Mrs. Harrison’s Blog (what students see)

Click here to download printer-friendly plans that have been adapted for a computer lab.

Grade/Class/Subject:

• GRADES K-3/Harrison/Media Skills

Unit/Theme:

• April is Poetry Month
• For more poetry ideas, try Shel Silverstein’s website and click on the link to the Poetry Workshop Kit.

Standards

American Association of School Librarians, Standards for the 21st Century Learner:

• 4.1.1, Read, view, and listen for pleasure and personal growth.

Common Core Standard(s)

• CC.2.R.L.10 Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including prose and poetry, in the grades 2–3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Key Vocabulary:

• Poetry
• Poem

Supplementary Materials:

• CD Player, if you’re more comfortable having someone else sing than singing yourself (Note: the books by Natalie Merchant and Carly Simon come with musical CDs which have poems set to music.  If you have a copy of Shel Silverstein’s audio cassette of “A Light in the Attic,” hold on to it!  It’s out of print and really pricey!)
• Merchant, Natalie, and Barbara McClintock. Leave Your Sleep. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2012.
• Norworth, Jack, Carly Simon, and Amiko Hirao. Take me out to the ball game. Watertown, MA: Imagine, 2011.
• Silverstein, Shel. A light in the attic. New York, N.Y.: Harper & Row, 1981

Preparation:

• Adaptation of content
• Links to background
• Links to past learning
• Strategies incorporated

Scaffolding:

• Modeling
• Guided practice
• Comprehensible input

Group Options:

• Whole class

Integration of Processes:

• Reading
• Speaking
• Listening

Application:

• Meaningful
• Linked to objectives
• Promotes engagement

Assessment:

• Group
• Oral
• Lesson Sequence

Transition:

• Tell students that April is Poetry Month. Ask students if their classroom teacher has talked about this.

Anticipatory Set:

• Show students the whiteboard with the vocabulary words. How are poetry and poem similar? What do the words mean? Can they use them in a sentence?

Instruction/Check for Understanding:

• Show students the cover of “Leave Your Sleep,” and read one of the poems (i.e., Bleezer’s Ice-Cream) or play the CD with Natalie Merchant’s version. After reading the poem ask students if they heard rhyming words and the rhythm.
• Show students the cover of “A Light in the Attic,” which may be familiar to some or all of the class.  Read “Play Ball” on page 131 of the first edition.  (Note: Silverstein was quoted as saying he would rather have been a good baseball player than a poet.)
• Show students the cover of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and tell them that April is also the month that baseball season begins. Ask students what they know about the Detroit Tigers and baseball in general.  Read the book and either sing the lyrics or play the CD that comes with the book. Does the book sound like a poem? What makes the text a poem?
• Children often want to have me repeat books with song lyrics as the text so they can sing along with me.  This is a good way for students who are having trouble with the concepts of rhyme and rhyming to begin to understand them.

Preview for Next Week

• Tell students we will read more poetry next week.

What students see (this lesson has been updated a bit) 

Grade/Class/Subject:

• K-3/Harrison/Media Skills

Unit/Theme:

• Literature Patterns, Humor

Standards

American Association of School Librarians, Standards for the 21st Century Learner:

• 1.2. Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new siutations, and create new knowledge.

Content Objectives

Dearborn Public Schools Department of Media Services, K-12 Information Literacy Media Curriculum, 2004:

• Content Standard #2: A student who has been educated in library media information skills evaluates information critically and competently.

Language Objectives

Michigan Department of Education, K-8 GLCE English Language Arts:

• Narrative Text: R.NT.[00].05 respond to individual and multiple texts by finding evidence, discussing, illustrating, and/or writing to reflect, make meaning, and make connections.

Key Vocabulary:

• Search, Humor, Patterns

Supplementary Materials:

Henkes, Kevin. Julius the baby of the world. , which I love, but it’s not available as an ebook. So…

Henkes, Kevin, Chrysanthemum. 

