Overview of the mini unit
The mini-unit begins with learning standards of this subject as set out by the Education Department of Arizona State. The standards generally aim to enable students to use the reading process to integrate several comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading. The lesson plan template used is based on the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) which is an effective tool for teachers to plan and deliver lessons that enable English students to acquire needed knowledge and skills in the course of developing their proficiency in English language.
The reading fluency unit uses the text by Stephen Krensky and Greg Harlin called “Dangerous Crossing: The Revolutionary Voyage of John Quincy Adams.” This provides early American history that is suited for the 5th grade lessons that are targeted here. While most of the text in the book is relatively easy for the students to read or pronounce, there are some critical terms that would require the help of teacher particularly the journal entries of John when describing the voyage to France.
The unit study 5 day lesson plan that runs from Monday to Friday, with a single lesson of between 45 and 60 minutes. The first lesson of Monday deals with Speaking and Listening where the language objectives are Oral Language and Vocabulary. Students would take turns to read out loud the text in class while the teacher shall frequently stop to draw on the author’s word choice with assigned vocabulary words. At the end of the reading, the teacher shall read 10 sentences fluently as students pay attention to pronunciation. Practice of correct pronunciation shall follow with teacher correct mispronunciations.
The language objectives for Tuesday, which the second day of the lesson plan, is on Word Patterns and Word Analysis. The teacher leads the students in a class discussion pertaining to significant relation between fluency reading and comprehension of the story. Then the students practice fluent reading on assigned pages of the text in small groups. Teacher rewards points to individual after achieving fluency in their reading assignments.
Real fluency reading lesson is on the third day, Wednesday. Students are taught importance of sounding out difficult words and learn to self-correct themselves on pronunciation. Noted strong readers are paired with weaker readers to help each other sound out troublesome words and self-correct their mispronunciations. Teacher goes around the class helping students as necessary.
The focus of the unit study on the forth day is on reading comprehension where students go through the text for the last time. Teacher pauses periodically to discuss cause and effect aspects of the text. Students then complete worksheets on visualization, cause and effect.
Friday is the fifth and last day of the unit study. Teacher reviews all that has been taught and learned in the course of the week. Then the unit ends with students completing a reading assignment on the reference text. Teacher grades students on their improved fluency and correct word pronunciation.
American History (5 day Fluency Reading Lesson Plans)
Day: MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, and FRIDAY
Grade/Class/Subject: 5th Grade / (Teacher) / Reading
Unit/Theme: American History
Standards: 5th Grade
English Department: Reading
The following are the standards upon which these lesson plans are based on as defined in the State of Arizona.
LA5.1A Students to use the reading process to integrate several comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading.
LA5.1A.1 Students use knowledge of synonyms, antonyms to develop fluency.
LA5.1A.2 Students comprehend grade-level-appropriate technical & subject-specific vocabulary to help build fluency.
LA5.1A.3 Students show understanding by retelling, summarizing, and paraphrasing central idea and accompanying details in the grade-level-appropriate reading text.
LA5.1A.4 Students make inferences, conclusions, or generalizations on text then back them with textual evidence & prior knowledge.
LA5.1A.5 Students comprehend cause and effect relationships.
LA5.1A.6 Students use such means as setting a purpose for reading & graphic organizers to make predictions, categorization, and analysis.
LA5.1B Students show comprehension of several literary texts.
LA5.1B.1 Students link characters, character traits, setting, & plot.
LA5.1B.2 Students identify with the text.
LA5.1B.3 Students identify descriptive language & imagery.
LA5.1B.4 Students read several literary genres e.g. poetry, fairy tales, fiction, historical fiction, fables, drama, folk tales, narratives from different cultures, myths, folk and legends).
LA5.1C Students show comprehension of informational text.
LA5.3.3 Students shall ask relevant questions to establish aim or clarify meaning in their small groups
LA5.3.4 Students shall follow directions and give feedback.
LA5.3.5 Students shall read in audible voice their individual or colleagues’ texts fluently and expressively.
The Book: “Dangerous Crossing: The Revolutionary Voyage of John Quincy Adams” by Stephen Krensky and Greg Harlin.
Introduction
This is a 5-day unit of study on the text by Stephen Krensky entitled “Dangerous Crossing: The Revolutionary Voyage of John Quincy Adams.” The text is a historical fiction piece. Dangerous Crossing talks about the time of the American Revolution. In it, would be President of United States, John Adams is sent on a secret mission to France to enlist help against the British army. John comes along with his 10-year-old son, John Quincy Adams (also future President of the United States). The story is told by him in the third person. The story contains real journal entries from John Adams’ personal diaries on the voyage. The story depicts the harsh conditions the Adams faced on the voyage including an angry ocean, seasickness, onslaught from British frigates, having to overtake a merchant ship together with various storms. The Krensky text is used herein to create a 5-day unit of study for a fifth grade class focusing on fluency reading.
Overview
The unit of study starts on Monday focusing on oral communication and vocabulary words. This text is to be read out loud in class, with the students reading in turns. The teacher shall frequently stop to draw on the author’s word choice with assigned vocabulary words. At the end of the reading, the teacher shall read 10 sentences fluently as students pay attention to pronunciation. Students shall then practice correct pronunciation of the selected words in the text.
Tuesday’s lesson deals with word patterns and word analysis. The teacher will lead a class discussion on why reading with fluency and correct pronunciation helps in the general understanding of the story itself. The students will then work in groups of 5 to 6 students on assigned pages of the text to practice reading. Students shall be awarded points individually and as a group for achieving fluency in their reading assignments.
Wednesday’s lesson focuses on reading fluency. Teacher shall teach students the significance of sounding out difficult words and to self-correct when they mispronounce words. The students are to read their group’s passage with fluency and with pace. Then students will pair up – a strong reader and weak reader and help each other to sound out difficult words plus correct each other’s mispronunciations. Teacher shall help where there is need.
Thursday’s lesson plan centers on reading comprehension. Students will read the text as a class for the final time. This time the teacher will occasionally to discuss cause and effect. The teacher will also stress the importance of skimming through several words ahead while reading to improve fluency. Thereafter, students shall individually complete a worksheet on text specific visualization and cause and effect questions.
This unit of study shall conclude on Friday with writing lesson. The teacher shall briefly revisit everything discussed over the week. The students will then have to complete a reading assignment: “Read the Dangerous Crossing: The Revolutionary Voyage of John Quincy Adams.” Students shall be required to integrate their taught reading and pronunciation skills to full fluency and mastery of the story over the weekend. Students shall be expected to read with fluency and pronounce correctly at fast pace the assignment during the Monday morning lesson. Students shall be graded on improved reading fluency and correct word pronunciation.
Conclusion
It is expected that the 5-day lesson plans will greatly help students to improve their individual reading fluency, integrate various reading and writing activities, as well as use various types of assessments. Therefore it is hoped that the lesson plans will assist the fifth grade students to become fluent readers through integration of instruction together with lots of reading experience.
(Day 1)
Day: MONDAY (45 to 60 minutes)
Grade/Class/Subject: 5th Grade / (Teacher) / Reading
Unit/Theme: American History
Content Objective(s): American Revolution
Language Objective(s): Oral Language and Vocabulary
English Department: Speaking and Listening
SIOP Features
Lesson Sequence:
• Monday’s Lesson will be longer because the children will have to read the story out loud whilst at the same time the teacher will head a discussion for entire class on oral language and vocabulary words given in the text.
1. Start lesson by making the whole class read the story out loud. Teacher shall head class reading. Each student to read out a single paragraph, as well as the teacher. This shall go on until story is over. Teacher shall help struggling readers.
2. When reading, the teacher shall halt frequently to pose questions to students about the author’s choice of word, definitions or particular words, alternate words, etc.
3. At the end of story, teacher shall read fluently some 10 sentences in the story as students pay attention.
4. Students shall be asked to randomly give the correct pronunciation of given words in the sentences they read.
Reflections:
1. At the end of group reading and pronunciation check, students shall be given a worksheet on reading and pronunciation. There shall be 10 questions and the students shall practice them individually. Students shall get points for correct pronunciation and fluency out of 10.
(Day 2)
Date: TUESDAY (45 to 60 minutes)
Grade/Class/Subject: 5th Grade / (Teacher) / Reading
Unit/Theme: American History
Content Objective(s): American Revolution
Language Objective(s): Word Patterns and Word Analysis
SIOP Features
Lesson Sequence:
• Students shall have much time to do group projects.
