Smile, It's Autumn! Lesson Plan

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Academic Standards

 

Reading Objective:

Children will identify and describe the signs of autumn.

 

Science Focus:

Autumn changes

 

CCSS:

SL.1.2 Discuss a video; RI.1.1 Key details; RF.1.3 Decode words; RI.1.8 Text evidence; W1.2 Writing; RI.1.10 Read and discuss first-grade texts, L.1.1 Conventions of English when writing

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  • Before watching Autumn Is Here, ask kids what season it is right now. How do they know?
  • After watching, kids can compare the signs of autumn they saw in the video to signs of autumn in your area. (SKILL: SL.1.2 Discuss a video)
  • Play the vocabulary slideshow. This issue’s featured words are gathering, migrate, and observe. (SKILL: L.1.4 Clarify words and phrases).
  • Read the issue together.
  • Then project and discuss the reading checkpoint skill sheet. Later, children can fill in their own copies. (SKILL: RI.1.1 Key details)

Kids practice reading color words with this fun autumn leaf game. (SKILL: RF.1.3 Decode words)

  • With this skill sheet, kids make a leaf rubbing and label the parts of a leaf. (SKILL: LS.1a External parts of organisms)
  • Norbert doesn’t know as much as he thinks he does. Put his letter in an envelope and “deliver” it to the class. Read it aloud. Then let kids write Norbert to prove him wrong at norbert@scholastic.com. Norbert will write back! (SKILLS: RI.1.8 Text evidence; W1.2 Writing)
Examples of a completed skill sheet and a drawing

Objective: Children will go outside to look for signs of autumn.

Materials: skill sheet, pencil, paper, crayons

  • Take children outside for a signs-of-autumn scavenger hunt! You can print out our skill sheet to use as a guide, or just point out things you see.
  • When kids see each one of the items on the sheet, such as a bird, a squirrel, or an acorn, they can circle it.
  • Back inside, have children draw one of the signs of autumn that they saw. Then they can write a sentence or two to describe it. (SKILLS: L.1.1 Conventions of English when writing; Observation and recording)