Recommendation for Melissa Sandquist from Dr Jeanne Danneker
Melissa Sandquist
507-457-5366
Dr Jeanne Danneker
10/27/2008 8:45:27 AM
JeDanneker@winona.edu
Winona State University
I have been Melissa’s advisor for the past year and a half. I have had Melissa in class; I supervised her
Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) student teaching practicum at Onalaska High School, and in my role
as faculty advisor, I have worked with her as an officer (treasurer) of the Student Council for Exceptional
Children (SCEC) at Winona State University.
During the practicum experience that I supervised, I observed Melissa on five different occasions.
Following each observation I met with Melissa and her cooperating teacher, Mr. Mike Brown. Melissa
also submitted weekly journal reflections regarding her practicum experience. She demonstrated
positive, respectful, and clear communication skills in every setting. When Melissa is meeting with the
executive board of the SCEC or sharing information with SCEC members at a monthly meeting she is
respectful and positive as she delivers information.
In her SLD practicum I observed Melissa teaching a variety of English/Language Arts lessons to groups
of up to eight students in the special education resource room. She designed lessons that met Wisconsin
state standards and geared the instruction to meet the needs of students with a variety of learning
strengths, styles, and challenges. She made sure that each student understood the concepts. She asked
guiding questions to make them think beyond literal levels of comprehension so they would be more
likely to generalize the information. She used examples that were meaningful to her students. Melissa’s
lessons were well thought out and materials were well organized. She was able to vary lesson activities
and change the pace according to students’ needs. Melissa also provided instruction to students for
math, science, and other subjects during study hall-type classes.
Participant:
Recommender:
Affiliation:
E-Mail:
Telephone:
Submitted:
P.O. Box 5838
Winona State University
Winona MN, 55987
USA
Describe your experience with this candidate that is the basis on which you complete this
recommendation.
Address:
Provide information on the candidate’s ability to effectively communicate with students and
colleagues in a school setting.
Provide information on the candidate's ability to prepare plans and effectively teach lessons in a
school setting.
Comment on the candidate’s personal and professional qualities as a prospective teacher.
Report Generated: 11/25/2008 12:54:25 PM
Page 2 of 2
Recommendation for Melissa Sandquist from Dr Jeanne Danneker
Melissa is enthusiastic and passionate about teaching. She is well organized, reliable, and positive as
she carries out her duties as secretary for our SCEC organization. She has a good sense of humor and
high standards when it comes to professionalism.
Melissa seeks feedback and takes action to improve her work in her leadership position for the SCEC.
She was insightful in her journal reflections during her SLD student teaching practicum. She listened to
suggestions from her university and classroom supervisors and willingly made changes as needed.
Melissa is knowledgeable about students with disabilities and wants to include them in the general
education setting as much as possible. She is aware of many ways to differentiate instruction. She would
benefit from a setting in which she could practice those strategies and techniques.
Yes, as mentioned above.
Melissa would benefit from working with a cooperating teacher who is willing to let her get right to work
with students, planning and providing instruction. After a brief observation period I believe she is ready to
work her way up to taking on full responsibility for providing instruction and managing the elementary
classroom. Melissa appreciates and accepts guidance and feedback and she is ready to collaborate
with her cooperating teacher to take this final step in her preparation to become a teacher.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
INTASC Standard 9: Reflection and Professional Development
Standard 9--Reflection and Professional Development--The tacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning communities) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.
I2. Methods of inquiry for self
I4. Research on teaching
I6. Values thinking and self-evaluation
I9. Uses peofessional literature and colleagues
ACTIVE Annotations #213 Melissa Sandquist
Paul Neufeld
“Comprehension Instruction in Content Area Classes”
Activate, Compare, Talk Back, Image, Vocabulary, Employment, Other
Code --p. #
T --302
The article states that comprehension instruction does not occur in
many classrooms. What can we do as future teachers, to make sure
that our teaching involves comprehension instruction?
A --302
The title of the section is “What does it mean to comprehend a text?”
From my prior knowledge a student comprehends a text when he/she
is able to decode the particular word. Comprehending text also
means actually understanding what the word or phrase tells us.
C --303
The article states that expert readers use a variety of consciously
controlled strategies. I have been in a classroom observing students
who have been taught different reading strategies. By observing these students I could tell that the students used the strategies and that the strategies actually helped the students comprehend the material. This proves to me that teaching strategies is very important.
E --303
The article states that students benefit from instruction that explicitly
teaches them a few research-supported strategies. This is useful
information because it lets me know what I need to do as a teacher to
help my students be successful.
O --304
The article states that teachers should help students develop the
ability to ask and answer questions of themselves and the text. This is important for teachers to know. We, as teachers, can teach our
students different strategies to develop their questioning skills. When students are able to use those skills, they are likely to become better readers.
I --304
Getting-Ready-to-Read Strategies
Clarifying a purpose for reading:
Over viewing the text:
Activating prior knowledge relevant to the text:
Making Predictions about the text:
V --305
Text structure is the way the information in the text is organized.
E --305
The article states that helping students identify the organizational
structure of a text facilitates the comprehension process. I can use this information for the future by making sure that I am teaching my
students different text structures. This will help my students to
understand different types of text structure and how to comprehend
the different types of information.
V --306
Oral summaries are when a reader pauses momentarily after reading
a section of text, which enables him/her to check his/her
understanding by stating the main points of what was just read.
E --307
The article states that teaching students how to monitor their
understanding of a text is not the only thing we should be teaching
them. This fact will help me in the future, because it lets me know
what I need to be teaching my students. It is important because it also
lets me know that there is more that just teaching students how to
monitor their understanding of a text.
