#2352. Pumpkin Unit all 4 blocks

4 Blocks, level: Elementary
Posted Sat Aug 25 16:51:37 PDT 2001 by deb ().
Hope College Follow Up Four Blocks Presentation,

Pumpkin Unit

Books for Self Selected Reading Read-Alouds:
The Biggest Pumpkin Ever (Steven Knoll)
Apples and Pumpkins
Berenstain Bears (Early Chapter Book) The Enormous Pumpkin
It's Pumpkin Time
The Pumpkin Book (Gail Gibbons)
The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything

Books for Guided Reading:
Pumpkin, Pumpkin (Jean Titherington)
Our Pumpkin ( Renee Keeler) Published by Creative Teaching Press

Easier Reading Day -- Guided Reading with Songs and Poems
On one day, we use poems and songs to teach guided reading each week. We chant and memorize the words. The children then are given the words so they can relate reading to print. We know that poems and songs help our students to read with better fluency and expression.

5 Little Pumpkins (Teaches ordinal numbers)

Untitled Pumpkin Poem
Jolly, olly pumpkin face
You're happy tell me why
"I'd rather be a pumpkin face
than a pumpkin pie!"

On Grade Level Reading Day -- Sequencing during Guided Reading
Day One
Before Reading -- Set the purpose: Today when you are reading I want you to notice how a pumpkin grows.

During Reading -- First the teacher should read Pumpkin, Pumpkin text without discussion. Then re-read the book stopping at each step of growing a pumpkin. Record the steps on a chart. After school, write the steps on sentence strips.

After Reading -- Read the chart to review

Day Two
Before Reading --
Before the children begin reading today, the teacher should change the order of the sentence strips. Read the sentence strips to the children (or if they can read the strips, let the class read with the teacher). Lead the children to notice that the sentences are in a mixed up order.

Set the purpose -- As you are reading today, notice the order given in the book for the steps of growing a pumpkin.

During Reading --
First reading: Shared reading with the teacher.
Second reading: Read book and notice the order of steps for growing a pumpkin. I also provide each partner set with a paper listing the steps in a mixed up order.

After Reading --
The children cut apart their sentences and glue them in the correct order. As a class, move sentence strips in the pocket chart around to reflect new order. Give one sentence strip to each small group. Have the children draw and illustrate a picture together. Make the sentence strips into a big book for SSR time.

Day Three
Before Reading -- Before the children begin reading today, the teacher should write each sentence on a sentence strip, cut the strip into words and put each sentence in its own baggy.

Set the purpose -- word order affects understanding.
During reading -- First, the whole class will read the big book they made yesterday together. Then with a partner, the children will read their little books.

After reading with a partner -- The children put together their cut-up sentence. The children find the page in the book that matches their sentence to check it.

ANOTHER pumpkin book Guided Reading Lesson
Our Pumpkin published by Creative Teaching Press

Before Reading -- notice what could we do with a pumpkin? What have you ever done with a pumpkin? Make a list on the board (chart paper, overhead) of the class ideas.

Set Purpose for reading -- Notice all the ways that this author thinks of to use a pumpkin.

During Reading --
First reading -- Teacher reads book to the class, children echo read.
Second reading -- Children read with a partner.

After Reading --
Look at the book and circle the ideas we thought of and listed on the board. Add any ideas from the book we didn't think of.