A4L+Unit+5+for+3rd+Grade-Fall


 * Words in Motion**!

In this unit the literacy objectives will be **Word exploration and prosody.**

The art form that is utilized is **Dance** (**dance concepts and choreography**). Students and teachers will have a firm understanding of shape, level, self and general space and energy (sharp and smooth).

Text genre used during this unit will be Poetry: Free verse //-Dragonfly// by Georgia Heard //-Sparklers// by Mark Vinz //-Clothesline// by Ralph Fletcher //-Kitten// by Valerie Worth //-A Writing Kind of Day// by Ralph Fletcher

**Basic Lesson Plans for 15 Lessons in Unit 5**
Very simple, but supplement the Teacher Edition



Please use, edit, and critique so we can perfect them for the next implementation!

Comment 1-My students LOVE the Brain Dance! We are learning a lot about movement and how to creatively respond to poetry with our bodies.

Comment 2: Thanks for posting these. Much easier to follow than the Teacher Edition.

I tried to upload a PDF of the Student Notebook to use in Smartboard files. It did not appear to upload, so if you are interested in using it, please email me! amy_hicks@charleston.k12.sc.us

Comment 3: My students really enjoyed acting out the lines of the poems. We also learned about the meaning of the word prosody. We translated that word over to our reading vocabulary and now know that reading with prosody is reading with feeling and emotion.

Comment 4: My students loved the mirror dance most. I encouraged them to do such a good job mirroring that I couldn't guess who was the leader and who was the follower. They really enjoyed trying to "trick" me. It helped them to follow mirror dance rules and remain on task!

Comment 5: My students enjoyed the brain dance portion of the lesson so much that they wanted to do that part for every lesson.

Comment 6: While doing Haikus in my traditional reading program, I had MANY students make connections to the free verse we had studied through poetry in motion! It was quite exciting for them to already have that connection! -Haggerty

**Suggestions for Next Year's Implementation**

 * Do we have any suggestions for next year? Maybe some connections to common core? We will be switching over next year, and maybe this is the time to start preparing this unit for CCSS alignment.**

Comment 1: When looking at the CCSS for next year, I am wondering how we can integrate stanza and other poetry elements into these lessons. I think the fact that all of the poems are free verse makes alignment to our standards more difficult.

Comment 2: I would like to see the components of rhyme scheme and stanza addressed for CCSS next year. It would be helpful to have those materials made readily available.

Comment 3: Maybe we can substitute other poems if needed? I agree we need to focus more on the elements of poetry and not just free verse. One free verse example is fine, but we need to also address other poetry.

Comment 4: I would love for the work booklets to be more student friendly. Some of the language is too advanced for third graders and the layout is a little bit complicated to follow for them the b

Comment 5: I agree that the books could be more student friendly. Some illustrations possibly and it definitely needs to be easier to follow|!

Comment 6: Coming from a dance background, I think that the order that the vocabulary is introduced is a tad confusing. I think that the vocabulary should develop from the simpler movements and progress to vocabulary that requires more advanced movement.

Comment 7: When brainstorming for our final project we did a circle map of only "describing words" (focusing on sounds, smells, tastes, etc) in addition to the given brainstorming space. This was really helpful for my students and worked great in conjunction with the given brainstorm format. We may want to add this for next year :) Lauren Fields

Comment 8: The final project was fun for the kids, but I felt like the brainstorming portion of the student text was a little confusing. I like Lauren's idea about using a Circle Map to organize ideas. Amy Hicks

Comment 9: I would like for the teacher's guide to be more user friendly. --Kelly Bacot

How did your week with the artist go? Were there things you learned that you will implement in to your own instruction? What worked very well, and what would you like to change for next year?
Comment 1: I think the first week here with the artist went very well. Both her and the students were very flexible with location changes. Next year, it would be in our best interest to arrange to have the gym, cafeteria or stage available for the duration of the residency so we do not have to change locations each day. After performing in the classroom for one day, it was obvious that our kids wanted to MOVE! -- Katelynd Haggerty

Comment 2: The students LOVED having the artist here at our school. The children literally brought the poetry to life with all of their creative movements. They had a deeper understanding of what the unit's purpose was after this experience. The location issues were handled by the artist and the students with ease. Hopefully, the location will be set so it is not an issue for next year. --Kelly Bacot