Observations of Student Learning
Student learning was observed and assessed throughout the lesson using various formats. In addition to my own notes following the lesson, a fellow student teacher observed the lesson and took detailed notes. Click here to read her observations of the lesson.
The students demonstrated learning in both the sequencing and the story mapping activities. They demonstrated that they learned the concepts I was trying to teach. Each student added at least one day’s picture cards to the pocket chart, and their dialogue with each other and with me indicated that they understood that we were putting the pictures up in the order that they happened in the book. John, Marlene, and Noah all remembered that the story took place at a pond, and all four students correctly identified the mice as the characters, drew arguing mice in the Problem box, and drew an entire elephant in the Solution box. John, Marlene, and Noah drew an elephant with a mouse on it in the Solution box.
From reviewing my notes, the observer’s notes, and the student work, I think that the students met all three objectives of the lesson. They learned the story Seven Blind Mice, solidified their understanding of what the problem and solution of a story are, and practiced two retelling strategies. They demonstrated ability to retell the story by putting the events in order, and they engaged in productive discourse about the problem and the solution of Seven Blind Mice.
The students demonstrated learning in both the sequencing and the story mapping activities. They demonstrated that they learned the concepts I was trying to teach. Each student added at least one day’s picture cards to the pocket chart, and their dialogue with each other and with me indicated that they understood that we were putting the pictures up in the order that they happened in the book. John, Marlene, and Noah all remembered that the story took place at a pond, and all four students correctly identified the mice as the characters, drew arguing mice in the Problem box, and drew an entire elephant in the Solution box. John, Marlene, and Noah drew an elephant with a mouse on it in the Solution box.
From reviewing my notes, the observer’s notes, and the student work, I think that the students met all three objectives of the lesson. They learned the story Seven Blind Mice, solidified their understanding of what the problem and solution of a story are, and practiced two retelling strategies. They demonstrated ability to retell the story by putting the events in order, and they engaged in productive discourse about the problem and the solution of Seven Blind Mice.
Sequencing
The completed sequencing chart.
This is a picture of the finished sequencing chart the students completed. Each line has the day of the week, which color mouse went to feel the Something that day, and what that mouse thought the Something was.
Students understood the concept of sequencing easily, since they participate in sequencing activities during whole-group instruction. They did not remember which mouse went on which day, so I introduced a comprehension strategy: Good readers go back to the book if they can't remember what happened. Upon looking at the pictures, the students not only successfully sequenced the mice, but noticed two patterns. First, the mice appear in order on each page, giving the reader a clue about which mouse goes next. Second, the mouse and what the mouse thought the Something was are the same color for each day except Sunday.
Students understood the concept of sequencing easily, since they participate in sequencing activities during whole-group instruction. They did not remember which mouse went on which day, so I introduced a comprehension strategy: Good readers go back to the book if they can't remember what happened. Upon looking at the pictures, the students not only successfully sequenced the mice, but noticed two patterns. First, the mice appear in order on each page, giving the reader a clue about which mouse goes next. Second, the mouse and what the mouse thought the Something was are the same color for each day except Sunday.
Story Mapping
In the story mapping activity, learning was assessed through the students' sketches of the characters, setting, problem, and solution in Seven Blind Mice. As the graphic organizers demonstrate, three of the students mastered the content, remembering and accurately portraying all four aspects of the story. Mika struggled to sketch her ideas quickly, and did not remember that the story had taken place at the pond, but she responded orally about the problem and solution.
Interactive Writing
This is the story map produced by the students during the interactive writing activity. The students wrote:
Characters: 7 mis, elefnt (7 mice, elephant) Setting: Where: pond, When: nigt (night) Problem: "The mise wr ogoing" (the mice were arguing) **at this point I stepped in to scribe the rest of the problem for the sake of time. The students told me what to write - "about what they thought the thing was." Solution: "the wuyt mows felt the hole elefent." (The white mouse felt the whole elephant.) The students' responses indicate that they comprehended the story and that they understood the four elements of the story and how to visually map them. |