Lesson Plan : Character Bio Poems
Teacher Name: | Jennifer Schwarzbeck |
Grade: | Grade 2 |
Subject: | Language Arts |
Topic: | Story Elements - Character Traits, comprehension |
Content: | Subjects: English Language Arts and Technology Vocabulary: character, description, personality, graphic organizer, web, Bio Poem, Kidspiration, powerpoint |
Goals: | Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression. Students will use technology as a productivity and communication tool and for social, ethical, and human issues. |
Objectives: | Performance Indicators: New York State ELA Standard 2: ~Reading: 2.1, 2.9, 2.13, 2.15 ~Writing: 2.1, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7 ~Listening: 2.1, 2.2 ~Speaking: 2.2 NCTE/IRA ELA Standards: Standards 2, 3, 6, and 8 ISTE/NETS Technology Standards: Standards 2.1, 3.1, 4.1 Behavioral Indicators: Given the story Beauty and the Beast, students will be able to predict what the story will be about and/or how it may be different from the movie version (if they have seen the movie version). The students will be able to answer questions and make predictions throughout the story and identify character traits and relationships among characters at the conclusion of the story. The students will choose their favorite character from the story, generate a graphic organizer about this character using Kidspiration software, then create and present to the class a Bio Poem describing that character using a powerpoint presentation. |
Materials: | Beauty and the Beast by Jan Brett (other versions can be used), writing journal, pencils, Bio Poem outline and examples of Bio Poems, computer or computer lab, Kidspiration software, powerpoint |
Introduction: | To introduce the lesson, I will ask the students if they have ever heard or seen Beauty and the Beast. I will then ask them to make predictions about the story and/or if they have seen the movie, ask them how it may be the same or different. We will engage in a picture/book walk and discuss the artistic style of Jan Brett's illustrations. I will then ask the students to give their definition of personality. I will remind the students to pay close attention to the personalities of the characters in the story because when we finish we will discuss their different personalities. |
Development: | The model of instruction for this lesson will be expository. You can complete this lesson in short time slots, or group a couple tasks together. To do all the tasks in one setting would be too overwhelming for the students. I recommend stretching it out over 2-3 days. I will read the story aloud and stop at predetermined parts to ask predictive and inferential questions. This type of questioning will keep the students motivated and aid in their comprehension. During the reading I will ask the following questions: ~page 6: What do you think the girls will ask their father to bring back for them? ~page 9: What do you think the word sumptuous means? How can you tell from the pictures? ~page 12: What do you think the word somber means? ~page 13: Would you be afraid to stay in the palace with the beast? Why or why not? ~page 17: Why do you think Beauty will not marry Beast? ~page 22: Do you think Beauty will return to Beast? ~page 24: Why do you think Beauty missed Beast? ~page 27: Why do you think Beauty decided to marry Beast? |
Practice: | Guided Practice (2-3 days) Day 1: Immediately after reading the story aloud, I will ask the student to complete three activites. The first activity will assess the students' understanding of the story through analysis of the main character's traits. The students will be asked to answer a set of questions and record their answers in a writing journal. The questions include: 1. Who is the main character? 2. What is he or she like? 3. Who else is important in the story? 4. How does the main character feel about the other characters? 5. How does each mimor character feel about the main character? 6. How did you feel about the beast before the story? After the story? **Additional questions may be asked. Day 2: Using Kidspiration software (students will need to have prior knowledge of this program), students will create a character web to organize their favorite character's traits. The graphic organizer can be either student generated or a teacher-made template that can be filled in by the students. The choice can be based on student ability or time restriction. ***If students do not know how to use Kidspiration, then a brief lesson on how the program works will need to be done. Day 3: After students have completed their character webs, they will create a Bio Poem about their character. Examples of Bio Poems will be read to the students and we will review the format for Bio Poems. I will show students a template of how the poem should be written and what needs to be written on each line. Bio Poem Outline: ~Line 1: First name ~Line 2: 4 words that describe the character ~Line 3: Son/daughter of...Brother/sister of... ~Line 4: Lover of...(list 1-3 things, activites, people, or places) ~Line 5: Who feels...(list 1-3 different feelings) ~Line 6: Who has been...(list 1-3 places or events) ~Line 7: Who needs...(list 1-3 things they need to do or have) ~Line 8: Who fears...(list 1-3 things that scare the character) ~Line 9: Who would like...(list 1-3 things they would like to see or do) ~Line 10: Resident of...(where do they live) The students will create their poem using powerpoint (students will need to have prior knowledge of this operation). Each line of the poem will be a different slide and the students should illustrate or add a picture that describes the line. For a large group of students, a computer lab would be ideal because it would allow all students to work on their presentations at the same time. |
Accommodations: | Students with limited writing ability may need assistance answering the comprehension questions and writing the Bio Poem. These students may give their answers orally if it is needed. They may also have extra time completing all other components of the lesson. |
Checking For Understanding: | I will assess the student's ability to comprehend the story based on their answers to the comprehension questions. I will also use their graphic organizers and Bio Poem presentations to check for their understanding of story elements (character). |
Closure: | I will ask the students to present their powerpoint presentations to the class or individually. In closing, I will again address the identification of character traits. I will discuss how it is important to use this skill when reading because it helps them better understand what they have read. |
Evaluation: | The evaluation of this lesson will be throughout the activities. The students' ability to answer the comprehension questions in the first activity will tell me if they have met the objective I have set for them. The completion of the character web shows me that the students can organize their thoughts regarding character traits. Finally, the powerpoint presentation of the Bio Poem will tell me if the students understand the components of personality and character traits enough to apply them to other settings. |
Teacher Reflections: |
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