Lesson Planning Form for Accessible Instruction Calvin College Education Program

Teacher Hannah Leong

Date November 20, 2015 Subject/ Topic/ Theme Sensory Poems

Grade 1st

I. Objectives
How does this lesson connect to the unit plan?
-Students will learn about another type of poetry (sensory poems) and begin to compare them to the other types of poetry that we
have studied
-Students will practice reading and using words that express feelings and appeal to the senses
Learners will be able to:
Explain what a sensory poem is and compare and contrast it to acrostic and rhyming poems
Comprehend the meanings of and use new descriptive vocabulary when writing poetry
Write to create sensory poems as a class and on their own

cognitiveR U Ap An E C*

socioemotional

An
Ap
C

Use poetry to explain a topic or express their feelings about a topic

Recognize that poetry is cross-lingual
Read poems aloud clearly to other classmates and/or class as a whole
Common Core standards (or GLCEs if not available in Common Core) addressed:

physical
development

X
X

R/K
X

- Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4).
-With prompting and support, read prose and poetry of appropriate complexity for grade 1 (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.10).
-Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes) (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.2).
-Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly (CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1.4).
(Note: Write as many as needed. Indicate taxonomy levels and connections to applicable national or state standards. If an objective applies to particular learners
write the name(s) of the learner(s) to whom it applies.)
*remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create

II. Before you start

Identify prerequisite
knowledge and skills.

-Knowledge of rhyming and acrostic poems

-Knowledge of descriptive words and the five senses
Pre-assessment (for learning):

What do you think a sensory poem is?

Formative (for learning):
Guess correctly that the example poem is describing popcorn shows understanding/comprehension of
sensory words.

What sensory words can you use to describe pizza? Write pizza sensory poem as a class.
Formative (as learning):

Outline assessment activities

(applicable to this lesson)

Students reread their poems, checking that they used all five senses to describe their topic.
Summative (of learning):

-Completed student poems

-Students read their poems to classmates and/or the class

What barriers might this

lesson present?

Provide Multiple Means of

Representation

Provide Multiple Means of

Action and Expression

Provide Multiple Means of

Engagement

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Provide options for perceptionmaking information perceptible

What will it take

neurodevelopmentally,
experientially, emotionally,
etc., for your students to do
this lesson?

-pictures on handout to remind

students which senses to write
about
-audio recording of poem read in
Spanish
-Spanish and English text shown
on ELMO
Provide options for language,
mathematical expressions, and
symbols- clarify & connect
language

-read Spanish and English

sensory poems
-pictures of five senses on
handout
-Students come up to ELMO and
highlight sensory words
Provide options for
comprehension- activate, apply &
highlight

-I do, we do, you do

approach (provide examples
for activation, write a poem
together, and have students
write poems of their own to
apply knowledge)

Materials-what materials
(books, handouts, etc) do you
need for this lesson and are
they ready to use?

How will your classroom be

set up for this lesson?

Provide options for physical

action- increase options for
interaction
-Students use five senses to
explore the outdoors
-Saying senses aloud with hand
motions
-voice recorder for Bairon to say
his poem and teachers to write
Provide options for expression
and communication- increase
medium of expression

Provide options for recruiting

interest- choice, relevance, value,
authenticity, minimize threats
-write poem as a group before
individual writing to minimize
threats
-experiential and authentic
learning- going outside
Provide options for sustaining
effort and persistence- optimize
challenge, collaboration, masteryoriented feedback

-Expressive words for all five

senses!
-oral discussion time and
sharing time
-written individual writing
time
-students come up to ELMO
and highlight sensory words

-Write poem as a class

-Challenge students to guess
what popcorn poem is about
-Challenge students to identify
sense words in
Spanish/English sense poem

Provide options for executive

functions- coordinate short &
long term goals, monitor
progress, and modify strategies

Provide options for selfregulation- expectations, personal

skills and strategies, selfassessment & reflection

-short term goals of writing a

poem as a class and writing
their own poem using template

-Students explore outdoors and

create their own poem
somewhat independent
experience
-Re-read to check work
-Read poems to others

-Los sentidos or The Senses from http://laminaseducativasde.blogspot.com/2012/04/los-5sentidos.html#.VjcVnLerTIU

-Popcorn from http://rowdyinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2013/03/sensory-poetry.html
-Audio recording of Los sentidos read in Spanish
-ELMO document camera
-Printouts of the two poems to show text as it is read
-Pizza sensory poem template to complete as a class
-Sensory Poem handout for outdoor activity
-Pencils
-Clipboards/hard surface for students to write on outside

-Large group discussion on the rug

-Take trip outside to cafeteria and playground area
-Large group circle on the rug after trip outside

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III. The Plan

Time

Components

Describe teacher activities

AND
student activities
for each component of the lesson. Include important higher order thinking questions and/or
prompts.
Gather students on rug,
Say: Today we are going to learn about a new
type of poem called a sensory poem. What do
you think a sensory poem is?

Students share their guesses.

Say: Good job! Sensory poems tell us about

something by using descriptive sense words. Do
you remember what the five senses are? Lets
stand up and name them together.

5 min.

Motivation
(opening/
introduction/
engagement)

Stand and point to eyes, nose, ears, mouth and

hands as you say, See, smell, hear, taste, touch.
Say: Good job, how about a little faster?
Repeat motions and recite senses faster and
faster.

Students follow with hand motions.

Students repeat motions and recite senses faster

and faster.

Say: Whoa, that was crazy fast! Are you ready to

hear a sensory poem now?

Yeah! Students sit.

Say: Weve talked a little bit about this before,

but remind me, do all poems have to be written
and read in English?

No!

Right. People write poetry in all languages. Since

many of you speak Spanish as well as English,
we can listen to this sensory poem in Spanish and
English. Be careful and listen for descriptive
sense words that tell how we see, smell, hear,
taste, and touch.
Play Spanish recording and then read poem in
English.

Students listen for words that tell what the senses

are experiencing.

Say: What did you notice? What does the

character in this poem see, smell, hear, taste, and
touch?

Students respond: Sees a colorful sky, hears the

birds sing etc.

Does this poem rhyme? In Spanish or in English?

No. Only Spanish

Thats right. Why do you think that is? (wait

time)

The words in Spanish are different and have

different end sounds.

Yep. We can see that even though poems are

written in all languages, poems dont always
rhyme in different languages because the words
and end sounds are different.

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Say: Lets read another sensory poem. This time

see if you can guess what this poem is about only
by listening to the different descriptions of
senses.
When Im done reading the poem. Dont shout
out the answer, but whisper it in your hand.
Read the Popcorn poem, making sure to cover
up the title and pictures when you place the text
on the ELMO.

5 min.

Say: Ok, if you think you know what this poem

is about whisper it into your hand and then toss
in in the air on 3. 123!

Development
(the largest
component or
main body of
the lesson)

Students toss hand in the air and shout out their

guesses Popcorn!

Reveal the answer.

Say: Way to go! You were right! What
descriptive words or adjectives helped you know
that it was popcorn?
Have students who answer come up to the paper
on the ELMO and highlight the word they
noticed.

Say: Great job! Lets see if we can work together

now and write a sensory poem about something
deliciousPizza!

8 min.

Students listen, then whisper their guesses into

their hands.

Students respond and highlight words for

everyone to see: salty, soft, buttery etc.

Students shout for joy!

Place pizza poem template on ELMO and prompt

students to complete the poem
Instruct students to close their eyes and picture a
delicious, hot pizza with their favorite toppings.
Ask questions such as: What do you see when
you look at some delicious pizza? What words

Students close eyes, imagine a pizza, and

respond: cheesy, crunchy, saucy, hot etc.

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can you use to explain how it tastes? etc.

Record students answers on the template.
Say: Then I like to add an ending detail or phrase
like, Yummy pizza!
Read the poem together as a class.

Students read aloud with teacher.

Say: Way to go! Now in a little bit you guys are

going to get to write your own sensory poems to
add to your poetry books. So we are going to go
on a short field trip!

5 min.
transition

Explain sensory poem worksheets (see

attachment) and expectations for walking around
school and outside write your name at the top,
on the first line write about the setting (e.g.
Outside my school, By the playground),
quiet in hallways, we are not playing on the
playground etc.
Instruct students to grab a pencil and a worksheet
and line up to go outside.

Students gather materials and line up.

Lead students through hallway, through cafeteria

and outside to playground area.

10-15
min.

Ask: What do you see? What colors? What

plants? What buildings? Write it down.

Allow students to walk around outside

(playground off limits) and record what they see,
smell, hear, and touch. Ask prompting questions
periodically.

Students explore and write!

Ask students to think about

-How are the outdoors around school different to
what you saw on your trip to Blandford Nature
Center? What animals do you see and hear?
(science connection)
-Do you see people commuting? What kind of
transportation do you see? Are there cars?
Buses? (social students and reading connection to
commute and transportation vocabulary)

For the taste part of the poem, instruct students to

think about something they usually eat at school.
What do you taste at lunchtime in the
cafeteria?
*Mrs. Anderson or I may walk with Bairon ask
him prompting questions, have him record his
poem on the tape recorder, and then we write on
his worksheet.

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5 min.

2 min.

Closure
(conclusion,
culmination,
wrap-up)

Gather students and walk back to class

Students line up and walk back

Have students sit on rug in a large circle with

their poems.

Students sit in circle.

Say: Take a minute to read your poem to

yourself. Did you write about all five senses? Do
you have a title?
Invite students to share their findings.
Say: Would anyone like to share their poem with
us? We would love to hear what you discovered
on your outdoor adventure! You can read your
whole poem or just share your favorite part.

Students take a moment to reread their poems

and check for mistakes/write a title.

Students share their findings. May read parts of

poems or their whole poem.

5-10 min.
Give compliments after each person reads I
like how you wrote
Note students descriptions of animals, nature,
and city life (commute, transportation etc.) in
their poems.

