Brittany Tackett

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Classroom
Context

Central
Focus

Dates and duration

Whole/small group or
individual
IEP /ELL/other
Number of students
Lesson plan title
Grade level
Content Standard

Central focus
Learning Objectives

Common Errors and

misconceptions

Instruction

Launch
Description of
engaging activity

Instruction
Strategies to

March 3; 30 minutes
Whole Group
Mixture of high level and low level students
9 Girls, 10 Boys
Similarities and differences between animals.
Kindergarten
ELACCKW2- Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing
to compose informative / explanatory texts in which they name what
they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.
SKL2a- Explain the similarities and differences in animals (color,
size, appearances.)
The central focus will be similarities and differences between a wasp
and a woodpecker as well as being able to draw a picture that
supplies information about either a wasp or a woodpecker.
The learning objective will be for students to use drawings, spoken
language and writing to create a text demonstrating their
understanding of similarities and differences between a woodpecker
and a wasp.
Common errors or misunderstanding of students related to the central
focus of this lesson would be if students did not know what wasps
and woodpeckers are or if the students do not grasp the concept of
similarities and differences. If these problems arise I plan to address
them by showing the students more pictures and listing off
characteristics of both a wasp and a woodpecker. If students have
difficulty grasping similarities and differences I will have two
students stand at the front of the room. As a class the students can
name off things that the students that in common as well as
characteristics they do not share.
5 Minutes.
I will start the lesson to engage and motivate students in learning by
saying, The letter that we are studying this week is W. Who can
raise their hand and tell me the names of animals that start with W?
Students will answer. I will say Good job everyone. All of those
animals have at least one thing in common, their name. Today we are
going to talk about the similarities and differences between two
animals whose names start with the letter W, a wasp and a
woodpecker. I have a book that I am going to read to you that
explains similarities and differences between many different animals
before we name a couple ourselves; its called Which One Is
Which? I will read the short book to the class.
15 Minutes
I will engage students to help them understand the

Brittany Tackett
understand
content
Learning
activity/task

Academic
Language
Demands

concept by naming off similarities and differences

between a shark and a dolphin
The learning activity and task will be for students to be

able to write a similarity and difference sentence about

a wasp and a woodpecker.
Evidence of learning will be when students answer
Evidence of
questions and participate in the lesson
learning
Structured practice and application
My strategy for guided practice would be to have the
Strategies for
students answering the questions that I am asking
guided
them while filling in the Venn Diagram.
practice
Strategies for independent practice will be to prompt
Strategies to
students into making up their own similarities and
Independent
differences sentences.
practice
Closure
5 Minutes
Differentiation
/Planned support
I will provide students access to learning based on individual needs
Evidence of
and group needs but knowing where the class is as a whole and
access to
knowing where each student is individually. For example, I know that
learning
the whole class has been exposed to Venn diagrams so they should
not struggle with the concept as well as be able to tell me where
things belong in the diagram. Individually I will know what students
have issues with writing, drawing or putting sentences together so
that I can prompt those students.
Support
I will support students with gaps in the prior knowledge by having
strategies to
them tell me their difference or similarity instead of writing it. If they
close gaps
have gaps in prior knowledge about woodpeckers and wasps and they
cannot name a similarity or difference on their own they will be able
to look at the board and name one directly from the list that they
class made all together.
Materials
For this lesson I will need the book titled Which One is Which? the
pictures of a wasp and a woodpecker as well as the markers for the
white board.
For this lesson the students will need their writing journals which are
kept in their pouch on the back of their chairs.
Language Demand
Writing
Language Function
The language function is knowing what a similarity and a difference
is and why they are important. Students must understand that a
similarity is something two things have in common and a difference
is something that one has but the other lacks. The purposed for which
the language is being used with attention to goal and audience would
be for students to Compose and Explain.
Vocabulary Use/
The content specific terms are as follows: Similarity, difference,
wasp, woodpecker.
Syntax
The language syntax will be the sentences the students write in their

Brittany Tackett

Oral questions ( List

H/L level questions)

Assessment

journal as well as their drawings of a wasp or woodpecker.

Low level questions would be what are characteristics
of a wasp and a woodpecker. High level questions
would be what is a similarity between a wasp and a
woodpecker?

Type of assessment
Description of
assessment
Modifications to the
assessment so all
students could
demonstrate their
learning
Evaluation criteria /
(evidence of student
learning)

Informal
I will walk around the room and read the students sentences as well
as look at their drawing. When I am looking at their work I will see if
they have accurately stated a similarity or difference.
For the students who are still struggling with writing sentences I will
allow them to verbally tell me a similarity or difference between the
two animals instead of having them write a sentence.

The evidence of student learning will be in their journals where they

wrote the sentence and drew the picture.