Guided Reading Lesson Plan
(Taught to a small-group of 3rd graders at Park Hills Elementary School)
Teacher Name: Miss Kerry Foley
Title: Colleen and the Leprechaun
Reading Strategy: Make, revise, and confirm predictions
Comprehension Strategy: Sequence Events
Text Level: Reading A-Z, Level N
Teaching Strategies
Pre-Reading/During-Reading:
Day 1:
-Write the word “leprechaun” on the board and read it aloud to students
-Call on students’ prior knowledge of leprechauns; record ideas
-Discuss “reality” vs. “fantasy” & ask if leprechauns are real or fantasy
-Give students books & have them write their names on the inside cover
-Take a picture-walk through the book, looking at pictures and titles of chapters
-Ask students to offer ideas as to what the book is about
-Discuss the title page (title, author, illustrator, etc.)
-Ask for other examples of fantasy stories
Day 2:
-Introduce predictions and explain the value of making predictions, right or wrong
-Explain how good readers continue to make predictions while reading
-Discuss the table of contents and model a prediction using one of the chapter titles
-Introduce and explain prediction worksheet
-Create a similar chart on board and model writing a prediction
Think-aloud: “When I look at the table of contents, I see that one of the chapter titles is ‘Colleen Goes to Ireland.’ If Colleen is going to Ireland, she must live somewhere else. I wonder why she is going to Ireland. I know that sometimes people leave their home to go on vacation. Maybe she is going on vacation! She must be excited, then. Maybe Colleen is going on vacation to Ireland because she has always wanted to visit there.”
-Have students make and write a prediction based on the table of contents and cover illustrations
-Remind students to use other reading strategies in addition to the targeted reading strategy
Day 3:
-Summarize yesterday’s lesson
-Review that stories are generally told from beginning to end
-Model sequencing using the example of a student’s day so far; put events in order
-Explain that certain words are used to explain a sequence of events (first, next, then, last)
-Ask a student to re-order the school day events out of order (ask: “Does this make sense? Why not?”)
-Explain that a sequence of events is only created using the main ideas of the day’s events, not every single detail
-Have students explain to a partner why it’s important to only use main ideas when sequencing (make connection to summarizing)
Day 4:
-Write the content vocabulary words on the board: hedgerow, legends, leprechaun, treasure
-Have students divide a blank sheet of paper into 4 sections (by folding)
-Ask students to draw or write what they know about the word; if they know nothing, encourage them to make an educated guess
-As a group, discuss and create a definition for each word
Model how to sue a dictionary or glossary to look up the meanings of words (i.e. hedgerow in the book’s glossary)
-Read the word in its context (pg. 11) to confirm the meaning
-Repeat with the other 3 words
-Point out that only some of the book’s vocabulary words can be found in the glossary and that others are in the dictionary
Day 5:
-Have students re-read the prediction they wrote
-Students read pages 4, 5, and 6 (whisper read)
-Ask comprehension questions:
*Why is Colleen excited? Give more than one reason.
*What is the name of the capital of Ireland?
*Looking at the picture, how do you think Colleen felt when her grandparents
hugged her in the airport?
*How do you feel when your grandparent, or someone you love, gives you a hug?
*Who do you think the “little people” are?
-Model making and confirming or revising a prediction:
Think-aloud: “Before reading, I predicted that Colleen was going on vacation to Ireland because she always wanted to go there. I was partially right! She did go to Ireland and she had never been there before. However, the reason she went to Ireland was to visit her grandparents. I’ll write this information in the ‘Actual’ column on the chart. The story never mentioned whether Colleen always wanted to visit Ireland, but it did say she was excited to go. I also read how her grandpa warned her about the ‘little people’. I wonder if the little people are leprechauns. Looking at the title of the story, I predict that Colleen might meet a leprechaun. Oh, but wait- leprechauns are fantasy. Then I think that Colleen might think she sees a leprechaun but no one will believe her. I’ll write this new prediction on my chart in the ‘Make’ column.”
-Have students review their prediction and write a revised prediction next to original; if they have not read up to that word yet, encourage them to return to their prediction after they read the section of the book containing that word
-Write events with details and ask students to identify the most important events to tell the story
-Point out that other events are details that make the story interesting but are not needed to summarize the story
Day 6:
-Have students recall the lessons of the week using “first, next, then, last”
-Introduce the sequence events worksheet and have students write in events
-Popcorn read to page 11, asking comprehension questions along the way:
*What is an example of a legend?
*The legends of fairies take place in Scotland and Ireland. Why do certain
countries have certain legends?
*Where have you seen or heard of leprechauns before?
*What might happen if you take your eyes off a leprechaun?
-After reading, have students confirm or revise their previous predictions and discuss the changes they made
-Have students write in additional events in order on their sequence chart
-Write events on the board
Day 7:
-To review the story so far, have students play a game. The events which students have previously identified as the most important in the story are written on index cards. Students work as a group to place the cards in the correct order that they occurred in the story.
-Ask students to use “first, next, then, finally” to verbally explain what has happened in the story so far.
-Partner reading pages 11-15, the “Jack Fox” chapter
-Ask comprehension questions:
*What does “suspicion” mean?
*If you were the leprechaun, what are some tricks you would have used in order to
get someone to look away?
*What else could Jack have done to mark the spot of the treasure, instead of
putting his sock over it?
*Was Jack angry after the leprechaun’s trick? How do you think he felt? Use evidence from the book to support your answer.
-Have students re-examine their predictions, revise them, and make new predictions.
Day 8:
Independent work: Grammar worksheet (model 1st problem together)
-Read page 15 aloud to students, modeling how to read a sentence with quotation marks
-Ask comprehension questions:
*Why does the author include the Jack Fox story?
*How does Colleen react to the story? Do you think she liked it? Why?
*Why might Colleen think that her trip would be a great visit?
*How would you feel if you were Jack Fox and got tricked by the leprechaun?
-As a group, add more important events to the running list
-Have students revise their predictions for the final time
-Have students turn to a partner and share why it is important to make numerous predictions and not just stop after one.
Day 9:
-Students will play games related to prediction, inference, and the story “Colleen and the Leprechaun” to prepare for their assessment the following week
*Jeopardy-style game asking students questions in the following categories: Predict, Infer, and Content Knowledge
Day 10:
Independent work: Re-read the story “Colleen and the Leprechaun”
-Ask comprehension questions to review for tomorrow’s assessment (A-Z test):
*Is a leprechaun a fairy? How do you know? Show me evidence from your book to
support your reasoning.
*Use 10 adjectives to describe a leprechaun
*Why does Jack laugh at the leprechaun’s trick? What is the joke that he and his
wife make? Why is this funny?
-Review important events in the story
-Have students summarize the story using the main ideas and the words “first, next, then, finally”
Day 11:
*Summative assessment: A-Z multiple choice and short answer test
-Students will answer test questions while highlighting areas in their book which support their answer. They will also write down the page number of the highlighted part which supports their answer.
-When finished with the test, students will work on a journal response to the question:
*Create your own made-up legend about a leprechaun. Be sure to include the sequencing words “first, next, then, finally” in your response.
Day 12:
-Students will finish their journal responses. Those who are finished extra early may color a picture that illustrates their legend.
-Before reading their legends aloud, students will be reminded to work on their reading fluency: recognizing punctuation, changing their voice, and speaking clearly/reading the words on the paper.
-Students take turns reading their made-up legends to the guided reading group.
-Other students provide feedback in the form of “a star and a wish”, where they name one thing the student did especially well and one wish that they have for the student to work on next time.
Days 13 & 14:
-Students will have the opportunity to research Ireland online
-Provide students with a sheet of questions to answer (see below)
-Each student will be assigned one question to find the answer to. If they find that answer, they can move on to answer the rest of the questions on the page
-Students will do research on the internet to find the answers to the worksheet questions
-At the end of the lesson, the group will compile information about Ireland
*For these two days, students will rotate to the following stations:
-3 students at the computers
-3 students at SSR
-4 students playing with the “good reader” questions dice (in pairs, telling their
partner their answers to questions)
Name: ________________________ Date: _____________
All About Ireland
Directions: Answer the following questions about Ireland.
1) What is the capital of Ireland? _________________________
2) Which of the following languages do people in Ireland speak? Circle your answers. (Hint: There are 2.)
English Spanish Gaelic French Greek
3) What holiday is celebrated on March 17th? _________________________
4) Name the three colors found on the Irish flag.
_________________, ________________, & _________________
5) Ireland is slightly larger than which state? Circle your answer.
Texas California West Virginia Wisconsin
6) Which of the following are NOT counties in Ireland? Circle your answers. (Hint: There are 2.)
Galway Kerry Mexico Dublin Harrisburg Clare
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Use the following websites to find information:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ei.html
http://www.kidskonnect.com/subject-index/26-countriesplaces/316-ireland.html
http://www.visitireland.com/images/map_large.jpg