Lesson Plan Format

GSU Student & Room Number Subject Period Starting/Ending Date

Classroom Teacher Times
Amy Walker 8th grade 1st-6th 8:20-11:04 2008
Reading 11:59-3:08

Essential How can an author’s use of words and
Questions: punctuation influence how I read aloud
and present information?
How can I effectively locate a specific
book of interest in the media center?
GPS/QCC/ National Standards:
ELA8R3—The student reads aloud,
accurately (in the range of 95%), familiar
material in a variety of genres, in a way that
makes meaning clear to listeners.
AASL Standard 1: Learners use skills,
resources, and tools to inquire, think
critically, and gain knowledge.

Key What is prosody? a. Reads with a rhythm, flow, and meter that
Questions: sounds like everyday speech (prosody).
What type of online catalog is available Skills- 1.1.4—Find, evaluate, and select
for me to use in the media center? appropriate sources to answer questions.

Reading Material: Materials/Resources/Technology:

Boynton, S. (1993). Birthday Smartboard; interactive bulletin board; a variety of children’s books
Monsters, Workman Publishing, in the Media Center; classroom wiki—URL address:
New York http://walkerswarriors.wetpaint.com (pathfinder), rubric for
assignment, “Locating My Book” handout

Assessment Strategies
Key Question #1- Teacher will assess through observation of student’s discussion and
through question and answer when completing the K-W-L chart over “Reading with
Prosody”, for an accurate understanding of how to read aloud effectively. Teacher will also
assess using the attached rubric as a grading tool as students read their selection aloud.

Key question #2- The teacher will review student’s worksheet, “Locating my book”, by
collecting all handouts after students have completed them in the library to determine
whether students accurately searched and located their book selection in the Media Center by
utilizing the preferred website offered by the DCMS media center.
Part One: Lesson Introduction (10 min):
Review of Previous Instruction
Good morning class! Today we are going to discuss reading with prosody. Raise your
hand if you can tell me what “prosody” means. (Students will raise their hands because
they have previously defined this word.) When I read the novel, “Crispin”, by AVI, is
my voice monotone or do I use voice inflections? Why do I change my voice when I
read aloud? I will draw a K-W-L chart on the smartboard and allow a student to complete
the chart as we discuss the information together. What do you want to know about
reading with prosody? (student response)

Anticipatory Set
I will ask students to raise their hands if they enjoyed when someone read to them when
they were young. (student response) Raise your hand if you can name a few books that
your librarian, teacher, or parent read to you as a child. (I will call on 4 or 5 students to
name books.) What did they do to keep you interested in the book? I will call on students
to share their answers. Next, I will read the book, “Birthday Monsters”, by Sandra
Boyton, aloud using prosody. I will then read the book aloud using a monotone voice.
Which way would you prefer someone read to you?

Part Two: Developmental Activities (approximately 60 minutes)

1) Students will be given their assignment before going to the library. They will be
instructed to listen carefully to their assignment to ensure that they have a clear
understanding of what is expected of them when they enter the Media Center.

2) I will pass out the handout, “Locating my book” and the rubric for the assignment
to each student. Today you will begin an exciting activity that will allow you to
read your favorite children’s book aloud to your class, using prosody to gain your
peer’s attention and interest.

3) Tell students that we will be going to the library to search for their favorite
children’s book using the online catalog that the school provides for students and
teachers. I want you to take a few minutes to think of your favorite children’s
book. This may be a book that was read to you as a child, or one that you have
read to a young child.

4) As a way to prompt recall, I will use the smartboard to display the pathfinder for
students to utilize. If a student does not have a book in mind, I will ask them what
type of book they enjoy reading (sports, tools, dance…). I will then guide them
through sites recommended on the pathfinder and encourage them to read the
review of the book before choosing that book. I will also tell students to make
sure they select more than one book, just in case their first selection is not in the
library.

** See http://walkerswarriors.wetpaint.com/page/Assignments for the pathfinder.**

 5) Once students have written their favorite book on their paper, I will tell students
that we will be going to the Media Center to locate the book that they have
chosen. Our media specialist will instruct you as to how you should utilize the
online catalog to locate your book. Once we get in the library, you will need to sit
at the tables in the back of the library and listen as Mrs. Rogers walks you through
each step of using the catalog. She will model this for you using the smartboard.

6) Review the rubric for the assignment before going to the library. Make sure
students know how they will be graded for this assignment and ask students to
raise their hands before we leave if they have any questions about the assignment.

7) Take students to the media center. The media specialist will give students their
instructions. Tell students to complete the handout “Locating my book” as they
locate their selection using the online catalog. Please make sure that you fill in
the author’s name, catalog number, and identify whether the book is fiction or
non-fiction. Tell students that this will be turned in as their “ticket to leave the
library”.

8) Instruct students to read their book selection silently once they locate it in the
media center. After reading it silently at least two times, they are to read it aloud
to a partner (they have their partner’s names).

Part Three: Concluding Activities (20 minutes)

Once all students have located their selection and completed their handout, we will
move to the area where the beanbags are located and the class will be given the
opportunity to sit on the beanbags as the Media Specialist reads her favorite book
aloud to the class.

Again, what is prosody? I will then tell students to practice reading their book aloud,
using prosody for homework. I will encourage them to read to their parents, or
siblings at home. Remind them that each student will read his or her book aloud
tomorrow in the classroom. Also, remind them to review their rubric to ensure that
they know how they will be graded for this assignment.

I will encourage students to visit the classroom’s wiki to assist them in their
assignments. Websites are listed on the pathfinder (which is found by clicking on
“assignments”. The rubric is also found as an attachment on this page. I will walk
students through this process on the smartboard and tell students to make sure they
have written down the URL address.

Part Four: Differentiation

Visual and auditory learners are benefited through the use of the smartboard during class
instruction. Kinesthetic learners are benefited by completing the K-W-L chart, moving to
the library for further instruction, and utilizing the online search tool to locate their
favorite book in the library. ESL learners will be given the opportunity to read their
favorite book in Spanish, if they choose to do so.

Part Five: Reflection and Evaluation of Lesson and Teacher Effectiveness

This lesson went pretty smoothly! Even 8th grade students love to read children’s

books. I try to read aloud to students as much as possible. Throughout the year, I have

noticed that very few students read with prosody. It is often hard to “follow” students as

they read aloud. Others tend to be less interested in the selection when their peers read

to them. Because of this, I decided to complete this activity and I am glad that I did!

Students really seemed to enjoy this and several commented on learning how to use the

online catalog to locate books in the library. One student said that he had never used a

catalog at all; instead, he always asked the Media Specialist where a book was and she

helped him find it in the library. Once he told me that, I knew this activity benefited not

only him, but other students like him as well.

After the activity, the Media Specialist informed me that this was the first time

that a teacher has asked her to walk students through the use of searching using the

online catalog, then assigning students to utilize this as part of an assignment. She told

me that she enjoyed doing this and that she also thought that it benefited the students.

Reading a children’s book aloud isn’t something that she gets to do very often in the

middle school setting, so this was also a fun activity for her as well.

Several students did not circle whether the book they chose was fiction or non-

fiction. Although we go over these terms very often, I would remind them of what fiction

and non-fiction is and give a few examples of each the next time I do this.
 Before the lesson, I decided to change one thing about the use of the rubric. I

have noticed that many students seldom refer to the rubric for guidelines when

completing activities, so I decided to supply students with 2 copies of the rubric. One

copy was for them to turn in to me before reading their book aloud. The other copy was

for them to use when grading a peer. I assigned partners for all students and had them

grade each other using the rubric. I believe this helped them by forcing them to not only

review the rubric, but to make their own judgments about another’s work.

I had a great time creating the pathfinder for this activity! I never knew how easy

is was to create this—and I actually feel as if I can utilize this time and time again in the

classroom. Students loved to see information about their class activities online!

