Intermediate Guided Reading Lesson Plan
Title: A Day in the Life of a Colonial Genre:
Glassblower
Informational
Author: Branse, J.L.
Publisher: Rosen Publishing Group
ISBN: 0-8239-5820-5
Literacy Core Objective: 5th Grade
S7/O3 Recognize and use features of narrative and
informational text
S8/O6 Write in different forms and genres.
Text Structure:
Narrative
Informational
Level:
S
Enduring Understanding: Purpose for reading
People from various European countries came to
America in search of a new life. They brought
their own culture, traditions, and specialized
trades. These cultures, traditions, and trades
Social Studies Core Objective:.5th Grade
mixed as these people struggled to survive
S1/O2 Assess the global impact of cultural and
together. This blending created the American
economic diffusion as a result of colonization. culture. Students will understand life during
colonial times and how the specialized trades
that colonists brought with them from their
country of origin created an interdependence
among the people.
th
ELL Strategies: 5 Grade
“I Can Statements” - Essential Questions:
 How were goods produced, distributed, and
Have each student find the vocabulary words below
consumed during Colonial times?
and read the sentences before and after the word.
 How was a person trained or educated to
Have students determine a definition of the word
perform specialized work?
based on the context of the word.
 How did specialized work help the colonies to
grow and prosper economically?
 How were specialized workers interdependent?
Before Reading
Vocabulary: Use the graphic organizer for the vocabulary. Word, Kid friendly definition, and sketch.
You may want to do the vocabulary in sections each day.
glasshouse (p. 5)
colony (p. 5)
craftsman (p. 5)
apprentice (p.5)
expert (p. 6)
merchants (p. 6)
colonists (p. 9)
imported (p. 9)
expensive (p. 9)
materials (p. 10)
kiln (p. 10)
Fahrenheit (p. 10)
protected (p. 18)
brittle (p. 22)
Activate/Build Prior Knowledge:
 Discuss the importance of specialized workers during colonial times, specifically 1) that specialized
workers can produce their products faster and better than someone who has to do all the jobs, and 2)
when a producer has surplus goods or services that can be sold to more consumers, the economy grows
and prospers.
 Bring in samples or pictures of blown glass for the students to observe and explore. Lead a discussion
about the development of Colonial America including the trades that colonists brought with them from
their countries of origin. Explain that glassblowing was one such specialized trade.
 Show a video clip of glassblowing by clicking on the following link
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=glassblowing&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:enUS:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF8&ei=1RDkSeWuIpWwtAOdn6mxCQ&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=8&ct=title#q=glassblo
wing&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF8&ei=1RDkSeWuIpWwtAOdn6mxCQ&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=8&ct=title&start=10
 Discuss the structure and text features in the book and how they will aid in the understanding of the text.
(table of contents, headings, bold words, glossary, index, captions, etc.)
Comprehension Strategy:
Organizational Pattern – Sequence/Process
Text Features
During Reading
Attend to Comprehension Within, Beyond, & About the text:
Using appropriate Guided reading strategies, students will be reading at their own pace and teachers will
be listening to students read, monitoring, giving feedback, taking anecdotal notes and running records.
Suggested Pacing: The book could most likely be read in one guided reading sitting
After Reading
Attend to Comprehension Within, Beyond, & About the text:
Have students work with a partner to find out what resources were used by other specialized workers to
produce their good or service. Students may read about several specialized workers on the following
website: http://www.history.org/Almanack/life/trades/tradehdr.cfm Students can record their information
on the worksheets below from the Maryland Council on Economic Education. Students should then share
the information they have gained with the others so that the worksheets are all filled out. (Teacher Answer
Sheets are also attached)
Content Core Integration:(Science, Soc. St., Math, etc.)
Assessment:
Have each student choose a specialized trade from the
“After Reading” activity above. Students will then
create an informational text about their chosen trade,
structured after the book they just read, A Day in the
Life of a Colonial Glassblower. Students should
include the organizational pattern of sequence/process
and some of the text features in the book, (table of
contents, headings, bold words, glossary, index,
captions).
The text can be handwritten or done on the computer.
A fun way is to create a stapleless book at the
following site:
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/stapleless/ind
ex.html
Activities:
 Click on this link for a slideshow with pictures
of Goods of the Trades (pictures of the
products created by masters of different trades)
http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/Su
mmer07/goods_slideshow/
 Click on the following link for a slideshow of
Historic Trades – real pictures of tradesman
working in their shops
http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/Su
mmer07/goods_slideshow/
 Host a Colonial Day Marketplace – see the
following link
http://www.germantownacademy.org/Academi
cs/LS/3/Colonial/ColonialDay/market/milliner.
htm
*Not all activities will be done in each lesson. Some lessons may take multiple days to complete.
However, all students should be reading each time you meet.
Name ________________________________ Date ____________________________
Vocabulary
Word: ___________________________
Definition: ________________________
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Word: ___________________________
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