The Website of Lauren Alix

The Website of

Ms. Lauren Alix

Software Lesson Plan

Subject(s): Language Arts Grade Level: 1

Introduction:

This lesson integrates a language arts unit on story sequencing and the use of technology. Thus far, students have become familiar with the components of a story and the concept of ordering events. Students have briefly been introduced to story sequencing and how it relates to their own lives. They understand that sequencing is the concept of carrying out a given tasks in a specific order, and in today’s lesson, students learn that the concept of sequencing can be applied to stories. Through the use of Kidspiration, students will communicate their understanding of story sequencing for the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. They will use a teacher made worksheet in Kidspiration to recall what the hungry caterpillar ate each day of the week which will ultimately enhance their skills at sequencing events.

Kidspiration is a highly interactive, easy to use, open-ended instructional learning tool for students in grades K-3. This highly motivating program inspires children of all ages, provides them with a visual way, to think, read and write, and works well with a variety of curriculums. Kidspiration allows students to use both pictures and words to organize their thoughts as well as create, analyze, and evaluate ideas. Through the use of graphic organizers, such as diagrams, webs, and concept maps, students can explore and watch their ideas come to life through the use of pictures, text, and narration. In addition, Kidspiration is a versatile program that is divided into sections: “Language Arts,” “Social Studies,” “Science,” “Math,” and also offers a section labeled “More,” which includes a range of assessment activities from a variety of subject areas.

Objective:

Students will:

Sequence story events and days of the week, using the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Apply knowledge obtained from The Very Hungry Caterpillar story to Kidspiration worksheet on story sequencing.
Individually demonstrate comprehension of story structure and sequencing by retelling The Very Hungry Caterpillar through an independently created book.

Materials:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar , by Eric Carle
Kidspiration software
One computer per student
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Kidspiration Worksheet: Caterpillar (pre-loaded onto computers for students to access)
Pre-assembled booklet for extension activity (several pages stapled together in the shape of a booklet. The front and back covers are blank for the students to illustrate. Inside the book, there are seven blank pages; each page is clearly labeled as Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.)
Class chart paper

Procedure:

Initiation:

1. Gather students together on the carpet and have a brief discussion about the days of the week and the order of events. Ask students the following questions to help them make text-to-self connections:

Does everyone remember how we use our calendar in class each morning so we know what month it is, what day of the week it is, and what the date is? Who knows what the days of the week are? (select student who is raising their hand, then have the class recite all the days of the week together) What day of the week is today?
Do you think that we do things in the same order each and every day of the week? (Example: Get up in the morning, brush our teeth, eat breakfast, etc.)
Who can tell us what order they did things in today? What happens in this classroom each day when we come in to school?
Do you think that everyone has an order to how they do things each day? What about animals? Do they have an order? What do you think a caterpillar does each day? What types of food do you think caterpillars eat each day? Do you think they have breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner like we do?

Tell students that today they are going to continue to learn about the days of the week by reading a story about a caterpillar and his order of events during the week.

Lesson Development:

1. Show students the book, and ask them if they are familiar with the author Eric Carle. Allow those students who haven’t already read the book to make predictions as to what they think this book is about. Tell those students that are familiar with the text to hold their thoughts and keep the ending a secret because we don’t want to spoil it for the rest of the class.(If too many of the students are familiar with the text, eliminate the prediction step)

2. Begin reading the book and discussing what happened to the caterpillar on each day, focusing focus specifically on what he ate. Ask students to make predictions as to what they think will happen next.

Ask the students the following questions to test for comprehension:

Who was very hungry? (ask question after reading page 2)
What are some of the items that the Very Hungry Caterpillar ate? (ask question in the middle of the story)

3. What did the Caterpillar turn into at the end of the book? (ask question at the end of the story)

4. After reading the book, have students summarize the sequence of events through a guided practice activity. Together, a chart will be created recording what the caterpillar ate on each day of the week.

5. Next, students complete a worksheet that has five green boxes, one for each day of the week. Their job is to recall and record what the caterpillar ate each day. Explain that they will be accessing a worksheet that has already been preloaded onto their computers from the Kidspiration software program.

6. Tell students to go to their individual workstations and start the computer. Once the computer is on, instruct students to open up the program Kidspiration.

7. Demonstrate how to open up The Very Hungary Caterpillar worksheet for students. Then have them try to retrieve it on their own. (Walk around and assess whether or not students can perform this task independently or if they require assistance.)

8. Students will find step by step instructions regarding the worksheet assignment on the computer when they access the Kidspiration worksheet. Read instructions out loud to the class and then ask students to recall what the hungry caterpillar ate on Monday.

9. Model for students how to select the appropriate food from the symbols library for the corresponding day. For example, ask students what the caterpillar ate on Monday? Demonstrate how to retrieve and select a picture of an apple in the symbols library and move it into the box on the worksheet that is labeled Monday.

10. Instruct students to complete the task of locating and selecting the apple and dragging it to the Monday box independently to check for understanding of directions.

11. Instruct students to work independently on the worksheet selecting the appropriate food that corresponds to each day. While students are working, the teacher will walk around to help with software as well as asses their understanding of the story and ability to recall important details.

Closure:

Gather students together to conduct a review of the Kidspiration worksheet. Ask students the following questions:

1. Who can tell me the name of the story we read today?

2. What happened in the story? (asses students comprehension of story structure)

3. What does the concept of sequencing or ordering events mean? What is an example of order of events in the story The Very Hungry Caterpillar? (Example what the caterpillar ate on Monday, Tuesday etc.).

4. Who can explain the sequence of events in the story The Very Hungry Caterpillar? (students will raise hands to be called on)

Evaluation:

1. Assessment of students’ knowledge of sequencing events through class discussion, class chart and Kidspiration activity.

2. Assessment of extension activity (The Very Hungry Caterpillar booklet) assigned for homework.

Extension Activity: For homework, students will be asked to create a booklet retelling the events of the story The Very Hungry Caterpillar. To assist students with their retelling and sequencing of events, the booklet will already be pre-assembled with the days of the week on each page. Students will be able to use the Kidspiration worksheet from today’s lesson as a guide to complete their stories.