Michael in Language Arts
A look into a fifth grade student’s literary abilities
Erica Lange
Fall 2013
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Contents
Part I: Learning About a Student............................................................................................................... 3
Artifact 1: Observation of Michael in Mrs. V’s Class .............................................................................. 6
Analysis of Student Observation ............................................................................................................ 8
Artifact 2: Interview with Michael ......................................................................................................... 9
Analysis of Student Interview............................................................................................................... 12
Artifact 3: Interview with Mrs. V .......................................................................................................... 13
Analysis of Teacher’s Interview ............................................................................................................ 14
Artifact 4: Interview with Michael’s Emotional Support Teacher ........................................................ 15
Analysis of Emotional Support Teacher’s Interview............................................................................. 17
Artifact 5: Student Work ...................................................................................................................... 18
Analysis of Student Work ..................................................................................................................... 18
Part II: Designing Instruction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………20
Big Question ......................................................................................................................................... 21
Rationale .............................................................................................................................................. 21
Lessons ................................................................................................................................................. 22
Lesson 1……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………22
Lesson 2……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………25
Lesson 3……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………28
References ............................................................................................................................................ 31
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Part I: Learning About a Student
Introduction of assignment and student
I was given the excellent opportunity to observe and learn all about a local student. The
INSIDER project involves gathering information in a first-hand experience of visiting a
classroom multiple times to see and analyze a student in his or her language arts class. At first, I
was nervous for this undertaking of creating a case study, but was so excited to get in the
classroom.
I was placed in a fifth grade classroom at a school where fifth grade is the first year of middle
school for the students and the building is attached to the high school. The teacher goes by Mrs.
V and is a very passionate and sweet woman. You can always tell that she is excited to teach
and interact with the students. She listens to their voices and gives them to a chance to speak all
the time. Respect and cooperating with the instructions Mrs. V gives tend to be the most
important aspect of her classroom.
I was given the task to decide which student in the class I wanted to complete the INSIDER
case study of. The first day, I went to Mrs. V’s classroom to watch the students and see if any of
them stood out to me as being totally different than myself. The students did not pay any
attention to me for awhile my first sitting until near the end of my visit when a student asked
Mrs. V who I was and what I was doing. She informed the students of my appearance and
explained that I am a university student and they all asked if I knew the one person that they
knew.
I narrowed my search to three boys in the classroom and could not decide who to choose
between them. Mrs. V asked who I narrowed my search down to and suggested that I chose
Michael because it would give me a challenge. Michael is a student who is very bright and
eloquent, but does not like to show that in his work. He has such a high potential to produce
work of a much higher quality than the average fifth grader, but according to Mrs. V, tends to be
lazy and not motivated to perform better. He gets distracted easily. Michael has an Emotional
Support aid that helps during his Language Arts period. Usually, he sits in class entertaining
himself with playing with his fingers, ears or pieces of paper rather than listening and sitting
quietly as he has been instructed. Michael also likes to call out and share irrelevant information
with Mrs. V or Ms. D thinking that he is funny. Michael would give me a challenge being that
he is quite immature for his age.
I attempted to give him lessons based on a book that would interest him. The novel I chose is
part of a series, The Camp Haunted Hill series. The specific novel I chose is the third in the
series and primarily based on dinosaurs and adventure. The lessons are interactive and fun, just
as Michael asked me to make them. He will use drawing skills, writing, social interaction, and
many other important skills a student at his age needs to succeed.
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I learned that there are bright students in the classroom, but they are all unique. Michael is a
typical fifth grader in most ways but needs a little more attention than the rest. I learned that it is
a lot of work to make the students do well and try to do well. The tasks need to be interesting
and something that they will like, but also have to be constructive and educational. There needs
to always be a “happy medium” when it comes to what lessons to teach. I have also learned that
students can be on both ends of the spectrum. He is extremely intelligent yet immature therefore
show that he knows the information but does not show it appropriately. I have never had an
experience of analyzing a student in such depth. Michael’s intelligence impresses me yet his
immaturity also throws me off a bit. He was entertaining and intriguing to talk to as well as
observe in his usual classroom situation. He has a bright future ahead of him.
