Amanda Oliveto

PSMT: Mrs. Kuwata

Title: There Was An Old Lady

Who Swallowed Some Books

Topic: Sequencing

9/22/13

Estimated Time: 30-60 minutes

Grade Level: 1st Grade

School Site: Ober Elementary School

1. State Standards
RI.1.2- Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text. Determine central ideas or
themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details
and ideas.
2. Teaching Models
Indirect instruction: Student-centered; students are involved in observing, investigating
and drawing inferences from data. The students are more hands on while the teacher
just facilitates their learning. I will only be involved in reading the story to them, they
will be drawing inferences and sequencing events with my facilitation. The activity they
complete will be independent work to assess whether or not they understand the
concepts I covered with them.
3. Objectives
First grade students will be able to retell and summarize key details in the childrens
story There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books with 90% accuracy
provided that they have prior knowledge of summarization, and the sequencing of
events.
4. Materials and Technology Resources
-

Book (There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books)

25 copies of worksheet
1 large poster board, cutouts, glue, markers, construction paper for sequencing
chart
Overhead projector
Pencils and crayons

5. Instructional Procedures
a. Motivation/Engagement: To get them interested and excited to learn, I will
enthusiastically ask if anyone has read the book, while making note of the cover and
getting their thinking caps on about what might happen in the story. Even though
it is not part of my objective, I will ask them to make some predictions on what they
think the story is about. I will do this because last week they worked on predictions
so this is a good way to review that while introducing a new topic. Before I begin the
story I will remind them to pay attention and try to keep in mind the main events of
the story because we will discuss them after.
b. Quiet Signal: The class already uses a volume chart which ranges from 0 (no talking)
to 4 (Presentation voices). I will clarify which level(s) they are allowed to speak at
and if I need to get their attention or they are being too loud I will say eyes on me
and they will give me five as they stop talking.
c. Developmental Activities or Learning Experiences: As I read the story I will have the
students recap (sequence) each event that happens. Before I have the students
begin on their worksheet activity, we will have a quick discussion on the story, while
I ask questions to gain their memory of the story. (I might ask Why do you think the
old lady swallowed all these things? Or why do you think the old lady cheered at the
end of the story?). Once I complete the story the class and I will do a concept map
together to sequence the events of the story in the correct order. I will then
introduce the activity they are to complete and then give them time to complete it.
Lemov Strategies: I will begin the lesson by reading the story to the class.
Throughout the story I will ask the class to tell me the events thus far in sequential
order. This strategy is called Call and Response, which is where I ask a question and
the whole class answers in unison. Another strategy I will use is called Seat Signals.
The students must silently be able to signal to me when they have to get up to
sharpen their pencils or go to the bathroom; this way there are no distractions and
the students wont be wandering around during the lesson.
Kagan Strategy: Once we have completed reading the story and discussed, the
students and I will complete a concept map followed by a sequence chart. The chart
will have a cutout of an old lady followed by six items that she swallowed in the
story. I will call up a select amount of students to put the objects in the order in
which she swallowed them. This chart is referred to by Kagan as a web or concept
map, but I am calling it a sequence chart because that is what we are working on.
The other strategy I am using is called minute fingers. During their independent
work I will occasionally check on the class to see how much time they need to
complete the activity. They will do this by holding up their fingers to signify how
many minutes they still need.

d. Closure: At the end of the lesson I will close with a final discussion or review of what
they have learned to make sure they comprehended the material and it didnt just
go in one ear and out the other.
e. Extension: If students finish their packet early, they may participate in the Kagan
strategy called Time-Pair-Share, where the students partner up and share their
ideas and work for a set amount of time. This not only extends the learning period,
but also gives them insight into their fellow classmates ideas and perspectives.
6. Accommodations, Modifications and Differentiations for Diverse Learners: The great
part about my lesson is that it can be adapted for these students as well. They can still
participate and listen as I read the story, because of my visuals, repetition and
facilitating. When we get to the worksheet activity, I might have to make some
adjustments. For the ELLs I can have them verbally complete the worksheet one on one
with me, and even give them extra time. As I mentioned I will have visuals for them to
use as a resource for the worksheet. Another accommodation would be for me to take
these students aside and have us complete the activity together. For the gifted students
I will have them write a summary of the story in their journals.
7. Assessment and Evaluation of Learning: There are a variety of ways in which I will
assess the students knowledge and comprehension of the material they are taught.
Formative: While I read the book to the students I will be assessing them by using
questions to promote critical thinking and remembrance of the sequenced events. The
worksheet includes being able to list (in order) all of the objects that were swallowed by
the old lady followed by drawing a picture of what came out of her when she cheered.
Some of the formative assessments I will use include a concept map, choral response
and the worksheet they will have to complete.
8. Homework Assignment: There will be no homework given in class because we will have
plenty of time to get through the content.
9. Reflection: Preparing for and going into this lesson was a challenge for me because I was
constantly going back and forth between my objective, teaching strategies and type of
formative assessment. To make matters even more stressful, when I did finalize my
lesson plan, I found out from my mentor teacher that the school changed around the
year plan so now my lesson on sequencing was random. So two days before I was to
present my lesson to the class, I found this out and was going to try and rewrite my
whole lesson plan to fit my teachers theme for that week. She was very helpful though
and told me to keep my original lesson plan and not to worry. Despite all of this I really
enjoyed the whole process followed by getting to introduce it to the first graders. I wish
presenting my lesson had gone much smoother, but my mentor teacher said its normal
not to be smooth on my first lesson. My mentor teacher took notes during my

presentation so that I would know what I did well and what I need to improve on for the
future. During her prep we talked about my lesson and I got some helpful feedback even
if it wasnt what I wanted to hear.
a. Strengths: Even though my classroom management was poor, I still had a few things
that I did well including my enthusiasm, questioning and voice projection. I was very
excited about the book I was reading them which in turn, made them excited and
more engaged. I asked several questions throughout the story to promote more
critical thinking and to personally assess their understanding, and I am quite
surprised at how forthcoming they were with answers and ideas. Finally, I had a firm
and strong voice level which I believe is important in gaining the students attention
and respect.
b. Concerns: Something that I am still concerned with is classroom management. This
was something that I performed poorly at during my lesson because I was never
really able to get everyone quieted down at once. Even though the students were
engaged in my actual lesson, there were still a few students who were off task and
not paying attention. Even with my quiet signal I struggled because at times I felt like
a broken record so it made me more timid, which is the opposite of how I need to
be. My mentor teacher said that I need to make sure that everyone is quiet and
paying attention to me before I begin; there were times when I would start an
activity or questioning strategy before they were quieted down and engaged.
c. Insights: Now that I have completed my first lesson, I know what to expect for the
future. There are a couple things I will focus on for my next lesson such as making
sure that I pace myself and do not go through the lesson too fast or slow, preparing
a few quiet signals that I can go to incase one or more is not effective, and most
importantly, making sure that I do not begin my lesson without complete silence and
attention from the students. I am very excited to begin preparing for the next lesson
because I have some feedback and the nerves are out. Hopefully, this lesson goes
much smoother!