Discussing and Writing: Working on a Magnificent Thing | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G1:M1:U3:L5

Discussing and Writing: Working on a Magnificent Thing

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • SL.1.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
  • SL.1.1a: Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
  • SL.1.1b: Build on others' talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others through multiple exchanges.
  • SL.1.1c: Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion.
  • W.1.8: With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. 

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can listen to and talk with my group about the work that needs to get done on our magnificent thing. (SL.1.1, SL.1.1a, SL.1.1b, SL.1.1c)
  • I can record what I did to complete our magnificent thing. (W.1.8

Ongoing Assessment

  • During the Opening and Closing, track students' progress toward SL.1.1a, SL.1.1b, and SL.1.1c using the Speaking and Listening Checklist (see Assessment Overview and Resources).

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engaging the Learner: Reviewing Yesterday's Work (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Modeling: Working on a Magnificent Thing (10 minutes)

B. Small Group Practice: Working on a Magnificent Thing (15 minutes) 

C. Modeling and Guided Writing: Working on a Magnificent Thing (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face: How I Used Tools (10 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards: 

  • In this lesson, students continue working in groups to build their classroom magnificent things. Students will stop building in this lesson in order to revise their magnificent thing (Lesson 6) before finishing it in Lesson 7.
  • Students demonstrate their understanding of the process of creating a magnificent thing by documenting the work they complete during Work Time C.
  • Students demonstrate mastery toward standards SL.1.1, SL.1.1a, SL.1.1b, and SL.1.1c. Use the Speaking and Listening Checklist to collect data on every student during the Opening and the Back to Back and Face to Face protocol.
  • Students continue to build their writing skills and stamina through notebook entries. The experiences written in the notebook will support their writing in Lessons 8-11.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • Students finish their work on the magnificent thing that they began in Lesson 4. In the Opening, students reflect on the previous day's work in order to set them up for success in today's lesson.
  • Continue to use Goal 1 and 2 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • In Work Time B, students work in their same small groups to gather materials and tools and continue making their magnificent things. Build social skills by guiding students through tricky collaboration situations when necessary.
  • In Work Time C, students document their work in their Magnificent Thing notebook. Help students think through sentences before writing them or invite them to talk through their ideas with a peer. Encourage them to complete the task independently using invented spelling or resources around the room.
  • Consider previewing the group work with students who may need a bit more support with collaborating.

Down the road:

  • The creation of their magnificent thing is an important part of the students' performance task. Students must complete their magnificent thing in order to write about it and present it to an audience in Lessons 8-13.
  • In the Closing, students share with one another the ways in which they used tools to help them do work. The conversation serves as a scaffold toward the performance task, in which they answer this same question through a detailed written response.

In Advance

  • Set up a document camera to display the Magnificent Thing notebook (one for teacher modeling) and other documents throughout the lesson (optional). If not using a document camera, copy the Magnificent Thing notebook onto chart paper.
  • Create the Magnificent Thing: Teacher Model (see supporting materials for Lesson 2).
  • Consider pre-determining and preparing a few students to model with you during Work Time A.
  • Consider placing Magnificent Thing notebooks in each group's designated workspace for a smoother transition. Set up a table with various materials and tools that students can easily access for Work Time B. Consider limiting the amount of building materials available so students can focus and complete their work.
  • Review the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Post: Learning targets, Classroom Discussion Norms anchor chart, "Learning Target" song, and Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face anchor chart 

Tech and Multimedia

Consider using an interactive whiteboard or document camera to display lesson materials.

  • Work Time A: If you recorded students singing the "Learning Target" song in Unit 2, play this recording for them to join in with.
  • Work Time B: Video record students creating their magnificent thing to watch with students to evaluate strengths and areas for improvement in collaborative work. Post it on a teacher webpage or on a portfolio app like Seesaw for students to watch at home with families. Most devices (cell phones, tablets, laptop computers) come equipped with free audio recording apps or software.
  • Work Time B: Students take pictures of their magnificent things using devices. Post on a teacher webpage or on a portfolio app like Seesaw for to talk abut at home with families. Most devices (cell phones, tablets, laptop computers) come equipped with free camera apps or software.
  • Closing and Assessment A: If you recorded students participating in the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol in Unit 2, play this video for them to remind them of what to do.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 1.I.A.1, 1.I.B.5, and 1.I.C.10

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs through the practice of collaborative work, and through opportunities to learn experientially.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to apply new concepts, such as collaboration and responsibility during work time. Provide students opportunities to participate in structured exchanges to highlight these habits of character. (Example: Prompt students to ask teammates: "How can I help?") Also provide useful phrases such as: "Let's do this together" and "Would you like to hear my idea?"

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • During Work Time C, invite students to discuss different contexts in which they might use the word record. Discuss how they relate to the definition of the word. (Example: "Delvin says he might record his favorite show on TV. How does that relate to our definition of the word record?")

For heavier support:

  • During Work Time C, work closely with students who have trouble writing to complete page 3 of their notebooks. Discuss with students what they intend to write, and scribe some or all of their thoughts with a highlighter so students can trace it afterward. If a group of students need heavier support, work with them to complete the task as a shared experience. 

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): During Work Time A, you will model how members of a group finish working on a magnificent thing in a small group by helping one another. Reinforce this key idea by explicitly stating the connection between helping and collaboration.
  • Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): In this lesson, students have multiple opportunities to reflect on and evaluate their work. Provide options for students to share their ideas nonverbally by developing silent signals or using American Sign Language. 
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): During the Closing, students are invited to share how their group worked together. This is an opportunity to encourage self-assessment by asking students to set and/or reflect on shared classroom goals related to collaboration. 

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

  • record (L)

Materials

  • Magnificent things (begun in Lesson 4; one per group)
  • Classroom Discussion Norms anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 2)
  • Speaking and Listening Checklist (Assessment Overview and Materials)
  • "Learning Target" song (from Unit 2, Lesson 2; one to display)
  • Magnificent Thing: Teacher Model (new; teacher-created; one to display; see Teaching Notes)
  • Various materials and tools for making a magnificent thing (from Lesson 4; for groups to create their magnificent thing in Work Time B)
  • Document camera (optional)
  • Magnificent Thing notebook (from Lesson 2; one for teacher modeling)
  • Magnificent Thing notebook (from Lesson 2; one per student)
  • Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face anchor chart (begun in Unit 2, Lesson 7) 

Materials from Previous Lessons

New Materials

Assessment

Each unit in the K-2 Language Arts Curriculum has one standards-based assessment built in. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Engaging the Learner: Reviewing Yesterday's Work (5 minutes) 

  • Gather students together whole group and place their magnificent things in the middle of the circle.
  • Invite students to take 1 minute to silently look at the creations. 
  • Direct students' attention to the posted Classroom Discussion Norms anchor chart and read it aloud.
  • Invite students to independently and silently think about how their group work time went well or what did not go well during the previous lesson.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"As you worked with your group yesterday, what is something that went well?"(Example: We all shared our ideas.)

"Today as you work with your group again, what could your group do even better?" (Example: Making sure everyone gets a chance to help.)

  • If productive, cue students to listen carefully and seek to understand:

"Who can tell us what your classmate said in your own words?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Prepare the Speaking and Listening Checklist. Prompt students to continue sharing by asking questions such as:

"Did anyone else experience that?"

"Can anyone offer a helpful suggestion?"

  • Refocus whole group.
  • Choose one member from each group to help place the magnificent things in a safe place until work time. 
  • For ELLs: Some students may have trouble answering open-ended questions about their work the prior day. Guide their thinking by beginning with yes or no questions. Example: "Raise your hand if you did a good job helping each other yesterday. Now raise your hand if you think you can collaborate, or work together, even better today."
  • As students share examples of what went well and what they could do better with their small groups, encourage non-verbal participation by inviting students to signal if their group experienced the same thing. This will help construct a community of learners. (Example: "One thing Samantha's group feels they did well yesterday was take turns with scissors. You can say 'me too' in American Sign Language if your group also did a good job taking turns with the scissors!") (MMAE, MME) 

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Modeling: Working on a Magnificent Thing (10 minutes)

  • Invite students to sing the "Learning Target" song.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud:
    • "I can listen to and talk with my group about the work that needs to get done on our magnificent thing."
  • Display the Magnificent Thing: Teacher Model. Tell students you are going to finish the work needed to complete the classwork display sign.
    • Invite pre-selected students to help you demonstrate.
    • Talk to the student volunteers about the work that needs to be completed while going to collect some of the various materials and tools for making a magnificent thing.
    • Demonstrate completing steps of the process (drawing the letters, cutting the leaves, punching holes for the string, etc.), talking aloud with the student volunteers while working on each task:
    • Say: "I haven't started the background yet. Will someone help me color?"
    • Say: "I know how to tie a knot in the string. Do you need help?"
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What did you see or hear my group doing while we worked on our magnificent thing?"