Preparation:

• Adaptation of content
• Links to background
• Links to past learning
• Strategies incorporated

Scaffolding:

• Modeling
• Guided practice
• Comprehensible input

Group Options:

• Whole class

Integration of Processes:

• Reading
• Speaking
• Listening

Application:

• Meaningful
• Linked to objectives
• Promotes engagement

Assessment:

• Group
• Oral
• Lesson Sequence

Transition:

• Review the words “pattern” and “patterns.” Review what patterns are (students usually give examples of shapes and colors). Discuss whether patterns can be in a story.

Anticipatory Set:

• Review the word “search,” especially when using an OPAC. Tell students librarians are often asked to recommend “funny books.” Ask them to define “funny.” (This will be hard.) Tie up discussion with the library word for “funny,” “humor,” and tell them that this is a word they should use when looking in the OPAC for a funny book.

Instruction/Check for Understanding:

• Review of the elements of print with “Julius, the baby of the world.” As the story progresses, point out the repetition and how this creates a pattern. How does the pattern help define Lily’s character?
• After reading the story discuss what made it funny. Point out that some members of the class thought the story was quite humorous and others didn’t agree. Stress that personal choice is part of what makes a book good for one person and not so much for another.
• If there’s time, read one or both of the “Sam” books.

Preview for Next Week:

• Tell students we will read books about Mothers next week.

Mrs. Harrison’s Blog (what students see) 

Coloring pages as back up:

Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat Coloring page and Horton Hears a Who

The lesson plans in the document below are for Week 24, March 3, 2014.  Classes are continuing in the computer lab using their computers to access the library’s OPAC.

You can access the Google Document version of my lesson plans, click here. 

So far, the kids in 1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade are doing well with accessing the OPAC.  What I’ve noticed is that there’s a disconnect between the Call # in the record and the location of the book on the shelves.  I’ll be focusing on that skill this week.

Because March 2 is Dr. Seuss’s birthday, I’ll use Dr. Seuss books this week:

• LeSieg, Theo, and George Booth. Wacky Wednesday. New York: Beginner Books, 1974.
• Seuss, Dr. , and James Stevenson. I am not going to get up today! New York: Beginner Book, 1987.
• Seuss, Dr., Oh, the thinks you can think! S.l.: HarperCollins, 2003.
• Seuss, Dr., There’s a wocket in my pocket! New York: Beginner Books, 1974.
• Seuss, Theodor, and Mel Crawford. Gerald McBoing Boing. New York: HarperCollins, 1960.

For a more traditional lesson plan using these books, try this one from 2011

Mrs. Harrison’s Blog (What students see)

Week 26

Click here to find my lesson plan that incorporates two books by Tomie dePaola with a lesson on using the library’s OPAC and its Visual Search function to find Holiday books.

The two books I use are:

DePaola, Tomie. Jamie O’Rourke and the big potato: an Irish folktale. New York: Putnam, 1992. Print.

DePaola, Tomie. Jamie O’Rourke and the pooka. New York: Putnam, 2000. Print.

Note: This week’s lesson can be found in:

• Carrol, J.A., Gladhart, M.A., & Petersen, D.L. (1997). Character building: literature-based theme units. Carthage, IL: Teaching and Learning Company.
• I have simply modified the authors’ lesson plan to fit my district’s SIOP lesson plan format. It’s a good source for books to teach core values and has plans to extend books in the bibliography with cross-curricular activities.

Grade/Class/Subject:

• K-2/Harrison/Media Skills

Unit/Theme:

• Responsibility

Standards (AASL):

• 1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.

Content Objectives (Dearborn Public Schools Department of Media Services, K-12 Information Literacy Media Curriculum, 2004):

• Students can explain how or why they chose a particular book (p. 7).

Language Objectives (Michigan Department of Education, K-8 GLCE English Language Arts, v. 12.05, http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-28753_33232-103089–,00.html):

• R.NT.[01].03 identify problem/solution, sequence of events, and sense of story (beginning, middle, and end).

