Comprehension Thematic Unit

Comprehension Thematic Unit For Kindergarten Students The Who, the What, and the Where
By: Joleen Astorino

Comprehension Thematic Unit

Cover Page The Who, the What, and the Where A Thematic Unit

Theme: Identifying the concepts of characters, settings, and main events in order to advance reading comprehension skills.

Targeted Skill Focus: Characters, Settings, and Main Events

Texts Used: 1. Crazy Hair Day by Barney Saltzberg 2. Oh my Gosh, Mrs. McNosh by Sarah Weeks 3. I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Nadine Bernard Westcott

Comprehension Thematic Unit

Purpose Page
The purpose of this thematic unit is to build upon students reading comprehension skills through the identification and application of the concepts of characters, settings, and main events. The unit is intended for kindergarten students who are in the beginning stages of reading comprehension development. The lessons and activities included in the unit are engaging, developmentally- and ageappropriate, and varied to keep the students interests. The unit directly introduces the concepts of characters and settings while indirectly teaching about main events. Throughout the three-day unit the students will have a chance to practice the new skills, as well as develop additional reading skills such as story comprehension, vocabulary, and retelling a story and language arts skills such as writing, speaking, and listening. The unit uses three separate kindergarten-appropriate texts Crazy Hair Day, Oh my Gosh, Mrs. McNosh, and I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly (one introduced each day) to teach the new concepts. Technological devices including the interactive smart board and overhead projector are used in conjunction with the tests to vary the instructional strategy. By then end of the unit, the students should be comfortable with the concepts of characters, settings, and main events and be able to apply them to any age-appropriate literature read. The next steps will be applying the concepts across different genres, with the next genre being poetry. This unit is age- and developmentally-appropriate for kindergarten students. The objectives are aligned with several Common Core State Standards for kindergarten students in relation to language arts. The methods used provide opportunities for the students to actively work with the concepts of characters, settings, and main events, and apply them to various stories. These concepts set the stage for students to understand the structure of texts in order to better comprehend the material. Once a student understands these concepts fully, they will be able to apply them throughout all genres, as well as to all content areas. Each phase of the lesson (pre-reading, during reading, and post-reading) provides an opportunity for the students to think concretely about a comprehension skill or a text. Comprehension is a key element to students understanding of all written and oral materials. Students must be able to decipher and decode texts in order to gain meaning from them. Understanding characters, settings, and main events in a story is a foundational skill that will assist students in being able to select the who, what, and where of every text read, providing for a better understanding of the text read, and thus better comprehension skills, a necessary skill for all academics.

Comprehension Thematic Unit

Lesson Plan Day 1

GRADE LEVEL: Kindergarten TARGETED SKILL FOCUS: Comprehension Answering Questions about Key Details in the Text and Regarding Main Characters OBJECTIVES: The students will be able to identify the main characters of the story and describe their contribution to the story. The students will be able to answer questions correctly about the story and provide details to support their answers either verbally or through selecting an illustration in the story. The students will be able to create their own crazy hair character and write two sentences to describe their character. ELA Common Core STANDARDS): Reading Standard - CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. Reading Standard CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. Writing Standard CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.1 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(PRE-READING PHASE): Activity One Introduce the concept of characters. Draw an oval in the middle of the smart board and write the word character in it. Ask students to raise their hand if they know what a character in a story is? As students raise their hands, call on them and write their responses on the smart board attached to lines coming from the word character - a graphic organizer. After about 4 or 5 responses, provide the students with the definition of character an imaginary person who says and/or does something important in a story, that without this person, the story would not make sense. Review the students responses written on the smart board and ask them which ones are correct, which ones need to be removed, and what needs to be added. After making the necessary corrections to the graphic organizer, explain to the students they are going to read a story today and talk about the characters in the story. Activity Two Introduce the story for the day Crazy Hair Day by Barney Saltzberg (author and illustrator). Explain to the students that Barney Saltzberg is the person who wrote the story and also drew the pictures in the story. Show the students the cover of the story and ask them what they think the story is about remind them to raise their hands to respond. After about 3 or 4 student predictions, tell them it is time to read the story and find out what it is about. Remind them to pay close attention to the characters or people in the story.

Comprehension Thematic Unit Transition: How will you transition from pre-reading to during reading? Students are sitting on the floor crisscross applesauce. Tell the students raise your hands, give a clap, clap, clap, and put them in your lap, lap, lap, its time to listen and learn, cha, cha, cha.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(DURING READING PHASE) Activity One 1. After reading the first few pages (where we are introduced to Stanley Birdbaum and his mother and learn about Crazy Hair Day at school), ask the students if they identified any characters in the story yet. 2. As Stanley Birdbaums mother is doing his hair for crazy hair day, ask the students to look at the picture and describe what is happening in it. Ask them what materials and supplies Stanleys mom is using to make his hair crazy. 3. Questions to ask during the story -When Stanley walks into school and it isnt Crazy Hair Day, its Picture Day (Crazy Hair Day is next Friday), ask students to describe how they think Stanley is feeling? What should he do? Is it nice that his friends made fun of him because of his hair? -After being introduced to Larry Finchfeather (Stanleys best friend), ask the students if there are any other characters in the story? Who? -At the end of the story when Larry brings Stanley back to class and everyone, including their teacher Mr. Winger, has crazy hair for Picture Day, ask the students to describe some of the students crazy hair.

Transition: How will you transition from during reading to post-reading? Alright, my crazy-haired friends please return to your seats.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(POST-READING PHASE) Activity One Concept of character reviewed review information students came up with and is displayed in graphic organizer on smart board. On another smart board, slide, write Characters on top, and explain to students we are going to review the characters in the story Crazy Hair Day. Ask the students to raise their hands and give one character from the story students responses should include, Stanley Birdbaum, Stanleys mother, Mrs. Birdbaum, Larry Finchfeather, and Mr. Winger. (Students in Stanleys class can also be accepted.) For each character, write their name on the smart board in their own column. Next, ask the students to raise their hands and describe some of the things the characters did or said in the story, write responses in corresponding columns. Stanley Birdbaum Mrs. Birdbaum Larry Finchfeather Mr. Winger Students in Class -came to school -Stanleys mom -Stanleys best -Stanleys teacher -laughed and made with crazy hair on -made Stanleys friend fun of Stanleys Picture Day hair crazy -made fun of hair 5

Comprehension Thematic Unit -hid in bathroom all day -ate lunch, counted drips from leaking sink, drew pictures while hiding in bathroom -used rubber bands, hair goop, and Halloween hair color to make Stanleys hair crazy Stanleys hair -came to get Stanley out of bathroom -brought Stanley back to class -made their hair crazy to look like Stanley for class picture

Activity Two Comprehension Questions: Teacher will ask aloud and students will answer as a group. -What is Stanley excited about in the beginning of the story? Crazy Hair Day -What do you think crazy means? -What are some things Stanleys mother uses to make his hair crazy? Rubber bands, hair goop, colored Halloween hair spray -Who is Larry Finchfeather? Stanleys best friend -What day is it actually at Stanleys school? Picture Day -What are some other days Stanley celebrated at school? Pajama Day, Twin Day -Where does Stanley go when his friends make fun of his hair? Bathroom -Who brings Stanley back to class? Larry Finchfeather -What does Stanley see when he returns to class? His whole class made their hair crazy so Stanley wouldnt feel weird in his class picture.

Transition: How will you transition from post-reading into closure (ending the lesson)? Great job class, now it is time to make our own crazy hair characters.

INDEPENDENT/GUIDED PRACTICE: Activity One 1. Hand out a face template to each child. 2. Explain to students that they are going to make their own crazy hair characters. 3. Have each group (classroom is set up in groups 4 desks put together in each group) one at a time come to the back of the room and get supplies to make crazy hair on their face template. **Table with supplies was set up previously to the beginning of class. Supplies include colored yarn, pipe cleaners, glitter sticks, tiny, shiny shape cut-outs, and rubber bands. 4. Provide students with 15 minutes to make their crazy hair character. 5. After the students have finished their crazy hair characters, have them clean up put unused supplies away and throw away any garbage. 6. Pass out lined journal paper to each child. 7. Explain to students that they are going to write two sentences (remind students a sentence is a complete thought, starts with a capital letter, and ends with a period) about the crazy hair character they created. The sentences should be something the character did or something they said to Stanley in the story. 8. When all the students have finished writing their sentences, have them glue their crazy hair character on the blank area of the journal paper. Then have them think of and write the name of their character on the top of their paper. 6

Comprehension Thematic Unit

ASSESSMENTS: Formative Assessment(s) Used: 1. Student Responses to questions asked questions about characters and comprehension questions Rationale for Assessment: The teacher will be able to assess the students comprehension of the concept of character and story comprehension based on their responses to questions. 2. Crazy Hair Character Journal Paper two sentence write up about character Rationale for Assessment: The teacher will be able to see if the students connected their crazy hair character to something that happened in the story Crazy Hair Day.

Summative Assessment Used (if end of unit): 1. N/A Rationale for Assessment:

CLOSURE: Ask for volunteers to share their crazy hair character and sentences. After all the students who volunteered have read their sentences and shared their character, tell all students to write their name on the back of their journal paper and put it on your desk. Tell them when they put the paper on your desk to pick up a copy of the Crazy Hair Day song (attached). Tell them they can bring the song home and sing it with their family.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MODIFICATIONS: -ESL students can work with teachers assistant in a small group. They can follow along with the story as the assistant uses her pointer finger to guide their reading. -Lower Level learners can show their understanding of the concept by responding to pictures in the story teacher or teachers assistant will show these students pictures in the book and ask them if they can describe what is happening in each picture shown. They can make their own character, but instead of writing about it, they can verbally tell the teacher their two sentences. -Higher Level learners can write 4-5 sentences about their crazy hair character. REFLECTION (This refers to yourself: self-reflection): The students responses to my questions will be my primary source of reflection. If the majority of the students are successful with the concept of character and comprehension of the story, I will consider my lesson successful. If more students than not struggle with the material, I will revisit my lesson, make changes, and reteach the lesson.

Comprehension Thematic Unit

Lesson Plan Day 2

GRADE LEVEL: Kindergarten TARGETED SKILL FOCUS: Comprehension Answering Questions about Key Details in the Text and Regarding Main Characters and Setting. Retell main events in the story in the order they occur. OBJECTIVES: The students will be able to identify the main characters of the story and describe their contribution to the story. The students will be able to answer questions correctly about the story and provide details to support their answers either verbally or through selecting an illustration in the story. The students will be able to identify and describe the setting of the story. The students will be able to retell main events of the story in the order they occurred. ELA Common Core STANDARDS): Reading Standard - CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. Reading Standard CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. Reading Standard CCSS.ELA-Lieracy.RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details. Writing Standard CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(PRE-READING PHASE): Activity One Turn off the lights in the classroom and instruct the students to close their eyes. Ask for volunteers to describe the classroom while keeping their eyes closed. After a few responses, turn on the lights and ask the students to look around the room and see what (if) they missed from their descriptions. After a few student responses, instruct the students that what they just described was the classroom setting. Write the word setting on the smart board and the definition the time and place where the main events in a story take place. Ask the students to describe the setting of one of their favorite places. After a few student responses, bring out the book Crazy Hair Day from the previous day. Ask for student volunteers to tell what the story is about. Assist students with filling in any details that were missed and putting their recounts of the story in the correct order i.e. Yes, Stanley went to school with crazy hair, but how did his hair get crazy? - Prompting the students to think about what happened before this event. After the story has been summarized with all the key details spoken about, ask the students to think about the settings in the story. Ask students what the settings were in Crazy Hair Day (responses should include Stanleys house or bathroom, school bathroom and classroom) assist students by asking questions such as Where did Stanleys mother make his hair crazy?, Where did Stanley run to when he was the only one with crazy hair? Explain to students that today we are going to read a story and discuss the characters, setting, and main events in the story. Ask the students if they recall what a character is from yesterdays lesson. After a few student responses, reiterate the definition of the concept of character. Activity Two 8

Comprehension Thematic Unit Introduce the story for the day, Oh My Gosh, Mrs. McNosh by Sarah Weeks, by showing the cover of the book and telling the students the title, author, and illustrator of the book. Ask for student predictions about the upcoming story. Tell the students to pay special attention to the characters and setting tell them there are several settings throughout the story.

Transition: How will you transition from pre-reading to during reading? Ok friends, when I say go, please stand up, push in your chairs, and walk nicely over to the reading circle. Once in the reading circle, criss-cross your applesauce, turn on your listening ears, watching eyes, and quiet voices.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(DURING READING PHASE) Activity One 1. Read story. After reading the first page (Mrs. McNosh took a walk in the park.), ask the students if they can identify the first setting of the story (response should be park.) After every few pages, stop reading and ask the students if they identified any more settings. 2. Questions to ask during the story -What caused George to run away from Mrs. McNosh? -How do you think Mrs. McNosh felt when George ran away? When she couldnt catch him? When she gave up trying to catch him? At the end of the story? (ask questions as the events occur). -The illustrations are very vivid and detailed ask the students to describe what is happening in several of the illustrations (wedding scene and baseball scene). -During the baseball scene what is an umpire?

Transition: How will you transition from during reading to post-reading? Friends, please return to your seats and put your thinking hats on. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(POST-READING PHASE) Activity One Concept of setting is reviewed review definition of setting written on the smart board. Ask the students if they have any questions about setting once all questions and comments about setting have been answered, write 1-6 in a column on the smart board. Using the overhead projector display each scene from the story and ask the students to describe where the scene is occurring. The responses should include: 1. park 2. lake 3. wedding 4. baseball game 5. fountain 6. Mrs. McNoshs house Activity Two

Comprehension Thematic Unit After all six settings are listed, use them to assist the students in retelling the story scene by scene. Start with setting one. When finished, the main events of the story should be listed in sequential order, written as. 1. Park Mrs. McNosh took Nelly for a walk and he saw a squirrel. He ran after the squirrel. 2. Lake George ran/swam through the lake after the squirrel. Mrs. McNosh jumped in the lake and caught a trout instead of George. 3. Wedding George crashed through a wedding, destroying the buffet. Mrs. McNosh slid across the table and caught the bouquet instead of George. 4. Baseball game George knocked the umpire over and jumped over the wall. Mrs. McNosh jumped over the wall and fell into the fountain. George kept running. 5. Fountain Mrs. McNosh got all wet in the fountain and caught a cold. 6. Mrs. McNoshs house Mrs. McNosh went home crying because she couldnt catch George. When she got home George was waiting for her with her slippers. Activity Three Ask the students to name the characters in the story. (Responses should include Mrs. McNosh or Nelly and George).

Transition: How will you transition from post-reading into closure (ending the lesson)? Great job students, now its time to create our own setting for the story.

INDEPENDENT/GUIDED PRACTICE: Activity One 1. Hand out blank sheet of white drawing paper and blank sheet of writing paper to every student. 2. Explain to students that they are going to continue the story through creating a new setting and write two sentences about what happened after Mrs. McNosh saw George waiting for her with her slippers. 3. Instruct the first person in each seating group to go to the art supply shelf and get enough packs of crayons for every student in their group and then pass them out. 4. Post the final page of the story on the overhead projector for the students to use as a reference. 5. Tell the students to draw a new setting (not the one used on the last page of the book), label where the setting is, and then add Mrs. McNosh and George to the illustration. 6. Tell the students after their drawing is complete to write two sentences describing what is happening in their scene.

ASSESSMENTS: Formative Assessment(s) Used: 1. Student responses to questions asked. Rationale for Assessment: Based on the responses from the students, the teacher will be able to determine if the students are able to comprehend the story and the concepts of setting and characters. 1. Student setting scene and scene description. 10

Comprehension Thematic Unit Rationale for Assessment: Based on the student drawings, the teacher will be able to determine if the students grasp the concept of setting. Based on the student scene descriptions, the teacher will be able to determine if the children are able to provide a reaction to the final page in the book.

Summative Assessment Used (if end of unit): 1. N/A Rationale for Assessment:

CLOSURE: Ask for student volunteers to share their drawing and read their scene description out loud. After several volunteers, instruct the students to write their name on their drawings and descriptions and pass them forward to the last person in the seating group to bring to the teacher. Explain that tomorrow they will complete their unit on characters, setting, and main events.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MODIFICATIONS: -ESL students can work with the teachers assistant to follow along in their own copy of the story. They will write one sentence about a setting in the story with the help of the teachers assistant. -Lower level students can choose a setting from the story (pick out a setting from the illustrations in the book) and draw a detailed picture of it. (I.e. If they choose the park setting, they draw a detailed picture of a park.) -Higher level students can write a different ending to the story in 4 or 5 sentences. REFLECTION (This refers to yourself: self-reflection): I will use the students responses and descriptive scenes as the basis for my reflection. If the majority of the students work is correct, I will consider the lesson a success. If the majority of the responses are incorrect, I will reconsider the way I taught the lesson, create a new lesson and plan to reteach it the next day.

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Comprehension Thematic Unit

Lesson Plan Day Three

GRADE LEVEL: Kindergarten TARGETED SKILL FOCUS: Comprehension Answering questions correctly regarding main events and key details in a story. Understanding and applying the concepts of character and setting in a story and retelling a story in sequential order. OBJECTIVES: The students will be able to define the concepts of character and setting and apply them to a story read aloud and to an original story idea. The students will be able retell a story that was read to them by placing the main events in the correct sequential order. . ELA Common Core STANDARDS): [This should align with the objectives above.] Identify the Strand # and the Key Idea. Reading Standard - CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. Reading Standard CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. Reading Standard CCSS.ELA-Lieracy.RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details. Writing Standard CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(PRE-READING PHASE): Activity One Display chart on smart board. Story Title Author/Illustrator Characters Settings Main Events Crazy Hair Day Oh My Gosh, Mrs. McNosh I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Explain to students that they are going to fill in the chart regarding the stories they have read the past two days. Ask for volunteers to read the headings on the chart (one at a time) assist students with pronunciation when needed (sound out word). Once all the headings have been read, ask for volunteers to read the story titles, again assisting with pronunciation when needed. Next, bring out the story books from 12

Comprehension Thematic Unit the previous days (Crazy Hair Day and Oh My Gosh, Mrs. McNosh). Ask for volunteers to locate the authors name and illustrators name on the front cover of the book assist them with sounding out the names, then fill them in on the chart. Move on to the next column characters. Ask students if they can tell you what a character is. After a few responses, reiterate what a character is and ask students who were the characters in Crazy Hair Day fill in chart. Ask who were then characters in Oh My Gosh, Mrs. McNosh fill in chart. Move on to next column settings. Ask students what is a setting. After a few responses, reiterate what a setting is. Ask students to list settings in Crazy Hair Day fill in chart; settings in Oh My Gosh, Mrs. McNosh fill in chart. Move on to next column main events. Ask students what were the main events in Crazy Hair Day fill in chart; main events in Oh My Gosh, Mrs. McNosh fill in chart. Point to and read story title in last row I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. Explain to students this is the story we are going to read today and we will be completing the chart for the story. Completed chart. Story Title Crazy Hair Day

Author/Illustrator Barney Saltzberg

Characters Stanley Birdbaum, Mrs. Birdbaum, Larry Finchfeather, Mr. Winger, classmates

Settings Stanleys house (bathroom), bathroom in school, classroom in school

Oh My Gosh, Mrs. McNosh

Sarah Weeks

Mrs. Nelly McNosh, George

Park, lake, wedding, baseball game, fountain, Mrs. McNoshs house

Main Events Stanleys mother does his hair for crazy hair day, Stanley goes to school with crazy hair and everyone makes fun of him because Crazy Hair Day isnt until next Friday (today is class picture day), Stanley runs to bathroom, Larry follows him, Stanley stays in bathroom for a while, Larry comes to get him, when they get to class, all the students and Mr. Winger gave themselves crazy hair for the class picture. Mrs. McNosh is walking George, when he sees a squirrel and runs away. He swims through a lake (Nelly catches a

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Comprehension Thematic Unit trout), runs through a baseball game and knocks over an umpire, runs through a fountain (Nelly catches a cold), Nelly goes home crying because she cant catch George, George is home waiting for Nelly. I Know an Old Lady Nadine Bernard Who Swallowed a Westcott Fly Activity Two Introduce story I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by showing the front cover of the book and tell the students who the author is and who the illustrator is. Ask for student predictions about the story ask who they think the character is in the story and what they think a main event in the story might be.

Transition: How will you transition from pre-reading to during reading? Friends, please get your mat for circle and come to story time. Once in circle, tell students to put their spoons in their bowls (hands in laps). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(DURING READING PHASE) Activity One Group reading activity The class will read this story as a group. For the beginning of the book, the teacher will read the majority of each sentence and the students will read the last word (i.e. teacher I know an old lady who swallowed a; students fly). The story is repetitious the students will read along with the teacher at the end of the book. Activity Two Questions to ask during the story -Why did the old lady swallow a spider? -Do you think she will die? -Why did the old lady swallow a cat? -How do you think the old lady was able to swallow all those things? -What do you think will happen to the old lady?

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Comprehension Thematic Unit Transition: How will you transition from during reading to post-reading? Friends, please put your mat away and walk back to your seat as if you were the old lady who swallowed all those things.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(POST-READING PHASE) Activity One Put chart from pre-reading phase back on smart board and complete it for the story. Title Author/Illustrator Characters Setting Main Events I Know an Old Nadine Bernard Old lady Old ladys house An old lady Lady Who Westcott kitchen, living swallowed a fly, Swallowed a Fly room, bathroom; then a spider, then back yard, and a bird, then a cat, farm then a dog, then a goat, then a cow, then a horse, and died. **For the main events section on the chart tell the students that there are eight things the old lady swallowed ask them to list them in order and why she swallowed them (retelling the story in sequential order). Write them on the white board as the students name them. 1. fly I dont know why. 2. spider to catch the fly 3. bird to catch the spider 4. cat to catch the bird 5. dog to catch the cat 6. goat to catch the dog 7. cow to catch the goat 8. horse she died. Transition: How will you transition from post-reading into closure (ending the lesson)? Great work friends!! Now its time to create your own story with characters, settings, and main events.

INDEPENDENT/GUIDED PRACTICE: The students will create their own short story with one main character, two settings, and two main events. 1. Hand out 6 journal writing/drawing sheets of paper to each student. 2. Hand out a pack of crayons to each student. 3. Instruct students that they are going to write a short story of their own. Tell them their story must include one main character, two different settings, and two main events. Tell them their short story should be five sentences. Instruct them that the teacher and assistant teacher will be walking around to assist everyone with writing their sentences. 4. Instruct students that when they are completed with their sentences, they can draw illustrations for their story.

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Comprehension Thematic Unit 5. Advise students to write their name on the first journal writing/drawing sheet to show they are the author and illustrator of the story. 6. Tell students when they are finished to let the teacher or assistant teacher know and she will staple their story book pages together. ASSESSMENTS: Formative Assessment(s) Used: 1. Chart completed on smart board. Rationale for Assessment: Student responses will serve as an assessment of their knowledge on the concepts of main characters, setting, and main events. 2. Student responses to questions asked. Rationale for Assessment: Based on the responses from the students, the teacher will be able to determine if the students are able to comprehend the story and the concepts of setting and characters.

Summative Assessment Used (if end of unit): 1. Student written short story. Rationale for Assessment: This assignment will show the teacher if the student is able to define the concepts of character and setting and apply them to the creation of an original story.

CLOSURE: Ok friends, please hand in your stories to the assistant teacher. Dont worry if you didnt finish, you will have time tomorrow to do so before we start talking about poems. You will also have an opportunity to read your short story at the end of tomorrows class. Pass out sheet with song lyrics on for I Know an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MODIFICATIONS: -ESL students will work with assistant teacher in a small group. For the story writing activity, they will write two sentences about a character. -Lower level students will write two sentences about the main event and draw the character and setting. -Higher level students will write a short story about two characters, two settings, and three main events. REFLECTION (This refers to yourself: self-reflection): End of unit reflection I will use the short stories the students write as my primary source of reflection. If the student stories are representative of the concepts taught during the unit, I will consider the unit successful and use the same strategies next time I teach characters, settings, and main events. If the short stories do not show a thorough understanding of characters, settings, and main events, I will need to rethink my strategies and devise a new lesson plan to teach the concepts and reteach the unit starting the next day.

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