Session 1

8:28 Showed/introduced books

Who knows which one is fiction? Which one is non-fiction?
Objective: to learn the difference between fiction and non-fiction
8:30 Read One fish…..
Student blurted about rhyming words, acknowledged student but didn’t address blurt
Students talking, “I’ll wait…”
As reading, questioning: do fish run, have feet?
1 student had hand up for a while, was acknowledged at end
Book got away from fish, so stopped early
8:35 noticed wiggles, took a quick stretch break
8:36 Started non-fiction book
Paused to discuss vocabulary: vertebrae, aquatic
Student had hand up, got the hint and put it down
Questioning/noticing picture types in book: Does this book have
8:40 Stopped non-fiction book early
“What can you remember about non-fiction books?”
Student: “sharks are not fish’.
“Who remembers something about fiction books?”
Student: rhyming words
8:44 Pulled up Venn Diagram
“This chart helps you sort out your ideas.”
Explained the circles and overlapping, different and same
“What did you remember from the Dr. Seuss book?” Did not happen, Student: not true
“What did you remember about the Fish book?” Student: “real” Mrs. Pulido - facts
“Does this have cartoon pictures?”
Mrs. Pulido “Sight words - new words/vocabulary”
“What is the same?” Student: Both about fish
8:48 Closure: Questions at end:
“What does a Venn diagram show?”
“What is the difference between a fiction and non-fiction book?”
8:50 Remembered 5 finger retell

Session 2

1:12 Asked students to raise hands if they know the book

Blurt - handled well
Objective - We will learn the difference between fiction and non-fiction books
“What is nonfiction?” Student - not real
“What if fiction?” Student - real
1:15 Read 1 fish
Nice awareness of off task students
Questioning - “Look at the pictures. What are the fish doing?...Do they do that? Do fish have feet?”
1:19 Non-fiction books are real. They include research.
Read Fish
Stopped to focus on vocabulary
Students have a lot of connections - some were just comments
1:22 Showed both books, “What is different about these two books?”
Went into specific questions about books.
1:24 Introduced Venn Diagram
Explained circles and where similarities and differences go.
“What do you remember that was different about the fiction from the non-fiction book?
T: cartoon vs real animals
T: Do you hear rhyming words?
What was the same about the books?
S: They both have fish,
S: Fish have fins
1:29 Closure: “What is this diagram called?”
T: Venn Diagram

Sorry, my notes weren’t as thorough for this session because we had the interruptions…

Here is my non-formal feedback, because I don’t love the form they have me do...I feel like it makes it sound bad.

I think you manage and conduct the classroom like it is natural to you. Students were engaged and enjoyed it.

The lesson was a bit pretty ambitious, given the range of inquiry questions. I think if it were a bit more focused, it would
have been easier to deliver the lesson. Maybe focusing more on the Venn Diagram as a tool to help you compare two
things - fiction and non-fiction books. This is where the lesson ended up focusing, but that wasn’t really the plan prior.
Then you could put the comprehensions strategies of the five finger re-tell vs. remembering main idea and facts into the
Venn diagram. Author’s purpose of writing the two books could go into the Venn as well.

The kids love Dr. Seuss, but I think a different fish fiction book would have been better because One Fish, Two
Fish….does not have the components of a five finger retell, so you couldn’t really follow that part of your plan.

Maybe it was my fault, because I looked at my clock as I wrote my notes - sorry if that is the case...but the lessons were
rushed. Like I said before, this is something I struggle with too, when being observed, but it’s OK to slow down, give
students time to think and discuss. That’s where the learning happens.

I put this in the formal one, but look at your questioning. You ask a lot of yes/no questions. Try more open ended
questions. If they get off track, instead of giving the answer or switching to a yes/no, try clarifying the question or
rewording it.