Week 6: Asignment #3

Candidate’s Name: Sarah Kovalenko

Grade Level: 3

Title of the lesson: Phonics - Homophones

Length of the lesson: 60 minutes

Central focus of the lesson (The central focus should align with the CCSS/content standards and support students to develop an essential literacy strategy and requisite skills for comprehending or composing texts in meaningful contexts) Key questions: ●     what do you want your students to learn? I would like the students to learn about phonics, specifically homophones. ●     what are the important understandings and core concepts you want students to develop within the learning segment? In this learning segment, I would like the students to learn what a homophone is, to be able to recognize and give examples of homophones, and to spell homophones correctly according to the meaning that is being used.

Knowledge of students to inform teaching (prior knowledge/prerequisite skills and personal/cultural/community assets) Key questions: ●     What do students know, what can they do, what are they learning to do? Students know how to read and write age appropriate words and sentences. Now they are learning about words that sound the same but are spelled differently. They are learning how to recognize these words, and to note the spelling and meaning of them. ●     What do you know about your students’ everyday experiences, cultural backgrounds and practices, and interests? Students in the class come from diverse cultural backgrounds, and a small percentage are ELLs. These students need extra help in learning the English language. However, the students are mainly from families that support education greatly.

Common Core State Standards (List the number and text of the standard. If only a portion of a standard is being addressed, then only list the relevant part[s]. 3.SL.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. 3.SL.1.b. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). 3.SL.1.c. Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others.

Support literacy development through language (academic language) ●     Identify one language function (i.e. analyze, argue, categorize, compare/contrast, describe, explain, interpret, predict, question, retell, summarize or another one appropriate for your learning segment) Students will recognize, identify, categorize, compare, and contrast words that are homophones. ●     Identify a key learning task from your plans that provide students opportunities to practice using the language function. Students will listen to a song and recognize and anayze the homophones. They will state the word, spelling and meaning. ●     Describe language demands (written or oral) students need to understand and/or use. Write words they hear, read, ●     General academic terms: analyze, argue, categorize, compare/contrast, describe, explain, interpret, predict, question, retell, summarize or another one appropriate for your learning segment. Analyze words, answer questions.

Learning objectives Sample: 1.     Students will learn the definition of a homophone. 2.     Students will recognize and give examples of common homophones. 3.     Students will listen to a song about homophones to extend their understanding. 4.     Students will learn how to decode and recognize new words.

Formal and informal assessment (including type[s] of assessment and what is being assessed) ●     Explain how the design or adaptation of your assessment allows students with specific needs to demonstrate their learning. For informal assessment, I will observe the students during the lesson to see whether they are grasping the concepts. I will frequently ask questions to make sure the students are following along. As a formal assessment, I will collect the comic strips that the students created using homophones and grade to determine their understanding.

Instructional procedure: Instructional strategies and learning tasks (including what you and the students will be doing) that support diverse student needs. Your design should be based on the following: ●     understanding of students’ prior academic learning and personal/cultural/community assets ●     research and/or theory ●     developmental ●     appropriateness Modeling New Knowledge: Introduce the word “homophone” to the students. Explain that they are words that sound the same yet they have different meanings and spellings. Ask the students to brainstorm some homophones and write them on the board so all can see the examples. Provide Guided Practice: Play a song for the students – Between the Lions’ Homophones Song. Ask the students to say the homophones in the song. Then give out a paper with the lyrics of the song so they can sing it together. After the students have identified the homophones in the song, discuss the words; the meanings and spellings. Provide Independent Practice (In this case, Collaborative Work): Divide the students into groups and explain that they will be acting out homophones to the class. Each group will pick an index card that has a homophone written on it. They should create a short skit acting it out. The rest of the class will have to identify the homophone and give the correct meaning and spelling. To add in technology, have each group use Comic Creator online to create a comic strip from their skit. Display the comics on a poster in the classroom once they are complete.

Instructional resources and materials used to engage students in learning. Between The Lions’ Homophone Song Comic Creator

Reflection ●     Did your instruction support learning for the whole class and the students who need great support or challenge? Several methods of learning are addressed in this lesson, such as acting, singing, working in groups, writing. This gives each student an opportunity to use the skill he excels in to learn most effectively. ●     What changes would you make to support better student learning of the central focus? I would implement more reading activities, where the students read a short story on their own and identify homophones or fill in blanks with homophones. ●   Why do you think these changes would improve student learning? Support your explanation from evidence of research and/or theory. This would help them realize that there are always homophones in texts, and it will make it more applicable for the students. When students see that what they are learning is applicable, they gain a better understanding and interest.

Dr. Hui-Yin Hsu Spring 2014