Kindergarten Writing Plans Unit 2
Lesson 6
Topic: Using Our Senses
Read Aloud: Listen, Listen
Big Book: My Five Senses
Companion Piece: Poems About Senses
Essential Question: How do our senses help us learn about the world?
Target Skills: Text and Graphic Features; Compare and Contrast
Kindergarten Writing Plans Lesson 6
Days1 and 2: Writing in response to read aloud book, Listen, Listen
Comprehension Skill: Identifying Details from the Text; Text and Graphic Features
Report Card Skill (if applicable):dictates or writes using pictures or words/using details to describe familiar people, places, things, or events/acquires and uses increasingly difficult vocabulary.
Before Reading:Introduce/Review vocabulary. This week we will be reading stories about using our senses. Our senses give us information about the world around us. We can use our senses to get information about what we see, feel or touch, hear, smell, and taste. Today, since our story is titled “Listen, Listen” we will be talking about our sense of hearing. (You can split this into 2 days- read about 2 seasons a day)
- This story is divided into seasons (summer, fall, winter, spring) - As I read this story aloud, I want you to think about the different sounds you might hear during the season. We’ll stop after each season and discuss.
- Turn and tell your partner what you will be listening for as I read.
After Reading about Each Season:
- Tell your partner one thing you might hear in the summer- if needed provide an example, “One thing I might hear in the summer is insects buzzing and chirping” What is something else we might hear? -teacher recaps and writes on chart paper. (see samples below) You may have to prompt them by using the picture clues
- Repeat with fall, winter, and spring.
- Explain that we used the information from the text and the pictures to identify the different sounds of each season.
Sample Chart:
Summer / Autumn/Fall / Winter / Springinsects buzzing and chirping
children playing
leaves rustling
waves splashing / acorns dropping
leaves crunching
seagulls squawking
wind blowing
geese honking / crunching of snow
children playing in snow
fire crackling
snow shovels / birds chirping and singing
rain falling
eggs cracking and hatching
frogs croaking
Extension: Students can select a season and illustrate something that takes place during the season. They can complete the sentence, “In ____ (the season) I hear ______.” They can share with a partner then write or complete the preprinted sentence stem.
Kindergarten Writing Plans Lesson 6
Days 3 and 4: Writing in response to read aloud book, My Five Senses (you could spread this out over 2 days if needed)
Comprehension Skill Addressed in Writing: Identifying Details; Text and Graphic Features
Report Card Skill (if applicable): Main idea and details in an informational text
Before Reading: Earlier this week we read a book about using our sense of hearing to identify the sounds we hear during the seasons of the year. In this big book, you are going to learn about all 5 senses (sight, touch, hearing, taste, and smell)
- As I read, I want you to use the pictures and the words to find out what the boy sees, touches, smells, tastes and hears.
- Turn and tell your partner what you will be listening for as I read.
*You may want to have certain students listen for what he sees, some listen for what he touches, some listen for what he smells, etc…
After Reading: We are going to use a chart to help us organize what we read. (You could also pause after you read about each sense and record information on the chart.)
Turn and tell your partner one thing the boy saw. –teacher recaps and records on chart.
Turn and tell your partner one thing the boy felt. –teacher recaps and records on chart.
Turn and tell your partner one thing the boy smelled. –teacher recaps and records on chart.
Turn and tell your partner one thing the boy tasted. –teacher recaps and records on chart.
Turn and tell your partner one thing the boy heard. –teacher recaps and records on chart.
Sample:
The boysaw / felt/touched / smelled / tasted / heard
stars
moon
sun
frog / bunny
water
kitten
ball / soap
pine tree
fresh cookies / ice cream
milk
food / fire engine
bird
Writing Activity: (If helpful, you could have this preprinted on paper)
In the story My Five Senses, the boy used his senses to...
See:
Touch:
Smell:
Taste:
Hear:
*They can draw at least 2 items beside each sense using the information from the chart and text.
Example: By “see” they could draw stars or a frog.
Compare/Contrast Writing:
After reading the poems about senses, you could create a modeled writing on the following:
How are the poems similar to My Five Senses and how are they different? (the poem and the stories are about senses; they are about the sense of sight and hearing and in My Five Senses, it refers to all the senses)
Kindergarten Writing Plans Unit 2
Lesson 7
Topic: Sounds and Language
Read Aloud: Amelia’s Show and Tell Fiesta
Big Book: Mice Squeak, We Speak
Companion Piece: The Fort Worth Zoo
Essential Question: How do animals communicate? How do people communicate?
