When I was young in... A literature to language experience
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=911
A lesson plan for grades 3–5 English Language Arts
In this ReadWriteThink lesson, appropriate for English language learners, students read Cynthia Rylant’s When I Was Young in the Mountains and learn about past tense through a writing activity. Prior to teaching this lesson, the teacher prepares a jackdaw, which is one way to introduce a unit or book by encouraging discussion based on the items the teacher has selected to represent the book. Before reading, the teacher activates students’ prior knowledge by engaging them in a discussion about things they may have saved from childhood. Then, after reading the text, the teacher reviews the past tense by identifying verbs in sentences students have written about their past. As the teacher reads the text again, students participate in a think-pair-share activity that challenges them to write down verbs they hear during the read-aloud. After the class discusses the verbs from the text, the teacher introduces and models the flip book assignment. Using a writing rubric and rough draft template, students write a story about their past, read their partner’s work, and revise their story for the final draft. Then, using the online interactive flip book tool, students create their own books and present their them to the class. A final reflection activity concludes this lesson. Readwritethink provides speaking and writing rubrics, assessment tools, and examples of writing text necessary to complete this lesson. This lesson also suggests extension activities and provides opportunities for student assessment and reflection.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
English Language Arts (2004)
Grade 3
- Goal 1: The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write.
- Objective 1.04: Increase sight vocabulary, reading vocabulary, and writing vocabulary through:
- wide reading.
- word study.
- listening.
- discussion.
- book talks.
- book clubs.
- seminars.
- viewing.
- role play.
- studying author's craft.
- Objective 1.04: Increase sight vocabulary, reading vocabulary, and writing vocabulary through:
- 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.
- Objective 4.04: Use planning strategies (with assistance) to generate topics and to organize ideas (e.g., drawing, mapping, discussing, listing).
- Objective 4.06: Compose a draft that conveys major ideas and maintains focus on the topic by using preliminary plans.
- Objective 4.07: Compose a variety of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama selections using self-selected topics and forms (e.g., poems, simple narratives, short reports, learning logs, letters, notes, directions, instructions).
- Objective 4.08: Focus reflection and revision (with assistance) on target elements by:
- clarifying ideas.
- adding descriptive words and phrases.
- sequencing events and ideas.
- combining short, related sentences.
- strengthening word choice.
Grade 4
- Goal 1: The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write.
- Objective 1.04: Increase reading and writing vocabulary through:
- wide reading.
- word study.
- knowledge of homophones, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms.
- knowledge of multiple meanings of words.
- writing process elements.
- writing as a tool for learning.
- seminars.
- book clubs.
- discussions.
- examining the author's craft.
- Objective 1.04: Increase reading and writing vocabulary through:
- 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.
- Objective 4.05: Use planning strategies to generate topics and organize ideas (e.g., brainstorming, mapping, webbing, reading, discussion).
- Objective 4.06: Compose a draft that conveys major ideas and maintains focus on the topic with specific, relevant, supporting details by using preliminary plans.
- Objective 4.07: Compose fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using self-selected and assigned topics and forms (e.g., personal and imaginative narratives, research reports, diaries, journals, logs, rules, instructions).
- Objective 4.08: Focus revision on a specific element such as:
- word choice.
- sequence of events and ideas.
- transitional words.
- sentence patterns.
- Goal 5: The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively.
- Objective 5.02: Demonstrate understanding in speaking and writing by appropriate usage of:
- pronouns.
- subject/verb agreement.
- verb tense consistency.
- subject consistency.
- Objective 5.02: Demonstrate understanding in speaking and writing by appropriate usage of:
Grade 5
- Goal 1: The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write.
- Objective 1.03: Increase reading and writing vocabulary through:
- wide reading.
- word study.
- word reference materials.
- content area study.
- writing process elements.
- writing as a tool.
- debate.
- discussions.
- seminars.
- examining the author's craft.
- Objective 1.03: Increase reading and writing vocabulary through:
- 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.
- Objective 4.05: Use a variety of preliminary strategies to plan and organize the writing and speaking task considering purpose, audience, and timeline.
- Objective 4.06: Compose a draft that elaborates on major ideas and adheres to the topic by using an appropriate organizational pattern that accomplishes the purpose of the writing task and effectively communicates its content.
- Objective 4.07: Compose a variety of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using self-selected topic and format (e.g., poetry, research reports, news articles, letters to the editor, business letters).
- Objective 4.08: Focus revision on target elements by:
- improving word choice.
- rearranging text for clarity.
- creating simple and/or complex sentences for clarity or impact.
- developing a lead, characters, or mood.
