Grade Level:         6/K                 Content Area: Comprehension/Fluency/Expression

Unit Title:   Readers Theatre                                       Lesson Title: Day 1: Expressions
Lesson Alignment to Unit
Objective:
Students will read with expressions.

a)      Connect the objectives to the state curriculum documents, i.e., Program of Studies, Kentucky Core Content, and/or Kentucky Core Academic Standards.

 ELACC2RI4: Determine the meanings of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.


ELACC2RI6: Identify the main purpose of a text, including
what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.


ELACC2RF4: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support
 comprehension.
a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
c.       Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate,
and expression on successive readings.
d.      Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition
and understanding, rereading as necessary.


b)      Describe students’ prior knowledge or focus of the previous learning.

Students have prior knowledge of reading fluently and using expressions.  They know when to use expressions but this lesson will focus on certain words.  


c)      Describe summative assessment(s) for this particular unit and how lessons in this unit contribute to the summative assessment.

A summative assessment will be done on day three when students perform for an audience.

d)      Describe the characteristics of your students identified in Task A-1 who will require differentiated instruction to meet their diverse needs impacting instructional planning in this lesson of the unit.

This lesson will require differentiated instruction.  For each part pair one or two (preferably) good readers.  Make sure to have strong readers for the Narrator and any other major characters with lots of speaking parts.  The weaker readers will then be able to better read aloud if they have someone strong to read along with them.    

e)      Pre-Assessment:  Describe your analysis of pre-assessment data used in developing lesson objectives/learning targets (Describe how you will trigger prior
 knowledge):
Pre-assessment could be STAR reading assessment or any type of reading oral assessment to determine the students level of reading.




Lesson Objectives/
Learning Targets

Assessment

Instructional Strategy/Activity

Objective/target:
Students will read with expressions.

Assessment description:
The students will highlight words to use expression when reading.

Assessment Accommodations:
N/A
Strategy/Activity:
Students will be assigned parts, reading through their parts and then deciding which words will need emphasized with expressions.  They will highlight the words the group agrees upon.  

Activity Adaptations:
When monitoring students if they are not understanding or correctly highlighting words, give them another color highlighter to start again.

Media/technologies/resources:
Document camera, computer, and sound system.
Procedures: Describe the sequence of strategies and activities you will use to engage students and accomplish your objectives. Within this sequence, describe how the differentiated strategies will meet individual student needs and diverse learners in your plan. (Use this section to outline the who, what, when, and where of the instructional strategies and activities.)

Step 1: Introduce the lesson by explaining reader’s theatre.  “This will be a three day process and we will learn to read more fluently, have expression, comprehend the text better and perform for an audience.  Today’s “I can” statement will be I can decide what words need more emphasize and read those words with expression.  Provide example of sentences that and have students decide which words need emphasized.   Example: I fell into a hot pot!
Step 2: Hand out scripts and activate prior knowledge of the story. (Free scripted can be found online)
Step 3: Read the script with the students.  Discuss the plot, setting, and characters.  Make sure the students know the role of each character.
Step 4 Assign parts:  For each part pair one or two (preferably) good readers.  Make sure to have strong readers for the Narrator and any other major characters with lots of speaking parts.  The weaker readers will then be able to better read aloud if they have someone strong to read along with them.   
Step 5: Model with student’s one line on how to read it together (this will be the main focus for day two however this needs to be discussed today).
Step 6: Separate groups in the room so they can only hear each other in their group.  They will practice just their lines.
Step 7: Have each group reread their parts and decide what words need to be emphasized with expression.   Highlight on only one copy that words that all group members agree upon. 
Step 8:  For steps 6-8 the teacher will be walking around the room to make sure they are on task and highlighting words that should be emphasized.  If students have highlighted too many words or incorrect words give them another highlighter color to start over. 
Step 9: Collect scripts for assessment on the words they decided to emphasize. Review content covered in today’s lesson.




Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Questions

1. How many hours did you complete? 5 Hours

2. In a short paragraph or bulleted list, how did you spend your time?
  • Attended a Reading Celebration "A Time to Read."
  • Attended Site Base Meeting
  • Attended Board Meeting
3. How did the experience help you to strengthen at least one Kentucky Teacher Standard? (be sure to name the standard)

One Kentucky Teacher Standard that was strengthen would have to be the standard II: Designs and plans instruction.  The field experience allowed me to learn new lesson ideas for all grade levels.
For example: "Caps for Sale" student use musical instruments while singing the book on tape.  "Tuck Every Lasting" students write letters to the character in the book explaining their decision on whether they want to live forever. 

4. Talk a little about one thing you learned because of this field experience.

During the field experience I learned how talented the students are in Powell County.  At the Reading Celebration and the Board Meeting students performed different books.  Seeing many different books performed allowed me to develop new ideas as well as taking notes on the activities preformed.   I can have my students read the books and do the same activity in the future based on the grade level I may be teaching.

A Child Called "It"


Pelzer, D. J. (1995). A child called "it": An abused child's journey from victim to victor. Deerfield Beach, Fla: Health Communications.

A child called "it" : an abused child

Summary: "A Child Called 'it'" is a true story of Dave Pelzer.  When you read the book you will learn about his childhood and how it was filled with cruel events from his alcoholic and crazy mother.  He went through unthinkably events such as beatings, starvation, and locked in the bathroom with Clorox and ammonia fumes.  This is just a small selection of how her was treated.

Reflection:

Autobiography: An autobiography is a piece of writing about someones life.  This book is about the childhood of Dave Pelzer.  When reading the book you will learn just how bad his mother treated him when growing up.  

Flashback: Chapter one "The Rescue"  tells us that "David Pelzer,' he says, 'you're free.'" In the following chapters he flashbacks to his life when his family was like the "Brady Bunch of the 1960s" to his childhood when the abuse started. 

Style:  The way the author tells the story is very touching for the intended audience.  It hooks the readers and creates an emotional bond.  Example: "My relationship with mom drastically changed from discipline to punishment that grew out of control. It became so bad at times, I had no strength to crawl away--even if it meant saving my life."

Questions:
How many types of child abuse did Dave suffer?
Why do you think Dave's mother abused only him and not his siblings?
Why do you think his father did not help him and just leave?
What would you have done if you were Dave?

Reading Log & Wiki

Reading Log for 30 books (to paste into your blog in at the end of the term)

  • Instructions: List the titles and authors you read under each Genre, and use checklist below for Wiki posts. Then, highlight this material and paste it into a final blog post. I have already included (in the 30) the ones we read for discussion. Feel free to read more in each genre as you make time. Failure to read and list at least 30 books will results in grade being lowered one letter.
                                           
Genre / Titles you read (Hit enter after each one and a new number should pop up)
             I.      Non-fiction/Informational (1 chapter book or photo essay book reflection required on blog)
1)      A Child called “It” by Dave Pelzer
2)      Rosa by Nikki Giovanni



          II.      Poetry (1 chapter or picture book reflection required on blog)
1)      Mother Goose Numbers on the Loose by Leo & Diane Dillon


       III.      Modern Fantasy (1 chapter book reflection required on blog)          
1)      I, Jack  by Patricia Finney. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)
2)      Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse, by Leo Linonni
3)      Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White



       IV.      Historical Fiction (1 reflection required on blog –can be a picture book)     
1)      The Teacher’s Funeral by Richard Peck. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)
2)      Artic Memories by Normee Ekoomiak
3)      Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys by Elizabeth Fitzgerald

          V.      Multicultural/Traditional (2 reflections required on blog – one can be a picture book)         
1)      Hiroshima: A Novella by Laurence Yep (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)
2)      American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
3)      The Great Migration Journey to the North by Eloise Greenfield

       VI.      Realistic Fiction (1 chapter book reflection required on blog)
1)      Baby by Patricia MacLachlan. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)
2)      Building A House by Bryon Barton
3)      A Chair For My Mother by Vera B. Williams
4)      Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel
5)      The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
6)      On my Honor by Marion Dane Bauer

    VII.      Picture Books (5 reflections required on blog during the first two weeks of class. There should be a total here of at least six.)
1)      The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)
2)      –Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
3)      –The True Story of The 3 Little Pigs by A. Wolf
4)      –Yo! Yes? By Chris Raschka
5)      Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting
6)      Owen by Kevin Henkes
7)      –Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present by Charlotte Zolotow
8)      –Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
9)      A Good Day by Kevin Henkes
10)  A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry


Wiki Checklist
Instructions: Write the number of entries for each category you posted into on the Course Wiki (requirement is four total posts, in four different categories)

____ Social Studies
__☺__ Science
__☺__ Math
____ Music
____ Art
____ Reading/Language Arts
____ Physical Education
____ Other

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys


Howard, E. F., & Lewis, E. B. (1999). Virgie goes to school with us boys. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.





Sunday, April 14, 2013

On My Honor

Bauer, M. D., & Juvenile Collection (Library of Congress). (1986). On my honor. New York: Clarion Books.
Book Talk:
Imagine the future when you are a teenager.  Will you be a daredevil, risk taker, or a follower?  In the book On My Honor these examples are played out in a realistic fiction novel of the adventures of two friends.  Joel and Tony take a bike ride to Starved Rock.  The path to this park is “awfully narrow…hilly and winding, too.”  What adventures will they encounter on this dangerous trip?  Will Joel keep his honor and stay safe like he promises his father?  Read this book to find out what risk these teenagers take. 

