Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Week-long Spider Content Unit


WEEK-LONG ADAPTED CONTENT UNIT

EDUC 4113 - Empowering ESOL Teachers
April 27, 2010


Teacher:
Subject: Language Arts
Grade Level: Third Grade
Lesson Summary: The story The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt and Tony DiTerlizzi will be read, and then students will write a paragraph detailing how they would react if they were a fly and a spider was trying to lure them into its trap.
Sunshine State Standards:
LA.3.4.1.1 - The student will write narratives based on real or imagined events or observations that include characters, setting, plot, sensory details, and a logical sequence of events.
Objectives: Students will be able to respond to the lesson’s question-response that asks to write about how they would react to a situation similar to the character in the story.
Anticipatory Set: Read The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt and Tony DiTerlizzi. The use of a document camera is optional, but it would benefit ELLs seeing the text clearly and connecting it to the characters and illustration.
Input: Write the names of the two characters from the story. Show the video The Spider and the Fly on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP_H-Sj-81I. Inform the students that they will write a paragraph detailing what they would do if they were in a similar situation where a spider was trying to entice them into a trap. Inform them that they are to include details and emotions into the paragraph, to let readers know what they would do and how they would feel.
Model: Write down the emotions, “happy,” “scared,” “sad,” on the board and illustrate it by writing, “If a spider was trying to trick me, I would feel very scared and frightened and I would…”
Check for Understanding: Have students repeat the directions aloud. They can also tell the directions to their partners at their tables.
Guided Practice: Students writes a small paragraph about what they would do if they came across a spider who tried to entice them into it trap. ESOL: Allow them the opportunity to draw relating characters. Speak with them and be their scribe and have them tell you, or reduce their writing to just a few sentences.
Closure: Bring the class together (say on the carpet) and have volunteers sit in the reader’s chair and read their summaries. Evaluation will consist of the written works/worksheets.
Independent Practice: No homework.
Materials: Book: The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt and Tony DiTerlizzi.  The video The Spider and the Fly found on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP_H-Sj-81I.
Duration: 45 minutes to 1 hour and a half


Teacher:
Subject: Language Arts
Grade Level: Third Grade
Lesson Summary: The story Miss Spider’s Wedding will be read, and then students will be asked to think about the ending and write what might happen next in the story to the characters Miss Spider, Holly, Ike, and May. What adventures will they go on next?
Sunshine State Standards:
LA.3.2.1.5 - The student will respond to, discuss, and reflect on various literary selections (e.g., poetry, prose, fiction, nonfiction), connecting text to self (personal connection), text to world (social connection), text to text (comparison among multiple texts).
Objectives: Students will be able to respond to questions that ask for written responses about the continuation of storylines and characters read from the story.
Anticipatory Set: The book Miss Spider’s Wedding by David Kirk will be read. The use of a document camera is optional, but it would benefit ELLs seeing the text clearly and connecting it to the characters and illustration.
Input: Write the names “Miss Spider,” “Holly,” “Ike,” and “May” on the board and have a scanned photo of each character next to their names. Inform the class that they will use the characters to write what they think might happen next in the story. Also write on the board, “Continue the story of Miss Spider by writing a one-page summary of what you might think will happen next to Miss Spider, Holly, Ike, and May. Give supporting details for the summary.”
Model: Write an example on the board, such as, “Miss Spider changes her name to Mrs. Spider and she and Holly go on a honeymoon and find themselves on the run from a cat who decides to eat them. May and Ike come to their rescue, but they too find themselves in danger from the monstrous hungry cat.”
Check for Understanding: Ask each table to provide a suggestion of what might happen to the characters. Write the suggestions on the board.
Guided Practice: Have each student write a one-page summary of what they think might happen to the characters from Miss Spider’s Wedding. ESOL: Refer to the pictures presented of each character. Allow them the opportunity to draw the characters. Speak with them and be their scribe and have them tell you, or reduce their writing to just a half-page summary.
Closure: Bring the class together (say on the carpet) and have volunteers sit in the reader’s chair and read their summaries. Evaluation will consist of the written works/worksheets.
Independent Practice: For homework, students have the option to create a spider character similar to Miss Spider or Holly or the bully spider and give an overview of who that character is and what it does and where it lives. Or, students can read a book of their choice or watch a TV program and write a what they might think will continue to happen after the book/TV program ends.
Materials: Book: Miss Spider’s Wedding by David Kirk, homework worksheets (found below).
Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes.


