Unit Title: Biography
Time Allocated for Lesson: 40 minutes
Teacher: Jessica Crisafulli
Grade/Subject: 3rd Grade Guided Reading Lesson

Objectives:
-Students will be exposed to biographies in order to model features of the genre
-Students will find features of biographies within their text using a graphic organizer
-Students will understand vocabulary used in their biography
-Students will use knowledge learned in order to write their own biography and book report

State Standards NJCCCS:
3.1: a. Concepts about print, f. Vocabulary and Concept Development, g. Comprehension Skills and Response to Text, h. Inquiry and Research
3.2: b. Writing as a product 3.3: a. Discussion, b. Questioning, d. Oral Presentation
3.4: a. Active listening, b. Listening comprehension

Materials:
-Photo Illustrated Biographies by Bridgestone Books
-Graphic organizer
-Students’ writing journals

Anticipatory Set:
Students will recall the definition of a biography and the features found in mentor texts from previous writing lessons.

Instructional Input:
Group 1: Teacher will tell the students that they will be studying biographies and using a graphic organizer to help them find features of biographies. Biographies will be from a teacher-selected book, according to the students reading level. The teacher will introduce the graphic organizer and explain each part pointing out that each section is a feature of the biography and that each text will have the information they are looking for. The teacher will then hand out the individual texts to students and have students explore the text. The teacher will ask questions to the group about the photographs in the story and make predictions about what kind of person they will be reading about. The teacher will then have the students turn to the “words to know” section of the text. The students will individually read the vocabulary so they are prepared with the definitions of words they may not know. The teacher will then help the students if need be with explaining the definitions.
Group 2: Teacher will have each student review their findings about their biography with the reading group. After each student has orally presented their information, the teacher will ask the groups to identify the features used in the biography. The teacher will then let the students know that they are going to be writing a biography and reading a biography of their choice for their next book reports. The teacher will then ask the students to return to their seats to write a summary about the biography they just read. Teacher will ask the students to answer why their person is famous in their summary.

Modeling:
Group 1: Teacher will show an example of a completed graphic organizer from another group.
Group 2: Teacher will orally demonstrate a summary of a persons life from a mentor text used in a previous lesson.

Checking for Understanding:
Group 1: Teacher will check for understanding through discussion and review of features of biographies and graphic organizer that will be completed. The teacher will go over the definitions with the students in the “words to know” page to confirm students understand the definitions.
Group 2: Teacher will check for understanding from the students completed graphic organizers and summaries that will be written.

Guided Practice/Independent Practice:
Group 1: Students will be reading and filling out a graphic organizer regarding their story.
Group 2: Students will be sharing the features of their biography. Students will be summarizing their biography.

Closure:
Group 1: Students will review the features of biographies listed on the graphic organizer. The students will focus on features of their biography and be prepared to share and use features to eventually write their own.
Group 2: Students will review the features of biographies listed on the graphic organizer. Students will focus and become prepared to use features to eventually write their own.

Accommodations/Adaptations:
Group 1: Teacher will accommodate ESL student in group. Teacher will go over all definitions in the “words to know” section of the biography with the student. Remind student to use picture clues to help understand the text.
Group 2: Teacher will accommodate different learning styles. Teacher will individually meet with two students to have them confirm the directions of the summary assignment. The teacher will help these two students start on their summary by giving them different starter sentence examples.