15

Alyssa Petrino

ELD-308

Lesson Plan: Interactive Read-Aloud

Grade: 4

Time: 15 minutes

Standards: Speaking and Listening Standards: Grade 4: Comprehension and Collaboration: 1.C.
and 2.
1. C. Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information, and
make comments that contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others.

2. Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and
formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

Objective: Students will listen as the teacher reads aloud, stopping to make connections,
predictions, and wonderings.

Materials: Dandelions by Eve Bunting

Lesson Sequence:

 Before Reading:
“Girls and boys, today I am going to read a picture book aloud by one of my
favorite authors. Have you ever heard of Eve Bunting? Yes, that’s right; she also
wrote The Wall, Fly Away Home, and Train to Somewhere. The title of this book
is Dandelions. I want you to look at the cover of the book, and then I would like
you to tell me what you see. Based on your observations, what do you think this
book is going to be about? Can you make any predictions?
- Allow students to predict. Remember to ask students the reasoning behind their
predictions.
- “These are very interesting predictions. Now let me read the book aloud. I want
you to listen as I read, and I would like you to determine if your predictions were
confirmed. Remember, predictions are never wrong. They are only what we think
might happen. If we find our predictions are not what the author was thinking,
then we can make new predictions. Raise your hand when you hear one of your
predictions being confirmed. Also raise your hand when we need to make a new
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prediction. I would like you to be thinking about how your life is similar or
different from the main character in this book.”
 During Reading:
- Stop reading occasionally and allow students to confirm or change their
predictions. If you notice students are not engaged with the story, then stop
and redirect by asking questions or discussing connections.
- Ask students, “What do you think is going to happen next?” Ask a few
students, “Would you like to share your predictions?” Also ask, “Can you
make any personal connections with Zoe?”
- Discuss the differences and similarities between the 19th and 21st Centuries.
Stop reading and discuss on pages: 3, 8, 19, and 24)
 After Reading:
- “I would like you to turn and talk to a neighbor about a couple different
things:
 What did you find interesting about this book?
 What connections did you make with this book?”
 After a few minutes, discuss these questions with the whole group.
 “We have made some great predictions and connections with this
book. Thank you everyone for letting me share my favorite book
with you.”
 Assessment:
- I will know if students were successful if they made interesting connections,
reasonable predictions, and wonderings.
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Alyssa Petrino

ELD-308

Lesson Plan: Reading Mini-Lesson

Grade: 4

Time: 15 minutes

Standards: Reading Standards for Literature: Grade 4: Key Ideas and Details: 1.

1. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and
when drawing inferences from the text.

Reading Standards for Informational Text: Grade 4: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: 7

7. Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs,

diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how
the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

Objective: Students will create T-Charts in determining how their lives in the 21st Century are
similar and different (comparing and contrasting) from the main character Zoe’s during the 19th
Century in the book Dandelions, by Eve Bunting.

Materials:

 Dandelions by Eve Bunting

 “Similarities” and “Differences” (Compare and Contrast) T-Chart
 White Board
 Dry-Erase Markers
 Markers

Lesson Sequence:

1. Anticipatory Set (Engagement)-

 “Girls and boys, do you remember the book I read to you yesterday? Yes,
Dandelions by Eve Bunting. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Do you remember we made
connections with the book and how our lives in the 21st Century were either
similar or different than Zoe’s life during the 19th Century?”
2. State Objective and Purpose-
 “Well, today I am going to model what I do when I’m comparing and contrasting
myself to a main character in a book. (Ask students if they understand the
meaning of compare and contrast). This way, you will learn a strategy that you
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can use when you need to understand how you connect or do not connect with a
character in a story.”
3. Teach and Model-
 Place the T-Chart on the board, with the left side of the chart stating “Similarities”
and the right side of the chart stating “Differences.” Ask students if they have
ever seen this type of chart before. Call on three students. Say to students, “While
reading a book, I ask myself how I connect personally with one of the characters.
I also think about how I have never experienced what the character is going
through. I am going to read a few sentences to you from Dandelions by Eve
Bunting and model how I would use a T-Chart in comparing my life to Zoe’s.”
Read aloud a few sentences from page three, so you can compare and contrast
your life with Zoe’s. “As I read, I was thinking about Zoe’s life, as well as my
life. I was thinking about the differences and similarities between the 19th and 21st
Centuries. I felt my life was different from Zoe’s because I travel by car, not a
wagon. Therefore, I would write this difference under the “Difference” side of the
chart. However, I feel that I am similar to Zoe because she used a ferry to get
across a river and we still use ferries in order to get across a body of water.
Therefore, I would write this under the “Similarities” side of the chart. Explain to
students “T-Charts are very useful because they are a strategy we can use when
we need to organize our thoughts as we read. We can use this type of chart in
guiding us when we need to write about the information we organized”.
4. Guided Practice-
 Keep the T-Chart on the board.
 Have three experiences about Zoe’s life during the 19th Century written on the
board next to the T-Chart. These experiences are from pages 3, 8 and 19.
 Students are to compare and contrast their lives to these experiences. (Find the
similarities and differences).
 Ask students to discuss where these experiences would go on the T-Chart, either
under the “Similarities” side or the “Differences” side.
 Call on three students to come up to the board/T-Chart and write the experience
either under the “Similarities” side or “Differences” side. Have the students
justify their reasoning.
5. Independent Practice/Assessment-
 “Girls and boys, when you begin reading for independent reading today, I want
you to use the strategies we just discussed. I want you to create a T-Chart as you
read about a character’s life. Find at least three experiences. Compare or contrast
them to your life, find the similarities and differences, and write them on your T-
Chart. During independent reading, I will be walking around to discuss with you
your T-Charts.”
6. Closure-
 “Who can tell me the meanings of the words compare and contrast? That’s right:
similar and different.”
 “Who can tell me why we use a T-Chart?”
 “Now, who can tell me what you are going to be doing during independent
reading today? Great! Return to your seats quietly and begin reading.”
7. How do I know if students are successful?
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 I will know if students were successful if they were able to compare and contrast
three experiences to their personal lives (find similarities and differences) from
their independent reading books, using their T-Charts.
 15
Alyssa Petrino

