An Example of an Interactive Read-Aloud Lesson Plan: Just Another Ordinary Day written and illustrated by Rod Clement
Common Core Standards: 2nd grade
RL.2.1. Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
RL.2.7. Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
Learning Objectives:
The student will sequence events in a story using the words first, next, and last.
The student will compare and contrast events from their daily routine to the character Amanda in the text.
Materials:
Just Another Ordinary Day by Rod Clement
Butcher block paper
Markers
Summary of Text:
Like most kids, Amanda gets dressed, goes to school, plays with friends, and eats dinner with her family. But don’t be fooled by this deceptively simple story! Readers will soon find out that Amanda is no ordinary girl! Amanda describes a typical day in her life using words that make her sound like any normal girl, but the illustrations in the book suggest otherwise. Amanda flies from her room to her kitchen, has dinosaurs, pirates, and insects for teachers at school, and has a pet elephant and lion. Her “ordinary” day is much more unique than she makes it out to be!
Procedure:
Before Reading:
1) The teacher will (TTW) invite students to reading corner and activate students’ prior knowledge on the topic of the book by encouraging them to think about how their days usually start out, or what their typical routine is in the morning.
2) TTW prompt students to share as a whole-group discussion activities from their mornings prior to coming to school. Responses will be written on butcher block paper with markers for whole class to see.
3) TTW ask students to raise their hands if their general morning activities are the same as some of the activities students described (sample responses include waking up, getting dressed, eating breakfast, going to school). Most students should recognize all morning routines are relatively similar to their classmates.
4) Then, TTW ask students what makes each of their mornings different (example, one student might have cereal for breakfast while another has eggs). Prompt students to recognize that these specific differences are details. Define details as words or sentences that explain a person, place, thing, or activity better. In a book, they paint a better picture for the reader.
5) TTW transition into introducing the book by saying, “Today we are going to read a favorite story of mine about a girl named Amanda who is a student just like all of you. She is going to tell us about her daily schedule, and I want you to pay close attention to the details of the events of her day. I want you to pay very close attention to the illustrations that are found on each page! They will play an important role in understanding the story. I also want you to be thinking about how your day is different from Amanda’s”.
6) TTW invite students to make text-to-self connections by thinking about how their own routine is similar or different from Amanda’s.
During Reading:
1) TTW introduce the story by reading the title and sharing the author/illustrator with students.
2) TTW begin reading the text, reminding students to pay close attention to illustrations and specific details they show.
3) TTW stop on page 10: TTW ask students if Amanda’s day has been similar to theirs so far. Model summarizing for the students by stating that Amanda’s activities thus far have included waking up, getting dressed, eating breakfast, and going to school. Make text-to-self connections with students about how these activities are similar to what they shared earlier. Ask students what has been different about Amanda’s day from theirs, inviting them to draw inferences based on the illustrations. Ask students to question what they think Amanda’s school will be like. Ask students to predict what they think will happen next in the story.
4) Continue reading, and stop on page 21: Again, model summarizing for students by recapping major events thus far, noting that she has some pretty interesting teachers in school. Ask students to make text-to-self connections by asking if their teachers at school are similar to Amanda’s. Ask students to predict where they think Amanda might live.
5) Continue reading, and stop on page 29: Ask students to summarize what they have read. TTW ask students to raise their hands if they like to read at night like Amanda, inviting students to make text-to-self connections with Amanda. Invite students to draw inferences based on the illustrations and share what makes Amanda’s night-time reading routine different from theirs.
After Reading:
1) TTW ask students to summarize the text, determining what details were important. They will discuss the main ideas as a grand conversation. TTW ensure students use the words, “first, next, and last” to understand the proper sequencing of events.
2) TTW ask students what was different about this book from other books they have read (making text-to-text connections). (Model responses: the words did not match the pictures; the pictures gave the details about Amanda’s day instead of the words; the words did not provide as much detail about what Amanda’s day was really like; they had to pay special attention to the illustrations to gather details about Amanda’s day)
Assessments:
1) TTW formatively assess students throughout reading by pausing and asking students to summarize with her the key events thus far in the story.
2) TTW observe through student responses if they are recognizing details are found in the story’s illustrations versus the text.
3) TTW question the students as noted above about any key differences in Amanda’s routine versus their own based on the illustrations.
4) TTW provide a summative assessment at the end of the lesson through follow-up activities:
- The students will write a letter to the main character, Amanda, from the story. They will demonstrate an understanding of the strategy of “questioning the author” by asking her questions about certain aspects of their day. They will show an understanding of comprehending the text, as certain aspects of the story must be recalled. They will also be required to compare and contrast various aspects from their particular day to Amanda’s, demonstrating an understanding of text-to-self connections, as well as how to compare and contrast.
- TTW model what exactly she is looking for in the letter. For example, TTW say, “I would write Amanda and tell her I related to her that I also have a long ride home from school with my parents. However, I am different from Amanda because I ride home in a car, and not an elephant. I would ask her what it is like to ride an elephant home from school every day. Is that comfortable, or smelly?”
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