Noelia Toscano-Arteaga - BALP Part 4_ Class Discussion Lesson Plan Template
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Grand Canyon University *
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Course
439
Subject
Linguistics
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
Pages
10
Uploaded by Gorda1422
Lesson Plan for Leading a Whole Class Discussion
Adapted from the work of Susan Atkins, U. of Michigan
You have taught your students the background knowledge and vocabulary needed to
understand the text, done a read-aloud of your book, and now you will develop a lesson
plan to lead a whole group discussion on your topic. Your lesson plan should utilize
scaffolds and strategies that you have read about to enable all students to access
academic language and maximize participation amongst EL students.
Getting Started
Targeted Grade Level:
2nd Grade
Content Area & Topic:
The content area and topic of my project is science and how snow forms.
Essential Question(s)
for discussion on your topic:
How are snowflakes unique, just like humans?
Alaska Language Arts Standard
:
Choose a Speaking & Listening Standard from the
Comprehension and Collaboration section.
Retell or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented
orally or through other media.
Learning Goal
for the Discussion:
Create a student-friendly “I can” statement (Learning Goal) for your chosen
Speaking/Listening standard.
I can orally discuss the uniqueness of snowflakes and humans using ideas presented
in my book, The Story of Snow.
Set-up:
Describe the physical environment in your classroom and how it will support your ELs.
Choose one idea from the
Tip Sheet
to use in your classroom, and any other strategies that
you learned about this semester. Explain the strategies you will use and how you will use
them.
One idea from the Tip Sheet that I would like to use in my classroom would be a
combination of the first and second tips. This would be creating a visual with
environmental print. Such as creating a vocabulary wall that presents our vocabulary
from the story such as unique in different languages and with definitions in different
languages. This could look like the framework from BALP Part 2 with the words found
in text and translation but more kid-friendly with kid-friendly definitions. It will support
my ELs by providing the new words in the language they know with the language they
are learning in order to promote confidence and understanding.
Another strategy that I would use is using words that students might know such as
same and different when describing concepts and going over vocabulary. This would
allow students to make connections to familiar experiences. Such as a student
learning the word similar may already know the words same and different. Similar can
mean having one feature the same and everything else different.
Another strategy that I would use would be using real-world experiences and things
students can see. This can be comparing students and also talking about prior
knowledge. When speaking of water vapor students could connect this to
condensation or seeing a car window “sweat” when it’s cold outside but warm inside
the car. As well as comparing things inside the classroom such as Sally and I both
have glasses so we are similar, but Sally has red hair with glasses and I have brown
hair with glasses, so we are also unique. There are differences between us that make
us unique even if we share a similar trait.
Discussion Support Planning
Scaffolding:
What verbal and procedural scaffolds will you have used during the read-aloud,
or will use during the discussion lesson, to support EL students of varying proficiency levels?
Select (2) scaffolds from each list and explain your choices below.
Verbal - Model the “
think-a-loud
”
Verbal - Slow your speech and enunciate
Verbal - Reinforce contextual definitions
Verbal - Simplify questions
Verbal - Model correct pronunciations and prosody (reading with expression) during
read-aloud
Describe how you will use these two verbal scaffolds:
The first verbal scaffold I chose was Verbal - reinforce contextual definitions. I will use
this verbal scaffold by providing definitions for new vocabulary within a sentence.
This would allow ELs to understand how the word is used in a sentence along with its
definition. Such as providing the word unique in a sentence so they can understand
the meaning in that context. It could help the ELs see how they should use the word
and how they can change the sentence and use it in their own way. I think of
contextual definitions as being partnered with sentence stems. Such as an example of
a complete sentence stem using vocabulary words.
The second verbal scaffold I chose was Verbal - model correct pronunciations and
prosody (reading with expression) during read-aloud. I will use this scaffold
throughout this lesson such as when introducing the vocabulary words and when
reading the story. An example where this would occur would be with the word
dendrites. This is a word I think students may have some pronunciation issues with
and that would be helpful modeling. This could be with exaggerating the
pronunciation so students hear the word sounds and slowly blending them together.
_________________________________________________________________________
____________
Procedural - Provide explicit modeling through visuals, gestures, and realia (a real life
object)
Procedural - Use wait-time when asking questions to give all students an opportunity
to respond
Procedural - Allow students to collaborate with other students often as they discuss
the learning
Procedural - Provide language tools for students to reference during discussion
(anchor charts, word walls, sentence starters, sentence frames, word banks, graphic
organizers)
Procedural- Provide content resources for students to use (dictionaries, bilingual
glossaries, Building Background Knowledge Slideshow, photographs, maps,
infographics)
Describe how you will use these two procedural scaffolds:
The first procedural scaffold I would choose would be Procedural - Provide explicit
modeling through visuals, gestures, and realia (a real-life object). I will use this by
incorporating visuals and using objects and people in the classroom to show
meanings. I would incorporate this with reinforcing contextual definitions. Such as
when we are learning about similarities and uniqueness, I could ask for two
volunteers and we can make a class Venn diagram comparing the two volunteers.
The second procedural scaffold I would choose would be Procedural - Provide
language tools for students to reference during discussion (anchor charts, word
walls, sentence starters, sentence frames, word banks, graphic organizers). I will use
this by creating multiple visuals and tools for students to see and use. This can
include a Venn diagram when comparing and contrasting. As well as making a
vocabulary wall for the vocabulary words students will be learning. I think these
would help students feel confident about what they are learning and the work they are
producing. It can also help with their understanding of the new words and of the
lesson as a whole.
Language Function Structure:
Select one structure from the
Toolkit
for your topic to
support ELs in practicing academic vocabulary using Sentence Frames and Sentence
Starters.
Inquiry/Seeking Information
Summarizing and Informing
Comparing and Contrasting
Sequencing/Ordering
Classifying
Analyzing
Inferring,Predicting & Hypothesizing
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Justifying and Persuading
Problem Solving
Synthesizing
Evaluating
Cause and Effect
Describe the Language Function that you chose and explain why you chose it.
The Language Function Structure I chose was Comparing and Contrasting. In this
structure, the students use language to describe similarities and differences between
ideas and objects. This connects to the students learning about similarities and
uniqueness while also having their essential question be about comparing
snowflakes to humans. This structure can support ELs in answering their essential
question and visualizing what they are comparing and contrasting between
snowflakes and humans. Such as using a Venn diagram. This can also be used to
learn vocabulary such as similar where a Venn diagram can be used to compare a
student and a peer.
Are there particular
vocabulary words
that are part of this lesson/unit that are expected for
use during the discussion?
Yes, the vocabulary words are:
Unique (unico) - Being the only one of its kind, there are no other ones.
Similar (parecido) - Having alike or common features
Particles (particula) - A very small piece
Water Vapor (vapor de agua) - Water in its gaseous form when below boiling
temperature.
Symmetry (simetria) - Balanced in size and shape on opposite sides of a dividing line
Dendrites (dendritas) - A branching figure that looks like a tree
How will you prepare students to understand and use these words? (If a previous or
separate lesson, you can note that here.)
I will introduce dendrites and water vapor in terms of how the words are used and
shown in the text. I picked these words because they show up throughout the text to
describe snowflakes and allow EL students to make connections between their
meanings and the formation of snowflakes. When a conversation is facilitated
between students with these words, I will be able to hear if they understand what
process the snowflakes go through. Such as comparing dendrites to tree branches.
There can also be connections made between water vapor and water and gas. They
are concepts students know or have seen but in different words. I will pre-teach
symmetry and particles. The words can be used across multiple content areas but
they also connect to the big idea. They connect to what snowflakes are made from
and how they look which can make connections to the similarity or differences
between snowflakes and humans. Such as snowflakes may be symmetrical where
their right side matches their left side. Are humans symmetrical? Which can correlate
to a human’s uniqueness and similarity with other humans. In terms of particles,
students can also learn about the beginning of humans also being made of particles.
This can cause students to make the connection of this similarity between snowflakes
and humans. Unique and similar will be introduced as contrasting words with
practicing with visuals and guidance. this book can be followed by a variety of things
or can be introduced. Such as students can create their own snowflakes are compare
and contrast them. Students can also turn and look at themselves compared to their
peers. Using the words similar and unique, students can begin to make connections
between themselves and snowflakes.
