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Content Area: Language Arts
Grade: Kindergarten
--------------------------------------------------------------------Day One
--------------------------------------------------------------------I. Topic of Lesson: Dr. Seuss
II. Goal/Objective/Purpose of Lesson:
The students will be able to summarize the key events and characteristics of Theodor Geisel’s
life.
III. Prerequisite Knowledge:
Students will need to have a working knowledge of acrostic poems. If the students do not
have an understanding of acrostic poems they will not be able to express their new
knowledge of Theodor Geisel in a way that the teacher will understand that they have
mastered the concept. For students to have a working knowledge of acrostics poems, they
must also know Standard English grammar to proficiently be able to express their thoughts in a
coherent manner. If it has been a while since the concept of an acrostic poem had been
used, the teacher will review the important aspects that need to be included in an acrostic
poem. Kindergarteners may have a hard time remembering the steps/rules of an acrostic
poem these will be talked about as well as written on the board.
IV. Ohio Academic Content Standards:
Standard
Text Types and Purposes
Benchmark
W.K.2. Use a combination of drawing,
dictating, and writing to compose
informative/explanatory texts in which they
name what they are writing about and supply
some information about the topic.
V. SPA Standards: (NAEYC, NSTA, NCSS, NASET, etc.)
Standard
Standard 1: Promoting Child Development and
Learning
Benchmark
Candidates use their understanding of young
children’s characteristics and needs, and of
multiple interacting influences on children’s
development and learning, to create
environments that are healthy, respectful,
supportive, and challenging for all children.
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VI. Materials/Technology:
1. Class copies of Theodor Geisel’s biography (Fry Readability: 4th Grade)
Rationale: Although the biography of Theodor Geisel is above the Kindergarten Level of
reading, with assistance from the teacher the students will be guided to understanding. This
was one of the simplest biographies I could find for Dr. Seuss, that contained enough
information to benefit the students and fulfill the objective for the lesson. To introduce the unit
on Dr. Seuss, it was fitting to begin by learning about the author’s life. I felt as though reading
about Dr. Seuss’s life and achievements would benefit the students, while providing a
background for the lessons that will follow it later in the week.
2. Acrostic Poem Worksheet
3. Markers
4. SMART board or Projector (seussville.com)
Rationale: I choose to use seussville.com because the class with be able to explore the
timeline in an interactive manner that will make learning about Dr. Seuss more interesting. The
students will be able to come up to the board and choose a year to learn about, which will
give the students freedom in the curriculum.
VII. Time Required: 40+ minutes
VIII. Vocabulary:
Writer
Cartoonist
Pesticide
Rejected
Publisher
Documentary
Dazzling
Rave
Credit
IX. Activities/Procedures:
1. Before the beginning the unit on Dr. Seuss we will create K-W-L charts about what we know
about Dr. Seuss and the books he has written. The students will create an individual K-W-L
chart, and then we will have a discussion and create a large classroom K-W-L chart. For this
first day the only two sections that will be filled out are K and W, the L section will be filled out
as a post assessment at the end of the unit.
2. The teacher will pass out copies of Theodor Geisel’s biography; the students will follow along
while the teacher reads the passage; stopping to define the vocabulary that is unknown to
students.
3. After reading the biography, the class will explore the timeline on seussville.com through a
SMART board or projector. The teacher will read aloud the events from the years: 1904 (his
birth), 1925 (first published cartoon), 1927 ( marries Helen Palmer), 1937 (published And to Think
I Saw it on Mulberry Street), 1938 (published The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins), 1949
(published Bartholomew and the Oobleck), 1950 (published If I Ran the Zoo), 1954 (published
Horton Hears a Who), 1956 (published If I Ran the Circus), 1957 (published The Cat in the Hat
and How the Grinch Stole Christmas), 1958 (published The Cat in the Hat Comes Back and
Yertle the Turtle), 1959 (published Happy Birthday to You), 1960 (published Green Eggs and
Ham), 1961 (published The Sneetches), 1962 (published The Sleep Book), 1963 (published Dr.
Seuss’s ABC), 1965 (published Fox in Sox), 1968 (published The Foot Book), 1970 (published Mr.
Brown can Moo! Can You?), 1971 (published The Lorax), 1984 (published The Butter Battle
Book), 1990 (published Oh, the Places You’ll Go), 1991 ( Theodor Geisel passed away).
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4. Students will take the information from both the biography and timeline to create an
acrostic poem of the events or characteristics they felt were important in Theodor Geisel’s life.
5. Students will share their acrostic poems with their classmates explaining why they chose the
events or characteristics for their poem.
X. Accommodations/Differentiated Instruction:
To accommodate student’s learning styles, students will be able to hear the teacher reading
the biography as well as having a copy of it for them to read. To ensure students with
kinesthetic learning styles are given a chance to reach their capabilities they will be able to
create their acrostic poem. This lesson is very interactive and allows the students to have an
outlet for creativity; this is a change from the day-to-day activities students perform in many
classrooms. Any accommodations needed, will be made during the lesson.
XI. Assessment/Evaluation:
To assess students on their abilities to summarize Theodor’s Geisel’s life, the students will create
a poem including key details and events from his life.
XII. Impact on Student Learning:
In elementary school, Dr. Seuss and his writing are a very large part of the culture. As teachers,
we need to envelop students into the world of Seuss because it lets them blossom with
creativity. Through the reading of Dr. Seuss, students are able to develop phonics skills, as well
as phonemic awareness. The reading of Dr. Seuss is great for young learners because the
words sounds exactly like they are spelled and this makes reading easier for students in
Kindergarten and 1st Grade.
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Dr. Seuss Biography
Birthdate: March 2, 1904
Birthplace: Springfield, Massachusetts
The Early Years
Theodor Seuss Geisel (better known as Dr. Seuss) was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was
given the middle name Seuss because it is his mother's maiden name. Dr. Seuss studied English at
Oxford University in England, which is where he met his wife, Helen Palmer.
Finding His Voice
Dr. Seuss worked as a writer and cartoonist at various magazines before being hired to draw ads
for a pesticide company. He drew nasty looking bugs for 15 years. It was only when Dr. Seuss was
returning to the U.S. from a European vacation, by boat, that he wrote his fist children's book. His
boredom on the long trip inspired Dr. Seuss to write a poem to the rhythm of the ship's engine.
The result was the book And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, which was rejected by the
first 27 publishers he sent it to. The book was finally published and became a hit. However, Dr.
Seuss didn't become a household name until he wrote The Cat in the Hat in 1957.
Getting Serious
World War II interrupted Dr. Seuss' career as a children's book author. During the war, Dr. Seuss
worked for the U.S. Army making documentary films for American soldiers. His films, Hitler Lives
and Design for Death, both won Academy Awards. When the war was over, Dr. Seuss returned
to his career as a successful children's author. Dr. Seuss died of cancer on September 24, 1991 at
the age of 87.
Movie Mania
Even after his death, Dr. Seuss is still dazzling audiences. In 2000, the movie version of The Grinch
Who Stole Christmas, starring Jim Carrey, got rave reviews. In 2003, The Cat in the Hat, starring
Mike Myers, hit theaters and, in 2008, Horton Hears a Who hit the big screen!
Did You Know?
· Dr. Seuss' wife, Helen Palmer, also wrote children's books under the Seuss label.
· The last book Dr. Seuss' ever wrote was a book for "obsolete children" (old peeps) titled You're
Only Old Once.
When Dr. Seuss was a kid, his mother would soothe him to sleep by chanting rhymes from her
childhood. Dr. Seuss credited her with his talent for rhyming.
Dr. Seuss Says...
"Be who you are and say what you want, because those who mind don't matter and those who
matter don't mind."
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______________



_____________
_

____________
__
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--------------------------------------------------------------------Day Two
--------------------------------------------------------------------I. Topic of Lesson: If I Ran a Zoo
II. Goal/Objective/Purpose of Lesson:
The objective for this lesson is that the students will be able to create story similar to Dr. Seuss as
well as create and describe their own imaginary creature.
III. Prerequisite Knowledge:
Students must understand and be able to use standard conventions for writing. If students are
not able to write for themselves in an understandable manner then the teacher will not be
able to determine whether the students have acquired the information taught in the lesson.
By the end of Kindergarten, which is when this lesson would be taught, students should have a
loose understanding of sentences and phonemic spelling. With the understanding of both of
those concepts, students should be able to create a coherent story with a picture to assist in
the understanding of the narrative.
IV. Ohio Academic Content Standards:
Standard
Text Types and Purposes
Benchmark
W.K.1. Use a combination of drawing,
dictating, and writing to compose opinion
pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or
the name of the book they are writing about
and state an opinion or preference about the
topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is...).
V. SPA Standards: (NAEYC, NSTA, NCSS, NASET, etc.)
Standard
Standard 1: Promoting Child Development and
Learning
Benchmark
Candidates use their understanding of young
children’s characteristics and needs, and of
multiple interacting influences on children’s
development and learning, to create
environments that are healthy, respectful,
supportive, and challenging for all children.
VI. Materials/Technology:
1. If I Ran the Zoo (Fry Readability: 4th Grade, Caldecott Honor)
Rationale: I chose to use the book If I Ran the Zoo because it illustrates to students the
creativity they can have when they are allowed that freedom. Through the use of a book like
Page |7
If I Ran the Zoo, the students have to use their imagination to envision what the mixed-up
animals would look like in real life. The students will not be reading the book themselves, so
they teacher will be able to ask students what they think about the vocabulary words to
create a student friendly definition.
2. Your Favorite Seuss: A baker’s dozen by the one and only Dr. Seuss
Rational: By reading the history section before If I Ran the Zoo, students will learn more
about Dr. Seuss as an author. Students will learn what inspired Dr. Seuss to write the book and
what was happening in his life. By learning the background knowledge they will have a firmed
foundation of knowledge about the book.
3. If I Ran the Zoo Prompt
4. Rubric
XIII. Time Required: 30+ Minutes
XIV. Vocabulary:
Fellow
Proud
Old-fashioned
Un-usual
Beast
Gol-darndest
Strangest
Odd
Roost
Squeal
Slant
Custard
Brooks
Crannies
Capture
Queer
Puzzled
Vicious
Blistering
VII. Activities/Procedures:
1. The teacher will review the material covered in the previous day about Theodor Geisel’s life.
2. The teacher will introduce the book If I Ran the Zoo with the information from Your Favorite
Seuss: A baker’s dozen by the one and only Dr. Seuss.
3. The teacher will read If I Ran the Zoo to the students. While reading, the students will use the
Guided Imagery strategy to envision the animals that are described in the story.
4. After reading the book, the students can ask questions. The teacher will have a discussion
about the book.
5. The teacher will send the student back to their desks to write a narrative about what they
would do if they ran the zoo.
6. The students must create an imaginary animal. They will describe the animal in their story as
well as draw a picture.
VIII. Accommodations/Differentiated Instruction:
The students will be read the book which will appeal to auditory learners. While reading to the
book to the class, the students will be able to see the illustrations in the book; this will help
understanding for students who are visual learners. Kinesthetic learners will benefit from being
able to physically write and draw for themselves. Any accommodations needed, will be
made during the lesson.
IX. Assessment/Evaluation:
To assess the students on their ability to create story similar to Dr. Seuss as well as create and
describe their own imaginary creature the students will be prompted to write what they would
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do if they ran a zoo and create an imaginary creature that would live in their zoo. The
students will be graded using a rubric.
X. Impact on Student Learning:
I think that this lesson would have impact on the student’s learning because they are able to
explore their imagination. By giving students the opportunity to fully express themselves with
their creativity, they will be able to tell you their extent of knowledge.
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

______________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
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.
.
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
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
.......
CATEGORY
4
3
2
1
Title
Title is creative,
Title is related to
sparks interest and the story and
is related to the
topic.
story and topic.
Title is present, but No title.
does not appear to
be related to the
story and topic.
Focus on Assigned The entire story is
Topic
related to the
assigned topic and
allows the reader
to understand
much more about
the topic.
Most of the story is Some of the story
related to the
is related to the
assigned topic. The assigned topic, but
story wanders off a reader does not
at one point, but learn much about
the reader can still the topic.
learn something
about the topic.
No attempt has
been made to
relate the story to
the assigned topic.
Creativity
The story contains
many creative
details and/or
descriptions that
contribute to the
reader's
enjoyment. The
author has really
used his
imagination.