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Mother Goose Numbers On The Loose

Dillon, L., & Dillon, D. (2007). Mother Goose: Numbers on the loose. Orlando: Harcourt.
Summary: This book is about "numbers on the loose."  Every page involved mischievous numbers counting, and rhyming.  Familiar and lesser-known rhymes from the famous Mother Goose help tell the story and help students learn how to count. 
 
Reflection: In this poetry book about numbers children can easily recognize the rhyme on each page of this book.  I also noticed on some pages the words have the same vowel sound, which is called assonance.  I also noticed the page layout on each page had a certain typeface. The first word on each page was in all caps and bold.  Each number was also in bold and in a larger font.  I'm excited to read this book to my students.  They will enjoy the rhymes and find this book funny!  Some will be able to complete the famous Mother Goose poems.
Questions:
What are the rhyming words?
Can you finish these statements?  "1, 2, Buckle my...., 3, 4, ..... 5, 6, pick up...."


Typeface (WASH) and Rhyme:(dishes, wishes, kisses)
                                                                                                       
Assonance a-e: (dame, lane)

Monday, April 1, 2013

American Born Chinese

Yang, G. L., & Pien, L. (2006). American born Chinese. New York: First Second.

Summary: American Born Chinese consists of three interweaved stories that eventually combine into one narrative.  The first tale is based upon The Monkey King who is has lived for thousands of years and has mastered the arts of kung fu and the heavenly disciplines.  He tries to defeat how he is treated like a god by training day and night to get rid of his identity as a monkey.  He later learns to accept himself and disguises as Danny’s cousin “Chin-Kee.”  The second tale is the story is about Jin Wang, who moved from San Francisco's Chinatown to a town with white Americans. Jin Wang struggles to fit in at his new school, and the white American culture. The third tale is about an American boy named Danny.  His cousin Chin-Kee comes to visit and has many American racial stereotypes.  All of the characters have problems, and they have trouble solving their problems. By the end of the book the characters start to figure out solutions to their problems.

Questions:
What are stereotypes?
What are some stereotypes that people have towards Americans?

Reflection:
This multicultural book is about American and Chinese people who have stereotypes.  This book is written in cartoon artistic style using comics content.  Every page in this story was just like the picture below.  This was an interesting way to read a book.  This was the first graphic novel I had read with comics content.  I believe students would love this type of book.  With the great pictures this was an enjoyable book.


The Lion and The Mouse

Pinkney, J., & Aesop, . (2009). The lion & the mouse. New York: Little, Brown and Co. Books for  Young Readers.
Summary:
In this fable a mouse accidentally disturbs a lion and unexpectedly the lion decides to release his prey. When the lion is trapped in a rope from humans the mouse remembers how the lion saved his life and she frees the lion from the trap.  This story proves even a small creature is capable of great deeds. 

Questions:
While reading this story stop and ask students what they predict will happen when the mouse wakes the lion.
What was the deeper meaning from this story?

Reflection:
In this traditional fable sentences can't be found only words.  The words are onomatopoeia words because the words phonetically imitates or suggests the source of the sound that it describes.  This fits into the fables because it is a simple story the incorporates animals whose actions teach a moral lesson.  This a very cute and excellent picture book with amazing illustrations. The illustrations were done in pencil, watercolor, and colored pencil.  The pictures tell the story while the onomatopoeia words help explain the actions of the story.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Charlotte's Web

White, E. B., Williams, G., Rosenwald, E. G., Juvenile Collection (Library of Congress), & Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection (Library of Congress). (1952). Charlotte's web. New York: Harper. 
Summary: A farmer is going to kill a young pig, but his daughter convinces him to let her take care of the pig and not kill him.  Fern, the girl, names the pig Wilbur and treats him like a baby.  Even though they become close friends he is soon sold.  Fern and Wilbur stay close friends and at first he had trouble making new friends at Zuckerman's farm.  Throughout, the rest of the story he makes lifelong friends that protected him from danger. 

Reflection:  This story is an animal fantasy because the animals behave as humans through their experiences, emotions, talk and they have the ability to reason.  For example Charlotte, the spider, talks and find ways for Wilbur to fit in and be excepted by Zuckerman.  The best way to reflect on Charlotte's Web is through it's theme of friendship.  In the books it showed many ways as to how friends will make a effort to help their friends in times of need.  Several occasions Charlotte spin words like, some pigs, and terrific in her web to help keep Wilbur alive.

Questions:
1.  In what ways would you help save your friend?
2.  Who was your favorite charter and why?
3.  What type of friend are you?