Weather Lesson Plan Outline

Standard: K-ESS2-1. Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns
over time.
Objectives:

The student will understand local weather conditions from the summer, winter, fall, and

spring that they encounter in their lives.

The student will be able to define different weather terms that deal with the local weather

conditions from the first objective.

The student will be able to use and share their weather observations with peers.
The student will be able to identify and describe patterns of the local weather.

Length of Lesson: 3 science classes

Age: Kindergarten
Engage:
Materials:

Crystal the Snow Fairy by Daisy Meadows

Overview of the book: This is book one of 7. There are special weather fairies who
control the weather in this city. However, the fairies lost their feathers so the weather
starts doing unusual things such as snowing in the summer. This book takes the usual
weather patterns and changes them into patterns that never happen (Meadows).

Vocabulary words will be introduced throughout this book including

Snow
Cold temperatures

Warm temperatures
Weather
Weather patterns

TW: Explain to the class what popcorn reading is. The teacher will explain that the student who
is called on is to read a page of the book and call on someone else in the class to read the next
page. The teacher will explain that each student can only be called on once. Then, the teacher
will call on a student to read the first page.
SW: If the student is called on to read, they will have to read a page of the book and call on the
next person to read.
TW: After the students finish reading the book, the teacher will ask the student what weather
patterns were found in the book.
SW: The students will point out all of the weather patterns they noticed in the book, including
snow, sun, cold and warm temperatures, and rain. The students should also clearly state that
when it is warm outside, it does not snow.
TW: The teacher will lead the discussion on what is noticed when reading the book. If the
students cannot recognize all of the weather patterns, the teacher will ask guiding questions to
get them to the main ideas. After they have talked about the book itself, the teacher will create a
chart on the board and have the students describe each of the seasons. This will be a
representation of what they see during the seasons before and they will do this again at the end of
the lesson.
SW: The students will discuss the main points of the book. They should be able to describe when
snow occurs. They should analyze the book on a very basic level. Then, the students should

describe to the teacher what they see during each of the seasons to create a chart on the board.
They should include activities such as sledding as well as weather conditions such as sunny,
rainy, snowy.
The point of this book is for students to understand snow patterns. I want students to
recognize that it snows when it is cold outside and not warm. They should be able to point out
the mistake in the book that it is snowing when it is warm.
Explore:
Materials:

Desk space
1 envelope per group
1 set of cards for each group in the envelope

Vocabulary words will be introduced to the students with aiding pictures including:

Sunny
Snow
Windy
Rain
Hot
Cold
Chilly
Warm
Cloudy
Tornado
Hurricane

TW: Explain to the students what a card sort activity is. The teacher will explain that each group
will get an envelope with a variety of note cards in it. The teacher will tell the class that the note
cards will include the 4 seasons which will be the headings for the card sort. Students will be

instructed to take out the cards with the 4 headings on it and lay them side by side on the table.
With the remaining cards left, students are instructed to put the cards underneath the 4 main
headings where they think they belong (Process standard: S.IP.00.11 Make purposeful
observation of the natural world using the appropriate senses). In order for all students to
participate, differentiation needs to be used. Some of the cards are very challenging for the more
advanced students while some cards are very basic for the students farther behind. By working in
groups, all students are able to participate because of the various levels on the cards (Shade)
(Wicker).
SW: As a group of 4 or 5, the students will place the cards in the categories they deem
appropriate.
TW: The teacher will be walking around the classroom challenging why students put the cards
into each category. Students will be asked to give real life examples of some of their placements
that may be controversial.
SW: Answer questions that the teacher poses about real life situations and work on this card sort
activity until the teacher says that it is correct.
Provided below is the card sort activity and the correct answers:
Name that Season!

