The Pedagogical Planner

Feeling the teacher burn out? It’s so common this time of year to feel like you’re drowning in grading and paperwork, leaving you little time to plan meaningful lessons and activities. Luckily, we’ve got you covered with a full week of lesson plans and activities for Reading and Writing.

If you have a copy of In November by Cynthia Rylant, congrats you’re already almost set. If not, you can find it for free at Open Library. Simply create a free account and search for the book to borrow for free.

Below are some FREE IDEAS for implementation of this book. The full week of lesson plans and activities are available for purchase in my store.

Day 1: Interactive Read Aloud

Begin by building schema and background knowledge about the changes students notice around them during the month of November. You may also want to preteach vocabulary before reading.

Next, begin interactive read aloud of In November by Cynthia Rylant, pausing occasionally to ask questions and engage readers. Prompt students to notice the language used by the author. After reading, discuss the book with students asking them to retell changes that happen in November. You may also have students work together to create posters to show changes in November.

Another activity that pairs wonderfully with this book is a visualizing map. Students will love this activity in which the teacher chooses descriptive quotes from the book to read as students sketch what they visualize.

Day 2: Figurative Language

Cynthia Rylant demonstrates amazing use of personification in this book. Create an anchor chart with students to notice some ways in which the author uses similes, metaphors, and personification in In November.

Next, allow students to think about what Cynthia Rylant’s words mean. Discuss figurative versus literal meaning.

Day 3: Imagery

Revisit descriptive words used by Cynthia Rylant that appeal to the 5 senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. My students particularly enjoy the imagery Cynthia Rylant creates for foods in November.

Writing Connection: Have students describe things that they see, smell, taste, feel, and hear in November.

Day 4: Author’s Craft

Discuss Cynthia Rylant’s use of imagery, similes, metaphor, and personification and the effect it creates in her writing. An anchor chart and guided notes for student interactive notebook is available with the full lesson in my store. The anchor chart details examples from the text and the author’s purpose in using this craft.

Writing connection: have students use craft they learned from Cynthia Rylant in their own writing. My full lesson includes components to create a bulletin board display of students’ writing.

Day 5: Reflection and Assessments

Students can write a book review to share their thoughts about Cynthia Rylant’s In November. Multiple choice, short answer, and writing assessments are available separately in my store, or you can get them included with the full week of lessons.

In November Book Unit

Read on for details about the full set of no prep lessons available for purchase in my store.

In November by Cynthia Rylant is a must read for your class during the month of November, and these no prep lessons make it easy! There are so many learning opportunities in this book, and it serves as an outstanding mentor text! From using reading skills to analyze author’s craft and interpret figurative language, to connecting and applying this craft to students’ own writing, this unit serves as a comprehensive teaching tool using In November.

Explore the author’s craft of figurative language and imagery as she describes the beauty and wonders of November. Your students will love engaging in this fun interactive read aloud, and using Cynthia Rylant’s In November as a mentor text to craft their own descriptive writing. Plus, this product includes a November bulletin board display to celebrate your students’ writing!

This full week of detailed lessons and activities for reading and writing on author’s craft, figurative language, and more is already planned for you. Enjoy a week of meaningful lessons centered around the changes and wonderful happenings in November, without the prep!

This book unit includes 5 Lesson Plans with Activities:

DAY 1: INTERACTIVE READ ALOUD

DAY 2: FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

DAY 3: IMAGERY

DAY 4: AUTHOR’S CRAFT

DAY 5: REFLECTION AND ASSESSMENT

Each Lesson Plan includes standards with both CCSS and TEKS alignment, student objective “I can” statements, vocabulary warmups, lesson with guided practice, independent practice/assessment, extension activities, writing, and more!

TEACHING POINTS:

Interactive Read Aloud

Stopping Points & Guiding Questions

Before Reading Discussions to Build Schema

Vocabulary

Figurative Language Lessons

Author’s Craft Lessons

Imagery

Visualizing

Comprehension

Reading Responses

Writing Activities

Grammar Mentor Sentence

Begin the week by activating prior knowledge and building schema before engaging in an interactive read aloud of In November that engages students with purposeful questioning before, during, and after reading. Guiding questions and stopping points are provided within the lesson plans for the teacher. Printable post-it notes are included to make guided questioning even easier!

Students will learn vocabulary and build background knowledge before reading, notice language and make connections during reading, and reflect on the changes in November after reading.

Students will then revisit the changes in November as described in the story and engage in a visualizing activity using the words of Cynthia Rylant.

Throughout the week, students will explore figurative language and imagery as they analyze the author’s craft. Students will study the effect of using metaphors, personification, and sensory language in writing.

This lesson pack includes my In November comprehension printables for assessing students’ comprehension.

Mentor Sentence lessons for grammar are also included:

Day 1: Invitation to Notice

Day 2: Invitation to Compare

Day 3: Invitation to Revise

Day 4: Invitation to Imitate

Day 5: Invitation to Edit (Assessment included)

The main focus of these lessons is on the use of commas for introductory words and phrases. (e.g. In November,)

This resource is packed with materials, but here is a general overview:

• 5 DAYS of lesson plans
• Discussion Questions for Interactive Read Aloud
• Guided Picture Vocabulary Charts
• Vocabulary Activities
• Student Notebook Pages
• Writing Activities
• Guiding Questions for Reading Skills
• Over 20 Book Activities & Extension Activities
• Comprehension Assessments
• Answer Keys
• Writing Graphic Organizers
• Writing Activities
• Mentor Sentence
• Grammar Focus – Commas
• Bulletin Board Display for November
• Anchor Charts

Different versions of the vocabulary page are provided for you, so you are able to choose the best one to fit the needs of your students. Picture vocabulary is provided for ESL and visual learners. You could also print the blank vocabulary page and allow students to sketch their own picture to match the word’s meaning. I recommend using the vocabulary page for interactive student notebooks, but they can be used as worksheets as well.

The benefits of interactive read alouds are immense, and they extend far beyond K-2! If you are not already, consider incorporating read alouds into your upper elementary ELAR block. The importance of having the reading process modeled is significant for both younger and older students alike.

Benefits of Interactive Read-Aloud

• Teacher models fluency
• Develops vocabulary
• Promotes classroom community
• Collaborate and practice comprehension strategies
• Teacher models higher order thinking and questioning

And so much more!

Other November Favorites:

Main Idea Supporting Details Reading Task Cards – Nonfiction

Fall and Thanksgiving Reading Comprehension Passages – Nonfiction

Turkey Bowl Book Companion Activities Turkey Bowl by Phil Bildner

Cross-Curricular Pumpkin Jack Activity Pack NO PREP

I hope you enjoy!