Lessons & Units :: Plot Kindergarten Unit

Lesson 4: Identifying the Problem and the Solution in a Story

Lesson Plan

Bringing Down the Moon

Bringing Down the Moon
Learning Goal
Identify and describe the problem in a story.
Identify and describe the solution in a story.
Duration
Approximately 50 minutes
Necessary Materials
Provided: Example Chart for Direct Teaching and Independent Practice Worksheet
Not Provided: Bringing Down the Moon by Jonathan Emmett, chart paper, markers

  • Teacher Modeling

    will explain that the solution in a story is always related to the problem. For example, if the problem in Olivia . . . and the Missing Toy is that Olivia lost her toy, the solution would not be that she took a nap. That would not make sense. I will chart problems and solutions of familiar stories previously read aloud in class. (Example chart is provided.) I will make my thinking explicit as I make the connection that all the solutions are directly related to the problems.

  • Think Check

    Ask: "How did I find the problems and solutions in these stories?" Students should respond that you thought about what went wrong in the story and how it was fixed. You also made sure that the solution solved the problem and made sense.

    TIP: If students need more scaffolding to identify a problem and solution within a text, spend time modeling the skill with a different book in the Direct Teaching.

  • Guided Practice

    will listen to Bringing Down the Moon by Jonathan Emmett. We will turn to a partner and tell the problem and solution in the story. As a class, we will discuss the problem and solution in Bringing Down the Moon.

  • Independent Practice

    will draw a picture of the problem and solution in any of the three stories read in the unit. (Independent Practice Worksheet is provided.)

Build Student Vocabulary vanished

Tier 2 Word: vanished
Contextualize the word as it is used in the story The mole tried to pick up the moon, “but as soon as he touched it, it broke into pieces and vanished.”
Explain the meaning student-friendly definition) Vanished means that something or somebody disappeared. The mole saw the moon and tried to pick it up, but as soon as he did, it disappeared.
Students repeat the word Say the word vanished with me: vanished.
Teacher gives examples of the word in other contexts When I cleaned my dirty shirt, the spot vanished. I wiped the spill off the table and the mess vanished.
Students provide examples What is something that can vanish? Start by saying, “Something that can vanish is ______________________.”
Students repeat the word again. What word are we talking about? vanished
Additional Vocabulary Words poke, recognized

Build Student Background Knowledge

After reading the book Bringing Down the Moon, have students guess how far away the moon is from planet Earth (where we live). Then, explain that the moon is 250,000 miles from the Earth, even if it looks like it is just a few blocks away. Humans have walked on the moon, but they have to travel through space to get there. It takes about 2 days for an astronaut to get to the moon by riding on a space shuttle.

Texts & Materials

Standards Alignment

(To see all of the ReadWorks lessons aligned to your standards, click here.)

User Comments

Excellent lesson . I need to make the lesson 30 minutes .

Submitted by asonyadorcoo_2564675 on 1/19/17

that was a good readworks article

Submitted by kyra.massey750_2561672 on 1/19/17

Love all of Readworks.org material. It would be nice if there was more space to write. Especially for the younger grades-the kids have difficulty writing because the lines are so little and short.

Submitted by mlamb2 on 11/30/15