Cowboys in the Wild West

Common Core Connection

RL.1.7 is really asking students to analyze how information from illustrations and images adds to the information from the text itself in am informational text.  This skill requires close reading, slowing down, and analyzing specific details.

Lesson Overview 

I made a PowerPoint (Cowboys and the Wild West) which is in the resources, and it has the images that I want to concentrate on with my class.  The texts I used are All About America Cowboys and the Wild West by Hilarie Staton for the guided practice because it is really complex, and Cowboys and Cowgirls Yipee-Yay by Gail Gibbons for the partner work.

The students work with their Peanut Butter Jelly Partner throughout the lesson, and they Transition every twenty minutes. I made a video about each of these strategies in the resources.

Introductory Activity

At the beginning of the lesson, I try to engage the class in a discussion about what we can learn from the illustrations in a text. Specifically, what can you learn from the illustrations that can add to the text. They look at the lesson image projected on the Promethean board, and discuss. While the class is talking, I am assessing their understanding of the skill.

Next I share the plan for the lesson, because the students always want to know what they are going to do next.  Just say it up front, so you don't have to answer this question for each child individually.  Then I state the lesson goal and ask the class to chant it, because it helps comprehension. Then we chant the goal, " I can gain knowledge from the illustrations."

Now the class is still seated in the lounge and I want to see what they learned today. So, I ask them to write two things they learned on a sticky note and place it on the Tweet Board.  As the students are putting their ideas up on the board I share some of their responses aloud.

Then we chant the lesson goal three times. The really refocuses the class on what they are supposed to learn and it helps the English Language Learners develop their speaking skills.  I find the more my students speak the more they comprehend and the better they write.