Teacher_Kathy Bishop_____Class _Third Grade Writing genre Personal ReportTopic: Social Skills – Hopes and Goals
Subject: Reading/Writing; creation of Responsive Classroom
Text: Pledge to Myself; Class Creed; OQS Social Skills; “Friends” song; Second Step social skills posters
CENTRAL IDEAS
Content: Student beliefs/attitudes influence their behaviorReading: read aloud, re-read, shared read, recite texts/lyrics, analyze posters
Writing: Create an illustrated personal report with student’s hopes and goals
Focusing Question
What is your responsibility in achieving your hopes and goals for this year?Focus (answer to focusing question)
I have a plan to achieve my hopes and goals.
Building Content Knowledge, Understanding of Writer’s Craft
With each text: Pledge, Creed, Social Skills text, “Friends” song pr Second Step social skills posters:
Read, re-read, pair read, dramatize, draw, identify vocabulary
Many opportunities for oral processing
Many public notes
Review what an “action” is
Review what a “goal” is
Structures
Model a written and illustrated “Hopes and Goals” using class public notes
Frayer model for understanding a pledge and creed
Graphic organizer for the actual page
Venn diagram for comparing a pledge and creed
Venn diagram for comparing a hope and a goal
Writing / Revising
Group “rewrite” the Pledge in “kid friendly” language
Identify action words in the OQS Social Skills sentences
Identify action words in the Class Creed
Process feelings from singing the “Friends” song
Analyze Second Step posters
Write one Hope and Goal with a total of three each.
Share with a friend, an adult, and revise.
Lesson Sequence
This lesson sequence will begin the first day of school.
Day One (W) – Show class where the Pledge to Myself hangs in “Cozy Corner” in the classroom. Read it aloud to the class. Orally process what it might mean and why we might have a pledge. Later in the day also point out the Class Creed also hanging in “Cozy” and again orally process what a creed might be and why do we need it.
Day Two (Th) – Read the Pledge aloud to the class and then ask the class to read it chorally with me. We’ll have another opportunity to orally process the content of the Pledge and begin to identify the unfamiliar vocabulary. These words will be hung next to the pledge for the next lesson. Later in the day we’ll read the Class Creed together and then in pairs. We’ll identify unfamiliar vocabulary and hang these words next to the Creed for tomorrow’s lesson. Each pair will then be given one part of the Creed on an index card. They will be asked to keep this part of the Creed a secret and think of a way to dramatize this little part of the Creed for the rest of the class. It will be the responsibility of the audience to determine what part of the Creed has been acted out by their classmates.
Day Three (F) - Whole group read of the Pledge, followed by whole group read of the Class Creed. Then using two hula hoops I will create a Venn diagram labeled “Pledge” and “Creed” we will begin to orally process what is the difference, why do we need them and where do we find them in our lives outside of school? We’ll try to define the unfamiliar vocabulary. As this is done, the more “kid friendly” definitions will be posted next to the unfamiliar word to refer to for the rest of the year.
I’ll add another hoop to the diagram to process what our classroom would look like without a Pledge and Creed. What kind of community would that be?
I’ll reintroduce the OQS Social Skills that the students have been using since Kindergarten. We’ll orally process each and ask pairs to demonstrate what each skill would “look like” in action.
Later in the day we will “Find the Violators.” The students will be asked to inaccurately dramatize a part of the Creed ie.(being mean to one another versus treating others the way you want to be treated) or Social Skills (not having eyes on the speaker). The class will need to be able to identify the violation and state what should have been done.
Assessment
I will be checking in with the students through each part of their creation of the Hope and accompanying Goals, actions to achieve their Hope. Each need only be a sentence, and there will be public notes to help students with possible actions or goals.
These illustrated reports will be on display in our “Cozy Corner” and referred to as the student is “Student of the Day” or during our Self Reflection during our end of the day “Wrap Up.” The point is that each report cannot become an additional piece of writing only hanging on the wall, but something that helps the student to focus on their personal responsibility within the creation and sustaining of a healthy, Responsive Classroom.
