Language Arts Lesson Plan- Tools of the Mind: Story Grammar

Clifford at the Circus by Norman Bridwell

Student Name: Danielle Hutchinson School Name: Children’s Corner by the River

Grade Level: Preschool

Guiding and/or Essential Questions:

How can self-regulation help us practice deliberate memory?

How do we use story grammar to remember a text’s characters, setting, and sequence of events?

Student Prior Knowledge

The preschool students have had experience with many story labs in the past. They
understand the basic components of a story, such as its characters, setting, and events. Some
advanced students may be able to answer questions promptly, while others might need to refer
back to the text for assistance. Along with this, they have practiced self-regulation skills for the
entirety of the school year.

Standards:

RL.PK.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a
familiar story.

0.2.4 Attend to tasks for a period of time.

Learning Objectives and Assessments:

Learning Objectives Assessment

The students will be able to exhibit self-
regulation skills in a group setting.
The students will listen to a story and respond
to questions about it. The teacher will assess
that the students are engaging in attending,
inhibitory control, and remembering on-
purpose.

The students will be able to identify the The teacher will use a puppet to model the
characters, setting, and sequence of events in a retelling process. The students will actively
text. critique the puppet’s accuracy as this is done.
The teacher will assess that every student is
 participating and responding according to the
individual’s zone of proximal development.

Materials/Resources:
 One Story Grammar Mediator Card.
 Clifford goes to the Circus by Norman Bridwell.
 Story Grammar Event Pieces, specific to Clifford goes to the Circus.
 Story Grammar Analysis Card, specific to Clifford goes to the Circus.
 One puppet (typically named “Forgetful Fred/Fiona”, but for this lesson, the puppet will
be “Forgetful Micky”).
 One Felt Board.

Plan for set-up/distribution/cleanup of materials:

 The mediator card will first be presented to the students, and then placed within view for
the remainder of the lesson. Forgetful Micky will be placed to the side so that he can
“listen” as the story is read. The Story Grammar Event Pieces will be kept near the felt
board for easy access once the story has finished.

Lesson Procedure:
1. Lesson beginning:
 The lesson will begin with the students seated on the carpet, facing the teacher. The
teacher will engage the class by performing the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” fingerplay.
 Once the students are attentive, the teacher will begin by introducing Forgetful
Micky to the class. By “whispering” into the teacher’s ear, Forgetful Micky will
tell the class that he loves to read but always forgets what happened in the story.
He will ask for the students’ help.
2. The teacher will present the Story Grammar Mediator Card to the class. She will ask the
students if they have seen it before, and then quickly review what it means. It will be
explained that the card is used to help the class remember story grammar as a story is being
read. The teacher will explain how the falling blocks on the card represent the sequence of
events.
3. Clifford goes to the Circus by Norman Bridwell will be introduced. The teacher will
explain that Bridwell both wrote and illustrated the book. The teacher will briefly ask three
students to raise their hands and predict what might happen in the book. After placing
Forgetful Mickey to the side and reminding the students to think of story grammar as they
listen, the teacher will read the book all the way through without stopping.
4. After the story is finished, Forgetful Mickey will be asked who the characters were in the
book. Forgetful Mickey will “whisper” in the teacher’s air and announce an incorrect
answer. The teacher will ask the students to say either “yes” or “no” if they think Forgetful
Mickey is right. Forgetful Mickey will be asked to try again, this time answering that the
characters in the book were “Clifford” and “Emily Elizabeth” (Or, “the girl”). The class
will be asked to give Forgetful Mickey a “thumbs-up!”
 5. The teacher will ask Forgetful Mickey where the story took place. He will “whisper” in the
teacher’s ear again, and she will tell the class that he thinks it happened at a circus. The
teacher will ask the students to say either “yes” or “no” if they think Forgetful Mickey is
right. She will then ask the students to turn and talk to the person sitting next to them about
why they think Forgetful Mickey was right. As they talk, the teacher will roam around the
circle and listen to the responses. She will call the class to attention and share some specific
answers that she heard from the students. It will be announced that Forgetful Mickey was
right.
6. The felt board will be moved into view and the Story Grammar Event Pieces will be
arranged out of order on the carpet. The teacher will explain what is happening in each
picture. Forgetful Mickey will then be asked what happened first, next, after that, and so
on. Sometimes Forgetful Mickey will get the answer right, sometimes not. If students
disagree on an answer, the teacher will model how to look back in a book to check. The
teacher may also signal to individual cards and question the students about whither it comes
next in the story. Each time a correct event is named in order, the teacher will place it on
the felt board.
7. Lesson ending:
 Long closure:
i. The teacher will reread the sequence of events from the felt board and model
how to use the text to check her work. She will congratulate Forgetful
Mickey and the class for their hard work.
ii. The class will be dismissed to their next planned activity.
 Short Closure:
i. The teacher will congratulate Forgetful Mickey and the class for their hard
work.
ii. The class will be dismissed to their next planned activity.

Key Questions:
 What happened first in the story?
 What happened next/after that?
 What happened at the end?
 How do you know that this event happened here?
 How can we check our work?
 How does self-regulation help us learn more in school?
 Can you name any other events in this story that we did not discuss?
 What was your favorite part of the story?

Logistics:
Timing:
The lesson will last approximately twenty minutes. The introduction, including the interest-
catcher and explanation of procedures, will last about five minutes. The reading of Clifford goes
to the Circus will take about five minutes. The remainder of the time will be spent with the class
guiding Clifford to retell the main characters, setting, and sequence of events.
 Transitions:
To catch the student’s attention at the beginning of this lesson, the teacher will perform the
“Itsy Bitsy Spider” fingerplay. This same fingerplay will be used to call the students back to
attention after they “turn and talk”.

Classroom Management:

The teacher will be sure to make expectations explicit and clear from the beginning of the
lesson. She will do this by explaining that Forgetful Mickey needs help, but if the students are
talking or moving in their seats, they cannot help him. The students will be reminded to continue
showing respect to their peers, to the materials, and to the teacher for the entirety of the activity.
To call students to attention, the teacher will use the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” fingerplay. If a student
behaves improperly for the lesson, the teacher will follow the original teacher’s plan for discipline.

Differentiation

Students who are in need of extra assistance will be seated closer to the teacher’s spot for
a better view of the book and felt board. Advanced students may be asked to sit next to lower-level
students so that they could help each other during “turn and talk” sessions. If an English Language
Learner is in the class, the teacher will point to each word in the book and read at a slower pace.
After the activity is finished, the teacher may also read the book a second time in the student’s
native language. Any students who have trouble with self-regulation will be given non-verbal
reminders to sit still, listen, and be respectful.