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Alyssa Carmona, Marli Hertzog, Shelby Alexander, and Bridget Cummiskey

Professor Caroff

EDR 307-01

10 April 2015

Balance Literacy Lesson Plan

Lesson 1: Before-During-After (BDA) Lesson
Title: The Little House

1.1 Integration of Learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of this lesson, children will be able to describe main events in the
text using textual and illustrative evidence through large group instruction/discussion. Students
will also be able to define new vocabulary introduced through the text, The Little House. They
will note setting changes and make connections to past experiences. Similarly, they will be able
to relate their feelings to those that arise in the book.

Objective 1: Children will participate in a large group discussion and be able to orally
answer questions to clarify their understanding of the meaning of new vocabulary and
unfamiliar phrases presented in, The Little House.
Objective 2: Students will be able to collaborate with peers to orally answer questions
presented by the teacher using key details from the text.
Objective 3: Children will be able to describe the changing settings in the story as well as
major events that occur using textual and illustrative evidence.
Objective 4: Students will be able to share their feelings about plot of the book using key
details and events to demonstrate comprehension of The Little House.

1.2 Standards:

CC.1.2.1.F Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words
and phrases in a text.
CC.1.3.1.B Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
CC.1.3.1.C Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
CC.1.3.1.G Use illustrations and details in a story to describe characters, setting, or
events.
CC.1.5.1.A Participate in collaborative conversations with peers and adults in small and
larger groups.
CC.1.5.1.B Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or
through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting
clarification if something is not clear.
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CC.1.5.1.D Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing
ideas and feelings clearly.

1.3 Formative and Summative Assessment

Formative:
We will observe the classs overall understanding of newly presented vocabulary as they
correctly or incorrectly answer teacher given comprehension questions.
We will take written notes on the ability of each child to answer questions presented
using their abilities to recall text and to draw on important details.
We will have the students collaborate, as an entire class, to successfully complete a venn
diagram comparing and contrasting the differences between the rural, suburban, and
urban settings the house lives in.
We will have the students use white boards to write one emotion they felt during the story
and their ability to make connections to one or more events that made them feel that way.

Summative:
We will know that progress towards objective one was made because students will
correctly define, in their own words, the new words and phrases that were introduced
during The Little House.
We will know that progress towards objective two was made because students will
appropriately reference the text to write down 4 main events of the story.
We will know progress towards objective three was made because students will
successfully point out the three major setting changes from The Little House.
We will know progress towards objective four was made because students will
successfully make connections between their feelings and The Little Houses feelings in
the book.

1.4 Materials
The Little House
Citation: Burton, V. (1942). The little house. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Chalkboard (K-W-L chart)
Vocabulary sheet (differentiation for English Language Learners)
Book on tape: The Little House
Flipbooks
Pencils
Art materials (colored pencils, crayons, markers, etc.)
Personal whiteboards
Dry erase markers
Whiteboard eraser
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1.5 Anticipatory Set:

Begin by saying I want everyone to close their eyes, and picture what your dream house
would look like.
Teachers Note:
Use this to direct students thinking, and prepare them for the reading of
The Little House.
Purpose: To increase understanding of each of these settings, and to make
text-to-self connections.
Note: The purpose will be established by way of the before reading
activities.

1.6 Procedures:
Before Reading
Ask the students, What is a setting?
Can you give some examples of settings in our community?
Introduction of vocabulary: rural, urban, suburban
Picture walk: Use illustrations from The Little House to make connections to
these different types of settings
Open book to page 9; Ask the students, Can someone raise their hand and
tell me what kind of setting they think this is based on what we talked
about? (country/rural)
Open book to page 17; Ask the students, Can someone raise their hand
and tell me what kind of setting they think this is based on what we talked
about? (suburban)
Open book to page 33; Ask the students, Can someone raise their hand
and tell me what kind of setting they think this is based on what we talked
about? (city/urban)
Have any of you ever moved to a new setting? (i.e. from the city/country to a
suburban setting)
As a class, start a K-W-L chart on rural, urban, and suburban settings.

