First Grade Read Aloud Lesson Plan
Lesson Title: Coral Reefs
Grade: 1st
Teacher: Brett Turmell
Time Required: 50 mins
Standard(s)-Common Core State Standard (CCSS):
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.1: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Common Core State Standards: http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/
Language Arts Objective: The learner will be able to describe what a coral reef looks like in a sentence
using details from the story.
Content Objective: The learner will be able to identify what a coral is and what makes up a reef. The
learner will be able to also identify which types of animals live in and around a coral reef.
Assessment: The students will be asked to write at least one sentence about a coral reef (any form of
writing will be accepted). In the sentence they need to have at least one key detail. This detail could be how
a reef is formed, what coral is made of, or what kind of animals live in and around a coral reef.
Adaptations for Diverse and Special Needs:
Key Vocabulary
Coral – animals made up of polyps.
Coral reef – coral that has piled up over thousands
of years
Tropical – warm and humid areas in the world
Parrot Fish – fish that eat algae that live inside the
coral
Predator – animals that eat other animals
Prey – an animal that is eaten by a predator
Materials
Corals Reefs by Jason Chin
Computer
Paper and writing utensils
Coloring WS with coral reef on it
Flash cards
Lesson Sequence:
Anticipatory Set (Before Reading)
 Today we will be reading Coral Reefs by Jason Chin. Tell the students that there
might be some words they may not know at first but need to listen closely and
look at the pictures carefully to find the meaning.
 Ask the students if they’ve ever heard of coral reefs. Briefly explain to them
what coral is and how a reef is formed with flash cards. Also show them a
picture of an actual coral reef on the computer
 Before starting the reading explain to the students that at the end they are going to
have to write at least one sentence that includes a detail about coral reefs.
Body of the Lesson (During Reading):
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(after page 2) Reiterate what a coral is by showing the flash card again. And using the
pictures in the book.
(after page 4) Show the flash card that says “Coral Reef” and ask the students if they can
explain what it is.
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(after page 7) Explain to the students what tropical means and tell them that this is the
only place that corals reefs can grow. Ask the students if they think Lake Superior is a
good place to find coral reefs. Also ask the students how a coral reef can compare to a
large city.
(on page 9) talk about the parrot fish. Where do they live? What do they eat? How do
they get food?
(After page 12) Explain the predator and prey relationship using flash cards and examples
from the book. Use the picture on page 12, of the eel trying to eat the little fish.
On pages 17 and 18, before reading, ask the students what they see in the picture. Ask
them what the little fish are doing to the big fish. After they give a few answers, read the
section and then ask them if their guesses were right.
After finishing the book ask the students again to compare how a reef is like a city.
Exploring/Extending (After Reading):
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Show the flash cards that say “coral” and “coral reef” again and have the students tell you what
they are.
Pass out the paper and writing utensils and have the students write a sentence describing what
coral is, what a coral reef is, or what kind of animals live on coral reefs.
Pass out coloring sheet, have the students color in the coral reef and show pictures in the book so
that they know that reefs are many colors
(if time permits) show a video will the students are coloring of an actual coral reef on the
computer
Closure:
We learned a lot of information about coral reefs. What they are, where they are located, and what
kind of animals live in and around them! We also learned that coral reefs are kind of like big cities with
many things happening at one time. Remember a coral is not a plant but an animal. And a reef is made up
of many corals that are no longer living. Many species of animals are living in coral reefs including the
parrot fish! Today we used these key details from out book to write a sentence to explain what a coral reef
is! If anyone is in a tropical area in the future be on the lookout for coral reefs and maybe go explore them!
Reflection:
Lesson Feature Check List
(Highlight)
Preparation
Adaptation of content
Links to background
Links to past learning
Strategies incorporated
Integration of Processes
Reading
Writing
Speaking
Listening
Viewing
Scaffolding
Modeling
Guided practice
Independent practice
Comprehensible input
Group Options
Whole class
Small groups
Partners
Independent
Application
Hands-on
Meaningful
Linked to objectives
Promotes engagement
Assessment
Individual
Group
Written
Oral