Design for Learning

Instructor: Elizabeth Collier

Lesson Title: Farm Fun with Positional Words
Curriculum Area: ELA - Vocabulary

Grade Level/Cooperating Teacher: K

Date: October 20th
Estimated Time: 45 minutes

Standards Connection: 39.) Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words
and phrases based on kindergarten reading and content. [L.K.4]
Learning Objective(s): Students will use the vocabulary of positional words to describe the location of
animals on a farm illustrated in a picture with 100% accuracy.
Learning Objective(s) stated in kid-friendly language: Today boys and girls, we are going to learn
words that describe where you are, also known as your position.
Evaluation of Learning Objective(s): Students will be given a farm build-a-book in which they are to
cut along the dotted lines to form the pages, and then the teacher will staple the pages together. Students
are then to cut out animals and glue them into position on each page. Then students can color their builda-book and it will be ready to be assessed then taken home! In order to differentiate there are two different
versions of the build-a-book. Strong readers will not be provided with the picture box clue, while students
who need a little help will have that option. Here are two examples of pages from the build-a-book. The
first example is including a picture box clue and the second is without. Knowing that this is my
assessment from the beginning will allow me to keep the end in mind begin with the end to ensure that
student success is always encouraged and strived for.

Lets build a book!

Animals
on the
Far m
Er in Lane. All r ights r eserved.

Directions: Cut the

pages along the
dotted lines. Staple
the book together .
Then, cut out the
animals and glue
them into position on
each page. Finally,
color in a
backgr ound and
practice r eading
your book!

The hor se is in front of the bar n.

above

The sun is above the animals.

The far mer is behind the hay.

Cut out the squar e.

Then cut acr oss the
dotted line so the
far mer stands behind
the hay.

Engagement: Good morning boys and girls, when I call your table will you please walk quietly to your
spot on the carpet or around the room for brain breaks. Table one. The teacher will continue to call the
students to the carpet. Table two, three, and four. Before we begin reading our farm book today and
learning some new vocabulary words we are going to review the different animals we have been going

over with a fun new song! Teacher will play a brain break, Old McDonald Had a Farm
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-K56LngVB0). Great job singing the farm animal noises, friends.
Now that our song is over can everyone please sit down crisscross applesauce on his or her spot on the
carpet? Today we are going to be reading (show children the book) The Big Red Barn. This is a book
about farm animals. Can anyone raise their hand and tell me a farm animal and the noise they make that
we have been learning about? An example student response: a pig, oink. Yes, good job! Well today we are
going to be learning how to tell your friend the location of different animals on the farm. Before reading,
who remembers what else weve been learning about this past week? An example student response: cows.
Yes what about cowsdo cows give humans anything? Students will nod. Thats right we have been
learning what animals give to us and our friends and family; for example, a cow gives us milk and
chickens or hens give us eggs. To review farm animal sounds, I will point to an animal on the cover of my
book and you all tell me what sound it makes. The teacher will point to the horse, cow, chicken, and
sheep. Students will reply neigh, moo, cluck, and bah. As an introduction to positional words, teacher will
ask questions using the cover of The Big Red Barn, Okay boys and girls now that weve gone over the
sounds of the animals, we are going to learn where these animals are. This tree is beside the barn. The
scarecrow is behind the bush. Can anyone come up to the book and point to an animal that is beside the
cow? Correct! Lucy, just like you sit beside KeJuan (use two student names who are sitting beside one
another) the cow is sitting beside the horse. Words like beside and behind are only two of the important
words that we will learn together today! Now lets read the story. Class, I want you to remember that the
rules that apply when Mrs. Kaiser reads a story to you are the same when I read a story to you. If you talk
while I am talking, I will send you back to your seats to listen to the story. The teacher will read the book
to the students and then transition into the lesson.
Learning Design:
I. Teaching: Thank you for listening so well to the story I read to you friends. Can anyone tell me what
animals were in the book? Let one student name one animal each. Students will name pig, cow, horse, and
chicken Thats right, good job! Does anyone remember what was under the hen? (If needed, give
students a clue that whats under the hen is what we learned came from hens that humans use, also if they
are unsure of the word under use vocabulary anchors). If we are unsure of the word under, a word that is
very similar is below. An example student response could be an egg. Can someone name an animal that
was inside the barn? There were a couple animals in the barn. Student could say cow or horse. Yes, thats
right! This one is a little tough; does anyone remember what was on top of the barn? If students dont
remember, thats okay a weather vane was on top of the barn. A weather vane is an instrument that
farmers use to let them know what direction the wind is blowing. Now we are going to learn more words
that can describe where objects, animals, or shapes are. The teacher will introduce the 6 positional
phrases or words to the students (above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to). Not only
introduce these words but also let them know that they are called positional words. Learning new
vocabulary is a learning goal that we should set everyday for ourselves. Vocabulary is connected to
fluency and spelling, as well as other literacy skills. So today friends, we are going to be focusing on 6
words. These words describe locations. Another word to describe your location is your position. So the
words we are going to be learning today are called positional words these words are above, below,
beside, in front of, behind, and next to. First we will learn the word above. Does anyone know what the
word above means? Students may say high and be unaware of the word above. If students use the word
high use the TLAC strategy of stretch it. Stretch their thinking to relate high to on top of. Above means
that something is higher than what you are comparing it to. How many of you have ridden in an
airplane? Well, when you are in that airplane you are above everyone on the ground. Youre even above
the clouds! The next word is the opposite of above, below. Below would describe everything that is under
the airplane. Even the clouds are also sometimes below the airplane. If you are in an airplane could
anyone tell me something that is below you? An example of a student response: my house. Yes, your
house, school, and other buildings would be below you in an airplane. The next word is beside. Who can

