Identifying the Theme

This week we are exploring Theme in a variety of passages. Today I introduced the word theme and used a short poem to model how to think aloud to identify the theme in a passage. The poem's theme was the Early bird gets the worm.

 I then introduced students to a new app I discovered for the iPad called "MeeGenius." It has over 200 books for kids that can be read aloud. Some of the free books the app offers were perfect for my lesson this week. I shared with students the story of "The Three Little Pigs " using the iPad through the Promethean board. Although, I had to narrate since I can't connect the sound to the board. The students enjoyed the version of the story and were shocked at the ending. We then discussed the book and noted the characters, some traits to describe them based on their actions, discussed the plot and then identified the theme. We decided there were two themes for this story! Then students did independent practice with a passage I found on Read Works. This is a great site, with lesson for grades K-6.

Tomorrow the plan is to share another book, maybe "The Little Red Hen", or "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" have them fill in their charts and then release them for some Independent practice. Tomorrow my plan is to have 2 groups of 5 at listening centers listening to a leveled reader "The Land of the Giants", 10 students on iPads using the Mee Genius App, and 5 on laptops listening to the story from the basal "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse" and a few working with me in a small guided group.

My plan to culminate this activity is to have students create their own fairy tale with a theme using the Puppet Pals app on Friday.