Lesson Planning

Waynesburg University

Pre-Instructional Planning:
The thought process that leads to the development of quality,
meaningful lesson plans

Guiding questions that will provide the framework for the lesson. (Respond to each question.)
Who will you be teaching? (Identify student grade level as well as academic functioning level and specific needs of individual students)
I will be teaching the special education (inclusion pre-k) children in Pittsburgh Public School District.

Who (if anybody) will assist with the presentation of this lesson, and what will their role be?
I am the only one preparing this unit.

What is the long range goal(s) that is tied to this lesson?

The students will learn about forest animals and be able to identify them with 100% accuracy.

What is the specific learning objective(s) for this lesson?

After listening to the story “In November,” the students will label colors and shapes consistently with 90% accuracy by matching colored acorns
on a file folder board.

The students will use one to one correspondence when counting objects (acorns) up to 10 with 90% accuracy.

The students will label forest animals and give two facts that he learned about each animal with 100% accuracy during 3 consecutive class
sessions, after viewing the Glogster and listening to class discussions.

The students will create a gray squirrel following multi-(2/3) step directions with success and with no more than two or three prompts.

What prerequisite skills/knowledge will students need to effectively access and participate in this lesson?
Because this is a pre-K lesson, the students do not require much prior knowledge. I do require the students to have some knowledge of the
rules and be able to follow along with the lesson activities and directions.

When within the stages of learning will this lesson be presented? (Is it a learning acquisition lesson, learning fluency lesson, learning
maintenance lesson, or learning generalization lesson?)
These are learning acquisition lessons; therefore, they all flow together into one unit to teach students new information.

When will this lesson be completed? (Will it be a one-day lesson or a multiple day lesson?)
This will be a multiple day lesson.

Where should this lesson be presented to ensure maximum student access and participation? (computer lab, classroom, science lab…) AND
what materials will be needed?
This lesson can be completed within the classroom; however, it does require the use of a teacher computer and projector screen.

Why are you planning to teach this lesson? Why must this information/skill be presented to the students?
This is part of my school’s winter curriculum, and it is state mandated that they have knowledge of animals.

How does this lesson relate to the PA Academic Standards?

It relates to all cognitive and language based early learning standards (i.e., my goals for this lesson.)

How does this lesson relate to the previous lesson? How does this lesson relate to future lessons?
It is related to all other winter lessons and builds upon the lessons at the beginning of the school year where the children talk about their own
habitats (home) and teaches them to further follow directions.

How will you determine if students have met the lesson objective? (Think assessment)
I will be assessing (by taking photos to include in their portfolios of their work) and assessing using file folder assessment.

How should this lesson be presented to ensure maximum student access and participation? (lecture, whole group activities, small group
activities, cooperative learning groups…)
This lesson will use all of the above formats to ensure learning in all areas.

Lesson Planning
Waynesburg University

Writing the lesson plan:

Translating thoughts into a plan of action
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Grade level/target audience: Pre-K (Because this is a pre-K unit plan, it would take place over a week or
so, with much review in between steps to promote retaining knowledge. I have included the activities in
one flowing lesson, because I am unsure of how much time each part will take.)

Objectives for Unit:

After listening to the story “In November,” the students will label colors and shapes consistently with
90% accuracy by matching colored acorns on a file folder board.

The students will use one to one correspondence when counting objects (acorns) up to 10 with 90%
accuracy.

The students will label forest animals and give two facts that he learned about each animal with 100%
accuracy during 3 consecutive class sessions, after viewing the Glogster and listening to class
discussions.

The students will create a gray squirrel following multi-(2/3) step directions with success and with no
more than two or three prompts.

PA Academic Standards: (Early Learning Standards)

Subject Area Standard Number/Target Standard Benchmark

Language and Literacy RL 1.6 Follow B. Follow three-step directions
simple and multiple- ("Put away
step your book, get your jacket and
directions stand by the door.").

Creative Arts CA 9.1 Demonstrate B. Use a variety of materials

the ability to such as
represent experiences, paint, crayon, markers, wood,
thoughts play dough.
and ideas through the Talk about the meaning of art
use of visual work;
 art forms answer questions about the
work of art.

Student materials:

-gray yarn
-cotton balls
-squirrel cut-outs
-glue
-construction paper
-crayons

Teacher references/resources:

-Power Point of directions for completing squirrel

-Glogster of forest animals (for teaching and discussion)
-Children’s book (“In November” by Cynthia Rylant)
-Example of squirrel (pre-made)
-Squirrel/acorn file folder assessment board
-Pictures of Fall/Winter animals

Introduction to Unit:

I will tell the students that in December, the air grows cold and the earth and all its creatures prepare for
winter. Animals seek food and shelter, and people gather together to celebrate their blessings with family
and friends. I will show the student a few pictures of Fall/Winter forest animals on my Glogster that I
have prepared for discussion and ask what they know about each animal. I will tell them, just as people
wear coats, the animals have different things they do to keep them warm. We will talk about their thick
fur and the food that they eat during these colder months.

Development:

Teaching Skills:

1. First, I will review the three classroom rules with the students before
beginning the project. I will remind them (visually-with picture cards) to
keep their eyes on me during the lesson and to keep their mouths closed
unless they have a question or comment.
2. I will then read the book “In November” to teach them about the various
animals that we will be talking about in the classroom over the next two
months. This is a very calming book, so I think it will help relax them before
beginning our activities and assessment.
3. I will ask the students what they learned about a few of the animals mentioned
in the story. I will have them pick which animal was their favorite. We will
talk about the difference between big animals and small animals (and their
adaptations.) I will have them draw a picture of his favorite animal.
4. I will give the students all of their materials that he is going to use to create
his squirrel following along with the PowerPoint.
 Student Practice:

1. I will show the students my sample squirrel on the Power Point screen. I will
explain that they will follow along with the steps to construct their squirrel,
using the same textured materials as I did.
2. First, the students will glue their yarn pieces onto the body of the squirrel.
3. Next, they will pull apart the cotton pieces to signify a “bushy tail” and glue
these onto their squirrel’s tail.
4. They will then color the rest of their squirrel.
5. I will have them run their fingers over the different textures on the picture. I
will remind them of all the special things on the animal’s body that keep him
alive in the cold weather.
6. Lastly, I will have the students pick a few colored acorns to glue onto their
picture. I will have them recite which colors he is gluing for the squirrel to
eat.
7. As the picture is drying, I will review all the colored acorns with the students
to practice their cognitive identifying skills.

Assessment:

For my assessment, I will assess the students using a portfolio assessment. I will
take photographs of their finished work to assess after the lesson. I will give them
a file folder game to assess their knowledge of colors and shapes. The title of this
assessment is called “Squirrel Stash.” During this activity, the students will match
colored piles of acorns to the correct colored squirrel. On the other side of the
board, they will match acorns with shapes printed on them to the correct shape on
the squirrel’s belly. I will take note of what they were able to do during this
assessment activity. I will have them count the acorns for me as they are working.

Closure: I will have them try to eat a nut like a squirrel cracking open a pistachio. Besides eating acorns,
I will have my friends tell two neat facts that they learned about the squirrel or any of the other animals
we talked about during the unit on forest animals.
The following two pictures are of the file folder assessment idea I got from: Filefolderfun.com. This is a great site that provides early
educators with a plethora of activities to use in the classroom.

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This is the squirrel that the children will create following along with the Power Point presentation.