Julie Rabe

Direct
Instruction

Presentation w/ Adv
Organizer

Concept
Attnment

Cooperative
Learning

Inquiry Teaching

Cooperative Learning Lesson Plan

Lesson Background:
Grade Level: 4th grade
Subject: Language Arts
Lesson Title: Readers Theater: The Watsons Go to Birmingham
Content Standards:

Perform dramatic readings and presentations (SL.4.IA.4).

Work appropriately and productively with others (21.3-5.ES.1).
Adapt to varied roles, responsibilities, and expectations (21.3-5.ES.2).

Materials Needed:

Student copies of The Watsons Go to Birmingham (*see attached script)

Assigned casting groups with one student playing each person
Time for students to practice reading the play in groups
Scene cards for organizing groups (*see attached)

Prerequisite Skills:

Know how to read a play script

Work well with peers
Fluent reading skills
Knowledge of the plot and characters
Active listening skills
Taking turns speaking
Following directions
Understanding of the role of characters

Lesson Objective(s):
Academic:
Given a script and time in class to practice, fourth grade students will read and perform dramatic readings
of a Readers Theater of The Watsons Go to Birmingham making sure to speak clearly, at an
understandable place, and with fluency and expression with 95% accuracy determined by a rubric.

Social Goals:
Fourth grade students will be able to work productively with their peers to rehearse the play in small
groups. The cooperative group work requires students to listen to group members as they read their
parts, know when it is their turn to read, take turns, and be respectful to others. Students will also be
assigned a role within their group they will need to be responsible for.

Cooperative Learning Grouping Structure: Learning Together

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interaction with Students:

1. Present objectives:
Time: 2 minutes
Earlier this week you were introduced to the text The Watsons Go To Birmingham. Today we
are going to learn about how to work together and perform a dramatic read aloud of one scene
from The Watsons Go To Birmingham. You will be practicing your fluency, articulation, and
expressive reading skills when performing your read aloud. You will be working in peer groups,
so it necessary to employ good communication skills like taking turns, listening carefully, and
being respectful.
2. Present information for the academic goal:
Time: 15 minutes
Raise your hand if you have ever heard of a readers theatre or know what a readers theatre
is? (Gauges students background and familiarity with subject matter). A readers theatre is like
a collective dramatic read aloud; the performers read from lines and use expression to help the
audience understand the story.

Today, you are going to be split into several groups and perform a read aloud of a scene in The
Watsons Go To Birmingham. You have already read this text and are familiar with the story line
and the Civil Rights period. You will choose a character from your assigned scene and read the
lines for your character only. You will have to follow and read the script carefully, so this is a
good opportunity to practice your reading, fluency, and speaking skills. You can take on the
narrator role, Byron Watson, Kenny, or Byrons father or mother. Can you remember some
other characters from the story?
Byrons sister, Joetta
The reporter
Grandma Sands
The waitress
Byrons cousins, Junior and Sarah
Mr. Robert, Grandmas friend
These are some of the possible roles you will perform once you assume a character. Be sure
that you think from your characters perspective and think about how it felt to be them and living
during the Civil RIghts era. How do you think they felt? How do you think they spoke and
carried themselves? How did they talked to others around them? How do you the time
influenced their behavior? Be sure to consider these when reading your characters lines; youre
are reading as if you were them so be sure to get into character.
Since you are being assessed on your fluency, expression, and clarity and pronunciation, can
you think of some things that good, fluent readers do? Keep these in mind while you are
practicing.
Speak at good pace
Few miscues
Uses expression
Speak with appropriate volume Pause when necessary In character
Brief Introduction to Social Goal:
You will have to take turns reading with your peers, listening and following along carefully, so
you know when it is your turn to speak. You will have time to practice with your group today;

tomorrow you will perform your read aloud for me and the class. I will be assessing your
abilities to work cooperatively and productively as well. Since you will be working together in
small groups during your read aloud, what are some important aspects of cooperative learning
and productive group work? Engage in a brief class discussion. Consider:
Listening to other group members
Speaking at appropriate times
Equal contributions and responsibilities
Respect personal space
Speak to the whole group, appropriate volume
Ask questions if confused
Ask peer members for input
Embrace others ideas and suggestions, stay objective
I want you to think about these when practicing your read aloud today. Please be an active
contributor to your group and be respectful of your group members.

3. Organize students into learning teams:

Time: 5 minutes
a. Explain how theyll practice the social goal?
Once you are split into your groups, I want each of you to think about which character
you are going to play. Think if there is a character you relate to or prefer playing. You
will have 15 minutes today to practice your readers theatre with your group members. I
want each of you to think about listening to your group members, taking turns, and
speaking at appropriate times during your collective read aloud.
b. How will you organize the groups?
There are six scenes in this story. Distribute scene cards (*see attachment). You will be
split into six small groups. [These groups will be assigned ahead of time by the teacher
so that the roles can be matched appropriately and so that the group will function well
together. Refer to section below about accommodations.] After distributing scene
cards, point or stand where you would like the groups to gather and practice in the
classroom.
c. What group roles will you have?
Not only will each student take on a characters role, they will also be assigned a role
they are responsible for in order to meet the social expectations and goals for this
activity. This role gives each student something they are accountable for and gives
them a responsibility during the lesson. The roles are as follows:
Collector and safekeeper: Collects all scripts, prompts, and other materials needed for
tomorrows performance
Monitor: In charge of getting everyone to participate, making sure everyone gets a chance to
speak and is speaking in turn
Time keeper: Making sure your group is reading at a good pace, not too quickly and not too fast
Question master: If your group members have any questions, you are the only group member
that may ask the teacher
4. Assist team work and study:
a. How will you monitor academic progress?

