Alexa DAuria

Grade/Subject Area: 1st Grade ELA

Setting: Suburban/Douglas G. Grafflin Elementary School
Date of Lesson: 2/11/15
Class Description: Mrs.Schasslers first grade, collaborative class, contains 20 students, 7
females and 13 males. There are three male students with IEPs. Two of them are
classified as Autistic, the third is currently classified with a speech and language
impairment. However, he seems to be oppositional and defiant. All of the students,
except one with an IEP, are reading above level F according to the Fountas and Pinnell
reading system. The lower student is receiving individualized instruction to practice
phonics and site words. The three students with an IEP receive instructional support in
the classroom, including visual aids (graphic organizers and charts). There are two 1-1
teaching assistants to ensure that the students are focused and on-task. Two students
receive speech and language and their parents attend quarterly counseling.
1. Purpose (concepts- Essential Questions):
What are the three different ways to write an introduction?
Who is the audience?
Where is the introduction written in terms of the sequence of the story?
2. Vocabulary and Key Terms
Comparison- how one thing is similar to and different than another thing
Hook- grabs the readers attention using a question
Fact- something real
3. Prior Knowledge:
The students are able to formulate a topic to write about. The students can
organize their knowledge on a specific topic using a brainstorm web worksheet,
with the guidance of a teacher. The students are able to produce a table of
contents using their graphic organizers. The students can write at least three
sentences about each subtopic. The students can illustrate their subtopics using a
pencil, colored pencil, or crayon. They can also add captions, labels, and detail to
their drawings. The students can critique each others work in partnerships and
the students can re-evaluation and edit their writing using a checklist for
punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. The students can identify spelling errors
using the word wall or their personal dictionaries.
4. Skills
Identify the three different ways to write an introduction
5. Objectives: The students will be able to
Write an introduction paragraph of at least 1 sentence
Compose a more detailed all about writing piece
Locate the introduction paragraph in a text
6. Common Core ELA Learning Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.1
Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are
writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some
sense of closure.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.2

Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some

facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.5
With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to questions and
suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as needed.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1
Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1
topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.2
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information
presented orally or through other media.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.3
Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional
information or clarify something that is not understood.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.5
Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify
ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
7. Pre-Assessment
The previous week, the students began a new all about writing piece. The
students used a teacher made packet that had a page for a cover, including space for a
title and author name, a blank table of contents page with corresponding page
numbers, and a few lined pages with boxes for illustrations. Each student chose a
topic to write about and brainstormed various subtopics using a graphic organizer
web. The students learned from a mini-lesson and model from the teacher that they
could transfer the information/subtopics written on the brainstorm web to the table of
contents. The class met on the carpet and reviewed the table of contents in some nonfiction books. The class discussed ways to make their subtopics sound more
interesting.
8. Lesson Presentation:
a. Set-Induction
The teacher will call the students by table to get their writing
folders and sit on their squares on the rug. The students will be asked to sit
on their writing folders so they are not distracted. Today, I want to teach
you that when you write an all about, the reader expects your writing to
have a beginning and an ending, like a school day. We start at 8:45 and
end at 3:15. At the start of your writing, like a school day, you tell the
reader the big things they will be learning about and what comes first, and
next. Just like Mrs. Schassler shows you the flow of the day. The title,
table of contents, and introduction are like the schedule for the day.
The teacher will create a chart that says What is an introduction?
The teacher will ask students this question before writing in bullet form It
explains what the book will be about. It tells the reader why they may
want to read the book. This will allow the teacher to assess their prior
knowledge.
Turn-cards will be passed out by any teacher who notices when a
student is not paying attention. When a student receives a turn-card, they
will expect to be called on.

b. Procedure
The class will review the introductions in four previously
studied/read non-fiction books on the projector.
The students will be asked Where is the introduction located?
and the teacher will write their response on the chart paper below
the definition.
The students will be asked to play the role of detective and think
about how the author wrote the introduction or ways they would
write the very start of their all abouts.
The teacher will read aloud each introduction one at a time.
After each book, the teacher will ask the students what they
noticed about the introduction.
The teacher will write Introductions can on the chart. Some
things to look for are: (facts, comparisons)
o Start with a question
o Start with an action
o Start with a little story that pulls the reader in
o Start with a big idea about the topic
The students will be asked after all introductions are read, Does it
matter how many sentences are in the introduction?
The teacher will tell the students that they need to write at least
three sentences in their introductions.
The students will share their all abouts with a partner and discuss
ways they can write their introduction.
The students will be told to go back to their desks by row color and
begin writing their introduction on lined paper the teacher created.
Mrs. Schassler and Molly, the teaching assistant, will walk around
the classroom to answer any questions the students have.
Mrs. Tighe and myself will work at the back cubbie table with the
three students with an IEP to guide them in writing their
introduction.
Mrs. Tighe will work with RC. I will work with HZ and LS. We
will ask if they want to ask questions, state facts, or write
comparisons.
We will instruct them to use their brainstorm web, which shows
what they know about basketball or gym.
If they want to ask questions, the teacher will instruct them to think
about what someone who knows nothing about basketball or gym
may want to know. Why is it important? Why do you like it? Why
is it worth someones time? Who can you do it with? Where can
you do it?
If they want to write facts, the teacher will ask them what they
know about gym or basketball. They might want to mention each
subtopic on the brainstorm web.
Mrs. Tighe will show RC pictures with labels of basketball
uniforms, bouncing a basketball, a court, the New York Knicks, as

well as the number of players on each team. This will allow RC to

make quicker connections to his knowledge on basketball.
I will repeat what HZ and LS say and instruct them to go ahead
and write it themselves.
Mrs. Tighe will repeat what RC says. For each sentence, Mrs.
Tighe will count the number of words in the sentence using her
fingers and ask RC to count along. Then, Mrs. Tighe will repeat
the sentence and that number of draw lines, demonstrating proper
spacing.
Mrs. Tighe will sound out each word, using the pictures with labels
when necessary. RC will write as many letters as he knows.
I will instruct HZ and LS to read over their writing for punctuation,
capitalization, and spelling.
c. Closure
Mrs. Schassler will pick three students she noticed had a strong
introduction to share with the class.
The students will be asked to put their writing folders back in the
bin and come to the rug.
The teacher will ask one of the three students to place their writing
under the projector.
The student will read their introduction to the class.
The teacher will ask the class what strategy the student used to
grab the readers attention.
The next two students will follow the same process.
After each student shares, the class will give them a round of
applause.
9. Materials
Amazing Sharks! By Sarah L. Thomson
Colorful Peacocks by Deborah Underwood
Football for Fun! By Kenn Goin
Sharks! By Sindy McKay
Chart paper
Markers for chart paper
Pencil
Projector
Introduction Checklist
Index cards with pictures and labels of basketball related items/terms
10. Follow- Up Activity or Assignment
The next day, the students will go through the same process writing their
conclusions.
11. Evaluation/Assessment
The teacher will write a checklist on chart paper for the students to refer to
once they have written their introductions. The students will be told to check off
each step when completed.

Introduction Checklist:
_____ Did I capture the readers attention using facts, questions, or comparisons?
_____ Did I use capital letters in the appropriate places?
_____ Did I use punctuation at the end of each sentence?
_____ Did I use my dictionary and word wall to help me spell words?
12. Differentiated
Re-reading the non-fiction books aloud to the class, not only shows the
importance of re-reading books, but it also emphasizes a specific part of the book
that the teacher thinks is important. The teacher also models a think aloud and
creates a visual for students to refer to during their writing time. For audio and
visual learners, the use of technology, as a means for modeling instruction, helps
students understand the directions. Moving from the desks to the carpet is good
for kinesthetic, young, learners. The graphic organizer is a scaffolding technique
that allows a gradual release of responsibility from teacher to students. The ability
to write and draw on the graphic organizers allows for visual and verbal/linguistic
learners to express their knowledge in different ways. The lesson allows for
students to have an interpersonal connection in the classroom by having partner
and grand discussions. Sounding out and drawing lines for RC, a student with an
IEP, helps him make sound letter connections and write each word in appropriate
sequence.
13. Resources
Amazing Sharks! By Sarah L. Thomson
Colorful Peacocks by Deborah Underwood
Football for Fun! By Kenn Goin
Sharks! By Sindy McKay
Chart paper
Markers for chart paper
Pencil
Projector
Writing folders
All about graphic organizer
Introduction checklist
Nonfiction Chapter Books: Grade 1 Unit 2 Information by Lucy Calkins,
Kristine Mraz, and Barbara Golub (p.91-93)
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/1/
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/SL/1/
Index cards with pictures and labels of basketball related items/terms
http://www.nba.com/knicks/roster

Jersey

Basketball Court

Sneakers

New York Knicks