Lesson Plan #1

Grade Level: Preschool Ages 4-6

Subject / Content area: Language and Literacy
Unit of Study: Sea Creatures / Sharks
Lesson Title: Informational and Fictional books about Sharks
Central Focus for the learning segment: Students will distinguish the difference between real
(informational) and pretend (fiction) through literature.
Content Standard(s):
NYS Pre Kindergarten Standards for the Common Core, Domain 4: Communication, Language
and Literacy. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: 9. With prompting and support, identify basic
similarities and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., illustrations, descriptions or
procedures).
Learning Objectives:
a. After reading an informational text, students indentify three aspects of the book that make it
informational (vs. fiction) such as the use of real photographs, the style of writing, and the
information we learned from the book.
b. After reading a fictional text together as a class, students recall three aspects of the book that made
it fictional (such as imaginary characters, pretend characteristics attributed to people and/or animals,
style of writing).
Instructional Resources and Materials to engage students in learning:
Informational book: National Geographic Readers: Sharks! by Anne Schreiber
Fictional book: Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton
Pictures of sharks
Shark puppet(s) at least one that the teacher and students can use in telling the stories

Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks that support diverse student needs:
I do: While reading, I will call students attention to the images in the story and the location of the
text. I will ask students to come up and point to things that they notice in the books while reading. I
will ask students to get up and move in between reading both books.
We do: Together, we review the books and look at the story board. We compare the images used in
the books, the type of language used, the characters, and what we learned about the book. These are
documented in a language experience chart.
You do: During the review, students will come up with one fictional and one informational idea for a
story.
Differentiation and planned universal supports:
Visual A visual story board will be present for both stories and used in the comparison of fiction
and informational texts
Tactile A water table will be provided with shark toys as a center that will be open throughout the
day
Auditory The stories will be read out loud. The audio books will be replayed later that day and will
be available for students to listen to independently with headphones.
Kinesthetic As motivation for the stories we will read, the teacher will ask the students to get up
and move around like sharks. They will play a kind of freeze dance game with shark movements,
freezing whenever the music stops.
Technology We will listen to recordings of shark sounds and watch a short video showing sharks in
their habitat
Forms of Expression Students will have access to paper, markers, crayons, paints, play-dough, and
other materials to create their own shark.
Language Function students will develop:
1. Ability to express the difference between fiction and informational texts (facts vs. fantasy)

2. Language about sharks and their habitats

3. Expression of differences and similarities / compare and contrast
Additional language demands and language supports:
1. Students whose first language is not English will be encouraged to explore the differences in
other ways, such as in the types of pictures used in the books. They will be encouraged to
express themselves however they feel most comfortable.
2. For English Language Learners, there will be two goals. 1. To learn the content: the
differences between fictional and informational texts, and 2. To reinforce new vocabulary
words that we have been using throughout the exploration of sharks as a topic.
Type of Student Assessments and what is being assessed:
Informal Assessment: Before the activity, the teacher will gather an idea of which students are
already distinguishing informational and fictional texts. Through observation throughout the duration
of the activity, the teachers will make note of whether or not students distinguish informational and
fictional books. Finally, during the compare and contrast activity, the teacher will observe again and
make note of which students distinguish between fictional and informational texts. In the next
activity, any student who has not yet recognized the difference will be seated next to a student who
has noted the difference.
Modifications to the Assessment: Understanding the concepts of fiction and informational may be
expressed in a number of ways. This will be taken into account throughout the observation.
Evaluation Criteria:
Are students able to distinguish reality from fantasy as presented in the two texts?
Do students make observations to compare and contrast the stories?
If not verbally, do students express understanding in another way?
Relevant theories and/or research best practices: Supporting emerging readers and writers to different
types of literature. The students will be exposed to reading that is just above their level, drawing from
Vygotskys zone of proximal development.

McGee, L.M. and Richgels, D.J. (2012). Literacys Beginnings: Supporting Young Readers and
Writers. (6th Ed.) Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Vygotsky, L. (1998). Interaction between learning and development. Mind and Society (pp 79-91).
Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.
Lesson Timeline:
Introduction and Movement activity 5 minutes
Reading of Informational text with story board 6 minutes
Reading of Fictional text with story board 6 minutes
Find the beginning, middle, and end with the use of the story boards 3 minutes
Creation of Language experience chart to compare and contrast the informational text and fictional
text 7 minutes
What did we learn? 3 minutes

After the lesson:

Break out into centers related to the theme of Sharks

Extension:
Students will be encouraged to create their own fictional or informational stories. Later that week,
they will be asked to brainstorm three fictional ideas to write/draw about. They will choose one and
illustrate by painting or drawing their story. The next week they will be asked to brainstorm three
informational ideas to write/draw about and will go through the same process. The two will be
showcased next to each other for the students to compare and contrast the differences between
fictional and informational texts in their own work.