Tws Final

Morgan Bennett
Teacher Work Sample: Polaris Expeditionary Learning School

7th and 8th Grade English
Unit: Day of Tears
November 21st- December 2nd, 2016
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Table of Contents
Part I: Setting and Context
1
2-13
Part II: Unit Topic and Rationale
14- 17
Part III: Unit Standards, Goals, and

Objectives
18-25
Part IV: Assessment Tools
26-27
Part V: Instruction and Management Plan
28-86
Part VI: Assessment Data and Analysis
87-94
VII: Reflection
95-96
Appendix
97-99
References
100
TWS I: Setting and Context

Community Demographics
Fort Collins, Colorado (Located on map with arrow)
Fort Collins, Colorado is located in the foothills of
Northern Colorado. It is a fantastic place to visit and live.
According to VisitFortCollins.com, Fort Collins is, rich
with western lore. One visit to this town, and you know
that is true! Initially, the town was called Camp Collins
in 1864; Fort Collins was named after Lt. Col. William O.
Collins, a commander of the calvary. Camp Collins
became Fort Collins in 1873; the former fort site had a
small hotel, general store and post office, a mill, school and brick yard (http://www.visitftcollins.com/aboutfort-collins/history/ and http://www.fcgov.com/visitor/fcfacts.php).
Fort Collins Fun Fact: Walt Disney was so enamored with Old Town Fort Collins that he modeled
Downtown Disney after it.
Fort Collins is
located at an elevation of
about 5,000 feet. The
weather here is very
moderate with about 300
days
of sunshine. Although
summer can have warm
days, and there is the
occasional snow day, the
weather of Fort Collins is
overall perfect and
enjoyable for a myriad of
activities. Many residents of Fort Collins enjoy outdoor activities, for example: hiking up Horsetooth; rock
climbing down the Poudre Canyon; fishing in the Cache la Poudre River; biking to the reservoir; rafting down
the canyon; and, many more! If you are not interested in the outdoor lifestyle, thats okay! Fort Collins has
something to offer everyone. We have other
activities like: microbreweries (New
Belgium, Odell); quirky coffee shop (Alley
Cat, Starry Night); state-of-the-art cuisine
(My personal favorites are Simply Thai and
Mainline); and, a newly designed mall. Fort
Collins provides endless entertainment and
enjoyment.
There is an estimated 57 square miles
to the city of Fort Collins. In these 57 square
miles, there are about 65,000 estimated housing units providing shelter to about 155,400 people. Fort Collins is
ever growing with an annual population growth rate of 2.04 %. The median age of person who lives in Fort
Collins is about 29.3. The local employment rate is 99,775 people. Fort Collins has a median family income of
$76,341 and a median household income of $53,359. The approximate percentage of population with
completion of 4 or more years of college education is 52.3%. According to ballotpedia.org, the poverty rate in
Larimer County was 13.4% compared to 12.5% for the entire state.
**Community demographics from: City of Fort Collins and American Community Survey**
Ethnicity Demographics:
(http://www.larimer.org/compass/ethnicity_demogr
aphics.htm)
Major Employers: CSU, The City of Fort

Collins, Poudre Valley Health System, HP,
Anheuser-Busch. A graph of the ten largest
private employers is listed below. There is
also a diagram of the largest public sector
employers in Larimer.
(http://www.larimer.org/compass/majoremployers_
ec_bus.htm)
(From:
http://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2015/07/15/larimer-county-largest-employers/30175329/)
Voting Trends of Larimer County (Adapted from EDUC 450 TWS):

4
Colorado Amendment 66, the Tax Increase for Education Initiative, formerly known as Initiative 22, was on
the November 5, 2013 ballot in Colorado as an initiated constitutional amendment. It was defeated.[1] Had it
been approved, Amendment 66 would have increased the state's income tax to raise the amount of state tax
revenue spent on public school districts by about 16.6%, from $5.5 billion under the current law, to a little over
$6.4 billion.
(From: https://ballotpedia.org/Colorado_Tax_Increase_for_Education,_Amendment_66_(2013))
Poudre School District:

According to psdschools.org, Poudre School District... serves approximately 27,000 students and includes 50
schools. PSD [is] the 9th largest school district in CO, cover[ing] 1,856 square miles in northern Colorado,
including Fort Collins, Laporte, Timnath, Wellington, Red Feather, Livermore, Stove Prairie, and parts of
Windsor.
PSD is a very unique school district. Their vision is to: support and inspire every child to think, to learn, to
care, and to graduate prepared to be successful in a changing world. The mission statement is: Educate
Every Child, Every Day.
Demographics of PSD:
Student Demographics
Asian: 3.00%
Black/African American: 1.16%
Hispanic/Latino: 18.09%
Native American: 0.52%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.14%
White: 73.79%
Two or More: 3.41%
STUDENT PROFILE
Participating in Free/Reduced Lunch: 33.71%

Special Education Programs: 7.81%
Gifted and Talented Programs: 11.92%
English Language Learner Programs: 7.84%
STAFF PROFILE
Total Staff: 3,652

Certified: 1,969
Classified: 1,540
Administrators: 143
Total teachers: 1,716
Average teaching experience in PSD: 12 years
ACADEMICS
Dropout Rate: 1.5%

2014 Graduation Rate: 84%
8.8 out of 10 graduates completed at least one post-secondary class prior to graduation
Class of 2015 graduates earned more than $44 million in scholarships
Students performed 8%-17% higher than students around the state in all subjects and in all 27 areas tested on the 2014 Transitional Colorado
Assessment Program (TCAP)
Curriculum:
PSD uses the Common Core State Standards to design its curriculum for students. Here is a more
specific link to the specifics of each department in PSD.
https://www.psdschools.org/department/curriculum-instruction-assessment
Polaris Expeditionary Learning School 6-12

1905 Orchard Pl, Fort Collins, CO 80521
(970) 488-8260
Polaris opened in 2002 as Pioneer School of Expeditionary Learning. During the fall of 2007, it became
Polaris Expeditionary Learning School and adopted into the Poudre School District. Since then, the school has
grown expeditiously. There is an excellent staff at Polaris. According to the Polaris website, about half of the
teachers hold a masters degree or above. The average years a teacher has taught at this school is around 7 years.
Polaris has about 386 students from K-12th grade. In the 7th and 9th grade classes, there are about 100 students.
Polaris is a school of choice meaning that parents must enter a lottery for their student to attend. Students get
priority to attend Polaris if: they have siblings at Polaris already, they live near the school, or their parents are
staff at Polaris.
Family involvement is one of the key foundations of Polaris in two ways. First, families are essential
partners in the education and success of their student. Second, families are needed to help Polaris fulfill its
mission by supporting the functions and development of the school. This involvement is what makes Polaris a
learning community and not just a school. Parents log a lot of time as volunteers on Adventure Trips, Fieldwork
Days, and in-school support through Parent Action Crew.
Polaris is a unique school for the PSD because it is an expeditionary learning school. This means that:
Polaris utilizes the 10 design principles of Expeditionary Learning to achieve our mission to develop 21st
6
century learners through rigorous academic course work, high quality adventure experiences, character
development, and leadership opportunities.
Learning is a journey, not a destination. At Polaris, we emphasize personal accountability and pro-active
learning while honoring the natural process of developing young adolescents of any background. At Polaris, our
goals are to:
Achieve high academic standards;

Enhance students character development and social responsibility;
Engage families in the educational process;
Connect schools and communities; and
Challenge and support students inherent inquisitiveness.
(From https://www.psdschools.org/school/polaris-expeditionary-learning-school)
There are a plethora of unique activities that happen at Polaris. Instead of a homeroom, each of the
students is assigned a CREW. The students are then with the same CREW teacher for their entire middle school
experience. While with their CREW, there are fieldwork days, where the students go to a local park to
participate in team building activities or they will go to nonprofits to volunteer. Another unique thing about
Polaris being an EL school is the intensive weeks. Since Polaris believes that education is an experience and it
should be treated as such, they take three weeks out of every school year to have experiences, or intensives. The
intensives range from out-of-state backpacking trips to local hiking, biking, and yoga intensives. A specific
intensive that I participated in was called: Finding Bigfoot. We took an entire week to participate in activities
like: reading legends; learning about DNA at CSU; and hiking. My cooperating teacher is currently putting on
an intensive that works with coral restoration in the Florida Keys. Intensive trips are funded through the PSD
budget, school fundraising, and sometimes the students need to pay for the intensive out-of-pocket. **It is
important to note that the school offers resources and fundraising ideas for students who might not be able to
afford a certain intensive.** Polaris does offer unique activities compared to other schools, and the students are
very excited and passionate about them.
The grading system at Polaris is standards-based. This means that on each assignment, students can get a
1-4. As long as a student submits work, it is impossible to get a 0. Students only get a 0 if they do not turn in
anything. If a student turns in work that doesnt demonstrate knowledge of the standard, they will be given a .4,
or insufficient evidence. A 1 means that students are working to meet the target, a 2 means that students are
almost to proficiency, a 3 means the student is proficient, and a 4 means that the student is advanced. On this
scale, a 2.5 is considered a B and any insufficient evidence is considered a D.
Polaris is making the transition to becoming a 1-1 school by giving laptops to all 7th and 8th graders. 6th
graders have laptops in class; however, they cannot bring them home. Because of this, we have freedom to use
ample technology in the classroom.
Student Diversity
This school
State average
White
87%
54%
Hispanic
6%
33%
Asian
2%
3%
Black
0%
5%
Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
Student Gender Breakdown
This
State
school
average
Female
45%
49%
Male
55%
51%
Students participating in a free or reduced-price lunch program
36%
42%
Class:
8
I am co-teaching a 7th and 8th grade ELA class. The classes are combined because this classroom is
project-based, meaning that it meets each student where they are and it challenges them accordingly. In this
class, we will focus on 9 different long-term learning targets: communication, reading, research, reasoning,
conventions, descriptions, narrative, expository, and poetry. Although the topic changes each year, during this
semester, we are focusing on meeting the long-term learning targets through learning about slavery. My
cooperating teacher is named Matt Strand. He is a veteran teacher who moved to Colorado to start Polaris EL
school, (it was originally Pioneer School of EL Learning) in 2002. Matt has a very relaxed teaching style with
the students and builds positive relationships. Matt is currently putting on an intensive to take students to the
Florida Keys to aid in coral restoration.
There are currently no parent volunteers in my classroom; however, I have seen parent volunteers in
other classroom (i.e.- media center, lower grades). We have help during one of the classes from Integrated
Services. A nice lady named Jessica comes in a few times a week to support select students in writing, reading,
and other core
ELA skills.
The chart
above shows the
School
Performance
Framework for
Polaris. The
graph in the red
circle shows that
Polaris students
are proficient or
advanced in
reading and they are exceeding the average for PSD and the state of Colorado.
(http://www.schoolview.org/dish/schooldashboard.asp)
This chart shows the students scoring proficient or above at Polaris EL school.
(http://www.schoolview.org/dish/schooldashboard.asp)
Class size:
Classes at Polaris are fairly small. Each class has no more than 24 students, while the smallest ELA class
has only 19 students. In each class, the distribution of boys and girls are fairly equal, although there are usually
a few more boys than girls. The classes are more Caucasian than other ethnicities; however, there are students of
Asian, Mexican, and African descent as well. According to greatschools.org, Polaris has about 36% of their
students on free and reduced lunch.
Learning Needs of Students:
Because Polaris is an alternative school, many students with various learning backgrounds attend to
have their unique needs met. Each of my four classes have students with 504s, IEPs, or both. There are on
average five-seven students in each class with an IEP or 504. Because of the nature of Polaris, the middle school
staff has decided to have the supports available to these students available to all students who advocate for their
needs. An example of this would be an extension request. For any assignment, except a Draft Day (On Draft
Days, we are using a hard copy of student writing to provide peer feedback, edit, revise, etc.), students are able
to submit an extension request via Google survey asking for more time to complete it. The caveat to this is that
none of the MS teachers will accept late work. We have a list of supports that we have available hanging in the
10
classroom. Some examples of these supports are: offering extensions through an extension request; making
revisions to classwork; and, checking in with students at the end of class to go over a planner or agenda.
A Day at Polaris:
Bell Schedule:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Wednesday
Period 1 8:15 9:24
Period 1 8:15 9:08
Period 2 9:29 10:35
Period 2 9:13 10:06
Period 3 10:40 11:46
Period 3 10:11 11:04
LUNCH 11:46 12:18
Period 4 11:09 12:02
CREW 12:18 12:56
LUNCH 12:02 12:32
Period 4 1:01 2:07
Period 5 12:32 1:25
Period 5 2:12 3:18
11
*Students get out of school early on Wednesday, so the teachers can meet for professional development.
The schedule in our classroom changes everyday. A typical constant though is studio time for the
students. Studio time means that the students have quiet work time to complete the assignments they are
working on. Since Polaris is focused on project-based learning, much of the class is student centered and
directed. Students show their responsibility for learning by using the time they have in class wisely.
Below are some pictures of the classroom. It is set up so that no student has their back to the front or back of the
classroom.
The classroom management is very relaxed. We use a refocus system with the students. If a student is
off-task, we ask them what they can do to refocus themselves into learning. I like this system because the
students are in charge of coming up with their own refocus. It is important to me that the students learn skills for
behavior and management in the 21st- century. If the teacher is only telling the students what to do to refocus
them, how
will students
learn to
refocus
themselves
when they
are alone?
The
parent
communication is not as frequent as I would like. We communicate with parents by sending emails to them. My
cooperating teacher sent an email out to parents at the beginning of the year and if something important comes
up. An example of this would be if a student is failing our class. I believe that parent contact is important before
this time. If I am writing a parent for the first time to tell them that their kiddo is not doing well in my class, I
12
dont think that sets a good precedence. I want to have an open-line of communication with all parents
throughout the school year. With that being said, when parents email or inquire about meeting with us to discuss
their learner, we are always eager and very willing to meet with parents.
13
TWS II Unit Topic & Rationale:

During the fall semester, we have been using depth over breadth to study the process of enslavement of
Africans during the 17th and 18th century. Depth over breadth means that instead of covering a lot of
themes superficially, we have gone in-depth on one theme and created various lessons that further the
knowledge students already have. The units we have taught build on each other to create a strong
foundation of knowledge and understanding about both the historical content and ELA skills. An analogy
of how the learning in my classroom works would be similar to building a house. When you build a house,
it is important to make sure that there is a strong foundation; the units of the year have been similar.
First, my students gained basic knowledge about slavery and its roots in Africa. Students also wrote a
short descriptive writing piece about a place they know very well. This set students up to be successful as
they continue to learn more about slavery and creative writing. For my TWS unit, I am creating the unit
plans for the slave auction installment of the semester. In the next paragraph, I will further explain what
the slave auction unit will consist of.
Since students learned the process of enslavement starting in Africa, they have already researched and
written about: an African being captured; the slave fortress experience; and, the middle passage. These
are all key elements to building a house of knowledge and give students depth on the topic of slavery.
Slavery did not end once the enslaved got to America. The unit about slave auctions is critical to student
understanding of slavery in America because it bridges the gap between being enslaved in Africa and
working on a plantation in the United States. Therefore, slave auctions are the next step for students to
learn about. I am using Day of Tears by Julius Lester to introduce the idea of slave auctions to students.
The students are already familiar with the heartbreaking turmoil that enslaved people had to face, but
the topic does not get any easier to study. Julius Lesters novel is created for students, so it will be
refreshing for students to be introduced to this topic via a childrens novel instead of the firsthand
accounts and paintings that we have been using.
For this unit, we are reading Day of Tears and creating a group research project. Day of Tears is a
significant novel for the students because it follows a slave girl, Emma, through the process of being sold
away from her family during the largest slave auction that ever took place in America. Emma is the same
age as these students, so it will be easier for them to relate to her. Although Emma was not a real person,
this novel chronicles historical events. It is also written in dialogue, so it will provide students with the
option to perform it in a readers theatre format. Students will create a KWL at the beginning of the unit.
Using what students write, they will be placed into research groups to become an expert on one part of
slave auctions. After they become experts, each student will create a Google slide with their information
to teach their fellow classmates. The next unit that students will participate in will be to create a narrative
about their enslaved character being sold at a slave auction. By teaching this unit, I am scaffolding the
14
research so students will have all the facts to write their next piece. Through this unit, we are covering
standards in: communication; reading; and research.
This unit is critical to students globally, personally, and its specific to this population. Day of Tears is
critical to students globally because slavery set the stage for the racial tension that plagues America
today. When the first slave ship came to America in the 1600s, it forever altered the way America would
develop and set a precedent for the treatment of people who are different. This topic is personally
important to students because they are grappling with social justice and the way the world around them
works. With an increase in racial profiling by police, racism through recent politics, and the Black Lives
Matter movement, students have a desire to understand where the discontent tearing America apart has
come from. Finally, this topic is relevant to the learners on a specific level because they are members of
our society. The issues of racism and slavery are problems that we still face today. Even though Lincoln
eradicated slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation, he did not quell the tension or human
trafficking. I am a firm believer that the more educated students are, they will understand the mistakes of
past history and be able to create a more harmonious future.
Work Cited
Lester, Julius. Day of Tears : a Novel in Dialogue. New York :Hyperion Books for Children, 2005.
Print.
Timeline of Summative Assessments for Fall 2016 School
Sense of Place Writing One Second Snapshot/ All Summer in a Day Door of No Return:
Capture Door of No Return: Slave Forts Door of No Return: Middle Passage/ expository paragraph
Day of Tears/ Slave auction project/ Door of No Return: Slave Auction Expository essay
Unit Calendar: Day of Tears and Research Project
15
Day One
- Preassessment
(10 minutes)
- KWL 15
minutes)
Day Two
- Numeracy lesson
http://www.wwhp.org/files/akf/Lesso
n4-SlaveAuctionArticle.pdf
Day Three
Introduce
DoT
- Continue slave auctions and

student research
- Begin
reading
Day Six
- DoT
Day Seven
- DoT
Day Eight
- DoT
- Class
notes
- Class
notes/ small
group
discussion
- Introduce
slave auctions
and notetaking
Day Four
- Continue
reading DoT
Day Five
- Brief
history of the
largest slave
auction
- Research
group
project/ make - Research
slide
project/ make
slide
- Introduce
research
project
Class notes
-Ticket out
the door:
discussion
Day Nine
- Finish
DoT
Day Ten
- Wrap- up
unit
- Small
group
discussion
- Roleplaying
interview
- Roleplaying
interview
- Postassessment
- Let
students start
16
question
writing next
part of
narrative
TWS 3: Objective, Goals, and Standards

17
Alignment Chart
Notes to reader:
The objectives are broken into categories based on where they fit into Blooms taxonomy.
Each of the goals is numbered; and, the goal(s) that the objective meets is/are listed after
the objective. The standards that are being met through each objective is located after the
goal number. The coordinating standard is under the standards column. The standards
are color coded by subject and type.
This is the key:
English CCSS
English Colorado Standards
Math CCSS
Technology CCSS
Social Studies CCSS
Objectives
Goals
Knowledge
1. Students will learn how

1. Students will be able to read to properly write dialogue
Day of Tears in a readers theater between characters
format with peers 2, 4;RL.8.10,
CCR.R.1
2. Students will be able to

recognize mistakes in dialogue
and misuse of quotations 1;
L.8.3
listen to their peers read Day of
Tears. 2, 4; CCR.SL.1,
CCR.SL.2
2. Students will begin to

understand slavery in
America
3. Students will practice
good research skills to
create a technology based
compilation of notes
a. (For the next unit,
students will be creating an
expository essay using these
notes.)
4. Students will read, listen
to, and analyze Day of Tears
Standards
RL.8.10 By the end of the
year, read and comprehend
literature, including stories,
dramas, and poems, at the high
end of grades 68 text
complexity band independently
and proficiently.
CCR.R.1 Read closely to
determine what the text says
explicitly and to make logical
inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or
speaking to support conclusions
drawn from the text.
L.8.3 Use knowledge of
language and its conventions
when writing, speaking, reading,
or listening.
CCR.SL.1 Prepare for and
participate effectively in a range
of conversations and
collaborations with diverse
partners, building on others'
ideas and expressing their own
clearly and persuasively.
18
CCR.SL.2 Integrate and
evaluate information presented

in diverse media and formats,
including visually, quantitatively,
and orally.
Understand
compare and contrast different
accounts of the same event 2, 3;
RL.8.5
2. Students will be able to ask a
research question about
American slavery 2, 3;
CCR.W.7, Colorado Standards:
History-2.d&e
3. Students will be able
research American slavery 2, 3;
CCR.W.7, CCR.W.8, CCR.W.9,
CCR.W.10, Colorado
Standards: History-2.d&e
select from different forms of
technology to take research
notes.3; W.8.6
5. Students will be able to sort
through various firsthand
accounts of American slavery to
decide what terms are important
2,3; CCR.W.9
6. Students will be able to cite
research about American
slavery for their research project
2, 3; CCR.W.8
RL.8.5 Compare and

contrast the structure of two or
more texts and analyze how the
differing structure of each text
contributes to its meaning and
style.
CCR.W.7 Conduct short as
well as more sustained research
projects based on focused
questions, demonstrating
understanding of the subject
under investigation.
CCR.W.8 Gather relevant
information from multiple print
and digital sources, assess the
credibility and accuracy of each
source, and integrate the
information while avoiding
plagiarism.
CCR.W.9 Draw evidence
from literary or informational
texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
CCR.W.10 Write routinely
over extended time frames (time
for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time
frames (a single sitting or a day
or two) for a range of tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
W.8.6 Use technology,

including the Internet, to
19
produce and publish writing and

present the relationships between
information and ideas efficiently
as well as to interact and
collaborate with others.
Colorado Standards:
History-2.d&e The historical
eras, individuals, groups, ideas
and themes from the origins of
the American Revolution
through Reconstruction and
their relationships with one
another
d. Evaluate the impact of
different factors on topics to
include but not limited to gender,
age, ethnicity and class on
groups and individuals in this
time period and the impact of
these groups and individuals on
the events of the time period
(DOK 1-3)
f. Analyze ideas that are
critical to the understanding of
American history and give
examples of the ideals involved
in major events and movements.
Topics to include but not limited
to representative democracy,
federalism, capitalism, abolition,
temperance, nativism, and
expansionism (DOK 1-3)
Apply
1. Students will be able to act
out scenes from Day of Tears 2,
4; RL.8.3
predict important events about
Day of Tears 2, 4; CCR.R.1,
Colorado Standards: History2.d&e
RL.8.3 Analyze how

particular lines of dialogue or
incidents in a story or drama
propel the action, reveal aspects
of a character, or provoke a
decision.

20

calculate the difference between
costs of various slaves during
slave auctions firsthand
accounts 2, 3, 4; MP.1, MP.3,
8.F.5
interpret graphs depicting how
age and gender affect cost of a
slave 2, 3, 4; MP.1, MP.3, 8.F.5

MP.1 Make sense of
problems and persevere in
solving them.
MP.3 Construct viable

arguments and critique the
reasoning of others.
8.F.5 Describe
qualitatively the functional
relationship between two
quantities by analyzing a graph
(e.g., where the function is
increasing or decreasing, linear
or nonlinear). Sketch a graph
that exhibits the qualitative
features of a function that has
been described verbally.
Colorado Standards:
another
(DOK 1-3)
21

Analyze
compare and contrast different
accounts of the same historical
event 2, 3; RL.8.5, Colorado
Standards: History-2.d&e
make connections between past
historical events 2, 3, 4;
CCR.R.3, Colorado Standards:
History-2.d&e
3. Students will be able to plan
and outline notes for their
research project 2, 3; Colorado
Standards: Reading for All
Purposes-1.C.II
4. Students will analyze how
dialogue in Day of Tears propels
the action, characterization, and
provokes decisions 1, 2, 4;
RL.8.3
5. Students will analyze how
differences in the POV of the
characters creates effects as
suspense or humor 1,2,4; RL.8.6
RL.8.5 Compare and

contrast the structure of two or
more texts and analyze how the
differing structure of each text
contributes to its meaning and
style.
RL.8.3 Analyze how
particular lines of dialogue or
incidents in a story or drama
propel the action, reveal aspects
of a character, or provoke a
decision
.
RL.8.6 Analyze how
differences in the points of view
of the characters and the
audience or reader (e.g., created
through the use of dramatic
irony) create such effects as
suspense or humor.
CCR.R.3 Analyze how and
why individuals, events, and
ideas develop and interact over
the course of a text.
Use graphic organizers and
note-taking formats while
reading to map relationships
among implied or explicit ideas
or viewpoints. (Colorado
Standards: Reading for All
Purposes-1.c.ii)
Colorado Standards:
22

another
(DOK 1-3)
Evaluate
evaluate sources of information
to discern good sources from
illegitimate ones 3; CCR.W.8
support research findings 3;
RST.6-8.8
3. Students will be able to find
errors in quotations 1; CCR.L.2,
CCR.L.1
evaluate how specific parts of
the text, characters, and actions

plagiarism.
RST.6-8.8 Distinguish
among facts, reasoned judgment
based on research findings, and
speculation in a text.
WHST.6-8.9 Draw
evidence from informational
23
relate to one another 4;

