Wilson EDUC 353/318 Name: Tara Carey Target Grade Level: 3rd Grade Date: 11/12/13 Curriculum Topic:

English Language Arts

Looking for the Main Idea in Pictures Stage 1: Desired Outcome

Established Goals: RI.3.7. Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur). Understandings: Students will understand The importance of maps and photographs in an informational text. How to use details from photographs to answer who, what, when, where, why, and how. How the photos from books on Peru provide information and details to help us further understand the text. Essential Question(s): Why do non-fiction books use photographs? How does looking at a photograph of something help you learn about it? What are some ways we can use photographs to learn about the main idea?

Students will know. How to use pictures and illustrations to enhance their comprehension of an informational text. How the visual aids in an informational text contribute to a common main idea or concept.

Students will be able to.. Use their observation and inference skills to describe a photograph. Using their detailed descriptions of the photograph, students will be able to determine the main idea of the text. Identify the Who, What, When, Where,

and How in a photograph given the text and photograph. Provide a photograph with a caption they have created themselves. Explain their interpretation of the photograph orally and in writing.

Stage 2: Assessment Evidence

Performance Tasks: Students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of the main idea in pictures during the class discussions. Students will be collaborating with a partner to determine the main idea of a photograph after the teacher has modeled how to do so. The teacher will walk around the room and take informal notes as a formative assessment to determine who fully understands the lesson and who is struggling. Students will then be given a chance to discuss a photograph in a larger group, before completing a work sheet individually. The work sheet guides students through the steps of evaluating a photograph to determine the main idea of it. After completing the worksheet, students can volunteer to share their photograph and new caption with the class if they wish. The teacher will collect the worksheets and grade them to determine if the students understand how to identify the main idea of a picture in a non-fiction book. Other Evidence: The teacher can provide students with an entrance slip when they begin class, to see what they know about using illustrations in a book. Why are photos useful to include in a book? The teacher can also give students an exit slip to ask them what they learned about the main idea in photographs. Students will explain the concept in their own words.

Stage 3: Learning Plan

Learning Activities: WHERETO 1. The teacher will introduce the lesson to the students, and

explain that the purpose of this lesson is to understand the main idea in pictures. The teacher will also explain that pictures are important in non-fiction books because they can provide information and help us better understand the text. The students have started their unit on non-fiction reading, and this lesson will be building off of their prior knowledge of non-fiction books. W 2. Students will be hooked into the lesson with a group discussion prior to evaluating photographs. The teacher will begin the lesson with the prompt, How do we get our food? Students will share a variety of answers, and then the teacher will share a photo of how people in Peru get their food, in a marketplace. The teacher will then ask the students if they can determine the main idea of the photo of a market in Peru. H 3. The teacher will take a few suggestions from the students about the main idea of the photograph, and then explain the main idea of the photograph as a model to the students. The teacher will explain that in Peru, people dont have access to large grocery stores like we do in the U.S., and they are responsible for growing and selling their own food to make a living. The teacher can also explain to students the purpose of a caption, which is a sentence that explains what is going on in a photograph. The teacher will explain that it is important to read captions on photographs because it could contain the main idea of the photo. The teacher can suggest a new caption for this photograph, Farming and agriculture is an important part of the Peruvian culture, and farmers must provide enough food for their family and to sell. E 4. Students will be given an opportunity to rethink these concepts to evaluate a new photograph in the non-fiction book. Students will be on the rug and the new photograph will be projected for the class. They will then think-pairshare with their partner to discuss the main idea of the photograph. The students will have about 5 minutes to compose their thoughts. During this time, the teacher should walk around the room listening to the conversations, perhaps taking some informal notes for a formative assessment. If the teacher hears students bring up an important piece of information, the teacher may