ELD-308

Lesson Plan: Writing Mini-Lesson

Grade: 4
Time: 15 minutes
Standards: Writing Standards: Grade 4: Text Types and Purposes: 3

3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,
descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Writing Standards: Grade 4: Production and Distribution of Writing: 4

4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate
to task, purpose, and audience.

Objective: Students will use their T-Charts in determining how their lives in the 21st Century are
similar and different from the main character Zoe’s during the 19th Century in the book
Dandelions, by Eve Bunting, to write a clear, catching introduction of their compare and contrast
essay.

Materials:
 Dandelions, by Eve Bunting
 T-Chart
 Paper for writing compare and contrast essay
 White Board
 Dry-Erase Markers
 Markers

Lesson Sequence:

1. Anticipatory Set (Engagement)-

 “Girls and boys, do you remember the book I read aloud to you a couple days
ago by Eve Bunting? Also, do you remember how we compared our lives to
the main character Zoe because she lived in the 19th Century and we live in the
21st Century? Remember, we even began making a T-Chart?”
2. State Objective and Purpose-
 “Well, today we are going to learn how to use our T-Charts in order to write a
compare and contrast essay. This essay is going to be about how your lives are
 15
similar and different to Zoe’s life. You will be comparing Zoe’s live in the
19th Century, to your lives in the 21st Century.”
3. Teach and Model-
 Show the students Dandelions, by Eve Bunting, T-Chart you had made about your
own personal life. Place it on the board. Make sure there are at least three to four
life experiences on the chart that show the similarities and differences to your life
and Zoe’s life. These experiences are from pages: 3, 5, 9, and 16. Remind
students that when you’re using comparing and contrasting, comparing is similar,
while contrasting is different. Also, remind students that a T-Chart is a strategy
that can be used to organize your thoughts and ideas in order to guide you with
your reading and writing. (Especially when writing a compare and contrast essay).
 Then, model to students what you are thinking about your T-Chart that is placed
on the board. Model how you are thinking of a main idea from the chart and how
to begin your essay. (This main idea is from page 3.) Use the T-Chart for support,
and if necessary demonstrate how to use notes about your chart in order to guide
the students. (Brainstorming).
 Remind students that an essay begins with a clear, catching introduction. Then
write a beginning sentence to your compare and contrast essay. Explain to
students how the introduction is clear and catching, and the importance of this.
(Grabs the audience’s attention/they want to continue reading).
 “Girls and boys, I am now going to show you a compare and contrast essay I
wrote, comparing and contrasting Zoe’s life during the 19th Century to my life
during the 21st Century.” Show students the important parts of a compare and
contrast essay. Explain how you have a clear, catching introduction and that this
is what they need to focus on today. Then, show students how you compared a
few main ideas in the next couple of paragraphs. Next, show the students how you
contrasted a few main ideas in the next couple of paragraphs. Finally, show the
students how you concluded the essay by wrapping up all the main ideas you just
wrote about. Make sure you discuss the title of your essay.
4. Guide Practice-
 Give each student a piece of paper in which they can write a T-Chart on. Have
the students write a few life experiences from the book Dandelions by Eve
Bunting, onto their charts either under the “Similarities” side or the
“Differences” side. Have a few students share what they wrote, where they
wrote it, and why.
 Also, ask students if they used notes to guide them with their thinking. Have
students begin thinking about how they are going to begin their compare and
contrast essays. Have three students share.
5. Independent Practice/Assessment-
 “When you begin writing for Writer’s Workshop today, I would like you to
add more life experiences to your charts. If you would like, you can also add
notes about what you are thinking. Use your T-Charts and notes to begin
writing a clear, catching introduction to your compare and contrast essays. I
want you to write at least three to four sentences of your introduction of your
compare and contrast essay during Writer’s Workshop.
6. Closure-
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 “Who can tell me why you would use a T-Chart?”
 “Who can tell me the importance of a clear, catching introduction?”
 “Who can tell me what you are going to do during writing today? Great! Return
to your seats quietly and begin writing.”

7. How do I know if students are successful?

 I will know if students are successful if they are able to use their T-Charts, in
order to write a clear, catching introduction for their compare and contrast essays.