Lesson+Plan+-+Character+Education+and+Balloon+Art


 * Lesson Plan ||
 * Title: Building Character with Story-telling and Balloon Art (UDL and Extended Standards Embedded) ||  ||
 * Subject: English/Language Arts Grade 3 - 4 ||

Overview: This lesson is designed for all students grades 3rd through 4th and embeds opportunities for access to the activities for students with special needs in the overall lesson design. This is a Universally Designed Lesson (UDL) that uses literature to teach concepts of character education.


 * Character Education Themes**: Bullying and Individual Differences.


 * Rationale:** Students often encounter situations in which they are bullied but may not have the skills to deal with this issue. Some students who look differently, act differently or have special needs, may encounter teasing and bulling more often than other students and do not tell an adult. Consequently, the situation may worsen and potentially foster feelings of low self-esteem or even anger. Skills to deal with bullying need to be taught and discussions about feeling differently from one another need to be addressed in a positive atmosphere. Teaching character education to students through the use of literature, puppets, magic, and balloon art is a fun yet impressive means to illustrate key points. Using a combination of these methods heightens the chances that the students will remember the key character education points addressed. Since students with developmental disabilities tend to have difficulty with generalization, it is important to provide multiple means for them to recognize what is being taught, flexible opportunities for them to express/show how they know the material, and meaningful ways to engage their interest to help them comprehend the material.

The theme is taught through the book, "Nano the Nonapus". The book was written by 5th grader as part of a Scholastic Writing Contest. The story will guide disucssion on two areas to help describe character and appropriate behavior on two issues: 1: celebrating individual differences and 2: bullying
 * Literacy Focus:** Understanding character traits.

Length of Time: 2 days
 * Creative Art Activity**: The creative art activity using ballon art will help to identify and bring to life the main characters of the story . Students can use their ballon art puppets to re-tell the story through a puppet show.

** Louisiana Content Standards: ** > Students read, comprehend, and respond to a range of materials, using a variety of strategies for different purposes. > Students demonstrate competence in speaking and listening as tools for learning and communicating. > Students read, analyze, and respond to literature as a record of life experiences.
 * **Standard 1**
 * **Standard 4**
 * **Standard 6**

**Extended Standards:** ( [|http://www.louisianaschools.net/lde/uploads/11618.pdf) For students in Alternate Assessment Level I (LAAI), refer to the following extended standards for this lesson:


 * **ES-8/5:** Identify story elements, including character
 * **ES-17/14:** Demonstrate understanding of information in texts, including identifying main idea and sequencing events
 * **ES-42/37:** Use listening strategies

> Students develop creative expression through the application of knowledge, ideas, communication skills, organization abilities and imagination
 * Interdisciplinary Connections: **
 * **Arts : Creative Expression**

** Education Technology Standards: **
 * Use technology resources to assist in problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities.

**Grade Level Expectations (GLE):**
 * **Reading and Responding**
 * Grade 3dentify story elements including: character (ELA-4-A)
 * **Speaking and Listening**
 * 41.Clarify and enhance oral presentations through the use of appropriate props (e.g., objects, pictures, charts) (ELA-4-E4)

**Objectives:**

Character Trait Objectives: The learner will... 1. Identify characteristics about themself that makes them the same as others. 2. Identify characteristics about themself that makes them different from others. 3. Identify what a bully is, why some people bully others, and how bullying makes them feel. 4. Identify what they should do if someone is bullying them. 5. Identfy how to avoid becomming a bully.

Literacy Objectives The learner will... 1. Listen to a story read orally and discuss story characters, setting and plot. 2. Identify the main characters in the story. 3. Recreate a character through balloon art. 4. Retell a selected portion of the story using a character puppet.

** Materials: **
 * Book: __Nano the Nonapus__ (Scholastic ISBN: 0-439-71898-8). This book is currently out of print but can be found on e-Bay for approximately $3.00.


 * "Qualtex" Balloons to make the octopus:
 * (9 legs)-260Q Balloons
 * (1 head)-9”round (If making the bully, use black)
 * (2 eyes)-5” friendly eyeball
 * [[file:Communication Pictures for Nora the Nanopus.doc]] for non-verbal students

**Hardware**: Computer **Software**:
 * Technology Tools and Materials: **
 * [|Photostory] or (Free software. Used to provide an electronic version of the story. Features include text-to-speech.)
 * [|CAST Book Builder] (Free software. Used to provide an electronic version of the story. Features include text-to-speech and reading coaches, animated characters who can cue students for comprehension.)

