Week 6 : Face to Face Reading Collaborative (Lesson 1)

 

Title: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Book: Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport
Grade Level: 3rd - 5th
Duration: 45-60 minutes

Lesson Summary:

This week, students participated in an engaging lesson about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as part of our Black History and Women’s History Month unit. We began by discussing Dr. King's contributions to the Civil Rights Movement and why his leadership remains important today.

Students then watched a pre-recorded reading of Martin’s Big Words via iMovie. As they listened, they reflected on the meaning behind Dr. King’s words and how his message of nonviolence helped shape history. After the story, we had a class discussion where students answered questions about Dr. King’s fight for equality, the significance of “big words” in the book, and the impact of his leadership.

Next, students worked in small groups to create digital summaries using Padlet. Each group identified the main ideas of the story and highlighted Dr. King’s lasting influence. Once the summaries were complete, we projected them on the interactive board and reviewed them together as a class.

To wrap up the lesson, students played MLK Bingo, marking key words related to Dr. King on their boards as they were called out. The first student to get a bingo had to share one fact about Dr. King before claiming their win. This activity reinforced key concepts while making learning fun and interactive.

Reflection:

This was a fantastic activity! Even though students were already familiar with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this lesson allowed them to deepen their understanding through exploration, technology, and inquiry. They especially enjoyed using Padlet to collaborate and share their thoughts with the class.

One area for improvement would be providing printed QR codes for easier access to Padlet. Since there was only one QR code displayed on the large screen, students had to move closer to scan it, which took more time than expected. Next time, multiple QR codes will be placed on tables to streamline the process.

Students also loved the opportunity to share their Padlet presentations with their peers. The combination of storytelling, discussion, and interactive activities made for a meaningful and engaging learning experience.

Week 5: Fun with Physical Codes!

Time Spent: 1 Hour
Materials: Handouts, If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen, 9 squares, 9 triangles

Creative House-Building Activity

This week, the students participated in a physical and tangible coding activity. They listened to the story If I Built a House, which is about a little boy imagining in detail how his ultimate house would be built. He describes each room he creates, from a space room where you can float to a room filled with sliding boards and games.

After finishing the story, the students were given 9 squares and 9 triangles. They used these shapes to complete various 3D houses based on the codes given by me. For example:

• House 1: 4 squares, 4 triangles

• House 2: Two-story house, 8 squares, 4 triangles

Students used these specific codes to create various houses. They were given 7 different codes, then had the opportunity to create their own houses.

Reflection

After talking to the media specialist, we both agreed that the students would benefit more from having additional shapes. We were limited on the total number they received because there is only one kit. The media specialist plans to order two more kits soon so the students have a larger variety of codes, which will allow them to create other houses. Overall, this was a great activity!

Week 4: Cast your Vote!!

 

Week 4 Activity
Time Spent: 1 Hour
Materials: Handouts, Duck for President by Doreen Cronin, craft materials, voting boxes, stickers, 

Election Connection Activity

This week, the students were voting on student council members, so we incorporated Duck for President to help them connect with the election process. The teacher read the story to the students, and they completed a craft activity where they created the main character, Duck.

After the story, I asked students comprehension questions and led a discussion on leadership responsibilities. We compared Duck’s responsibility as a leader to that of the farmer and discussed who would make the better president of the farm.

Students then cast their votes and placed them in voting boxes. After tallying the votes, we announced the winner, and each student received a voting sticker to celebrate their participation.

Reflection

The lesson was great, and the students really enjoyed the activity. They were able to learn about the importance of voting and the responsibility of doing the job correctly once elected. If I could have changed one thing, I would have created a Microsoft Form and let the students vote electronically so it was more parallel to actual voting.

Week 3: New Year New Goals!

 

Week 3 Activity
Time Spent: 1 Hour
Materials: Handouts, The Night Before New Year's by Natasha Wing, goal sheets, pencils

New Year’s Resolutions Activity

This week, the teacher wanted to revisit a New Year’s activity that was missed due to snow days. To introduce the lesson, I read The Night Before New Year's by Natasha Wing to the students.

After reading the story, we had a class discussion about resolutions and goals for the new year. Students then wrote their own personal goals and shared them with the class, fostering a sense of reflection and motivation for the year ahead.

Reflection

This was a meaningful activity that allowed students to think about their aspirations and set positive intentions for the new year. They enjoyed sharing their goals with their peers, and it was a great way to reinforce the importance of self-improvement. If I could change anything, I might have provided sentence starters or a template to help students organize their thoughts more easily.

Week 2: 100 Days of school!

 Week 2 Activity

Time Spent: 1 Hour
Materials: Handouts, The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith book, scissors, glue, paper for Dalmatian hats.

100th Day of School Celebration

This week, students had just returned to school after snow days. Since they technically missed the 100th day of school on January 22nd, we celebrated on January 23rd—the 101st day of school—making The Hundred and One Dalmatians a fitting book for the occasion.

The lesson began with a read-aloud of 100th Day of School, followed by comprehension questions to reinforce understanding. After the discussion, students created Dalmatian hats by cutting and gluing pieces together.

Reflection

This was a fun and engaging activity that the students really enjoyed. It was a great way to welcome them back to school after the snow days. If I could change anything about the lesson, I would have pre-cut the hats for the students. While kindergarteners can cut, it takes them extra time, and considering our tight schedule, pre-cutting would have helped streamline the process. Despite this, they were able to finish their hats, and the final results were super cute!

                                          

Week 1: Sweet Tooth!

 Week 1 Activity

Time Spent: 1 Hour
Materials: Handouts, Paletero Man by Lucky Diaz book, crayons

Persuasive Writing Lesson – Ice Cream Advertisements

This week, students focused on persuasive writing. The lesson began with a reading of Paletero Man, a story about a little boy searching for the Paletero (ice cream).

After reading the story, students were placed into groups and tasked with creating advertisements for their own unique ice cream flavors. Their advertisements had to include:

• A unique ice cream flavor

• The price of the ice cream

• Where the ice cream is sold

• A persuasive reason why others should purchase their ice cream

• A catchy slogan

Reflection

This activity was designed based on the persuasive writing unit that 5th-grade students are currently working on. Because they were already familiar with the components of persuasive writing, they found the task engaging and enjoyable.

Students were excited about designing their advertisements and embraced the creative challenge. If I could modify the lesson, I would incorporate iPads so students could record their advertisements as commercials, making the activity even more interactive and dynamic.