DailyLessonPlan

Createdby:KateDavisGradeLevel:kindergarten

Overalllessontopic/title:
LetterwritingwithPenpals

GradeLevelContentExpectation(s):
CCSS.ELALiteracy.L.K.1
DemonstratecommandoftheconventionsofstandardEnglishgrammarandusagewhenwritingorspeaking.

CCSS.ELALiteracy.L.K.2
DemonstratecommandoftheconventionsofstandardEnglishcapitalization,punctuation,andspellingwhen
writing.

CCSS.ELALiteracy.L.K.6
Usewordsandphrasesacquiredthroughconversations,readingandbeingreadto,andrespondingtotexts.

CCSS.ELALiteracy.SL.K.1
Participateincollaborativeconversationswithdiversepartnersaboutkindergartentopicsandtextswithpeersand
adultsinsmallandlargergroups.

CCSS.ELALiteracy.SL.K.3
Askandanswerquestionsinordertoseekhelp,getinformation,orclarifysomethingthatisnotunderstood.

CCSS.ELALiteracy.W.K.6
Withguidanceandsupportfromadults,exploreavarietyofdigitaltoolstoproduceandpublishwriting,including
incollaborationwithpeers.
CCSS.ELALiteracy.W.K.5
Withguidanceandsupportfromadults,respondtoquestionsandsuggestionsfrompeersandadddetailsto
strengthenwritingasneeded.

ISTEstandards(forteachers)
ISTE1.d.Modelcollaborativeknowledgeconstructionbyengaginginlearningwithstudents,colleagues,and
othersinfacetofaceandvirtualenvironments.
ISTE2.a.Designoradaptrelevantlearningexperiencesthatincorporatedigitaltoolsandresourcestopromote
studentlearningandcreativity
ISTEstandards(forstudents)
ISTE1.b.Createoriginalworksasameansofpersonalorgroupexpression
ISTE2.a.Interact,collaborate,andpublishwithpeers,experts,orothersemployingavarietyofdigital
environmentsandmedia
ISTE2.c.Developculturalunderstandingandglobalawarenessbyengagingwithlearnersofothercultures

Goals/Objectives:

KnowledgeGoal:Studentswillknowelementsofalettersuchasthegreeting,thebody,andtheclosing.Students
willunderstandwhypeoplewritelettersandhowlettersareusedasatoolforcommunication.

CapacityGoal:Studentswillexpresstheirideasinwritingusingaletterformat.

CommitmentGoal:Studentswillfeelmoreconfidentintheircomprehensionoftheirreadings.Studentswillrespect
theopinionsofothersduringdiscussions.Studentswillfeelcomfortabletakingintellectualrisksduringwhole
classandsmallgroupdiscussions.

Materials&suppliesneeded:
BooksusedduringGlobalStudyUnit(China).
ListofstudentnamesincorrespondingChineseclassroom
(Ihavealreadymadeconnectionsthroughpersonalrelationshipswithteachersintheinternationalschoolsetting
andhavearrangedpenpalsystemsthroughthis.However,thereareafewonlineresourcesthatwillmatchclassrooms
acrosstheglobeforpenpalrelationships.Example:ePals.com)
computer(withSkypeorGoogleHangout)
Writingutensilsandcrayonsforstudents
Overheadprojector

Procedures

Introductiontothelesson
Theteacherwillasktheclasstomovetothecarpetareabysaying,Okayclass,
wearegoingtostartourwritinglessontodayoveronthegreencarpet.
Startthelessonbysaying,Thismorningwearegoingtostartlookingatanew
typeofwriting."Teachershouldshowdifferentexampleofshortlettersonthe
overheadprojectorandreadthemtotheclass(2or3examples).Thenaskthe
studentsiftheyknowwhatthistypeofwritingiscalled.Takeanswersfromthe
studentsastheyraisetheirhands.Summarizetheiranswersbysaying,Yes,
theseareallletters."Askthestudents,"Whydopeoplewriteletters?"Summarize
answersbysaying,"It'sawaytotalkwithpeoplewhomaybefaraway."
Usetheexamplesoflettertopointouttheelementsinaletter.Drawstudent
attentiontothedateatthetopoftheletter,thegreeting(Dear____,To____,etc.),
theclosing(love,sincerely,from,etc.),andthesignature.Alsoaskstudentswhat
kindsofthingscouldgoinsidethebodyoftheletter.

