Heading:
Subject Area: Literacy Grade Level: Kindergarten
Concept/Topic: Compare/Contrast Characters Time: 9:00-10:00
Desired Results:
Lesson Background:
Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards
1.2.1 Text Analysis and Evaluation
*Compare and contrast characters
9.1b.2 Performance
*Represent a character by using voice inflections and facial expressions
*Recreate a familiar story for an audience individually or cooperatively
Objectives:
-Students will be able to compare and contrast characters within a text.
-Students will be able to reproduce a story using the dramatic arts.
Procedure (Learning Plan):
Materials and Technology:
Teacher:
-The Grasshopper and the Ants by Aesop, large chart paper
Student:
-Similarities and differences worksheet, Easy Reader for The Grasshopper and the Ants
Step-By-Step Procedure:
-The teacher will explain that she will be reading the story, The Grasshopper and the Ants, allowed to the class and that the students will be comparing and contrasting the characters.
-The teacher will draw a large Venn Diagram on the board. A picture walk will then be completed and the teacher will ask students to pay close attention to the main characters in the story (the grasshopper and the ants).
-Following the picture walk the teacher will ask students to share the similarities and differences they noted from looking at the pictures. She will explain that these characteristics are physical and that we will find more similarities and differences after reading about what the characters do and say.
-Following the read aloud the teacher will ask students to share new similarities and differences that they noticed while listening to the story.
-Together the class will fill out the Venn Diagram and will talk about the similarities and differences that they noticed.
-The teacher will then informally assess students memory of the character traits mentioned and will say a word from the Venn Diagram. Students will be asked to say whether the characteristic describes the grasshopper, the ants, or both. This will help the teacher ensure that students have a strong grasp on the characteristics of the characters.
-The children will be instructed to recreate the story and become the main characters.
-Each group will use the easy reader and the characteristics of the main characters to recreate the story and show their short plays to the teacher.
-The teacher will use this activity as a formal assessment using a rubric for small groups to assess students understanding of the plot of the story and the characteristics of the main characters.
Evaluation:
Following the small group activity students will be given a worksheet to complete independently. The worksheet will contain pictures of the main characters and a list of similarities and differences. The students will be required to sort the characteristics between the main characters. This will be turned in and used to assess students.
Differentiation:
ESL students can be provided with an audio version of the easy reader to help make connections between language and text. Special education students will receive a version of the worksheet where the characteristics listed have pictures attached to help explain meaning of the words. Gifted students will be provided with a worksheet without a word bank. They will be asked to write their own characteristics for similarities and differences between the main characters.
Subject Area: Literacy Grade Level: Kindergarten
Concept/Topic: Compare/Contrast Characters Time: 9:00-10:00
Desired Results:
Lesson Background:
- Big Ideas: The big ideas of this lesson include analyzing text and literary elements. This specific lesson targets character identification and the comparing and contrasting two characters. Students will reproduce the story and the characters through a dramatic arts performance to show their understanding of the characters.
- Teacher Knowledge: In order to successfully implement this lesson the teacher must have background knowledge about the story, The Grasshopper and the Ants, and have strategies for teaching students about character traits. The teacher must also be comfortable facilitating small groups in recreating the story using a short play.
Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards
1.2.1 Text Analysis and Evaluation
*Compare and contrast characters
9.1b.2 Performance
*Represent a character by using voice inflections and facial expressions
*Recreate a familiar story for an audience individually or cooperatively
Objectives:
-Students will be able to compare and contrast characters within a text.
-Students will be able to reproduce a story using the dramatic arts.
Procedure (Learning Plan):
Materials and Technology:
Teacher:
-The Grasshopper and the Ants by Aesop, large chart paper
Student:
-Similarities and differences worksheet, Easy Reader for The Grasshopper and the Ants
Step-By-Step Procedure:
- Engagement/Introduction:
- Explain the “hook” or lead-in part of the lesson: The teacher will ask one student to come up to the board and stand next to her. She will ask the rest of the class to name some things that they notice they have in common. (ex: they both have hair, they are both wearing shoes, they both go to school, they both have red shirts on, etc.) She will then ask the students to come up with differences that they notice. (ex: boy/girl, she is wearing a skirt and he’s wearing pants, he has blonde hair and she has brown, etc.)
- Exploration/Explicit Instruction with Modeling and Guided Practice:
- Explicit Instruction:
-The teacher will explain that she will be reading the story, The Grasshopper and the Ants, allowed to the class and that the students will be comparing and contrasting the characters.
-The teacher will draw a large Venn Diagram on the board. A picture walk will then be completed and the teacher will ask students to pay close attention to the main characters in the story (the grasshopper and the ants).
-Following the picture walk the teacher will ask students to share the similarities and differences they noted from looking at the pictures. She will explain that these characteristics are physical and that we will find more similarities and differences after reading about what the characters do and say.
- Modeling:
-Following the read aloud the teacher will ask students to share new similarities and differences that they noticed while listening to the story.
-Together the class will fill out the Venn Diagram and will talk about the similarities and differences that they noticed.
-The teacher will then informally assess students memory of the character traits mentioned and will say a word from the Venn Diagram. Students will be asked to say whether the characteristic describes the grasshopper, the ants, or both. This will help the teacher ensure that students have a strong grasp on the characteristics of the characters.
- Guided Practice:
-The children will be instructed to recreate the story and become the main characters.
-Each group will use the easy reader and the characteristics of the main characters to recreate the story and show their short plays to the teacher.
-The teacher will use this activity as a formal assessment using a rubric for small groups to assess students understanding of the plot of the story and the characteristics of the main characters.
Evaluation:
Following the small group activity students will be given a worksheet to complete independently. The worksheet will contain pictures of the main characters and a list of similarities and differences. The students will be required to sort the characteristics between the main characters. This will be turned in and used to assess students.
Differentiation:
ESL students can be provided with an audio version of the easy reader to help make connections between language and text. Special education students will receive a version of the worksheet where the characteristics listed have pictures attached to help explain meaning of the words. Gifted students will be provided with a worksheet without a word bank. They will be asked to write their own characteristics for similarities and differences between the main characters.