Key Vocabulary:

• Review:
  Listen
  Respond
  New:
  Responsibility

Supplementary Materials:

• Brown, Marc Tolon. Arthur’s underwear. Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown, 1999. E/BRO
• DePaola, Tomie. Strega Nona: an original tale. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1975. E/DEP
• Rohmann, Eric. My friend Rabbit. Brookfield, Ct.: Roaring Brook Press, 2002. (Personal copy)
• Rosenthal, Amy Krouse, and Tom Lichtenheld. Duck! Rabbit!. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2009. E/ROS

Preparation:

• Adaptation of content
• Links to background
• Links to past learning
• Strategies incorporated

Scaffolding:

• Modeling
• Guided practice
• Comprehensible input

Group Options:

• Whole class

Integration of Processes:

• Reading
• Speaking
• Listening

Application:

• Meaningful
• Linked to objectives
• Promotes engagement

Assessment:

• Group
• Oral

Lesson Sequence

Transition:

• Discuss the responsibility that comes with a job.

Anticipatory Set:

• What happens when someone doesn’t do their job well? Also, discuss the importance of following directions carefully.

Instruction/Check for Understanding:

• Read to the part of the story in which Big Anthony discovers the magic spell.
• Discuss why Strega Nona wants to keep her magic spell a secret.
• What could happen is someone discovers the magic spell?
• What will Big Anthony do?
• What could happen if he does?
• Read to the point in the story in which Big Anthony uses the magic spell and finds out what happens.
• Why does Big Anthony want to try the magic spell?
• What should he do when he does find out?
• How does Big Anthony fell when the townspeople cheer him?
• Finish the story.
• What punishment does Strega Nona give Big Anthony?
• What lesson does Big Anthony learn?

Checking for Understanding:

• Media specialist will lead the class in discussing:
• What values do students recognize in this story?
  • What other stories are similar to this one?
  • How are the stories different
  • What real-life incidents touch on the same issues?

If there’s time:

• Read one or more of the other books listed. Depending on the length of the discussion, reading “Strega Nona” can take 20-25 minutes.

Preview for Next Week:

• Tell students we will read books by Dr. Seuss next week.

 Mrs. Harrison’s Blog (what students see) 

Grade/Class/Subject:

K-2/Harrison/Library Information Skills

Unit/Theme:

• Elements of fiction(i.e., characterization)/Valentine’s Day

Standards (AASL):

• 4.1.3. Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and genres.

Content Objectives (Dearborn Public Schools Department of Media Services, K-12 Information Literacy Media Curriculum, 2004):

• Content Standard #4: A student who has been educated in library media information skills and who is an independent learner pursues information related to personal interests.

Language Objectives (Michigan Department of Education, K-8 GLCE English Language Arts, v. 12.05):

• Kindergarten: R.AT.00.02: choose books… in their free time.
• 1st Grade: R.AT.01.02: do substantial reading… in their free time.
• 2nd Grade: R.AT.02.02: do substantial reading… in their free time.

Key Vocabulary:

• Predict, Holiday Section (both are reviews)
• Character (new)

Supplementary Materials:

• Brown, M. T. (1980). Arthur’s valentine. Boston: Little, Brown.
• Brown, M. T. (2001). Arthur’s first kiss. New York: Random House.
• McNamara, M., & Gordon, M. (2003). Too many valentines. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks.

Preparation:

• Adaptation of content
• Links to background
• Links to past learning
• Strategies incorporated

Scaffolding:

• Modeling
• Guided practice
• Comprehensible input

Group Options:

• Whole class

Integration of Processes:

• Reading
• Speaking
• Listening

Application:

• Linked to objectives
• Promotes engagement

Assessment:

• Group
• Oral

Lesson Sequence

Transition:

• Review what students know about patterns from their math assignments and from last week’s lesson using “The Hat” by Jan Brett.

Anticipatory Set:

Show students the cover of “Arthur’s valentine” by Marc Brown. Discuss the clues the illustrator uses on the cover to give readers an idea of the story. The characters in the Arthur series have evolved and students tend to like the way he’s currently being drawn. This story has the older version of Arthur. I tell students that he’s changed as he’s gotten older just like they have, which lessens the discussion about how he looks.

Instruction/Check for Understanding:

1. Read the first page, including the white note with the red heart next to the word “lips” with the arrow pointing to the heart.
2. Read to the page which begins, “Arthur hoped it might be chocolate…” Point out who each character is and ask what their expressions indicate. Ask students what they can predict from the illustration.
3. Read the next spread which begins, “After school, Arthur took off his coat…” Point out all the valentines that Arthur has received.
4. Read to the spread that begins, “Arthur went to school…” Point out the characters in the illustration and asked students to describe the characters’ expressions; has their prediction changed
5. Turn to the next spread and explain xoxo if necessary.
6. Finish the story.

How did the illustrations help to predict the story?

If there’s time:

• Show students the cover of “Arthur’s First Kiss.” What can they predict about this story based on “Arthur’s Valentine” and Francine’s mushy valentines?
• Read “Too many valentines” if you need something else.

Closure/Summary:

• Ask students what theme the books have in common.  (Ans: they’re about Valentine’s Day).

Preview for Next Week:

• Tell students we will read more books about Valentine’s Day next week.

Mrs. Harrison’s Blog (what students see)

Grade/Class/Subject:

• K-3/Harrison/Media Skills

Unit/Theme:

• The organization of media center/snow

Standards

American Association of School Librarians, “Standards for the 21st Century Learner:

• 1.4.1, Self Monitoring Strategies, Monitor own information-seeking processes for effectiveness and progress, and adapt as necessary.

Content Objectives

Dearborn Public Schools Department of Media Services, K-12 Information Literacy Media Curriculum, 2004:

• Content Standard #1: A student who has been educated in library media information skills accesses information efficiently and effectively.

Language Objectives

Michigan Department of Education, K-8 GLCE English Language Arts:

• Kindergarten: R.CM.00.03, “begin to make connections across texts by making meaningful predictions based on illustrations or portions of texts.”
• 1st Grade: R.CM.01.03, compare and contrast relationships among characters, events, and key ideas within and across texts to create a deeper understanding by mapping story elements, graphically representing key ideas and details, and asking questions as they read.
• 2nd Grade: R.CM.02.03, see details above for 1st grade (the description is similar)
• 3rd Grade: R.CM.03.03, see details above for 1st grade (the description is similar)

Key Vocabulary:

• Review: Spine label, Alphabet, Alphabetizing

Supplementary Materials:

• • McKie, R., & Eastman, P. D. (1990). Snow. New York: Beginner Books.  (print and Kindle)

• • Munsch, R. N., & Martchenko, M. (1986). 50 below zero. Toronto, Canada: Annick Press. (print and Kindle)

• • Neitzel, S., & Parker, N. W. (1989). The jacket I wear in the snow. New York: Greenwillow Books. 

Preparation:

• Links to background
• Links to past learning
• Strategies incorporated

Scaffolding:

• Modeling
• Guided practice

Group Options:

• Whole class

Integration of Processes:

• Reading
• Speaking
• Listening

Application:

• Meaningful
• Linked to objectives
• Promotes engagement

Assessment:

• Group
• Lesson Sequence

Transition:

• Review what students remember about the organization of the media center. Review elements of the cover and spine. Review the key vocabulary words and apply their meanings to the media center.

Anticipatory Set:

• Point out the letters on the spine of the books in the media center.
• What information is available on the spine label?

Instruction/Check for Understanding:

• Read the books and interject questions to promote listening.
• After reading each book, ask students to identify the section of the media center in which they would find the book (i.e., Easy, Fiction, Nonfiction) and what letters go on the spine for the author’s last name.

Preview for Next Week:

• Tell students we will read more books about winter next week.

Mrs. Harrison’s blog (what students see) 

Week 19

Grade/Class/Subject:

• K-2/Harrison/Media Skills

Unit/Theme:

• Identify fiction, recognize print reading materials and read for pleasure.

Standards (American Association of School Librarians, “Standards for the 21st Century):

• 4.1.3. Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and genres.

Content Objectives (Dearborn Public Schools Department of Media Services, K-12 Information Literacy Media Curriculum:

• Content Standard #4: A student who has been educated in library media information skills and who is an independent learner pursues information related to personal interests.

Language Objectives (Michigan Department of Education, K-8 GLCE English Language Arts:

• Kindergarten: R.AT.00.02: choose books… in their free time.
• 1st Grade: R.AT.01.02: do substantial reading… in their free time.
• 2nd Grade: R.AT.02.02: do substantial reading… in their free time.

Key Vocabulary:

• Patterns
• Prediction

Supplementary Materials:

Brett, Jan. Annie and the wild animals. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1985.

Brett, Jan. The hat. New York: Putnam, 1997. Print and digital.

Keats, Ezra Jack. The snowy day. Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, 1976.

Preparation:

• Adaptation of content
• Links to background
• Links to past learning
• Strategies incorporated

Scaffolding:

• Modeling
• Guided practice
• Comprehensible input

Group Options:

• Whole class

Integration of Processes:

• Reading
• Speaking
• Listening

Application:

• Meaningful
• Linked to objectives
• Promotes engagement

Assessment:

• Group

Lesson Sequence

Transition:

• Review what students know about patterns from their math assignments.

Anticipatory Set:

• Review what the word “patterns” mean and how patterns help to make predictions.

Instruction/Check for Understanding:

1. Show students the cover of “The Hat” by Jan Brett. Discuss the clues the author/illustrator uses on the cover to give readers and idea of the story.
2. Show students the first page which begins, “Winter was on the way. Lisa took her woolen clothes out of the chest and carried them outside”. Point out the illustrations in the circular frames on either side of the page. Ask students what the items in the frames have to do with the story. (They’re items of winter clothing.)
3. Read the next spread which begins, “She was hanging them…” And show students the pictures in the frames on either side. How are they connected with the story? (The picture on the left hand side is of a laundry basket, which reinforces the action on the full spread; Lisa is hanging laundry. The picture on the right hand page is of Hedgie the hedgehog, who hasn’t been introduced into the story yet.)
4. Turn to the next spread and read the text. Point out the pictures on either side and the additional picture frame that now runs above the main illustration on the spread. Name the items on the laundry line for students who are sitting in the back and may not be able to see.
5. Turn to the next spread and note that the chicken from the picture in the frame on the right had side is now a part of the story. What can they infer from this to predict what will happen with the goose in the picture to the right on this spread? What is Lisa doing in the illustration on the left.
6. Turn to the next spread and reinforce their prediction that the goose will be in the story. Note that the gloves are now missing from the picture of the laundry line on at the top of the page and the new activity Lisa is doing in the picture on the right.
7. Repeat step number 6 (read the text, discuss the illustrations, make predictions for the next page) until you finish the story.
8. If students don’t have access to a computer lab, resources are available at Jan Brett’s website.  I used the Reader’s Theater script that can be found here and the coloring page that can be found here

Preview for Next Week:

• Tell students we will read books about the next holiday next week. (Valentine’s Day).

I recently attended the conference, MAME 46. MAME (Michigan Association for Media in Education) is Michigan’s organization for school librarians. Click on this link for a presentation of the things I learned at the conference. 

Click here for lesson plans adapted to the computer lab. 

Okay, so I’m being subversive with my lesson plans for 2nd and 3rd grade this week.  Instead of using the traditional Mother’s Day books, I’ve decided to read one that questions what we should and can ask of the women in our lives.

I like Shel Silverstein.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’ve had a copy of “Where the Sidewalk Ends” since I was in college.  It was a Christmas present from my parents when I was a student at Eastern Michigan University.  It went with me to Manhattan, moved with me to Queens and then to Brooklyn, to Manhattan again, back to Brooklyn, and finally came with me when I returned to Michigan.  Both the audio cassette and the hard cover are sitting on a shelf in my home office.

When it comes to Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree,” I am not one of the those people who get all dewey-eyed and choked up about how it speaks to me.  Just the opposite.  The book trips my gag reflex.  What’s worse, I think it gives the impression to young boys and girls that a woman’s purpose is defined by how much she gives to men and she is expected to make sacrifices until she has nothing left.  I can’t say that I think the book is misogynistic, because the boy doesn’t come off too well, either.  He’s a flighty, self-absorbed schmo who ends his days like a lump on a stump.  The only reason to put this book in a children’s library is because it’s got some pictures in it.  However, I bet you’ll be hard pressed to find a children’s section that doesn’t house at least one copy.

This week, I’m doing a conventional Venn diagram to compare and contrast “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein with “The Taking Tree,” by Shrill Travesty.  I’m also introducing the concepts of “classic” literature and “parody.” (Including the meanings of the words “shrill” and “travesty.”)

Materials: