Lesson Plan

Day: Friday
Year: 2

Date: 2 September

Time: Morning

Learning Area: English

Curriculum content description: (from ACARA)

Topic: River Dog (reading book)

Literature Examining Literature

Discuss the characters and settings of different texts and explore how language is used to
present these features in different ways (ACELT1591)
Students prior knowledge and experience:
(Outline what the students already know about this topic)
Guided reading groups 4 times a week since term 1, kids are familiar with the task.
Learning purpose:
Literature examining literature
Discuss the characters and settings of different texts and explore how language is used to
present these features in different ways (ACELT1591)
Taken

from reading book

Thinking critically
Exploring language
Processing information

Learning objectives:
On completion of this lesson, students
will be able to:

Understand techniques which can be

used to convey setting
Understand different techniques
which can be used to shape
characters

Evaluation:
(Explain how you will know that lesson
objective have been achieved / monitor
student learning)

1. Were all the students able to identify

techniques which the author used to
convey setting?
I plan to find this out by asking the group
questions (some taken from the guide notes
of the text) as well as discussion within the
group regarding the setting in the story.
I plan to record this by making observation
notes and reporting back to my mentor
teacher.
2. Were all the students able to identify
techniques which the author used to
shape the main character?

I plan to find this out by asking the group

questions (some taken from the guide notes
of the text) as well as discussion within the
group regarding the main character in the
story.

Preparation and Resources:

(Detail what resources will be used and what other preparation of the learning environment
will be required)

Copy of River Dog for each student in Blue reading group and teacher
Phonics sound cards (in case finish early)

Catering for diversity (detail any adjustments considerations for educational/resource

adjustments)
The group I will be taking (blue group) is one of the higher skill level reading groups. The
text is an appropriate difficulty level for their skill level (advanced fluency).

Timing:

Learning Experiences:

5
minutes

1. Introduction: (How will I engage the learners?)

Today we will be reading a book called River Dog. Please do not open your book
or turn the page until I tell you to. You will all be taking turns to read a page
each.
What do you think it is about? (use wait time when gaining a response and allow
for discussion/let students bounce off each other) Why do you think that will
happen/what does the cover tell you about the story?

2. Sequence of learning experiences: (What will you do to help the

students achieve the learning objectives? What tasks and activities will
the students be involved in to help achieve the learning objectives?)

20 30
minutes

Ask one of the students to start reading.

Once student has finished reading page 4 ask them;
What do you think will happen next? (allow for discussion/bouncing off each
other)
Talk about the setting. Ask the students either;
To identify how the author conveys it is it scary/safe/exciting etc (why)
(Page 6-7) Adam describes the river as a long, lazy blue lionwith me on
the menu. How does this make you feel about the river? Does this convey
to you Adams fear of water. What else could he have compared it to?
(Why)
Once student has finished reading page 9 ask them;
What do you think will happen next? (allow for discussion/bouncing off each
other)
Talk about the main character. Ask the students;
(Page 10-11) Do they think Adam (the narrator) should have gone down to
the river by himself? What else could he have done to help him get
over his fear?

(Page 12-13) What did you think about Adam after he saved the woman
from the river?

5
minutes

3. Lesson conclusion: (How will you summarise the learning and relate it
to the lesson objectives?)

Lesson Objectives;
Understand techniques which can be used to convey setting
Understand different techniques which can be used to shape characters
How did the author use different words and sentences to create a certain feeling
for the setting? (ie scary/safe etc)
What did you all think of Adam at the beginning of the story? (why focus on
language)
What did you think of Adam at the end of the story? (why focus on language)

If lesson finishes early use the sound flash cards.

Lesson Evaluation:
(Reflect on the lesson. What worked? What did not work? What would you change? Why?)
What worked
The group discussions worked really well. The students expanded on each others answers
and were engaged with the story. I didnt get through all the questions I had planned, rather
I opted to allow the discussions they were engaged in continue. When answering the
questions they would draw from both the reading book and experiences in their own life, in
particular when asked to predict what would happen next and why they thought the main
character acted in the way that he did.
Requiring the students to read a page each worked well. When one student was reading the
majority of the group would be listening and helping a student when they were having
difficulty pronouncing a word. Some of the pages had quite large sections of text and the
students were eager to give it a go rather than splitting the page in half between two
students. They all read very well with confidence and expression which was great.
I planned well for the allocated time and didnt have to do an activity with the sound flash

cards after. The activity would have required each student to give me a word with the sound
on the card in. It would have been difficult to keep 6 students engaged in this task while
they all waited their turn.
What didnt work
Some of the students had opened the book and looked ahead after I had given the
instruction to not open the book or turn the page. It was important that they followed this
instruction because some of the questions required them to predict what would happen next
in the story. If I were to do the lesson again I wouldnt give them the book until we were
ready to start reading. Rather I would hold a copy of the book up for them so they could see
the cover and predict what was going to happen in the story based on the cover image and
title.
When students were having trouble pronouncing a word I would assist them by helping
them sound it out and some of the other students also got involved in doing this and worked
together which was great. However occasionally another student would simply say the word
to the student who was reading. I found stopping this was quite difficult and I wasnt
successful in doing so. I think this may have been due to their impatience in waiting for their
turn to read so if I were to do this again I would split the longer pages in half so the group is
rotating quicker.
I dont think the students really understood the focus on character and setting. For example
when I asked the students what they thought the river looked like many said they did not
know or werent sure what I meant. I then directed them to the description about how the
river looked like a lion and asked them why the main character would have thought the river
looked this way. I had to make my questions more guided however once they grasped the
concept that word choices influence the shaping of character and setting they were able to
discuss the topic more.
In regards to the two learning objectives I feel the students were more comfortable in their
understanding of setting than character. If I were to do this lesson again I would focus on
one of the components at a time to allow the students to have longer discussions about
each one.