Title:   Charlie Goes to School by Ree Drummond Read-Aloud

 

Grade Level:   Kindergarten

 

Skill: Students will be able to use literacy skills to follow along with the teacher during the read-aloud. Students will also be able to answer both open and closed ended questions in relation to the text as well as utilize vocabulary skills when learning new words and definitions.

                                   

Content: Students will know that the front covers of books contain information such as the author, the title, and the illustrator if applicable. Additionally, students will know that reading involves turning pages and reading from left to right.

 

Rationale:    

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As students follow along with the teacher during the read aloud, they will learn how to become better readers themselves. Additionally, as they engage in answering both open and closed ended questions about the text, they will learn how to pick up on key information within the story as well as how to interpret it. Overall, this will help the students become strong readers in the future and help to provide them with a strong foundation in literacy.

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Standards:  You are required to list one standard for this assignment. These are put out by the various disciplines.

            PA Standards
            Common Core

 

Standard - CC.1.2.K.B

With prompting and support, answer questions about key details in a text.

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Essential Question: 

 

 

How does answering questions about a text help us to better understand its overall meaning?

 

 

Objectives: (for this assignment only: Provide one (1) objective)

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

1.  Objectives will include 4 distinct components:

Audience, Behavior, Condition and Degree.

 

 

Given a variety of open and closed ended questions, students will answer at least one open and one closed question, without error.

 

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Vocabulary words: (include any vocabulary words you believe will need to be taught before or after reading), and any possible extension activity ideas that might be added.

 

 

 

Ranch – a large farm

 

Homestead – a farmhouse and its adjoining land

 

Shoeing – to fit a horse with horseshoes

 

Calves – young cows, usually in their first year of life

 

Subtraction – the process or skill of taking one number or amount away from another

 

Strange – unusual or surprising in a way that is hard to understand

 

Fellas – a term meaning men

 

 

Formative Assessment: 

1. These should explain how you are measuring the objectives and should MATCH the objectives specifically. Do not merely repeat what the objective is (for this assignment, just provide 1)

 

 

The students will show either a thumb up or thumbs down, representative of their level of understanding, during various points of the lesson. If the teacher sees students displaying a thumb down, he or she will slow down, re-phrase the information in a new way, answer any questions, and offer the students one-on-one assistance, if helpful. If the teacher sees the students displaying thumbs up, he or she will know that the students are comprehending the information, and that it is appropriate to move forward.

 

 

Procedures/Events of Instruction: (you will include your open/closed questions within the procedures)

1. Attention Getter & Advanced Organizer (_1_ minutes)

   1. This could be showing a model, asking a question, having a problem on the board, reading an interesting newspaper article, etc.  Needs to be detailed. How will you get students to care?!

   2. Inform students of objectives

 

 

To ensure that students are in a ready position, use the cue: “One, Two, Three – Eyes on Me”.

 

 

Anticipatory Set: Ask the questions, “Have you ever seen a farm? If you have, what are some things you have seen on a farm?” (The teacher calls on volunteers.) “As I read aloud a story to you today, let’s try to look for some of things you mentioned.” 

 

 

Student Objective: “Today, we are going to be reading the story: Charlie Goes to School by Ree Drummond. As we read, we are going to answer some open and closed ended questions in order to better understand the story.”

 

 

1. Stimulate recall of prior knowledge (_1_ minute). If you’re asking questions, list the questions. If you’re reviewing, state what you will say/show/share. Do NOT just say “review from yesterday.”

 

 

Ask the questions: “Do you remember when we had a show and tell about our pets? Has anyone wondered what your pets think of you when you are going home?”

 

 

“There are many different kinds of schools. Can anyone name one type? [online, home, public, etc.]”

 

 

“Let’s point out some of the farm characteristics we discussed earlier while we are reading.”

 

 

1. Presentation of Content (_4_ minutes)

   1.  This is how the content is being presented.

 

The teacher will read the book Charlie Goes to School by Ree Drummond aloud to the class. As the teacher is reading, he or she will stop to ask open and closed ended questions. Such questions will be:

 

“Does anyone know what a ranch is?” p.2

 

“Can someone tell me what a homestead is?” p.2

 

“Why do you think Cowboy Josh is shoeing the horse?” p.3

 

“What do you notice about the classroom in the picture that is different from yours?” p.7

 

“Does anyone in here love math? Charlie sure does!” p.9

 

“What animal is Charlie mistaking for a cow on the cover of the book?” p.10

 

“Does Charlie look like exercising is ‘his way of life’”? p.11

 

“What kinds of animals do you see on this page?” p.12 *Use a pointer

 

“What sport are they playing?” p.12

 

“What kind of sandwiches are they having for lunch?” p.13

 

“Does anyone have a guess for what Charlie’s idea is?” p.16

 

“Do you think that is really what the words on Charlie’s bag of food say?” p.19

 

“Does it look like the animals are listening to Charlie’s directions? What are they doing?” p.23

 

“What emotion do you think Charlie is feeling based on the look on his face?” p.23

 

“How do you think Mama would feel is she saw the mess?” p.25

 

“Did you like the story?” p.27

 

After reading the story:

 

“How would you describe Charlie’s personality?”

 

“What are some things Charlie did to help Mama?”

 

“What school subjects were mentioned in the story?”

 

“What new words did you see in the story?”

 

“What were some of Charlie’s physical features?”

 

“What was the weather like in the story?”

 

“What was your favorite part of the story?

 

“Did you like the story? Why or why not?” *Use a visual thumb up or thumb down

 

 

 

1. Student involvement (_1_ minutes)

 

 

The students will take turns answering the teacher’s questions. Every student should participate by answering at least one open and one closed ended question.

 

 

1. Practice & Feedback (_5_ minutes) (and any possible extension activity ideas that might be added.)

 

 

After the story is read, the teacher will introduce the new vocabulary words from the text by writing the words from the story on the board. Together, the class will formulate definitions for the words. The teacher will make sure to provide guidance to the students during this activity. Additionally, the students will be prompted to try to come up with sentences containing the new vocabulary words.

 

 

The students will recreate their scene from the story by drawing a visual representation of it on white paper. After they have drawn the scene, they will have the chance to color it. Volunteers will then be called on to share their drawing with the class. In addition to showing their drawings, the students will be asked to provide an explanation as to why this was their favorite part of the story.

 

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Materials and Aids:  All the materials, books, worksheets, etc. that you will need to make this lesson work. Be specific.

 

 

The book Charlie Goes to School by Ree Drummond

Definitions for the words: ranch, homestead, shoeing, calves, subtraction, strange, and fellas

A list of open and closed ended questions

A pointer

White paper

Art supplies

A communication binder

A visual of a thumb up or a thumb down

 

 

Adaptations: What changes will you make in instruction, content, and/or grouping so that all students’ needs are met

 

 

The teacher will make a signal by cupping his or her hand around their ear to notion that it is time to start listening to the book that is about to be read.

 

Students will be permitted to write down their answers to the open and closed ended questions on a piece of paper rather than answering them orally and on the spot in front of the class. They may have unlimited time to do so.

 

Students will be permitted to answer the questions in small groups if helpful.

 

Students will be able to use a visual thumbs or thumbs down for the question: “Did you like the story? Why or why not?”

 

Students will be permitted to sit in preferential seating to accommodate needing additional prompting to answer questions and participate or for a visual impairment.

 

Students will receive verbal reinforcement when appropriately answering a question. For example, the praise: “I like how you included specific details from the story within your answer, [student’s name]!” will be used. The feedback provided by the teacher will be both specific and immediate.

 

Students will be provided with a communication binder displaying an array of visuals with word to answer questions if needed. This will help them to fully participate.

 

Students will be exposed to the vocabulary before the book is read. This preteaching of the words will allow them to become familiar with the definitions so they can feel more prepared and gain a better understanding of the story.

 

Enrichments: How could you make this lesson more in depth, novel, accelerated, or complex for higher achieving students

 

 

Students will be asked to come up with two of their own questions in relation to the text.

 

Students will compare and contrast not only the similarities and differences between home schooling and public schooling, but also the pros and the cons. They will do this in small groups.

 

Students will be introduced to additional vocabulary terms such as: setting, characters, and plot.

 

Students will be given the title of the story Charlie Goes to School ahead of time. They will then be asked to come up with a predication as to what they think the story is about, who Charlie is, etc.

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Meaning Level Word Techniques:

   If a student is unfamiliar with a word, the teacher will prompt the student with context clues from the story. Additionally, the teacher will encourage the student to examine the illustrations in this particular story. For example, if a student is struggling to grasp the definition of the word: calf, the teacher will instruct the student to view the image on the page. Furthermore, if a student is having trouble learning the vocabulary presented in the story, the teacher can guide this student in making vocabulary cards that contain images that will help he or she remember the meanings. Also, the teacher can demonstrate the meaning of the words by utilizing the words in a variety of sentences that relate to the students' lives.

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Ways to Respond to the Literature:

 

    After reading the story, the students will have the opportunity to use magnetic alphabet letters to compare and contrast their own names to Charlie's. If a student happens to be named Charlie, then he or she will compare "Charlie" to the name "Charles" or "Chuck." Each student will use the alphabet letters to form the name "Charlie". Then, beside of this name, each student will use the alphabet letters to spell their own name. Side-by-side the students will examine the two names. During this time, the teacher will circulate and guide the students. Additionally, the teacher will be listening for comments such as, "Both of our names begin with a capital 'C'!" and "My name is a lot longer than Charlie's, but they both end in an 'e'". 

 

    Secondly, the students will attempt an "A to Z Game". This game involves writing each letter of the alphabet on a sheet of paper. Then, the students will be challenged to try to think of a word that relates to the story for each letter. For example, the students may choose to write "Charlie" for letter 'C', and "Ree" for the letter 'R', since she is the author. The students can collaborate with one another for this activity.

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Related Dramatic Play Center Activity:

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   After working with the story, the students will be encouraged to explore the setting of it through their dramatic play. The story takes place in Oklahoma. After brainstorming facts the students know about Oklahoma, the teacher will take the students on a virtual field trip to Oklahoma, using Google Earth. After exploring the state, the students will again get together and brainstorm what they now know about Oklahoma. From here, the students may use costumes and props to pretend they are in Oklahoma. The students can even use a Charlie puppet to get into character. 

   After getting to know more about the author of the story, the students may be inspired to pretend they are chefs. They can do this utilizing the kitchen supplies present in the dramatic play center. Specifically, the students may even want to cook some of the same dishes Ree herself does. This will introduce terminology such as: chef, recipe, bake, heat, rise, mix, stir, delicious, measure, boil, freeze, etc. to the students.

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Related Writing Center Activity:

   The students will partake in writing about the similarities and the differences between their school and the school depicted in the story. Some similarities might be that both schools involve the subjects of mathematics, history, and language arts. Additionally, both schools include time for lunch and recess. Yet, some differences may be that the school in the story takes place in an in-home classroom, while the students' school is a separate building from their houses.

 

Related Extension Activity:

   Using puppets from the story, either made or purchased, the students will take part in putting on a puppet show! The students may either use the puppets while the teacher is re-reading the story, or they may rely on their summarization skills to put on the show. The students will rotate out of their roles to ensure that everyone has a chance to participate. This will help clarify the story for the students as well as strengthen the students' fine motor skills. In direct relation to emergent literacy, this activity will involve the students either reading along with the teacher while he or she re-reads the story, or writing their own scripts on a piece of paper. If the students decide to have the teacher re-read the story, then it will be their job to chime in and read the dialogue of their character. However, if the students write their own scripts, then they will refer to these during the puppet show.

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Retelling:

   The students will be asked whether or not they enjoyed the story. If the students determine that they did like the story, then they will have to write down at least three reasons (one from the beginning, middle, and end) directly from the story explaining why. The same is true for students who decide they did not like the story. This activity will require the students to think back to the story and come up with facts, details, and main ideas that support their opinion. The three points the students provide will serve as a retelling of the story.

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Creative Dramatics:

   Without using a script, the students will act out the story. The students will be encouraged to express emotion in their voices when playing the role of the characters. Since there is no script for this portion of the lesson, the students will have the opportunity to expand upon parts of the story they like, if desired. Additionally, the students will have the creative freedom to improvise dialogue not included within the story.

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Story Drama:

   During this more structured reenactment of the story, the teacher will serve as the narrator. The students will follow along with the book as they act out the story. Additionally, the students will directly quote the story when acting.

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Puppets:

   Using puppets will be especially helpful for shy children when dramatizing the story. The puppets serve as barrier between the audience and the child. Many children tend to feel more comfortable when using puppets to tell stories because the puppet serves as something that is separate from the child his or her self. This alleviates some of the social pressure off of the child.

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Art Projects:

    The students will have the chance to practice their artistic abilities during various points throughout the lesson. For instance, the students will be encouraged to illustrate their favorite scene from the story as well as design a new cover for the book. On their alternative cover, the students must include the title of the story, and both the author's and illustrator's name. After doing this, the students will have the freedom to design the cover in any way they choose. 

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Writing:

   There will be many opportunities for the students to practice their writing skills throughout the lesson. For example, when the students are designing their alternative cover of the book, they will practice their writing skills as they write out the title of the book along with the author's and illustrator's names. Additionally, the students will participate in a writing activity when they record whether or not they liked the story and recall three specific points from the story to back up their reasoning. If the students choose to utilize a script for the puppet show, this will also build upon their writing skills. Lastly, though not physically writing, the students will strengthen their spelling skills when using the magnetic alphabet letters to spell out their names along with the name "Charlie".

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