Geneva College

321 Sample Informational Text Lesson Plan

Name: Ashlynn Young Grade Level 2

I. Topic
To enhance comprehension through organizing details.

II. Common Core Standards

Standard - CC.1.3.1.C: Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story,
using key details

III. Learning Objectives

TSWBAT identify what a character, setting, problem, and solution is when asked.
TSWBAT name the characters, setting, problem, and solution in Horton Hears a Who.

IV. Materials
Teacher: 1 copy of Horton Hears a Who, digital version of the story elements graphic organizer,
smartboard, smartboard marker and eraser, computer, projector, any needed cords and adaptors.

Students: One copy of the graphic organizer, 1 pencil

V. A. Introduction
To kick off the lesson (once I have had the children come to the floor space in the front of the
room) I will ask them to define character, setting, problem, and solution for me (the teache
rintroduced them to these concepts the day before). Then I will introduce the book to them and
ask them to keep an eye out for those sory elements as I am reading, and point them out if they
notice them.

B. Lesson Development

 Read Horton Hears a Who, with the students pointing out various story elements as we
go.
 Have the student with the “teacher’s helper” job for the weekselect a friend and have the
two of them pass out a copy of the graphic organizer to the rest of the class.
 While they are doing this I will pull up the digital version of the graphic organizer on the
smartboard.
 Once everyone has a copy of the graphic organizer, I will ask them to tell me the
charcters in the book and I will write them down on the smartboard, as they copy what I
am writing (repeat this step for setting, problem and solution)

C. Closure
Once they have finished filling in their graphic organizer I will go ahead and collect it.

VI. Assessment
For objective one: My assessment will be in my introduction when I ask them to define the
various story elements for me.

For objective two: My assessment will be the graphic organizer that I am collecting at the end of
the class.
VII. Differentiation
For my differentiation, I will have some of the students sit at their tables, and for the students
who are sitting toward the back of the room and may have difficulties hearing, I will have them
come up to the front of the room and sit on the floor for me to read.

VIII. Interdisciplinary Connections

This could be tied into writing and spelling because they will be writing to fill out the graphic
organizers.

IX. Self Evaluation

In the end, I felt itwent pretty good. On area for improvement I noticed however was my use of
the smartboard. I found it trickier to write on than I realized which caused come difficulties. If I
had to do it over again I probable would have taken tiem to practice with it before I taught the
lesson.

Annotated Bibliography
Genre: Traditional Fantasy
Theme: Equality
Level: Elementary

Suess.Dr. (1954). Horton Hears a Who! Illus. by Dr. Suess. NY: Random House., 72 pages.

This book tells the tale of Horton the elephant. On the 16th of may,w hile bathing in a pool in the
Jungle of Nool where he lives, he hears a voice coming off a sspeck that floats by him. However,
the sour kangaroo thinks Horton is crazy and tries to destroy the speck. Will horton be able to
ssave his new friends from the evil attempts of the sour kangaroo and her friends?

Pre-service Teacher Standards Met

1. Take advantage of student questions and interests as opportunities to enhance learning.
As I was reading I allowed and encouraged students to point things out and ask questions.
When they did I would engage them in a brief discussion before moving on.
2. Designs instruction appropriate to students’ stages of development, learning styles,
stengths, and needs, and uses teaching aproaches that aree sensitive to the differences
among children.
I did this by going over the story elements of the book orally as e were reading, and then
visually by having them fill out the graphic organizer. Also I made sure it was
developmentally appropriate by conferring with my cooperating teacher and planning a
lesson based on something she had introduced to them the day before.
3. Asks questions at a variety of levels.
I did this by asking several questions that ranged different levels.

By asking them about the character, setting I was asking them literal, or right there
questions.

By asking them about the problem and solution in the story, I was asking them “Writer
and me” questions

By asking them to define the different story elements I was aking on my own questions

By asking them if they had ever had to help someone, or if there was a time someone
didn’t believe them, I was asking them on my own questions.

4. Demonstrates enthusiasm by keeping the students’ attention throughout the lesson.

I did this my commenting on the ictures, reading in an animated style, and ingeneral
being upbeat and excited.
 Philosophy Connections
The first foundational belief/assumption this can be related to is “look at what they
know” which I did by choosing something they were already somewhat familiar with. This is
reflective of the Christian Value that we are all made in the image of God (Gen 1:27)

Another Foundational assumption/belief I can connect this to is “Keep it active and

interesting”. Which I did by choosing a book I figured they would like (and they actually ended
up responding to really well). I also did this by making them active participants in the lesson by
asking them questions, engaging them in conversations, reading in an upbeat and animated way,
and having them help me fill in the graphic organizer. This is eflective of when Jesus would give
parables and told them in such a way as to capture the attention and interest of his audience.

The third and final belief/assumption I can connect this to is “Keep it on the right
developmental level” which asa I said, I achieved by choosing something they were somewhat
familiar with but that wouldn’t be too easy or dare I say, boring. This is reflective of Luke 13:
18-20 which tells us that Jesus used metaphors his listeners could conenct to and understand.