Language Arts Lesson Plan for the book, "I Knew You Could!"

An activity to use with the book, "I Knew You Could!"
Grade 2 Language Arts.
-make connections from text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-world
-respond critically to messages in text


Before Class:
~Obtain the book "I Knew You Could" & if you wish to use it, the book "I Think I Can."
~ Opening the PDF file in the link located below, print multiple copies of the train cars, and enough copies of the train engine so that there is one engine for every student in the class, as well as a spare, for you to use as a model.
~ Print each students name on a train engine with a black permanent marker.

During Class:
~ Read or reflect/discuss the book "I think I can" ....The Little Engine that Could!
~ Read the book "I Knew You Could," discussing important ideas that are expressed throughout the book. I.e. positive thinking, decisions, choices, change, being happy with yourself just the way you are, asking for help when needed, never giving up, taking the time to enjoy life, & working hard, and believing in yourself.
~ At the end of the book, state some of the positive messages given in the book, and ask if the students can think of their own motivational messages, or one that they remember from the book. Something that they should tell themselves when they are angry or upset, sad or frustrated, tired or feeling unlucky.
~ Model & explain that the students are to neatly print a positive message (using the railroad cars in the PDF file), placing one word in each car. Then they are to cut out their cars, one train engine, and enough railroad tracks to run the length of their entire train, & then they are to glue the track onto a long sheet of paper, then glue their positive message (in the cars) onto the track, ending with the train engine!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzJEhU_PyrAFbUVnRWlNR195RU0/edit?usp=sharing

~Bistro~ Grade 2 Cross-Curricular Lesson Plan

     I have had the idea for a lesson plan like this for a very long time. I am rather excited! As a child I loved to pretend to teach, but also, to pretend to manage my own restaurant. Mind you, I didn't know all that this entailed, but I did serve up a mean 'fried egg'! Ask my bestest friend, she'd agree! We would even make kitchens in the snow in which to cook snow pies in the winter, and create lovely mud pies from the wet earth in the spring/summer!

     I would have enjoyed this lesson plan so much in school, and I hope that I can piece it together just right so that both teachers & students will get to enjoy it, and to cross off outcomes at the same time!

     Here is a sample of what I've created for it so far.

I've still far to go, but I am motivated and on a roll. I even plan to spend the next 2 days laboring on it!

It will incorporate outcomes from areas of Health, Science, Art, Math, & Physical Education so far, or at least, that's the plan!

   

Back to School Time is Fast Approaching!

     With just a couple of weeks left before my internship begins, I've been super busy finding fantastic lesson plans and lesson plan ideas on the internet, especially via Pinterest and the Teachers pay Teachers website. I am fairly new to both and absolutely love them both. I especially love the organization that Pinterest offers! <3 

     I've purchased a great organizational tool that I can use parts of for now, and gain even more benefit from when I start teaching full time. I chose    The ULTIMATE Teaching Survival Binder: Bright Colors and Buttons Theme at http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-ULTIMATE-Teaching-Survival-Binder-Bright-Colors-and-Buttons-Theme-1259527 

     I love the colors, and the level of organization that this binder pack offers! It is just what I needed!

     I've begun adding lesson plans to my binder, that I've found and those that I have used for various assignments throughout my training. 

     This really got me wanting to create my own lesson plans and activities, so I plunkered down and opened up the Newfoundland Grade 2 Science curriculum and chose the first outcome that I found and decided to create a simple activity that could be integrated many ways, but |
I figure it can be used as is, at a science centre, as an activity to check for student understanding of this topic.

    My favorite subject was art, and so, I figure that I will come up with quite a few art-based and cross-curricular plans that will incorporate art. I am also a huge advocate of hands-on, so I hope to come up with some practical activities that can get the children more actively engaged!

     I hope to make many, more in-depth and creative cross-curriculum lesson plans and activities as I go, especially as I progress through the school year and get more involved with Grade 2 students and what could be useful in helping them to reach the required curriculum outcomes!

     Here is a pdf file of the frog life cycle activity I created:

https://drive.google.com/#my-drive

     There are no instructions, as I feel that it is pretty straight forward, even including a picture of the finished product at the end of the document. If you think this would be useful to you in any way, by all means, enjoy!