Imagine that you are teaching this lesson to students in the community where you live. How
would you intentionally
connect this content to students’ lives
, background experience or
prior knowledge?
I would intentionally connect this content to students’ lives, background experience,
or prior knowledge by relating to what students are raised in. Students see snow in
the community about 9 months out of the year. This means that they will spend more
than half of their lives experiencing snow while living here. The book shows students
about the snow cycle and how water becomes snow. I think this is a good fit for the
age group that I identified because it shows a simple process for how snow forms and
the different types of snow crystals. The book also connects to Fairbanks since
students see snow every winter, they can learn about how snow forms and what the
big piles of snow they see actually are.
Day of Discussion: Launch
Here you will use clear and concise language to script out what you will say to launch the
discussion. You will pose an open-ended question, review any necessary norms for
discussion and remind students about your goal(s) for the discussion.
Hook: What will you do to get all students’ attention before you begin?
What I will do to get all students’ attention before beginning will be to use an attention
grabber to sign that we are transitioning to a new topic/part of the day. I will then
introduce the topic such as “We are moving onto a new lesson of the differences
between snowflakes.”
What will you say to direct students to the content to be discussed and share the topic?
I will then introduce our essential question of How are snowflakes unique, just like
humans? I will also include the I can statement of “I can describe how snowflakes are
unique like humans. From here, I will pose the question “what do you already know
about snowflakes.” This will be a turn and talk time where students can share with a
neighbor or depending on the desk layout, they can share with their table group.
(It is likely you will refer students to the essential question here.)
What will you say to remind students of norms, rules, or expectations for participation?
I will first remind students of the expectations for sharing and presenting such as
active listening and encourage them to take a moment to organize their ideas before
sharing their thoughts. Because of this, I can provide a flow chart and give them some
time to come up with what they would like to share. I could also provide some
sentence stems or ideas or what can be said that students can build on top of. I could
even model what their discussion should look like such as beginning with “One time I
saw a snowflake..” and “I know snowflakes are…” Other expectations for participation
would be participating actively when engagement is vital to success and reminding
students to not hesitate to contribute, ask questions, or share their insights even if
they think it is not right.
(Review language scaffolds and encourage students to refer to them during the discussion.)
What will you say to
start the discussion?
To start the discussion I will review everything I addressed and mention something
that I know about snowflakes and a story about snow from my experiences. Such as
the time I went sledding but I was wearing the wrong pants so the snow got my pants
wet. I could ask students why did my pants get wet? If no one raises their hand I can
mention how snow is a form of water and begin to introduce some vocabulary. I can
ask students to mention some of their experiences as well.
(Anticipate what you will do if no one volunteers to start.)
Day of Discussion: Orchestrating
Here you will use clear and concise language to script some prompts or teacher language
that you can use to elicit student thinking, orient students to one another’s ideas and make
sure that all students stay engaged. Take time to listen, rephrase, and prompt students so
that all group members can follow the conversation and share in what is being generated
through the discussion.
What possible language will you use to
elicit student thinking
?
I will use open-ended questions to encourage students to think critically and to
encourage reflection. This could be asking how is what they are sharing related to our
topic or asking if they can explain the reasoning behind their thinking. If there is a
student that has not participated yet I could ask what their thoughts are.
What possible language will you use to
orient students to one another
?
The possible language I can use will be the icebreaker type of questions that
encourage participation and sharing. This could be saying the words “let’s share
about…” or asking a student to tell us about an experience you have related to the
topic and going around and letting everyone else share. This could also be in the
terms of “raise your hand if you’ve done this…” This can be related to things in the
snow such as snowshoeing, sledding, and skiing. It will allow students to see that
others share similar experiences with them.
What will you say in-the-moment if you get
no response or “I don’t know
?”
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I would encourage further reflection and encourage the student to rethink their
answer. This can be in the way of saying “Take a moment and we’ll come back to
you.” As well as turning to the group and asking “Does anyone else have someone
that they would like to share?” I could also try rewording the question or providing
some beginning thoughts like a sentence stem and having the student finish the
sentence with their thoughts.
