New Literacy: Emotional Literacy
-Must be able to identify and communication emotions in order to be able to identify your individual emotional needs.
-We communicate the degree at which our needs are being met through intensity modifiers to our emotions.
-People often miscommunicate their feelings to blend in or accomodate themselves into the norm or what is socially acceptable.
-There are many ways in which we go about miscommunicating our feelings. (Exaggeration, minimization, overuse, etc)
-90% of communication is nonverbal. This also stands true for communication of emotions through various forms of body language.
-'You' and 'I' messages- different forms of expressing emotions through messages. You messages typically break down effective communication between to people through accusatory you messages.
-Emotional Literacy- ability to recognize, understand, and appropriately express our emotions.
-Emotional literacy can be linked to social literacy and development in children.
New Technology; Scrapblog
- I am not enjoying working with the scrapblog! I feel very unfamiliar with it and it does not seem an adequate learning tool but more appropriate in online scrap booking. I am not sure how to incorporate it into this project and was possibly thinking of creating a wiki instead?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Emotional Literacy with an iMovie
Well, it looks like Erin and I found some of the same resources. :)
New Literacy
1. Emotional literacy is the ability to precisely identify and communicate feelings.
2. Helps students control their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
3. The expression "I feel..." is the correct format for directly communicating in emotional literacy. Phrases like "I feel like..." are indirect.
4. "I" vs. "You" messages: a "you" message is something that sounds like "I feel like you..." or "When you do that I..." These often cause the other person to become defensive because it is blaming them. "I" messages are like in #3, "I feel..."
5. Nonverbal emotional communication: facial expression, gestures, attitude, body language
6. Speaking in emotional literacy causes people to use expression in the correct manner. Listening involves people understanding someone else's feelings, expressions, etc.
7. Although not explicitly in the curriculum, I believe that classroom rules, norms, etc. do enforce emotional literacy. These ideals cause students to learn how to act in the classroom setting, how to communicate problems, etc.
New Technology
1. I am viewing in a different way when using iMovie because I have to look at my work through an outside perspective to see if I am getting a point across in a meaningful way.
2. It has been a bit difficult to figure out all of the tricks to the program.
3. It is a very fun program, but it very time consuming. You have to be very precise with you placement of pictures, clips, music, etc.
4. I couldn't teach this program to my first graders, it is way too complex.
5. I really like figuring out technological things for myself, so it has been fun to play around with the program. I like the challenge because when I figure out new things with this program I get really excited to try and use the program to its fullest.
New Literacy
1. Emotional literacy is the ability to precisely identify and communicate feelings.
2. Helps students control their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
3. The expression "I feel..." is the correct format for directly communicating in emotional literacy. Phrases like "I feel like..." are indirect.
4. "I" vs. "You" messages: a "you" message is something that sounds like "I feel like you..." or "When you do that I..." These often cause the other person to become defensive because it is blaming them. "I" messages are like in #3, "I feel..."
5. Nonverbal emotional communication: facial expression, gestures, attitude, body language
6. Speaking in emotional literacy causes people to use expression in the correct manner. Listening involves people understanding someone else's feelings, expressions, etc.
7. Although not explicitly in the curriculum, I believe that classroom rules, norms, etc. do enforce emotional literacy. These ideals cause students to learn how to act in the classroom setting, how to communicate problems, etc.
New Technology
1. I am viewing in a different way when using iMovie because I have to look at my work through an outside perspective to see if I am getting a point across in a meaningful way.
2. It has been a bit difficult to figure out all of the tricks to the program.
3. It is a very fun program, but it very time consuming. You have to be very precise with you placement of pictures, clips, music, etc.
4. I couldn't teach this program to my first graders, it is way too complex.
5. I really like figuring out technological things for myself, so it has been fun to play around with the program. I like the challenge because when I figure out new things with this program I get really excited to try and use the program to its fullest.
Friday, March 27, 2009
New Literacy Exploration Notes
Emotional Literacy told through Scrapblog
New Literacy
1. Especially important while online because we cannot convey emotions as well through typing or print, but yet with Instant Messaging or blogging, it is easy to feel more susceptible.
2. Emotional literacy includes how empathetic or emotional you will be or can be towards others
3. I found a definition that believes emotional literacy is the ability to express your feelings in three word sentences usually using the phrase, “I feel”. I’m wondering if you would be fluent in this literacy when you master this ability.
4. There are different types of messages that you can send when talking about feelings. There are I messages and you messages. I still have to research and find exactly how they differ and what the importance is of them.
5. Apparently not many of us are skilled at sharing our feelings because we often say things with “I feel like”. This is a form of indirect communication.
6. Teaching and focusing on emotional literacy can be especially helpful for students with special needs.
New Technology
1. Will be using www.scrapblog.com
2. It seems as though pictures will be especially important in this type of project which should be good since I am working with emotions, and they can be conveyed well through visuals.
3. There are previously created themes that you can choose from if you like, but I find them kind of hindering in the creativity sector, even though you are able to move the elements around.
4. It seems easy to import sources such as pictures from outside sources, including photobucket and blogger. It also seems easy to post your scrapblog on these outside sources.
5. As I started importing some pictures, I found that it will not import GIF. Images. It comes up blank rather than with the picture.
New Literacy
1. Especially important while online because we cannot convey emotions as well through typing or print, but yet with Instant Messaging or blogging, it is easy to feel more susceptible.
2. Emotional literacy includes how empathetic or emotional you will be or can be towards others
3. I found a definition that believes emotional literacy is the ability to express your feelings in three word sentences usually using the phrase, “I feel”. I’m wondering if you would be fluent in this literacy when you master this ability.
4. There are different types of messages that you can send when talking about feelings. There are I messages and you messages. I still have to research and find exactly how they differ and what the importance is of them.
5. Apparently not many of us are skilled at sharing our feelings because we often say things with “I feel like”. This is a form of indirect communication.
6. Teaching and focusing on emotional literacy can be especially helpful for students with special needs.
New Technology
1. Will be using www.scrapblog.com
2. It seems as though pictures will be especially important in this type of project which should be good since I am working with emotions, and they can be conveyed well through visuals.
3. There are previously created themes that you can choose from if you like, but I find them kind of hindering in the creativity sector, even though you are able to move the elements around.
4. It seems easy to import sources such as pictures from outside sources, including photobucket and blogger. It also seems easy to post your scrapblog on these outside sources.
5. As I started importing some pictures, I found that it will not import GIF. Images. It comes up blank rather than with the picture.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Vocabulary Mini Lesson
Topic: Vocabulary
Literature: The Watson’s Go To Birmingham-1963
Grade Level: 4th
Time: Ongoing vocabulary instruction throughout novel
Introduction:
Upon beginning this book, I will provide the students with a list of about twenty vocabulary words the students will come across throughout the book. Before beginning the novel, I will have the students write down their own definitions for the words provided and hang on to them for future use. As we work through the novel, the students should make note of when they come across a vocabulary word (I will provide page numbers for each word to help). When the student comes across a flagged vocab word, I will have them write a new or altered definition of the word based on contextual clues. After finishing each chapter, the students will be expected to research definitions using either the internet or dictionaries depending on resources. The students will keep running lists of their initial definitions, their contextual definitions, and then the dictionary definitions until the novel is finished.
Assessment/Activity:
An activity or assessment tool following the conclusion of the novel would be to play a few rounds of vocabulary bingo. I will make the bingo charts using the definitions of the words. When the definitions are read, the students must accurately identify the word in order to place a chip on it. This is a fun alternative to a vocabulary test to check for the student’s comprehension.