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Artifact 1: Observation of Michael in Mrs. V’s Class
Student Observation- October 10, 2013
Time
9:54
9:57
10:00
10:02
10:04
10:05
10:09
10:16
10:18
10:19
10:24
10:25
10:27
10:28
10:30
10:35
Observation
Last to walk into classroom
Called out about something that is happening at
1:40 today
Keeps all books on window sill instead of at desk
like the rest
Drawing during a break. Knew he had to put it
away from a look Mrs. V. Took a minute to put
away on window sill
Described, with examples, what subjects and
predicates were with excellent sentences
Mrs. V. took a slip of paper that he was playing
with
While watching School House Rock, he watched
but played with his ears
Correctly identifies predicate on the board
Tried leaving the room to get “toolbox”
(notebook). Mrs. V stopped him before he got to
the door
Should just automatically get a sheet of paper.
Jason gave him one and Mrs. V prompted him to
say “Thank you, Jason.”
Brought up that predicates do not have to be what
the thing is doing, Mrs. V said it is the form of the
word “be”
Creative sentence
Was to write a sentence then worked ahead and
labeled the subject and predicate but was
specifically told not to
Quickly was able to find a the sentences of the girl
next to him
Got caught drawing again
Mrs. V took paper he was drawing on away from
him and neither said anything. He then sat with
harms and head on the desk
Interpretation
Felt everyone should know
what he was doing
Needs space at desk
Getting bored with work and
draws to pass time
Creative in thoughts
Needed to occupy his hands
Needed to occupy his hands
Knows parts of sentences
Thought she wouldn’t notice
Doesn’t think how to fix
issues
Thinking beyond other
students and needed to share
Did not listen to instructions
Identifies sentence parts well
Getting bored
Feeling of defeat that his work
was taken
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10:36
10:38
10:40
10:41
10:41
10:46
10:51
10:55
10:57
11:01
11:02
11:03
11:06
11:11
11:14
11:19
Playing with fingers on desk but raises had in
between to answer questions
Describes what “grudgingly” means very well
Volunteers definition for “desperately.” Raises his
hand but wasn’t called on
Only student with nothing on his desk
Should have textbook and toolbox out. Sat at desk
making noises until Mrs. V told him to get
materials out
Stood up to put toolbox/sheet away
Argues with Mrs. V to get a specific chair for
group reading rather than listening and going where
he should have originally
Listens intently to group leader
Goes to hall once he asked permission
Comes back into room and starts filling out
worksheet as directed
Mrs. V told him he wasn’t writing complete
sentences
Mrs. V directs him personally as to what he should
write on the worksheet
Reads story to group of 3 (two other girls)
Answered exactly what a wok is
Says I can go for a “wok” Mrs. V says “you can go
for a writing”
Fidgets the whole time while reading silently
Paying attention but needs to
self-occupy
Large vocabulary
Needs to share
Does not prepare for later
He wasn’t to put away yet
Thought she wouldn’t notice
again
Knows the rules
Gets on task quickly
Strong vocabulary
Constantly needs to move
Another day, I observed Michael sitting in the classroom. He was to take a test and it was the
day he knew I was interviewing him. He was incredibly distracted with the fact that I was
getting to interview him later and was very excited. He could not concentrate on his test and was
repeatedly stopping his work. The teachers, Mrs. V and Ms. D, bargained with him that if he
finished up to a certain section, he could go into the hall for his interview with me. It took him
awhile to complete that section of the test, but eventually he did. The interview was then held.
He is a very active boy.
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Analysis of Student Observation
Student Observation- Linguistic Analysis
Michael does not interact too much with other students in his class. He does not speak to
them. It is not that he is unsocial; he just does not have anything to say to them during class
time. He speaks well to Mrs. V when he actually answers questions. He has a great, strong,
voice, but tends to run on with his sentences. He speaks slowly but surely. I did not notice much
of a difference between how he spoke to Mrs. V versus the other students because he did not
speak to the others often at all. He is noted as having an excellent vocabulary but does not show
his knowledge appropriately.
Student Observation- Reading Strategies Analysis
Michael does not put much effort into reading-related activity. He will read silently, but be
easily distracted by his hands or something else and does not stay consistent with his reading. In
discussion, he tends to shout out his answer and does not always raise his hand. He participates,
but infrequently. When reading in groups, Michael participates and reads well. He could just
not like to participate in the same means that the other students do. Michael might simply only
like to read alone.
Student Observation- Literacy Analysis
Michael should read with his group and follow directions. He is told to write in full sentences
on a piece of his work, and is not. He is just being lazy and knows how to do it correctly, but
chooses not to. With constant direction and attention, Michael will get to his work but needs to
be told to all the time. He had a very difficult task of completing his test while waiting to work
with me for an interview. I have never seen a student so distracted with other things going on in
his mind. Michael is very intelligent and has other activities that interest him as shown in later
artifacts. He may not enjoy reading, but does a good job at it.
