Multipurpose poetry: Introducing science concepts and increasing fluency
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=69
A lesson plan for grades 3–5 English Language Arts
Students discover information about insects as they work in cooperative groups to prepare choral poetry readings and present factual information on an assigned insect. The teacher begins the lesson by engaging students in a discussion about what they know about poetry. Then, as the teacher reads a poem from Insectlopedia, students listen and follow along and participate in a read aloud. After students and the teacher create a choral reading for the poem, they practice with a poem from Joyful Noise. In the second session, students revisit the poems and read the choral format while pointing to the words. Students then work in cooperative groups to read and create choral readings for two new poems. Once students have practiced their poems, they use a graphic organizer to research the insects featured in the poems. After students have discussed their findings, they present their choral reading to the class and contribute one fact about an insect. In addition to providing several helpful web resources on insects, Readwritethink suggests multiple extension activities for this project.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
English Language Arts (2004)
Grade 3
- Goal 3: The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
- Objective 3.06: Conduct research for assigned and self-selected projects (with assistance) from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks).
- Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
- Objective 4.01: Read aloud grade-appropriate text with fluency, comprehension, and expression.
Grade 4
- Goal 3: The learner will make connections with text through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
- Objective 3.06: Conduct research for assigned projects or self-selected projects (with assistance) from a variety of sources through the use of technological and informal tools (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks).
- Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
- Objective 4.01: Read aloud grade-appropriate text with fluency, comprehension, and expression demonstrating an awareness of volume and pace.
Grade 5
- Goal 3: The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
- Objective 3.06: Conduct research (with assistance) from a variety of sources for assigned or self-selected projects (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks).
- Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
- Objective 4.01: Read aloud grade-appropriate text with fluency, comprehension, expression, and personal style demonstrating an awareness of volume, pace, audience, and purpose.
