Lesson_Plan_Template

= Planning =

· Reading Comprehension Strategy:
Using Background Knowledge

Advancing

· Instructional Strategies:
Cues and Questions, Comparing, Summarizing and Notetaking, Advanced Organizers

45 minutes

The purpose of this lesson is to use background knowledge to make text-to-world connections of how Thanksgiving (or harvest festivals) is celebrated in other cultures.

After reading about holiday celebrations around the world with a focus on Thanksgiving, the students will be able to 1. To explain the difference in cultural celebrations that take place in Texas, US, and other parts of the world. 2. Compare cultural celebrations that take place in Texas, the US and other parts of the world. 3. Make text-self connections as they respond to literature through writing and drawing.

Children’s Literature //The Autumn Equinox: Celebrating the Harvest// by Ellen Jackson //All About Sukkot// by Judyth Saypol Groner // Celebrate Thanksgiving // by Heiligman, Deborah Websites Canadian Thanksgiving: Pathfinder- [] American Thanksgiving: Pathfinder- [] Chinese Harvest/Thanksgiving: Pathfinder- [] Yam Festival in Ghana and Nigeria: Pathfinder-[] Brainpop Jr. Movie: URL- [] Follow up with interactive activities Graphic Organizers Graphic Organizer BKWL-Q chart [|BKWLQ.doc] Materials 11x18 multi-colored construction paper for placemats Scissors Crayons Glue sticks Equipment Computers with internet access Microsoft Publisher Printer access

· Collaboration Books will be read in the classroom by teacher with assistance from teacher-librarian. To model the use of the BKWLQ effectively the class will be divided into smaller groups and the BKWLQ will be completed with teacher/teacher-librarian building students background knowledge.

· Assessment
The students' contributions to the completion of the BKWLQ when building background knowledge. When the students think-pair-share to generate questions about the differences and similarities between the holiday celebrations in other cultures. Student text-self and text-world connection will be assessed using a student checklist/teacher rubric.

[[file:Teacher+Assessment+Rubric.docx]]
Your rubrics as well conceived and will clearly measure the objectives for this lesson. To use these as before and after data, make copies when students fill out what they know. Then after you build background knowledge with them - take another copy. Finally, you will have the completed graphic organizers. You will then be able to document what students learned. This is evidence-based practice - locally-generated data about students' achievement of required standards/objectives. Hurray!

Reading and/or writing 3.2C Reading/Beginning Reading/Strategies. Students comprehend a variety of texts drawing on useful strategies as needed. Students are expected to: establish purpose for reading selected texts and monitor comprehension, making corrections and adjustments when that understanding breaks down (e.g., identifying clues, using background knowledge, generating questions, re-reading a portion aloud). Listening and speaking 3.2: A, B Listening/Speaking/Culture. The student listens and speaks to gain knowledge of his/her own culture, the culture of others, and the common elements of cultures. 3.9 A, G Reading Comprehension. The student uses a variety of strategies to comprehend selections read aloud and selections read independently. Other content areas Social Studies- 3.12 Culture. The student understands ethnic and/or cultural celebrations of the United States and other nations. Information literacy Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge. 1.1 Skills 1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning. Educational technology [|TEKS 126.3] (1) Foundations. The student demonstrates knowledge and appropriate use of hardware components, software programs, and their connections. The student is expected to: (B) save and delete files, uses menu options and commands, and work with more than one software application. (2) Foundations. The student uses data input skills appropriate to the task. The student is expected to: (E) use language skills including capitalization, punctuation, spelling, word division, and use of numbers and symbols as grade-level appropriate. (7) Solving problems. The student uses appropriate computer-based productivity tools to create and modify solutions to problems. The student is expected to: (A) use software programs with audio, video, and graphics to enhance learning experiences; (B) use appropriate software to express ideas and solve problems including the use of word processing, graphics, databases, spreadsheets, simulations, and multimedia. Implementation
 * Knowledge and skills**.