SUMMER

WINTER

FALL

SPRING

SUNNY

SNOW

WINDY

RAIN

HOT

COLD

CHILLY

WARM

RAIN

CLOUDY

HALLOWEEN

FLOWERS

SWIMMING

SLEDDING

HURRICANES

TORNADOES

DECEMBER TO

SEPTEMBER TO

JUNE TO AUGUST

FEBRUARY

NOVEMBER

MARCH TO MAY

http://www.shadecomforts.com/education/understanding-the-seasons.html
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/index.htm (knowledge that students are expected
to know before my lesson: prior knowledge)

Explain:
Materials:

YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dxbC4-nlEc

Website: http://www.weatherwizkids.com/
White board

TW: The teacher will tell the students that they are going to watch a short video (Mullane). The
teacher will instruct the students to write down or draw 3 weather words that they recognize and
can explain in the song as well as 1 that they do not know. Play the YouTube video
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dxbC4-nlEc) for the class stopping it at 2 minutes and 30
seconds. This video will expose the students to various terminology including weather,
precipitation, rain, snow, sleet, hail, windy, tornado, thunderstorm, hot, cold, wet, dry, stormy,
cloudy, calm, clear, thermometer, hurricane, watch, and warning. After the video, the teacher will
call on a couple students and have them share their words/ images and explain the meaning
behind it in their own words. When the students share their words, the teacher will write on the
white board the word and definition.
SW: The students will listen to the video and pick out 3 weather terms that they know from the
video. If called on after the video, the student will say their word or show the picture of one of

their words and explain to the class what that word means. Afterwards, if the student is called on
to say the word that they do not know, they will say it to the class. Other students are responsible
in explaining the unknown words if they know what they mean.
TW: If none of the students know what the word means, the teacher will chime in and give a
definition of the word. The teacher will pull up pictures on the board of what the word looks like
in a natural environment as well using the website for assistance
(http://www.weatherwizkids.com/). If the students missed any of the key vocabulary words in the
video, the teacher will announce the words and ask the students if anyone can explain those
words. If the students do not know these words, the teacher will explain them using the website
once again and any necessary pictures.
SW: Define any words that they know that the teacher brought up from the video.
TW: The teacher will then ask the students to describe the weather patterns in their local
community (i.e. Grand Rapids) using the new vocabulary terms. The teacher will start off with
summer, then fall, winter, and spring asking the students to use as many vocabulary terms as
possible. The teacher will create a new chart on the white board where all of the contributions are
noted.
SW: The student will explain to their teacher their knowledge on each of the seasons in their
local community using the vocabulary words presented on the white board from the video. The
student will make sure that their ideas are added to the new chart of the seasons on the white
board.

TW: The teacher will then ask the students about events that could overlap in seasons such as
rain. In addition, the teacher will ask about events that do not occur very often such as hurricanes
and tornadoes.
SW: The students will tell the teacher about overlapping events that could occur in more than one
season as well as events that rarely occur.
The teacher will lead most of this discussion and have the students think in a way that
directs them to the answers. The students will use their prior knowledge, experience, website and
the YouTube video to help piece together the patterns found in their local community.
Elaborate:
Materials:

A lot of classroom space

Note cards with the seasons on it

TW: First, the teacher will describe the activity. The teacher will tell the students that they will
be divided into 4 different groups and each group will have a different season. The teacher will
tell the students that once they have their season, they are to act it out in any way possible. The
only rule is that everyone in the group must participate. The teacher will explain that they will
present their actions to the class and the class will have to guess which season they are. Divide
the class into 4 different groups by counting off the students (1, 2, 3, 4). The teacher will direct
the students by saying 1's go to this corner, 2's in this corner etc. Once all the groups are
together, the teacher will pick one student from each group to pick one of the note cards with the
seasons on them.

SW: Divide into 4 different groups as the teacher directs and one student will go to the middle of
the classroom and pick a note card from the teacher. The student will go back to their group and
show the other members what season they have. The students will then work collaboratively to
figure out a way to act out the season (walking really fast to represent wind, swishing noises for
wind etc).
TW: The teacher will walk around the classroom and aid the students in coming up with
representations for their season. The teacher will also ask them to show a couple of their moves
to see if they are on the right track. The teacher will tell the students that it is time to present
once everyone seems to have finished. The teacher will call on each group to present.
SW: The student will present their movements in their group when called upon by the teacher.
When they are done, they will ask the class which season they thought they were assigned. They
will confirm or deny until the correct answer is presented.
Evaluation:
Materials:

"What are the Seasons?" worksheet

TW: The teacher will ask everyone to go back to their original seats for a summary. The teacher
will ask the students to explain each of the seasons one last time. The teacher will also pull out
the first seasons chart and compare it to the second seasons chart from after the explore activity.
SW: The students will actively participate in this discussion and explain to the teacher what they
know about each of the seasons. The students will notice how much they have learned through
the two different seasons posters.

