Name: Jessica Garcia
Length of Time: 90 min
Grade:1
Common Core Standards:
w.1.1 write opinion pieces in which they introduce the name of book, state an opinion, reason for opinion, and closure
Content Concepts: Write and support an Opinion
GLO’S: Self Directed Learner- students can work on their own, managing their time to complete the assignment. Community contributor-students can share in the whole group/small group discussions at the beginning and end of the lessons.
Ojectives: Student will write an opinion about the book read and be able to state a reason for their opinion
Assessment(s) and or Evaluation:
Students are able to clearly state their opinion and support their opinion.
3-students are able to give one reason to support their opinion
2-students are able to give an opinion but not a reason why the have that opinion
1-students are unable to state an opinion but can tell the book that we were using
0-students are not able to put anything on the paper.
Resources:
-The Little Mouse, the RED Ripe Strawberry, and the BIG HUNGRY BEAR by Don and Audry Wood
-Chart paper
-Individual writing paper for students
Beginning Procedures (Lesson Introduction/Anticipatory Set/Connection to Prior Knowledge)
Call students to group meeting area. Have a whole group discussion on the differences between fact and opinion. Use examples like it is a fact that an apple is a fruit, but if you like to eat apples that is your opinion. Have students discuss if everyone needs to have the same opinion as someone else. (guide discussion so students gain understanding that having other opinions are ok) Also, model and discuss that you have to be able to tell WHY you have that opinion. I do not like coconut because it makes my stomach upset when I eat it. I like chocolate because it is sweet. I like going to to movies because… BECAUSE is the key word in their writing
GO over rubric for writing: Show what it would look like.
TO GET A 3 You need: Name on your paper, The title of the book, your opinion AND a reason why you have that opinion.
Middle Procedures (Learning Activities)
Read story to students. Have them close their eyes (NO TALKING) and think about the story and have them decide “Is there really a bear?” Students grab writing paper and work individually on their opinion paper. Pull aside small group if there needs to be any modifications for diverse learners. Circulate while students are working asking their opinions etc.
Closing Procedures
Have students discuss their opinions with others at their table. Did they agree or disagree. Table groups pick ONE or TWO people to share out to the class their opinions.
Modifications for Diverse Learners:
Re-read the story and allow students to use the book to look for support.
Verbal opinions while teacher or peer writes down for them.
Teacher’s Reflection on Lesson:
This was a different lesson when geared towards writing rather than a reading standard. It will be interesting to see how this goes next year when I do this lesson this way rather than an verbal discussion in a reading lesson like I did this year and the year before. I need to find a few more ambiguous texts that will help my students formulate opinions. I think this lesson will have to be moved to the end part of the year as writing is a very stressful content area for this age group. I want to practice with simpler texts and scaffold more for opinions in general.
Three Lens Letter for Feedback for Teaching Demonstration:
ReplyDeleteAloha e na College
Date: 6/20/11
Title of Lesson: opinion
This lesson made me feel like focusing on making sure that I listen to the sstory.
List of best practices:
1. The activity was terrific to use the students to remember what they heard.
2. The results are remarkable to show the students to apply what they are learning about comprehension.
3. They need to listen at how they events are going in the story.
My thoughts on this lesson could be applied in other contexts such as math as a subtraction problem.
Mahalo for the time and effort, on developing this lesson that we may use your ideas to enhance our way of becoming a life long learner. Aloha Debbie
Dear Jessie,
ReplyDeleteJune 20, 2011
Opinion lesson
Thank you for your inspiring lesson. Brainstorming and illustrating the difference between fact and opinion are important concepts for students to learn. I’m relieved to see that students are receiving a strong foundation for evaluating evidence; these skills are critical at the high school level.
Clear directives, collaborative environment, checking for understanding, and specific feedback were just some of the best practices I observed. Thanks!
Sincerely
Jessica Dahlke
Dear Jessie,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your lesson on Opinions. You did a really nice job eliciting class input for differentiating between facts and opinions. That can sometimes be confusing for students, but writing out the comments on the chart provided an extra learning vehicle, particularly for visual learners. Having your T-chart premade and ready showed best practice at its best as did class involvement. I also liked the explicit way you reviewed the actual process and explained what the students needed to do to get a 3 on the rubric in their follow up writing.
I would definitely use this lesson with my first graders as another way to help them differentiate between facts and opinions. It would also provide another way to segue into finding facts when they first attempt informational writing.
Knowing exactly what is expected makes for minimizing student anxiety and making them feel more comfortable.
Thanks for a great lesson which I will definitely use next year! Patti
June 20, 2011
ReplyDeleteJessie,
Thanks for your fun lesson on opinion. You modeled good teaching by going over the rubric with us prior to our work and revisiting the book with us before we got started. It was also good to have us share in small groups. You modeled good teaching by giving us examples of fact and opinion at the beginning of the story. It was really fun lesson, especially because I can totally use it in my classroom as a first grade teacher. I will definitely steal this lesson and use it in my classroom next year! Thanks!
Your first grade colleague,
Kristi
Aloha, Jessie --
ReplyDeleteLesson: OPINION
Date: 20 June 2011
Title: THE LITTLE MOUSE, THE RED, RIPE STRAWBERRY, AND THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR
I love this story! What a fun way to consider talking and writing about opinion. Thank you for a fun way to look at this topic with you ng readers and writers.