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Artifact 2: Interview with Michael
Michael and I had a conversation type of interview
Tell me about yourself, your family, friends, favorite things, etc.
“Well, first, I am an only child so that means I have no siblings. My mom’s name is Pearl; I
won’t tell you her phone number, that’s too personal. My daddy and mommy live in different
houses. On the weekend, I go to my grandma’s. I call her Fred because she doesn’t like being
called Grandma. And also I go to my daddy’s on the weekends. His name is Nick. I am ten
years old. I have a hamster I call Fluffy because he is a big ball of fluff. I also have a DSI, it is a
Duel Screen, and I think the “I” means enhanced because it holds more data. It is basically this
thing that you play games on. Also, I have a husky his name is Charlie. I also have over 2000
Legos.
How are your friends, what are they like?
I have two friends that are sisters. They are homeschooled. Their names are Olivia and
Michaela. They love animals and Mine Craft, which I love. Also I am friends with Ian and
Wyatt Yohey. Wyatt likes bombers and Ian, he likes reading and basketball. I am also friends
with nick. Some of these people are from the bus, most of them. Nick can sometimes be a little
gross.
What is your perfect school day like?
I would get all A’s. Having no trouble. Having a decent lunch. Stuff like that.
Do you read at home?
My average is that I can read two pages per minute. If you give me your paper I can read it in
less than two minutes.
Do your parents have you read at home?
Sometimes they have me read and I am also a TV and video game addict. I can stay hours on
end in front of the TV.
What do you like about your English classes?
I like that we do fun stuff sometimes. Yesterday we got to eat a cookie. I like to read.
Do you like writing?
No not really. Writing hurts my wrist and arms for some reason. I can barely lift my arms. I can
barely lift a gallon. How much do gallons weigh?
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Eight pounds
Wow eight pounds, I can barely lift 8 pounds.
Is there something you’d change about your English class?
I’d make it so we have more fun. Like having more art projects and more games.
Do you want to play more games?
Yes, things where I can move around.
What do you like doing for fun, just TV and video games?
I like riding my bike. I ride around my big block.
Do you read for fun ever?
Well I like to read some books are kind of interesting. I’m interested in dinosaurs, trains, sports,
cars, tractor trailers, and also crashed vehicles. I am addicted to looking at crashed vehicle. I
especially love the train crashes and truck crashes.
Do you like real or pretend books? Fantasy or fiction?
Both.
What was your favorite book you’ve read so far this year?
My favorite book would have to be Boxcar Children the Fair Mysteries number 6. Would you
like to see it in my locker?
Is there anything you’d like to tell me?
Sometimes kids are unpredictable if you’re going to be a math teacher. Sometimes kids moan
and groan. If you’re going to be a math teacher, you should be in that room over there.
This is for an English class that I have this project for.
Anyway, how long has this thing been on?
I would also like to say that kids are also pretty unpredictable. Also sometimes kids will ask you
pretty weird questions, like what does this mean and what does that mean? Sometimes they like
to do bad things when the teacher is gone. I like to ask questions. Sometimes you want to move
kids in the classroom. Sometimes I get bored in class and when I am I’m bored I like to lay my
head down and think about personal biz. Like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. I can see the
creatures from Cloudy 2 and that’s why there are berries climbing all over the walls.
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This interview is over in 3, 2, 1. Now it’s just going to be me talking now.
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Analysis of Student Interview
Student Interview- Linguistic Analysis
Michael speaks the same at home than he does in class. He uses the same great vocabulary
and phrases. He likes to go off topic and talk about things that are not relative to what is being
said or taught quite frequently. He should be able to concentrate on the conversation at hand
better than he does for his age.
Student Interview- Reading Strategies Analysis
Michael is very vocal. I know he gets bored with things that are not interesting to him. Mrs.
V told me this fact as well as Michael in our discussion. When he has to read something he does
not like, he just will not read it. He is strong-willed and opinionated, as seen in the interview
with him. When Michael does not like what is going on in class he “lay down my head and think
about personal biz.” He needs to be constantly entertained with fun, interactive activities in
order to learn and pay attention.
Student Interview- Literacy Analysis
Outside of school, Michael said that he does read somewhat, but is more of a TV and video
game addict. He does not just sit and read for fun and will primarily only read when his mother
tells him to do so. It would be helpful if his other family members, such as his father and
grandmother, promoted reading when not in school. They can make it mandatory that Michael
reads so many pages a night before the video games are played. They can also show that reading
can be fun. Michael needs to realize that not only the few topics he likes are going to be worth
reading. There are plenty of genres and mediums in which he can read and like to read. He can
read rather quickly, as stated above. This shows that he is not a terrible reader, but just does not
practice or like doing it as his favorite activity. He does not write much outside of school.
Perhaps his parents, along with Mrs. V and other teachers, can have writing assignments
completed on the computer; therefore the issue of his hand hurting will not even be a problem.
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Artifact 3: Interview with Mrs. V
Interview With A Teacher Based on Michael
How would you describe Michael?
Michael is a very intelligent, but immature child.
Is he changing throughout the school year?
I haven’t seen a significant change in Michael yet this school year. However, having known
Michael from previous years, he is having a better year both academically and socially than
in the past.
Is he helpful to you and other students?
Michael does not like to work with others or help out.
How does he differ in speaking or writing from other students?
When speaking with Michael, you can see that he is very intelligent and has an extensive
vocabulary. His writing however is unorganized and unfocused. He likes to write only about
subjects that interest him, dinosaurs and robots.
Is Michael a strong reader? How can you tell?
Michael is a strong reader. His comprehension is strong and he is very fluent.
Does he seem to exude confidence in English/Language Arts? Or in general?
Michael is confident in his abilities in most classes including English/Language Arts.
Is there a way that you alter instruction to Michael learn at his highest potential?
No, Michael is instructed with the whole class. He does have the support of the ES teacher
during language arts.
What is your typical type of instruction? PowerPoint, videos, lecture, etc.
I use the interactive whiteboard for whole group instruction. We reinforce skills with small
group and independent practice.
What are your tests like?
Tests are a combination of multiple choice and short answer questions.
Do you have any other advice for me as an aspiring teacher?
Be prepared to work harder than you ever thought you’d have to. Remember that the kids are
why you are there. They need to be your number one priority. You will come to love your job
and your kids more than you ever thought you could. Teachers change lives, and your
students may change yours as well.
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Analysis of Teacher’s Interview
Teacher’s Interview- Linguistic Analysis
Mrs. V says that Michael has a very strong vocabulary and is very intelligent. He just does not
put forth effort as he should. He is confident in his abilities in Language Arts as well as his other
classes. He just acts immaturely. Compared to the other students, he speaks better, just about
different topics.
Teacher’s Interview- Reading Strategies Analysis
Mrs. V told me that Michael is a strong reader and is very fluent. He also comprehends what
he reads. This is very important and great that he comprehends so well since he is so easily
distracted. His comprehension grades are high and he knows what is being discussed in the novel
when it is time for discussion. He just likes to strictly read what he likes. I noticed it and Mrs. V
told me in the interview as well as in discussions we had with each other in person.
Teacher’s Interview- Literacy Analysis
Mrs. V noticed that over the year he has not improved socially or academically. However,
she has known of him for a few years and notices an improvement from previous years. Michael
knows what he likes and sticks to what he likes. When planning, it would be ideal if she can
offer a time when it is a novel of his liking because many of the other students may like it as
well. Catering to the students’ wishes sometimes benefits all of them. However, he has to realize
that it is a class and all the work must be completed whether it is enjoyable or not; it is only to
his benefit. He works with the whole group but gets the extra help from his Emotional Support
teacher to help keep him working and on task without a break down.
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Artifact 4: Interview with Michael’s Emotional Support Teacher
Interview With Another Teacher Based on Michael
How would you describe Michael?
Michael is a 5th grade student. He has a primary disability of Other Health Impairment, due
to being diagnosed with ADHD, and a secondary disability of Gifted and Talented. He
participates in the Emotional Support program and Gifted Support. Michael has a very
superior verbal reasoning abilities and high average nonverbal reasoning skills. However, his
working memory and general processing speed abilities are in the low average. Michael also
has behaviors that impede his learning or that of others and has a behavior plan in place.
Is he changing throughout the school year?
Michael requires more than average redirection and prompting throughout the school day
to remain on task, interact appropriately with his peers, and demonstrate age-appropriate
skills during all aspects of the school day. He responds to redirection appropriately the
majority of the time, but he does not generalize this across all school settings (structured or
not). Remaining consistent with wording and prompts, as well a teacher/student daily
conversations of expectations will allow Michael to make the connection and begin to need
less support.
Is he helpful to you and other students?
Michael is not one to offer assistance often. He tends to “help” during inappropriate times
and/or when students don’t want/seek the help. He needs to be given specific jobs to do and
then he will do them. For example, he is in charge of turning the TV on/off every morning as
this puts him in a leadership role, but appropriately. He enjoys reiterating what teachers say
and tries to teach the same concept a different way (which could be helpful).
How does he differ in speaking or writing from other students?
Michael is above 99.6% of all 5th graders academically. He has strong speaking skills, as
well as wonderful ideas and usually knows answers to questions being asked, but tends to
deliver them using inappropriately (baby/animal voices, animated, putting actions to
words…). Again, Michael has wonderful ideas for writing, but has poor motor skills which
cause the task to be laborsome and unfavorable to him. Writing is a source of frustration and
may lead to negative behaviors.
Is Michael a strong reader? How can you tell?
Michael is a strong reader. Standardized tests: he scored Advanced on PSSA’s last school,
low risk on easyCBM assessments this school year. He earns 90% or higher on Accelerated
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Reading tests (computer based, comprehension tests based on independent reading of
age/grade level books).
Does he seem to exude confidence in English/Language Arts? Or in general?
Michael has a high self-esteem and tends to “rub it into” peers. He will express these
feelings daily, by telling students/staff his IQ and attempting to “teach” students when they
ask questions during instruction.
Is there a way that you alter instruction to Michael learn at his highest potential?
He participates in the Gifted and Talented program to enrich his skills further. Academics
are not adapted/modified, although he does have the option of attending test support for
reduced stimuli, reading out loud, and taking breaks if necessary. Behaviorally he is
monitored with a self-monitoring chart weekly and discusses both positive and negatives of
his week. Peer interactions, organizational skills, and coping skills are the three areas of
behaviors being monitored.
What is your typical type of instruction? PowerPoint, videos, lecture, etc.
I support students within the regular education setting with behavior modifications, as I am
the Emotional Support teacher. I focus on the behavioral aspect of the day. I use discussion,
role modeling, and use every situation (both positive and negative) as a teaching tool.
What are your tests like?
As stated above, I support the regular education teachers. I provide test support to monitor
for frustration, reduce stimuli, and allow for breaks if necessary.
Do you have any other advice for me as an aspiring teacher?
Allow the students to be themselves, within the parameters of the classroom. You don’t
want to break their spirits and create robots, but all within the guidelines (showing respect,
cooperation…)
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Analysis of Emotional Support Teacher’s Interview
ES Teacher’s Interview- Linguistic Analysis
According to the ES teacher, Ms. D, Michael is much higher above other students with
evidence from his testing. This makes a large difference because he has such high abilities but
does not always show them appropriately. Ms. D said that Michael almost always has creative
and thoughtful responses but acts immaturely when telling the response. He uses baby voices or
an inappropriate method of expressing himself and may not realize it is not what he should do at
the time. He is old enough and intelligent enough to know that speaking inappropriately is not
acceptable, especially since he is told repeatedly that he should not. He may do it for attention
and not realize that he is not gathering positive attention. There is evidence that he is smarter
than almost everyone his age, therefore he should act as though he is. His social awkwardness
arises quite often in this pattern.
ES Teacher’s Interview- Reading Strategies Analysis
Michael is highly intelligent with reading. He likes to tell the teacher as well as other
students information and try to teach the class when he is not in the position to do so. He knows
that he is smart and likes to brag to the others; his immaturity is exuded through doing so. He
gets tired of doing his work because of his lack of proper motor skills so it becomes an issue to
complete work. His smarts are there, the method of delivery is not always appropriate. He is in
Gifted and Talented which aids in promoting higher order thinking which is perfect for Michael.
He is allowed to take a test in another room, take breaks, or read it out loud which is known to
help him concentrate and perform better. He is a very strong reader because of the evidence from
speaking with him as well as from his PSSA scores which again demonstrates his genius.
ES Teacher’s Interview- Literacy Analysis
His behavior needs to constantly be monitored. He has a checklist that is always gone over
and approved. He is not said to be involved in activities other than school. His ES teacher as
well as regular education teachers know of his Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and must
follow the things laid out in it. His ES teacher monitors this and the other teachers are helpful in
doing so.
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Artifact 5: Student Work
See attached page
Analysis of Student Work
Student’s Work- Linguistic Analysis
When Michael speaks, he speaks very eloquently. He has a precise way of talking and has
excellent grammar. He is very chatty and loves to share information. When Michael writes, he
seems to not be very ambitious and writes the simplest he possibly could.