TW: The teacher will hand out the "What are the Seasons?" worksheet provided on the next page
to each of the students. The teacher will tell the students to draw a picture of each of the 4
seasons. The students will also be told to write at least 2 sentences describing what events occur
in each season, using the vocabulary words they had previously found.
SW: The student will complete this worksheet to the best of their ability using as many
vocabulary words as possible. They need to draw pictures as well as write down descriptive
sentences (cross curriculum: practicing their writing skills CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking).

Name________________
What are the Seasons?
In each of the boxes, draw the weather patterns for each season. Include 2 sentences about what
patterns are occurring.

Scientific Background
As a future teacher, knowing common weather patterns is very essential. On a
kindergarten level, they are just starting to learn the basics. However, in order to challenge them,
they need to dig deep into their memory and think about how they can connect what they have
experienced into these weather patterns.
In our local community, Grand Rapids Michigan, general weather patterns are pretty
consistent throughout the seasons. When researching this GLCE, I have found many sources that
explain weather patterns on a deeper level. I learned about trade winds which are winds moving
towards the equator (Netting). Hotter air rises and colder air sinks because it is more dense.
Therefore, this air is very warm as it moves to the equator and rises. There is an area of calm
when the upward winds are warming up and this area is called a doldrun (Fox). The spring is the
windiest time of the year because there is the highest difference in pressure at this time. The west
side of the country has a very low pressure whereas the east has a high pressure. This causes
much wind in the spring especially in the middle of the state (Fox). I learned about how it is
super sunny in the summer and cloudy in the winter because of earth's rotation and axis tilt.
There is a temperature difference as well in the seasons because of the axis tilt. I also learned
about all the different cloud formations from our field trip to the weather station. I know there
are many different forms of precipitation but the main two are snow and rain. I learned that it
rains when water is saturated, or at 100% relative humidity. Then, when air is warmer, it rises
into the clouds. All of the moisture combines together in the clouds until it becomes too heavy.

Then, the water falls to the surface. If it is warm enough in the clouds, it will rain. If it is below
freezing, it will snow (Goldstein).

Works Cited
Fox Television Station. Weather Facts: Why so windy? 6 March 2013. Retrieved from
http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/21537004/weather-facts-why-so-windy
Goldstein, Mel. Weather: So Why Does It Rain? 2002. Retrieved from
http://www.infoplease.com/cig/weather/so-why-does-it-rain.html
Meadows, Daisy. Crystal The Snow Fairy (Rainbow Magic: The Weather Fairies, No. 1). 1
March 2006. Print.
Mullane, Laura. Weather Song. 1 January 2013. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dxbC4-nlEc
Netting, Ruth. El Nino Making Sense of the Weather. 22 January 2003. Retrieved from
http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/nino/global.html
Shade Comforts. Understanding The Four Seasons: Kids Education Resources. 2014. Retrieved
from: http://www.shadecomforts.com/education/understanding-the-seasons.html
Wicker, Crystal. Weather Wiz Kids. 2015. Retrieved from
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/index.htm

Standards:
E.SE.E.1 Earth Materials- Earth materials that occur in nature include rocks,
minerals, soils, water, and the gases of the atmosphere. Some Earth
materials have properties which sustain plant and animal life.
E.SE.00.11 Identify Earth materials that occur in nature (sand, rocks, soil,
water).
E.SE.00.12 Describe how Earth materials contribute to the growth of plant
and animal life.
Objectives:

Understand which animals rely on soil

Explain the effects soil has on animals
Understand and show that not all soil is composed of the same
amounts of the materials

Grade Level:

3rd grade

Engage:
I would first start off by asking some engaging questions to get the
students thinking about the topic. The questions I would ask are, what do
you think is in soil and is all soil the same? I would then describe how soil is
composed of different layers and have a different amount of each component
in it. Then, students will be shown pictures of various soil types. Pictures will
also show how animals interact with the soil. Then, students will be engaged
through a card sorting activity. In order to understand the importance that
soil has on animals, cards will be given to students to put in 2 categories, soil
dependent or not. Each table will receive cards that will have animals on
them. The animals are worms, groundhogs, slugs, snails, ants, birds and fish.
The students will then have to decide if those animals need soil to survive or
not. A discussion will be lead on their overall opinions and we will come back
to it later for the correct answers. The aim of this activity is to show the
students that dirt is very important to many living things.

Worm

Ground Hog

Slug

Ant

Bird

Fish

Snail

NEEDS SOIL
DOES NOT
NEED SOIL

Explore:
Activity 1:
Students will explore their knowledge through a web quest
Before the web quest, students will fill out the "What I Wonder About
Soil" worksheet. They will write 5 things down pertaining to their
interest in soil
http://grants.coehd.utsa.edu/crest/WebQuest/CREST
%20WebQuests/Grade%204/4-6/Introduction.html
This explores the layers of soil and how important soil is to us as
humans
Students will fill out the "To Dig or Not to Dig" worksheet where they
have to answer questions based on the web quest exploration
Students will learn the vocabulary associated with soil
o Humus: composed of broken down leaves
o Topsoil: the top layer of soil
o Subsoil: the soil underneath the top soil
o Sand: broken up rocks
o Silt: fine sand or clay carried by running water
o Clay: sediment smaller than silt that water cannot go through
o Soil versus dirt: soil has organic matter whereas dirt does not
A discussion will be led about the web quest
o What did you find most interesting?
o What did you learn?
o What are the layers of the soil?

What I Wonder About Soil

List at least five things you wonder about soil. If you can think of more than
five, draw more lines wherever you would like.

To Dig or Not to Dig

Name:

What is soil made up of?

Rock, sand, clay, silt, air, water, organic material

Why is soil important?

Roots anchor in soil, it is a source of food for plants, and a home
for many animals

What are the unique characteristics of soil?

Color, texture, structure, mineral content, depth

What are the layers of soil?

Humus, topsoil, leaching, subsoil, regolith, bedrock

*Students will only receive the questions, this is the answer key*

Activity 2:

Students will be shown samples of soil from different parts of Michigan

(soils will show a range of different colors to show the obvious
difference in compositions)
Students will create their own models of soil based on the pictures they
have seen and the soil samples that were brought in
Each student will be given a clear cup to make their model in
To represent rocks, students will put ginger snaps into their cups
Vanilla pudding will then be added for clay
Crushed Oreos will be used for silt
Crushed vanilla wafers will be added for sand
Students will add chocolate pudding for humus
Students will be told to add as much or as little of each component that
they wish as long as they use a little bit of everything and it fits in their
cups. This will show the diversity of the different soil types

Activity 3:

This activity will use the models the students created in the previous
activity
Students will be in groups of approximately 6
Student will exchange cups with their table partners
They will then have to draw the rough estimates of their partners cups
onto a piece of paper, showing the amount of each material in the cup
Then, in their larger groups, the cups will be set out and the drawings
will be mixed up
As a whole group, they will try to match the drawings with the actual
models
Afterwards, the class will come together and discuss how much variety
was in the 10 samples

Explain:

A discussion will be lead based on the topic what will happen if the
Earth runs out of soil?
The teacher will ask the class during the discussion
o Remind me what the layers of soil are
o Remind me what animals are impacted by soil
o If animals are so impacted by soil, how do you think humans are
impacted by it?
Students will then write a couple sentences summarizing the
discussion and answering the main question "what will happen if the
Earth runs out of soil?"
o Students are expected to discuss how animals will be affected as
well as

Elaborate:
Activity 1:
At their table groups, students will research the impact soil has on the
animals from the engage activity. Each table will be given one animal. The
groups will discover if the animal uses soil directly or indirectly, where they
are commonly found, and the overall impact soil has on them. Each table will
create a poster to represent their findings. They will then present to the class
and take notes of each other's presentations.
Sample poster:

In order for birds to survive, they eat worms

Worms live in the soil
Birds pick through the soil to find worms

Uses soil indirectly so they can eat worms and directly by walking around on the soil
Found all over meaning the type of soil does not matter, as long as there are worms
around

Activity 2:
They will then discuss and compare with one another their answers from
before and after the engage activity. Teacher will ask questions such as; what
is in soil? Is all soil the same? What impact does soil have on organisms?
What organisms rely on soil?