Vocabulary Words Used:
hostile pg. 37
intimidate pg. 39
emulate pg. 39
welfare pg. 100
peon pg. 101
pinnacle pg. 131
Walter Cronkite pg. 141
maestro pg. 146
Lawrence Welk Show pg. 159
eavesdropped pg. 161
seniority pg. 170
whirlpool pg. 210
raising cain pg. 235
Narcissus (from Nar-sissy) pg. 28
Literature: The Watson’s Go To Birmingham-1963
Grade Level: 4th
Time: Ongoing vocabulary instruction throughout novel
Introduction:
Upon beginning this book, I will provide the students with a list of about twenty vocabulary words the students will come across throughout the book. Before beginning the novel, I will have the students write down their own definitions for the words provided and hang on to them for future use. As we work through the novel, the students should make note of when they come across a vocabulary word (I will provide page numbers for each word to help). When the student comes across a flagged vocab word, I will have them write a new or altered definition of the word based on contextual clues. After finishing each chapter, the students will be expected to research definitions using either the internet or dictionaries depending on resources. The students will keep running lists of their initial definitions, their contextual definitions, and then the dictionary definitions until the novel is finished.
Assessment/Activity:
An activity or assessment tool following the conclusion of the novel would be to play a few rounds of vocabulary bingo. I will make the bingo charts using the definitions of the words. When the definitions are read, the students must accurately identify the word in order to place a chip on it. This is a fun alternative to a vocabulary test to check for the student’s comprehension.
Vocabulary Words Used:
hostile pg. 37
intimidate pg. 39
emulate pg. 39
welfare pg. 100
peon pg. 101
pinnacle pg. 131
Walter Cronkite pg. 141
maestro pg. 146
Lawrence Welk Show pg. 159
eavesdropped pg. 161
seniority pg. 170
whirlpool pg. 210
raising cain pg. 235
Narcissus (from Nar-sissy) pg. 28
Monday, March 23, 2009
Mini Lesson on Vocabulary
Mini Lesson on Vocabulary Development
Grade Level: 3rd of 4th
Time: Entire Novel
Lesson: My lesson would kind of be an on-going theme throughout the reading of the novel. Prior to the novel I would have words listed on the side of the board that we would come across while reading. I would explain to the students that once they come across the word while reading, they should look it up and define it on their book marks so that they can have it in front of them while reading in case the word comes up again in the book. I would notify students of the words the would come across before hand for the assigned readings so they would know which ones to be aware of. After reading the assigned reading for that homework, we would discuss the words as a group to ensure understanding, and have a class definition on the board as well.
Assessment: For an assessment, at the end of the novel, and after the students are familiar with the new vocabulary words, I may have an assignment to use the words in their own creative sentences pertaining to the book or the time period.
Some of the vocabulary words would be:
civilized
Copenhagen
halte
Danish
contempt
soldier
German
Nazi
sabotage
Resistance fighters
Star of David
bravery
Grade Level: 3rd of 4th
Time: Entire Novel
Lesson: My lesson would kind of be an on-going theme throughout the reading of the novel. Prior to the novel I would have words listed on the side of the board that we would come across while reading. I would explain to the students that once they come across the word while reading, they should look it up and define it on their book marks so that they can have it in front of them while reading in case the word comes up again in the book. I would notify students of the words the would come across before hand for the assigned readings so they would know which ones to be aware of. After reading the assigned reading for that homework, we would discuss the words as a group to ensure understanding, and have a class definition on the board as well.
Assessment: For an assessment, at the end of the novel, and after the students are familiar with the new vocabulary words, I may have an assignment to use the words in their own creative sentences pertaining to the book or the time period.
Some of the vocabulary words would be:
civilized
Copenhagen
halte
Danish
contempt
soldier
German
Nazi
sabotage
Resistance fighters
Star of David
bravery
Mini Fluency Lesson
"The Watson's Go to Birmingham-1963"
Grade: 4th or 5th
Topic: Fluency- Prosody and Phonic Analysis
Introduction: Before beginning this specific lesson involving fluency, I would expect the class to have finished reading the entire novel. I would use the novel to connect lessons on social studies and the social issues involved in the novel to tie into language arts, and specifically fluency. I hope to use this lesson as an expansion upon such social studies lesson surrounding social issues of race, ethnicity, and culture by incorporating the phonics used throughout the novel.