CCR.R.1, CCR.R.5, CCR.R.8
CCR.L.2 Demonstrate
command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when
writing.
CCR.L.1 Demonstrate
command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and
usage when writing or speaking.
CCR.R.5 Analyze the
structure of texts, including how
specific sentences, paragraphs,
and larger portions of the text
(e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or
stanza) relate to each other and
the whole.
CCR.R.8 Delineate and
evaluate the argument and
specific claims in a text,
including the validity of the
reasoning as well as the
relevance and sufficiency of the
evidence.
Create
collaborate with peers while
reading Day of Tears 4
collect and compile information
for their American slavery
W.8.6 Use technology,

including the Internet, to
produce and publish writing and
present the relationships between
information and ideas efficiently
as well as to interact and
collaborate with others.
24
research project 2, 3, CCR.W.8,

RST.6-8.8, WHST.6-8.9
create a compilation of their
research via the use of
technology 3, W.8.6
4. Students will be able to roleplay characters from Day of
Tears 4; RI.8.5
5. Students will be able to write
correct dialogue 1; W.8.4,
W.8.3.b

plagiarism.
RST.6-8.8 Distinguish
among facts, reasoned judgment
based on research findings, and
speculation in a text.
WHST.6-8.9 Draw
evidence from informational
RI.8.5 Analyze in detail

the structure of a specific
paragraph in a text, including
the role of particular sentences in
developing and refining a key
concept
.
W.8.4 Produce clear and

coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.
W.8.3.b Use narrative

techniques, such as dialogue,
pacing, description, and
reflection, to develop
experiences, events, and/or
characters.
TWS IV: Assessment Tools

The pre- and post assessment for Day of Tears are the same.
25
The assessment can be found at this link:

https://docs.google.com/a/psdschools.org/forms/d/1kwHtTNIbSRlDvdvVuHmONM_jWgDgPalwnghQ17By0E/edit
Behind each question, there is a number in parentheses. The number indicates the goal that is being met with
each question. The goals and corresponding number can be found in the directions of the assessment and in my
alignment chart.
TWS Assessment Essay

Assessment is critical when creating a unit for the classroom. This is because it is impossible to know
what students need to learn and review next if you do not know where they are coming from, instructionally.
Because of this, I always keep assessments in mind when creating a unit for students. I believe it is essential to
my students success that they complete assessments everyday. There are two types of assessments that I use in
the classroom: formative and summative.
Formative assessments are micro-assessments that usually take less time and are low-pressure for students; this
is one of the main reasons I enjoy using them in the classroom. Formative assessments are usually given every
day. Examples of formative assessment would be an exit-slip, observation, or Google forms. Summative
assessments are an accumulation of student knowledge over a specific period of time or a unit. Examples of
summative assessments would be standardized testing, a project, essay, or formal test at the end of a unit.
During my TWS unit, I did use formative assessments everyday and ended the unit with a more formal
summative assessment. A personal favorite formative assessment that I enjoyed using with students was a
reflection exit slip. Polaris is a less traditional school in the sense that they employ the use of project-based
learning nearly everyday. Because of this, my students have a more student-centered classroom. Nearly
everyday during the Day of Tears unit, I had students break into individual groups. I struggled to find a way to
hold students accountable for the reading, but also to encourage students to thrive in the Readers Theater
environment. I ended up settling on a reflection exit-slip as one assessment because I believe that metacognition
is a 21st-century skill that needs to be practiced frequently. Additionally, it will reinforce my expectations of
what students need to do to participate in a successful Readers Theater.
26
Another assessment I had students complete was a peer-assessment of each other during Readers
Theater. I decided to employ both a peer and self-assessment of the same activity because we completed this
activity every day. I decided that students needed a more summative assessment than an exit-slip for this
activity as well. I am a fan of peer-reviews because it is a great way for students to be leaders in the classroom
and hold their peers to high expectations. As a singular teacher, it is impossible for me to be in every spot at
once in the classroom; however, if I encourage my students to assess their peers participation and behavior
during this activity, it will keep all students more on-task an honest with themselves and each other.
A final assessment I am using during the reading of Day of Tears is having the students complete a roleplaying interview project. Although a test can be a great summative assessment of student learning, I think that
there are more engaging assessments I can offer students. One of the main skills I want students to gain from the
reading is an understanding of Day of Tears. This means that students must understand the historical context,
characterization of specific characters, and the plot of the novel. To assess my students understandings of these
themes, I had them complete a role-playing interview project. For this assessment, students had to pick a
character of their choice and answer a select group of questions about it. Since a major theme of the unit is
practicing dialogue, I also had students write their responses in proper dialogue. This is a fantastic summative
assessment for my group of students because: it is assessing student knowledge on numerous unit goals;
students have choice to select a character of their choice; I can provide differentiation within the questions
offered for the interview; and, students are going to get to flex their creative muscles during it.
Part V: Instruction and Management Plan

27
The unit calendar gives a brief visual of the organization of the unit I taught for my TWS. For my unit, I started
with a pre-assessment so I could have a base-level of learning. Once students completed the pre-assessment, I
had them complete a KWL. The students then continued to add to their KWL every day for the first week. We
also revisited the KWL at the end of the unit to aid students in processing the information they learned. During
this unit, I started with some scaffolding to set up the reading of Day of Tears for students. Once students had a
hook, we started to reading. Every day we read 1-3 chapters of the book in a Readers Theater format. All the
activities that students completed were to aid in scaffolding the reading, or to support students in their future
writings. Two examples of scaffolding for future projects would be teaching students the rules of quotations and
all the research information we compiled. The next assignments that the students are completing are a research
project and a narrative about their enslaved character reaching America. The skills we have been building upon
in this lesson will support those future lessons.
During this unit, students are conducting research, reading Day of Tears by Julius Lester, expanding their
knowledge about slavery in America, and they are working on learning how to properly use dialogue. Each of
these tasks builds on each other, and the unit will end with a summative assessment of the students completing a
mini-project. The units build on each other by starting with an assessment, then in a ladder type of format. I
gave the students an example of using training wheels to learn to ride a bike. We must learn with a tricycle or
training wheels before jumping on a two-wheeled bike. This unit was similar. We started with background
information to teach the students to ride a bike with training wheels. After students had this important
background knowledge, we started reading. Once the students were steeped in reading the novel, I added in the
other elements of the unit to build on each other. This is the research elements, quotation workshops, and
historical information about slavery in America. The unit ended with a mini-project where students completed a
role-playing interview. During this, students assumed the role of a character from the novel and answered
questions authentically using proper dialogue.
During this unit, I tried to incorporate literacy, numeracy, and technology into my lessons frequently. It was easy
to incorporate literacy into all lessons, and that happened daily, since we were reading Day of Tears. Everyday
students were reading and listening to a novel. While the students were reading and listening, they were
28
searching for characterization of the main characters and they were also finding historically accurate
information to settle themselves into the idea of slavery in America. For numeracy, I gave my students different
articles and tables containing information about the cost of slaves compared to the age of slaves. Instead of
telling students that slaves in their prime were worth more money, I wanted students to be able to draw their
own conclusions based on graphs that they created. Technology also happened on an almost daily basis as well.
Because Polaris is a 1-1 school with laptops, it is easy and encouraged to use technology to the maximum
whenever possible. After students completed the reading for the day, they were asked to create or add to a Padlet
of characterization for a specific character from Day of Tears. Another use of technology for this unit was
students the use of Google Classroom. Most assignments are uploaded into Classroom (numeracy assignments,
family tree, etc.) for students to complete. Although a piece of paper can be better, students enjoy using
Classroom for work. It is easier for students to complete and organize work when it is digital. Numeracy was
used two times in lessons to help students better understand the cost of a slave. First students analyzed data to
draw conclusions and answer questions. The second numeracy lesson I created had students look the age and
cost of slaves sold in Day of Tears. After students did that, they created a graph charting the cost vs. age.
Although I use a plethora of different instructional strategies every day, here are five specific ones labeled by
color in my unit calendar:
Cooperative Learning
KWL
Integration of different content areas
Direct Instruction
Analysis of Student work
Cooperative learning is group work where students collaborate to enrich learning. The students did this every
day when they read Day of Tears because they were working together to read it. The KWL is a skill that mean
know-what to know-learned. Students completed this by writing down everything they knew about slavery in
America, what students want to know about it, and then at the end the students reflected on what they learned.
Since I was teaching about slavery in America, every day different content areas were integrated into the
29
classroom. I also taught a few lessons on numeracy and brought math into the classroom. When the students
were learning new topics, I used direct instruction to help them learn and understand what I was teaching. A
final strategy that I used what analysis of student work. Analysis of student work helped me know what to plan
for future lessons and it showed me what my students understood and what topics I had to re-teach.
A few notes about my lessons:

-
My behavioral and academic expectations (management plan for the classroom) is listed in
red writing underneath the breakdown of the lessons.

-
Some classroom norms that were set up before this unit were working like a leopard and
working like elephants.

-
Leopard means working independently and quietly. The students
embody a leopard stalking prey.

-
Elephant means the students are working productively in
teamwork. The students embody a herd of elephants drinking from water.

-
We have these expectations posted in the classroom.
Unit Calendar: Day of Tears and Intro to American Slavery

Day One
- Picture
(3 minutes)
Day Two
- Copper Sun
(15 minutes)
- Preassessment
Analysis of
Student work
(10 minutes)
- Numeracy lesson on slavery

Integration of different content areas
Analysis of Student work
http://www.wwhp.org/files/akf/Lesso
n4-SlaveAuctionArticle.pdf
Day Three
- Possibly
time to finish
family tree?
Analysis of
Student work
(Time depends
on how much
we get done on
Day Four
- Continue
reading DoT
Cooperative
Learning
Day Five
- Brief
history of the
largest slave
auction and
numeracy
lesson: Graphs
Dialogue
Integration of
workshop different
30
(Ask Katie about (20 minutes)

K.W.)
- Create a family tree for DoT
- KWL KWL
Cooperative Learning Analysis of
(5 minutes)
Student work
(Revisit it every
(20 minutes)
day with different
- KWL KWL re-visit
columns.)
(5 minutes)
- Workshop
2.0 Integration of
different content
areas
A: Numeracy lesson, family tree
(25 minutes)
observation, KWL
day two)
- Set up
guidelines for
readers theater
(15 minutes)
- Begin
reading DoT
Cooperative
Learning
(40 minutes)
talk about
narrative
Analysis of
Student work
- Research
question and
technology
workshop
Direct
Instruction
(7 minutes)
- KWL KWL
(5 minutes)
- Time to
research
question
(Rest of class)
Announcements:
reminder to turn
in hard copy and
rubric of chap. 2
- KWL
KWL re-visit
(Final 5
minutes)
A: Readers
theater
guidelines
participation,
observation
A: KWL,
workshop 2.0
observation,
ticket out the door
- Weebly time
(30 minutes)
-
DoT
- DoT
Cooperative
Learning
(30 minutes)
- How do I
cite a source?
Direct
Instruction
(5 minutes)
- Research
time
(10 minutes)
- KWL
KWL re-visit
(5 minutes)
A: Observation
of readers
theater, peer
assessment
Ticket out the

door:
What is the
picture of?
What is
something you
want to learn
about? Analysis
of Student work
Day Six
content areas
Direct
Instruction
Analysis of
Student work
(15 minutes)
Day Seven
- Dialogue Workshop Direct
Instruction(15 minutes)
- DoT Cooperative Learning
(Chapter 7 &8) (40 minutes)
Day Eight
- DoT
Cooperative
Learning(30
minutes)
Day Nine
- DoT
Cooperative
Learning
(Chapter 11 &
12
Day Ten
- DoT Final
Chapter
- Postassessment
31
Cooperative
Learning
(Chapter 6) (30
minutes)
- Introduce Role-playing
interview Due FRIDAY Direct
Instruction Analysis of Student work
(10 minutes)
- Work on
A: Dialogue sheet
characterization
padlet Analysis of
Student work
A: Observation of
padlet and RT
(Chapter 9 &
10)
- Roleplaying
interview
Analysis of
Student work
-Ticket out the

door:
Assessment of
peers RT
Analysis of
Student work
- Roleplaying
interview
Analysis of
Student work
Analysis of
Student work
- KWL
KWL Analysis
of Student
work
- Small
group
discussion
Cooperative
Learning
Week One Lesson Plans
A few notes about my lessons:

32
My behavioral and academic expectations (management plan for the classroom) is listed in
red writing underneath the breakdown of the lessons.

-
Some classroom norms that were set up before this unit were working like a leopard and
working like elephants.

-
Leopard means working independently and quietly. The students
embody a leopard stalking prey.

-
Elephant means the students are working productively in
teamwork. The students embody a herd of elephants drinking from water.

-
We have these expectations posted in the classroom.
Teacher: Morgan Bennett

School: Polaris EL
Date: 11/14/16
Grade Level: 7th and 8th
Title: Intro to American Slavery
Content Area: ELA

Lesson: #1/10
Standards:
CCR.W.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
CCR.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with
diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCR.W.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Understandings:
Students will begin to understand the process that enslaved people went through upon arriving in America.
Students will begin to understand how plantation life shaped American slavery
33
Students will be introduced to the idea of creating a research question and conducting research to answer that
question
Inquiry Questions:
How can I come up with a good research question?
What happened once the slave ships arrived in America?
Evidence Outcomes:
1. I will be able to sort through various firsthand accounts as a table to decide what terms are important to
American Slavery
2. I will be able to ask a research question about American slavery
Assessments:
Students will be assessed by observation throughout the workshop 2.0.
Students will also be assessed by re-visiting the KWL after completing the workshop
Students will post a ticket out the door of potential questions they are interested in asking for the research
project
Name and Purpose of

Lesson
Time and Materials
Intro to American Slavery

1 hr. 6 minutes
Post-it notes
KWL Worksheet
Pre-made envelopes
Schedule Outline:
- Announcements: turn in revised chapter 2
- Pre-assessment (10 minutes)
- (Ask Katie about K.W. and taking a pre-assessment)
- KW[L] (5 minutes) (Revisit it every day with different
columns.)
- Workshop 2.0 (20 minutes)
- KWL (5 minutes)
34
Anticipatory Set
Procedures
Introduce American slavery

Matt- introduce the final essay
Introduce research project and notetaking
(3 minutes) Show students a photo of an auction block and ask

them what it is. I will ask a few students, but will not give
them the answer. We will explore this in the upcoming unit.
**We will revisit the hook tomorrow!!**
Part One: 2 minutes
BE: Students are expected to sit quietly and work like a
leopard. This is independent work.
AE: Students are expected to demonstrate their knowledge
to the best of their ability.
General announcements from Matt and Morgan
- Revised chapter 2 is due today if students want to change
their grade.
Part Two: 3 minutes
Hook look at picture and have brief discussion
Part Three: 10 minutes
Pre-assessment for the unit
- Students will answer the pre-assessment via Google
surveys. Once students are done, they can begin working on
the KWL
Part Four: 5 minutes
KWL
- There is a KWL on Classroom. The KWL is set up a bit
differently.
- Students will write down everything that they already
know and what they are interested in knowing about slavery in
America
Part Five: 20-25 minutes
BE: Students are expected to work in table teams during
this activity. They will work like elephants. Students must
35
be nice to slips of paper because they can use them again

later for research.
AE: Students are expected to sort through the accounts
from To be a Slave.
**N-word Talk** & Workshop 2.0
- Slavery is a sensitive topic and there are some sensitive
terms that are associated with it. Because we are reading
firsthand accounts, we will encounter words that are extremely
offensive.
- Frontload students with this information so it is not an
elephant in the closet
- After talk, each table will be given an envelope full of
firsthand accounts of what slavery in America was like.
D: There will be pictures and excerpts for students. By
offering various mediums in the envelope, I am helping
students with different
- I will set a clock for ten minutes and ask students to sort
through the papers to categorize them.
- If students are working well, I will give them 5-7 more
minutes
- Re-group as class to share out what some possible topics
are. Is there anything interesting?
CFU: Walk around to check for understanding; students will
be able to ask questions freely.
Part Six: 5 minutes
KWL
- We will revisit the KWL so students can write what they
learned for the day.
- In a different color, I will ask them to write down if there
is anything else they want to add to the W.
CFU: Students will write down a potential question for the
research project on a post-it note as a ticket out the door. They
will post this on the wall.
**I can use this information to see what the students are
interested in and determine how well they understand what a
research question is.**
36
Closure
5 minutes
- Tell students of the upcoming research project.
- This is where students will write down a research question
and what they think the picture from the hook is
Differentiation
- Provide students with various mediums to explore in their

Workshop 2.0.
- This will help meet all students because everyone should
be able to find an article/picture that is easy and challenging
for them to work with
- Extend: There are very difficult passages for students to read
that are primary sources
- Modify: There are also pictures for the students to look at if
they struggle at reading.
Assessment
Observation of workshop 2.0
Ticket out the door- potential research question
Post-Lesson Reflection
1)
To what extent were lesson objectives achieved? (Utilize assessment data to justify your level of
achievement)
Students worked very hard during this lesson and seemed to enjoy it and meet all the objectives. I wanted
students to begin thinking about slavery in America. Students were interested in the Workshop 2.0 and made
great inferences about what the picture was.
2)
What changes, omissions, or additions to the lesson would you make if you were to teach again?
37
This lesson ended up taking less time than I planned for. Initially, Matt said that he believed the Workshop 2.0
would take about 30-40 minutes. I was going to use this part of the lesson as more of a hook or introduction;
however, when Matt said that, I decided to focus on it as the meat of my lesson. In the end, it did end up taking
about 15 minutes for students to organize the slips of paper. If this was my classroom, I would have then had
students begin the research project or family tree for Day of Tears. In the end, students used the extra time to
work on their Writers Portfolio.
3)
What do you envision for the next lesson? (Continued practice, reteach content, etc.)
Now that students have a strong background in what content we will be covering next, I envision the next lesson
to build even more on that idea. Also, I want to start introducing Day of Tears to students. I thought it was
important that they had a very strong context for the book since we have been studying slavery in Africa for the
last few weeks. This transition could be difficult for students and I want them to feel fully prepared for it.
Teacher: Morgan Bennett

School: Polaris EL
Date: 11/15/16
Content Area: ELA
Title: Creating a Bridge from PK New Learning
Lesson: #2/10
Standards:
MP.1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
MP.3 Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
8.F.5 Describe qualitatively the functional relationship between two quantities by analyzing a graph
(e.g., where the function is increasing or decreasing, linear or nonlinear). Sketch a graph that exhibits the
qualitative features of a function that has been described verbally.
CCR.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it;
cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
38

CCR.R.5 Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger
portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
CCR.R.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the
reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
Understandings:
Students will understand what happens to Amari in Copper Sun when she gets to America.
Students will begin to understand slave auctions
Students will understand what might affect the price of a slave
Inquiry Questions:
What happens once the slave ships arrive in America?
What made the value of a slave less or more?
Evidence Outcomes:
1.
I can calculate the difference between costs of various slaves during slave auctions firsthand accounts
2. I can evaluate how specific parts of the text, characters, and actions relate to one another
Assessments:
Students will demonstrate understanding by:
Turning in the numeracy lesson to Classroom for assessment
Observation of family tree activity
KWL check closure
Name and Purpose of

Lesson
Time and Materials
Creating a Bridge from PK New Learning

1 hr. 6 min.
39
- Copper Sun
- Numeracy Google Doc
- Scanned copy of Day of Tears characters
- Paper
- Markers
- KWL Google Doc
Schedule Outline:
- Copper Sun
(15 minutes)
- Numeracy lesson on slavery
http://www.wwhp.org/files/akf/Lesson4SlaveAuctionArticle.pdf
(20 minutes)
- Create a family tree for DoT
(20 minutes)
- KWL re-visit
(5 minutes)
A: Numeracy lesson, family tree observation, KWL
Anticipatory Set
Procedures
Hook: Make a prediction about what happens to Amari when

she gets to America. Share answers via peardeck
Part One: 15 minutes
BE: Students are expected to sit quietly around the green
chair for story time.
AE: Students are expected to listen and follow along to
Copper Sun while I read.
Read Copper Sun.
- Chapters 12 and 13
- This is the last we will read of CS
- Students can read more during extra time in class or check
a book out
- CS will provide a bridge into the new book and topic of
slavery in the US. Students are invested into the characters in
this book.
- Revisit peardeck to see what predictions were correct
Part Two: 20 minutes
40

- Visit LTs
Article about slavery with numeracy
- Pass out the article and direct students to the assignment in
Classroom. They will have 20 minutes to complete the article
and turn it into Classroom. Any incomplete work will be HW.
D: I will record myself reading the article for students and post
a link to classroom. This will provide students an audio for the
text.
CFU: Walk around to check for understanding; students will be
able to ask questions freely. Students will be submitting the
numeracy worksheet.

BE: Students are expected to work as elephants and use
teamwork.
Create a family tree for DoT
- As they finish the numeracy sheet, they will be partnered
up with their peers
- Give students a scanned copy of the characters from DoT
D: Creating a family tree for characters from DoT will be
differentiated because it will cater to the different learning
styles students have. For example, it will meet the needs of
students who are visual, kinesthetic, logical, verbal, and
interpersonal learners
able to ask questions freely.
Closure
Revisit LTs
Revisit KWL
Did you learn anything new today? Share out with class
takeaways from the day.
Differentiation
Differentiation is happening from:

41
Modify: Recording myself reading the article for students and

post a link to classroom. This will provide students an audio for
the text.
Modify: Creating a family tree for characters from DoT will be
differentiated because it will cater to the different learning
styles students have. For example, it will meet the needs of
students who are visual, kinesthetic, logical, verbal, and
interpersonal learners
Extend: To extend the lesson for students, I offered various
questions for students to answer of varying degrees of difficulty
Assessment
Numeracy lesson worksheet

family tree observation
KWL
1)
achievement)
Lesson objectives were achieved at about a 3. Most students completed the work in class; however, a few
students had to complete the work outside of the classroom. Students really enjoyed getting to read Copper Sun
and figure out what happened to Amari once she got to America.
2)
An important note that I never even thought of for this unit was sending sensitive information home with
students. In the numeracy lesson, there was a bad word. Although we had debriefed this during class, when the
article was sent home, parents found it shocking to find vulgar language in their students homework. On the top
of the page, it said that the article was written in the 1800s and directly from a newspaper; nonetheless, people
still took offence at this. In the future, I would give students more class time the next day to complete this task,
and I would also send an email home at the start of the unit to let them know that we are dealing with sensitive
information.
42
3)
For the next lesson, I envision finally starting Day of Tears. Students have background knowledge about slave
auctions, slavery in America, and the characters from the book. By the end of the lesson today, students were
rearing to go and start the book.
Teachers: Morgan Bennett

School: Polaris EL
Date: 11/16/16
Title: Readers Theater Intro
Content Area: ELA

Lesson: #3/10
Standards:
RL.8.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at
the high end of grades 68 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCR.SL.2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually,
quantitatively, and orally.
Understandings:
1. Students will understand how to properly use readers theater in the classroom setting
2. Students will begin to understand Day of Tears
Inquiry Questions:
43
Evidence Outcomes:
1.
I will read Day of Tears in a readers theater format with peers
2.
I will listen to my peers read Day of Tears
Assessments:
Students will demonstrate understanding by observation, acting out skills, and peer assessment
Name and Purpose of

Lesson
Time and Materials
Readers Theater Intro: Introduce the idea of readers theater

and DoT to the class
1 hr.
- Day of Tears
- Readers theater guidelines
- Possibly time to finish family tree?
(Time depends on how much we get done on day two)
- Set up guidelines for readers theater
(15 minutes)
- Begin reading DoT
(40 minutes)
Anticipatory Set
Watch video made for DoT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=bU5zJh4LOm0
Have students write down one wondering and one inference
from the trailer.
Procedures
Part One: (Time dependent on the previous days activities

about ten minutes)
teamwork.
- Possibly time to finish family tree? (10 minutes)
(Time depends on how much we get done on day two)
44

teamwork.
- Set up guidelines for readers theater
- Break up the class into small groups so they can act out
what you are and are not supposed to do while participating in
readers theater
A: Students will act out their role to the class. Each student
can be assessed during this time.
teamwork.
- Begin reading DoT
- Break the students into groups and have them begin
reading.
- I will walk around sitting in on groups to make sure they
are following the guidelines.
A: Students will assess one another based on participation.
D: Students are given different roles based on reading
ability and the complexity of the characters. I want each
student to feel comfortable, but also challenged.
Closure
Specific Praise to groups who participated really well. Ask

students if they have any praise or suggestions for the next
day.
Differentiation
Extend and Modify: Students are given different roles

based on reading ability and the complexity of the
45
characters. I want each student to feel comfortable, but

also challenged. Students who are advanced were given
more difficult parts to read. Students who struggle were
given fewer lines.
Assessment
Students will demonstrate understanding by observation

during class, acting out skills, and peer assessment
1)
achievement)
Students understood the idea of Readers Theater (RT) very well. We have done this activity every day, so
students have had lots of practice with this. Students also started reading the first chapter of DoT. Students have
really enjoyed this and are taking notes on characterization they find within the book to demonstrate
understanding.
2)
I was really fond of this lesson. I had to step out for an interview of a few of the classes and Matt decided to act
out the RT guidelines instead of letting students act it out. I think I would have continued to have students act
this out. I think that putting the focus on the students and their acting skills would make the classroom more
engaging and student-centered, not teacher-centered.
3)
For the next lesson, I envision the students continuing to read DoT. As most books, it starts out slow; however,
it picks up fast and students will soon be chomping at the bit to keep reading. I also want to add more historical
content to the next lesson. Since students have goals to learn dialogue, and complete a research project, it is
important that they are getting that scaffolding as well.
46

School: Polaris EL
Date: 11/17/16
Content Area: ELA
Title: Day of Tears, Dialogue, and Research- oh my!
Lesson: #4/10
Standards:
47
W.8.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the
relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
Colorado Standards: History-2.d&e The historical eras, individuals, groups, ideas and themes from
the origins of the American Revolution through Reconstruction and their relationships with one another
d. Evaluate the impact of different factors on topics to include but not limited to gender, age, ethnicity
and class on groups and individuals in this time period and the impact of these groups and individuals on the
events of the time period (DOK 1-3)
f. Analyze ideas that are critical to the understanding of American history and give examples of the
ideals involved in major events and movements. Topics to include but not limited to representative democracy,
federalism, capitalism, abolition, temperance, nativism, and expansionism (DOK 1-3)
Use graphic organizers and note-taking formats while reading to map relationships among implied or
explicit ideas or viewpoints. (Colorado Standards: Reading for All Purposes-1.c.ii)
CCR.W.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and
accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
text.
RST.6-8.8 Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a
WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
CCR.L.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
CCR.L.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English

48
Understandings:
1.
Students will be able to read Day of Tears in a readers theater format with peers
2.
Students will be able to recognize mistakes in dialogue and misuse of quotations
3. Students will be able to ask a research question about American slavery

4. Students will be able research American slavery
5. Students will be able to select from different forms of technology to take research notes
6. Students will be able to make connections between past historical events
7. Students will be able to plan and outline notes for their research project
8. Students will be able to collaborate with peers while reading Day of Tears
9. Students will be able to collect and compile information for their American slavery research project
10. Students will be able to create a compilation of their research via the use of technology
11. Students will be able to find errors in quotations
Inquiry Questions:
How can I formulate a powerful research question?
How can I use properly dialogue in my narrative to progress my story?
Evidence Outcomes:
I can read and understand Day of Tears
I can find errors in dialogue and correct them
I can use various forms of technology to take notes
Assessments:
Observation
KWL re-visit
49
Self-assessment
Name and Purpose of

Lesson
Time and Materials
Day of Tears, Dialogue, and Research- oh my!

1 hr 6 minutes
Day of Tears
Dialogue slide
Research slide
Computers
-
Anticipatory Set
Continue reading DoT

Dialogue workshop talk about narrative
Research question and technology workshop
Time to research question
(5 minutes) Give students scenarios of various RT (Readers Theater)

situations. Ask them how they would handle them.
- Two students are having side conversations while a person is
reading.
- A specific student is being silly and not taking the content
seriously
- A student is bossing the other students around, but refuses to
accept feedback
Procedures

teamwork.
AE: Students are expected to read carefully and thoughtfully.
Read another chapter of DoT
- Students will continue reading
D: I will help place students in roles that are fitting for their
academic performance.
A: Students will perform a self-assessment after today.
BE: Students are expected to sit quietly and raise their hands if
they have a question or want to share an answer.
AE: Students are expected to demonstrate their knowledge to the
best of their ability.
50
Dialogue Workshop
- One of the goals of this unit is for students to master dialogue to
use while writing. Students should know that they are doing their
research project to help write an expository essay, but also the next
chapter of their enslaved narrative.
- Students are expected to use more dialogue, so I we will do an I
do, we do, you do to figure out how to properly use dialogue in
writing.
Part Three:10 minutes
BE: Students are expected to sit quietly and raise their hands if
they have questions or know the answer to a question.
AE: Students are expected to demonstrate their knowledge to the
best of their ability.
Research and technology workshop
- Today we will revisit the idea of a research question for their
final expository essay and narrative.
- Share slide with students about what makes a good research
question
- https://twp.duke.edu/uploads/media_items/researchquestions.original.pdf
- Share mindomo and re-share padlet.
- Students are familiar with padlet; however, I want to give them a
new form of technology they can use to compile their notes.
D: Students are given various options to collect their notes.
BE: Students are expected to work as a leopard and work quietly
alone.
AE: Students are expected to be using thoughtful research
questions and looking for authentic sources.
Research time
- Students can use the rest of the time to begin to formulate their
research question and research it
D: Students can use various options to collect their notes. This
includes two different forms of technology and using hardcopy (I
might suggest against this for most students, so they dont lose it)
CFU: Walk around to check for understanding; students will be able
to ask questions freely.
Closure
KWL re-visit
51
Have classmates share out how their question has changed from day
1
(Final 5 minutes)
Differentiation
Extend and Modify: Students can use various options to collect

their notes. This includes two different forms of technology and
using hardcopy (I might suggest against this for most students, so
they dont lose it). This extends for students who crave more of a
challenge and it modifies for students who need to collect notes in
another format.

based on reading ability and the complexity of the characters. I
want each student to feel comfortable, but also challenged.
Students who are advanced were given more difficult parts to
read. Students who struggle were given fewer lines.
Assessment
Students are self-assessing themselves during the RT
Teacher observation during work time
Students will be turning in their notes for the final research

project.
1)
achievement)
This lesson was full of great learning! As students left, I collected an exit slip where students assessed
themselves and their participation in RT. I liked looking at these because most students were honest and gave
themselves realistic goals for how they could improve their RT experience during the next class. I also have
been observing students to make sure that they are on task and completing their work/ meeting targets.
52
2)
A change that ended up happening to this lesson was omitting the dialogue workshop. There was some other
work that students needed to complete from the previous day, so it altered the schedule some. For this lesson, I
had too much planned, but thats okay. I feel more comfortable having too much information, as opposed to not
enough plans.
3)
For the next lesson, I envision adding in another numeracy lesson. As we continue to read DoT, we will come
upon the numbers that are given in the novel. This is the information that students will be reading. I want to give
students the opportunity to work with these numbers and be able to grapple with the idea that these actual
people were sold.

School: Polaris EL
Date: 11/18/16
Title: Numeracy in English!
Content Area: ELA

Lesson: #5/10
Standards:
53
text.
MP.1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
MP.3 Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
8.F.5 Describe qualitatively the functional relationship between two quantities by analyzing a graph
(e.g., where the function is increasing or decreasing, linear or nonlinear). Sketch a graph that exhibits the
qualitative features of a function that has been described verbally.
54
Understandings:
1. Students will be able to compare and contrast different accounts of the same historical event
3.
4.
5. Students will be able to ask a research question about American slavery

6. Students will be able research American slavery
13. Students will be able to calculate the difference between costs of various slaves during slave auctions
firsthand accounts
14. Students will be able to interpret graphs depicting how age and gender affect cost of a slave
Inquiry Questions:
How does a persons qualities affect the cost of a slave?
How do I properly cite a source?
Evidence Outcomes:
1.
I can create a graph to decide what factors play a role in the cost of an enslaved person.
2.
I can cite information accurately to create a bibliography
55
Assessments:
Turning in an exit-slip dealing with creating a graph
Turning in a bibliography with their expository essay

Name and Purpose of
Lesson
Numeracy in English!
Time and Materials
1 hr. 6 min
Day of Tears
Slavery Graphs
- Brief history of the largest slave auction and numeracy
lesson: Graphs
- DoT
- How do I cite a source?
- Research time
- KWL re-visit
Anticipatory Set
Procedures
Play a slave song to students what does it

mean?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljup8cIRzIk
OR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=pw6N_eTZP2U&index=5&list=RDljup8cIRzIk
D: Music in the classroom meets one of Gardener's
intelligences
BE: Students are expected to work as leopards and
complete this task independently and silently.
AE: Students are expected to read carefully and
thoughtfully to show their best knowledge.
- Brief history of the largest slave auction and numeracy
lesson: Graphs
- Read account of Day of Tears (Name of slave auction, not
book)
- Have students create a compare and contrast chart (venn
diagram) to compare novel with my source
D: Students will have a visual and an audio of the article
56
- Analyze these graphs with students

- What conclusions can we draw?
- Using the information from the book, create a graph that
compares age to price the person was sold for
A: Students will turn their graph in as an exit ticket
teamwork.
thoughtfully.
- DoT
- By this point, students should understand how to do the RT.
D: I will still help students with grouping to ensure
everyone gets a part that is suitable for their needs in the
class
A: Students will perform a peer assessment
BE: Students are expected to sit quietly and participate in
the tutorial of where the information is
AE: Students are expected to listen carefully and raise their
hands with any questions
- How do I cite a source?
- We will walk through what information is needed and
where students can find that on the website.
- Students will be using easybib.com
A: Students will turn in a bibliography with their final essay
BE: Students are expected to work as leopards and use
teamwork.
thoughtfully.
- Research time
- Students should know the expectations for this time by this
point in the week
- I will walk around and check that each student has been
completing their notes. This will go under the research section
of their notes.
57
A: Students will show me their notes for a tentative grade

Closure
Ask students to share something specific that they learned

during their research today (or other days).
Differentiation
Music in the classroom meets one of Gardener's

intelligences
Modify: Students will have a visual and an audio of the
article

characters. I want each student to feel comfortable, but also
challenged. Students who are advanced were given more
difficult parts to read. Students who struggle were given
fewer lines.
Assessment
Students will turn in their graph as an exit-slip; complete a

peer evaluation for RT; turn in a bibliography at the end of the
next unit; and, show me their notes.
1)
achievement)
I was so impressed with students on this day! I think that everyone really enjoyed the numeracy lesson and it
really hit home for a lot of the students. Students created a graph using teams of the numbers that I gave them
from our novel. I assessed students on the graph that they created using the data that was given. All students
worked very hard and they were very impressive!
2)
58
A change that I would make for next time is giving students more scaffolding before I turn them loose to create
their graph. During the first period, I didnt tell them much about creating a graph. I soon realized that that was
a mistake and pulled the class back in to provide some more context. After setting up the next few periods that
way, and talking with Carol, I realized that it would be even easier for students to be successful if I scaffolded
the activity even more and we created some of the graph together. Once I did this, my students all understood
and performed at an above proficient level.
3)
For the next lesson, I want us to debrief DoT and I want to go over the student graphs. Students worked very
hard on these, so I want to give them the time they deserve. For the next lesson, we will also continue reading
Day of Tears.

School: Polaris EL
Date: 11/28/16
Title: Welcome Back from Break!
Content Area: ELA

Lesson: #6/10
Standards:
59
text.
Understandings:
1.
60
Inquiry Questions:
How can I prepare for Celebration of Learning? (Matt)
How does characterization affect my view of a character and a characters view of the world?
Evidence Outcomes:
1.
I can finish my Writers Portfolio for Celebration of Learning. (Matt)
2.
I can use my listening and analysis of characters in Day of Tears to fill out a character interview.
Assessments:
Turning in a finished Writers Portfolio
Observation of RT
Character Padlet
Name and Purpose of
Lesson
Time and Materials
Anticipatory Set
Welcome Back From Break!

