Germane Lesson Plan 2

Reading Lesson Plan # 2

Your Name: Kati Germane Grade Level: 4^th Grade

Date lesson was taught: 4/18/2011 Number of Students: 2

1) Rationale:

From listening to the class read books out loud multiple times and talking with the teacher, Mrs. Fish, it is very clear that both Miller and Logan read significantly slower than their classmates. They often trip over words and read the text word for word, making their reading speed slower. By helping these students increase their reading speed, they will become better readers, especially when reading aloud.

2) List which reading skill/strategy is the main focus of your lesson:

The main focus of this lesson will be reading speed.

3) Objective for this lesson (performance, condition, criteria):

While reading aloud 50 Years in Space a total of three times, each a minute long, students will increase their reading speed during each read by being able to recognize the words they have previously read.

4) Materials & supplies needed:

• Two copies of 50 Years in Space By: Tyrus Cukavac
• Three different colored markers
• One pencil for each child
• Stop-watch

5) OUTLINE OF LESSON PLAN (Provide a bulleted list of ideas):

• Introduction to the lesson (3 minutes):

The teacher should begin the lesson by letting the students know what they are going to be working on. “Today we are going to be working on your reading speed. Why do you think reading speed is important when reading a text?” Wait for the student to respond. Respond accordingly. Be sure the student is aware that reading speed helps with fluency and comprehension because when people read the text slow, it is very hard to comprehend what is being said since the reader is too focused on the words. Also be sure to inform the student that if a student reads too fast that this too can hinder comprehension because it is very hard to comprehend text that is being read super fast. Let them know that an appropriate reading speed is at about the speed you talk at. “Okay good, now that you know why reading speed is important, let me tell you how today’s lesson will help you improve your reading speed. The speed at which you read something is determined by how many words you know and recognize. The more words you know and recognize, the easier the reading will be and you will be able to read it faster. All year Mrs. Fish has been talking about becoming better, stronger, faster readers. Well reading speed helps you become a better, stronger, faster reader.

• Inform students of lesson objective (increase reading speed)
• Teach the child what reading speed is and how it helps readers become better, faster, stronger
• Inform them how a person can improve their reading speed

• OUTLINE of key events during the lesson (8 minutes):

Today you will read one article three different times. You will have one minute to read as much as you can. At the end of that minute you will highlight the last word you read and write one with your pencil above it. You will then have another minute to read as much as you can and you will do the same thing, except this time you will write a two above the highlighted word and use a different color. Then for the last read you will do the same thing, but write a three above the highlighted word. What do you think it going to happen each time you read the article?” Allow time for the child to answer. Make sure the student understands that they should get faster at reading because they will be able to recognize the words they just read, thus making them read them faster. The teacher should also inform them what strategies they can use to become a faster reader. Inform them that since they are going to be focusing on reading speed, it is okay to skip over punctuation marks right now. Reiterate why reading speed is important while reading a text (previously said in the introduction). “Okay good, let’s begin.” Give the child the article now. “You have one-minute. Go.” Time the reader three different times. I expect the student to cooperate fully to the directions and if they seem confused after reading it once, the teacher should guide them; letting them know to highlight the last word read and write the appropriate number above it.

· Give the directions of reading the article

· Provide the student with the article

· Time child three different times for one-minute each time

• Closing summary for the lesson (4 minutes):

After the three timed readings the teacher should ask the student if they feel they improved. “After reading this article three times, do you feel like you’re a better, faster, stronger reader now?” Allow the student to answer and explain himself. “Why do you think you improved (or didn’t improve) your reading speed?” Give the student time to answer and explain himself. “Don’t forget, this is something you can do on your own time to help increase your reading speed. Reading speed impacts whether or not you comprehend the text as well as how long it will take you to finish the text. You’re almost in 5^th grade and you are going to be reading a lot more there. You will need to have the skills to read a text quickly and be able to comprehend it. Don’t forget to practice reading speed often because it can only help you in the future. Did you like this lesson? Is there anything that could have been different?” Give time for the student to respond and when he is done collect his article with the markings on it and the markers and walk the student back to the class.

• Allow student to explain how this lesson helps improve reading speed
• Reiterate the importance of reading speed
• Ask for questions and comments on how to make the lesson better

6) Ongoing-Assessment: During the lesson I will be able to observe how the student is progressing by noticing where they end after each timed reading. If they are not improving or only improving by one or two words each time, I would continue practicing timed readings with the student until their reading speed was up to their peers.

7) Based on what you know about your focus students, what Academic, Social and/or Linguistic Support will be needed during the lesson? Logan and Miller both have trouble understanding directions. During class the teacher needs to tell them repeatedly before they understand them fully. I will be sure to give clear and concise directions to the students, answering any questions they may have before the timed readings begin.

Reading Speed Article to be Read:

50 Years in Space, As the first human went into orbit a half-century ago, the world watched in awe, By Tyrus Cukavac | April 15, 2011

Fifty years ago on April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin, a 27-year-old Russian pilot, became the first human to go into outer space. He orbited, or circled, Earth for 108 minutes in a tiny metal capsule called Vostok 1—a huge breakthrough for humankind. Less than a month later, on May 5, Alan Shepard became the first American and the second human to enter outer space. The Space Race had begun. This intense competition between the United States and Russia, then known as the Soviet Union, fueled space exploration for the next generation. Shepard had originally been scheduled to launch in October 1960, but technical problems delayed the mission. The United States soon had bigger plans in mind: a journey to the moon. Since then, space explorers have reached many milestones. U.S. astronauts have landed on the moon, and robots have explored the surface of Mars. The former rivalry between the U.S. and Russia has become cooperation; the two countries worked together with several other nations to create the International Space Station—a research laboratory that orbits Earth. The United Nations has declared April 12 to be the International Day of Human Space Flight. Yet the future of space exploration has never been more uncertain. NASA, the U.S. space agency, is ending its 30-year-old space shuttle program. A planned return to the moon has been scrapped. NASA’s latest budget is $240 million lower than that in 2010. However, these changes might simply signal a shift in space development. President Barack Obama has challenged private companies to take the lead in space exploration. Some, such as Bigelow Aerospace, have launched prototype (test) inflatable habitats into space. These might someday lead to easier and less expensive ways to keep humans in space. Companies like Virgin Galactic aim to provide transportation for ordinary citizens someday and are currently selling seats for $200,000! Other companies, like Space X, plan to transport cargo to the International Space Station, picking up the slack left by the retired shuttle program. Gagarin’s historic journey took humankind closer to the stars and captured the imaginations of people from all across the planet. He later wrote of the beauty he had seen from the spacecraft: “Rays were blazing through the atmosphere of the Earth, the horizon became bright orange, gradually passing into all the colors of the rainbow . . . What an indescribable gamut of colors!” What new sights will the world’s next great space explorer discover?