Vocabulary Matrix Lesson and Practice (Dictionary Race)
Goals
Students will be introduced to self-regulated learning vocabulary. Students will gain an understanding of the abstract vocabulary of these concepts through concrete examples from real life and literature.
Objective
Students will define five self-regulated learning strategies. Students will identify concrete examples of self-regulated learning tools in their lives and/or in Little Red Cap or Pippi to the Rescue.
Materials
Matrix, dictionaries (one for every child or one per pair), vocabulary, noted student literary examples from previous text conversations, large 4’x4’ butcher paper chart with eight columns and nine rows - one is a heading row, list of five self-regulated strategies in the first column, headed STRATEGIES
Hook
Teacher begins by displaying a blank matrix and stating, “I have a problem. I have a list of five huge words, but I don’t know what they mean. Does anyone have any suggestions for strategies I might use to solve this problem? How would you solve this problem, if you came across a word that you didn’t understand?” (Take student suggestions of self-regulated strategies they may already know, i.e. ask a friend, use a dictionary, look for the word you know (root word) inside the word, etc.) Does anyone know what these words mean? Take student answers. The teacher lists predictions and student definitions to be tested with the dictionary meaning. We’re going to play a game using one of our resources to find the meaning of these five words. (If necessary, review dictionary search guidelines and search for the first word together.) Students race in teams to be able to come up with and record the word’s definition on the matrix.
Direct Instruction
When we have dictionary definitions of words, it’s important to be able to put them in our own words, so we understand them and try to find examples in our life or experiences that will help us remember them. If I looked up the word organization and read the dictionary definition to myself, I would put it into my own words by saying, “making a plan or putting things in order”. That’s what organization is to me, based on this definition. Then I would try to think of an example in my life when I organized things. When I moved into my apartment, I organized my dishes in the cupboards, so I could find them quickly when I want to eat or cook with them. (Record both personal definition and the life example on the matrix under separate columns headed MY MEANING and MY LIFE EXAMPLE)
Checking for Understanding
Now, can anyone think of any examples in Little Red Cap, The Bad Beginning, or Pippi to the Rescue when one of our heroines or heroes used organization to solve a problem? (Record student examples in the next respective columns headed with the story titles LITTLE RED CAP, PIPPI TO THE RESCUE or THE BAD BEGINNING).
Guided Practice
Go through the steps of direct instruction to review “responsibility” with the students. Check at each step as a class and share. Race to find the definition, share the best one, and record the dictionary definition. Then, students alone or in partners can think of a way to word the definition. Share those different meanings and record one. Then, have students brainstorm examples of responsibility from their lives, share them, and record them. Find examples of responsibility in the stories, share, and record them.
Independent Practice
If students are at an independent level of practice after guided practice, allow them to race for the rest of the definitions, share and record them without direct teacher assistance. If they are not prepared, repeat guided practice with the strategy “persistence”. Some students may require a partner or would prefer to work independently. Allow such modifications to be made. A small group may be pulled if they do not understand and need more direct teacher assistance. Such a group should be pulled and work with the teacher leading or a knowledgeable student at a separate table. At the end of this lesson, the matrix should be completed with the definitions, personal meanings, real life examples, and textual examples for organization, responsibility, persistence, goal setting and resourcefulness.
Assessment
Teacher observation of this activity and student matrices will provide evidence of student understanding of the five strategies, as well as their ability to identify clear examples in everyday life and/or literature.
Reader’s Theatre
Goals
Students will gain a deeper appreciation for a historical character’s struggles. Students will make a personal connection to a text. Students will internalize self-regulated learning strategies by vicariously experiencing a character’s problematic circumstances.
Objective
Students will compose a theatrical script adapted from a chapter in a book. Students will demonstrate understanding of the character’s problem and strategies to solve it in their reading or performance of the script.
Materials
Teacher sample of a Reader’s Theatre script, copies of Wanted Dead or Alive! for each student or their group, and writing paper for each group
Hook
Teacher chooses students to assist her in a dramatic reading of their scripts for a chapter in the book. Teacher and students perform the reading with flare and in character.
Direct Instruction
Teacher distributes a copy of her script and asks class to turn to the chapter they adapted into a written dialogue. As a class, observations are made about the similarities and differences between the script and the chapter.
Checking for Understanding
The teacher asks students to examine another chapter and offer examples of dialogue that could be written to begin the scene.
Guided Practice
As a class, everyone offers dialogic suggestions. Together, the beginning of a script for another chapter is composed in a guided writing mini-lesson. The teacher could use the overhead projector or a blackboard for this composition, so all can see how the process of contribution can be collaborative and productive.
Independent Practice
The teacher then opens the forum up to students to create groups (or the teacher could have created pre-assigned groups), select a chapter to adapt, compose a script and begin rehearsal.
Checking for Understanding
The teacher should circulate during composition to troubleshoot. It will also be helpful to collect group scripts at the end of the lesson to ensure students are prepared for the following day’s performance.
Assessment
At the end of the lesson and after some practice the next day, groups can perform their scripts with or without paper, props and costumes. Participation, fluency, and understanding of the character’s traits can be assessed in student performances.
Personal Paper Doll Connections
Goals
Students will understand the personal connections they have with literary heroes and the connections between fictional and historical heroes. Students will internalize the self-regulated learning strategies as they identify personal examples in their life, the lives of others, and persist in completing this multi-step project.
Objective
Students will make personal connections between themselves and heroes they have read about over the course of the unit. Students will identify their own self-regulated learning strategies and examples of those in another character.
Materials
Large 11”x14” construction paper, scissors, teacher example of a precut string of five paper dolls, doll frame for each student, copies of books read in the unit, student and class matrices, markers, crayons, and colored pencils.
Hook
Guess who! Teacher pretends to be or acts out a scene where a character all the students are familiar with displays one of the heroic traits (self-regulated learning strategies) the students have been studying. Students try to guess who the character is first. Now, guess what! Students try to guess which heroic trait was being displayed. Teacher describes an instance from her own life when she displayed the same trait and states that she is a heroine too and feels a strong connection to that character.
Direct Instruction
Teacher opens up the forum to students, asking which character they are most connected to or most identify with. Students begin to share examples and teacher segues to show them how they will share this with the class today. Teacher displays her example of the dolls with each doll’s head labeled with a different heroic trait and shows how she recorded quotes, pictures, and explained events in the book when the character displayed those traits. The teacher then flips the dolls over to show her own heroism and shares these examples from her life. Teacher asks students what resources they may use to identify these examples. Students should point to the books, matrices, and peers as informational sources.
Checking for Understanding
Give students one minute to prepare for a “Whip Around” to answer the question, “Which character do you identify most with? Why?” (Whip Around is a quick way to get individual responses from everyone. Each person states the character and one reason why in one sentence, quickly, as the teacher points to each student, quickly and student attention follows each speaker. Whip Around must be quick to work well. It helps students get ideas and the teacher can gauge understanding.)
Guided Practice
Teacher guides students step-by-step through the process of cutting out the paper dolls and labeling the heads on each side. As a class, each child chooses one heroic trait they recognize in the character and themselves to record and the teacher asks students to share these examples.
Independent Practice
Students complete the dolls on their own or with partners who have selected the same hero.
Assessment
Dolls are shared and displayed in the classroom for all to see and learn from. The teacher can gauge the accuracy and depth of student connections as well as understanding of each trait/strategy.