The story contains The story contains
a few creative
a few creative
details and/or
details and/or
descriptions that descriptions, but
contribute to the they distract from
reader's
the story. The
enjoyment. The
author has tried to
author has used his use his
imagination.
imagination.
There is little
evidence of
creativity in the
story. The author
does not seem to
have used much
imagination.
Illustrations
Original
illustrations are
detailed,
attractive, and
creative and relate
to the text on the
page.
Original
illustrations are
somewhat
detailed,
attractive, and
relate to the text
on the page.
Illustrations are
not present OR
they are not
original.
Original
illustrations relate
to the text on the
page.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------Day Three
--------------------------------------------------------------------I. Topic of Lesson: Green Eggs and Ham
II. Goal/Objective/Purpose of Lesson:
The objective for this lesson is for students to be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of
rhyme.
III. Prerequisite Knowledge:
Students will need to be able to read at a fluently enough to be able to identify themselves
saying rhyming words. If students are not fluent enough in their reading they will not be able to
identify if two words rhyme. The students will be able to identify when the teacher reads the
rhyming words, but in this activity I am also incorporating reading comprehension so that the
students must be able to read part of the text by themselves.
IV. Ohio Academic Content Standards:
Standard
Phonological Awareness
Production and Distribution of Writing
Benchmark
RF.K.2 a. Recognize and produce rhyming
words.
W.K.5. With guidance and support from adults,
respond to questions and suggestions from
peers and add details to strengthen writing as
needed.
V. SPA Standards: (NAEYC, NSTA, NCSS, NASET, etc.)
Standard
Standard 1: Promoting Child Development and
Learning
Benchmark
Candidates use their understanding of young
children’s characteristics and needs, and of
multiple interacting influences on children’s
development and learning, to create
environments that are healthy, respectful,
supportive, and challenging for all children.
VI. Materials/Technology:
1. Green Eggs and Ham (Fry readability: 1st Grade)
Rationale: The students will utilize the book Green Eggs and Ham to explore the
phonetics involved with rhyming words. The students will be able to identify simple rhyming
words from the book, which will guide their creation of a rhyming narrative. This is one of Dr.
P a g e | 13
Seuss’s great rhyming books that is a perfect model for teaching students about the rhyming
concept.
2. Green eggs and ham graphic organizer
3. SMART board
Rationale: To use the graphic organizer on the SMART board will give the students a
sense of ownership, because they will get to write their name on the board. The students are
given the chance to think about whether they would like green eggs and ham. After reading
the book, students will be able to move their names if they did or did not end up liking green
eggs and ham.
4. Dr. Seuss prompt papers
VII. Time Required: 30+ Minutes
VIII. Vocabulary: There are no unknown words in this selection of text.
IX. Activities/Procedures:
1. Review all material covered previous to this lesson about Dr. Seuss and his books.
2. Introduce the book Green Eggs and Ham. Create a class chart to display on the SMART
board. Students will write their names on the yes or no side of whether they think they would
like green eggs and ham.
3. Begin reading the book to the students, but then have students jump in to read sections of
the book. Be sure to model for students how to read books with a great deal of rhyme.
4. After reading the book, students will go back through and pick out words that rhyme with
each other.
5. The class will discuss what rhyme is and other words not included in the book that rhyme.
6. Students will create a short paragraph of their own that must include at least 5 sets of words
that rhyme. One to two of these words can be made up words modeled after Seussian writing.
7. Students will read their paragraph aloud to the class to receive feedback on their rhyming
words.
X. Accommodations/Differentiated Instruction:
Students will listen to the teacher read the Green Eggs and Ham, they will also look at the
picture while she is reading; this will be beneficial to both auditory and visual learners. The
students will also read aloud which will also help visual learners. The students will then create
their own narrative with rhyming words which will help kinesthetic learners. Any
accommodations that are found to be needed will be made at the time of instruction.
XI. Assessment/Evaluation:
The students will be assessed on their ability to demonstrate a working knowledge of rhyme by
creating their own paragraph or narrative that must include at least 5 sets of rhyming words.
XII. Impact on Student Learning:
This lesson creates an opportunity for students to gain knowledge about rhyming, which is a
key concept in the early childhood grades. I believe the students will enjoy this activity,
especially being able to create their own rhyming words. I would allow the students to use
one or two made up words to embrace the Seussian side of writing.
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



?

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.!
5
.
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
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--------------------------------------------------------------------Day Four
--------------------------------------------------------------------I. Topic of Lesson: The Sneetches
II. Goal/Objective/Purpose of Lesson:
The objective for this lesson is for the students to understand that treating others unfairly is not
positive behavior as well as some ways that they can treat others fairly.
III. Prerequisite Knowledge:
The students will need to know how to complete a definition of concept map. The students
will need to know how to complete the graphic organizer so that they can complete the
activity without a lot of assistance from the teacher. The students will also need to know
common social standards, such as not judging others, being fair, etc. If students do not know
these social standards then the activity will not be effective.
IV. Ohio Academic Content Standards:
Standard
Human Systems
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
Benchmark
8. Individuals are unique but share common
characteristic of multiple groups.
L.K.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on kindergarten reading and
content.
V. SPA Standards: (NAEYC, NSTA, NCSS, NASET, etc.)
Standard
Standard 1: Promoting Child Development and
Learning
Benchmark
Candidates use their understanding of young
children’s characteristics and needs, and of
multiple interacting influences on children’s
development and learning, to create
environments that are healthy, respectful,
supportive, and challenging for all children.
VI. Materials/Technology:
1. The Sneetches (Fry readability: 5th Grade, multicultural)
Rationale: I choose The Sneetches as a diversity piece for the students to explore why it is
important to treat others fairly and equally. The book will be used to show students that it is not
okay to treat others badly because they look different. The reading level may be somewhat
difficult for the students, but I would stop and explain to the students in sections that may be
difficult for them to understand.
P a g e | 17
2. Stars
3. Circles
4. Concept of Definition Map Worksheets
VII. Time Required: 1 Day
VIII. Vocabulary:
Brag
Snoot
Sniff
Snort
Thars
Frankfurter
Moping
Doping
Guaranteed
Peculiar
Clambered
Snooty
Contraption
Frightfully
IX. Activities/Procedures:
1. The teacher will ask students about what they have learned about in the past week to
review the Dr. Seuss unit.
2. Before reading, the students will be split up into pairs and be given a vocabulary word and
the sentence from the book that it is in. The students will have to complete a concept of
definition word map to share with the class.
2. Teacher will introduce The Sneetches, and discuss the theme of the book. The teacher will
discuss that sometimes not everyone is treated fairly, but we need to try to treat everyone
equally.
3. The teacher will read The Sneetches to the whole class.
4. After reading, the students will make a list of privileges that the star-bellied Sneetches would
get in their classroom.
5. Split the class in half by passing out pieces of paper that are either a plain circle or have a
star. Explain that the students with the star will get to have all the privileges listed by the class.
Then later the class will switch so that the entire class will get to experience both positions.
6. After the whole class has been both a circle and a star the class will have a discussion about
how they felt while they were both the star-belly and the plain Sneetch.
7. The teacher will ask the students if they believe people are ever treated this way. The
students will have to fill out the Sneetches worksheet to tell how they felt in each simulation.
X. Accommodations/Differentiated Instruction:
The students will listen and look at the illustrations as the teacher reads The Sneetches, this will
positively affect the learning of auditory and visual learners. The simulation will benefit all
learning styles. Any accommodations needed, will be made during the lesson.
XI. Assessment/Evaluation:
The assessment for this lesson will be determined by the discussion taken place after the
simulation as well as the worksheet where students will give individual answers on
P a g e | 18
understanding that treating others unfairly is not positive behavior as well as some ways that
they can treat others fairly.
XII. Impact on Student Learning:
This lesson will impact student learning because it will create a good foundation for students to
build social skills. Students need first-hand experience to know how it feel when you are
treated unfairly. Once they have first-hand knowledge of what that feels like, they will see why
you should not treat others like that. The students will also benefit from learning difficult words
that they have previously not encountered to expand their vocabulary.
P a g e | 19
What is it?
What is it like?
Vocabulary Word
Draw some examples.
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:____________________________


?
__________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
__


-?
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________


?
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________