Lesson

Title/Focus

Day 2- Noun Mentor Text and Mini Lesson

Date

Subject/Gra
de Level

Grade 3/4 LA

Time
Duratio
n

1.5 hr

Unit

Mastering Speech in a Week- Parts of Speech

Teacher

Miss Stark

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General
Learning
Outcomes:

General Outcome #1: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to
explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences.
General Outcome #2: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to
comprehend
General Outcome #3: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to
manage ideas and information and respond personally and critically to oral, print and other
media texts.
General Outcome #4: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to
enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.
General Outcome #5: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to
respect,support and collaborate with others.

Specific
Learning
Outcomes:

Grade 3: 1.2 Clarify and Extend, 2.4 Create an Original Text, 3.3 Organize, Record and
Evaluate, 4.1 Enhance and Improve, 4.2 Attend to Conventions, 4.3 Present and Share,
5.2 Work Within a Group
Grade 4: 1.2 Clarify and Extend, 2.4 Create an Original Text, 3.3 Organize, Record and
Evaluate, 4.1 Enhance and Improve, 4.2 Attend to Conventions, 4.3 Present and Share,
5.2 Work Within a Group
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will:
1. Gain information on nouns through listening to a mentor text
2. Apply their knowledge by looking further into the text
3. Record their knowledge of nouns

ASSESSMENTS
Observations:

What knowledge did the students gain from the initial reading of the
mentor text
By the end of the lesson, do the students have a good enough
understanding to fill out their flip books

Key Questions:

What is a noun?
How do we use nouns?
Can the students identify the nouns?

Products/Performan
ces:

Perform the after-reading activity

Completed page in the Part of Speech Flip book

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED

Alberta Education Program of Study
University of Lethbridge Library Catalogue

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

- Book: A Mink a Fink a Skating Rink: What is a
Noun?
- White boards or paper for after reading activity
- Mini lesson resources
- Part of Speech flip books
- Noun Activity

PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson

Have all resources and materials ready for the class.

Start Class by reading for 15 mins

Introduction
Attention Grabber

Right now, I want you to think of your favourite person (wait

time)
Favourite place (wait time)
and favourite thing (wait time)
Who could think of something, someplace or someone for all of
those?
Well that just means that you already know nouns!
Coming up today, we are going to explore nouns even further.

Time

3 mins

Transition to Body
Send students to the carpet
Body

Time

Learning Activity
#1

Ask if anyone knows what a mentor text is.

Explain that a mentor texts are books that can be used as an
example of good writing for students and that we are going to
use the writing in these books to improve our own writing and
learn the parts of speech.
Read A Mink a Fink a Skating Rink: What is a Noun?
After reading activity: Hand out whiteboards to the students.
Explain the rules with the whiteboards (they are to be used for
writing only, not drawing). Explain that I am going to read a few
pages the text again and when they think they hear a noun they
need to record it on their boards.

15 mins

Once this read is done, get the students to turn to their elbow
partner and share some of the nouns that they found. Then end
off the activity by getting each group to share one or two of the
nouns that they found.
Assessments/
Differentiation:

Assess the knowledge gained from the book by the responses in

the after reading activity.

Learning Activity
#2

Noun Mini Lesson:

Send students back to their desks for the noun mini lesson.
See Mini Lesson Outline on bottom of lesson plan

Assessments/
Differentiation

Assess the understanding by their engagement in the

discussions, the way they share examples and their responses to
the snowball activity

Learning Activity
#3

Noun Activity
Hand out Worksheet to the students, go over instructions and
work through the first two questions together

20 mins

15 mins

If time allows go over the worksheet as a class after

Assessments/
Differentiation

Assessment of
Learning:
Transition To Next
Lesson

Sponge
Activity/Activities

Walk around answering questions and observing how they

grasped the information from the lesson based on how they are
filling out their worksheet
Closure

Time

End with the filling out of their flip books

5 mins

Coming up in the next class we will be applying this information

even more in super fun ways!