tell me who is sitting beside them? The teacher will lead students in a little activity to ensure they
understand the meaning of beside. Starting with the student on my right, class will go in a circle and tell
the teacher the name of the student they are sitting beside. Okay boys and girls, we are going to play a
quick fun little game! I am going to start and say the name of the friend sitting beside me, then (students
name) will say his or her friends name sitting beside them. Students will quickly state who is sitting
beside them. Teacher can also point out that there is someone sitting beside you to the left as well as to the
right (if students are beginning to distinguish between left and right). Good job boys and girls! The next
word is in front of. Who is the line leader for this week? Line leader will raise his/her hand. *Students
name* is in front of everyone in line this week. The next word is behind, which is the opposite of in front
of. Who is the caboose for the week? Caboose will raise his/her hand. *Students name* is behind
everyone in line this week. The last word we will be learning is next to. Next to is very similar to beside.
We could say that Kortni is next to or beside Brooklyn. The teacher will then use the big barn made out of
construction paper and animals to demonstrate locations and ask questions using positional words. Okay,
now we are going to use this big barn I made to make sure were all understanding where each animal is.
Teacher will take one individual animal at a time and match it with a location. I am going to place an
animal somewhere on the barn. I want you to turn to your friend sitting beside you and tell them what
word lets me know where the animal is. Currently the teacher is holding the cow above the barn. Did
everyone tell his or her partner where the cow is? Can someone tell me what you and your partner said?
Good job, the cow is above the barn! Next the teacher will hold the pig beside the barn. Now everyone
use your brain and think to yourself where my pig is. Dont say it out loud and think for a few seconds.
When I count to three everyone say, using an inside voice, where my pig is at. Good job! You all are
becoming experts at describing the locations of these farm animals. Now I am going to call on someone
who wants to come up to my barn and place an animal at a location and tell me where it is, using a
positional word. If all or most students raise their hand, let each individual have a turn in coming up to the
barn and placing an animal at a position. When each student who wanted a turn receives a turn, great job
class! Now I want you all to tell me some examples of these words before we get some individual and
group practice. Can you think of a story in which you were above something or beside someone? I am
going to give you a few minutes to silently thing in your head. Really think about how you could use these
positional/vocabulary words rather than blurting out the first example that comes to your mind. Teacher
will allow students time (wait time) to think on their own how they could use these words in a story or
through speaking in their day-to-day terminology. Students having to think of ways to use the words will
incorporate higher thinking and allow for these words to stick in your brain longer. Now we are going to
practice by making a chart as a group that will help us remember what each word means and then we will
use my Popsicle stick animals with our own body to place them in certain positions! Now the teacher will
transition into Opportunity for Practice.

