Lessons & Units :: Setting 3rd Grade Unit

Lesson 1: Visualizing a Setting

Lesson Plan

Learning Goal
Determine the setting using context clues and visualization.
Duration
Approximately 50 minutes
Necessary Materials
Provided: Direct Teaching Passage, “Gloria’s Walk;” Example Chart for Direct Teaching; Guided Practice Passage, “Rainy Day;” Example Chart for Guided Practice; Independent Practice Worksheet
Not Provided: Chart paper, markers

  • Teacher Modeling

    will model using clues from the main characters’ five senses to determine the setting of “Gloria’s Walk” (text provided in Books and Passages). I will identify, discuss and chart the evidence from the passage that helped me identify the setting. (Direct Teaching Teacher Example Chart is provided below in Teacher and Student Materials.) I will explain how thinking about the sense descriptions given by the main character and paying attention to clues in the text helped me identify the setting (where and when the story takes place).

  • Think Check

    Ask: How did I determine the setting in the passage? Students should respond that you read the passage and used words and phrases that described when and where the story was taking place to visualize the setting.

  • Guided Practice

    will work together to identify clues associated with the main character’s five senses and identify the implicit setting of “Rainy Day” (text provided in Books and Passages). We will identify, discuss, and chart the evidence from the passage related to the senses that helps us determine the setting. (Guided Practice Teacher Example Chart is provided below.)

  • Independent Practice

    will use clues from the text to determine the setting on the “Figuring out the Setting” worksheet. (Student Independent Practice is provided below.)

Build Student Vocabulary squinted

Tier 2 Word: squinted
Contextualize the word as it is used in the story Gloria “squinted as the sun hit her eyes.”
Explain the meaning student-friendly definition) To squint means to partly close your eyelids in order to see more clearly or protect your eyes from light. When Gloria squinted, she partly closed her eyelids because the sun was too bright.
Students repeat the word Say the word squinted with me: squinted.
Teacher gives examples of the word in other contexts I squinted to read the small print. I squinted because the lamp was too bright.
Students provide examples When have you squinted? Start by saying, “I squinted when _________________________.”
Students repeat the word again. What word are we talking about? squinted
Additional Vocabulary Words shivering, sipping

Build Student Background Knowledge

Before reading the passage “Rainy Day,” explain to students that you are going to read about two girls named Vera and Venus. Venus is named after a planet in our solar system. Venus is about the same size as Earth, but it is too hot to live there, because it is closer to the sun than the Earth. In Roman mythology (Greek and Roman stories about the gods), Venus was the god of love and beauty. Perhaps the character in the story is beautiful like the Roman story or hot-tempered like the planet.

Texts & Materials

Standards Alignment

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User Comments

Great way to teach Special education students

Submitted by TracyTrsix_2470380 on 1/27/17

Visualization

Submitted by sahall_1779292 on 9/6/16

I love this

Submitted by amanda on 11/4/15

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Submitted by mark.mathias_1243543 on 3/9/15

the plan is very educational, and informative.

Submitted by Jacquette London-Cervantes on 8/2/13