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Lesson 1
Lesson Focus: Reading Comprehension Find the main idea
AusVELS Domain(s): Reading Duration of Lesson: 60
Grade/Year Level: 4 minutes

AusVELS Substrands
Dimension(s): ACELY1694
Find the main idea
Cross-curriculum links: Civics Demonstrate understanding of
and Civilisations the contribution from the many
culturally diverse groups that
make up the Australian
community.

Class comprehension level: Majority of students: Level (E) to

(F)
E: Linking and combining
information in paragraphs.
F: Interpretive reading
Low Level students: Phrase-level
meaning (C)

Learning Outcome(s)/Standard(s):
Students will use skills such linking visual information to written
text, summarizing and questioning to identify the main ideas of the
text.

Success Criteria:
I am doing well if I can tell another person at least 2 main ideas
from the text, while providing explanations of why I think they are
important.

Text: Blackwood, F., & Kobald, I. (2014). My Two Blankets. Little Hare Books;
Richmond, Australia.

Lesson Introduction: Before Reading

Tuning In Activity: Refer to Appendix 1

Literacy learning Intention:

We are learning to find the main idea/s of a text, while discussing
and explaining why it is the main idea/s.

Teacher introduces the book, while highlighting the author, title and
front cover to the class. Teacher asks students to predict what the
story may be about.

During reading:
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Shared reading of text Teacher reads to class ensuring to stop
every 3-4 pages to discuss ideas with students (Refer to APPENDIX 2
for details).

After Reading:

1. Whole class activity:

Teacher will refresh students knowledge on thinking routine
task of Headlines (APPENDIX 3), before students return to
their table to complete the activity and record in their books.

2. Focused teaching group:

1. Teacher skims over the book again with focus group, and
creates a discussion of the key points.
2. Teacher will highlight Cartwheels first blanket and what she
liked and her uniqueness.
3. Teacher will ask the students themselves what are theyre
favorite things and what make them unique and ask them
to make a list in their books.
4. Student will there compare their notes, discussing
similarities and differences as a group.
5. Teacher then asks students how their list might change
they moved to another country, and discuss as a group

I am doing well if I can identify how my blanket is unique

from my classmates and explain how it might change if I
moved county.

Lesson Conclusion:

Class returns to floor, several students are asks to talk about what
they had considered as on of the main ideas while the teacher
guides a brief class discussion about why it is considered a main
idea to support it.

APPENDIX 1:

Tuning in: 2 minutes

- Teacher greets student in a foreign language (e.g. Bonjour
French or Ni Hoa Manderine), while encouraging them to
respond in another.

- Teacher asks students, how they think they would feel if they
moved to a new place where no one else spoke their
language. Discuss.

APPENDIX 2:
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Shared reading Throughout the reading of the text, teacher will
guide students to think about what the main idea/s of the text could
be as they read the txt.

The teacher will stop every 3-4 pages (pages not specified, but
judged by the teacher as key points of the story) and ask questions
to help assist them in identifying the main idea/s

Example Questions:
1. How do you think Cartwheel is feeling?
2. What do we think the main idea of the book is so far?
3. What differences and similarities to Cartwheel and the girl at
the park have?
4. Is Cartwheels blanket a literal blanket that keeps her warm in
bed, or more of a metaphor? What is a metaphor?

Throughout these brief discussions, teacher or elected student may

record some ideas on the whiteboard in the structure of a
brainstorm.

APPENDIX 3:

Headlines routine for synthesizing and organizing ideas

Headlines: Summarizing and capturing the heart:

- Students identify at least three big ideas from the book, while
providing a short summary in their books.

- Students will then be asked to explain to a friend why they

have chosen the specific ideas from the book and why they
think they are important.

- Extension: If students finish early, they may right down these

explanation in their book to deepen their understanding.

APPENDIX 4:
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Lesson 2
Lesson Focus: Reading Comprehension Making connections
AusVELS Domain(s): Reading Duration of Lesson: 60
Grade/Year Level: 4 minutes

AusVELS Substrands
Dimension(s): ACELY1694
making connections between the
text and students own
experience and other texts
Cross-curriculum links: Civics Demonstrate understanding of
and Civilizations the contribution from the many
culturally diverse groups that
make up the Australian
community.

Class comprehension level: Majority of students: Level (E)

to (F)
E: Linking and combining
information in paragraphs.
F: Interpretive reading
Low Level students: Phrase-
level meaning (C)
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Learning Outcome(s)/Standard(s):
Students will connect with the text by making links between the text
and themselves (experiences) as well as other texts they have read
to deepen their understanding.

Success Criteria:
I am doing well if I can make at least one link between the text
and my own and one link between the text and another text, while
an explanation and evidence of deepening understanding.

Text: Behind the News. (2011, May 31). Refugee Kids [Video file].
Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3230871.htm

Refer to Appendix 5
Lesson Introduction: Before viewing

Tuning In Activity: Refer to Appendix 1

Literacy Learning intention:

We are learning to make connections between the focus text and
personal experiences and other texts.

Teacher informs students they will be watching a BTN video on

Refugee Kids, teacher asks for a student to briefly define what
Refugee refers to, to the class.

During viewing:

1. Class watches the full video, without interruption.

2. Teacher creates a class discussion, by asking questions. (Refer
to Appendix 2)
3. Teacher may play video again (low volume) as the class has
this discussion to assist students thinking.
After viewing:

3. Whole class activity: Connect-Extend-Challenge (Refer to

Appendix 3)

4. Focused teaching group: Text to self, Text to text and Text to

world. (Refer to Appendix 4)

- Providing butchers paper and markers, the teacher will title

the page Refugee Kids before creating three column
titled: text to self, text to text and text to world.
- To begin the discussion the teacher will then ask the
students what they thought about the video.
- Followed by the teacher prompting and guiding students to
make connections between the video and self, text, and
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world.
- The students suggestions and example will then be written
in the appropriate column. (Refer to Appendix 4 for
example questions)

Lesson Conclusion:

Class comes back together, before the students from the focus
group present their poster, giving a brief explanation of what they
did and why.
The teacher then asks several individual students to present their
own work to the class, whilst reading out a few of their wonderings.

APPENDIX 1:

Tuning In Activity:

1. Once students are settled, teacher reminds students of the

book My two blankets and asked for a quick summary of the
story by a student.
2. The teacher reiterates that Cartwheel was from moved from
another country, highlighting that most Australians
families/ancestors would have come originally from over seas.
3. Teacher asks students to raise their hands if they know where
their family comes from.
4. Teacher asks for some students to share family background
with the rest of the class. Teacher may ask students if they
know what bought their family to Australia and if it was
recently (e.g. grandparents or parents).

APPENDIX 2:

During viewing:

Teacher creates class discussion, guided by the asking the questions

below (Teacher may write key words/points on the board)
1. Can anyone tell me what the video what about?
2. Why do people flee their home country? So they want to
leave?
3. What is the program trying to achieve?
4. Why is it important for Refugee kids to learn to trust people?
5. Do you think Cartwheel from My Two Blankets would have
benefitted from a program like this? Why
6. Do you think this is a positive or negative video? Why?

APPENDIX 3:

Whole class activity: Connect-Extend-Challenge

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Students are instructed to return to their tables and complete the

Connect-Extend-Challenge activity, with particular focus on the
Connect aspect.

- Connect: How are the ideas and information presented

connected to what you already knew?
FOCUS: Provide at least one example of a connection between
the video and another text (e.g. My Two Blankets) and a
connection between the video and yourself (personal
experience)

- Extend: What new idea did you get that extended or pushed
youre thinking in new directions?

- Challenge: What is still challenging or confusing for you to get

your head around? What questions, wonderings or puzzles do
you have now?

APPENDIX 4:

Focus Group:
Text to self, text and world - Prompting Questions:
SELF:
1. Do you know anyone who has moved to Australia from
another country?
2. Have you ever help/raised money for anyone who needs help
overseas?
3. Have you ever done any trust exercises?
TEXT:
1. Have you read any books about a Refugee? (My Two Blankets)
2. Did the refugee experience the same things as the children is
the video
3. Do you think Cartwheel was a refugee kid?
WORLD:
1. Where else have you learnt or heard about Refugees (The
News)
2. Are their refugees all over the world?
3. Does our government let everyone who wants to come here in
straight away or is their a process? How do they get here?

APPENDIX 5
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RATIONALE:
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Thetwolessonplanspresentedaretheresultofextensiveresearchandconsiderations.
WhiletheAustralianCurriculumpresentedabasisforthecrosscurriculumtopics,the
learningintentionsofbothlessonplanswerechosenbasedontheliteracyresultsof
the2014class.Thistextdiscussesandprovidesexplanationswithevidenceastowhy
certainaspectsofthelessonplanswereemployedorcreated.

FollowingthoroughinquiryoftheAustraliancurriculumforlevel4,itwasdecided
thattheCivicsandCivilisationwouldbeaneffectivecrosscurriculumsubjectforthe
intentionofthistask.AsmulticultureinAustraliaisawidelydiscussedtopicwith
referencetomigrationandrefugees,thethemeofMyTwoBlankets(Blackwood&
Kobald,2014)wasjudgedasappropriate.Whiletheliteraltextfoundinthebookis
quitesimplistic,themainandmetaphoricalideasthattheblanketpresentsseemed
likeanacceptablecomprehensionchallengefortheclass.Whilelookingoverthe
2014classresults,wherealotofstudentswereatthelevelofinferentialreadingor
justbelow,thelearningintentionoffindthemainideawasnotonlyappropriatebut
accompaniedbythechosentextwouldextendthestudentstochallengetheir
comprehensionskills,

