IRA Standard 4.2
Selecting Materials—Interest, Culture
In order to show my satisfaction of IRA Standard 4.2, which asks that “Candidates use a literacy curriculum and engage
in instructional practices that positively impact students' knowledge, beliefs, and engagement with the features of diversity,” I
have included my whole group lesson plan on the reading strategy, asking and answering questions. The main text of this
lesson came from the website Reading A to Z which features leveled readers, resources and lesson plans. I came across a
printable book at the fifth grade level entitled, “Believe it or Not” that contained stories of crop circles, Big Foot, the Curse
of the Mummy and the Bermuda Triangle. I first modeled the reading strategy using the Bermuda Triangle story. Students
were actively engaged and fully interested in the topic because it is something out of the ordinary. Many students were
familiar with this topic, as well, which further activated their prior knowledge and involvement. For the guided reading
portion, we continued to work with the Bermuda Triangle text. For independent practice, students read the article, “The
Curse of the Mummy”. While they were reading, I circulated the room to make sure students were using the reading strategy
being taught and helped out where needed. Every student was actively engaged in reading and used the reading strategy.
When it came time to share our questions and answers, students could not wait to share what they found out or what they
already knew. This showed me that the students had engaged in an instructional practice that positively impacted their
knowledge and beliefs.
Ruby Duell
LRC 552/LRC 553
Whole Group Lesson Plan
Date/
Assignment
2/14/12- “Asking Questions”- Believe It or Not mysteries
Whole Group Guided Reading Lesson Plan
Demographics:
Grade 5; 9 fifth grade readers, 9 sixth grade readers, 1 seventh grade
reader, 3 fourth grade readers, 1 third grade reader as established by
Burns and Roe Reading Assessments
30-40 minute whole group guided reading lesson plan given in Mrs.
Clarkson’s classroom at Slingerlands Elementary School in the Bethlehem
Central School District
Rationale:
Originally, Mrs. Clarkson asked me to work on asking questions while
reading in small guided reading groups because her students need some
additional work in this reading strategy. She noted that her students need
extra work in non-fiction texts especially, as they will be moving into the
middle school setting next year. Once she saw the success of the small
groups, she asked that I lead a whole group lesson on this reading
strategy, as well. Research acknowledges that Asking questions is a
powerful way for students to learn. They use questions as a “pathway to
wandering and wondering” and as a tool to turn confusing curriculum into
meaningful learning. In this way, “student generated questions may lead
to more demanding study, particularly when the prescribed curriculum is
too often preoccupied with answers to questions young adolescents never
ask.” (Blintz & Williams, 2005).
This lesson addresses the NYS Common Core 5th Grade ELA Standards:
Reading Standards (Foundational Skills) Read with sufficient accuracy
and fluency to support comprehension.
 Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
 Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and
understanding, rereading as necessary.
Reading Standards for Informational Texts 4. Determine the meaning of
generally academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text
relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
Bintz, W. P., & Williams, L. (2005). Questioning Techniques of Fifth and
Sixth Grade Reading Teachers. Middle School Journal, 37(1), 45-52.
Goal:
Objectives:
Resources:
1. To read a piece of nonfiction, informational text while using the
reading strategy of asking and answering questions
2. To read out loud to improve fluency in nonfiction texts
 Students will use the reading strategy of asking and answering
questions to understand text
 Students will read orally for fluency

Print-out book, “Believe It or Not?” (a grade 5, Level Y book from
A-Z reading)