Evaluate:
Students will be evaluated on participation with figuring out what animals
are affected by soil. They will be assessed on the completion of the web
quest as well as the models they made. Finally, they will be assessed on the
paragraph they wrote about the discussion summary.
Rubric for the class discussion:
2 points
Student accurately
summarized the class
discussion
Student participated
multiple times
throughout the
discussion
Student actively
helped create and find
the correct
information for the
poster

1 point
Student missed some
main points of the
discussion
Student sometimes
participated
throughout the
discussion
Student had some
wrong information on
their posters

0 points
Student missed many
main discussion
points
Student never
participated
throughout the
discussion
Student had wrong
information on their
poster or did not help
to create the poster

Student completed the

activity assigned

Student did not

complete the activity
assigned

Scientific Background:
There are many different components of soil. These include silt, clay,
humus, rocks, and sand. Soils in different locations are composed of various
amounts of the above materials. It is obvious to see the many colors of soil
which indicate the difference of material within it. These different soils
provide a habitat for many organisms. Each soil houses certain organisms.
Every animal uses soil in some way. Some animals live directly in it such as
worms and moles. Other animals use it more indirectly such as a bird.
Without soil, birds would not have worms to eat. Overall, soil is incredibly
important to the living communities. Without it, animals would not survive.

References:

To Dig or Not To Dig

http://grants.coehd.utsa.edu/crest/WebQuest/CREST
%20WebQuests/Grade%204/4-6/Introduction.html
Edible Soils
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/3661.html
Explore the Composition of the Soil and Worms
http://www.sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/explore-thecomposition-of-the-soil-and-worms-6162087/
Exploring Nature Educational Resource: A Natural Science Resource for
Students and Educators
http://www.exploringnature.org/db/detail.php?dbID=27&detID=1206
Why is Soil Important?
http://www.envirothon.org/pdf/CG/Why_Soil_is_Important.pdf

Michigan: A Geography by L.M. Sommers

Changes to the Earths Surface

Standards:
NGSS 4-ESS2-1: Make observations and/or measurements to provide
evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind,
or vegetation.
NGSS 4-ESS3-2: Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the
impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.
Materials Needed:
Goggles (must be worn throughout the explore)
Paper towels (clean up)
Stopwatch (to keep track of the station rotations)
Trays (to put the experiments on at each table)
Pipette
Vinegar
Soil
Coins
Sand
Fan
Clay
Ice Cubes
Marbles
Beaker
Bunsen Burner
Engage: Students will be engaged in the topic Changes to the Earths
Surface through a card sort activity. Each table of students will be given a set
of cards with words such as: temperature, wind, water, people, plants,
chemicals, iceetc. The Students will then sort the cards based on their preexisting ideas about weathering and erosion. They will sort their cards into
categories of what can cause erosion and what cant cause erosion, then
the students will take their cards and put them in order from what they think
will cause the most erosion to what will cause the least erosion. This will
allow for students to discuss and debate with their classmates on what types
of weathering and erosion exist, and examples of erosion that can be found in
nature.

Explore:
Set up 5 different stations, showing various types of erosion
Station 1: Chemical Erosion
o students will use a pipette and put drops of vinegar onto a rock
o vinegar = precipitation
o questions at the station: Did a reaction occur? If so, why did this
reaction occur? Where can this be seen in a natural environment?
Station 2: Water Erosion
o pile soil into the middle of a tray to represent a mountain
o put coins of various sizes into the mountain to represent trees
o pour water directly over the soil to indicate a rain shower
o questions at the station: Was erosion present on the mountain? If
so, why did this occur? What other general observations did you
notice? What impact did the trees have on the erosion? What
impact does this have on our environment?
Station 3: Wind Erosion
o make a pile of sand on a tray (a sand dune)
o using a small fan, aim the wind at the sand dune
o questions at the station: What happened in this demonstration?
What effect would a stronger wind have on the sand dune
(tornado)? How does wind impact sand dunes?
Station 4: Glacier Erosion
o put an ice cube into a flattened ball of clay on the tray
o let the ice cube melt in the clay and have the students record their
observations
o put another ice cube into a flattened ball of clay on the tray but
this time put sand on the top of the ice cube
o questions at the station: Compare the erosion on the clay of the
ice cube by itself and the ice cube with the sand on top of it.
Describe the erosion of the clay. Why did this erosion occur?
Where would this occur in nature?
Station 5: Temperature Erosion
o put a marble in a beaker over a low power on a bunsen burner
o quickly move it to a beaker of water then into a beaker of ice
o questions at the station: How did the appearance of the marble
change? Why did this change occur?
* Students will be given worksheets to complete as they rotate around the
stations (making predictions before they complete each of the experiments).

