This lesson plan introduces first grade ESL students to the concept of visualizing while reading by having them imagine themselves as characters in the story "The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza." The teacher will read the story aloud, pausing to ask questions that encourage students to put themselves in the story. Then students will complete a worksheet choosing a character and answering questions from that character's perspective. The teacher reflected that using more gestures, modeling spelling, and allowing students to draw their character may improve student understanding and engagement.

1. LESSON PLAN
Name: Caila Bishop
Date: 4-27-11
Grade Level/Subject: ESL First grade/Reading
Prerequisite Knowledge:
This lesson is designed only to introduce a unit on “using background knowledge to visualize.” After this
lesson students will engage in discussion and a writing activity that will further show the different ways
that students can put themselves into a story and imagine that they are right there in the action.
Approximate Time: 30-35 minutes
Student Objectives/Student Outcomes:
During a post-reading discussion of The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza, students will be
introduced to the idea of putting themselves into a story. They’ll find out that there’s a way they
can jump right into the story themselves.
Illinois Standards:
CC .1 R.L.1. Key Ideas and details: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text
CC. 1. R. 1.7 Integration of Knowledge of Ideas: Use illustrations and details in a text to describe
it’s key idea
CC. 1. W. 8 Research to Build and Present knowledge: with guidance and support from adults
recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a
question
CC. 1. R. L. 9 Integration of knowledge and ideas: use illustrations and details in a story to
describe its character, settings and events
Materials/Resources/Technology:
The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza by Philemon Sturges
Worksheet
Cut out characters (Dog, Cat, Duck)
pencil
Implementation (USE FRAMEWORK BELOW):
Time
10 Opening of lesson: (Objectives, hook, behavior expectations)

2. minutes Ask the student if they have ever read a story and imagined themselves in the book.
Ask the students if they imagined themselves as one of the characters
Continue the discussion until a few students have shared their experience of imagining themselves in a
story. Discuss whether or not they personified a character. Ask the student if they did anything
differently than the character in the story. Explain that today they will learn how to put themselves into a
story
20 min Procedures: Include critical thinking questions and accommodations for
individual needs
20 minutes
Materials: The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza by Philemon Sturges
Tell students: “We are going to read a book about a hen that makes a pizza. Each time the Hen asks for a
favor no one wants to help her. As we read the book, imagine yourself in the story. Would you do
to help the Hen? How would you help the Hen? and Why would you help the Hen?
Gather the students around you and read/show the The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza. This is
Primarily a picture book; you can guide through verbal discussion of the pictures as you go through
the book or just ask the students to think silently about the questions while you show the pages of
the book.
To focus student attention to each page, ask questions like:
What will the dog, cat and duck say this time?
What would you say to the Hen?
If you were in Little Red Hen’s kitchen, what would you say to her?
What does the Little Red Hen have to do all by herself?
The Little Red Hen is very busy chopping, slicing and grating. What would you be doing if
you were there?
Accommodation for special needs:
All children would probably benefit from sitting close to the teacher for the book reading (on a carpet,
etc.) A child with a vision problem or an attention problem should be seated directly in front of the
teacher during the book reading portion of the lesson so that the child can better see and/or attend to the
reading.
15 min Summary/Closing:
Materials:
worksheet
cut out character

3. pencil
Give students the option to be the dog, cat or duck. Administer to the students the cut-out character and
the response sheet. Make sure that students have a pencil to write their response.
Say to students: “I would like for you all to imagine yourselves in this story. As the character you have
chosen I would like for you to answer the following questions on the response sheet: If you were the
dog, cat or duck would you help the hen? If you answered yes how would you help the hen? I then
would like for you all to answer why you would help the hen.”
Check student responses as they are writing. You should see students answering all three questions if
they answered yes and two questions if they answered no. Make sure students are writing in English and
that you are there to assist with any spelling errors or struggles they may have.
Student Assessment:
The primary form of assessment for this lesson is the student drawing.
Assessment Rubric for drawing.
Good Acceptable Review or Re-
teaching Needed *Grades are not
Drawing for Student written Student written Students does Typically
lesson responses clearly responses displays not appear to assigned at the
displays understanding of understand K-1 level, so this
understanding of concept(s) with concept(s); can rubric is
concept(s) with no some help and only written used for
help (hints, etc.) clarification from response if told assessment of
needed from the teacher what to draw by understanding
teacher teacher only, not for
Verbal and/or Student shows Students shows Students does not purposes of
written understanding of understanding of show assigning grades.
description and concept(s) with concepts with some understanding of Therefore
explanation of little or no probing probes and concept(s) with there are no
drawing or scaffolding from scaffolding from probes and “point levels”
teacher teacher scaffolding by used in the rubric.
teacher
Post Lesson Reflection:
Student Interest
The students were very interested in the lesson. They enjoyed the illustrations in the book and the
worksheet activity where they got to choose the animal they wanted to be in the story. I feel as if I
could have sparked the student interest more if I had them create a short story where they retold the
story and changed the way their animal responded to the hen when the hen asked for help.
Student Motivation
Students remained motivated throughout the lessons. Students received positive feedback on their
worksheets. I think I could have motivated the students more if I would have wrote some common
English words on the board that they struggled spelling. I feel as if some of the students got
discouraged as they filled out their worksheet because they had to ask how to spell numerous words

4. in English.
Teacher Knowledge
I was knowledgeable about lesson’s objectives. I was able to define and introduce new vocabulary
words that the students needed to learn. I understood that the student’s native language was not
English so I used gestures to help convey ideas, and introduce new terms. I think I could of did a
better job using gestures to convey the meaning and difference of the words “chopped, sliced and
grated” that appeared throughout the text.
Teacher Organization
The materials that I needed for the lesson were readily at hand. I prepared the materials that the
students needed for the lesson. I think I could have did a better job preparing for the lesson if I
would of taken into consideration the difficulties they may have writing in English on the worksheet.
I should have went over some of the spelling of the words and maybe written a few words on the
board for them to reference.
Teacher Articulation
I did a much better job articulating than I did with the first lesson plan. I spoke slowly and clearly
and asked questions to reaffirm that the students understood. This is one area where I improved
tremendously.
Student Understanding
Students understood the story that I read to them. Students asked questions when they were not
familiar with words or concepts. I could have helped with student understanding by using more
gestures when reading and providing words in English on the board.
Other
I did a great job with this lesson. I found it helpful to the students when I pointed to the words as I
Read the story. One improvement I could have made that would of made the lesson more fun and
creative for the students was to have them color their character and paste it on the worksheet.
The teacher thought this would be a great way to incorporate art into the lesson as well.