Saturday, September 13, 2014

Blends

For years I have introduced blends to my students by having them make chocolate milk.  This year we are still making chocolate milk, but we are doing it as part of the WBT five step lesson plan.  Below is the lesson that I created for introducing my students to blends.  I also created a language arts Power Pic to go with the lesson.  I have attached it at the end of the lesson for you to download.

1.  Question
                        T:  What is a blend?  Ask your partner what a blend is.  (Students ask their partners.)

2.  Answer
                         T:  Mirror Words.  (Pretend to hold an imaginary cup in one hand and with the other hand                                 make a stirring motion over the cup.)  A blend is a combination of two or three letters                                   whose sounds blend together.   (Students repeat the definition and the gesture.)  Clap,                                   clap Teach.

                        S:  Clap, clap Okay.  (Students make a full body turn and teach their partners what a blend
                              is.)
                        T:  Class class class.
                        S:  Yes yes yes.

3.  Explain:       T:  Mirror Words.
                        S:  Mirror Words.
                        T:  (Use gestures to accompany your words.)   The word blend means to
                             mix two or more things together.  Clap, clap Teach.
                        S:  Clap, clap Okay.  (Students teach their partners using gestures that the word blend                                      means to mix two or more things together.)
                        T:  Classity, class class.
                        S:  Yessity, yes yes.
                        T:  (Use gestures to accompany your words.)  When we cook we often blend
                             foods together.  Tell your partner that today we are going to blend chocolate and milk
                             together to make chocolate milk.  (Students tell their partners.)
Pass out spoons and cups with milk and chocolate already squirted into the milk, but not yet stirred.  Guide the students through blending the chocolate and the milk together by stirring it with their spoons.  Students may drink the chocolate milk now or at the end of the lesson.
                        T:   Did you know that just like we can blend chocolate and milk together to make chocolate
                              milk, we can also blend letters together.  Tell your neighbor how amazing it is that we 
                              can also blend letters together.  (Students tell their neighbors.)  There is a secret to 
                              blending letters.  Ask your partner if he knows the secret.  (Students ask their partners.)                               Mirror Words.  
                        S:  Mirror Words.
                        T:  (Use gestures to accompany your words.)  You can't just blend together any letters that
                             you want. 
                        S:  You can't just blend together any letters that you want.
                        T:  Blends come in families.
                        S:  Blends come in families.
                        T:  Today we are going to be reading blends in the "l" family.
                        S:  Today we are going to be reading blends in the "l" family.
Place a magnetic letter "b" and a magnetic letter "l" on the board.  Model how to blend the two letters together.  Repeat with the magnetic letters "cl" and "fl".  Pass out a blend strip to each student containing the blends in the "l" family.
                       T:  You are going to take turns reading the blends on your blend strip.  Peanut butters will go 
                            first.  (I call my partners Peanut Butter and Jelly.  Peanut Butter always sits closest to the
                           door and Jelly sits closest to my Brainy board.)  Peanut Butters, you will read the blends 
                           on your blend strip as many times as you can until I call "Uh Oh Switch".  (This is the  
                           signal for the partners to switch roles.)  Jellies, your job is to follow along.  Remember, 
                           Peanut Butters, if you are stuck on a blend, you can always say, "Help me!"  Clap, clap 
                           Teach.
                      S:  Clap, clap Okay.  (Peanut Butters read blends on strips while Jellies follow along and help
                           if needed.  After a couple of minutes the teacher calls "Uh Oh Switch" and the partners 
                           trade roles.)
                      T:  Oh my classy.
                      S:  Oh my yessy.

4.  Test:         T:  It is time for "Yes, No Way".  (The teacher will make a statement, and the students will
                          respond with the word yes, and a fist pump, or the words no way, touching fingertips of
                          both hands to forehead and moving hands outward away from forehead.)
Teacher Statements for students to respond to:
                                                                             "gl" says ____  (T. may pronounce correctly or
                                                                              incorrectly.  Repeat with other blends.
                                                                              "wl" is a blend.  (Repeat with both true and false
                                                                              blends.)
                     T:  It is now time for QT.  (This stands for question time.  Students will place their heads on
                          their desks with their eyes covered.  The teacher will make a statement and if the students
                          agree, they will give a thumbs up.  If they disagree, a thumbs down.  If less than 90% of
                          your students answer correctly during QT, go back and give more examples and then
                          repeat the QT time.)
                     S:  Cutie
                     T:  Heads down, eyes covered, and ready for the first statement.
Teacher Statements for students to respond to:
                                                                             To blend means to mix two or more things together.
                                                                             The gesture for blend is making a stirring motion
                                                                             over a cup.
                                                                             You can blend together any letters that you want to.
                                                                             "pl" says ____  (T. may pronounce correctly or
                                                                              incorrectly.  Repeat with other blends.
                                                                              "tl" is a blend.  (Repeat with both true and false
                                                                              blends.)

5.  Critical Thinking:  Pass out a list of words containing words with "l" blends.
                  T:  It is now time for everyone to take out their sockless hand puppets.  (Sockless hand puppets
                       are one of the WBT's Brain Toys.  For more information on the Brain Toys, go to the WBT
                       website and under free downloads you will find "Whole Brain Teaching Seminar 3:  State
                       Standards and Critical Thinking".  On page 33 their is a description of all of the Brain Toys.)
                       You are going to take turns reading the words on your list, using your sockless hand                                       puppets.  Peanut butters will go first.  Peanut Butters, you will use your sockless hand
                        puppet to read the words on your list.  Jellies, your job is to follow along with your hand
                        puppet.  Remember, Peanut Butters, if you are stuck on a blend, you can always say, "Help                           me!" When you are done do "Tag Team Switch" (Partners high five each other and switch                             roles.)  Clap, clap Teach.
                   S:  Clap clap Okay.  (Students take turns reading words with their sockless hand puppets,
                        using tag team switch.
Ask students to write silly sentences containing blends from their lists.

                      Clink on the link below to access the  language arts Power Pic which accompanies this lesson.

                            
                         

                       
                        

                              
                      

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