Noun Videos
https://youtu.be/bmZA90W53Rk

Noun Mini Lesson Outline:

- Raise your hand if you can tell me the definition of a noun (pick a student
to say it then write person place or thing on the board)
- There are two kinds of nouns: Common and proper. (write common and
proper on the board)
- Write the definition of common and proper beside them ( Common
nouns are general names and proper nouns are the names of specific
things)
- Give examples of each (ie. common coffee shop and proper Tim
Hortons) and then get the students to brainstorm some ideas too.
- Say that there is an important rule to pay attention to when using
proper nouns and ask if by looking at the board they cans see the
rule? (capitalization because it is a specific name)
- Nouns can also be singular and plural. (write singular and plural on the
board)
- Ask students what th
- ey think the difference between the singular and plural nouns might
be based on their previous knowledge? Plural is that there is more
than one and singular is that there is only one. To make nouns plural
we add what to the end of singular nouns? s! That works for most of
the nouns but nouns there are some tricky rules out there to confuse
us! (bring out poster and hang it up)
- There is also possessive nouns. Possessive nouns demonstrate ownership.
- Typically possessive nouns include an apostrophe For example (Miss
Starks class)
- Think of the apostrophe mark as a hook or hand reaching out to take
ownership of the object because without the hand or hook grabbing
onto it, it is simply plural.
- Get students to give a few examples of plural nouns too, discuss with
a partner then share.

Original Lesson Plan Description Barriers

Description of
Lesson Plan
Component

Potential Barriers to Learning (include

Principle and Checkpoint)

GOALS:

My original goal Gain information on nouns through

listening to a mentor text, could cause a barrier for my
students if taught because this goal sets out the
information to only be presented in one way. This
pertains to the UDL Guidelines under the Strategies for
Representation section and the principle of Perception.
Under this principle there are multiple checkpoints that
apply, showing how this goal could pose a barrier. These
checkpoints are 1.1- Offer ways of customizing the
display of information and 1.2 Offer alternatives for
auditory information.

METHODS AND/OR
MATERIALS:

Within my lesson plan, one method that could

provide a barrier for my students is that I am
introducing the topic using a mentor text. With
this plan, I am only using one strategy, the read
aloud, and expecting all of the students to learn
from the book. This pertains to the UDL
Guidelines Strategies under the Expression
section and the principle of Expression and
Communication. The checkpoints under this
principle that support how this teaching method
could provide a barrier for the students are 5.1Use multiple media for communication. As well it
falls under the principle of Perception and the
checkpoints 1.1- Offer ways of customizing the
display of information and1.2- Offer alternatives
for auditory information.

STUDENT
ACTIVITIES:

The student activity that I think has the biggest

chance of providing a barrier for my students, if
this lesson plan is implemented, is the Noun
worksheet. In my lesson plan I had this activity
planned as Hand out Worksheet to the
students, go over instructions and work
through the first two questions together.
This could pose a challenge to the students
because I am only providing them one way
of showing their understanding. With that, it
includes a lot of writing, thus if writing is not
the way in which a student best shares their
knowledge, they are put at a disadvantage
by this. This pertains to the UDL Guidelines
under the Strategies for Expression and the
principles of Physical Action as well as the
principle of expression and communication.
Further, the checkpoints 4.1- Vary the
methods for response and navigation, 5.1Use multiple media for communication and
5.2 Use multiple tools for construction and

composition make it even more clear that I

need to revise this activity if it is to be
successful.

STUDENT
ENGAGEMENT:

In regards to student engagement, the area

where I may lose student engagement is during
the mini lesson. Student engagement might lack
during the mini lesson because it isn't very
engaging and does not give them many
opportunities to become involved in the lesson. I
have the layout of the mini lesson pasted
underneath the lesson plan, and it involves a lot
of the teacher talking and writing on the
whiteboard, expecting the students to listen and
learn. The fact that this would pose challenges to
the students falls under the UDL guidelines
Strategies for Engagement and the principles of
recruiting interest and sustaining efforts and
persistence. Further, the checkpoints 7.1Optimize individual choice and autonomy, 8.2Vary demands and resources to optimize
challenge, and 8.3- foster collaboration and
communication provide me with strategies of how
to improve student engagement.

Revised Lesson Plan

Lesson
Title/Focus

Noun Mentor Text and Mini Lesson

Revised

Date

Subject/Gra
de Level

Grade 3/4 LA

Time
Duratio
n

1.5 hr

Unit

Mastering Speech in a Week- Parts of Speech

Teacher

Miss Stark

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General
Learning
Outcomes:

General Outcome #1: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to
explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences.
General Outcome #2: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to
comprehend
General Outcome #3: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to
manage ideas and information and respond personally and critically to oral, print and oth
media texts.
General Outcome #4: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to
enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.
General Outcome #5: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to
respect,support and collaborate with others.

Specific
Learning
Outcomes:

Grade 3: 1.2 Clarify and Extend, 2.4 Create an Original Text, 3.3 Organize, Record and
Evaluate, 4.1 Enhance and Improve, 4.2 Attend to Conventions, 4.3 Present and Share,
5.2 Work Within a Group
Grade 4: 1.2 Clarify and Extend, 2.4 Create an Original Text, 3.3 Organize, Record and
Evaluate, 4.1 Enhance and Improve, 4.2 Attend to Conventions, 4.3 Present and Share,
5.2 Work Within a Group
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will:
1. Analyze and practice using nouns with help from a mentor text.
2. Demonstrate what they have learned in this lesson about nouns.

ASSESSMENTS

Observations:

What knowledge did the students gain from interacting with the mentor
text?
Through their representations of their knowledge, do the students have a
good grasp on the topic of nouns?

Key Questions:

What is a noun?
How do we use nouns?
Can the students identify the nouns?

Products/Performan
ces:

Interact with a mentor text, either through listening or reading t

self
Communicate their knowledge through their choice of activity
(choice provided by the teacher)

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED

Alberta Education Program of Study
University of Lethbridge Library Catalogue

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

- Book: A Mink a Fink a Skating Rink: What is

Noun?
- Audio version of A Mink a Fink a Skating Rin
What is a Noun?
- Sticky notes- for after reading activity
- Poster paper- for noun activity
- Ipads- for noun activity

PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson

Have all resources and materials ready for the class.

Start Class by reading for 15 mins

Introduction
Attention Grabber

Time

Right now, I want you to think of your favourite person (wait

time)
Favourite place (wait time)
and favourite thing (wait time)
Who could think of something, someplace or someone for all of
those?
Well that just means that you already know nouns!
Coming up today, we are going to explore nouns even further.

Transition to Body
Send students to the carpet
Body

Time

Learning Activity
#1

Ask if anyone knows what a mentor text is.

Explain that a mentor texts are books that can be used as an
example of good writing for students and that we are going to
use the writing in these books to improve our own writing and
learn the parts of speech.
Give the students a choice to either listen to the audiobook
version of the text or read it to themselves, depending on what
they will respond to best.
Have the students find a comfortable reading spot around the
room, and return to their desks once they are done with their
version on the text.
After reading activity: Have students return to their desks if they
haven't already. Hand out one sticky note to each pair of desks.
Have the students turn to their elbow partner and talk about the
book. Have each of them share one thing they learned, their
favourite part and an example of a noun. Then, have the pair
collaborate and write one takeaway from the book onto their
sticky note and come post it on the board.
Read through all of the sticky notes and have the students do a
thumbs up thumbs down response to each sticky note.
- At this point you will also be infusing extra noun information
into the discussion on the sticky notes, taking their knowledge to
the next level. As well, you are clarifying any misconceptions that
arise.

Assessments/
Differentiation:

Assess the knowledge gained from the book by listening to the

group discussions and what the responses on the sticky notes
are.

Learning Activity
#2

Noun modified activity- explain the instructions AND display them

on the board for students to refer to. Give the students an option
of how they are going to communicate their understanding of
nouns to their fellow classmates. They can either make a video, a
podcast, an informative poster or visual that can educate about
nouns. Tell students they will be sharing these with the class as if
they are the teacher.

Assessments/
Differentiation

Learning Activity
#3/ Closure.

Assess the understanding by their engagement in the project and

the guidance that they need throughout.

