The Berenstain Bears Count Their Blessings



The Berenstain Bears Count Their Blessings

By Stan and Jan Berenstain

Vocabulary words: complain, appreciate, gradually

Monday- Read book. Introduce words. Talk about definitions. Think of other situations where we use these words. Let students make up sentences using these words.

Student-Friendly Definitions:

Complain – to say you are unhappy about something in a grumpy way

Instructional Contexts

In Text -The children complained their friends had more toys than them.

Outside of Text-Students complain about doing work. I complain about my computer messing up. Students complain about what other children are doing.

Student-Friendly Definitions:

Appreciate-When you enjoy and are thankful for something

Instructional Contexts

In Text-Mama wanted the children to appreciate what they did have- like having a warm house during the storm.

Outside of Text- The teacher appreciated her students working hard and not complaining. Children appreciate it when someone helps them.

Student-Friendly Definitions:

Gradually- happening little by little, not all at one time

Instructional Contexts

In text- The storm gradually came to an end.

Outside of Text- Flowers grow gradually. We will gradually get smarter.

Comments: The students were very eager to talk about the meanings of these words and give me suggestions of how we use them outside of the text. I feel these words can be added to their oral vocabulary with encouragement and opportunities to use them.

Tuesday – Making Choices

Say complain if a person is complaining

1. I won the ball game. 2. I don’t want to do my homework. 3. I don’t like green beans for dinner. 3. I want more toys. 4. I want to be your friend.

Say appreciate if it’s something you would appreciate

1. Having a home to live in. 2. When your teacher helps you learn. 3. When your friend grabs your pencil. 4. When your mom cooks you dinner. 5. When Mr. Tucker holds the door open for you. 6. When someone passes you in line

Say gradually if it gradually happens

1. How a flower grows. 2. How a car stops when a dog runs in front of it. 3. How we get smart. 4. How a dog chases a cat. 5. How a car stops for a stoplight. 6. How our hair grows.

Comments: They loved this activity. It required that they pay attention and think about everything I said. The students who just want to blurt out without thinking, soon realized they needed to listen to what I said and make a decision before they said something. The word gradually gave them the most trouble. We had to think of more examples to show the difference between something happening gradually or all at once. (Their parents must not stop gradually at a stoplight. They didn’t know the yellow light meant slow down.) Having the students say the word, if it applies, is a great way to get the students to keep repeating the word and getting use to saying it. I like this activity better than “Applause! Applause!” because they actually say the word.

Wednesday- Activities related to the tree (Acting out the words)

Kayla’s dad is planting a dogwood tree outside our classroom in the morning.

complain

What could a tree complain about? Make a list and see how we could help the tree. (Ex. I’m thirsty. Give it water. I’m cold. Get mulch.) The children pretended they were the tree complaining.

appreciate

Write a letter to Kayla’s dad to tell him we appreciate him planting the tree for us.

gradually

Draw pictures of how the tree will gradually grow. Write a sentence using the word gradually.

Comments: These activities were good because they put these words in a different context. They applied these words to something meaningful to them.

Thursday- Applause! Applause!

Clap to show how much you would like to be described by these words:

complain….. She complains about things. He complains about things.

appreciate… She or He appreciates things.

gradually….. She gradually does it. He gradually does it.

Comments: They loved it! Some students just clapped without thinking and then would see that no one else was clapping. My students learned that they really needed to pay attention to what I was saying. I think I will add saying the word to this the next time I do it. They could whisper the word when they clap quietly and say it louder for louder applause! If the children say the words as often as possible, they have a better chance of becoming part of their oral vocabulary.

Friday- Speed Round, Communicating to parents and Assessment

Speed Round:

1. I complained about winning the game. (no)

2. I appreciate my students working hard. (yes)

3. Our tree will gradually grow taller. (yes)

4. I complained that the students were too loud. (yes)

5. The girl appreciated her dad putting her in time-out. (no)

6. The balloon popped gradually. (no)

Communicating to the parents about our new words:

List words in newsletter for parents to encourage their use in conversations at home.

Assessment: Sentence Stems/Idea Completions

Students complete these sentences to show their understanding of the words.

My friend complained when …….

I appreciate it when …….

Gradually it …..

Comments: I choose this for their assessment because it allows me to see each child’s level of understanding. They each have to write something and can’t shyly sit there while another child answers. It also reinforces their learning while I am assessing.

Results of Assessment:

I was very pleased with the results of their Sentence Stems. Only one student did not successfully complete the sentences. Her sentences were:

1. My friend complained when she don’t have a toy.

2. I appreciate when my sister use the bathroom.

3. I gradually when my mommy cook eggs.

Sentence one uses complained correctly. After I talked with her, I realized that she was using the word appreciate for proud. Her baby sister had just started going to the bathroom on her own. She used the word gradually to mean she was happy when her mom cooks eggs. This student speaks Hmong at home. English is her second language and this explains why she had more trouble understanding these words.

This activity has shown me a language gap in my classroom I had not noticed before. Her language is so much better than her older brother, who I taught two years ago. The other children picked up these words more quickly because they have probably heard them used before. My Hmong student was probably unfamiliar with these words. I have learned that I will need to give this student more one-on-one time to make sure she clearly understands the meaning of our new words.

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