Best practices I observed:
* very clear expectations for attention, focus
* very clear rubric for what is needed to get a "3"
* positive input
* teacher circulation through work time
* signals used to indicate ready or not
I can see continuing this line of questioning into other books and discussions. Mahalo!
jeanne
6/20
ReplyDeleteOpinion
Aloha Jessica,
Thanks for the cute lesson on opinion. I really enjoyed the story of the Big Hungry Bear. You did a really good job scaffolding the concepts to your audience, which made it easier to do.
Best Practices that I noticed:
You made connections to previous knowledge.
You provided criteria for meeting the standards early on.
You checked for understanding by moving about each group.
Good Job.
Aloha,
marissa
Aloha Jesse,
ReplyDeleteYou brought out an interesting VOID in discussion about your lesson:
that you are having a hard time finding "ambiguous" kid books to teach.
Which brings me to the thought of "How will publishing of kid books
change to help teachers teach opinion/fact, higher-order-thinking skills?"
Ahh, something for authors to add to their new books.
It is interesting too that opinion/fact is a writing benchmark, not reading.
Wondering if you have any parents that will complain about the bad
stereotyping of bears? I've got some in my school.
Anyway, smooth transitions from discussions to reading aloud,
and sharing by selected readers at tables. Clearly presented.
When my middle school students become reading buddies in the
elementary, I'll have them ask facts and elicit opinions. Wonderful.
June 20, 2011
ReplyDeleteDear Jessie,
Thank you for your lesson teaching students how to give an opinion on an ambiguous book. This lesson made me curious since I am familiar with the text. I used to read it to my baby sister and I had not given it much thought whether there was a bear or not.
I saw many best practices in this lesson. I can tell you are a great teacher! I like how you brainstormed the difference between fact and opinion during the beginning of the lesson. I like how you gave examples of each. I also like how you very clear with directions, expectations, and the rubric before we were given work time.
I definitely will be using similar lessons with my third graders (although I will have to find new texts!) I am glad you are giving them this foundation. I hope I get some of your kids!
Shawna
June 20, 2011
ReplyDeleteAloha Jessie,
Great lesson Jessie. I have been thinking a lot lately about opinions and factual statements. I think we are constantly bombarded by the media with opinions that they are trying to pass off as fact. What an important life long skill to be able to sort out facts and opinions. Good modeling and I liked your child friendly rubric.
I will share this with my co-teachers.
Mahalo Jessie, Cecilia
Dear Jessie,
ReplyDeleteJune 20, 2011
Opinion vs. Fact
I really enjoyed the story that you shared with us in class. I would have never thought to pose the question, “Is there a bear?” What a great idea! Getting kids to write down their opinions is very difficult and I like how you made that point very clear.
For best practices, you modeled the lesson, you roamed the classroom checking for understanding, you had us share collectively and then with the whole class. You also did a call and response (clapping) to get our attention when you needed us to focus.
I will most definitely be using this lesson in class next year, especially since I am teaching first grade next year. I am curious to see what other book with ambiguous endings are out there. It would be useful to start building a grade level library.
Great job!
Hey Jessie,
ReplyDelete6/20/11
Opinion lesson
This was a fun but relevant lesson. I have had many middle school students who aren’t confident in identifying fact from opinion in their reading. I like the approach you took in brainstorming definitions for fact and opinion before starting the activity. You also did a good job of being very explicit in your expectations. You used great intonation when reading the story - good modeling of fluency!
You demonstrated many best practices in this lesson, including lots of guided instruction and you provided a lot of clarification. You also provided us with lots of think and work time and provided positive encouragement and feedback.
The lesson can certainly be modified and used with older students. It might especially be useful when students start researching and you review credible sources.
Thanks for the great lesson Jessie.
Doreen Kaleiwahea 6/20/2011
ReplyDeleteJessie lesson—Fact and Opinion
Aloha Jessie---Mahalo nui loa for your “eye-opening” lesson. I loved how you went right into the review or pre-writing skills. Your visual aid using a chart and determining the definition of words, assured clarity and comprehension. I like the way you used large group and small group dynamics. I like the way everyone knew collectively what the words meant.
I like the definition of “Opinion is not wrong or right”, followed by class discussion and participation with feedback. You listed visual chart and examples and non-examples, practicing the pro-con (chocolate) good/not good? The same process was clear with the word--Fact definition, something based on evidence that can be proven, ex., has antioxidents,
and dark chocolate is better for you. Because was emphasized to use in this writing piece, along with assistance in writing. It was clear that to make an opinion one needs to take a stand, make your case, and opinions relies on reason of the person with the opposite-type of analyzing that Facts have resources to prove it is true.
You stated rubrics, created live for students, giving requirements for the levels of achievement; Name, Name of Book, Opinion –reason, why? Who wants a 3, who wants a 2? You also stated your Questions to provoke lesson success: Is there really a bear? Each child would give a fact or opinion.
I like the way you revisit the book by quietly turning pages for reflection. I like the classroom management; calling students back by using a clapping pattern. The fun element of your lesson was not in the response of fact or opinion, it was the investigation of the story itself, revealing the mystery! That is a teachable moment that I would always want to capitalize on in my classroom.
Mahalo Nui Loa---Doreen
aloha e Jesse,
ReplyDelete6/20/11 on Opinion
awesome presentation; colorful big book, detailed pictures glore. love the pre-handwriting paper even smells yummy
great!!!; charting concepts first, showing examples, reading aloud practices of projecting/whispering when most effective, keeping students engaged in writing and active discussion, clarifying standards
though i may not use a lesson like this, i would still engage my middle school kids in clarifying fact from opinion, in seeking evidence to validate, and in helping them to further develop their critical thinking skills.
mahalo nui loa, beatrice