Reesha Grosso Reesha Grosso Penn Alexander School, Fifth Grade Lesson scheduled: 11/27/13 Partner: Michelle Ruiz

(2nd grade): 11/19/13 Integrated Term III Assignment: Literacy What This lesson will be the third in a three-part mini-unit on symmetry and structure. This lesson will follow a mathematics lesson with the same group of students on the topic of tessellations, which are created by repeating a shape to completely cover a surface. In the math lesson I will introduce tessellations and lead students through the process of creating their own design. In this lesson, students will examine a variety of informational texts in the form of instructions and will synthesize this experience to make generalizations about properties of quality instructions. The goal of this lesson will be for students to work together to produce an accurate set of instructions for their classmates describing how to make tessellations. Through experimentation with various revisions of their text, students will explore the importance of formatting, sequence, and clarity in writing informational texts.

My overarching question explores connections between curricula, and specifically how to incorporate art and design in a meaningful way in various content areas. The tessellation lends itself to this question in that it can be used to create aesthetically beautiful works of art only if certain structures are maintained. Great attention must be paid to process to create a perfect tessellation, and I will leverage the articulation of this process to aid students in understanding the importance of clarity and organization in writing instructions. The format of this lesson is different from the typical structure of their literacy lessons, so students are likely to find the process both challenging and novel.

Reesha Grosso How

I will be working with a small group of fifth graders the day after their mathematics lesson on tessellations. I will begin with a quick read-aloud from Amelia Bedelia that will illustrate that unclear or incomplete instructions can produce less than ideal outcomes. During guided instruction, we will discuss as a group what modifications could have been made to eliminate confusion and begin making a list identifying qualities of useful instructions. Students will be provided with several informational texts to examine in formats that will likely be familiar to them such as recipes, assembly directions, and origami instructions. I will instruct students to consider unifying properties of these texts and to pair up to discuss patterns with their peers. As a group, we will use these patterns to further develop our list of the essential features of quality instructions. In the second part of the lesson, I will direct the students to use the list we have made to write instructions on how to make a tessellation. I will return the materials that the students had used to make their tessellations for reference. They will first complete their instructions as independent writing and then come together as a group to make a master copy. Group members will each have roles, which will be clearly defined at the start of this portion of the lesson: organizer, scribe, instructor, and material manipulator. All students will be encouraged to share the ideas that they developed during independent writing. They will synthesize their ideas to make a set of clear, quality instructions for their classmates to use. Students will work cooperatively, but I will act as a moderator where necessary. Students will test what they have written, make revisions, and decide upon a single final draft. Students will be assessed on both their individual instructions and on their contribution to the group project. The final product will

Reesha Grosso be reproduced along with samples of their tessellations in pamphlet form to distribute to their classmates.

Why The most useful instructions contain the minimum amount of information required to convey a process both clearly and concisely. They have a clear beginning and end, and it is essential that there is flow between steps to ensure an accurate progression. Determining the qualities of useful instructions will assist students in producing high quality instructions. Practice writing instructions goes beyond the task itself to support the development of structures and techniques that will inform student writing in many varieties of informational text. Though writing instructions is not explicitly suggested in the standards or curriculum, this context provides a connection to the familiar while offering the ultimate goal of creating an informational text that is clear, concise, and organized sequentially. Students will need to use transition words and to be aware of vocabulary that requires definition to make a functional set of instructions. Each of these requirements is encompassed in the standards and woven into the lesson. Creating these instructions for their classmates gives the students an audience, which provides an authentic extrinsic motivator. Basing the lesson on a previous, scaffolded experience that they had together will allow for common ground and ensure that each student has something to contribute to the group. Additionally, this lesson will reinforce the following vocabulary used in the mathematics lesson that has been determined by their classroom teacher to be problematic for students: transformation, translation, reflection, rotation, and symmetry.

Reesha Grosso Lesson Plan Goals / Objectives

Students will be able to write a set of clear, concise instructions in order to convey how to make a tessellation. Students will be able to analyze instructions to discover their most important features. Students will understand the importance of organizing events sequentially.

Standards and Assessment Anchors Standard Area - CC.1.4: Writing: Students write for different purposes and audiences. Students write clear and focused text to convey a well-defined perspective and appropriate content. CC.1.4.5.A: Write informative/ explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. CC.1.4.5.D: Group related information logically linking ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses; provide a concluding statement or section; include formatting when useful to aiding comprehension. CC.1.4.5.P: Organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally, using a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events; provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences and events. Assessment Anchor- E05.C.1: Text Types and Purposes E05.C.1.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. Materials and preparation Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish Examples of everyday instructions: recipes, assembly directions, origami, etc. Tessellation tiles and repeats from previous lesson Lined paper (for students to write individual instructions) Grid paper (to test out instructions) Pencils & markers Group roles on index cards Scissors/prepped tissue paper (with rectangles) Large notepad to write Properties of Quality Instructions Classroom arrangement and management issues The lesson will occur in a small multipurpose room reserved at Penn Alexander. The room is large enough for a small group to fit comfortably but small and bare enough that there are few distractions. The front of the room will have a large notepad or whiteboard to write Properties of Quality Instructions on. The center of the room has one long table with chairs for

Reesha Grosso students. This will enable ease of dividing up for individual writing, pairing, and working as a group. Materials will be stacked and in bins at the front of the room and will be placed on desks between students when necessary for easy access. Students will be informed of expectations, both behavioral and procedural, at the start of the lesson. I will briefly explain the agenda and have it posted in the room. Students will be required to communicate respectfully with one another and to raise their hands before speaking during whole-group discussion. There will be several transitions between stages of the lesson, and expectations will be reiterated at each juncture. There will be times when the students are sharing with one another and working in a small group, and during this time there is a risk of getting off track and an expectation of self-regulation. If students are not able to self-regulate, they will be offered the option of working on the project silently and independently.

Plan The Hook 10 minutes

Guide students through the agenda for the lesson. Outline behavioral expectations. Read excerpts from Amelia Bedelia What is wrong with these instructions? How could we change these instructions so that they would be AmeliaBedelia-proof? From discussion, teacher will begin to create a list of Properties of Quality Instructions on the whiteboard or large notepad. Can anyone name some instructions that they use in daily life? Hand out samples of good instructions and direct students to analyze them for more Properties of Quality Instructions to add to the list.

The Body

25 minutes

Independent Work 15 min Explain to students that they will now be working independently, using the Properties of Quality Instructions, to write a set of instructions. Why do you need to know your audience? Write as if youre writing for a classmate. If you think of any other rules as you are writing, please raise your hand and I will add it to the list. Tessellations from the math lesson will be handed back and students will be directed to write a draft of their own instructions on how to make a tessellation. Try to make your instructions AmeliaBedelia-proof! As they work I will move around the room, assessing progress and working one on one with students who need extra support.

Reesha Grosso

Cooperative Work 10 min Next, students will combine their instructions to a single set of Quality Instructions. They will be told that the final product will be reproduced along with samples of their tessellations in pamphlet form to distribute to their classmates. Group members will be given roles Coordinator: makes sure everyones instructions are incorporated Scribe: writes the finalized instructions down Quality Control: makes sure the Properties of Quality Instructions are being followed Material Manipulator: tries out the steps as they go along All students will be encouraged to share their ideas. During group-work, I will act as a moderator where necessary. The Closure 10 minutes Students make revisions, and decide upon a final draft. Is there anything that needs clarification? So you have a title, tessellations. What does that mean anyway? How would these instructions be different if you were making them for someone who didnt speak English well? For someone who already knew all of the terminology? Would these instructions benefit from illustrations? If so, where should they go? Students are congratulated on their teamwork and the final product, and are told that I will make up the instruction pamphlets for their class in the next week.

Assessment of the goals/objectives listed above Students will be assessed both on the quality of their individual written instructions and on their contribution to the group part of the lesson. Quality written instructions are clear, concise, and well organized. Further, they should adhere to the Properties of Quality Instructions that we lay out as a group at the beginning of the lesson. Students contributions to this part of the lesson will illustrate their ability to analyze a set of informational texts and to synthesize this analysis into a set of rules. I will also be looking at their ability to work well as a part of a group and at their contribution to our community of learners. Anticipating students responses and your possible responses The final product that the students create as a group will be distributed to their class, which should serve to give them a feeling of ownership in the project. The lesson is interactive and though the material is consistent throughout, the format shifts several times and involves writing, listening, talking, and the use of manipulatives, which should ensure engagement for a variety of learners. The group-work aspect of this lesson will take the pressure off of individuals to perform, while division of labor by task will allow each student to participate meaningfully in the experience. Group roles can be selectively assigned to students based on either selfassignment or their demonstration of skill and understanding during the first half of the lesson. The format of this lesson is different from the typical structure of their literacy lessons, so students are likely to find the process both challenging and novel. To keep the lesson moving

Reesha Grosso

smoothly, I will have to be very clear in my explanation of goals and procedures for the lesson. It will also be important to deliver clear expectations and to define the norms of the classroom both at the start of the lesson and again during transitions between lesson segments. Accommodations If students find writing individual instructions too challenging I will offer one on one support and walk them through the process again of how to make tessellations while the rest of the group works independently. For cooperative work, though all roles are essential, various aspects of each may be more or less difficult for a student depending upon their needs. The material manipulator will have to understand the vocabulary and the tessellation process, the scribe should be a good writer, the instructor should be a good reader, and the organizer should be good at keeping other students on task. Those who find the material challenging will be discreetly allowed to choose their role for the group part of the assignment. If students finish writing their individual instructions early, they will be directed to test them for completeness and review them for conciseness. If there is still time they will be directed to look over their instructions for topics to add to the list of properties of quality instructions. Since students will be working in a group for the second half of the lesson and each of their task are interdependent, there should be no issues with finishing early. Group work will also allow for students who find the task unchallenging to engage in supporting and explaining the process to other members of their group, which can lead to greater understanding for both students. Further, students who need more challenge will be entrusted with a second task within the group such as monitoring the text for continuity and ensuring the use of transitional words. Bibliography Calkins, L. M. (1994). The art of teaching writing, 2nd edition. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Find reference for importance of an authentic audience! And effective group-work structures! (in Seminar reading)