During Reading
Chunk #1: Pages 1-4 (stop after reading page 4)
What does it mean to be curious? (vocabulary)
Do any of you know what cities are like? What would you tell the Little
House about them?
Do you think the Little House will get to find out what the city is like for
herself? What makes you think this?
Chunk #2: Page 6 (stop after reading page 6)
Does anyone know what a brook is? (vocabulary)
Can you find the brook in the picture?
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Chunk #3: Pages 6-12 (stop after reading page 12)

What seasons did the Little House see? What were some of the things that
she saw during each season?
Do we see the same seasons as the Little House? During each season, do
we see the same types of things that the Little House saw?
How do you think the Little House felt about seeing the seasons change?
Chunk #4: Pages 14-18 (stop after reading page 18)
What is happening to the Little House?
How do you think the Little House feels? Why do you think she feels this
way?
How would you feel if you were the Little House?
Chunk #5: Page 20 (stop after reading page 20)
Is the Little House finally getting to see what the city is like? How do you
know?
How does she feel about the city right now?
Do you think this feeling will change? If so, in what way?
Chunk #6: Pages 22-24 (stop after reading page 24)
Does the Little House get to see the seasons change anymore? How do
you know?
How do you think this makes the Little House feel?
Chunk #7: Page 26 (stop after reading page 26)
What is a glance? (vocabulary)
Do people look at the Little House anymore?
How do you think this makes the Little House feel?
How would you feel if you were the Little House?
Chunk #8: Pages 28-31 (stop after reading page 31)
What does it mean to look shabby? If the Little House looks shabby, does
she look good or bad? (vocabulary)
Does the Little House like living in the city? How do you know?
How does the little House feel? Have you ever felt this way?
Chunk #9: Page 32 (stop after reading page 32)
What do you think is going to happen next?
What makes you think this?
Chunk #10: Page 34 (stop after reading page 34)
Where do you think they are taking the Little House?
Where do you think the Little House thinks she is going?
Chunk #11: Page 37 (stop after reading page 37)
Where did they take the Little House?
Were you right about where you thought they were taking her?
Chunk #12: Pages 38-39 (stop after reading page 39)
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How does the Little House feel? Is she happy?

Was the Little House happier in the country or the city? Why do you think
this is?
What do you think matters most to the Little House? Is it where she lives,
or is it something else?
After Reading
As a class, complete the K-W-L chart by filling in what the students learned after
reading The Little House.
Each student will create a flipbook to demonstrate their understanding of each
setting in the book, draw a picture of the Little House in that setting, and show
how she feels in this setting (see attached example).
Have a short class discussion about why the Little House felt the way she
did in each setting.

1.7 Differentiation
English Language Learners (ELLs):
Students will be provided with a vocabulary list that includes definitions
and a picture depicting the meaning of each word before the reading of the
text.
Students will be able to listen to The Little House on tape at a reading
center to reinforce concepts and help with recalling events.
Post Reading Activity: These 5 students will use the correct vocabulary
word to describe the setting (country/rural, suburban, urban/city) as well
as a smiley face, uncertain face, or a sad face.
Closure: These 5 students will be able to draw pictures in order to convey
their understanding of closure questions.
Emergent Readers:
Students will be able to listen to The Little House on tape at a reading
center to reinforce concepts and help with recalling events.
Post Reading Activity: These students will use the correct vocabulary
word to describe the setting (country/rural, suburban, urban/city) as well
as a smiley face, uncertain face, or a sad face.
Early/Beginning Readers:
Post Reading Activity: These students will use the correct vocabulary
word to describe the setting (country/rural, suburban, urban/city) as well
write one to two complete sentences describing how this setting made the
Little House feel.
ADD:
The teacher will allow these two students to sit in the front of the
classroom, and away from distractions (i.e. away from doors, windows,
etc.) to keep them focused during the reading of The Little House.
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The teacher will also be sure to have all materials ready ahead of time, in
order to eliminate student waiting time.
In addition, the teacher will check in with these two students more
frequently during the completion of the activity.

1.8 Closure
Students will use personal whiteboards to respond to the following questions
(questions based off of summative assessment)
Question 1: Define the three main settings seen within the text.
1a. Country/rural
1b. Suburban
1c. City/urban
Question 2: Name the four main events that occur during The Little House
(think back to our flipbook activity and the different flaps we created).
Question 3: Write a sentence that conveys how you felt (happy, uncertain,
or sad) about one event that happened in your life (text-to-self).
Example of happy: I felt happy when I got my new puppy!
Example of uncertain: I was uncertain when I started at a new
school.
Example of sad: I was sad when I lost my new yo-yo.