Teacher: Jessica Crisafulli
Grade Level: 2^nd Grade
Area: Literacy
Unit: Poetry
Lesson Title: Making Connections
Timeframe: 30 minutes

Standards
3.1: D1 D2 D3
3.2: A1 B1 C1 C2
3.3: A4 D3
3.4: A3

Objectives/Goals
-Students will demonstrate the ability make connections while reading a poem
-Students will demonstrate the ability to understand the importance of making connections while reading

Materials
SMART board
SMART Document Camera
Poem- I Forgot to Say “Please” and “Thank You”
Text Connection Worksheets
Pencils/Crayons

Mini Lesson
The teacher will begin the lesson by stating that the students will be making connections to a new poem. The teacher will also state that they will understand the importance of making connections while reading.
Before reading the poem, the teacher will ask the students to recall the different types of connections and ask for examples of each. The teacher will also discuss what they can have connections to (books, poems, pictures, movies). The teacher will show a picture of a bucket on the SMART board and model a connection. The teacher will ask the students to share their connections with their poetry partner and then share with the class.
The teacher will ask why the students think it is important to make connections to what they are reading. The teacher will have the students turn to a partner and share different answers. After discussion, the teacher will state that good readers always make connections to a story or poem. Making a connection allows readers to relate to the material and characters for better understanding. Making connections will also allow the students to make predictions about what will happen next.  The teacher will also tell students that making connections are important because they will be making them all throughout their lives. 
The teacher will then introduce the new poem. The teacher will share the poem using the SMART board and Document Camera and read it aloud to the students. The teacher will then pass out the student copies and have the students read the poem aloud as a group.
After the poem is read, the teacher will discuss the poem with the students. The teacher will ask the students for “thumbs up” if they made a connection with the poem. The teacher will ask the students to turn to a partner and share their connection.
The teacher will then explain the independent practice to the students, hand out the text connections worksheets, and confer with the students while they are working.

Independent Practice
The students will be asked to make a connection to the poem after the shared reading. The students will choose which connection they have made and select the appropriate worksheet to be completed. The students will be asked to write their connection on the worksheet and draw a picture of their connection.
Early finishers will independently read and mark connections using a post-it.
(Previous Lesson)

Closure
The teacher will call the students back to the carpet for review. The teacher will ask a few students to share their connections using the SMART Document Camera. The teacher will ask the students to recall the different types of connections. The teacher will ask the students the importance of making connections while reading.

Assessments
The teacher will assess the students’ understanding during discussion of connections throughout the mini lesson and conclusion of the lesson. The teacher will assess the students by reviewing their text connection worksheets during independent practice. The teacher will conference with individual students regarding connections using poetry throughout the week.

Differentiation
Students will work with partners to discuss text connections. During independent practice, the teacher will confer and review the text connection worksheets. The teacher will discuss possible connections to the poem with those students having trouble.

Looking Ahead
The students will continue to make connections in their independent reading books and record them as T-S (Text to Self), T-T (Text to Text), and T-W (Text to World) on a post-it throughout the session. (Previous Lesson)
During the next few Reading Workshop sessions, the students will continue to make connections to new poems and understand why it is important to make connections.
During Writing Workshop, the students will be writing their own poems. Once they are published, the students will swap poems with their partners to make connections using the text connections worksheets.
The students will be completing a technology project regarding poetry in their next technology class.