Language Arts

Un-Modified Lesson
Title: A Tacky Cheer
Organization: McCoy Elementary (K-5), Orange County Schools
Author:  Donna Rugg           

Standards------------------------------------------------------------------------
Florida Sunshine State Standards
LA.A.2.1.1.2.3
The student makes connections and inferences based on text and prior knowledge (for example, order of events, possible outcomes).
Florida Process Standards
Critical and Creative Thinkers
04 Florida students use creative thinking skills to generate new ideas, make the best decision, recognize and solve problems through reasoning, interpret symbolic data, and develop efficient techniques for lifelong learning.

Description------------------------------------------------------------------------
Would you make a good cheerleader? In this lesson, students will make predictions, copy cheers, and make inferences as they read a story about an odd bird and his awkward attempts to help his fellow penguins win a cheering contest.

Activity Length------------------------------------------------------------------------
30-45 minutes

Materials------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Big book and class set of Three Cheers for Tacky by Helen Lester, New York. Scott, Foresman. 1996

• Pair of pompoms
• Chart paper
• (optional) copy of criteria on overhead transperency (in attached file)

Preparations------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. If the teacher does not have a pair of pompoms, one can be made using long strips of colored paper. The strips can be collectively folded in half, stapled, and taped to a dowel stick.

2. The teacher should have chart paper attached on a wall or board ready for listing student ideas.

3. The big book and class set of Three Cheers for Tacky should be readily accessible.

4. Students should each have a pencil and a learning log.

5. . The teacher may choose to make a copy of the criteria (listed in the attached file) onto an overhead transperency.

Procedures------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Stand in front of the class with a set of pompoms and ask the students if they have ever seen a cheerleader. After brief discussion, perform a simple hello cheer (ex. "H" - pompoms and arms up and stretched out; "E" - pompoms and arms outstretched; "L" - pompoms and arms stretched down and crossed over one another; "L" - pompoms and arms stay down but are crossed the other way; "O" - feet out with one pom up and one pom down.
2. Allow one or two students to come to the front of the room while the other students stand up behind their desks to perform the cheer.
3. Pass out the book Three Cheers for Tacky. A big book is located in front of the room for teacher use. After looking at the cover and title, the teacher asks the students to predict what they think the story is about. Some of the student responses are recorded on chart paper. During this time the teacher points out that no prediction is right or wrong.
4. Once predictions are recorded take a picture walk through the book and record more predictions on the chart. Guided questions, such as -Do the other penguins look happy here?- may assist students in this step. At this point, students are predicting the sequence of events, possible problems, and possible outcomes. Examples of some of the predictions students might make are: -One of the penguins doesn't do anything right.- or -The other penguins don't like him- or -Everyone learned to like the odd penguin in the end.
5. Read half of the book and then stop to see if the students want to change their predictions.
6. Allow one or two students to come to the front of the room and imitate the cheers that Tacky tried to do.
7. Continue reading until you come to the part that describes the first penguin team cheer in the cheering contest. Ask the class, "How do you think the judges feltabout the first team's cheer?"
8. Continue the same procedure with each penguin teams' cheer, including Tacky's team.
9. Review predictions with the class and discusses the reason Tacky's team was worried in the beginning.
10. Have the class brainstorm words used to describe some of the feelings and actions of Tacky's team mates and feelings and actions of the judges during the practicing and performance of the cheers.
11. Have the students write a paragraph in their learning logs describing why Tacky's team was worried and how they knew that the judges liked Tacky's cheer and not the cheers of the other penguin teams. They can use some of the words that were listed in the brainstorming step above.
12. Share the assessment criteria (listed in the attached file) and individually conference with students to provide feedback. The teacher may desire to make a copy of this criteria for students to view on the overhead projector.

Assessments------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a formative assessment, the students will produce a paragraph in their learning journals whereby they infer how the judges felt about Tacky's cheer and about the other penguin teams' cheers by recalling some of the actions of the judges. They will also discuss the central theme of the story by alluding to the fact that Tacky's team was worried about winning the cheering contest, but that Tacky was too odd or clumsy. This information is shown by using some of the words listed on the board during the brainstorming section of instructions.

The teacher will formatively assess the journal entries for the following criteria:

• paragraph adequately addresses the central theme by using one or more descriptors from the brainstorming list and listing the action that supports this feeling.
• paragraph also uses at least two descriptors from the brainstorming list and actions that support inference of the judges feelings for: 1) other penguin teams' cheers, and 2) Tacky's team cheer. (There should be one descriptor for #1, and one for #2)).
• the entire paragraph should, therefore, contain at least three descriptors from the brainstorming list and two inferences supporting the feelings of judges.

Extensions------------------------------------------------------------------------
For ESOL or ESE students, allow extra time and help from a special education teacher (if possible).

As a follow up activity, students may want to invent a cheer for key vocabulary words or spelling words

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