KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

PROFESSIONAL SEMESTER PROGRAM
LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate: Heather Bower Date: November 26, 2019

Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Mauro Coop. Initials: ________________
Group Size: 21 Allotted Time: whole group – 9:35am - 10:20am Grade Level: K
Subject or Topic: Writing Mini Lesson Section: 932

I'm the Best Writing Mini Lesson

I. STANDARD(s):
• CC.1.4.K.B – Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to focus on one specific
topic.
• CC.1.4.K.D – Make logical connections between drawing and dictation/writing.

II. Performance Objectives:

The students will be able to…
• Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to focus on one specific topic by
writing at least one sentence that shows a way to be a friend or friendly.
• Make logical connections between drawing and dictation/writing by drawing a picture
to match the sentence they wrote that shows a green choice they can make to be the
best kindergartener.

III. Assessment:
1. Formative
• A rubric will be used to assess the writer’s ability to:
o Draw a picture to match their sentence.
2. Summative (Note* - Summative assessments only for unit plans)

IV. Instructional Materials:

Teacher Materials
• Kid Writing paper (x30)
• Pencil
• Rubric
• Alphabet Linking Chart
• Anchor Chart
• I’m the Best by Lucy Cousins

Student Materials
• Pencil
• Crayons

V. Subject Matter/ Content:

a. Prerequisite Skills
i. Ability to write and connect letter sounds to the letter
b. Key Vocabulary
i. Friend – someone whom you enjoy being with and know well
ii. Friendly – kind and helpful
c. Big Idea
i. There are many ways we can be friends or friendly to someone.
d. Content
i. The plan for the day – write and draw a way you can be a friend or friendly
ii. Anchor Chart – ways we can be friends or friendly
iii. Students quick sketch their idea
iv. Students write a sentence about their quick sketch
v. Students add detail and color to their picture
 vi. Students share

VI. Implementation:

A. Introduction:
• “Today, we are going to be writing and drawing a way or two that shows how a green
choice we can make to be the best kindergartener we can be.”
• The teacher will show the anchor chart and reiterate what some of the class already said.

B. Development:
• Students will be given a Kid Writing paper once they head back to their seats from the
carpet. They will write their name & number and draw a quick sketch a green choice they
can make.
• After the students sketch their picture, they will write their sentence.
o Alphabet Linking Chart and Digraph and Blends Chart will be displayed in the
classroom to help them in their writing process. The word wall and alphabet will
also be available.
• After the students write, they will add detail and color to their picture.

C. Closure:
• Students will have the opportunity to share their paper with the teacher. Students will not
be forced to share.
• The teacher will collect the papers.

D. Accommodations / Differentiation:
• Alphabet Linking Chart and Digraph and Blends Chart will be available to the students.
• I’m the Best will be available to students as a tool to remember the story.
• Anchor Chart of ideas will be available to students.
• The teacher can write letters/words as dots so students can trace.

VII. Reflective Response:

A. Report of Students’ Performance in Terms of States Objectives:

*Note this section is completed during field placements.

1. This section is to be completed after the lesson is taught in a field classroom. ✓

2. A report of how the students actually performed in assessment process and will address the
evaluation plan stated in the Assessment/Evaluation Plan.

Because this lesson was whole-group, students were only evaluated based on their ability to
draw a picture and write a sentence to match. Two students were absent for this lesson.
Therefore, 19 students were evaluated. Of the 19 students, 100% were able to draw a picture
and write a matching sentence. All students passed the assessment, resulting in no
remediation plan necessary.

This was the first whole-group writing activity I had done in this class. I quickly realized I
would not be able to sit down with each individual student and help them write like I do in
small group. I also realized I would need to change my rubric, as well. Because I couldn’t sit
with every student and see if they were able to use phonics and word analysis skills to
decode words and use one-to-one letter-sound correspondence, I could not assess them on
that. I could only assess the students on their ability to draw a picture and write a sentence to
match. Because the students were only being assessed on one thing versus four, the
evaluation plan I created for this lesson was very effective. Once the students turned in their
papers, I could go through and check off their ability to draw a picture and write a matching
sentence.

3. Include student performance data – may be in the form of a chart or table. Please do not include
first and last names of students, may use numbers or initials. ✓
 B. Personal Reflection
1.Teacher-focused open-ended questions written before lesson is taught.
• Were any elements of my lesson more effective than other elements?
• Do some aspects need improvement?
• How would I incorporate the best aspects of this lesson in the future?

2. Reflective narrative response to questions recorded after lesson is taught.

• Assessing the students’ work after they were turned in and not during the lesson was
effective because I wasn’t spending time not with the students. It would have been
awkward for the student to stand in front of me as I was looking at their work and
putting a check mark next to their number on my checklist. When students told me
they were finished with their drawing and sentence, I had them tell me about their
picture and read their sentence. This was all completed right before lunch. Then,
during lunch when the students were not in the room, I took the time to mark my
checklist.
• Making sure every student is on task was challenging. It was hard to work one-on-
one with a student or two for a couple minutes and watch all the other students in the
room. However, after reading every students’ work, I realized all the students were on
tasks at some point because they all drew a picture and wrote a matching sentence
about the topic they were given. Classroom management for lessons like this will
take time and practice in order to improve; I was not expecting this portion of the
lesson to get perfectly the first time. Although, it was pretty good for the most part. A
few volume checks here and there and walking around the room, redirecting a few
students did not make for terrible classroom management.
• In the future, if I were to have another whole-group writing lesson, I would continue to
wait till after all the papers are turned in and the students are somewhere else (not in
the room) to assess their work. When the students are writing with me in small group,
it's easy to assess the students work right in front of me. But for a lesson like this, it
was easier to assess the work at a later time, especially because at some points,
more than three students were in line waiting to read their sentence to me.

Resources

References
Cousins, L. (2010). I'm the best. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Scholastic. (1996). Scholastic children's dictionary. New York.

Appendix
Rubric is attached.
Observation Checklist – I’m the Best Writing
Drew a picture
Students with a matching Comments
sentence

1. ✓

2. ✓

3. ✓

4. ✓

5. ✓

6. ✓

7. ✓

8. ✓

9. ✓

10. ✓

11. ✓

12. ✓

13. ✓

14. Absent Absent

15. ✓

16. ✓

17. ✓

18. ✓

19. ✓

20. ✓

21. Absent Absent

✓ = demonstrates clear understanding of topic

— = needed to be corrected at least once on topic
X = needs to be retaught meaning of topic with examples