ELA G1:S1:C1:L4

Setting Purpose: Communicating Our Own Message (Writing)

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Daily Learning Targets

Opening A: I can read with expression/rhythm and rhyme (choral reading for fluency). (RF.K.4a, RF.1.4a)
Opening B: I can share my ideas with others. Using evidence from the letter, I can add my understanding of the author and her purpose.
Work Time A: I can work with the teacher to write a message. (L.K.2c, L.K.2d)

I can write a letter or letters for most consonant and short vowel sounds I hear.
I can use what I know about letters and their sounds to spell simple words.

Ongoing Assessment

Observe students during Work Time B. Determine whether they can write letters for sounds they hear and able to spell simple words.

Agenda

Agenda
1. Opening (5-7 minutes) A. Reviewing Rhythm and Beats: "Open a Book, Unlock a Door" B. Sharing Ideas: Where I Would Like a Book to Take Me 2. Work Time (10 minutes) A. Read-aloud: Mystery Letter #4 B. Shared Writing: Writing Our Own Message 3. Closing and Assessment (3 minutes) A. Reflecting on Learning: How Does a Person Figure Out How to Write Words? 4. Differentiated Small Group Instruction and Rotations (40 minutes)

1. Opening (5-7 minutes)

A. Reviewing Rhythm and Beats: "Open a Book, Unlock a Door"

B. Sharing Ideas: Where I Would Like a Book to Take Me

2. Work Time (10 minutes)

A. Read-aloud: Mystery Letter #4

B. Shared Writing: Writing Our Own Message

3. Closing and Assessment (3 minutes)

A. Reflecting on Learning: How Does a Person Figure Out How to Write Words?

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

In Advance

Prepare:

Poem: "Open a Book, Unlock a Door," displayed on chart paper or projected onto a whiteboard (optional)
Independent writing work from Lesson 2 in this cycle ("Where I would like a book to take me")
Large chart paper for Work Time B (shared writing)
Materials for Independent Work Rotations (paper, pencils, crayons, or other coloring materials; blank paper; books for independent reading), and Sorting Words and Word Card Templates (see supporting Materials)

Pre-determine the focus of the written message that will be produced during Work Time B. Suggestions for the content:

A favorite class book and why

What students are learning about in first grade

Vocabulary

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

segment (L)
blotting, damp, simmers (T)

Materials

Poem: "Open a Book, Unlock a Door," displayed on chart paper or projected onto a whiteboard (optional)
Independent writing work from Lesson 2 in this cycle ("Where I would like a book to take me")
Mystery Letter #4
Large chart paper
Whiteboards (optional; one per student)
Whiteboard markers (optional; one per student)
Whiteboard erasers (or tissues, socks, etc.) (optional; one per student)
Letter Formation chart
Articulatory Gestures chart (from Lesson 1)
Sorting Words and Word Card Templates for independent work time (see supporting Materials)

Opening

Opening	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Reviewing Rhythm and Beat: "Open a Book, Unlock a Door" (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. Let's recite our poem and think about what we've learned. Sit down and come together, together right now." Teacher displays the poem "Open a Book, Unlock a Door" on chart paper or projected onto a whiteboard (optional). Teacher says: "Yesterday we had volunteers recite the poem while others acted it out. Today, let's do that together." 1. Teacher invites the group to recite the poem aloud with expression while standing in place and making movements that reflect their interpretation of the words/ideas in the poem.	Consider repeating the Opening from the previous lesson to continue having individual students recite the poem and act it out. If individual students were given feedback in Lesson 3 about how they recited the poem, considering reminding them of some of those key points before the group begins.
B. Sharing Ideas: Where I Would Like a Book to Take Me 1. Teacher asks: "How is opening a book like unlocking a door?" (go through doors to a different room, reading a book is like going into a different place/becoming someone else) "In this poem, what could the author be or where could she go in a book?" (live in a castle, be a frog, hop on a log) 2. Teacher says: "A few days ago, you drew pictures about where you would like a book to take you. Today we will share those with each other." 3. Teacher distributes independent writing work from Lesson 2 ("Where I would like a book to take me"). 4. Teacher gives directions: Students find a partner and take turns sharing. When students are done with the first partner, they find another and repeat the process. When students finish with the second partner, they sit back down to indicate they are finished. 5. Teacher models this with student volunteers.	If students do not have a picture/written piece to share from their Lesson 2 Independent Work Rotations, they can still share their ideas about where they would like a book to take them.