Teacher/librarian will add an electronic pathfinder to library Webpage for student use along with a guided tour of Websites before using them independently in lab setting. Excellent use of technology tools - for students and educators! Publisher by Microsoft: Students will use to design placemat and print for presentation.

Motivation Questions: Activate prior knowledge by having students think-pair-share. The educators will ask the following questions: Think back to all of your Thanksgiving celebrations. How does your family celebrate Thanksgiving? What foods do you eat? Do you celebrate at your house or another family members house? Do you have any Thanksgiving family traditions? Very student-centered, motivating, and appropriate - hurray for involving students in sharing from the outset

Student-friendly Objectives After reading about holiday celebrations around the world with a focus on Thanksgiving, the students will be able to 1. To use their background knowledge to explain the difference in cultural celebrations that take place in Texas, US, and other parts of the world. 2 . Compare cultural celebrations that take place in Texas, the US and other parts of the world. Presentation

Co-teachers review the readings of //The Autumn Equinox, All about Sukkot,// and //Celebrate Thanksgiving// to reignite the learning process and review the BKWLQ charts before going to the computer lab to begin the process of gathering their information to complete their placemat presentation to present to the class. Co-teachers will model using a think aloud about how to think about the process of gathering electronic information.

Is this the B on the B-K-W-L Chart? The background knowledge that you built with students can be recorded on a whole group graphic organizer. Then student can select ideas related to what they learned and record it on their individual graphic organizers.

When will they pose/record questions for their research? I think there are a couple of missing steps.

Student Participation Procedures 1. Think-pair-share 2. Students will listen when others in their group are speaking 3. Raise their hand to add to or make a comment 4. Remember to be respectful of other cultures Student Practice Procedures 1. Listen to their speaker 2. Write to compare and contrast the likes and differences in the holiday celebrations 3. Illustrate their findings using Publisher and print 4. Conference with an adult or classmate when needed for guidance

Guided Practice - What did you teach students on this first day that they could practice while you monitor their work? My idea: Students will work with the group to develop questions for research. The educators will monitor groups for asking questions and recording them on their B-K-W-L-Q charts in the W column.

This is actually a second presentation. Perhaps for Day 2? Teacher/teacher-librarian will provide a Website tutorial or teacher tour and review Publisher user skills including how to save and print a document. Closure - Closure for the first day can be focused around asking questions. To keep students active in the closure, they can share examples of the kinds of questions they have posed and will research the next day. Second Day Closure: In review, ask students to think-pair-share to make a connection between their cultural celebrations and the cultural celebrations of other countries. With that connection made, continue asking which country surprised them most with their cultural celebration traditions and which was the most interesting to learn about? Revisiting their BKWLQ chart complete the W (What I learned), can also be used as their self-evaluation. Reflection - Again, this reflection is most appropriate after students have conducted their research to answer their questions.

How could they reflect on asking questions?

Reflection for 2nd or 3rd Day: How did the study of cultural celebrations help our students' to connect with other cultures. Did the BKWLQ chart add depth to our lesson and were the rubrics on target for assessment according to our learning objectives? Were all Websites needed for this lesson or could we have taught the lesson successfully without all four sites? What could we do different when sharing with others and how could we help others be successful in this plan in the future? Report results of student work to the principal in a Power Point for future training in collaboration.

· Extensions
Continue the study of cultural celebration by completing an inquiry process such as Super3 or a Webquest. Invite community members into our school to share their cultural celebration traditions in American, Asia, Mexico, and other cultures around the world. Students experience the Mexican culture with Christmas and Las Posada as a classroom celebration through Christmas. Side Note: TN (I've actually done this and it was really great! Even our custodians participated, we celebrated Las Posada right there in our classroom authentically, too!)

Hurray for involving the entire school community! I have participated in Las Posadas at Carrillo School in Tucson: @http://www.lapilita.com/

(Moreillon 15)
Moreillon, J. //Collaborative strategies for teaching reading comprehension: Maximizing your impact//. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2007.