Language Arts - Grade 3 TEKS 3.11J - Recognizing the Story Problem by Lindsay Strickland

Category:  Language Arts
Grade Level:  3rd Grade
Objective: 

Language Arts TEKS 3.11J  Reading/text structures/literary concepts.
The student analyzes the characteristics of various types of texts.  The student is expected to recognize the story problem(s) or plot.

Music TEKS 3.2A  Creative expression/performance.
The student performs a varied repertoire of music.  The student is expected to sing or play a classroom instrument independently or in groups.

Behavioral Objective:
The students will recognize the story problem in the Pumpkin poem.

Pumpkin poem http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/202.html One day I found two pumpkin seeds. I planted one and pulled the weeds. It sprouted roots and a big, long vine. A pumpkin grew; I called it mine. The pumpkin was quite round and fat. (I really am quite proud of that.) But there is something I'll admit That has me worried just a bit. I ate the other seed, you see. Now will it grow inside of me?   (I'm so relieved since I have found That pumpkins only grow in the ground!)

Materials: 
White board, dry-erase markers, transparency of the poem, non-tuned percussion instruments

Activities: 
Begin the lesson by talking about what comes to mind when you hear the word pumpkin.  Ask for a student volunteer to read the Pumpkin poem off of the transparency.  Ask the children to tell you what the problem in this poem might be.  Then have the children generate different ways that you can use a pumpkin (i.e to grow, to carve, to cook with, etc.).  Look at a few books that deal with growing pumpkins, carving pumpkins, etc.  Have the children break into groups of two or three.  Ask them to talk about different experiences that they have had with pumpkins.  Ask one person from each group to share their experience with the class.  Have the children generate a list of words that they think of when they hear the word pumpkin.  List these words on the white board.  Have the children go back into their small groups and choose one of the listed words to be their steady beat word.  Then have them select a group of words.  Last, have them come up with a word or group of words related to the poem but not from the poem.  Ask for a few volunteers to share with the class.  For example, the words may be (1) seed, (2) round and fat, (3) Halloween.

Process:

• Say words with entire group

• Divide class into groups.  Groups say words -- start with steady beat (one syllable)

• Add body percussion to words

• Drop words - body percussion alone

• Move to non-tuned percussion with words

• Drop words - non-tuned percussion alone

	Beat 1	Beat 2	Beat 3	Beat 4
High = snap = cymbals	Hal---------	---------------	------------lo	ween
Middle = clap = castanets	round	and fat	round	and fat
Low = pat = hand drum	seed	seed	seed	seed

Evaluation: 
Observe that students recognize the story?s problem.  Have the children write their own poem or short story that presents a problem.  Have them ask their neighbor to look for and identify the problem in their poem or story as they do the same for their neighbor?s poem or short story.  Have the students get into small groups of three and create their own sound piece using one the group members poem or short story.  Observe the students as they are working in these small groups.