Sequencing Events in a Story

Learning Objectives

I can retell a story verbally, including 3 – 4 events in order.
I can use pictures to retell the story events in order.
I can write about the story.

Instructional Rationale

How will you access students’ prior knowledge and incorporate that into the lesson?

To introduce the lesson and see what prior knowledge that students have, a quick game will be played to review sequencing with a quick teacher example and students will be able to move around to show what they do first, second, and last.

How does the lesson support student learning of the content in a meaningful way?

This lesson supports student learning by having multiple means of engagement. The text chosen highlights the experience of an African American girl with natural hair, along with the struggles of having a parent with medical needs. With the story being about getting your hair done, many students can relate to the characters. Additionally, the lesson can be hands-on, it will involve movement, and it will allow for collaboration in the classroom with students (pairs or small groups).

How are you integrating UDL (multiple means of engagement, representation, and action & expression) into your lesson?

Multiple Means of Engagement

Integration will occur through visualization, a read aloud (if needed to review the story), small group work, and the option of cut and paste.

Multiple Means of Representation

Integration will occur through a Google Slides presentation, a movement game to practice sequencing, and a paper handout to order events (or digitally done with drag and drop).

Multiple Means of Action and Expression

Integration will occur through Google Slides, which will have the option of a drag-and-drop activity for sequencing (formative assessment) and a movement game for sequencing (warm up). The written handout will be given with scaffolds (a sheet with lines and a sheet without lines, and sentence starters). The sheet should be collected to assess students’ knowledge (all prompts read aloud).

What evidence do you have that you are connecting teaching to the CRP tenets (academic success, cultural competence, and critical consciousness)?

The list of diverse texts supplies ample choice for educators to select a text that targets the classroom demographic for inclusive purposes. For the purpose of this lesson, the text Hair Love is used. Additionally, students will be tasked to sequence events from the story along with referring to the story stones in the sequencing activity for the text, drawing on explicitly stated information. Students will also be asked to infer the lesson of the story and discuss their feelings.

How are you using technology to enhance and enrich the lesson?

Various forms of technology will be used throughout the lesson. Google Slides (and a smart board if classrooms have it) will be the main platform used. Teachers will have the option of using the handout in a virtual method or on paper.

Assessments

Are you using formative or summative assessments or both?

Formative assessment will be used in this specific lesson. There are activities included in the extension section for either additional formative assessment or a summative assessment.

What is the purpose of each assessment?

The purpose of the formative assessments throughout the lesson is to simply gauge how well students are able to listen to a story and sequence the events of the story in the order that they occur. This identification can be through verbal means (small groups discussion and sharing out) or in written means (the sequencing handout). Depending on the type of students in the class, and especially with the younger students, it may be necessary for the teacher to utilize verbal response for formative assessment (have the student say their answer and you write it down for them to copy) or to utilize the accommodated version of the handout, making sure to read aloud and provide verbal directions for students.

How is each assessment linked to UDL, CRP or both?

The formative assessments used in the lesson allow for students to respond in a variety of ways to demonstrate what they have learned and are learning. Understanding sequencing of events in addition to the story stones is the starting point to understanding more complex storylines. It also allows for students to think about more significant problems that impact people(/children) and to discuss these.

How will you check each student’s level of knowing, understanding, or doing related to the learning objectives or outcomes?

During the warm up, the teacher can judge students’ knowledge based on what they are able to retell in their own experience of getting ready in the morning (also where students go when completing the movement activity). The short worksheet will be an exit ticket that has students complete the sequencing of events for the text Hair Love. It is important to read these aloud to students to ensure there aren’t any misinterpretations or errors due to lack of reading fluency.
- This level of completion can be up to the teacher, depending on student level. I suggest giving a word bank or student choices for some of the responses.
- Additionally, with the younger students it may be necessary for the teacher to utilize verbal response for formative assessment (have the student say their answer and you write it down for them to copy).
Throughout the lesson design, there are ample opportunities for formative assessment to occur. Additionally, at the end of the lesson, the teacher can take a look at the exit tickets to have a better understanding of the students’ levels of knowing, understanding, and doing, which can ultimately allow the teacher the information needed to make an informed decision on how to proceed.

Materials & Resources

A list of diverse text
- Hair Love (the example used for the lesson would work)
- Read the text aloud or use a read aloud from YouTube
Google Slides Presentation
Morning Routine – Sequencing Cards made on Canva
- PDF version: Cards
Teacher’s Computer
Sequencing Story Events – Cut & Paste Handout made on Canva
- PDF version: Handout
- This handout includes 3 versions
  - Page 1 – without any accommodations
  - Page 2 – includes the transition words
  - Page 3 – includes a word bank and fill in the blank for the sentence section (more for kinders, emergent English Learners, or students with disabilities)
Pencils
Exit Ticket – Collect the sequencing handout

Procedures & Implementation

In order to facilitate learning for this lesson the following strategies will be used: movement, questioning, small group work, and open discussions.

