Name: Amy Allen Small Group Reading Lesson Plan [MULTIPLE LESSON TEMPLATE] Background Information: Students should be able to correctly identify adjectives and adverbs in sentences. Students should be able to recognize the difference in comparing two things versus more than two. Grade Level: 8th Number of Students: 76 (3 periods of 25-30) Students Linguistic Backgrounds: Native English Speakers Instructional Location: MSJH (Mahomet-Seymour Junior High) Length of Instruction: 1— 45 min. lesson and 1—38 min. lesson Standard(s) Addressed Lesson One: Illinois State Standard: 4.A.3c Restate and carry out multistep oral instructions. CC: L.8.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. WIDA: Speaking and Writing: Level 4 Expanding—Vocabulary Usage: Specific and some technical content-area language Words or expressions with multiple meanings across content areas Lesson Two: CC: W.8.3d Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events. WIDA: Listening and Reading: Level 5 Bridging—Linguistic Complexity: (large group) Rich descriptive discourse with complex sentences Cohesive and organized related ideas WIDA: Speaking and Writing: Level 4 Expanding—Language Forms and Conventions: (small group) Sentence patterns characteristic of particular content area
Transcript
Name: Amy AllenSmall Group Reading Lesson Plan [MULTIPLE LESSON TEMPLATE]
Background Information: Students should be able to correctly identify adjectives and adverbs in sentences. Students should be able to recognize the difference in comparing two things versus more than two.
Grade Level: 8th Number of Students: 76 (3 periods of 25-30) Students Linguistic Backgrounds: Native English Speakers
Instructional Location: MSJH (Mahomet-Seymour Junior High) Length of Instruction: 1— 45 min. lesson and 1—38 min. lesson
Standard(s) Addressed
Lesson One:Illinois State Standard: 4.A.3c Restate and carry out multistep oral instructions.CC: L.8.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.WIDA: Speaking and Writing: Level 4 Expanding—Vocabulary Usage:
Specific and some technical content-area language Words or expressions with multiple meanings across content areas
Lesson Two:CC: W.8.3d Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.WIDA: Listening and Reading: Level 5 Bridging—Linguistic Complexity: (large group)
Rich descriptive discourse with complex sentences Cohesive and organized related ideas
WIDA: Speaking and Writing: Level 4 Expanding—Language Forms and Conventions:(small group)
Sentence patterns characteristic of particular content area
Content Objectives Language Objectives
Objectives for Lesson One:SWBAT
Orally repeat the directions given Locate the comparative and superlative phrases in
provided sentences. Construct comparative and superlative sentences
Objectives for Lesson One:SWBAT
Tell me in their own words the steps to the small group activity.
Split class in groups of three Each group member will choose a different
using candy.o Comparative (more, -er, -ier)o Superlative (most, -est)
Objectives for Lesson Two:SWBAT
Compare and contrast characters in To Kill a Mockingbird using comparative and superlative phrases.(large group)
What: To Kill a MockingbirdWho: characters in the novelWhy: Being able to compare and contrast characters gives readers a greater insight to the author’s voice, it’s an important academic skill, and aids in future essay writing
Choose key phrases that classify comparative and superlative statements. (large group)
Locate word patterns for identifying comparative and superlative sentences. (small group)
piece of candy On one side of the paper—Write five sentences
comparing two pieces of candy using comparative sentences
On one side of the paper—Write five sentences comparing three pieces of candy using superlative sentences
Select phrases that indicate comparative (more, -er, -ier) AND superlative (most, -est)
Select two (or more) characters from To Kill a Mockingbird to compare and contrast using comparative (more, -er, -ier) AND superlative (most, -est) key phrases.
Identify that when students see more, -er, -ier …it is a comparative sentence AND when students see most, -est…it is a superlative sentence.
Explain that key phrases/endings of words reveal clues as to what type of sentence the author constructed.
Title: To Kill a MockingbirdAuthor: Harper LeePublisher: Warner BooksDate: 1960 copyright
Genre: Narrative FictionText Structure: NovelLevel: 10L to 1700L Lexile Range
Theme(s) Strategy Focus Vocabulary Assessment
The world is full of comparisons: best prices, best/worst technology to use, athletes, actors/actresses, music, grades, performances, food, restaurants, etc. I want my students to be aware of not only recognizing a comparison, but also to construct their own opinions using comparative and superlative phrases.
