Academic Honesty Statement
I have read and understand the UTA Academic Honesty clause as follows. “Academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of
conduct and will not be tolerated in any form at The University of Texas at Arlington. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be
disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the
University. “Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or
materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give
unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts.” (Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3,
Subsection 3.2., Subdivision 3.22).”
Further, I declare that the work being submitted for this assignment is my original work (e.g., not copied from another student or copied
from another source) and has not been submitted for another class.
University of Texas at Arlington - College of Education - Lesson Plan
Grade/Subject: Second Grade/Social Studies
Date of Lesson: 3/9/09
Approximate Length of Lesson: 50 minutes
Pre-reading Prediction Guide Lesson #1
Section 1: Lesson Plan Background

The following lesson plan is based on the “Anticipation Guide” pre-reading strategy
described in Reading to Learn in the Content Areas. (pp 85-88) I have selected
this activity because it is easily geared to second grade students’ ability levels and
interests as the teacher creates the anticipation guide. Likewise, I chose this
activity because it emphasizes activating student knowledge and interest prior to
reading which research has indicated is a critical component of student
comprehension. According to Alvermann and Phelps (1994, p 122) “what teachers
do before reading to prepare students can be more effective in promoting
comprehension than what is done after reading”. This information may be
shocking to most teachers who spend the majority of class time emphasizing afterreading comprehension building activities.
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I have chosen to refer to this activity as a “Prediction guide” since predicting is a
term my second grade students are familiar with. Although second grade students
are continuing to learn content, every lesson must incorporate opportunities for
students to improve literacy skills. This activity will help meet my instructional
objectives by motivating students through engagement with the text while
teaching both “content and literacy”. (Richardson, p 85)

I further chose this activity because students will benefit from Prediction Guides
throughout the learning process. In addition to motivating students to learn
during the pre-reading stage, students’ background knowledge is also activated.
Likewise, teachers may use prediction guides as a quick form of pre-assessment of
background knowledge of a particular concept. During the reading process,
“students’ curiosity about their predictions can help maintain their purpose for
thoughtful reading”. (Richardson, p 85) After reading, students are able to reflect
on their learning as they return to their initial responses. An additional benefit of
Prediction Guides is that all students have the opportunity to be successful as they
change any initial incorrect responses to indicate learning.

According to Alvermann and Phelps, factors which influence comprehension
include: interest; motivation; purpose; attention; prior knowledge; and strategy.
Although Prediction Guides address each of these components, motivation and
purpose are significantly impacted. According to Hadaway “a little bit of attention
focused on motivating students to read before the assignment is worth the effort
spent in terms of student involvement in the reading process". Prediction guides
motivate students’ curiosity by getting them to think about what they already
know and then engage in text as they find “proof” for their answers which
becomes the purpose for reading. (Lesson 4, pp 4-5)

Questions and activities have been adapted to meet the needs and abilities of
second grade students.
Section II: Lesson Plan
I. Goal: Students will learn how to use a Prediction Guide, as well as demonstrate
understanding of the concept of natural resources and the importance of conservation.
II. Objectives: The students will be able to identify natural resources and give examples
of their use 90% of the time. The students will be able to identify ways to conserve
natural resources with at least 90% accuracy.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Analysis: The student will analyze the characteristics and purposes of natural resources
through reading social studies text and discussions with a partner and whole group.
Application: The student will apply what he/she has learned about natural resources to
explain why conservation is important.
Social Studies TEKS Grade 2
(7) Geography. The student understands how physical characteristics of places and regions
affect people's activities and settlement patterns. The student is expected to: (B) explain how people
depend on the physical environment and its natural resources to satisfy their basic needs.
(8) Geography. The student understands how humans use and modify the physical environment.
The student is expected to: (A) identify ways in which people depend on the physical environment,
including natural resources, to meet basic needs; (D) identify ways people can conserve and replenish
natural resources.
(18) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The
student is expected to: (A) express ideas orally based on knowledge and experiences; and
III. Instructional Materials & Resources:
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Manila paper
Markers
Prediction Guide (included at the end of lesson)
Prediction Guide document file or transparency of guide
Ceiling-mount (or overhead) projector
Pencils
Discovery Education steaming video: Learning about Natural Resources –
“Introduction” (1:33)
Harcourt Horizons About My Community – Second grade social studies texts (1
copy per child): pp 128-133; 148-151.
Harcourt Horizons About My Community Teacher’s Guide
Pre/Post Test modified/adapted from Harcourt Horizons “Performance Task”
Assessment: Unit 3, p 12.
IV. Content:

