Name: Program: Course:

Carson Hope Early Childhood Special Education (K-3) ECH 460

Lesson Topic/Title:
Conferencing about Animal All About Books
Lesson Date: Lesson Length: Grade:
Multiple dates (as students Approximately 6 minutes 1st Grade
complete books) per conference
Learning Objectives Instructional Decisions/Reasoning
Students will share their completed animal Students will be able to receive feedback,
all about books with Miss Hope. and Miss Hope will gather additional
Students will engage in discussion with Miss assessment data regarding students’
Hope about their writing and the writing and their completed all about
concepts/strategies they used. books.
Content Standards Instructional Decisions/Reasoning
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.2 Write • Students have been working on all
informative/explanatory texts in which they about books, one of the types of
name a topic, supply some facts about the informational text pieces. Miss Hope
topic, and provide some sense of closure. will be looking for topics/introductions,
Learning Goal #1: The students will be able true facts, and conclusions.
to write “all about” informational text pieces • Students will conference with Miss
with at least three facts about a chosen or Hope about their animal all about book.
assigned topic.
Assessment Instructional Decisions/Reasoning
This is a summative assessment of animal all Although I am using the Calkins (2013)
about books. Conferencing notes (taken on rubric to assess writing, I felt it was
the notetaking form I developed) will be important to continue conferencing with
compared with the Calkins (2013) rubric students (as suggested by Calkins, Mraz &
assessment. These, in conjunction with other Golub) and to take notes while doing so. I
writing projects, will be used to give students will compare the conference notes with my
their 2nd trimester writing grades. rubric assessment to ensure everything
matches.
Materials, Resources, and/or Technology Instructional Decisions/Reasoning
• Conference notetaking forms • Miss Hope will use the notetaking
• All about books forms during each conference.
• Students will show Miss Hope their all
about books.
Teaching and Learning Sequence Instructional Decisions/Reasoning
Introduction 1. Miss Hope will remind students what is
1. Miss Hope will remind students that they happening during writing workshop.
are working on their animal all about books. 2. Miss Hope will let students know what
(1 minute) they will do when their books are
2. Miss Hope will let students know that she completed and will remind them of the
knows some students are almost done with requirements of a completed book.
their books. She will let them know that 3. Students will meet with Miss Hope as a
when they have: part of the assessment process.
• An introduction 4. Students will show Miss Hope the
• A “habitat” chapter components of their book (that they
• A “diet” chapter have had mini-lessons on).
• Interesting fact pages 5. Miss Hope will remind students of
• A conclusion strategies that were missing from their
They can come up to Miss Hope’s table to writing as well as how to edit writing
read their books to her. (spaces, punctuation, capitalization,
(2 minutes) spelling, etc.).
Conferencing: 6. Miss Hope will inform students of what
3. When a student is finished, they will come will happen in the coming days during
up to Miss Hope’s table. First, they will read writing workshop.
their book to her.
(2 minutes)
4. After the student reads the book to Miss
Hope, they will be asked to identify the
following components:
• An introduction
• A “habitat” chapter
• A “diet” chapter
• Interesting fact pages
• A conclusion
• Illustrations using labels/arrows/zoom
in, etc. strategies
• Any statements that are not facts
(2 minutes)
5. Miss Hope will offer suggestions for
students for ways they can edit their writing.
She will send them back to work on their
writing more.
(2 minutes)
Conclusion
6. Miss Hope will remind students that as
they continue working, each student will
meet with her to share with her their
writing. She will inform students that if they
have edited their writing after meeting with
her, they may meet with her again to show
her.
(2 minutes)
Meeting Students’ Needs Instructional Decisions/Reasoning
By having individual conferences, Miss Hope Miss Hope will structure the conference
will be able to scaffold support for each the way it makes sense to for each
student for editing and making adjustments. individual learner.

Reflection
I really enjoyed the time I spent sitting down with each of my students to listen to them
read their writing. Each student was so proud of their work. One interaction in particular
has stuck with me. One of my students, a struggling reader who began this unit very
hesitant of writing, came up to my table and said “Miss Hope, guess what? I love writing
it’s my favorite!” and then spent indoor recess that day writing by choice for the entire 25
minutes. I am so excited that throughout this unit I have been able to foster an interest in
writing for him. I am curious if this will impact his reading skills – he is beginning Title I
services for reading, as he is well below the expected reading level for the end of second
trimester of first grade, but also has remained the same reading level since November
despite many different interventions. He has been using books to help him write about his
topics of choice, so I am interested to see what that leads into.
Teaching Standards and Rationale
Standard 2 addresses learning differences. The standard states: “the teacher uses
understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure
inclusive learning environments that allow each learner to reach his/her full potential”
(CCTS). In other words, the teacher has an understanding of ways that students’
development, background, and strengths may differ and how these differences affect
learning. Individual conferencing with students embodies the entirety of standard 2.
By meeting with students to offer them feedback and suggestions as well as begin the
assessment process, I was able to truly cater to each individual student’s needs. Indicator
2(c) states the educator “designs instruction to build on learners’ prior knowledge and
experiences, allowing learners to accelerate as they demonstrate their understandings”
(CCTS). By meeting with students and giving them an opportunity to walk me through
their writing, I was able to gain a deeper knowledge of their understandings, and I was able
to prompt them to accelerate by providing them with individualized, direct feedback. In
addition, indicator 2(n) resonated with me after this lesson. The language is that the
teacher “makes learners feel valued and helps them learn to value each other” (CCTS). By
giving each student time to sit with me and read me their animal all about books, I noticed
each student feeling valued after that 1:1 time. The lessons I taught over this unit gave me
many opportunities to show my students how much I value them and encouraged them to
value one another, but I think this really shines through with individual conferencing.