LS4UAE FOCUS LESSON – DIVISION 2

Lesson 1
The Little Lump of Clay

Subject: English Date: Term 2, Week 4 LS4UAE Level: Division 2

Objective(s):
1. Learners will read and understand a short literary text
2. Learners will analyse a short literary text by responding to questions.

NELCF Alignment LS4UAE Alignment

• En.2.R.CS.1 Read and understand the overall • Lit.M.F.1 Identify and retrieve information that
meaning of short, simple texts on familiar is relevant to a specific reading goal.
topics. • Lit.M.S.1 Make inferences about connections
• En.2.R.CS.2 Read and identify familiar words and relationships in a text.
and set phrases in short, simple texts on
familiar topics.
Literacy Teaching Strategies:
• Displaying Visual Elements Displaying visual elements refers to the use of photos, charts, diagrams
and other visuals to enhance instruction. 
• Text Marking Text-marking is the use of any system of standardized marks for students to note
responses, questions and ideas as they read. 
• Modelling Modelling is the process of showing how to use a specific skill or complete a process,
often by providing step-by-step instructions, showing a product at each stage, and providing visual
elements or concrete examples.
Differentiation Opportunities:
• Teachers may choose to create a flexible, varied classroom layout that allows for both group and
individual work as well as peer support to meet the needs of learners. 
• Teachers may choose to vary the conditions for learning by modifying the balance of digital and face-
to-face interactions based upon their learners’ preferences and needs.
Links to Prior Learning: Reading literary and informative texts, responding to text-based questions
Academic Vocabulary
Learners may not be familiar with the following lexis:
• lid, clay, heavy, squashed, handled, cheerful, wondered, darkness, hope (from Text 1)
• workshop, picked up, perfect, pressing, kneading, round, hollow, pinches (from Text 2)
Teachers may choose flexibly from a range of vocabulary development strategies and resources
to facilitate learer comprehension based on their students’ needs:
Enhanced Learning
Pre-teaching Environment
Concurrent Teaching
Teachers may choose to assign Teachers may include words
Teachers may choose to engage
homework prior to teaching this from the academic vocabulary
in deliberate pausing to check
lesson to facilitate learners’ inventory in the physical
learners’ understanding of the
initial engagement with the classroom environment through
words in the academic
acadmic vocabulary inventory. the use of a word wall or other
vocabulary inventory as they
Teachers may also pre-teach display suitable for lexis
encounter them in the text to
targeted vocabulary by development. Images,
disambiguate the meaning of
introducing words, definitions, defintions and examples of
words and / or provide examples
usage and / or images prior to usage, teacher-generated or
and definitions, as needed.
teaching this lesson. student-generated, can be
included.
Resources / Equipment Needed: Little lump of Clay, digital or paper-based, and the Little lump
of Clay slideshow
Resources adapted from PIRLS 2006 User Guide by P.Foy and A. M. Kennedy. Copyright 2008 by the International
Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA).
TASKS & ACTIVITIES
Starter 5 Minutes
1. Introduce the lesson by asking learners if they have ever used clay to create something. Display the
word ‘clay’ on the whiteboard or smartboard and brainstorm ideas of objects that could be made of clay.
2. Elicit responses and explain that clay comes from the ground, usually in areas where streams or rivers
once flowed. It is made from minerals, plant life, and the ingredients of soil.
3. Teacher may want to display pictures of clay and clay objects to support the visulization.
4. Explain to students will read a story about clay during today’s lesson.

Concept and Skill Development 10 Minutes

1. Display Text 1 and read the text out loud to students or choose a student volunteer to read.
2. Pause after each paragraph and / or sentence to check students’ comprehension.
3. Display Question 1 and ask students: How can we answer this question? What should we do first?
4. Model locating the information in the text that is needed to answer the question and marking the
text. Encourage students to use lexis from the key vocabulary box.
5. Release Question 2 to students, directing them to work independently, with a partner or in small
groups to answer the questions. Encourage students to mark the text.
6. Display Text 2 and read the text out loud to students or choose a student volunteer to read.
7. Pause after each paragraph and / or sentence to check students’ comprehension.
8. Display Question 3 and ask students: How can we answer this question? What should we do first?
9. Model locating the information in the text that is needed to answer the question and marking the text.
10. Release Questions 4 and 5 to students, directing to them work independently, with a partner or in
small groups to answer the questions. For Question 5, encourage students to use lexis from the key
vocabulary box and the text.
Practice and Application 15 Minutes
1. Display Text 3 and ask students to describe what they see in the from the pictures.
2. Elicit student responses and draw connections between the images and the text. Direct students to
look at the vocabulary box.
3. Explain that students will order the pictures and label them using the words in the vocabulary box.
Remind students that there is a limited time to complete this task.
4. Circulate to monitor progress and support as needed.
Plenary 5 Minutes
1. Display the following question on the whiteboard or smartboard: Do you think the lump of clay was
pleased when the girl took it? Why or why not?
2. Direct learners to share their answers with their partner.
3. Collect learners’ responses at the end of the lesson and / or as they exit the classroom.
4. Review learners’ responses to gage comprehension of the text and learners’ ability to respond to text-
based questions.
Literacy Lesson Planning
Objectives and Outcomes
Are the objectives and outcomes clear?
Are the objectives and outcomes achievable for my students?
Materials
Questions Do I have all of the materials that I need?
to What additional materials, if I any, might I use to enhance the lesson?
Consider Vocabulary Development
Before How will I develop my students’ vocabulary to help them understand the texts?
Teaching Modification and Differentiation
What changes, if any, will I make to this lesson to meet my students’ needs?
Collaboration
Have I discussed the literacy lesson with my Arabic counterpart?
What resources and ideas can we share?

Literacy Lesson Reflection

Evidence of Learning
What evidence of learning was generated during the lesson?
How can I analyse the evidence to drive future instruction?
Strategies
Which teaching strategies were effective?
Which teaching strategies were ineffective?
What changes to teaching strategy selection and implementation might I make in the future?
Questions
Instructional Sequence
to
How effective was lesson introduction, concept and skill development, practice and application and
Consider
plenary?
After
What changes might I consider making to future literacy instruction so that it is more effective and
Teaching
engaging?
Collaborative Reflection
How did students respond to the literacy lesson in my colleague’s classroom?
What interventions might we plan together to help individual students or groups of students develop
literacy skills?
Next Steps
Based on this reflection, what steps should I take to prepare for the next literacy lesson?
ANSWER KEY
ITEM ALIGNMENT KEY MARKS
LS4UAE Lit.M.F.1 Identify and retrieve information that is B heavy
relevant to a specific reading goal.
1 NELCF En.2.R.CS.2 Read and identify familiar words and 1
set phrases in short, simple texts on familiar
topics.
LS4UAE Lit.M.S.1 Make inferences about connections and Answers will vary –
relationships in a text. couldn’t remember the
2 NELCF En.2.R.CS.1 Read and understand the overall last time he was 1
meaning of short, simple texts on familiar topics. handled

LS4UAE Lit.M.F.1 Identify and retrieve information that is C a girl

relevant to a specific reading goal.
3 1
NELCF En.2.R.CS.1 Read and understand the overall
meaning of short, simple texts on familiar topics.
LS4UAE Lit.M.S.1 Make inferences about connections and B press and knead
relationships in a text.
4 1
NELCF En.2.R.CS.2 Read and identify familiar words and
set phrases in short, simple texts on familiar topics.
LS4UAE Lit.M.S.1 Make inferences about connections and Answers will vary – to
relationships in a text. the lump of clay, her
5 NELCF En.2.R.CS.2 Read and identify familiar words and fingers felt beautiful 1
set phrases in short, simple texts on familiar
topics.
LS4UAE Lit.M.F.1 Identify and retrieve information that is 5 – Learner has
relevant to a specific reading goal. followed all instructions
Lit.M.I.3 Interpret a real-world application of text and demonstrates a
information. strong ability to order
pictures and words.
NELCF En.2.R.CS.1 Read and understand the overall
meaning of short, simple texts on familiar topics. 3 – Learner has
followed some
instructions and
demonstrates a strong
6 5
ability to order pictures
and words.

1 – Learner has not

followed task
instructions and / or
demonstrates a limited
ability to order pictures
and words.