Instructional Inquiry Plan Deborah Geer University of New...

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Technique 13 1 Deborah Geer Instructional Inquiry Plan Deborah Geer University of New England EDU 743 Connecting Reading and Writing for Success June 24. 2012

Transcript of Instructional Inquiry Plan Deborah Geer University of New...

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Technique 13 1 Deborah Geer

Instructional Inquiry Plan

Deborah Geer

University of New England

EDU 743 Connecting Reading and Writing for Success

June 24. 2012

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Overview:

Details are important for students to include in their illustrations and writing, as well as

to understand as a reader. They can assist readers in understanding a piece of text more fully

and help the writer communicate their thoughts more effectively. The technique chosen for

this project was Crafting Details of Expression and Gesture (Wood Ray, 2010, pp. 137-138). This

technique was chosen because Staffordville School has been working on incorporating

character’s feelings into story retells. This was done to support student understanding of the

importance of characters’ feelings in literature, in an effort to improve the first grade students’

ability to use feelings in their writing narratives. This technique would help to scaffold this

effort.

Learning Objectives:

The technique of Crafting Details of Expression and Gesture (Wood Ray, 2010, pp. 137-

139) incorporates a number of different areas of the kindergarten curriculum in the Stafford

Public School District. From the Stafford Public Schools Social Studies Guide (2006 p. 13), it

includes the objective to identify feelings shared by all human beings. From the Stafford Public

Schools Language Arts Guide (2002 p. 14- 21), it involves two areas, which are reading and

writing. Under reading, it supports that students will read and respond in individual, literal,

critical, and evaluative ways to literary, informational, and persuasive texts. In addition, this

technique assists students to analyze details, identify character traits, and discuss qualities that

they like and dislike and relate them to their own experiences. Under writing, this technique

helps students to produce visual texts to express, develop, and substantiate ideas and

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experiences, as well as exposing them to personal writing. In addition, it exposes students to

the steps in the writing process and will gives them an opportunity to revise their illustrations

by adding information.

Resources :

Resource that will be needed include:

Smartboard

PowerPoint slides from the Instructional Inquiry Project Demonstration

Student literature related to feelings (See list in Appendix A)

My Feelings Books

Crayons or colored pencils

Copies of assessment sheets

Plan for Instruction:

Implementation would begin in the first few weeks of school during the “All About Me”

Unit. Students will be introduced to feelings using slides in the PowerPoint. These will be used

to discuss that expressions and gestures are important to understanding a character’s feelings

and actions. Then each of the four feelings identified will be introduced and discussed during

separate lessons.

The instruction for each feeling would last for 5 days. The first day, students will be

introduced to the feeling through photographs before moving to illustrations. This was done

because last year the school psychologist gave a pre-assessment before beginning the new

social skills program and noted that a number of students struggled to the identify facial

expression on photographs of children. For each of the feelings, students would study and

discuss the facial expressions and body language of the people in the photographs. Then they

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would apply that knowledge to the characters in the illustrations. For the next three days, they

would participate in daily read alouds that are chosen to emphasis that feeling. During this

time, students would discuss the techniques that the author used to convene the character’s

feeling. A list of children’s books to use for the read alouds can be found in Appendix A. On the

last day, the teacher would ask questions about how students could show the feeling in an

illustration and then model illustrating a picture of the feeling, before asking students to

illustrate a time in their life when they felt that way (see Appendix B). While students are

drawing, the teacher would do two things. The first is monitor student’s illustrations and to ask

questions for the students to revise their work. The second is to scribe the student’s story onto

their picture. At the end of the writing session, students would have the opportunity to share

their illustrations and stories, as well as to describe how they related the feeling in their

illustration.

Even though this unit is based on four feelings in the first weeks of school, this

technique could be applied throughout the school year. During read alouds and guided

reading, students will be asked to look at characters’ expressions and gestures in books in order

to extend their comprehension, as well as to apply it to their illustrations. As the kindergarten

year continues, they will be exposed to other feelings that may be brought up in literature,

discussions, or the social skills curriculum. These possible feelings could be frustrated,

embarrassed, and disappointed. They may need a more in depth discussion on them and the

steps in this lesson could be applied.

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Assessment:

Assessment for this activity would be based on observational notes and student

illustrations. Students’ first day of school illustration will be used as a baseline in order to judge

student growth (see Appendix C). As the technique is implemented, notes will be taken on

student understanding and progress. Data will be gathered from their illustrations and will be

recorded on the form in Appendix D. Student Retell Benchmarks (see Appendix E) will be

studied in order to judge the effect of this technique on student’s ability to incorporate feelings

into their retells.

Differentiation:

There might be areas where students need differentiation. The first area is student's

understanding of the expressions and gestures in the photographs and illustrations. During the

discussions, some students may have difficulty with identifying feelings and they may need to

be pulled aside in a small group or individually to discuss pictures and illustrations of

expressions and gestures. A few children may need a more active approach such as giving them

a scenario, such as how would you feel when your dog died and make the corresponding face in

the mirror. The second is that some children may understand the gestures and expressions, but

may have difficulty putting them into their pictures. In order to assist those children, the

teacher will model an example for the students, before they are asked to illustrate picture in

their book. The teacher will move around the classroom as they draw and ask questions to

assist students in adding these details in their illustrations. Finally for those students that

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struggle with fine motor, they will be supplied people shaped stencils to trace in order to make

the outline of their person and then they can add facial expressions into their drawing.

Peer Feedback:

The feedback from my peers was two types. The first was encouraging comments. The

second was items to include in my project. Most of that feedback included books to use in my

project. I took their suggestions into consideration and used some of the literature, but only

after, I found a copy of the book to examine. In addition, I received ideas for questions that I

incorporated into the PowerPoint. There was a suggestion to use photographs of my students

making the facial gestures into my PowerPoint, since it was the end of the year, I decided to

wait and do that next year with the kids in my classroom that way they would be able to see

themselves in the PowerPoint.

Conclusion:

Wood Ray (2010) in her book In Pictures and in Words discusses the importance of using

illustrations to assist students in learning the writing process. Illustrations are an important

step for students to learn about the written word. It is important to take advantage of this and

begin to teach students about illustrating before they begin to write. They will be able to take

this knowledge and transfer it into their writing. “If teachers are willing to make a composing

connection and show children how an illustrator’s decisions about pictures are a lot like a

writer’s decisions about words, she forms a bridge of understanding that nurtures children as

both illustrators and writers” (Wood Ray , 2010, p. 15). For example in these lessons, students

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learn the importance of including details of expression and gesture into their illustrations to

make them more meaningful. Knowing the importance of this will make it easier for them to

understand why their writing needs details for it to come alive for the reader.

References

Stafford Public Schools. (2002). The language arts curriculum. Retrieved from:

http://www.stafford.k12.ct.us/files/_EZKGB_/b1e4f4656584ee853745a49013852ec4/M

icrosoft_Word_-_Curriculum_at_a_Glance-_Language_Arts.doc.pdf

Stafford Public Schools. (2006). The social studies curriculum. Retrieved from:

http://www.stafford.k12.ct.us/files/_EZKGB_/b1e4f4656584ee853745a49013852ec4/M

icrosoft_Word_-_Curriculum_at_a_Glance-_Social_Studies.doc.pdf

Wood Ray, K. (2010). In pictures and in words: teaching the qualities of good writing through illustration study. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

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Appendix A

Student Literature

Allen, J. (2007). “I’m not scared?". New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Bang, M. (1999). When Sophie gets angry-really, really angry. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Buckingham, M. (2006). The bravest fish. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Butler, M. C., & Chapman, J. (2008). The dark, dark night. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Curtis, J. L. & Cornell L. (1998). Today I feel silly & other moods that make my day.

HarperCollins.

Deluise, D. & Santoro C. (1990). Charlie the caterpillar. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Dewdney, A. (2009). Llama Llama misses mama. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Dewdney, A. (2005). Llama Llama red pajamas. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Dewdney, A. (2010). Llama Llama mad at mama. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Drachman, E. & Muscarello J. (2004). Ellison the elephant. Los Angeles, CA: Kidwick books.

Emberley, E., & Miranda, A. (1997). Glad monster, sad monster. New York, NY: LB Kids

Publishing.

Henkes, K. (1991). Chrysanthemum. New York: Greenwillow Books.

James, B. & McNally B. (2002). The shark who was afraid of everything. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Kraus, R., & Aruego, J. (1971). Leo the late bloomer. New York: Windmill Books.

Mayer, M. (1999). I was so mad. New York: Golden Book Publishing.

Moroney, T. (2008). When I’m feeling angry. San Francisco, CA: The Five Mile Press Pty Ltd.

Moroney, T. (2008). When I am feeling happy. San Francisco, CA: The Five Mile Press Pty Ltd.

Moroney, T. (2008). When I’m feeling sad. San Francisco, CA: The Five Mile Press Pty Ltd.

Moroney, T. (2008). When I’m feeling scared. San Francisco, CA: The Five Mile Press Pty Ltd.

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Rey, H. A. (1969). Curious George. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Ritchie, A., & Edgson, A. (2007). Me and my dad!. Intercourse, PA: Good Books.

Sendak, M. (2003). Where the wild things are. New York: Harper Collins.

Smallman, S. & Tickle, J. (2007). The very greedy bee . New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Spelman, C. M. & Cote N. (2000). When I feel angry. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Tekavec, H., & Spengler, M. (2002). Storm is coming!. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.

Urban, L. & Cole H. (2009). Mouse was mad. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Wilson, K. & McMullen J. (2011). Hogwash. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

Wilson, K. & Chapman, J. (2008). Bear feels scared. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

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Appendix B

My Feelings Book By

__________

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I feel happy when…

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I feel sad when…

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I feel mad when…

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I feel scared when …

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Appendix C

Baseline Activity

Name ____________________

Today is my first day of

kindergarten. I feel…

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Appendix D

Name ______________________________________

Student Notes on Incorporating Gestures and Expressions

Activity Did student incorporate gestures and expressions independently?

Notes and student comments

Baseline first day of school

Feelings book Happy

Feelings book Sad

Feelings book Mad

Feelings book Scared

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Appendix E

Kindergarten Retelling Rubric Book Title:______________________________

Name __________________________________ Date: _____________________________

1 2 3 4 Characters (or topic in nonfiction)

Refers to 1 or 2 characters or topics using pronouns (he, she, it, they)

Refers to 1 character by generic name (boy, girl, dog)

Refers to 2 or more characters by generic name (boy, girl, dog)

Refers to most characters by specific name (green turtle, Sammy Sosa)

Link’s characters’ feelings with action taken

No feelings Refers to feelings briefly (crying, laughing)

Identifies feelings Identifies feelings and makes connections

Settings(s) Makes no mention of where or when the story takes place

Mentions one detail related to the setting

Mentions 2 or more details

Demonstrates clear knowledge of where and when the story takes place and when applicable connects setting to important elements in the story

Story events/ key events

Tells one or two events or key facts

Tells some of the events or key facts

Tells many events in sequence for the most part, or tells many facts

Tells most events in sequence or tells most key facts.

Retelling with Teacher

Retells with 5 or more questions or prompts

Retells with 3 or 4 questions or prompts

Retells with 1 or 2 questions or prompts

Retells with no questions or prompts

Comprehension Level

5 6 7 8 Very Little Comprehension

9 10 11 12 13 Some Comprehension

14 15 16 17 Adequate comprehension

18 19 20 Very Good Comprehension

Score _______________