Students also enjoyed walking up to the smartboard and choosing a link on the

pathfinder, then locating a book and reading a review for the book. They seemed to love

the use of the smartboard in the classroom.

This lesson actually took 4 days to complete! We went over the assignment in the

classroom during one day, went to the library on the second day, and began reading

aloud on the third day. We finished reading aloud on the fourth day. Next year, I will

make sure that I block off enough time on the calendar to complete this assignment. It

was well worth the time it took to finish the lesson!

I plan to do this lesson each year—but I probably will not wait as long before

doing this. I think it would benefit students and serve as an “ice-breaker” when

completed closer to the beginning of the school year.

Name_______________________

Locating my book

Directions: Complete each sentence when searching for your favorite book using the
online catalog provided by the media center.

1) I want to find the book

_________________________________________________________________.

2) The author’s name is ________________________________________________.

3) The catalog number is _______________________________________________.

4) The book is available and is fiction/ non-fiction. (circle one)

My first selection is not available. I must search for and locate my 2nd choice.

5) I want to find the book

_________________________________________________________________.

6) The author’s name is ________________________________________________.

7) The catalog number is _______________________________________________.

8) The book is available and is fiction/ non-fiction. (circle one)

Name________________________________________

8th grade Reading with Prosody : Read-Aloud Rubric

CATEGORY 4- Often 3- Sometimes 2- Seldom 1- Never

Focus on Student is very Student seems to be Student seems to be Pretends to read the
reading silently interested in the enjoying and moving reading the story, but story. Mostly looks
story. There's no through the story, but doesn't seem to be around or fiddles with
and to a partner looking around or takes some short very interested. things.
before the flipping through the breaks. Takes a few short
presentation. pages. breaks.

Reads with Student reads story Student reads up to Student reads 50% Student does not read
Prosody with meaningful 90% of the story with or less of the story story with expression.
expression. expression. with expression.

Self-Correction Student tries to self- Student will Student seldom tries Student never tries to
correct if word sometimes try to self- to self-correct if word self-correct if word
doesn't make sense correct if word doesn't doesn't make sense doesn't make sense
or sound right. make sense or sound or sound right. or sound right.
right.

Pays Attention Student pays Student will Student seldom pays Student never pays
to Punctuation attention to sometimes pay attention to attention to
punctuation at the attention to punctuation at the punctuation at the
end of a sentence. punctuation at the end of a sentence. end of a sentence.
end of a sentence.

Reads Smoothly Students reads Student reads Student reads Student does not read
smoothly without smoothly, but with smoothly, but with smoothly and makes
pauses. one or two brief three or more pauses frequent pauses.
pauses per 50 words. per 50 words.

Score:_______ Total points possible: 20

Comments:______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

GPS Standards
ELA8R1—Demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a variety of literary and
informational texts.
g. Analyzes and evaluates the effects of sound, form, figurative language, and
graphics in order to uncover meaning in literature.

ELA8R2—The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in
reading and writing. The student
a. Determines pronunciations, meanings, alternate word choices, parts of speech, or
etymologies of words.

ELA8R3—The student reads aloud, accurately (in the range of 95%), familiar material in
a variety of genres, in a way that makes meaning clear to listeners.
a. Uses letter-sound knowledge to decode written English and uses a range of cueing
systems to determine pronunciation and meaning.
b. Uses self-correction when subsequent reading indicates an earlier miscue (self
monitoring and self-correcting strategies).
c. Reads with a rhythm, flow, and meter that sounds like everyday speech (prosody).

AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner

Standard 1: Learners use skills, resources, and tools to inquire, think

critically, and gain knowledge.

Skills- 1.1.4—Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.

Skills- 1.1.8—Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and
pursuing inquiry.
Responsibilities- 1.3.5—Use information technology responsibly.
Self- Assessment Strategies- 1.4.4—Seek appropriate help when it is needed.

Standard 4: Learners use skills, resources, and tools to pursue personal

and aesthetic growth.

Skills- 4.1.1—Read, view, and listen for pleasure and personal growth.