> [|www.microsoft.com/] > [|windowsxp/using/digitalphotagraphy/photostory/default.mspx] > [|www.louisianaschools.net/lde/uploads/11618.pdf] > [|bookbuilder.cast.org/] > [|www.partypaper.com/downloads/BR_02_06p.pdf] [|www.imaginesymbols.com] >>
 * Websites**:
 * Photostory
 * LA Extended Standards
 * CAST Book Builder
 * Balloon Art Directions for Octopus
 * Images for Communication Boards (Free Download for Non-commercial Use)
 * Other**:Accessibility Tools for Switch Access for Pumping Balloons:
 * Powerlink (Ablenet)
 * Switch
 * Electric pump

>> Reference: http://members.aol.com/kthynoll/schools.htm
 * Background Information for Teacher: **
 * 1 out of 4 kids is bullied
 * 1 out of five kids admits to being a bully, or doing some “bullying”
 * 8 % of students miss 1 day of class a month for fear of bullies
 * More youth violence occurs on school grounds as opposed to on the way to school.
 * 80% of the time, an argument with a bully will end up in a physical fight
 * Playground statistics- every 7 minutes a child is bullied. An adult intervention-4%. Peer intervention-11%. No intervention-85%.

** Lesson Procedure: **
 * Setting Background Information for the Student**
 * Accessibility Tip:**
 * Who can describe how they are the same as others?
 * Who can describe how they are different from others?
 * Do you think that everyone has differences?
 * If someone feels different from the rest of the group, could that make him/her feel sad? Why?
 * What is a “bully”?
 * Give me some examples of some things you may see a “bully” do?

>> The title of the story is "Nora the Nonapus". >> Who thinks they might know what a nonapus is? >> What word can you think of that sounds like “nonapus”? >> What is an octopus? How many tentacles does an octopus have? >> If “octo” is a prefix that means 8…what do you think “nona” means? >> Let’s listen and learn about Nora and find out what a nonapus is.
 * Story Questions**
 * Read the story to the class. Have the class answer the questions above as the story is read.
 * Create the octopus balloon puppets according to the directions on the Balloon Art resource sheet.
 * Students who are unable to physically manipulate the balloons can participate by blowing up the balloons for the other students with the electric pump. Students who use a switch, can activate the pump if it is connected to a Power Link (www.ablenet.com).
 * Assign a page or several pages from the story for a group of 4 students. Assign a line or specific character from the story for each student as his/her "part". Have the students study their story pages/line and then re-tell the story using their balloon puppets.
 * **Accessibility Tip: For students who are unable to read the pages independently, have them read the story using the Photostory or Bookbuilder software**

>> **Accessibility Tip: For students who are non-verbal, record their lines on a voiced communication device, tape recorder or into a computer. When it is time for them to read their line, they can activate the device**
 * Character Review**
 * 1) Using the puppets, have the student act out the part of Nora in the beginning of the story describing how she felt about being different.
 * 2) Have a student act out how she felt by the end of the story.
 * 3) Discuss why she felt differently.
 * 4) Discuss how the other students felt about her.
 * 5) Using the puppets, have a student act out the part of the bully.
 * 6) Ask how the bully made the others students feel.
 * 7) Discuss things that children can do when they are being bullied.

** Assessment: **
 * [[file:Character Education Assessment Rubric.doc]]
 * [[file:Literacy Assessment Rubric.doc]]

** Accommodations : ** ** Extension Activities: **

>> Have the students read the following stories and describe the character traits of each of the characters. Have them retell the story using balloon puppets. >>> Balloon Art Directions: http://www.partypaper.com/downloads/BR_08_06p2.pdf >>> Balloon Art Directions >>> http://www.partypaper.com/BalloonArt/balloon_spider.html
 * **Character Traits**
 * //Little Red Hen//
 * //Spider and the Fly//
 * **Literacy**
 * Have students read the books written by other student authors in the Scholastic Contest and begin brainstorming an idea for their own book to enter in the contest: Scholastic "Kids are Authors" Contest Winners: http://www.scholastic.com/bookfairs/contest/kaa_winners.asp

** Lesson Development Resources: ** spowell@ulm.edu //Louisiana Making Connections//[|http://mconn.doe.state.la.us]

President Obama's Message on Bullying in Schools - []
 * 2009 Government Action on Bullying -** []

[]
 * National Website - Stop Bullying.gov - Webisode - Fresh New Start - Captioned**

** Contacts: ** donna.broussard@la.gov spowell@ulm.edu //written by **Donna Broussard**//