Lesson Objectives:

The students will be able to:

1) Define setting

2) Identify and distinguish the different dimensions of setting (time, location, weather,etc.)

Performance Assessment:

Assessment

1) Definition – students will oral responses during concept development/vocabulary
2) Completion of a web that the students take notes from the story that describes the different parts of settings in the story.

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Before class have a written passage that you will read to the students, so students can create a mental image in their head.

"This morning I would like you to close your eyes for a couple moments. I am going to read a paragraph out loud. While I am reading create a mental picture in your mind. Use all of your sense to create a setting, what sort of things do you see? What is the weather like? Is there any scents in the air?"

(Read the following passage out loud from chapter six of Charlotte's Web.)

"The early summer days on the farm are the happiest and fairest days of the year. Lilac bloom and make the air sweet, and then fade. Apple blossoms come with lilacs, and the bees visit around among the apple trees. The days grow warm and soft. School ends, and children have time to play and to fish for trouts in the brook."

"What sort of things did you picture in your mind? What did the sweet air smell like to you? How was the weather?

(Give the students time to think and share their response.)

"The author often uses description to write and describe the setting of a story. In today lesson, we are going to be learning about the setting of a story and why setting is important to the development of story."

"We have been reading Charlotte's Web the past couple of days. Is anyone one willing to share summary of what happen in yesterday's chapter?"

(In chapter two, Fern loves Wilbur more than anything. She continues to care for him by feeding him, playing with him and putting him to bed. Wilbur continues to grow and is no longer allowed to sleep in the house. Mr. Arable fixed a small yard for Wilbur under an apple tree and gave him a large wooden box full of straw. When Wilbur was five weeks old, Mr. Arable said he was now big enough to sell and would be sold. Fern was broken hearted and wept. Mr. Arable told Fern to call up Mr. Zuckerman (Uncle Homer) because he sometimes raised pigs. Wilbur was sold to Mr. Zuckerman for six dollars and taken to his new home on the farm.)

Concept Development:

Read the text before the students, when reading look for difficult vocabulary words that will effect the students' comprehension. The selected and differentiated text you will be used in today's lesson does not have any vocabulary terms you would go over with the large group. However, there are a couple words in the above grade level text, at grade level text, below grade level text students might need some explanation, when you are circulating around the room.

Differentiation (Process)

Above Grade Level:

Words: perspiration, pitched, sheepfold, grindstones, & scythes
Have none of the challenging words highlighted. Have the students use contextual clues to figure out the challenging words. If they still need more assisstance help them look the word up in the dictionary.

At Grade Level:

Words: manure, harness, grindstones, & scythes
Have challenging words highlighted, so students are aware of them. Have the students use contextual clues to figure out the challenging words. Students can work together to figure out the meaning of the word. If they still need more assistances help them look the word up in the dictionary.

Below Grade Level:

Words: peaceful, loft, monkey wrenches & rusty.

Have the difficult words highlighted with definition written in the margin. If they still need more assistances help them look at the words in the dictionary and be prepared to use the words in a simple example sentence.

"Today we are going to be reading an excerpt from the Charlotte's Web and discussing setting. In some story the setting where the setting is not important to the plot, we call those backdrop settings. The kind of setting is very detailed and important to the stories plot. Setting has four aspects that we will look for in our paragraphs today. The first aspect is location. Location is where the stories take place. The second aspect is weather, sometime weather is important because it affects the characters and the ending of the story. The third aspect of setting is the time period. The story could be set in the future, present, or past, which effects development of the story. The final aspect of setting is the time of day and passage of time."

(Turn on the over-head with a web and explain how to use the web with today's reading)

"When you read today, I want you to complete a graphic organizer, this is a web. I am going to show you exactly how I want you to complete your web today when you read. At the top of the paper I want you to write the word setting. In this middle circle I want you to write the word location. In the other circles I want you to write information about the location: what it looks like, maybe include smells. For example: There was a tiny log cabin in the deep woods. The log cabin smelled of peppermint and cookies. I would write the word cabin the middle circle. In the outside circle I would write words that describe the cabin. For example it smells like peppermint and cookies or it is in the middle of the woods. Now, give me a thumb up if you understand what I want you to complete while you read or you could do it when finish silently reading. Give me a thumb down if you are totally lost and would like me to explain one more time. Give me a thumb to the side, if you feel okay with my direction, but might have a question once you start to work."

These link will take you to a website full of graphic organizers templates

http://www.edhelper.com/teachers/graphic_organizers.htm
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/learning/lr1grorg.htm.