Meeting Students' Needs

A. Reviewing Rhythm and Beat: "Open a Book, Unlock a Door"

(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. Let's recite our poem and think about what we've learned. Sit down and come together, together right now."

Teacher displays the poem "Open a Book, Unlock a Door" on chart paper or projected onto a whiteboard (optional).
Teacher says: "Yesterday we had volunteers recite the poem while others acted it out. Today, let's do that together."

1. Teacher invites the group to recite the poem aloud with expression while standing in place and making movements that reflect their interpretation of the words/ideas in the poem.

Consider repeating the Opening from the previous lesson to continue having individual students recite the poem and act it out.
If individual students were given feedback in Lesson 3 about how they recited the poem, considering reminding them of some of those key points before the group begins.

B. Sharing Ideas: Where I Would Like a Book to Take Me

1. Teacher asks:

"How is opening a book like unlocking a door?" (go through doors to a different room, reading a book is like going into a different place/becoming someone else)

"In this poem, what could the author be or where could she go in a book?" (live in a castle, be a frog, hop on a log)

2. Teacher says: "A few days ago, you drew pictures about where you would like a book to take you. Today we will share those with each other."

3. Teacher distributes independent writing work from Lesson 2 ("Where I would like a book to take me").

4. Teacher gives directions:

Students find a partner and take turns sharing.
When students are done with the first partner, they find another and repeat the process.
When students finish with the second partner, they sit back down to indicate they are finished.

5. Teacher models this with student volunteers.

If students do not have a picture/written piece to share from their Lesson 2 Independent Work Rotations, they can still share their ideas about where they would like a book to take them.

Work Time

Work Time	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Read-aloud: Mystery Letter #4 (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "The More We Get Together"): "Now it's time to read a letter, a letter, a letter, now it's time to read a letter and see what it says." 1. Teacher displays Mystery Letter #4 with much curiosity and drama. 2. Teacher reads the letter aloud to the students. 3. Teacher says: "She wrote these words to us. She's not here, but she wrote these words down and I read them." 4. Teacher asks: "How does a person figure out how to write words?" "What did she tell us in this letter about how words changed her life in first grade?" (that she realized she could write words, too, that other people could read) "What else have we learned about the author/writer of this letter?" (text-based responses)	This letter provides an opportunity to build Vocabulary and descriptive language. Consider rereading the first paragraph of the letter to draw attention to and determine the meaning of the language. For example: "What does 'clouds blanket the sun, blotting out the warmth' mean?" (blankets are covering the sun so the light can't get through) "What does 'damp' mean?" (wet) "What does 'simmers' mean?" (heating, not quite boiling)
B. Shared Writing: Writing Our Own Message (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "The More We Get Together"): "Now let's all be writers, be writers, be writers. Now let's all be writers and write for our visitors to read." Teacher displays chart paper. Begin the Shared Writing instructional practice: 1. Teacher shares content of the message to be written by the group. For example: "We need to let visitors know what we're learning about in first grade. Let's write a sentence that we can put on our door that tells them." 2. Teacher asks: "What could our sentence say?" 3. Teacher and students agree on the sentence and recite it aloud two or three times to secure it. 4. Teacher writes the first word. 5. Teacher and students recite the entire sentence aloud. 6. Teacher asks: "What sound do we hear at the beginning of this word?" "What letter do we need to write to represent that sound?" 7. Teacher models the letter formation by standing with his or her back to students, looking over his or her shoulder, and writing the letter in the air, with his or her hand. 8. Teacher invites students to write the letter in the air too. 9. Teacher asks: "Who can come up and write that letter?" 10. Student volunteer writes the letter on the chart paper. 11. Teacher writes the letters for the middle sounds in the word. 12. Teacher pronounces the word and asks: "What sound do we hear at the end of the word?" "What letter do we need to write to represent that sound?" "Who can come up here and write that letter?" 13. Teacher and students read what has been written so far. 14. Teacher recites the entire sentence. 15. Teacher asks: "What is the next word we need to write?" "What do we need to do to show that a new word is going to start?" (leave a space) 16. Repeat steps 6-15 for the remaining words in the sentence.	Consider distributing whiteboards, markers, and erasers if students are ready for these Materials. They can use them to record the sound and letter connections being made on the chart paper. Use the Articulatory Gestures chart as needed to support students' ability to differentiate the sounds of letters. Use the Letter Formation chart as needed to reinforce appropriate letter formation. Consider deepening the analysis of words during this shared writing experience by asking students to identify the long and short vowel sounds in the words during step 11. Share with them the spelling that represents the sound in that word. As digraphs or vowel teams come up, consider making the connection to Mystery Letter #3, where the author revealed that "sometimes more than one letter is used to represent one sound."

