Chapter 5: The role of motivation in adolescent literacy instruction.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lindsey Howell on February 22, 2010 at 1:36pm

My lesson plan is geared towards K-2 students and is titled "As Slippery as an Eel." This lesson's objectives are on learning about metaphors and similes.

The 6 C's:

Choice: In this lesson is gives a list of books to look through with students dealing with the ocean, fish, etc. It encourages students to discuss what they see in the pictures and then finish sentences, such as, "The whale is as big as __________ ." A way to make this more open-ended for the students would be to allow them to choose their own books to look through in cooperative groups, instead of only using only ocean themed books. Students would be more engaged in using metaphors and similes if they were allowed to choose their own topics and books of interest.

Challenge: At the end of this lesson it lists some possible extensions you could do. This might be a great way to assess the students and incorporate different challenge levels for them to choose from. The options listed are creating a shape poem to compare and contrast, creating a Venn diagram to compare and constrast attributes of metaphors and similes, or creating an online alphabet organizer. As a teacher, you could add any option you wanted where students could show their understanding of metaphors and similes. Then you could model each one for them and allow students to choose the challenge level that best fits them.

Control: In this lesson there are whole-group discussions about similes and metaphors that the students are finding in the books. As the students list the different examples the teacher writes them on the board or on a chart for everyone to see. The teacher writing what the students are saying on the board or in a chart for everyone to see as the class discussion is taking place would be a great visual for students to notice if they learning and understanding what they should be. If not, then that would be the time for them to ask questions. A way to extend on this might be to put the students into cooperative groups after the whole-group discussion for students to recap what they're learning and share with each other different perspectives. The strategy of having students control their own learning seems like it would take some practice on the teacher and students part, but is definitely possible and would help everyone out in the end of the unit or lesson.

Collaboration: I didn't notice any specific group work in the lesson, but there are many ways to incorporate this. Some as I have mentioned above, for example, allowing students to form groups and search for similes and metaphors in books, or create their own similes and metaphors by looking at the pictures in books. This would be good when students are first learning about metaphors and similes because they could share what they know with their classmates and learn from each other to come up with what metaphors and similes are.

Constructing meaning: In this lesson, students are asked to come up with their own definitions of metaphors and similes and they revise these definitions as they continue to learn more about them. Then at the end the class puts together a book of metaphors and similes based on their defintions. I believe this constructs meaning by starting out slow and giving the students a step-by-step process. For example, first have the students explore books/pictures and notice similes and metaphors. Then, these are discussed and wrote down in a whole-group discussion. The students come up with their own definitions (this could be done in cooperative groups) and as the lesson keeps building the class can work together on a book of metaphors and similes as their final product. Along the way other strategies could be built in, too. For example, creating graphic organizers or poems.

Consequences: In this lesson a way to get students to recognize their successes and failures and learn that learning is not error-free would be to have the students reflect at the end. You could have students discuss how throughout the lesson their constructed definitions of metaphors and similes kept changing as they learned more, and how it took practice to create their own metaphors and similes.

Permalink Reply by Denise Lindstrom on February 22, 2010 at 5:57pm

Excellent application of the 6 C's! Great start to this activity!

Permalink Reply by Sophie on February 22, 2010 at 9:16pm

“Solving the Math Curse: Reading and Writing Math Word Problems”
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/solv...

I think this lesson does have Choice because the students can choose the topic their word problem is about, the operation(s) they wish to choose, and how complicated the word problem is.

I think this lesson does have Challenge because after the students write and answer their own math word problems, they switch with someone and do their math word problem. This can be seen as a personal challenge in the eyes of a third to fifth grader. They want their problem to be the hardest so only they can solve it. Also, students might have the opportunity to create their own cross word puzzles that deals with word problems.

I think this lesson does have Control because of the crossword puzzle at the end. If they complete it with ease then they know that they understand word problems. If the puzzle was a little harder than they thought it would be or they didn’t finish it at all, then they might not have figured out the basics of word problems yet.

I think this lesson does have Collaboration because they work in groups to write the word problems. Each student has a different responsibility that is vital to the group’s success.

I think this lesson does have Constructing meaning because of what happens in the second session. The students write math word problems in their math journals. A volunteer reads one of their problems and the teacher writes it on the board. Then as a class they discuss the problem. Does it make sense? What is it asking for? How do we solve it? What is the answer? Also, it suggests that all students fill out a self-assessment after they write each word problem. This way they can change it if it doesn’t have everything that it needs.

The Consequences part of this lesson is a little hard to figure out. Yes they do group work where each person has their own task but it isn’t really stressed that if you don’t do it right the first time then it is ok. They mention to explain what a word problem is and looks like at the beginning of each session but they don’t really explain that it is ok to do it wrong. Also when they are reading their problems aloud and solving them as a class, the teacher asks what is missing in the problem. I don’t know if I would do that because a student may be self-conscious about their work and feel uncomfortable with the class picking away at it. I do not think that this lesson stresses the importance of failure, so I guess it doesn’t have the sixth C.

I think that I would stress the importance of the self-assessment check list everyday. I would tell them that it is ok to make mistakes because that is how everyone learns, by making mistakes, as long as you fix them when you find them. I would not only tell them this in this lesson but I would tell them this in every lesson. I think it in itself is an important lesson for everyone to learn.

Permalink Reply by Denise Lindstrom on February 24, 2010 at 1:07pm

I like how you stress the importance and learning potential of mistakes!

Permalink Reply by Tyke Bryant Foster on February 23, 2010 at 8:18am

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/anal...

