Minilesson Planning Sheet

Name: Brianna Brown, Julie Forst, Megan Jones

Grade Level: Second
Content: Communication Arts
Lesson: Pre-reading strategies

Content Objective(s): Students will be able to make connections between their

favorite holidays and the holidays discussed in Clifford’s Halloween, as
demonstrated through the writing of a sentence and drawing of a picture.

GLE: R1F02 - Develop and apply, with assistance, pre-reading strategies to aid
comprehension.

Modifications: Use a more challenging book for gifted students. And allow
students to work with partners if they are struggling.

Materials/Media/Resources:

Bridwell, N. (1986). Clifford's Halloween (Reissue ed.). New York: Cartwheel.

Whiteboard
Paper for each student
Teacher-Created Checklist

Anticipatory Set: Each group of desks will have an item related to a specific
holiday (jack-o-lantern, small Christmas tree, etc). Students will determine the
holiday the item belongs to.

Instructional Input: When you make a connection, you are relating what
happens in the story to what has happened to you or what you already know.

Modeling/Demonstrating: Stop reading at first holiday (Christmas). Christmas

is my favorite holiday because I love to give and receive gifts. Now I am going to
write that in a sentence. Write sentence on white board. Now I am going to draw
a picture to match my sentence. Draw picture of present on board.

Guided Practice: Student papers will be divided into six boxes. The first box is
modeled (Christmas). The second box/holiday is done as a group and shared
with the class. The third one will be done with partners and shared with the
class. The fourth box/holiday will be done independently and shared with the
class.

Checking for Understanding: Students responses and pictures will determine

whether or not they understand.
Independent Practice: The fifth and sixth holiday boxes will be done completely
independently.

Closure: Today we discussed how to make connections when reading. When

you are reading, it will help you understand better if you can related what you are
reading to something in your life or that you know about.

Evaluation/Assessment: Students’ work will be graded according to a teacher-

created checklist as follows:

Student wrote a complete sentence.

Student’s sentence is appropriate for the holiday.
Student drew a picture.
Student’s picture matches holiday/sentence.
Student participated in guided practice.