Asthefocustextoflessononewasfiction,itwasbelievedthatchoosinganonfiction
animatedtextwouldhavethebestoutcomeforbothcrosscurriculumsubjects.While
theMyTwoBlankets(Blackwood&Kobald,2014)narrative,expressedagreat
dealofemotionalongwithovercomingissuestheprotagonistexperiences,the
BehindTheNews(BehindtheNews,2011)documentarypresentsrealpeople
actuallyexperiencingandovercomingthesameissuesbutwithgreaterrealistic
insights.Thereforethecombinationofthesetwotextallowsstudentstonotonlymake
meaningofthemainidea,buttoalsomakeconnectionsbetweenthetextsandto
themselves,personally,whilepracticingskillsofmultiliteracies.

Bothtextsarebelievedtobequiteengagingforyear4students,andduringcross
curriculumlessonssometimesitcanbedifficultforstudentstoidentifywhattheyare
learninginsteadofjustenjoyingatext.Forthisreason,itisstatedinbothlessonplans
thatthetextmayberevisedforasecondtimeifnecessarybutalsothattheteacher
mustinformthestudentsofthelessonslearningintention.AsFielding(1990)
highlightsthepointofanygivenassignmentshouldbeevidenttothestudents.The
useoftheWearelearningtostructureimplementedintothelessonplanallows
studentstheopportunitytothinkabouttheWALTastheyviewthetexts.

Sweeny(2007)identifiesthatmanychildrensinterestandenjoymentinreading
decreasesaftergrade2,whilehighlightingthatacademicsuccessisgreatlydependant
onstudentengagement.Forthisreason,thetextsoffictionandnonfictionhavebeen
selected,andwithaddedadditionoftwodifferentmultimodaltextswithinthetwo
lessonsitisbelievethatthiswillnotonlybehighlyengagingforstudentsbutalso
assistindeepeningtheirunderstanding.Ascurrentstudentareknownasthe
technologygeneration,itisbelievedthatbylinkingtraditionalliteracytextswithnew
agemodesofliteracywillkeepstudentsengagedthroughoutthetwolessons.
HoweverasHendersons(2011)studiesindicatethatteacherswhoareconfidentin
teachingtechnologyoftenfocustheirattentionmoreonthetechnologicalliteracies
ratherthenthetraditionalliteracies.Thethinkingroutineinlessontwo,hopesto
 MADELEINE WARD S00153799
overcomethisissueasitnotonlyinvolvestheanimatedtextandaliteracywriting
tasks,butalsoasksstudentstolinktotextsofdifferentmodes.

Assharedreadingisregardedasapowerfultechniqueforteachingreadingskillsand
strategies(Gill&Islam,2011),theinclusionofthistaskwillhopefullynotonlybe
effectiveforourlearningintentionbutwillalsoreinforcethebasictraitsofagood
reader.AspresentedbyGillandIslam(2011),andagreedbyMargaret(1998)the
effectofallowingshortdiscussionsthroughoutthesharedreadingishighlyeffective
asitencouragesstudentstothinkdeeper,predictandmakeconnections.Thereforethe
inclusionsofthisfeaturetothesharedreadingwillhopefullyhavetheintendedeffect
forthestudentsintheclassasthelargemajorityoftheclassareataninferentialstage
ofdevelopment.

In conclusion, it is evident throughout this text that there has been

thorough considerations and analysis of text, strategies and thinking
routines throughout the formation of the two lesson plans. It is
believe that the lesson plans presented, provide the best support for
the students to achieve the learning outcome and to progress
further in their literacy development.
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REFERENCE LIST:

Behind the News. (2011, May 31). Refugee Kids [Video file].
Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3230871.htm

Blackwood, F., & Kobald, I. (2014). My Two Blankets. Little Hare Books; Richmond,
Australia.

Fielding, E. (1990), Reading in the Content Areas: The Importance of

Choosing Appropriate Level Texts, 24: 179184.
doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9345.1990.tb00009.x

Gill, S. R. and Islam, C. (2011), Shared Reading Goes High-Tech. The

Reading Teacher, 65: 224227. doi: 10.1002/TRTR.01028

Henderson, R. (2011). Classroom pedagogies, digital literacies and

the home-school digital divide. International Journal of
Pedagogies and Learning , 6(2),
http://www-tandfonline-
com.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/doi/pdf/10.5172/ijpl.2011.152

Margaret, H. G. (1998). What goes on at school? A teachers' focus

group develops a two-step plan to communicate about
emergent literacy practice. The Reading Teacher, 51(6), 514-
519. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/203273009?
accountid=8194
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Sweeny, S. M. (2007). Reading for technology savvy students:
Utilizing choice of multi-modal texts to engage students in
content literacy. New England Reading Association Journal,
43(1), 15-22,91. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/206028904?
accountid=8194