Ms. Harris' Lesson Plan

English Language Arts Lesson Plan

“Under the Sea Unit”

Created by: Jessica Harris

Title of Lesson: Animal and Plant Life Under the Sea

Subject Area: Language Arts

Integrated Subject Area: Art

Grade Level: Kindergarten class with a child who has dyslexia.  Since there will not be any reading or writing involved in this activity, this child should not need accommodations or have a problem participating.  

Outcomes:

            General Curriculum Outcomes (Language Arts):

·      Speaking and Listening

-       Speak and listen to explore, extend, clarify, and reflect on their thoughts, ideas, feelings, and experiences.

-       Communicate information and ideas effectively and clearly, and to respond personally and critically.

-       Interact with sensitivity and respect, considering the situation, audience, and purpose.

·      Reading and Viewing

-       Interpret, select, and combine information using a variety of strategies, resources, and technologies.

-       Respond personally to a range of texts.

-       Respond critically to a range of texts, applying their understanding of language, form, and genre.

Specific Curriculum Outcomes (Language Arts):

-       Begin to use oral language to coherently describe personal experiences.

-       Begin to listen respectfully to experiences and feelings shared by others.

-       Begin to ask questions to seek more information.

General Curriculum Outcomes (Art):

-       Explore, challenge, develop, and express ideas, using the skills, language, techniques, and processes of the arts. 

Lesson Focus: By the end of this lesson students will have improved their knowledge of the various animals and plants that live under the sea.

Materials & Resources: For this activity, I will need the book A Swim through the Sea by Kristin Joy Pratt, cards with illustrations and the names of different animals and plants from the Ocean, paper, pencils, erasers, leads, and crayons. In addition to these resources, I will also make use of the Kindergarten Curriculum Guide. 

Procedure:

Activating Prior Knowledge: In order to activate the children’s prior knowledge, I will ask them what they know about the sea and the creatures that live in the sea.  I will ask questions such as “Who here knows about the animals that live in the Ocean?” and “What sort of animals live there?”  Next I would move onto a question like “Has anyone seen animals from the Ocean?” and “Have you watched any television shows or movies about animals from the sea?” By answering these questions the students will become motivated and eager to start the activity and I will know to begin with today’s lesson.

Statement of Purpose: I will explain to the children what we will be doing for this activity today.  I will say “Today, we are going to read a book about swimming through the sea, look at pictures of different animals and plants that live in the sea to see if you know what they are, and draw a picture of anything you like that lives under the sea.”  The main reason for doing this is to motivate the students, thus I will go on to ask: “who can already think of an animal they will want to draw?”

Teaching/Demonstrating/Modelling: First, I will sit the children down in a circle on the reading matt and I will stand in front of them.  I will read the book to the children, showing them all the pictures as I go.  Next, I will have cards with pictures of animals and plants from the sea along with the written name of each animal on the bottom.  I will show each card to the students one at a time, and they will have to tell me the name of that animal/plant.  This way, students are viewing pictures of the animals to see what they look like, and they are also seeing the word underneath so that they can begin to understand that letters form words and words are spoken the way letters sound.  For each card, I will emphasize the first letter of the word and make the sound of that letter with the children.  I will also say something about that animal or allow the children to tell me something they know.  For example, a fish has fins to help it swim through the water.  If the children do not recognize one or more of the animals I show to them it will simply be an opportunity for me to teach them about that animal.  Finally, I will allow time for the children to draw pictures of creatures from the sea.  During this time, I will circulate around the room to observe the children as they draw, and to motivate them to keep going.  They will also be given time to color their drawings.          

Check for Understanding: In order the ensure that all my students understand what is expected of them for this particular activity, I will encourage them to ask questions when they are unsure, and observe their progress as they draw their pictures.  Perhaps some children will not know what to they wish to draw, in this case, I will suggest a few things but also encourage them to come up with some ideas of their own.  I will explain to students that each person’s drawing may be different and inspire them to make theirs creatively.  I will also check for understanding by asking certain students what animal they see in the drawing I show if they are not speaking up on their own.  I will also ask questions such as “what did you learn about the sea today?”

Activity of Guided Practice: To guide the children along with this activity, I will provide prompts to increase their level of comfort in speaking in front of their peers.  For instance, I will start by letting them know that it is okay to get something wrong; it provides a good opportunity to learn from your mistake and we are all here to share our knowledge and build on it.  All children will be encouraged to speak up and given an opportunity to do so.  I will do the first card and then the children will begin.  

Independent Practice: The children will be expected to actively listen to the story then participate in the viewing and speaking activity.  They will be asked to raise their hand and volunteer to say what animal/plant they think they see in the picture that begins with whatever letter of the alphabet.  They will also work independently at their seats afterwards while they make a drawing of what lives in the sea.

Assessment: Students will be assessed using formal observation.  During the activity, I will observe the children as they take part.  I will basically look for things such as good listening skills, participation, effort, and cooperation.  While the students are making their drawing I will take notes on each individual student so that I remember who did well for this particular activity and who will need extra help from perhaps a mini lesson next day.

Closure: To bring closure to this activity, I will display the children’s artwork on the walls of the classroom and thank them for taking part in our adventure under the sea.

References

The Department of Education. (2010). Kindergarten curriculum guide. St. John’s: The Queen’s Printer. 

                    Sample Visuals: