Danielle Vetesnik (Pre-student teaching placement) Artifact Title: Introducing metaphors and similes to second grade students.

Date: October 28, 2013

Artifact description: Artifact 4.1 is a lesson plan I developed for a second grade higherlevel reading group. This lesson was taught as part of a mini lesson introducing metaphors and similes. I prepared and taught this lesson one time to the second grade students. I used several different instructional strategies, including the use of technology, to teach this lesson. Artifact 4.2 is a schedule I developed for the week planning out how Im approaching metaphors and similes each day. The schedule is for my personal use only and helps me stay organized and mark where we got to each day. Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment Standard 4: Teachers know how to teach. The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies, including the use of technology, to encourage childrens development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills. This artifact demonstrates my competency in this standard because this lesson is designed to introduce metaphors and similes to students using a number of strategies. I begin the lesson by asking the students what they already know about metaphors and similes. For those students still left wondering I let them know we are going to learn the meaning of similes and metaphors, listen to examples and find out how you can tell the difference between the two. This lets the students know that they will find out what both words mean. I use the Smart Board as a visual for students and read the definitions of a simile and metaphor so they can hear fluency and how the academic language is pronounced. I then let the students read along with me so they can

hear the definitions another time and be able to practice pronouncing the academic language. For a more hands-on approach I read aloud examples of similes and metaphors, then have the students act them out so they can connect with the sentence and comprehend that writers use metaphors and similes to give more detail and life to their stories. I also have the students try and assimilate the reason writers use metaphors and similes in their stories by reading them examples from two different books. For a different style of hearing the definition I used the Smart Board to show a video and song about similes and metaphors to connect with the audio and visual learners. At the end of the lesson I have the students generate their own metaphors and similes this is a way for the other students to hear ideas from their peers and decide if they had the correct sentence for either the metaphor or simile. As a result of this experience I have more understanding now of how important it is to have a variety of instructional strategies when teaching a lesson so that every student has a chance to try and assimilate the topic being taught.

UW Platteville knowledge, skills, disposition, alignment KSD1.d: Demonstrates knowledge of resources. The candidate actively seeks materials and resources to enhance instruction by utilizing school and district resources as well as other resources available outside the school and district. I worked hard to collect a variety of materials to teach this lesson. I went to my local library to find books that had examples of similes and metaphors in them (Quick as a Cricket written by Aubrey Wood, and Froggys Halloween written by Jonathan London), I searched YouTube to find a age appropriate video explaining metaphors and similes, and I utilized the Smart Board to provide visuals for the students. These materials made the lesson more exciting for students to learn about and create meaningful connections as well.

As a result from this experience I have more understanding of the time it takes to plan and teach a meaningful lesson that utilizes resources in the community as well as the resources in the school. Secondary KSDS KSD3.a.Communicating Clearly and Accurately KSD3.c. Engaging Students in Learning KSD3.e. Demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness Personal Reflection What I learned about teaching/ learning: I am now educated on how to incorporate different instructional strategies into a lesson. I have learned that the classroom environment is directly affected to the use of using several different instructional techniques. For example students who only hear the definition of something one time a certain way will not be able to assimilate the topic because it may not connect with their learning style. I have learned that the best classroom management plan is having a detailed lesson plan. I felt that it was important to go through my lesson and think of a plan b for some activities in case the students did not understand the concept. Keeping students actively engaged in the lesson will only enhance their level of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills. In addition, I realize that all students learn differently, and it is necessary to have authentic activities for each students learning styles From this experience, I learned that communication, organization, and variety are essential to teaching a successful lesson. Teaching is a selfless act; it is not about me when I start my classes, it is all about the students. It is my job to do everything I can to connect the lesson to each students learning style so he/she can enhance his or her critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

What I learned about myself as a prospective educator: As a result of this experience, I will become a better teacher because I will have detailed lesson plans that promote critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills, as well as a variety of instructional strategies. I adore seeing my students excited and motivated to learn. I learned that when students are enthused about a topic, they become eager to learn more about it; furthermore, they begin to deepen their understanding by relating it to other things they are interested in. It is very important to incorporate childrens interests whenever possible in the classroom. These strategies and techniques that have allowed me to enhance learning in the classroom As a result from these experiences, I feel confident that my lessons will always promote critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills, as well as a variety of instructional strategies because I have the tools to include those techniques in my lessons.

