Testing/Assessments & Learning Standards
May 22, 2013

Lesson Plan: On the Farm - Kindergarten ELA

Source: NYSUT Research and Education Services
Untitled Document

LESSON TITLE: On the Farm

TEACHER: Andrew S. Palumbo, 

SUBJECT: English Language Arts (ELA)/Reading 

GRADE: Kindergarten

TIME FRAME: 3 sessions, 30 minutes each

PLANNING AND PREPARATION: 

Note the attention span of the group and adjust the reading lesson as needed to accommodate attention spans and developmental needs of the students. The “close” read may have to be done in two sessions depending on the group and time of year.

LESSON MATERIALS:

Reflections on Lesson Development

Lesson Implementation

 

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

  • DAY 1: After listening to the Big Book No, No Titus by Claire Masurel, students will identify key vocabulary words from the concept ‘farm’.
  • DAY 2: During a close read of the story No, No Titus by Claire Masurel, students will answer text-based questions about the story with a focus on characters and setting.
  • DAY 3: After listening to the tape of the story No, No Titus by Claire Masurel, students will paint a picture of a farm, include two characters from the story, then write a sentence using words that describe a farm.


Related NYSED Links

NYSED Classroom Videos

The NYS Education Department has classroom videos available in ELA (3 elementary, 1 secondary), mathematics (2 elementary, 2 secondary), and a European history lesson. The videos are presented un-edited and formatted to highlight specific NYS Learning standards as they are implemented.

Go to EngageNY to view the videos.


Materials/Equipment needed:  

  • Books related to the theme farms (see suggested readings)
  • Interactive farm toys

New York State Learning Standards:

Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and the Technical Subjects

• Reading for Informational Text, Kindergarten, Standard 1

Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and the Technical Subjects

• Reading for Informational Text, Kindergarten, Standard 3

Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and the Technical Subjects

• Writing, Kindergarten, Standard 2

Shifts In Relation to Common Standards:

This lesson incorporates all of the pedagogical shifts demanded by the NYS Common Core State Learning Standards. The applicable shifts are indicated at the beginning of each day’s lesson sequence.

  • Balancing Information and Literary Text
  • Knowledge in the Disciplines
  • Staircase of Complexity
  • Text-based answers
  • Writing from Sources
  • Academic Vocabulary

Content objectives:

  • Day 1 - After listening to the Big Book No, No Titus by Claire Masurel, students will identify key vocabulary words from the concept ‘farm’.
  • Day 2 – During a close read of the story No, No Titus by Claire Masurel, students will answer text-based questions about the story with a focus on characters and setting.
  • Day 3 – After listening to the tape of the story No, No Titus by Claire Masurel, students will paint a picture of a farm, include 2 characters from the story, then write a sentence using words that describe a farm.

Essential Question(s):

 1. Can the students describe a farm setting?

2. Can the students identify characters from the story?

Academic Vocabulary:

  • Farm
  • Tractor
  • Plow/plowing
  • Soil
  • Milking
  • Chicken coop
  • Watchdog
  • Animals-cow, cat, dog, mice, fox

Differentiated Instruction:

For English Language Learners:

  • Pre-read a variety of books on farms, farm toys to activate prior knowledge
  • Utilize pictures and posters of farms.
  • Pre-read the story No, No Titus with the students prior to the ‘close read’ lesson.

For Students with Disabilities:

  • Employ the same strategies recommended for ELLs
  • Provide samples of the painting for student’s reference
  • When writing the sentence, have farm words written out on flash cards for the students to draw from when they fill in the written sentence.
  • Develop and display picture boards that include what you might see on a farm.

Sequence of activities IN Lesson:

Day 1 (15-20 minutes)  (Balancing Information and Literary Text, Staircase of Complexity, Academic Vocabulary)

1.     Complete a picture walk of the story.  Discuss the pictures and what the students see in the illustrations.

2.    Read the story for enjoyment.  Read expressively, imitating the sounds indicated by the sound words in the story.

Pages 2-3 farm-What do you see in the picture that would let you know that you are on a farm?  Pages 8-9 tractor-What is the farmer sitting on? plow/plowing-What do you think the tractor does to the dirt or soil-earth? Pages 10-11-cow-What animal is in the picture? Milking-What is the farmer’s wife doing in this picture? (getting milk from the cow). Pages 18-19 chicken coop-Where is the fox going in the picture? (to get the chickens in their house). Pages 24-25 watchdog- Reread page 24 and ask what a watchdog does? (guards and protects the farm from harm).

Day 2 Complete a ‘Close’ Read (30 Minutes)

(Balancing Information and Literary Text, Staircase of Complexity, Text-based Answers)

Reading:

 

(Pages 2-3) “Welcome to your new home, Titus,” said the farmer.  “This farm needs a guard dog!”

Titus wagged his tail.  He wanted to be a good dog.  But what was a good dog supposed to do?

 

(Pages 4-5) The farm was big and everyone was busy.

 

(Pages 6-7) The school bus came down the road.  “HONK, HONK,” went the school bus.

“WOOF, WOOF,” barked Titus.

“No, no,” said the children.  “Dogs don’t go to school!”

 

 

 

(Pages 8-9) The farmer was plowing the fields.

“VROOM, VROOM,” went the tractor.

“WOOF, WOOF,” barked Titus.

“No, no,” said the farmer, “Dogs don’t drive tractors!”

 

(Pages 10-11) The farmer’s wife was milking.

“MOO, MOO,” went the cow.

“WOOF, WOOF,” barked Titus

“No, no,” said the cow.  “Dogs don’t give milk!”

 

 

(Pages 12-13) The cat was chasing mice.

“MEOW, MEOW,” went the cat.

“WOOF, WOOF,” barked Titus.

“NO, no,” said the cat.  “Dogs don’t chase mice.”

 

(Pages 14-15) The chickens were laying eggs.

“CLUCK, CLUCK,” went the chickens.

“WOOF, WOOF,” barked Titus.

“No, no,” said the chickens. “Dogs don’t lay eggs.”

 

 

(Pages 16-17) Titus wanted to be a good dog.  But if dogs don’t go to school, or drive tractors, or give milk, or catch mice, or lay eggs…what was Titus supposed to do?  He crawled into his doghouse and went to sleep.

 

 

 

(Pages 18-19)  Pitter, patter, pitter, patter.  Something was going to the chicken coop!

“WOOF, WOOF! Barked Titus.

 

 

 

(Pages 20-21) The farmer came running.

“OH, NO!” shouted the farmer “A FOX!”

“WOOF!, WOOF!” barked Titus as he chased the fox across the field.

 

 

(Pages 22-23) “YIP, YIP, YIP, YIP,” cried the fox, and it disappeared into the forest.

 

 

(Pages 24-25) “HOORAY, HOORAY!” cheered the farmer, his wife, the children, and all the animals.

“What a good watchdog!”

“WOOF, WOOF!” barked Titus.

“WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!”

Questions:

 

Where does the story take place? (On a farm)

Who is new to the farm? (The puppy)

What is the puppy’s name? (Titus)

What did Titus want to know? (What he was

supposed to do on the farm)

 

What size is the farm? (Big)

 

 

Where are the children going? (To School, That

is their job)

Why do you think the author capitalized all of

the letters in “HONK, HONK” and “WOOF,

WOOF”? (So when you read it, you make the

sound or read it louder. It adds excitement to

the story)

 

What was the farmer doing? (Plowing the fields)

What does the farmer use to plow the fields? (A tractor)

What was Titus trying to do? (Plow the fields)

Why?  (He is trying to find out what his job is

on the farm)

What was the farmer’s wife doing? (Milking the

cow)

Why do the characters say’ “No, no” to Titus on

each page? (It is not his job to do what they are doing)

 

 

 

What character is chasing mice? (The cat)

 

 

 

 

What does Titus say on most of the pages? 

(Woof, woof)

What is he trying to say?  That he wants to do

what the other characters are doing)

 

 

 

 

Does Titus feel that he is a good farm dog? (no)

What in the story tells you that? (He crawled

into his doghouse and went to sleep)

The author says that he “crawled” into his

doghouse.  What is another word that could be

used in its place? (Walked slowly, dragged)

 

 

The author writes “pitter, patter, pitter, patter,”

in different print.  What is happening in the

story?  (The fox is sneaking into the chicken

coop to eat the chickens)

 

Why did the farmer come running? (There was a

fox that wanted to eat the chickens)

What did Titus do? (Chased the fox)

 

 

 

What is the author trying to show with the words “yip, yip, yip, yip”?  (The fox was scared)

Where did the fox disappear? (The forest)

 

 

Who are all of the characters on these pages? (Farmer, his wife, children, cow, cat, and

chickens)

Why are they yelling “Hooray, Hooray”? (because Titus is a good watchdog)

Day 3 Culminating Activity (45 minutes)
(Balancing Information and Literary Text, Staircase of Complexity, Writing from Sources)

1. Listen to the story on CD for enjoyment.
2. Display a painting of a farm with barn animals, tractor, etc. Make sure that the painting includes characters from the story.
3. Have the students paint a picture of a farm setting and include 2 characters from the story.
4. Complete the sentence: I see _________________ on a farm! (from charts and books: plow, animals- i.e., cow, chicken, horse, etc.-silo, chicken coop, tractor, barn) (Attach to painting)

ASSESSMENT:
• Performance Tasks: Paint a picture of a farm setting and include 2 characters from the story.
• Other Evidence: Discussion questions about the story’s setting and characters will be monitored throughout the lesson for checks of understanding before/during/after the lessons.

