EL Support Lesson
H Is for Humpty
Objectives
Academic
Students will be able to sequence a nursery rhyme. Students will be able to identify words that begin with the letter H.
Language
Students will be able to retell a nursery rhyme with H words using visual supports.
Introduction
(2 minutes)
Prior to the start of the lesson, pre-write the text for Humpty Dumpty on the board or chart paper. Cover it.
- Gather the class together.
- Ask the class to sing the ABCs along with you (as you sing, point to a class alphabet chart), stop singing at the letter H.
- Say, "This is the letter H. The letter H makes the /hhh/ sound like this. There are many words that start with the letter H. Today we are going to learn a funny nursery rhyme that has H words in it."
Building academic language
Word
(5 minutes)- Display the vocabulary cards and say each name aloud as you show the image, emphasizing the beginning sound (H).
- Ask students to turn and talk to share with a partner the new words they heard and what they have in common, or how they are similar.
- Tell students that all of the words begin with the letter H.
- Demonstrate drawing an uppercase H on the board. Model how you start at the top.
- Have students practise drawing an invisible H in the air with their fingers (or trace an H on the rug).
- Repeat for the lowercase h, explaining that all letters have an upper and lowercase way to write them, although they make the same sound.
- Ask students if they can think of any other words that begin with the letter H. Have students turn and talk to share their ideas with a partner using the sentence starter, "________Also starts with H."
- Encourage pairs to share their words aloud (check that all words start with the letter H) and record the words on the board for reference.
Sentence
(10 minutes)- Explain that now you will be reading a nursery rhyme that has H words in it. Define a nursery rhyme as a short story (often silly) that has rhyming words in it. Tell students that today's nursery rhyme is about a funny character named Humpty Dumpty.
- Reveal your pre-written text to the class. Point to each word of the rhyme as you read it aloud, pausing at the H words and underlining them (while displaying the image) to the class.
- Ask students to repeat each line after you as you read it a second time.
- Have students share ideas with the class of what happens in the rhyme using sentence starters: First ________, then ________, finally ________.(e.g. Humpty sat on a wall, he falls, he gets help, he can't be put back together)
- Explain that the class just retold the story using their own words.
Discourse
(5 minutes)- Ask for student volunteers to come up and act out the nursery rhyme as the class reads it again. Assign roles (e.g. Humpty, Wall, Horses, Kings Men).
- Read each line aloud again (having students either repeat after you, or chorally read with you). While you are reading, have students practise acting out the story silently.
- Have students come up and point to the words in the rhyme that begin with the letter H.
Additional EL adaptations
Beginning
- Provide a picture sort of H and non H words for students to practise identifying which words begin with the letter H.
- Put students in a small group and have them practise acting out and retelling the nursery rhyme in their own words.
Advanced
- Encourage students to share additional sentences using H words.
- Provide a second nursery rhyme for them to retell in their own words.
Formative Assessment of Academic Language
(15 minutes)- Pass out the worksheet and have students circle all of the H words. Then have them practise retelling the story to a peer.
- Take note of any students who are struggling to connect the sequence of the story as they retell it. Pull these students aside for follow up.
- As students are sharing their H words (in the prior section) note if any students have misconceptions and/or challenges identifying H words.
Review and closing
(3 minutes)- Gather the class back together and review the importance of listening closely while reading to be able to retell a story.
- As an exit ticket, have students share an H word with the class using a complete sentence.
Related learning resources
Glossary: H Is for Humpty
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