Transcription
I'm ready to do my explicit direct instruction lesson now. I've got my objective; you're going to notice it's written on the wall so the kids can see it. The next thing I'm going to do is read it first. I'm not going to have the kids do a cold read; they might mispronounce the words. You watch what I'm going to do: I'm going to have the kids look at the words while I read it and have them track along. I'm going to read the objective; I just want you to follow along with your finger. Here we go; listen very carefully. Then we'll read it together. Eyes on the page, not on me. Ready? Here we go: "Today we will calculate percentage increases and decreases in a quantity." Now do you see I did it? Now what I'm going to have them do is read it with me together. What's the objective? "Today we will calculate percentage increases and decreases in a quantity."
Now, as a cognitive strategy to help focus the minds of the kids and help them learn and remember, I'm going to have them circle some words: percentage, increase, decrease. These are the key words in the lesson. So I'm going to have them—watch this—I'm going to have them do it right now. Why don't we uh, circle this word right here? This is an important word. We're doing what? Percentage. And we're doing what? Percentage increases and percentage decreases. Did you mark your page? Okay.
Now the next thing I'm going to do is have them write some of those words on their whiteboards. I want them to write words like increases, decreases, percentage. This isn't a spelling lesson, but I do want the kids to work with the new content vocabulary. Now, why don't we get out our whiteboards? I don't want you to write on your whiteboard what is one of the things we're going to do today? Percentage increase or percentage decrease. Just write the word on your whiteboard. Can you do that? Get your whiteboard and just write it out there. Okay. Keep your whiteboards out because we'll be using them all the time. You're either going to write this or you're going to write this. Notice as they're writing that every single student's participating, not just a few of them; everyone, the whole class. Now I'm having them hold it up; every child is participating, even the kids in the back are doing it. I'm actually telling them a little about how to do the whiteboards too. I'm saying, you know, if I walk around, aim them towards me so I can see them. I'm going to ask some of the kids to read what's on the board. Notice I'm not going to read it to them; I'm going to make them say the words. I want them to pronounce those new words we're going to use in the lesson. What did you write on your word? Percentage increase, decrease. What did you write in yours? Increase and decrease. Great. What did you put on yours? I noticed one of the kids' pronunciation was a little rough, so I had the whole class say it a couple more times. Percentage. Let's say that word: percentage. Can we say that one more time? Percentage. Great. What'd you write on yours? I want the kids to get these words, to get new vocabulary in their brains. The first thing they need to do is what? Be able to say the words. Then we'll start making this into productive vocabulary that they can use. Oh, good boy! What a smart class! We've all got the words okay. Raise your whiteboards and put them down.
I'm getting ready to ask a checking for understanding question. Of course, I'm going to ask them what's our objective for today, and they know what it is. They just… Now we had our objective there. I'm going to ask one of you what we're going to do today, but first I want all of you to whisper to your neighbors what's the objective. Wait, do we all have our partners? Point to your partner. Now I'm going to use a pair-share first and have all of them whisper to their neighbors first. I want them to say that and think about it, even though I don't call their name. In essence, every child answered the question when they did the pair-share, and they're all doing listening and speaking using the new vocabulary I want them to use. Okay, whisper to your partner what is the objective for today. Okay. Okay. Here we go. Back up here. Now notice during that pair-share, all the kids are doing it, aren't they? They're all participating; they're saying the new words and hearing the new words. Now I'm just going to ask some kids to tell me the objective, and just… I've already had them practice by saying it. We've read it correctly together. Now I'm going to call on three students to see if they can repeat the objective. They don't have to know the content yet; it's only… they have an idea in their brains; they're using the words and they're starting to get ready for the lesson. Now I'm going to pick one of you just to tell me the objective. You practiced it; it's on your page; you can look up there; you don't have to memorize it; we've got it already. Oh, Lena, who's Lena? What's our objective for today? "We will calculate percentage increases and decreases of a quantity." Did everybody hear what she said? "Calculate percentage increases and decreases of a quantity." Great. Notice right here I echo those answers out because other kids may not have heard it across the room, and I want everyone to hear exactly the perfect answer every time. So make sure when you do your checking for understanding, you always echo the answers. Now notice I've got my sticks with me; I've got all the names written down. I've never taught the class before, but I've got the names. I'm just going to pull another name and have another random child… well, this is going to be equity for all students, isn't it? The English learners, the males, the females, the people in the back of the room; every child is going to get called on equally, and they can all answer because I just taught them up front what the objective is. Uh, who's Ray? Ray, what's our objective for today? "We will calculate percent of…"