Arthur's Perfect Pet

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  Model Eliciting Activity (MEA)

• Learning Objectives

  
  
  • Students will listen to a read-aloud story and answer guiding questions to describe the characters, setting, and main events in the story.
  • Students will use a graphic organizer to organize key details from a letter.
  • Students will compare numbers on a table to determine answers less than a given number.
  • Students will use a table to interpret information and write a letter using the data which follows accepted rules of grammar and language.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  
  • Students must know how to read and interpret a data table.
  • Students must know how to compare two digit numbers and read the >,< and = symbols.
  • Students must know how to write a letter following accepted rules of standard English.
  • Students must know how to work cooperatively in group settings.

• Instructional Suggestions

  
  

  Day 1

  1. Optional: provide students with the Math Practice Worksheet (see Formative Assessment) to ensure they understand <, >, and =.
  2. Introduce the story Arthur's Pet Business by engaging students in a discussion about their experiences owning and caring for pets. Ask questions about which students own pets and the responsibilities that go along with pet ownership.
  3. Read the story Arthur's Pet Business aloud to the students, stopping periodically to discuss the things Arthur is doing to show he is responsible and to make predictions about what the students think may happen next.
  4. After reading the story, create an anchor chart describing what the students learned about Arthur and his family. Ask students to use key details from the text to tell about the characters, setting, and main events of the story and record their responses on the anchor chart.
  5. Tell the students that you have received a very important letter from Arthur himself that you would like to share with them. Read the letter aloud to the students (see Reading passage 1).
  6. Assign the students into groups of no more than four students. Pass out copies of the letter from Arthur (see Reading passage 1) and the graphic organizer (see attachments) to each student. Give the students time to read through the letter together and fill out the graphic organizer. Then pass out the first Dog Breed Comparisons Chart (see Data set 1) for students to begin to read and analyze with their groups. *See below at the end of the Instructional Suggestions for additional instructions on how to introduce students to how to use and interpret Data Set 1.

  Day 2

  1. Pass back the materials from yesterday to each group. Use the Readiness questions to discuss the task at hand and make sure that students understand what they are being asked to do.
  2. With their groups, allow students time to use the materials and write their letters back to Arthur (see Letter template 1). Remind students that their letters must have proper capitalization, punctuation, and spelling, and that they have to explain their reasons for why they chose the top two breeds using data from the table.
  3. As students finish their letters, read over them with the groups and provide feedback or ask probing questions to make sure they have considered the needs of each family member in their choices (see Guiding/Reflective questions). When the letters are complete and approved by the teacher, have each group put their letters in an envelope so they are ready for you to mail off to Arthur.

  Day 3

  1. Tell the students that you mailed off all their letters to Arthur and that he has written back to the class. Read the second letter from Arthur (see Reading passage 2) aloud to the class.
  2. Gather students into their same groups from yesterday and pass back all the materials. Give each group copies of Arthur's new letter (see Reading passage 2) and the updated Dog Breed Comparisons chart (see Data set 2). 
  3. Ask the groups to read through Arthur's new letter together and to highlight or underline the two new things Arthur is asking you to consider in your decision. Question students (see Readiness questions) to ensure that each group understands what they need to include in their next letter to Arthur and the two new factors they need to consider when making their decisions. **See below at the end of the Instructional Suggestions for additional instructions on how to introduce students to how to use and interpret Data Set 2.
  4. With their groups, allow students time to use the materials and write their second letters back to Arthur (see Letter template 2). Remind students again that their letters must have proper capitalization, punctuation, and spelling and that they have to explain their reasons for why they chose the top two breeds using data from the revised table.
  5. After the groups have finished their letters back to Arthur, have each group read their letter aloud to the class. Use the second set of reflection questions (see Reflection question 2) to probe deeper into each group's decision making process. Discuss the similarities and differences between how the groups chose the perfect pet for Arthur and his family.

  *Instructional Process for Using Data Set 1:

  1. Provide each student with a copy of data set 1.
  2. Explain to students that this is a collection of data that represents dog breeds and that it is organized into a table to help see the data more easily.
  3. Now explain that this data will be used to determine a ranking system to help solve the problem in the client letter.
  4. Explain what the data in the columns and each row mean. Point along a column as you explain that columns run vertical, or up and down in a table. Point along a row as you explain that rows run horizontal, or left and right in a table. Now place your finger inside one cell and have students do the same. Explain that each of these ‘boxes’ in the table is called a ‘cell’. Do your best to stick to this vocabulary throughout the modeling of using data sets to expose students to the meaning of these words within a real-world context.
  5. Model for students how to look at the first row in the data set. Have students place their fingers on the first row. (As an optional accommodation a strip of colored paper can be given to students to place over the other rows so they may more easily focus on one row at a time when counting.)
  6. Place your finger on the first cell in row 1. Now, model how to determine the size of the dog in the first cell of row 1.
  7. Then model writing the size range for the dog for the first cell.
  8. Now have students practice writing the range of the dog breed size in the next cell. (The teacher should assist any students having difficulty with this step. The teacher can also assign a team member that is capable to assist team mates as needed.)
  9. Repeat this until you have modeled each cell. 
  10. Now ask, “What do you notice about the numbers we’ve written? (possible responses: they are all different, some are bigger, some are smaller, some are the same, etc.)
  11. Explain to students that counting the groups of dog breed sizes in each cell and writing how many are in each group helps us be able to compare the sizes for each breed. Knowing this will help us decide how to come up with a way to rank the dog breeds.
  12. Ask students about what the client wants in terms of the size of the dog. Go through each size range and ask students to compare each dog with the weight of dog that the client is requesting. Prompt students to use terms of less than, equal to, or greater than.
  13. Continue to go through the next row of data with students. Ask students how they would interpret this information (bad, good, okay, etc.). Explain that you can rank this information by assigning a number to it. Model how to write the number in each cell for the Shedding variable. You may also ask students to compare the shedding of each dog using less than, greater than, or equal to language.
  14. Continue this process for the following rows and assign a ranking value to each cell.
  15. Model how to choose the group with the greatest (or least) amount. For example, if one grouping has 8 and another grouping has 10 you may say, “I know this group of 10 is greater than this group of 8 because when I count to 10, 8 comes before 10. I know that if I count 10 after 8 it represents a larger number.
  16. Now instruct students to try this process with the last row of data.
  17. When complete they should use their counting and writing of the groups to discuss a strategy for ranking to solve the problem in the client letter. During this time, the teacher should circulate and allow students to collaborate and practice communicating to find a solution. Resist jumping in unless truly needed to aid in teams continuing to progress. Allow enough time for each group to decide upon their ranking system.
  18. Each group needs to have a decided upon ranking system before continuing in the lesson.

  **Instructional Process for Using Data Set 2:

  1. Provide each student with a copy of data set 2.
  2. Students will go through the process of interpreting each new row on the chart and write in numbers to correlate with their interpretation of the variable (e.g., the Exercise variable might get a high ranking of 10 for the cell "Almost no exercise needed" while the cell "Lots of exercise needed" might get a score of 1).
  3. When all numbers/symbols are counted and written into the cells students use the data set again to discuss their ranking system. This time they are considering the twist in client letter 2 and whether their ranking system will change as a result of the twist.

• Supplemental Reading

  
  

  Title: Arthur's Pet Business

  Summary: Arthur starts a pet sitting business to prove to his parents that he is responsible enough to care for a dog.

  Lexile level: 510

  This Lexile level corresponds to reading expectations for 1st grade, which ranges from 190L-530L.

  Citation: Brown, Marc. Arthur's Pet Business. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1990.

  Text Dependent Questions: How does Arthur show he is responsible enough to own a pet? How do Arthur's family members feel about getting a pet? What is the setting of the story?

  General Discussion Questions: Have you ever owned a pet? What are some of the responsibilities that come along with owning a pet?

• Guiding/Reflective Questions

  
  
  1. Have you considered the needs of each family member in your decision?
  2. Did you explain your choices with evidence in your letter to Arthur?
  3. Which family member's request do you think is most important in your considerations?
  4. What are some things not listed on the chart that are important to consider when choosing a dog?

• Reading Passage 1

  
  

  See Reading Passage 1 in the attachment section to introduce students to the client and their problem.

• Readiness Questions

  
  
  1. What is Arthur asking you to do? (Choose the top two pets for Arthur's family)
  2. What do you know about Arthur, his family, and his household from reading Arthur's Pet Business? (they are supportive, they want to make sure he is responsible enough, Arthur steps up and shows he is responsible by opening his own pet care business, Arthur loves animals)
  3. What is important to each member of Arthur's family (Mom, Dad, D. W., and Arthur) in choosing the right pet? (Mom wants a pet that won't make messes or wake the baby, D.W. wants a friendly dog to cuddle/sleep with, Dad wants a pet less than 50 lbs., Arthur wants a dog who is smart and can learn tricks)
  4. What does Arthur want you to tell him in the letter you write back? (The top two breeds that would be best and why)
  5. What do you think is the most important thing to consider when choosing a pet for Arthur's family? (answers may vary)

• Data Set 1

  
  

  See Data Set 1 in the attachment section. Be sure to review this information with all students and answer any questions as this may be a first for many students working with a data set. Each group/team should also have their own copy of the data set to refer to.

• Letter Template 1

  
  

  See Letter Template 1 in the attachments section. Provide a copy of this letter template to each group to record their thoughts and rankings.

• Reading Passage 2

  
  

  See Reading Passage 2 in the attachments section to introduce students to the "twist" from the client.

• Reflection Questions 2

  
  
  1. Did you meet the needs of all members of Arthur's family?
  2. Did you change your decision based on the new information Arthur gave you in his second letter? Explain any changes you had to make and why you made them.

  These questions can be asked upon presenting students with the second part of the problem, the “twist”.

• Data Set 2

  
  

  See Data Set 2 in the attachments section. Review the data set thoroughly to ensure students understand what it is presenting. Be sure each group/team has a copy to refer to.

• Letter Template 2

  
  

  Letter Template 2 in the attachments section. Provide a copy of this letter template to each group to record their thoughts and rankings. Even if they do not change their ranking from their first letter they will still need to record their thoughts and reasoning for not changing during round 2.

• Additional Instructions or Materials

  
  
  • Have chart paper and markers ready to make the anchor chart after the read aloud. The anchor chart records and 'anchors' the students' learning from the story and should be displayed throughout the lesson for students to refer back to by providing a source of visual reference for continued support as the learner moves forward.
  • To make the activity of writing letters to Arthur more fun and realistic, have envelopes available for the students to put their letters in and address to Arthur. Then use a real mailbox to send and receive the letters.
  • If you have the technology resources available, you can allow the students to visit the IAMS website and use the Dog Breed Compare Tool themselves to gather more information and see photographs of each dog breed. You can also use an LED projector to share and explore the website together with your class.

• Formative Assessment

  
  

  The comprehension/readiness questions and reflection questions can be used as a formative assessment throughout the lesson (see Readiness questions section). Comprehension and readiness questions will indicate whether the students understand the problem and problem context, and the reflection questions are meant to show the students' thinking as they make their decisions about the best dog breeds. After each of the two letters are read and discussed by the groups, the comprehension/readiness questions should be used to ensure each groups' understanding before beginning the task. If students seem unclear in their responses to these questions, scaffolding can be provided.

  Students may fill out the Math Practice Worksheet (see attachments) to ensure they understand how to use and interpret the <, >, and = symbols.

• Feedback to Students

  
  

  There are no single correct answers when solving a Model Eliciting Activity (MEA). Instead, there are many possible solutions and procedures because solutions are meant to be generalizable. Students are encouraged to use a specific type of thinking and process the information given, as well create a logical answer to the problem that they are then able to explain.

  The students will receive immediate feedback throughout the lesson. The teacher will introduce the lesson, then allow the students to work either individually or in small groups. As students are working on developing their procedures, the teacher will ask the students reflection questions (set 1) as a whole group. The teacher will give feedback specific to each group (or individual) regarding their process and/or procedure for solving the problem.

  After the students complete their first letter to Arthur, the teacher should read the letter and provide them with feedback or ask probing questions to clarify their decision making process. Then when the second letter is written and shared with the class, the teacher and other students can give their feedback and ask clarifying questions. The teacher should also issue reminders as the students are writing their letters about the expectations as expressed on the rubric (see Summative assessment).

• Summative Assessment

  
  

  With MEAs, the answers are open-ended. This means that all solutions should be generalizable. The solution to an MEA is a process and a "way of thinking" that we would like the students to achieve. This resource should demonstrate the students' improvement in conceptual difficulties and should thus allow the teacher to measure the impact of this resource on student learning.

  The teacher will determine if the students have reached the learning targets for this resource after data set 1/letter 1 are completed and by repeating the assessment after the second data set/letter 2. If the students have explained their procedure in detail and defended their choice, they have met the target for this lesson. Use the rubric in the attachments section to help evaluate student learning by scoring both letters, including their strategy and procedure, generated by the students as well as the mathematics and overall participation in the lesson.

  See attached Scoring Rubrics. Use the Scoring Rubric to assess the ELA and math content. The Procedure Scoring Rubric can be used to assess students' procedures for the first and second letters.