Target Skills: Understanding Characters; Author’s Word Choice
Kindergarten Writing Plans Lesson 7
Days 1 and 2: Writing in response to read aloud book Amelia’s Show and Tell Fiesta
Comprehension Skill Addressed in Writing: Understanding Characters and Author’s Word Choice
Report Card Skill Addressed: Students will dictate or write using pictures and words.
Before Reading: This week we will read stories that will help us learn ways people and animals communicate. When we communicate we let others know how we feel. We can use our words or our bodies to communicate our feelings. In today’s story, Amelia’s Show and Tell Fiesta, Amelia goes to a new school and experiences many different feelings.
- As we read, I want you to think about how Amelia’s feelings change in the story.
- Turn and tell your partner what you will be listening for as I read.
After Reading: We are going to create a chart to identify the different feelings Amelia had in the story.
Beginning of Story: Ask: How did Amelia feel at the beginning of the story? (If needed, go back and prompt- she is running up the stairs, she sits up front and listens to every word… she must be excited about school) Go back through the story to look at the pictures and reread when necessary to see how Amelia is feeling.
Ask: How do you think Amelia felt about showing her fiesta dress? How do you know? – excited- she twirled around and couldn’t wait to show her classmates
Middle of Story: Ask: How did Amelia feel when she got to school and realized no one else was dressed in costume? (probably embarrassed, foolish)
End of Story: Ask: After her teacher had her share, how did Amelia feel? What clues help you see that she was happy?
These questions will guide the students through- you can also stop and ask after you read the beginning, the middle, and the end to allow for conversation and to keep the students engaged as you read.
Sample Chart:
Beginning / Middle / EndExcited- she ran up the stairs;
Sat up front; couldn’t wait to show off her fiesta dress / Embarrassed- no one else was in costume; she didn’t have anything for the basket / Happy/Proud- she got to share about fiesta; students hoorayed for her
Writing Activity: (this could be done on 2nd day if needed)
Students will draw pictures that demonstrate how Amelia’s feelings changed throughout the story. You could have a trifold and have them label “beginning” “middle” and “end” and then have them draw a picture that shows how she felt during each part of the story. After they have drawn a picture for each section, have them share with a partner. They can explain by saying, “In the beginning of the story, Amelia felt ____; in the middle, she felt ______, and in the end she felt _____. “
They can dictate to you to explain how she felt, or they can write if they are able. They can use your words from the chart to help write their feeling words.
Kindergarten Writing Plans Lesson 7
Day 3: Writing in response to read aloud book Mice Squeak, We Speak
Comprehension Skill Addressed in Writing: Author’s Word Choice; Main Idea and Details
Before Reading: Yesterday we discussed the different ways people can communicate their emotions or feelings by their words and actions. Today we will read a story about the different ways animals communicate.
- As I read, I want you to pay close attention to how the different animals in the story communicate.
- Turn and tell your partner what you will be listening for as I read.
After Reading: In the story each animal made a unique sound to communicate. Turn to your partner and tell them one animal from the story and the sound it makes. Have one student from each pair share an animal that was discussed.
Writing activity: In this story we read about how different animals communicate. Provide students with the topic sentence and have them draw at least 2 animals and write/dictate to you the sound that animal makes.
Sample Topic Sentence: Animals communicate in different ways. (you could have them preprinted or they could copy- feel free to change-just make sure it reflects the overall main idea)
Tell them that all of the pictures and details must show how the animals communicate or the sounds they make. This can also help you assess their understanding of main idea and details to support.
**Differentiate: The student can dictate the sound word. The student can write the initial sound of the sound word. The student can write the sound word.
Kindergarten Writing Plans Unit 2
Lesson 8
Topic: Ways to Move
Read Aloud: Jonathan and His Mommy
Big Book: Move!
Companion Piece: The Hare and the Tortoise
Essential Question: Why do different animals move in different ways?
Target Skills: Details; Compare and Contrast
Kindergarten Writing Plans Lesson 8
Day 1: Writing in response to read aloud book Jonathan and His Mommy
Before Reading: This week we will be reading about the different ways that people and animals move. People can move in many different ways. For example, you can run, skip, jump, etc…
- As I read this story, I want you to pay attention to the different ways that Jonathan and his Mom move as they go on their walk.
- Turn and tell your partner what you will be listening for as I read.