Mrs. V states that he tends to be lazy in his writing and stops working just to sit and day
dream. He even told me that when he is working and stops, he thinks about personal things that
are important to him.
Michael’s assignment is to create a Facebook page of a character from the novel they read in
class. He proves that he does not like to write much because in the majority of the cases of
where he can write a response, he writes the word “none.” There could be the issue of this
assignment not being highly important or interesting to Michael, therefore showing the lack of
effort. Perhaps in another example of his writing, such as an essay, he will exhibit more
enjoyment and details throughout. A good assignment to see his abilities would be writing
something with support of strong details and important events throughout such as a short story.
Student’s Work- Reading Strategies Analysis
Like I have stated before, Michael does not put much effort into his work, as seen in the
example. He told me he reads fast, and there is evidence that he comprehends what he reads
from tests he has taken. He has a good vocabulary, as seen throughout his work; using words
such as “curious” to describe a character.
Michael needs to be pushed to write. He seems like he only likes to write about subjects that
interest him, and the sample of work that he gave shows that he is not interested in the topic of
the story read. He needs to learn that not everything is going to be about robots and dinosaurs
and that there are interesting topics otherwise.
Student’s Work- Literacy Analysis
It is shown that Michael is not pushed to read outside of his favorite genres because there is
no effort put into his work. It is easy to see that literacy might not be a priority for him outside
of the class. He may speak well, but writing is not his strong point at all. His work is very vague
and can represent a lack of being pushed hard enough. He does write creative things when he
does try. There are parts in his Facebook assignment in which he made up details of what the
character’s favorite TV show, movie, and book were. They were all things that Michael may
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have liked when he was a child or even before he was born such as “Lilo and Stitch.” The
character he described is from the World War II era, so maybe in his head, he believed that these
shows and movies were old, but did not realize that they were nowhere near the correct time
frame.
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Part II: Designing Instruction
Big Question
How does when we are born represent who we are?
This question is interesting because it represents who people are. It relates to the book I am
teaching, The Dinosaur That Followed Me Home by Bruce Coville because the children in it
travel in time and have to be who they are in today’s world in another world. When we think
about this question, it leads to more thought on self discovery. Michael is an interesting student
and has many layers to him, just as any other student. If the students in the class use this Big
Question, “How does when we are born represent who we are?” they will be able to view who
they are as a person, compare it to others in today’s timeframe and then compare that data to
people of other timelines, future or past. Michael will be interested because it has an abstract
twist to it and is interesting. It will be a more involved unit and lesson than his Facebook
assignment in which not much effort was put into. This unit is based on one novel that revolves
around dinosaurs, which is one of Michael’s favorite topics to talk and learn about.
Rationale
I made the lessons in the sequence as follows because they are scaffolded amongst each other.
They get more involved and test more knowledge of how students feel about the Big Question.
Each task is built off the previous lesson’s learnings and will help aid a student, such as Michael,
to learn what being born in a certain era as representing who we are as people.
The lessons I provided are based on the book The Dinosaur That Followed Me Home by
Bruce Coville. It is a story in the Camp Haunted Hill series. It is a chapter book that is on
Michael’s reading level.
The story has two main characters, Stuart and Brenda. They are campers at Camp Haunted
Hills, a summer camp that is devoted to theater and movie making. They always encounter
strange events when they go to this camp. The pair are the only two who can see a resident ghost
name Roger. He is not the brightest but is very friendly. Being that he is not so bright, his help
to the duo is not always helpful.
Roger helps send a foil of Stuart, also a jerk camp counselor, back to the Cretaceous Period.
Accidently, Stuart, Brenda and another friend go as well. They are roaming with the dinosaurs
and need to find a way home and danger free from the large beasts. While Roger is with him, he
can speak to the dinosaurs. The story is simple, but entertaining. It would be a good fit for
Michael.
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Lessons
Lesson 1
UNIT: The Dinosaur That Followed Me Home
DATE: 9/11/13
LESSON: During-Reading Reflection
TIME LENGTH: 3 Language Arts Sessions
ACADEMIC STANDARDS/ ASSESSMENT ANCHORS:
1.4 Writing
Students write for different purposes and audiences. Students write clear and focused text
to convey a well defined perspective and appropriate content.
CC.1.4.5.B
Identify and introduce the topic clearly. E05.C.1.2. E05.E.1.1.1
CC.1.4.5.M
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events.
