Explain that during center time they will have an opportunity to go to the writing center to each make a page for a class Big Book. Show students the blank Writing Center Response Worksheet with the writing prompt at the top. Ask each student to repeat his or her favorite day, while you write the sentence on chart paper helping to form it in the established pattern of 'On _, I can _.' Use a think-aloud strategy as you write unfamiliar words and repeat the strategy several times. Sketch an illustration to go along with the sentence. On chart paper write, 'On Sunday, I can go to my parents.' Have students read the sentence aloud together.

What is your favorite day?' Engage students in a discussion, always asking them what they like to do on their favorite day. Do you know my favorite day of the week? My favorite day is Sunday because I can go to my parents.

Prepare individual strips listing each day of the week, each color mouse in the story, the ordinals 'first' through 'seventh,' and what each mouse saw.Īfter the shared reading, introduce the writing center by saying 'Each of the mice visited the pond on a different day, didn't they? They each had a special day, and on that day they liked to visit the pond. Provide clipboards, paper, pens, markers, pencils, etc. Be sure to photocopy at least one copy of the worksheet per student. Remember to punch out the little tab on the tape to prevent students from recording over it.Ĭopy the Writing Center Response Worksheet on paper, similar in size to a Big Book. An audio version of the story is also available through Scholastic. Gather five copies of the book (available through Scholastic), and have either an older student or an adult record the story on tape. Provide highlighting tape or 'wikki sticks' as well. Stir sticks that are not too pointed or made of glass also make good pointers, as do bubble wands. An easy one to make is simply a dowel cut to about 12' in length with a purchased eraser (the kind that fits on the end of a pencil) stuck on the end. You would just need to design the centers to correlate with whatever text you select.Ĭollect a variety of pointers. As mentioned earlier, any book can be substituted and the same procedure followed to introduce the various learning centers. Develop your five-day lesson plan accordingly. Because of the complexity of language in the text Seven Blind Mice, it may be a read-aloud rather than a true shared reading for the first couple of repetitions, depending on the level of your students. Prepare for the lesson plan using the blank lesson plan outline/template.

Seven blind mice by ed young