It Looked Like...

Title: It Looked Like...
Subject of Lesson: Language Arts and Art
Grade Level: 1/2 grade -- April
Teacher of Lesson: Gina Chung
Approximate Time: 45 minutes over a few days

Background Information

The students have "writing folders" that they use during writer's workshop. Sometimes they write their own stories freely and at other writer's workshops, they write about what they have been learning in the current unit. Often times, they also transfer their writing into typed pages at the computer lab. The students are familiar with word processing and changing the font and size of text. This lesson will be a writer's workshop based on Charles G. Shaw's book, It Looked Like Spilt Milk. The students will create a class book modeling the story. Although they are used to writing much more then the few sentences on each page, they will enjoy the process of creating their own book. The students will hear the story and then go on a "cloud search" outside, as weather permits, taking notes on the different cloud shapes they see. They will write their pages for the book and word process during computer lab. They will also contribute art pages of the cloud shapes. After each class book the students compile, each student always gets a turn to share it with their families at home.

Objectives

Materials

Procedures

  1. Gather the students together for an oral story. Read to them It Looked Like Spilt Milk.
  2. Tell the students that they are going to go on their own "cloud search" outside. Encourage them to use their imagination and creativity as they look at the real clouds outside. Tell them to look at a variety of clouds, keeping notes on the different shapes they find. Encourage them to even make rough sketches of the cloud so they do not forget what they saw.
  3. As weather permits, and hopefully it will be a perfect "cloud search" day, take the children outside. Allow them to move around freely and even lay down on the ground to look up at the sky. Let them discuss with their classmates the different things they see. Join in with them in the experience, taking your own notes to model for them. Keep an eye on the class and rotate around to all of the students.
  4. After coming inside, gather the students as a whole again. Let students share some of the different shapes that they found. Encourage students to share different cloud shapes so as to get a variety of pages to the book. Some students may have seen animals, flowers, cars, people, etc. -- anything is possible!
  5. Have students begin with the art pages, as the images are fresh in their minds. Give each student a sheet of blue and white construction paper. Have the children tear the white sheet into the shape of the object that they saw outside. Then, they will glue it in the center of the blue sheet of construction paper.
  6. Review with the students what was written in the story. Have them model the sentence with what they saw and write it down. [Sometimes it looked like... But it wasn't... ]
  7. At computer lab time, the students will type their sentences and change the font/size to their liking. Students should work in assigned pairs -- ones who more experienced with word processing with those who need some assistance.
  8. Tell the students you will assemble their pages into a class book. Glue each student's writing to their art page. Laminate pages and bind together. Add a title page, copyright date, dedication, and final page "But it was just a cloud in the sky." Also, each class book has empty pages at the end for parents to write their comments after reading it with their child.
  9. Show the students their finished class book and begin to send home with the students to share with their families.

Evaluation of Student Learning

  1. Listen to student observations of clouds as you walk around with them outside. What comments do they make with their classmates? Are they looking at shapes creatively and with imagination? Are they keeping track of what they see on their writing paper?
  2. Observe students as they create their art pages. Does their torn shape resemble what cloud shape they chose to create? Observe students as they write their sentences. Do they follow the model from the story? Observe students as they word process at the computer.
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