Alexandra+Rocchi-NovemberDecember+Post

Alexandra Rocchi-Saint Joan of Arc Pre-K A: Gather Ss together for introduction of lesson. Start by talking to the Ss about Thanksgiving. Ask questions to assess prior knowledge “Who knows why we celebrate Thanksgiving?” “What do we eat on Thanksgiving?” “What are we thankful for?” B: Read the story “The First Thanksgiving” Stop periodically and ask questions about what is going on in the story. Ask students to re-tell the story. C: Re-ask Pre Reading Questions now that students have heard the story. D: Call on students to help with the hands on Thanksgiving Story. It is a story board of the Story of Thanksgiving and some words are missing that we need to fill in with pictures. E: On the Smart Board-play the story of Thanksgiving (This is a great song by Storybots. Found on YouTube. I use Storybots to introduce letters this is a fun way to review the idea of Thanksgiving and being Thankful)
 * November Group Wiki**
 * Teaching with Differentiation in Mind**
 * 1) **I.** **Objective:**
 * 2) a. Students will be able to understand the story of Thanksgiving through differentiated instruction.
 * 3) **II.** **Materials:**
 * Smart Board**
 * Story of Thanksgiving Book**
 * Story of Thanksgiving (visual/picture story board)**
 * Thanksgiving Song**
 * Thanksgiving Craft: Making Placemats for our own Thanksgiving Feast**
 * 1) **III.** **Procedure:**
 * This is a fun tool to reinforce the Thanksgiving vocabulary*

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 * Student Assessment/Evaluation:**
 * 1) a. Wrap up lesson with a review of why we celebrate Thanksgiving and what we are thankful for.
 * 2) b. Call students to tables and give each student a cornucopia/food to color and cut out.
 * 3) c. Use the pieces and glue on a piece of cardstock (Ask each student that they are thankful for and write it on the placemat) Laminate the placemats and tell students they can use at their own Thanksgiving dinner and show what they are thankful for.

It is so important to use differentiated instruction in any classroom setting, but I think it is especially important for PreK. It is the age that you are learning how each child learns best and what strategies can work for the students (individually and as a whole class) In this lesson I used visual/hands-on/musical/movement/fine motor and creative learning strategies. A lot of my lessons for Pre-K combine all of these different techniques together for a well-rounded lesson. This lesson went really well. I think the students had a lot of fun with the Thanksgiving song on the SmartBoard and the craft. I was really cute to go around at circle time and share what we are all thankful for and their ideas of what Thanksgiving is. I will definitely use this lesson for years to come during the Thanksgiving season. I think the placement is a cute idea as well, because they can keep it and remember what we learned that day!
 * Personal Reflection:**