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3
rd
-4
Lh
graders

.*12+30
30 mlnuLes/day for Lhree-four days

4/*%/#*50
ln prevlous lessons, sLudenLs were lnLroduced Lo Lhe advenL of Lhe sLeam englne and rallroads as a
revoluLlonary form of LransporLaLlon LhaL Lransformed Amerlca. 1he sLudenLs Lhen learned a song abouL
a famous rallway, Lhe 8ock lsland Llne, and learned an accompanlmenL for lL. now we wlll creaLe Lhe
flrsL of Lhree poems LhaL focus on an aspecL of Lhe rallroad. 1hls lesson focuses on Lhe sLeam locomoLlve
and wrlLlng a poem based of Lhe uay ln Lhe Llfe poeLry frame Lo descrlbe Lhe lmages, sounds, and
lnferred smells from a shorL vldeo from Lhe 1940's feaLurlng sLeam locomoLlves from Lhe 8alLlmore and
Chlo rallroad. l wlll also glve sLudenLs lnformaLlon on Lraln Lravel (from pasL research l have done) so
Lhey can undersLand whaL lL was llke Lo be a passenger on Lhese Lralns.

6+"1'"%'7 8''%*77*'0
CCSS.LLA-LlLeracy.W.3.8 8ecall lnformaLlon from experlences or gaLher lnformaLlon from prlnL and
dlglLal sources, Lake brlef noLes on sources and sorL evldence lnLo provlded caLegorles.

CCSS.LLA-LlLeracy.W.4.3d use concreLe words and phrases and sensory deLalls Lo convey experlences
and evenLs preclsely.

9"+*%#"$70
8 & C SLeam Llve wlLh sound vldeo: hLLp://www.youLube.com/waLch?v=rl99uvpxo2w
Words for Sense uescrlpLlons handouL
aper
encll
Lapboards Lo use as desks
SmarL 8oard
LapLop

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SLudenLs geL a lapboard and pencll. 1hen Lake a sheeL of paper wlLh Lhe followlng phrases
prlnLed on lL, whlch leave room underneaLh Lo wrlLe observaLlons:
o l see:
o l hear:
o l mlghL smell:
o l mlghL LasLe:
o l noLlced:
o l was surprlsed by:
o lf l was a Lraveler on Lhe rallroad l would feel:

lnLroduce Lhe vldeo. lL ls an old vldeo of old sLeam englnes LhaL Lraveled Lhe rallroads before Lhe
sleek dlesel englnes we have Loday.
As you waLch wrlLe down whaL you see, hear, noLlce or are surprlsed by. lmaglne whaL you
mlghL smell or LasLe based upon whaL you observe and wrlLe down Lhose ldeas.
WaLch Lhe vldeo and sLudenLs wrlLe observaLlons.
When flnlshed, palr up Lhlrd graders wlLh fourLh graders. Pave sLudenLs share aL leasL one ldea
from each caLegory wlLh Lhls parLner.
WaLch agaln and wrlLe down furLher ldeas, noLlclng Lhlngs LhaL your parLner may have noLlced
LhaL you dldn'L
ass ouL Words for Sensory uescrlpLlon" handouL. Pave parLners look for sensory words LhaL
mlghL add Lo Lhe deLalls of whaL Lhey saw or be a more descrlpLlve word for an observaLlon Lhey
made.
WlLh 3
rd
-4
Lh
grade parLners, 4Lh graders creaLe a phrase LhaL glves a slghL lmage LhaL descrlbes
Lhe sLeam locomoLlve wlLh lnpuL from Lhe 3
rd
grader.
Share Lhese wlLh Lhe group as l wrlLe down, phrases glven. Pave Lhe group declde whlch one
Lhey llke Lhe besL Lo use as Lhe openlng llne of Lhe poem.
3
rd
-4
Lh
grade parLners share ldeas from Lhe sound caLegory. WhaL would you hear as Lhe englne
wenL by? lck favorlLes and 4
Lh
graders arrange ln a phrase wlLh lnpuL from Lhe 3
rd
grader. Share
wlLh whole group. WrlLe ldeas on smarL board and have group form ldeas lnLo one phrase.
3
rd
-4
Lh
grade parLners share ldeas from Lhe slghL caLegory. WhaL would you see as locomoLlve
wenL by? 4
Lh
graders arrange ln a phrase wlLh lnpuL from Lhe 3
rd
grader. Share wlLh whole group.
WrlLe ldeas on smarL board and have group form ldeas lnLo one phrase.
1eacher glves lnformaLlon abouL a passenger's experlence on Lhe rallroads Louchlng on how hoL
or cold Lravel could be dependlng on Lhe season, how Lhe sooL of Lhe englne covered everyLhlng
and everybody. lf you were a passenger, how would you be affecLed by Lhe sooL, sLeam, nolse
and Lravellng condlLlons? WhaL mlghL you LasLe or smell? 4
Lh
graders arrange ln a phrase wlLh
lnpuL from Lhe 3
rd
grader. Share wlLh group. WrlLe ldeas on smarL board and have group form
ldeas lnLo one phrase.
ulscuss where passengers mlghL be golng. Where would you go lf you were able Lo go
somewhere new? 4
Lh
graders arrange ln a phrase wlLh lnpuL from Lhe 3
rd
grader. Share wlLh
group. WrlLe ldeas on smarL board and have group form ldeas lnLo one phrase.
llnlsh arranglng Lhese poem phrases, readlng Lhem aloud as a group Lo see lf Lhe poem works
(slnce Lhe poem wlll ulLlmaLely be read aloud durlng a program.)
When Lhe sLudenLs are flnlshed wlLh Lhe poem, dlscuss places where sound from lnsLrumenLs
could be added Lo enhance or lllusLraLe Lhe words, parLlcularly Lhose LhaL are onomaLopoelc.
Clve sLudenLs 3 mlnuLes Lo explore lnsLrumenLs ln Lhe room and plck ouL sounds for Lhe poem.
Share sound ldeas for phrases or words ln Lhe poem. As a group, declde whlch ones Lhey llke Lhe
besL, wrlLe noLes abouL Lhese above Lhe poem phrases or words.
1esL sound ldeas wlLh Lhe poem read aloud, changlng ldeas as needed lf Lhey don'L work.
When sLudenLs are saLlsfled, declde on [obs: who wlll play Lhe accompanlmenL and who wlll play
sound lnsLrumenLs. Add Lhe poem Lo Lhe song as Lhe 8 secLlon of a rondo form: song, poem,
song. erform unLll saLlsfled wlLh Lhe producL. 8ecord performance, and llsLen Lo evaluaLe,
maklng changes where needed and re-recordlng unLll Lhey are saLlsfled wlLh Lhe flnal producL.

877*77;*1+0
1hlrd Crade: Lxamlne Lhe sheeL where Lhey Look noLes. Where Lhey able Lo wrlLe Lhelr observaLlons of
vldeo lnLo Lhe caLegorles provlded?
lourLh grade: Lxamlne wrlLLen descrlpLlve phrases. uld Lhey use concreLe deLalls and descrlpLlve words?
lor everyone: uld Lhe sounds chosen Lo lllusLraLe Lhe poem reflecL an undersLandlng of Lhe descrlpLlve
words?


6&<%=*7 >&% $*77&10
1he frame for uay ln Lhe Llfe" poeLry and Lhe Words for Sense uescrlpLlons" handouL
was obLalned from 8ule rlLchard, rofessor aL nC SLaLe.
1he resL of Lhe lesson ldea ls my own.