class rules

Class Rulesby Jacob FinkOverviewUse this book to help children understand how rules help groups of people work together.Literacy Focus Word Count: 143 wordsHigh Frequency Wordsall, look, made, on,together, we, work•Initial Consonant Blends:cl (class, classroom)Text Features•SignsPrint Conventions•Capitalization:Capitalletters for days of the weekContent Wordsclass, sign, rule, agree,follow, Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,FridayWriting/Speaking and Listening •Proposing classroom rules•Discussing reasons forclassroom rulesComprehension/Thinking Skills•Understanding main idea•Drawing conclusions•Making judgmentsDecoding Skills•Compound Words:classroomObserve/AssessSee Using Graphic Organizersin the Assessment Handbook.Social Studies Focus Content and Thinking Skills•Understanding that groupshave rules for their membersto follow•Understanding that rulescan be made and changed•Learning that rules canpromote order and security•Understanding thatmembers of groups haveresponsibilities and rightsBackground InformationBecause people live much of their lives as members ofvarious groups, it is importantfor children to study how ruleshelp groups function. Foryoung children, focusing onthe groups they know best—family and school—is anatural place to start.Correlation to National StandardsSocial Studies•Individuals, Groups, andInstitutions•Power, Authority, andGovernanceSee Standards Chart on page 206.62Class Rules

Literacy FocusSet the Scene

Ask children to think aboutclassroom rules. Talk about therules you have in your class andrules they’ve had in other classes.

What were the reasons for theserules?

Introduce key vocabulary such asagreeand follow.

Pages 3–7

Direct children’s attention to thesigns the children are making.

•Locate the word classroominthe text. Have children suggestother compound words.

classroombedroomplayroomWhat is the rule? Why have they agreed to do this? Discuss responses.

Page 8

Focus attention on thephotograph.

Read and Discuss

Cover and Title Page

Show children the book and readthe title and author’s name. Ask:

What has the class done withall the signs?

Why have they done this? Have children read the questionand then remind them of therules they talked about prior toreading the text.

•Locate classand classroom.Have children suggest otherwords beginning with the clblend. List these.

Days of the Week

Activity Master,page Have children focus on the signs featured in the text. Havethem fill in the days of the weekon which the signs were made.

What are the children doing? Does it look as if the class workstogether? Why?

What do you think this book isabout?

Page 2

Be sure children understand thecentral concept by discussing theimportance of all class membersagreeing to follow the rules.

Respond

•Discuss the capitals at the

beginning of the words for thedays of the week. Togethermake a list of other words thatalways start with capital letters.

Meeting

Individual Needs

For specific teaching strategiesfor meeting individual needs, see pages 198–203.

Social Studies FocusSocial Studies Concept

Members of a group have rightsand responsibilities. Rules helppromote order in a group.

Activities

Important Rules

Have children discuss reasonsfor each of the rules in the book.Then have children rank thesereasons from most to least

important. Can they suggest anychanges to the rules? Repeat thisprocess with your class rules.

Rules, Rules, Rules

Have children make lists ofother situations that have rules;for example, watching a movie in a theater or playing on theplayground. Have them considerthe reasons for these rules. Our Class Rules

Children could design and makesigns showing their class rules.Display the signs around theclassroom.

No Rules

Discuss what would happen ifthere were no rules—at school,at a game, on the road. Childrencould consider these (and other)situations and then role-playwhat might happen.

Reasons for Rules

Activity Master,page 65Have children focus on thepurpose for rules by writingdown rules that affect them andthe reasons for having the rules.Encourage them to share theirresponses with the other children.

Class Rules63

Name

Class RulesOn what day was each sign made? Write the day in the spacenext to it. Use your book to help you.

Sign

Be Polite.

Listen when someone else is talking.

Take care of other people’s things.

Wait your turn.

Clean up after yourself.

Activity MasterDay

Vocabulary:Content Words

yteicoS cihpargoeG lanoitaN 1002 ©Name

Class RulesWrite some rules you know. Write why the rules are important.

In my classRule:

We have the rule

On the playgroundRule:

We have the rule

At homeRule:

yteicoS cihpargoeWe have the rule

G lanoitaN 1002 ©Social Studies:Power, Authority, and GovernanceActivity Master65