"Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad"
Sample Lesson Plan
Step 1: Activating Prior Knowledge
Target Objectives
- Children understand episode one, "Spring," in the book, Frog and Toad
are Friends, by Arnold Lobel.
- Children identify what they already know about frogs, toads, and their habitats,
and generate questions they would like to learn more about.
- Children learn to analyze the theme of friendship (e.g., what it means to
be a friend, and how Frog and Toad demonstrate their feelings toward each
other.)
Student Activities
- Using the chalkboard or butcher paper, develop a KWL Chart (what children
"Know", "Want to know", and "Learned") for tapping into the class's prior
knowledge about frogs, toads, and their habitat and piquing their curiosity
for extending their learning.
- Preview Frog and Toad are Friends by eliciting children's responses
about the name of the author, and the table of contents. Next do a "book walk"
demonstrating how the book is divided into five different episodes. Then invite
children to speculate on what the stories might be about, based on the illustrations.
- Introduce the theme of friendship and some background about the author by
showing children the Arnold Lobel web site developed by a first grade class
at http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/dcorley/authors/Lobel.htm
- Begin a classroom word wall by having children volunteer interesting words
they want to include. Use activities from the "Word Wall Activity List," at http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/1138.html
- Conduct a phonics lesson focused on the words in the word wall. Then have
children select words to add to their personal dictionaries in which they
use the word in a sentence and sometimes create an illustration.
- Read episode one, "Spring," aloud and discuss it with children. Specifically,
discuss what it means to be a friend, and how Frog and Toad demonstrate their
feelings toward each other.
Electronic Resources
- Web site about Arnold Lobel (created by a first grade class): http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/dcorley/authors/Lobel.htm
- http://foreignword.com is a free online
dictionary that translates words into many languages. Use this site to help
English language learners make connections between the new English vocabulary
words and words in their native language.
- KidPix software can be used to create children's personal dictionaries.
Assessment
- Add children's entries (writing and illustrations) in their personal dictionaries
to their portfolios.
Impact of Technology: In what ways (if any) will technology enhance students'
learning experiences in these activities?
- The web site will generate excitement about the Frog and Toad books
and author.
- The online translation dictionary will help ESL children assimilate new
words.
- Kid Pix will allow children to create illustrated dictionaries into
which they can integrate words from the Frog and Toad books.
Copyright © 2000, Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC)