T&L Instructional Plan Template (Updated 4/17/15)(edTPA Aligned)

OverviewThe information included in this document is to support faculty in teaching about and supporting students with the T&L (and edTPA) Instructional Plan. While there are many variations of lesson plans, this format meets departmental requirements and is aligned with the 2014 edTPA as well.

Background Information

Teacher Candidate: Natalie Payton Date: 1/27/16Cooperating Teacher: Kirsten Sutherland Grade: KindergartenSchool District: Lake Washington School District School: Christa McAuliffeUniversity Supervisor: Lori WhiteUnit/Subject: Literacy Instructional Plan Title/Focus: Character Traits

Section 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment

a. Instructional Plan Purpose:The purpose of this lesson is to teach students what a character trait is and be able to identify traits of

a character in a given story. This is important for students to know because understanding characters improves student’s ability to infer and comprehend the text. Students are taking the text and interpreting what is happening and eventually coming up with traits associated with the characters in the story. In order to teach about character traits, it is important to teach students the difference between describing someone externally versus internally. It is also important to teach the students that a character trait is the way a character acts in the text and is all about their personality and what comes from the inside.

This lesson will be taught using the children’s book, Tacky the Penguin. Previous to this lesson, the students listened to the book and completed one or two worksheets on the book comparing and contrasting Tacky and his penguin brothers and sisters, as well as a cause and effect worksheet about the story. I also sat down with the students and had a mini class discussion about what they notice about Tacky on the outside. We compiled a list of adjectives that described Tacky’s outside appearance and talked about this is how you describe a character from the outside. This lesson will now be taught reading another Tacky the Penguin book and go over Tacky’s personality and inside traits versus outside traits.

In addition to teaching about character traits, the purpose of this lesson will to teach students about bullying as a social justice issue. Teaching social justice to students is very important and meaningful because it promotes conversation about issues going on in the world around us and allows students to understand on a deeper level. Since this lesson is in a kindergarten classroom, the social justice issue that relates to the Tacky the Penguin character trait lesson is on bullying. The main theme in the book, Tacky the Penguin, has to do with Tacky being different from his brother and sister penguins who are "perfect" and "proper". I want students to recognize being different is okay and that it is important to accept people's differences because that is what makes them unique. I will do a lesson on bullying and teach students that it is not okay to make fun of others based on what they look like, what they believe in, or what they do. The book relates to this lesson and will provide text connections to the lesson about bullying.

b. State/National Learning Standards: Grade Level: KCommon Core Standards:

RL.K.2. Students need to with prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

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SL.K.2. Students need to confirm understanding of a text read aloud of information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification of something is not understood.

c. Content Objectives: Students will be able to use adjectives to describe main character. (RL.K.2) Students will be able to describe traits of main character. (RL.K.2) Students will be able to comprehend text of a read aloud. (SL.K.2)

Social Justice Objective: Students will be able to accept others for who they are despite their differences. Students will be able to understand what bullying is and how to prevent it.

Language Objectives: Students will be able to define adjective. (RL.K.2) Students will be able to define character trait. (RL.K.2) Students will be able to define bullying.

d. Previous Learning Experiences: Student’s previous knowledge on character traits would be during normal reading instruction with

their teacher and when they read individually. The students have a base level knowledge on the elements of a story and are able to identify the main characters in a story. Students are also able to come up with adjectives to describe characters and setting in text. This lesson will be an introductory lesson on character traits to get their minds thinking about the character’s personality and inside features that make the characters who they are.

Students have also had previous lessons on being respectful and understanding people’s differences. Before this lesson, students were taught about Martin Luther King Jr. and were shown a video about what Martin Luther King believed in and stood up for. They learned about how he wanted everyone to be treated equally no matter what you look like. This lesson got students to think about equality and treating people equally despite their differences.

e. Planning for Student Learning Needs:Students that are distracted easily and have a hard time staying on task will be seated near the teacher

or front of the classroom to avoid temptations to distract the rest of the class. Students that are English Language Learners (ELL) will be provided a lot of visual aid to help follow along with the rest of the class. Since I am in a school that is very diverse it is very important that this lesson will be taught because it will create an environment for students to feel comfortable about their differences and proud. I am in a classroom that has many students needing extra support and get pulled out of the classroom during parts of the day. I also have students that are on IEPs who will need specific accommodations and modifications on the assignments provided for the lesson. For example, having an aid help with cutting and gluing, or modifying the assignment so that it is shorter and not as difficult.

f. Assessment Strategies (Informal and formal)

Content/Language Objectives Assessment StrategiesContent: Students will be able to use adjectives to describe main character. (RL.K.2)

