THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
EDUC. 540 Creating Community in the Classroom
Student: Marcia Wagner
P.O. Box 102
Palco, KS 67657
Day Telephone: 785-737-3450
Evening Telephone: 785-737-2184
Assignment Title: Lesson Plans
Date of Submission: March 30, 2014
Assignment Due Date: March 30, 2014
Course: EDIC 540 Creating Community in the Classroom
Course Instructor: Dr. Vickie Cummings
Faculty Mentor: Mrs. Erica Marie Ortiz de Villate
Certification of Authorship: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance received in its
preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I also have cited any sources from which I used data,
ideas, or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for
the purpose of this assignment, as directed.
Student’s Signature: ______Marcia Wagner____________________________________________
THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
Thematic Unit: Stone Fox
Marcia Wagner
EDUC 540 – Creating Community in the Classroom
March 30, 2014
Southwestern College Professional Studies
Dr. Vickie Cummings
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to provide a thematic unit highlighting Kagan’s cooperative learning
structures and to provide a reflection of the course, Creating Community in the Classroom.
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
LESSON PLAN ONE
GRADE LEVEL: Third Grade
THEME: Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
This unit assumes that the book Stone Fox has already been read.
SUBJECT: Social Studies, Decision Making, Class Building
STANDARDS:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring
explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures;
determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the
text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the
characters.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and
phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.5 Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to
locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text.
OBJECTIVES:
The student will answer the questions of Why concerning Willy and Grandfather‘s decisions
The student will identify reasons why or why not Willy deserved to win the race.
KAGAN STRUCTURE: StandUp-HandUp-PairUp
KEY VOCABULARY:
decision deserve rejection harvest goal
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
MATERIALS/TECHNOLOGY:
List of Why questions
Graphic Organizer for listing why or why not Willy deserved to win the race.
Pencils
Internet Access: http://www.k12.hi.us/~mkunimit/responsibility.htm
MOTIVATION: Discuss the many decisions Willy has to make and invite students to tell why he
chose certain actions and rejected others. For example:
1. Why did Willy choose to take care of his Grandfather himself rather than let Mrs. Peacock
care for him?
2. Why did Willy decide to work to keep the farm instead of selling it?
3. How did Willy decide to harvest the potatoes when he could not rent horses to pull the
plow?
Invite students to share how Willy and his grandfather feel about the land and how each of Willy’s
decisions is based on his ultimate goal of keeping the land so that his grandfather will take heart and
get well.
PRACTICE/APPLICATION:
Teams complete the graphic organizer:
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
Graphic Organizer
Does Willy deserve to win the race? List your reasons:
Yes No
___________________________ ___________________________
___________________________ ___________________________
___________________________ ___________________________
___________________________ ___________________________
REVIEW/ASSESSMENT: StandUp-HandUp-PairUp
Students stand up, put their hands up, and quickly find a partner with whom to share or discuss.
1. Teacher says, when I say go, you will “stand up, hand up, and pair up!” Teacher pauses, then
says, “Go!”
2. Students stand up and keep one hand high in the air until they find the closest partner who’s
not a teammate. Students do a “high five” and put their hands down.
3. Teacher asks students to share either a Yes idea or a No idea, as the teacher directs, from
their graphic organizer about whether or not Willy deserved to win the race.
4. Teams share whether the idea was on their graphic organizer or is a new idea.
5. Praise is given for each idea shared.
EXTENSION:
Ask students to share with their partner whether they have ever lost a pet and how they felt when
their pet died.
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
LESSON PLAN TWO
GRADE LEVEL: Third Grade
THEME: Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
This unit assumes that the book Stone Fox has already been read.
SUBJECT: Language, Creative Writing, Communication
STANDARDS:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the
characters.
OBJECTIVES:
The student will learning about various disabilities.
KAGAN STRUCTURE: AllWrite RoundRobin
KEY VOCABULARY:
signals communicate disability
MATERIALS/TECHNOLOGY:
Paper and Pencil
Access to the internet. Suggested sites are:
https://www.google.com/search?q=different+forms+of+communication&tbm=isch&tbo=u&sour
ce=univ&sa=X&ei=15QJU523G8ewyQHbuoGoAg&sqi=2&ved=0CCsQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=
622
http://www.beamentornow.org/different-forms-of-communication/
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/management_concepts/communication_methods.htm
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
MOTIVATION:
Remind students that Little Willy and Grandfather used hand signals to communicate. For
example, if Grandfather put one finger up, it might mean “I’m hungry.” Raising two fingers
might mean “Water.”
