Nicolette Naticchione
Daniel Hardaker
Grade 2
A Trip To The Moon
1. Essential Questions:
What or who would you encounter if you took a trip to the moon?
How would life be different on the moon than it is on Earth?
2. Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.3
Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of
events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal
words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.5
With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen
writing as needed by revising and editing.
3. Objectives/Assessments:
Objective
Assessment
SWBAT write a narrative
using the required
vocabulary words about their
imaginary trip to the moon.
The teacher will assess this by collecting their
writings and observing if the students used the
required vocabulary words to describe their trip to
the moon.
SWBAT show sequential
order in their writing.
Students will use words such as “first,” “next,”
“then,” and “lastly” to show a sequential order of
events in their writing. The teacher evaluate their
writing based off of the inclusion of these
transitional words as well.
SWBAT draw and color a
picture that will accompany
their story.
The teacher will circulate around the room and
informally assess this is being done until they turn
in their work at the end of the period.
4. Materials:
- Science journals
- List of vocabulary words and definitions
-The Moon by Seymour Simon
- White board
- Markers
- Crayons
5. Prior Knowledge:
- Students will be familiar with writing creative narrative passages
- Students will know that the moon has phases from logging every night and
previous lessons in the unit
6. Lesson Beginning:
- I will begin the lesson by calling students over to the rug by their favorite colors.
They will sit quietly while waiting for the lesson to start. I will begin by asking the
students if they’ve ever wanted to be an astronaut and what they think it would be
like to be one. The students will raise their hands, giving me their honest opinions. I
will then prompt the students to get ready for the read aloud by saying that in the
past a select few astronauts have actually gone to the moon and have seen many
amazing attributes of the moon. We will then read the informational text on the
moon and gain our vocabulary words from there.
7. Instructional Plan:
Appx. Time: 46 minutes
What I will be doing
What Students will be
doing
Materials
Time
I will read the informational text
to the students aloud, stopping
briefly to discuss the new
vocabulary words we encounter.
Students will raise their
hand and offer up their
own definitions of the
vocabulary words to help
the class figure out what
they mean. They will sit
quietly, listening to the
story otherwise.
- THE
BOOK
10
minutes
After we finish the book, I will jot
down the vocabulary words we
found in the text on the
whiteboard.
Students will help us
come up with the best
student-friendly
definitions for each
vocabulary word about
the moon.
- White
5
board
minutes
- Markers
I will then send the students back
to their seats based off of what
colors they are wearing that day
and tell them to take out their
journals when they return to
their seats.
Students will quietly
make their way back to
their seats and await
further direction.
N/A
I will then explain to the students
that we are going to write a
creative story about our own trip
Students will begin
writing their stories
based off the criteria on
- Journals 20
minutes
1
minute
to the moon. They will be told to
use the 3 to 5 vocabulary words
in their stories. They also must
have it make sense by using
transitional words like “first,”
“next,” etc.
the white board. They
will raise their hands if
they have any questions
or are confused about a
portion of the
assignment.
I will inform them as they are
writing to be as creative as they
want. They have never been to
the moon so the trip is all in their
imaginations. They must follow
up the writing with a drawing
showing what happens in their
story.
Students will begin
working on their
drawings as they finish
up their narrative with
the vocabulary words.
- Crayons 8
- Journals minutes
I will conclude by collecting the
journals with the writings and
drawings in them. I will look over
the student’s work and anyone
who did not finish can do so for
homework.
Students will hand in
their journals.
N/A
2
minutes
8. Differentiation:
This lesson is adaptable and will be differentiated for many types of learners.
Social learners can discuss their ideas for their writing amongst their peers they sit
near to get feedback on their stories. Visual learners will benefit from the list of
words on the board and the pictures in the read aloud to help reinforce the concepts
learned. Auditory learners will be accommodated through the read aloud and class
discussions as they will hear the vocabulary words repeated multiple times and will
follow the read aloud well. This lesson also benefits those who express themselves
well through writing or drawing, allowing the 2 mediums to help me evaluate their
knowledge.
9. Questions:
- Have you ever wanted to be an astronaut?
- What do you think you would see on the moon?
- Who can give me the definition of this term in their own words?
10. Classroom Management:
Students will raise their hands if they want to provide a response. I will
circulate around the room to ensure that each student is staying on task and getting
their work done. I will also use previously established Whole-Brain teaching
techniques to refocus the class and keep them engaged throughout the lesson.
11. Transitions:
Students will move to the rug in the beginning of the lesson based on what
their favorite color is. I will then transition into the read aloud by prompting them
with questions to allow their minds to start considering the topic. Then, the students
will be sent back to their seats based on what colors they are wearing that day. I will
then have them take out their journals as the sit down before I give further
directions as to not waste time repeating them later.
12. Closure:
Students will complete their stories and pictures either in the class time
given or at home for homework that night. I will end by telling them that if they
choose, they can read their response aloud to the parents when we have our
culminating activity at the end of the unit. Those who want to will tell me so I can
make a note of it and have them review and edit their work with me during RTI or
free time.