Artifact 4.1 Name: Danielle Vetesnik Lesson Title: Metaphor and Simile Introduction Grade level(s)/Course: 2 nd grade Date taught: 10/28/13

GENERAL CONTEXT Textbook or Instructional Program referenced to guide your instruction (if any) Title: N/A Publisher: N/A Date of Publication: N/A District, school or cooperating teacher requirement or expectations that might influence your planning or delivery of instruction. Teacher requests a 40-minute, small group lesson that introduces metaphors and similes to students. Amount of time devoted each day or week in your classroom to the content or topic of your instruction. Double dose is taught Monday-Thursday for 40 minutes. This lesson is part of a mini unit on metaphors and similes. Describe how ability grouping or tracking (if any) affects your planning and teaching of this content. The teachers in the second grade have already grouped the students by their reading level to carry on double dose lessons. List any other special features of your school or classroom that will affect the teaching of this lesson. The lesson activities are created in a Smart Board lesson format. So you would need the Notebook application.

INFORMATION ABOUT STUDENTS AND THEIR LEARNING NEEDS

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE LESSON Standards and Grade Level Expectations (GLE) CC.3.RL.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral meaning. CC.4.L.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. CC.4.L.5a Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors in context.

Enduring Understanding and/or Essential Question What are similes and metaphors and how can you tell the difference between the two? Objective(s): Students will recite the definition and examples of a metaphor, and a simile. Students will make observations of similes and metaphors by watching a short YouTube clip. 2 After being read two different books students will distinguish which book uses metaphors and which book uses similes. Students will differentiate metaphors and similes by doing a special movement for each kind of sentence. Students will Apprise why they choose the special movement they did for either a metaphor or a simile. Academic Language related to the lesson Simile: A simile is a word that compares words in a sentence. You can usually tell if a simile is present in a sentence when you see the words like or as. Metaphor: Like a simile, a metaphor compares words in a sentence; A metaphor can sometimes use the words is, are, or was. However a metaphor never uses the words like or as to compare. Categorize: Sort Recite: Repeat Distinguish: Decide Differentiate: Decide between two things DOK 1 2

Apprise: Explain Definition: Meaning Prior Learning/Prior Thinking Students have never been introduced to similes or metaphors, but will be able to read directions, definitions, and sentences relating to this lesson.

LESSON IMPLEMENTATION Procedures 1. Determine expectations: Students will be invited to generate ideas for expectations during this lesson. These guidelines will be laid out so that students know how to act with a teacher that isnt their normal teacher. Once students and teacher establish expectations, the teacher will explain, the three-cone rule, the cone gets changed every time an expectation is not being followed, once the cone gets to blue every student will miss recess. Possible answers for expectations include: Be respectful, listen, participate, and raise your hand. The cone order is the following: Green is good, yellow means one warning has been given, red means last chance to make better choices, blue means recess will be missed. 2. Anticipatory Set (Review/Preview) Ask the students what they already know about similes and metaphors. Give them a few moments to think about ideas in their heads before asking for the answer. Most likely students will not know what the words mean, let them know that they will find out what both words mean if they listen very carefully. 3. Purpose Statement Today we are going to learn the meaning of similes

and metaphors, listen to examples and find out how you can tell the difference between the two. This statement lets the students know that we are going to find out what these words mean, and be able to tell the difference between the two. 4. Definitions/ Examples of Metaphors and Similes: Using the Smart Board as a visual for students the teacher will read the definitions of metaphors, and similes. Definitions include: Simile- a simile is a word that compares words in a sentence. You can usually tell if a simile is present in a sentence when you see the words like or as. Metaphor- like a simile, a metaphor compares words in a sentence; A metaphor can sometimes use the words is, are, or was. However a metaphor never uses the words like or as to compare. The teacher will put emphasis on the fact that similes use like or as to compare words in a sentence, metaphors do the same thing but DO NOT USE LIKE OR AS. The student will read along with the teacher the definitions they just heard to practice pronouncing this academic language. The teacher will read aloud examples of each. Examples for similes include: Molly ate her sandwich like a vacuum cleaner. His arms were weak and felt like noodles. The thunder was as loud as fireworks. The teacher will ask the students what they think each examples means, and what word is in the sentence that lets them know it is a simile. Possible answers: The words that are in the sentences that let me know they are similes are like, and as. Molly ate her sandwich like a vacuum cleaner, means she sucked her food down fast.

