Lesson in Reading Comprehension and Writing Skills for Second

Grade

Literary Text Standard (K-3)

Students enhance their understanding of the human story by reading literary texts that represent a variety of authors, cultures and eras. They learn to apply the reading process to the various genres of literature, including fables, folk tales, short stories, novels, poetry and drama. They demonstrate their comprehension by describing and discussing the elements of literature (e.g., setting, character and plot), analyzing the author’s use of language (e.g., word choice and figurative language), comparing and contrasting texts, inferring theme and meaning and responding to text in critical and creative ways. Strategic readers learn to explain, analyze and critique literary text to achieve deep understanding.

Benchmark: B

Use supporting details to identify and describe main ideas, characters and setting.

Indicators:

2. Describe Characters and Setting

3. Retell the plot of a story

Writing Process Standard (K-3)Students’ writing develops when they regularly engage in the major phases of the writing process. The writing process includes the phases of prewriting, drafting, revising and editing and publishing. They learn to plan their writing for different purposes and audiences. They learn to apply their writing skills in increasingly sophisticated ways to create and produce compositions that reflect effective word and grammatical choices. Students develop revision strategies to improve the content, organization and language of their writing. Students also develop editing skills to improve writing conventions. Benchmark: A

Generate ideas for written compositions Benchmark: G

Publish writing samples for display or sharing with others, using techniques such as electronic resources and graphics

Indicators:9. Use available technology to compose text.10. Reread and assess writing for clarity, using a variety ofmethods (e.g., writer’s circle or author’s chair).11. Add descriptive words and details and delete extraneousinformation.12. Use resources (e.g., word wall, beginner’s dictionary andword bank) to select effective vocabulary.13. Proofread writing to improve conventions (e.g., grammar,spelling, punctuation and capitalization).14. Apply tools (e.g., rubric, checklist and feedback) to judgethe quality of writing.15. Rewrite and illustrate writing samples for display andfor sharing with others.

1. Generate writing ideas through discussions with others.2. Develop a main idea for writing.3. Develop a purpose and audience for writing.4. Use organizational strategies (e.g., brainstorming, lists,webs and Venn diagrams) to plan writing.5. Organize writing with a developed beginning, middleand end.6. Use a range of complete sentences, including declarative,interrogative and exclamatory.Include transitional words and phrases.8. Use language for writing that is different from orallanguage, mimicking writing style of books whenappropriate.

Writing Application Standard (K-2)

Benchmark: A

Compose writings that convey a clear message and include well-chosen details

Indicators:1. Write stories that convey a clear message, include details, use vivid language and move

through a logical sequence of steps and events.

Students will practice using their knowledge of story elements to create an original written story as a small group. The story will be bound into a book format, and evaluated by the class for appropriate story elements. Students will take photos with a digital camera – these

pictures will become their inspiration for the story and ultimately the illustrations

Students will generate a story to go with their selected photos

Students will cut and paste their story on to pages that will become a book to share and display to other classes

Students will evaluate each other’s books to determine character, plot and setting.

Digital Camera, Color Printer, binding machine and plastic binding combs or hole punch and yarn, construction paper, glue sticks, internet capable computers, Google account, flash drive to store photos from cameras

For students: Construction paper, glue sticks, scissors, digital cameras

Plot

Character

Story Elements

Setting

Conflict

Resolution

Pre-assessment will consist of a group discussion during which the teacher will evaluate how much students recall about what basic story elements are (Setting, characters, plot including conflict/resolution).

“Refresher” lesson (preferably in a common area, on the rug, etc.) to remember what we know and have already learned about story elements. Have students summarize a favorite or popular movie

Movies are stories that are acted out, they have story elements

Brainstorm the Setting, Characters and Plot of the movie as a group

Analyze story elements in Cinderella

Have students name Setting, Characters and Plot as teacher completes graphic organizer of story elements on the board

Story Elements – CinderellaCharacters Setting

(Where/When)

Plot

Cinderella

Wicked Stepmother

Mice

Stepsisters

Prince

Fairy Godmother

Cinderella’s house

The Palace

A Faraway Kingdom

Cinderella wants to go to

the ball, but gets locked in

her room

Fairy Godmother comes

to help, she falls in love

with Prince Charming.

Prince can’t find

Cinderella

Prince finds Cinderella

and they get married.

Read-aloud of picture book such as Three Billy Goats Gruff or The Tale of Peter Rabbit Have students listen for Characters, Setting, Conflict and

Resolution

When a student identifies a story element, have them whisper to a partner what they think it is during the reading

Following reading, students and teacher discuss what they identified as conflict, resolution, characters, setting

Teacher will be assessing the conversation for comprehension of story element concepts

Engage students in a common area. Ask students to share with the class if they have ever authored or illustrated a written work.

