Lesson Plan: Chester Greenwood's Big Idea

Mike Labagh

Lesson Plan

Chester Greenwood’s Big Idea

Subject:

Fountas and Pinnell Reading Series

Topic:

Reality vs. Fantasy

Objectives:

·         Given vocabulary, the students will participate and practice new vocabulary words in the story by giving an example of each word in a sentence of their own.

·         Given a text, the students will complete a picture walk and make oral predictions about what may happen in the text or what the text is mainly about.

·         Given the text, the students will complete a read aloud of the text in small groups.

·         Given examples, students will know and be able to distinguish between reality and fantasy

·         Given a text, the students will know and be able to read it while participating in a running record assessment.

Methods:

·         Direct Instruction – Small Group

·         Modeling

·         Guided Practice

·         Application

·         Assessment

Materials:

·         Fountas and Pinnell text – Chester Greenwood’s Big Idea – nonfiction – Book 119 – level N

·         Journals

·         Index cards

·         Pens and Pencils

·         Vocabulary Handout

·         Printables

·         Video clip: http://videos.howstuffworks.com/howstuffworks/40373-the-stuff-of-genius-earmuffs-video.htm

Motivation:

Teacher will say, “Today we are going to learn about reality and fantasy. Did you know that the shows ICarly, wrestling, Digimon, Toy Story, Dennis the Menace, and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid are all fantasy? Sometimes, what they say and do in the movies or shows is real, but the characters themselves are not. Sometimes, the events and the people are real, but they are in cartoon form, like in the Simpsons or Family Guy.”

“Let’s watch a movie clip about a famous inventor. His name is Chester Greenwood and he invented the earmuffs.

Activities:

 After the students watch the video clip on Chester Greenwood, they will….

·         Given vocabulary, the students will participate and practice new vocabulary words in the story by giving an example of each word in a sentence of their own.

·         Given a text, the students will complete a picture walk and make oral predictions about what may happen in the text or what the text is mainly about.

·         Given the text, the students will complete a read aloud of the text in small groups.

·         Given examples, students will know and be able to distinguish between reality and fantasy

·         Given extension activities, the students will complete them

·         Given a text, the students will know and be able to read it while participating in a running record assessment.

Practice Activity:

After the students read the text, Chester Greenwood’s Big Idea, they will decipher if the story is reality or fantasy. They will list 5 reasons why the story is a realistic one. Then they will read the story, The Three Little Pigs. They will decide if this story could actually happen. Is it real or fake? The students must generate at least 6 reasons why this story is either real or fake. The teacher will guide as needed.

Independent Activity:

The students will complete three printables about reality or fantasy.

Evaluation:

·         Participation

·         Completed extension activities

·         Completed reality/fantasy activities

Closure:

The teacher will ask the students what the purpose of the lesson for today was. The students should respond with deciphering the difference between reality and fantasy. If the students are unable to tell what the purpose of the lesson was, the teacher will remind the students of the activities that they completed. The teacher will then ask the students if they can tell if 5 examples are either reality or fantasy, orally.

1. My mother made my lunch today in the kitchen.

2. My mother made my lunch today on a spaceship that was heading to the moon.

3. Bob and his sister climbed a giant tree that led to a land called, Happy Place, where the trees and the animals talked to one another.

4. I passed my Social Studies test because I studied for it.
5. Abraham Lincoln was the 16^th President of the United States

Assessment:

Assessments are on-going. The students will read realistic and fantasy based stories throughout the educational journeys. The students will have to decipher whether the stories they are reading are realistic or fantasy based. The students will read stories like this on the CMT’s, DRA’s, and in the Fountas and Pinnell Reading Series.