EDU 543 VAPA Lesson Plan

Lesson Name and Content Area

Grade Level Kindergarten

Candidate Name: Megan Sherrick

Locate a VAPA lesson plan on WWW and work backwards to fill out this lesson plan form. Fill out the student
information form at the end of this lesson plan to help you know your individual students. Download TPA 1
and 2 and use as a reference as you complete this lesson plan. This plan is intended to provide you with some
of the major skills and types of writing needed for completing TPA 1 and 2.
Learning about your students: Locate or develop an interest survey you could use to learn about your
students: Google interest surveys for elementary students and get ideas. Arts and PE are great areas of
the curriculum to learn more about the interests and attitudes of your students and helps you plan other
content area lessons.
Describe the students in this class: Use your fieldwork school for
List potential high risk (type
information. (view their web site and find supporting information)
of) students, issues, or
Include the following:
anticipated difficulties with
Grade: Kindergarten
engaging students in this
Average Age: 5
learning opportunity.
Boys: 10
One student who is very shy
Girls: 12
and serious. Does not
SES level
participate in classroom
Likes/dislikes: Sharks, hip-hop, American Girl, Avengers, Playing
songs.
monsters
Two students who show
General Background experience in this content area. Little to none.
physical aggression towards
Students who were in the TK program have done 2 talent shows.
other students.
Types of learning opportunities needed for this group: This is a kinesthetic
group. Anything that will get them up and moving.
Developmental needs of this group in grade: 3 EL students, one student
who is in the process of obtaining speech therapy, one student who
has extreme nearsightedness which affects his spatial awareness.
Any other specific information needed concerning the students who will be
engaged in this lesson. Students attend a Catholic school, so the
philosophies of this religion must be taken into account.
State Adopted Content Standard(s)
T.K.2.2: Preform group pantomimes and improvisations to retell familiar stories.

Academic learning goals (objectives)

The students will pantomime being the dragon while the teacher is
Materials, Technology, other Resources

How do these standards

integrate across the
curriculum?
List /explain possible links:
Language Arts:
Math:
Science:
Social Studies:
What specifically will
students be able to know
or do?
Rationale: Why did you
select these materials?

Assessment: What evidence of learning will you collect during this

lesson that will indicate the extent the students have completed the
lesson goals?

Why did you select this

evidence of learning and
how will it show student
competence?

Instructional Strategies: What content specific instructional strategies are

you using to teach this lesson?

Rationale: Why did you

select these strategies?

Student Learning Activities:

List Activities and describe each of the teaching steps in the order that you will
implement each step.
Read/Discuss

Rationale: Why did you

select these activities?

Begin by reading the book.

Pay particular attention to the actual battle between George and the
Dragon. Then begin discussion and demonstration as follows:
Read the story of St. George and the Dragon.

Whenwewerereadingthisbook,InoticedthattheDragonhasmany
separate,importantparts,andthateachpartplaysitsownroleinthe
story.Whocanraisetheirhandandtellmewhatoneofthepartsofthe
dragonis?(Withouttoomuchcoachingthestudentsshouldbeableto
comeupwith:Head/Mouth,Tail,Wings,Claws,andmaybeBody.)
Whyarethewingsspecialorimportantinthestory?(Theyletthedragon
fly,atonetimehefliesintotheskywiththeKnight,anditisinthewing
thattheKnightfirstwoundstheDragon.)(Iliketopointout,becausethe
childrenthinkit'sfunny,thatwithawoundedwingtheDragonmustonly
beabletoflyincircles.)

How will they help

students accomplish the
lesson goal and
standard?
This will help the students
because it will give them
the necessary background
information for the
pantomime.

Whyisthetailspecialorimportantinthestory?(Ithastwosharpstings
onit,itishalfamilelong,andwhentheKnightistrappedbyit,hecuts
offtheendofit.)
Whyaretheclawsspecialorimportantinthestory?(Theygrabthe
Knight,andlaterinthestoryhecutsoneofthemoff.)
Whyistheheadandthemouthimportantinthestory?(Itbreathesfire
andalmostcookspoorGeorge,anditisbyrunningaspearthroughthe
mouththatGeorgefinallykillstheDragon.)
WhocanthinkofawaytousetheirwholebodytomaketheDragon's
tail?(AtthispointItakevolunteers,whodemonstratedifferentwaysof
"becoming"theDragon'stail.Eventually,usuallywithoutcoaching,they
realizetheycanmakealongertailiftheyworktogether.Idon'tmoveon
untilweseemtohaveexhaustedthegroup'sideas.)
WhocanthinkofawaytousetheirwholebodytomaketheDragon's
Wings?Claws?Mouth?(Igiveeachasmuchtimeasseems
appropriate.)

Student Work: Make the assignment/activity (use as a model).

Explain how you will use

this work sample.

