Monday, March 11, 2013 9:00-9:30 Read-Aloud: Introducing Character Traits GOALS/OBJECTIVES 1.

SWBAT identify adjectives/traits that describe the main character 2. SWBAT identify the main characters feelings/emotions throughout the story STANDARDS 1. 1.3.2.C Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges. 2. 1.3.2.A Recount stories and determine their central message, lesson, or moral. 3. 1.3.2.G Use information from illustrations and words, in print or digital text, to demonstrate understanding of characters, setting, or plot. MATERIALS AND PREPARATION Materials The King of the Playground by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Post it notes (1 per child) Pencils (1 per child) Chart paper for listing adjectives describing characters Anchor chartfeelings Preparation Mark book with post-its reminding me when to stop and ask questions CLASSROOM ARRANGEMENT AND MANAGEMENT ISSUES Arrangement Students will be seated on the carpet for the read-aloud and discussion. They will go back to their seats to write their responses. Management issues Management is not a huge concern considering the fact that I have done multiple read-alouds with the students by this point in the year. That being said, I will be asking them to sit on the carpet with a post-it note and a pencil in hand. I anticipate that some students may want to doodle or play around with one or both of these items. I will set a norm at the beginning of the lesson that they should only be writing when I ask them to, and that post-it notes and pencils should be on the floor in front of them. I will highlight positive examples of students following my directions. I will take away a students pencil/post-it if it becomes necessary. PLAN Italics=spoken words; what Im saying

Read Aloud (20 minutes) Before Reading o Read the title, have students look at cover. Whats an inference you can draw from the illustration about this boy, the main character [point to Kevin on front cover]? How do you think that he feels? o Show students Feelings anchor chart o While I read, I want you to continue to think about how you would describe this is feeling. When you notice something that will help you describe how hes feeling, show me by giving me a silent thumbs-up. During Reading o Students give silent thumbs up when they recognize something about the character o Dialogue through questions How does Kevin feel right now? Why do Kevin and his dad start laughing here? Kevin doesnt want to give up! He keeps going back. Would you? After Reading o What did you notice about how Kevin was feeling throughout the book? Call on a few students. Record answers on chart paper in a list. o Did Kevin overcome his problem? How did he do it? What did he have to do or say? [He stands up to Sammy. He uses his imagination to come up with silly solutions to Sammys silly threats, and makes a game out of this with Sammy. ] o Turn and Talk: What does this tell us about who Kevin is? What is a trait we could use to describe someone like Kevin who stands up to a bully? A trait is different from a feeling because feelings change, but traits stay pretty much the same because they are something deep inside of us. Draw a T-chart on the chart paper, keeping the feelings that are already listed on the left side. Share a few student responses. o You are all going to go back to your seats to come up with a trait that describes Kevin. Write your name on your post-it, and then write down the trait and tell me why you think that trait describes Kevin. When you are done, bring your post-it over to the chart and put it on this side, under Traits and sit down nicely on the carpet until everyone is ready. Reading Response (10 minutes) Students go to their desks to write down on a post-it a trait that describes Kevin, and the reason that they are choosing that trait (make sure students write names!) As they finish, students put post-it students come back to the rug. Read through the responses on the post-its. Move post-its, as needed, to feelings. Do we think that this is a trait or a feeling? Where should we put this one? Closing: For the next two weeks we are going to be talking about the characters in the books that we read. Tomorrow we are going to talk even more about the difference between a characters feelings and their traits.

ASSESSMENT OF THE GOALS/OBJECTIVES Formal assessment will occur through the post-its. I will collect these post-its and review them to get a sense of what students came up with independently. Informal assessment will occur through teacher observation. During the read-aloud the students will answer questions that I have prepared. ANTICIPATING STUDENTS RESPONSES AND YOUR POSSIBLE RESPONSES Student Responses-Content The book that I have chosen is relatively straightforward in terms of basic story elements such as problem/solution and sequencing. I am hopeful that this will allow students to spend their cognitive energy thinking about the characters feelings and traits. I know that they studied characters in first grade and again at the beginning of this year. That being said, I was not present for their study of characters because I was placed at a different school, so I am not sure just how much depth they went into. In some ways I see this lesson as a pre-assessment in itself. I will be able to get a sense of just how comfortable they are talking about characters and their feelings and traits. I do anticipate that they will have some trouble coming up with traits to describe Kevin independently. I expect that many of them will just use whatever traits have been shared out after the turn-and-talk. As long as their explanation of why they chose that trait makes sense Im OK with them using someone elses idea. I also anticipate that some students may write down a feeling instead of a trait. When the students are all back on the carpet we will discuss their responses and why some might make more sense in the Feelings column of our chart. ACCOMMODATIONS For students who find the material too challenging If students are having trouble coming up with a trait I will talk with them individually, reminding them of specific things that Kevin did or said and asking what that tells us about him. For students who may need greater challenge and/or finish early I will push these students to come up with the most descriptive adjectives that they can think ofsynonyms for the trait that they have chosen.