Connecting the story "Diary of a Worm" to a daily activity diary
Initial Publication Date: September 2, 2008
Summary
After teaching about earthworms in science, we will complete a reading/language arts lesson about earthworms.
The teacher will read the story, "Diary of a Worm" by Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss to the students. They will discuss how this story brings nonfiction and fiction together. The students will keep a day by day activity diary of all the things that happen in their life. Using a Venn diagram, the students will compare how their life to the worms.
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Learning Goals
Goals:
1. The students will use prior knowledge to review and discuss the differences between fiction and nonfiction.
2. The students will create and write a daily activity diary.
Concepts:
The concepts the students will cover include, fiction and nonfiction, and working on reading and writing skills.
Vocab:
1. The students will use prior knowledge to review and discuss the differences between fiction and nonfiction.
2. The students will create and write a daily activity diary.
Concepts:
The concepts the students will cover include, fiction and nonfiction, and working on reading and writing skills.
Vocab:
-Fiction
-Nonfiction
-Diary
-Graphic organizer
Context for Use
This lesson will continue over several days. The lesson will start as a whole group in the classroom and then become individual as the students work on creating their personal diaries. The materials that are needed are a copy of the book "Diary of a Worm" and a writing journal for each student. The students have previously discussed earthworms in science. This activity would be easy to adapt to other settings.
Description and Teaching Materials
This activity follows a science lesson about earthworms. The materials that are needed are a copy of the book "Diary of a Worm" by Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss and a writing journal for each student. The lesson will be introduced by reading the book, "Diary of a Worm" by Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss. The teacher and students will then have a discussion about the sequence of the book and how it brings nonfiction and fiction together. After discussing the book, the students will create their own day-by-day activity diary. The lesson will continue for a week. The lesson will close by having the students use a Venn diagram to compare their life to the worm.
Teaching Notes and Tips
Because the students will be creating/writing a daily activity diary, make sure you do this lesson when your students are ready to write independently.
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Assessment
I will collect each student's daily activity diary. I will check that they have an entry from all of the days.
Standards
Grade 1
I. Reading and Literature B. Vocabulary Expansion(2), C. Comprehension (1,8,9), and D. Literature (2,4)
II. Writing A. Types of Writing (2)
I. Reading and Literature B. Vocabulary Expansion(2), C. Comprehension (1,8,9), and D. Literature (2,4)
II. Writing A. Types of Writing (2)