CC.1.4.5.T
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
MOTIVATIONAL DEVICE: Begin by reading The Dinosaur That Followed Me Home by
Bruce Coville. Read the first section and discuss throughout in Literature Circles.
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES:
1. While reading, The Dinosaur That Followed Me Home, students will analyze personal
thoughts and explain through creative writing.
2. Students will complete an essay and compare with others’ thoughts in order to visualize
what another time frame would be like for them.
3. Given a group to work with, students will learn that their opinions are important and may
be similar or different than their peers.
MATERIALS NEEDED: The Dinosaur That Followed Me Home novel, writing notebook,
pencil
TECHNOLOGY NEEDED: Microsoft Word
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RESOURCES USED: The Dinosaur That Followed Me Home by Bruce Coville
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/cube_creator/
LESSON OUTLINE:
I.
Introduction (20 min)
a. Read the first section of the novel and have students discuss throughout the story
pieces of the novel in Literature circles.
II.
Give students the prompt
a. What if you were Stuart? How would you feel to live with dinosaurs and have
them near you?
III.
Give students the ideas to ask each other in a group-brainstorming activity. (15 min)
a. Begin by individual Brainstorming on a sheet of paper. Write down any idea that
comes to mind pertaining to the prompt that can be shared with others.
b. Use Brainstorming Cube on attached page
c. Bounce off each other for help in completing the cube.
IV.
Students are to write three paragraphs with five well thought out sentences explaining
how it would feel to be near a dinosaur.
V.
Students will write their paragraphs in class (40 min)
VI.
The following class period, place students into their usual proofing pairs and have the
students correct each other’s work. (30 min)
VII.
Students will then write a final draft of the writing.
CLOSURE: Pick three students to read their writing to the class from the Popsicle Stick Jar.
They are able to pass if they do not want to read their response. The class can listen and tell each
other what they think through a discussion.
DIFFERNTIATED LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
1. Students can write three sentence paragraphs if they are known to struggle with writing.
2. Students who are advanced can work individually for the Brainstorming activity.
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FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
1. Observe students as they Brainstorm.
2. Grade students based on ability to write correctly with proper usage and grammar.
3. Check for understanding throughout as well as grade the papers if the students followed
directions.
4. Students must have a creative outlook on the assignment. The essay must be detailed and
interesting.
HOMEWORK: Complete the final draft for the third day of assignment
Example of Prompt Page
Name___________________________________________Date_____________________
First Draft- The Dinosaur That Followed Me Home
What would you do if you were Stuart and encountered a dinosaur? What would you do? How
would it feel to have a dinosaur near you?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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Lesson 2
UNIT: The Dinosaur That Followed Me Home
DATE: 9/17/13
LESSON: Time Travel Pictures
TIME LENGTH: 2 Language Arts Sessions
ACADEMIC STANDARDS/ ASSESSMENT ANCHORS:
1.4 Writing
Students write for different purposes and audiences. Students write clear and focused text
to convey a well defined perspective and appropriate content.
CC.1.4.5.B
Identify and introduce the topic clearly. E05.C.1.2. E05.E.1.1.1
MOTIVATIONAL DEVICE: Discuss time travel. Ask students what they would do if they
were the age they are now but in the year they were born. What would be different in the past 10
years? What would be the same? Ask students questions about any experiences on media of
witnessing time travel and how the people reacted.
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES:
1. Students will think about past and future timeframes and what occurred during them then
draw conclusions as to what it would be like to live then.
2. Students will illustrate what different eras looked like and events that stood out during
that time while comparing it to today.
3. Students will use Internet and history books to analyze another era before illustrating in a
drawing.
4. After completion of the drawing, students will make observations about what today is
like and how people feel versus in another time frame.
MATERIALS NEEDED: Large paper, ruler, pencil, markers, Crayons
TECHNOLOGY NEEDED: computers in classroom
RESOURCES USED: The Dinosaur That Followed Me Home by Bruce Coville
LESSON OUTLINE:
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I.
Introduction (20 min)
a. Motivational Device
II.
Allow students to pick an era that they like the best, past or future. Distribute the
laptops and have the students Google the timeframe.
a. Look for the food, dress, technology, currency, language, and a random topic for
the era.
III.
Picture yourself living in that era and draw six blocks of what different during the
timeframe. The blocks should have three lines underneath for three sentences to
describe what is taking place in the illustration that is going to be in each box.
a. The drawing should be colored and detailed explaining what happened in that
timeframe.
b. There will be three complete sentences in the box that describe what is occurring.
c. Sentences will be written first in the box before the paper is drawn on.
IV.
Students will use class time to complete the assignment (40 min)
V.
Complete for homework.
VI.
Students will then write a paragraph on the back as to why they would want to time
travel to that era.
Example of what project should resemble:
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CLOSURE: Display artwork when complete. If students volunteer, they can show the class
what they drew and wrote.
DIFFERNTIATED LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
VII.
Students can write two sentences if they are known to struggle with writing.
VIII.
Students who are advanced can write longer, more detailed sentences.
IX.
Students can also have 8 squares rather than 6 if they have more they want to share.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
5. Observe students as they writing.
6. Grade students based on ability to write correctly with proper usage and grammar.
7. Students must have a full paragraph on the back as to why they would want to time travel
to that era.
HOMEWORK: Finish drawing and coloring.
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Lesson 3
UNIT: The Dinosaur That Followed Me Home
DATE: 9/23/13
LESSON: Magazine Article
TIME LENGTH: 3 Language Arts Sessions
ACADEMIC STANDARDS/ ASSESSMENT ANCHORS:
1.2 Reading Informational Text
Students read, understand, and respond to informational text—with an emphasis on
comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among ideas and between
texts with a focus on textual evidence.
CC.1.2.5.D
Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and
differences in the point of view they represent. E05.B‐C.2.1.1
1.4 Writing
Students write for different purposes and audiences. Students write clear and focused text
to convey a well defined perspective and appropriate content.
CC.1.4.5.C
Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and
examples related to the topic; include illustrations and multimedia when useful to aiding
comprehension. E05C.1.2.2 E05E.1.1.2
MOTIVATIONAL DEVICE: Look at newspapers from around the area and analyze what the
headlines and stories look like. Observe the photos and the style in which the articles are
written. Use the document camera to show the newspaper on the overhead. Ask students the
importance of having a daily circular and what benefits there are from having an update
constantly. What would be good in 50 years from now to look at an old newspaper? Why? Did
the people of fifty years ago report about the same issues of today and emphasize the same
problems? Does the era we are born into make a difference in how we act? How is it helpful to
look at previous events today? Have students discuss these questions in groups then as a whole.
They should have varied responses but all lead to the Big Question.
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES:
1. Students will look at newspapers and analyze how they are constructed.
2. Given the supplies, students will create a newspaper with many articles representing how
time is important to people.
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MATERIALS NEEDED: Large paper, pencil, markers, Crayons
TECHNOLOGY NEEDED: computers in classroom
RESOURCES USED: The Dinosaur That Followed Me Home by Bruce Coville
LESSON OUTLINE:
I.
Introduction (20 min)
a. Motivational Device
II.
Students will recall the events that occurred in The Dinosaur That Followed Me
Home and transfer them into a newspaper. They will have to analyze how the
children acted during the story being from the 20th century taken back to prehistoric
time. The students must realize the things that are important to the students in present
time may not be the main priority to things that happened previously.
III.
A title, headline, sub headline, photos and a well written article must be throughout
the newspaper.
a. Students will need at least three articles that relate to the story. There needs to be
a report of the events throughout the novel.
IV.
Work will be over a 3 day process with different stages building up to the final
product. Each day the students will work as much as they can to complete the
newspaper. Day one will begin with brainstorming and writing rough drafts. Then
continuously, the students will add more to complete the whole project.
CLOSURE: Display newspaper when complete. If students volunteer, they can show the class
what they drew and wrote.
DIFFERNTIATED LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
1. Students can work in pairs to complete the newspaper.
2. Students who are advanced can write longer, more detailed sentences.
3. Students who are not interested in a newspaper may write a magazine, blog, or some
other media device.
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FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
1. Observe students as they writing.
2. Grade students based on ability to write correctly with proper usage and grammar.
3. Compare to a typical newspaper, and see if the project resembles one of the examples.
4. Students should creatively show how the story relates to the Big Question. There will be
a creative aspect of showing the story in relation to why time is important to people.
They will understand that there is a reason why people act as they do depending on when
they are living.
HOMEWORK: Finish drawing and coloring.
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References
Coville, Bruce, and John Pierard. The dinosaur that followed me home. New York: Pocket Books,
1990. Print.
"Cube Creator." Cube Creator. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/cube_creator/>.
"PDESAS Standards." PA State Standards. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.
<https://www.pdesas.org/standard/PACore>.