T --308
The article gives us what an expert reader does when a breakdown in comprehension occurs, but what happens when a poor reader has a breakdown in comprehension? Or, is a poor reader never
comprehending the text?
O --308
The article tells us, as teachers, that we need to take an active role in
teaching comprehension strategies. I think this is a very important fact
for teachers, because it lets us know that we can not just simply tell
the students the strategy and give them a couple of examples. We
need take the necessary steps in teaching the strategy to know that
the students understand it and how to use it.
A --309
This section is about modeling and it pertains to modeling a reading comprehension strategy. From what I know, modeling is when the
teacher actually demonstrates how to use the strategy. During the
modeling stage the teacher will present examples and allow time for
any questions the students may have.
C --309
The article states that teachers should discuss both the student’s
correct and incorrect responses during the independent practice stage.
In the classrooms I have been in, I have not witnessed teachers
discussing both the correct and incorrect responses. I think in doing
so, students would be able to see where they are making their
mistakes and learn new strategies to help in fixing them.
T --310
The article states that students need many opportunities to discuss the
texts they are reading. Should these opportunities only be discussions
or are there others that will also be helpful?
E --310-311
The article gives the reader five different hints for planning and
carrying out comprehension instruction. These five hints will be helpful
for my future as a teacher and for the future of my students. Taking
the hints and using them in my career will help me with comprehension
instruction, which will ultimately be the best for my students because
they will be more successful.
I2. Methods of inquiry for self
I4. Research on teaching
I6. Values thinking and self-evaluation
I9. Uses peofessional literature and colleagues
ACTIVE Annotations #213 Melissa Sandquist
Paul Neufeld
“Comprehension Instruction in Content Area Classes”
Activate, Compare, Talk Back, Image, Vocabulary, Employment, Other
Code --p. #
T --302
The article states that comprehension instruction does not occur in
many classrooms. What can we do as future teachers, to make sure
that our teaching involves comprehension instruction?
A --302
The title of the section is “What does it mean to comprehend a text?”
From my prior knowledge a student comprehends a text when he/she
is able to decode the particular word. Comprehending text also
means actually understanding what the word or phrase tells us.
C --303
The article states that expert readers use a variety of consciously
controlled strategies. I have been in a classroom observing students
who have been taught different reading strategies. By observing these students I could tell that the students used the strategies and that the strategies actually helped the students comprehend the material. This proves to me that teaching strategies is very important.
E --303
The article states that students benefit from instruction that explicitly
teaches them a few research-supported strategies. This is useful
information because it lets me know what I need to do as a teacher to
help my students be successful.
O --304
The article states that teachers should help students develop the
ability to ask and answer questions of themselves and the text. This is important for teachers to know. We, as teachers, can teach our
students different strategies to develop their questioning skills. When students are able to use those skills, they are likely to become better readers.
I --304
Getting-Ready-to-Read Strategies
Clarifying a purpose for reading:
Over viewing the text:
Activating prior knowledge relevant to the text:
Making Predictions about the text:
V --305
Text structure is the way the information in the text is organized.
E --305
The article states that helping students identify the organizational
structure of a text facilitates the comprehension process. I can use this information for the future by making sure that I am teaching my
students different text structures. This will help my students to
understand different types of text structure and how to comprehend
the different types of information.
V --306
Oral summaries are when a reader pauses momentarily after reading
a section of text, which enables him/her to check his/her
understanding by stating the main points of what was just read.
E --307
The article states that teaching students how to monitor their
understanding of a text is not the only thing we should be teaching
them. This fact will help me in the future, because it lets me know
what I need to be teaching my students. It is important because it also
lets me know that there is more that just teaching students how to
monitor their understanding of a text.
T --308
The article gives us what an expert reader does when a breakdown in comprehension occurs, but what happens when a poor reader has a breakdown in comprehension? Or, is a poor reader never
comprehending the text?
O --308
The article tells us, as teachers, that we need to take an active role in
teaching comprehension strategies. I think this is a very important fact
for teachers, because it lets us know that we can not just simply tell
the students the strategy and give them a couple of examples. We
need take the necessary steps in teaching the strategy to know that
the students understand it and how to use it.
A --309
This section is about modeling and it pertains to modeling a reading comprehension strategy. From what I know, modeling is when the
teacher actually demonstrates how to use the strategy. During the
modeling stage the teacher will present examples and allow time for
any questions the students may have.
C --309
The article states that teachers should discuss both the student’s
correct and incorrect responses during the independent practice stage.
In the classrooms I have been in, I have not witnessed teachers
discussing both the correct and incorrect responses. I think in doing
so, students would be able to see where they are making their
mistakes and learn new strategies to help in fixing them.
T --310
The article states that students need many opportunities to discuss the
texts they are reading. Should these opportunities only be discussions
or are there others that will also be helpful?
E --310-311
The article gives the reader five different hints for planning and
carrying out comprehension instruction. These five hints will be helpful
for my future as a teacher and for the future of my students. Taking
the hints and using them in my career will help me with comprehension
instruction, which will ultimately be the best for my students because
they will be more successful.
INTASC Standard 7: Planning Instruction
Standard 7--Planning Instruction: The teacher plans and manages instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, and the community and curriculum goals.
G1. Learning theory and subject
G3. Adjust plan to fit child
G4. Uses long and short term plans
G7. Creates learning to the curriculum
I created a blog and posted lesson plans and primary documents for the lesson plans.
The address is http://ed333msandquist.blogspot.com/
G1. Learning theory and subject
G3. Adjust plan to fit child
G4. Uses long and short term plans
G7. Creates learning to the curriculum
I created a blog and posted lesson plans and primary documents for the lesson plans.
The address is http://ed333msandquist.blogspot.com/
INTASC Standard 5: Learning Environment
Standard 5: Learning Environment-- The teacher uses and understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning and self-motivation.
E1. Motivates students
E3. Create learning environments to promote self-esteem
E5. Effective classroom management
E7. Participation adds to learning
E10. Values lifelong learning
E16. Shares values and expectations
Health Lesson Plan for 4th Grade: Healthy Foods for Your Teeth
Lesson Goal:
- The students will learn which foods are healthy for their teeth and which ones are not.
Behavioral Objective:
- After a discussion on healthy foods for teeth, the students will identify which foods are good for their teeth or not on a “Healthy Foods” worksheet.
- After a discussion on healthy and not healthy foods, the students will create a collage of 10- 15 pictures healthy foods and a collage of 10-15 pictures of not healthy foods.
- After creating a collage on healthy and not healthy foods, the students will write one paragraph identifying the healthy foods and one paragraph identifying the non-healthy foods on their collage.
Time:
- 30 minutes
Integration:
- Written Language
- Art
- Communication Skills
Materials:
- Pencils
- Blank white paper
- Notebooks
- Scissors
- Glue
- 20-30 Magazines
- 25 “Fantastic Flosser’s Healthy Eating for Healthy Teeth” worksheets
Vocabulary:
- Hygiene: taking care of yourself, being clean
- Cavities: a decayed area in the tooth
- Enamel: a hard white substance covering the crown of the tooth.
Procedure:
Review with the students how to correctly brush and floss their teeth. (3 minutes)
How often should they brush their teeth?
Why is it important to brush and floss their teeth?
Is one more important than the other?
Ask the students if they know what dental hygiene means? (30 seconds)
Taking care of ones mouth/teeth area
Why might it be important? (30 seconds)
To keep your mouth clean
To know how to correctly clean your mouth.
Ask the students what else is important when it comes to taking care of your teeth. (30 seconds)
Brushing, flossing, rinsing
Going to the dentist
Eating healthy foods
Explain to the students we will be discussing healthy and not healthy foods for your teeth. (30 seconds)
Ask the students to make a list of good and bad foods on a piece of paper. (2 minutes)
Discuss what the students wrote down. (2 minutes)
Ask the students why certain foods are bad for teeth.
Tell the students to look at the different foods and categorize them into different food groups and see which foods are the best and not.
Explain that sugar gets into the enamel and cause cavities. (30 seconds)
Remind students of the apple experiment and how the pencil (sugar) caused the apple (tooth) to rot because it was not taken care of.
Hand out “Fantastic Flosser’s Healthy Eating for Healthy Teeth”. Explain the directions to the students. (30 seconds)
In one column they must write the names of the foods that are safe from your teeth. In the other column write the names of the foods that harm your teeth.
Give students time to work on the worksheet. (5 minutes)
Walk around and observe while they are working.
Discuss the answers when the students are done. (2 minutes)
Ask them if any of those foods were on their list they made before.
Do they eat any of those foods on a regular basis?
Tell the students before they move into the next activity, they will be having a guest speaker tomorrow and they all need to come up with one question. Have the students write one question on a piece of paper to give to the dental hygienist. (2 minutes)
Explain the collage activity the students will be doing. (3 minutes)
They will be making a collage of good things for your teeth and also a collage of what is bad for your teeth.
The students will have 10-15 healthy foods and 10-15 non-healthy foods on each of their collages.
The students will all hang their collages up around the classroom when they are finished.
The students will be required to write one paragraph about each of their collages they created. This can be written in their notebook and collected the next day.
The students can pick up materials needed for their collages.
Pick up questions for the dental hygienist from the students.
The students will work on their collages and written paragraphs until the end of class. (10 minutes)
Tell the students to write down what they eat for the rest of the day. Tell them it will be discussed and handed in the next day. (30 seconds)
If the students finish their work, they may present it to the class.
Assessment:
- The students will fill out a “Fantastic Flosser’s Healthy Eating for Healthy Teeth” worksheet with 95% accuracy.
- The students will create a collage of 10-15 pictures of healthy foods for your teeth and create a collage of 10-15 pictures of non-healthy foods for your teeth.
- The students will write one paragraph explaining the healthy foods they put on their collage.
- The students will write one paragraph explaining the non-healthy foods they put on their collages.
Home/Family Involvement and Extension:
- The students can share their collage with their families and discuss what foods they should be eating.
- The students will write down what they eat for the rest of the day and share it with the class the next day.
Resources:
P&G Crest & Oral-B Healthy Smiles Program. (2007). The Dental Defenders. Retrieved on May 20, 2008 from http://phschoolprograms.com/images/oralcare/oralpropdfs/EDPGM-3978-3EducatorsGuide2007FA.pdf. Page 10.
Health Education Standard:
- Students will comprehend health promotion and disease prevention concept.
- Students will practice health behaviors to decrease risks.
Performance Indicators:
- Students will identify foods that are good and bad for the health of their teeth.
- Students will identify foods they eat and evaluate if they are healthy for their teeth or not.
E1. Motivates students
E3. Create learning environments to promote self-esteem
E5. Effective classroom management
E7. Participation adds to learning
E10. Values lifelong learning
E16. Shares values and expectations
Health Lesson Plan for 4th Grade: Healthy Foods for Your Teeth
Lesson Goal:
- The students will learn which foods are healthy for their teeth and which ones are not.
Behavioral Objective:
- After a discussion on healthy foods for teeth, the students will identify which foods are good for their teeth or not on a “Healthy Foods” worksheet.
- After a discussion on healthy and not healthy foods, the students will create a collage of 10- 15 pictures healthy foods and a collage of 10-15 pictures of not healthy foods.