Flipped classroom:
The students are now the teacher! They will come to the front of
the class and teach they topic of nouns using their project that
they made. I will be giving the students the option to just display
their project if they are not comfortable speaking in front of the
class.

Assessments/
Differentiation

Sponge
Activity/Activities

Assess the students understanding of nouns based on how they

communicate their understanding through their project and their
presentation.

Noun Videos
https://youtu.be/bmZA90W53Rk

Rationale of Revisions:
Learning Activity 1 Revisions:
For learning activity 1, I am still going to be using a mentor text, however I have
revised it slightly. Rather than me just reading the text aloud to the students, I am
going to give the students a choice to either listen to the audiobook version of the
text or read it to themselves, depending on what they will respond to best. I chose
to give the students a choice not only to have them interact with the text in which
they will learn best, but also to accommodate for the students who have either
visual impairments or audio impairments. I have also revised my after reading
activity from the nose touching activity to a revision of think, pair, share. For this
activity I will have students talk to their partner about what they have learned,
letting them vocalize their understanding. Following their sharing, they will
collaborate and one partner will write one takeaway from the book onto their sticky
note and come post it on the board. By having them vocalize their learning, I am
accommodating for students who do not respond best through writing, and by
having only one person from the pair write down a collaborative response, I am
accommodating for students who struggle with writing. These revisions pertain to
the UDL Guidelines Strategies under the Expression section and the principles of
Physical Action as well as Expression and Communication. The checkpoints under
these principles that support my revisions are 4.1- Vary the methods for response
and navigation, 5.1- Use multiple media for communication. As well, it falls under
the principle of Perception and the checkpoints 1.1- Offer ways of customizing the
display of information and1.2- Off
er alternatives for auditory information.
Learning Activity 2 Revisions:
After reviewing my original noun lesson plan, I decided that it would be most
beneficial to revise the entirety of learning activity 2. Rather than simply handing
our a generic noun worksheet, as I had previously planned on doing, I am now
planning to include more student choice in the noun modified activity. I realized that
with the worksheet, I would only be providing my students one way of showing their
understanding. With that it includes a lot of writing, thus if writing is not the way in
which a student best shares their knowledge, they are put at a disadvantage by
this. Therefore, my revised learning activity was planned in order to accommodate
for many of the potential struggles that could be present in the class, such as
communicating their understanding with writing and having trouble artistically
representing their ideas. My new learning activity provides the students with an
option of how they are going to communicate their understanding of nouns to their
fellow classmates. They can either make a video, a podcast, an informative poster
or visual that can educate about nouns. After creating their projects, they will be

sharing these with the class as if they are the teacher. These revisions are
supported by the UDL Guidelines under the Strategies for Expression and the
principles of physical action as well as the principle of expression and
communication. Further, the checkpoints 4.1- Vary the methods for response and
navigation, 5.1- Use multiple media for communication and 5.2 Use multiple tools
for construction and composition make it even more clear that I need to revise this
activity if it is to be successful.
Other Revisions:
When making the revisions to my learning activities in order to incorporate more of
the UDL principles, I noticed that other revisions had to be made as a result of these
changes. For example, my observations and assessments changed in order to work
better with the new activities. In this revised lesson, I will be assessing the
knowledge gained from the book by listening to the group discussions and what the
responses on the sticky notes are. As well, I will be assessing their understanding by
the students engagement in the project and the guidance that they need
throughout. Being that I veered away from using the noun worksheet that I
originally planned to use, the closure of my lesson was revised as well in order to
make the lesson be cohesive. The lesson will now close with the flipped classroom
strategy which follows the UDL Strategies for Engagement under the principle of
Recruiting Interest. Further, the check point 7.1-Optimize individual choice and
autonomy supports this closure activity. In the flipped classroom, the students will
come to the front of the class and teach they topic of nouns using their project that
they made. In order to accommodate for students who have verbal impairments or
for another reason are uncomfortable with presenting in front of the class, I will be
giving the students the option to just display their project. This closure will give me
the opportunity to assess the students understanding of nouns based on how they
communicate their understanding through their project and their presentation.