What are other
likely pitfalls
that might come up and how might you respond?
Other likely pitfalls that might come up would be a lack of participation, overwhelming
responses, or off-topic discussions. I would respond by encouraging participation,
setting expectations for the pace, and guiding the conversation back on track. This
could be by encouraging the students but allowing me to redirect or retry what we are
discussing. Such as “Even if you’re unsure, sharing your ideas helps us all learn” or
“That’s interesting, but let’s explore that after this topic.” When it comes to
monitoring the pace, I can encourage reflection and slow down and go over key
points. I can say “Let’s pause here and take a moment to review what we’ve talked
about, or Let’s pause, and if anyone has a question we can answer them before we
keep going.”
(Consider how you will monitor the pace of the discussion and respond if it moves fast.)
Day of Discussion: Concluding
Here you will use clear and concise language to wrap up the discussion and summarize the
main takeaways for students. You want to leave students with a concrete understanding of
why the discussion was helpful, what they learned, outcomes of the discussion, and/or how it
links to future work or learning.
You will need to close the discussion. What will you say? Oftentimes student ideas shift,
change all together, or deepen after a group discussion. What will you say or do to let
students
revisit or rethink their initial ideas
?
I will say that we will continue learning together and discussing our essential
questions but I also have some other questions that students can think about when
answering their essential questions. This will allow students to rethink their ideas and
think about how they want to answer the question. These questions will be what do
snowflakes teach us about uniqueness and similarity? What is the difference between
being unique and being similar? Lastly, what can we take away from our visuals such
as our Venn diagrams to help us answer our essential question? I will give them some
time to work independently and to collaborate with a partner to share their thoughts.
Student Discussion Planner for
The Differences Between Snowflakes
Group
Discussion
Name: ________________________________________
Our Question to discuss:
How are snowflakes unique, just like humans?
What are some ideas that you can share with the class? Please list out your ideas. You
can use this language if it helps you:
Write 3-4 sentence starters to support students in the discussion here.
Just like snowflakes, each person is special because...
I am unique like a snowflake because…
Both snowflakes and humans are unique because...
Snowflakes and humans are similar in their uniqueness because...
Instructor will complete this rubric:
BALP Part 4: Whole Group Discussion Lesson Plan
Lesson
Goals/Essential
Question
✔
Learning goal and
essential question are
clearly articulated and
worded in a way that the
students of this age group
will understand.
2.5-3 pt.
✔
Learning goal and essential
question are clearly
articulated.
1.5-2 pt.
✔
Learning goal and/or
essential question are vague
or not clearly defined.
.5-1 pt.
Not completed
0
Discussion
Support
Planning
Section
✔
Each section of the
discussion support
planning is thoroughly
developed and aligned with
the learning goal and
essential question. There
is enough detail for a
substitute teacher to
understand and follow.
7-8 pt.
✔
Addresses all of the support
planning sections with
adequately-developed ideas
and detail.
5-6 pt.
✔
Some sections of support
planning are not addressed
adequately and/or there is
not enough detail to show
that adequate planning
ahead has taken place.
3-4 pt.
Not
completed
0
Day of
Discussion
Launch,
Orchestrating
and Concluding
✔
Each section of the
launch, orchestrating and
concluding are thoroughly
developed with enough detail
for a substitute teacher to
understand and follow.
9-10 pt.
✔
Addresses all of the launch,
orchestrating and
concluding sections with
adequately-developed ideas
and detail.
7-8 pt.
✔
Some sections of this section
are not addressed
adequately and/or there is
not enough detail to show
that adequate planning
ahead has taken place.
5-6 pt.
Not
completed.
0
Discussion planner is
directly tied to the
goals/essential question of
Discussion planner is
somewhat tied to the
goals/essential question of
Discussion planner is not tied to
the lesson goals and/or will most
likely not prepare EL students to
Not completed
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Discussion
Planner
the discussion and will
prepare EL students to
participate in the whole
group discussion.
3.5-4 pt.
the discussion and mayl
prepare EL students to
participate in the whole
group discussion.
2.5-3 pt
participate in the whole group
discussion.
1.5-2 pt.
0