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Reading Thematic Unit on Halloween Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan #:AELP-RDG001
Submitted by: Kimberly L. Short
Email: behmod@microserve.net (email address no longer valid)
School/University/Affiliation: Indiana University of PA Date: October 11, 1998


Grade Level(s): 2

Subject(s):

  • Language Arts/Reading
  • Social Studies/Holidays

Duration: 16 Days

Description: The topic for this reading thematic unit is Halloween.

Goals: The goals for this 16-lesson thematic unit are for the students to increase their listening skills, as well as comprehension of what is heard.  Additional goals are to develop creative writing skills, sequencing skills and vocabulary.


Useful Internet Resources:
Halloween Tricks or Treats:
http://www.night.net/halloween/index.html-ssi ParentsPlace.com: The Haunting History of Halloween
http://www.parentsplace.com/features/halloween/articles/0,10335,258726_109809,00.html

Halloween Crafts:
http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/_Hallo.html
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/halloween/


Lesson Plan #1   Lesson Plan #2   Lesson Plan #3   Lesson Plan #4  
Lesson Plan #5   Lesson Plan #6   Lesson Plan #7   Lesson Plan #8  
Lesson Plan #9   Lesson Plan #10   Lesson Plan #11   Lesson Plan #12  
Lesson Plan #13   Lesson Plan #14   Lesson Plan #15   Lesson Plan #16  

Lesson Plan 1:

Title: The Magic Pumpkin: Listening/Comprehension

Objective:

This lesson is intended to promote critical listening. Following the lesson, students will be able to tell what happens in the story The Magic Pumpkin. In addition, students will be able to sequence events in the story.

Materials:

  • Book – Bill Martin, et al. (1989). The Magic Pumpkin, Henry Holt & Company, Inc.; ISBN: 080501134X
  • Pumpkin patch – table covered with brown paper
  • Pumpkin seeds – made of oak tag

Procedures:

  • Read The Magic Pumpkin.
  • Ask students questions (orally) about what happened in the story, giving prompts when needed.
  • Explain to students how there is a beginning, a middle and an end to every story.
  • Have students plant their pumpkin seeds by sliding them under slits made in the brown paper covering the table.
  • Ask students what they think will happen to the seeds next.
  • Assessment:

    Assessment for this lesson will be based primarily on oral responses from the students in terms of their ability to: a. tell what happened in the story.
    b. sequence events in the story.


    Lesson Plan 2:

    Title: Arthur’s Halloween: Working Together as a Group

    Materials:

    • Book – Brown, Marc, T. (1983). Arthur’s Halloween. Little Brown & Co. ISBN: 0316110590
    • Pre-printed book with illustrations
    • Pen

    Procedures:

  • Read Arthur’s Halloween.
  • Again, ask questions about what happens: at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the story.
  • Show students pre-printed book, explaining that, working as a group, they will write their own Halloween story, with a beginning, a middle and an end.
  • Ask students to try and come up with a beginning to the story that goes with the illustrations, helping them if needed.
  • As children give their ideas, discuss them as a group.
  • Choose the beginning and write it down in the space provided.
  • Continue prompting students to give ideas until they have come up with a first page (minimum).
  • Assessment: Assessment of this lesson will be based on the story suggestions given by students for their book and the extent to which they make sense to the teacher and everyone else.


    Lesson Plan 3

    Title: Story Structure

    Objective: Students will realize that there is a beginning, a middle and an end to every story.

    Materials:

    • Imagination
    • Pre-printed book
    • Chalk
    • Marking pen

    Procedures:

  • Show students the next several illustrations of their book.
  • Ask for ideas/words they may want to include in their story.
  • Write these suggestions on the board.
  • Look again at illustrations and try to come to a general agreement of what should come next.
  • Write down story in spaces provided in book.
  • Assessment: Assessment will be based on story suggestions given by students for their book and the extent to which they make sense to the teacher and everyone else.
     


    Lesson Plan 4

    Title: Our Pumpkin Patch: Growth and Change

    Objective: Students will reconize change in attitude and in growth of plants.

    Materials:

    • Raindrops (made from dots cut with a paper punch from blue paper)
    • Book – Bill Martin, et al. (1989). The Magic Pumpkin, Henry Holt & Company, Inc.; ISBN: 080501134X
    • This will be an ongoing activity throughout this unit. The last part will be changing the bag pumpkins into real pumpkins.

    Procedures:

  • Read The Magic Pumpkin
  • Discuss how Mr. Squiggs changed in the story (from grumpy to happy, not liking others to liking everyone).
  • Discuss how our pumpkin patch may change just like Mr. Squiggs.
  • Have students sprinkle rain on their pumpkin seeds.
  • Ask students what they think may happen to their seeds with the help of the rain.
  • Assessment:

    Assessment will be based on students’ ability to recognize change and predict the kind of change that will happen to seeds with the help of rain.


    Lesson Plan 5

    Title: Feelings

    Objectives: Students will recognize different feelings. Students will draw happy and grumpy faces as a means of identifying different feelings.

    Materials:

    • Book- Little Critter’s Halloween
    • Paper Pumpkins on orange paper (two for each student)
    • Black construction paper (one sheet for each student)
    • scissors
    • crayons
    • chalk

    Procedures:

  • Read the book Little Critter’s Halloween.
  • Once again, ask students what happened at the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
  • Remind them how at the beginning of The Magic Pumpkin Mr. Squiggs was grumpy and at the end of the story he was happy.
  • Point out that just like Mr. Squiggs, Little Critter changed from grumpy to happy in today’s story.
  • Have students draw a happy face on one pumpkin and a grumpy face on the other pumpkin.
  • Students will cut out the pumpkins and glue them onto opposite sides of the black construction paper.
  • Using chalk, the students will then copy (from the chalkboard) grumpy and happy on corresponding sides of the paper.
  • Assessment: Assessment will be on whether or not students could differentiate between happy and grumpy, as well as on oral questioning.
     


    Lesson Plan 6

    Title: Our Pumpkin Patch: Story Structure

    Objective: Students will tell the beginning, middle, and end to a story. Students will predict the middle and end to a pumpkin patch.
     

    Materials:

    • Small green vines made from construction paper
    • Book – Bill Martin, et al. (1989). The Magic Pumpkin, Henry Holt & Company, Inc.; ISBN: 080501134X
    • Copies of students’ book for each student

    Procedures:

  • Before students arrive, add small paper vines where each seed had been planted.
  • When students arrive, have them look at the pumpkin patch.
  • Ask them what change they notice.
  • Read The Magic Pumpkin.
  • Discuss how just like the story, their pumpkin patch has a beginning, a middle and an end.
  • Assessment:

  • Can students tell what the beginning, middle and end was in the story?
  • Can they make guesses about what the middle and end of their pumpkin patch will be?

  • Lesson Plan 7

    Title: Counting Crows

    Objective:

    Students will tell what happened at the beginning, middle, and end of the book.
    Students will begin working on a pre-printed student book.

    Materials:

    • Paper Crows glued to oak tag so they stand up
    • Book: Holder, Heidi (1990). Crows: An Old Rhyme, Farrar Straus & Giroux (Juv);ISBN: 0374416109
    • Imagination
    • Pre-printed student-made book
    • Pen

    Procedures:

  • Before students arrive, set a crow beside each vine.
  • As students sit down, check for reactions to the crows.
  • Ask students what they think will happen if the crows are allowed to stay in our pumpkin patch
  • If the idea of a scarecrow is not given (hopefully it will be), suggest it and ask students what they think may happen if a scarecrow were added.
  • Read the book Crows: An Old Rhyme
  • Question students orally about what happened at the beginning, middle, and end of the book.
  • If-time allows, work on student-made book.
  • Assessment: During the oral questioning, students will differentiate between beginning, middle, and ending pieces of a story.


    Lesson Plan 8

    Title: Scarecrow

    Objectives:

    Students will predict what happens next in their pumpkin patch after helping the scarecrow get rid of the crows. Students will tell their story and dictate it to the teacher as she writes it down in the student-made book.

    Materials:

    • Scarecrow (either purchased or made)
    • Pre-printed student-made book
    • Imagination

    Procedures:

  • As soon as students are seated, tell them to look at the pumpkin patch.
  • Bring out the scarecrow and place in pumpkin patch.
  • Call students up one at a time to help the scarecrow get the crows out of the pumpkin patch.
  • Ask students what they think may happen next in their pumpkin patch now that the crows are gone.
  • Read the beginning of their student-made book.
  • Explain how they have worked, using both the illustrations and their imaginations to create a good beginning.
  • Giving prompts as needed, continue to have students work at telling their story and the teacher writes it down as they dictate it.
  • Try to write as closely to what the students dictate as possible so they feel they have REALLY created the book.
  • Assessment: Students will dictate a beginning and middle story of their book.
     


    Lesson Plan 9

    Title: The Magic Pumpkin: Continued

    Materials:

    • Book – Bill Martin, et al. (1989). The Magic Pumpkin, Henry Holt & Company, Inc.; ISBN: 080501134X
    • Student copies of The Magic Pumpkin
    • Student-made book
    • Pen

    Procedures:

  • To refresh students memories, read The Magic Pumpkin while they follow along in their own books.
  • Ask students questions about the book to check for comprehension.
  • Read the student-made book.
  • Give students prompts (when needed) to continue their story.
  • Reread their book with the new additions.
  • If time: Allow students to color a page or two in The Magic Pumpkin.
  • Remind students to be thinking of what to put next in their book.
  • Assessment: Students will answer comprehension questions about the story The Magic Pumpkin with 90% accuracy.


    Lesson Plan 10

    Title: The Magic Pumpkin: Blossoms and Vines

    Materials:

    • White and yellow tissue paper
    • Green pipe cleaners
    • Scissors
    • Book – Bill Martin, et al. (1989). The Magic Pumpkin, Henry Holt & Company, Inc.; ISBN: 080501134X
    • Student copies of The Magic Pumpkin

    Procedures:

    Ask students if they know what might come next on their pumpkin vines.

  • If the answer blossoms is given, Great! If not, prompt students to give that answer.
  • If no one gives that answer, explain to them that blossoms will come before they can grown pumpkins on their vines.
  • Give each student a piece of white and yellow tissue paper
  • Give each student scissors
  • Give each student a green pipe cleaner
  • Tell students to cut out (pre-printed) circles from tissue paper
  • Show students how to gather tissue paper and twist with the pipe cleaner to form a blossom.
  • Allow each student to put their blossom next to their vine in the pumpkin patch.
  • Read The Magic Pumpkin with students following along in their copies.
  • Ask students to compare how just like Mr. Squiggs, their pumpkin patch has been changing.
  • Question students about what they think will happen next in their pumpkin patch, monitoring responses for making sense.
  • If-time, allow students to color another page or two of The Magic Pumpkin .
  • Assessment: Students will make comparisons with 80% accuracy.


    Lesson Plan 11

    Title: Hand Fence

    Objectives: Students will:

    1. Generate ideas for the story.
    2. Cut out hand tracings
    3. Assemble a hand fence around the pumpkin patch.
    4. Use a new word from the Jack-o’_lantern Word Wheels in a sentence.
     

    Materials:

    • Paper bunnies cut and glued to paper (so they stand)….one for each vine.
    • Brown construction paper (two sheets per student)
    • Pencils
    • Scissors
    • Glue sticks
    • Stapler
    • Jack-o’_lantern Word Wheels

    Procedures:

  • Ask students what has changed in their pumpkin patch (bunnies there)
  • Ask students for ideas on how to get rid of and keep the bunnies out of their pumpkin patch.
  • Have students place hands on brown construction paper and (you) trace around them.
  • Students will cut out their hand tracings on the brown construction paper.
  • Staple paper hands together to create a chain
  • Use glue stick to glue the hand fence around the pumpkin patch.
  • Allow each student to come and get their bunny out of the pumpkin patch.
  • Pass out word wheels
  • Have students cut out the pieces
  • Read the Halloween words that appear on the wheel.
  • Give each student a brass brad to hook the pieces together.
  • Taking turns, ask students to use one of the words in a sentence.
  • Tell students to think of ways to add these new words to their student-made book.
  • Assessment: Each student will use least one word from the new words discussed and used during the lesson.


    Lesson Plan 12

    Title: Chronological Order

    Objectives: students will be able:

  • to answer questions about the nature of growth of a plant.
  • to chronologically sequence events of a story.
  • Materials:

    • Small green pumpkins made from whatever materials are available…some options are: play-doh, paper, styrofoam balls, small plastic pumpkins painted green…
    • Book – Bill Martin, et al. (1989). The Magic Pumpkin, Henry Holt & Company, Inc.; ISBN: 080501134X
    • Student copies of The Magic Pumpkin
    • Enlarged pictures from The Magic Pumpkin

    Procedures:

  • Allow students to remark on the latest change their pumpkin patch has gone through.
  • Ask where did the pumpkins come from? Answer: (blossoms)
  • Ask where did the blossoms come from? Answer: (the vine) \ giving prompts when needed
  • Ask where did the vine come from? Answer: (the seed)
  • Ask where did we put the seeds?  Answer:  (in the ground)
  • Read The Magic Pumpkin with students following along in their books.
  • Ask students to tell you what came at the beginning of their pumpkin patch, what came in the middle, and what has come now.
  • Place enlarged pictures from the book in mixed up order on the chalkboard.
  • Ask students to come up (one at a time) and put the pictures in order, starting from the beginning of the story and proceeding to the end of the story.
  • If-time allows: have students fill in the Haunted House Word Fun worksheet , using some of the words from their jack-o’-lantern word wheel from previous day.
  • Assessment: Evaluation will be based on how well the students can answer questions about their pumpkin patch and if they are able to put the pictures in chronological order on the board.
     


    Lesson Plan 13

    Title: Raindrops

    Objectives: Students will:

  • complete their story book
  • make more predictions about what happens to plants when water is added.
  • Materials:

    • Raindrops (made from dots cut with a paper punch from blue paper)
    • Pre-printed student-made book
    • Pen
    • Imagination

    Procedures:

  • Tell students that today is the final day to finish their book.
  • Ask students to think of a good ending for their book, keeping in mind what has happened in the beginning, and the middle.
  • Prompt students for ideas to add to their book.
  • Complete book and tell the students they will each receive a copy the next day to keep for themselves.
  • Before class is over, give each student some raindrops to water their small green pumpkins.
  • Ask them what they think may happen next to their pumpkins.
  • Assessment: Student will produce a story book complete with beginning, middle, and end.
    Student can predict the beginning of another growth cycle for plants.


    Lesson Plan 14

    Title: Plastic Bag Pumpkins

    Objectives: Students will comment on their work (story book) and make more predictions.

    Materials:

    • Copies of student-made books for each child and one for self
    • Shredded newspaper
    • Plastic bag pumpkins
    • Twist ties
    • Glitter

    Procedures:

  • Show students their book
  • Tell them what a good job they have done and how proud of them you are.
  • Pass out copies of their book to each student
  • Tell them to follow along as you read it aloud.
  • Allow time for students to comment on their book!
  • Give each student a plastic bag pumpkin, a twist tie, and some shredded newspaper.
  • Have students stuff their pumpkins and close them with a twist tie.
  • Allow students to come to the pumpkin patch one at a time and place their pumpkins on their vine.
  • Give each student a small amount of glitter to sprinkle on their pumpkin..explaining how it’s Magic Dust just like the dust in The Magic Pumpkin .
  • Ask students if they have any ideas of what will happen to their pumpkins next.
  • Assessment: None
     


    Lesson Plan 15

    Title: Hot Pumpkin Game

    Objectives:   Students will:

  • Take a comprehension test on the The Magic Pumpkin.
  • Color pages
  • Play hot pumpkin game.
  • Materials:

    • Real pumpkins
    • Book – Bill Martin, et al. (1989). The Magic Pumpkin, Henry Holt & Company, Inc.; ISBN: 080501134X
    • Copies of the unit test for each student
    • Pencils
    • Folders (for privacy while taking test)
    • Halloween coloring pages
    • Crayons

    Procedures:

  • Allow students time to comment on the latest happening in their pumpkin patch.
  • Instead of reading the book, skim through it, asking students questions and allowing them to make comments.
  • Place folders between students to allow privacy while taking the test.
  • Show students the coloring pages and tell them when they finish their test to raise their hand and you will collect it and give them a coloring page to work on while waiting for others to finish.
  • Pass out the test.
  • Tell the students to take their time and to think about what happened in the beginning, the middle and the end of both the story and their pumpkin patch.
  • When all students have finished, give them a few more minutes to finish their coloring pages.
  • If-time….Play hot pumpkin game on the carpet. (Like hot potato, but with a small plastic pumpkin).
  • Assessment:
     
    This lesson is dedicated for the test.


    Lesson Plan 16

    Title: End of Unit Party

    Objectives: Students will

    1. Make dessert
    2. Listen to their book being read a loud

    Materials:

    • Chocolate pudding mix
    • Milk
    • Oreo cookies
    • Measuring cups
    • Rolling pin
    • Mixing bowl
    • Ziploc bag(s)
    • Electric mixer
    • Plastic cups and spoons
    • Napkins
    • Candy pumpkins
    • Student created book (to present to class)
    • You did it certificates (one for each student)

    Procedures:

  • Explain to students that since they have worked so hard writing their book, they can now celebrate!
  • Assign each student a job (according to their ability) in mixing the mud dessert
  • Make dessert
  • Put into cups
  • Top with candy pumpkins
  • While students eat their pumpkin patches read the story they have written.
  • Have students present a copy to homeroom teacher.
  • Give each student a personal copy of their book.
  • Present each student with a You did it certificate.
  • Assessment: None