For this fluency lesson, I will ask the students to take a deeper look at the dialogue found throughout the book. The students will be expected to perform a sort of choral reading as a group in front of the class. I will ask the students to choose a specific passage from anywhere in the novel that includes dialogue. The students, in small groups of two or three, will read the passage in front of the class evoke the emotions portrayed in that specific passage. The focus of their reading is to portray the emotions and meaning behind the short passage chosen. I will model a few passages to the students before having them begin their work with their groups. The passages I will model:
1. "Daniel Watson, what're we gonna do?" Momma went nuts. "You gotta get this boy to the hospital! My baby is gonna die!"
Dad tried to look serious real quick.
"Wilona, how far do you think I'd get driving down the street with this little clown attached to the mirror? What am I supposed to do, have him run beside the car all they down to the emergency room?" (p. 17)
2. I held my breath. If I found out we were on welfare I was going to really have to get ready to be teased.
"No. We're not on welfare."
"I can't believe it. You really gonna start serving welfare food in this house? You really gonna make me go embarrass myself by signing a welfare list for some groceries like a blanged peon?"
After reading the class the two examples, I will remind the student's that to properly capture the emotion and dialogue expressed in their chosen passages, they may need to reread or skim the text both before and after their selected passage.
Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to encourage the student's fluency development and comfort levels by having the students interpret the passages as a group and read them accordingly in front of the class. They will need to skim the text to choose a passage and reread the text surrounding the text to put the passage and the dialogue into context.
Grade: 4th or 5th
Topic: Fluency- Prosody and Phonic Analysis
Introduction: Before beginning this specific lesson involving fluency, I would expect the class to have finished reading the entire novel. I would use the novel to connect lessons on social studies and the social issues involved in the novel to tie into language arts, and specifically fluency. I hope to use this lesson as an expansion upon such social studies lesson surrounding social issues of race, ethnicity, and culture by incorporating the phonics used throughout the novel.
For this fluency lesson, I will ask the students to take a deeper look at the dialogue found throughout the book. The students will be expected to perform a sort of choral reading as a group in front of the class. I will ask the students to choose a specific passage from anywhere in the novel that includes dialogue. The students, in small groups of two or three, will read the passage in front of the class evoke the emotions portrayed in that specific passage. The focus of their reading is to portray the emotions and meaning behind the short passage chosen. I will model a few passages to the students before having them begin their work with their groups. The passages I will model:
1. "Daniel Watson, what're we gonna do?" Momma went nuts. "You gotta get this boy to the hospital! My baby is gonna die!"
Dad tried to look serious real quick.
"Wilona, how far do you think I'd get driving down the street with this little clown attached to the mirror? What am I supposed to do, have him run beside the car all they down to the emergency room?" (p. 17)
2. I held my breath. If I found out we were on welfare I was going to really have to get ready to be teased.
"No. We're not on welfare."
"I can't believe it. You really gonna start serving welfare food in this house? You really gonna make me go embarrass myself by signing a welfare list for some groceries like a blanged peon?"
After reading the class the two examples, I will remind the student's that to properly capture the emotion and dialogue expressed in their chosen passages, they may need to reread or skim the text both before and after their selected passage.
Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to encourage the student's fluency development and comfort levels by having the students interpret the passages as a group and read them accordingly in front of the class. They will need to skim the text to choose a passage and reread the text surrounding the text to put the passage and the dialogue into context.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
"The Watson's Go to Birmingham- 1963" Vocabulary Minilesson
Mini-lesson
Topic: “The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963” for teaching vocabulary
Grade: 3rd or 4th
Time: Three half-hour periods
Introduction
Before the children read the book “The Watson’s Go to Birmingham—1963” by Christopher Paul Curtis we will work on key terms that are important in the book. After reading the words together, I will tell the students that the words on the board are some terms that they will come across throughout the book. The terms/words will be, “colored’s only, blizzard, southern, whirlpool, outhouse, Appalachia, trespassing, sonic boom, segregation, prejudice.” I will send the students to their desks with a K-W-L chart to fill out pertaining to the new vocabulary words. I will ask the students to only fill out the K and W part of the chart until after reading the book. For the “what they know”, they will fill in words they believe that they could already use in a sentence, and the “want to learn” part with the rest of the words that they want to learn about.