After Reading: We are going to create a chart to identify the different ways Jonathan and his mom moved as they went for a walk.
Model: “One type of step they took was zig-zag steps, or they moved side-to-side.” I’m going to add this to our chart.
What was another way they moved?
After students have shared with their partners, have each pair share a different movement and add to the chart. If they have difficulty recalling the different movements/steps, you can go back and reread.
How might they move if they were in a hurry? (what type of steps?)
How might they move if they were not?
Jonathan and His Mom Moved in Different Wayszig-zag steps
giant steps
itsy-bitsy baby steps
bunny steps
running steps
slow-motion steps
ballet steps
criss-cross steps
reggae steps
backward steps
Sample Chart:
Kindergarten Writing Plans Lesson 8
Day 2: Writing in response to the big book Move!
Comprehension Skill Addressed in Writing: Main idea and details from the text
Report Card Skill Addressed: Students will dictate or write using pictures and words.
Before Reading: Yesterday we read a story about some different ways that people can move. Today, we are going to be reading about animals and how they move.
- As I read this story, I want you to listen to find out the different ways that animals move or get from one place to another.
- Turn and tell your partner what you will be listening for as I read.
After Reading:
As we read the story, you were to listen to find out some different ways that animals move.
Turn and tell your partner the name of one animal we read about and then tell them how they move or get from one place to another.
After each partner has shared, have them share out and you can record the different animals and the movements. Explain that they move this way because of the features they have (wings, no legs, etc…)
Keep this chart up so they can refer back to the movement words in their writing.
Writing Activity:
This entire story was about how animals move. We read about many different ways that they move, so for my topic sentence, we can say, Animals move in different ways.
You will select at least 2 different ways that animals move and draw a picture of the animal and label with their movement. For example, you could draw a snake and beside the snake, you would write slithers (these words will be on the chart)
You could have a paper with the topic sentence and space for 2 animals and their movement.
Animals move in different ways.______
______/ ______
______
Sample:
To differentiate, the students can dictate to the teacher and those who able can write a sentence such as, The snake slithers.
Kindergarten Writing Plans Unit 2
Lesson 9
Topic: Machines and Wheels
Read Aloud: Good Morning, Digger
Big Book: What Do Wheels Do All Day?
Companion Piece: Wheels Long Ago and Today
Essential Question: Why do people use wheels?
Target Skills: Text and Graphic Features; Conclusions
Kindergarten Writing Plans Lesson 9
Day1: Writing in response to the read aloud book Good Morning, Digger
Comprehension Skill Addressed in Writing: Main Idea and Details from the Text
Report Card Skill Addressed: Students will dictate or write using pictures and words.
Before Reading: This week we will be reading several stories about wheels. People use machines with wheels to do different kinds of heavy work such as moving, digging, and building.
- As I read this story, I want you to listen to find out how the trucks help in the building of the community center.
- Turn and tell your partner what you will be listening for as I read.
After Reading:
As we read the story, you were to listen to find out how the different trucks helped to build the community center. We are going to go back through and identify the different trucks and the job that each one did. (start a chart)
Go back through the story, pointing out each type of truck- First, we see the flatbed truck- point out- What important job did the flatbed truck have? Turn and tell your partner- Start your answer with, “The flatbed’s job was to…”
Continue, pointing out the different trucks and adding them to the chart and listing their job (see sample chart below)
Sample Chart:
Type of Truck / Jobflatbed / brought the backhoe (Digger) – carried other trucks
backhoe (Digger) / dug hole in the dirt
dump truck / carried away dirt that was dug up
cement mixer / pour cement into hole
crane / lifts doors, windows, and parts of walls in the air
As you can see, each truck had an important job.
Writing Activity:
Students can draw a picture of one of the trucks – be sure to draw how it helped in the building of the community center. (Example: draw cement mixer pouring the cement)
Kindergarten Writing Plans Lesson 9
Days 2-3: Writing in response to the big book, What Do Wheels Do All Day?
Comprehension Skill Addressed in Writing: Text and Graphic Features; Main Idea
Report Card Skill Addressed: Students will dictate or write using pictures and words.
Before Reading: Today we are going to read a story about wheels. What Do Wheels Do All Day?is a book that gives information about wheels and how people use them.
- As I read this story, I want you to use the pictures and the words to identify ways that we use wheels in our everyday lives. How are wheels helpful; how do we use them? (Explain that we can get information from the photographs as well as the words in the text)
- Turn and tell your partner what you will be listening for as I read.
After Reading: