Keystone Assignment: Lesson Plan

Haley Gibbons

Grade Level: 4^th Grade

Reading Comprehension

Length of the lesson: 2 Class periods

Central focus: The students will use their knowledge of the book The Dot by Peter Reynolds to conduct a group presentation on how the character Vashti changed from the beginning to the end of the book. Key questions:  ·       Who is Vashti? ·       How does this character progress throughout the book?

Knowledge of students to inform teaching: Students were asked to complete the book at this point and should have knowledge of the plot and the character Vashti.

Common Core State Standards: CCSS.ELA- LITERACY.RL.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text ( e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions). ISTE Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.7 Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text. 1d: Students understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies. 2a: Students cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world. 2b: Students engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology, including social interactions online or when using networked devices. 2c: Students demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property. 3a: Students plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits. 3b: Students evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility and relevance of information, media, data or other resources. 3c: Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions. 4a: Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems. 4b: Students select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks. 6a: Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication. 6d: Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences. 7a: Students use digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, engaging with them in ways that broaden mutual understanding and learning. 7b: Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts or community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints. 7c: Students contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal.

Support literacy development through language (academic language) ·       The students will be asked to analyze the character Vashti and describe her transformation throughout the story and explain through a presentation. Vocabulary: Analyze, character, transformation.

Learning objectives 1.     Students will understand the meaning of transformation and be able to connect that definition to the character Vashti in the book The Dot. 2.     Students will be able to present their findings on this transformation through a group presentation using Google Slides, so the students are able to collaborate on computers at home as well as in school.

Formal and informal assessment (including type[s] of assessment and what is being assessed) ·       This assessment will be formal, the students will turn in their final presentations to graded and will also be graded on their oral presentations.

Instructional procedure: Introduction to class: Day 1 ·       The class will open by sitting on the carpet and I will ask the students to volunteer to give a plot summary of the book. This will be used as a refresher activity and open a class discussion about the overall concept of the book. ·       I will then bring Vashti into discussion and ask each student to find a peer or two and discuss Vashti’s personality progression throughout the book. ·       After two minutes I will open this discussion up to the class and ask for volunteers to talk about Vashti’s transformation. ·       Once one to two students volunteer, I will review with the class and explain the project to the students. Lesson body: ·       I will then break the students into groups and the groups will start by discussing their thoughts on this character transformation and jotting down any important notes. ·       The students will go to their designated computers(in the computer lab) and work on their presentations as a group for the remainder of the period. ·       The students will collaborate through google slides to add and edit their presentation at home for homework. Day 2: ·       The students will use this period to finish up their presentation and the teacher will leave 25 minutes at the end of the period for the 4 groups to present for a maximum of 5 minutes each. ·       The students will present their google slides presentation and answer any questions the class or teacher has. Conclusion: ·       The class will close with the students handing in their final presentations on a hard drive to the teacher for grading.

Instructional resources and materials used: Computers Internet access The book The Dot by Peter Reynolds