Literacy Lesson Plan: Exploring "ee" Sounds

Overview

This lesson is designed for Year 9 students in New Zealand and focuses on enhancing students' understanding and usage of the "ee" sound in English literacy. It aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum for English, specifically targeting the Reading and Viewing aspect at Level 4 to 5.

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Identify and differentiate the "ee" sound in various words.
2. Use context clues to understand and explain words containing the "ee" sound.
3. Apply phonemic awareness by using "ee" sounding words in their own sentences.

Resources Needed

1. List of "ee" sounding words prepared on flashcards.
2. Access to NZ Curriculum documentation for reference: English in the New Zealand Curriculum
3. Whiteboard and markers.
4. Laptops or tablets with internet access (optional for extension activities).

Lesson Plan

Introduction (5 minutes)

1. Greeting and Settling In:

   • Begin with a brief greeting and a recap of the previous class.
   • Explain the focus of today's lesson on the "ee" sound.

2. Engagement Activity:

   • Quickly write a short poem or sentence on the board that includes multiple "ee" sounds, such as "Bee sees three trees in the breeze."
   • Ask students to identify the recurring sound.

Main Activity (20 minutes)

Part 1: Identification and Discussion (10 minutes)

1. Flashcard Activity:

   • Distribute flashcards to the students.
   • Each flashcard contains a word with the "ee" sound (e.g., cheese, meet, seen).
   • Students will take turns reading the words aloud and discussing any words they might not understand.

2. Group Discussion:

   • In pairs, students discuss the meaning of each word and use it in a new sentence. Encourage them to think about synonyms and antonyms related to these words.

Part 2: Contextual Understanding (10 minutes)

1. Sentence Creation:
   • Students will write three original sentences using different "ee" sounding words provided in the flashcards.
   • Encourage them to use varied sentence structures.

Conclusion (5 minutes)

1. Sharing and Feedback:

   • Invite a few students to share their sentences aloud.
   • Provide constructive feedback on their usage of "ee" sounding words and sentence structure.

2. Wrap-up:

   • Summarize key points learned in today's lesson.
   • Hint at the next class's focus to maintain interest.

Assessment

• Informal assessment through observation during discussions and activities.
• Check students' sentence constructions for understanding and correct use of the "ee" sounds.

Extensions

1. Online Activity: For students with access to devices, direct them to interactive phonics games that reinforce phoneme recognition such as those found on Starfall or similar educational websites.
2. Homework: Students can be asked to read a selected passage from a book or online resource and identify all the words with the “ee” sound, listing them and adding two new words to their list by researching online.

By focusing on interactive and contextual learning, this lesson aims to reinforce phonemic awareness in a fun and engaging way, aligning with the literacy goals of the New Zealand Curriculum.