"Today you will be reading a section from the next chapter in Charlotte's Web for literary experience. I want you to continue to view this story as a movie in your mind. Close your eyes, picture the farm, what does it look like? Do you notice any smells?" While you read I want you to complete a web about the setting. It should include descriptive terms.

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Have copies made of the text for students and distribute them. The student will read the selected text silently and complete the web. The teacher will circulate around the room to assist students.

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"Before we begin our discussion about setting turn to the person sitting next to you and retell the chapter to your neighbor using your own words. When discussing with your neighbor, make sure to discuss the setting. If you need help you can use your web as a resource. Each of you will have a turn to share."

(The students will take turns orally retelling their version of the chapter. Circulate around the room to listen to the students discussions.)

" How do you think the setting impacts the story? Was the setting described in great detail or was it a backdrop setting? Could the author elaborated in some areas?"

(Have student volunteers share their responses. Call student to have them participate in the discussion. Place transparency on the overhead and fill in students responses throughout the discussion)

"Let's begin discussing the setting of the selected passage. Where does this take place? What are some qualities of the barn? How does the barn smell? What parts of setting dimension did the author not include in the selected text?"

(As students give their responses write them on the transparency.Hopefully the discussion will be smooth and transition from one student to another student. However do not be afraid to facilitate the discussion. Be sure to apply the right amount of scaffolding for the discussion to be successful and beneficial to the students.)

"For homework tonight, you have a choice. One choice you can do is illustrate the setting for this chapter. Another choice you can do tonight for homework is write a couple sentences describing the setting using your own words. Also, if you would want to do a combination of a both an illustration and writing a paragraph. Finish reading the rest of the chapter three."

(Show the kids an example of each option.)

"Tomorrow you will be continuing our discussion on setting and you will be sharing your homework in small group discussions."

Above Grade Level

Above Level- No alternation, actual text from Charlotte’s Web

“The barn was very large. It was very old. It smelled of hay and it smelled of manure. It smelled of the perspiration of tired horses and the wonderful sweet breath of patient cows. It often had a sort of peaceful smell—as thought nothing bad could happen ever again in the world. It smelled of gain and of harness dressing and of axle grease and of rubber boots and of new rope. And whenever the cat was given a fish-head to eat the barn would smell of fish. But mostly it smelled of hay, for there was always hay in the great loft up overhead. And there was always hay being pitched down to the cows and the horse and the sheep.

The barn was pleasantly warm in the winter when the animals spent most of the time indoors and it was pleasantly cool in summer when the big doors stood wide open to the breeze. The barn had stalls on the main floor for the work horses, tie ups on the main floor for the cows, sheepfold down below for the sheep, a pigpen down below for Wilbur, and it was full of all sorts of thing that you find in barns: ladders, grindstones, pitch forks, monkey wrenches, scythes, lawn mowers, snow shovels, milk pails, water buckets, empty grain sack, and rusty rat traps.”

At Level- Altered text from Charlotte’s Web
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 4.7

“The barn was very large. It was very old. It smelled of hay and it smelled of manure. It smelled of tired horses and the wonderful sweet breath of patient cows. It often had a sort of peaceful smell—as thought nothing bad could happen ever again in the world. It smelled of gain and of harness dressing and of axle grease and of rubber boots and of new rope. And whenever the cat was given a fish-head to eat the barn would smell of fish. But mostly it smelled of hay, for there was always hay in the great loft up overhead. And there was always hay being thrown down to the cows and the horse and the sheep.

The barn was enjoyably warm in the winter when the animals spent most of the time indoors. It was enjoyably cool in summer when the big doors stood wide open to the wind. The barn had stalls on the main floor for the workhorses, an area for the cows, an area down below for the sheep. The barn even had a pigpen for Wilbur. The barn was full of all sorts of things: ladders, grindstones, pitch forks, monkey wrenches, scythes, lawn mowers, snow shovels, milk pails, water buckets, empty grain

Low Level- Flesch- Altered text from Charlotte’s Web
Kincaid Grade Level: 3.0

“The barn was very large. It was very old. It smelled of hay and it smelled bad. It smelled of tired horses and the wonderful sweet breath of cows. It often had a sort of peaceful smell. It smelled of grain and of rubber boots and of new rope. When the cat was given fish to eat the barn would smell of fish. But mostly it smelled of hay. There was always hay in the great loft up overhead. And there was always hay being thrown down to the other animals.

The barn was warm in the winter when the animals spent most of the time indoors. It was cool in summer when the big doors stood open to the wind. The barn had stalls on the many stalls. The barn had a pigpen for Wilbur. The barn was full of all sorts of things: ladders, pitch forks, monkey wrenches, lawn mowers, snow shovels, milk pails, water buckets, empty grain sack, and rusty rat traps.”

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