The lesson will be introduced by a review of objectives and standards. Then, students will stand up on the carpet to review the teacher’s example of “what the teacher does to get ready for school”. Next, the teacher will instruct students to look around at the event cards placed around the room. Students will be asked to go to the card that shows what they do first, second, and last when they get ready for school to review sequencing.

Sequence of Events

You will need the Google Slides Presentation with Pear Deck integration for the following steps:

Review of lesson standards and objectives (5 minutes)
Warm Up activity (10 minutes)
- Briefly explain the teacher routine as an example, then jump into the student activity.
- Event Cards for around the room.
Whole class mini lesson (10 minutes)
- Listen to the story again (if needed)
- Sequence events verbally as a class utilizing the pictures in the Google Slides presentation.
- There are 3 pictures included in the slides. If you take it out of present mode while discussing, you can drag the transition words under the picture that matches.
Wrap Up & Exit Ticket – (10 minutes)
- Allow students time to complete the cut & paste worksheet where they will demonstrate their ability to put the events of the story in order. This worksheet will be provided in various forms to allow for accommodations for students of need.
- IF needed, you can add more events, select different photos to order, or even cut your teacher discussion short (with the presentation) depending on the level of your students.
- For second grade students or high first graders, you could also ask that they write a sentence on the back of the handout that tells the “lesson” in the story or the moral of the story.

Tying Activities to Assessments (Expected Outcomes)

Formative assessment will occur during the movement game and the warm up. The teacher can ask students to recount what they do for their morning routine based on where they moved during the activity (adding in the transition words).

The teacher can also pair students up so all students have a chance to verbally tell a buddy about their morning routine. Upon completion of that, the teacher could call on a few students to share with everyone (keeping timing in mind).

Additionally, the sequencing handout will be collected as a student work sample for the teacher to assess understanding.

What’s Next?

There are many possible options of where to go after this lesson is complete (this is lesson 2 of 3 lessons that utilize Hair Love). If students did not do well with the lesson, then re-teaching is needed. However, if students did do well, then here is a follow up activity.

Choose another text for students to work through:

If students are able to read the text on their own, split them into groups to read and work through the sequencing of events along with the story stones together.
If students are not able to read, follow the lesson format above, but remove some of the scaffolds or the amount of teacher lead time.
Additionally, the teacher can ask for more than 3 events from the story to be given in the retelling along with continued use of transition words.

The Use of CRP, UDL & Technology

There are ample opportunities for CRP, UDL, and technology throughout the lesson. The lesson allows for different levels of use with technology depending on the teacher’s comfort level (students can listen to a read aloud or students can complete their sequencing worksheet virtually). Additionally, materials are presented in multiple means and students are able to engage through various methods, whether through discussion, small group work, or individual seat work, with the completion of the sequencing handout (this could be done with a partner as well per teacher discretion). CRP is used through the selected text, taking a sensitive matter of dealing with a family member who is ill, along with the little girl’s struggle to have her hair done by her father. The text allows for students to discuss various topics that may have different answers depending on the cultural heritage of the student and the experiences of the student.

Standards & Indicators

From the Indiana Academic English Language Arts Standards for Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2

K.RL.2.2 With support, retell familiar stories, poems, and nursery rhymes, including key details.
K.RL.2.3 Identify important elements of the text (e.g., characters, settings, or events).
1.RL.2.2 Retell stories, fables, and fairy tales in sequence, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
1.RL.2.3 Using key details, identify and describe the elements of plot, character, and setting.
2.RL.2.1 Ask and answer questions (e.g., who was the story about; why did an event happen; where did the story happen) to demonstrate understanding of the main idea and key details in a text.
2.RL.2.2 Recount the beginning, middle, and ending of stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.

Trajectory

Acknowledged

Engages in discussions and activities around representative diversity and individual differences without grappling with structural oppressions. Culture is externalized and the focus is on the abstract. Minor discomfort may be felt and tensions are largely avoided.

Throughlines

Multiple Ways of Knowing and Doing

The knowledge and wisdom of the students, families, and communities are centered in content and materials to promote equitable and inclusive learning experiences.

Empowering Families and Communities

Families and community members are key stakeholders in determining the ways materials and resources are accessible, equitable, and inclusive for all students.

Standards

Social Justice

Identity 3 - Students will recognize that people’s multiple identities interact and create unique and complex individuals.

Identity 5 - Students will recognize traits of the dominant culture, their home culture and other cultures and understand how they negotiate their own identity in multiple spaces.

Diversity 8 - Students will respectfully express curiosity about the history and lived experiences of others and will exchange ideas and beliefs in an open-minded way.

ISTE NETS

Knowledge Constructor 3c - Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions.