Lesson Plan - Read Aloud Trees (poem) by Sarah Coleridge
Day: Thursday
Time: 9:15 am - 9:45 am
Activity Overview: Lead teacher will read aloud several times, while emphasizing and questioning about different types of trees. The students will also be asked to stand straight and tall like a poplar, or droop like a willow. Pictures of different types of trees will be shown, and questions will be asked about the similarities and differences of these trees.
Domain/Goal: Receptive and Expressive language - Students will listen to the different words the teacher is using and move their bodies. Students will be asked to offer some describing words about trees.
Materials:
· Trees poem projected onto smartboard
· Large pictures of different types of trees with their names on the back that are laminated
Vocabulary:
Quivers, Straight, Droops
Teacher(s) Roles: The lead teacher reads the poem aloud several times, each time with a slightly different activity. The assistant teachers will rotate among the students and assist as needed, and gather the materials so that they are ready for the lesson following this read aloud. At the end of the read aloud the lead teacher will transition into the next tree lesson which takes place outside.
Structure of Activity: Whole class - students sit, stand, and move on the large rug with teachers stationed around the perimeter.
Procedure:
· Children will sit on the carpet as teacher introduces the lesson/activity. Learning Connection – “This week we are learning that we share our neighborhood with many different people. We also share our neighborhood with other living things (ask for examples – animals, plants, trees).”
· Lead teacher will read the poem aloud, then will ask students to close their eyes as the poem is read again, this time the students will be asked to picture what they think the trees look like as the poem is being read.
· The poem will be read again, this time with the students being asked to move like the trees in the poem. The teachers will model what the different movements look like (e.g. standing straight and tall like a poplar, or spreading their limbs across the wall like a Peach tree).
· The word movements for “quivers”, “straight”, and “droops” will be demonstrated by the students after the teachers have modeled them, if necessary. Each student will have a chance to come to the front of the room in a small group to demonstrate one of these words. As the students demonstrate, the other students will be asked what they look like, how “straight” looks different than “droops”, and how you feel when you “quiver”.
· The poem will be read again, with the students coming back to sit on the rug. This time, large pictures of the trees with their names will be held up as their names are being read. The pictures will then be placed on the board so that everyone can see them.
· The poem will be read again, very slowly, line by line, with the students being asked to say the names of the trees along with the teacher as they are read. The pictures of the trees will be pointed to as they are read.
· The pictures will then be mixed up and put back on the board in a different order. The poem will be read again, slowly, with students taking turns to identify each tree as it is mentioned.
· When the students have identified all of the trees correctly, the poem will be read again, this time with the students holding up the pictures of the trees and moving like the words describe in the poem.
Modifications:
Increase Difficulty:
- Students will be asked to say the names of the trees as the picture is held up
- Pictures of the trees will be turned around. Students will pick one, turn it around, and say the name of it
- Teachers will not model the movements, but will describe what the movement should look like
Decrease Difficulty:
- Assistant teachers will model the movements for the students every time
- Students with language difficulties will be asked to point to the different pictures of the trees or the different students when questions are being asked
- The pictures will not be mixed up, but will stay in the same order throughout the activity
Cultural/Linguistic:
- Translations of the poem and trees’ names can be provided in Spanish. Some of the poem can be signed
Assessment:
All teachers will observe students throughout the lesson/activity. After the lesson is finished, teachers will fill out checklists that ask the following questions:
- Were the students able to move correctly when hearing the describing words after the movement had been modeled?
- Were the students able to answer any questions about the vocabulary words?
- Were the students able to identify the trees by their name and picture?
- Were the students able to remember the movement corresponding with the vocabulary words?
- Were the students able to say the names of the trees or any of the vocabulary words?
Follow up Activity: This activity will lead into the next of walking in the neighborhood to identify trees, match them with any of the pictures of trees discussed in the read aloud, touch the trees, and do rubbings of bark and leaves. Trees will be added to the neighborhood floor map and students will be asked to collect parts of trees during outdoor play.
Time: 9:15 am - 9:45 am
Activity Overview: Lead teacher will read aloud several times, while emphasizing and questioning about different types of trees. The students will also be asked to stand straight and tall like a poplar, or droop like a willow. Pictures of different types of trees will be shown, and questions will be asked about the similarities and differences of these trees.