The opportunity also needs to exist that if students need to adjust or modify their Hopes and Goals, they are able to do so. They need to understand that these might change, and I will build this same kind of lesson sequence into the beginning of each marking period. It will be a time for each student to reflect on their growth, hopes and goals.
Next Steps: Gradual Release of Responsibility
For this piece as it is at the beginning of the year, I will lead much of the discussion, note taking, and very detailed graphic organizers. Later in the year some of this responsibility will be able to be given over to the student. Model:
My Hope for this year is to get good effort grades on my report card.
My Goal will be to ask questions or give an answer during each class activity.
My Hope for this year is to be ready to learn every day.
My Goal will be to eat breakfast each morning.
My Hope for this year is to get all 4’s on my Social Skills part of my report card.
My goal will be to follow the Pledge, Creed, and Social Skills in my classroom.
Student Graphic Organizer:
Introduction:
I am _______________ and I am in 3B. I like to ________________, but I don’t like to __________________________. My favorite thing about school is _____________________________. I think the thing that I find the hardest about school is _______________________________________. I know I will have a good year this year because ___________________________.Thesis:
I have a plan to achieve my Hopes and Goals.
Goal and Hope #1
My Hope for this year is ___________________________________________.
My Goal will be to ________
Goal and Hope #2
My Hope for this year is ___________________________________________.
My Goal will be to _______________________________________________
Goal and Hope #3
My Hope for this year is ___________________________________________.
My Goal will be to _______________________
Conclusion:
Wow, what a great way to begin the year. Your students will immediately become aware of their own behaviors. Pupils will start to learn that they can control their own learning. Your many conversations and active role playing will enhance their understanding. They will learn that they have a personal role to play within their classroom. I like the classroom creed and diagrams hanging around the room. These will act as public notes and really help children understand what is expected. The written reports will be good constant reminders of the important things they should consider and focus upon each day. I really like that changes can be made too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good ideas
Kate
As a 3rd grade teacher I was excited to read this unit plan. Part of the challenge of starting the year is establishing an effective classroom climate that allows for all students to achieve their hopes for the year. What I find exciting about this plan is that it takes the core behavioral structures of the school (OQS Social Skills, Second Step Social Skills, etc.) and allows students a range of opportunities to explore them, ultimately developing a stronger understanding of each.
ReplyDeleteI am not familiar with the Creed or Pledge to Myself (are these on the web as stand alone or part of the OQS program mentioned?) At the Integrated Arts Academy we are now a Positive Behavior School (PBS). As such we have four main school rules (ROAR [our mascot is a wildcat], Respect self, respect Others, respect All learning, Respect property). Too often these words, and others, are merely stated and repeated on the part of the students without much thought given to what they mean (I am thinking of the pledge of Allegiance as an example). What this unit seeks to do is give students a greater understanding of the importance of the words and through that understanding allow them to achieve their hopes as their classmates fulfill theirs
Chapter 3 of our text talked about planning for meaning making, stating on page. 66 that, “Most effective writing…is already in fairly clear shape…in the writer’s head.” What is exciting about this unit is that it provides opportunities for students to make meaning of and fully understand the social systems of the class.
Some thoughts on the outline of the unit:
• Much of the activities help the students develop a clear understanding of the Creed and Pledge to Myself…should the writing assignment focus more on those aspects and another be created to explore hopes and goals?
• Having not seen the Pledge or Creed this is hard. I was picturing having the students practice writing individual pledges or creeds based on the models provided.
• I like the focusing questions because it is the responsibility of the students to make sure that they achieve their hopes AND that they allow others to achieve theirs. I was picturing splitting those and doing a piece on hopes and goals, and follow that with a “for us to achieve these here is what we need to do.
Thanks, I have a lot to think about as I get ready to meet my 3rd graders!