LESSON ONE: Let’s Talk about Schema

LESSON DESCRIPTION

Students access their own schema and begin making connections.

GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS

R1I          Identify connections between text ideas-similarities and differences in information and relationships in various fiction and nonfiction works; text ideas and own experiences; text ideas and the world, with assistance.

LESSON MATERIALS

§         Sources of literature

o           When the Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant

§         Supplies 

o        Chart paper

o        Reader notebook or writing paper for student response

§         Handouts provided

o        None

§         Words to know

o        fiction

o        nonfiction

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT 

Teacher observation, responses from prompt.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

1.        Seat students in a comfortable setting (carpet area). Define and begin discussing the schema. Chart the things/places/experiences that the class has schema for (having to get up early to go to school, school lunches, recess games, Saturday morning cartoons, etc.) Discuss how different people have schema for different things. Find a spark during this discussion. For example, if a student (Ben) has schema for fishing on the river, indicate that Ben would probably enjoy reading about a boy fishing since he already knows about it. Tell students when we have schema for something we understand it better.

2.        Tell students when we have schema, we make connections. Mention Ben and his river fishing experiences. When he read about another boy fishing in the river, it is likely Ben has experienced many of the events that happen in the text. If something happens in the text that reminds Ben of his own fishing experience, he has made a text-to-self connection.

3.        Share a text you think students can make a connection with (in other words, they will most likely have schema for this story). Read When the Relative Came by Cynthia Rylant aloud periodically stopping when you can make a connection, for example, (“this reminds me of the time my first cousins came from Oklahoma). Prepare for this ahead of time using sticky notes to mark your place. You want students to observe you making connections before they begin sharing their thoughts/connections. Modeling this process is essential.

4.        After listening to the story, students record their thinking. Give them the prompt, “what did you think as I read When the Relatives Came”. As the students complete their task, randomly questions students. Students may respond to this prompt orally or in writing.