Alyssa,+Liz+and+Joy

Grade:** Second
 * "Miss Nelson is Missing"


 * Standard:** 3.1 Compare and contrast plots, settings, and characters.


 * Objective**: The students will work in partners to create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast Miss Nelson and Miss Swamp from the read aloud story __Miss Nelson is Missing__.

Anticipatory Set- The teacher will show the students the cover of the book __Miss Nelson is Missing__ and ask them to make predictions about the story. **Making predictions is a great way to __engage__ learners at the beginning of a lesson. It taps into the students' __prior knowledge__.** The students will be told that today they are going to be looking for the similarities and differences between the characters in the story, specifically the two teachers Miss Nelson and Miss Swamp.
 * Instructional Strategies:**

Input/Modeling- The teacher will read the story to the class. Throughout the story the teacher should __check for understanding__ of the plot and ask specific questions regarding the characteristics and personalities of Miss Nelson and Miss Swamp. **A teacher might ask, "What is the difference between Miss Nelson's personality and Miss Swamp's personality?". "Which character do you like better and why?"**

After reading the story, the teacher will show the students what a Venn diagram looks like and how it can be used to record the similarities and differences of two characters. **A Venn diagram is a great __graphic organizer__ and is also a great tool to __engage the visual learners__.** (could site HG)

The circle in the middle is used to record characteristics that both characters have in common. The outside circles are used for the characteristics that only that one character holds. The teacher will __model__ an example by using two students from the class. **Modeling is a great way to demonstrate an activity for those who might struggle with __verbal__ instructions. It is also a great way to make learning comprehensible for __English language learners__ (ELL), as described by __Steven Krashen's theory of Comprehensible Input__.**

Calling on volunteers the students will help the teacher construct a venn diagram of the similarities and differences of these two characters. The teacher will discuss the similarities and differences in the two characters presonalities, appearances, etc. Then students will be put in groups of 3-4 and will receive a venn diagram print out of their own with a picture of Miss Nelson on one side and Miss Swamp on the other. The students will then be instsructed to use the venndiagram with some of the similarities and differences dicussed.



Assessment- The teacher will assess the students understanding of the book through informal questioning during reading time. __**Based on the answers to the informal questions, the teacher might reteach parts of the lesson should students seem confused. However, should students seem to grasp the concepts that are being taught, the teacher will continue to the next part of the lesson.**__

He/She will observe students as they work in groups and categorize the similarities and differences. Finally the teacher will grade the independent venn diagram be ensuring that the students followed directions and listed at least 5 characteristics in each circle and that they organized the diagram appropriately. These diagrams should be displayed around the classroom as a demonstration of the many ways that we are different and similar. **Each diagram should be displayed not just he diagrams that look the best or are done perfectly. A variety of work should be presented.**


 * Ultimately, the feedback the teacher receives from these __assessments will drive the next set of instruction__. Because not all students learn at the same level, __differentiation of instruction__ is necessary to meet the diverse range of __ZPD's__ in the class.**

__English Language Learners:__ The teacher will provide a word bank of adjectives that the students can use to describe the characters in the story and their similarities and differences. This will help these students overcome their English vocabulary deficiency and still be successful in the activity. In addition to the word bank, the teacher might take the time to act out with the students different emotions and personality traits that are found in the story. This can be incorporated into the reading of the story by asking students to show with their face and body language how the characters in the story act and feel.
 * Universal Access:**

__GATE Students:__ Extension activity- Write a paragraph comparing/contrasting Miss Nelson and Miss Swamp. OR Create a Venn diagram that compares/contrasts three characters or classmates rather than just two. Using a Venn Diagram is a great way to engage logical and visual learners, as presented by H.G.'s Multiple Intelligences. The students can also have the opportunity to write their own story and create two characters that have similarities and differences and then make a venn diagrams with the characters they made up.

__At-Risk Students:__ These students should be in a group of their own. A parent volunteer or special education aid will come into the class to help these students at a slower pace, if needed. The aid or volunteer will help these students stay on task and give them the individual attention they need. These students may need to have some extra time to complete the activity. The aids should well aware of the issues each child has. This way the aid can help the children individually and push them to achieve their goals. If an SST meeting was held for any or all of these children, the aid should be aware of the goals especially if they could be met using this activity.

__IEP Students:__ Depending on what the student's IEP goals are, the teacher can modify the activity to help achieve their individual goals.

Guided Practice- The groups will work collaboratively for about 10-15 minutes filling in as much information in their diagram as they can. (Checking for Understanding) Then the teacher will call the class back together and the students will help fill in an enlarged venn diagram on the whiteboard. The students will need to explain and give examples of why they categorized certain characteristics in certain places. This time of call and response will help the teacher know whether the students are ready to tackle this activity on their own or whether some parts of the lesson need to be retaught with additional practice.
 * Student Activities:**

Independent Practice- Pairing students off the teacher will explain that the students are going to create their own Venn diagram comparing the characteristics and personalities of each other. The students should list a minimum of 5 characteristics in each box with a drawing of each student above the two outside circles.

-Appropriate for this class...This lesson addresses all the needs of each student in the class by differentiating instruction based on each students skill level. This activity is appropriate for a mid year lesson for the second grade level because it addresses the second grade standard of comparing and contrasting characters in a story. By this time the teacher has had the opportunity to teach his/her students how to summarize a story and how to identify important details in a piece of reading, by using story mapping, character webs, etc. This lesson incorporates the use of group activities and direct application to the students lives by having them comparing their traits with another student in the class. This direct application and collaborative work will help the students focus, enjoy the lesson, and internalize the idea of comparing and contrasting two different things.
 * The Instructional strategies, student activities and resources listed above are:**

-Address the developmental needs of these students by...having a different plan for each developmental difference present in this particular classroom. This lesson easily accommodates the needs of each student by lending itself to auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learning while providing a small group learning environment that will allow different levels of the lesson to be completed in a discrete and non-disruptive way. Each child will get the attention he or she needs by being placed in these small groups.

-Help these students make progress toward achieving the state-adopted academic content standards for students in this content area by...completing distinct National standards in English for the second grade level. Coming out of second grade the students are required to be able to compare and contrast characters, plots, writing styles, etc. This lesson introduces the beginning of comparing and contrasting which can be developed into short paragraphs of comparing/contrasting and will help the students develop the terminology necessary to meet state standards.