Constructivist Approach to Sorting

The lesson I have included below is a lesson that I did which was differentiated in a way that allowed students to show that they truly understood the differences between each long vowel sound. I think that this lesson could really be improved by the addition of technology. I think that the motivation factor that exists in both the cognitive information processing and constructivist theories would be improved by the use of technology. I think that the lesson could become more constructivist if it was tweaked so that the students had to choose the pictures and figure out a way to sort them into three groups. Then the students would have to label each group and say how they were similar. It would force them to explain their thinking and would allow them to be the creators rather than just the producers of work designed by me.

LESSON / UNIT: Long Vowel Sounds


DESIRED RESULTS
What are the goals for the lesson? What do you want students to know, understand and be able to do? How does this lesson fit with a larger unit?

K: How do we read and write words that have long a, long e, and long i vowel sounds?
U: We write words with long vowel sounds by knowing the vowel combinations, stretching out the sounds in each word, and writing the sounds we hear. We read words with long vowel sounds by knowing the vowel combinations, saying the sounds in the word, and blending the sounds together.
B: As a group, students will be able to make a list of the vowel combinations for long a, long e, and long i words. Students will sort objects based on the long vowel sound they hear. Individually, students will be able to sort pictures by the vowel sound they hear. Some of the students will have the words on the cards, will read the words, and draw a picture. Other students will have to write the words on the pictures as they sort them.

*Over the past 3 weeks, students have been learning on one long vowel a week. This week students will be learning long i. I have found that students have difficulty retaining the sounds and applying them to their writing. This activity serves as a review of previously learned sounds. In addition, some of my higher readers who made be able to read these words, have a very difficult time applying these learned sounds to their independent writing.

LEARNING PLAN
How do you plan to engage students in the content? What will you do? What will the students do?

-On the mat, students will list the vowel combinations that make each long vowel sound:
Long a Long e Long i
-Students will get into a circle on the mat surrounding 3 hula-hoops labeled with long a, long e, and long i.
-Students will look at an object, say the objects name, say the sounds in the object, and sort it into its correct circle.
-Students will move into small groups. The most independent group of students will be at the kidney table with me so that I can circulate while they are working. The other two groups will be with the classroom Para and the 1:1 Para.
-Independently, students will sort pictures into three columns. The higher students will have to write the words under each picture as they sort. The students who are struggling more with these sounds will read the word, draw a picture, and sort the picture.
Long a Long e Long i
-Students who finish early will come up with more words that follow the same rule at the bottom of each column.
-After students complete this activity, they will return to the mat and share their answers by writing the words on a class chart.

ASSIGNED EVIDENCE
How do you plan to assess student achievement of the goals? What procedures will you use? (Attach any tests or performance tasks, with rubrics or scoring guides.) How do you plan to use the results of the assessment?
-I will be assessing students based on their ability to complete the sorting activity independently at their seats. After any small group activity where I have my Paras running a group, I always converse with them after to get their feedback on how their group of students did. Since my goal for the lesson is to have students generalize these skills to their daily independent writing, I will continue to monitor their writing work to see if they are applying the long vowel combinations.