Reading to Learn in the Content Areas (Richardson, 2009)
According to Richardson, “Anticipation” or “Prediction Guides” are an effective
strategy to “enhance comprehension”. In order to construct an anticipation guide,
the teacher must first read over the content to be covered and determine “the
major concepts to be learned”. Next, she chooses which concepts should be used
to “stimulate student background and beliefs”. These concepts are used to
construct three to six “thought provoking statements” which must consider
students’ background knowledge. Statements should be easier to read than the
text and “intuitively appealing” but not necessarily correct. The Prediction Guide
can be presented to the whole class on an overhead projector, on worksheets, or a
combination of both as I have done in this lesson. An important aspect of the
prediction guide is allowing students an opportunity to support their beliefs both
orally and in writing; therefore, the guide should include opportunties for “original
student responses” or class discussion after students have had a chance to
complete the guide. (Richardson, pp 87-88)
The Prediction Guide is used prior to reading in order to assess students’
understanding of content to be learned, as well activate background knowledge
and motivate student engagement with the text. Teachers should present
students with the prediction guide prior to reading and ask students to respond to
each statement. Clear directions should be given for student responses which
might include yes/no, true/false, or a check mark if the student agrees with the
statement. After students respond independently on the prediction guide, the
teacher should engage the class in discussion of each statement further motivating
future engagement of text, as well as allowing students to benefit from other
students’ experiences. (Richardson, p 85; Specific guide examples: pp 87, 89)
Although the prediction guide may be considered a pre-reading strategy, the guide
serves as a learning tool during and after reading as well. The teacher should
encourage curious students to use the guide as they search for confirmation of
their answers. After reading, students should be encouraged to return to the
guide and reassess their responses. (Richardson, p 85)
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Online Lesson 4
According to Alvermann & Phelps (1994), during the pre-reading stage teachers
should “activate students’ prior knowledge in order to determine whether students
have enough background to proceed and decide whether the knowledge that
students possess is accurate”. Hadaway further recommends “analyzing the
content and format of the assignment” during the pre-reading stage of content
learning. Likewise, teachers should use the information about text and student
background to determine how best to “tailor…pre-reading plans specifically
to…students and the assignment at hand.” (Online Lesson 4, pp 8-9)

