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K - Act. 17: My Community Book

Main Core Tie

English Language Arts Kindergarten
Reading: Informational Text Standard 5

Additional Core Ties

English Language Arts Kindergarten
Reading: Informational Text Standard 6

Authors

Utah LessonPlans
Grace Wayman

Summary

Using a variety of informational text, students will explore places in their neighborhood.


Materials

Websites

  • informational book on community, such as Community at Play (Newbridge)
  • sticky notes
  • chart paper
  • markers
  • corrective tape or cover up label tape
  • highlighter tape


Background for Teachers

Students should be exposed to a variety of genres. Informational texts are often overlooked. If children are given many opportunities to use informational texts and discover how they work, they will be more comfortable and familiar with them when they are older and the reading is more complex. Kindergarten children can be taught the simple features of informational texts such as the index, table of contents, labels on pictures, and titles. Teachers should carefully choose high quality informational texts which contain: 1) topics of high interest to the children, 2) good quality photographs, 3) an appropriate amount of text per page, and 4) illustrations that closely match the text.


Intended Learning Outcomes

Intended Learning Outcomes
1. Demonstrate a positive learning attitude.

Process Skills
Description, investigation, classification, conclusion formation


Instructional Procedures

Invitation to Learn
Sing the song “Where are the places in my neighborhood?” (Use the tune to the Sesame Street song “Who are the people in your neighborhood?”) Have the children think of places in categories to substitute in the song such as:

“A playground is a place in my neighborhood, in my neighborhood, in my neighborhood. A playground is a place in my neighborhood, a place where I go to play.”

Instructional Procedures

  1. Write down the list of places the children mentioned on chart paper.
  2. Show an informational text on the topic. Point out the title and tell what a title is. Point out the capital and lowercase letters. Talk about the picture. Ask the children if they have ever been to a similar place.
  3. Remind the children about the places listed on the chart. Model for the class how to tell about a fun place in one minute by telling them about a place you have visited here in the community that was fun. Have the children then turn to a partner for one minute and tell their partner about where they went and what they did. Then give the other partner one minute to tell their experiences. Bring the class back together with a signal.
  4. Model questions for the children such as “I wonder if my place will be in this book?” “ I wonder how the information is organized in this book?” “ I wonder what the pictures will be like?”
  5. Browse through the book pointing out the bold print that indicates important words to know, the pictures, the heading, etc. Place highlighter tape over key words such as headings, vocabulary words, etc. Point out how the author of an information book uses different tools other than fictional authors to tell their message. Continue to wonder about things out loud to model for the children.
  6. Read the book.
  7. Ask the children for their questions. Remind them they can say, “I wonder...”
  8. As questions arise after reading the book, you can write them down on sticky notes and put them on the book.
  9. Go back to the student-generated list of places to play. Ask the children if the book reminded them of any other places to play in the community. Record those responses in a different color.
  10. Tell the children “We will begin to make a class book about our community. This chapter will be about places we play.”
  11. Model how this is done by creating the heading page “Places to Play” as a class (interactive writing). Call up different children to write the letter you tell them, modeling correct capitalization, left to right writing, spacing, etc. At this age, do not worry about the words being on the lines correctly. If a child makes a mistake, put corrective tape over it and try again.
  12. Draw a picture to go with the text. Show how this page meets the requirements of a good informational text page (correct capitalization, correct letter size, pictures that go with the text).
  13. Assign the children to draw a picture of their response and then label under their picture by copying the words you dictated for them on the list. Tell them you will be checking their pages for those three things in a rubric.
  14. Assemble the pages together for part of a class book. Read the book to the class.
  15. Repeat the instructions for other chapters of the community book such as “Places to eat,” “Places to shop,” etc.


Strategies for Diverse Learners

Differentiation of Instruction
If a child has difficulty copying from the board, cut the chart paper into strips and let him take the word cards to his desk.

Some children might be ready to distinguish between places you go to play for free, and others you have to pay to play. They can sort the places with separate headings, or place a “$” symbol by those where you have to pay.


Extensions

Possible Extensions/Adaptations

  1. Class can tally how many children have been to each of those places.
  2. A dramatic play can be set up like one of the places.
  3. Children can create one of the places in their block center.
  4. Oral story problems can be given relating to the places (e.g., “If my sister and I are at the park, and two friends join us to play ball, how many people are at the park?” “If four of us went to the skating rink, but one friend had to go home, how many are left?”).

Family Connections

  1. Have families send in pictures of the children at those fun places. Display in the class.
  2. Have families do a shape hunt, number hunt, or letter hunt at one of those places. The student can then share the information with the class.


Assessment Plan

During the interactive writing, assess sound/letter relationships. Use the following rubric to assess writing:

  • Correct capitalization
  • Letters correct size
  • Picture goes with text


Created: 08/06/2003
Updated: 02/05/2018
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