Casta Garcia-Rosen

Formal Observation #3
March 24th, 2015
Subject: Reading, Identifying Unfamiliar/Nonsense Words in Poetry
Grade: 3rd grade, General Education
Essential Question: How can you use context clues to help you determine
unknown/nonsense words in a text?
Enduring Understanding: Students will understand how to use context clues and
strategies to help them gain meaning from unfamiliar words in a poem.
Vocabulary and Key Terms:
Context Clues: (noun) a method by which the meanings of unknown words
may be obtained by examining the parts of a sentence surrounding the word for
definition/explanation clues, restatement/synonym clues, contrast/antonym
clues, and inference/general context clues

Nonsense Word: (noun) a word having no meaning

Skills:
Students will identify unknown words in a poem.
Students will be able to use context clues in poetry.
Students will use context clues to develop meaning and understanding.
Objective:
Students will be able to use familiar words to decode unknown/nonsense words.
Students will be able to use context clues to understand word meaning.
Students will be able to figure out unknown words using context clues.
Common Core State Standards
Reading:
RL. 3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.
Writing:
W.3.4. With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a
text.
Pre-Assessment:
Students have been learning about poetry for the past few weeks. They know what
poems are and the different characteristics poems have. In the beginning of the lesson
there will be an overview of poetry and the key vocabulary (context clues and nonsense
words) to help students get ready for the lesson. A chart on Using Context Clues:

Strategies for Unknown Words Unfamiliar will be posted for students to refer to
throughout the lesson. Students will apply their prior knowledge of poems throughout
this lesson.
Lesson Presentation
Teacher will begin by telling the students the purpose for todays lesson is to use
clues in a poem to help us figure out the meaning of unknown words.
Teacher will select students to read the essential question and learning objectives.
Teacher will review the key terms of the lesson- context clues and nonsense
words.
Teacher will also go over the strategies to find context clues that will be posted in
front of the classroom.
The teacher will present a poem on the smart board and read aloud, Where the
Mulafa Ends by Shel Silverstein.
Teacher will read aloud the poem for the first time to get the gist of the poem.
Next, the teacher will model a think aloud and begin to figure out the meaning
of a nonsense word that appears in the poem.
Teacher will use the strategies for unknown words as a guide to help find the
meaning of the unknown words.
Teacher will model how to use clues in the poem to figure out the nonsense word.
Teacher will re-read the poem for a closer read to understand the poem and
model thinking out loud and come up with possible choices for the nonsense
word.
Teacher will tell students to think of this like finding an answer to a riddle.
Teacher reminds students that when trying to find the meaning of unfamiliar
words it is important to look for clues before and after the unfamiliar word.
At this point teacher will introduce a checklist and model how to use it during the
modeled poem. This will serve as a guide and help students stay on task while
looking for clues.
Teacher introduces the graphic organizer and models it for students using the
poem, Where the Mulafa Ends by Shel Silverstein. Teacher emphasizes how both
the use of the checklist and graphic organizer will help us find the meaning of the
nonsense word.
The teacher will figure out the nonsense words by using context clues, for
example looking before and after the word and using other words around it to
figure it out.
Teacher will use a graphic organizer to write down possible choice words and
clues that make me think it is the word
Students will be encouraged to participate and come up with other possible
choices for the nonsense word.
Students will be instructed to say, I agree or I disagree because
Students will turn and talk to discuss possible choices with a partner.
Teacher will guide students to think about which parts of the text helped them
discover the meaning of the unknown word.

 Teacher will instruct students to share their ideas on the meaning of the unknown
word and to challenge each other.
Teacher will remind students to use sentence starters I agree or disagree because
as they share their thoughts and clues found in the poem.
Teacher will tell students to go to their assigned reading groups.
Students will receive a graphic organizer to help them organize their thoughts and
write down their context clues that support their possible word choice.
Teacher will circulate from each group, guiding students with the process of
finding possible word choices and context clues.
Afterwards, teacher will ask each group if they have figured out the nonsense
word and to talk about the context clues that helped them determine the meaning
of the nonsense word.
Whole class discussion will take place and teacher and students will agree on a
meaning for the Mulafa nonsense word.
For independent practice students will receive a new poem and work in pairs/or
groups within their reading groups and identify nonsense words.
Poems will be differentiated according to reading levels:
Lower Third: Group 1- My Grobswitch by Robert L. Stevenson
Middle: Group 2 and 3- Stopping by Woods on a Nuffy Evening by
Robert Frost
High: Group 4- The Glugly, by James Reeves
ESL students (Group 1)- My Grobswitch by Robert L. Stevenson
Teacher will circulate and work with group 1 and students who need assistance to
find context clues and determine the meaning of the nonsense word.
Students will be asked to come up with more than possible word choice and use
context clues from the poem that supports the word.
Students will use their graphic organizer and checklist to assist them through the
process and help them stay on task.
Closure:
Students will be asked to gather in the meeting area and share their nonsense words with
the whole class. Someone from each group will read the poem with the nonsense word
and someone else will read the poem with the new word. Students will share what context
clues they used to help them figure out the nonsense word. The teacher will ask students:
How can you use context clues to help you determine unknown/nonsense words in a text?
Students will talk about what they have learned from the lesson and how using context
clues can help you in all types of reading passages.
Materials:
Smart Board
Power Point Presentation
Laptop

Projector
Exemplar poem- Where the Mulafa Ends
White board
Chart Paper
Markers
Pencils
Checklist
Graphic organizers
Poems for subgroups:
o Differentiated (Groups 1-4)
Group 1 My Grobswitch by Robert L. Stevenson (9 copies)
Group 2 and 3 Stopping by Woods on a Nuffy Evening by Robert
Frost (14 copies)
Group 4 The Glugly, by James Reeves (4 copies)
Evaluation/Assessment:

Each of the poem sheets will be collected and graded. Students will get a grade on not only what
words they picked for the nonsense words but also for how they worked with their partner.
Teacher will do informal observations and look over students graphic organizer to assess
students understanding of how to use context clues to find nonsense words.

Differentiation:
Below Grade Level Students (Group 1):
Students will be provided with a modified poem for their reading level
Students will receive extra support from the teacher during the group work
activity.
They will have a graphic organizer and be required to come up with two of the
possible word choices
Students will work with a partner/in a group to come up with possible word
choices
Students can also draw the context clues
Approaching Grade Level Students (Group 2):
Students will be provided with a modified poem for their reading level
Students will receive extra support from the teacher and work with a
partner/group member to come up with words context clues
On Grade Level Students (Group 3):
Students will be provided with a modified poem for their reading level
Students will work in pairs or in their group if additional support is needed
Above Grade Level Students (Group 4):
Students will be provided with a modified poem for their reading level
o Poem is designed to challenge students and promotes higher order
thinking

ELL Students (Group 1):

Students will be provided with a modified poem for their reading level
Students will receive extra support from the teacher during the group work
activity