realistic fiction lesson 1 refection

Lesson 1
· What did students learn and which students struggled with the lesson?
The first lesson was to introduce the elements of realistic fiction and the model a think aloud to show how students can use their scheme to make connections to the story. When I introduced the book that we would be reading I had the students put their thumbs up if they thought the book was nonfiction and have them put their thumbs down if they thought it was something different. Most students put their thumbs down. When I asked why they didn’t think it was nonfiction students said because it didn’t have real pictures or an index. When I introduced the word schema one student lit up because he had remembered that word from last year. Students listened as I read and thought aloud. Then I had them brainstorm some of the elements that they noticed in the book. I could tell that they really didn’t know what I was asking for. Most of them brought up features of nonfiction since that was the last genre that we studied. Many said they noticed the book had “real words” a couple said they noticed that the pictures were not real. I had to prompt them by asking them if the book was about certain people or if the book would make sense if I started reading in the middle. By the end of the discussion we had identified all six of the element of realistic fiction. Because it took so long for student to come up with element ideas, my lesson had to be cut short in order for my CT to have time to teach the science lesson before recess. I didn’t have time to teach them the six element song. Since the assessment for this lesson was informal it is hard to say exactly what each student learned but I at least know that all of my students have now had exposure to the definition of a schema; the idea that realistic fiction is a style of book different from nonfiction; and the elements of realistic fiction.
· What are alternate reads (interpretations) of your students' performance or products?
Some of the students wanted to lie on the floor. It appeared that some of them were not engaged during the discussion but it could also be that they were just tiered from lunch and recess. From the observations the student shared about the text, it may have seemed they were not getting it at all, but when you look at the prior knowledge they had of nonfiction text features their answers made sense.
· What did you learn about your students' literacy practices that extend beyond your objectives?
By observing how hung up the students were on nonfiction, I learned how quickly my students will make connections between topics even when it is not so helpful. I don’t know whether to count their connection to nonfiction as an extension beyond the objectives or just a connection to prior knowledge. It didn’t appear any of my students were extending practices knowledge beyond what we had already covered in class. The only exception may have been when one of my students shared how he was already familiar with the word schema.
· When and how will you re-teach the material to students who need additional support?
Since I didn’t get to the song I will begin with that for my second lesson. I think that it will help my students remember all the names of the elements. I will also readdress schema by defining it each time I refer to it as “knowledge we already know.” For my ESL student I have decided I want to develop a word book that he can add to that includes words pictures and definitions of words that we will be using often in this unit. Some of these words could be “schema, theme, characters, resolution etc. I would also like to develop a slightly more interactive way of engaging the students in the discussion. One idea I have is using more music.
· If you were to teach this same lesson again, what would you do differently and how do you think the changes would improve students' learning?
If I taught this again I might introduce the six elements song as soon as I noticed that students were struggling to come up with the different element. This would most likely engage the students who had started losing focus and would give students some ideas of elements to suggest. I did like that I was able to use magnetic cards with the names of the elements on it. They provided some stimulus for the students.