Lesson Plan
Date(s): n/a
Topic: Express Yourself!
Grade Level: Grade 4
Time(s): 2 fifty minute periods (follow
consecutively)
Curriculum Expectations:
Language Arts
Oral Communication – Vocal Skills and Strategies
2.5 – identify some vocal effects, including tone, pace, pitch, volume, and a range of
sound effects, and use them appropriately and with sensitivity towards cultural
differences to help communicate their meaning (e.g./ adjust the pace of speaking for
effect and to hold the listener’s attention)
The Arts – Creative Work
- rehearse and perform small-group drama and dance presentations drawn from novels,
poems, stories, plays, and other source materials
Assessment Strategies:
Peer-assessment – I will consider this a formative assessment as throughout this unit
students will have other opportunities to develop oral communication skills. Students
will peer-assess in a follow-up lesson.
Accommodations and Modifications:
Student will work in groups and can take roles according to their strengths/comfort level.
For example, some students may prefer to control the recording device, while others read
and make sound effects, while other students may prefer to make sound effects and play
the music instruments.
Resources:
Outline:
Students will explore ways in which meaning and feeling
are conveyed through vocal communication.
- game cards (have the
words “Yes” or “Well”
printed on them with an
emotion attached)
Introduction: 10 mins
1. I will explain that we are going to play a game in which
student volunteers will speak 1 word aloud and try to
convey a feeling with that one word. The purpose of the
game is to illustrate how our tone of voice can convey
different feelings while speaking the same words.
2. I will choose 7 or 8 student volunteers and give them a
card with a word written on it, either, “Yes”, or, “Well”.
Written below the word will be the feeling or mood they
must portray. For example, a student might receive a
card that has the words “Yes” and “annoyed and
disgusted” written on it. Other feelings could include,
excited and hopeful, angry, sad, etc.
3. I will ask the student volunteers to read their words
aloud one at a time, and ask the class to identify the
emotion the speaker is trying to convey. I will ask
students to explain how the sound of the student’s voice
helped convey the meaning. How does paying attention
to vocal expression and body language help us
understand how someone is feeling and what they are
thinking?
- “My Walk to School –
by Andrea Wilson” and
“My Mom and Me – by
Andrea Wilson”
- 10-12 copies of the
poems, “My Walk to
School – by Andrea
Wilson” and “My Mom
and Me – by Andrea
Wilson”
- noise makers (ie/
whistles, blocks,
harmonica, recorder, hand
drums, newspaper, etc.)
- if possible, computers
with Sony Xpress or
Audacity installed and
with vocal microphones
Middle: 50 mins
1. 10 – 15 mins - I will ask the students to come to the
carpet and I will read the 2 poems aloud. We will
discuss the meaning of the poems as a group. I will
ask them questions such as,
- What did this poem make you think of?
- Whose voice is telling the story in these
poems?
- Did either poem have a happy ending? If so,
why?
- Is there any way we could change the poem
with a sad ending to make it a happy ending?
- Are there any other strategies these
characters could have employed to stop the
bullying?
2. I will explain that students are to form groups of 3 or
4 in order to perform a “prepared reading and
dramatization” of one of the poems we just explored.
3. 30 – 35 mins - Once students have formed into
groups, I hand out a copy of each poem to every
group. I will explain that students have the next 1015 minutes to decide which poem they will present
and how they will present it. Student can choose to
present a few stanzas, or the entire poem.
4. I will explain that the purpose of the activity is to
convey the meaning and feelings behind the poem
through tone of voice, pitch, volume, word/phrase
repetition, choral reading, etc., and body
movements/facial expressions.
After 15 minutes, I will ask groups to start presenting.
Student will be asked to give feedback to the presenters
about their performance (ie/ something they liked about it, a
comment about how the performance helped convey the
meaning of the poem or stanzas, or similarities and/or
differences to other presentations).
Conclusion: 40 mins
1. After all the presentations students will be introduced to
the next activity. If it’s possible to have access to the
computer lab student groups will work on the program
“Acid Xpress” or “Audacity” to produce a recording of
their poem. If students do not have access to computers
with these recording programs, tape recorders and noise
makers would also work for this activity.
2. The purpose of the activity is to record a rehearsed
reading of the poem which conveys the meaning and/or
feeling of the poem through tone of voice, pitch,
- if computer access is not
possible, have students
record on tape cassettes
volume, word/phrase repetition, choral reading, sound
effects, music samples, etc.
3. These recordings will be collected at the end of the
lesson.
Follow Up:
I will follow this lesson with an opportunity to share the
students recording with one another. I would plan a gallery
walk where students are able to listen to each other’s
recordings. Students will be responsible for assessing 1
other students recording.
My Mom and Me
It used to be I’d hop out of bed,
So eager to start my day.
But times have changed. I ask my mom,
“Can I stay home from school today?”
I find a lot of grounds,
To justify my stance.
I plead, I beg, I frown,
I do a little dance.
“My ears, they ache. My tummy’s sore.”
I blow my nose and cough some more.
“What are these spots upon my chest?”
I wheeze. I sneeze. I do my best.
My Mom sits down beside my bed.
“You are not sick.” I turn bright red.
I know she hates it when I lie.
She’d understand if she knew why.
So should I tell her of my woes?
And will it change things if she knows?
I fear she’ll only make things worse.
If I don’t tell her, I think I’ll burst.
And so I tell her of the clique.
The girls who say that I’m a “geek”.
I tell of giggles,
The whispers,
The rumors.
I talk of their spite,
Their cruel sense of humor.
And …
It feels so good to vent.
Although it’s so private.
I talk and talk.
My Mom’s very quiet.
She says to me gently,
“I’m terribly sorry.”
We hug and we cry.
We go over my story.
Together we look at the things we can
do.
I’m no longer alone; we have a plan too.
I think I can face being teased and
harassed.
With Mom on my side, my power is vast
by Andrea Wilson
My Walk to School
Fist punch.
Foot crunch.
Hand hit.
Mouth spit.
Eye swells.
Can’t see.
Please,
Please,
Let me be.
Rips my homework.
Steals my money.
Grabs my lunch.
Thinks it’s funny.
I won’t tell, I swear I won’t.
Please don’t do that. I said “Don’t!”
Sticks and stones may break my bones …
Sissy
Prissy
Four-eyes
Geek
Fatso
Schizo
Nerdy
Freak
… but names can really hurt.
Through the doors.
Up the stairs.
Face is bloody.
No one cares.
In the washroom.
Clean up the mess.
I’ll be safe
Until … recess.
by Andrea Wilson
Peer Assessment Worksheet
Student being assessed: ____________________________
Student Marker: __________________________________
Categories
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Knowledge and Understanding – Subject-specific content acquired in each grade (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning an
significance (understanding)
- demonstrates some
- demonstrates considerable - demonstrates considerable
Understanding of content - demonstrates limited
(Has the student used tone knowledge of content
knowledge of content
knowledge of content
knowledge of content
of voice, pitch, volume,
word/phrase repetition,
choral reading, sound
effects, music samples, etc.
to emphasize the
meaning/feeling of the
poem?)
Communication – The conveying of meaning through various forms
- expresses and organizes
- expresses and organizes
- expresses and organizes
- expresses and organizes
Expression and
ideas and information with
ideas and information with
ideas and information with
organization of ideas and ideas and information with
some effectiveness
considerable effectiveness
a high degree of
information in oral, visual, limited effectiveness
effectiveness
and written forms,
including media forms
(Does the student use vocal
techniques, sound effects,
and/or music samples to
support the meaning/feeling
of the poem?)