COMPREHENSION LESSON PLAN: Determining Importance/Summarizing

JMU Elementary Education Program

Maggie Leonard
D. Mathias, Fulks Run Elementary School

A. Comprehension:
B. CONTEXT OF LESSON
The students will be read aloud the story Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt and understand new
vocabulary terms as well as predict.
C. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Each student will
Create a reasonable prediction of what will happen in
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by looking at
vocabulary words

Each student will

Use context clues from the story to create their own
definitions of the six vocabulary words

D. ASSESSING LEARNING
E. RELATED VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING
4.4
The student will expand vocabulary when reading.
a)Use context to clarify meanings of unfamiliar words.
b)Use knowledge of roots, affixes, synonyms, antonyms, and homophones.
c)Use word-reference materials, including the glossary, dictionary, and thesaurus.
e)Use vocabulary from other content areas.
4.6
The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts.
a) Use text structures, such as type, headings, and graphics, to predict and categorize information in
both print and digital texts
USI.9 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the causes, major events, and effects of the Civil
War by
a) describing the cultural, economic, and constitutional issues that divided the nation;
b) explaining how the issues of states rights and slavery increased sectional tensions;
f) describing the effects of war from the perspectives of Union and Confederate soldiers
(including African American soldiers), women, and enslaved African Americans.
F. MATERIALS NEEDED
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
Vocabulary worksheet
Pencil
G. PROCEDURE
Before reading, the students will be given a handout that has 6 vocabulary words from the
story and a prediction box. After being shown the cover of the book and read the 6 vocabulary
words, the students will predict what they think the story might be about. After they have
predicted, they will share their predictions with the partners to their left. Once everyone has
shared I will read the story aloud.
As we read the story, we will stop at each vocabulary word we reach. I will reread the
sentence that the word was in, and on the handout, the students will define the word in their

own language, using the sentence and events in the story as context clues. I will give the
students about two minutes to think about how the word was used in the sentence and come up
with their own definition before moving on with the story.
Once we finished the story, we will review the six vocabulary words and have the students
defend their reasoning on how they chose the meanings. After we have shared all six words, I
will have the students put the sheet in their binder to be used in tomorrows lesson.

H. DIFFERENTIATION
Because Andrew is unable to express himself by writing, I will work with him while the other students
are writing their personal predictions and definitions. I will have him orally describe his predictions
and definitions to me and I will write it down for him.
I.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG WITH THIS LESSON AND WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT?
Some of the students may struggle with creating their own predictions with using context clues and the
lesson may take longer than expected. If I see that students are not able to create well thought out
definitions on their own, we will work as a group to create predicted definitions of the six vocabulary
words. I will have them tell me what part of the story made them think of that definition and ask the
rest of the group if they agree or have any other ideas.

Name: _______________________

Date: _________________

Plantation

Seamstress

Master

Underground Railroad

Map

Freedom

After looking at the vocabulary words above and the cover of the book, what do you
PREDICT will happen in the story?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
My predicted definitions:
Plantation:

Seamstress:

Master:

Underground Railroad

Map:

Freedom: