The lesson plan introduces 3rd grade students to the concept of guide words to help them locate information in reference sources. Students will learn that guide words indicate the alphabetical range of words on each dictionary page. To engage students, their names will be sorted into alphabetical categories based on the first letter. Then, students will complete a worksheet practice using guide words to determine if example words would appear on pages. By the end of the lesson, students should understand how guide words are used to navigate reference materials alphabetically.

1. LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE
Your name: Caitlin Bergan Cooperating teacher-librarian: Kelly Friedlein
Date: April 7, 2010 School & City: Fisher Grade School
Lesson Title: Guide Words
Grade level: 3rd Length of lesson: 30 min
Purpose: (“why” of the lesson; where and how does it fit in the curriculum?)
As the beginning of a unit on reference, the children will learn guide words
Learning Outcome(s): (what will students be able to do/know by the end of the lesson?)
Students will be able to understand and use guide words effectively to locate
information in reference sources.
Illinois Learning Standard(s) Addressed:
1.A.2b Clarify word meaning using context clues and a variety of resources including glossaries, dictionaries and
thesauruses
5.B.1a Select and organize information from various sources for a specific purpose
Standards for 21st Century Learner Addressed:
1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.
Materials:
Needed by you: Needed by students:
Post-it Notes Pencils
Worksheet
White Board and Markers
Instructional procedures:
Focusing event: (how will you get the students’ attention?)
Each student will get a sticky note and will put their first names on it. On the white board
will be written the categories A-D; E-H; I-L; M-P; Q-T; U-Z. Students will be directed to put
their note on the board. I will ask why students placed their names where they did. We will likely sort
out that they were done by putting it under the range it would alphabetically fall. But are they in
alphabetical order? One student from each table will be picked to put the names under each range in
alphabetical order.
Input from you: (what are you teaching & how are you delivering the content?)
How is alphabetical order useful to us? It’s a way to organize information, and it’s really common in
many sources. Many times, everything is in alphabetical order, but like the letters were our guides
for our names, reference sources use guides so you can figure out if what you are looking for belongs
on that page, or if it will come before or after. See how there are words listed at the top of the
1/20/09
G. Burch

2. dictionary pages? All the words on the page are between the two guide words. Let’s practice with a
short worksheet – pretend the two underlined words are guide words. Would the words underneath
be between those guide words?
Guided practice: (application of knowledge by students)
Work sheet
Closure (how will you end the lesson?)
Let’s go over the worksheet. Were there any that were really tricky?
Check for understanding (what questions will you ask and when to determine students’
understanding?)
Why is having things in alphabetical order important? What does that order do for us?
What’s next? (another related lesson, review, end of unit?)
Reference resources and using a dictionary, part 2 – parts of a dictionary entry.
1/20/09
G. Burch