Literacy Project
Submitted by: Megan Jones
Middle School Mathematics
Education 342: Development Reading
Missouri Southern State University
Instructor: Clara Cozens
December 16, 2010
Literature Focus Unit
On the Mayflower: Hardships Through History
1. Literature Selection
Waters, K. (1996). On the Mayflower: Voyage of the ship’s apprentice and a
passenger girl.
New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
2. Theme
The book, On the Mayflower, by Kate Waters is a book about two individuals who
have many difficulties through their journey to North America. The theme of this book is
hardships. The story will allow student to engage in activities allowing them to discover
the meaning of what a hardship is (past and preset), which deal with a person’s
emotions as well. This is a topic that many of them will not study on their own and
therefore should be covered in class.
3. Additional texts
George, J. (1993). The first Thanksgiving. New York, NY: Puffin Books.
Lasky, K. (1996). A journey to the New World: Diary of remember Patience
Whipple,
Mayflower 1620. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
McGovern, A. (1991). If you sailed on the Mayflower in 1620. New York, NY:
Scholastic, Inc.
McGovern, A. (1993). The pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving. New York, NY:
Scholastic, Inc.
San Souci, R. (1991). N.C. Wyeth’s pilgrims. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle
Books.
4. Unit Plan—Planning Stage-Include a graphic organizer. See example
below.
Poems, letters, pattern
writing, emails, text,
different genres
Presentation, Maps,
who and tell, brochures,
debates, menus, food
power points boxes,
letters,
journals
Shows/movies, radio
and songs, students
reading,
presentations
5. Activities!
Activity 1: Letter Back Home
GLE: W3A2, b: Recognize different forms of written communication (e.g., thank-you
notes, friendly letters, lists, poems, invitations).
Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate written forms of communication by
writing a letter back home.
Activity: The students will write a letter back home. They are to write the letter as if
they are a member of the Mayflower and writing back to family or friends in England.
They will identify the parts of a letter: return address, date, salutation, body, and
signature with closing. Students will see an example that I have created, but their
imagination is key to complete the body.
Technology Resources: A sample letter will be on the SmartBoard and students will be
allowed to type their finish letter in Word.
Activity assessment: Teacher observation will be used during the activity to monitor
student work and responses. Students will write a letter independently which will be
accessed accordingly.
1 Let’s Try Again 2 Almost There 3 You’ve Got it!
Address Address is missing Address is missing Address is written
or inaccurate. on piece. accurately.
Date Date missing. Date not in proper All parts of the
format. date are there.
Salutation Salutation is Salutation is not in Salutation is
missing. proper format. correct and in
proper format.
Body Body is not clearly A few minor errors Body is clearly
written; several (grammar+, written with no
errors. spelling, format). more than three
errors.
Closing Closing is missing Not properly Written properly
formatted
Activity 2: Brochure on Plymouth
GLE: W2D2: Compose text using words that are related to the topic, and, with
assistance, some words that are specific and accurate.
Objective: Students will be able to use words related to the topic of hardships and the
Mayflower by creating a brochure about Plymouth.
Activity: When creating a brochure the students will use words that they have been
learning in our short unit over the hardships on the Mayflower. Words will include but
are not limited too: apprentice, caulk, dire, fearsome, fortnight, oakum, younker, and
so forth (can be found in the glossary of the book). The students will learn about
these words using a word wall and will be given examples of a brochure (which
students can bring in as well).
Technology Resources: A sample brochure will be on the SmartBoard and students
will be allowed to type their finish product-using publisher.
Activity assessment: Teacher observation will be used during the activity to monitor
student work and responses. Students will create a brochure independently which
will be accessed using a check list.
1 Let’s Try 2 Almost There 3 You’ve Got
Again it!
Title Doesn’t have a Addresses the Title is very
proper front topic well! inviting and fun!
panel.
Information/ Lacking educational Two or three Four or five
Body facts. educational facts. educational
facts
Appropriate Only offers one Includes three to Includes six new
words to two new five new words. words.
words.
Pictures Has one or less Has only two Has three or
pictures. pictures. more pictures
Overall Still in the editing 10 or more Few grammar
appearance phase. Check for grammar/spelling and spelling
all errors and errors or can be errors; overall
make neater. very appealing.
professional.
Activity 3: Daily Journal.
GLE: R1E2: Develop vocabulary by reading, listening to, and discussing unknown
words in stories using a. root words, b. classroom resources, c. context clues.
Objective: Students will be able to understand five new words by writing in a daily
journal.
Activity: The students will write three to five sentences in their daily journal using two
new words that we discussed in class. The words will be talked about in small
groups, as well as added to a word wall for them to be “found” on. The first day I will
demonstrate what a journal can be used for.