Formative: Students will be assessed as a class during whole class discussion coming up with adjectives that describe Tacky the penguin and his inside traits. I will be able to tell students understanding of character traits based on this class discussion. (picture of poster attached)

Students will be able to describe traits of main character. (RL.K.2)

Formative: Students will be given a worksheet that has Tacky and a list of character traits. Only 4 traits on the list apply to Tacky and students will cut and paste the correct 4

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on the worksheet that apply to Tacky. This informal assessment will show me that students understand Tacky and his personality. (worksheet attached)

Students will be able to comprehend text of a read aloud. (SL.K.2)

Formative: Students will be following along with the story and comprehending the story along with who Tacky is in order to participate in the class discussion about the traits Tacky possesses.

Language:Students will be able to define adjective. (RL.K.2)

Formative: I will ask students what an adjective is during class discussion and plan my lesson accordingly and re teach what an adjective is based on their answers.

Students will be able to define character trait. (RL.K.2)

Formative: I will ask students after class discussion what a character trait is and depending on their answer, plan accordingly if need to be re taught.

Social Justice:Students will be able to accept others for who they are despite their differences.

Formative: I will ask students to share something that they think is interesting about themselves (could be a physical characteristic, or internal characteristic). This will show that they understand their differences and are able to express themselves.

Students will be able to understand what bullying is and how to prevent it

Formative: I will ask students to come up with a way to prevent bullying by giving them an example statement of someone being mean to someone and ask them to share how they would feel if that happened to them. I would then ask them to turn to a partner and come up with a way to prevent bullying in the classroom and share with the class.

g. Student Voice:

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K-12 students will be able to:Student-based evidence to be collected (things produced by

students: journals, exit slips, self-assessments, work samples,

projects, papers, etc.)

Description of how students will reflect on their learning.

1. Explain student learning targets and what is required to meet them (including why they are important to learn).

Students will complete an exit slip An exit slip will be given at the end of the lesson on the back side of their worksheets and they will draw a smiley face or frowny face on their own understanding of character traits and how to identify traits of a character.

2. Monitor their own learning progress toward the learning targets using the tools provided (checklists, rubrics, etc.).

Students will refer back to learning target on board and pull back their pretend bow and arrow to hit the target (bullseye).

This is a fun way to monitor their own learning progress during the lesson because if they feel like they stayed on target and understand the concept, then they will pull back their bow and arrow and hit the learning target.

3. Explain how to access resources and additional support when needed (and how/why those resources will help them).

Tacky the Penguin poster The students will be able to refer back to the poster we made as a class with all of the traits about Tacky.

h. Grouping of Students for Instruction:

Students will be working individually and as a whole class. It is important to mix up the grouping of students during instruction so that you have the student’s attention and they are able to stand up and move around so that they don’t get fidgety. As a class the students will be sitting on the carpet and listen to a read aloud and participate in a classroom discussion on character traits. This will be done as a whole class so that their ideas can be heard by their classmates and I am able to step in and guide their thinking in the right direction. When the students work individually they will be completing a worksheet about Tacky and his characteristics. This will be done individually so that I am able to see where my students are at and if they understand the concept being taught. I would also have students work in pairs during carpet time during the bullying lesson to come up with a way to prevent bullying in the classroom. I will pair them up randomly so that they talk with a classmate and get used to working with others.

Section 2: Instruction and Engaging Students in Learning

a. Introduction:“Today we will be talking about character traits and the importance of being different.. Last week we looked at this poster and we came up with wonderful observations about the character Tacky that we could see with our eyes. We noticed that Tacky has flippers, webbed feet, black feathers, big eyes, and he is short and round. These are all great examples of adjectives to describe what Tacky looks like on the outside. Today we will be using adjectives to describe what Tacky is like on the inside, meaning what is in his heart and what makes Tacky, Tacky. We are also going to talk about the importance of being different and accepting others who are different from ourselves. ”

b. Questions: What is an adjective? (Knowledge) What is the difference between external and internal? (Application) Are emotions the same thing as a character trait? (Synthesis) What is a character trait? (Knowledge) How can we determine a character trait in a story? (Application) Why is it important to accept people’s differences? (Application) What is bullying and how can we prevent it in our classroom? (Application)

c. Learning Activities:

Learning Steps and Activities Supporting Theories/Principles (Why are you doing what you are doing?)

1. (transition from introduction) “Before we talk more about character traits, let’s discuss and reflect back to what adjectives are. Who can tell me what an adjective is? (call on various students until answer about ‘a describing word’). Good! Adjectives describe something so we will be using adjectives to describe Tacky today and figure out some of his character traits. A character trait is who a character is on the inside, in their heart and is sometimes known as their personality. A character trait shows through what the character says or does in the story. In order to come up with character traits, you need to read and learn about the character through

Explicitly defining a term and teaching a mini lesson on the concept allows the students to really understand what is going on and what they will be learning that day. It will remove any opportunity for confusion.

