Lesson Plan Evaluation the Third Grade Language

Lesson Plan Evaluation

The third grade language arts lesson plan uses Shel Silverstein's story The Giving Tree. It is expected that the lesson will be of high interest to the students because they are probably familiar with Silverstein's other works, Where the Sidewalk Ends and Light in the Attic.

The first activity is the pretend field trip. The teacher asks the students to close their eyes and picture a large open field. In order for this opening set to be effective, students should be prepared to be calm and fairly quiet. If possible, the lesson should be taught following a quiet activity such as independent reading or seatwork. The students will have an opportunity to get up and move around within this anticipatory set, but they could be overly active and a little silly if the teacher attempts to do the lesson immediately after a major transition. Additionally, for this activity to be effective, students should be familiar with visualization and the "think-pair-share."

It is a good idea to review story elements with students before reading The Giving Tree. Students have an opportunity to participate and share what they already know. This is a good informal assessment tool for the teacher, who can then adjust the lesson to give more examples, if necessary, to ensure all students understand. The photos will be engaging for the students and provide good starting points for discussion and vocabulary that students can use when they do their own writing.

The story element sort is a hands-on activity that will allow students to demonstrate what they know and what they have learned during the instruction portion of the lesson. The teacher should decide how students will complete this activity, as individuals, in pairs, or in small groups. Will the students complete the sort by affixing paper copies of words and pictures to a worksheet with columns, will they manipulate the paper copies without gluing them, or will they write their answers in the appropriate column? The teacher will have to adjust the time allotted for the lesson if students work in pairs or groups and if they use scissors and glue. The same is true for the follow-up activity, where students place the plot images in sequence.

The closing activity asks students to demonstrate a deeper level of understanding of the story. The activities in the lesson enable them to look at the various elements of a story to see how the author advances his ideas through characters, setting, and plot. In the closing activity, the teacher asks the students to look at the examples of the tree's gifts and think of gifts they could offer which likewise are cost-free. Before giving students the paper apples on which to write their own ideas, a brief whole-class brainstorming session could be helpful, particularly for students who tend to complain they are "stuck" and unable to think of anything to write. The teacher should also set some parameters for writing on the apple -- for example, should students be required to write full sentences? The teacher should also have a plan for differentiating the lesson. Some students will struggle with writing a single sentence. Other students will finish very quickly and will ask for something else to do.

The sharing portion of this closing activity is a good way to end the lesson. Most third graders are excited about their writing and happy for an opportunity to show their peers what they have done. The teacher can have students sit in a circle in front of the classroom rather than share from their seats. All students should be encouraged to participate, but no one should be forced to share.