JMU LESSON PLAN

JMU Elementary Education Program

Jordan Vinson
January 26, 2015
A. Beginning, Middle, and End
B. CONTEXT OF LESSON
Over the past couple of weeks, students have been learning
about how to write and identify the beginning, middle, and end of
stories. Students are continuing to refine their skills by participating in
whole class read-alouds and retelling activities. On January 22,
students drafted personal narratives in which they told of a specific
event, fictional or real. The students were given the task of creating a
chronologically logical story with a beginning, middle, and end.
Students achieved this objective in varying degrees. This lesson will
focus on the story A New Coat for Anna and provide students with
further practice in identifying beginning, middle, and end in a piece of
literature. Identifying the most important event from the beginning,
middle, and end of a story can help a reader understand how
organization, sequence, and plot make a good story. This knowledge
and understanding can then be applied to students own writing.
This lesson will be cross-curricular. On Friday, January 23,
students were introduced to natural, human, and capital resources.
Students practiced identifying resources as either natural, human, or
capital. During the read-aloud of A New Coat for Anna, we will discuss
the types of resources presented in the book and examine the meaning
of such terms as barter and scarcity. During Social Studies on January
26, we will practice classifying the resources from the text.
C. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand Students
will understand that
U1. Stories are
comprised of three
parts: Beginning,
middle, and end.

Know Students will

know
K1. Beginning: The first
part of the story. It is
where the writer
captures the readers
attention
Middle: The middle of
the story is where the

Do Students will
D1. Identify the
beginning, middle, and
end of a story.

bulk of the story rests.

It explains the topic and
gives the important
details.
End: This is where the
story comes to a close.
It is the conclusion and
solution to the problem.

U2. There are three

types of resources:
Natural, human, and
capital.

K4. Natural Resources:

Materials that come
directly from nature.

D2. Summarize, write,

and illustrate the
beginning, middle, and
end of a story.
D3. Identify and
categorize resources as
either natural, human,
or capital.

Human Resources:
People working to
produce goods and
service.
Capital Resources: Good
made by people and
used to produce other
goods and services.
D. VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING AND ESSENTIAL
KNOWLEDGE
English 2.12
The student will write stories, letters, and simple
explanations.
b) Organize writing to include a beginning, middle, and
end for narrative and expository writing.
Social Studies 2.7 The student will describe natural resources (water, soil,
wood,
and coal), human resources (people at work), and
capital
resources (machines, tools, and buildings).

E. ASSESSING LEARNING
Students frequently engage in writing prompts and activities.
Pieces of their work are compiled into a portfolio, allowing Ms. Brady
and myself to garner a clearer picture of students progress over the
course of the year. In this lesson, students writing will be scored using
a four-point scale, four being the highest attainable score. Assessment
2

will be based on students knowledge of beginning, middle, and end as

demonstrated through their ability to identify and summarize the three
parts of a story. Anecdotal notes will also be recorded to outline any
areas students may be struggling in, such as recalling important
events in the story, using appropriate punctuation, or capitalization.
Students will also be assessed on their knowledge of natural,
human, and capital resources. The formative assessment will ask
students to sort materials and services from A New Coat for Anna into
three different categories: Natural resources, human resources, and
capital resources. The activity will be used to determine further course
of action in teaching the three types of resources.
F. MATERIALS NEEDED
A New Coat for Anna
Beginning, Middle, and End handout
Pencils
Index cards
Magnets
Chalkboard
G. PROCEDURE Read-Aloud/Writing Block
PREPARATION OF THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
o Get the Beginning, Middle, and End handout ready to
pass out.
o Get the book A New Coat for Anna by Harriet Ziefert ready
to read.
ENGAGEDINTRODUCTION OF LESSON
o Ask students to have a seat on the floor at the front of the
classroom.
o Introduce the book A New Coat for Anna.
Tell students that today we will be reading A New
Coat for Anna by Harriet Ziefert and illustrated by
Anita Lobel. Display the cover of the book for
students. Ask students to make a prediction about
what they think the book will be about.
Explain to students that the story takes place in a
European city at the end of World War II.
Turn to page three. The page depicts a town that has
been destroyed by the war. Ask students what they
notice about the picture.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LESSON
o Read A New Coat for Anna.

Pause while reading to pose questions and check for

understanding.
Possible questions:
o Page 10 What do you think Annas
mother is planning to do with the
Grandfathers gold watch?
o Page 19 Are lingonberries a human
resource, a natural resource, or a capital
resource?
o Page 22 What kind of resource is the
weaver?
o Page 29 How do you think Anna felt in
her new coat? Why?
o What are some ways we can describe
Anna?
While reading, introduce the terms scarcity and
barter. Write the terms on the white board for
students to see.
Scarcity: Not being able to meet all wants at
the same time because resources are limited
o Connection to text: The stores were
empty and did not have any coats for
Anna to buy.
Barter: The exchange of goods and services
without the use of money
o Connection to text: Annas mother
barters the Grandfathers gold watch for
wool.
o At the end of the story, introduce the writing activity.
Explain to students that they will be writing a few
sentences retelling the beginning, middle, and end of the
story. Emphasize that students are to complete the
illustrations only after they write their sentences.
Illustrations should be colorful and connect to what is
written.
o Ask students to quietly return to their seats to work on
their writing. As students work, circulate around the room.
Monitor students progress and assist where necessary.
CLOSURE
o Students will finish at different times. Instruct students to
read over their writing and to check for punctuation and
capitalization. When done, students will turn their finished
product in the box at the front of the classroom. Students

will work on any unfinished work or read silently when

done. Tell students that the story will be revisited during
Social Studies.
CLEAN-UP
o Collect finished writings.
o Instruct students who have not finished to put their paper
in their work folder.
o Return A New Coat for Anna to Ms. Brady.

PROCEDURE Social Studies (11:50)

PREPARATION OF THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
o Clear chalkboard.
o Write Natural Resource, Human Resource, and Capital
Resource on the board.
o Prepare resource cards.
ENGAGEDINTRODUCTION OF LESSON
o Ask students to recall the story A New Coat for Anna.
Share a students completed writing and illustrations with
the class.
o Show the resource cards to students and explain that each
of the cards has a different resource from the story. For
each resource, it will be the students job to determine if it
is a natural, human, or capital resource.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LESSON
o Read aloud the first resource card. Ask students to give a
thumbs-up if they think it is a natural resource. Tell
students to put their thumbs down. Do the same for
human and capital resources. Read aloud the second
resource card and ask for a volunteer to place it on the
board. Ask students to give a thumbs-up if they agree with
the answer. Continue through the remaining resource
cards.
CLOSURE
o Ask students what the resources in each category have in
common. Ask students to share a definition of each type of
resource in their own words.

CLEAN-UP
o Remove cards from chalkboard and erase all writing.
H. DIFFERENTIATION

Differentiation will be based on dialogue and support. I will

identify students who appear to be struggling with their writing
and use a series of questions to help them formulate a response.
o Possible Questions:
Who were the characters in the story?
What did Anna need?
What was the problem that needed to be solved?
Why couldnt Anna just go to the store to buy a new
coat?
Who helped make Annas coat?
How did Annas mother get the materials to make
Annas coat?
What happened in the end?
How was the problem solved?