Teacher: Robin Glicksberg

ED228 Lesson Plan # 1

What my student needs to work on according to assessment and observational data:
I would like for my student to be able to read a text and be able to pull the main ideas from it. In addition to this, I think its important
that the student be able to answer questions-general and interpretive- in regards to the text.
Corresponding thinking strategy or skill:
Understanding
Skill related to the thinking strategy or skill:
Readers must learn how to pause, consider the meanings in text, reflect on their understandings, and use different strategies to enhance
their understanding. This process is best learned by watching proficient models think aloud and gradually taking responsibility for
monitoring their own comprehension as they read independently.
How will you assess this skill related to the thinking strategy?
I will assess this skill through class discussion (maybe a reading quiz too?).
Activity/teaching strategy that you will teach your student to use
Choose an activity/teaching strategy that you will teach to your student to help him/her develop the target thinking strategy. Our
Dropbox folder contains several strategy ideas. This strategy should match the student data, targeted thinking strategy, and related skill.
Class breaks off into small (3-4 people) groups for close reading, later to be presented to the class.
Indiana Language Arts Academic Standard: (for English, math, science, social studies, world language)
https://learningconnection.doe.in.gov/Standards/PrintLibrary.aspx
Write your content standard here
9-10. RL. 2.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says explicitly as well as inferences and
interpretations drawn from the text.
Write your objective here.
I will know that this lesson was successful if by the end of the lesson, the student is able to:
draw meaning from the text.
How will you assess this standard/objective?
Either through a class discussion or short reading quiz.
Common Core Literacy Standard: (for math, science, social studies, world language)
https://learningconnection.doe.in.gov/Standards/PrintLibrary.aspx
Write the corresponding Common Core Standard here.
N/A
Write your objective here.
I will know that this lesson was successful if by the end of the lesson, the student is able to:
N/A
How will you assess this standard/objective?
N/A
Materials
List the materials (readings, supplies, etc.) that you will need in order to teach the lesson.
Text: Puppy by George Saunders, paper, pencils, and crayons/markers.

The lesson plan

Stage

What the teacher is doing

What the students are doing

How will you

introduce the
lesson
concepts

I will bring in a picture drawn by a

young child (imagine a picture
drawn by a four-year-old). I will
choose a picture that is-to us-just

After I show the picture to the

students, I will have them
brainstorm ideas-with the person
sitting next to them- of what they

Why you made these instructional

decisions (explicit/cited connections
to research-based theory and
professional practices)
Having students work in pairs versus
individually encourages them to
participate and more ideas are brought
into the discussion. Conversation

and/or skills?

scribbles, but to the child it is a

masterpiece with a story behind it.
My intent here is to confuse the
students. I want them to look at the
picture and misinterpret what
theyre seeing because that will
lead into a discussion on the short
story, Puppy. In Puppy, a woman
completely misunderstands an
image she sees (with right reason
too), but in her situation she ruins
the lives of a mother and son. I
want to show the students how
easily a situation can be
misinterpreted when you dont
have all the facts.

think the image is of. I want the

students to vividly explain to their
partner what they think the image is
and why. Then, Im going to ask
one volunteer from each pair to
share one of the ideas talked about.
Im asking them to share one idea in
order to save time. Also, I want the
students to have the opportunity to
hear from more than just the person
sitting next to them.

How will you

teach the
lesson
concepts
and/or skills?

After I present the picture and we

have a discussion about what we
think it is, I will reveal the true
meaning of the picture. Odds are,
the students will have incorrectly
interpreted the picture. Then, I will
ask the students to get out a sheet
of paper. Im going to have the
students complete a free-write. I
will prompt them with the
question: how does this childs
image and your interpretations of it
relate to Puppy? Does this change
your opinion on Marie and her
misinterpretation of Bo? Why or
why not?
I will lead a discussion on what the
students wrote in their free-write
about the relationship between
Puppy and the picture. I want this
discussion to be stress-free, so Im
going to ask for volunteers to share
what they wrote in their journals.
My hope is that once one student
shares the rest will be encouraged
to share their opinions too. If it
looks like students are unwilling to
talk, Ill have them turn to groups
of 4 or 5 and share.

With a little prompting, the students

have the opportunity to draw their
own conclusions about how the
picture relates to the story. With the
questions, Im hoping to broaden
their perspective on the story and
feelings toward certain characters in
the short story. The prompt forces
them to think back to the text and
pull textual evidence to support
their ideas.

How will you

help your
students to
draw
conclusions
and/or selfassess on the
lesson
concepts
and/or skills?

The students will present their ideas

to the class. They will use the ideas
they came up with in their freewrites as points to talk about in the
discussion. Although this was a
free-write, there was a question
guiding their responses, so they will
have similar answers. With the
expectation that they have similar
ideas, my hope is that itll be easier
for them to understand the
discussion and bounce ideas off one
another.

helps individuals make sense of their

world. It helps to build empathy,
understanding, respect for different
opinions, and ownership of the
learning process according to Ann
Ketch (2005) in Conversation: The
comprehension connection (p. 8).
Ketch informs us Without
conversation, we are limited to our
own insights. With conversation, we
can explore and expand our
developing thoughts (p. 12). Ive
always loved discussion, whether its
between two people or multiple,
because it allows for students to hear a
variety of opinions on a subject. This
prevents students from thinking
narrow mindedly on a subject.
By having the students individually
free-write, theyre forced to think back
to the text and make meaning without
relying on others to make meaning for
them. I think its important that the
students have this opportunity to
create their own opinions before
potentially being influenced by others
in the follow-up class discussion.

I think its important to bring the class

back together after working
individually, so students have the
opportunity to learn what others were
thinking. This is especially important
for students who may have been on the
wrong track.