Technology Resources: A sample journal will be on the SmartBoard and students will
be allowed to type their journal on a protected online “diary” site (with parent’s
permission) as a finish product. The Journal will be first written in a standard
notebook that is left in the room.
Activity assessment: The teacher will observe while the students write daily in their
journals. The journals will also be checked each night to make sure the students
meet the following check list.
Daily Journal Check
List
Clearly Written? Yes/No
3 – 5 Sentences? Yes/No
Uses two new words? Yes/No
Activity 4: Identify Maps
GLE: R2A2: Use details from text to locate and apply information in title, pictures, and
table of contents.
Objective: Students will be able to identify the important parts of a map as well as
understand the journey that the Mayflower took by creating their own map.
Activity: After class discussion that covers maps and how they are used as a tool, the
students will then first help the teacher design a map of the classroom. They are
then going to independently create a map that shows the route that the Mayflower
traveled.
Technology Resources: A variety of maps will be on the SmartBoard, as well as
normal travel maps, and globe will be displayed to help engage students.
Activity assessment: Teacher will observe the students work and then grade the
following map by using a checklist.
Map Check
List
Colored and Yes/No
clearly
designed?
Has the correct Yes/No
lands and travel
of the Mayflower?
Has a compass Yes/No
rose present?
Activity 5: Presentation or Skit
GLE: L2A2: Speak at an appropriate volume and maintain a clear focus when sharing
ideas.
Objective: Students will all be able to demonstrate appropriate volume while giving a
presentation OR a skit that tells a story of children having hardships in their travels.
Activity: After completing research, and allowing for time to plan a skit or presentation,
the students will then perform their skit. Students will also demonstrate their focus
on how to share ideas appropriately.
Technology Resources: For fun educational reasons students will be able to watch a
YouTube video on the smart board that shows what a skit is and how it clearly
conveys and idea or message.
Activity assessment: The students will have to meet the following checklist.
Skit Check
List
Is one to two Yes/No
minutes long
Students in Yes/No
audience can
clearly state the
idea of the shown
skit? Showing
that they heard
the speaker
clearly.
Activity 6: Game on the ship! A-hoy!
GLE: L2B2: Give clear oral directions to complete a simple task.
Objective: Students will be able to follow and give oral directions by pretending to play
a game called “Captain” on the ship.
Activity: The game “Captain” is like “follow the leader” meets “Simon says” meets
“charades”. The student that is the “captain” will ask for all students to deliver
certain task. Task will start off easy such as “row” (students do rowing motion) to
more complicated task such as “Please go to your desk, find the sharpest pencil, and
bring back for your captain to use to draw on his map.” The task will be selected
from a hat where the Teacher has provided enough ideas for each student to be
“Captain”. All students will have a turn to be Captain to complete ONE task. The
teacher will give a few different examples. This game can also meet the listening
GLE’s for students to listen to task being given by the Captain.
Technology Resources: Appropriately themed music will be playing softly while the
student play captain.
Activity assessment: This activity will mainly be assessed by observation from the
teacher. However, the student will receive points based off of the following rubric.
1. Still needs work. 2. Almost there! 3. You are a
leader!
Being a “Captain” needs to A few students Student speaks
Captain, give work harder on being have confusion; clearly, stating
clear a leader; his “Captain” the task in which
directions in shipmates were lost. stumbled a bit. all students
the game.
follow exactly.
Activity 7: Listening to students read.
GLE: L1A2: Listen for enjoyment, information, to solve problems, and for directions to
complete a task.
Objective: Students will listen to other students ready and show their listening skills by
writing in their journals what the students had read.
Activity: A variety of students and/or the teacher will re-aloud either to pairs, in small
groups, or to the entire class. The listening students will then be asked to write a
short paragraph in their daily journals about what they just heard. For this
assignment I am going to address it as if the teacher was reading to the entire class.
The teacher will give an example of what a short summary is using “somebody
wanted but so” method.
Technology Resources: Big book will be read aloud and sample readings will also be
read off of the SmartBoard.
Activity assessment: This activity will be addressed by the following checklist.
Listening Check
List
Could the students Yes/No
address the main
point?
Can the student Yes/No
identify the main
characters?
Can the students Yes/No
discuss with shoulder
partners what they
just heard?
Can the students Yes/No
remember a
beginning, middle,
and end?
Activity8: Mayflower Movies
GLE: L2B2: Demonstrate listening behaviors (e.g., prepares to listen, listens without
interruptions, maintains eye contact).
Objective: Students will be able to sit quietly and focus on watching an educational
video about the adventures of the Mayflower.
Activity: During and educational video the students will be able to prepare for a video
(lights out, eyes forward, mouths off, ears on) and maintain their focus to understand
the main point of the video. The students will then participate in a group discussion
over the video and what it was about. The teacher will then help the students learn
how to write a chain of events diagram based off of what the students learned in the
video.
Technology Resources: The video will be watched on the SmartBoard and the chain of
events diagram will also be displayed there too.
Activity assessment: This activity is assessed by teacher observation but students
need to make sure to meet the following criteria.
Check marks: Students will receive a check mark for each “infraction” that caused any
disruption to them or their classmates during the movie. For every two “infracts” the
student will lose one point of his or her participate points. Infractions include but are
not limited to the following:
Does not corporate when preparing for the movie (cleaning off desk).
Talking out loud.
Getting up.
Moving around in seat or on floor.
Sleeping.
Not watching the screen and looking “lost in space.”
6. Groupings
Whole-class
Vocabulary Word-Wall Chart
Read Aloud
Hardship Discussions
Captain oh Captain game
Small-group
Presenting a skit.
Reading aloud.
Using maps.
Individual
Write a letter to home
Design a brochure
Reflection
Daily Journal
7. Schedule
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
• Share and • Re-read the • Partner • Read a • Group read
build text read. second last
background • Paired • Share letters complement complement
knowledge. reading of with class ary book ary book.
• Engage complement (peer with • Share
students for ary text. editing). partners brochures
their new • Minilesson • Oral debate and with class.
adventure. on letter that is discuss. • Share
• Minilesson format. teacher lead • Minilesson personal
on purpose • Write letter on who had on hardships
for back home. the hardest brochure. for closure.
listening. • Discuss job on the • Watch video • Engage
• Read aloud new words ship. about the students in
and grand to add to • Presentation Mayflower. preparation
conversatio word wall. and skits will • Design for next
n • Write in be brochure. mini-unit.
• Add to the daily presented. • Write in
Word Wall journal. • Write in daily Daily journal
journal new two new
• Write in words for the words (add
daily day. to word
journal. wall).
8. Literature Focus Unit Checklist
Text- On the Mayflower by Kate Waters Date
completed
Required:
_____1. Play “Captain” with the class.
_____2. Letter back home.
_____3. Create a brochure.
_____4. Write a summary of the movie using four new words.
Optional (Choose at least 2):
______ Create a Vocabulary Game
______ Complete a map showing your own personal adventures.
______ Create a poem about a personal hardship. Share the poem with the class.
______ Draw a picture from of something you visualized while reading the text.
______ Make a Venn diagram of two hardships you have had and how they relate
to each other.
______ Create a poster that promotes the book to other students.
Minilesson
Name: Megan Jones
Grade Level: Second
Content: Communication Arts
Lesson: How to write a letter
Objectives:
Students will be able to demonstrate written forms of communication by
writing a letter back home.
GLE:
W3A2, b: Recognize different forms of written communication (e.g., thank-
you notes, friendly letters, lists, poems, invitations).
Modifications:
Students’ needs will be met by making sure their IEP’s are properly satisfied.
For students who have difficult learning, they will sit closer to the teacher.
Visually impaired students will sit close to what the class is reading or
looking at. ADD/ADHD students will be motivated to work independently and
on task.
Materials/Media/Resources:
Waters, K. (1996). On the Mayflower: Voyage of the ship’s apprentice and a
passenger girl.
New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
Paper for each student
Sample letters (on SmartBoard)
Teacher-Created Rubric
http://www.letterwritingguide.com/
http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/09/25/friendly-thank-you-letter-using-
thinking-maps/ This is a great site that uses thinking maps.
Sample letter:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikibooks/en/f/f0/LaTeX-letter.png
Anticipatory Set:
Good morning class! Lets gather around the smartboard screen today. Can
anyone tell me what we are looking at? Has anyone seen this before? Yes,
this is a letter and today we are going to learn how to write a proper letter by
writing a letter back home. The book we read yesterday about the hardships
on the Mayflower voyage will be the subject of our letters.
Instructional Input:
Today we will be talking about the important pieces of a letter. The first is
the return address, date, salutation, body and signature with closing. Let’s
write a practice letter together following the sample format.
The first is the return address. This is your address where you live. Let’s
write our school’s address here.
Write school’s address on the board.
Now we have to write the date. What is today’s date?
Add the date to the sample letter.
Next is the salutation. That is a big word; does anyone know what it means?
It’s the introduction to the letter, who you are writing to. Who do we want to
write our letter to class?
Write down the person that we are writing to.
Body of a letter is where you tell all of your information. It is similar to a
story where there should be a begging, middle, and an end. The letter is
written in paragraphs. What should we write our letter about?
Write two short paragraphs over the topic that the class chooses.
Now to close the letter we have to tell them to have a nice day, thank you,
even love you is a closing which is then followed by a signature. How would
you like to close our letter class?
Close letter and then sign it from the class.
Modeling/Demonstrating:
Modeling is very similar to the instructional input. I demonstrated while I did
my instruction. However to demonstrate more I would show more sample
letters to the class.
Class on this sample letter can you find the signature?
Excellent, now can you tell me what the body of the letter is?
Wonderful, what is this that I am pointing at class?
Perfect, it is the date! Now what do we use start the letter with, the very fist
thing we write?Awesome, we always write the return address first!
Wonderful work everyone!
Guided Practice:
I have sample parts of a letter that the students will then place in the correct
order, it will be a puzzle of sorts for guided practice.
We have been doing such a great job that I have a new challenge for
everyone. The post office accidently chopped my letter into these pieces
and I need your help to place them back in the proper order. Do you think
you can do that? Excellent. Please help us place the pieces on the board.
Checking for Understanding:
I will watch closely as students sort the pieces of the letter puzzle to properly
write a letter. They should be able to follow the letter format to form a
proper letter with their pieces. I should actually see the students working
and can watch for any mistakes that are going to occur. This is learning
time so it will be good to see what students come up with. I will also ask
questions during instructional input to make sure the students are on the
‘right page’.
Independent Practice:
Everyone seems to be getting this really well. Now you are going to write a
letter back to someone in England. Remember that you are a passenger on
the Mayflower so you can use new words that we have been learning. The
letter should follow the proper format that we have discussed in class. Now
let’s get started! I can’t wait to read your terrific letters!
Closure:
Today we talked about the proper letter format that ties in with our
hardships in history unit. Tomorrow we will share our letters, if you want,
and then start talking about what we can do improve our writing.
Evaluation/Assessment:
Teacher observation will be used during the activity to monitor student work
and responses. Students will write a letter independently which will be
accessed accordingly.
1 Let’s Try Again 2 Almost There 3 You’ve Got it!
Address Address is missing Address is missing on Address is written
or inaccurate. piece. accurately.
Date Date missing. Date not in proper All parts of the date
format. are there.
Salutatio Salutation is Salutation is not in Salutation is correct
n missing. proper format. and in proper
format.
Body Body is not clearly A few minor errors Body is clearly
written; several (grammar, spelling, written, no more
errors. format). than three errors.
Closing Closing is missing Not properly formatted Written properly
Taking Reading Development this semester was a challenge for me. Not
because I did not understand the content but because it was hard for me to relate to the
lectures. I value reading and find that it is very important. However, when it came to
designing mini-lessons for elementary ages I was clueless. I felt as if I didn’t know how
to talk, think, or properly assess for that age group.
I plan on teaching middle school math. I am so very excited to be working with
teenagers; although that does sound crazy (even for me) it is a calling that I am
following after. Math has always been easy for me and it’s something that I find
beautiful. It’s a universal language it takes place in our every day lives it just incredibly
fascinating.
I wish I felt the same about developmental reading. Although I am highly
intrigued by a child’s development (cognitive and physical), learning how to create a
lesson plan to teach reading, strategies, comprehension, etc, was not something I was
as interested in. As much as I fought this class every step of the way, I did write those
mini-lessons and I did go to class and try to learn as much as possible.
This semester what I did understand was the difference between phonics and
phonemic awareness. I didn’t realize until this class how much went into reading. I
thought children just “learned” that they just “picked up” on reading. I had no idea that
there were different strategies to teaching. That someone has to teach spelling,
grammar, and comprehension and make sure that all concepts link and interact with
each other to make for a more solid educational experience for students.
I now have a lot of respect for elementary teachers. I use to honestly think they
had the easiest job ever. They got to play games, read easy books, and color all day
long. But now, oh my goodness, elementary teachers have four times more GLE’s than
I have. Those teachers are trying to help students master certain levels in a variety of
areas. That is a challenge that I am not willing to personally face.
Because I now have a small idea of what elementary teachers are doing I can
now communicate with them on how to build a better foundation for middle school
students (if necessary). I now understand where my students are coming from; by
knowing where someone has been I better understand where we need to go.
Because of my educational growth of this area I know that one day when I have
kids I will be better prepared to help them to learn how to read. That because of this
class I will slightly understand what my children’s’ teachers methods are.
Overall, Reading Development was an educational class. There were moments
when I would question why I was in the class at all for I felt like it did exactly go along
with teaching upper division math (geometry, algebra, etc.) but that didn’t make the
class any lesson important. Although I did not think it was something I ever wanted or
needed to learn, I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to do so. As an
educator it is all right for me to educate myself in a variety of areas so I can be better
prepared to meet ALL of my students’ needs. As an educator I have to be a well-
rounded person when it comes to my knowledge for I will never know what my
students will need most. I might have some math students who need help with
reading, and I am now better prepared because of this class. Thank you.
