​Let’s Talk About It

Katelynne Boggs

3rd Grade ELA

Common Core Standards:

Strand Speaking and Listening

Topic Comprehension and Collaboration

Standards SL.3.1 Engage effectively in a range of

collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on grade 3 topics and texts,
building on others’ ideas and expressing
their own clearly.

a. Come to discussions prepared, having

read or studied required material; explicitly
draw on that preparation and other
information known about the topic to
explore ideas under discussion.

b. Follow agreed-upon rules for

discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in
respectful ways, listening to others with
care, speaking one at a time about the
topics and texts under discussion).

c. Ask questions to check understanding

of information presented, stay on topic,
and link their comments to the remarks of
others.

d. Explain their own ideas and

understanding in light of the discussion.

SL.3.2 Determine the main ideas and

supporting details of a text read aloud or
information presented in diverse media
and formats, including visually,
quantitatively, and orally.
 SL.3.3 Ask and answer questions about
information from a speaker, offering
appropriate elaboration and detail.

Lesson Summary:

This lesson is designed to help students engage successfully in collaborative conversations.

Following a review lesson as a class, students will create a group poem with a main idea and
supporting details. During this project, students will be engaging in collaborative conversation
with their own group, followed by one additional group. After, each group will present their
group poem to the class and engage in a collaborative discussion. This is using the poetry
practice strategy.

Estimated Duration:

I plan on dividing the lesson into four days, with each class period lasting 50-55 minutes.

Commentary:

To begin the lesson, we will participate in an exercise to remind ourselves of previous

lessons regarding collaborative discussions. To engage the students we will listen to a poem
by Kenn Nesbitt. I will ask students to discuss the video as a class. Following this, there will
be group projects to help later engage in a bigger discussion and discuss everyone’s
thoughts. This activity will transition to the main lesson.

Instructional Procedures:

Day 1:
For the first 10 minutes we will review the rules for engaging in collaborative class
conversations. This way students know what is expected of them. For the next 20 minutes
the class will watch a “how to” video on writing a poem. This is to help refamiliarize the
students with poetry. This particular video will help to engage students in an interactive
activity (​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3FZyXFS6bU​). For the next 20 minutes, the
class will watch the video My Pet Germs by Kenn Nasbitt. This video will be followed up with
a class discussion about the poem’s main idea and the students’ thoughts on it.
Day 2:
For the first 10 minutes, students will be told who is in their assigned group, and they will
proceed to meet with their group members at one group of desks. The next 10 minutes will
be explaining the project. Students should create a group poem with at least one illustration.
They should do this by effectively collaborating with one another. After the lesson is
explained, students should use the last 30 minutes of the class period to engage in
conversation and collaborate to create their poem. Students will be provided with a table
through Google Docs that they should all fill out during the discussion. This can then be
reviewed by the teacher. Students will take 5 minutes to complete an exit slip, using Google
Forms.
Day 3:
For the first 20-25 minutes, students will continue working with their group to collaborate and
create their group poems with illustration (the background chosen in Storybird may count).
They may use Google Docs on their laptop to finish typing out their poem, but it should later
be typed into Storybird for an official grade. Then for the next 20 minutes, each group will
meet with a different group. Here they will discuss the poems with each other and give ideas
for how each group could improve. For the last 5-10 minutes of the period, groups will revise
their poem as needed.
Day 4: ​The whole class period will consist of students presenting group poems. After each
group presents, there will be a class discussion. The group will hold their own discussion
about their poem, allowing everyone to express their own thoughts and ask questions.

Pre-Assessment:

After reading the first poem to students in the review lesson, students will be required to
participate in small group discussions where they will build upon each other’s ideas of what
the poem means, what the main idea is, who it’s about, supporting details, ect, while taking
notes. Teacher will join in on the conversation of each group. Students should be able to
successfully recall important elements for poems. Teacher will observe each group
 Scoring Guidelines:

Teacher will use their own judgement from observation to dictate how well students
engage in a collaborative discussion over poetry during Day 4. Teacher will once
again join in on student discussion to ask questions and help build upon the ideas of
others.

Post-Assessment:

Students will be divided into groups of four for a group project. They will have to collaborate
and discuss how to put together a poem using ideas from each group member. It should also
include at least one illustration. This should be done using Storybird, it can be pulled up on
the smartboard, and read in front of the class. Afterwards, the teacher will ask the whole
class questions about each group poem, such as, “What is the main idea”?

Scoring Guidelines:

The scoring for this particular project will be a pass/fail. I will grade the student
projects based off of their ability to cooperate in a small group and build on each
other’s ideas. If the group was able to successfully collaborate on their project and it
shows they understood the assignment, they will pass. If it is obvious that one person
did all the work and directions were not followed, the group will fail. If it seems that
certain students were unable to understand the assignment altogether, they will
receive one-on-one instruction. Student group projects will be graded based on effort,
collaboration, and incorporating key elements.

Differentiated Instructional Support

Describe how instruction can be differentiated (changed or altered) to meet the needs of
gifted or accelerated students:
- Students who are gifted or accelerated will be peer tutors. They will meet individually
with struggling students to help them prepare for the lesson. They will also be offered
a challenge assignment where they have collaborative discussions with other
accelerated students. Then the teacher will have them focus on working together to
create a poem that gets an emotional reaction.
Discuss additional activities you could do to meet the needs of students who might be
struggling with the material:
 - Students who are struggling to effectively engage in a collaborative discussion will first
participate in a one-on-one discussion with the teacher. This will help to make the
student more comfortable and help the teacher identify exactly which area the student
is struggling in. Next the student will participate in a one-on-one collaborative
discussion with a peer tutor. They will then meet with a larger group and the teacher
will observe how the student listens and engages. Students struggling may also
receive additional worksheets to take home.

Extension
This is a helpful printout for students to use at home to show how to establish voice in a
poem.
https://www.teachervision.com/poetry/importance-voice-poetry
This video is a helpful guide in getting students prepared for an engaging collaborative
discussion.
https://learn.teachingchannel.com/video/evidence-based-discussion-ousd

Homework Options and Home Connections

Students are recommended to find a poem they like and engage in a discussion with
someone in their family.

Interdisciplinary Connections

ART: ​Students are able to use any illustrations that would make sense with their poem.

SCIENCE:​ Students are engaging in collaborative discussion, working on group projects,

and following rules.

Materials and Resources:

 For teachers Smartboard, Google account, computer

For Google account, laptops, internet access, Storybird

students account

Key Vocabulary

Main idea, supporting details, collaborate, respectful

Additional Notes

This lesson plan is about students being able to engage in a collaborative discussion. I
chose to incorporate poetry into it because it was part of a different standard in the reading
strand. Giving an assignment that includes a previous lesson would provide better insight to
how students are handling this specific standard. This is because they already learned about
poetry earlier in the year and should be able to participate in a collaborative discussion and
assignment more effectively.

Resources:

Ohio's Model Curriculum with Instructional Supports for English Language Arts Grade 3
Video - Page 2 of 3 - Kenn Nesbitt's Poetry4kids.com