I had prepared my materials before the students returned, placing my character trait anchor chart on the easel with blank chart paper behind it. I had pulled up my Google Slides that showed a recipe format, had my mentor text with sticky notes ready and placed my handout sheets on the desk beside the Smart Board. As I did in my last lesson, I instructed the students to gather on the rug for the read aloud. I read Stone Soup by Marcia Brown, making sure to include voices for the characters and to utilize both tone and inflection to maintain the students interest in the book. The students listened quietly, but were engaged during turn and talk and think, …show more content…
pair share points where I had stopped reading to ask the students to discuss what they thought. I wanted to introduce the concept of the classroom being similar to the village in the story, a place that is a community. I wanted the students to explore ways in which the positive character traits of the soldiers were similar to the character traits of their classmates. I felt that this tied in with what second-grade had been studying during the prior week; the students had been studying character traits and how to recognize them in literature. Following the read-aloud, I showed the students the anchor chart which led to a discussion concerning the differences between physical character traits (on the outside) and personality traits (on the inside) and which of these provides in-depth information concerning the character. I asked the students to brainstorm the positive and negative character traits they observed in the story. I divided the plain chart paper in two, asking the students if they had noticed differences in the character traits of the villagers compared to the soldiers. Without hesitation, they picked up on the fact that the negative character traits belonged to the villagers and the positive character traits belonged to the soldiers. I wrote down the character traits they named in the appropriate columns.
Next, I pulled up my Google slide, explaining what a recipe is and how you write one. I showed the students my imaginary recipe where the ingredients were positive character traits telling the students that they were going to create their own class character trait recipe. I led a brief discussion on the kinds of baked goods or meals that could provide inspiration for a recipe title. I dismissed the students to begin working, telling them that they could brainstorm ideas with a classmate at their desk if they needed help. The students worked quietly and diligently following the recipe format and arriving at several creative ideas. A handful of students collaborated with a partner, while others worked alone. I walked around the room as they worked to give positive feedback and to offer guidance when asked. I observed that they all grasped the idea of positive character traits and had included those traits they discovered in the story plus additional ones that some students felt were pertinent to their class.
On this occasion, I felt that my timing for the writing activity ran smoothly, taking the full amount of the time allotted.
The activity was challenging enough that it kept the students occupied during the entire writing time. Having realized last time that the students were capable of greater higher-level thinking than I had imagined, I had increased the complexity of the skill I was asking them to complete in writing a recipe. It could have been confusing, however, the students were able to understand immediately what I asked of them. When the time came to share their recipes during the closure of the lesson, I realized that I need to adjust the way that sharing occurs during the closure of my future lesson. I had two students read what they had written and then realized that several of the students wanted to share their work; next time I will have them read their work to a partner then switch. I will ask the students to pay a compliment to their partner; this will be an equitable arrangement. The students were excited when I told them that I would be putting their recipes together as a classroom character book for their
bookshelf.
My cooperating teacher gave me positive feedback, letting me know that she felt that the lesson connected with what the students had been studying during the last week.
I am enjoying creating a rapport with the students, they are a sweet group!