In my field of Social studies education this lesson and activity would work will with the Six C's table. The main focus is to analyze political cartoons. To help students gain a better understand of current events and the world around them. To provide students with choice I would allow them to choose there own political cartoon. For challenge I would first show my own political cartoon and evaluate it and walk threw step by step on how to analyze it. As for collaboration I would allow the students to work in teams to evaluate one anothers political cartoons. I would ask students to construct an essay to evaluate what similarities and differences in the political cartoons. Also I would ask them to attempt to explain the meaning and reasoning for the political cartoon, and what effect it has on society today. I would also ask them to link the past with the future by explaining proganda and if this type of persuasion has been used in any other time period that we may have studied.

Permalink Reply by Denise Lindstrom on February 24, 2010 at 1:10pm

These are really good applications of the 6'C. Great lesson!

Permalink Reply by Heather on February 23, 2010 at 8:22am

My lesson plan is geared towards 6-8 graders and is titled "Analyzing Nonfiction and Inventing Solutions". The lesson meets each of the Six C's.

Choice: In this lesson students are able to pick a specific mathematic inventors to research. They then will be able to discuss with their classmates their findings about this specific person(s). They may provide summaries, answer a list of questions, or practice note-taking skills using their research.

Challenge: After the students' research, they will form groups in which they are asked to plan a method to share what they learned about mathematicians with the class. Ideas may include a skit such as a talk show where their mathematicians are interviewed, a presentation of patterns seen across inventions, or simply a list of interesting facts. (The type of sharing may be determined by curricular emphasis and by the amount of class time available for presentations.)

Control: Examples of previous presentations will be provided to the students before they start their projects. Students will work together with each other as the teacher supervises the activities. Having the students keep a journal of their thoughts about the work or progress of their group will also allow students to self-monitor themselves and their classmates during their work together on the project.

Collaboration: After the students are done with their project, they'll present to the class. Students will be able to provide feedback on each others presentations. After all the presentations are complete, the teacher will summarize the learning by writing on the board the processes that inventors go through to produce an invention.

Constructing Meaning: The examples given at the beginning of the lesson will provide students with a repertoire of strategies in order to respond flexibly in reading and writing situations (what and how they decide to do their project). The journals will allow them to see the importance of learning through error and revision. Previous journal entries from another class may be read along with the presentations that were presented and used as examples.

Consequences: The journals that helped self-monitor will be used in this lesson for the teacher to see the progress of the students. The successes and failures of the individual or group will acknowledge the student's awareness of how errorless learning is not learning at all, because errors provide information about needed improvement.

Permalink Reply by Denise Lindstrom on February 26, 2010 at 10:57am

Great activity and strong analysis with the 6 C's. You should consider implementing something like this for your project-based learning experience.

Permalink Reply by Aaron Whitford on February 23, 2010 at 8:26am

Radioactive River

This lesson is directed at middle school age or 9th grade students. They are to work together to get across a "river" made up of cones without touching any body part in the river. This is going to focus on their affective skills. These are skills such as team work, attitude, and so on. It hits almost all of the 6 C's in our text as I mention below.

This activity provides the students with various ways to get across the river. You give them carpet squares and a scooter. They have the choice to get acorss the river using these objects. The first team to get all their players across without touching the river wins. They have to make sound fast choices together to make this work. This task is a challenge as well. There will be 2-3 teams and they all are trying to achieve the same goal. They are limited in their equipment and must be very careful in approaching this challenge using wise strategies and planning. The students also learn control in this activity. They are controlling what they are learning together and how they are accomplishing their goal. While they are completing this task, if they are struggling I can ask them simple questions to help them think of another way to solve the problem or even tell them to look around for suggestions at other teams. The biggest C in this activity is collaboration. The students get to work on a task together against other teams. This helps build their character and build their teamwork skills. We need to emphasize to them to maintain a positive attitude and keep every involved. At this level, it is important to keep all students involved in the class and help them feel part of a group. The students are also faced with consequences during this activity. If they hit the river, the ENTIRE team must start over. They could also be faced with consequences from the teacher if they do not work together well or if they leave someone out. Another consequence for these children is winning or losing. In this instance, it is more important for them to finish, while working together than it is to win. Although, some of these children get highly competitive.

Permalink Reply by Denise Lindstrom on February 24, 2010 at 1:21pm

What a great application of the 6C's in Physical Education! Nice work!

Permalink Reply by Denise Lindstrom on February 26, 2010 at 10:59am

You could have students for this activity for the Skype session!

Permalink Reply by Ashley Renee Bunner on February 23, 2010 at 8:32am

When I went to the Read Write and Think website I found an interesting lesson that I think would be fun for third or fourth graders. This lesson was to have your class create a classroom newspaper. This would go well with my catagory of teaching which is art. This would be a art lesson but it also incorporates english and reading skills. This lesson would be collaborative and the students would have to learn how to work together to get their paper out before deadline just like the real paper. The students will have to include in their newspaper is pictures, school stories, a small comic, and anything else to spice up thier newspaper. Each student should take a responsibilty for the newspaper. Each should write down what they are doing on a sheet of paper so I know who did what for the newspaper. The challenge is to get the newspaper done by the deadline i have given them and to get it to press and into their school so anyone in the school can see their work! They will have the choice of what stories they want to put in their paper such as sports, fund raisers, afterschool programs, etc... there will also be consequences for this project. If the paper is not out on time then no one gets the paper and this can't happen in real life. This teaches the students about graphic arts, english, reading, and responsiblity. I am pretty sure that this lesson meets all six c's in the Best Practices book.

Plus I think this activity would be fun to do with your students. It kind of reminded me of the Foxfore book but this would be a small newspaper instead of a published book!

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next ›
• Page