EDR 317 Reading Instruction and Practicum

Amanda Anmuth
Grade Level: First
1.1 Integration of Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to retell the main events of a story through drawings/statements and suggest the message of
the text.
1.2 Standards: CC.1.3.1.A
1.3 Anticipatory Set:
Teacher will ask students to think of their favorite story or movie and tell (retell) what happened during it to a
partner. Teacher will remind students to include the most important events and details of the story or movie.
1.4 Procedures:
Modeled: The teacher will then say that she will be doing a retelling (a fancy way of saying tell what happened),
telling a made up story about a failed beach trip. (My friend and I were so excited to go to the beach, we sat in
very bad traffic on the way there. We listened to the radio but we argued over the station! When we got to the
beach we had fun in the water but we forgot our sunscreen! We both got very bad sunburns! It really hurt and we
were very sad the next day!) The teacher will remind the students that details help the reader or listener to make a
clear picture in their head of what happened in a story. The teacher will then model what she would say if she
were retelling her own story (My friend and I went to the beach, we sat in traffic, we didnt wear sunscreen and
we got bad sunburns that really hurt!) She would model aloud that she is thinking about the most important parts
of the story and including details that listeners need to hear to understand what happened. The teacher will then
explain that most stories have messages in them. The message can be the main point or the thing that the author
(or storyteller) wants the listener, or reader, to take away. Using her story as an example the teacher will say the
message is something like always wear sunscreen, or if you dont wear sunscreen at the beach, youll get burnt!
The teacher will explain that we must use the events in a story to make a guess at what message the author wants
us to take away from the story. The teacher will ask students to think of any stories or movies they can think of
that have a clear message. An example would be the message of the Disney Movie Beauty and the Beast. The
message is that you should never judge a book by its cover. The prince judging the witch when he thinks she is a
dirty old woman, and the people in the town thinking that the Beast is mean just because he looks scary, shows
this. Both of these things end up being not true- connecting to the message that you cannot judge a book by its
cover. Students will be called on to share movies/movies and messages. The teacher will ask students how they
decided on the message and help students provide explanations if necessary.
Guided: The teacher will tell students that they will be reading a book together as a class. Teacher will then tell
students that they will be reading Shelia Raes Peppermint Stick and practicing retelling the storys main events,
with details, and figuring out what the message of the story is. The teacher will read the book aloud to the
students. After the book is read the teacher will ask the students to retell the main events of the story. The teacher
will remind students to include important details. The teacher will call on individual students to give main events
until all main points have been covered (Shelia Rae has a peppermint stick and will not share it with her little
sister, Shelia teases her little sister with the peppermint stick, Shelia Rae then falls off of a chair and the
peppermint stick breaks into two pieces. Shelia Rae shares a piece of the stick with her sister and they are both
happy). The teacher will write the events on an overhead sheet and project them for students. The teacher will
then discuss with students what they believe the message of the story to be. The teacher will take suggestions and
then suggest what she believes the message to be (Not to be selfish or always share with your sister/brother) and
how she came to that message (when Shelia Rae is teasing her sister she ends up falling off of a chair, but once
she shares the peppermint stick with her sister they are both happy.)
Independent: The teacher will then explain that each student will be creating their own retelling of Shelia Raes
Peppermint Stick with pictures and be a message detective (someone who uses the details and events from a story
to figure out what the main message is). Students will then be given worksheets with lines and room for pictures,
markers and pencils. Students will be instructed to draw out the main events in the story and write a sentence or
two that explains that is happening in that particular event/picture (the students can copy the events from the
overhead if needed, use their own words, or read the overhead for support). The teacher will circulate a few copies
of Shelia Rae around the room incase students need to look through the book as an additional reminder. The
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teacher will circulate the room and verbally prompt students who seem to be having difficulty remembering the
events or reading the overhead.
Once students have finished their drawings, the teacher will tell students that their last job is to be the message
detective. To do this job they must use their summary pictures of the story to state what the main message of the
book is. The students will be told to draw a picture that accompanies their suggested message and write what it is
at the bottom of the page. The teacher will circulate the room again to help students who are confused about how
to find what the message of the story is. The teacher will also ask students to explain their drawings orally if the
text/pictures are unclear. The teacher will then paper clip and collect students drawing summary packets.
1.5 Differentiation:
Students who have learning disabilities can be provided adaptations to complete the lesson more successfully.
One of these adaptations could include working with a partner, who can help to remind the student of the storys
events, and to help create the summary and message drawings. Another adaptation could be having a student with
a LD provide verbal explanations of his or her drawings and suggested story message to the teacher (eliminating
the writing portion). An ELL student may need the story re-read to him or her. Giving an ELL pictures of events
to put in order, as a summary of main events, could also be a beneficial adaptation. A student who is gifted could
be asked to draw/write (depending on ability level) his or her own story that has the same message he or she
discovered in Shelia Raes Peppermint stick.
1.6 Closure:
After the teacher collects the students summary packets she will ask students to retell the events from Shelia Rae.
Students will be randomly selected to give main events from the story until the entire story is told. Students will
then be asked what message they discovered in the story when they were being Message Detectives. Students will
turn and talk with a partner about the message they found and why they believe it is the message the author was
sharing. A few groups will share out. The teacher will then remind students that they are permanent Message
Detectives from now on, and that it is their job to search for the Message of every book they read! Students will
also be reminded that as detectives, they need to be able to give a good retelling of a storys events incase it is
ever needed as evidence!
1.7 Formative and Summative Assessment:
Collecting the students retelling packets and message statements will serve as a summative assessment (and
asking for oral clarification of pictures if necessary)
The teacher listening to students give events to retell the story, and discuss possible messages, assesses where
students are in their understanding of these concepts (informal)
1.8 Materials: Projector, clear projection sheet, overhead markers, worksheets with space for a picture and lines to write
an explanation, four copies of Shelia Raes Peppermint Stick by Kevin Henkes.
2.0 Reflection on Planning:
My rationale for the lesson plan was backwards planning. I looked at the PA common core standards first and
chose a standard about retelling and understanding the message of a text. I used movies, or stories, students are
familiar with to introduce retelling and to get students interested and activate prior knowledge. For the guided
practice I felt that telling a short story orally and retelling the events as a model would be quick and keep
students attention. I felt this method would be engaging and effective in teaching how to retell a story. From
there I knew that I wanted to use a shorter text for my lesson to ease students into retelling. I came across the
short story of Shelia Raes Peppermint Stick and thought it was a perfect fit for my lesson. I felt this way because
the storys events are simple and the message seems fairly apparent. I chose to read the story aloud because it
would be above most of my students current independent reading level. I chose to have students retell the storys
main events, and suggest possible messages, as a class. I chose to have students retell in this format so that the
teacher could assess where students were in their understanding of these concepts (providing clarity/re-teaching if
needed). For the main assessment I chose to have students draw their retellings, and story messages, and then
describe them with written words. I did this incase some students are not as fluent in their writing abilities. This
way the teacher can examine student drawings and ask students to explain them verbally (if the pictures and
writing are insufficient for the teacher to evaluate students understanding of retelling and story message). I feel
giving students the ability to demonstrate understanding through writing, drawing, and orally (if needed) appeals
to students with multiple learning style strengths.
2.1 Reflection on Instruction:
Write an analysis about how your lesson went after your follow-up conference. Please include: What went well?
Were the objectives met (What evidence do you have that learning occurred)? Was your assessment of the
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students adequate and informative? What would you change? How could this lesson be improved? Provide
specific details and incidences to support your answers. Also, remember you must make at least 2 references
to class readings.