His arms were weak and felt like noodles means he is not very strong. The thunder was as loud as fireworks means the thunder was very loud and caught peoples attention. 5. YouTube video Similes and Metaphors by the Bazillions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoSBVNUO2LU) The students will observe this video, to review the definitions and examples that were just explained by the teacher, and recited with the teacher. This is just a different style of hearing what each word means, and may make better connections with some students. 6. Simile book Quick as a Cricket written by Aubrey Wood, and metaphor book Froggys Halloween written by Jonathan London: The teacher will explain that authors use similes and metaphors to give their writings more detail. The teacher will only read certain excerpts out of each book but will ask the students to raise their hand if they hear a simile, and give thumbs up if they hear a metaphor. The following examples will be read from the book the simile book Quick as a Cricket: quick as a cricket, I am as slow as a snail, and I am as small as an ant. Students should have raised their hand for all of those examples. The teacher will ask how they knew those sentences were similes? Possible answers: The sentences had the words like or as, and the sentence was comparing the boy to things. The following metaphors will be read from the book Froggys Halloween: Faster than a dragonfly, and stronger than a bullfrog. Students should have given the thumbs up to signal that those sentences were metaphors. The teacher will ask how they knew those sentences were metaphors?

Possible answers: The sentences did not use the words like or as, and the frog was being compared to a bullfrog, and a dragonfly. 7. Differentiate similes and metaphors: To give the students more practice hearing metaphors and similes and differentiating the two, the teacher will ask the students to clap once if they hear a simile, and stand up of they hear a metaphor. The similes include: My car is old like a dinosaur, and I can run like the wind blows. All students should clap once, if some didnt restate that metaphors never use like or as. The metaphor is, the boys face was redder than a tomato. All students should stand up, if some did not stand restate that similes and metaphors compare things in a sentence but only similes use like or as. Ask the students why they chose to clap or stand. Possible answers: I clapped once because I saw the word like in the sentence, I stood up because I didnt see like or as in the sentence and the boys face was being compared to a tomato, meaning he was embarrassed.

8. Closure: Students will be asked to make up an example of a simile or a metaphor, ask them to raise their hands to share with the group. Before someone shares he/she will state weather it is a metaphor or a simile. Every time a student gives an example have the other classmates decide by using thumbs up or down signals if it was correct or not. This closure activity will be a way to assess if the students grasped the concept, and to see who is struggling with it. Students examples will vary. Make sure students are not just

generating similes, have them also give examples of metaphors. Helpful prompts include: The playground was a __(circus)___. The classroom is an ___(ice rink)__ I need my winter coat.

Differentiation Content: N/A Process: The teacher can give the students helpful prompts to create metaphors. Product: N/A

Materials and Resources 1. Smart Board, Quick as a Cricket written by Aubrey Wood, Froggys Halloween written by Jonathan London.

Classroom Management/Democratic Practices Determining expectations will give the students a chance to make up the rules, and then they will respect the rules more because the expectations were their ideas. Explaining the three-cone rule lets them know that there will be a consequence for not following the expectations.

ASSESSMENT Formative Before the lesson Questioning Summative

students about knowledge of metaphors and similes. During the lesson Participation when using special movements to differentiate metaphors and similes. Having the students explain why they choose the special movement they did for either a metaphor or a simile.

After the lesson

Students will generate their own metaphors and similes. Before someone shares he/she will state weather it is a metaphor or a simile. Every time a student gives an example the other classmates decide by using thumbs up or down signals if it was correct or not.

Artifact 4.2

Tentative Schedule for 10/28-10/30 Simile is a comparison of two things that are not alike using the words like or as Examples: My Grandma is as sweet as pie, Jake is as wise as an owl, and she shines like the sun. Metaphor (more direct): Compares two unlike things by saying that one thing is the other. Usually using the words is or are Examples: The test was a walk in the park, life is a highway, and he was a walking encyclopedia.

Monday: 1. Introduce Metaphor/ Simile 2. Watch: YouTube video song reviewing simile and metaphors. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoSBVNUO2LU (3:00 minutes) 3. Read: Fast as a Cricket and Froggys Halloween a. Have them raise their hand when they think they hear one. 4. Create there own simile or metaphor Tuesday: 1. Review: Read sentences from Halloween Simile & Metaphor task cards out load, they have to hold the correct sign up. 2. Worksheet: The Metaphor Poem 3. Worksheet: Cut and paste similes and metaphors worksheet 4. Listen to songs, have them hold up their simile/metaphor signs

Wednesday: 1. Group discussion: similes and metaphors 2. Worksheet: Circle the metaphors, underline the similes 3. Worksheet: Similes & Metaphors (describing a family member, then drawing a picture) 4. Act it out: Put easy examples of similes and metaphors on strips of paper. Then put smaller copies in a hat. The students draw one and act it out (as a group). The class has to decide which one the student is acting out and then place them under the correct heading (simile or metaphor).