Setting+Objectives

The first grade team of Bluffsview uses the Balanced Literacy Approach during shared read aloud. We began our study of the American Symbols using a KWL chart that was our first part of our Smartboard lesson. Each day we added to our KWL chart. We also created in this Smartboard lesson a 4 corner graphic organizer to help keep track of the information we were learning. By the end of the week we had created a topic sentences, four supporting sentences, and a closing sentence. (K. Cox Bluffsview 1st grade)

Created by Kathy and Jacquie from Worthington Park:

This strategy can be used with paper and pencil or presented on a Smartboard or mimio. I have been setting the learning targets for my students, but after reading Marzano, I realized that I need to have them interact with the learning targets. I have started creating a page for each unit. It lists the learning targets and then skills required to meet that target. As we complete our classwork, students can check off the skills they are learning. This week, we will continue with these same learning targets, but I am going to have them look over their skills from last week and make a personal learning target based on any weakness they see. I have started this activity with the nonfiction unit--learning text features. It seems to be easy for the kids to say, "Yes, I can identify a heading and subheadings." Some of the text features were new to them, so they should have something they want to focus on for this week. We have been recording our learning on paper and placing it in our reading notebooks. Behind the learning targets, they can put all the work we have done to support that target. If I had technology in my classrooms, I would actually fill out a form on a Smartboard or mimio. I could also have students read a passage from the Smartboard and we could mark the various text features together. I may get there this year, but being in four rooms has been enough of a challenge at this point. (Linda Evans, McCord)

Test for class.......