Bridgewater College

Education Department Lesson Plan

Date and Title of Lesson:
April 16, 2014
Subject Area(s):
Reading
VA: SOL(s)
2.8 e

Name Caroline Fletcher

Searching Through Settings

Digging into Settings
Character Chaos
Grade Level(s)/Course:
2nd grade reading

e) Describe characters, setting, and important events in fiction and poetry.

Teaching/Content Objective(s)
Station 1:
1. The students will be able to correctly identify the setting and characters in different parts of a book.
2. The students will be able to determine what characters or people would live or be in a certain setting.
3. A student will be able to correctly match up people/items into different settings in order to show their knowledge.
Station 2:
1. The students will be able to match a setting just by using a sentence rather than using pictures for clues.
2. The student will be able to write logical sentences about a selected setting in order to show their knowledge.
Station 3:
1. The student will be able to read a story and identify characters within the story.
2. The student will be able to correctly match characters to an event that happens in the story.
3. The student will be able to draw and write about themselves being a character in a story.
IEP Goal/Objective:
Accommodations/Differentiation

Summative Assessment
(based on objectives)
Station 1:
1. identify one setting as it changes throughout the book If You Take a Mouse to School.
2. identify from a group the characters or items that would correctly belong in the setting.
3. using 4 different settings, correctly place the characters and items into the appropriate
setting.
Station 2:
1. identify a setting through just a sentence, not using any pictures.
2. given a choice of 3 settings, writing 3 or more logical sentences about their setting-making
sure that what the student writes about would actually occur at their chosen setting.
Station 3:
1. identify characters in a story (the animals)
2. match the character from the story to what they brought to school
3. identify characters out of a list of items and then write about themselves as a character in
the classroom and what they do as a character in the class

Station 1:
Materials

Numeroff, L. If You Take a Mouse to School. 1st ed. HarperCollins Publishers. (BL: 2.4)
Poster Board with setting of a classroom
Group of characters/items that will go to the large setting board
5 sets of a worksheet (2 pages each) that has a total of 4 settings-beach, woods, outside in
the snow, bedroom
5 zip-lock bags with all the characters/items that go to each setting
3 pieces of Velcro on each setting and on the back of each character/item
Pencil for each student

Preparation

 Make 5 copies of If You Take a Mouse to School so that each student has one
Create poster board classroom setting with cutouts of a student, a teacher, pencil and paper, a
backpack, and a stack of books (all correct to be placed in the classroom setting); also create
cutouts of a fireman, a baseball bat, and a cat.
Attach Velcro to the back of each of the cutouts and just enough for the answers on the poster
board.
Make worksheet for each student (5 total) that has 4 different settings-the beach, the woods,
outside in the snow, and a bedroom (2 settings on each piece of paper, so 2 total pieces of
paper for each student) with space to write a sentence underneath each picture
Make 5 copies of each cutout of: girl in a bathing suit, beach ball, sand castle, campfire, tent,
tree, children in snowsuits, a snowman, a sled, a child ready for bed, alarm clock, and a
dresser
Put one copy of each cut out into a zip-lock bag for each student
Station 2:
Materials
Wells, R. Timothy Goes to School. Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. (BL: 2.4)
Sand Pail with sand and shells in them-shells will have different settings written on them-5
total-park, pool, bathtub, castle, and forest

5 copies of the handout (one for each student-handout is attached to end of the lesson plan)

Small Poster of Setting Definition

5 Independent Practice Worksheets

5 pencils

Crayons for coloring their picture on the back

Preparation

Make 5 copies of Timothy Goes to School

Create and make copies of handout (attached at end)

Put shells with settings into the sand

Make Small Poster with definition of a setting on it (the place where something takes place
or where someone is)

Make 5 copies of Independent Practice Worksheet with 3 choices of a setting at the top-pool,
racetrack, castle with lines below for student to write about their chosen setting
Station 3:
Materials

Slate, J. Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten. Puffin. (BL: 2.2)

Small poster of Character definition

6 pencils

6 Guided Practice Worksheets (attached to the end)

6 Independent Practice Worksheets (attached to the end)

Crayons
Preparation

Make 6 copies of Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten

Make 6 copies of worksheet with matching the character to what they brought to school

6 copies of Independent Practice Worksheets

Integration of Technology
Accommodations/
Differentiation

Anticipatory Set (Focus)

For the past few weeks we have been looking at different parts that make up a story. Today in
our stations, we are going to talk about settings and characters. We are going to get to write
about settings and characters, draw pictures about them, and also match up settings with their
characters!
Review/Prior Knowledge
We have not talked much about settings and characters, but I bet a lot of you know what they
are! Do we have anyone who remembers what a setting is? How about a character? If not, then I
will explain definitions of setting and character through using the cards for two of the stations.

Time
Planned

Instructional Plan
Reading Station #1
Topic Presentation
1. Today we are going to read the book If You Take a Mouse to School and talk about what
characters and settings are in a book.
2. Ask the students if any of them know: What a character in a book is? What a setting is?
3. If no one knows what they are, I will describe the characters as : the people, animals, or
things that the book is written about and setting as : where the characters are in the book.
Ask students to give examples of what a character or setting would be in a classroom (using
the poster board and cutouts to identify what/who would be in the classroom)
4. While I read If You Take a Mouse to School aloud, I want you all to follow along and think
about who the story is written about (the characters) and where the characters are (the
setting).
5. Pass out a copy of the book to each student and begin reading.
Modeling
1. I will explain the Searching Through Settings Activity and demonstrate what they are going
to do by using the large poster board with an example of the classroom.
2. The teacher will ask students to determine whether or not characters and items belong in the
classroom setting.
Guided Practice
1.
I will use the large poster board with a classroom to model the setting of some of the book
and get the students to help identify correctly what would belong in a classroom.
2. I will pull out each cutout individually and ask students if they think it would belong in a
classroom.
3. Correct answers: student, teacher, desk, backpack, stack of books
4. Incorrect answers: fireman, baseball bat, cat
5. Help get students to explain why they would or wouldnt belong and ask one student to
come put the Velcro cut out in the classroom.
Independent Practice (Formative Evaluation)
1. Pass out Zip-lock bags and worksheet to each student.
2. Explain that they are doing something very similar to what we just did as a class, but now
they are going to do it individually. I will ask the students what each SETTING is and then
tell them that they need to determine which characters/items go with each setting.
3. Once students have finished sorting all of the cutouts, they raise their hands and I will check
to ensure that all of them are placed correctly.
4. After theyre all correct, the student may begin to write sentences about each setting while
waiting for their classmates to finish.
Reading Station 2:
Topic Presentation
1. At this station, we are going to learn more about settings through reading the book Timothy
Goes to School.
2. Ask the students if anyone remembers what a setting is, and if not, use Handout 2 and show
them the visual of the definition-ask everyone to repeat the word and then read the definition
together after I have read it aloud once.
3. Pass out copies of the book to each student.
4. We will do choral reading so EVERYONE including the teacher read together and point to
the words as we go. (making sure each student is on the right page before we move to the
next one)
Modeling
1. I will get the students to practice using just a sentence to identify the setting through these
examples-read the sentence and ask the students to guess the setting:

The children built a sand castle with their family. (Beach)

My mom turned off the night-light and I went to sleep. (bed room)

The frog jumped onto his lily pad. (pond/lake)

We were out of food at the house, so my mom and I went shopping. (grocery
store)
2. Get out the sand pail with shells in it.
3. I will explain how this will work-students will one by one come up and get a shell out of the
pail and read the setting that is on the shell. Then students will write the setting next to the
appropriate sentence on their handout

Guided Practice/Formative Assessment

1. I will pass out Handout 1 with the 5 sentences on it
2. Students will come up when called and they will read the shell out loud to the group.
3. After all 5 shells have been matched to the sentences correctly, collect this handout and pass
out Independent Practice Worksheet.
Independent Practice/Formative Assessment
1. Independent Practice Worksheet will be passed out to students.
2. Tell students to choose one setting from the top and circle their choice. They will write 3 or
more sentences about what happens in that setting.
3. Once they are finished, they can color a picture of their setting on the back of the paper.
Station 3:
Topic Presentation
1. In this station, we are going to learn more about characters in books.
2. Ask students if they know what a character is-if not, use the Handout with the definition of a
character-people, animals, or things that a book is written about
3. We are going to read Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten in order
to look at more characters.
4. Pass out copies of the book, and ask students to flip through a few pages and make a guess
as to what the characters in the story are going to be? (The characters are animals)
5. Read the story aloud by having each student read a page and just go around in a circle-make
sure students are pointing to the words on the page even if they are not the ones reading.
Modeling
1. I will demonstrate how we are matching the character to what they brought for the 100 th day
of school.
2. Then pass out the worksheet that they can work on in a pairs to match the rest of the
characters.
Guided Practice/Formative Assessment
1. In pairs, the students will match characters from the book to what was brought into their
classroom for the 100th day of school.
2. Once students are finished, they will raise their hands and you can go around and check their
answers, if incorrect, ask them to fix the incorrect answers (they can use their copy of the
book while working on this part)
3. Answers:
1. F 2. C 3. G 4. J 5. H 6. B 7. I 8. E 9. A 10. D
Independent Practice
1. Once the last worksheet is complete and correct, they will receive their independent practice
worksheet and they can begin working on it individually.
2. The first section they are circling the words that could be characters in a story, and leaving
everything else on the page.
3. The second section they are imaging that they are a character in a story. The story takes
place in a classroom and they are writing about what a typical day is like as a character in
their classroom. Once they have written a few sentences, they can color a picture of
themselves in the classroom on the back.

Closure
Okay boys and girls, I know you have been busily working on your stations learning about settings
and characters, but could we all come back to the carpet? Can someone tell me about what you learned
today? (Look for at least someone to name setting, one to name characters, and two different people to
explain what they are). Ask a few students to give an example of each of these as well to ensure
comprehension. Next time in class, we are going to look at the series of events that take place in a
book, and we are going to get to put together our own story!

Name: ____________________
1. The boy threw the ball to the dog.
_________________
2. The girl swam to the other side.
_________________
3. The mom gave the baby a bath.
_________________
4. The princess waved to the crowd.
_________________
5. The bear ran through the trees.
_________________

Name: ____________________________
Choose One Setting and Circle It:
Pool

Racetrack

Castle

Write 3 or more sentences about the

setting:

___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________

Name:_______________________________
1. ____Adam

a. rubber bands

2. ____Christopher

b. crayons

3. ____Emily

c. plastic blocks

4. ____Jessie

d. beads

5. ____Lenny

e. balloons

6. ____Patricia

f. popsicle sticks

7. ____Raffie

g. flowers

8. ____Vicki

h. candy hearts

9. ____Wanda

i. dinosaurs

10. ____Zachary

j. polka dots

Name:________________________
Circle characters from the following list:
carpet

cat

wood

Mickey Mouse

Mom

lamp

backpack dog

pig

Imagine you are a character in our

classroom. Write about what you do in the
classroom as a character.

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