1. Teacher shall start lesson by reviewing Monday’s fluency reading. Teacher shall students read random sentences fluently paying attention to correct pronunciation.
2. Teacher shall then lead a class discussion on why reading with fluency and pronouncing correctly is important in the general comprehension of the piece of story.
Reflections:
1. Students shall form groups of 5 to 6 students. Individual groups shall be assigned five varied pages of text to read out aloud.
2. Every page shall be indicated with particular sentence lines where emphasis should be put. Students shall be allowed to repeat the sentences they fail to achieve fluency and correct pronunciation of words. Groups shall take home reading passages assignment for individual students due Wednesday morning. Students shall be awarded points individually and as a group for achieving fluency in their reading assignments (Latta & Chan, 2010.
(Day 3)
Day: WEDNESDAY (45 to 60 minutes)
Grade/Class/Subject: 5th Grade / (Teacher) / Reading
Unit/Theme: American History
Content Objective(s): American Revolution
Language Objective(s): Fluency
SIOP Features
Lesson Sequence:
• Students shall begin by re-reading the story in the assigned individually group passage.
1. Each student shall have to read their group’s passage with fluency in fast pace.
2. Teacher shall refrain from reading but help readers with pronunciation and fluency words.
3. Teacher shall make sure to applaud students who achieve full fluency with incredible speed while encouraging those still having difficulty.
4. At the end of the reading, teacher shall explain the significance of reading accuracy together with self-correction.
Reflections:
1. Students shall paired with another student i.e fine reader and struggling reader
2. Individual student shall have a text relating to the American Revolution and directed to read in turns reading with the partner. The students shall give special attention to reading techniques of the other and help each other sound out difficult words plus correct any mispronunciations of words.
3. Teacher will go around the room observing and helping where necessary.
(Day 4)
Date: THURSDAY (45 to 60 minutes)
Grade/Class/Subject: 5th Grade / Mr. Davis / Reading
Unit/Theme: American History
Content Objective(s): American Revolution
Language Objective(s): Reading Comprehension
SIOP Features
Lesson Sequence:
1. The whole class shall begin by reading the story out loud led by teacher. Every student and teacher shall read one paragraph. The rotation of paragraphs shall go on until story is over. Teacher shall help out struggling readers.
2. Discussion of the text shall be on visualizing what is being read. (visualizations are pictures created in the mind to assist in understanding a story).
3. Teacher will pause occasionally to discuss cause and effect.
4. As such, students shall learn how to skim through several words ahead while reading to improve fluency.
Reflections:
1. Students will be given a worksheet on visualization, cause and effect. Teacher will review sample questions to make sure students comprehend how to answer the questions appropriately. Student shall have the freedom to use their text books to answer the 10 visualization questions, but not to find answers to 10 cause and effect questions.
2. Worksheets shall be due Friday morning. Students shall be graded for correct answers out of 20.
(Day 5)
Date: FRIDAY (60 minutes)
Grade/Class/Subject: 5th Grade / (Teacher) / Reading
Unit/Theme: American History
Content Objective(s): American Revolution
Language Objective(s): Writing
SIOP Features (Deeds, 2011).
Lesson Sequence:
1. Teacher shall start lesson by explaining to the students that this shall be the last day reviewing the Dangerous Crossing text.
2. Teacher shall briefly revisit everything that has been discussed in the course of the week.
a. Oral language, and communicating.
b. Reading fluency.
c. Reading comprehension, visualization, and pronunciation.
Reflections:
1. Students shall work individually on an assigned reading question: “Read the Dangerous Crossing: The Revolutionary Voyage of John Quincy Adams.”
2. Students shall be required to employ their taught reading and pronunciation skills to full fluency and mastery of the story over the weekend.
3. Students shall be expected to read with fluency and pronounce correctly at fast pace the assignment during the Monday morning lesson.
4. Students shall be graded on improved reading fluency and correct word pronunciation.
References
Deeds, W. David. (2011). Open Simulator: School Quick Start Guide: First Edition: June 2011. David Deeds.
Latta, M. Margaret, & Chan, Elaine. (2010). Teaching the Arts to Engage English Language Learners. London, Taylor & Francis.