Lesson Reflection
I feel very good about how this lesson went. I took a moment at the beginning to review with students the
expectations for Give me five and Hocus pocus, everybody focus! I told them that I would like to take them
outside to write, but in order to do that they needed to show me that they could sit and participate like Csar E.
Chvez stars (being respectful by being quiet with hands in lap, sitting crisscross applesauce etc.) I used this as
motivation throughout the lesson and students responded well to this because they were excited about having a
chance to explore outside.
I also took some time to review the rhyming and acrostic poems that we have talked about in past lessons. I found
that students understand and can tell me that rhyming poems have words with the same end sounds and acrostic
poems have topic word written down the side. However, they have trouble remembering the poem names rhyming
and acrostic. Recognizing and identifying the different characteristics of acrostic, rhyming, sensory, and shape
poems is one of my main unit objectives, so of course, I will continue to review these names and differences with
the students each day. Sensory poems should be easier for students to remember because they are familiar with the
word senses. Standing up to point out our five senses and going outside to write sensory poems are also two
engaging and memorable experiences which will help students remember sensory poems bet ter.
I experienced some technical difficulties when trying to play the Spanish audio for Los sentidos, but we did get
the audio to work. I found it easier to gain students attention again after this disruption than after the technology
disruptions in my first lesson. It seems that students were more motivated to get back to doing poetry work because
they were looking forward to going outside. During this transition time, some students were also reading the poem
to themselves on the screen, and they seemed excited about hearing another poem in Spanish. I was thrilled that
students were able to point out that the poem rhymes in Spanish but not in English. Mel anie was able to give me a
clear explanation about how the words do not rhyme because they are compl etely different words in English as they
are in Spanish. Several other kids raised their hands to tell me what they noticed about rhyming, and this shows that
students are making connections to topics that we have discussed earlier!
Students seemed to like both guessing about the popcorn sensory poem example and writing a sensory poem
together about pizza. I chose foods that all the students can relate to. I know that they have popcorn fundraisers
every Wednesday and pizza for lunch every Friday at Csar E. Chvez. I think these two poems and our discussion

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of the I word pattern prepared students well for writing sensory poems of their own. It worked out well to have
students first put on their jackets, grab a clipboard and a pencil, and then sit down on the rug fo r instructions. I am
glad I thought to put all the worksheets on the clipboards to begin with rather than having students pick up the
worksheets separately and putting them on the clipboards themselves because that would have taken too much time.
Students were somewhat antsy as I explained the directions, but I thought they did really well compared to other
days and considering the fact that they were excited to go outside. When students were sitting on the rug both
before and after going outside, many of them popped up and down to go get erasers at their desks. I did not feel that
this was a huge distraction (although it may look like one on the lesson video), but I should have also instructed
them to bring an eraser with them to the rug when we started. I wonder if they would lose their erasers outside
though.
The students did great walking quietly through the halls and writing their poems outside. I taught them my song for
lining up by the door, and they responded well by lining up nicely. I heard that Mrs. Anderson had to remind a
couple students not to play on the playground, but for the most part, students stayed on task. After just a few
minutes outside, students ran up to me and told me they were done. After instructing a few students individually to
add more descriptive words to their poems (e.g. I see fast cars vs. I see cars), I made an announcement about this to
the whole class. I enjoyed talking with students about their poems and what words they could add to improve them.
Although Bryan is still learning to read and write his letters, he seemed to have fun writing his poem and working
with Mrs. Anderson.
Inside the classroom, as students sat on the outside edge of the rug, I had them look over their poems and add more
descriptive words to their writing. This was valuable practice for them to edit and revise their work using more
vocabulary. I was surprised to find that so many of the students were eager to read their poems. Although I had
pictured the students reading their poems to each other while sitting on the rug, it worked even better for them to
show their poems on the ELMO and use the microphone as they read aloud. It was so cool to see evidence of
learning through their different poems! The students really enjoy using the microphone and sharing their work with
their peers. I had some of the lower level readers who do not always seem engaged in class Michael, Abby, and
Bryancome read their poems to the class. It was good to get them more involved and to see the pride on their
faces as they read aloud! Some of the students moved around and fidgeted on the rug, but I was happy to see that
most students were at least quiet as their peers were reading their poems. I think some distractedness is to be
expected anytime you take a class inside and outside or have one student read aloud at a time. I noticed that my
teaching style involves a tendency to ask questions to the whole group and take collective shout -out answers
(something more suitable for older students). I must remember that with my young first graders I need to be clear
about my expectation that students raise their hands each time I ask a question. Overall though, the students were
well engaged and showed good understanding and ability in writing sensory poems. I would certainly use this
lesson again!

Resources:
Los sentidos (2012, April 24). In Laminas Educativas. Retrieved October 28, 2015, from
http://laminaseducativasde.blogspot.com/2012/04/los-5-sentidos.html#.Vkki1HarTIV
Tice, J. (2013, March 27). Sensory poetry. In Rowdy in First Grade. Retrieved October 27, 2015, from
http://rowdyinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2013/03/sensory-poetry.html

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