Standards:

RL.2.4 - Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.

RL.2.10 - By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2-3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

(2)3.3 Investigate, observe, describe and record how weather changes from day to day and seasonally throughout the year using measurable quantities (temperature, rainfall, wind speed and direction). (2)4.3 Investigate, observe, and describe how animals use their senses.

SWBT construct fall themed poetry using nouns, verbs, and adjectives in order to create a feeling or mood in their finished pieces.

SWBT recognize how authors choose words to evoke a mood or feeling in a poetry piece.

SWBT know rhythm and rhyme creates a natural flow of poetry.

SWBT compare the hibernation process in both bears and trees.

Procedure:

Wednesday: Animal Poetry

1. Introduce the fall poetry theme of the week and go over the student friendly objectives on the board.

*Cover vocabulary words: hibernate, rhyme, rhythm, mood,

*Discuss with students what they think the word mood means. Have students give examples and provide some for students if they are struggling with the concept.

2. Explore the background knowledge students have with seasons, animals which hibernate and ask them how they know. Do they think tress hibernate or die in the winter.

* Explain hibernation of both bears and trees when the temperatures and daylight hours get shorter. Incorporate science and have a whole class discussion for the students to make connections. Ask students what

happens to trees in the winter when they lose their leaves to see if they think they die. “How can they tell, what do they see happening, why?”

*Have students stand and pretend they are trees with their hands up high in the air like the green leaves of summer with their hands spread out towards the light.

*Have a discussion about why the leaves turn from green to yellow, red, and brown. Have students make their hands float to the ground and let them come to sit back down in the reading circle on their pockets.

3. Share some bear poetry. Ask students to listen to the beats and the rhythm of my voice as I read. Ask students to point out words (verbs and adjectives) the author uses to create a mood or feeling about hibernation and bears. Read the poems again and let the students listen to the beat of my voice. Ask them to point out rhyming words they hear in the large print poetry book with a thumbs up.

4. Show a video of a hibernating bear and cub coming out of their den for the spring.

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/north-america/videos/baby-black-bear-learns-the-ropes.htm

5. Have students talk in their groups in order to share and write: verbs, and adjectives for bears. (Chose one writer for each group and ask students to model expectations) 5 minutes.

6. Call on students to share their ideas. Make a word bank with the student’s ideas for the whole class to use as a resource during the writing of their poetry. (verbs and adjectives)

7. Ask students to compare and contrast the video they watched, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and the bear poetry. What things might be the same and what things are different? How do you know? Have students explain and give examples using complete sentences in their response.

8. We are going to make a poem about bears with a Cinquain poem. Model the making of the animal poem using my dog on an anchor chart.

9. Go over the directions for completing their bear poetry using students to help model. Place the example up on the Smartboard and ensure students are using the word bank as a resource. (CHAMP and model expectations)

10. Pass out their poetry template

11. Let the students work independently as the teacher makes observations and supports students as they work.

Materials: Explanation of hibernation in trees and bearsBear PoetryBear Video Dog Template anchor chart (PowerPoint)Bear writing template- 23 copiesSheet of paper for word bank anchor chartPencils and paper for students during lesson

Assessment:Observations Graded poetry piece

Bears

___________, ___________

___________, ___________, ___________

___________, ___________, ___________, ___________

___________

Name: ___________________________

When planning this fall thematic poetry unit, I wanted to incorporate some science into the lessons to cross over content areas and keep the students engaged. Comparing and contrasting the hibernation process between bears and trees was beneficial. It allowed students to tap into their background knowledge of what they know about the changes of seasons as well as other animals which hibernate. Using the bear video provided ELL and visual learners with explicit examples of the vocabulary and concepts in the poetry readings. Providing small group work with writing verbs and adjectives allowed students to learn how others think as well as ease the anxiety of less confident readers and writers. Completing the word bank anchor chart as a whole class provided all students with a familiar resource in order to write their own individual bear poetry. The students created and named their bear from their ideas and thoughts learned throughout the lesson. I used this poem as an assessment. The students were engaged throughout the lesson and were excited to understand why and how the hibernation process works with trees. This lesson also provided a great teaching moment because most students thought trees died during the winter. The students were very quiet during the video and this helped them with providing verbs and adjectives for the word bank. To ensure accuracy of procedures and expectations, I modeled examples and incorporated directions using students during the process. For example, “Sarah, where would someone find the verbs and adjectives for their poem? Team three, show us what it will look like and sound like during the small group discussion.” One thing I would like to change to the lesson plan for next time is to let the students act out one of their favorite verbs with a partner. This could help fidgety students stay focused during the construction of the whole class word bank.