Elementary Lesson Plan

Subject Area(s):

• K-12: Language Arts

Grade Level(s):

• 5th-6th Grade

Description:

Providing the basic framework to help students distinguish between a summary of the text and what the reader is thinking.

Goals & Objectives:

To monitor the art of summarizing and what the reader is thinking by using a two column think sheet headed "What the Piece Is About/What It Makes Me Think About."

Materials:

• Strategies that Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and Engagement by Stephanie harvey and Anne Goudvis.
• An article entitled "Pompeii: the Time Machine," by Robin Shulka; reprinted in The New Comprehensive English examination guide, 2nd Edition.

Procedures:

Context for Strategy/Content:

Definition of Summary:

• Pick out the most important ideas.
• Keep it brief.
• Say it in your own words in a way that makes sense.

Reflection:

• Stop periodically and think about what you have just read.
• How does it make your feel?
• Jot down your feelings.

Modeling: Read:

• Hand out the story "Pompeii: the Time Machine."
• then have the students make up the two column think sheet headed "What the Piece Is About/What It Makes Me Think About."
• I will read the story completely. Then I will have the students briefly fill in the column entitled "What It Makes Me Think About."

Note: Remind the students to record their thoughts first, then do the task at hand because there is nothing more important than what the reader is thinking.

Guided Practice:

•  Have the students reread the first three paragraphs.
• After each paragraph help the students list two or three items in the "What the Piece Is About" column, avoiding complete sentences. have them use words or phrases only.

Independent Practice:

• Have the students reread the fourth paragraph on their own.
• have the students continue recording items in the "What the Piece Is About column as we hve done in the guided practice.
• Repeat with each paragraph as time permits, continuing to record important items.

Assessment:

Sharing/Reflection: In this section, have the students reflect on the effectiveness of this strategy by discussing the following questions:



How did this strategy work for you?

Was it intrusive? If so, why?

record their responses on chart paper for review and for reference later on.