Explain:
We will have a discussion with the students about the overall trends they saw
during the explore section. Discussion will start of by having the students
come up with a definition of the word erosion. Teachers will clarify any
misconceptions the students have on erosion. Then, we will go through each
station and talk about the questions they had to answer. Students will be able
to ask any questions that arose during the time they were at the stations. This
will be a time to just lead a clarifying discussion with the class.
Elaborate:
In small groups students will research the role of engineers in protecting the
environment from the effects of erosion and weathering. The Students will
then research the effect erosion has on their community. They will assume the
role of engineers in identifying possible solutions, and presenting to the class
their ideas for reducing these effects.
Evaluate:
Formative Assessment will occur throughout the engage and explore activity.
The teacher will make notes of what the students are understanding and what
they may need more help with.
Students will be evaluated based on their completion of response worksheets.
Students will be given worksheets where they will draw examples of each type
of erosion at the different stations. They will also describe each process taking
place and its effect on the environment and the surface of the earth.
Students will also be evaluated based on their participation and presentations
in the Elaborate portion.

WAL Part 2
Junie B. Jones
Amanda Fields

Announcement
Write an announcement to the class parents informing them about the benefits of reading Junie
B. Jones books and the lessons that will go along with these books.
Parents,

This announcement is to inform you, the guardians, of my plans for our language arts
class. For the next few weeks, I will be assigning 6 different Junie B. Jones books for your
children to read. Students will read these during silent reading time and may also be asked to
read some chapters at home. I have chosen these 6 books very carefully and amde sure each book
will teach a lesson. I will be using these books individually as well as a collection to teach
different genres of writing. Not only do these books teach very important life lessons, but these
books are proven to be great mentor texts. Each one of these books will be used as a model for
the students writing. Students will use their real life experiences to write nonfiction, and a
journal. They will use their imagination and creativity to write a structured poem, and fictional
stories. All of these assignments will be based upon the Junie B. Jones books I assign. With that
being said, I ask you to make sure your son or daughter is doing all of their assigned readings.
We will have discussions during class to make sure all students understand the plot. If they have
not completed their reading, these activities will be very difficult and may have to be postponed.
The assignments with this series are as followed...

A name poem about Junie B. Jones and cinquain poem with the topic being their choice
A journal about a time they were in a very nerve racking situation when they thought they

were going to fail but ended up being very successful

A picture and nonfiction piece about a family tradition
A journal that students will take home and write about when they lost their first tooth.

They will then share this piece in class

A fictional piece about a girl having a crush on a boy or about when someone overheard

something they should not have

A drama using the vocabulary words in all 6 of the books

Feel free to write back in regards to these upcoming lessons.

Thanks,
Amanda Fields

Poetry
For this assignment, students will be asked to write a name poem about Junie B. Jones as well as
a cinquain about anything they wish
Based off of: "Junie B., First Grader Cheater Pants"
Reminder: There are 5 rules to a cinquain presented on page 55 of "Junie B., First Grader
Cheater Pants"

1st line: One word (title)

2nd line: Two words that describe the title
3rd line: Three action words about the title
4th line: Four words that express a thought or feeling about the title
5th line: One word that means the same thing as the title

Sledding
Fast, Windy
Sliding, Slipping, Steering
Snow making me chilly
Tobogganing

Rules for a name poem

Name Poem

Your name
An adjective
Another adjective
Another adjective
Who wishes to be...
Who dreams about...
Who wonders if...
Who is afraid of...
Who loves...
Who loves...
Who hates...
Your favorite line again

Junie B. Jones
Cheater Pants
Sneaky
Honest
Who wishes to admit her faults
Who dreams about getting in trouble
Who wonders if she will get caught
Who is afraid when she does not do her homework
Who loves getting good grades
Who loves being truthful
Who hates getting yelled at by mom or dad
Cheater Pants

