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Direct
Instruction
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Organizer
Concept
Attnment
Cooperative
Learning
Inquiry Teaching
Materials Needed:
Prerequisite Skills:
Lesson Objective(s):
Academic:
Given a script and time in class to practice, fourth grade students will read and perform dramatic readings
of a Readers Theater of The Watsons Go to Birmingham making sure to speak clearly, at an
understandable place, and with fluency and expression with 95% accuracy determined by a rubric.
Social Goals:
Fourth grade students will be able to work productively with their peers to rehearse the play in small
groups. The cooperative group work requires students to listen to group members as they read their
parts, know when it is their turn to read, take turns, and be respectful to others. Students will also be
assigned a role within their group they will need to be responsible for.
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Today, you are going to be split into several groups and perform a read aloud of a scene in The
Watsons Go To Birmingham. You have already read this text and are familiar with the story line
and the Civil Rights period. You will choose a character from your assigned scene and read the
lines for your character only. You will have to follow and read the script carefully, so this is a
good opportunity to practice your reading, fluency, and speaking skills. You can take on the
narrator role, Byron Watson, Kenny, or Byrons father or mother. Can you remember some
other characters from the story?
Byrons sister, Joetta
The reporter
Grandma Sands
The waitress
Byrons cousins, Junior and Sarah
Mr. Robert, Grandmas friend
These are some of the possible roles you will perform once you assume a character. Be sure
that you think from your characters perspective and think about how it felt to be them and living
during the Civil RIghts era. How do you think they felt? How do you think they spoke and
carried themselves? How did they talked to others around them? How do you the time
influenced their behavior? Be sure to consider these when reading your characters lines; youre
are reading as if you were them so be sure to get into character.
Since you are being assessed on your fluency, expression, and clarity and pronunciation, can
you think of some things that good, fluent readers do? Keep these in mind while you are
practicing.
Speak at good pace
Few miscues
Uses expression
Speak with appropriate volume Pause when necessary In character
Brief Introduction to Social Goal:
You will have to take turns reading with your peers, listening and following along carefully, so
you know when it is your turn to speak. You will have time to practice with your group today;
tomorrow you will perform your read aloud for me and the class. I will be assessing your
abilities to work cooperatively and productively as well. Since you will be working together in
small groups during your read aloud, what are some important aspects of cooperative learning
and productive group work? Engage in a brief class discussion. Consider:
Listening to other group members
Speaking at appropriate times
Equal contributions and responsibilities
Respect personal space
Speak to the whole group, appropriate volume
Ask questions if confused
Ask peer members for input
Embrace others ideas and suggestions, stay objective
I want you to think about these when practicing your read aloud today. Please be an active
contributor to your group and be respectful of your group members.
Time: 15 minutes
During the students independent work time and practice, I will be circulating around the
room making sure all the students are aware of the criteria they are being assessed on
in their read aloud: fluency, expression, and clarity and pronunciation. I will refer to the
question master of the group and show that I am available for support when they have
questions or need suggestions.
b. How will you monitor the social goals?
I will monitor groups during work time in my observation journal based on three areas:
cooperation, participation, and listening. Since these are the three areas on the rubric I
am using for assessment, I want to be sure I am gathering observations of the students
while they are practicing. That way, I can be sure students are making adequate
progress and meeting the social objectives.
5. Provide recognition:
Time: 3 minutes
During small group work time, I will circulate providing positive reinforcements and verbal
feedback to the students. I will praise them if they are working cooperatively, listening to others,
and contributing to their group. These reinforcements could include, I like you are listening
carefully, thank you for remembering your group role, and thank you for being an active
member of your group. If students are not contributing, I will encourage them to be more
engaged with their character and be a more responsible group member.
6. Assessment / Closure: (How do you evaluate student progress or end this lesson?)
Time: 5 minutes
Informal Observation: While groups are reading and practicing their readers theater, walking
around the classroom will allow the teacher to make observations on the students fluency,
expression, pace and reading ability.
Formal Assessment: After each group has finished reciting and practicing their scene section,
they will present their scene to the class. Students will be formally assessed in both academic
and social areas. They will receive individual scores in both categories as well as a collective
group score after their performance. Having both individual and group scores is important in a
cooperative learning group because it requires students to be both individually and collectively
accountable. (*See attached rubric)
8. References Consulted:
The Watsons Go to Birmingham. (2013). Scholastic Action, 37(2), 12.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/printouts/30698_rubric.pdf
Handouts from course manual about ideas for roles: monitor, questions master, etc.
Attachments
Assessment Rubric (Use for assessing both social and academic goals)
Individual Scores
4- Excellent
3- Good
2- Fair
1- Needs
Improvement
Fluency
Student had
difficulty reading
script fluently
Verbal Expression
Students reads
script with verbal
expression
Students reads
script with some
verbal expression
Student reads
script with little
verbal expression
Student has
difficulty reading
script with verbal
expression
Clarity and
Pronunciation
Students reads
script with clarity
and pronunciation
Student reads
script with some
clarity and
pronunciation
Student reads
script with little
clarity and
pronunciation
Student has
difficulty reading
script with clarity
and pronunciation
Cooperation with
group
Student worked
cooperatively with
the group in all
aspects of the
project and
shared all
responsibilities
and ideas well
Student worked
cooperatively with
group in most
aspects of the
project and
shared most
responsibilities
and ideas
Student worked
cooperatively with
group in some
aspects of the
project but
sometimes could
not agree on what
to do and wasted
time
Participation
High level of
active, on-task
participation from
all group
members
Majority of group
members on-task
and actively
participating
Moderate level of
on-task work or
few of the group
members actively
participating
Academic
Social
Comments:
Scene Cards:
Scene 1
N1
Bryon
Kenny
Momma
Joetta
Dad
Scene 2
N1
Dad
Momma
N2
Reporter
Kenny
Byron
Scene 3
N1
N2
Grandma
Mr. Robert
Kenny
Bryon
Waitress
Dad
Sarah
Scene 4
N1
N2
Joetta
Kenny
Bryon
Junior
Scene 5
N1
N2
Mr. Robert
Kenny
Bryon
Grandma
Momma
Scene 6
N1
N2
Mr. Robert
Kenny
Momma
Grandma
Kenny
Bryon
Joetta
Dad