Earth Day!

Teacher: Chelsey Hann
Subject: Science
Grade Level: Third Grade
Date: April 27, 2011
Time Frame: 1 class period, 35 minutes

I. Content: I want my students to be able to know the definition of "pollution", develop personal actions to solve pollution, and learn ways to practice reducing, reusing, and recycling.

Kansas State Standards: Third Grade - Standard 6: Science In Personal and Environmental Perspectives -Benchmark 2- Indicators 1, 2, and 3.

1. Anticipatory Set: Eco the Butterfly!

II. Prerequisites: Students must be able to give a vague description of what they think "recycling" is, and how they can help. They also have to be able to write a complete sentence with correct spelling and punctuation. 

III. Instructional Objective: Students will all be able to write one sentence describing how they personally can help stop pollution/start recycling.
            1. Purpose/Objective: The purpose of this lesson is to teach students the importance of taking care of the world they live in; that unless something is taken care of, it will wither and perish.

IV. Instructional Procedure: 

9:25-9:30: Watch Youtube clip of Eco the Butterfly, and find out what the students already know about pollution and recycling.

9:30-9:40: "Michael Recycle" by Ellie Bethel, and introduce extra credit spelling words: "pollution", "environment", "ecology", and "recycle" (the actual definitions of the words can be explained during spelling time).


Michael Recycle by Ellie Bethel



9:40-10:00: Writing one sentence on how the student personally can help save the earth, and coloring the "Love the World" picture.



Coloring Page



V. Materials and Equipment: "Michael Recycle" book, smartboard for youtube video, and colors, markers, and pencils for "Love the World" picture.

VI. Assessment/Evaluation: The spelling and punctuation will count for 5% of the total grade, otherwise, if there is a sentence describing how the student can help the earth by either stopping pollution or by reducing, reusing, or recycling - then they will get an A.

VII. Follow-up Activities: For homework, the students will take home a "Think Green" word search, and if the student tells their parents what recycling is and have the parent sign the word search, then the student will get 5 extra minutes at recess.We will  also color and label different boxes and set them up throughout the classroom, for paper, plastic, and aluminum cans, and students will be expected to use the correct boxes throughout the year.

The Word Search!

VIII. Self Assessment: I rock. I think the video is a strength, because there is a song involved and it's catchy. The only downfall of this lesson is the fact that Earth Day is towards the end of the school year, so students won't be setting up the recycling boxes until the end of the year. Maybe Earth Day should be celebrated at the beginning of the school year instead.

Dr. Seuss Week!

Teacher: Chelsey Hann
Subject: Writing
Grade Level: Third Grade
Date: April 13, 2011
Time Frame: I  week, 25 minute classes

I. Content: I want my students to be able to practice writing by composing a short poem based upon personal experience.

Kansas State Standard: Third Grade - Standard 1:Writing - Bench Mark 1 - Indicator 2:

"Practices writing by using (1) personal experience (2) observations (3) prior knowledge."

II. Prerequisites: Students must be able to identify rhyming words, and must be able to write a short story using proper punctuation and capitalization.
Anticipatory Set: Reggie the Rhyming Rhino (http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bll/reggie/index.htm)


III. Instructional Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the state standard listed above by writing a poem based upon a personal experience. The purpose of this week's lesson is to find and experience the fun of poetry. Poetry is a hard subject to find enjoyment in later in life if it is not properly introduced early on. My objective is to show the fun of writing a poem, to prepare them for later learning.

IV.  Instructional Procedures: The first five minutes of each class will be spent using the smartboard playiing "Reggie the Rhyming Rhino" each day - focusing the kids onto rhyming and poetry, and refreshing their minds on what they already know.

Monday: Intro to personal experiences
9:00-9:05 Reggie the Rhyming Rhino
9:05-9:10 Explaining the day's objective: writing a short story based upon a personal experience
9:10-9:12 Modeling my own short story:

Last summer my family and I went out to the lake, and while I was out there I became very sunburnt. I was so sunburned that it hurt to lay in bed! From now on, I will listen when my mom tells me to put on sunscreen.

9:12-9:25 Students will write their own short story.

Tuesday: Poetry Introduction
9:00-9:05 Reggie the Rhyming Rhino
9:05-9:20 "Boa Constrictor" by Shel Silverstein and "Daisy Head Mayzie" by Dr Seuss.
9:20-9:25 Smartboard - "Boa Constictor"- Circle the rhyming words as a class.

Wednesday: Personal experience poetry
9:00-9:05 Reggie the Rhyming Rhino
9:05-9:25 Modeling my poem, and guided practice, based upon fake personal experiences.

I went out in the sun,

and that sun ruined my fun.

Now it hurts to sit,

But I guess that's what I get!

(Remember: rhyming usually happens at the end of the line, but it definitely doesn't have to. Make the poem your own.)

Thursday & Friday:
9:00-9:05 Reggie the Rhyming Rhino
9:05-9:25 Working on their own poems.


V. Materials & Equipment: Smartboard: used for Reggie the Rhyming Rhino as well as the worksheet over "Boa Constrictor" and the guided practice. "Daisy  Head Mayzie" by Dr Seuss. "Boa Constrictor" by Shel Silverstein. Construction paper: to glue the poems to after they're finished.

VI. Assessment: Every misspelled word will be counted off, name on the paper, punctuation on both the story and the poem, and at least one pair of rhyming words.

Story: 50 Points

Personal Experience: 25 Points

Spelling: 10 Points

Punctuation: 10 Points

Name: 5 Points

Poem: 50 Points

Personal Experience: 15 Points

1 Pair of Rhyming Words: 20 Points

Spelling/Punctuation: 10 Points

Name: 5 Points

VII. Follow-Up Activities: Decorating the poems, gluing them to construction paper, and hanging them up outside the classroom.

VIII. Self Assessment: I think this is a fantastic week of writing class, if I do say so myself. Maybe it should have been a Haiku instead though. Writing a poem based off a story is actually a little harder than I thought.

The smartboard worksheet!

My story & poem!