- After creating a collage on healthy and not healthy foods, the students will write one paragraph identifying the healthy foods and one paragraph identifying the non-healthy foods on their collage.
Time:
- 30 minutes
Integration:
- Written Language
- Art
- Communication Skills
Materials:
- Pencils
- Blank white paper
- Notebooks
- Scissors
- Glue
- 20-30 Magazines
- 25 “Fantastic Flosser’s Healthy Eating for Healthy Teeth” worksheets
Vocabulary:
- Hygiene: taking care of yourself, being clean
- Cavities: a decayed area in the tooth
- Enamel: a hard white substance covering the crown of the tooth.
Procedure:
Review with the students how to correctly brush and floss their teeth. (3 minutes)
How often should they brush their teeth?
Why is it important to brush and floss their teeth?
Is one more important than the other?
Ask the students if they know what dental hygiene means? (30 seconds)
Taking care of ones mouth/teeth area
Why might it be important? (30 seconds)
To keep your mouth clean
To know how to correctly clean your mouth.
Ask the students what else is important when it comes to taking care of your teeth. (30 seconds)
Brushing, flossing, rinsing
Going to the dentist
Eating healthy foods
Explain to the students we will be discussing healthy and not healthy foods for your teeth. (30 seconds)
Ask the students to make a list of good and bad foods on a piece of paper. (2 minutes)
Discuss what the students wrote down. (2 minutes)
Ask the students why certain foods are bad for teeth.
Tell the students to look at the different foods and categorize them into different food groups and see which foods are the best and not.
Explain that sugar gets into the enamel and cause cavities. (30 seconds)
Remind students of the apple experiment and how the pencil (sugar) caused the apple (tooth) to rot because it was not taken care of.
Hand out “Fantastic Flosser’s Healthy Eating for Healthy Teeth”. Explain the directions to the students. (30 seconds)
In one column they must write the names of the foods that are safe from your teeth. In the other column write the names of the foods that harm your teeth.
Give students time to work on the worksheet. (5 minutes)
Walk around and observe while they are working.
Discuss the answers when the students are done. (2 minutes)
Ask them if any of those foods were on their list they made before.
Do they eat any of those foods on a regular basis?
Tell the students before they move into the next activity, they will be having a guest speaker tomorrow and they all need to come up with one question. Have the students write one question on a piece of paper to give to the dental hygienist. (2 minutes)
Explain the collage activity the students will be doing. (3 minutes)
They will be making a collage of good things for your teeth and also a collage of what is bad for your teeth.
The students will have 10-15 healthy foods and 10-15 non-healthy foods on each of their collages.
The students will all hang their collages up around the classroom when they are finished.
The students will be required to write one paragraph about each of their collages they created. This can be written in their notebook and collected the next day.
The students can pick up materials needed for their collages.
Pick up questions for the dental hygienist from the students.
The students will work on their collages and written paragraphs until the end of class. (10 minutes)
Tell the students to write down what they eat for the rest of the day. Tell them it will be discussed and handed in the next day. (30 seconds)
If the students finish their work, they may present it to the class.
Assessment:
- The students will fill out a “Fantastic Flosser’s Healthy Eating for Healthy Teeth” worksheet with 95% accuracy.
- The students will create a collage of 10-15 pictures of healthy foods for your teeth and create a collage of 10-15 pictures of non-healthy foods for your teeth.
- The students will write one paragraph explaining the healthy foods they put on their collage.
- The students will write one paragraph explaining the non-healthy foods they put on their collages.
Home/Family Involvement and Extension:
- The students can share their collage with their families and discuss what foods they should be eating.
- The students will write down what they eat for the rest of the day and share it with the class the next day.
Resources:
P&G Crest & Oral-B Healthy Smiles Program. (2007). The Dental Defenders. Retrieved on May 20, 2008 from http://phschoolprograms.com/images/oralcare/oralpropdfs/EDPGM-3978-3EducatorsGuide2007FA.pdf. Page 10.
Health Education Standard:
- Students will comprehend health promotion and disease prevention concept.
- Students will practice health behaviors to decrease risks.
Performance Indicators:
- Students will identify foods that are good and bad for the health of their teeth.
- Students will identify foods they eat and evaluate if they are healthy for their teeth or not.
Monday, November 24, 2008
INTASC Standard 3: Diverse Learners
Standard 3-- Diverse Learners: The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to learners from diverse cultural backgrounds and with exceptionalities.
C1. Different learning approaches
C2. Areas of exceptionalities
C5. Learn by experience
C12. Teaching styles to learner
Special Education: Learning Disabilites--Adjectives and Adverbs
Objective:
- The student will be able to define what an adverb is and give at least 4 examples.
Materials:
- Marshmallows
- Pencils
- Paper
- Other types of candy
- Paper bags
- Action Photos
- Adverb Worksheets
Procedure:
Introduce adjectives and adverbs.
Ask the students if they know what an adjective is?
Adjective: describes the noun (person, place, or thing)
Write ‘descriptive’ on the board.
Tell the students we will be doing an activity to make adjectives seem simple.
Start handing out marshmallows. Explain to the students not to eat the mallows yet.
Tell the students that we are going to write down words that describe how the marshmallow feels, looks, and smells.
Soft, white, squishy, smooth
Tell the students to now eat the marshmallow.
Ask them to tell you words that describe the way it tastes or feels in your mouth.
Sugary, pleasant, delicate, crunching
Tell the students the list of words we created is all different adjectives describing a marshmallow.
Tell the students that each one of them is now going to get another piece of food, but not to eat it.
