My Unit Plan Experience

For this assignment, the classroom that I am planning for is a classroom of second graders, in Estacada, Oregon, at Clackamas River Elementary School. For previous knowledge and characteristics, I know that these students do have basic knowledge of technology, however, they do not know how to navigate on their own and need to be supervised when on technology. There is some ELL students, as well as some students are in a pullout math and reading program. The students have a basic understanding of stories, and know how to read and write on a basic level. Math is also on a basic level; at this age they will begin learning subtraction and addition, so they have a basic knowledge of numbers as well. The way that I can go about unpacking the common core standards is that I picked a standard that to do with reading and literature. I said that I want students to ask and answer questions like who, what, where, when, how, and why to demonstrate understanding of key details in the text. So, the main focus/objective of the lesson will be that students will be able to recount stories like folktales and fables and determine the central message of the stories using 21st Century technology. So. I will gear my lessons toward those two intertwined standards.

I can integrate the ISTE-standards into my lessons by having them be creative and innovative. This could be that I have them use different apps that allow them to create a digital story, or have them use the Promethean Board in a way that they have to explain to other students what they thought the answers were. This leads into ways where I can assess them. I can either have them create their own stories, or I could have them act out their own stories. I could also have a competition, where I have questions on the Promethean Board and every student answers the questions. We could also do sort of a Pictionary on the Promethean Board as well, where the students have to draw the theme of the story or main idea, so it would be a fun competition for them. I think that the most appropriate instructional strategies for this task would for it to be interactive, where we all read a story together, and as we go along, I explain what each key part of the story is, for example, the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Then, I could have them read a story on their own in groups and they have to pick out what the key details of the story are.

To differentiate the lesson for certain students, such as the ones who are in the pullout reading program, I could have a little bit of a less harder story for them, and give it to them when they go out of the classroom for their reading time. I could also have them be key participants in the lesson, so if I ask a question I call on them to make sure they are paying attention to the lesson and get the key parts (so just pay a lot of attention to them). For this lesson I will make sure that I look over the readings that I am having the kids read and make sure that they are appropriate for their age level, and that they can work with the technology that I am giving them. A good hook for this lesson would be to ask them, who likes to make up stories, or imagine that they are in other places or lands? Then I could tell them how reading and writing relates to their real life and how they use it all of the time. Something I am having a hard time with planning this lesson with is trying to imagine how these kids would react to my lesson, and more of just narrowing down what I can do. Also, incorporating technology into it has been a little hard. I can use Powtoon, or the MyStory App.