Student

(total 4 pts)

Identifies 2 main characters      (2 pts)

Paints a Picture of a farm setting

(1 pt)

Writes a sentence describing a farm (1 pt)

Observations/

Notes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 3 Culminating Activity (45 minutes)
(Balancing Information and Literary Text, Staircase of Complexity, Writing from Sources)

1. Listen to the story on CD for enjoyment.
2. Display a painting of a farm with barn animals, tractor, etc. Make sure that the painting includes characters from the story.
3. Have the students paint a picture of a farm setting and include 2 characters from the story.
4. Complete the sentence: I see _________________ on a farm! (from charts and books: plow, animals- i.e., cow, chicken, horse, etc.-silo, chicken coop, tractor, barn) (Attach to painting)

ASSESSMENT:
• Performance Tasks: Paint a picture of a farm setting and include 2 characters from the story.
• Other Evidence: Discussion questions about the story’s setting and characters will be monitored throughout the lesson for checks of understanding before/during/after the lessons.


Evaluation Chart
Student
(total 4 pts) Identifies 2 main characters (2 pts) Paints a Picture of a farm setting
(1 pt) Writes a sentence describing a farm (1 pt) Observations/
Notes

REFLECTION:

Why did you choose this lesson?
This lesson was chosen because I wanted to demonstrate that the common core could be implemented using materials and curricula that teachers currently use in their classrooms. I chose our district’s Scott Foresman reading series to demonstrate a ‘close read’.

Which instructional shifts did you incorporate in this lesson?
It was very important to be familiar with the 6 shifts so that I could easily incorporate these elements throughout the lesson. The materials that outlined what the shifts were helped greatly as I developed the lesson. I continually referred to them as I worked through the development of the lessons. I also found it useful to have the Tri-State Rubric available for thoroughness of the requirements.

Developing the text-based questions was very time consuming. However, taking the time to evaluate the text proved very helpful in understanding and delivering these questions. I am much more automatic when reading a story and asking questions based on the text.

Knowing your content is also very important. This shift is not directed towards the primary level but it should be for all levels. I had to be prepared to answer all questions that an inquisitive 5 or 6 year old might ask and had I not known the details of farm life I would not have been able to answer questions thoroughly and with substance. The culminating writing activity was not new to my teaching. The challenge was having a writing piece that had to be produced from the text itself. Often in the primary level we focus on students’ experiences and not on evidence based writing.

Taking the time to design the lesson is having a long-lasting impact on the way I currently deliver lessons.

Did you struggle with this lesson-creation process?
The lesson development was not challenging considering my prior lesson development knowledge. The time factor was taxing and realistically teachers at the elementary level would never be able to spend the amount of time on the development of a lesson for 4 subjects in one day. I find that I am not fluent in the use of the tri-state rubric. I need to spend more time with this document when planning. The template changed a few times and this caused more time and effort on the development of the lesson but this was a process and it was expected.

What were your expectations for student success resulting from this lesson?
I expected the students to perform well on this lesson. The majority of the students demonstrated clear understanding of the concepts, setting and characters, as depicted in their drawings and writing piece. The ‘close read’ provided a thorough understanding of the concept ‘on the farm’ and provided numerous opportunities for the students to demonstrate and enhance their knowledge of life on a farm and roles of farm animals and people.

What worked in terms of implementation of this lesson?
The lesson was delivered as planned. The students responded well to the questions and performed the follow-up activity. The big book was large and helpful in bringing the book to life for the students. The students were presented with a sample of what the writing piece could look like and this offered support for those students who needed a jump-start. The individual consultation with the students, after the students completed the culminating activity, provided me with a clearer understanding of the individual learning objectives.

What adjustments did you make to the lesson based on using it in your classroom?
The culminating activity was supposed to be a painting of the farm scene. I decided that I would not be able to get these completed in one-day, so I had them draw a picture instead. If I was not getting videotaped, I would have had my aide set up the tables with paint and in small groups we would have painted the picture and completed the writing piece after the picture dried. I wasn’t sure how the students were going to react to cameras in the room. The students worked as though they weren’t there. I was truly impressed with their ability to function with all of the equipment and people in the room.


Suggested Readings/Resources


Common Core Shifts
http://engageny.org/resource/common-core-shifts/


On the Farm Theme Unit
http://www.kidzone.ws/thematic/farm/index.htm


Down on the Farm
http://www.kinderkorner.com/farm.html


Agriculture Related Children's Books
http://www.agday.org/education/reading.php


9 Children’s Books about Farms
http://delightfulchildrensbooks.com/2010/10/06/farms/


DLTK's Make Your Own Books - Growing Together I LIVE ON A FARM
http://www.dltk-teach.com/minibooks/farm/index.htm