First Grade ESL Lesson Plan - "Mini-Town"

Content Area - Integrated Language Arts
Grade Level - First Grade English as a Second Language
Length of Lesson - 42 to 60 minutes
Aim - Can you construct a "Mini Town" using blocks in a cooperative group setting?

Behavioral Objective - The students will be able to construct a "Mini Town" using blocks in a cooperative group setting.

Motivational Activity - I will read the story "A Trip to Mini Town" by JoAnne Nelson and have a class discussion about what a Mini Town would look like. We will talk about the meaning of the word "mini" (miniature - small).

Procedure -
1. First I will do my motivational activity.
2. Next I will review the key vocabulary words that go with the story such as: library, mini, post office, zoo, park, school, house, and town.
3. Then I will divide the class into small groups and direct them towards different areas of the room.
4. The directions for this activity will be to construct their own "Mini Town" using blocks and other manipulates.
5. We will go over the rules for working in a group such as: No calling out, raise your hand. Listen to each other, don't talk over each other. Respect one another.
6. The group members have to decide who is going to make which part of the Mini Town. For example, who will make the zoo, who will make the school, the library, etc...
7. As I walk around the room monitoring the group work I will be handing out strips of paper. Each Mini Town will need a name. The group will write their Town name on this piece of paper.
8. After the groups are finished they will share what their Mini Town looks like, what is is called, and explain what they have built.
9. I will ask the following higher order thinking questions: What does the word "mini" mean? What can be included in a "Mini Town?" What will you make in your town's mini house? What are the rules when working with building blocks? Explain what you have built in your "Mini Town."

Follow-up - For language reinforcement and creative writing I will have the children write stories about their "Mini Town."

Integrated Language Arts - The children will label their town and learn the different directions in the town for example: North, South, East, West, etc...

Materials - First grade reader, story, building blocks, writing paper, pencil, manipulatives.