Elementary Education Lesson Plan Model

**Please note that instructors may add supplemental sections and/or modify the sequence of components depending on the content of the course and the academic content being
addressed.

Lesson Title An Understanding of Homelessness

Discipline English Language Arts
Grade Level 1st Grade
Grouping Read aloud and discussion as a whole class, followed by individual assessment

Class Organization/Class Students will be introduced to the lesson at the rug in the reading center of the classroom. The lesson will begin
Management: with an introduction of vocabulary essential to the read-aloud; this will then be followed by the read aloud of
the book Fly Away Home by Eve Buting. After the read-aloud students will proceed to their desks to engage in
the following activities as a whole class. Students will work independently for the final writing assignment.

Central Learning Focus

Central Focus The central focus of this lesson is to have students gain an understanding of the word homeless, why it is
important for students to be actively engaged in their communities and lend a helping hands to those in need.

Content Standard Speaking & Listening:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1.B: Build on others' talk in conversations by responding to the comments of
others through multiple exchanges.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.2: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information
presented orally or through other media.

Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.5: With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to questions
 and suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as needed.

Student Learning Students will be able to describe the word homeless.

Goal(s)/Objective(s) Students will be able to construct a concept map of different ways they can help those in need.
Students will be able to construct a list of foods to donate for their classroom food drive
Students will be able to write an entry in their readers notebook discussing a part of the story that stood
out to them the most.

Rationale This lesson will be taught around Thanksgiving, a time when students will be discussing the importance of
being thankful and helping others in need in their community. The book being read, Fly Away Home by Eve
Buting, discusses homelessness, it describes the experience of a young child living in the airport with his father;
in the book the child speaks about his life, his struggles but also his hopes and dreams. The main character of
the story is around the same age as the students this lesson is intended for; this will enable students to make a
personal connection with him and his experience.

Prior Academic Prior to this lesson, students must be familiar with the word homeless. Students must also have an
Knowledge and understanding of making text to self-connections. Students also need to be familiar with how to create concept
Conceptions maps in order for this lesson to be successful.
What prior knowledge must
students already know to be
successful with this lesson?

Academic Language The academic language that students must already know is:
Demands Homeless
What prior Academic Language Food drive
must students already know to be Connection (text to self-connection)
successful with this lesson? Being noticed
Please discuss the following: Airport
1. The academic language
Luggage
that is essential to
understanding the
content of this lesson. These words will be heard throughout the read-aloud or through prompted discussion questions, it is important
for students to have an understanding of these words in order to understand the content of the story and the
lesson.
Differentiation/ Planned
Support
How will you provide students
with access to learning based on
individual and group needs?
Common Errors and
Developmental
Approximations
Resources and Materials
What instructional resources and
materials were used to engage
students in learning?
Please discuss the following:
1. Class handouts,
assignments, slides, and
interactive whiteboard
images.
2. Materials the teacher
needs for this lesson?
Materials the students need for this
lesson?
Students will be paired heterogeneously (e.g. developing student with an on target) in order for them to peer
work together.
Students will have to opportunity to speak their ideas and opinions before writing them down during the
group discussion and turn and talk.
Students will have the opportunity to visually interpret the lesson through the Power point slides.
Students will be allowed to use their native language when needed given that it is a dual language
classroom.
Students will be provided with anchor charts to help them fill out the concept map and make the food drive
list.
Students who are struggling with the new concept may work in a small group with the teacher to complete
the task. (re-teach)
A common developmental misconception that students might have during the lesson is having a complete
understanding of the word homeless. However, based on the student developmental age, students should be able
to understand the word homeless, after the teacher explains it, reads the books, provides the students with
different examples and displays a visual representation on the term.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
Concept map
Readers Journal
Writing utensils
Crayons
Cans of food
Launch Students will be engaged in the lesson with a discussion of the word homeless; they will discuss whether or
not they have ever seen a homeless person around their community or somewhere else, they will be asked to
share their personal experiences seeing homeless people. Students will be introduced to the book Fly Away
Home by Eve Buting, they will discuss the cover of the book, be asked to describe it and make predictions of
what they think the story will be about. Students will also discuss words that will be present in the read-
aloud and would be important for them to be familiar with, such as, terminal, luggage and the term being
noticed. The discussion of the word homeless will be followed by a read-aloud of the book Fly Away Home
by Eve Buting.

Discussion prompting questions will include:

Can anyone tell me what it means to be homeless?
Has anyone ever seen a homeless person?
Can anyone know what an airport is?
Can anyone tell me what luggage is?
What do you carry in your luggage?
Can anyone tell me what a terminal in an airport is?
Can anyone tell me what it means to be noticed?
What is something you notice from the cover of the book?
What do you think the story will be about?

Exploration Students will explore the word homeless through a discussion of what they thought about Andrews story and
how they thought Andrew may have felt living in the airport with his father. Students will then choose one
part of the book that stood out to them the most, they will express why they chose that part and how it made
them feel. Students will write an entry in their readers notebook describing this part of the story and
depicting it through a drawing.

Prompting questions will include:

After reading Fly Away Home, can you tell me what it means to be homeless?
Now that you have a better understanding of the word homeless, can you share an time when
you maybe saw a homeless?
How do you think Andrew felt about living in the airport with his father?
What was one thing Andrew did to try and save money to help his father?
 What were some things Andrew and his father did to not be noticed in the airport?
How do you think the little brown bird made Andrew feel?
Choose one part of the story that stood out the most for you, how did it make you feel?

[Structured Practice]
Students will move on to completing a concept map as a whole class. Through this concept map they will
discuss ways they think they can help others in need. The prompting question will be, What are different
things you can do to help those in need? Students will be engaged in a conversation about food-drives, if this
lesson is taught during Thanksgiving the topic of food-drives would have already been discussed and they
would have prior knowledge of the term, this will serve as an opportunity for students to build on their
knowledge. Students will work to organize their own classroom food drive, the teacher will ask what types
of foods they think they can donate, students will construct a list of canned food options they can bring in to
class in order to contribute to the food-drive. This will help foster an understanding of different ways
students, teachers and their families can help others in need.

[Application] Students will plan to organize a class food drive in order to help those in need in their community. As a
How will students apply what they whole class, students will make a concept map of ways they can help others in need, a list of canned foods
have learned? they can bring into class for their food drive. As a whole class, students will also help the teacher write a
letter to parents explaining the food drive and their plans to help those in need.

Student Feedback I will walk around the classroom helping students, as well as complimenting students on work being done.
How will you provide students with During turn and talk and class discussions every time a student participates I will make sure to give positive
feedback? feedback regardless of the answer being wrong or right, the students will be acknowledged and encouraged
to speak more. Students will also be provided feedback on their writing in their readers notebooks.

Closure/Discussion After an in depth discussion of the word homeless, all of the possible ways students could help those in need
__________ Minutes and organizing the class food drive, the teacher will write a letter to parents with the help of the students. In
How will you bring closure to the the letter they will address the book they are discussing in class, what they learned about the word homeless,
lesson? their discussion of ways they could help those in need and their plan for a class food drive. This letter will be
sent to parents explaining the intentions of the class food drive and asking them to generously donate one
canned food item for the drive.
What Ifs
What might not go as planned and
how can you be ready to make
adjustment?
Academic Language
What academic language is
necessary for students to know for
them to develop their
understandings of the content being
taught in this lesson?
Language Functions
What language function do you
want students to develop in this
lesson?
Engagement
How will students use language, i.e.
reading, writing, listening, and
speaking?
Student Support
How will you support students in
using academic language?
If students have difficulty understanding the word homeless and picturing it in their minds, the teacher will
show pictures depicting the word to help them have a better understanding. The same will be done with a
food-drive, airport and luggage. Also, to help them have a better understanding the teacher will help them
make real life connections with the words by giving them examples of real life events; such as going to the
airport to travel somewhere or storing their clothing and personal belonging in their luggage.
Academic Language Demand(s)
Students will have an understanding of academic language such as: homeless and food drive. They will
also have an understanding of the setting of the story, and airport, and terms related to the setting, such as
terminal and luggage.
Students will review this academic language prior to the read-aloud, throughout the read-aloud when the
words and pictures come up and after the read-aloud.
Listening/Speaking - Students will engage in a turn and talk with a partner, giving them the opportunity to
listen to and compare their peers thoughts with their own. They will also participate in a class discussion of
the word homeless throughout the read-aloud, and the word food drive during their discussion of ways to
help those in need.
Students will use listening and speaking when engaging in a discussion as a whole class throughout the
read-aloud, when engaging in a turn and talk with a partner and when presenting their answers and thoughts
about a part of the story that stood out to them the most.
Students will use language and writing when choosing one part of the story to write about. They will discuss
what the part was and how it made them feel.
I will use the correct academic language during discussion in order for students to hear and feel comfortable
using them. I will also provide visuals such as pictures, and the book itself. Students will be engaged in
discussions about homelessness and food drives. They will also be engaged in constructing a concept map

Expectations of Student
Learning
What are your expectations for
performance? Specifically,
describe expectations for each of
the following levels of
performance:
(1) exceeds expectations,
(2) meets expectations, and
(3) below expectation
performances.
Type and description of
assessment (summative
and formative, informal
and formal)
about helping others and will include ways they can help. Students will also construct a list of different
canned food items they can donate to the classroom food dive.
Assessments
Students are expected to understand what it means to be homeless.
1. Exceeds expectations: Student will have a strong understanding of what it means to be homeless. Student will
be fully engaged in the turn and talk and whole class discussion.
2. Meets expectations: Student will have an understanding of what it means to be homeless. Students will engage
in the turn and talk and whole class discussion.
3. Below expectation performance: Student will not understand what it means to be homeless, they will not
engage in turn and talk or whole class discussion about the content.
As an informal assessment, students will be asked questions during the read-aloud to prompt discussions; they
will also be asked to make predictions about the story. There will be a discussion after the read-aloud to
reinforce their understanding of the word homeless. The teacher will listen to students responses to see if they
are appropriate for the material and questions. Questions will be asked during the read-aloud to have students
make predictions of the story.
As a formal assessment, students will be instructed to write an entry in their readers notebook. In this entry
students will discuss a part of the story that stood out the most to them and made them have strong feelings
about the main characters experience being homeless and living in the airport with his father.
Modifications to the Students will be assessed through their writings in their readers notebooks. They will be asked to write two to
assessment so that all three sentences Students will be assessed through their writings in their readers notebooks. They will be asked
students could to write two to three sentences discussing their feelings about a part of the story that stood out the most to them.
demonstrate their They will also draw a picture depicting the part of the story.
learning
If not able to write two to three sentences describing the part of the story that stood out the most to them, they
will be instructed to draw a picture depicting it and write one sentence describing it, discussing their feelings
about a part of the story that stood out the most to them.

ENLs and students with IEPs will work in a guided group to complete their entry in their readers notebooks.

The concept map of helping those in need, and list of canned food items will be completed as a whole class so
that students can build off of each-others knowledge and ideas.
Evaluation Criteria of The discussions and written assignment in their readers notebook provide an extensive understanding of the
Data word homeless, if students have fully engaged in conversation of the word, participated in planning the
classroom food drive and described a part of the story that made them have strong feelings about the characters
experience, they have acquired an understanding of the content.