Lesson Plan: Martins Big Words

Name: Rosa Kleinman

Date and time of the lesson: May 5th, 2016 9:05-9:50
School: PS 20
Grade: 4th grade
Cooperating teacher: Matthews/Lanza
Room number: 304
Content area: ELA
Central Focus/Essential Question
How do we make/ inferences and facts?
Goal of Lesson
In this lesson, we will read Martins Big Words by Doreen Rappoport, a picture biography of
Martin Luther King, Jr. Using this text, we will learn the essential reading strategy of making
inferences based on facts that we find in texts. Well also talk about why we made certain
inferences.
Common Core Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and
when drawing inferences from the text.
Prior Knowledge/ Key Misconceptions
Students may be confused about the difference between a fact and an inference. A fact is
something that you can observe (in text or real life), and an inference is an educated guess that you
make based on facts. We will go over this in the beginning of the lesson, just to be sure.
Materials & Resources
Chart paper, markers, easel, exit tickets
To do ahead of time:
3 columned chart with the following sections. Facts // Inference: What does this make me think
of? // Why? A model/example will be provided in the first row.
The students will also fill out their own mini-chart at the end on a piece of paper (exit ticket).
5-7 Printed copies of the photograph (one to have up front, a couple to pass around for people who
cant see)
Model/examples written ahead of time on paper (ready to hang on chart)
Lesson Development
Before lesson: have chart ready to go and hung up on the easel. Be ready with exit tickets and book.
Part I: Introduction

1. Gather students in the meeting area (call by table). Ask them to bring pencils.
2. Show students historical photograph. Ask them to take a minute and share only what they see
(observations only).
3. Ask students to share: what do your observations make you think?
4. Tell the students that as we read, well pretend that we are journalists gathering information for
a story were going to write later. To help us, we will be pulling facts and making inferences
about the text as we read.
5. Explain to the students that we will be filling out the chart as we read with facts, inferences
(what this makes us think) and why.
Part II: Read Aloud
1. Begin reading Martins Big Words.
2. After reading page 1, share the example Ive created on the chart and explain how I put the
information into each column. My fact from this page is: Many signs in Martins hometown said
WHITES ONLY. Do you see I took that directly from the text? That proves it is a fact. Next, I
have my inference (what this makes me think of): There was discrimination against blacks
they were not allowed to use the same facilities as whites Do you see how that is an inference?
The text does not say that directly, but it gives me information that makes me think that. Lets
look at the last column. Why did I make this inference? I made this inference because Martin
said he felt bad. Hang examples on chart (5 minutes)
3. Continue reading pages 2-4.
4. Stop on page 4. Ask students to find a fact and turn and talk about it with a partner.
5. Call students back and call on a student to offer a fact.
6. Write down the fact.
7. Ask the class: what does this fact make you think of?
8. Call on 1-2 students and write down an answer
9. Ask the class: why did you make this inference?
10. Call on 1-2 students and write down answer (10 minutes)
11. Continue reading. Stop on page 8.
12. Ask a student to think of fact and what it makes them think of and T&T.
13. Call students back. Ask them to share. Write down answers on the chart. (10 minutes)
14. Continue reading until page 15. (5 minutes)
Part III: Independent work and wrap up
1. Explain to the students that for the final activity, theyll be filling out their own mini-chart (the
exit ticket) with a fact, what it makes them think of, and why? (It will be identical to the chart
we are using). Give students 10 minutes to write. Students will work in pairs to discuss
their work!
2. Wrap up: ask 2-3 students to share what they wrote. (5 minutes)
3. Ask students to pass papers up.
4. Transition: ask students to turn their attention to teachers and listen for directions.

Differentiated Instruction
For students with IEPS/ELLs, I will offer a copy of the text that they can refer to as we read.
Assessment
I will be assessing students as we read and as they talk to the students around them. The chart that
they fill out at the end by themselves will also serve as an assessment of their understanding.