1 hr. 6 min
- Weebly time (30 minutes) MATT
- Day of Tears Reading
- Character Padlet
Recall what important details we learned last week from
DoT
61
Procedures

AE: Students are expected to work carefully and
Weebly time for Writers Portfolio (Matt)

teamwork.
thoughtfully.
- DoT
- By this point, students should understand how to do the
RT.
class
A: Students will add to their character padlet once they are
finished reading.
Closure
Remind students what the importance of the

character padlet is project coming up
tomorrow!
Differentiation
Assessment

given fewer lines.
Students will be observed throughout the class to make
sure they are participating and engaging.
62
Students will also be turning in their padlet in the coming

days for a grade.
1)
achievement)
The majority of students were very on-task today. It was a bit difficult because students have been off on
Thanksgiving break for the last week. However, most of them came to class ready to learn. I did end up
assigning HW to Period 2 because they were not focused on the work at the end of class. Most of the students in
this period also packed up early. Students will show a true understanding of Day of Tears once they complete
the character interview.
2)
A change I made for the positive in 4th period that I am interested in trying in all of my classes tomorrow is
having students race to start reading during RT. There is a lot of wasted time for students to decide who is going
to read which part. Once I decided to time students and write it on the board, students were much more
motivated to begin reading. After making this change, students started reading in under two minutes.
3)
For the next lesson, I envision giving students the information for their summative project for Day of Tears. I
want students to have a way to show me they know the information, but also I didnt want them to feel
overwhelmed with having so much work to do.
63

School: Polaris EL
Date: 11/29/16
Title: Dialogue rocks!
Content Area: ELA

Lesson: #7/10
Standards:
64
Understandings:
1.
2.
65
Inquiry Questions:
How do I properly use dialogue in narrative writing?
How does characterization affect my view of a character and a characters view of the world?
Evidence Outcomes:
1.
I can correctly create dialogue.
2.
I can use my listening and analysis of characters in Day of Tears to fill out a character interview.
Assessments:
Turning in a dialogue worksheet
Completing a peer assessment of RT

Name and Purpose of
Lesson
Time and Materials
Dialogue Rocks!
1 hr. 6 min
- Dialogue Workshop Direct Instruction(15 minutes)
-
DoT Cooperative Learning (Chapter 7 &8) (40 minutes)
- Introduce Role-playing interview Due FRIDAY Direct

Instruction Analysis of Student work (10 minutes)
Anticipatory Set
Dialogue quote and discussion

I've found that good dialogue tells you not only what people
are saying or how they're communicating but it tells you a
great deal - by dialect and tone, content and circumstance about the quality of the character. E. O. Wilson
Read more at:
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/dialogue.html
66
D: Read the quote and say it out loud for students. Give
students time to partner pair and share.
Procedures

BE: Students are expected to work as leopards and complete
this task independently and silently
AE: Students are expected to read carefully and thoughtfully
to show their best knowledge.
Dialogue Rules
- Ask students what the rules are? (I expect some students to
already know the rules from class last year.)
- Go over rules written down on the board.
1) End punctuation inside quotes
2) Speaker tags
3) Capitalization
Dialogue Game (If time at end??)
- Assign each student either A or B
- Students will get a partner and a piece of paper. They will
each take turns writing dialogue to each other. They are only
using dialogue.
- All students will start with the same first sentence. Students
will do this activity for ten minutes (timer on the board)

teamwork.
AE: Students are expected to read carefully and thoughtfully.
- DoT Chapters 7 & 8
- By this point, students should understand how to do the RT.
- Students will be looking for characterization of their
characters. They will add this in the end.
- At the end of today, I will assign the mini-project of a
character interview. Students will need to pick one character that
they have been creating the characterization padlet for and they
will answer interview questions as that character.
D: I will still help students with grouping to ensure everyone
67
gets a part that is suitable for their needs in the class

A: Students will perform a peer assessment
Closure
Ask students to write a piece of dialogue that a character they

read about might say.
Differentiation
Assessment

based on reading ability and the complexity of the characters.
I want each student to feel comfortable, but also challenged.
Students who are advanced were given more difficult parts to
read. Students who struggle were given fewer lines.
Extend and Modify: Students will also get differentiation for
the quote worksheet. The majority of the worksheets have a
skeleton outline of notes; however some students have more
writing and some students have no words on their worksheet.
Students will complete a peer assessment and turn in a
dialogue sheet at the end of class.
1)
achievement)
I need to reteach first period dialogue. They did not meet the objectives. However, the other periods have met
the objectives at a proficient level. Once I reset the scaffolding of teaching dialogue, other students have
performed very well and seem to understand very well.
2)
Yikes! Matt let me fail for the first time today. First period was a bit rough. I created this awesome lesson with
differentiation; however, it was above most of the students heads. Instead of giving students the paper and
having them discuss then fill out the rules, I changed the LT to be more specific: I can correctly create dialogue
using the 3 rules in 3 sentences. I also scaffolded the lesson a bit more to help students better understand
dialogue.
68
3)
For the next lesson, we need to keep hitting dialogue hard! The students have struggled with learning it, and it is
a very complex topic. Also, students will need to learn two more dialogue skills to be able to achieve advanced
on the final assessment.

School: Polaris EL
Date: 11/30/16
Title: Day of Tears and Interview Project
Content Area: ELA

Lesson: #8/10
Standards:
1. RL.8.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at
2. CCR.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it;
3. CCR.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with
69
4.
5.
6.
7.
a.
b.
8. Use graphic organizers and note-taking formats while reading to map relationships among implied or
9.
10. CCR.L.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
Understandings:
1.
2.
70
Inquiry Questions:
How does characterization affect my view of a character?
How can I use quotes to make my writing more sophisticated?
Evidence Outcomes:
1.
I can read and listen to Day of Tears in a group with peers.
2.
I can begin to think about how to answer the character interview questions.
3.
I can omit speaker tags while writing, but still have my writing make sense.
Assessments:
Turning in an exit-slip
Observation
Character Interview
Name and Purpose of
Lesson
Time and Materials
Day of Tears and Interview Project

55 minutes
- Speaker tags (15 minutes)
- DoT Cooperative Learning( 30 minutes)
- (Chapter 9 & 10)
- Role-playing interview work time Analysis of Student
work (10 minutes)
-Ticket out the door: Write an example of four sentences using

speaker tags for two, then omitting them for sophistication
71
Anticipatory Set
Procedures
Tell a story- Make a connection to students about

how I was playing a videogame and its a lot like
building sophistication in using quotes. Yesterday
was level 1 lets move to level 2
complete this task independently and silently, unless as
Dialogue Rules
- Ask students what the rules from yesterday are?
- Go over rules written down on the board. Ask students for
some examples one.
- Go over new rule speaker tags arent always
present!
Dialogue Game (?? Will use either today OR tomorrow)
using dialogue.
- All students will start with the same first sentence.
Students will do this activity for ten minutes (timer on the
board)
A: Exit slip- students need to demonstrate they understand
the skill we worked on today on a post-it.
D: Some students will receive a half sheet of paper with an
example on it to help them succeed.
teamwork.
thoughtfully.
- DoT
RT.
72

characters.
- (Moved to the next day!) At the end of today, I will assign
the mini-project of a character interview. Students will need to
pick one character that they have been creating the
characterization padlet for and they will answer interview
questions as that character.
D: Within the final summative assessment, there is
differentiation and student choice of the level of questions
they choose to do.
Closure
Ask students to share with the class one character they are
interested in completing the interview project with.
Differentiation
Modify: Helper sheet for dialogue lesson
Extend and modify: Different questions for students to

choose for the Character Interview. Students were given a
color of questions based on difficultly. I decided which
students received which questions based on grades, effort,
and ability.
given fewer lines.
Assessment
Exit-slip out the door
Character Interview assignment
1)
achievement)
73
Today was probably the best lesson I have ever taught! I had the students write an exit slip using the characters
from the novel and showing me that they knew how to create proper dialogue and use the rules that I taught
them (they couldnt leave the class until they showed me a correct post-it note!) and they were thinking about
characterization because they were using the characters. The students had to be at least proficient to leave the
classroom. If students were not, I offered them extra support to get them to this level.
2)
A change I made to the lesson was making my LT more specific to better measure student achievement. My new
learning targets were:
I can write 4 sentences of dialogue omitting speaker tags.
I can begin to think about how characterization in DoT will affect my interview project.
This was a great change because it made my LT more measurable and connected to the work students were
completing.
3)
For the next lesson, I envision students learning another dialogue skill. After students learn the next level (level
3!) of dialogue, they will read a few more chapters of DoT. When students are done, I will give them time to
work on completing their project.
74

School: Polaris EL
Date: 12/1/16
Title: Day of Tears- Bust it out!
Content Area: ELA

Lesson: #9/10
Standards:RL.8.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and
poems, at the high end of grades 68 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

75
Understandings:
1.
2.
76
Understandings:
Students will understand Level 3 of dialogue (adverbs, descriptive action, mix up speaker tags) to enrich their
writing.
Inquiry Questions:
How do I properly use dialogue in narrative writing to enrich writing?
Evidence Outcomes:
1.
I can write four sentences of dialogue demonstrating the dialogue rules we worked on in class.
2.
I can think about characterization from Day of Tears to write four sentences of authentic character
dialogue.
Assessments:
Observation
Exit-slip
Peer assessment
Name and Purpose of
Lesson
Time and Materials
Day of Tears- Bust it out!

1 hr. 6 min
- Dialogue Level Three (15 minutes)
- DoT Cooperative Learning (Interludes, and Chapters 11 &
12) (40 minutes)
- Role-playing interview Analysis of Student work (10
minutes)
Anticipatory Set
Flavoring food how do you flavor food?

77
Procedures
Salt?
Hot sauce?
How much goes on it? Only a dash!

complete this task independently and silently, unless as
Dialogue Rules Level 3
- Go over rules from the previous days. Write an
example as a table Race!
- Go over new rules
- Action between dialogue to enrich story
- Said is dead, use adverbs
- Show students my example
- Add class example to my example
- They create an example
A: Exit slip write dialogue demonstrating
the rules
Dialogue Game (?? Maybe??)
using dialogue.
- All students will start with the same first sentence.
Students will do this activity for ten minutes (timer on the
board)
teamwork.
thoughtfully.
- DoT
RT.
characters.
78
- Students will evaluate their peers at the end of today.

- Character Interview
- Once students finish reading as a group, they will begin
the character interview.
class
A: Students will perform a peer assessment today.
Students will submit their Character Interview by Friday
Closure
Exit Slip: Ask students to write a piece of dialogue from their

main character having a discussion with another character.
Differentiation
Assessment
Extend and Modify: Students will be given choice in

the questions they answer for the Character Interview
given fewer lines.
Modify: Exit-slip support for students who are not
demonstrating the correct skills
Students will complete a peer assessment
Exit-slip
Character Interview
1)
achievement)
The lesson objectives were achieved at an advance level for the majority of the students. The students who were
not advanced, had to be proficient to leave the classroom. Students demonstrated knowledge of content and
lesson by writing at least two sentences using the dialogue rules we learned today and characterization from the
plot of Day of Tears.
79
2)
A change I would make to the lesson would be to shorten the amount of time spent on the dialogue lesson. I
think that there is a way to make the lesson more succinct. I still want the students to get the information, but I
want to do a power lesson in it, then be able to re-visit the skills the next day.
3)
For the next lesson, I envision revisiting all the dialogue skills for students, finishing Day of Tears and giving
students some work time on the Character Interview. Since the lesson is coming to an end, students really just
need time to work on their final project and review all of the skills we learned.
80

School: Polaris EL
Date: 12/2/16
Title: Closure is a Really Nice Thing
Content Area: ELA

Lesson: #10/10
Standards: RL.8.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and
poems, at the high end of grades 68 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
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Colorado Standards: History-2.d&e The historical eras, individuals, groups, ideas and themes from the
origins of the American Revolution through Reconstruction and their relationships with one another
and class on groups and individuals in this time period and the impact of these groups and individuals
on the events of the time period (DOK 1-3)
ideals involved in major events and movements. Topics to include but not limited to representative
democracy, federalism, capitalism, abolition, temperance, nativism, and expansionism (DOK 1-3)
Understandings:
1.
2.
Understandings:
Students will understand Day of Tears and the ideas of slavery that go along with it.
Students will understand how to use the 3 levels of dialogue and can demonstrate it in their writing.
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Inquiry Questions:
How do I use dialogue in narrative writing to enrich it?
Evidence Outcomes:
1.
I can complete my character interview using characterization from Day of Tears and proper dialogue
skills.
2.
I can listen to the final chapter of Day of Tears.
Assessments:
Turning in the Character Interview

Name and Purpose of
Lesson
Time and Materials
Anticipatory Set
Procedures
Closure is a Really Nice Thing: Finish Day of Tears

1 hr. 6 min
- DoT Final Chapter Matt
-
Work time to finish Character Interview
Post-assessment Analysis of Student work
KWL KWL Analysis of Student work
Make connection from DoT and Copper Sun to students

writing. What is going to happen with their character now?
BE: Students are expected to listen quietly as Matt reads
the final chapter to them.
AE: Students are expected to read along carefully and
thoughtfully.
Matt will read the final chapter of Day of Tears to students.
Debrief it. Go over discussion questions as a table and share
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out.
- Students will have time to complete their Character
Interview
D: Students have choice in deciding which questions they
want to answer.
A: Students will turn in their Character Interview for
assessment.

- Re-visit their KWL. What are 8 things you learned about
slavery in America?
- What are two things you are interested in learning moving
forward?
If there is extra time at the end of class, students will have
time to begin to work on the next part of their Door of No
Return story.
Closure
Ask students what they liked and disliked about Day of Tears.
Are there any parts of it that you will take into your own future
writing?
Differentiation
Extend and Modify: I will ask students to complete a

different number of facts for the KWL (more for some
students and less for other students)
Extend and Modify: Students will be given choice in the
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questions they answer for the Character Interview

Assessment
Students will complete the post-assessment.
Students are being observed during group time for

participation
Students will turn in their final project.
1)
achievement)
I was very impressed with the level of achievement students demonstrated today. They were very engaged with
the reading and curious about what happened to Emma in the novel. Students also worked well on their
Character Interview. When I gave students work time, I saw all of the students completing this assignment with
minimal off-task behavior.
2)
I felt very satisfied with this lesson and would make minimal changes to it. One change I might make is offering
students a list of characters from Day of Tears that they could use to select which character they want to
interview. There seemed to be some questions as to which characters could be used and which characters didnt
give us enough information to create inferences for their positions on the questions.
3)
Now we are done with this unit, I dont have any envisions for the next lesson for this unit. If this was my
classroom, I would move on into working on having students write the next piece of their enslaved African
narrative. The students have written about being captured and the Middle Passage, now they have more freedom
to discover who their enslaved character will become once theyre in America.
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TWS VI: Assessment Data & Analysis

For my pre- and post- assessment, the questions were identical. Students made comments after the first
assessment that it was difficult and they struggled to answer the questions. I checked in with students after the
post-assessment though, and the students eagerly answered that it was significantly easier for them. For the
questions, I used Google Forms. The students submitted the assessments and I used the add-on Flubaroo to
provide a quick grade after all students submitted their assessment. This worked well for all of the questions
except one. For one of the questions, I had students identify the correct use of dialogue. The follow-up question
asked students to pick vone of incorrect dialogues to correct. Since there was no one answer fits all, I had to
manually check over this to assess student knowledge. I also decided that one of the questions about research
sources was a bit of a trick. I dont believe in giving students trick questions, and after some student discussion,
I dont believe that question fully demonstrates student knowledge. The question provided students with a list of
answers about what one would look for when they are finding good sources for research. One of the questions
said: search for .com, .org, and .edu. We had a few class discussions about how none of those sites are always
good so you should search for more than just one of those domains. Most students were hung up on this
question because they believe that .org and .edu are always good to use. Below is a graph representing the
average growth for each class period. Overall, each of the class periods demonstrated growth according to my
pre- and post-assessment. Period 3 is my strongest class academically, whereas period 2 is one of my more
difficult classes. The assessments align with student behavior that I see demonstrated in each class. While
period 2 has very capable students, they are typically more interested in goofing around than learning.
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Here is a sub-group of student data from period 1 broken down by gender. The students highlighted in blue are
boys, and the students highlighted in yellow are girls. Before breaking down the students by charts and graphs
to really look at the data, I would assume that the girls would perform better. Overall, the girls seem more
focused in the classroom during 1st period.
If students got the question correct, they received a 1. If students did not get the question correct, they
received a 0. The column that is red is the question that I had to grade by hand. I followed the same guidelines
for my grading of the student dialogue. The column in purple is the question that I decided to not include into
the grading. All of the percentages are out of 6.
Sub-Group Pre-Assessment:
Student
# right % right
Q1
Q2 Q3
Q4
Q5 Q6
Q7
PS
67%
AS
33%
CB
33%
HLF
17%
HAQ
33%
MT
83%
GM
83%
AI
67%
Sub-Group Post-Assessment:
Student # right Gain points
% right
Q1
Q2 Q3
Q4
Q5 Q6
Q7
PS
+2
100%
11
1 Not Graded
AS
+4
100%
11
1 Not Graded
1
87
CB
+4
100%
11
1 Not Graded
HLF
+4
83%
10
1 Not Graded
1
1
HAQ
+4
100%
11
1 Not Graded
MT
+1
100%
11
1 Not Graded
GM**
-1
67%
01
1 Not Graded
AI
4
+0
67%
0
01
1
1 Not Graded
1
GM*- After reviewing this students test scores, I believe that she misread one of the questions and this caused
her score to drop. She went on to type the correct answer into the Q3 box.
Here are examples of Q3. The correct answers are in green and the incorrect answers are in blue.
Student
Pre-A Q3
Post-A Q3
PS
The time of day does not matter. said Lori.
Run away! screamed Harry.
AS "That's the funniest joke ever." Proclaimed John.
"The time of day does not matter," said Lori.
CB
I am not sure, but Im excited to learn!
Run away, screamed Harry.
HLF
The time of day does not matter, said Lori.
"The time of day does not matter," said Lori
HAQ Thats the funniest joke ever." Proclaimed John
"The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain,"

said Sarah.
MT
"Run away!" screamed Harry.
GM**
"The time of day does not matter," Said Lori.
Run away, screamed Harry.
AI "That's the funniest joke ever." proclaimed John.
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Here is a graph representing the scores that students received for the pre- and post- assessments. The majority of
the students
demonstrated growth.
GM decreased in points
and AI stayed the same.
Its interesting because
AI missed different
questions for each of
the assessments. This
could be due to her
guessing on the first
assessment, then not
learning all of the
information, so she
continued to guess on
the post-assessment. I
believe that GM
understands much of
the material from class
time, so I am wondering
if she misread/ did not
read the questions closely. With the exception of those two students though, all the students in this sub-group
demonstrated growth from the assessments. According to my initial hypothesis, the students did not grow as I
expected. Since the boys in my period 1 class seem more off-focus than the girl, I believed that the girls would
demonstrate greater growth than the boys. This was not the case. The girls performed higher on average on the
pre-assessment than the boys (4 correct compared to 2.25 correct). However, the final assessment left the girls
scoring lower than the boys during the class (5 correct compared to 5.75 correct). The gain for girls, on average,
was only 1 question, whereas the gain for the boy students was 3.5 correct. I wonder if this difference is due to
the a growth mindset compared to a fixed mindset. Since the girls in my first period scored fairly well on the
first assessment, it is possible that they did not realize they have as much information to learn. Whereas, some
of the boy students may have felt uncomfortable with the questions so they worked harder to learn the material
they did not know. Ultimately, if I was going to draw conclusions about the boys and girls in this class, I would
like to experiment with tracking these students over a few units, instead of just one unit.
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Assessment Conclusion:
For the majority of students, I believe that these assessments demonstrates the growth that students
underwent. Most of the students came into the unit only knowing bits and pieces of the information; however,
after the students participated in the unit, the majority of them seemed to increase on the assessment by at least
1 point. I think this means that my unit goals were achieved at a proficient level. Moving forward, I would make
sure to re-include this information for students so they can continue practicing these skills. If the goals learned
in this unit are one and done, students wont retain the information or see the value in it. If students are
encouraged to keep using these skills (dialogue, research skills, and information about slavery in America), they
will grow stronger and be able to get their level of understanding to above proficient.
Instructional Assessment Evidence:

The major summative assessment that I gave students was a Character Interview. Upon grading this
assignment, about half of the students turned nothing in. I feel disheartened and frustrated by this. There were
students who I saw working on this assignment in class, so I know they have work, but if they dont upload a
document, I cannot give them credit. I wonder if I was setting them up for failure by making it so they had to
attach the document of their work. With that being said, about half of the students did attach a document of
work and they performed excellently. On the counterargument side, my students are old enough that they should
realize they need to upload the document that they were working on to receive credit. Below are three examples
of student work. The first example is a student who performed at the 4 level. The next example is a student who
was proficient, and the last example is a student who was under proficient, but is working towards the targets.
I gave the students this checklist rubric to show them what I was looking for for them to get at least a proficient.
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To be advanced (4) you must:
Answer all questions in complete sentences using authentic details from the book
Write at least 5 sentences for each question
Use the 3 proficient dialogue rules
PLUS omit speaker tags out on occasion (but still have it be clear who is speaking)
Break off into a descriptive action in the middle of dialogue to enrich the story
To be proficient (3) you must:

Use speaker tags, correct punctuation (comma and question mark/ exclamation point) and capitalization
Example 1- Advanced:
Character: Emma
Hello Emma, thank you for taking time out of your busy day to meet with me. I have a few questions
that I would like to ask you, if you dont mind, I said professionally. I awaited a response from Emma.
Hi, thanks for having me, and sure you can ask me some questions! Emma replied with enthusiasm!
Okay, thanks! So my first question for you is about your family. Can you tell me a little about them?
Emmas face got sad for a second as she remembered the last day she saw her parents before getting
sold.
I have a great family, and they are each have their own amazing qualities, Emma wiped her eyes
before they could overflow with tears, I was an only child but with growing up on the plantation, there were
lots of kids. I had a mother and father, who I loved with my whole heart. Their names were Mattie and Will,
Mattie was a house maid and Will was a caretaker for the mules and horses.
They sound lovely, will you tell me more about your father, Will?
Sure, he was brave and strong and he even grew up with Master Butler. They were like brothers, and he
even saved Master Butlers life once. Unfortunately, that just made me getting sold even worse. Emmas face
turned from sadness to anger in a span of seconds when she remembered the day she was sold away from her
family.
That is very interesting. I can understand why he would be so mad at Master Butler, you were his
world. Speaking of which, can you tell me more about your mother, Mattie?
Yeah, my mother was a great women who cared about everyone. She was a mother to all and I love her
a lot. We both worked in the house as maids, so we spent a lot of time together while I was growing up.
She sounds great! I also have a few more questions for you if you wouldnt mind,
Okay, what are your questions?
My question is that if your were in another person's body, how would you describe yourself?
That is a really good question! I think people would describe me as caring and kind. I have taken care
of children must of my life, so I learned early on to be gentle. Also, this is just me but, I think people like others
who are warm and nice and that is why I am such a good caregiver.
I think that is a great description of your because you do give off that nice, friendly vibe. Also, there is
one more question that I would like you to answer!
Yeah, I think I have time to answer one more question before I have to go home to Joe. Oh by the way I
forgot to tell you that I have a husband, and his name is Joe. He is very nice and we have lot of children!
Emma brightened up a little when she thought of Joe and her wonderful children.
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My question is what is one event from Day of Tears that changed your life forever?
Oh that is a very hard question for me to answer, but being honest, I think the event that changed my
life forever was the day that I escaped from Mistress Henfields plantation. We didnt have children like the
other two people we went with, Charles and Winnie. We went at night and we didnt look back, I couldnt or I
would get to scared and turn back, and that would mean trouble. I hate trouble. I never thought I could do it but
I did! Emma beamed at herself proudly.
Well, thank you for taking time to talk to me and I hope you have a nice day! I concluded.
Well, thank you for letting me tell you a little bit about myself, and you also have a nice day! Emma
said her farewell and turned on her heels. She strode away while I finished writing down our last few words.
Example 2- Proficient:
1) Describe each member of your family.
Emma is my favorite she is sweet and she was my mom throughout the beginning of my life, Sarah replied
dreamily. My father Mr.Butler I don't care for too much he sold so many slaves on our plantation and he sold
Emma away which broke my heart, she replied wearily. And finally my sister Frances she is sweet but we
argue a lot you could call it sisterly love, Sarah chuckled cheerfully.
2) How would other characters describe you?
Honestly I think that everyone saw me as sweet and accepting but also they though sometimes I was needy
because I had a very hard time getting over Emma. She was so important in my life that sometimes people
might of thought I was depressed but I was still cheerful as much of the time as I could, she mumbled.
3) How has slavery affected your life?