Social Studies TEKS Grade 2
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter113/ch113a.html#113.4
V. Accommodations & Modifications:
 Students will be placed in heterogeneous groups. (Reading abilities and academic
strengths/weaknesses will be considered when grouping.)
 ESL students and those diagnosed with ADD or ADHD will be allowed extra time for
responses.
 ESL students will be grouped with a peer who models the English language effectively.
 Struggling readers will be placed with a fluent partner.
VI. Instructional Procedures:
Pre-assessment: (Completed prior to lesson)
 Students will complete pre-test prior to lesson. Teacher will assess students’
understanding of natural resources and conservation. Students should be told the
pre-test will not be counted as a final grade but will help the teacher know what
students have already learned about natural resources and conservation. (Copy of
pre/post test found at end of lesson plan document.)
Sponge (5 minutes):
 Give students a sheet of manila paper, and ask them to draw pictures of things
they see on the earth. After three minutes, ask students to stop and share
pictures. Ask students which things are found in nature that people can use.
Set Induction (3 minutes):
 Introduce and watch Discovery Education streaming video segment: Learning
about Natural Resources – “Introduction” (1 minute, 33 seconds). Video segment
begins with a little boy who receives “magic glasses” in a box of cereal which allow
him to discover “natural resources”. The introduction will encourage students to
want to learn more about natural resources in their text. After watching video, ask
students think about what the boy in the video might have discovered when he
wore his special glasses.
Large group instruction (10 minutes):
 Explain to students that today they will be learning a new strategy to help them
understand their social studies text. Give students each a copy of worksheet, and
project the “Prediction Guide” from the ceiling mount projector onto white board.
Read the directions and complete the sample with students. Demonstrate
where/how to answer questions with “yes” or “no”. Demonstrate making predictions
by thinking out loud after reading the sample statement. Encourage students to
share their responses and explain why they believe they are correct.
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Read each statement of Prediction Guide as students complete their individual
worksheets. After students finish completing the Prediction Guide, have students
share their predictions. Encourage students to share reasoning behind their answers.
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Explain to students they will be searching for answers to each statement in their
social studies text.
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Preview vocabulary (pp 128, 148) and take a picture walk of the lessons to be
covered. (Although I am covering Lesson 4 and Lesson 6, there are only ten pages of
text which are highly supported by photographs. Most pages have only one short
paragraph, and concepts covered are complementary; therefore, I do not anticipate
this amount of text to overwhelm students.)
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Write the page numbers to be read by students on the board.
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Intervention: During large group instruction, teacher focuses on how to use
Prediction Guide to help read/comprehend text. Struggling students may need more
than one example from Prediction Guide to understand how to use this strategy.
*Although partners are heterogeneously paired, the teacher might need to pull a
small group of students to the side for more individualized instruction.
Partner/Small Group Discussion (15-18 minutes):
*Prior to this lesson, routines and expectations for partner and small group work have
been set. Students are grouped in “teams” and have an assigned partner for this type of
activity. Therefore, teacher only needs to say “Today you will complete this activity with
your partner” and students know exactly who they will work with. Procedures are also
set for who “goes first”.
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Explain to students they will have about 15 minutes for the partner portion of this
activity.
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Instruct partners to read and discuss the first two pages of text and return to the first
statement. Instruct students to mark the “After” column “yes” or “no” to indicate
whether the statement is correct. Students should make sure they are able to explain
why they agree/disagree with an answer.
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Students work with a partner to read and discuss the remainder of the Prediction
Guide.
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As partners work to complete the Prediction Guide, teacher moves about the
classroom listening to and encouraging student conversations. Clarify questions and
redirect students as necessary.
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When most students have finished the Prediction Guide, call attention back to whole
group focus. Complement students on the way they worked together to read and
discuss whether statements were true or false. Praise students for taking turns
listening and speaking.
Feedback (2 minutes):
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Return to white board copy of Prediction Guide. Read each Prediction Guide
statement. Ask students to share what they learned about natural resources and
conservation through reading the social studies text. Encourage students as they
explain how they came to decide their final answers.
VII. Evaluation (8-10 minutes):
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Distribute Post Test which asks students to name natural resources and their uses,
as well as a reflection on the importance of conservation. Modification: Allow
students to draw a picture and respond orally.
The post-test is identical to the pre-test because I anticipate most of my second
grade students will be unfamiliar with “natural resources” and “conservation”.
Returning to the same format will give students an opportunity to feel good about
how much they have learned during this lesson.
Collect and correct post-tests making note of correct vs. incorrect responses.
VIII. Closure (2 minutes):
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Summarize main points of discussion on natural resources and conservation.
Name: ____________________
Date: ______________
Prediction Guide - Natural Resources and Conservation
Directions: Read these statements to yourself as I read them aloud. We will write
“yes” in the “Before” column if we agree with a statement and “no” if we do not agree.
Be ready to explain why you agree or disagree with each statement. Then we will read
to see if we should change our minds.
Before
Example: Natural resources are what people
use to cook with.
1. People use natural resources to
meet their needs.
2. Water can be used to make
electricity.
3. Air is for breathing. It is not a
natural resource!
4. Trees are the natural resource
used to make paper, homes, and
clothing.
5. Soil is not an important natural
resource. It is dirt!
6. Conservation means using up
things so they don’t get wasted.
7. When we recycle, we are taking
care of our resources.
After
Pre/Post Test: (Adapted from Harcourt Horizons “Performance Task” test. (Unit 3 Test, p 12)
Name: ____________________
Date: ______________
What is That Natural Resource?
Your class is making a book titled “Natural Resources That Help Us Meet Our
Needs”. You have been asked to write about a natural resource that is important
to you.
1. What natural resource will you choose?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. How does this natural resource help you meet your needs?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. Write a paragraph telling something interesting about the natural resource
you chose.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
4. Name at least two other natural resources to include in the book.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
5. How does conservation protect our resources?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
6. On the back make a poster showing some ways to protect Earth’s
resources.
Section III: Connection to Standards
Part I: I developed this lesson plan prior to Practicum II in my Content Reading/Writing
class, LIST 5345, spring 2009. This lesson plan demonstrates my knowledge of prereading strategies and the importance of activating prior knowledge to support content
area reading.
Part II: This lesson plan demonstrates that I have a firm understanding of IRA
Standard 1 (Foundational Knowledge) and specifically Standard 1.2 when I
demonstrated my knowledge of current reading research which supports the use of prereading activities focused on activating students’ prior knowledge. Likewise, I also
discussed the impact of motivating students prior to reading according to current
research and developed a pre-reading lesson which included this important element of
instruction. This lesson further demonstrates my firm understanding of IRA Standard
1.4 as I explained how the use of pre-reading strategies and motivating students prior to
reading are more influential in aiding comprehension than post-reading activities.
Pedagogical Knowledge & Skills – Instruction
This lesson plan demonstrates my firm understanding of IRA Standard 2.1 as I
implemented activities which allowed students to participate in individual, whole group,
and partner learning activities. I used whole group instruction for introducing the
“Prediction Guide” and when I motivated students to learn about natural resources as we
watched a short Discovery Education video. Students worked independently at the
beginning of the lesson when they drew a picture of things they can see on the earth and
as they initially completed their “Prediction Guides”. Students worked with a partner as
they learned the new skill of reading and discussing their predictions. The partner
activity allowed students time to engage in learning through conversation.
I demonstrated my firm understanding of TExES ESL Domain II: Competency 003 as
I discussed ways to implement “effective, developmentally appropriate instruction” which
allows for all students to be successful. One of the ways I modified instruction for ELL
students was to allow extra time for responses. Likewise, language and academic
strengths/weaknesses were considered when I assigned partners and as I made sure
each partner group would include at least one proficient reader who models a firm grasp
of the English language.
Reflection on how assignment demonstrates candidate’s understanding: This
lesson demonstrates my concern for all students in my classroom regardless of economic
situation, background knowledge, or academic ability. This lesson plan demonstrates my
understanding of the importance of motivating students and activating their background
knowledge prior to reading. It further demonstrates my ability to incorporate technology
resources, such as Discovery Education, to enhance instruction and motivate students.
Likewise, it demonstrates my ability to bring students to difficult text by scaffolding
learning through effective pre-reading activities supported by research. As a future
reading specialist, it will be important for me to provide leadership on my campus
through sharing of research supported instructional strategies such as
Anticipation/Prediction Guides.