Kaitlin Duranti

Cooperating Teacher: Courtney Kessler

School: P.S. 452

Elementary Inclusive Preservice Program Lesson Plan

Lesson title: Using Transition Words in Retells
Grade/age level: First Grade
Date (intended teaching date): 10/7

Learning Objective(s)
What do you want students
to know, understand, or be
able to do as a result of this
lesson?

Students will understand the function of transition words in connecting a sequence

of events when summarizing a story.

Evidence for
assessment

After examining a list of Transition Words and participating in a class discussion

that is designed to reflect on the purpose of these words, students will demonstrate
Where will you look
their learning in a collaborative retell after a short read aloud. Here, I will look for
(product, performance,
documentation you create, high levels of participation and accurate sequencing of important events. Further
etc.) for signs of student
demonstration will be assessed during the share portion of their Reading Workshop.
learning?
As I confer with students, I will look for a clear and detailed summary of stories
What will you look for?
What are your criteria?
that organizes and connects events across time through an appropriate use of
(examples of statements or
actions that would show the Transition Words. Additionally, I can evaluate learning using the chart we will
hang in the classroom over the course of the year. Recognizing the students who
particular kinds of
understandings, learnings, utilize it and making note of the students who build on it/add words to it, will
&/or skills you are after?)
provide additional data for evaluating the impact of this lesson on students
understanding of Transitional Words. Lastly, I can look for a demonstration of
knowledge in their writing. Analyzing writing samples to see if they are making
smooth connections between ideas, thoughts and events will supply further signs of
student learning across content areas.
Rationale
Why are you teaching this
lesson? What connections
does it have to standards?
Does it connect to students
interests, strengths, and
needs?

Teaching this lesson will help students retell details and events of a story in the
order that they occurred, build comprehension and strengthen writing.
Standards:
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central
message or lesson. RL.1.2
Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. RL.1.3
Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events,

include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event
order, and provide some sense of closure. W.1.3
This lesson is designed to meet students interests, needs and strengths through a
variety of instructional activities as demonstrated by the read aloud, collaborative
retell, and reading workshop. In addition to capitalizing on students basic love for
read-alouds, Kitchen Dance relates to childrens inquisitive nature and natural
curiosity about the occurrences and going-ons of life after bed. The collaborative
retell was constructed in consideration of their high participation during
active/collective engagement in learning. Collaborative learning is one of their
strengths. Independent reading is also emerging as a group strength, but I also
consider it a need for all of our students.
Prerequisite Knowledge Students should be familiar with purpose of transition words from Writing
What prior knowledge are
Workshop. They should also be familiar with recalling details and events during
you counting on? Will this be
retells. This will definitely be a problem for some students, which is why I have
a problem for any of your
students and if so, what will chosen to begin the lesson by revisiting/reviewing the purpose of transition words
you do?

in smoothing the connections between thoughts/ideas/events in retelling a story.

Furthermore, providing a differentiated chart during the first portion of the lesson
will give additional support to these students for the activities that follow.

Learning Experience

Assessment

In each section below, specify the sequence of instructional activities.

Consider how you will manage materials, bodies, and time. Use small
boxes to indicate time.

What will you look/listen to/for?

Starting It

Here I will try to assess which students

can identify and explain transition words.
To analyze the depth of understanding, I
will discuss/guide a short conversation in
the purpose and function of these
particular words in retelling a story.

Hook 1: Map out what we are doing:

going to begin a story, but
Im going to surprise you and stop
somewhere in the middle..
Im not going to tell you when so you
have to listen very carefully.
Then, Im going to see if
everyone can remember what
happened in the story and when it
happened. We will be using something
very important to do this, they are special
words we use to help us retell the
sequence of a story better. Can anybody
remember what these words are called?

How will you invite students Today we are

into the learning experience?

Connection: These are words we have

been learning to use in our writing to
express time/order of events.

Critical Thinking Questions: Why do you

think they are important in reading? How
do you think they help us when we are
retelling a story to our reading partners?
*Transition words help a story flow more
smoothly. They provide organization and
imrpove connection between thoughts.
Transitional words and phrases can be
used to connect ideas by showing time.
2-3 minutes.
Doing It
Outline your sequence of
instructional moves including
participation structures,
materials, intellectual
resources, and time allotted.
Is there a product or
performance you will be
expecting students to
create?

Chart: Transition Words (pre-made chart

that children can add too).
3-5 minutes
During this activity, I will pay attention
Interactive Read Aloud: The first couple to students to see if they notice or
of pages of Kitchen Dance by Maurie J. comment on the authors use of transition
Manning.
words.
Link: As I read the story, think about/pay
attention to the order of events.
3-5 minutes
Review: Retell using transition words.

I will look for accuracy in sequencing

3-5 minutes proper order of events and analyze level
of participation levels.

Output:
Reading Workshop: Independent reading
Listening to students retell a story will be
followed by shared reading/retells.
the best indicator of learning for this
Materials: Transition Words Worksheet lesson.
20-25 minutes
Finishing It
How will you bring students
to closure with this learning
experience and connect it to
future learning?

Today and everyday use transition words

when you retell a story in partner reading,
conversation and your writing. This
strategy will help you become better
story-tellers and writers!

Transition Words Chart: Remind students

it can be used as a resource:
Wrap Up (at the end of Reading
Workshop): Who thinks that we have
ALL the transition words on this chart?
Did you know, that there are thousands of
these words we can use to help us be
good storytellers? There are so many, I
bet you they would fill up our whole
classroom! Tomorrow, and everyday, if
you use a new transition word in reading
or writing workshop that ISNT on this
chart, I want you to tell me, so we can
add it to our list. Lets see how many
words we can think of!
Accessibility

Considering the vast differences in reader and writer habits, this lesson had to be

What accessibility and

tailored to support the participation of all students. This meant revisiting the topic
participation challenges have
you taken into account and before engaging in instructional activities and providing a visual at the start of the
how have you addressed
lesson that included the most basic examples of Transition Words. Furthermore,
them? (material and human
keeping the read aloud to a few pages will limit information for those students who
resources, sequence of
still need to learn to how to properly sequence events. The word chart and work
instruction)

sheet will both be differentiated so that every student can use it as a resource in
retelling and writing (one section will be complete with words such as first,
second, third and another section will list words such as suddenly, in the
meantime and as a result. I have also considered the different learning styles in
our classroom, and designed the lesson to support visual (the chart/worksheet),
auditory (discussion/collaborative retell) and independent construction of
knowledge (reading/retelling).
Materials Needed

Kitchen Table, Maurie J. Manning; Chart Paper; Markers; White Board;

Independent Reading books; and Worksheet