Name: Siobhan Barrett

School: Mission Trail

Elementary
Grade Level: 2nd

Unit: Writing

Day: 4
Date: 2/26/2015

Hour: 9:45-10:45
Observation # 4

Goals/Objectives: What are your goals and objectives for the lesson?

Materials/Resources Needed: [7]

Dear Tooth Fairy by Alan Durant
The students will write a friendly letter containing a
Tooth Fairy writing paper
header, greeting, body, closing, and signature.
Pink, purple, and blue construction paper
stars and black strips
Glitter
Glue
State Standards/Benchmarks/ School Improvement Goals:
What do you want students to learn and be able to demonstrate? [1 ]

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.5

With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed
by revising and editing.
Why are these goals& objectives suitable for this
group of students? What evidence do you have that you have high but

Background: How do these goals and objectives build on previous

lessons, and how do they lead to future planning? [3]

The students have been learning about friendly letters

My goal for the students is to write a friendly letter to the for three days prior to this lesson. This letter is meant
tooth fairy. I want them to ask her questions thank her for to wrap up a short unit in the topic.
her work. They should elaborate on their ideas. They
have been learning about friendly letters and this should
challenge them to write to someone they do not know.
What difficulties do students typically experience in
Relevance: How do these goals and objectives align with [5]
State Standards: This lesson approaches state standards
this area? How do you plan to anticipate these
because it encourages students to write while focusing on a
difficulties? (Pre-assessment) [4]
topic.
The students usually have issues thinking about what to District curriculum/goals: District goals suggest that students
write. To help this, I will think of prompts ahead of time. learn to write friendly letters. District and state standards also
I will also have multiple suggestions for students who get align.
School Improvement Process: The school encourages the
writers block.
reasonable expectations? (Refer to Contextual Factors in Entry 2) [2]

virtue of friendliness. This lesson encourages kind conversation.

Anticipatory Set (Initial Engagement): The teacher

will read the book, Dear Tooth Fairy By Alan Durant.
This will act an initial engagement by introducing the
concept in an exciting and visual way.

Sequence of Activities - with time allotments: [c]

The teacher will invite the students to the back
of the classroom for a read aloud. The teacher
will read Dear Tooth Fairy by Alan Durant.
(5-7 minutes)
The teacher will ask questions about the letter
written to the fairy in the story. Did it have a
heading? What was the greeting?...etc 3
minutes
The students will return to their desks. The
teacher will pass out the tooth writing sheets.
She will ask the students to complete the
heading with February 26th, 2015. They will
then write, Dear Tooth Fiary,
The students will then be instructed to write a
friendly note to the tooth fairy. They can think

of two to three questions along with sentences

for the tooth fairy. (10 minutes)
When the students are finished with the body,
they will choose a closing and sign the letter.
(2 minutes)
When all writing is finished, the students will
choose a star and strip of paper for their wand.
They will glue their tooth and wand onto a
large piece of construction paper. (5 minutes)
When a student is finished, they will read to
self.
Learning Activities: How do you plan to engage students in
Vocabulary:
content throughout the lesson? What will YOU do? What will the
Friendly letter
STUDENTS do? [6]
Heading
To engage the students I will ask higher level thinking
Greeting
questions like, What do you want to know about the
Body
tooth fairy? What do you think shed say back? The
Closing
students will have the chance to decorate a wand for their
Signature
project.
Closure: (How will you tie it together & prepare them for what
What higher level thinking skills will the students use?
comes next?)
The students will go form writing a friendly letter to
This lesson will close with a short discussion about how someone they know very well, to writing to someone
the students are doing with their letter writing at home. It they dont know at all. This will require them to
is part of their weekly homework to write a friendly
think out of the box about what they will say to their
letter to someone and mail it to them. They will talk
subject.
about their letters, who they wrote them to, and what
they wrote about.
Strategies to promote equitable opportunities for all [d]
Use of Technology: (by teacher and/or students) [7]
The teacher will alternate genders when asking
The teacher will use the smart board to provide a visual
students to answer questions.
for writing prompts and question suggestions.
Rationale:

Instructional Strategies: (strategies/questions/prompts to

encourage learning and meet diverse needs) [a]

I will be using direct instruction for most of this lesson.

The students will be writing individually as well.
Rationale:

It is important for the students to write their letters

independently so that I can make sure they know what
elements are included in a friendly letter.

This will provide an equitable environment for

students because males and females will have the
same opportunity to answer questions.
Grouping: (Individual, small group, large group) [b]
This lesson will be a whole group/ individual project.
The teacher will read a book to the whole group and
then they will write a letter independently.
Rationale:

The writing should be independent so that I can see

what the students really know about writing friendly
letters.

Modifications and/or Accommodations for special needs:

Two students who are on IEPs for writing will have a
para present for extra support.

Are there any special circumstances of which the observer

should be aware? [e]
NO

Assessment: How do you plan to assess student achievement of the

Follow-Up: What will you do with the assessment results? How

goals? [8]

will that affect what you do next?

The students writing will act as a formative assessment

of their ability to write a friendly letter. The letter should
have a heading, greeting, at least 5 sentences in the body,
a closing, and a signature.

I will use the assessment results to see if I need to

teach the material more in depth. IF the students are
still struggling, I will print off friendly letters and
have the students highlight the different parts in
different colors. This will help them identify the 5

parts.