Journal
For this assignment, students will journal about a time they were in a very nerve racking
situation when they thought they were going to fail but ended up being very successful.
Based off of:" Junie B., First Grader One-Man Band"
Example of a possible student entry:
Dear Journal,
I had to give my first presentation in front of the entire class today in Kindergarten. I had
to talk about my favorite animal and why I loved that animal. This was an easy topic because it
was on what I liked so I did not have to think too much about it. However, I was incredibly
nervous. The only large group of people that I had talked to before was my family and even then
it was only about 10 people. I had a feeling in my stomach that this presentation would not go
well. I went to bed last night and almost all of my dreams were about me messing up this speech.
I would either stutter, hesitate to start, or just flat out forget everything I was going to say. I woke
up this morning and pretended to be sick because I did not want to give that speech. My parents
did not believe I was sick because they knew how much I did not want to give this speech.
Therefore, I was forced to go to school. I had to wait all day to give this speech! At this point, I
just wanted to get it over with. I had been practicing it over and over again in my head all day
long. This was exhausting! But, practice makes perfect, right? Finally, it was time to give my
speech. I went in front of the whole entire class and began speaking. No hesitation, no stuttering
and no loss of words. My teacher even had to cut me off because I had so much to say about
monkeys. I really thought I was going to fail this speech but I aced it. I went home and told my
parents all about my successful speech. From today on forward, I will not been afraid to speak in

front of large groups. In fact, I think I will actually enjoy having everyone listen to what I want
to say. All in all, I was put in a very nerve racking situation I thought I was going to fail at but in
the end was very successful.
Paul

Picture and Nonfiction

For this assignment, students will draw a picture of their family doing their favorite tradition.
They will then write a nonfiction piece about their favorite time that their family did that
tradition.
Based off of: "Junie. B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business"
Every year, my family goes to a nearby tree farm to pick out a Christmas tree for the
holiday. This is by far my favorite tradition because I have been doing this ever since I was 1
year old. My family always has a real Christmas tree. I love the aroma that fills the room the
instant we bring the tree inside. My favorite time we went to go get a tree was when I was 6
years old. This is the first year we decided to go to a farm that donated all of their profits to a
local charity to help children in poverty. Not only did I feel great about making this contribution
to society but they had the most beautiful trees. My sister, 9 at the time, and I always look for the
fattest trees we can find. We like to bring home a tree that will fill up most of the living room.
After about 5 minutes of being there, my sister and I both looked at the exact same tree then
glanced back at one another. We both knew that was the one. We had found the fattest and greenest tree out there! This was the best tree we had ever found and will probably ever find. No
matter how old my sister or I get, we will always come back home to go Christmas tree
shopping. My family does get jealous of one another just like Junie B. Jones does with her new
baby brother. However, we all come together and rejoice as a family to celebrate our life long
traditions.

Journal
For this assignment, there will be a book kept by the teacher in the classroom. Whenever a
student would lose their first tooth, they would take the book home and journal about how they
lost their tooth.
Based off of: "Junie B., First Grader Toothless Wonder"
Examples of potential student entries:
Dear Journal,
Yesterday for dinner we ate steak, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob. I was really
nervous to eat the corn because my tooth was so wiggly and I thought it would fall out. I ate the
steak first then mashed potatoes. I then drank all my milk and left the corn on my plate. My mom
told me I needed to take at least 1 bite of corn before I could leave the table. I took a bite and my
front big tooth stuck right into the corn and came out of my mouth! It did not even hurt!
Haley
Dear Journal,
Yesterday night, I had a lot of energy. I was running around the house playing with my
toy car. I was pushing the car all around the hard wood floors until it slipped out from right
underneath me! My face crashed into the floor and the next thing I knew I was spitting my tooth
out!
Travis

Dear Journal,
Yesterday, I was playing with my wiggly tooth and showing my dad how far I could
move it. He said he wanted to move it too but instead, he stuck his fingers inside of my mouth
and ripped the tooth out! I started bleeding but it did not hurt.
Jordyn
Dear Journal,
Last night, I was eating an apple before I went to bed. I was about half way done before I
bit down and heard a little crunch. Not the apply type of crunch but a different type. I looked at
my apple and saw my tooth sticking straight out of it.
Sammie

Fiction
For this assignment, students will write a fictional story about a girl having a crush on a boy or
about something they overheard and should not have.
Based off of "Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren" and "Junie B. Jones and some Sneaky
Peeky Spying"
Tricky Vicky
Vicky and her mom never really got along well. Vicky was an average 7 year old who got
into a lot of trouble. She was "that kid" all the parents talked about. One morning before school,
she walked downstairs to the living room where she heard the phone ring. She picked it up
without knowing her mom had already done so. She listened to the entire conversation through
the other phone. Her mom was talking to her principal about Vicky's behaviors being disruptive
to the class. The principal said, "we do not want to worry you, but we may have to suspend
Vicky if she keeps up this behavior. Please do not tell her this news. Discipline her in a way she
will not worry about being suspended." The phone call ended and Vicky heard her moms
footsteps coming to the door. She quickly put the phone down and wiped away her tears. Vicky's'
mom came in and she immediately knew Vicky had overheard. They had a conversation about
her behavior in school and Vicky not only got punished for that but for spying as well. Vicky has
heard something she was not supposed to which ended up leaving her with many consequences.
Vicky learned that day to never spy or eavesdrop on someone else's conversation.

Dialogue
For this assignment, students will use the vocabulary in the 6 Junie B. Jones books to create a
dialogue with your group.
Vocabulary list:
Spying: "When you be very quiet And you look through a peeky hole or a crack or something"
(Sneaky Peeky Spying pg 2)
Stealing: "You didn't pay the storeman for them" (Sneaky Peeky Spying pg 54)
Scuffle: An argument (Sneaky Peeky Spying pg 60)
Sarcastic: Saying something you don't actually mean (One Man Band pg 7)
Nursery: A room for a baby (Little Monkey Business pg 8)
Autumn: fall (Little Monkey Business pg 47)
Confiscate: To take away (Little Monkey Business pg 47)
March: "Walking away fast" (Little Monkey Business pg 52)
Recycling: "When you wash your trash." Reusing garbage. (Toothless Wonder pg 1)
Festivities: Celebrating (Toothless Wonder pg 34)
"I give up": "whatever" (Toothless Wonder pg 71)
Independent work: Working on your own (Loves Handsome Warren pg 18)

"Let's be ladies and gentlemen": "No trampling thy neighbor." Be polite. (Loves Handsome
Warren pg 19)
Speechless: "When your mouth can't speech." (Loves Handsome Warren pg 54)
Punctual: On time (Cheater Pants pg 6)
Cheating: "Copying someone else's paper." (Cheater Pants pg 32)
Cinquain: "A poem that has 5 lines and each line has its' own special rule." (Cheater Pants pg 54)

Mom: "AJ, why did you steal the last package of cookies from the store? Give them to me. I am
going to have to confiscate them from you."
AJ: "But mom, it is Autumn time. I love eating cookies in this weather."
Mom: "Don't start a scuffle. You march right to your room and think about what you did."
AJ: "I give up. I am speechless."
Mom: "Let's all be ladies and gentlemen here. We can handle this in a mature fashion. We need
to go back to the store so you can admit your faults. You will tell the store owner, pay for the
cookies and we will leave."
AJ: "Right mom, I'll just walk into a store and talk about all the things I have done wrong here."
Mom:"Don't be sarcastic AJ. This is not a festivity. You need to admit you were in the wrong."
AJ:"Alright mom, I will go back to the store right after I recycle the packaging."

Mom: "You ate all of those cookies? That is it! Go sit in the nursery for a time out and work on
your independent work from school. You need to finish writing that cinquain before bed and no
cheating. We want to be punctual tomorrow for school."

Meta cognitive Summary

For the second part of the WAL project, I wanted to incorporate the parents into their
children's learning. I first started off with an announcement to the parents informing them what
exactly I would be teaching in the next few weeks. This sets the foundation for my project and
lays out somewhat of a glossary for the rest of the paper. I then thought about what I could do
and how I could use these 6 books to teach a language arts lesson. I expanded my ideas and made
it into a whole unit. I decided I could make each one of the books a mentor text for one of the
lessons I wanted to teach. I then provided some examples of potential student work and some
teacher examples to guide the students initial thoughts. I wrapped up the entire paper by thinking
of a response piece that would incorporate all of the books. I decided using the vocabulary words
in each book would be most beneficial. The students would not only learn the vocabulary words
definitions but they would have to put them into practice by writing their own dialogue.
I was going to have the teacher and a guardian/ parent write back and forth about the
benefits and concerns of teaching Junie B. Jones books but doing this in so many genres would
not be very realistic. I decided to figure out how I would teach this to students and what would
be most realistic. Overall, I am pretty happy with how this project turned out. It could be
something I use in my classroom one day. I could even incorporate these activities into a
different collection of books.

References:
Junie B., First Grader Cheater Pants
Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business
Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren
Junie B., First Grader One-Man Band
Junie B. Jones and some Sneaky Peeky Spying
Junie B., First Grader Toothless Wonder