ALEX Lesson Plan: WANTED: A Few Of Our Favorite Authors

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This lesson provided by:
Author:	Melissa Smith
System:	Lanett City
School:	Lanett Central Elementary School

Lesson Plan ID:

15540

Title:

WANTED: A Few Of Our Favorite Authors

Overview/Annotation:

This unit is designed to spotlight the work of one children's author each month. Students explore the life and writing styles of each author studied, as well as incorporating studies of story elements in the various works.

Content Standard(s):

ELA(1)	1. Demonstrate phonemic awareness, including isolating, deleting, and adding phonemes; using onsets and rimes; and identifying initial, medial, and final sounds in one-syllable words.
ELA(1)	3. Demonstrate vocabulary skills, including sorting words into categories and deriving word meaning from context within sentences and paragraphs.
ELA(1)	4. Read with comprehension a variety of first-grade narrative and informational texts, including recalling information and retelling a story with beginning, middle, and end.
ELA(1)	12. Collect information from print and nonprint resources to investigate a teacher- or student-selected topic.
TC2(K-2)	1. Identify basic parts of various technology systems.
TC2(K-2)	2. Identify applications and operations of various technology systems.
TC2(K-2)	3. Demonstrate correct posture and finger placement while using a technology system.
TC2(K-2)	4. Identify safe use of technology systems and applications.
TC2(K-2)	5. Practice responsible use of technology systems and applications.
TC2(K-2)	7. Use digital tools to access and retrieve information.
TC2(K-2)	10. Design original works using digital tools.

Local/National Standards:

Primary Learning Objective(s):

1. Students will read at least 5 books by each selected author.
2. Students will identify basic story elements, including setting, character, plot, problem/solution, cause/effect/ prediction, etc.
3. Students will compare and contrast story elements from a selected author's books.
4. Students will create artwork to illustrate understanding of book's themes and/or elements.
5. Students will work together with teacher to design and create a slideshow presentation as an extension to a book's theme.
6. Students will complete creative writing activities such as song lyrics, class books, lost and found posters, etc.
7. Students will follow a recipe to make pancakes.
8. Students will graph results of a compare and contrast activity.
9. Students will work together with teacher to research personal information about selected children's authors via bookmarked Internet sites.
10. Students will participate in the Internet Project "First Grade, First Grade, What Do You See..."

Additional Learning Objective(s):

Approximate Duration of the Lesson:

Greater than 120 Minutes

Materials and Equipment:

1. Books by Eric Carle
Today is Monday
Brown Bear, Brown Bear
From Head to Toe
Have You Seen My Cat?
Pancakes! Pancakes!
2. Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola
3. Art supplies: crayons, paint, art paper, wall paper pages, wrapping paper, tag board, glue, etc.
4. Bulletin board materials
6. Ingredients for making pancakes from Eric Carle's Pancakes!Pancakes! and Tomie dePaolo's Pancakes for Breakfast
7. Electric skillet or table-top griddle and cooking utensils

Technology Resources Needed:

Computer with Internet access, presentation software, LCD projector, digital camera, word processing software, printer, graphing software such as Graph Club

Background/Preparation:

Prepare a slideshow presentation with simple information the author of the month. Bookmark sites appropriate for students' research. Prepare "WANTED" bulletin board: Make a display entitled "WANTED....A Few of Our Favorite Authors" on one half of the space and a display entitled "CAPTURED" on the other half. On the "captured" side, attach several columns of black yarn or ribbon vertically from top to bottom resembling cell bars. Have a picture of each author to be studied prepared to fit a "Wanted" style poster alone in the center of the space. Have Eric Carle's picture on the poster before beginning. Cover the poster with a loose cloth.

Procedures/Activities:

1.)Month One
Eric Carle
Week 1: Today Is Monday
a) Introduce author by reading Today Is Monday.
b) Read the book together and sing the song from the book.
c) Ask students what they think the author might look like just based on how they feel about the story.
d) Unveil WANTED poster on bulletin board with author's picture.
e) View multimedia presentation about author.
f) As a class activity, lead students to help rewrite the song from the book. Use class schedule in place of the foods in the song. Include special classes like art, music, counseling, library, computer, etc.
g) Display adapted song lyrics on "WANTED" bulletin board. Invite music teacher to visit classroom to hear the new song.
(see following website - idea submitted by C. Mason, 'Eric Carle's Official Website: Today Is Monday'.
(Eric Carle's Official Website: Today Is Monday)
This site has good ideas to go along with the book Today is Monday.

2.)Week 2: Brown Bear, Brown Bear
a) Read Brown Bear, Brown Bear. Discuss the fact that this book is only illustrated by Eric Carle. Discuss that Eric Carle illustrates books because he is getting to do something he enjoys.
b) Have students draw pictures of themselves doing something they like to do. Help them write caption "I like to ____" for picture.
c) Use a digital camera to take pictures of students holding their picture when finished OR take a picture of student and scan those as well as their drawings into PowerPoint.
Create a slideshow presentation of "First Grade, First Grade, We say "Hey You!" This is Mrs. ______ Class; Come See What We Can Do!" Scan in students' pictures and drawings. Create template with "My name is ______" and "I like to___" ready for students to complete.
d) During the week, join the Internet 0roject "First Grade, First Grade What Do You See" (see following website: submitted by Linn McDonald, August 20, 2000).
e) Begin to make literacy boxes to send to the pediatric wing of the hospital (see website below - submitted by Robbie Morgan, May 29, 2000). Include in the boxes copies of "Brown Bear, Brown Bear", stick puppets of characters, materials to make a bear pupper, etc.
f) Revisit the story and discuss story elements. Identify story elements. Use this Story Map to teach the elements of the story.
(Internet Project - "First Grade, First Grade What Do I See")
Details of First Grade Internet Project

3.)Week 3: From Head to Toe
a) Use this book in conjunction with an "All About Me" theme. Create/publish a collaborative class book or turn the project into a slideshow presentation. Follow the pattern in the story: "I am (name) and I can (movement) with my (body part)."
b) Use a digital camera to photograph each child acting out a movement. (see following website - submitted by Emily Darby, September 25, 2000.
(Eric Carle - Ideas for using "From Head to Toe" in the classroom.)
More ideas for using Eric Carle's book "From Head to Toe"

4.)Week 4: Have You Seen My Cat?
a) Read book together and discuss how animals get lost, how their owners feel, and what they may try to do to find their lost pet.
b) Make lost and found posters. Cut the shape of a cat from tagboard. Have students cut cat shapes from wallpaper pieces or wrapping paper. Glue the cats onto poster-size paper (8 1/2 x 14 or 11 x 17) already labelled with "Lost Cat" title.
c) Have students list the size and color description of the cat (as it looks from their wallpaper or wrapping paper).
d) For fun, after students leave, cut another cat shape from each student's choice of wallpaper or wrapping paper. Throughout the next week, make these "extra" shapes appear in various places in the classroom or school until all cats have been "found".

5.)Culminating Activity:
a. Read Pancakes! Pancakes by Eric Carle and Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePoala.
Compare and contrast the two stories. Use this Venn Diagram to help students compare and contrast the stories.
b) After reading and discussing both books, lead students in a cooking activity to make pancakes by both recipes. Direct students to measure, mix and watch as the batter turns into pancakes. Discuss the changes that occur during the process.
c) After sampling both recipes, use graphing software to graph the results of which they liked best.
d) Conclude by writing letters to the author of their favorite pancake recipe. (see following website - idea submitted by Serena Buckner)
(Eric Carle's Official Website: Pancakes, Pancakes!)
This site has ideas to go along with the story Pancakes, Pancakes.

6.)As a final step, have students draw a picture with caption of their favorite book/character. Move the author's picture from the "WANTED" poster to the "CAPTURED" side of the board, under the "cell bars". Post students' pictures around the author's captured picture.

Attachments:**Some files will display in a new window. Others will prompt you to download.

Eric Carle.ppt
Student Check List.doc

Assessment Strategies:

The teacher will use the attached student checklist to assess the different activities.

Extension:

Remediation:

Each area below is a direct link to general teaching strategies/classroom accommodations for students with identified learning and/or behavior problems such as: reading or math performance below grade level; test or classroom assignments/quizzes at a failing level; failure to complete assignments independently; difficulty with short-term memory, abstract concepts, staying on task, or following directions; poor peer interaction or temper tantrums, and other learning or behavior problems.

Presentation of Material

Using Groups and Peers

Assisting the Reluctant Starter

Dealing with Inappropriate Behavior

Be sure to check the student's IEP for specific accommodations.

Variations Submitted by ALEX Users: