Speaking and Listening: Learning about Others’ Toy Preferences | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA GK:M1:U3:L8

Speaking and Listening: Learning about Others’ Toy Preferences

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • SL.K.3: Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood.
  • L.K.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • L.K.1d: Understand and use question words (interrogatives) (e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how).

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can ask questions to learn about the toys my classmates prefer. (SL.K.3, L.K.1d)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During Work Time B, listen as students ask questions and document progress toward SL.K.3 on the Speaking and Listening Checklist. Use this information to support students who struggle to ask questions during Work Time C.
  • During Work Time C, circulate and listen as pairs practice interviewing each other, focusing on those students whom you have yet to observe showing progress toward SL.K.3.

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Song and Movement: "My Favorite Toys" Song (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Modeling: Asking Others Questions (15 minutes)

B. Speaking and Listening: Whole Class Interview Practice (15 minutes)

C. Speaking and Listening: Peer Interview Practice (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In this lesson, students practice asking and answering questions to support the development of this important speaking and listening skill (SL.K.3).
  • During Work Time A, students watch and observe a model of an interview to gain a better understanding of the appropriate behaviors, language, and skills necessary to successfully gather information from another person (SL.K.3).
  • During Work Times B and C, students practice the skill of asking questions and providing answers to questions asked of them. This directly scaffolds to the unit assessment in Lessons 9-10, in which students interview a classmate to find out about toy preferences (SL.K.3).

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • Students draw from their knowledge about toys, playing, preferences, and perspective that has been developed throughout the course of this unit as they engage in several opportunities to ask each other and visitors questions about toy preferences.
  • During Work Time B, students practice interviewing by asking questions of Llama Llama, a familiar character. Prior to this lesson, consider rereading Llama Llama Time to Share by Anna Dewdney to refresh students' memories of this character.
  • Continue to use Goal 1 and 2 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Look for opportunities to support students as they practice asking questions during Work Times B and C. Support them by providing question frames and prompts as they ask about toy preferences. Direct students to the Ways We Ask Others Questions anchor chart as necessary. For example: "Which of these toys do you prefer? How do you like to play with this toy?"

Down the road:

  • In Lessons 9-10, students will engage in the unit assessment by interviewing a classmate to find out about his or her preferred toy. They will complete this task over the course of both lessons. Students should be paired with a different partner than their conversation partner in those lessons to complete the interview task. Consider reviewing Lessons 9-before teaching this lesson.

In Advance

  • Set up a document camera to display the "My Favorite Toys" song and other documents throughout the lesson (optional).
  • Advise your guest (another teacher, principal, parent) when the modeling interview will take place (Work Time A).
  • Distribute materials (student interview note-catcher) for Work Time C at student tables.
  • Post: Learning target, "My Favorite Toys" song, Ways We Ask Others Questions anchor chart, and Conversation Partners chart.

Tech and Multimedia

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

  • Opening A: If you recorded students singing the "My Favorite Toys" song in Lesson 7, play this recording for them to join in with.
  • Work Time C: Record students as they discuss in pairs to listen to later to discuss strengths and what they could improve on, or to use as models for the group. Most devices (cell phones, tablets, laptop computers) come equipped with free video and audio recording apps or software.
  • Closing and Assessment A: Play recording of students from Work Time C to analyze with the group as a positive model to follow.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards K.I.B.5 and K.I.C.12

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs through structured practice using oral language and through the comprehensive scaffolding of the learning target.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to remember and to apply the guidelines and structures of the interview to their peer conversations. To provide additional prompting, model using markers as pretend microphones. This will reinforce the structure and will remind them to take turns talking. Explain that students may speak only when the microphone is pointed in their direction.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • During Work Time C, before providing additional support, observe student interaction and allow students to grapple. Provide supportive frames and demonstrations only after students have grappled with the task. Observe the areas in which they struggle to target appropriate support.

For heavier support:

  • Provide additional context for interviews. Show students a brief video of a formal, child-friendly interview. Explain that their goal is to be a reporter just like in the video.
  • Students may benefit from additional time reviewing the Ways We Ask Others Questions anchor chart. Review each of the question words and check for comprehension by asking students to provide examples of questions.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): During class discussions, record student responses visually to enable greater comprehension. Make these charts accessible during Work Time, so students can reference them.
  • Multiples Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): As students interview each other, they will need to access a variety of executive functions to complete the task. Some students may need extra scaffolds to attend to the multiple cognitive tasks. Some may be overstimulated by the blank box on the note-catcher. Consider offering an alternative sheet with options for students to circle about how they like to play with the toy (e.g., with friends, at home, at school, etc.).
  • Multiples Means of Engagement (MME): Interviewing is an important skill in this session and will be assessed at the end of this module. In this lesson, you will model effective interviewing techniques. To maximize student engagement during your modeling, help draw their attention to the skills you want them to replicate. One option may be a note-taking template for students to record what they notice during your modeling. They can then refer to this template when they are asked to interview their classmates or in future sessions.

Vocabulary

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

New:

  • interviewing (L)

Review:

  • prefer (L)

Materials

  • Document camera (optional)
  • "My Favorite Toys" song (from Lesson 7)
  • Ways We Ask Others Questions anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2)
  • Toy Preference Interview Note-catcher: Teacher Model (one to display; see supporting materials)
  • Llama Llama puppet (from Unit 1, Lesson 2; one for teacher modeling)
  • Llama Llama Interview note-catcher (one to display; see supporting materials)
  • "Learning Target" poem (from Unit 1, Lesson 1; one to display)
  • Conversation Partner chart (from Unit 1, Lesson 1)
  • Toy Preference Interview Note-catcher: Student Version (one per student)
  • Speaking and Listening Checklist (see Assessment Overview and Resources for Module 1)

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. Song and Movement: "My Favorite Toys" Song (5 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group.
  • Remind them that they have been learning that different people prefer different toys.
  • Using a document camera, display the "My Favorite Toys" song.
  • Explain that students will sing the "My Favorite Toys" song as a reminder about all the different toys that people might prefer.
  • Invite them to join you as you sing the "My Favorite Toys" song while tracking the print.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What are some actions we can do while singing this song that show what the song is saying?" (Responses will vary but may include: bouncing a ball, reading a book, hugging a teddy bear, pulling a wagon, etc.)

  • Sing the song again while incorporating students' suggestions for motions. Invite students to join you in singing and making motions.
  • Offer alternatives for auditory information by providing visual notations of music or sound and use facial expressions or hand gestures to convey the emotional interpretation of the song. (MMR)
  • As students respond to the question, visually track their ideas for the whole class to see. Refer back to the poster as you incorporate their ideas into actions. (MMR, MME)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Modeling: Asking Others Questions (15 minutes)

  • Remind students that the principal asked them to gather more information to continue to become play experts and that the principal has asked students to learn about others' toy preferences.
  • Remind students that to find out information from others, you can ask them questions.
  • Tell students that when you ask someone else questions to find out information, you are conducting an interview (a conversation between a reporter and a person who will be the subject of the report, or the report itself).
  • Tell students that you want to know about the toys that the guest prefers.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What should I do if I want to know about the classroom toys that the visitor prefers? What questions could I ask him or her?" (Ask the visitor questions about the toys he or she prefers. Ask what the visitor likes to do with the preferred toys.)

  • Tell students that you invited the visitor to the classroom today, so that you could ask him or her questions about the toys he or she prefers.
  • Invite the visitor to join you in the whole group area and introduce him or her to the students.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted Ways We Ask Others Questions anchor chart and invite them to use the chart to notice and observe as you ask the guest questions. Tell the students that when you are finished, you will ask them how you did as an interviewer.
  • Model the interview process with the visitor:

1. Turn your body to face the guest teacher and tell him or her what you are interested in finding out. Say:

"I want to know about the toys you prefer, so I would like to ask you a few questions about them."

2. Ask the visitor:

"Which of the classroom toys do you prefer?"

3. As you ask questions and listen to the visitor's responses, model one or two behaviors listed on the Ways We Ask Others Questions anchor chart. Also, choose one behavior not to follow.

4. Using a document camera, display the Toy Preference Interview Note-catcher: Teacher Model. Model circling the toy that the visitor chooses.

5. Thank the visitor for answering your questions.

  • Turn your body back to face the students.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What did you notice and observe as I interviewed our guest?" (Responses will vary but may include making eye contact, using question words, listening to the guest's answers, etc.)

  • Consider scaffolding using more specific questions:

"Did I look at the guest teacher when I asked him or her questions?"

"What question words did you notice that I used during the interview?"

  • Explain that students will now have a chance to practice interviewing.
  • As you ask students to notice and observe your behaviors during the interview, consider offering a note-taking template for them to identify what they see. They can then use this as a prompt when you debrief the interview or when they interview their classmates. (MMR, MME)
  • For ELLs: Ask a bilingual teacher who speaks the same home language as students in the class to help model the exercise. The teacher can interpret each part of the interview for the students, summarizing the questions asked and repeating the answers in the home language.
  • As students share out their observations, visually track their responses. Keep this visible throughout the lesson for students to transfer their knowledge to activities later in the lesson. (MMR, MME)

B. Speaking and Listening: Whole Class Interview Practice (15 minutes)

  • Remind students that they just watched as you ask questions to find out which toy a visitor prefers.
  • Tell them that they are going to practice asking questions of a character they know to learn about the toys that character prefers.
  • Display the Llama Llama puppet.
  • Tell students that Llama Llama came to talk about the toys that he prefers.
  • Using a document camera, display the Llama Llama Interview note-catcher. Say:

"We will ask Llama Llama about the toys he prefers, and then we can record our notes on this note-catcher."

  • Invite students to think about the questions they will ask Llama Llama. Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What can you ask Llama Llama to find out which classroom toy he prefers?" (Which of these toys do you prefer, Llama Llama?)

  • Invite students to ask Llama Llama questions and provide answers to the questions they pose, using the Llama Llama puppet to convey those answers.
  • Prompt and guide students to ask questions about the classroom toys Llama Llama prefers.
  • As students ask questions, write down notes on the Llama Llama Interview note-catcher.
  • At the close of the interview, remind students to thank Llama Llama for coming to speak about the toys he prefers.
  • Invite students to reflect upon their interviewing skills. Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What did you notice and observe as you interviewed Llama Llama?" (making eye contact with Llama Llama, using question words, listening to his answers, etc.)

  • Consider scaffolding with more specific questions:

"Did we look Llama Llama in the eye when asking questions?"

"What question words did we use while interviewing Llama Llama?"

  • Explain that students will now practice interviewing each other to learn about the toys a classmate prefers.
  • For ELLs: While modeling note taking, emphasize that students do not need to write down everything that the interviewee says. This will minimize distractions for students who may require extra time for writing. Model drawing sketches as an alternative means of recording details about how Llama Llama likes to play with the toy. (MME)

C. Speaking and Listening: Peer Interview Practice (20 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning target and read it aloud:

"I can ask questions to learn about the toys my classmates prefer."

  • Briefly review what prefer means.
  • Invite students to take out their magical bows, take aim at the learning target, and recite the "Learning Target" poem with you.
  • Explain that students are working on finding out about others' toy preferences and that to get the information they need, they have to ask others' questions, or interview them. Remind them that the principal asked them to find out and write about their classmates' toy preferences, so they will interview a classmate.
  • Explain that interviewing is a hard job, and it is important that they practice. Tell students that they are going to practice interviewing their Conversation Partner.
  • Invite students to find their Conversation Partner. Remind them that they can use the Conversation Partner chart to help them if they cannot remember who their partner is.
  • Once students have paired up, invite them to return to their tables by mimicking the action of their favorite toy.
  • Direct students' attention to the Toy Preference Interview Note-catcher: Student Version at their tables and invite them to fill in their names in the appropriate spot.
  • Tell students to switch papers with their partners and have their partners write their names in the appropriate spot.
  • After students have written their names on each other's papers, tell them to return the papers to the original owner.
  • Post and review the directions for the task:

1. Partner A asks partner B:

"Which classroom toy do you prefer?"

2. Partner A circles that toy on his or her Toy Preference Interview Note-catcher: Student Version.

3. Partner A completes the sentence "My partner prefers __________" with the name of the toy.

4. Partner A asks partner B:

"How do you like to play with the toy?"

5. Partner A draws a picture and adds labels to show what partner B tells him or her.

6. Switch roles.

  • Invite pairs to begin.
  • Circulate and listen as students interview each other. Document progress toward SL.K.3 on the Speaking and Listening Checklist. Refer students to the Ways We Ask Others Questions anchor chart when necessary.
  • If productive, cue students to listen carefully:

"Who can repeat what your classmate said?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Refocus whole group.
  • Provide differentiated mentors by purposefully pre-selecting student partnerships in which students who struggle can have peer support. You may need to coach the mentor to engage with his or her partner and share thought processes. This can be done during questioning as you circulate through the room. (MME)
  • Some students may be overstimulated by the blank box on the note-catcher. Consider offering an alternative sheet with options for students to circle about how they like to play with the toy (e.g., with friends, at home, at school, etc.). (MMR, MMAE)
  • For ELLs: Some beginning students may not be able to ask the questions on their own. While circulating, prompt students to repeat the questions after their partners model them. Encourage students to try it on their own next time.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

  • Invite students to return to the whole group area and remind them to bring their Toy Preference Interview Note-catcher: Student Version with them.
  • Give students specific positive feedback on their hard work at being interviewers and finding out important information about each other's toy preferences.
  • Invite students to turn to their shoulder partner and share something they learned about the classmate they interviewed.
  • Using a total participation technique, encourage students to refer to their note-catchers and invite responses from the group:

"What is something you learned about the toy your classmate prefers?"

"How does the classmate you interviewed like to play with the toy he or she prefers?"

  • If productive, cue students to expand the conversation by giving an example:

"Can you give an example?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Explain to students that they have become excellent interviewers through their practice. Tell them that in the next lesson, they will interview another classmate to find out about his or her toy preferences and use this information to report back to the principal and other classroom visitors.
  • For ELLs: As students share with their partners, offer mastery-oriented feedback by giving interview skills that they are demonstrating. (MME)

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