-Teach
After reading the book, the students will be split into ten groups. Each group will work with one word or term. They will discuss how each term works into the story. They will write down their definition nine different times on cards I have supplied for them. Each group will then exchange their definition with each other group so each group ends up with nine different definitions. They will match these definitions with each term that is written on the board based on what they read in the book.
-Guided Practice
The following day the students will use what they learned from the activity the previous day to complete an activity. Working on their own, they will write a sentence using each term. The sentence must either describe something that happened in the book or something to do with the book.
-Assess Learning
Another day, the students will receive their old K-W-L charts back. They will also receive a blank one. I will ask each student to work alone to fill It out again. This time though, they must write the word as well as a brief definition of the word or term. Hopefully each student will be able to define all ten terms in the “what I know” section.
Topic: “The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963” for teaching vocabulary
Grade: 3rd or 4th
Time: Three half-hour periods
Introduction
Before the children read the book “The Watson’s Go to Birmingham—1963” by Christopher Paul Curtis we will work on key terms that are important in the book. After reading the words together, I will tell the students that the words on the board are some terms that they will come across throughout the book. The terms/words will be, “colored’s only, blizzard, southern, whirlpool, outhouse, Appalachia, trespassing, sonic boom, segregation, prejudice.” I will send the students to their desks with a K-W-L chart to fill out pertaining to the new vocabulary words. I will ask the students to only fill out the K and W part of the chart until after reading the book. For the “what they know”, they will fill in words they believe that they could already use in a sentence, and the “want to learn” part with the rest of the words that they want to learn about.
-Teach
After reading the book, the students will be split into ten groups. Each group will work with one word or term. They will discuss how each term works into the story. They will write down their definition nine different times on cards I have supplied for them. Each group will then exchange their definition with each other group so each group ends up with nine different definitions. They will match these definitions with each term that is written on the board based on what they read in the book.
-Guided Practice
The following day the students will use what they learned from the activity the previous day to complete an activity. Working on their own, they will write a sentence using each term. The sentence must either describe something that happened in the book or something to do with the book.
-Assess Learning
Another day, the students will receive their old K-W-L charts back. They will also receive a blank one. I will ask each student to work alone to fill It out again. This time though, they must write the word as well as a brief definition of the word or term. Hopefully each student will be able to define all ten terms in the “what I know” section.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Abby Siegel
Mini lesson
Topic: Number the Stars (focusing on prosody)
Grade: 4th
Time: 1 hour
Introduction and Lesson:
I would have the students read this book in connection with social studies material. The book will have been completed before this lesson would be taught, so students will be familiar with the book. To begin, I would have the students have a discussion of the characters and share their feelings and emotions about the characters and share if they felt connected/related to any of them. The main activity that the students will be doing is based around fluency, and will also incorporate prosody and speedy reading/skimming. The initial part of the lesson will be for students who volunteer to read a short passage that will be written on the board/overhead aloud to the class. The first time will simply be reading it. Then the student will explain the emotion behind the passage, and read it again accordingly. I will model this by reading a passage myself with emotion. I will do this with 3 different passages. Then I will have the whole class find a passage in the book that they found to be particularly emotion and describe the passage in their own words with thought and emotion. Next, I would ask for more volunteers to share their readings using prosody, and then I would collect their papers.
Passages:
The passage I would read to the class would be:
“Yes. Mama has never lied to me before. Never. But I know there is no Great-aunt Birte. Never once, in all the stories I’ve heard, in all the old pictures I’ve seen, has there been a Great-aunt Birte.” (75)
The passages the volunteers would read would be:
“I was racing with my friend,” she answered politely. “We have races at school every Friday, and I want to do well, so I—.” Her voice trailed away, the sentence unfinished. Don’t talk so much, she told herself. Just answer them, that’s all. (3)
“Mama, it had a swastika on it.” Her mother turned away with a distracted look. “Annemarie, watch your sister for a few moments. And begin to peel the potatoes for dinner. I’ll be right back.” “Where are you going?” Annemarie asked as her mother started for the door. “I want to talk to Mrs. Rosen.” (22)
“Uncle Henrik,” Annemarie said suddenly, her voice cold, “you are lying to me. You and Mama both.” His strong hands continued, deftly pressing like a pulse against the cow. The strady streams of milk still came. He looked at her again, his deep blue eyes kind and questioning. “You are angry,” he said. (75)
Mini lesson
Topic: Number the Stars (focusing on prosody)
Grade: 4th
Time: 1 hour
Introduction and Lesson:
I would have the students read this book in connection with social studies material. The book will have been completed before this lesson would be taught, so students will be familiar with the book. To begin, I would have the students have a discussion of the characters and share their feelings and emotions about the characters and share if they felt connected/related to any of them. The main activity that the students will be doing is based around fluency, and will also incorporate prosody and speedy reading/skimming. The initial part of the lesson will be for students who volunteer to read a short passage that will be written on the board/overhead aloud to the class. The first time will simply be reading it. Then the student will explain the emotion behind the passage, and read it again accordingly. I will model this by reading a passage myself with emotion. I will do this with 3 different passages. Then I will have the whole class find a passage in the book that they found to be particularly emotion and describe the passage in their own words with thought and emotion. Next, I would ask for more volunteers to share their readings using prosody, and then I would collect their papers.
Passages:
The passage I would read to the class would be:
“Yes. Mama has never lied to me before. Never. But I know there is no Great-aunt Birte. Never once, in all the stories I’ve heard, in all the old pictures I’ve seen, has there been a Great-aunt Birte.” (75)
The passages the volunteers would read would be:
“I was racing with my friend,” she answered politely. “We have races at school every Friday, and I want to do well, so I—.” Her voice trailed away, the sentence unfinished. Don’t talk so much, she told herself. Just answer them, that’s all. (3)
“Mama, it had a swastika on it.” Her mother turned away with a distracted look. “Annemarie, watch your sister for a few moments. And begin to peel the potatoes for dinner. I’ll be right back.” “Where are you going?” Annemarie asked as her mother started for the door. “I want to talk to Mrs. Rosen.” (22)
“Uncle Henrik,” Annemarie said suddenly, her voice cold, “you are lying to me. You and Mama both.” His strong hands continued, deftly pressing like a pulse against the cow. The strady streams of milk still came. He looked at her again, his deep blue eyes kind and questioning. “You are angry,” he said. (75)
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Mini-lesson for Watson's Go to Birmingham- 1963
Erin Verona
Mini-lesson
Topic: “The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963” for teaching prosody
Grade: 4th or 5th
Time: One hour period and one 25 minute period
Introduction
The children will have already read the book “The Watson’s Go to Birmingham—1963” by Christopher Paul Curtis. After a short discussion about the likes and dislikes of the book, we will move into the mini-lesson. Since this lesson is based around fluency, the activities will be based around improving reading speed, teaching prosody and reading practice. I will read the passage with emphasis at certain parts and then write the passage on the board phrase by phrase. The passage is “Doors opened in the neighborhood and people came out and looked up in the sky but there was nothing there, not one cloud, nothing to give a clue to what the big hollow sound was, nothing but bright, hot, stupid Alabama sun” (Curtis, 182). It will be written as,
“Doors opened in the neighborhood
And people came out and looked up in the sky
But there was nothing there
Not one cloud
Nothing to give a clue to what the big hollow sound was
Nothing but bright, hot, stupid Alabama sun”
Main Events
-Teach
I will explain the activity to the students first. I will explain that they will be split into groups of 3 or 4 and decide how they will read the passage together. After they have done this, they will pick another passage to do the same thing with. They will then present as a group both their original passage reading and the new passage. It will have been explained in the directions that it is open ended as to whether they will read all together or break up the passages into individual parts. I will then do the activity myself to example. I have chosen, “I walked as slowly and as quietly as I could out of the church. Maybe if I moved quietly he wouldn’t come for me. Maybe if I walked and didn’t look back he’d leave me alone” (Curtis, 185). I chose this example because I want to be sure that they realize a passage can be more than one sentence. After asking if there are any questions, I will split the children into already chosen groups.
-Guided Practice
I will walk around to supervise and answer questions. I will be sure to ask each group what other passage they have chosen to read. I will give them approximately 20-25 minutes to figure out how they want to present. We will then as a class watch the presentations.
Assess Learning
I wanted to do this activity because it definitely teaches prosody by chunking passages into phrases. Since the students will be skimming the book quickly to find an additional passage, they will be working on reading speed. This activity also provides an opportunity to practice reading which is vital to the children’s development of fluency. Two to three days after performing this activity, we will do the assessment. I will take a chapter out of this book and split it into as many passages as there are students in the class. Each student will get one passage. Figuring that the class has their desks or chairs in a circle, they will just read from the first one to the last one. Hopefully each child will read their passage with correct phrasing and fluently. I figure this will take about 15 minutes in addition to an extra 5-10 minutes for comments and questions.
Mini-lesson
Topic: “The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963” for teaching prosody
Grade: 4th or 5th
Time: One hour period and one 25 minute period
Introduction
The children will have already read the book “The Watson’s Go to Birmingham—1963” by Christopher Paul Curtis. After a short discussion about the likes and dislikes of the book, we will move into the mini-lesson. Since this lesson is based around fluency, the activities will be based around improving reading speed, teaching prosody and reading practice. I will read the passage with emphasis at certain parts and then write the passage on the board phrase by phrase. The passage is “Doors opened in the neighborhood and people came out and looked up in the sky but there was nothing there, not one cloud, nothing to give a clue to what the big hollow sound was, nothing but bright, hot, stupid Alabama sun” (Curtis, 182). It will be written as,
“Doors opened in the neighborhood
And people came out and looked up in the sky
But there was nothing there
Not one cloud
Nothing to give a clue to what the big hollow sound was
Nothing but bright, hot, stupid Alabama sun”
Main Events
-Teach
I will explain the activity to the students first. I will explain that they will be split into groups of 3 or 4 and decide how they will read the passage together. After they have done this, they will pick another passage to do the same thing with. They will then present as a group both their original passage reading and the new passage. It will have been explained in the directions that it is open ended as to whether they will read all together or break up the passages into individual parts. I will then do the activity myself to example. I have chosen, “I walked as slowly and as quietly as I could out of the church. Maybe if I moved quietly he wouldn’t come for me. Maybe if I walked and didn’t look back he’d leave me alone” (Curtis, 185). I chose this example because I want to be sure that they realize a passage can be more than one sentence. After asking if there are any questions, I will split the children into already chosen groups.
-Guided Practice
I will walk around to supervise and answer questions. I will be sure to ask each group what other passage they have chosen to read. I will give them approximately 20-25 minutes to figure out how they want to present. We will then as a class watch the presentations.
Assess Learning
I wanted to do this activity because it definitely teaches prosody by chunking passages into phrases. Since the students will be skimming the book quickly to find an additional passage, they will be working on reading speed. This activity also provides an opportunity to practice reading which is vital to the children’s development of fluency. Two to three days after performing this activity, we will do the assessment. I will take a chapter out of this book and split it into as many passages as there are students in the class. Each student will get one passage. Figuring that the class has their desks or chairs in a circle, they will just read from the first one to the last one. Hopefully each child will read their passage with correct phrasing and fluently. I figure this will take about 15 minutes in addition to an extra 5-10 minutes for comments and questions.
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