Introduction:
Mini-Lesson:
Looseleaf paper for students to make into Ask and Answer
questions chart
 Pencils
 Smart Board
 Ask one student from each group to get enough paper for their
table
 Project images of crop circles, Bigfoot, and the Bermuda Triangle
on the SmartBoard. Ask students if they recognize any of these
pictures and to describe what they know about these topics.
 Discuss the definition of the word hoax by writing on the board
(an action meant to trick someone into thinking something is real
when it is not). Ask students whether they think these mysteries
are real or hoaxes.
 Give students their copy of the article, The Bermuda Triangle
 Guide them to the pictures and encourage them to offer ideas as
to what the text might be about
Explain and Model:
Introduce the Reading Strategy: Ask and Answer Questions
1. Discuss with students how asking and answering questions while
reading can help readers understand and remember the
information in a book
2. Think-Aloud: I can use just the title to help me think of
questions I’d like to have answered about this text. For example, I
am unsure what exactly the Bermuda Triangle is. Where is it?
Why do people call it a mystery? I also wonder if a ship enters
the Bermuda Triangle and is found later, does it look the same or
has the ship been damaged? As I read, I enjoy looking for
answers to my questions, which often spark further curiosities and
questions as I continue to read.”
During Reading
Plan
3. Write down my questions on the Smart Board in a T-chart. Invite
students to do the same on their looseleaf paper.
4. Have students look at the text and invite them to share questions
they may have about the Bermuda Triangle that spark their
curiosity.
5. Introduce and explain to students that we will be using our
looseleaf to keep track of our questions by writing Questions on
the left hand side of the paper and Answers on the right hand
side and have them write in their question onto their worksheet.
Guided Practice
1. Have students read in round robin fashion.
2. Remind them to read for information that will answer the
questions on their worksheet and provide more information about
the section’s main idea. Remind them to also keep track of any
questions they might have as they read by writing them down on
the left hand side of their page.
3. Explain to students that now we are reading to find our answers,
so that we stay more focused and remember more of what we
read.
4. Think aloud as students read when you come across a question
you might have. Instruct students to do the same.
5. Think Aloud: Before reading, I had many questions that I
wanted answered about the Bermuda Triangle. One question I
had was whether a ship that enters the Bermuda Triangle and is
found later will look the same or will have damage. Now I know
that often ships do. Write the answer in on my own T-chart to
model the practice for students.
6. Remind students that they can ask questions about unfamiliar
words, where they became confused, or things they are curious
After Reading
Accommodations?
Assessment:
Reflection:
about as they read as well.
7. Invite students to share some of the questions they originally had
and the answers if they found any in the text.
8. Reinforce that asking questions before and during reading, and
looking for answers while reading, keeps readers interested in the
topic. It also encourages them to keep reading to find answers to
their questions and helps them understand and remember what
they have read.
9. Remind students that all of their questions may not have been
answered in this text. Discuss as a group other sources they
might use to locate additional information that answers their
questions
Independent Practice
1. Invite students to turn their Bermuda Triangle article over to the
other side to the “Curse of the Mummy” article.
2. Instruct students that they are to repeat the process we just did
as a class on their own with this text.
3. Remind them to jot down at least 2 questions before they start
reading and to continue to ask and answer questions as they read
their article on their T-chart.
4. Teacher should circle around the room giving help and support
where needed.
 The chosen text is a 5th grade level text and includes a glossary of
terms that students can refer to.
 Kelly’s (a visually impaired student) story will be printed up in
Braille form in order for her to be able to read along with us.
 Similarly, Kelly will have to take notes on her Braille reader and
writer and print them out

Observations will be used to mainly assess this lesson, as it is a
beginning lesson on this particular reading strategy.
 The teacher will also collect the asking questions T-chart from
students for a formal assessment.
This lesson went very smoothly. The students really seemed to enjoy the
topics being discussed, “The Bermuda Triangle” and the “Curse of the
Mummy” and were actively engaged for the entirety of the lesson. I think
one of the best parts of the entire lesson was the after reading portion in
which the class discussed their questions and answers they had about the
“Curse of the Mummy” and we reviewed the reading strategy. I was
pleasantly surprised at how many students not only grasped how to use
the strategy, but that they remembered why we use it and when we use
it. The explicit instruction fashion of this lesson was thus, I think, very
successful. Furthermore, there were, for probably the first time, no
problems with Kelly having access to the text! I was able to see her typing
up a storm on her Braille Reader as she read and asked herself questions.
It was pretty amazing to see the thoughts coming off of her fingers
projected onto a computer screen.
The only difficulty I ran into during this lesson was a small classroom
management problem. Many students had theories or knew things about
the Bermuda Triangle so it was somewhat difficult to keep the students on
task. Most of them wanted to share what they knew or what they
hypothesized about the Bermuda Triangle rather than reading to find out.
I find it especially hard to stifle students from sharing when they are so
engaged in a discussion, but time constraints force it. For me, this is
something I need to work on. Overall, however, the lesson went very
well, and Mrs. Clarkson thought it went perfectly. In a hand-raising poll, I
asked the students if they thought they’d ever use this strategy again,
and most of them said yes. Mrs. Clarkson quickly told them that they
would ALL be using it again, and that they use it all the time already
without even knowing it.