Meeting Students' Needs

A. Read-aloud: Mystery Letter #4

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

"Now it's time to read a letter, a letter, a letter, now it's time to read a letter and see what it says."

1. Teacher displays Mystery Letter #4 with much curiosity and drama.

2. Teacher reads the letter aloud to the students.

3. Teacher says: "She wrote these words to us. She's not here, but she wrote these words down and I read them."

4. Teacher asks:

"How does a person figure out how to write words?"

"What did she tell us in this letter about how words changed her life in first grade?" (that she realized she could write words, too, that other people could read)

"What else have we learned about the author/writer of this letter?" (text-based responses)

This letter provides an opportunity to build Vocabulary and descriptive language. Consider rereading the first paragraph of the letter to draw attention to and determine the meaning of the language. For example:

"What does 'clouds blanket the sun, blotting out the warmth' mean?" (blankets are covering the sun so the light can't get through)

"What does 'damp' mean?" (wet)

"What does 'simmers' mean?" (heating, not quite boiling)

B. Shared Writing: Writing Our Own Message

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

"Now let's all be writers, be writers, be writers. Now let's all be writers and write for our visitors to read."

Teacher displays chart paper.
Begin the Shared Writing instructional practice:

1. Teacher shares content of the message to be written by the group. For example: "We need to let visitors know what we're learning about in first grade. Let's write a sentence that we can put on our door that tells them."

2. Teacher asks:

"What could our sentence say?"

3. Teacher and students agree on the sentence and recite it aloud two or three times to secure it.

4. Teacher writes the first word.

5. Teacher and students recite the entire sentence aloud.

6. Teacher asks:

"What sound do we hear at the beginning of this word?"

"What letter do we need to write to represent that sound?"

7. Teacher models the letter formation by standing with his or her back to students, looking over his or her shoulder, and writing the letter in the air, with his or her hand.

8. Teacher invites students to write the letter in the air too.

9. Teacher asks:

"Who can come up and write that letter?"

10. Student volunteer writes the letter on the chart paper.

11. Teacher writes the letters for the middle sounds in the word.

12. Teacher pronounces the word and asks:

"What sound do we hear at the end of the word?"

"What letter do we need to write to represent that sound?"

"Who can come up here and write that letter?"

13. Teacher and students read what has been written so far.

14. Teacher recites the entire sentence.

15. Teacher asks:

"What is the next word we need to write?"

"What do we need to do to show that a new word is going to start?" (leave a space)

16. Repeat steps 6-15 for the remaining words in the sentence.

Consider distributing whiteboards, markers, and erasers if students are ready for these Materials. They can use them to record the sound and letter connections being made on the chart paper.
Use the Articulatory Gestures chart as needed to support students' ability to differentiate the sounds of letters.
Use the Letter Formation chart as needed to reinforce appropriate letter formation.
Consider deepening the analysis of words during this shared writing experience by asking students to identify the long and short vowel sounds in the words during step 11. Share with them the spelling that represents the sound in that word.
As digraphs or vowel teams come up, consider making the connection to Mystery Letter #3, where the author revealed that "sometimes more than one letter is used to represent one sound."

Closing & Assessments

Closing	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Reflecting on Learning: How Does a Person Figure Out How to Write Words? Teacher asks: "How does a person figure out how to write words?" Teacher invites individual students to share their ideas. Teacher asks: "What are some things you do when you're figuring out how to write words?" Teacher invites individual students to share their ideas.	Consider recording students' responses on a chart to revisit as students acquire more decoding knowledge and skills.

Independent Work Rotations

Suggested Plan: This first cycle provides time for students to practice what it means to work independently. A brief introduction is made to Materials and expectations for work habits, and social interactions are established.

Note: Three suggestions for independent activities are given. Consider using any or all of these. For example, you may want to have all students working on the same activity, or you may want to have two or three activities happening simultaneously for a set time and then rotate students through.

Independent Reading:

Students spend time looking at their own individual book(s).

Word Work:

Students cut up the three-letter words (see supporting Materials) and sort them in three different ways:

Same beginning consonant
Same medial vowel
Same ending consonant

Or:

Suggested Activity Bank ideas:

An Activity Bank activity from the Phonological Manipulation (PM) category

Responding to Text:

Students write a message to someone of their choice. Example: Students may write to their mother telling her how much she means to them and thanking her for the many things she does for them.

EL Education Curriculum