TCNJ Lesson Plan

Morning Academic Block

Student Name’s: Emma Lamperti
School Name: Lawrenceville Elementary School
Grade Level: Pre-K
Host Teacher’s Name: Katie Bergan

Guiding and/or Essential Questions

- What connections can we make between Bear Says Thanks and our own lives/world?
- What does ________ mean?
- How does _________ feel?
- What is different about the board? (math memory)
Student Prior Knowledge
- Students have participated in both of these activities before, meaning they understand
what is expected of them.
Standards
- Language Arts and Literacy:
- 3.1: Children listen and respond to environmental sounds, directions, and
conversations.
- 3.3.B.4: Answer simple recall and comprehension questions about a book being
read
- Mathematics:
- Standard 4.1:Children demonstrate an understanding of numbers and numerical
operations.
- Standard 4.2:Children develop knowledge of spatial concepts (e.g., shapes and
measurement).
- Standard 4.3:Children understand patterns, relationships, and classification.
- Standard 4.4:Children use mathematical knowledge to represent, communicate,
and solve problems in their environment.
- Social Emotional:
- Standard 0.1: Children demonstrate self-confidence.
- Standard 0.4: Children exhibit positive interactions with other children and
adults.
- Standard 0.5: Children exhibit prosocial behaviors.

Learning Objectives and Assessments:

Learning Objectives Assessment

Students will discuss various parts of Bear Says
Thanks with their partner in order to reinforce
their comprehension of the story.
Students will use self-talk to remember what was
on the memory board before and after a change
was made. Students will also discuss what they
notice about the board with their partner.
Teacher will monitor students discussion to
make sure they are kind voices, making eye
contact and saying on task about the story.
Teacher will monitor student discussions to see
what they are saying, but will not offer
prompting and instead let students work to
figure out what is different.

Materials/Resources:
- Bear Says Thanks
- Story Lab Cue Cards (How did _____ feel? Connections and Vocabulary)
- Math Memory Board
- Toys
- Cloth
- Radio and Jim Gill CD

Step by Step plan:

1. Read-Aloud:
a. Introduction to Bear Says Thanks:
i. The teacher will call the students onto the carpet, pair them up and
introduce Bear Says Thanks. She will point the students attention to the
title, author and illustrator, connections that can be made and tricky
vocabulary in the story. She will then have the students repeat the
definitions of the vocabulary words to their partners in order to help them
remember.
b. Read-Aloud:
i. After the introduction to the story the teacher will begin to read the story
to the students, stopping to ask questions and allow the students to turn
and talk (questions below). After finishing the story the teacher will have
the students do a quick movement break.
2. Movement Break: The teacher will have the students stand up to sing and dance along to
a Jim Gill movement song, before beginning the Math Memory game.
3. Math Memory: The teacher will ask students to sit on a color spot and pair them with the
person they are sitting next to. Then, the teacher will begin putting items on the math
memory board, modeling self talk as she does so (ex. “I am putting down one blue fish
and one small green spider. I have two items all together). The teacher will have students
repeat what she says and talk with their partners about what is on the board, Then, the
teacher will tell the students to take a mental picture of the board before she covers it
with the board. She will have the students again say talk about what was on the board.
Then, the students will cover their eyes and she will change something (add an item or
take one away). When the teacher removes the cloth she will ask the students to turn and
talk with their partner about what changed.
 4. Lesson Ending: The teacher will dismiss the students from the carpet to line up and get
ready for lunch.

Key Questions:
Story Lab:
- How does this connect to our lives?
- How can bear fix his problem? (turn and talk)
- How does bear feel?
- Look at bears face, how do you think he feels? (turn and talk)
- What do you think his friends are going to say to him? (turn and talk)
Math Memory:
- What was on the board?
- What do you see in your mind’s eye?
- What is different?
Key Vocabulary:
- Bare: empty
- Delectable: yummy or tasty
- Lair/Den: an animal’s home
- Tromp: walk heavily, stomp
- Stroll: a nice walk
- Fret: worry
Logistics:
Timing:
Read aloud: 25-30 minutes
Movement Break: 3 minutes
Math Memory: 10 minutes
Transitions:
Students will begin on the carpet in read-aloud spots, they will stand up for the movement
break and then sitting on a color spot for math memory. They will then be dismissed from
the carpet and line up by the door for lunch.
Classroom Management:
- “1, 2, 3, eyes on me” “Hocus pocus, time to focus” or a bell will be used to get
students attention.
- The teacher will put a smiley face in the jar if she notices the students are doing a
good job following directions and listening.
Differentiation Notes
- Erik will be paired with his 1-1 and a peer for turn and talks. John, Dhurv and Bethany
will all either be paired with teacher or assistant for turn talks. Bethany will have help
from a teacher, but will also talk with a peer. These students will be paired with a peer,
but also have help from a teacher/assistant.