McDonalds Draft (2010). Modified by Kreassig and Gould (2014) for use with student teachers.

Revised August 2015

Teacher: Caitlin Jennings Date: March 16-17, 2017

Title of Lesson: Comprehension Mini Lesson Cooperating Teacher: Ms. Head

with Sea Turtles

Core Components
Subject, Content Area, or Topic
Language Arts, Science, making inferences, identifying main idea
Student Population
17 Students Inclusion
8 Girls
9 Boys
2 read aloud
4 additional time for assignments
1 visually impaired
Learning Objectives
Students will use a variety of reading comprehension strategies to demonstrate understanding of a
nonfiction text.
Students will actively engage with a nonfiction text

Virginia Essential Knowledge and Skills (SOL)

Reading 2.9 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts.
b) Make and confirm predictions about the main idea.
c) Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
d) Set purpose for reading.
e) Ask and answer questions about what is read.
g) Identify the main idea.
h) Read and reread familiar passages with fluency, accuracy, and meaningful
expression.

Writing 2.13 The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling.
a) recognize and use complete sentences
b) use and punctuate declarative, interrogative, and exclamatory sentences
c) capitalize all proper nouns and the word I

Science 2.4 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of
orderly changes as they mature and grow. Key concepts include
a) animal life cycles.
Materials/Resources
Sea Turtles by Brenda Hochstatter Handout
Main idea worksheet
How do sea turtles hatch? NOAAs National Ocean Services
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/turtle-hatch.html
Sea Turtles by The Whizpops! - http://www.thewhizpops.com/videos-2/

McDonalds Draft (2010). Modified by Kreassig and Gould (2014) for use with student teachers.
Revised August 2015
High Yield Instructional Strategies Used (Marzano, 2001)

Check if Used
Strategy Return
Identifying Similarities & Differences 45%
Summarizing & Note Taking 34%
Reinforcing Efforts & Providing Recognition 29%
Homework & Practice 28%
Nonlinguistic Representations 27%
X Cooperative Learning 23%
Setting Goals & Providing Feedback 23%
Generating & Testing Hypothesis 23%
Questions, Cues, & Advanced Organizers 22%
DOES YOUR INSTRUCTIONAL INPUT & MODELING YIELD THE POSITIVE
RETURNS YOU WANT FOR YOUR STUDENTS?
Check if Used Strategy Return
Teach Others/Immediate Use of Learning 95%
Practice by Doing 75%
X Discussion 50%
Demonstration 30%
Audio Visual 20%
X Reading 10%
Lecture 05%
Safety (if applicable)

Time
(min.) Process Components
*Anticipatory Set
TTW tell students they will be having an in house field trip where a specialist from the
Virginia Aquarium will be coming to talk to them about sea creatures.
TTW ask students if they can name some different kinds of sea creatures.
TTW tell students, One of the animals we will be discussing today is the sea turtle.
TTW share the video of young sea turtles racing to the ocean.
Google How do sea turtles hatch? NOAAs National Ocean Services
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/turtle-hatch.html

*State the Objectives (grade-level terms)

I can identify the main idea of a nonfiction text

*Modeling/ Guided Practice

Day 1
TTW read the Sea Turtle passage aloud to the class once all the way through. TSW
follow along with their finger or eyes.
TTW have students share what new information they learned about sea turtles from
this first reading.
TTW read the passage a 2nd time and ask students to make at least three different
Think Marks throughout the text.
McDonalds Draft (2010). Modified by Kreassig and Gould (2014) for use with student teachers.
Revised August 2015
 oTSW make think marks throughout the passage to indicate their thinking while
reading.
Once students have made their Think Marks:
o TSW share and discuss what Think Marks they made and why, at their table
within small groups gaining a better understanding of the text.

*Check for Understanding

TTW ask students to choose a speaker from their group to share what their group
came up with for each section on the worksheet.

*Independent Practice
Day 2
TTW read the Sea Turtle passage aloud to the class once all the way through. TSW
follow along with their finger or eyes.
TTW provide each student with a worksheet and have students get into their table
groups.
o TTW ask students to discuss with their group members the main idea of the
text.
o TSW will use the CRUSH IT! strategy to help them determine the main idea
of the text and fill it in on their work sheets.
Once students have recorded the main idea, TTW ask students to choose a speaker
from their group to share what their group came up with as the main idea.
o A student from each group will share what their group determined was the
main idea of the text.
TSW reread the passage in their groups before completing the Questioning after
reading section on the worksheet.
Once students have had time to record at least one question on their worksheet, TSW
choose a speaker from their group to share a wondering question from the passage
o A student from each group will share a question their group came up with.

Assessment
*Check for Understanding
TTW ask students to choose a speaker from their group to share what their group came
up with for each section on the worksheet.

*Closure
TTW share the video Sea Turtles by The Whizpops! The Whizpops
o http://www.thewhizpops.com/videos-2/
After viewing TT can ask if any of the students questions after reading were
answered by the video and if so which ones.

Differentiation Strategies (enrichment, accommodations, remediation, or by learning style).

TTW accommodate by reading text aloud.
Classroom Management Issues (optional)
TTW have students raise their hand for questions and/or comments rather than shouting out
Lesson Critique. To be completed following the lesson. Did your students meet the objective(s)? What part
of the lesson would you change? Why?

*Denotes Madeline Hunter lesson plan elements.

McDonalds Draft (2010). Modified by Kreassig and Gould (2014) for use with student teachers.
Revised August 2015
 Intern Signature Cooperating Teacher Signature Date

McDonalds Draft (2010). Modified by Kreassig and Gould (2014) for use with student teachers.
Revised August 2015