-Vocabulary-Patterns-Classifying types of sentences
Focus will be on:-Comparative-Superlative-Adjectives-Adverbs
Day One (Informal):1. Answers correctly with multiple choice options for
definitions.2. Correctly identify proper usage of comparison in a
sentence.3. Can work collaboratively within small group setting
and provide input.Day One (Formal):
1. Construct a comparative and a superlative sentence using dog, cat, and kangaroo.
2. Write at least one comparative and one superlative sentence describing candy.
3. Complete the sentences in their grammar books (page 139) correctly.
I will be using this information for my Day Two small groups.
Day Two (Informal):1. Periodically checking for students’ on-task at their
seat.2. Examining responses for my small group—checking
for understanding during “re-teach”Day Two (Formal):
1. Correctly constructed comparative and superlative sentences using characters in To Kill a Mockingbird.
2. Identify key phrases used in comparative and superlative sentences.
LESSON 1
Before (Setting the Stage, Activating Prior Knowledge/Building Background Knowledge)
*Preview the skill (Teacher led)I will start the class with a “bell ringer.” My cooperating teacher uses bell ringers to get students’ minds thinking and to get them focused for the lesson. My bell ringer is going to be a sentence containing parts of speech: noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, adverb, articles, and conjunctions.
*Activate prior knowledge (Teacher and Students Together)I will ask the students to identify each part of speech. Since comparative and superlative phrases involve using adjectives and
adverbs I wanted to begin with something that got them thinking, once again, what an adjective and adverb is. Also, I wanted them to be able to pick out the adjectives and adverbs in a sentence.Ask them again…What does an adjective modify? (noun and pronoun)What does an adverb modify? (verb, adjective, and adverb)
*Build on prior knowledge (Teacher and Student Together)-Say, “Today we will be focusing on sentences that compare nouns and verbs. So it’s very important to be able to distinguish between the two.”-I have put together a chart with examples of comparative and superlative sentences. I will pass out that chart.
-I will then explain that this chart comes directly from their grammar books.-I will then go over each section of the chart—explaining the “rules” that go along with each modifier and ask for more examples from the students. --Here are some examples I will ask the class:
Fast (one syllable—faster or fastest) Inadequate (more than two syllables—more inadequate or most inadequate) Crabby (two syllables—drop the “y”, add “-ier” or “-est”)
*Set a purposeSay, “The world is full of comparisons. Comparisons between people, technology, prices, commercials, actors/actresses, school subjects, etc. And everyone has a different opinion about which one is better than another or which was is worst. I want to focus today’s lesson on being able to not only identify comparisons, but to know what type of comparison and how to construct your own comparisons.”
*Introduce focus strategy-Go through PowerPoint slides 4-9 discussing the two types of comparison sentences: Comparative and Superlative.-Identify the difference between the two. (Comparative is between two things…Superlative is between two or more things.)-Illustrate “key phrases” with comparative (more, -er/-ier) and superlative (most, -est) so students can determine a pattern.-Go over examples of comparative and superlative sentences.-Have students correctly identify the proper phrase to complete sentences.-Students will then construct a comparative and superlative sentence using a dog, a cat, and a kangaroo. We will go over students’ examples in class.
*My model: I have also created a comparative and superlative sentence using a dog, a cat, and a kangaroo. I will display my example to the class.
-Reiterate that the comparative form of an adjective compares two people, places, or things. (For example: A snail is slower than a crab.) The superlative form of an adjective compares more than two people, places, or
things. (For example: Tracy is the fastest.)For certain adjectives, the words more and most must be used. (For example: He is the more playful kitten. That necklace is the most magnificent of all.)
During (Engaging in meaning making and strategy/skill practice)
Small group activity:Explain that I have a bag of candy. I will split the class into groups of three. I want each group to select two different pieces of candy. **Each group receives one piece of paper in which ALL members need to contribute to. On one side of a piece of paper (show the piece of paper) I want students the draw or write the two snacks and write five sentences to compare them. Have students underline the comparative adjectives in their sentences. SHOW MY EXAMPLE.After each group has finished with the comparative side of the paper, I may go over some groups’ sentences. (If time allows.)Then have the students come up and grab a third piece of candy and repeat the activity on the back of the paper comparing the three snacks. Have students write five sentences. Have them underline the superlative adjectives in their sentences.After each group has finished with the superlative side of the paper, I may go over some groups’ sentences. (If time allows.)Each student in the group must write at least one sentence. I want students to initial next to the sentence they wrote.Students may eat their candy after class.
