Teacher: Sarah McHugh Date: 2/20/18

School: Werner Elementary School Grade Level: Kindergarten Content Area: Writing, Science, Math

Title: Space Fact Writing: Uranus! Lesson #: 2 of 8

Lesson Idea/Topic and Rational/Relevance: Students are currently working on practicing appropriate
writing conventions including word spacing, capitalization, punctuation, and phonetic writing. This lesson will
provide students with the opportunity to practice these writing strategies by developing their own sentence
facts based on a lesson about the planet Uranus. This lesson is part of the second week of a two week long
planet unit where students’ facts and art projects will be compiled into their own “Planet Fact Book”.
Student Profile: The class is made up of 19 learners of varying abilities and needs. One student has difficulty
with letter formation and is still an emergent writer that requires modelling and support. One student is an
English Language Learner that needs more scaffolding in support in creating ideas for sentences and
transferring these ideas to paper accurately. Other students in the class are transitional writers that are
acquiring understanding of appropriate writing conventions such as word spacing and upper/lowercase letter
use. Some students have strong control over sentence convention and phonetic writing and are needing to
challenge themselves in their writing by adding more detail. Students have continued to express great
engagement in this unit and using planets as a platform for practicing writing concepts has shown to be very
effective in getting students motivated in their writing. Students have been engaged in this unit for two weeks,
so following this lesson’s procedure has become more of a routine for them because of their opportunity for
continued practice.

Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson: (Write Content Standards directly from the standard)

Reading, Writing, and Communicating

Standard 3: Writing and Composition
1. Text types and purposes, labels, and familiar words are used to communicate information and ideas.
2. Appropriate mechanics and conventions are used to create simple texts.

Science
Standard 3: Earth Systems Science
The Sun provides heat and light to Earth.

Mathematics
Standard 1: Number Sense, Properties, and Operations
Whole numbers can be used to name, count, represent, and order quantity.

Understandings: (Big Ideas)

Students can:
b. Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing
about and supply some information about the topic.
d. With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing as needed.
Students can:
a. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
i. Print many upper- and lowercase letters.
ii. Use frequently occurring nouns and verbs.
iii. Form regular plural nouns orally by adding /s/ or /es/ (e.g., dog, dogs; wish, wishes).
iv. Understand and use question words (interrogatives) (e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how).
v. Use the most frequently occurring prepositions (e.g., to, from, in, out, on, off, for, of, by, with).
vi. Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.
vii. Use proper spacing between words.
viii. Write left to right and top to bottom
ix. Use appropriate pencil grip
b. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
i. Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I.
ii. Recognize and name end punctuation.
iii. Write a letter or letters for most consonant and short-vowel sounds (phonemes).
iv. Spell simple words phonetically, drawing on knowledge of sound-letter relationships.
Students can:
a. Investigate, explain, and describe that the Sun provides heat and light to Earth (and other planets)
Students can:
a. Count to determine the number of objects.
i. Apply the relationship between numbers and quantities and connect counting to cardinality.
ii. Count and represent objects.

Inquiry Questions: (Essential questions relating knowledge at end of the unit of instruction, select applicable questions from standard)

How does a sentence begin?

How does a sentence end?
How does the Sun impact Earth?
How do people share ideas with print?
How does a writer show that one sentence ends and another begins?

Evidence Outcomes: (Learning Targets)

Every student will be able to:

Given an interactive lesson about the planet Uranus, the student will create a one or two sentence fact about the planet Uranus based on the information they
have learned, accurately using phonetic spelling strategies, word spacing, and appropriate punctuation and capitalization usage.

List of Assessments: (Write the number of the learning targets associated with each assessment)

1. Students will write one to two sentences.

2. Students will use writing conventions including word spacing, punctuation, capitalization, and appropriate pencil grip/writ ing directionality. If this is not
done independently, guided editing through writer’s checklist will prompt students to make these edits in their writing.

3. Students will spell high-frequency sight words correctly.

4. Students will use a word bank of important terms or phonetic spelling strategies to sound out unknown words.

5. Students will incorporate facts they learned about the planet Uranus into their sentence(s) fact (possibly incorporating the planet’s cardinality, i.e. Uranus is
the seventh planet from the Sun).

Planned Lesson Activities

Name and Purpose of Lesson Let’s Learn About Uranus!
Students will grow in their writing abilities by applying their learning
about the planets to design their own space facts.

Co-Teaching Which model(s) will be used?

Will co-teaching models be utilized in this Station teaching
lesson? Why did you choose this model(s) and what are the teachers’ roles?
Yes_X_ No ___ This model was chosen because it allows students to receive more
one-on-one assistance with their writing while also allowing students
to have the opportunity to create their planet as an art project at a
separate station. Having a writing station allows for students to have
plenty of time and space to work, edit, and ask questions before
moving on to the next station. The teachers’ role is to facilitate the
writing that students are completing, modifying or extending the
writing as needed, and to support students with editing their writing.
The other teacher will be responsible for the planet station where they
will provide the materials and support students in creating their own
planet Uranus.

Approx. Time and Materials 45 minutes

Materials:
 Smartboard presentation “Let’s Learn About Planets!”
 Vocabulary word bank with the terms: gas, methane, atmosphere,
surface, ice, storm
 Wide lined paper (4 lines for each student)
 Pencils
 Blue and black construction paper
 Scissors
  Oil pastels (blue, purple, white)
 Glue
 Solar system model
 “Planet Poem” song
 For accommodation (white dry erase board and marker to model
letter, word formation)

Anticipatory Set Planet Poem Song

This song puts the planets in order from the Sun and helps the students to re-
engage with their learning about the planets.
 I am using this strategy because the song helps students to
recall previous planets and to realize the planet they will be
learning about for the day.

“Gearing up” as Astronauts

Encouraging the students to put on the gear that astronauts wear (helmet,
space suit, gloves, boots, oxygen tank) in order to help them feel excited
about exploring space.
I am using this strategy because going through these steps helps them to get
excited, motivated, and engaged with learning about space.
Procedures The strategy I intend to use is:
Concept teaching in whole group, guided practice, and independent practice
I am using these strategies here because:
Utilizing concept teaching is effective because the first part of the lesson will
be designed to give a Uranus presentation in order to provide students with
information about Uranus. Guided practice will be utilized in order to remind
students of appropriate writing conventions, including capital letters to start
sentences, punctuation, word spacing, and correct spelling of sight words.
Independent practice will give students the opportunity to show their own
understanding by writing at least one fact.
Teacher Actions Student Actions Data Collected
Facts about Uranus and The class will be split
a review of previous into two groups that will
planets are presented utilize the station teaching
through images, text, a co-teaching strategy so
solar system model, and that students alternate
a Smartboard between writing their facts
presentation. Through
and creating the Uranus
this, students are able to
art project.
hear a variety of facts
about Uranus and to see
these facts At the writing station,
demonstrated in a students will write at least
variety of ways. After a one sentence fact about
the facts are presented, I the planet Uranus based When students start
will remind students of on information learned in writing their facts, it will
the procedures, class. They will have the become evident which
expectations, strategies, opportunity to students were engaged
and guidelines for independently access with the Uranus lesson
writing their own books, the SmartBoard and showed retention of
Uranus fact (planning presentation, the sight the facts learned.
out writing first, asking
word wall, and a series of
before using a word
bank term, moving to vocabulary words based
the editing table when on terms used in the input
finished writing). I will presentation.
remind students to start
their sentences with a Students can use this The editing checklist
capital letter, use word opportunity to get support with each student will
spacing, and ending in their writing. Once they provide valuable data in
their sentences with have finished writing their regards to the writing
punctuation. fact, they will edit their growth that students
After instructions are writing with the teacher to have shown throughout
given, I will ask each ensure they have included this writing unit. It will
student to suggest their also indicate which
all of the appropriate
fact idea based on the
writing conventions. This students need more
information I gave
editing process will support and
regarding Uranus in
order to encourage include a Writer’s modification or are
 students to plan out Checklist, created to ready for more
their writing first. If ensure that students are extensions in the lesson.
their fact utilizing key writing with all of the
terms or word bank conventions that they
words, I will invite need. Afterwards, they
students to come up to will have the option to
the word bank to use on
extend their learning by
of the word cards. If
writing more facts.
students suggest facts
that show retention of
information from the
input teaching portion, I
will know they have the
understanding
necessary for the fact
writing.
Once students start
writing, the teacher will
provide any necessary
support, modification,
and extension. They
will encourage students
to use their resources
such as their word wall,
word bank, books, and
the SmartBoard
presentation. They will
also provide students
with a guided editing
process to allow
students to evaluate
their own writing for
included conventions.
Closure At the conclusion of the lesson, students
will assess their own writing and will
determine whether or not they achieved the
lesson’s objectives. They will also assemble
their art project and their fact on the finished
new page of their planet fact book.
I am using this strategy because it helps
students to become more comfortable
editing their writing independently and will
reinstate the purpose and objective of the
lesson.
Additionally, after the next lesson, students
will participate in a Book Celebration,
inspired by the Lucy Calkins writing
curriculum. In this celebration, students will
share their compiled Space Fact books with
two different partner rotations, giving them
the opportunity to make their writing
meaningful, to see the power of their words,
and to celebrate the culmination of their
hard work over the course of two weeks,
concluding the writing unit.
Differentiation Content Process Product Environment
Modifications: Letter If students Students Small group
formation have will be able station teaching
and difficulty to achieve will allow for
beginning with letter the lesson’s more
writing formation, I objective opportunities to
will utilize a and will get observe
dry erase the support students’ needs
board to they need to and determine
model letter feel that whether or not
formation they are they need
for students
 needing growing as modification in
more writers. the lesson.
support in
their
writing. I
will also
provide
students
with
strategies as
they sound
out words to
include in
their facts.
Vocabulary
word bank
cards will be
helpful to
make more
challenging
words
achievable
for students
in their
writing.
Extensions: Writing If students Students Students will
more write a one will be able to use a
details sentence challenge variety of
and fact their ideas resources in
complex accurately and writing their
sentences. and to become environment to
successfully, more assist them with
I will confident, extending this
encourage independent, lesson,
them to and including the
extend their advanced vocabulary
learning to writers. word bank, a
create more small library of
facts for Uranus books,
their book. I and the
will invite SmartBoard
them to presentation.
utilize the
SmartBoard
presentation
and various
Uranus
books to
explore
more ideas
that they
could write.
I will
encourage
them to
write their
other fact to
include
more details
and
complexity
 to challenge
them.

Assessment I will record students’ challenges and

successes with this writing activity through
individually conferencing with each student
to document what each student needs and
what needs to be more of a focus in future
writing instruction. This conferencing will
allow for students to edit their own writing
by using a Writer’s Checklist in order to
hold themselves accountable for including
necessary conventions in their writing. The
results of this editing process will be
recorded in the form of my personal notes
documenting whether or not students
achieved the objectives for the lesson
including the following criteria:

1. Did the student write at least one accurate

fact about the planet Uranus?
2. Did the student use appropriate
capitalization, punctuation, and word
spacing?
3. Did the student spell sight words
correctly?
4. Did the student show an understanding of
phonetic writing, correctly using letter
sounds to spell unknown words?
5. Did students incorporate learned Uranus
facts in their own facts, showing retention
of the lesson content?
 Post Lesson Reflection
1. To what extent were lesson objectives achieved? (Utilize assessment data to justify your level of achievement)

In this lesson, every student was able to write a sentence fact (or several sentences) using the information they had
learned about the planet Uranus. They also demonstrated a growth in their abilities to include necessary writing
conventions in their sentences, requiring less prompting and guidance. Many students experimented with new
terms and challenged themselves with writing more facts and details in those facts. They followed the lesson’s
procedure fluidly and showed engagement in the lesson even in the second week of the unit. Students have shown
more independence in editing, re-reading, planning, and sharing their own writing.

2. What changes, omissions, or additions to the lesson would you make if you were to teach again?

Students are extremely excited about this lesson and this energy can make it challenging for some students to focus
on the whole group lesson about the planet. In the next lesson, I want to start the lesson by reminding students of
behavioral expectations as well as their writing expectations. By reminding students that the learning from the
lesson is what is needed to create their own facts, it can promote more positive engagement and redirect some
challenging behaviors during the whole-group lesson.

3. What do you envision for the next lesson? (Continued practice, reteach content, etc.)

The next lesson will be the final lesson in this unit where students will learn and write about the planet Neptune. In
this lesson, I will start by reminding students of the writer’s checklist expectations, the procedure for planning out
ideas before writing, and by explaining behavioral expectations during the whole group lesson (listening, sitting
crisscross apple sauce, raising hand before speaking if they have questions/comments) in order to promote positive
engagement. Additionally, since it will be the last lesson of the unit, there will also be a time scheduled later in the
school day for the Book Celebration, where students will assemble their fact pages into their final Planet Fact
book. I will then facilitate two partner rotations with the class, assigning each student a partner and then rotating to
another partner to share their book with their peers. As established in the Lucy Calkins writing curriculum, Book
Celebrations allow students to take pride in their work, to make their learning and hard work meaningful, and to
encourage their continued writing growth. I believe that this will be a great way to conclude this unit. Additionally,
I will record more assessment data using anecdotal notes of their writing in order to see their growth over the
course of the unit.

4. If you used co-teaching, would you use the same co-teaching strategy for this lesson if you were to teach it again? Were there
additional co-teaching strategies used during the lesson not planned for initially? Please explain.

My mentor teacher and I have utilized the station teaching co-teaching model for this writing unit and it has been
shown to provide students with extensive support, interventions, and modifications to fit their specific needs. It
also has given me the opportunity to take detailed notes regarding their abilities, needs, and their growth every day
because of the small group stations. These notes will provide valuable data to include in report cards, parent
letters, and to inform future writing lessons.