Explain to the students that each one of them has a different item. They will need to look at and eat their object. Then they will need to write 7-10 different words describing what the item looked like and how it tasted.
Explain to the students to not share with the other students what their item is. When everyone is finished each person will share their words them came up with. Then the rest of the students can guess what the food was. If they get it right, everyone gets that item.
Tell the students they may now look at and eat their item. Remind them to stay focused on theirs and not look around.
Explain to the students they can take a bite and then write and so on.
When the students are done, have each student tell what their words are.
Write them on the board or overhead, so they are visible.
Ask the students what they think the item is. If they get it right, pass out the items.
Hand-out worksheets. Explain the worksheet to the students. Do the first couple together.
Tell the students the due date.
Explain to the students we just talked about adjectives, which are words that describe nouns. Ask them what they might think adverbs are.
Adverb: a word that describes the verb
Explain to the students the common characteristics of adverbs
When, where, and how of the verbs
“I went to school today.” –verb: went when did you go?... today
–ly words, usually tell how often
Found right next to the verb
Hold up an action photo. Ask the students what is taking place in the picture.
Write down their answers.
Riding horses, playing polo
Explain to the students that we don’t really know how these actions are happening, but we can assume what we want.
Ask if they think the people are riding fast or slow?
If?
If?
Write a sentence as a class. The horses are running quickly. Explain the different parts of the words.
Explain to the students that they will be now doing this on their own. Show the students the other pictures.
Tell the students that they need to come up with a list of 7 adverbs. Then they will need to pick 5 of those and write sentences. Tell the students that they sentences do not have to have the same story to them.
If you are saying that one thing is going fast, you could also say it is going slowly.
Give the students time to work on the assignment.
Handout worksheet.
Explain it to the students.
Tell them it will give them more practice with adverbs.
Tell the students the due date.
Assessment:
- The student will complete a worksheet about adjectives.
**This lesson was developed based on the RIT scores of the students in the classroom.**
C1. Different learning approaches
C2. Areas of exceptionalities
C5. Learn by experience
C12. Teaching styles to learner
Special Education: Learning Disabilites--Adjectives and Adverbs
Objective:
- The student will be able to define what an adverb is and give at least 4 examples.
Materials:
- Marshmallows
- Pencils
- Paper
- Other types of candy
- Paper bags
- Action Photos
- Adverb Worksheets
Procedure:
Introduce adjectives and adverbs.
Ask the students if they know what an adjective is?
Adjective: describes the noun (person, place, or thing)
Write ‘descriptive’ on the board.
Tell the students we will be doing an activity to make adjectives seem simple.
Start handing out marshmallows. Explain to the students not to eat the mallows yet.
Tell the students that we are going to write down words that describe how the marshmallow feels, looks, and smells.
Soft, white, squishy, smooth
Tell the students to now eat the marshmallow.
Ask them to tell you words that describe the way it tastes or feels in your mouth.
Sugary, pleasant, delicate, crunching
Tell the students the list of words we created is all different adjectives describing a marshmallow.
Tell the students that each one of them is now going to get another piece of food, but not to eat it.
Explain to the students that each one of them has a different item. They will need to look at and eat their object. Then they will need to write 7-10 different words describing what the item looked like and how it tasted.
Explain to the students to not share with the other students what their item is. When everyone is finished each person will share their words them came up with. Then the rest of the students can guess what the food was. If they get it right, everyone gets that item.
Tell the students they may now look at and eat their item. Remind them to stay focused on theirs and not look around.
Explain to the students they can take a bite and then write and so on.
When the students are done, have each student tell what their words are.
Write them on the board or overhead, so they are visible.
Ask the students what they think the item is. If they get it right, pass out the items.
Hand-out worksheets. Explain the worksheet to the students. Do the first couple together.
Tell the students the due date.
Explain to the students we just talked about adjectives, which are words that describe nouns. Ask them what they might think adverbs are.
Adverb: a word that describes the verb
Explain to the students the common characteristics of adverbs
When, where, and how of the verbs
“I went to school today.” –verb: went when did you go?... today
–ly words, usually tell how often
Found right next to the verb
Hold up an action photo. Ask the students what is taking place in the picture.
Write down their answers.
Riding horses, playing polo
Explain to the students that we don’t really know how these actions are happening, but we can assume what we want.
Ask if they think the people are riding fast or slow?
If?
If?
Write a sentence as a class. The horses are running quickly. Explain the different parts of the words.
Explain to the students that they will be now doing this on their own. Show the students the other pictures.
Tell the students that they need to come up with a list of 7 adverbs. Then they will need to pick 5 of those and write sentences. Tell the students that they sentences do not have to have the same story to them.
If you are saying that one thing is going fast, you could also say it is going slowly.
Give the students time to work on the assignment.
Handout worksheet.
Explain it to the students.
Tell them it will give them more practice with adverbs.
Tell the students the due date.
Assessment:
- The student will complete a worksheet about adjectives.
**This lesson was developed based on the RIT scores of the students in the classroom.**
INTASC Standard 1: Subject Matter
Standard 1-- Subject Matter: The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for the students.
A1. Understands major concepts
A2. Knoweldge influences learning
A9. Promotes questioning
A10. Creates interdisciplinary learning
Mathematics Lesson Plan--Geometry 3rd Grade
Objective:
The student will [be able to] identify, describe, and classify 2-dimensional shapes.
Materials:
The Village of the Round and Square Houses by Ann Grifalconi
Notebooks
Pencils
Overhead
Blank overhead sheets
Overhead markers
Spray bottle (water)
Paper towels
Standard:
GRADE 3
B. Geometry
Classify shapes by specified attributes. Identify simple shapes within complex shapes.
1. Identify, describe and classify two-dimensional shapes according to number and length of sides and kinds of angles.
2. Identify common two- and three-dimensional shapes that are components of more complex shapes.
Motivation/Anticipatory Set:
“Good afternoon students. We are going to start today by reading a book. The book is called, The Village of the Round and Square Houses. Will you all gather over here in the reading corner?” The teacher will give students time to walk from their desks to the reading corner. The teacher will wait until the students are all sitting down before she starts the lesson. “Can any one tell me what they think this book might be about?” The teacher will give time to students to think and then call on a couple students to share their ideas. “Good ideas boys and girls. The Village of the Round and Square Houses, is an African folktale in which a grandmother is telling her granddaughter a story about their family history. Now when I am reading to you, I need to pay close attention to the story and the pictures on the pages. We will be talking about the story and the different pictures when we are finished reading the book.”
Procedure:
The teacher will read the book to the students. (It will take about 10 minutes to read the story) “Everyone can return to their seat and take out their notebooks and a pencil.” The teacher will give the students time to return to their original seats. The teacher will stand in the front of the room, next to the overhead. “Okay class, can anyone tell me what shapes they saw throughout the book?” The teacher will give wait time and call on a student. “Yes, there were many shapes during the story, including squares, circles, and rectangles. Does anyone know what shape of house the men in the story lived in?” The teacher will give wait time. “Very good, the men lived in square houses. Can every one please draw a square on a clean sheet of paper in your notebook? Underneath your picture, please write the word square.” The teacher will give wait time and draw a square on the overhead, so the students have a visual. The teacher will also write the word square underneath the drawn square. “How do we know that this shape is a square? Please raise your hand if you can tell me.” The teacher will give the students time to think about the question. The teacher will then call on a couple students to share their ideas. “Yes, a square does have four sides to it. Raise your hand if you can tell me if a square always have four sides?” The teacher will give wait time and then call on a student to answer the question. “Correct, a square does always have four sides. Is there anything special about those four sides?” The teacher will give wait time. “Yes, the sides are all equal length.”
“Now does anyone know what shape of house the women in the story lived in?” The teacher will give wait time. “Very good, the women in the story did live in circle houses. Can everyone please draw a circle and write the word circle underneath the drawn shape. Please do this on the same sheet of paper as the square.” The teacher will give wait time. The teacher will draw a circle on the overhead sheet next to the square. The teacher will write the word circle underneath the drawn circle. “Boys and girls, how do we know that this shape is a circle? Please raise your hand if you know.” The teacher will give wait time and then call on a couple students to share their answer. “A circle does not have any corners or sides. A circle is connected from one point to another and does not break.” The teacher will draw a circle with a break in it. “Would this shape be considered a circle?” The teacher will give wait time.
“Boys and girls, can anyone name a shape they know that has three sides?” The teacher will give wait time and then call on a student. “Correct, a triangle does have three sides to it. Can everyone draw a triangle on your paper and write the word triangle underneath it?” The teacher will draw a triangle on the overhead sheet and write the word triangle underneath. Once the students are finished with their triangles the teacher will draw a different triangle next to the original. “Students, are both of these shapes triangles?” The teacher will give wait time. “Yes, even though they are not exactly the same, they are both triangles. Raise your hand if you can tell me why they are both triangles?” The teacher will give wait time and call on a student for an answer. “Correct, they are both triangles because they both have three sides.”
“We discussed that a square has four sides, but does anyone know any other shape that has four sides?” The teacher will give the students wait time and then call on a student. “Very good, a rectangle does have four sides. Can everyone draw a rectangle on their paper and write the word rectangle underneath it?” The teacher will give wait time. The teacher will draw a rectangle on the overhead and write the word underneath the shape.
“Raise your hand if you can name one shape we talked about today.” The teacher will give wait time and call on four different students to each give a shape. “Squares, circles, triangles and rectangles are shapes that can be found in every day life. Can anyone think of an object that is one of those shapes?” The teacher will give wait time. “Yes, a clock is a circle. Can anyone else think of a different object?” The teacher will give wait time and then call on a different student. “A poster is a rectangle. We use these shapes in every day life.”
Closure:
“Can any one tell me one thing they learned today?” The teacher will give wait time, so the students have time to think of an answer. The teacher will call on 3-4 students to share their answers. “Good job today boys and girls. It is now time for lunch. Please line up at the door. Have a good day!”
Informal Assessment:
During this lesson I asked the class a variety of questions. The students also took notes in their notebooks, so I could collect the notebook and assess if the students understand the material being presented.
Formal Assessment:
There were no formal assessment during today’s lesson.
References:
There were no references used for this lesson plan.
A1. Understands major concepts
A2. Knoweldge influences learning
A9. Promotes questioning
A10. Creates interdisciplinary learning
Mathematics Lesson Plan--Geometry 3rd Grade
Objective:
The student will [be able to] identify, describe, and classify 2-dimensional shapes.
Materials:
The Village of the Round and Square Houses by Ann Grifalconi
Notebooks
Pencils
Overhead
Blank overhead sheets
Overhead markers
Spray bottle (water)
Paper towels
Standard:
GRADE 3
B. Geometry
Classify shapes by specified attributes. Identify simple shapes within complex shapes.
1. Identify, describe and classify two-dimensional shapes according to number and length of sides and kinds of angles.
2. Identify common two- and three-dimensional shapes that are components of more complex shapes.
Motivation/Anticipatory Set:
“Good afternoon students. We are going to start today by reading a book. The book is called, The Village of the Round and Square Houses. Will you all gather over here in the reading corner?” The teacher will give students time to walk from their desks to the reading corner. The teacher will wait until the students are all sitting down before she starts the lesson. “Can any one tell me what they think this book might be about?” The teacher will give time to students to think and then call on a couple students to share their ideas. “Good ideas boys and girls. The Village of the Round and Square Houses, is an African folktale in which a grandmother is telling her granddaughter a story about their family history. Now when I am reading to you, I need to pay close attention to the story and the pictures on the pages. We will be talking about the story and the different pictures when we are finished reading the book.”
Procedure:
The teacher will read the book to the students. (It will take about 10 minutes to read the story) “Everyone can return to their seat and take out their notebooks and a pencil.” The teacher will give the students time to return to their original seats. The teacher will stand in the front of the room, next to the overhead. “Okay class, can anyone tell me what shapes they saw throughout the book?” The teacher will give wait time and call on a student. “Yes, there were many shapes during the story, including squares, circles, and rectangles. Does anyone know what shape of house the men in the story lived in?” The teacher will give wait time. “Very good, the men lived in square houses. Can every one please draw a square on a clean sheet of paper in your notebook? Underneath your picture, please write the word square.” The teacher will give wait time and draw a square on the overhead, so the students have a visual. The teacher will also write the word square underneath the drawn square. “How do we know that this shape is a square? Please raise your hand if you can tell me.” The teacher will give the students time to think about the question. The teacher will then call on a couple students to share their ideas. “Yes, a square does have four sides to it. Raise your hand if you can tell me if a square always have four sides?” The teacher will give wait time and then call on a student to answer the question. “Correct, a square does always have four sides. Is there anything special about those four sides?” The teacher will give wait time. “Yes, the sides are all equal length.”
“Now does anyone know what shape of house the women in the story lived in?” The teacher will give wait time. “Very good, the women in the story did live in circle houses. Can everyone please draw a circle and write the word circle underneath the drawn shape. Please do this on the same sheet of paper as the square.” The teacher will give wait time. The teacher will draw a circle on the overhead sheet next to the square. The teacher will write the word circle underneath the drawn circle. “Boys and girls, how do we know that this shape is a circle? Please raise your hand if you know.” The teacher will give wait time and then call on a couple students to share their answer. “A circle does not have any corners or sides. A circle is connected from one point to another and does not break.” The teacher will draw a circle with a break in it. “Would this shape be considered a circle?” The teacher will give wait time.
“Boys and girls, can anyone name a shape they know that has three sides?” The teacher will give wait time and then call on a student. “Correct, a triangle does have three sides to it. Can everyone draw a triangle on your paper and write the word triangle underneath it?” The teacher will draw a triangle on the overhead sheet and write the word triangle underneath. Once the students are finished with their triangles the teacher will draw a different triangle next to the original. “Students, are both of these shapes triangles?” The teacher will give wait time. “Yes, even though they are not exactly the same, they are both triangles. Raise your hand if you can tell me why they are both triangles?” The teacher will give wait time and call on a student for an answer. “Correct, they are both triangles because they both have three sides.”
“We discussed that a square has four sides, but does anyone know any other shape that has four sides?” The teacher will give the students wait time and then call on a student. “Very good, a rectangle does have four sides. Can everyone draw a rectangle on their paper and write the word rectangle underneath it?” The teacher will give wait time. The teacher will draw a rectangle on the overhead and write the word underneath the shape.
“Raise your hand if you can name one shape we talked about today.” The teacher will give wait time and call on four different students to each give a shape. “Squares, circles, triangles and rectangles are shapes that can be found in every day life. Can anyone think of an object that is one of those shapes?” The teacher will give wait time. “Yes, a clock is a circle. Can anyone else think of a different object?” The teacher will give wait time and then call on a different student. “A poster is a rectangle. We use these shapes in every day life.”
Closure:
“Can any one tell me one thing they learned today?” The teacher will give wait time, so the students have time to think of an answer. The teacher will call on 3-4 students to share their answers. “Good job today boys and girls. It is now time for lunch. Please line up at the door. Have a good day!”
Informal Assessment:
During this lesson I asked the class a variety of questions. The students also took notes in their notebooks, so I could collect the notebook and assess if the students understand the material being presented.
Formal Assessment:
There were no formal assessment during today’s lesson.
References:
There were no references used for this lesson plan.
Middle School Philospohy
Life long learning is what teaching is all about. I believe it is a teacher’s job to make sure his/her students are continually learning. Both academic and social skills are vital to for middle school students to work on. Students need to build relationships not only with their peers, but with their teacher as well. In the middle school, teachers also need to make sure they are providing activities that engage the students. Teachers need to be life long learners too. Working with other teachers and bringing up new ideas is a way that teachers can continue to learn themselves. There characteristics of a middle school teacher are very important because students are at a critical point in their life at that particular age.
I believe that building relationships is very important for a middle school student. Middle school students are very social, so it is important that teachers recognize that friendships are very important to them. They feel the need to belong to a group. Teachers need to provide opportunities for the students to develop new friendships and become part of a group. One way a teacher can do this is by having group work. If a teacher mixes up the groups, he/she is allowing the students to meet other peers and develop new relationships. Students will be continually learning new social skills when they have the opportunity to get to know their peers. Teachers need to make sure that they support the relationships the students are building. “Schools that nurture positive relationships among students and among students and teachers are more likely to realize the payoff of more engaged students achieving at higher levels” (Holland, 297). The amount of students who succeed in school increases when there is that support from teachers.
The relationship the students have with their teacher is just as important. A teacher needs to make a student feel more like an individual rather than just a student in their classroom. Teachers need to show their students that they actually do care about them. When students feel as though their teacher cares about them, they may start to trust their teacher and come to them with problems. Because of all of the emotions they are feeling, middle level students need to feel as though they can talk to an older adult. If students feel as though their teachers care that they are in class, they are less likely to stop coming. “Research shows that personalized learning initiatives can increase attendance, decrease dropout rates, and decrease disruptive behavior.” (National Association of Secondary School Principals, 131). Middle school students want to be liked and cared about, even if they don’t show it. Building relationship skills is part of life long learning.
I believe it is important for a teacher to engage his/her students in their learning. Middle level students are curious, so having a lesson with active engagement is very important. When a student is actually engaged in his/her learning, he/she is likely to remember that information more than by listening to a lecture. If we want our students to be continually learning, we need to make sure they are having fun and engaged in the learning process. Middle level boys are especially full of energy. Teachers need to realize that this is a characteristic of middle school boys and change their lesson to fit the needs of them. Teachers need to be flexible and allow their students to learn on their own.
I believe collaboration between teachers is also very important. I believe the one way for a teacher to be a life long learner is to talk with other teachers and obtain new information. Teachers are able to reflect on their own material and their way of teaching when they have other teachers to communicate with. The collaborative teams should be smaller and have enough time each day to sit down and really talk. “Team size, amount of common planning, and length of time together as a team influence classroom instruction” (Flowers, 58). When teachers are able to communicate and have interdisciplinary units the amount of student achievement tends to increase. Collaborative groups are a great way to help teachers be life-long learners and also increase student achievement.
For a teacher to be successful, his/her students need to be successful. It is very important for a teacher to actually get to know his/her students. It is a must that the students feel as though they are cared about and that they are respected. A teacher needs to let the students be creative and be engaged in their learning, especially with middle school students. A middle school teacher needs to work with his/her colleagues, so that they can develop new ideas and discuss what is best for the students. All of these characteristics are very important for a middle school teacher to have. If we want to have our students be well rounded and life long learners, we, as teachers, also have to be well rounded and life long learners.
Bibliography
Flowers, Nancy, Steven B. Mertens & Peter F. Mulhall. “How Teaming Influences Classroom Practices.” Middle School Journal V. 32 (2000): 58
Holland, Holly and Kelly Mazzoli. “Where Everybody Knows Your Name.” Phi Delta Kappan V. 83 (2001): 294-303
National Association of Secondary School Principals. Breaking Ranks in the Middle: Straegies for Leading Middle Level Reform. Virginia, 2006.
I believe that building relationships is very important for a middle school student. Middle school students are very social, so it is important that teachers recognize that friendships are very important to them. They feel the need to belong to a group. Teachers need to provide opportunities for the students to develop new friendships and become part of a group. One way a teacher can do this is by having group work. If a teacher mixes up the groups, he/she is allowing the students to meet other peers and develop new relationships. Students will be continually learning new social skills when they have the opportunity to get to know their peers. Teachers need to make sure that they support the relationships the students are building. “Schools that nurture positive relationships among students and among students and teachers are more likely to realize the payoff of more engaged students achieving at higher levels” (Holland, 297). The amount of students who succeed in school increases when there is that support from teachers.
The relationship the students have with their teacher is just as important. A teacher needs to make a student feel more like an individual rather than just a student in their classroom. Teachers need to show their students that they actually do care about them. When students feel as though their teacher cares about them, they may start to trust their teacher and come to them with problems. Because of all of the emotions they are feeling, middle level students need to feel as though they can talk to an older adult. If students feel as though their teachers care that they are in class, they are less likely to stop coming. “Research shows that personalized learning initiatives can increase attendance, decrease dropout rates, and decrease disruptive behavior.” (National Association of Secondary School Principals, 131). Middle school students want to be liked and cared about, even if they don’t show it. Building relationship skills is part of life long learning.
I believe it is important for a teacher to engage his/her students in their learning. Middle level students are curious, so having a lesson with active engagement is very important. When a student is actually engaged in his/her learning, he/she is likely to remember that information more than by listening to a lecture. If we want our students to be continually learning, we need to make sure they are having fun and engaged in the learning process. Middle level boys are especially full of energy. Teachers need to realize that this is a characteristic of middle school boys and change their lesson to fit the needs of them. Teachers need to be flexible and allow their students to learn on their own.
I believe collaboration between teachers is also very important. I believe the one way for a teacher to be a life long learner is to talk with other teachers and obtain new information. Teachers are able to reflect on their own material and their way of teaching when they have other teachers to communicate with. The collaborative teams should be smaller and have enough time each day to sit down and really talk. “Team size, amount of common planning, and length of time together as a team influence classroom instruction” (Flowers, 58). When teachers are able to communicate and have interdisciplinary units the amount of student achievement tends to increase. Collaborative groups are a great way to help teachers be life-long learners and also increase student achievement.
For a teacher to be successful, his/her students need to be successful. It is very important for a teacher to actually get to know his/her students. It is a must that the students feel as though they are cared about and that they are respected. A teacher needs to let the students be creative and be engaged in their learning, especially with middle school students. A middle school teacher needs to work with his/her colleagues, so that they can develop new ideas and discuss what is best for the students. All of these characteristics are very important for a middle school teacher to have. If we want to have our students be well rounded and life long learners, we, as teachers, also have to be well rounded and life long learners.
Bibliography
Flowers, Nancy, Steven B. Mertens & Peter F. Mulhall. “How Teaming Influences Classroom Practices.” Middle School Journal V. 32 (2000): 58
Holland, Holly and Kelly Mazzoli. “Where Everybody Knows Your Name.” Phi Delta Kappan V. 83 (2001): 294-303
National Association of Secondary School Principals. Breaking Ranks in the Middle: Straegies for Leading Middle Level Reform. Virginia, 2006.
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