Design for Learning

Instructor: C. Bowden
Grade Level/Cooperating Teacher: K/ Mrs. McAdams
Lesson Title: Rainbow Fish Date: Tuesday, February 23rd
Curriculum Area: ELA
Estimated Time: 15 minutes
Standards Connection:
3.) With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.
[RL.K.3]
Learning Objective(s):
Students will identify the main character(s) in the story and create solutions for the
problems the main character(s) face in the story.
Learning Objective(s) stated in kid-friendly language:
Today boys and girls, we will be reading Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister. During and
after the reading, we will identify the main character(s) and create solutions for the
problems the main character(s) faces in the story.
Evaluation of Learning Objective(s):
To determine if the students comprehended the learning objective, the students will
complete a problem and solution worksheet, where they will identify the problem
Rainbow Fish faced and then the solution he came too. This will be collected as a
formative assessment check for proof of comprehension of meeting the learning
objective.
Engagement:
Today friends, I have an exciting book that I cant wait to read for you! Its one of my
favorite books because its so pretty and colorful and I bet you are going to love it too!
The book we will be reading today is called Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister. The teacher
will present the book and show the student the cover and the pages. Boys and girls, as I
flip through the pages be thinking about what you see and think the story could be about?
The teacher continues to the flip through the pages and then begins asking the students
questions and stating the learning objective for the lesson. Can someone tell me what
they think the story will be about? Those are some good guess. Can someone tell me
where the story takes place from looking at the pages? Thats correct, the ocean. What
about the characters in the story? Do you notice anything? The teacher will flip through
again if the students need to view the pages again. Thats correct! Theres a colorful fish
with a sparkly scale. I wonder what that is about? He looks differently than the other fish.
Thats interesting! I wonder why the other fish dont have sparkly scales? Does anyone
have any guesses why? Those are all good explanations. Today, I want each of you to be
able to identify the main character in the story and create a solution for the main
character and the problem that he faces in the story. How does that sound? The teacher
will read the story to the students, stopping throughout and questioning the students for
comprehension and understanding of the theme of the story: Rainbow Fishs selfishness.
I think it is time we read the story to answer our questions, dont you? Okay then, lets
begin! The teacher reads the story to the students. Once the teacher has completed
reading the story to the students, she will then move onto further questioning and making
sure the students comprehended the problem Rainbow Fish struggled with in the story.
Learning Design:

I. Teaching: The teacher has completed reading the story to the students. She will now
begin to ask the students comprehension questions about the reading. Now boys and
girls, can someone please tell me something they learned from listening to the story?
Thats right. Rainbow fish didnt want to give away his sparkly scales to other fish. Why
do you think that is? Thats right, he wanted to keep them all for himself. Is that selfish?
Why? The teacher will have the students turn and talk with their partner about it. Please
turn and talk to your partner about it. The teacher gives the students some time to chat
about Rainbow Fishs selfish and why he acted that way in the beginning of the story.
Okay, can someone tell me something his or her partner might have mentioned to why
Rainbow Fish was selfish at first? Thank you for sharing. Now that the students have
shared a bit the teacher will have a piece of chart paper and it will be divided into two
sides. The first side will have Rainbow Fishes characteristics that are described in the
story and the other are the problems/solutions he uses throughout the story to stop his
selfish ways. The teacher and students will walk through the story and use his changing
characteristics to describe how his attitude changed and he became selfless. Okay friends,
you can see I have a piece of chart paper here. I have created a t-chart for us one side
labeled Rainbow Fish characteristics and the other Problems/Solutions. I want us to go
through the story and talk about and write down how the characteristics of Rainbow Fish
in the beginning changed and helped him become selfless and giving his scales away.
Does that make sense? Are there any questions before we get started? The teacher will let
the students ask any questions before they begin and then start the t-chart. Okay well then
if there are no further questions, lets begin. Can someone please tell me something that
describes Rainbow Fish in the beginning of the story, how did he act? Thats right he was
mean and wouldnt share his scales with the other fish. What happen when he didnt
share? Did the other fish like him very much? No. So you see when we arent nice to
people, they tend to not like us very much, like Rainbow Fish. Now, what happens when
he gives away his fish sparkly scale? Whats the reaction of the fish? Thats right. Very
happy. Do you think that makes Rainbow Fish happy? I think so too. So his personality
changes a bit? Exactly, great job. Now, at the end Rainbow Fish has given away all his
scales. What characteristics are different about him? How does this reflect a solution to
the original problem? Yes. He becomes selfless and he is a friend with all the fish and
they all have a sparkly scale. What do you think Rainbow Fish learned from the story?
How to share, right! Sharing is important. How did Rainbow Fish make friends with the
other fish? By sharing his scales. Awesome job. You see boys and girls, from looking at
our t-chart we can see that the characteristics Rainbow Fish had in the beginning of the
story changed has he discovered how to become selfless and share, which became the
solution to his problem. Does that make sense? Good. The teacher will move onto
explain the new portion of the lesson, where the students will have an opportunity to
work together and complete an independent task. Okay boys and girls, I want you and
your elbow partner to work together to complete a character trait worksheet. Does
anyone want to tell me what a character trait is? We should know this. Thats correct a
character trait is something that describes the main character in the story. The teacher
will pass out the worksheet to each student and explain the directions in further depth.
II. Opportunity for Practice: The teacher has passed out a worksheet to each student and
will give further directions on the assignment. Now that everyone has a worksheet,
please look at me and listen to my directions please. You and your elbow partner will
complete the character trait worksheet, first by drawing a picture of Rainbow Fish and
then writing words that describe his personality throughout the story in the stars
surrounding the picture. The teacher will model for the students what she expects. You
see, I have drawn a picture of Rainbow Fish and now I will talk with my partner and
write words that describe him in the stars. Can someone give me a word to describe
Rainbow Fish that I can write? Sparkly. Thank you. Okay, so does everyone understand
the directions? Good. I will be here to help you and answer any questions you have.

Refer to our t-chart if you need to look at something for reference. The teacher will pass
out the materials and let the students begin working together. She will make sure the
students are on task and help them when needed. The teacher will give the students time
to complete the assignment before collecting and beginning the assessment. Okay, I am
now going to collect these worksheets and look over them to see if you understood the
directions and wrote down some accurate traits to describe Rainbow Fish. The teacher
collects the materials and begins passing out the assessment check. Okay, the next thing I
would like for you to complete is a formative assessment. This will simply show me what
you understand from todays lesson and it will not be collected as a grade, but for me to
look at and see what areas of the lesson I need to go back and teach. Please look at the
worksheet and listen to the directions as I tell you. The teacher tells the students the
directions for the lesson.
III. Assessment: Boys and girls, I would like for you to complete a problem and solution
worksheet for the story Rainbow Fish. You are to first write the problem that Rainbow
Fish struggled with at the beginning of the story and then the solution, so how he solved
the problem. Does that make sense? Good. If you need to, you can draw pictures. Please
work on this alone and remember to try you best. I want to see what you know and took
away from the story. Now does everyone know my expectations for this assignment?
Good. I will be collecting this to see if you met the learning objective for the lesson.
Remember to focus on your own work and that this is to be done individually. I want to
see what each of you know! The teacher scans the room one last time before letting the
students begin working. She will circulate the room while the students are working on the
sheet, making sure everyone is clear on the directions. Okay, well then if everyone knows
my expectations and directions, go ahead and begin quietly! The teacher will give the
students time to complete the assessment before collecting it. Boys and girls, I will be
coming around to collect your worksheet. Please sit quietly as I do so. The teacher walks
around and collects the assignment from the students and moves into closing the lesson.
IV. Closure: Once all the students have completed the formative assessment, the teacher
will have the students turn their attention back to her for final questioning and closure of
the lesson. Please look at me and give me thumbs up so I know you are listening. I should
see everyones thumbs! Thank you friends. Now, can someone please tell me something
about the character Rainbow Fish in the story? What about his body? Characteristics?
Why was he different then the other fish in the sea? Thank you all for sharing. You are all
right about Rainbow Fishs body and how he differed from the other fish. Why do you
think it is important to know those characteristics about Rainbow Fish? Exactly. It is
important to know about the main character Rainbow Fish and those characteristics
because they help the reader understand his selfishness in the beginning of the story and
help the reader understand him better as you read. Awesome job! Boys and girls, its so
important to know about the character in a story and why theyre a certain way because
those characteristics tell the reader a lot about the story itself and it shapes the story, so
we can better understand it. Great job today everyone. Im so impressed with your
behavior and hard work as a group! I believe everyone really grasped the concept and
learning objective. Awesome job friends! (End Lesson)
Materials and Resources:
Copy of Marcus Psfisters: Rainbow Fish
Problem/Solution Worksheet
Character Traits Worksheet
Chart Paper
Markers/Crayons
Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners):

Higher- Students who have already mastered simple comprehension questions can create
their own story about a character who starts out as a selfish individual and later becomes
a friend to the other characters and learns how to share, like Rainbow Fish in the story.
The students can share these with each other and explain why there character was selfish
and how their character overcame that selfishness through their actions.
Lower- Students who struggle with the comprehension questions will have an opportunity
to read one-on-one with the teacher, aloud again to them. The teacher will ask them
questions throughout the reading instead of questions being sparsely asked throughout the
reading. The teacher will work individually with these students, so there will be no
unclear directions or comprehension questions the student(s) does not understand.
Data Analysis: The students did very well with this lesson plan and achieved the goals I
had intended them to achieve. Personally, this lesson was not my best and the students
did great for his not being a great lesson to present them with. I asked the students lots of
questions and the responses they gave indicated understanding of the lesson objective.
Also, I collected the materials for the practice and assessment and the students
understood and complete both correctly. I think this lesson went well and the students
were well behaved and my classroom management was good for the most part. That is
still an area I need to work on and improve. Overall, I am please with this lesson and will
take the advice and materials I collected as an example of growing from this lesson and
making it better in the future.
Reflection: The feedback I received from Dr. Birkenfeld after this lesson was so
beneficial. I took away so many pieces of advice and ways I can improve this lesson plan
in the future. To begin, focusing in on one portion of the standard. In the future, I would
teacher specifically on character traits, rather than trying to teacher the whole standard in
one small lesson. I had misconceptions about that and now Im clear on that goal.
Secondly, my practice needs to be a reflection of my assessment. I went astray in my
assessment on this lesson plan and it didnt align with the practice I was have the students
do. There were lots of parts to my lesson that Dr. Birkenfled helped me work through and
see how in the future I could change. I think the biggest take away from this lesson is
honing in on one part of the standard and teaching it in depth, rather than trying to cover
the whole standard and becoming overwhelmed and the students becoming overwhelmed
as well.

Samford University
Design for Learning

Candidate Self Assessment

Content Knowledge

Notes:
o I establish good eye contact
with my class. I do not talk
over their heads, to the
blackboard or to just one
individual.
o If I tend to teach
predominantly to one area of
the classroom, I am aware of
this.
o I make a conscious effort at
all times to pay attention to
all students equally.
o I divide my students into
small groups in an organized
and principled manner.
o I recognize that these groups
should differ in size and
composition, varying with
the
Teaching/Learning
B. The Classroom
o I arrange the seating in my
class to suit the class
activity for the day.
o I consider the physical
comfort of the room such as
heat and light.
o When I need special
materials or equipment, I
have them set up before the
class begins.

Literacy
C. Presentation
o My handwriting on the
blackboard and /or charts is
legible from all locations in
the classroom. It is large
enough to accommodate
students with vision
impairments.
o I speak loudly enough to be
heard in all parts of the
classroom and I enunciate
clearly.
o I vary the exercises in class,

Yes, I made good eye contact with

the students and established their
attention. My attention is towards
the students.
I make a conscious effort to focus
on all the students and make sure
my attention is not focus in one
area of the classroom.
Students are divided in a small
group setting with the teacher at
the center of the conversation and
teaching.
I make sure that all the students
are organized based on ability
level and all the students I worked
with on this lesson are on the
same level.

Notes:
The students are seated in a
manner that is suitable for
learning. The students are
comfortable in the room and the
heating and light are perfect for
learning.
I have the materials the students
need prior to the learning,
prepared and ready to go for
learning.

Notes:
My handwriting is legible on all
materials and the students can
see what I am presented to them
at all times.
I speak loudly enough, so that all
the students can hear my voice
and understand what is being
asked of them.
I keep the movement of the

o
o

o
o

alternating rapid and slow

paced activities to keep up
maximum
interest level in the class.
I am prepared to give a
variety of explanations,
models or descriptions,
understanding that
one explanation may not be
sufficient for all students.
I help the students form
working principles and
generalizations.
Students use new skills or
concepts long enough so
that they are retained and
thus future
application is possible.
I plan for "thinking time for
my students so they can
organize their thoughts and
plan what
they are going to say or do.

Diversity
D. Culture and Adjustment
o I am aware that cultural
differences affect the
learning situation.
o I keep the cultural
background(s) of my
students in mind when
planning daily activities and
am aware of culture
misunderstandings, which
might arise from the
activities I choose.
o I work for an atmosphere of
understanding and mutual
respect.
o I tell students when they
have done well, but I don't
let praise become
mechanical.
o My activities are varied,
some more visual, aural, oral
and kinesthetic. I provide
models, examples, and
experiences to maximize
learning in each of these
areas.

lesson going and continuous as

the students engage in learning.
I provide the students to models,
explanations, and descriptions of
problems and solutions that they
can apply to their learning.

Throughout the lesson, I answer

any vagueness in my teaching
and make sure all the students
understand the learning objective
throughout the lesson plan.
I allow time for the students to
think about what they are learning
and discuss with their peers when
appropriate. Students work on
activities that

Notes:
I am very clear of the cultural
differences in my small group
lesson. Im also aware that all
students learn differently and
some things may need to be
presented in different forms for
understanding.
I also keep the cultural
background of my students in
mind when I am planning and
make sure the learning objective
not offensive, nor slanted towards
one group of students.
The students understand that the
learning environment is a place of
respect and that when they are in
class with their peers, they are to
respect each other and the
responses are to always be
appropriate.
I try and include many types of
learning styles techniques in my

teaching, so that every child has

an opportunity to learn and be
successful.
Professionalism
B. Self-concepts
I treat my students with the
same respect that I expect them
to show me.
I plan "one-centered" activities
which give all students an
opportunity at some point to feel
Important and accepted.
C. Aptitude and Perception
I am aware that my students
learn differently.
My exercises are varied, some
ore visual, aural, oral and
kinesthetic. I provide models,
examples, and experiences to
maximize learning in each of
these areas.
I finish my class period in a way
which will review the new
concepts presented during the
class period. My students can
immediately evaluate their
understanding of those concepts.
III. The Activity
A. Interaction
The activities maximize student
involvement.
The activities are organized to
insure a high success rate, leaving
enough room for error to make the
activity challenging.
The activity is focused.
The activity is geared to the
proficiency level of my class or
slightly beyond.
I make the content of the
activity relevant and meaningful
to my students' world.

I always treat my students with

respect and except the same from
them. I use language that is
positive and promotes a happy
learning environment for all
students. Every student at some
point during the lesson is
rewarded with a compliment and
positive feedback.
I clearly understand that all
students learn differently and
need multiple types of resources
to engage their learning style. I
use different types of examples for
each student.
I review the new concepts with the
students and help them idea the
problem and solution of the story
and in their work. Students
evaluate their understanding of
the concepts as we go through the
learning.
The activity is focused for the
most part, but I can make changes
to make it more focused and
geared towards a single learning
objective, not the board topic of
the entire standard. The activity
the students completed is geared
towards kindergarten-aged
students and was appropriate for
these particular students.
The content of the activity is
relevant and meaningful for the
students and they learn the
importance of problem and
solutions in a story and how to
identify it.

Video Observation
Notetaking Tool

Observers name: Michelle Lawless Lesson observed: Problem and

Solution
Purpose: To provide a framework for reflection and collaborative
conversations about teaching and learning.
Directions: Read over the guiding questions below. As you view the video,
jot down notes about what you see and hear. Note any examples or evidence
to support answers to the questions.
Student Engagement/Classroom
Involvement
1. How are students
involved in the lesson?
What is the extent of
student involvement?

Notes
In the beginning of the
lesson the students are
involved in making
predictions, a read aloud,
and answering questions
about the book. The
student were mostly
involved in written work
such as drawing and
creating.

2. Were there
opportunities for
students to
ask questions? What
kinds of questions
were they asking?
How did the teacher
help students make
connections to what
they were learning?

The students were mainly

answering questions
instead of asking
questions. If the students
did ask questions it was
because they didnt
understand something.
The teacher used
questioning to her
advantage and helped the
students make
connections by asking
them specific questions to
where they would have to
make connections
between the book and
what was being taught.

3. Describe the
interaction in the
classroom.

The students are very

comfortable to talk and
answer questions. They
enjoy talking to one
another and to their

teacher, Mrs. Bowden.

Student Learning
1. What evidence do you
see that indicates
student learning?
2. Was the learning
outcome explicitly
conveyed to the
students?

3. What evidence did you

see that the learning
goals were achieved?
4. How did the teacher
monitor student
progress?

Notes
1. The students were able
to recall what the problem
and solution were.
2. The learning objective/outcome was
not stated in the beginning of the
lesson and I wasnt sure what was
being taught in the lesson. At first I
thought it was on character traits, but
then I realized that it was about
problem and solution.

I wasnt sure of the

learning goals because it
was never stated, but the
students were able to
recall the problem and
solution that happened in
the book.
The teacher used
formative assessment and
used their drawings with
descriptive words as an
assessment to make sure
they were on task.

Instruction

1. What is the teacher

doing? (Facilitating,
lecturing, co-learning,
etc.)
2. How was
content/concepts
presented to students?
Was there adequate
explanation of the
concepts to ensure
student learning?

3. What kinds of
questions did the
teacher ask?
What questions
provided
opportunities for
students to
explain, defend,
compare,
evaluate?
Did the teacher
wait for
responses? Probe
for deeper
understanding?

1. In the beginning of the

lesson the teacher is
trying to hook or
engage the students by
asking them questions
and reading a book to
them. The teacher
continues to facilitate
the group throughout
the lesson with it
mainly being student
centered.
2. The concepts of
problem and solution
was never taught.
Those re vocabulary
words that must be
individually taught first
before the student
identify the problem
and solution. There was
not explanation of what
a problem and solution
is, but the teacher did
tell the students the
problem and solution in
the book, there was no
further explanation on
it.
The teacher asked about
what character traits
are?, why was the fish
selfish? and several
others. The students had
to think critically about
the book to figure out why
the fish was selfish or
different from the other
fish.
The teacher did give time
to for the students to
respond. She didnt probe
for deeper understanding;
she could have asked
students to give her

examples of the words

they used to describe the
fish or something similar.

4. What tasks are

students doing? Did
the students have the
opportunity to practice
their new knowledge
or skill? Did the
practice help support
the learning outcome?
5. How did the teacher
manage the learning
environment?
(Procedures, securing
attention, time on
task, etc)

In the beginning of the

lesson the students are
being read to, predicting,
and answering questions.
The students are given a
chance to draw/create the
fish and brainstorm some
words that describe him.
This was a small group so
the teacher handled the
environment very well.
The teacher handed out
materials very easily
because she was seated
at the table with the
students. The teacher
didnt seem to have to
secure attention because
the students were
engaged and busy.

Feedback
3-2-1

3 Affirmations based on the observations and evidences

above
1.
You used questioning to your
advantage to lead and guide student
learning. Your questions made the

students think critically especially

about the fish in the book.
2.
You used visuals to your
advantage, which really helped these
young students see what was going
on. You also kept them very busy and
never allowed for them to become
bored.
3.
You were able to teach this lesson
in a short amount of time which is
great for this age of students. They
cant sit still for very long at all.

2 Questions for Consideration

1.
When did you explicitly teach what
a problem was and what a solution
was?
2.
When did you give examples and
non examples of a problem and
solution? The students understood the
problem and solution in this book, but
do they understand a problem and
solution in general?
1 Recommendation
I would make sure to always state your objective in the
engagement, thats why we write a kid friendly version,
so it can be scripted into our engagement and then in
our lesson right before we begin to teach again. It would
have also helped me so I would have known what was
going to be taught.

Link to Video Lesson Plan: https://youtu.be/3nkVpKqP2Fk