OUTLINEofkeyeventsduringthelesson

(Thislessonwillbepartofaglobalstudiesunit.)Remindstudentsabouttheir
recentstudiesonChina.Recountstoriesthathavebeenreadandactivitiesthat
havehelpedthemtolearnabouttraditionsandcultures.Tellthem,"Anotherway
wecouldlearnmoreaboutChinaisbywritingourownletterstopeopleinChina
andaskingthemabouttheirlife.Todayyouwillwritealettertoanewfriendin
China."
Asaclass,havethestudentsbrainstormquestionsandthingstheycouldwritein
theirlettersandputthelistofideasontheboard.Displayallthethematicbookson
Chinainthereadingcenterandtellstudentsthattheycanlooktothesebooksfor
ideasfortheirquestionsandwriting.
Giveeachstudentthenameoftheirpenpalonanindexcardandtellthemthatall
theirpenpalsarekindergartenersjustlikethem.
Showthempicturesoftheschoolwheretheirpenpalsattendandtrytogivethem
asmuchinformationaspossible.Ifpossible,aquickvideointroductionexchange
usingSkype(oranyvideoconferencingtool)betweentheclassroomswouldbe
veryfunandhelpthestudentstoputanametoaface.

(Transition)Tellthestudents,Nowwearegoingtogobacktoourdesksandyou
willstartwritingyourownletters.

Academic,Social,andLinguistic
Support:

Iftheyneedcorrections,theteacherwilluse
verbalscaffoldingbysaying,Youretouching
otherchildren.Imafraidyouwonthearour
story.Pleasekeepyourhandsbyyourown
body.

Invitequietstudentstosharetheirideas.
Remindstudentsthatanythoughtsorideas
areencouragedtobeshared(butmakesure
tokeepthemontopic).

Ifchildisloosinginterestandattentiontothe
lesson,try:
Movingthestudenttoadifferentspotonthe
carpet.
Callingonthatchildtoprovideideasfor
discussion.
Askingthemtorespondtoaclassmatesidea.

Establishaclassroomculturewherethereare
notrightandwronganswersandstudents
knowtheimportanceoftryingtheirbest.Make
surethechildrenarecomfortabletotake
intellectualrisks.Praisestudentswhoare
participatingandactivelyinvolvedin
discussionsandindependentwork.

Whenthestudentsareworkingontheir
individualletters,theteachershouldbe
walkingaroundandhelpingthechildrenrecall
differentwritingstrategiesandtools.Help
themtorefertothewordwallforhigh
frequencywordsandhelpthemtobreakdown
thesoundsineachwordandwritethesounds
theyhear.

Haveatemplateofaletterformatontheoverheadprojectortoshowstudentsall
theelementsthatshouldbeintheirletter(date,greeting,body,closing).Thepaper
thatstudentsuseshouldbealreadyformattedforthemtoincludetheseelements
(seeappendix1).
Studentsshouldwriteashortletteranddrawapicturetogowiththeirletter.
Ifpossible,havethestudentstaketurnsrecordinganaudioclipofthemselves
readingtheirlettertotheirpenpalandthenemailthoseclipstotheinternational
teacher.

Simplifications:
Drawingapictureandlabelingapicturetosendtotheirpenpals.
Dictatingideasandhelpingthemtoputtheminletterformat.
Extensions:
Discussingdifferentwordsusedingreetingsandclosingsofletters
Learninghowtoaddressanenvelope

Closingsummaryforthelesson
Askthechildrentocometothecarpetareawiththeirletters.Take
sometimetoallowstudentstosharetheirletterswiththeclassifthey
wouldliketo.Aftereachstudentshares,pointoutelementsofthe
letterthatthestudentdidverywell.Trytofinddifferentareasto
praiseforeachstudent.
ExplaintothestudentsthattheletterswilltravelbymailtoChinaandit
maytakeawhiletohearbackfromtheirnewfriends.
Closingsummarystatements:Now,wewillwaittohearbackfrom
ournewpenpalsandhopefullylearnalittlebitmoreaboutChina.
Remember,youcanwriteletterstoanyone,anytime.Keepthinkingof
lettersyoucouldwriteandwhoyoumightsendaletterto.Maybeyou
willchoosetowriteanotherlettertoafriendorfamilymemberduring
centertime.

Providehintstothestudentsiftheyare
strugglingtospellawordintheirletter."Try
soundingouttheword.Whatisthefirstletter
soundthatyouhear?"Havethemwritedown
whatevertheyheartohelpthemcontinue
movingforwardwithwriting.

Ifstudentsfinishearlywhileothersarestill
writing,thosestudentscouldpairupand
practicereadingtheirletterstoeachother.
Maybetheywilldiscoverthingstochangeor
improvetheirlettersintheprocess.

PostAssessment:
Theletterthatiscreatedbyeachstudentwillserveasanassessmentpiece.
Teachersshouldlooktoseehowthestudentstructurestheletteraswellasthe
informationtheyincludeintheletter.Additionalinformationthatcouldbegatheredin
thisassessmentcouldincludeknowledgeofspellingpatterns,highfrequency
words,handwriting,andoverallwritingabilities.

GoalAttainment:
Studentswillreachthegoaliftheycanfollowtheformatofletterwritingandcreate
apieceofwritingcontainingatleastafewsentences,thatmakesense,using
transitionalspelling.

Academic,Social,andLinguistic
Support:

Forstudentsthatarestillinearlystagesof
writing,thestudentsshouldreadtheirwriting
andteachersshouldwritetheirdictationso
thattheideascanbeaccuratelysharedwith
thepenpal.