Ms.

Lara Buchmann Thursday, April 4th 2019

Lesson Plan: “The Cat’s Pajamas” Write/Draw

Grades: K/1 Subject: English Language Arts Unit: Writing and Representing
Big Ideas Kindergarten and Grade 1:
 Language and story can be a source of creativity and joy.
 Stories and other texts can be shared through pictures and words.
Learning Kindergarten:
Standards
- Curricular Competencies:
 Comprehend and connect (reading, listening, viewing):
o Use developmentally appropriate reading, listening, and
viewing strategies to make meaning.
o Explore foundational concepts of print, oral, and visual
texts.
o Engage actively as listeners, viewers, and readers, as
appropriate, to develop understanding of self, identity, and
community.
o Use personal experience and knowledge to connect to
stories and other texts to make meaning.
 Create and communicate (writing, speaking, representing):
o Exchange ideas and perspectives to build shared
understanding.
o Use language to identify, create, and share ideas, feelings,
opinions, and preferences.
o Create stories and other texts to deepen awareness of self,
family, and community.
- Content:
 Story:
o Structure of story
 Strategies and processes:
o Reading strategies
o Oral language strategies
o Metacognitive strategies
o Writing processes
 Language features, structures, and conventions:
o Concepts of print
o Phonemic and phonological awareness
o Letter formation
Grade 1:
- Curricular Competencies:
 Comprehend and connect (reading, listening, viewing):
o Use developmentally appropriate reading, listening, and
viewing strategies to make meaning.
o Use foundational concepts of print, oral, and visual texts.

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Ms. Lara Buchmann Thursday, April 4th 2019

o Engage actively as listeners, viewers, and readers, as

appropriate, to develop understanding of self, identity, and
community.
o Use personal experience and knowledge to connect to
stories and other texts to make meaning.
o Recognize the structure and elements of story.
 Create and communicate (writing, speaking, representing):
o Exchange ideas and perspectives to build shared
understanding.
o Identify, organize, and present ideas in a variety of forms.
o Create stories and other texts to deepen awareness of self,
family, and community.
o Communicate using letters and words and applying some
conventions of Canadian spelling, grammar, and
punctuation.
- Content:
 Story/text:
o Elements of story
o Literary elements and devices
o Vocabulary to talk about texts
 Strategies and processes:
o Reading strategies
o Oral language strategies
o Metacognitive strategies
o Writing processes
 Language features, structures, and conventions:
o Concepts of print
o Print awareness
o Phonemic and phonological awareness
o Letter formation
o Sentence structure
o Conventions
Lesson Focus  How can we best represent our ideas through writing and drawing?
Questions  How can we use our imagination to create a story of our own?
Materials  Picture book: “The Cat’s Pyjamas” by Catherine Foreman
 Blank lined writing paper with cat drawing for all students
 Pencils and erasers
 Sticky-notes

Procedure
Introduction 1. At the carpet area, get the students’ attention and explain it is time for
(15 min.) a story and a journal write/draw activity.
2. Show them the book “The Cat’s Pyjamas” by Catherine Foreman. Ask
if any students know the story and take a few responses from students

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Ms. Lara Buchmann Thursday, April 4th 2019

with raised hands. Ask the students who don’t know the story what
they think it might be about, and take a few student responses.
3. Before beginning the read-aloud, remind the class to listen and look
very carefully as they will be doing their write/draw activity based on
the story.
4. Read the story, pausing for some questioning where appropriate. (I.e.
What do you notice about the cat’s dreams and his pajamas? Do you
notice any rhyming in this story? Why couldn’t the cat sleep in the
end?)
5. After reading the story, introduce the write/draw activity. Show them
the blank page with the cat sketch. Explain that they will each think of
a theme for their cat’s pajamas and draw this idea. Then they will draw
what his dream will be about. Grade 1’s will write about the cat’s
pajamas and dream in at least 3 simple sentences/ideas. Brainstorm
and share, asking a few students for ideas/suggestions of what they
might draw and write about for their cat.
6. Review these expectations for the write/draw activity:
o Neatly print their name at the top of their page
o All students will sketch their drawings first using pencil
o All students will use at least 5 different colours in their
drawing and do their best colouring job without rushing
o Kindergarten students are to add some letters to label their
ideas in their picture. I will encourage them to challenge
themselves to sound out some words or simple sentences.
o Grade 1 students are to sound out (at least) 3
sentences/ideas and to print neatly on the lines below their
drawing.
7. Dismiss the students to their table spots and pass out the pages.

Body of 1. As students work on this write/draw activity, circulate amongst them

Lesson and make sure students are remaining on-task. Help any students who
(25 min.) require further explanation or some encouragement with getting
started. Give out any further whole-class instruction on the activity if
it seems to be needed. Help Kindergarten students with sounding out
letters and words as needed. Encourage Grade 1 students to try
sounding out words on their own first. Carry out some formative
assessment of students’ ability to sound out letter sounds
independently, and to accurately write/draw what has been asked.

Closure 1. Closure of the lesson will take place as each individual student finishes
(5 min.) their work and comes to have it checked by me. As students finish,
they will line up at the big yellow table for me to check their work.
Here, I will have them read their writing to me or tell me about their
picture. I will record their ideas on a sticky note to add to the back of
their work. I will ask the student to make any necessary additions to
their work if they haven’t finished (i.e. Grade 1’s having less than 3

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Ms. Lara Buchmann Thursday, April 4th 2019

sentences/ideas). As students finish they will be asked to do a sight

word hunt using a mini whiteboard with this week’s sight words. Then
they may go to books and puzzles.
Sponge As students finish their write/draw activity and have their work checked by
Activity me, they will be dismissed to do a whiteboard sight word hunt around the
classroom, followed by books and puzzles.

Assessment Observational: Carry out some formative observation/conversation/

questioning at the carpet with the students while reading the story and
following the story. Carry out some further formative assessments as the
students work, and as the students have their work checked by me and read
me their writing/tell me about their picture. Through these observations and
interactions with students, I will be looking for which Kindergarten students
are able to independently add letters to their drawings based on the correct
letter sounds. I will also look for which Grade 1 students are able to
independently sound out words for their writing, and which are able to
record 3 simple sentences/ideas. This will help inform which students need
more targeted instruction with phonemic awareness and with writing.

Specific Some students will struggle more with the steps and expectations of this
Learner activity than others. I will strive to assist all students and to encourage them
Considerations to be independent and to try their best. Students H, A, R, and P, I anticipate
and may need some extra encouragement with thinking of an idea for their cat’s
Adaptations pajamas. Students A, M, H, & R may need some extra encouragement with
remaining on-task throughout the activity, and may need to be moved to the
big yellow table to focus. I will be aware of these students and all students,
and be prepared to give them extra assistance and encouragement as needed.