Curriculum
Portfolio Exemplar Cover Sheet
Teacher Candidate: Alexa Donovan Cohort: 402
Title of Exemplar: Seed Perspective Piece
Portfolio Category: _______I ___X__II ______III _______IV _______V
ACEI Standard: A2.1 Reading, Writing, and Oral Language
ACEI Standard Elements: Candidates demonstrate a high level of competence in use of English language arts and they know, understand, and use concepts from reading, language, and child development to teach reading, writing, speaking, viewing, listening, and thinking skills, and to help students successfully apply their developing skills to many different situations, materials, and ideas.
Semester: 4 Date: 4/18/13
1. The seed perspective piece was implemented to meet the “Perspective” benchmark at Mid Pacific Institute. This writing piece began as a first draft. It was then edited, and typed into ipad as a second draft, edited again, and then published as a final draft. Each student added an illustration to accompany his or her perspective story. A curriculum goal for the year was to compose a first, second, and final draft to publish a polished sample of writing from the perspective of something other than students own. Students were encouraged to think like a seed and explain certain experiences a seed may have from its own unique perspective. Students, using their written language skills, developed a story that conveyed their ideas in a given situation. This writing prompt strengthened the students writing skills by teaching them to write from more than one point of view.
2. Students need to be guided in their writing but also have to be presented with options. Students like humor and creativity. I learned to allow my students to choose their own seed and develop their own seeds unique journey. By discussing certain things that may happen to a seed, especially as the seed travels, created excitement in the classroom. Brainstorming as a class can be very effective as long as it is done right. If brainstorming is too specific, you will end up with twenty of the same story.
Teacher Candidate: Alexa Donovan Cohort: 402
Title of Exemplar: Seed Perspective Piece
Portfolio Category: _______I ___X__II ______III _______IV _______V
ACEI Standard: A2.1 Reading, Writing, and Oral Language
ACEI Standard Elements: Candidates demonstrate a high level of competence in use of English language arts and they know, understand, and use concepts from reading, language, and child development to teach reading, writing, speaking, viewing, listening, and thinking skills, and to help students successfully apply their developing skills to many different situations, materials, and ideas.
Semester: 4 Date: 4/18/13
1. The seed perspective piece was implemented to meet the “Perspective” benchmark at Mid Pacific Institute. This writing piece began as a first draft. It was then edited, and typed into ipad as a second draft, edited again, and then published as a final draft. Each student added an illustration to accompany his or her perspective story. A curriculum goal for the year was to compose a first, second, and final draft to publish a polished sample of writing from the perspective of something other than students own. Students were encouraged to think like a seed and explain certain experiences a seed may have from its own unique perspective. Students, using their written language skills, developed a story that conveyed their ideas in a given situation. This writing prompt strengthened the students writing skills by teaching them to write from more than one point of view.
2. Students need to be guided in their writing but also have to be presented with options. Students like humor and creativity. I learned to allow my students to choose their own seed and develop their own seeds unique journey. By discussing certain things that may happen to a seed, especially as the seed travels, created excitement in the classroom. Brainstorming as a class can be very effective as long as it is done right. If brainstorming is too specific, you will end up with twenty of the same story.
Seed Perspective Writing Piece
Mid-Pacific Benchmark:
Writing Standard: Writing stories from a perspective other than the students own.
Science Standard: What do plants need to grown?
This semester we have written multiple perspective stories. Students wrote from the perspective of an animal and then from the perspective of a seed later on in the semester. The following lesson plan guided students to write from the perspective of a seed while communicating what plants need to grown, learned through inquiry.
ACEI III A3.5
Candidates use their knowledge and understanding of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the elementary classroom.
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
*Continue following days during writers’ workshop until all pieces are published
Have students sit on the carpet say
“Today we are going to be writing a story from the perspective of a seed, what does perspective mean”
Students will answer
“What does it mean when I say we will write stories from the perspective of a seed”
Wait until a students says something along the lines of we will write a story pretending that we are the seed, or we will write a story though the seeds eyes, like what happens to the seed from its point of view.
“Exactly, today we are going to write from the point of view of a seed. What kinds of things might happen to a seed?”
Students will say as follows:
Seeds travel: water, hitchhike, air, and animals
Seeds are planted in the soil to grow
Seeds need water to grow
Seeds need sunlight to grow
The seed opens up after it has been under the soil and watered
The seed coat breaks and the roots go down and the stem goes toward the sun
The roots keep it sturdy and drink in the water and nutrients
The water goes up the stem to the leaves
In the leaves photosynthesis happens
In the little green chloroplasts air, water, and sunlight make sugar
Sugar is the food for the plant
Students have been doing plant inquiry, thus will have a ton of information to relay…write all on board.
“Can we include these things in our story from a seeds perfective?”
Class will answer yes
“How?”
Have students share their examples…
“I wrote my own seed perspective story from the point of view of a mango seed. My seed starts and a fruit and then is planted to become a mango tree that produces its own fruit”
Modeling: Read Example to students via keynote.
Ask Students for feedback:
“What did you like and what could I have done differently, or added to improve my story?’’
Use this as a way for students from the start to think of ways they can develop outstanding stories by giving constructive criticism.
First Draft: Have students write their first draft.
1st Conference: Conference with each student and look for ways to see where students can improve their writing, Make sure to edit students work as well.
Second Draft: Once conferencing is finished have student type their second draft on their ipad
2nd Conference: During this final conference ask student if they see anyplace they could improve their story. Ask leading suggestive questions to hit at possible additions. Also edit work.