  • Tell students they will now rejoin their groups and finish creating their magnificent thing.
  • For ELLs: Invite students to use sentence frames that support collaboration and discussion of work needed for completing the magnificent things. (Examples: "Can you please help me _____?" "We still need to_____," and "Do you agree that we should _________?")
  • After modeling how to finish working on a magnificent thing in a small group, highlight the big idea about collaboration by explicitly stating, "Members of my small group asked for help and gave help to others. Asking for help and giving help are important parts of collaborating with a group." (MMR) 

B. Small Group Practice: Working on a Magnificent Thing (15 minutes) 

  • Invite students to return to their small group workspace from the previous lesson. 
  • Distribute each group's magnificent thing.
  • Remind students to use what they know about collaboration, initiative, and responsibility to help them as they work on their magnificent thing.
  • Circulate to support groups, suggesting tools or materials that might be helpful, as necessary.
  • Tell students when they have 2 minutes left to finish their work for today.
  • Refocus whole group.
  • Invite students to take a picture of their magnificent thing with their brain to help them with their writing.
  • Provide directions for cleanup and where to store their magnificent thing.
  • Invite students to clean up, store their magnificent things, and transition back to the whole group area.
  • For ELLs: As students interact, notice instances in which students omit using the articles a or the. Identify the error and recast the sentence correctly. Invite students to repeat. (Example: "You are going to put away the scissors. Now you say it!")
  • For ELLs: Invite students to use their home languages to help them understand the task and to guide their collaboration. (Example: "This task may be very difficult. To make it easier, you can take 2 minutes to talk about this with a partner who shares your home language. Then you can discuss in English.")
  • When you give students the 2-minute warning before cleanup, provide support for self-regulation during a transition by using a visual timer. (MME) 

C. Modeling and Guided Writing: Working on a Magnificent Thing (20 minutes) 

  • Gather students together whole group.
  • Direct their attention to the posted learning targets and read the second target aloud:
    • "I can record what I did to complete our magnificent thing."
  • Invite students to turn and talk to an elbow partner:

"What does it mean to record something?" (to write it down)

  • Using a document camera, display the Magnificent Thing notebook (for teacher modeling). Remind students that an important part of creating something is taking notes about each step to help you remember what you did.
  • Open to page 3 and read the first sentence stem aloud: "My magnificent thing is a ____."
  • Think aloud while writing "classwork display sign" to finish the sentence.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What would you write on this line?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Clarify that they are writing their own group's magnificent thing on the line.
  • Continue modeling how to write about your magnificent thing:
    • Read the next sentence stem aloud: "Today I worked on____."
    • Talk aloud while you think through some of the things you worked on while modeling in Work Time A.
    • Write one or two sentences about the work that was completed. (Example: "I cut out larger leaves for the sign. I tied the string in the holes of the sign.")
    • Point out the box at the bottom of page 3.
    • Read the label above the box: "Today my magnificent thing looks like..."
    • Sketch a picture of the classwork display sign, thinking aloud about the details that you have added since you began the sign. (Example: "The sign was a rectangle but now I have made the corners round, so I will draw that.")
  • Transition students back to their tables.
  • Distribute students' Magnificent Thing notebooks.
  • Guide students through completing page 3 by reading each question aloud and allowing time for students to write an answer.
  • Refocus whole group.
  • Collect students' Magnificent Thing notebooks.
  • Invite students to clean up and transition back to the whole group area. 
  • For ELLs: For students who have trouble with writing, create sticky notes during Work Time B that remind them of what they are working on. They can use the sticky notes to help them complete their notebook work. (Example: "Meredith, great job coloring! Help me sound out coloring on this sticky note. Let's stick it to your desk, and you can use it later when we write in our notebooks.")
  • As you model writing about your magnificent thing in the notebook, emphasize process and effort by modeling how to sound out a word with tricky spelling. Encourage students to try their best and use environmental print if they get stuck. (MME)
  • For independent writing, differentiate the degree of difficulty to optimize challenge. Students may be more appropriately challenged with the options to use sentence frames or dictation. (MME)
  • To help students express their ideas in the independent writing task, offer options for drawing utensils (examples: thick markers or colored pencils) and writing tools (examples: fine-tipped markers, pencil grips, slant boards). (MMAE)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face: How I Used Tools (10 minutes) 

  • Gather students together whole group.
  • Tell them that, in pairs, they are going to tell each other how they used different tools today, using the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol. Remind students that they used this protocol in Lesson 3 and review as necessary, using the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face anchor chart. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Prepare the Speaking and Listening Checklist. Have students find a partner and stand back-to-back with each other, being respectful of space.
  • Ask students the following question and give them 30 seconds to consider how they will respond:

"How did you use tools today to work on your magnificent thing?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Invite students to turn face-to-face to share their responses.
  • Have students repeat this process with a new partner.
  • Ask:

"Think about how your group worked together. What are you most proud of?" (Responses will vary.) 

  • If productive, cue students to listen carefully and seek to understand:

"Who can tell us what your classmate said in your own words?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Tell students they will get another chance to look at and think about their magnificent thing in the next lesson.
  • As students reflect on how their group worked together, encourage self-assessment by asking students to reflect on shared classroom goals. (Example: "One thing first-graders in this room were trying to work on in order to be better collaborators was remembering to ask if a classmate was done with a tool before taking it. Do you think we got better at this while we made our magnificent things? How do you know?") (MME) 

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