Instructor: Caroline Bradshaw                                                                                               Grade Level: 5th
Lesson Title: Big Pumpkin Sequencing                                                                                Date: 29 November 2010
Curriculum Area: English Language Arts                                                                             Estimated Time: 60 minutes

Standards Connection:  Use a range of strategies, including drawing simple conclusions such as opinions about characters based on their actions and summarizing passages, to comprehend fifth-grade recreational reading materials in a variety of genres.
                ·Determining sequence of events in recreational reading materials.
                ·Inferring motive of characters.

Learning Objective: After reading Big Pumpkin, students will correctly order the sequence of events that occurred throughout the story, with the order of events being 80% accurate.

“Kid-Friendly” Lesson Objective: After we read this Halloween story, Big Pumpkin, we will use a circle organizer to show the sequence of events that occurred throughout the story.

Evaluation of Learning Objective: Students will complete a circle organizer (attached) to depict the sequence of events that occur throughout the story Big Pumpkin, and the accuracy of their sequencing will be evaluated.  Students that order their events 80% accurately will demonstrate mastery of the material, thereby demonstrating that they are capable of ordering events in a simple story.

Engagement:  Before the lesson begins, the teacher will place a post-it note under each student’s desk, with either the word “witch,” “ghost,” “vampire,” or “mummy” written on the note.  These post-it notes are randomly selected for students (no differentiated instruction is necessary).  The teacher will not inform the students of these post-it notes until later specified.

Once the lesson begins, the teacher will tell the students:

“On the count of three, I want you to look under your desk and retrieve the post-it note that I magically placed there.  But, there is absolutely no talking during any of this.  When you get your post-it note, don’t discuss what is written on it with your neighbors.  This is secret!  Okay, ready...one, two, three!”  

The students will then look under their desks and retrieve their post-it notes.  Talking is still not permitted.  Once all students have found their post-it, the teacher will say:

“Some of you have the word ‘witch’ written on your post-it note, while others have either ‘ghost,’ ‘vampire,’ or ‘mummy’ written on theirs.  If you have the word ‘witch’ written on your post-it note, please come to the front of the board.  Still no talking!”  

The “witch” students will walk to the front of the board, and the other students will remain at their seats.  The teacher and witch students will huddle around the book Big Pumpkin, and the teacher will whisper to them:

“Remember this phrase: It’s big and it’s mine... Now, return to your seats and do not tell your neighbors what I have just told you!”  

The teacher will then call the “mummies” up to the front of the board, huddle around the book, and whisper to them:

“Remember this phrase: Hours away! Now, return to your seats and do not tell your neighbors what I have just told you!”  

The teacher will then call all “vampires” up to the front of the board, huddle around the book, and whisper to them:

“Remember this phrase: And Halloween’s just... Now, return to your seats and do not tell your neighbors what I have just told you!”  

The teacher will then call all “ghosts” up to the front of the board, huddle around the book, and whisper to them:

“Remember this phrase: But it’s stuck on the vine... Now, return to your seats and do not tell your neighbors what I have just told you!”    

Once all students are back at their desks, the teacher will have them “turn and talk” to their neighbors to try and decode the message that the teacher has given them; each “group” of students was given a piece of a phrase, and the students are to organize these pieces to create a coherent message.  Give their phrase, groups will predict what the story Big Pumpkin is about.

After five minutes of group discussion, the teacher will call upon the groups to share their phrase and prediction of the story.  After all groups have shared, the teacher will write the following on the white board:

“It’s big and it’s mine, but it’s stuck on the vine, and Halloween’s just hours away!”

The teacher will tell the students that this is the correct phrase, and this particular phrase is used several times throughout the story Big Pumpkin.  The teacher will then say:

“While I read Big Pumpkin to you, the witch will say this phrase several times throughout the book.  When the witch is about to say this phrase, I am going to point to you, the whole class, and you will help me read this part of the book.  How will you know what to say?  Look at the board!  And when will you know what to say?  Well, you will be paying attention to the book and you will see me point to you to tell you to start reading!  Alright, let’s start reading this book to see what the witch means when she says ‘It’s big and it’s mine, but it’s stuck on the vine, and Halloween’s just hours away!’” “These are all good guesses, and some of you are very close!  Let’s start reading!”


Teaching Design:

                 I.   Teaching
The teacher will read Big Pumpkin to the class, indicating when the students are supposed to help read and say the aforementioned phrase.  After reading, the teacher will have the students reassemble in their groups to discuss what truly happened in the story.

The teacher will then ask the students the following questions, which will be subsequently addressed:
                 ·What happened first in the story?  (The witch decided she would plant a pumpkin seed so that she could make                                                     pumpkin pie).
                 ·When did the witch decide to pick the pumpkin? (When Halloween was just hours away).
                 ·What was her dilemma? (The pumpkin would not come off its vine).
                 ·Who came to help the witch first? Did this character succeed? (The ghost; he couldn’t pull the pumpkin off the vine either).
                 ·Who came to help the witch and ghost?  Did this character succeed? (The vampire; he did not succeed either).
                 ·Who came to help the witch, ghost, and vampire?  Did this character succeed? (The mummy; she did not succeed either).
                 ·Who was the last character to enter the scene?  What was this character’s idea?  (The bat; he said they all needed to work together to pull the pumpkin off the vine).
                ·What happened to the pumpkin?  (It was pulled from the vine and rolled down the hill to the witch’s front door).
                ·What did the characters do next? (They made and ate pumpkin pie!).
                ·What was the last thing we read/saw in the story? (The witch went outside to plant another pumpkin seed for next     Halloween).

After discussing these questions, the teacher will ask the students if the events in this book were cycling; meaning the same thing will happen again to these characters.  After brief discussion, the teacher will say:

“Let’s think...what was the very first thing that happened in the story?  The witch planted a pumpkin seed.  Now, what was the very last thing that happened in the story?  The witch planted a pumpkin seed.  If a cycle is something that repeats itself, do you think this book is cyclical/do you think the events will repeat themselves?  Yes!  The events in this story are cyclical because the witch planted a seed in the beginning of the story, and she planted a seed at the end of the story, which means we can assume the same thing will happen next Halloween!”


            II. – III.   Opportunity for Practice & Assessment
The teacher will then pass out a “circle organizer” (attached) to each student.  The teacher will then go over the instructions for this assignment, as follows:

“This is a circle organizer, which helps us organize the sequence of events that occur in a cyclical process.  As we just said, Big Pumpkin is a cyclical process, because we can assume that the same story will keep happening over and over and over again, since the witch keeps planting the pumpkin seeds.  So, if we look at our circle organizer, we will see eight blocks for us to write in the nine main events that happened in the story that will keep repeating themselves.  In box number one, we will put what happened first in the story, which is? That’s right, the witch planted a pumpkin seed?  Now, you guys will fill out the rest of the boxes with the main events that happened in the story, which is what did the witch try to do with the pumpkin?  Who came to help her?  When did the pumpkin fall off the vine? And, what happened to the pumpkin?  We already know that the last event the occurred was?  That’s right, again...the witch planted another pumpkin seed.  This event is the same as what we wrote in box number one, so it won’t have its own box...this shows that this story is cyclical in nature!”  
The teacher will then let the students complete their circle organizers, walking around the room and helping the students when necessary.  After the students complete their organizers, the students and teacher and will go over the sequence of events:
            1. The witch plants a pumpkin seed.
            2. The witch tries to pull the pumpkin off the vine, but cannot do it.
            3. The ghost comes to help the witch, but he can’t pull the pumpkin off the vine either.
            4. The vampire comes along to help, but he isn’t strong enough either.
            5. The mummy comes to help pull the pumpkin off the vine, but he is unsuccessful, also.           
            6. The bat comes to the rescue and suggests that they all work together to pull the  pumpkin from the vine.
            7. The pumpkin is pulled from the vine and rolls down the hill to the witch’s front door.
            8.  The witch, ghost, vampire, mummy, and bat make and eat pumpkin pie.
            1. The witch plants a pumpkin seed.

After discussing the correct order of events, students will pair up to illustrate the sequence of events.  Students will be evaluated on their proper sequence of events.

          IV.  Closure
After illustrations are complete (or put on hold to complete at a later time), the teacher will ask the students to raise their hand if they have ever eaten pumpkin pie before.  The teacher will then tell the students that they are all about to make their own pumpkin pies!  Using pumpkin pie filling mixed with kool-whip and topped with pumpkin spices, students will create their own pumpkin pie (using vanilla wafers as a “crust”).
              
The students will enjoy their pumpkin pie, and the lesson is over!
 
Materials and Resources:
       · Big Pumpkin, by Erica Silverman
       · Post-it Notes (one per student)
       · Circle Organizer worksheets (one per student)
       · Chart paper (one per two student)
       ·Pencils and markers
       ·Pumpkin pudding pie ingredients

                        oPumpkin pie filling
                        oKool-whip
                        oVanilla wafers
                        oPumpkin spices
 
Differentiation Strategies:         
         High-End Learners: After completing their assignment, these students will write a brief paragraph (3-5 sentences) that addresses this question: “How would you get the pumpkin off the vine if you were in this situation?”  These students will share their response with the class.

         Lower-Level Learners: These students will pair together and use the book Big Pumpkin as a resource to help them complete the circle organizer.