Final Draft: Students makes final corrections and publish the polished piece
Illustration: Student create an original illustration inspired by their seed perspective story either with colored pencils, crayons, or in a drawing app on their ipad. Students add illustration to final piece by importing from app or taking a picture of their illustration and inserting it into their piece.
*These pieces will later be used as perspective samples for their portfolio.
Meeting Benchmark:
Students include…
1. What a seed needs to grow: water, sun, soil
2. Is from the perspective of a seed
3. 2 realistic functions of a plant:
Seed: the see contains a lot of what a plant needs to grown, germination, seed coat opens, seed opens, roots go down, stem goes up
Roots: grown down, suck water and nutrients, keep the plant stable and in one place, carries water and nutrient to stem
Stem: keeps the plant strong, water and nutrients go up the stem to the leaves
Leaves: make food for the plant, photosynthesis, air+water+sunlight=sugar, chloroplasts
Partially meeting benchmark:
1. What a seed needs to grow: water, sun, soil … use only 2 examples
2. Is from the perspective of a seed
3. 1 realistic functions of a plant:
Seed: the see contains a lot of what a plant needs to grown, germination, seed coat opens, seed opens, roots go down, stem goes up
Roots: grown down, suck water and nutrients, keep the plant stable and in one place, carries water and nutrient to stem
Stem: keeps the plant strong, water and nutrients go up the stem to the leaves
Leaves: make food for the plant, photosynthesis, air+water+sunlight=sugar, chloroplasts
Doesn’t meet benchmark:
1. What a seed needs to grow: water, sun, soil … no examples
2. Is not from the perspective of the seed
3. No realistic functions of a plant:
Writing Standard: Writing stories from a perspective other than the students own.
Science Standard: What do plants need to grown?
This semester we have written multiple perspective stories. Students wrote from the perspective of an animal and then from the perspective of a seed later on in the semester. The following lesson plan guided students to write from the perspective of a seed while communicating what plants need to grown, learned through inquiry.
ACEI III A3.5
Candidates use their knowledge and understanding of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the elementary classroom.
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
*Continue following days during writers’ workshop until all pieces are published
Have students sit on the carpet say
“Today we are going to be writing a story from the perspective of a seed, what does perspective mean”
Students will answer
“What does it mean when I say we will write stories from the perspective of a seed”
Wait until a students says something along the lines of we will write a story pretending that we are the seed, or we will write a story though the seeds eyes, like what happens to the seed from its point of view.
“Exactly, today we are going to write from the point of view of a seed. What kinds of things might happen to a seed?”
Students will say as follows:
Seeds travel: water, hitchhike, air, and animals
Seeds are planted in the soil to grow
Seeds need water to grow
Seeds need sunlight to grow
The seed opens up after it has been under the soil and watered
The seed coat breaks and the roots go down and the stem goes toward the sun
The roots keep it sturdy and drink in the water and nutrients
The water goes up the stem to the leaves
In the leaves photosynthesis happens
In the little green chloroplasts air, water, and sunlight make sugar
Sugar is the food for the plant
Students have been doing plant inquiry, thus will have a ton of information to relay…write all on board.
“Can we include these things in our story from a seeds perfective?”
Class will answer yes
“How?”
Have students share their examples…
“I wrote my own seed perspective story from the point of view of a mango seed. My seed starts and a fruit and then is planted to become a mango tree that produces its own fruit”
Modeling: Read Example to students via keynote.
Ask Students for feedback:
“What did you like and what could I have done differently, or added to improve my story?’’
Use this as a way for students from the start to think of ways they can develop outstanding stories by giving constructive criticism.
First Draft: Have students write their first draft.
1st Conference: Conference with each student and look for ways to see where students can improve their writing, Make sure to edit students work as well.
Second Draft: Once conferencing is finished have student type their second draft on their ipad
2nd Conference: During this final conference ask student if they see anyplace they could improve their story. Ask leading suggestive questions to hit at possible additions. Also edit work.
Final Draft: Students makes final corrections and publish the polished piece
Illustration: Student create an original illustration inspired by their seed perspective story either with colored pencils, crayons, or in a drawing app on their ipad. Students add illustration to final piece by importing from app or taking a picture of their illustration and inserting it into their piece.
*These pieces will later be used as perspective samples for their portfolio.
Meeting Benchmark:
Students include…
1. What a seed needs to grow: water, sun, soil
2. Is from the perspective of a seed
3. 2 realistic functions of a plant:
Seed: the see contains a lot of what a plant needs to grown, germination, seed coat opens, seed opens, roots go down, stem goes up
Roots: grown down, suck water and nutrients, keep the plant stable and in one place, carries water and nutrient to stem
Stem: keeps the plant strong, water and nutrients go up the stem to the leaves
Leaves: make food for the plant, photosynthesis, air+water+sunlight=sugar, chloroplasts
Partially meeting benchmark:
1. What a seed needs to grow: water, sun, soil … use only 2 examples
2. Is from the perspective of a seed
3. 1 realistic functions of a plant:
Seed: the see contains a lot of what a plant needs to grown, germination, seed coat opens, seed opens, roots go down, stem goes up
Roots: grown down, suck water and nutrients, keep the plant stable and in one place, carries water and nutrient to stem
Stem: keeps the plant strong, water and nutrients go up the stem to the leaves
Leaves: make food for the plant, photosynthesis, air+water+sunlight=sugar, chloroplasts
Doesn’t meet benchmark:
1. What a seed needs to grow: water, sun, soil … no examples
2. Is not from the perspective of the seed
3. No realistic functions of a plant: