Observation

Instructional Lesson
Classroom: Morse
Grade: 4
Curriculum Area: ELA/Social Studies
What I notice
- The students have just finished the
book I Survived The Great Chicago Fire
of 1871 as a class. They are being
introduced to the end of the unit project
they will complete.
- The teacher asks students to define
words like culminate, news reporter,
etc. in order to get the students
brainstorming about what their
assignment might be
- The teacher asks students to clarify
and explain further when they give
short answers to her questions
- The teacher emphasizes the
importance of being able to refer to
direct details from the story when
talking about the informational facts
about the fire
- The teacher asks what historical
fiction means in order to clarify
students understanding of the project
- Emphasizes the importance of being
able to know the difference between
nonfiction and fiction information from
the text for this project

Observer: Lauren Pollard

Date: 3/10/15
Time:
Thoughts, Questions, Connections to
Methods Classes
- How does a teacher come up with the
dialogue and types of questions to ask
during a discussion like this? I feel like I
always get nervous and freeze and end
up not knowing what to ask next to
continue the discussion or how to get
the students thinking the way Id like
them to.