Lesson Plans and Activities

This is one example of activities and mini lessons using the poem, "Rain, Rain, Go Away." The lessons address oral language, reading concepts, phonics, rhymes, writing, art, and music. Examples of student work from my classroom will be added throughout the year.

Time and thoughtful preparation for the lessons and activities will create structure and enhance the instructional process.. You need to have a map but you can take detours in the expansion of the unit. Organizing, planning, gathering resources, and aligning concepts are the most time consuming and tedious tasks in the development of an instructional process. Gather the materials, books, and extended resources. Write down your ideas. Start collecting what you need for the unit. Begin a storage file so you will be able to add to the unit over time as you acquire your "goodies". Then, start webbing your ideas into an instructional plan based on the academic standards of your state or district.

Copy the poem. One written on large chart paper; one typed on the computer and glued to construction paper for the rhyme center.

Build Background

Writing Journal

Make a Web of Ideas

Discuss rain. How does rain sound. What can you do on a rainy day? What do you use/wear on rainy days? Why do we need rain?

For students who are beginning to learn English you may use the following journal frame. Other students may want to free write their responses.

I like the rain when__________. Rain sounds like _________. Rain makes me feel _________.

Read the rhyme each day during the week! To introduce the rhyme, children should be seated as a group or at circle time on the floor. Have the rhyme written on the chart in large letters for easy viewing. Add some pictures or graphics to enhance vocabulary comprehension.

The first reading should be by the teacher. Children should listen as you read. Track the print with your hand or a pointer during the reading. This rhyme is also available as a song on many tapes. The Wee Sing and Play series has nursery rhyme songs which can be used to develop a rhythm to the language patterns. Play with the language and use an expressive voice.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Rain, rain, go away

Come again another day.

Little Johnny wants to play.

Rain, rain, go to Spain

And never show your face again.

Working directly with the words in a rhyme to teach phonics and word study skills is a meaningful way to connect the phonetic concepts. The following are examples of phonetic mini-lessons.

Skills

Application

* Long vowel /a/ sound

* Partner letters that make one sound /ay/ /ai/ (if you use Zoo Phonics follow the method for partner letters).

* Rhymes

* Long /a/ sound with the silent /e/ at the end (Zoo Phonics= Ellie Elephant bossy)

* Punctuation.

*Capital letters

* Proper Nouns

* " Find the words that have the sound of /a/ as in rain. (stretch the sound as you say the word). When I read the poem, raise your hand when you hear this sound."

(rain, play, face)

* Read each sentence again. Stop when the /a/ sound appears. Direct attention to the word.

*Compare the /ai/, /ay/ and silent /e/ word with the long /a/ sound.

* If you use Zoo Phonics, make the movements to show the spelling of each word.

* List word family of/ay/ words

* list word family of /ain/ words

* list word family of words with /ace/.

* Point out capital words. Discuss beginning of sentence rules (salute if using Zoo Phonics). Proper nouns, Spain and Johnny are capitalized.

Use a patterned rhyme to introduce the writing activity. The following is one suggestion. Patterns for the umbrella and poem are included here. Click on the pattern you would like at the bottom of the page.

Write the following pattern on chart paper. Students can brainstorm ideas. Make a list of the words that they suggest. Leave the words in a visible location to be used in the writing. Write the following pattern on chart paper or for younger students, write the pattern on paper and copy for each student.

Draw or find clip art of a large umbrella. Copy the umbrella on construction paper. When copying the pattern, make one part of the umbrella fit on the folded side (three sides will be cut out). The book will open as an umbrella. Use writing paper with the same umbrella shape. Students can write the poem on the shape paper and glue into the umbrella shaped construction paper. This makes a cute shape book for the poem.

For a language arts mini lesson on "asking" and "telling" sentences, use the rhyme as the foundation. On sentence strips, write interrogative and declarative sentences. Cut several umbrella shapes. For each sentence, draw a large period or question mark. On two umbrellas, write the words, "asking" and "telling." Place these at the top of the pocket chart. Students will use the periods and question marks to complete the sentences.

Write sentences on sentence strips leaving out key words. Write the key words on index cards or small sentence strips. Students read the sentences and then find the key word.

Empty paper towel rolls (wrapping paper rolls work well but cut them in half). Rice (dry, uncooked) or popping corn kernels (uncooked), construction paper cut in two circles for each child large enough to cover each end of the tubes (use glue and a rubber band to secure openings), decorations, and small pieces of aluminum foil.

Decorate the empty paper towel rolls with paint, construction paper, tissue paper, or other items. Let the decorations/glue/paint/ dry. Cover one end of the tube with the construction paper circles. Glue edges of the circle around the tube and secure this opening with a rubber band or masking tape. Fill the tube with about two tablespoons of dry rice. Add a few pieces of aluminum foil rolled up. Secure the other opening end in the same manner.

Listen to background music from the rain forest or with rain. Children can make their rain sticks move to the music.

Write an observation describing how the rain sticks were made. Sequence the steps.

Write a poem about the rain stick. Sounds, makes me feel, looks like. Here is an example of one I wrote and used with my students: