TCNJ Lesson Plan

Integrated Literacy Lesson #1

Student Name: Danielle Hutchinson

School Name: Hopewell Elementary

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Host Teachers Name: Ms. Bradshaw

Guiding and/or Essential Questions:

What do the various creatures living in coral reefs need to survive?
How can we use pictures to find key details and information in a nonfiction text?
What strategies can we use to help remind ourselves of what we learned?
Pre-lesson Assignments and/or Student Prior Knowledge
Students have participated in Readers Workshop for a length of time, so they understand
the routine. Students have recently been introduced to nonfiction texts, but are not extremely
proficient in navigating these texts. This class understands the characteristics of nonfiction texts
as well as what they are used for. Students have previously been read a text about oceans, so they
are familiar with some aspects of coral reefs. Some advanced students may have a stronger
background knowledge about this habitat than others.
Standards:
NGSS.K.LS1-1
Use observations to describe patters of what plants and animals (including humans) need to
survive.
CCSS.ELA.LITERACT.RL.K.1
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA.LITERACY.RL.K.7
With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in
which they appear (e.g., what moment or detail in a text an illustration depicts).

Learning Objectives and Assessments:

Learning Objectives

Assessment

The students will orally describe the needs and

characteristics of various lifeforms in coral
reefs, as described in Swim, Fish!

Students will recall the facts included in Swim

Fish! when asked to assist the teacher in
placing sticky notes on the text. Teacher will
assess for accurate descriptions of the various
lifeforms needs.

The students will determine useful details of a

nonfiction text by attaching sticky notes to
pages with newfound information as they read.

Students will read nonfiction texts and place

sticky notes to keep track of newfound
information. Teacher will assess for at least
three sticky notes on relevant topics.

The students will present newfound information

found in their individual nonfiction texts by
making use of their attached sticky notes.

Students will share the information they learned

using their sticky notes with a partner and/or
the class. Teacher will assess for accurate
descriptions of relevant information.

Materials/Resources:
Swim, Fish! Explore the Coral Reef by Susan B. Neuman. (A National Geographic Kids text.)
Post-it notes
A variety of non-fiction texts placed in book-bins at teach table. The book bins are sorted into the
following categories: ocean, weather, habitats, Earth, and insects.
Three corals for the students to examine.
Plan for set-up/distribution/cleanup of materials:
The book bins and post-its will be placed at the students tables as they are seated on the rug

during the lessons introduction.

Lesson Procedure:
1. Lesson beginning:
The lesson will begin with the students seated in a circle on the rug. The teacher will remind the
students to show respect and whole-body listening.
The teacher will begin with a review from last weeks Readers Workshop read-aloud about
oceans. The teacher will state: Last week, we looked at a book that taught us a little bit about
oceans and the creatures that live there. When I was listening to that nonfiction book, it reminded
me about how much I love the ocean! I wanted to learn a lot more about it, so I found another
nonfiction book about coral reefs.
The teacher will proceed to show Swim, Fish! to the students. The teacher will state that she
already knows a lot about coral reefs, I think that I am almost an expert on this topic, just like
everybody here is writing about topics that they are an expert at in Writers Workshop! The
teacher will state that she knows that coral reefs are underwater, she knows that a lot of different

2.

3.

4.

types of creatures live there, and she knows that they are made of very colorful stone-like things
called corals.
The teacher will show the students three pieces of coral. The students will be given the chance to
examine each piece of coral as it is silently passed around the classroom.
a. The teacher may explain that coral is made up of calcium carbonate,
which makes it look like a rock. Inside this is a plant-like cell called
zooxanthellae, which creates food through the process of photosynthesis.
The zooxanthellae is what makes the coral have vibrant colors. Without it,
it looks bleached. This coral does not have the zooxanthellae, which is
why they look white or bleached.
Once student interest has been captured by the exploration of the coral, the teacher will announce
that Swim, Fish! will teach us about kinds of creatures live in coral reefs and what they need to
survive.
The teacher will conduct a picture walk of Swim, Fish! Before beginning, she will ask the
students to keep an eye out for facts that might help her find what she is looking for. The students
will be asked to tap their forehead to remember what they are noticing. The teacher will then
look through the pages of Swim, Fish! and narrate her inner conversation as this is done. The
teacher will emphasize the process of analyzing an image to help understand the texts purpose.
Specific things that the teacher will point out will include:
Pages 3-4: I notice that there are so many different types of fish in this picture. I see big orange
fish, little grey fish, and a fish with blue stripes. Wow, so now I know that these are some fish
that live in the colorful coral reef.
Pages 6-7: This must be another kind of fish in the coral reef, it looks like a bumble bee! I
notice that they are swimming in a group, I think I remember that this is called a school of fish.
Maybe that these fish survive well when they are together.
Mention of seahorses on page 9, turtles on page 11, eels on page 13, starfish on page 17
Pages 14-15: This creature looks a little bit like a shark, but its mouth reminds me of a whale! It
looks like the whale-shark eats the tiny fish. That must be what he needs to survive.
Page 22: This map reminds me of the map we looked at when we read the ocean book. I notice
that there is a lot more water than land here. Look, it shows us what kinds of creatures live in the
coral reefs around the world!
After the picture walk is completed, the teacher will state that she learned a lot more information
about the creatures in coral reefs and what they need to survive. The teacher will state: I want to
remember what I learned from looking at this nonfiction text, so I am going to put a sticky note
on pages that I learned something from. I remember that I learned that whale-sharks eat tiny fish,
so I am going to put a sticky note on this page so that I can always look back and remember
where I found this information. The teacher will continue by asking students what they learned,
and inviting them to come up and place the sticky note in the book. The teacher will state, Now
we can always remember where we found the information about the needs of creatures in the
coral reefs!
The teacher will explain to the students that, during todays Readers Workshop, they will be
looking at nonfiction texts, finding new information, and using sticky notes to keep track of
where these facts are found. The teacher will explain that, once a student has added at least 3
sticky notes, he or she may turn to a peer at their table to share their sticky notes.

5. The teacher will call on specific students by the color they are wearing. The students will then
move from their spots on the rug to their table-seats. Each table will have a nonfiction book bin
for the children to look through and choose a text that suits their interests.
6. Before the end of Readers Workshop, students will be allowed to turn to their look books to
give themselves a break from nonfiction.
7. Lessing ending:
Long closure:
i. The other teachers in the classroom will be asked if they noticed any students who did an
excellent job finding information and sharing with their partner. Two or three students will be
called upon to explain a fact from their chosen book and show where they put their post-it note.
ii. A brief discussion will take place in which students are asked to consider why it is important to
use the sticky notes.
Short closure:
i. The other teachers in the classroom will be asked if they noticed any students who did an
excellent job finding information and sharing with their partner. One student will be called upon
to explain a fact from their chosen book and show where they put their post-it note.
Key Questions:

What did you learn from looking at Swim, Fish?

How would you explain the needs and characteristics of marine life?
How could you utilize materials such as post-its to monitor what you are leaning?
Could you propose an alternative way to keep track of our learning?
What did you learn from sharing information with your partner?
What other questions do you have about coral reefs? About your own nonfiction topic?
Logistics:
Timing:
The lesson will last approximately thirty minutes in total. Approximately twelve minutes
will be allotted for the introduction, picture walk of Swim Fish!, and the introduction of the postit technique. Approximately thirteen minutes will be allotted for Readers Workshop, including
the practice of sticky-note use and time for look books. The remaining five minutes will be
dedicated to the closing activity.
Transitions:
Students will remain on the rug for the lesson introduction. To transition from the rug to
their seats for Readers Workshop, students will be called to their desks according to a color they
are wearing. To transition from the nonfiction texts to the look books, students will be
instructed to do so by a teacher after they are called to attention by the phrase, Hocus-pocus,
everybody focus! A similar phrase will be used to transition the students from Readers
Workshop to the closing activity.
Classroom Management:

The teacher will be sure to make expectations explicit and clear from the beginning of the
lesson. The teacher will remind students to continue showing respect to their peers, to the
materials, and to me for the entirety of the lesson. Materials will be ready for the students use
only as they move to their desks. Students will be called to attention by using the phrase, Hocus
pocus, everybody focus.
Differentiation
During the introduction and study of Swim, Fish!, students will be seated on the rug in an
arrangement that is not disruptive to the class. Certain students, such as Peter and Nathan, might
be asked to sit on a chair in order to stay focused. Fiona will be asked to sit close to the teacher
so that she is not distracted by the objects on the back shelves. The book bins placed at each table
will vary in difficulty depending on the students reading abilities. Students will be given the
chance to choose topics that interest them when allowed to choose their own nonfiction text. For
instance, Aarya might be allowed to choose a book from the Earth category due to her
previously shown interest in trees and air. Students will sit at tables with students that will not be
distracting to them. For instance, Luke and Preston will be seated apart. Some high level readers,
such as Sagan, might be paired with lower-level reads such as Clara.