East Detroit Public Schools
Lesson Design
Author: Brandel Binson
Subject: Language Arts
Grade: K-1, S.E. K-3
Title: Alphabet Poems
Length of Unit: 30 minutes per poem page, per student (several weeks for whole alphabet book)
Materials needed:
Power Macintosh G3 computer
HP Deskwriter printer
large TV monitor
Kid Works 2 software program
teacher created or published poems (one for each letter of the alphabet)
Standards-Based Outcomes (MDE):
English Language Arts:
I. Meaning and Communication
Content Standard I, 1: All students will read and comprehend general and technical material.
2. Read with developing fluency a variety of texts, such as stories, poems, messages, menus, and
directions.
4. Employ multiple strategies to decode words as they construct meaning, including the use of phonemic
awareness, letter-sound associations, picture cues, context clues, and other word recognition aids.
VI. Genre and Craft of Language
Content Standard VI, 8: All students will explore and use the characteristics of different types of texts,
aesthetic elements, and mechanics--including text structure, figurative and descriptive language,
spelling, punctuation, and grammar--to construct and convey meaning.
5. Explore how the characteristics of various oral, visual, and written texts (e.g., videos, CD-ROM stories,
books on tape, and trade books) and the textual aids they employ (e.g., illustrations, tables of contents,
and headings/titles) are used to convey meaning.
Prior Knowledge:
•Students have spent time on letter/sound recognition activities with the featured letter.
•Students have read the alphabet poem several times with 80% accuracy.
•Students are familiar with word-processing programs and the computer keyboard.
Cue Set:
The teacher reads and records a familiar alphabet poem from an illustrated book page on the computer
monitor. Then the teacher replays the recorded reading.
Best Shot Instruction:
•The students use Kid Works 2 to create a multimedia alphabet poem book, page by page.
Independent Student Activities:
•The students type an alphabet poem using their word-processing skills.
•They illustrate the poem with a computer generated drawing using the Kid Works 2 illustrating tools.
•After creating the poem page, students record themselves reading their poem aloud and then replay it.
•Hard copies are produced to make a poem book to take home.
Teacher-Student Interaction:
•The teacher observes and may question students as they work.
•When necessary, the teacher guides the students in focusing on accuracy, beginning sounds, and
drawing an appropriate picture for the poem.
Integration of Technology:
•The use of the Power Macintosh G3 and Kid Works 2 program allows students another hands-on tool
for learning letter sounds and words while giving them experience in utilizing technology. This is
particularly useful in planning meaningful activities for students who often need several different
exposures to a topic.
Career awareness:
•Students’ awareness of the many ways to utilize technology is broadened.
Reteaching and Enrichment:
•The teacher asks questions of the students regarding the accuracy of their typing.
•The teacher asks if the picture matches the poem and if not, what picture would be more appropriate.
•The teacher asks the students to read words from the poem beginning with the featured letter/sound.
The teacher asks, “How do we know this word is alligator? How do we know it is not pizza? Are there
any other words that begin with the same beginning sound as alligator?”
Review and Closure:
•Students produce typed and illustrated alphabet book pages with their recorded voices reading the
poems.
•Students print copies of the illustrated poem pages to make hard copies for themselves as well as the
class book.
•Students share their experiences using the program with the teacher. They comment on the areas that
may need more practice.
Assessment:
After completing the tasks, students complete the following rubric with partners, then the teacher:
1. I typed the poem with no mistakes.
2. My picture goes with the subject of the poem.
3. I read the poem with no mistakes.
4. I printed the page.