Title:   The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill

 

Grade Level:  Second Grade

 

Content Knowledge:    Skill:  The students will be able to describe how                                           characters respond to event in a text. Also, the                                             students will be able to analyze characters                                                   within a text.

                                       

                                       Content: The students will know how different                                             characters respond to different events within a                                           story. Additionally, the students will know how                                           characters grow and change over time.

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Rationale:   (explains WHY, not what) 

Understanding how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges will guide the students in becoming critical readers. Being knowledgeable about the characters will help the students better comprehend the text overall. Additionally, analyzing the characters will encourage the students to think about the characters on a deeper level. Lastly, acknowledging the ways in which a character can grow and change over time will help the students see the both see importance of character development as well as make personal connections to the characters.

 

 

Standards: These are put out by the various disciplines.

            PA Standards
            Common Core

 

 

Standard - CC.1.3.2.C

Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

 

 

Goal: 

By the end of this lesson, the students will be able to describe the different ways in which characters respond to events and challenges. Also, the students will be able to compare and contrast the ways in which a character responds to events at the beginning of the story versus at the end of the story.

 

 

Big Ideas:

-Compare and Contrast

-Character Development

-Descriptions

-Character Analyzation

 

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Essential Question:

How do characters influence us as readers?

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Objectives:

1.  Objectives will include 4 distinct components:

Audience, Behavior, Condition and Degree.

 

Given a read-aloud of the story The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill, the students will be able to analyze the characters in the story via a discussion, with 100% accuracy.

 

Given a read-aloud of the story The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill, the students will be able to complete a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting Mean Jean from the beginning of the story to the end of the story, with 100% accuracy.

 

 

Vocabulary:

 

Bully – a person who seeks to harm others

Contrast – the state of being different from something else

Diagram – a visual drawing or graphic

Selfish – lacking consideration for others

Similarity – the state of being the same as something else

Transformation – the process of changing

 

 

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. Mix these within the lesson.

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The teacher will assess the students based on their ability to participate in the character analyzation discussion held after the read-aloud of the story. If the students are able to actively respond and participate, the teacher will know that they have a good comprehension of the story. However, if the students are struggling to do so, the teacher will re-read certain portions of the text, re-phrase the information, answer any questions, and supply one-on-one assistance as needed.

 

The teacher will use the Venn Diagram as a formative assessment as well. If the students are able to accurately compare and contrast Mean Jean at the beginning of the story to Mean Jean at the end of the story, the teacher will know that the students are catching on to her character development. Yet, if the students are struggling to do this, the teacher will guide and assist them as necessary.

 

Lastly, the teacher will provide the students with an exit ticket. This exit ticket will help the teacher gauge the students’ overall comprehension of both the story and the lesson. This will help the teacher assess whether or not the students are prepared to move on.

 

 

Procedures/Events of Instruction:

1. Attention Getter & Advanced Organizer (_4_ 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 the students are in a ready position, the teacher will use the cue: “Show me that you are in the ready position.”

 

Anticipatory Set: The teacher will ask, “Have you ever read a story about a character who changes? Have you yourself ever changed? Think about yourself at the beginning of the school year to now. How have you changed?” The teacher will call on students to share their responses.

 

Student Objective: Then, the teacher will say, “Today, we are going to be listening to a read-aloud of a story about a character who undergoes some changes from the beginning of the story to the end.”

 

 

1. Stimulate recall of prior knowledge (_4_ minutes). 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.”

 

The teacher will say, “As we listen to this story, I want you to think about how different characters within the story respond to events and challenges. I also want you to be thinking about how you might respond to some of the events that occur throughout the story”.

 

Building Background: The teacher will show the students the cover of the book. Then, the teacher will ask the students, “Looking at the cover of this book, what kind of a character do you think the girl with the crown on likely is? What might you predict her personality is like?” (Possible Responses: Mean, Selfish, a Bully.)

 

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1. Presentation of Content (_5_ minutes)

   1.  This is how the content is being presented.

The teacher will play a digital read-aloud of the story The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill for the students. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyXqd4CT900 ) While the students are listening, the teacher will remind them to make special note of how the characters within the story respond to events and challenges and how some of the characters change throughout the story.

 

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1. Student involvement (_10_ minutes)

Following the read-aloud, the students will participate in a discussion about the story. The teacher will ask the students:

 

“What did you think of the story? Did you like it? Why or why not?”

“How do Mean Jean and Katie Sue compare to one another?”

“What would you do if you had to have recess with Mean Jean?”

“Do you prefer Mean Jean at the beginning of the story or at the end?”

“What finally made Mean Jean change?”

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1. Practice & Feedback (_15_ minutes)

Next, the students will be divided into small groups. Within their groups, the students will fill out a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting Mean Jean from the beginning of the story to the end. Once the students are finished, the teacher will have them come together as a whole class to fill out a Venn Diagram together. Each group will contribute to the whole-class Venn Diagram.

 

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1. Review/Closure(_3_ minutes)

Lastly, the students will be instructed to complete an exit ticket. The exit ticket will ask the students a couple of questions about how Mean Jean changed throughout the story.

 

 

1. Preview of Next Lesson(_1_ minutes)

The teacher will say, “Tomorrow, we will continue our literature-based discussions as we focus on character development".

 

 

*Note: Presentation, involvement, and practice/feedback can all be combined, but all three components ought to be visible in your lesson plans.

 

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

A read-aloud of The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill is needed.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyXqd4CT900 )

Discussion questions are required.

Individual Venn Diagrams for each student are needed.

A large, whole-class Venn Diagram is necessary.

An exit ticket for each student is needed.

 

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Adaptations: 

The teacher will allow the students to take brief breaks to stretch and move as needed.

The teacher will encourage the students to sit closer to the board during the read-aloud.

The teacher will keep the directions concise.

The students may orally complete the exit ticket, if helpful.

The teacher will make sure each student feels involved and engaged.

The students may have extra time to complete activities.

 

 

Enrichments: 

The students will be asked to think about a character from another story they have read who also experienced changes. Then, the students will be encouraged to compare and contrast this character to Mean Jean.

The students will be asked to think about what exactly it was that Katie Sue did that changed Mean Jean’s attitude. In other words, what was the real reason as to why Mean Jean was so mean?

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Appendix:

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Name: ____________________

 

Directions: Please read the questions below. Then, write a response on the lines provided.

 

1. What is one way Mean Jean changed throughout the story?

 

____________________________________________

 

____________________________________________.

 

2. Who helped Mean Jean change into a better person?

 

____________________________________________

 

____________________________________________.