educ. 540 creating community in the classroom

THEMATIC UNIT: STONE FOX

EDUC. 540 Creating Community in the Classroom

Student: Marcia Wagner

[email protected]

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

Marcia Wagner

EDUC 540 – Creating Community in the Classroom

March 30, 2014

Southwestern College Professional Studies

Dr. Vickie Cummings

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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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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

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/3/1/



http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RI/3/4/



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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:

http://www.k12.hi.us/~mkunimit/responsibility.htm

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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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LESSON PLAN TWO




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


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

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/SL/3/1/




https://www.google.com/search?q=different+forms+of+communication&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=15QJU523G8ewyQHbuoGoAg&sqi=2&ved=0CCsQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=622





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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.”


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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LESSON PLAN THREE




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


Paper

Pencil

Newspaper grocery advertisements

Computer access for You Tube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTG83UdM_ZA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTG83UdM_ZA

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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.


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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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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTG83UdM_ZA

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LESSON PLAN FOUR




SUBJECT: Reading Comprehension, Summarizing the Story, Decision Making

STANDARDS:





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


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.




http://www.quia.com/quiz/394681.html

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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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LESSON PLAN FIVE




SUBJECT: Social Studies, Create Signals, Social Skills

STANDARDS:





OBJECTIVES:

The student will learn Samoyed dogs and the commands used to train them.

KAGAN STRUCTURE:

Spend-A-Buck

KEY VOCABULARY:

Samoyed Iditarod commands


Paper

Pencil

Play money




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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.


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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU_z5BSj8uY

http://www.athropolis.com/arctic-facts/fact-dogs-command.htm




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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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LESSON PLAN SIX




SUBJECT: Reading, Vocabulary Review, Knowledge Building

STANDARDS:



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


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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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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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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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.



http://www.k12.hi.us/~mkunimit/responsibility.htm%20on%20February%2022

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/SL/3/1

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/SL/3/1

http://community.ksde.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=iX3kWvXtgRY%3d&tabid=5276&mid=13067

http://community.ksde.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=iX3kWvXtgRY%3d&tabid=5276&mid=13067





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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.


http://www.scholastic.com/browse/search/teacher?VT=2&channelOnly=true&Nty=1&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&_N=fff&Ntk=SCHL30_SI&query=stone+fox&N=0&No=0&Ntt=stone+fox

http://www.scholastic.com/browse/search/teacher?VT=2&channelOnly=true&Nty=1&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&_N=fff&Ntk=SCHL30_SI&query=stone+fox&N=0&No=0&Ntt=stone+fox

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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.

educ. 540 creating community in the classroom

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