After (Clarifying key concepts, extending ideas)
Individual Assignment (to be used as an assessment for the following week’s differentiated small groups):Grammar books (school provided) Page 139.“Choose the correct comparative or superlative form to complete each sentence.”Problems 1-10
After students complete the individual assignment, I am going to assess who still needs work on comparative and superlative sentences (by how many each student got incorrect for each type of sentence). Those students who struggled will be pulled up to the horseshoe table for the following lesson to do a “re-teach” while the rest of the class will be performing an extension of this lesson.
LESSON 2
**Karen—My goal for this lesson is to keep the whole class on task while I am working at the horseshoe with a “re-teaching” strategy for those who need more explanation of comparative and superlative sentences.
Before (Setting the Stage, Activating Prior Knowledge/Building Background Knowledge)*Preview the skill (Teacher led)I will start the class with a “bell ringer.” My cooperating teacher uses bell ringers to get students’ minds thinking and to get them focused for the lesson. My bell ringer is going to be a few sentences with comparative and superlative sentences.
*Activate prior knowledge (Teacher and Students Together)Here is my bell ringer:Directions: Make corrections on the following sentences; then state whether that sentence is comparative or superlative.(Some sentences do not require any alterations.)
Which do you think is the easiest language to learn? Correct as is (superlative)
She's looking more happier today. She’s looking happier today. (comparative)
This grammar topic is easier than most others. Correct as is (comparative)
Of all the people I know my father drives the most quickliest. Most quickly (superlative)
*Build on prior knowledge (Teacher and Student Together)“Last week we learned about comparative and superlative sentences. What was the difference between the two again?”“What are the key phrases or word endings that are associated with each type of sentence (comparative, superlative)?”
*Set a purpose“Like I said last week, the world is full of comparisons. Today I want you all to focus on comparing and contrasting characters from your novel To Kill a Mockingbird. This exercise is going to be a great tool for when you begin essay writing later this year.”
*Introduce focus strategyI am going to split the class. (I’m not going to announce that I’m splitting up the students.) The majority of the class will be doing an extension of the comparative and superlative sentence activity last week by comparing characters in their novel To Kill a Mockingbird. A small number of students will be joining me at the horse-shoe table for a “re-teach” of the comparative and superlative sentence activity.
Here are my directions for the individual project: (I will have these displayed on a PowerPoint slide) Using To Kill a Mockingbird please write TWO comparative sentences and TWO superlative
sentences comparing/contrasting characters from the novel.
Find evidence in the book to support your opinions.
*My model
EXAMPLE: Atticus is the best father in Maycomb, Alabama. (superlative) Evidence: Atticus places a high importance on Jem and Scout’s education. He reads to Scout
every night and stresses that Scout cannot miss school.On page 30, Scout says, “If I didn’t go to school tomorrow, you’d force me to.”“Let us leave it at this,” said Atticus dryly, “You, Miss Scout Finch, are of the common folk. You must
obey the law.”
ANOTHER EXAMPLE: Scout is more naïve than Jem. (comparative) Evidence: When Atticus wants the women and children to leave the courtroom during Mr. Ewell’s
testimony, Scout doesn’t understand why her father would suggest that request. Jem, being more mature, recognizes that Mr. Ewell’s testament is going to describe vulgar activities, which are not suitable for women and children to hear.
*Are there any questions?*Can someone restate what I would like you all to be working on?*”Now, I’m going to be pulling some students up with me. What are some of the rules you think I’m expecting you will be following?”
No talking Work quietly Anyone who has a question, try to figure it out by yourself first, then, if you have to, please come up front and ask me. When you are finished, turn your sheet over and begin reading your silent reading book.
During (Engaging in meaning making and strategy/skill practice)
*ALREADY HAVE WRITTEN ON THE WHITE BOARD:Chili peppers are (spicy) than bell peppers.Answer: spicier–comparativeReason: two syllable, ends in a “y”, change to an “-ier” --Comparing chili peppers to bell peppers
The trumpet is the (loud) brass instrument.
Answer: loudest—superlativeReason: “Loud” is one syllable, rule is to add “-est” --Comparing trumpet to all brass instruments.
*Using last week’s assessment, I will identify those students who need more work with identifying comparative and superlative sentences. (Approximately 5-6 students) For those students who are at the front table with me, I will say:
I will say, “Can I please see (and then state the 5 to 6 names of students I will be working with at the table).”
“I wanted to pull a few of you up for some extra assistance with comparative and superlative sentences. I am not going to have you complete the activity that the rest of the class is performing now. I am going to work more closely with each of you because being able to properly compare items or people will greatly benefit you when it’s time for essay writing.”
*Allow students time to choose the best answer for the two examples on the white board.
*Go over answers and explain why the answer is correct for each sentence.
*Explain chart from last week more in depth. --Have students give me more examples that would work for each part of the chart.
*Worksheet: I structured the worksheet to go from easiest to hardest.--Look at this first one together.--Have the students complete the rest of them.
Here’s the sentences for the students to complete:
1. He was (tall) than his brother. (comparative/superlative) (taller)2. Our car is the (fast) of all. (comparative/superlative) (fastest)3. Jennifer is (sleepy) than Mike. (comparative/superlative) (sleepier)4. Jill is the (quiet) student in the room. (comparative/superlative) (quietest)5. Ballet is (difficult) than tap dancing. (comparative/superlative) (more difficult)
*If whole class gets finished before the end of the hour they can read their silent reading books.*If students at the horseshoe table get finished early, they can also read their silent reading books.After (Clarifying key concepts, extending ideas)
Small horse-shoe table assessment:Worksheet going over comparative and superlative sentences
Whole class assessment:Four sentences comparing characters in To Kill a Mockingbird (2 comparative, 2 superlative)
*If I get finished with my “re-teach” at the small horse shoe table early I will begin walking around to check for on-task behavior and to collect papers of those who are finished.
*Before the bell rings I will stop the activity and ask: What was the most difficult part of this activity? What was the easiest? What is the difference between comparative and superlative sentences?
If you did not finish this assignment, it is homework and I need it on my desk tomorrow. Next week we are going to begin reviewing some of the parts of speech we’ve discussed thus far by creating
new words. I will explain more next week.
Lesson One Reflection
Lesson one went exceeding well, I believe, but honestly walking through this reflection process has shown me areas I can work on in
order to make each lesson more impactful for my students. First of all, I believe the content objectives of my lesson were well received.
Students were able to perform all three:
Orally repeat the directions given Locate the comparative and superlative phrases in provided sentences.
Construct comparative and superlative sentences using candy.o Comparative (more, -er, -ier)o Superlative (most, -est)
Another portion of my lesson that I felt went well was the group work collaboration effort of my class. For example, one of my
informal assessments was “can work collaboratively within small group setting and provide input.” As students were working in their small
groups I walked around to check for group participation. It’s important to notice those students who are not participating and find out why.
Is it because they don’t understand the material, the lesson, what they are being asked to do, or they just don’t care? I only encountered a
few students with the “checked out” look, but when I looked at their individual assessment those students only missed one or two. That tells
me that they were engaged in the lesson, but maybe didn’t like the group they were assigned.
Finally, I trust that the understanding of how I wanted the small group activity to run went smoothly. Since my objective was, “orally
repeat the directions given” I asked my students to restate in their own words what the class activity was going to look like. Since they were
able to restate without error, I believe I had stately the instructions as explicit as possible, which is something my cooperating teacher and I
have been working towards throughout the semester.
I tried a few strategies with this lesson. First, an approach my cooperating teacher introduced me to a few weeks ago was to stick
with one student (Heather in this case) to answer multiple questions in a row when that student is on the cusp of getting the answer correct.
For example, my question was, “How do you know that the sentence should read ‘This means that a day on Venus is longer than its year.’ And
not, ‘This means that a day on Venus is longest than its year.’?” At first Heather said, “because it sounds better. It sounds funny if you say,
‘This means that a day on Venus is longest than its year.’” The answer I was looking for was the correct answer is “longer” because two
things are being compared in the sentence (Venus’s day and year); therefore the sentence is comparative. In comparative sentences
adjectives end in ‘-er’.
I told Heather, “Yes, you are correct. It does sound funny. Can you give me more insight as to why the proper word is ‘longer’ versus
‘longest’?”
She stated, “Well…”
I could see she was struggling, but close to getting the right answer, so I aided her by asking a follow up question. “What is being
compared in the sentence?”
Heather responded, “Venus’s day and year.”
I stated, “And how many ‘things’ is that?”
“Oh, oh, oh… It’s two things, so it’s comparative.”
I detailed, “Yes, so what does that mean? What do comparative adjectives have in common?”
Heather said, “They end in ‘-er’. That’s why ‘larger’ is the correct answer.”
I usually want a lot of student input so I call on several people (one per question), but knowing that Heather was close to fully
understanding, I stuck with her to figure out the entire reasoning.
Hickman (2004) stated that during any read-aloud’s discussion the teacher should ask three questions. Although during my lesson I
did not perform a traditional read-aloud with a story, I feel my introduction of new material complements Hickman’s suggestions.
First, the teacher should ask the student to clearly recount what happened. When I handed out my small group activity, I chose one student
from each period to restate my directions. Second, the teacher should ask open-ended questions so another student can elaborate on
another person’s response. Before I had called on Heather and requested her to explain her reasoning I had asked another student their
thoughts on sentence. Joe had said, “It’s ‘longer’ because it sounds funny the other way.” Third, “the teacher guides students to explain their
thinking, offering additional opportunities for students to use higher level language skills involved in elaborating upon their ideas and
thoughts.” (pg. 726) I demonstrated this step by allowing Heather the opportunity to explain her thought process out loud.
Another strategy that I have introduced to my class with each of my lessons is differentiating between whole group, small group, and
individual work. I began the lesson with my whole class instruction to disseminate the new information. That was followed by my small
group activity in which students worked with two other people to construct sentences we had practiced as a whole group. And finally,
students were asked to complete 10 problems in their grammar books for my individual assessment.
A few strategies I could work on are first, perfecting the approach my cooperating teacher provided with sticking with one student to
answer multiple questions in a row. I believe it went really well, so I would use that strategy again. Another strategy to check for student
understanding throughout the room that my cooperating teacher suggested is to pick students from the four corners of the room whether
they have their hands raised or not. The purpose is to randomize the people I call on and to examine if students understand. Furthermore, if
I have people from all four corners of the room respond to a question, the students around those who are speaking are hearing their peers
restate what I have in their own words. The more information is broken down and restated, the further understanding each person will
receive.
What I did well as a teacher to help them learn was first if I saw perplexed faces, I stopped, restated the information and then asked, “I
see some puzzled looks, what can I help clarify?” Second, I adjusted my lesson to fit within my allotted time limit. I changed my lesson
within my lesson. For example: I originally meant for students in each small group to receive their own paper. But a few weeks ago when I
executed a similar strategy, my cooperating teacher and I realized it only confused the students, so I adjusted and handed out only one sheet
per group. I also initially intended each group to construct five sentences for comparative and five sentences for superlative, but my time
was slipping away so I told them to only create three apiece.
Third, my assessment was directly tied into lesson and objectives. For example, I am using their individual assessment to check for
understanding of comparative and superlative sentences. After grading each person’s assignment, I am going to pull those who struggled
with it to the horseshoe table next week. I am performing a “re-teach” and “extension” to today’s lesson next week. (This will be the first
time I am “re-teaching” and performing an “extension.”) This individual assessment directly relates to one of my objectives for this lesson:
“Select phrases that indicate comparative (more, -er, -ier) AND superlative (most, -est) sentences.”
Another example is their small group assignment is exactly related to another one of my objectives for this lesson: “Construct/Write
sentences containing (more, -er, -ier, most, -est)” by comparing candy. Tompkins (2010) states that one of the comprehension factors of text
structures is to have “students recognize the important ideas more easily when they understand the patterns that authors use to organize
text.” (p. 259) I placed a heavy emphasis on looking for those key terms and endings when deciding whether a sentence was comparative or
superlative.
Finally, my time management was spot on. For example, my original plan for the small group activity was to have each group was to
construct five comparative and five superlative sentences using candy. As the lesson was progressing I noticed myself taking longer to
explain what comparative and superlative sentences were and how to recognize them in print. I knew this because when I was checking for
understanding, it was taking some students several seconds to be certain their answer was correct. Since I was taking more time explaining
the foundation of the lesson, I mentally decided to adjust the assignment to three sentences, instead of five. But then, during the small group
assignment, I could tell students were catching on fairly well with constructing sentences, and time was slipping away again so I walked
around I told each group as long as every student had constructing either a comparative or superlative sentence, they could be finished with
the activity. What I did well was keeping my lesson on track by adjusting to my students’ understanding level. Something else I did well was
modify the assignment a second time (within the activity) to make certain the flow of my lesson was smooth and on task.
Although I can easily identify “things I did well” I am fully aware, after discussing with my cooperating teacher and reflecting, that
there is always room for improvement. What I could have changed about my lesson is change up initial delivery of information. For
example, switch between chart reference paper to relevant PowerPoint slide instead of going through whole chart on paper and then
through entire PowerPoint slide presentation. Second, I could have been more explicit with my vocabulary and not assume students
understand all terms. I explained what modifiers were on the handout, but I didn’t define the word ‘syllable’ for the first time I taught this
lesson. After conferencing with my cooperating teacher (as I usually do after teaching my first and second hour students) we determined
that I needed to define syllable by clapping out examples of words.
Another area I could enhance to make this lesson more impactful would be to show real life comparisons. I explained to my students
in my “set the purpose” stage that the reason I was teaching them comparative and superlative sentences was because the world is full of
comparisons. Comparisons between people, technology, prices, commercials, actors/actresses, school subjects, etc. And everyone has a
different opinion about which one is better than another or which was is worst. I wanted to focus today’s lesson on having my students not
only identify comparisons, but to know what type of comparison and how to construct their own comparisons. But my cooperating teacher
suggested that next time I provide a “bad example” of using grammar in a real life circumstance. For example, she recommended that I show
a letter to my Grandma full of comparative and superlative sentences construction errors so my students could recognize the mistakes
instantly and place value in using correct grammar. This would also help with my students’ comprehension of why I was teaching them
comparison techniques. Tompkins (2010) explains that the “comprehension process begins during pre-reading as students activate their
background knowledge and preview the text, and it continues to develop as students read, respond, explore, and apply their reading” (p.
258). Hence, the reason I told them how being able to not only identify comparisons, but being able construct them is a life skill.
The final assessment I had my students complete was an individual assignment in their grammar books. I purposely had the
individual assignment last. I constructed my lesson as “I do, we do, you do.” I had more teacher directed at the beginning of the lesson. So
my informal assessment was seeing if my students were correctly answering my questions. The “we do” section was focused on the small
group activity. My informal assessment was whether each person was contributing to the discussion by creating a sentence. And finally the
“you do” portion of my lesson required the individual assessment. After each student completed the 10 questions from their grammar
books, and after I graded each one, I then decided who I will pull up to the horseshoe table with me for my “re-teach” of this lesson. I decided
anyone who missed two or more problems would be a part of my horseshoe table group. This number came out to about four or five
students per class. For those students who were absent and thus missed my lesson, I will also bring forward for the “re-teach” so I can be
certain each student was exposed how to construct and identify comparative and superlative sentences.
A student’s work for the assessment of Lesson One
References
Hickman, P., Pollard-Durodola, S., &Vaughn, S. (2004). Storybook Reading: Improving Vocabulary and Comprehension for English-Language
Learners. The Reading Teacher, Vol. 57, No. 8, 720-730 .
Tompkins, G. (2010). Literacy for the 21st Century: A Balanced Approach Fifth Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Lesson TwoWhat went well in my second lesson, as far as students meeting objectives, were numerous details. First, students were able to
o Select two (or more) characters from To Kill a Mockingbird to compare and contrast using comparative (more, -er, -ier) AND superlative (most, -est) key phrases.
Secondly, most students were able to “Identify that when students see more, -er, -ier …it is a comparative sentence AND when
students see most, -est…it is a superlative sentence” during the bell ringer activity. Since I had not seen them in five days, some students had
to reference their chart from the previous lesson in order to properly identify the difference. I believe after today’s lesson though that my
students are now more fluent in not only identification, but the application of comparing and contrasting characters. Third, my small group
at the horseshoe table walked away with more being able to “locate word patterns for identifying comparative and superlative sentences.”
With the assistance of the four to five students that I brought up front with me, we were able to discover clues within key phrases/endings of
words to help us properly identify comparisons.
I was surprised at how well the students were able to remain quiet during the individual project. I scanned the room several times
while I was re-teaching at the horseshoe and only noticed a few students during my first period gazing at the ceiling. Since they were not
disturbing others I didn’t disrupt my class by asking what they were doing initially. After I wrapped up my re-teach with my small group, I
walked over to those students who were “gazing” to see how much work they had accomplished. Surprisingly they were on-task, so I’m glad
I didn’t intrude before because maybe it was a thinking strategy for those students.
The students were also very good at coming up with comparative sentences. I asked why they thought it was easier and Henry
responded with, “It’s easier to compare two things than one thing with everything.” What he means is superlative compares one thing with
three or more things, so when you only have two things to compare with each other it’s easier, the perimeters are set (one for one).
“Zach” was one of the students I brought up to the table for independent guided practice. The worksheet I had for the small group
progressively increased in difficulty. The last sentence: “Ballet is (difficult) than tap dancing” was my hardest problem. Zach had written
“more difficult”, then erased it and put “difficulter”, then erased it again and brought out his binder. Usually each week I hand out helpful
charts as aids for future use. I have done a couple activities demonstrating how pulling out all the charts can assist you in homework
assignments. Zach must have been listening because he pulled out his comparative and superlative chart to look up the answer. The chart
has examples of comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs based on the number of syllables the word contains. After glancing at
the chart, Zach announced, “I was right!” He then proceeded to write “more difficult—comparative” on his paper. Afterwards he slumped
back in his chair, crossed his arms, and had an “atta boy” look on his face.
When it was time to regroup within my small group table I made sure to have Zach explain the ballet problem. He was extremely
proud and took ownership of explaining why his answer was correct. I don’t think I have ever seen him so dedicated and motivated to
explain his answer to his classmates. Zach revealed that he understood the material by referencing the handout and retelling information
we had talked about as a whole class: key phrases/endings of words, identifying what is being compared within a sentence, etc.
I used two main strategies: whole group, and individual work. I had a small group of four to five students, but the majority of the
work was split between whole group and individual work.
I am a firm believer in the “I do, we do, you do” philosophy. Hickman’s article touches on a few strategies based on the scaffolding of
“I do, we do, you do.” “The teacher guides students in creating their own original sentences using the vocabulary word just encountered…
One type of scaffold to facilitate sentence building is to provide a model sentence” (p. 727). At the beginning of the lesson I was doing the
majority of work, providing examples (with comparative and superlative key words and endings) and the framework of the individual
activity. Then I had a “we do” with my small group table with guided instruction. And finally the bulk of the period was the “you do” portion
of the lesson when students were constructing sentences on their own and providing evidence to support their statements.
The strategy I focused more on this lesson was the “sticking to one person” like I did last week with Heather. However, it didn’t go as
well as last week. I found that some students were getting restless when I was just speaking to one student. So what I did to adjust my
lesson from first period was ask questions to more students, to get a greater percentage of students involved. Obviously I need to learn
when to adjust “on the fly” so I can switch strategies instantly if I’m seeing students losing interest. I know this skill will come with time, but
I am a perfectionist and I expect myself to not only have the ability to recognize lost interest from students, but to be able to switch tactics in
order to keep the flow of the lesson smooth.
What I did well as a teacher to help teach the skills was I accommodated those students who were struggling with the basics of
comparative and superlative by pulling them to the front table with me. I also believe that I chose my words carefully when I did bring them
up so they weren’t offended or felt secluded from the whole group activity. I explained to them “I am not going to have you complete the
activity that the rest of the class is performing now. I am going to work more closely with each of you because being able to properly
compare items or people will greatly benefit you when it’s time for essay writing.” I only had one student mumble under his breath “I guess
this means I didn’t do well on the assignment last week.”
I was very conscientious when I was determining who I would bring up to the small table. Several factors were in my mind: those
students who missed more than two problems from last week’s assignment, those who constantly interrupt my lesson, those who talk
frequently, and those who have special needs. After taking into account all of that information, I created each period’s small group. I believe
that is something I did extremely well considering I have never performed this type of lesson: whole group and small group simultaneously.
It also took a lot of thought and careful planning to determine which individuals I wanted to work more closely with.
Another skill I thought I executed well was setting a purpose. I honestly have not been doing this enough until this assignment. It’s
essential that students understand why they are performing whatever task I am asking of them. The purpose of this activity was:
