A Constructivist Lesson by Ellie Kolodzieski For 3 rd Grade Developing Readers Small Group Wisconsin Teaching Standards ! #1 Teachers know the subjects they are teaching. ! #3 Teachers understand that children learn differently. ! #3 Teachers know how to teach. ! #6 Teachers communicate well. Six Language Arts Skills ! Read classmates work ! Write an article about the discovery of photographing snowflakes ! Speak with the teacher and peers in small group ! Listen to read-aloud, teacher modeling and directives, video, and peers in small group ! View Visuals: examples of graphic displays and video of winter in Vermont/ Willie Bentley ! Produce Visuals: be an active participant in the creation of a graphic organizer/ news article Objectives ! Students will be able to build on previous knowledge through brainstorming and graphic displays. ! Students will increase their listening skills by listening to modeling, directives, and read-aloud. ! Students will be able to write a news article focusing on Willies life and discovery. ! Students will be able to increase their speaking skills by discussing Willie Bentleys life and discovery with peers and teacher. We will be experiencing ! Frontloading ! Complex Language Exposure ! Graphic Organizer ! Modeling Interpretation ! Assessment ! Reflection Frontloading Build on background knowledge Small group discussion brainstorming everything we know about: ! Life in the 1800s, Vermont, Snowflakes, Photography, Farm Life Provide flashcards for students with vocabulary that they may not be aware of use Flash Card Maker (online). After introducing the words, guide students in creating sentences using the vocabulary. ! Lantern, microscope, intricate, crystals, foolishness, pneumonia, encyclopedia, etc. Frontloading, cont. Interactive Reading Guides working together in small group. ! They would first create a Knowledge Ladder for the word SNOWFLAKE and make connections. ! Each student would read an assigned page (the first three) and discuss with each other what they know about Willie so far and what they think his life was like. Complex Language Exposure Read aloud the picture book to the students. Remind students to: ! Think about things you already know that are connected to this story. ! Picture in your head what the author is saying. ! Decide what a person should know about what the author is telling you. During natural pauses have students sum up what the author is saying in their own words. Discuss with students: How do you feel about Wilsons story? What does it make you think about? Graphic Organizer If students havent yet been exposed to graphic organizers, I would provide one for them. Eventually, I would like them to create their own graphic displays. An example of a graphic organizer is this snowman. Text boxes would be placed on top of it for the main idea and supporting details; or students can write words or phrases that stick out in the story. Graphic Organizer, cont. As students are more exposed to graphic organizers they can create a newspaper article, from the 1800s, sighting the new discovery of a way to photograph snow crystals. They could include a short biography about Willie Bentley. I would provide examples of this on the board. However, as much as possible, students should be responsible for what goes in the article and share their progress with their peers. Modeling Interpretation Watch a short video made by meteorologist Mish Michaels at: http://snowflakebentley.com/vid.htm This is a 3-minute video taken in Vermont to recreate the life of the Snowflake Man. He died a poor man, but rich with satisfaction. What does this mean? Discuss meteorologists and snowstorms What do you think these mean? (similes) snow was as beautiful as butterflies Snow in Vermont is as common as dirt. Assessment Ongoing, informal assessments will be taking place throughout the lesson. Questions and discussions can assess comprehension. I can use their news article as a sample of their work to share with homeroom teachers and parents. As a Title teacher, I do not assign grades, but I can still use this as an assessment of their skills and knowledge gained and the effort put into the project. Assessment, cont. Students will also be able to assess themselves through a personal comprehension self-assessment: ! Remembering (main idea) Willie Bentley discovered a way to capture snowflakes in photographs ! Understanding (author is telling you) Willie was fascinated by nature and loved sharing his snow crystals ! Applying connect to personal understandings ! Analyzing how is this similar/ different to what you have heard before? ! Evaluating authority of the author ! Creating how has the author changed your understanding? Reflection At the end of the lesson ! Students will write on a note card (or share out loud) one important idea that they learned, a question they have, or a thought about a character, event, or other element in the reading.