Introducing Magnanimous Magician: Magic "e" | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G1:S3:C15:L76

Introducing Magnanimous Magician: Magic "e"

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Daily Learning Targets

  • Opening A: I can identify the long or short vowel sound in a one-syllable word. I can explain why the vowel makes a long or short sound. (RF.1.2)
    • I can say a three-phoneme word and segment it (break it apart) into individual phonemes (sounds) (in order).
    • I can blend three phonemes (sounds) to form a spoken word.
  • Work Time A: I can read a CVC word that is changed into a CVCe word by using a magic "e." (RF.1.2, RF.1.3)
    • I can identify the short vowel sounds for each of the five vowel letters.
    • I can listen to a single-syllable word and identify the short vowel it contains.
    • I can decode a word with a vowel in the middle and a silent "e" at the end.

Ongoing Assessment

  • Observe students during work with clipboards. Determine whether they can blend CVCe words using the patterns for the week.

Agenda

Agenda

1. Opening (3-5 minutes)

A. Vowel Sounds: "pal," "tap," "rag," "hat," "pin," "not"

2. Work Time (10 minutes)

A. Introducing Magnanimous Magician: CVCe Words with Long "a," "i," and "o": "pal"/"pale," "rag"/"rage," "tap"/"tape," "man"/"mane," "at"/"ate," "hop"/"hope," "kit"/"kite," "can"/"cane"

3. Closing and Assessment (3-5 minutes)

A. Reflecting on Learning

4. Differentiated Small Group Instruction and Rotations (40 minutes)

In Advance

  • Prepare:
    • "The Story of Magic 'e'" (optional; one to display)
    • Magnanimous Magician Word List (one per student or per pair)
    • Snapshot Assessment (optional; one per student)
  • Gather materials for differentiated small group instruction (see Differentiated Small Groups: Work with Teacher).

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T)

  • blend, decode, proficient (L)

Materials

  • "The Story of Magic 'e'" (optional; one to display)
  • Magic "e" anchor chart
  • Magnanimous Magician Word List (one per student or per pair)
  • Clipboards (or sheet protectors with white cardboard inside; one per student or one per pair)
  • Whiteboard markers (one per student)
  • Whiteboard erasers (or tissues, socks, etc.; one per student)
  • Articulatory Gestures chart (from Lesson 61)
  • Snapshot Assessment (optional; one per student)

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Vowel Sounds: "pal," "tap," "rag," "hat," "pin," "not"

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "The More We Get Together"):

"Sit down and come together, together, together. Sit down and come together, together, right now. Open up your ears now, and listen for the vowel sounds. It's time to hear the vowel sounds we're making right now."

  • Begin the Vowel Sounds instructional practice:

1. Teacher says: "We will make words using sounds that we know. Pay special attention to the vowel sound each word makes. Listen carefully while I do the first one."

2. Teacher says the phonemes (sounds) in the first word--"pal (/p//a//l/)"--using the thumb-tapping technique.

3. Teacher says: "When I blend the sounds together, they make the word 'pal.'" Teacher runs a thumb under all three fingers to demonstrate blending the phonemes to make the word.

4. Students repeat the thumb-tapping technique, pronouncing each phoneme: /p//a//l/.

5. Students run a thumb under all three fingers to blend the word: "pal."

6. Teacher asks:

"What vowel sound do you hear?" (/a/)

7. Teacher says: "That's right! We are making words with the /a/ (alligator) vowel sound."

8. Teacher says the phonemes in the next word: "tap (/t/ /a/ /p/)."

9. Students use the thumb-tapping technique to pronounce each phoneme: /t//a//p/.

10. Teacher asks:

"What word do these three sounds make when blended together?" ("tap")

11. Repeat steps 5-7 for the remaining words: "rag," "hat," "pin," "not."

  • Use the language "vowel sound" to build knowledge for future learning when vowel teams (example: "ai") are introduced in multisyllabic words. This supports students in understanding that it is the number of vowel sounds, not vowel letters, that indicates the number of syllables in a word.
  • Consider using mirrors so students can contrast the movement and position of their mouths when making the short /a/and long /a/ sounds.

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Introducing Magnanimous Magician: CVCe Words with Long “a,” “i,” and “o”: “pal”/“pale,” “rag”/“rage,” “tap”/“tape,” “man”/“mane,” “at”/“ate,” “hop”/“hope,” “kit”/“kite,” “can”/“cane”

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”):

“We’ve been workin’ on vowel sounds, sound by sound by sound. We’ve been workin’ on vowel sounds, and we can read many words aloud. Listen for each vowel sound to break words into parts. Listen for each vowel sound and now it’s time to start!”

  • Introduce the Magnanimous Magician instructional practice:

1. Teacher says: “We will make words using a new sound. Listen carefully to the vowel sounds to figure out the change.”

2. Teacher says the word aloud: “pal.”

3. Students echo the word: “pal.”

4. Teacher asks:

“How many vowel sounds do you hear in ‘pal’?” (one)

5. Teacher says: “That’s right! There is one short vowel sound in the word ‘pal.’ It is a closed-syllable word.”

6. Teacher writes the word on the board: “pal.”

7. Teacher writes the word on the board: “pale.”

8. Teacher says the word aloud: “pale.”

9. Teacher asks:

“What is different about the word ‘pal’ and ‘pale’?” (“Pale” has an “e” at the end. The vowel sound in “pal” is a short “a.” The vowel sound in “pale” is a long “a” (vowel says its name).)

10. Teacher says: “That’s right! ‘Pale’ has a magic ‘e’ at the end of it. It has magical powers. It can change the sound of middle vowels by waving a magic wand and giving its voice to the middle vowel in words. It no longer has to stay a short sound—it is free to say its name.”

11. Teacher repeats word and asks:

“What vowel sound do you hear?” (/ā/. The “a” is saying its name. The “e” is silent because it has given away its voice).

12. Teacher puts a horizontal line (macron) above the letter “a” to indicate a long vowel sound.

13. Teacher places the word in the “a” section of the Magic “e” anchor chart.

14. Teacher says: “Magnanimous magicians are generous magicians because they help the magic ‘e’ give its voice to the middle vowel. Your job today is to act as a magnanimous magician to find the magic ‘e’ in words and help them give their voices to the middle vowel, so when you read the words aloud, the ‘e’ is silent.”

15. Teacher distributes Magnanimous Magician Word List, clipboards, whiteboard markers, and whiteboard erasers.

16. Teacher guides students in their analysis of words. Repeat steps 1–10 with remaining words on the Work Time Word List.

  • Consider reading "The Story of Magic 'e'" to students before or after the lesson to reinforce the concept that the magic "e" on the end of a word changes the middle vowel sound.
  • Consider extending this activity to include more complex consonant blends and suffixes.  Examples:
    • "graz"/"graze," "plat"/"plate," etc.
    • "shade"/"shaded," "change"/"changes"
  • Remind students that, so far, they have learned words with short vowels in the middle. These vowels always follow the rule that vowels have a short sound ("a," "alligator," /a/, etc.) when they are closed by a consonant.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning

  • Emphasize that successful learners keep track of and reflect on their own learning. Point out that they are doing this each time they consider how what they did today helps them become more proficient readers.
  • Invite students to reflect and share with a partner (or whole group). Ask:

"What did you do today that is helping you become a more proficient reader?" (Responses will vary. Example: "I matched sounds to letters to blend sounds together to make a word.")

  • For students who need additional support organizing their ideas: Provide sentence frames. Examples:
    • "When I made the sounds for the word _____, I _____."
    • "When I wrote the letter _____, I _____."
    • "When I blended the sounds _____, I _____."

Differentiated Small Groups: Work with Teacher

Suggested Plan: Teacher works with the Pre-Alphabetic and Partial Alphabetic groups. Teacher might meet briefly with the Full and Consolidated groups to provide a weekly Word List and exit ticket, or possibly set up a management system allowing these students to find the list and exit ticket and begin work independently.

Note: Groups not working with the teacher at a given time should be engaged in purposeful independent rotation work. Refer to the Independent and Small Group Work Guidance document (see K-2 Skills Resource Manual).

Pre-Alphabetic:

  • Aim small group instruction at building students' knowledge and skills of letter identification and phonological awareness.
  • Use the Assessment Conversion chart to determine appropriate Kindergarten lessons and Activity Bank ideas to use in daily small group instruction.

Partial Alphabetic:

  • Students in the early to middle Partial Alphabetic (PA) phase may need more time with CVCe patterns than the whole group lessons provide. Those working within the middle to late PA phase may be comfortable using the CVCe patterns introduced in this cycle. If so, small group work may include extended practice of Work Time A.
  • Suggestions for working with students at the early to middle PA phase:
    • Spend time on lessons and/or patterns from a previous cycle that needs more practice. Consider using the Assessment Conversion chart to determine an appropriate cycle.
    • Prepare short decodable sentences with CVCe words. Example: "I can make a shake."
    • Cut up the decodable sentences and have students reconstruct them.
  • Related Activity Bank suggestions:
    • Any Activity Bank activity from the Vowels category (V)

Full and Consolidated Alphabetic:

  • Establish weekly Word Lists and exit tickets for independent work time.
  • Additional Supporting Materials:
    • Word List Guidance (for teacher reference)
    • CVCe Word List (one per student or pair)
    • CVC Word List (one per student or pair)
    • Word Card Template (one per student or pair)
    • Sorting Words Template (one per student or pair)

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