Student Grouping

Rationale: Why did you

select this type of

Iwilltakevolunteerstobecomeeachwing,eachclaw,thehead,the

body,and(withwhoeverisleft)thelongtail.Eachpersonmakeshisor
herbodypartinthewaythatheorshewants.(Inotherwords,Idon'ttry
tomakesurethattheleftwinglooksliketherightwing,etc.)Iwillalso
keepinmindthestudentswhoworkwelltogetherandthosewhodont.I
willalsomakesurenottopairthe2studentswhomustremainseparate
becauseofbehaviorissues.

grouping (ex. whole

group, small groups,
boys, girls, ELA/ELD)?

Progress Monitoring of Student Learning:

We will do a close read to make sure the students understand the story of St.
George and understand what they will be pantomiming.

How will you monitor

how the students are
doing with learning this
lesson?
Why do you think these
might be potential
problems?

Difficulties: List and explain the 2-3 difficulties or problems you anticipate
that all students might have with this content and these learning activities.
Working together as a cohesive group.
I will encourage students to talk to each other and practice
moving together before we practice the battle.
Having the students take the activity seriously
This is a fun activity, but the students need to understand it is
not an excuse to go crazy. I plan to use strong classroom management
skills to maintain a learning environment.
Explain how you will solve these problems so all students will learn to full
potential.

Adaptations: List steps that you could take to ensure learning for specific students experiencing these
difficulties in the spaces below.
ELD Learner:
Rationale: Providing EL
students the opportunity to
Strengths: The activity does not rely on academic language skills. The students have a low affective filter in
can use informal English to communicate with the other parts of the dragon.
gaining the necessary deep
understanding of the story
Weaknesses: The story is complex for a Kindergarten EL student to understand of St. George.
without adequate comprehension.
Your intervention or adaptation: The students will be frontloaded with the story
in a small group between close reads of the story to insure that a deep
understanding is achieved.
Special Needs Learner:
Strengths: This activity is inclusive despite ability. If a student happened to be
in a wheelchair they could still participate as any part of the body.
Weaknesses: Students with visual or spatial disabilities may have a difficult
time moving with the group.
Your intervention or adaptation: I would put this student in a space in the
dragon where he was closer to another student so he could more easily see
where the dragon was moving, the students could also have to hold on to one
another, which would help this student.
Student with Behavior Issues:
Strengths: This allows the student to get out from behind the desk and learn in
a unique way.
Weaknesses: Because the student can be physically aggressive and the theme
of this pantomime is a battle with a dragon, the student interpret this as an
appropriate time to become aggressive.

Rationale: Placing the

student with visual
impairments in a position
where he can best see is
more ideal than putting him
in a position where he could
lead the dragon into a nonideal location.

Rationale: By giving the

student a specific job he has
the opportunity to take
ownership of part of the
activity he will be less likely
to loose the responsibly by
making a poor choice. I may

Your intervention or adaptation: I will work with the whole class, and the
student individually, about how to appropriately behave in this environment. I
will also give the student a specific job.

also invite his mom to come

watch the activity, this
student thrives when he
knows he will make a parent
proud.

Reflection: What have you learned about planning instruction for a diverse student population in this content
area?
What area of this instructional plan was easy to complete?
This lesson was easy to plan because it was easily located and falls inline with the catholic faith, this means it
is a lesson plan that I will actually be able to realistically conduct with my students.
What area will you need more knowledge/skill in order to do the task well?
I feel that I need more familiarity with the VAPA standards as a whole to be able to double dip with
standards.

Use form below for finding out about your students prior to planning
your lessons/fieldwork
Skill needed for TPA 1 and 2
Getting to know your students - Work Backwards: What questions can you ask to
get the information in this case study? Turn each statement into a question and
provide a source or a person you could ask to get this information.
Chan is a 10-year-old fourth-grade English learner. He is from Cambodia and lives with a single mother, two younger
brothers, and a baby sister. His mother works long hours and is often not home when he returns from school. His extended
family in the United States includes one aunt and two grown cousins and his grandparents. Chans family immigrated to
the United States two years ago. His written Cambodian language is mostly forgotten, but he is to communicate with his
family orally.
Chan reads English two years below grade level. He has difficulty using correct grammar when writing or speaking. Chan
is a happy and social boy who enjoys friends. He is well liked and works well in small groups. He is seldom or never
absent from school. The CELDT results indicate an overall score in the beginner to early intermediate range, and he has
been identified as an English learner.
Question 1: How old is Chan?

Who would you ask? Or what source would you

check?

2. What grade is Chan in?

Data Binder

3. Where is Chan from?

School Records

4. How long has Chan been in the US?

School Records: students visa

5. What is his home language?

School Records

6. What are all the languages he speaks?

School Records, Possible interview

7. What level of fluency does he have in these

languages?

Cambodian: Interview-----English: School

Records/test scores

8. Who is his legal guardian?

School Records

9. Who lives in his home?

Interview with English speaking family. (Does

mom speak English?)

10. What does mom do for a living?

Interview with English speaking family.

11. What is his reading level?

School Records

12. What are his writing abilities?

School Records

13. What family support does he have?

Interview with English speaking family.

14. How does he get along with others at school?

Observation and student interview.

15. What is his appeared attitude at school?

Observation

16. What is his attendance record?

School Records

17. How does he communicate with family?

Interview with English speaking family.