PRACTICE/APPLICATION:
Have the students devise messages or hand signals for Raise your hand, Take your seat, May I get
a drink?, or I’m finished to use in the classroom.
REVIEW/ASSESSMENT:
AllWrite RoundRobin
The teacher poses a problem to which there are multiple possible responses or solutions, and
provides feedback.
Students take turns stating responses or solutions.
Students each record each answer on their own paper.
The question being posed by the teacher is: What other forms of communication are available to
use if someone has a disability? Students are encouraged to brain storm or use the internet sites
listed above.
EXTENSION:
Students will write a paragraph telling which disability they would pick to have if they were to
have a disability.
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
LESSON PLAN THREE
GRADE LEVEL: Third Grade
THEME: Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
This unit assumes that the book Stone Fox has already been read.
SUBJECT: Math, Word Problems, Teambuilding
STANDARDS:
Solve problems involving the four operations, and identify and explain patterns in
arithmetic.
OBJECTIVES:
The students will share what they know about potatoes.
The students will write math word problems around the theme of potatoes.
KAGAN STRUCTURE: Round Table
KEY VOCABULARY:
potatoes purchase harvest
MATERIALS/TECHNOLOGY:
Paper
Pencil
Newspaper grocery advertisements
Computer access for You Tube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTG83UdM_ZA
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
MOTIVATION:
Little Willy lives with his Grandfather on a potato farm near Jackson, Wyoming. Grandfather falls
into a deep depression over his inability to pay the land taxes. Willy decides to work to keep the
farm instead of selling it. Discuss how Willy harvested the potatoes when he could not rent horses
to pull the plow. Invite students to tell how Willy and his grandfather felt about the land and how
each of Willy’s decisions was based on his ultimate goal: to keep the land so that his grandfather
would take heart and get well.
PRACTICE/APPLICATION:
Using the Kagan (2009) structure RoundTable asks students to share things they know about
potatoes. Suggested ideas include: there are many different kinds of potatoes, potatoes come in
various colors, potatoes can be eaten raw or cooked, list the various ways potatoes can be eaten
(fries, mashed, fried, baked).
In RoundTable students take turns generating written responses, solving problems, or making a
contribution to a project in their teams.
1. The teacher provides a task to which there are multiple possible responses and provides think
time.
2. Students take turns passing a paper and pencil with each team member making a contribution.
At the end of a specified time the teacher will have students share aloud with the class the various
things known about potatoes.
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
REVIEW/ASSESSMENT:
Students will look at newspaper advertisements to find the prices of potatoes. This can be five
pounds for $2.59 or $ .79 a pound. These prices will be used to create word math problems within
each team. An example would be: “Grandmother needs ten pounds of potatoes for Thanksgiving
dinner. How much will she pay for ten pounds if potatoes cost five pounds for $2.59?
After a specified amount of time collect the papers and have different teams try to solve the
problems.
EXTENSION:
Students will go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTG83UdM_ZA to view a video about
potato farming.
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
LESSON PLAN FOUR
GRADE LEVEL: Third Grade
THEME: Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
This unit assumes that the book Stone Fox has already been read.
SUBJECT: Reading Comprehension, Summarizing the Story, Decision Making
STANDARDS:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.
OBJECTIVES:
The student will recall the main idea and supporting details of the story.
KAGAN STRUCTURE: Find-the-Fiction
KEY VOCABULARY:
Depression granite (face) cunning
MATERIALS/TECHNOLOGY:
Paper and Pencil
Access to the internet. http://www.quia.com/quiz/394681.html
MOTIVATION:
As a class review the book Stone Fox by filling in a story map. This can be as simple or complex
as the teacher desires, but should list the essential elements of main characters, setting, problem,
events, and solution.
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
PRACTICE/APPLICATION:
Use the Kagan structure Find-the-Fiction to further review the story. In Find-the-Fiction students
write three statements and read them to teammates. Teammates try to “find” which of the three
statements is the “fiction.”
1. Teammates each wrote three statements: two true, one false, attempting to trick their
teammates.
2. One student on each team stands and reads his/her statements to teammates.
3. Without consulting teammates, each student writes down his/her own best guess which
statement is false.
4. Teammates RoundRobin and defend their “best guess.”
5. Teammates announce their guess(es).
6. The standing student announces the false statement.
7. Students celebrate: The standing student congratulates teammates who guessed correctly.
Teammates who were fooled congratulate the standing students.
8. The next teammate stands to share. The process is repeated.
REVIEW/ASSESSMENT:
Take an online quiz over the book Stone Fox at http://www.quia.com/quiz/394681.html.
EXTENSION:
The students will write an alternate ending to the story of Stone Fox.
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
LESSON PLAN FIVE
GRADE LEVEL: Third Grade
THEME: Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
This unit assumes that the book Stone Fox has already been read.
SUBJECT: Social Studies, Create Signals, Social Skills
STANDARDS:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.
OBJECTIVES:
The student will learn Samoyed dogs and the commands used to train them.
KAGAN STRUCTURE:
Spend-A-Buck
KEY VOCABULARY:
Samoyed Iditarod commands
MATERIALS/TECHNOLOGY:
Paper
Pencil
Play money
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
Computer access for You Tube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU_z5BSj8uY
and http://www.athropolis.com/arctic-facts/fact-dogs-command.htm .
MOTIVATION:
Samoyed dogs are used to pull the sleds in the Iditarod Race held in Alaska each year. View the
You Tube video showing Samoyed dogs at the Iditarod Race at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU_z5BSj8uY.
PRACTICE/APPLICATION:
Read the articles on dog training at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU_z5BSj8uY and
http://www.athropolis.com/arctic-facts/fact-dogs-command.htm.
Instruct the students to formulate new commands for a pet. This could be a dog or another animal.
Each team member will devise commands for get moving, speed up, turn right, turn left, slow down,
and pass.
After each teammate has compiled their own commands the teams will use the Kagan (2009)
structure Spend-A-Buck. Spend-A-Buck asks students to make a team decision using funny money
and :spend a buck” to vote on their top picks. The option with the most bucks is deemed the team
decision.
Setup: Each person needs 10 play dollars. Options to be voted on are each written on separate cards
or slips of paper.
1. Alternative option cards are laid out on team tables.
2. Students put a dollar on each alternative.
3. Students spend remaining dollars any way they want.
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
4. Teams count the results to determine the team decision.
Note: To break ties, losing items are set aside, and students repeat Steps 1-4 with remaining items.
Hint: Prior to voting, give students time to make proactive statements, saying why they favor the
options they chose.
REVIEW/ASSESSMENT:
This lesson creates a logical link to Language and the different types of sentences. The four types
learned in third grade are statement, question, exclamation, and command. For this part of the
lesson students will look in various books to find examples of commands used. Each team should
be able to find five-seven examples in a short time.
EXTENSION:
Students will write what they think happens next to Little Willy, Grandfather, and Stone Fox. Some
questions they might answer are: Will Little Willy and Grandfather use the prize money to pay the
taxes or will they use it for something else? Will Grandfather get better? Will Little Willy get over
losing Searchlight? Will Little Willy get another dog? Will Little Willy and Stone Fox become
friends? After writing their continuations to the story, volunteers may share them with the class.
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
LESSON PLAN SIX
GRADE LEVEL: Third Grade
THEME: Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
This unit assumes that the book Stone Fox has already been read.
SUBJECT: Reading, Vocabulary Review, Knowledge Building
STANDARDS:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.
OBJECTIVES:
The student will recall vocabulary from the story and give the meaning of the words.
KAGAN STRUCTURE:
Fan-N-Pick
KEY VOCABULARY:
Palomino bushel clenched tension ricocheting
Derringer massive disqualified recommended saliva
amateur reservation cunning granite awesome
treacherous
MATERIALS/TECHNOLOGY:
Cards with vocabulary words listed on them for each team.
A copy of the movie Stone Fox.
MOTIVATION:
Discuss with students how the vocabulary used in a story helps to build the plot. Discuss various
ways of determining the meaning of a word if the meaning is not known, such as using context,
using a dictionary, or ask a friend or teacher.
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
PRACTICE/APPLICATION:
Have teams draw a chart like the one shown below (or provide the chart) and write each of the
words listed above in the word column. In the “What I Think It Means” column they should
write what they think the word means. Have students use a dictionary to check their word
meanings and complete the chart by writing Yes or No in the last column.
Vocabulary Chart
Word What I Think It Means Dictionary Meaning Was I Right?
palomino A kind of horst Horse with a tan coat
and white mane
Yes
bushel
(Add frames as necessary for the activity.)
REVIEW/ASSESSMENT:
Use the Kagan structure Fan-N-Pick to further review vocabulary words. In Fan-N-Pick
teammates play a card game to respond to questions. Roles rotate with each new question.
Setup: Each team receives a set of question cards.
1. Student #1 holds question cards in a fan and says, :Pick a card, any card!”
2. Student #2 picks a card, reads the question aloud, and allows five seconds of think time.
3. Student #3 answers the question.
4. Student #4 responds to the answer:
For right/wrong answers, Student #4 checks and then either praises or tutors.
For questions that have no right or wrong answer, Student #4 does not check for
correctness, but praises and then paraphrases the thinking that went into the answer.
5. Students rotate roles, one person clockwise for each new round.
In this case, instead of questions vocabulary words will be used. Student #2 picks a card, reads
the vocabulary word aloud, and allows five seconds of think time. Student #3 gives the definition
of the vocabulary word.
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
Take an online quiz over the book Stone Fox at http://www.quia.com/quiz/394681.html.
EXTENSION:
The students will watch the movie Stone Fox to celebrate their hard work on this unit.
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
REFERENCES
Athropolis. Retrieved from http://www.athropolis.com/arctic-facts/fact-dogs-command.htm on
March 9, 2014.
Be a Mentor. Retrieved from http://www.beamentornow.org/different-forms-of-communication/
on February 22, 2014.
Character Vales, Responsibility. Retrieved from
http://www.k12.hi.us/~mkunimit/responsibility.htm on February 22, 2014.
Common Core State Standards. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-
Literacy/SL/3/1 on February 25, 2014.
Common Core State Standards. Retrieved from
http://community.ksde.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=iX3kWvXtgRY%3d&tabid=5276&
mid=13067 on March 7, 2014.
Communication Methods. Retrieved from
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/management_concepts/communication_methods.htm on
February 23, 2014.
Gardiner, J. (1980). Stone fox. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.
Google Images. Retrieved from
https://www.google.com/search?q=different+forms+of+communication&tbm=isch&tbo=u&sour
ce=univ&sa=X&ei=15QJU523G8ewyQHbuoGoAg&sqi=2&ved=0CCsQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=
622 on February 22, 2014.
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
Kagan, S., & Kagan, M. (2009). Kagan cooperative learning. San Clemente, CA: Kagan
Publishing.
Quia. Retrieved from http://www.quia.com/quiz/394681.html on March 4, 2014.
Scholastic. Retrieved from
http://www.scholastic.com/browse/search/teacher?VT=2&channelOnly=true&Nty=1&Ntx=mod
e+matchallpartial&_N=fff&Ntk=SCHL30_SI&query=stone+fox&N=0&No=0&Ntt=stone+fox
On February 13, 2014.
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THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX
COURSE REFLECTION
I have learned a wealth of information by taking this course. I had not attended any Kagan
workshops prior to taking this class, but had attended a couple of workshops that implemented
Kagan structures in their presentations. My thinking has changed tremendously concerning
cooperative learning and motivation without rewards. At first I thought of cooperative learning as
just putting students into groups and letting them work together. Through Kagan’s structures I
have learned that there are specific ways to select students to participate in teams and that each
team member needs a job.
I think the most valuable thing I have learned through this course is that the Kagan
Cooperative Learning structures can be used for any subject area and that once you are familiar
with the structures, many of them can be implemented on the spot. I have learned that
Classbuilding and Teambuilding are very important to the makeup of a class. These encourage
students to work together and support each other instead of pitting students against each other. I
was reminded that intrinsic rewards are more motivating than extrinsic rewards. This means that
students learn or do a project for the joy of doing the project rather than for a reward. When a
reward is given, many times students will give up when they think the reward is unattainable.
In the future I look forward to adding Kagan’s Cooperative Learning Structures to more
and more lessons and/or projects. I am excited about how students interact with each other when
they are used. The impact on student learning is so positive! This makes the time spent creating
items to be used for other structures well worth the time it takes.