Monica Hernandez
Nonfiction-- Shared Reading/Grand Conversation/Interactive Writing
Title of Literature:
Let’s Go To the Fair
Objectives:
The student is expected to—
1.8(B) use common spelling patterns to read words
1.14(C) distinguish fiction from nonfiction, including fact and fantasy
1.17(G) use basic capitalization and punctuation such as capitalizing names and first letters in
sentences, using periods, question marks, and exclamation points
1.18(F) write in different forms for different purposes such as lists to record, letters to invite or
thank, and stories or poems to entertain
Focus:
Ask the students if they have ever gone to a fair. Explain that every year around September, the
State Fair of Texas takes place where people come together to have fun. Introduce “Country
Fair” by Gail Gibbons and tell students that we are going to talk about fairs.
Body of Lesson:
1. Ask the students to raise their hand if they know what a nonfiction book is. Explain that a
nonfiction books have facts and tells about real, not make believe, events. Illiterate that a
nonfiction book can also be about famous people such as inventors, presidents, or
athletes.
2. Tell the students that today we are going to learn about country fairs and then take turns
writing a story about us going to the fair.
3. Do a shared reading with the book “Country Fair” by Gail Gibbons. Pass the book around
so each student can have a turn reading at least two pages at a time until the book is
finished.
4. After reading the book, have a grand conversation about our experiences going to the fair.
Have each child explain times when they might have gone to the fair and how much fun
they had when they went.
5. After the grand conversation, remind the students that know we will participate in
interactive writing where we will take turns making up a story about taking a trip to the
fair. Explain to them that we will be writing with capital letters in some places and using
correct punctuation marks in other places.
6. Give each student a different colored pencil to write with. Begin the story by writing the
first sentence. Say each word that you write as you go, referring to the mini word wall to
write down unfamiliar words that came from the book.
7. Have each student come up one at a time with their colored pencil to write a sentence for
the story. Help the students talk out their ideas and correct mistakes using colored tape
and a red marker to show how to make corrections.
8. After the written story is complete and all students have had an opportunity to contribute
at least two sentences, read the story back to them aloud. After reading the story aloud,
re-read the story again with the students, pointing to each word as you go. After doing
this, have the students read the story by themselves, prompting when needed.
Closure:
Have the students explain what words in their story were capitalized and what kind of
punctuation marks were used. Have them explain what other punctuation marks were not used in
the story and what other words could we have added that we could find at a country fair.
Follow-up Activities:
1. Have the students draw pictures of them visiting a country fair.
2. Have the students write down what they would like to do at a country fair if they were to
go to one.
Evaluation:
Observe what techniques were used when the students were figuring out how to write their
sentences. Notice how they talked out their sentence. How many times did they have to appeal
for help in spelling words and using correct capitalization and punctuation?
Resources:
“Country Fair” by Gail Gibbons, big writing pad, colored pencils, colored tape, markers,
alphabet strip, mini word wall, drawing paper, notebook paper