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the story. It is something that you can’t see with your own two eyes if you are looking at someone. You need to really get to know them before you really know what character traits they have.”

2. “For our lesson today, our learning target is going to be, ‘I can use adjectives to describe Tacky’s character traits’. Together as a class we are going to come up with character traits for Tacky and add them to our poster. Let’s start by reading the book, Tacky the Penguin, to refresh our memory.”

Going over the learning target and objective of the lesson gets students to think about what is expected out of them and what they expect to learn from the teacher.

3. (read Tacky the Penguin) “Now that we have read about Tacky and have a better understanding of who he is and what his personality is like, who can tell me an adjective that describes Tacky on the inside? (Call on students to complete poster)

You Do/I Help technique: this gets students to practice and show what they know while I am there to assist and help guide them along the way to stay on track if they get stuck.

4. “Great job! You guys did such a good job coming up with adjectives and describing words to help give Tacky his character traits! Put your thumb up, side, or down on your understanding of what a character trait is. (wait for student response) Now we are going to go back to our desk and complete a “Character Trait” worksheet on Tacky that I will collect. (Tell students to go to desks)

Importance of Language: Teachers arrange instruction so students have a chance to talk through a problem or concept with a partner, in a small group or as a whole class (Vygotsky).

5. “I would like you to get your scissors, glue, crayons, and pencil out. When you are ready I would like you to hold your pencil in the air. (wait for students) First, we are going to write our name at the top of the Character Trait worksheet. Next we are going to use our crayons to color in the pictures that are TRUE about Tacky. These are all examples of character traits but only 4 of them are true about Tacky. (wait for students to color “silly, friendly, brave, loud”) Now we are going to cut and paste these 4 traits onto the Character Trait worksheet in the boxes surrounding Tacky (wait for students to complete)

Having students work on their own after a modeled discussion on character traits gets the students to think on their own but refer back to the work done as a class.

6. “When you are finished I would like you to put your finished worksheet up on the chair in the front of the classroom! If you feel like you understand character traits and you hit the learning target for today, I want you to take out your pretend bow and arrow and hit the bullseye!”

Reflecting back to the learning target shows students what they learned from the lesson and gives the student and teacher an understanding of where everyone is at.

"Now we are going to gather on the carpet and talk about an important issue called, bullying. Raise your hand if you know what bullying is. (Wait for student response) (Call on student and ask what bullying is) Good, bullying is an issue that happens every day in the world around us and is something that we need to

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talk about so that we can change how we treat one another. It is so important to treat others how you would want to be treated. I want to hear from some of you and share with the class something about yourself that is different. (Call on students). Thank you so much for sharing! I would like you to turn to a partner that I will assign and talk about ways you can prevent bullying in the classroom and outside on the playground. (Assign students partners and discuss) Can anyone think about something that happened in Tacky the Penguin that could be an example of bullying? (Call on students) I am so proud of you guys for talking about this issue and I hope that you can apply what you learned and bullying and help prevent it from happening.

b. Closure: “Today we talked about character traits and we successfully gave our friend Tacky some character traits of his own! I am so happy that you all understand what a character trait is and I hope that you will notice these traits in all of the books and stories that you read because it will help you as a reader!”

c. Independent Practice: Students will continue to read various stories that have strong main characters to analyze. I will

suggest to the students that they talk with their parents at home when they read together to talk about traits they notice about characters in the books they read. Students will always be familiar with pointing out character traits because it is a form of comprehension since the author doesn’t come right out and tell the reader what traits a character has. The reader has to infer and make assumptions on their own based on the text in the book of what the character says or does. Students can also talk with their parents/guardians at home and discuss ways to prevent bullying so that students can feel comfortable talking to an adult about bullying and the importance of being nice to one another despite people's differences.

d. Instructional Materials, Resources, and Technology: Tacky the Penguin poster with external traits written on it (picture attached) Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester Tacky Character Traits worksheet Pencil Learning target handout

e. Acknowledgements: Lesson plan written by Natalie Payton. The activity sheet was taken from Teachers Pay Teachers website, cited below.

Nicole, K. Tacky the Penguin - Character Traits. Retrieved January 25, 2016, from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/

Tacky the Penguin Poster (External and Internal)

External:

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External & Internal:

Tacky Character Trait worksheet

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Learning Target

I can use adjectives to

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describe Tacky’s character traits.

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