Name: _____________________________                           Date: _____________________
Character Summary
Directions: Create a spider character similar to Miss Spider, Holly, or the bully spider. List interesting information about your spider such as his likes/dislikes, what he does, where he lives.







__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Name: _____________________________                 Date: _________________________
What Happens Next?
Directions: Read a book of your choice, or view a television show. Choose a character(s) and write what you might think will happen next, if the story or television show continued.
Did you read a book or view a television show? What is the name of the book or show? ______________________________________________________________________________
Who are your characters? _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What do you think will happen next? _____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Teacher:
Subject: Mathematics
Grade Level: Third Grade
Lesson Summary: Students will create their spider webs with angles and circles.
Sunshine State Standards:
MA.3.G.3.1 - Describe, analyze, compare, and classify two-dimensional shapes using sides and angles - including acute, obtuse, and right angles - and connect these ideas to the definition of shapes.
Objectives: Students will be able to create a spider web by designing the web with the foundation of acute, right, and obtuse angles, and also circles.
Anticipatory Set: Read the book The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle. The use of a document camera is optional, but it would benefit ELLs seeing the text clearly and connecting it to the characters and illustration. It’s a good starting point for identifying the different angles seen within a spider web. If read without a document camera, allow each student the chance to feel the webs in the book.
Input: Write the names of the three main angles (right, acute, and obtuse) and their degree numbers. Draw the angles next to their names. Draw a circle too. Inform the class that they will be drawing their own little spider webs by incorporating different sizes of angles and circles into their spider webs. Inform them that they are also supposed to write what kinds of angles they used for the webs, underneath the drawings.
Model: Draw a dot in the middle of the board and from that dot draw an angle on the board and verbally say what kind it is. Draw a few different kinds of sizes from the three main angles, connecting them to each other. Then draw different sizes of circles, starting around the centered dot.
Check for Understanding: Go over the different sizes of angles again; pointing to each one and having the students say them aloud. Have them repeat what they are supposed to be doing with creating a spider web (how are they going to create it?).
Guided Practice: The students will work on creating spider webs by incorporating different sizes of angles and circles. ESOL: Guide them through the drawing and label process when needed. Assistance of a work-buddy is also optional.
Closure: Have them share their drawings, or have a few volunteers present their spider webs and have the rest guess what kind of angles were used. Evaluation will consist of the written works/worksheets.
Independent Practice: For homework, students will have the option of observing spider webs at home, or finding objects that have any of the three main angles used during the lesson. For the first option, students will observe their home surrounding (inside and outside) to find a spider web and draw how it looks like. They are to describe the features and, if possible, the kinds of angles present.
Materials: Book: The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle. Pencils and paper.
Duration: at least 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes.


Teacher:
Subject: Science
Grade Level: Third Grade
Lesson Summary: Students will learn about spiders and complete worksheets.
Sunshine State Standards:
SC.3.L.15.1 - Classify animals into major groups (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, arthropods, vertebrates and invertebrates, those having live births and those which lay eggs) according to their physical characteristics and behaviors.
Objectives: Students will be able to explore the life of spiders through examining fiction and nonfiction books and handouts.
Anticipatory Set: Give each student a KWL chart and have them fill out what they know and want to learn about spiders. Read the book Spinning Spiders by Ruth Berman. The use of a document camera is optional, but it would benefit ELLs seeing the text clearly and connecting it to the characters and illustration.
Input: Have a “Spiders” worksheet displayed on the board, which lists basic information about spiders. Have the “Spider” labeled worksheet (the one that has all the body parts labeled) displayed on the board too.
Model: Go over the “Spiders” worksheet, reading the information (Optional: hand out each table a copy of the worksheet). Inform the students to complete the worksheet about labeling parts of the spider. Refer to the board, which shows the worksheet with the labeled parts, and read them.
Check for Understanding: Have students repeat where they are to locate the worksheet of the spider’s labeled parts.
Guided Practice: Students are to complete the worksheet about labeling the spider’s body parts. Afterwards, students will complete the final part on the KWL chart, which asks to write what the students have learned during the lesson. ESOL: Give extra time, assign a work-buddy, and help when needed.
Closure: Bring the class together (say on the carpet) and read the book Spectacular Spiders by Linda Glaser. Evaluation will consist of the written works/worksheets.
Independent Practice: For homework, have students complete the “Spider Reading Comprehension” worksheet about spiders and answer the questions that follow the reading passage.
Materials: Book(s): Spinning Spiders by Ruth Berman. Spectacular Spiders by Linda Glaser. Spider KWL chart found on http://www.abcteach.com/free/k/kwl_spiders.pdf. “Spider” handout found on http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pdf.htm?spiders_sentences.pdf. “Spider labeling worksheets,” both found on http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/spiders/ws11.htm, and http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/spiders/ws3.htm. “Spider Reading Comprehension” worksheet found on http://www.abcteach.com/free/f/free_spiders_elem.pdf.
Duration: 1 hour to 1 hour and 30  minutes.


Teacher:
Subject: Language Arts/Drama
Grade Level: Third Grade
Lesson Summary: Students will create an interpretation of the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” in groups and make finger puppets to go along with their performance.
Sunshine State Standards:
LA.3.2.1.5 - The student will respond to, discuss, and reflect on various literary selections (e.g., poetry, prose, fiction, nonfiction), connecting text to self (personal connection), text to world (social connection), text to text (comparison among multiple texts).
TH.A.1.2 - The student acts by developing, communicating, and sustaining characters in improvisation and formal or informal productions (1. creates imagined characters, relationships, and environments, using basic acting skills [e.g., breath control, diction, concentration, and control of isolated body parts]).
Objectives: Students will be able to perform a reader’s theater to the poem “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” with finger puppet tools.
Anticipatory Set: Read the poem “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.” The use of a document camera is optional, but it would benefit ELLs seeing the text clearly.
Input: Write the three characters from poem (rain, sun, and spider) on the board. Use the pictures from the finger puppet template to place next to the names.
Model: Inform the students that they will work in groups to create their own interpretation of the poem, using the same characters, and will perform their interpretations before the class. Inform the students that their group can write about anything they want, except there must be a spider, rain, and sun. Demonstrate how they are supposed to create the finger puppets by cutting one out and assembling it. Also inform them that three group members can be the characters and the other group member can read their story to the class.
Check for Understanding: Ask them to repeat instructions that they are supposed to do during the lesson, and the steps of doing them.
Guided Practice: Allow the students to work in groups of at least four members, where they will create their own interpretation of the poem by creating an original story, using the original characters, and perform the creations. ESOL: ELLs can work on cutting/assembling the finger puppets and suggest story ideas verbally. They can also be one who can be a finger puppet during the performance.
Closure: Allow each group the chance to perform. (Can go through the poem one more time, using the finger puppets, to show how it is supposed to be done.) Evaluation is based on the story created, collaboration with group members, and the performance.
Independent Practice: No extra work is required for this project.
Materials: “Itsy Bitsy Spider” finger puppets templates found on http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/spider/fingerpuppets.html, and a copy of the poem “The Itsy Bitsy Spider,” found on http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pdf.htm?spiders_ItsyBitsySpider.pdf, and scissors and glue and crayons.
Duration: 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes.