Grade:  4         Number of students:  5-6       Duration of lesson:  Approx. 45 minutes

 

Goals/Objectives:

 

Essential Question: What does it mean to be homeless?

 

SWBAT:  Analyze a fiction text on the topic of homelessness to examine its effects on homeless individuals.

 

IOT:  Develop a list of ways that students and members of the community can help homeless people

 

Standards (and Assessment Anchors, if applicable):

 

The lesson covers the following Common Core literacy standards:

 

• RL.4.1 : “Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.”

 

• RL.4.3  : “Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).”

 

• SL.4.1  : “Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

 

Materials and preparation:

 

• Fly Away Home, by Eve Bunting

  • one copy, to be read aloud to group by teacher

• Graphic organizers

  • one per student to record individual observations during the read aloud

• Chart paper

  • To record student contributions before read aloud

  • to record student contributions during post read aloud

  • to develop and record a list of ways that students and members of the community can help homeless people

• Pencils, sharpened

 

I will review the text in advance of the lesson in order to anticipate possible student responses and challenges that the students may face

 

Classroom arrangement and management issues:

 

The lesson will be conducted with all of the students and the teacher sitting together at a small table.  I have chosen this arrangement to allow the students to view the text closely during the read aloud and to facilitate collaboration during periods of group discussion.

 

Plan:

 

1.  Before (launch) (10 minutes)

• Briefly review service learning (process and concept)

  • Ask for student responses

  • “learning in cooperation with the community about things that happen in everyday life, helping the community, and teaching others” (from classroom discussion)

• Ask students to define the word “homelessness”

  • “not having a steady place to live” (from classroom discussion)

• Explain that the lesson will combine the two concepts

  • We will:

    • examine the effects of homelessness on homeless individuals

    • develop a list of ways that students and members of the community can help homeless people

• Introduce text: Fly Away Home, by Eve Bunting

  • Define potentially unfamiliar vocabulary from text

• Establish procedure for sharing during the lesson

  • Make observations and record inferences independently

  • Share with group following read aloud

 

2.  During (work and explore) (25 minutes)

• Read aloud to group, showing the book’s pictures to the students

• Pause briefly following every two to three pages to allow students time to record independent observations about the text

  • The students’ task will be to pay attention to the story (what is said directly, what they can infer from the story and pictures) in order to try to answer the question of “What is homelessness?”

• Each student will record his/her personal observations/thinking on the provided graphic organizer.

• Periodically, I will ask the students to turn and talk, to simultaneously: [R1]

  • engage them in thinking and reasoning

  • allow me to hear more of their thoughts

  • If there is an odd number of students, I will work with a student

 

3.  After (Debrief and wrap up) (10-15 minutes)

• Following the read aloud, I will repeat the question: “What is homelessness?”

• Students will talk and turn, sharing their observations with a partner

  • If there is an odd number of students, I will work with a student

• Students will then share as a group, highlighting the challenges the characters faced.

  • I will facilitate the discussion and record student contributions on a sheet of chart paper

• This list will be used to develop a list of ways that students and other members of the community can help homeless individuals

 

Assessment:

 

• Formative assessment of each student will be recorded throughout the course of the lesson as students share their responses and thinking, and participate in group activity

 

Anticipating students’ responses and my possible responses:

 

• In planning and teaching this lesson, I will keep in mind that:

  • It is necessary to establish expectations for behavior, sharing answers, showing that a student has an idea, etc…

  • The subject of the text, and some of the vocabulary, may be unfamiliar to the students

 

Accommodations:

 

• While students will inevitably bring different levels of background knowledge, interest in the topic, and skills to the lesson, the open-ended nature of task allows for differentiation.

  • The complexity of responses may vary, but no one will be excluded from contributing.