Domain/Goal: Receptive and Expressive language - Students will listen to the different words the teacher is using and move their bodies. Students will be asked to offer some describing words about trees.
- Objective: Students will listen to the poem being read several times, and will react to the different verbs and adjectives by moving their bodies accordingly. For example, when the line, “The Peach tree spreads across the wall”, is read, the students may spread their arms and legs along the wall as well. Students will see a picture of a type of tree while its name is being read.
- Objective: Students will be asked to offer some words that describe trees during the read aloud, and some words that describe either the similarities or differences between these trees. Teachers may offer some prompts if no answers are forthcoming. For example, the teacher may say, “Are these trees’ leaves the same color? What color are they?”
- Objective: Students will become familiar with vocabulary words they have not heard before. Although there are several words that the students may not be familiar with in this poem, only three will be taught and gone over to an extent.
- Objective: Students will be introduced to the concept of comparing and contrasting when discussing different types of trees, as this pre reading skill is emphasized.
Materials:
· Trees poem projected onto smartboard
· Large pictures of different types of trees with their names on the back that are laminated
Vocabulary:
Quivers, Straight, Droops
Teacher(s) Roles: The lead teacher reads the poem aloud several times, each time with a slightly different activity. The assistant teachers will rotate among the students and assist as needed, and gather the materials so that they are ready for the lesson following this read aloud. At the end of the read aloud the lead teacher will transition into the next tree lesson which takes place outside.
Structure of Activity: Whole class - students sit, stand, and move on the large rug with teachers stationed around the perimeter.
Procedure:
· Children will sit on the carpet as teacher introduces the lesson/activity. Learning Connection – “This week we are learning that we share our neighborhood with many different people. We also share our neighborhood with other living things (ask for examples – animals, plants, trees).”
· Lead teacher will read the poem aloud, then will ask students to close their eyes as the poem is read again, this time the students will be asked to picture what they think the trees look like as the poem is being read.
· The poem will be read again, this time with the students being asked to move like the trees in the poem. The teachers will model what the different movements look like (e.g. standing straight and tall like a poplar, or spreading their limbs across the wall like a Peach tree).
· The word movements for “quivers”, “straight”, and “droops” will be demonstrated by the students after the teachers have modeled them, if necessary. Each student will have a chance to come to the front of the room in a small group to demonstrate one of these words. As the students demonstrate, the other students will be asked what they look like, how “straight” looks different than “droops”, and how you feel when you “quiver”.
· The poem will be read again, with the students coming back to sit on the rug. This time, large pictures of the trees with their names will be held up as their names are being read. The pictures will then be placed on the board so that everyone can see them.
· The poem will be read again, very slowly, line by line, with the students being asked to say the names of the trees along with the teacher as they are read. The pictures of the trees will be pointed to as they are read.
· The pictures will then be mixed up and put back on the board in a different order. The poem will be read again, slowly, with students taking turns to identify each tree as it is mentioned.
· When the students have identified all of the trees correctly, the poem will be read again, this time with the students holding up the pictures of the trees and moving like the words describe in the poem.
Modifications:
Increase Difficulty:
- Students will be asked to say the names of the trees as the picture is held up
- Pictures of the trees will be turned around. Students will pick one, turn it around, and say the name of it
- Teachers will not model the movements, but will describe what the movement should look like
Decrease Difficulty:
- Assistant teachers will model the movements for the students every time
- Students with language difficulties will be asked to point to the different pictures of the trees or the different students when questions are being asked
- The pictures will not be mixed up, but will stay in the same order throughout the activity
Cultural/Linguistic:
- Translations of the poem and trees’ names can be provided in Spanish. Some of the poem can be signed
Assessment:
All teachers will observe students throughout the lesson/activity. After the lesson is finished, teachers will fill out checklists that ask the following questions:
- Were the students able to move correctly when hearing the describing words after the movement had been modeled?
- Were the students able to answer any questions about the vocabulary words?
- Were the students able to identify the trees by their name and picture?
- Were the students able to remember the movement corresponding with the vocabulary words?
- Were the students able to say the names of the trees or any of the vocabulary words?
Follow up Activity: This activity will lead into the next of walking in the neighborhood to identify trees, match them with any of the pictures of trees discussed in the read aloud, touch the trees, and do rubbings of bark and leaves. Trees will be added to the neighborhood floor map and students will be asked to collect parts of trees during outdoor play.