We can all be authors and illustrators because we all know the necessary parts of a story (review story elements)

Today, we are going to be authors and illustrators for our own books.

Explain steps:

Take pictures that will be illustrations and idea-starters

(approx. 25 min)

One picture with a person/people

One picture with no people

One picture of something close-up

One picture of something far away

Select pictures to use

Brainstorm, and compose an original story on Google Docs

Cut and Paste pictures and text into a book format

Picasa Web Featured Photos

Teacher has assembled all pictures – those taken by students and supplemental teacher pictures from Picasa featured photos to a Google Docs presentation.

Students will browse the photos in their groups and select 5-7 to print in color for use in their story

Students will then brainstorm and compose their original story on Google Docs.

Each story must contain identifiable story elements

Story may be about anything (appropriate for school). Students should use their imaginations!

This may take more than one day depending on progress made.

Teacher will visit each group to assess their progress, and help with any roadblocks

Students will share the Google Document with the teacher

Following composition, students will review final product for any last editing changes

Students will print the text from their story

Using scissors and glue sticks, students will cut and paste their text and illustrations onto paper that can be bound as a book.

Final product will look something like this:

Have each group read their story aloud for the class.

Following each group’s story, the class will complete a graphic organizer for story elements together.

Teacher can use this as an assessment of how the entire class understands the concepts

Once upon a time there was a man who lived in California. He was looking at his oldest dog. Not that the dog didn’t look good, because he did even though he was old. The transformer didn’t know what else to do, so he stared at the dog too, to make sure he was safe.

Then all of a sudden the dolphins from the beach nearby started going crazy because the volcano was going to explode. The man saw them out of his window. He could see the darkness of them in the water and they were jumping out 100 times.

The man had a lot of cardboard at his house; it almost filled the whole thing up. He placed it around the house and over the top of the house and covered it in lots of layers. Of course he always had a lot of cardboard because there were so many earthquakes. His job gives him a lot of money, because he does something important and that’s a great way to recycle the cardboard (using it to protect your house).

The volcano became closer and closer to exploding. Good thing the man had some extra cardboard to block the rest of his house and keep it full with cardboard.

After about 20 minutes, after he saw the dolphins go crazy, he looked at the volcano shooting up a bunch of flaming ashes and it erupted. He went upstairs because if the lava came to his house it was the safest place to be. His house was safe fromthe lava because it was protected with cardboard.

After the volcano erupted his cardboard was melted. They were giving out more free cardboard and he got a ton of it, and then he went to go eat pizza with his dog, and some dog food and they ate together.

The End.

Characters Setting

(Where/When)

Plot

The Man

The Dolphins

California

The man’s house

A Volcano is going to

erupt

Dolphins warn the

man

Man protects his

house with

cardboard

Volcano Erupts

Man goes to eat

dinner with dog

Story Elements – Group 1

Post-Assessment will be a multiple choice quiz to evaluate comprehension of story elements.

The Assessment will be grouped into three sets of 5 questions for each story element – characters, plot (conflict/resolution), and setting.

The questions will be based on books we have read in class, and will include a short story to read and identify elements.

If students score 80% or higher in one category (missing one question), they will be assessed to have mastered the content. Students who miss two questions will be noted to revisit the content in small-group or one-on-one instruction. Students who miss more than two questions in one story element category are assessed to have not mastered the content and will receive individual follow-up to gain a better understanding of the material.

Students struggling with the content..

will be scaffolded by students in their group who have greater mastery of the concepts

Will re-visit concepts during small-group exercises, during read-alouds and individually with educational software

Students who have mastered the content..

Will be challenged to describe each element in greater detail

Determine central idea or lesson of the plot

Describe characters in greater detail, their feelings and motivations

May be paired with a student who is struggling to scaffold their learning and help explain concepts differently one-on-one

At home, students may utilize software online such as carnegielibrary.org which has an application to create stories using various elements

Students can use a printout to record elements of a story after reading at home with a family member http://www.teachervision.fen.com

Students are encouraged to identify and discuss story elements at home when reading with family. A teacher blog post and a section of the newsletter that is sent home each week will detail what we have learned in class so that parents can reinforce concepts with students when reading at home

ART!

Students are using many artistic concepts for the layout and design of their story

Social Science/Science

Students are using skills necessary for collaboration: listening to others, being aware of fellow students feelings and ideas, listening

Students are interacting with subjects they photograph and exploring the natural world artistically

This articledetails the benefits of cooperative learning and how it enhances student

comprehension as well as the classroom environment.

Thank you for your attention!