Artifacts Bags-About Me (shared writing)

LESSON OVERVIEW:
Children learn about appropriate social behavior Document Type: Lesson Plan edit page Resources edit Lesson Overview I bring in an artifact bag that contains an object that tells about me. I elicit from the children some facts they already know about me and then I tell them about my artifact and ask them what this artifact tells about me. I supplement where necessary and then ask the children what they have learned about me from my artifact. 

I record their responses in sentences on chart paper and this becomes my shared writing lesson. As I'm writing I ask them to stretch out words, put a period at the end of the sentence, and use capitalization at the beginning of the sentence and for names. I ask students if there anything else they would like to know. We re-read it, have a student illustrate it, and hang it on a clothesline or display area in the classroom. Within a month or so we have pieces about each child which I then make into a book.

***Differentiating Technique: Name Card Strategy

***Inclusion Adaptation/Accommodation: Before this activity give the student a copy of a KWL organizer and their clipboard. As the class is telling me some facts that they already know about me the inclusion student will either write themselves or have their "discussion buddy" write for them what the class said that they already know about me in the K section (the inclusion student must tell the buddy what is being said if the buddy is Give the object to the special needs student have them look at it, touch and feel it. Ask the class what they learned about me from my artifact. Have them talk with their discussion buddy. After the inclusion student writes what they learned in the L section of their organizer ask them to give an example. They may talk with their discussion buddy, but they must give the answer. They can complete the W section of the chart if any students respond on anything else they would like to know about me.
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TEACHING TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES:

Differentiated Techniques/Activities:
-Name Card (discussion buddies)

Other:
-KWL chart

Inclusion Adaptation/Accommodation: KWL organizer and Discussion buddy

 Grouping:
-Pairs
-Whole group
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RESOURCES:
-Name Cards (for buddy discussions)   
-KWL Chart   
-Two "artifact" bags   
-Chart paper and markers
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OBJECTIVES:

1. Recall and Identify things they know about me. (Blooms, Knowledge)

2. Explain what they've learned about me in their own words. (Blooms, Comprehend)

3. Demonstrate their understanding of the following conventions of writing: capitalization, punctuation, use of quotation marks and sounding out words. (Blooms, Knowledge and Application)

4. Select their own artifacts to put into their bag and discuss with the class. (Blooms, Application)

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ASSESSMENT:

 1. In their own words tell what they know about me.

2. Explain what they've learned about me with their "discussion buddy" and to the class.

3. Correct and/or explain the usage of capitalization, punctuation, quotation marks and sounding out words.

4. At some point during the year select their own artifact for their bag using the instructions with their parents on how to pick out an artifact for their bag and then share it with the class.
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STANDARDS:

-- PA.R.1.5.K.F  > Identify the correct conventions of language in a sentence or sentences (grammar, punctuation).
-- PA.R.1.5.2.F  > Edit writing using grammar, punctuation, spelling and sentence formation.
-- PA.R.1.6.2.E  > Participate in small and large group discussions.
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PURPOSE: The purpose of the activitity today is to review sounding out words, the use of quotations, capitalization and punctuation rules while learning about their teacher through an artifact bag.
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PROCEDURE:
Time needed: 20 min
1. Bring in two small, attractive, commercially made shopping bags. I call them artifact bags and explain to my students what an artifact is. In one of the bags I place an object that tells about me, usually about my cats, my heritage, or my family. I elicit from the children some facts they already know about me and then I tell them about my artifact and ask them what this artifact tells about me. I supplement where necessary and then ask the children what they have learned about me from my artifact. 

***Differentiating Technique: I use the  "Name Card" strategy. (For this strategy each student is paired up ahead of time with a "discussion buddy".  Each pair consists of a strong student and a weaker one. When asking questions give time for everyone to think of their response and talk it over with their discussion buddy (each takes turns talking and listening about 30-45 secs)

***Inclusion Adaptation/Accommodation: Before this activity give the student a copy of a KWL organizer and their clipboard. As the class is telling me some facts that they already know about me the inclusion student will either write themselves or have their "discussion buddy" write for them what the class said that they already know about me in the K section (the inclusion student must tell the buddy what is being said if the buddy is Give the object to the special needs student have them look at it, touch and feel it. Ask the class what they learned about me from my artifact. Have them talk with their discussion buddy. After the inclusion student writes what they learned in the L section of their organizer ask them to give an example. They may talk with their discussion buddy, but they must give the answer. They can complete the W section of the chart if any students respond on anything else they would like to know about me.

2. Record their responses in sentences on chart paper and this becomes my shared writing lesson. As I'm writing I ask them to stretch out words, quotation marks usage, put a period at the end of the sentence, and use capitalization at the beginning of the sentence and for names.

3. Ask students is there anything they would like to know?

4. Then we re-read it, have a student illustrate it, and hang it on a clothesline or display area in the classroom.

5. Within a month or so we have pieces about each child which I then make into a book. These pieces can be re-read during independent reading time or put on the computer and duplicated for all of the students to re-read and illustrate. 

6. At the end of the lesson I invite two children to take home one of the artifact bags and find something at home that fits in the bag that tells about them.

7. Label the bags with instructions to the parents helps get some really good artifacts to talk about and informs the parents of what is happening in the classroom. 

(An important outcome of this activity is that the children can begin to learn about each other, make connections, and begin to form friendships. They also can use these pieces as a springboard to writing about themselves, their families and friends, and their experiences in an interesting way.)