Grade:3

Subject: Language Arts

Length of Lesson: 50-60 minutes

Topic/Theme:Jeremy's Decision by Ardyth Brott

Purpose:

This lesson will be used to build the student’s reading and comprehension skills and to their list of new vocabulary. The journal will record their individual responses and provide me with evidence of their independent thought. This story was also selected to help me assess the student’s ability to make inferences about the reading material. Students will be encouraged to bring their own meaning to the text and will be required to uncover their fears, feelings, hopes, dreams, and other responses to the story.

Materials, Resources, Methods, Classroom procedures:

I will be using the method framework of a Read Aloud Response Journal. My classroom will have a designated area for reading (ie. a reading corner) and I will lead the students to this area before reading the story. The student’s will all be provided with their own personal journal (ie. a spiral notebook) and will be given adequate time to formulate their responses. I will bring the story, Jeremy’s Decision, and have questions for understanding and comprehension available to help students get started. The story is about a little boy who feels pressured because he thinks everyone wants him to grow up to be a music conductor like his father. Throughout the story, he realizes that he does not want to be a conductor like his Dad and fears that his parents will be upset with his decision. Yet, in the end, Jeremy decides he must tell his family about his dream to become a paleontologist. Jeremy’s family members are very surprised and very proud of him and Jeremy realizes that they will love him no matter what he decides!

Background Knowledge:

Students must have a firm knowledge of the vocabulary within the story. To ensure this, I will write some of the new vocabulary on the black board and discuss their meanings before I begin the story. Next, I will ask the students to listen for these words while I read them the story and have them clap their hands whenever they hear one of the new words.The list of new vocabulary will be added to the vocabulary wall that would have been already be a part of our classroom.

Body of Lesson:

Step 1: Introduce book to the students. Emphasize title, author, and illustrator. Ask students to think about the title and cover of the book and to make inferences about what the story will be about and to give reasoning for their predictions.

Step 2: Read the story while stressing all of the new vocabulary words on the black board and vocabulary wall that has already been set up in the classroom. Stop periodically to ask students what they think will happen next in the story or what Jeremy will say/do next?

Step 3: Give the students a writing task to think about (ie. In this story, Jeremy makes a big decision. What are some big decisions that we all have to make? What to wear, if we should get a pet or not, joining a club etc. Can you think of a time when you had to make a big decision? Describe how you came to your decision and what the outcome was.). Write some of the student’s suggestions on the black board to get them all thinking.

Step 4: Get students to make an entry in their Read Aloud Response Journals. Allow about 15 - 20 minutes for this activity. Make sure students know when time is almost up and encourage them to finish up their writing.

Step 5: Share responses in pairs by reading aloud. Have the listening students come up with questions to ask their partner about their writing or simply share a positive comment about the response being read.

Closure of Lesson:

Step 6: If time permitting, ask students to share their responses to the class. And/or give students a sheet of paper with the title When I grow up I want to be a ______________. Ask them to draw a picture of what they want to be when they grow up. These pictures will be displayed in the classroom or outside the classroom in the hall.

Assessment:

I will circulate throughout the room during the responding and sharing parts of the lesson and make sure students are staying on task. I will take note of all the different responses given and provide additional instruction to students having difficulties. It is important that the students have a good grasp of what the lesson requires, since this will help me to assess their comprehension levels. Finally, I will take in their journals at the end of every period. By the end of the year, my students will have a cumulative sample of the advances in their reading and comprehension skills. This journal will be one way that I can assess my student’s abilities, improvements, and areas needing additional exploration.