Shhh! Bear's sleeping: learning about nonfiction and fiction using read-alouds
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=897
A lesson plan for Kindergarten English Language Arts
About this resource
- Appropriate grades
- K
- Subjects
- English language arts (literature, reading, story telling), thinking skills (information literacy), diverse learners (multiple intelligences)
- Provider
- IRA/NCTE
Legal
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The teacher introduces students to many different genres of literature in this lesson that explores the differences between fiction and nonfiction. After reading “Big Paws,” the teacher engages students in a discussion about bears and creates a brainstorming list. Then, the teacher introduces Bear Snores On by taking students on a picture walk through the book and by questioning students about whether they think the content is real. In the second session, students add to the brainstorming list and then learn to sing “Little Bear”. After reading the “Bear Finger Play” poem, the teacher shows students how to act out the motions using their fingers. Then students create their own bear puppets using the bear puppet template. After reviewing the materials used to teach about bears, they teacher reads Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky, a nonfiction book about real bears. At the end of the story, students are challenged to discuss whether their predictions from the earlier works were correct, and the teacher guides them in comparing the two main texts. Then, using the facts from the literary resources, the class works together to write a book about bears. Once the book is complete, the teacher makes copies for all students and they illustrate the pages individually. Readwritethink suggests several extension activities.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
English Language Arts (2004)
Kindergarten
- Goal 1: The learner will develop and apply enabling strategies to read and write.
- Objective 1.01: Develop book and print awareness:
- identify the parts of books and function of each part.
- demonstrate an understanding of directionality and voice-print match by following print word for word when listening to familiar text read aloud.
- demonstrate an understanding of letters, words, and story.
- identify the title, name of the author and the name of the illustrator.
- Objective 1.01: Develop book and print awareness:
- Goal 2: The learner will develop and apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
- Objective 2.02: Demonstrate familiarity with a variety of types of books and selections (e.g., picture books, caption books, short informational texts, nursery rhymes, word plays/finger plays, puppet plays, reenactments of familiar stories).
- Objective 2.03: Use preparation strategies to activate prior knowledge and experience before and during the reading of a text.
- Objective 2.04: Formulate questions that a text might answer before beginning to read (e.g., what will happen in this story, who might this be, where do you think this happens).
- Objective 2.05: Predict possible events in texts before and during reading.
- Objective 2.08: Distinguish fantasy from reality when reading text.
- Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
- Objective 4.04: Maintain conversation and discussions:
- attending to oral presentations
- taking turns expressing ideas and asking questions.
- Objective 4.04: Maintain conversation and discussions:
