PART B: LESSON PLANNING TEMPLATE- Second Lesson

Plan for the Teaching of a Reading Comprehension Strategy- Making Connections

TOPIC: History- Stories of the First Fleet, including reasons for the journey, who travelled to Australia, and their
experiences following arrival.
Blue text= thinking routine
Year Level: 4

Yellow text= use of a range of resources (ICT)

other resources

Time: 60 minutes approximately

Pink

text=

Green text= instructional strategy

Relevant Elaborations: Making connections between the text and students own experience, other texts and
the world.
Comprehension
connections

strategy=

making

During this lesson students will: Use a screen-based text to make connections between the text, their own
experiences, other texts, the world and their previously learned knowledge in regards to the semiotic systems.
LESSON INTRODUCTION:
The Hook: The teacher uses a regular die and six photos of the first fleet and convicts on the interactive
whiteboard numbered from 1-6. The die is rolled and the corresponding photo is selected. Students share their
individual connections. Use the prompt It reminds me of..(see appendix 7).
Literacy learning intentions 2-5 minutes:

Die= concrete material/resource

We are learning to Make connections. When you make connections you use your schema, also known as
your background knowledge to make sense of the new information. You think about all the things that are
already inside your head like what you have seen, done and read to better understand and interact with the text.
Learning behaviours: Have visible the previously made collaborative poster Making Connections that
highlights text-to-self, text-to-text and text-to-world connections.

Use visible resources such as a poster

I need to ...Use what I already know to make sense of new information and experiences. I need to think about
what I have done, seen and read.
Success criteria for whole class:
I am doing well if I ...use what I already know (schema) to make meaningful connections from my life with new
information (screen-based text).
Success criteria for focus teaching group
I am doing well if I ...make three meaningful connections from my schema to what I am viewing (screen-based
text).
Shared
Text
for
whole
class:
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3934600.htm

ABC

Behind

The

News-

First

Fleet

Consider your role for whole class and focus group instruction: Modelling by thinking aloud will be used
for both the whole class and focus group, modelling what good readers do and how to make real connections
that help you understand the text more deeply.
BEFORE Whole class instruction/strategy preparing for reading the text:

Mary Buffon

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Ask students to refer to poster. Using Think-Pair-Share ask students how making connections helps us
understand texts. Discuss whether all connections are helpful?
DURING Whole class strategy for reading the text 5-10 mins:
Show the screen-based text home page on the interactive white board (see appendix 4). Discuss and
make predictions. E.g. Why is there a boat? What do you think will happen? After viewing clarify any
unfamiliar vocabulary, e.g. malnourished, Botany Bay. Teacher models by thinking aloud her connections
to each of the semiotic systems. E.g For Gestural: The childrens facial expressions show the children
looked scared. When I was little, I had to move schools and felt like I had no friends. I was also scared. (Text-toself).

Add to Making Connections Poster highlighting the relevant type of connection. Ask students to make their own
connections in regards to each of the semiotic systems and add to poster.
AFTER:
1. Whole class activity/thinking routine to explore the text using the reading comprehension strategy.

Students are divided into five groups. Each group explores one of the semiotic systems in greater
depth. Explain to students they will be analysing the semiotic systems like they just did in the whole
class task but using the Connect-Extend-Challenge thinking routine. Model how to complete the
worksheet on the iPad. Nominate a scribe for each group. Students re-watch the screen based text on
their iPads and in their group on the iPad complete the work set (see appendix 7).
2. Focussed teaching group 15-20 mins:

Four students who are at the phrase and sentence level.

Use the the 3-2-1 bridge thinking routine, using the instructional strategy of modelling to think aloud.
Scaffold the task by focusing only on the 3 thoughts/ideas/connections for this lesson. Teacher will
also record each of the students connections on Connections poster. Students re-watch the same
screen based text (Behind the News) and use the semiotic system Gestural to make connections
(see appendix 5 for screenshots to use in this lesson). E.g. I thought the little girl looked really sad, I
was scared when I lost my Mum at Target. I know how she feels. (text-to-self).

Can prompt students again if need be, It reminds me of Students may respond:
o

It reminds me of when I travelled overseas and I was also scared.

They look tired, it reminds me of the other book we read The Little Wooden Horse when
those children were tired after they had to work too.

I will assess the childrens understandings by examining and recording the number and type of connections
each student has made. I will also note whether students connections have merged their thinking with new
information.
LESSON CONCLUSION 10-15 mins:
Students return to the floor as a whole class. Have students reflect on the learning intention and success criteria
by asking students to chat with a person near them about a connection they made today and how it helped
them better understand what they viewed on Behind the News. Students use thinking thumbs to indicate their
thoughts in regard to the success criteria.
WORD COUNT: 393 words

Mary Buffon

S00134651