Funny Fundations Formations

Lesson Plan & Reflection

Teacher: Allison Thompson
Grade: 1
Content Area: ELA

1. Content and Standards:

Standard - CC.1.1.1.C
Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

Standard - CC.1.1.1.D
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Standard - CC.1.2.1.J
Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading, and being read to, and
responding to texts, including words that signal connections and relationships between the words
and phrases.

Standard - CC.1.4.1.K
Use a variety of words and phrases.

2. Prerequisites: Prior to learning this lesson, the students will have had some
understanding of what a blend sound is and how to find them in a word.

3. Essential Questions: How can you read words with a blend in them?

4. Materials and Equipment: Fundations magnetic letter sounds and letters,

Construction Paper, Pencil, and Glue Commented [1]:
Domain 3: Instructional materials and resources
5. Instructional Objective: After the lesson, students will be able to read words with
blend sounds in them and come up with their own words that include a blend
sound. Commented [2]:
Domain 3: Expectations for learning
6. Instructional Procedures: Throughout this lesson, the teacher is focused on making
sure that the students are able to understand what a blend sound is and how they
can look for them in words.
 Before: The students will start off on the carpet for whole group instruction. The
helper of the day will review the Foundations letters and sounds for the entire
alphabet. The students echo the sounds that the student helper says. Afterwards, Commented [3]:
the students will have a quick review of words that have blend sounds in them. Domain 3: Use of oral and written language
One example is “slip.” The blend sound in “slip” is “sl” and the students know
that because they know that a blend sound is two or more consonants that are
together before or after a vowel. While the students are on the carpet, the
teacher will put together a number of words on the board with the magnetic
letters. The teacher will ask the students what the word is and where the blend
 sound in the word is. After the review, the students will then be told about the Commented [4]:
activity for the day. Domain 3: Use of oral and written language

 During: As a class, the students will be working on an activity that we will call
Funny Fundation Formations. The teacher will tell the students that during this
activity, the students will be given strips of construction paper and a tree top
made from construction paper. The students will need to come up with ten of
their own words with blends in them and write them on each of the strips. When
they have finished writing them, they will glue the strips together to form the
trunk of their tree and then they will glue the tree top on top of the trunk in
order to make a tree. After they are finished gluing everything together, they will
have made a “Blend Tree.” Students will turn in their finished work for a final Commented [5]:
grade. Domain 3: Explanation of content, Engaging students in
learning through activities and assignments, and directions
for activities
 After: After the students have completed their “Blend Trees” they will come back
to the carpet with their completed projects. The students will then have an
opportunity to share some of the words that they have come up with and tell the
entire class where the blend is in their words. We will then review what a blend
is again and there will be time at the very end for questions.

7. Assessment: The students will hand in their “Blend Trees” to be used as a

Fundations ELA grade. Commented [6]:
8. Differentiated Instruction: Students who need learning support will be able to sit Domain 3: Assessment
directly in front of the Fundations Words Chart so that if they get stuck they can
look on the charts to find words that are already made with blend sounds in them
and use those words for their trees. Students who are enriched will be told to give
me at least 3 words that use two different blend sounds in them. Commented [7]:
Domain 3: Lesson adjustment for learning support and
enrichment students

As I reflect on this lesson plan and how it went while I was teaching it to the class, I

am very glad that I was able to have the time to execute it. When I originally came up with

the lesson plan, I did not have any intentions on using it for a reflection or for any domain

specific plans. However, I am glad that I am able to reflect on the third domain from

Danielson of Instruction with this lesson plan. As you can see from my highlights above,

there is a lot of information in this lesson plan that correlates directly to that third domain.

Through this analysis, I am going to give a brief overview of the ways that I was able to
utilize Danielson’s Third Domain of instruction in my lesson plan and throughout my

teaching of the lesson.

Starting from the beginning of my lesson plan, I was able to give my expectations for

students’ learning throughout my lesson when I gave my objective and my essential

question. While I am teaching, my students have become used to focusing on an essential

question that if I forget to ask them, they will raise their hand and ask if there was an

essential question that I forgot about. Because of this, I make sure that my students are

always aware of what the essential question is so that they can know what I am looking for

them to understand through my lesson. Moving forward from that, I was able to use oral

and written language in my lesson a lot of times when I would put the blend sound words

up on the magnetic board for the students to read and say. I also was able to engage my

students in my lesson by using an activity that I knew that they would be interested in. This

entire week we have been focusing on Dr. Seuss since it is Read Across America week. We

had just read about The Lorax, so when I was able to make their trees look like the Truffle

trees from the book, the students were very excited! This allowed for my students to want

to participate in the activity. I put into my lesson what materials and resources I would

need for my lesson which focuses on engaging students in learning in the third domain. I

also was able to give a lesson adjustment if needed for students who are learning support

or enrichment.

Some of the things from the third domain that I wish I would have been able to

touch on at the end of my lesson plan would be response to students, student self-

assessment, and student self-monitoring of progress. Within the third domain, there is a

section that focuses on demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness. I believe that I was
able to touch on the lesson adjustment aspect of this section but I would like in my future to

be able to respond more to individual students and utilize the information that I have

gained from each lesson plan to make adjustments for future lessons.

One goal that I have for myself to improve in this domain is in fact to be able to

adjust my future lessons based on the feedback that I give myself during my lessons. I have

not actually been able to sit down and make changes to my lesson plans in order to help

improve myself and my future lessons. During this upcoming week of my student teaching,

I plan to utilize this aspect of the third domain and put more of an effort in to use my

reflections and data from previous lessons in order to make changes to my future lessons.