ALEX Lesson Plan: The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

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This lesson provided by:
Author:	Charles Clemmons
System:	Cullman County
School:	Cullman Child Development Center

Lesson Plan ID:

5522

Title:

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

Overview/Annotation:

This is a reading lesson for special education/early elementary students. This lesson helps students with their reading skills as they learn about generosity.

Content Standard(s):

CE(K-12)	15. Generosity
ELA(K)	5. Demonstrate listening comprehension of passages, including retelling stories and answering questions.
ELA(K)	6. Identify various forms of narrative texts, including nursery rhymes, poetry, and stories.
ELA(K)	11. Follow one- and two-part oral directions.
ELA(K)	12. Select appropriate voice level when interacting with others.
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)	8. Use complete sentences to address a topic or tell a story.
ELA(1)	9. Use periods at the end of sentences and capitalization at the beginning of sentences and with the pronoun I.
ELA(1)	13. Listen for meaning in conversations and discussions, including looking at the speaker without interrupting.
ELA(1)	14. Use appropriate intonation when speaking and interacting with others.
ELA(2)	4. Demonstrate comprehension of second-grade reading materials across the curriculum, including drawing simple conclusions, classifying ideas and things, identifying sequence, and retelling directions and information from informational and functional reading materials.
ELA(2)	5. Read with fluency passages containing complex sentences.
ELA(2)	8. Organize sentences into a paragraph to address a topic or tell a story.
ELA(2)	9. Demonstrate correct use of question marks and capitalization of names, months, days of the week, and holidays in written expression.

Local/National Standards:

Primary Learning Objective(s):

Students will be able to summarize story details and relate them to the character trait of generosity.

Additional Learning Objective(s):

Students will be able to describe characters from a story. Students will be able to explain cause and effect situations in a story. Students will be able to make simple predictions about events in a story. Students will be able to make simple character comparisons.

Approximate Duration of the Lesson:

31 to 60 Minutes

Materials and Equipment:

The book, The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister; graphic organizers, paper plates, stapler, paint, glitter, blue paper, shiny paper, glue, scissors, sentence strips, overhead projector

Technology Resources Needed:

Background/Preparation:

Procedures/Activities:

1.)Begin lesson by asking students "Have you ever had something you had to give away?" Encourage students to share experiences.

2.)Have students draw pictures of the following situation: You have only one piece of candy and someone asks you for it. Draw a picture showing what you would do. Allow students to share pictures and comments.

3.)Tell students that you are going to read a book about someone who had something that others wanted. Show students the cover of the book and discuss.

4.)Read the first page description of Rainbow Fish. Use a graphic organizer to have students brainstorm words or ideas that describe Rainbow Fish.

5.)Continue reading, showing students pictures, through starfish telling Rainbow to go see the octopus.

6.)Use graphic organizer to describe the cause and effect of Rainbow Fish refusing to share his scales.

7.)Continue reading story through Rainbow Fish giving Little Blue Fish a scale. Students will use a graphic organizer to describe this event, to write a sentence and/or draw a picture to depict the event, and then to write a sentence and/or draw a picture making a prediction about what they think will happen next in the story.

8.)Read remainder of story and discuss.

9.)As a class or individually, use a graphic organizer to describe Rainbow Fish at the beginning of the story and at the end of the story and what caused him to change. Discuss real life application (generosity).

10.)Have students complete an art project. Use paper plates to make a Rainbow Fish. Cut triangle shaped wedge (fish mouth) and glue to opposite side (fish tail). Use paint, glitter, blue paper, and shiny paper to make scales on the fish.

11.)Use sentence strips to have students complete the sentence: "Rainbow Fish was generous by giving away his scales. I am generous because I..."

12.)Allow students to share completed projects. Display students' Rainbow Fish and sentence strips in classroom or hallway.

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

Assessment Strategies:

Students' participation, completed graphic organizers, and completed projects will be used for assessment.

Extension:

Remediation:

Students could have help completing graphic organizers from the teacher or another student.

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: