Subject/Grade level: Reading, 7th grade

Unit topic: Reading comprehension of literary text/literary non-fiction

Lesson Title: The snowball fight
Estimated length of Lesson: 45 minutes
TEKS Standards: 7.7 Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about varied
structural patterns and features of literary non-fiction and provide evidence from text to support
their understanding.

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to analyze two forms of literary text and compare
and contrast them, to understand the different features of text structures and paired passages.

Academic Language: Academic language that students must know are: non-fiction, author’s
purpose, theme, mood, imagery, diary, figurative meaning, tone, and speaker

Materials: copies of the non-fiction passage and poem on George Washington Carver, paper,
pencils, I-pads, and Kahoot.

Instructional Procedures:

Before lesson: (Done the day before) before the lesson begins, the teacher go over what non-
fiction text is. The teacher will also discuss how February is black history month, and introduce
the name, George Washington Carver. The teacher will try to gain any background knowledge
that the students might already have. The teacher will pass out copies of the short passage on
George Washington Carver and have the students take turns reading out loud in small groups.
The Teacher will walk around ensuring that everyone is on task and paying attention. Students
should be using their STAAR Strategies while reading the passage.

During Activity: Once the students are done reading the short passage, the teacher will read a
poem on George Washington Carver to the whole class. The class will briefly discuss what they
learned about George Washington Carver.

Now, it is time to compare and Contrast the Two Texts, with the snowball fight activity.

Each student will be given a piece of paper that has a statement on it (For example, It might say:
Incorporates Figurative language) each student will crumble up their piece of paper to make a
snowball. When the teacher yells “GO!” the students will begin throwing their snowballs to each
other. This will go on until the teacher yells “Freeze!” Once the students freeze, the will pick up
the snowball closest to them. They will take turns reading the statement out loud. There will be
three posters hung around the room that say, POEM, PASSAGE, or BOTH. Once they read their
statement out loud, they will walk to the poster that applies to their statement. For example, if
their statement says “The author incorporates imagery” and only the poem used imagery, then
they would walk to the poster that says poem. This will continue on, until each student reads
their statement.

After activity: Once, the snowball fight activity is done, the class as a while will discuss the
statements to see if everyone agrees where each statement was placed.

Assessment: As an assessment, they students will be given an I-pad and they will receive a code
to play a kahoot quiz. Not only will the teacher assess students’ knowledge on the story of
George Washington Carver, but certain vocabulary words such as: author’s purpose, theme,
mood, tone, figurative language, and etc.

Poem used

An Ode to the Humble Peanut,

.

Which Sustaineth This Great Nation

With Its Bounty
Hamilton Nolan

11/07/12 10:40AM
Filed to: PATRIOTISM

Good morning, America. Do you know why this is a special time to be an

American? Because this is an amazing year for peanuts!
Let us toast the humble goober
Uber-popular with moochers
Forget tomatoes and tubers
News is nuts are super duper

Peanut crop this year is bumper

Call your friends, alert your mother
"Peanut party time!" you utter
Dreaming dreams of peanut butter

Glory in the earth's kind bounty

Peanuts cover every county
Millions, maybe more, who's counting?
Pounding groundnuts in our mouthies.

No hot droughts nor freezing freezes

Growing nuts in perfect season
Nuts bestowed by blessed Jesus
Reese's Pieces for your nieces.

Peanut butter toast for breakfast?

Heck it's not even a question
P.B.J. for lunch in heaven?
Yes kind sir, I'll take eleven!

Paying pennies on the dollar

For our peanut bushels oughta
Raise their spirits down in Georgia
Thank you, George Washington Carver

Have a peanut, have another

Have a mess of peanuts, brother
Though you may live in the gutter
Peanuts are cheap, no need to stutter

Let’s all be peanut Lovers!