Context of Learning:
Grade Level: Within this classroom, there are no students with IEPs/special services
Special Features: There is one general education teacher in this classroom. If there is a student who is struggling with a lesson, this teacher takes them to the back table one at a time to work on the topic/subject. The student and teacher work together to come up with a strategy of the best way this student can understand the specific lesson going forward. In this classroom, there are 15 students. Eight are girls and seven are boys, one of these students has a language barrier.
Rationale: According to the first grade New York State Common Core Standards, first graders are expected to be able to identify the essential foundation of goods and services throughout the world; which is a crucial foundation for economic literacy and development, even at an early age. Introducing this concept in first grade helps children recognize the role of producers, consumers, and how the economy affects their daily lives. Teaching goods and services in first grade is essential because it connects to real-world experiences, such as shopping and using community services, helping children understand their daily environment. By learning to differentiate between goods and services, students develop critical thinking skills as they categorize and make sense of the things they use and the roles people play. This early exposure also promotes financial literacy by introducing concepts like making choices, understanding value, and exchanging money, laying groundwork for responsible financial habits in the future.
NYS Common Core Learning Standards:
1.3a An engaged and active citizen participates in the activities of the group or community and makes positive contributions
Students will participate in group activities and contribute to the work of the group.
1.3b Traits of a responsible citizen include respecting others*, behaving honestly, helping others, obeying rules and laws, being informed, and sharing needed resources.
Students will explain the traits of a responsible citizen and model actions of responsible citizens.
1.9a Scarcity means that people’s wants exceed their limited resources.
Students will provide examples of scarcity by identifying wants that exceed resources.
1.10 Goods are consumable, tangible products; services are actions performed by a person or group of people with a certain skill
Students will identify examples of goods and services.
1.10b A producer makes goods or provides a service, while a consumer uses or benefits from the goods or services.
Students will identify examples of a producer and a consumer.
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to distinguish goods and services by identifying and categorizing examples from their daily lives, and explain the role of consumers and producers, demonstrating their understanding through class discussion and activities such as sorting or drawing items into “goods” and “services” categories.
Materials:
Students
Desks
Carpet
Pencils
SMART Board
Scissors
On Market Street by Anita and Arnold Lobel
Whiteboard
Expo Marker
Goods or Services? #1 worksheet
Goods or Services? #2 worksheet
Props - such as plastic food, blocks
Body of Lesson:
Introduction/Motivation:
To introduce this lesson to the students, I will ask them: “Remember when we talked about wants and needs? - Can someone remind me of what a WANT and a NEED is?” I will then allow the students to ponder for a couple seconds to give me an answer. “A need is something we need to live, like food and water! The things we want are like toys and games!”
I will then say: “Today we will be taking that idea a tiny step further, we are going to learn about goods and services. Has anyone ever heard of these words before? Where have you heard it?”
Once the students have taken a moment to answer, I will then say: “Goods are things we can buy, like the food we eat, or the clothes we wear - it is something you can hold and buy. Services are the helpful things people do for us, like teaching, or fixing cars. Let’s see how our wants and needs connect to the goods and services we use everyday!”
I will then take out the book: “On Market Street”, and read aloud this story. Before reading, I will say: “While we read the story, pay close attention to the goods he buys” While reading the book, I will find a good stopping point and ask the students what some goods the little boy bought are.
Instructional Strategies:
Once we are finished reading “On Market Street”, I will move my students' eyes to the anchor chart I have made, I will then write down all of the goods the little boy brought onto the “Goods” section, and I will do the same for services.
I will then ask the students to tell me what goods they see throughout the classroom, and who provides services within our school. I will then write this on the board.
I will then explain to the students: “There are some jobs that provide services, but don’t sell goods, an example of this would be: a hairstylist, a police officer, a librarian”.
I will then direct the students to their desk and to take out a pencil.
I will then hand out the students a worksheet entitled: “Goods and Services”, for this portion I will explain to the students that we will be completing this worksheet as a class, we will go one by one, writing “s” if a person is providing a service, and “g” if a person sells a good.
After the worksheet, I will then divide the students into 7 groups, each assignment a different role-playing scenario: Grocery Store, Restaurant, Doctor’s Office, Library, Construction Site, Pet Store, Post Office.
I will then assign the roles within each group, for example: store worker, service providers, and consumers (customers and clients).
I will then provide each group with a brief description of their scenario and the roles involved.
I will allow time for the students to plan and practice their skit, and encourage them to think about how goods and services are exchanged and what role each person plays.
I will also be providing simple props (play food, menus, blocks) to enhance their play.
After a few minutes, each group will act out their scenario, demonstrating how their business offers goods, services, or both. They should show how customers request or buy goods/services and how producers provide them.
One by one, I will call one group at a time to perform their skit for the class. Each skit should show an exchange of goods or services, with clear roles of producers and consumers.
As each group performs, the rest of the class watches and identifies whether the scenario involves goods, services, or both.
We will then discuss how the exchange took place and the roles of the producer and consumer.
Technology Component
The SMART Board will be used to display a digital timer during the role-playing activity to keep each group on track. I will be setting a 3-5 minute timer per group, depending on the number of students and complexity of their skit. When the timer starts, the group begins their role-play. The countdown on the SMARTboard will help them manage their time and stay focused on delivering their skit within the time given. The timer will also help the audience stay engaged, knowing how long the presentation will last. Using the SMARTBoard as a timer helps maintain the flow of the lesson, keeps students on task, and ensures that every group has an equal opportunity to participate in the roleplay.
Differentiation
To ensure that all students can engage meaningfully in the role-playing activity, differentiation will be incorporated to meet the diverse needs of learners. By adjusting roles, offering support, and providing various levels of challenge, every student will have the opportunity to succeed. Visual aids, peer support, and role modifications will help students who need extra guidance, while advanced learners will be encouraged to take on the more complex tasks. These strategies ensure that each child can participate at their level of ability while giving a strong understanding of goods and services.
Below Level: These students will be assigned simpler rules, such as being a customer, where they can practice basic skills like asking for items or paying with play money. I will provide a clear example of a role-playing scenario for the group before they begin, demonstrating the exchange of goods and services. This will give students a concrete idea of how to participate. I will also be pairing the students who need some extra support with a more confident peer to help guide them through the activity.
Above Level: These students will be challenged by giving them more complex roles, such as managing the “store” or “service business”, requiring them to handle multiple customers or offer detailed explanations or their goods/services. I will encourage these students to come up with additional services or products to offer or explain the importance of the goods they are providing.
For Visual Learners: I will provide visual props (menus, signs for the stores) to support understanding of roles and exchanges.
For Auditory Learners: I will provide verbal prompts or key phrases for students to repeat during the role play (ex: “How much does this cost?” Or “I would like to buy”). This will reinforce their understanding through repetition.
For Kinesthetic Learners: I will allow students to physically engage with the props, such as picking up items in grocery store or performing an action in the service roles (example: building a house in the construction roleplay)
For Students with a Language Barrier: To support students with language barriers during the role-playing activity, visual aids, gestures, and simplified language will be used to help this student understand the concept of goods and services. By incorporating clear visuals, modeling actions, and allowing them to express their ideas can ensure that all students, regardless of language proficiency, are actively engaged within the activity.
Academic Language
Essential Literacy Strategies
Vocabulary Building: I will introduce the academic vocabulary (goods, services, producers, consumers, exchange) through direct instruction and visual aids (t-charts, read aloud book). I will use repetition within the reading, writing, and listening activities to reinforce understanding new terms.
Interactive Read-Aloud: During the read aloud book, I will ask guided questions to prompt discussion and comprehension. This will engage the students to use academic vocabulary in their response, helping them apply new terms in context.
Collaborative Learning: Using small group role-play activities to encourage peer-to-peer interaction and discourse, allowing students to practice the academic language in authentic, meaningful contexts.
Sentence Frames: Providing sentence starters or frames (example: “A good is something you can ___. A service is when someone ___”) to support in constructing complete sentences using academic vocabulary.
Academic Vocabulary
Goods: objects or items that people buy or use.
Services: actions or activities done to help others.
Producers: people who make goods and provide services.
Consumers: people who buy or use goods and services.
Exchange: the act of giving one thing and receiving another (money for goods or services)
Syntax
Complex Sentences: Using sentences that combine ideas, such as “A good is something you can buy, like food or toys, while a service is something someone does for you, like cutting your hair”
Question and Answer: Using question prompts that require academic language in responses, such as “What goods did you buy at the grocery store” or “What service did the doctor provide?”
Discourse:
Classroom Discussions: During whole-class and small-group activities, students will use academic vocabulary to describe the goods and services in their role-playing scenarios. For example, students can explain, “In the restaurant, the waiter provided a service by bringing food to the customers.”
Oral or Written Language: Students will practice academic discourse both orally (during role-play and discussions) and in writing (by drawing and labeling goods and services)
Peer Interaction: Students will work collaboratively during role-playing, using the vocabulary and syntax in context to communicate with peers, explain their roles, and discuss the goods and services they are portraying.
Closure
To conclude today’s lesson on goods and services, we will reflect on what we learned. First, we will turn to the partner(s) they were assigned and share one example of a good and one example of a service we observed or participated in during the role-play activity. After a few moments, we will come back together as a class to discuss. I will ask some of them to describe their group's role play: What goods or services did their group provide, how did they consumers interact with the producers? This will help the students reinforce the key concepts they explored today. I will then ask the students to think about one good or service you use at home or in your community, and then the following day they will write in their journals.
Assessment
Formal: At the end of the lesson, students will complete a worksheet labeled “Goods and Services” which serves as our exit ticket. The worksheet will include a list of items and activities, and the students will then label if it's a good, or a service. I will be walking around the classroom to ensure each student is on task and/or struggling.
Informal: During the role-playing portion, students will be observed as they participate in small group skits where they act as either producers or consumers of goods and services. The assessment will fall on engagement, understanding of concept, and collaboration amongst their group.
Re-Engagement
To re-engage students who struggled with the concept of goods and services, I will begin by reviewing the definitions using the anchor chart we completed in the beginning of the lesson, with clear examples of goods (toys, books) and services (haircuts, pet grooming). Students will help classify items in a brief interactive activity. I will then pull aside a small group of students who need additional support for targeted instruction. In this group, we will revisit the role-playing scenarios with a focus on key vocabulary words (goods, services, producers, consumers), using picture cards and simple role-plays to reinforce understanding. To conclude, students will complete a modified worksheet, with fewer items to classify allowing them to apply what they’ve relearned in a simplified format.
Context of Learning:
Grade Level: Within this classroom, there is one student with an IEP and Occupational Therapy, his classification is learning disability. Another student receives AIS for reading.
Special Features: There is one general education teacher in this classroom. Two times a day, the resource room teacher comes into the classroom to assist and guide the student with an IEP. Once a week, another student gets pulled for AIS reading. If there is a student who is struggling with a lesson, the teacher will work with the students individually at her desk, focusing on the topic or subject at hand. Together, the student and teacher develop a personalized strategy to help the student best understand and approach and lesson moving forward.
Rationale: According to New York State Standards for English Language Arts, teaching synonyms in fourth grade aligns with the goal of developing vocabulary knowledge and language skills essential for effective communication and comprehension. The standards emphasize that students should “determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in text”.
NYS Common Core Learning Standards:
4R4 - Determine the meaning of words, phrases, figurative language, and academic and content-specific words as they are used in a text, including multiple-meaning words or phrases
Teaching synonyms aligns with this standard as it helps students understand and interpret vocabulary, enhancing their ability to comprehend refinement language
within a text.
4L5 - Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and refinement in word meanings
4L5a - Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors in context
4l5b - Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs
4L5c - Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their synonyms and antonyms.
This standard directly addresses synonyms, requiring students to recognize word relationships and subtle differences between words, helping them to expand and refine their vocabulary.
4L6 - Acquire and accurately use grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basics to a particular topic.
Learning synonyms supports this standard by giving students the tools to select precise vocabulary, which enriches their spoken and written language and aids in achieving clarity and accuracy in communication.
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to identify and match synonyms for commonly used words, enhancing their vocabulary and comprehension. They will practice replacing repetitive words in sentences with synonyms and add variety and precision to their writing. Students will also demonstrate an understanding of word relationships by selecting appropriate synonyms from a word bank and discussing the subtle differences in meaning between similar words. Additionally, students will apply synonyms in their own sentences, ensuring they convey the intended meaning with clarity and accuracy. These activities align with the New York State Learning Standards by helping students expand their vocabulary and use language effectively in both written and spoken contexts.
Materials:
Students
Desk
Pencil
SMART Board
Gluestick
“Synonyms” Worksheet #1
“Synonyms” Worksheet #2
Synonym Matching Game
12 MouthWash Cups
Tape
Index Card
Body of Lesson:
Introduction/Motivation
To introduce the concept of synonyms and motivate students, I will begin with a relatable example, such as two words, like “happy” and “joyful”, to show that words can have similar meanings.
I will then engage the class by asking if they can think of other words that mean “happy”, I will also be writing their suggestions on the board.
As we are thinking of different words, I will emphasize that learning synonyms is like having a “toolbox of words”, allowing them to express themselves in more interesting and precise ways.
I will then instruct the children to play a quick, interactive game. Students will come up with synonyms for simple words (example: “big” or “small”) within thirty seconds.
I will then explain to the students that knowing synonyms will help them add variety to their writing and understand words better when they read.
Instructional Strategies
Once we finished playing the class game, I will then direct the students attention to the SMARTboard, I will then write the sentence on the board: “The dog is big”, and demonstrate how to rephrase it with a synonym, I will ask the students: “What would be a synonym for the word big?”. I will then give the students a moment to think and respond. I will be calling on three different students to give me different words for the word “big”.
While modeling these examples, I will then say out loud: “I’m thinking of other words for ‘big’ that mean the same thing, but they might sound a little different, or dramatic than others.
I will then repeat this process, except I will use the word: “cold”
I will then start to hand out each student a worksheet entitled: “Synonyms”, the directors ask to read the story given, and to rewrite the story by replacing each underlined word with the synonym from the list. We will then rewrite the story and replace the underline words with the synonyms.
Once I hand out the worksheet and read the directions, I will read the story aloud as a class. I will then re-read the story, and as I read I will stop at the underlined word, asking the students to think about what the word means.
I will allow the students to think and respond to each word, calling on them one by one to respond with a synonym for the underlined word.
After we complete replacing each underlined word, I will ask a volunteer to read the story again with the synonym words we used.
I will then explain to them that even though the words have changed within the story, the words still mean the same.
Once we complete the worksheet: “Synonyms”, I will then I will have them work independently on a worksheet “Synonyms #2”, during this part, students will read a sentence, underlined within the sentence is a word. They will have to choose the word from the word box above that is a synonym of the underlined word.
I will give students around 10 minutes to complete this worksheet.
After 10 minutes, I will project the worksheet onto the SMARTboard, and we will go over it as a class. I will call up a student one by one to read the sentence and write their answer on the board.
After we have completed going over the independent worksheet, students will then be given instructions for a “Synonym Match Up” game.
I will then explain to the students how the game will work. They will receive a worksheet with a series of different words on it: depart, located, automobile, purchase, pupil, vacant, gradually, accomplish, opposite, intelligent, illness, giant. Their mission is to then go on a “scavenger hunt”, and try to find the matching synonym within the room.
Once they find the matching word, they will glue the synonym they found next to the word they think means the same.
The synonym words include: enormous, leave, achieve, smart, student, car, antonym, slowly, buy, sickness, empty, found.
I will give the students another ten minutes to find each word and glue the matching synonym onto their paper.
As the students are doing this, I will be walking around the room to ensure that they are understanding each word. I will encourage them by saying: “Does this word mean the same as mine?” to confirm their matches and understanding.
After the ten minutes is cup, I will project the paper onto the board and we will go over it as a class.
I will address any mismatched pairs or confusion about different word meanings as we are going over it, as well. I will explain subtle differences if necessary, and provide additional examples as needed.
Once the students have completed their game, I will discuss with them how using synonyms can make their writing more interesting and precise. I will encourage students to use synonyms in their writing to avoid repetition and enhance their expression.
I will then give out flashcards to each student, as an exit ticket, I will ask the students to write any word on the front, and a synonym for that word on the back.
Technology Component
Using the SMARTboard to project the synonym worksheet enhances engagement by allowing students to interact directly with the material. Projecting the story with underlined words and word box onto the SMARTboard, students can come up and write the synonyms to replace each underlined word. This hand-on activity visually reinforced word choices and helps students understand context. As each synonym is selected, I will lead a quick discussion on why it’s a suitable replacement, using the pen tool to underline and highlight. The SMARTboard also enables quick polling, where students can vote on synonym options, adding a collaborative and dynamic element to the lesson.
Differentiation
To accommodate diverse learning needs in the synonym lesson, each activity is adapted to support students with varying skill levels and learning styles. The lesson includes a guided classroom worksheet, an independent worksheet, a synonym scavenger hunt, and a flashcard exit ticket, each offering differentiated options to engage and challenge students.
For Struggling Students: For students who are struggling, I can provide simplified definitions or examples next to each synonym option on worksheets and activities, guiding the students to choose the correct word based on context clues and understanding.
For Advanced Learners: Encourage students to use more challenging or less common synonyms. For each word, I will ask them to generate additional synonyms beyond those provided, focusing on subtle differences in meaning and usage. I could also ask these students to provide a sentence using a pair of synonyms found if they finish early on an assignment.
For Visual Learners: Allow students to highlight or color code synonyms to help them visualize word relationships and meanings.
For Kinesthetic Learners: This hands-on activity of the synonym match up scavenger hunt, allows students to move around the room, locating synonyms and pairing them with matching words. I can provide hints or clues to support struggling learners as they complete the scavenger hunt.
For Auditory Learners: Read aloud each synonym option and its definition during activities, allowing auditory learners to hear the words in context. I will encourage them to repeat or verbalize their answers to reinforce understanding.
These differentiated options allow students to engage with the lesson at their own pace, supporting and extending their understanding of synonyms across multiple interactive activities.
Academic Language
Essential Literacy Strategies
Phonics Awareness: develop student’s ability to hear, identify and manipulate sounds in spoken words, which is foundational for decoding.
Vocabulary Building: introduce and review new words regularly, using word maps, context clues, and discussion to deepen understanding.
Fluency Practice: engage students in repeated reading, choral reading, or partner reading to improve reading speed, accuracy, and expression.
Comprehension Strategies: teach skills like summarizing, predicting, questioning, and visualizing to help students make meaning from text.
Academic Vocabulary
Synonym Groups and Definitions:
Depart, Leave, Begin, Start
To go away from a place; to initiate an action or process.
Located, Found
To discover the position of something or to identify where something is.
Automobile, Car
A vehicle used for transportation on roads.
Purchase, Buy
To acquire something by paying for it.
Pupil, Student, Children, Kids
A person who is learning, especially in a school environment, or young individuals.
Vacant, Empty
Lacking occupants or continental, unfilled or unused.
Gradually, Slowly
Happening in a slow and step-by-step manner.
Accomplish, Achieve, Done, Finished
To successfully complete or reach a goal.
Opposite, Antonym
A word with a meaning that is the reverse of another word.
Intelligent, Smart
A state of being unwell or experiencing disease.
Giant, Huge, Enormous
Extremely large in size or amount.
Perhaps, Mayb e
Expressing uncertainty or possibility.
Like, Enjoy
To take pleasure in something or feel fondness for it.
Pebble, Stone
A small, hard, rounded rock or piece of mineral.
Silly, Funny
Causing laughter; lighthearted or humorous.
Tidy, Neat
Arranged in an orderly, clean, and neat manner.
Chuckle, Laugh
To make sounds of amusement or happiness.
Dish, Bowl
A container for holding or serving food.
Notice, See
To observe or become aware of something.
Softly, Quietly
In a low or gentle manner; without making loud sounds.
Crept, Sneaked
To move in a quiet, stealthy way, usually to avoid detection.
Put, Placed
To set something in a particular position.
Sleepy, Tired
Feeling in need of rest or sleep.
Rest, Napping, Sleeping
The act of being inactive to recover strength or energy.
Sofa, Couch
A piece of furniture for sitting or lounging.
Dad, Father
A male parent.
Liked, Enjoyed
Took pleasure in or felt positive about something.
Frozen, Cold
Very low in temperature, iced or chilly.
These synonyms with definitions provide a basis for students to better understand the nuanced meanings or related words in different contexts.
Syntax:
Nouns - Words that name people, places, things, or ideas
Examples: student, car, kid, sickness, bowl, dad, story, couch.
Verbs - Action words that show what something or someone does.
Examples: leave, buy, sleep, see, notice, start.
Adjectives - Words that describe verbs and tell how, when, something happens.
Examples: slowly, quietly, softly.
Conjunctions - Words that add meaning to sentences or make connections.
Examples: maybe, perhaps.
Synonyms - Words that have the same meaning.
Example: student and pupil
Discourse:
Classroom Discussions: During whole-class activities, students will use academic vocabulary to discuss synonyms in context. For example, students can explain, “The word big is a synonym for huge because both describe something very large.”
Oral or Written Language: Students will practice academic discourse both orally (during discussion and activities) and in writing (by completing worksheets where they match synonyms or use them in sentences)
Peer Interaction: Students will collaborate in pairs or small groups, using synonyms in context to communicate with peers, explain the meaning of words, and create sentences that demonstrate their understanding of the synonyms.
Closure
To close the lesson, I will bring the class together to go over the synonym match up game results. I will call on a different student to share a different matched word that they have found. As each student goes, I will encourage the class to discuss why their words are synonyms and how they add variety to language. This whole-class review reinforces the concept of synonyms, allowing students to hear different examples and see how synonyms can be used effectively in sentences. I will end by asking students to reflect on a new synonym they learned and might use in their writing.
Assessment
Informal - Students will complete an independent worksheet where they match words with their synonyms. Afterward, we will go over the worksheet as a class, discussing the answers and encouraging students to share their reasoning. This will help identify any misunderstandings in a low-stakes setting and allow for immediate feedback.
Formal - For a formal assessment, students will complete an exit ticket where they write a word along with a synonym for that word on an index card. This provides an individual measure of each student’s understanding of synonyms and allows me to gauge who has mastered the concept and who may need further support.
Re-Engagement
For students needing additional practice with synonyms, plan a small-group re-engagement activity. I will begin by revisiting the concept with concrete examples and visual aids, such as word cards or images. I will have students work together to create synonym pairs using these cards, discussing why each pair of words has similar meaning. Then, I will play a quick synonym-matching game where they match a list of simple words with their synonyms. Finally, I will ask each student to choose a word from the list and use it in an original sentence along with its synonym to reinforce understanding. This approach allows students to re-engage with the concept through hands-on activities and collaborative learning.