1 /2 Grade Multiage
Classroom
st
nd
A Thematic Unit Lesson Plans
By: Sage Education for Children
LANGUAGE ART LESSON
Fishing for Syllables
STANDARDS:
MATERIALS:
Phonemic Awareness –
. A book of your choice to read
1.5, 1.6, 1.9, 1.1
. “Fishing pole” with magnet
1.2, 1.3, 1.6
. Word list with paper clips for hooks
Focus Skill: Syllables
. Buckets (or large cups), fish sheet
Comprehension –
. Response sheet for group work
2.2, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6
. “I Got It” sheet and I Got It” bucket
2.4, 2.5
. Colored fish for group member
Writing - Personal Narrative
1.5
2.1
selection
TIME FRAME:
Three 45 minute reading blocks
Introduction
In this lesson, we will engage in “Fishing for Syllables” activity to learn
syllables. We will also read Drakes Tail in the class to learn how to use
prediction as an effective reading strategy. A prediction is a good guess
about what will happen next in a story. It is an essential reading strategy
that we always introduce early in the school year. Predicting involves
more than trying to figure out what happens next. As students find
evidence to form hunches, they also ask questions, recall facts, reread
skim, infer, draw conclusions, and ultimately, comprehend the text more
fully.
Activity Directions
1. Break students into three groups. Place a student from the bear
(English Learner), the tiger (Approaching), and the eagle (on /
beyond) in each group.
2. Gather students on the carpet and introduce the syllable lesson.
Explain to the students that today we are going to go fishing for
syllables. Review and ask if the students understand what the
word “syllable” means? Students are able to discuss the question
among their group, and make a decision then hold up group
members’ hand to answer question.
3. Tell the students that words have rhythm and beats that help us
sound them out, read them and write them. Listening for one, two
and three syllables in words, and they will need to segment words
into syllables by clapping their hands. For example:
. I say “puppy”, then clap it into syllables as “pup-py”; how
many syllables does it has?
. How many syllables does the word “super” has?
. How many syllables does the word “Saturday” has?
4. On the board the teacher have a large chart with three fish and
bubbles:
One Syllable
Two Syllables
Three Syllables
Students will practice determining in the whole group setting if
words have one, two or three syllables or if they have more (the
ones that got away) as they take turns catching fish from the “fish
pond” with the magnet on the end of a pole. Teacher will record
results on the board. After 10-15 minutes whole group practicing
on the fishing, explain to the students that each group will have a
small bucket and will need to label and cut out fish to go in the
bucket. Students will be able to use words from their word list.
Each group will pick a color fish and work with that color group.
5. Distribute a bucket, one sheet of 15 fish, scissors, pencil/markers,
and a group response chart to each group. Label and cut out 15
fish, so that each group has: five fish with one syllable, five fish
with two syllables, and five fish with three syllables.
. Put fish in bucket
. Take turns reaching in bucket and getting a fish – tell the
group the word and how many syllables
. Record answers on response sheet to turn in
. When the timer goes off, clean up and gather on the carpet
6. Gather students on the carpet and proceed to reading
comprehension lesson. Write these headings on chart paper:
PREDICTIONS and EVIDENCE. Explain the importance of making
predictions while reading and supporting those predictions with
evidence. Tell the students that evidence could include the book’s
cover, illustrations, a specific passage, or personal experience or
knowledge.
7. Have the groups to explore the title, front and back covers, and
title page. Collect predictions and evidence from students.
8. Stop once or twice during the reading and invite students to
predict again. Record responses on chart paper. Take two or three
predictions each time you stop.
9. Once you’ve completed the book, return to the chart to confirm
and adjust predictions. For instance, when the students revisited
their prediction about the Duck is going to see the king. “On his
way the duck meets his friend the Fox. The Fox wants to help the
duck with the king but the duck thinks the fox will get too tired on
the long trip.” What will happen next? Model how rereading and
scanning text and pictures helps find evidence.
10.Write adjustments on the chart with a different colored marker.
Then compare and discuss early predictions about the story.
11.Once students understand the strategy, they can complete the
reproducible Prediction Chart on their own using the book.
Key Question
��How many syllables are in a word?
��How do I blend syllables to make a word?
��How do syllables help us read words?
��What clues does the title give me about the story?
��Is this a real or imaginary story?
��What predictions can I make?
Take a Peek
The goal of Fishing for Syllables is to help students build phonological
awareness by identifying the number of syllables in their names and in
pictured words. It is important for teacher to accurate demonstrate how
to fish and clap syllables to the students. Pay close attention whether
students are able to clap the syllables and sort the names and picture
cards appropriately while students working on the activity. This activity
may require some advance thought about classroom management, as the
activity can potentially excites the students. Consider having several
buckets and assigning each student to a bucket. Make sure that you
also provide clear instructions for students about sharing the fishing rod
and waiting their turn. Carefully group the students with their ability;
make sure to group the students into more heterogeneous groupings so
that students can support each other with the activity; this will be a good
opportunity for the students to show great responsibility within their
group. Generally, phonological awareness activities such as this one do
not use written words. However, the use of names is appropriate
because students usually recognize their own name. This activity is
great to administer at the beginning of the school year.
Extending the Activity
There are many different topics that can be altered with this activity,
such as fishing for contractions, fishing for vowels…etc. If your groups
need more difficult words to work with, you can have students look for
words from newspapers, magazines, or read aloud books. You can
connect the lesson with the current event of the real world. Utilize this
activity and make it available at language art center during center time
to further explore syllables.
Students working at
the literacy center.
Have students to choose a book of their own at home to fill out the story
prediction chart, sort the words according to the number of the syllables
from the book, and turn in as homework.
Story Predictions Chart
Story Title: ________________________________
What might
happen?
Clues
What had
happened
Fishing for Syllables
High Frequency Word Lists
1 Syllable Words
bone
farm
lock
smart
chalk
couch
race
food
room
soup
rope
tree
pig
bait
fly
play
slow
bath
pet
note
cute
one
2 Syllable Words
below
teacher
better
summer
fancy
candy
question
mister
yellow
student
zipper
purple
muffin
pickle
daddy
buckle
rattle
table
giraffe
kitten
question
chicken
slipper
reptile
3 Syllable Words
hurricane
umbrella
cinnamon
vacation
calendar
disappoint
tornadofurniture
probably
broccoli
skeleton
principal
cranberry
photograph
flamingo
galoshes
elephant
gasoline
Fishing for Syllables
Write a 1 syllable word on five fish, a 2 syllable word on five fish, and a three syllable word on
five fish. Cut out fish and put in bucket. Take turns getting fish from bucket, reading the word
and telling how many syllables. Add each word to your group response sheet.
Fishing for Syllables ­ Group Response Chart
Names of group members:
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
One Syllable
Two Syllables
Three Syllables
Extras?
Extras?
Extras?
I GOT IT! REVIEW SHEET
Student’s Name ______________________________________________
Word with 1 syllable __________________
Word with 2 syllables _________________
Word with 3 syllables __________________
Student’s Name ______________________________________________
Word with 1 syllable __________________
Word with 2 syllables _________________
Word with 3 syllables __________________
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