Level: Early Elementary
Subject: Language Arts
Theme: Down on the FARM
Lesson Summary: As a group, the picture book “On The Farm” by Anna Milbourne and
Alessandra Roberti is read. As the story progresses, each page introduces a new vocabulary
paired with a manipulative that students pass (seated in a semi-circle) to explore through their
senses. When the story is complete, the group gathers at a large table to make their own farm
collage using pictures that correspond with the stories manipulatives they explored.
Benchmark Focus:
Focus Benchmarks:
 L.CN.e4.P.EG01a - Follow one and two step directions – Students will be asked to
grasp, pass, explore, smell, activate buttons, etc. of the manipulatives passed in the story
that correspond with the plot.
 R.WS.e4.P.EG01a Use simple visual and/ or auditory cues to recognize familiar
words paired with pictures and/ or objects – Students will create a personal collage of
farm pictures paired with words by making a choice out of two or more items
(manipulative objects from the plot) then choosing which picture out of two or more
matches that item/manipulative.
 R.WS.e4.P.EG02a - Use semantic and/ or syntactic cues to recognize familiar words
paired with pictures and/ or objects
 R.WS.e4.P.EG03a - Recognize frequently encountered and personally meaningful words
paired with pictures and/or objects
 R.FL.e2.P.EG03a - Understand basic concepts of text messages
 R.NT.e4.P.EG03a - Answer simple questions such as who, what or where related to
simple story elements in narrative text
 R.CM.e4.P.EG02a - Identify significant details from age appropriate narrative text
 R.CM.e4.EG04a - Identify key ideas using words, pictures and/ or symbols from content
area text
 R.MT.e4.P.EG02a - Use simple processes to convey meaning
 W.GN.e4.P.EG01a - Create personal work
 W.PR.e4.P.EG03a - Generate own name and simple labels to demonstrate ownership
and/or convey meaning
 W.PS.e4.P.EG01a - Exhibit an individual style in oral and/ or visual messages
 W.HW.e4.P.EG01a - Use forms of early writing
 S.CN.e4.P.EG02a Use language to communicate effectively with a variety of
audiences and for different purposes
 S.CN.e5.P.EG03a - Recognize the need for appropriate voice volume in familiar settings
 S.DS.e4.P.EG01a - Engage in and focus on conversations in a variety of settings
 L.CN.e4.P.EG01a - Follow one and two step directions
 L.RP.e4.P.EG03a - Respond to speech and/ or text in a way that reflects understanding
Materials:
 Children’s picture book “On The Farm” by Anna Milbourne and Alessandra Roberti
 Toy tractor (with push button sounds)
 Small toy barn (with open/close front door)
 Plastic eggs
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Straw/Hay
Stuffed scarecrow
Corn kernels (small baggy)
Seed packet (full of seeds, shaken to hear)
Toy cow with push button for “moo”
Toy sheep with push button for “baa”
Big Mac switch, prerecorded “cockadoodledoo!” sound
Plastic Velcro vegetables – tomato, lettuce, beans
White milk in clear plastic container
Reproducible coloring pages of: Hen, rooster, cow, barn, corn, tractor, eggs, seed packet,
farmer, lamb, tanker truck, milk
Reproducible words cut individually for collages: Hen, rooster, cow, barn, corn, tractor,
eggs, seed packet, farmer, lamb, tanker truck, milk
Glue per staff
Markers/crayons
Large sheet of construction paper per student
Collage title “Down On __________ Farm” per student sheet (pre cut and glued to paper)
Anticipatory Set: Students are greeted individually while being shown the book, told the title,
and asked to touch the cover of the book, ex: “Good morning Kelsie, we’re going to read the
book “On The Farm”, can you look at the book and touch it?”
Step-By-Step Procedure:
 Students are greeted individually while being shown the book, told the title, and asked to
touch the cover of the book, ex: “Good morning Kelsie, we’re going to read the book
“On The Farm”, can you look at the book and touch it?”
 As a group, the picture book “On The Farm” by Anna Milbourne and Alessandra Roberti
is read. As the story progresses, each page introduces a new vocabulary paired with a
manipulative that students pass (seated in a semi-circle) to explore through their senses.
The students explore and pass:
 Toy tractor (with push button sounds)
 Small toy barn (with open/close front door)
 Plastic eggs
 Straw/Hay
 Stuffed scarecrow
 Corn kernels (small baggy)
 Seed packet (full of seeds, shaken to hear)
 Toy cow with push button for “moo”
 Toy sheep with push button for “baa”
 Big Mac switch, prerecorded “cockadoodledoo!” sound
 Plastic Velcro vegetables – tomato, lettuce, beans
 White milk in clear plastic container
Next,
 When the story is complete, the group gathers at a large table to make their own farm
collage using pictures that correspond with the stories manipulatives they explored.
At the table, students:
1. Choose manipulatives that were part of the story (explored during the story).
2. Staff assists students in choosing a manipulative (from a choice of two or more,
depending on student ability)
3. Choose a corresponding coloring page (from a choice of two or more, depending
on student ability). For example, a student may be given a choice from the
manipulatives Toy tractor or toy cow and asked, “which would you like to have
on your farm? A tractor or a cow?”
4. After student makes a choice, staff presents two coloring pages (one of the object
that the student chose and one different) and ask the student to identify which
matches the object they chose.
5. After coloring the corresponding pageand gluing it on their collage, students also
add the pre-cut vocabulary word (ex: TRACTOR) to the collage, next to the
corresponding picture.
Plan For Independent Practice:
Students have the opportunities to independently:
 Grasp/pass/explore through senses the manipulatives that correspond with the focus
story, “On The Farm”
 Respond to and predict elements on the story
 Label their collage by writing their own name
 Choose (from a choice of two or more) the manipulatives (with corresponding coloring
picture and word) that will be added to their personal farm collage
 Use a glue stick/bottle
 Make color choices from crayons, markers, dotters
 Provide input of where colored pieces will be placed on collage
Closure:
The activity closes with students working on the collage (staff and students are informed they
will visit this lesson one or more additional times to explore the story again and complete the
farm collage)
Assessment Based On Objectives:
Students are assessed by their ability to:
 Follow one and two step directions – Students will be asked to grasp, pass, explore,
smell, activate buttons, etc. of the manipulatives passed in the story that correspond with
the plot and assessed by their level of engagement as well as level of assistance while
participating in exploring the manipulatives throughout the story.
 Use simple visual and/ or auditory cues to recognize familiar words paired with
pictures and/ or objects – Students will create a personal collage of farm pictures paired
with words by making a choice out of two or more items (manipulative objects from the
plot) then choosing which picture out of two or more matches that item/manipulative.
Extensions:
The lesson can be extended in a variety of ways. Some ideas include:
 Visit a farm (or have a farm visit the school)
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Sing “Old McDonald had a Farm” using animal props and a voice output switch for e-i-ei-o
Sort farm animals
Have “farm play” with farm animals, hay, toy barn, etc.
Match farm noises to the appropriate animals
Adaptations:
The lesson is adapted by:
 Using a voice output switch for prerecorded “cockadoodledoo!” sound
 Including a variety of sensory manipulatives to add experience and real life application to
elements of the story
Possible Connections to other subjects:
Math:
 N.ME.m6.P.EG05c - Associate value with the number 1
 M.UN.e4.P.EG01b - Compare size between two like objects (which is bigger or smaller)
Science:
 C.CN.P.EB.I.1.e.1a - Respond to questions about the world based on observation or
experience
 C.CN.P.EB.I.1.e.5a - Identify books and/or other sources of information
 R.RO.P.EB.II.1.e.2a -Identify and/ or explore activities that relate to the world around
them through creative expression
 R.RO.P.EB.II.1.e.3a - Identify and/ or explore activities in which technology is used in
everyday life
 R.RO.P.EB.II.1.e.4a - Develop an awareness of the natural world
 L.CE.P.EB.III.1.m.1ADDe - Discriminate between living and non-living things
 L.OR.P.EB.III.2.e.1a - Identify observable characteristics and/ or body parts of a variety
of animals
 L.OR.P.EB.III.2.e.2a - Identify plants and animals
 L.OR. P.EB.III.2.e.3a - Identify parts of life cycles of familiar organisms
 L.OR.P.EB.III.2.e.4a - Identify some common healthy foods
 L.HE.P.EB.III.3.e.1a - Match parent to offspring