refer back to them when the class comes together to discuss the photo. R 5. Students will be able to evaluate their own interpretation of the photo when the class shares their opinions. One group may introduce a new idea that no one else had thought of. A group discussion will promote new ways of thinking and ideas about the main idea of the photo. Students can also be asked to come up with their own caption for this particular photograph. At the completion of this discussion, students will return to their seats to transition into group work. E 6. This lesson will be tailored to the different needs of learners, because they will be completing the worksheet together in groups. The desks are arranged in such a manner that students are near people they work well with. Each group is given a book on Peru with a particular photograph to evaluate the main idea. The teacher must choose photographs beforehand, and indicate which one with the use of a sticky note. The cooperative learning groups will help students support one another and collaborate in regards to the main idea of the photo. The groups will have five minutes to discuss the photo together, and then independently fill out the worksheet. The worksheet is structured in such a manner to help the students organize their thoughts and progress into further interpretation of the photograph. The teacher will walk around to make sure the students are staying on task and are not struggling with the worksheet. Students who need more time will be given the opportunity to work on the worksheet at lunch, or perhaps an extra help session in which they can receive more individualized attention and help. T 7. Students will remain engaged in the lesson because they will be working with others and learning from their classmates points of view. If the students are struggling with the concept, they can learn from their classmates abd not fall behind and get frustrated. Students are also ready to learn about the importance of photographs, because they have been learning about non-fiction books for a while. The teacher will access their worksheets to determine if the students grasped the main concept of the

lesson by the rubric. O

Resources

Byers, H. (2004). Civilizations Past to Present: Peru. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society. Dubois, M. (2005). Peru: A Question and Answer Book. Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone Press. Kalman, B. (2008). Spotlight on Peru. New York, NY: Crabtree Publishing Company. Landau, E. (2000). A True Book: Peru. Danbury, Connecticut: Children's Press. Thoennes, K. (1999). Countries of the World: Peru. Mankato, Minnesota: Bridgestone Books.

Citations: McTighe, Jay, and Grant Wiggins. Understanding by Design

Name___________________________ Exit Slip

Date:____________________

Based on what you know, how would you explain to someone how to find the main idea of a picture? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Name___________________________ Exit Slip Based on what you know, how would you explain to someone how to find the main idea of a picture? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Date:____________________

Name: _________________________ Date: ___________________ Finding the Main Idea in Pictures Directions: You will have five minutes to discuss the photograph with your group members. Afterwards, fill out this worksheet about your photograph to demonstrate your knowledge of finding the main idea of a photo. What do you have a picture of? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ List some details about your photograph. What would you caption this photograph?

What is the main idea of your photo? What does this photo tell you about Peru? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

Group Activity and Worksheet Rubric Category 4 3 Focus on Topic There is one Main idea is clear, wellclear but the focused topic. supporting Main idea stands information is out and is general. supported by detailed information. Support Relevant, telling, Supporting quality details details and give the reader information are important relevant, but one information that key detail from goes beyond the the photograph is obvious or unsupported. predictable. Sentence All sentences are Most sentences Structure well-constructed are wellwith varied constructed with structure. varied structure. Quality of Work Provides work of the highest quality. Provides high quality work.

2 Main idea is somewhat clear but there is a need for more supporting information.

1 The main idea is not clear. There is a seemingly random collection of information.

Working with others

Focus on task

Almost always listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others. Tries to keep people working well together. Consistently stays focused on the task and what needs to be done. Very selfdirected.

Usually listens to, shares, with, and supports the efforts of others. Does not cause "waves" in the group. Focuses on the task and what needs to be done most of the time. Other group members can count on this person.

Supporting details and information are relevant, but several key details from the photograph are unsupported. Most sentences are wellconstructed but have a similar structure. Provides work that occasionally needs to be checked/redone by other group members to ensure quality. Often listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others, but sometimes is not a good team member. Focuses on the task and what needs to be done some of the time. Other group members must sometimes nag, prod, and remind

Supporting details and information are typically unclear or not related to the topic.

Sentences lack structure and appear incomplete or rambling. Provides work that usually needs to be checked/redone by others to ensure quality. Rarely listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others. Often is not a good team player. Rarely focuses on the task and what needs to be done. Lets others do the work.

to keep this person on-task.

Giana Dente Dr. Wilson Education 353 4 December 2013 Observation of Tara Careys Lesson Plan As I videotaped my partner Tara Careys lesson plan I noticed strengths and weaknesses from her performance. The lessons central focus was to find a main idea of a nonfictional book. The students were definitely engaged throughout the lesson because it was evident from the video how many of the students paid attention and raised their hands. Although Tara did a tremendous job, there were some weaknesses that our cooperating teacher noticed when she gave feedback. I happened to recognize the same strengths and weaknesses that the teacher did. Tara was aware that there were a few weaknesses but her strengths in the lesson overpowered them. Overall there was an abundant amount of strengths in the lesson. At the beginning of the lesson she gathered the students to the reading carpet row by row to sit next to their reading partners. Tara knew what parts of the nonfictional text on Peru she wanted the students to focus on. Before beginning the lesson she activated the students prior knowledge. As she began to read the captions under the pictures she then began to answer the essential questions on chart paper that she had prepared for the class. For the students response to her essential questions Tara was very fair when picking from equity sticks for which students could answer. Another strength was the post-its that were placed on every picture in the book that she wanted the class to focus on. The post-its had a caption of a particular picture focusing on the main idea. This was a great way when modeling to the class what was expected of them and how to find the main idea of a picture. The students learned that by visualizing what is going on in a picture and looking at specific

details one can then create a caption to match the main idea. Furthermore, I love when students work collaboratively on activities. I think it is a great way for them to learn from each other and expand on their knowledge to construct new ideas. Therefore, another strength that I appreciated during her lesson was how she had the students work with their reading partners on the rug. Tara took more examples from the Peru nonfictional book and placed the picture under the projector. The reading partners took notes on what the main idea of the picture was by visualizing up-close on the projector and discussing what they both thought it was. I considered this to be a very engaging and effective way to get the students attention. Throughout the lesson if there was any confusion from the class Tara stated and would then restate the objectives of what was expected of them. This was a great way to make sure that the students were on the right track of what they were suppose to be doing during the lesson. The objective of the lesson was for the students to focus on the main idea of a picture and then create their own caption for it. Before Tara assigned the students to work on an activity with their group tables she incorporated their thinking with a think aloud of what was so far learned from her lesson. Our cooperating teacher and myself agreed that Tara had lovely manner and support with the students. During the video it is evident that she was willing to help any of the students if they were having difficulty with finding the main topic of the picture that they were given. Overall her lesson went wonderfully, there were only a few weaknesses that the cooperating teacher and myself came up with. The three weaknesses that caught our attention were when the students would get off topic a bit. Tara should have just regrouped the students focus to have all eyes on her as the teacher. Also she had the students think-aloud a lot on what the central focus was of the lesson but she needed to question why this lesson was important in real life. If she connected some of the questions to their life and showed them why finding the main idea of pictures is important the students would have been able to connect it to their lives. The last thing that I noticed was that there should have been a display of the do now activity that the students were doing at the end of the lesson. The only thing she could have done was just asked another student or repeated the directions under the projector so that if

some of the students seemed to get off task they could have referred back to it to know what was expected of them. In comparison to Danielsons rubrics on preparation and planning Tara performed great when it came to demonstrating the knowledge of the students. She used ongoing methods to assess their skills and she made sure to cater her instruction to meet the needs of the whole class. The nonfictional text on Peru that was incorporated in her lesson was given from our cooperating teacher and was matched to the students skill levels. She used many tools and resources such as the projector, chart paper, the large space for the reading carpet, and the students desks to form groups and partner work. Addition to the planning, the instruction of her lesson was designed to activate the students choices on what they felt was the main idea of the picture. This was a great way for students to stay engaged and think creatively when deciding what they thought was the main idea. Danielsons rubric for classroom environment had a lot of what Tara also incorporated into her lesson. Throughout the rubrics she stayed consistent at a level 4 of what she accomplished. Tara demonstrated knowledge and cared about the individual students. In addition, all of the students responded to the essential questions and were willing to answer any in front of the class without fear of being put-down or made fun of by Tara or their peers. She also encouraged and respected all of the students effort that was put into the lesson. For the physical environment and the technology that was given in the classroom Tara was sure to make extensive and imaginative use of it. Referring to domain 3 of Danielsons instruction when the students were responding to the essential questions Tara built and used the students responses to ask deeper higher order thinking questions. Additionally, the students were able to rethink and evaluate their understanding of the lesson by the activity that she incorporated into her lesson at the end. The closing of the lesson was for the students to reflect on what they learned. Tara seized teachable moments to enhance her lesson, which I thought was a great way to give the students positive feedback.

Generally speaking my partner did a tremendously great job on her lesson plan. The three weaknesses that the cooperating teacher and myself noticed were minor because the overall strengths were great. Tara was a natural when she was performing her lesson it was evident with the way she worked and supported the students. She was also aware of the minor missed opportunities that she had when myself and the teacher told her. Therefore in conclusion she caught her minor weaknesses, which shows that she truly knew what she was doing. I am pleased with my partners performance and the way that the students responded to her lesson plan. I myself learned from her and her performance as well and I know that she is going to be an amazing teacher!

Tara Carey Education 353 Dr. Wilson December 3, 2013 Self-Reflection Promoting a Positive Learning Environment I feel that my lesson catered to students of varied needs and backgrounds, because it allowed them to complete the worksheet together in groups. The desks are arranged in such a manner that students are near people they work well with. Students who have learning disabilities were partnered with students who would keep them focused and on task, and not encourage any misbehavior or distract them. I also made sure to walk around during the group discussions to make sure all of the students played a role in the discussion and were working well together. Students were able to identify with the culture of Peru, and students from Mexico and Bangladesh shared with me connections they made between their own culture and the culture of Peru. I was very impressed that students were able to make outside world connections to the material to help them further evaluate the photographs. Engaging Students in Learning My instruction prompted the students to make conclusions about the culture of Peru by evaluating photographs from it. By looking at the photographs of the Peruvian culture, students were encouraged to think creatively about their meaning, and extract specific

details from the photograph. Students were engaged in the lesson because they were working with others and learning from their classmates points of view. If the students struggled with the concept, they were able to learn from their classmates and not fall behind or get frustrated. Students were also able to demonstrate their gained knowledge from the lesson by filling out the worksheets. The worksheets were intended to help the students organize their interpretation of the photograph they were assigned. They were encouraged to build off of their notes and observations to create a caption and a wellwritten paragraph on their photo. This lesson on the main idea on photographs built off of their prior knowledge of nonfiction books. The students had been learning about non-fiction books and were beginning a research project using them. With their knowledge of non-fiction books, they were able to fully understand how they provide important information and facts about the given topic. Evaluating and finding the main idea in pictures of non-fiction books built off of that. Students were able to look at pictures of the Peruvian culture to find the main idea. They looked for important details and compared and contrasted them to their own lives and culture. For example, the students who learned about the Peruvian boat houses were astounded that peoples homes could float on water. They were able to make inferences about their diets, way of life, and homes just by looking at one photo. Students from other cultures were also able to identify with aspects of Peruvian dress and cooking from the photographs they were assigned. I think that the lesson resonated with them because they were comparing what they were learning to their lives outside the classroom. Deepening Student Learning during Instruction

During the grand discussion, I was able to build off of student responses to ask them more specific questions. By interpreting the feedback I was getting from the students, I was able to redirect the lesson or the students focus if they were getting off track. Students were also able to look at the different points of view of their classmates and partner during the discussions. If a student shared a response, I would prompt the class off of their remarks to further explain the answer. This way, the class came to the conclusions together and all of the students had a basic understanding of the topic before they proceeded into the independent work. After they discussed the photographs as a group at their table, they were expected to have enough knowledge of the material to complete the worksheet independently. The worksheets were graded according to their detail, correct use of grammar and sentence structure, and that their writing was on task and appropriate for their given photograph.

I modeled the literacy strategy I expected from the students at the beginning of the lesson. I did a think aloud, in which I evaluated the photograph I chose out loud and cited specific details about it. I told the students how these details contributed to the main idea of my photograph. Then, I created my own caption to sum up the photograph for the students. Afterwards, I had the children pair up with their reading partners for support to evaluate a new photograph together. Afterwards, students were able to converse with their tables about a new photograph, and were given worksheets to independently evaluate and describe their photos. I followed the Gradual Release Model, in which I first modeled what I expected from the students, we worked on it together, they worked on it in groups, and then they proceeded to work independently.

Analyzing Teaching

A change I would have made for my lesson would have been to include more explicit instruction. Some of the students had no difficulty understanding the main concept of the lesson, while others struggled with it. Perhaps if I had given them more guidance on the steps to evaluating a photograph, given them more photos to practice on, or more instructions on the worksheet, they would have been able to follow the lesson. Also, instead of having the students fill out the same worksheet, I could have had the students who were struggling fill out simpler worksheets so they wouldnt get discouraged. Another option I could have utilized, was offering an extra help session for the struggling students. They would probably benefit from more instruction, and help from the teacher to clear up any of their misconceptions. Students working at the extra help session might be able to work better because it is less distracting with not as many students in the room.

I think that if I made these changes to my lesson, I would see an improvement in student learning. More explicit instruction would have been helpful to the students who are easily distracted and have trouble understanding new concepts. According to the authors of Understanding by Design, Wiggins and McTighe, they state that with explicit instruction in how to transfer, the learner must take what were initially bits of knowledge with no clear structure or power and come to see them as part of a larger, more meaningful, and more useful system. The lesson was given to help students build off of their prior knowledge of non-fiction books to learn about the photographs in them.

Tara Carey Education 353 Dr. Wilson December 4, 2013 Identification of My Learning I learned a lot about creating and presenting a lesson from my English lesson at PS76. I feel that I learned more from teaching this lesson, then I did last semester when I gave a 4th grade social studies lesson at PS76. This semester I really got to create relationships with the students in our classroom by working with them so frequently. Our teacher had encouraged us to give lessons prior to our Complete Teaching Episode, so we were comfortable teaching these students. We also knew the unique strengths and weaknesses of the students in our class which allowed us to cater our lesson to those specific needs. I feel that I have gained more confidence teaching children this semester. Last semester I was very nervous when I gave my first lesson. From giving lessons so frequently in this semesters placement, I noticed I was more at ease and confident in myself. As teachers, we need to be comfortable speaking in front of large groups at any time, whether it be in our own class, at an assembly, or greeting parents at a back to school night. The more practice I have presenting and speaking to large groups, the easier it will be to do so in the future. Presenting to my peers here at Manhattan College is also good preparation for public speaking. I know my classmates here are very supportive and encouraging when I give a presentation, and it is different from teaching the children. The children dont always cooperate and participate in your

presentation as you would like them to. This is why you need to carefully structure your lessons to engage your students and maintain their interest and participation throughout. Involving the entire class challenged me the most during my lesson. The enriched students were eager to participate to the group discussion, and it was more difficult getting the struggling students involved, or the more quiet students. This is why I began to use the teachers popsicle sticks to randomly select a student to answer my question, because I was only hearing from the same select students. Having knowledge of children, curriculum, and pedagogy is key to being an effective teacher. All three elements must be connected to one another when the teacher structures lessons. The teacher must have a deep knowledge of their students. They need to know their unique strengths and weaknesses in order to differentiate the curriculum and using a variety of pedagogical approaches. Teachers should also strive to learn about students lives outside of the classroom, such as their interests, hobbies, talents, families, culture, or neighborhoods. This way, the teacher can incorporate elements from their life outside of the classroom into the curriculum. Real learning occurs when students are able to make connections between the curriculum and to their lives outside of the classroom, or to their prior knowledge. Teachers should try to create lessons that are tailored to students in his/her classroom. A teacher should never give the same exact lesson twice, because you will never get the same class two years in a row. Lessons need to constantly be changed and altered to suit the needs and interests of your students. Teachers should combine theories of pedagogy into their lessons as well. Some theories may work well for some students, and not for others. It is up to the teacher to determine what approaches will work best for a specific student. For example, some students who have trouble concentrating may benefit from working in collaborative groups according to Vygotskys

theory of social learning. They will see firsthand how their classmates remain on task, and they will be encouraged to do their work by their group members. However, this will not work for all students. During our multicultural unit we learned about how certain cultures do not value collaborative work, and prefer to work on their own. Students from the Chinese culture may not be as engaged in a group activity, because they value working in solitude. This does not mean the students dont understand the lesson or are unwilling to cooperate. It is the teachers job to determine what types of instruction would benefit his/her students. Learning was incorporated into my lesson when I posed questions to the students about the photographs I was showing them. Some students had difficulty evaluating them and searching for details that contributed to the main idea of the photograph. When a student brought up an interesting point, I would rephrase it into a question to further interpret the photograph. This allowed the students to focus on a particular aspect of the photograph, or challenge themselves to come to conclusions about what was going on in it. Several students were able to make connections from the photographs to their own lives and cultures. This showed me that they were thinking critically about the photographs and making connections to their own world. Teaching this lesson solidified my desire to become a teacher. I took a lot of pride in my lesson and I was happy with how it went. I know that I still have a lot to learn before I become a teacher, and I want to be the best teacher I can possibly be. I want to reach all of my students in some way, and help them succeed in school. The students were very well behaved for me and I feel that my strong relationships with them helped my lesson run smoothly. Giana and I got very close to our students this year, and it was hard to say goodbye to them. When I actually have a class of my own one day, and I am with my students for an entire school year I will get to know

my students even better and I will be able to make more of an impression on them. I am excited to teach many more lessons in the future, and continuing my journey to become the best teacher I can be.