Time: 15 minutes

During the students independent work time and practice, I will be circulating around the
room making sure all the students are aware of the criteria they are being assessed on
in their read aloud: fluency, expression, and clarity and pronunciation. I will refer to the
question master of the group and show that I am available for support when they have
questions or need suggestions.
b. How will you monitor the social goals?
I will monitor groups during work time in my observation journal based on three areas:
cooperation, participation, and listening. Since these are the three areas on the rubric I
am using for assessment, I want to be sure I am gathering observations of the students
while they are practicing. That way, I can be sure students are making adequate
progress and meeting the social objectives.
5. Provide recognition:
Time: 3 minutes
During small group work time, I will circulate providing positive reinforcements and verbal
feedback to the students. I will praise them if they are working cooperatively, listening to others,
and contributing to their group. These reinforcements could include, I like you are listening
carefully, thank you for remembering your group role, and thank you for being an active
member of your group. If students are not contributing, I will encourage them to be more
engaged with their character and be a more responsible group member.
6. Assessment / Closure: (How do you evaluate student progress or end this lesson?)
Time: 5 minutes
Informal Observation: While groups are reading and practicing their readers theater, walking
around the classroom will allow the teacher to make observations on the students fluency,
expression, pace and reading ability.
Formal Assessment: After each group has finished reciting and practicing their scene section,
they will present their scene to the class. Students will be formally assessed in both academic
and social areas. They will receive individual scores in both categories as well as a collective
group score after their performance. Having both individual and group scores is important in a
cooperative learning group because it requires students to be both individually and collectively
accountable. (*See attached rubric)

7. DIFFERENTIATION of Content, Process or Product:

a. Adaptation for students who need extra help, time, or attention?
Give students their scripts ahead of time so they have extra time to read over their parts.
Teacher could assign roles according to reading level.
Teacher can have a group of students read a shorter scene.
Put see-through tape on students lines so they are automatically highlighted for them.
Teacher could also talk to students about where the scenes would take place in the classroom.
Example: If they are in the kitchen, where would be a good place in the classroom to stand at
the stove.

b. Extension for students of high ability? (Remember, gifted students need

challenge).

Ask students to make connections to real world experiences.

Teacher could assign longer roles and roles with more lines to gifted students.
Students could perform more than one scene or even switch off playing two characters within
one scene.
Students will be encouraged to create a poster depicting the their readers theatre scene. This
poster should be a visual synthesis of the scene and depict the plot development. The poster
can be used for further assessments.
TOTAL LESSON TIME: 45 minutes

8. References Consulted:
The Watsons Go to Birmingham. (2013). Scholastic Action, 37(2), 12.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/printouts/30698_rubric.pdf
Handouts from course manual about ideas for roles: monitor, questions master, etc.

Attachments
Assessment Rubric (Use for assessing both social and academic goals)
Individual Scores

4- Excellent

3- Good

2- Fair

1- Needs
Improvement

Fluency

Student reads the

script fluently

Student reads the

script with some
fluency

Student reads the

script with little
fluency

Student had
difficulty reading
script fluently

Verbal Expression

Students reads
script with verbal
expression

Students reads
script with some
verbal expression

Student reads
script with little
verbal expression

Student has
difficulty reading
script with verbal
expression

Clarity and
Pronunciation

Students reads
script with clarity
and pronunciation

Student reads
script with some
clarity and
pronunciation

Student reads
script with little
clarity and
pronunciation

Student has
difficulty reading
script with clarity
and pronunciation

Cooperation with
group

Student worked
cooperatively with
the group in all
aspects of the
project and
shared all
responsibilities
and ideas well

Student worked
cooperatively with
group in most
aspects of the
project and
shared most
responsibilities
and ideas

Student worked
cooperatively with
group in some
aspects of the
project but
sometimes could
not agree on what
to do and wasted
time

Student did not

work
cooperatively
together with
group and could
not agree on what
to do. Student did
not share
responsibilities or
ideas and wasted
time

Participation

High level of
active, on-task
participation from
all group
members

Majority of group
members on-task
and actively
participating

Moderate level of
on-task work or
few of the group
members actively
participating

Low level of active

participation from
majority of group
members

Academic

Social

Collective Group Score: ______/30

Comments:

Scene Cards:
Scene 1

N1

Bryon

Kenny

Momma

Joetta

Dad

Scene 2

N1

Dad

Momma

N2

Reporter

Kenny

Byron

Scene 3

N1

N2

Grandma

Mr. Robert

Kenny

Bryon

Waitress

Dad

Sarah

Scene 4

N1

N2

Joetta

Kenny

Bryon

Junior

Scene 5

N1

N2

Mr. Robert

Kenny

Bryon

Grandma

Momma

Scene 6

N1

N2

Mr. Robert

Kenny

Momma

Grandma

Kenny

Bryon

Joetta

Dad