II. Opportunity for Practice: Before we begin to get up and move around, lets make a word diagram of
each of the positional words we are learning today. Can someone tell me one word weve been working
on today? An example of a student response would be above. Teacher will go through each word that was
previously taught during teaching. Using a word diagram chart teachers and students will create 4 parts of
the word what it is, what it is like, an example and a non-example. This chart will help reinforce the
definition of each positional word. As a non-example, teacher could use the opposite word so above and
below to create higher levels of thinking and pairing opposites together. Great job everyone, thank you
for helping me complete this chart! Now I am going to explain what our next activity is. While explaining,
teacher will pass out one Popsicle stick animal to each student. Now that you are familiar with positional
words, we are going to practice like we are the barns! Okay friends, you have to use your listening ears
for the next two practice games. Will everyone please stand up behind your chair at your table? Teacher
will call students by table to go back and stand behind their chair. First, I will call out a positional word
and then you will put the animal where I tell you. Everyone place your animal beside youbelow you
next to youabove youin front of youbehind you. Great job everyone! Okay I need everyone to go
back to your seat now when I call your table, 1, 2, 3, and 4. Before we pay one more funsie game to

help us get practice with positional words, we are going to talk a little bit. I am gong to give you all a
sentence, but there will be a word missing in the sentence. The word that will be missing from the
sentence is one of your new positional vocabulary words. I will say the sentence up to 3 times aloud,
when you think you know the vocabulary word that fits into the sentence, I want you to just sit and wait
until everyone is ready. Does anyone have any questions about how to play the game? Teacher will
answer questions if there are any. Okay, my first sentence is When an airplane is flying, the ground is
(blank) it. Teacher will go through a series of closed procedure questions to ensure that students are able
to think of their new vocabulary words without them being given. Teacher can also use cold call when
asking for answers to the closed procedure questions. Great job filling in the blank on my sentences you
guys. Now we are going to play a game. Who has ever played Simon says? If a student cannot explain the
game of Simon Says, teacher will inform students of how to play this game. All right, lets begin. Simon
says place your animal behind you. Continue on using each positional word at least once. Great job
friends, thank you for participating and playing so well. Now if everyone will please sit down in your
chair at your table. We are now going to make a farm animal build-a-book! Teacher will transition into
assessment section.

III. Assessment: Okay boys and girls, now that weve finished playing our positional word games I am
going to pass out a couple worksheets that were going to make a book out of! Everyone make sure all
eyes are on me while Im explaining this project. We will read together each page of the book and then
you will cut out the page and the animal and glue the animal where we read it was supposed to be. So if a
page said the cow is above the moon we would put it over or higher than the moon. I want you to work on
this completely on your own but if you need my help, raise your hand. Differentiating before passing out
papers, teacher will hand each child a build-a-book. The teacher will help children individually read the
words if they need assistance.

IV. Closure: The teacher will review the definitions of the words one more time. She will have the
students share some examples from their build-a-book that was just completed. Great job on your builda-books class they look awesome! Before we move on to centers lets review these words one more time.
Can anyone share an example of where their animal was in their book? Yes good, thats a great example!
(Allow students to share until most positional words are covered) Wow you guys are great thinkers! You
did a great job telling me where certain farm animals are at the barn. Now can everyone place their book
in their take home folder and move to your station for centers.
Materials and Resources:
Worksheets to complete build-a-book assessment (TPT)
Popsicle sticks
Animal cutouts for sticks
Big red barn construction paper
The Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise (big book)
Pointer to use while reading the big book
Brain break YouTube
Big chart paper
Markers
Vocabulary Anchors
Closed Procedure
TLAC stretch it, begin with an end, closed call, call and response, wait time
McREL reinforce effort, providing recognition, cooperative learning
Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners):

The books are differentiated with strong readers using worksheets with no picture box but students who
need help have that picture box clue (most students would need a picture box clue). A student in the green
level is a student who completes the build-a-book and can show their understanding of positional words.
Red level students would be pulled aside and worked with individually to help to understand positional
words.
Data Analysis:

Reflection:

Samford University
Design for Learning