Lesson Plan

Grade/Subject: K-5 English Language Arts

min.

Duration of Lesson: 20

Procedure
Students will gain an understanding of the
English Language Arts curriculum,
specifically with regards to grades K-5.
Students will gain an overall appreciation for
language and its importance in everyday
life.
Learning Objectives
1. Students will watch an ABC Phonics
Song
2. Students will create an English
Language Arts progression page. This
page will progress from connecting
imagery to words to pulling main ideas
from short stories.
Materials/Equipment/
1. 1 blank piece of paper for each student
Set Up
within group.
2. Colouring utensils.
3. Computer to play short video.
Introduction ( 3 minutes)
Learning Outcomes

Have students gather as a group, at a table or an available area in Curriculum lab.

Assessment of prior knowledge: Who can remember

learning to read and write? What do you remember about
it?

Connection to Curriculum: Today I am going to be talking

about the English Language Arts curriculum, specifically
grades K-5, and the importance of developing strong literacy
skills early on (see attached script for further introduction).

Expectations for Learning and Behavior/Agenda: Before

students are released to work on assignment, note what is
expected from the students, as an agenda format on the
board. (Although my peers will more than likely behave, providing them with an
agenda that they have to read will reinforce the value of being able to read and
comprehend).

Transition to Body: I cant speak for everyone, but

although I realize the importance of language in education
(not the class), it is something I truly take for granted. So, lets
go back to the very beginning. (Hand out 1 piece of blank
paper, folded, to each student, along with pencil crayons.

Body ( 15 minutes)
Learning Activity #1: Kindergarten Grade 1
Students will each receive a small booklet of pages to fill out.
Each page will progress in learning ability according the Alberta
Curriculum for Language Arts. Keep in mind the activity is very
simplistic and condensed in order to remain within the 20-minute
time limit.
Play the ABC Phonics song for children found on YouTube. (This short
video emphasizes the focal point of the Kindergarten L.A curriculum. It introduces each
letter of the alphabet, emphasizing its phonetic sounds, and attaching it to an image and
written word. )

While watching the video, I want you to choose one letter. Place
that letter in the top box of your first page. Then, write the name of
its corresponding animal that was represented in the video.
Once that is done, give students a few minutes to draw an image
that correlates with the written word. (Creating connections is very important
when learning new words)

Learning Activity #2: Grade 2-Grade 3

Have students turn to the following page, where they will create
small sentences about their animal. (These sentences will be created based
off of prior knowledge/learning that took place in learning activity #1).

On this page students will create three sentences about their

animal, based of the provided prompts. (Having a bit of knowledge and an
expanding vocabulary, students can work at forming concrete sentences, and putting their
thoughts and ideas into words).

Now that students have become more familiar with their animal,
they are going to create a short story with a pair. The pairs will
alternate writing a sentence about their animals on each partners
page. They will do this two times, on each partners page. (Student 1:
writes first sentence. Student 2: writes second sentence. Student 1: writes third, Student
2: writes fourth). (This allows students to collaborate with others, and respect the ideas of
others).

Learning Activity #3: Grade 4- Grade 5

Students will then, individually, list the main ideas and events of
their short stories. (Although, these stores will not be well developed, hopefully the
students will understand the progression-taking place, as students analyze their work
through comprehension).

At this point, students are becoming independent and are capable

of using resources around them (web based material, experts, scholarly
articles) to research further, and create deeper and meaningful
connections from the curriculum to everyday life.

Closure (2 minutes)
Upon completion of activity, have peers refocus their attention for
closure portion of lesson.
Reflect on personal experiences growing up, explaining why I chose
to become an English major.
(see attached script)

Introduction
Assessment of prior knowledge:

Who remembers learning to read and write? What do you remember

about it?
Connection to curriculum:

Today I am going to be talking about the English Language Arts

curriculum, specifically grades K-5, and the importance of developing
strong literacy skills early on. The English Language arts curriculum
states that language learning is a lifelong process, its aim being to
enable each student with the ability to understand and appreciate
language and to use it confidently and competently for
communication (Alberta Learning, 2000).
Language in school, especially in the elementary programs is built
upon a series of progressions, which all incorporate the 6 language
arts, listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and visually
representing. The language arts curriculum is very unspecific and
broad, as in specific topics or subjects are not mandated. Instead,
language arts really is about the progression of learning while
remaining focused on 5 general learning outcomes, which change very

little throughout your elementary and high school years. The

possibilities are endless when it comes down to lesson planning, which
is something that will take practice and getting used to. The learning
that takes place in the elementary years, in regards to language arts
sets students up with a foundation for further exploration in high
school and beyond. An elementary language art provides students with
the tools necessary to think independently and communicate thought
confidently.
The activity that we are going to be doing today will demonstrate how
language progresses throughout grades K-5. Although it will be simple
and very elementary, it does link to the curriculum and ultimately
shows how progression is developed. Since the language arts
curriculum is very broad, I am choosing to emphasize the importance
of language development, although simply, due to time, as I believe
the importance in this curriculum and subject area, is building a strong
literary foundation.
Expectations of learning behaviour/agenda:

Write Introduction on the board. Can someone tell me what this

says? Excellent. Can I have one student come up to the board and
write steps 2 and 3 on the board? Have one student write 2. Learning
Activity, and 3. Closure. Way to go. Without being able to read or
write, we wouldnt be able to effectively communicate with each other,
or understand the world around us.

Transition to body:

I cant speak for everyone, but although I realize the importance of

language in education (not the class), it is something I truly take for
granted. So, lets go back to the very beginning.
Body (Refer to Body portion of lesson plan).

Closure
Now I understand that that the activity may have seemed a little
tedious. This is how we learned, and it is because of these building
blocks that we are able to communicate with each other our opinions
and ideas. Pulling main ideas and events form short stories provides us
with a foundation for more in-depth research as we enter upper
elementary and post secondary schooling. I hope I was able to
effectively communicate the importance of creating a strong literary
foundation in the first few years of life and school. I truly do believe it
lays the foundation for life long learning. It gives us independence.
From a young age, I have always enjoyed reading, and as I entered
school, having prior knowledge and some reading and writing skills,
really affected the way I learned. Since I had prior knowledge, I was
able to expand my learning more quickly. I could definitely understand
how, not having a foundation upon entering school could cause some
unrest in the classroom, which could be hard to correct as you enter
upper elementary years.

Although, I do have a love for reading, I didnt choose my major based

on that interest. To be honest, I figured it would be, as an elementary
teacher, the most appropriate class, as it is essential to have an
understanding of our language, in all subjects, grades and beyond.
As an elementary teacher, and an individual who understands and
believes in the importance of a strong literary foundation, I hope to
encourage my own students to find a love of reading, and a greater
appreciation for our written and spoken word.
With that being said, can I answer any questions? Comments?
References:
Alberta Learning. English Language Arts Program of Study. 2000.
Government of Alberta.
Roscoe, K. (2012). An Introduction to Curriculum & Instruction: First
Steps Towards
Effective Teaching and Learning (2012 ed.). First Choice Books.