Slavery has affected my life so much, my dad had to sell all those poor people because he wanted to gamble
instead of respect his family. Also my dad sent emma away which he promised not to do and that broke my
heart forever she was really the only mother I had ever had,Sarah sniffled sadly.
Example 3- Working towards Proficient:

Excuse me Mr Butler sorry of interrupting but can I ask you some questions? I am wondering how
slavery affected your life? I stare at him regretting that I even asked him the question.
Well I will start out by telling you that back in the old days I was very rich and greedy, said Mr Butler.
He pused and got up to go get some tea. He contionued his story I always liked playing cards but had no luck
at all but still enjoyed playing and that is when I ran out of money I had lost all of my money playing cards, that
is when I had to sell my plantation and my slaves.
Can you tell me more about how that affected you.
Well after a sold them I moved and bought a house and started to live there, and that is when I started
playing cards again and lost most of my money and only had enough to feed myself and buy stuff I needed.
May I please ask another question sir.
Yes you may.
How would other people describe you.
My daughter sarah would think is was as evil as the devil ever since I sold emma away her second
mother one of my slaves she was very angry, francese was the good one she wanted to take over the hole
plantation and but never liked shara they would get in a lot of fights but she thought of me very highly and
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never wanted me to give up slavery. He got up and refilled his tea. My wife on the other hand hated me she
wanted to get rid of all slaves in the country but I refused, how would I make my money so richly that I do right
now? That is why she broke up and moved back to europe.
May I ask you one last question?
Last one but know more he almost yelled. I could tell he was a little mad for me asking about his
family and how they felt about him.
Do you support the underground railroad?
No I do not it would make people loses their money and loses the slaves they had bought for so much
money, I personally hate the underground railroad. I stopped him there I was afraid he was going to hurt me.
Thank you for your time sir. As I rushed out the door.
Summative Assessment Conclusion:

For this assessment, I was assessing how well students read and understood Day of Tears using
characterization of at least one character, their use of proper dialogue, and how well students could follow
directions. As previously mentioned, students who tried on this assessment did fairly well. Most students
understood about at least one character to a proficient level and understood the dialogue rules enough to
perform them on this assignment. With that being said, about half of the students did not upload a document, so
I was forced to give them a 0 for this assessment. Even though my TWS is complete, if this was my class for the
rest of the semester, I would go back and reteach some of these ideas and create an alternative assignment for
students to show me that they understand the goal of this project. I have two ideas about why students did not
turn in the Character Interview. First, Matt does not assign very many mini-projects. The majority of the work
assigned is either never checked or its worth a very large percentage of their grade and they have at least 3
hours of class time to complete it. Because students had only one week to complete this project and about 45
minutes of class time, I think the students are unconditioned to complete work of this nature. My second idea is
that since I required students to upload a document, many of them may have just forgotten. In the future, it
might be easier for me to have a document made for each student so there is no memory or guessing. Although
the majority of students demonstrated growth and understanding on the post-assessment, since so many students
did not show understanding on my summative assessment, it does not demonstrate the growth that the
assessment demonstrates.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Assessment Plan:

Some major strengths of this assessment plan were that students had the ability to practice each of the
goals and they received feedback. Whenever students were in class, I expected them to practice each of the
goals on a daily basis, but they were not graded on this practice. I let students build up their knowledge by using
exit-slips and observations. Another strength was that after students had a chance to practice, I gave them
feedback on the work they completed to aid them in understanding exactly what they needed to work on to
complete the goals this unit set out.
Some weaknesses of this assessment plan are that students did not always complete work and the
feedback was not always instant. As mentioned a few times before in this part, about half of my students did not
turn in the Character Interview. If students are not turning in the assignments, it is very difficult for me to give
them the feedback and help move them into further understanding. Another weakness of my plan was that I
could not always give students instant feedback. There were a few formative assessments where I could have
students demonstrate understanding to me before they left class for they day, and if students did not understand
the goal asked of them, I could give them support to get them to understanding. However, it was not possible to
do this with every activity because of the time it takes, and the format that some of the practice was in. An
example of this would be at the end of the days reading, I would have students add to a Padlet they created for
a specific character in Day of Tears. Although I gave students feedback on 1-2 pieces of their information, it
was impossible for me to read their entire Padlet and make sure it was well filled out.
Moving forward, I would make modifications by making sure students were either assigned a paper in
Classroom to write on for their final assessment, or I would make sure that they had a document uploaded
before they left class on Friday. I think that if I had done this, more students would have created a final
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assessment for me to grade. Another modification I would make would be to assess the students Padlets more
frequently and with more weight. The reason the students completed the Padlet was so they could have the
information they needed at hand to fill out the Character Interview. If students did not have a filled out Padlet,
they made the Character Interview much more difficult for themselves. When some of the students saw this
challenge, I think they might have just given up and did not see the point in doing all the work at once.
TWS Part VII: Reflection:

Over the course of the semester, there have been many learning moments for both myself and my
students. My favorite part of student teaching was being able to finally form the relationships with students. In
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all of my previous education classes, the professors always say that the best part of teaching is being able to get
to know the students and form a relationship with them. From the structures of my past education classes, it is
not completely possible to really form relationships with students. During my student teaching experience, it
solidified my belief that education is all about the relationships and I love working with students. By the final
weeks of my student teaching, students were coming up to me to talk about their life problems and successes.
Many of the students are upset that I am not a permanent teacher at their school and they have started petitions
and completed fundraising to try to keep my at their school. Another thing that went well during my student
teaching was my classroom management. Coming into student teaching, I was a bit uneasy at disciplining
students in my classroom. After dealing with middle schoolers for the past few months, it seems crazy to me
that I felt uncomfortable with letting students get away with certain behaviors.
One of the most important lessons that I learned during my student teaching experience was to always
have variants of each lesson planned, or at least thought about in your head. There were a few times where I
gave students tasks that were too big for them. This is also something that my CSU supervisor recommended I
work on from an observation. One of my final days of teaching my TWS, I created a lesson on dialogue for
students. About two minutes into the lesson, I was afraid Id started talking to the students in another language.
They all had blank expressions on their faces and it was causing them to become uninterested and some
misbehaviors were spiking. I was utterly lost and could not figure out what I could do to aid students in getting
the material I set out for us to learn. For this assignment, I had broken down the information into a couple
different tiers to differentiate. Once I realized that the majority of the students were not understanding the
information, I re-structured how I taught the information and I taught the entire class the modified assignment.
Upon doing this, students all understood the topic and we could move forward with the lesson. Since I had
already planned this modification into my plan, it was not difficult to implement it for the entire class.
One of the biggest differences I would have made to my semester is beginning to teach my TWS unit
sooner. This assignment is so critical to my grade, that I should have better advocated to my cooperating teacher
what my needs were. In the end, I did get my TWS completed; however, it gets very hectic at the end of the
year. Another thing that I would have done differently is setting up my classroom management plan a bit
stronger at the beginning of the semester. Although I never had major issues with students, I think that my
student teaching experience would have gone smoother if I had the students under the same level of
management as my cooperating teacher. I think one positive way I could have done this would be to set up the
expectations at the start of each lesson, and what I really struggle with, during transitions into new activities.
The importance of this has been stressed to me multiple times; however, it is not yet a habit. Once I make it into
a habit, I think that it will be a valuable classroom management skill that will make teaching easier and
smoother.
Finally, student teaching has done a lot to shape my classroom management, philosophy, and future
goals. Classroom management is always a struggle until you get into the classroom. It is difficult to know how
to handle certain behaviors until you actually encounter it. My cooperating teacher has superb classroom
management and I would like to mimic his style a bit more. With that being said, one of the most important
things I learned during student teaching is that to be successful in this field, I need to hone in on who I am and
use that in the classroom. I can try to mimic other successful teachers all day, but it wont be authentic unless
its me and my style. I am still working on figuring out what my boundaries in the classroom are with student
behavior. Once I have this figured out, I think that it will be easier for me to set my expectations at the start of
each section of my lesson. Another thing that has become more obvious to me is that the saying, Kids dont
care what you know, if they dont know that you care. Ive heard this saying throughout my educational
courses; however, being with students in the classroom everyday solidified that it is a truth. The best part of
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student teaching is easily the students. Some mornings when I was groggy or grumpy, all I had to do was
interact with my students and it made my day better. Students are the reason I want to become a teacher, and I
think that needs to become expressed more clearly in my teaching philosophy. As for future goals, I still want to
be a teacher. I have a few friends who are getting ready to complete their education and after student teaching,
they learned that it is not the profession for them. I am eager to join the workforce and find my own classroom.
My passion for the profession will also lead me into continuing education. At some point, I would like to take
on more leadership roles in the educational system. Since teaching is all about the kiddos, I want to be able to
make the biggest impact possible on our next generation.
Appendix:
In my appendix I have included: the pre- and post-assessment, the Character Interview, and the
questions I asked students to answer. There are examples of student work under the Assessment Analysis.
Pre- and Post-Assessment:

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The correct answer/answers is/are highlighted.

1) Choose the correct use of dialogue.
Run away screamed Harry.
The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain. Said Sara.
Thats the funniest joke ever. Proclaimed John
The time of day does not matter, said Lori.
The purple lion has the loudest roar, the zookeeper told the children.
2) Pick an incorrect sentence above to correct. If you arent sure how to correct any of the sentences, copy and
paste: I am not sure, but Im excited to learn!
3) Once the slave ships got to the Americas,
The enslaved were washed and shaved.
The enslaved were rubbed them with palm oil to disguise sores and wounds.
Families were broken up, if this had not already happened.
All of the above
None of the above
4) When the enslaved Africans got to the Americas, they were usually allowed to pick their own names.
True
False
5) When looking for credible sources, it is important to:
Search for .com, .org, .edu
Cite the first source you find on Google because it's probably the best
Look to see when the material was published
Check who the author is
6) When participating in Reader's Theater, it is important for the reader to dress up using makeup, costumes,
and props.
True
False
The final project we will complete after reading Day of Tears is a character interview. You will assume
the role of a reporter and you are interviewing a specific character from Day of Tears. When completing this
assignment, you will pick one character from Day of Tears and answer the questions from their perspective. It is
important that you have a well-filled out character Padlet to help you answer the questions. When
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answering the questions, you will answer them using the dialogue rules from class for the reporter and
your character.
Example:
Character Name: Emma
Good morning, Emma. Thank you for taking the time to answer some of my questions.
Can you please describe your family members for me? I asked, eagerly awaiting Emmas
answers.
My father and mother are Will and Mattie, said Emma. She shifted uncomfortably in
her rocking chair, a slight whistle blowing through her teeth.Once Pierce Butler sold me, I had
to move away from them. After I moved away, I married Joe.
Can you tell me more about Joe?
Joe was a real fighter! He had such a passion for freedom. He was actually the man who
convinced me to run away, Emma recalled dreamily. After we escaped, he gave me lots of
babies, and we could not have been happier.
The assessment rubric is below.
To be advanced (4) you must:
Use the 3 proficient dialogue rules
PLUS omit speaker tags out on occasion (but still have it be clear who is speaking)
Break off into a descriptive action in the middle of dialogue to enrich the story
To be proficient (3) you must:

Use speaker tags, correct punctuation (comma and question mark/ exclamation point) and capitalization
Character Interview Questions

Please answer three questions from below. Questions 1 and 2 are mandatory; however, you can pick 1
question from 3-6 to answer.
Character Name:
2) How would other characters describe you?
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3) What is one event from Day of Tears that changed your life forever? Explain.
4) Do you support the Underground Railroad, or slaves being free? Why or why not?
5) Explain one way you have changed throughout Day of Tears.
6) How has slavery affected your life?
References:
Draper, Sharon M. (Sharon Mills). Copper Sun. New York: Atheneum Books for
Young Readers, 2006. Print.
Lester, Julius. Day of Tears: a Novel in Dialogue. New York: Hyperion Books for
Children, 2005. Print.
http://www.wwhp.org/files/akf/Lesson4-SlaveAuctionArticle.pdf
- (article from this worksheet)
99
Matt Strand, Cooperating Teacher

Carol Zick, CSU Supervisor
100

Tws Final

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Morgan Bennett

Teacher Work Sample: Polaris Expeditionary Learning School

Part II: Unit Topic and Rationale

Part III: Unit Standards, Goals, and

Part IV: Assessment Tools

Part V: Instruction and Management Plan

Part VI: Assessment Data and Analysis

TWS I: Setting and Context

Major Employers: CSU, The City of Fort

Voting Trends of Larimer County (Adapted from EDUC 450 TWS):

Poudre School District:

Participating in Free/Reduced Lunch: 33.71%

Total Staff: 3,652

Average teaching experience in PSD: 12 years

Dropout Rate: 1.5%

Polaris Expeditionary Learning School 6-12

Achieve high academic standards;

Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander

Student Gender Breakdown

Students participating in a free or reduced-price lunch program

Period 1 8:15 9:24

Period 1 8:15 9:08

Period 2 9:29 10:35

Period 2 9:13 10:06

Period 3 10:40 11:46

Period 3 10:11 11:04

LUNCH 11:46 12:18

Period 4 11:09 12:02

CREW 12:18 12:56

LUNCH 12:02 12:32

Period 4 1:01 2:07

Period 5 12:32 1:25

Period 5 2:12 3:18

TWS II Unit Topic & Rationale:

- Continue slave auctions and

TWS 3: Objective, Goals, and Standards

1. Students will learn how

2. Students will be able to

2. Students will begin to

CCR.SL.2 Integrate and

evaluate information presented

RL.8.5 Compare and

W.8.6 Use technology,

produce and publish writing and

RL.8.3 Analyze how

CCR.R.1 Read closely to

3. Students will be able to

inferences from it; cite specific

MP.3 Construct viable

examples of the ideals involved

RL.8.5 Compare and

History-2.d&e The historical

CCR.W.8 Gather relevant

relate to one another 4;

W.8.6 Use technology,

research project 2, 3, CCR.W.8,

CCR.W.8 Gather relevant

RI.8.5 Analyze in detail

W.8.4 Produce clear and

W.8.3.b Use narrative

TWS IV: Assessment Tools

The assessment can be found at this link: