1. Department of Elementary Education
Fall 15 Lesson Plan
Candidate Grade Content Area
Farah Taha 1 English Language Arts/ 1st grade
CENTRAL FOCUS Part A: CURRICULUM ANALYSIS
1. Learning Standard(s)
Use both number and text when citing
standards
RL 1.3: Describe characters, settings, and major events
in a story, using key details.
2. Content Overview
(Use the discourse of your discipline to
explain your content.)What content are
you teaching? Explain purpose for
learning: How will this make students
college- and career-ready?
Being able to identify the main events of a story increases
student comprehension. In order to maximize comprehension,
students need to develop the ability to differentiate major
events from details.
Content lesson complete 5; Literacy lesson complete 3 &4; Content lesson that includes literacy complete
3,4, & 5
3. Literacy - Essential Strategy
(consult edTPA literacy specific glossary &
Making Good Choices p. 30)
4. Literacy – Requisite (ongoing
foundational) Skills
Circle one or more that directly
support your students to develop or
refine the literacy strategy
(consult edTPA literacy specific glossary &
Making Good Choices p. 30)
print concepts text structure features word analysis
decoding/
phonics
miscue self-correction word recognition
phonological
awareness
syllabic or
morphological analysis
fluency
language
conventions
vocabulary meanings in
context
OTHER:
5. Math/SS/Science -
Subject Specific Components
conceptual understanding /procedural
fluency/ reasoning/ problem-solving
skills
6. Prior Assessment Used to Inform
this Lesson
(Student teaching only)
CENTRAL FOCUS Part B : MEASURABLE OBJECTIVE AND ITS ASSESSMENT
7. Objective
Must include condition, behavioral
verb, & criteria (See article by Kizlik).
After reading The Giving Tree as a whole class, students will
correctly identify the main events. They will also be able to
correctly identify the word Giving.
8. Method(s) of Assessment &
Evaluation Criteria
Assessment: Think, Pair, Share and Hand Signals

2. Evaluation Criteria
How will you capture information to
analyze what each student has learned
about the objective?
Attach answer key, checklist, rubric, etc.
(see “assessment” & “evaluation
criteria” in edTPA glossary)
Evaluation Criteria: By using hand signals and listening to
students responses, the teacher will determine if at least two
major events of the story were identified and if they know why
the tree is called the Giving Tree.
9. Prerequisite Skills and/or
Knowledge Needed in Order to
Meet the Objective
If students do not have this skill/
knowledge, you must differentiate in
lesson.
Ability to sit still and attend to the lesson. Listening
comprehension level high enough to understand the story.
10. Next Instructional Step in the
Learning Sequence:
If all students were to achieve the
objective, what is the next lesson in this
learning sequence?
In the next lesson, students will identify major events of another
story by Shel Silverstein. During independent reading, students
will practice identifying major events of the stories they’re
reading.
KNOWING YOUR LEARNERS
Number of Students 17
11. Assets of Student(s) for this
lesson
- What do you your students already
know academically and what can they
do academically?
-What do you know about your
students’everyday experiences,
cultural backgrounds and practices,
and interests?
(see “assets” in edTPA glossary)
12. Needs of students for this
lesson
What are they still learning to do?
(see #4 & #9 above)
13. Differentiation of Assessment
and Evaluation Criteria
Indicate how you will differentiate the
assessment and/or evaluation criteria
for the needs identified in the box 8.
(see “assessment” & “evaluation
criteria” in edTPA glossary)
Differentiation of Assessment: Teacher was the partner of a
student on the autistic spectrum who struggles with pair
shares. Teacher paired Spanish-speaking students together for
think/pair/share so they could use L1 to access knowledge
about “major events.”
Differentiation of Evaluation Criteria: Student gives details
from the story. Teacher refers to anchor chart to explicitly
remind students of the difference between major events and
details. After the lesson, teacher checks in with students to
gauge understanding of details versus major events.

3. ACADEMIC LANGUAGE DEMANDS OF THIS LESSON
14. Language Function
(See glossary under “academic
language” and Task 1, “What Do I
Need To Write”)
analyze compare/contrast describe interpret
argue summarize explain infer
predict categorize justify other:
15. Key Vocabulary Word/
Phrases Critical for Achievement
of Objective
(see Making Good Choices p. 14)
15a. Multiple meaning words
that have subject-specific
meaning in this lesson that
differ from everyday life
15b. Cross-discipline general
academic vocabulary (see
Coxhead, 2000)
15c. Subject-specific words
used in this discipline
Main events, details,
literary texts.
16. Academic Syntax and/or
Discourse
What structures of written and/or oral
language need to be explicitly taught
for achievement of the objective? (see
Making Good Choices p. 14)
17. Research and/or Theory
Guiding this Lesson Plan
In 1-2 sentences cite and justify
evidence that supports your
identification of these specific
language demands.
Breaking down language and making it manageable for
novices to _learn the steps, to learn how_ so they can
practice over and over again helps them become
expert in the field. Academic language is knowing
how to use the tools of the context and content__ to
understand, make meaning, connect with __complex
ideas, recognize _differences in genres__ and use
specific _language structures_ to make meaning clear
for the audience. (Dr. Hundley, Webinar)
LESSON STRUCTURE
18. Total Time Allotted
for Lesson
25 minutes
19. Instructional Model
-Guided Release Of
Responsibility
-Direct Instruction
-Launch, Explore,
Summarize
-Early Childhood Emergent
Model
OTHER:
Gradual release of responsibility

4. 2 0 . L e a r n i n g
Arrangement
Whole class, small group,
pairs, centers, and/or
individual
whole class
21. (ECE ONLY) Role of
Teacher
22. Materials
22a Teacher
Materials &
Resources/
Technology
• paper tree made up of movable parts such
as : apples, branches, and the stump.
• copy of The Giving Tree
22b. Student
Materials &
Resources/
Technology
none
23. Research and/or
Theory Guiding this
Lesson Plan
In 1-2 sentences cite and
explain evidence that
justifies these instructional
decisions.
“Cooperative learning can be an effective strategy to increase student
success. Caposey and Heider (2003) conducted a research study using
cooperative learning. Cooperative learning occurs when students form
small groups and help one another learn a specific skill or subject area.
Students learn effectively in a cooperative setting by working toward a
common goal.”
LESSON PROCEDURE: INTRODUCTION
24. Timeframe:
How long is the
introduction?
5 minutes
25.Transition:
What will you say/do to help
students transition into the
introduction
26. Introduction
Teacher Actions, Strategies, and Questions:
Introduction
Student Tasks and Strategies:

5. Teacher introduces the lesson: “Hello friends!
This week we have been reading many books by
Shel Silvertstein.” Teacher points to books that
have been read previously.
Teacher continues: “we have been talking about
the major events in story books. Teachers call
these literary texts. All literary texts have major
events. Let’s take a look at our chart for a think/
pair/share.” Teacher points to chart.
Teacher says, “think about the books we’ve read.
What does it mean when we say ‘major event’?”
Teacher asks, “who can help us? What have you
already learned about ‘major events’?”
Teacher tells students that they will be reading a
new book by Shel Silverstein, The Giving Tree.
Students look at chart and face their partners for a
think/pair/share.
Students discuss “major events” with a partner as
they think/pair/share.
Students respond that major events are the most
important things that happen, not a list of
everything that happens.
27. Introduction Differentiation
How will you accommodate
students’individual needs based
on answer to #9 above (see
differentiation toolbox for ideas)
Teacher was the partner of a student on the autistic spectrum who
struggles with pair shares. Teacher paired Spanish-speaking
students together for think/pair/share so they could use L1 to access
knowledge about “major events.”
28. Formative Assessment
Strategies
How will you know if all students are
learning what you think you are
teaching DURING the introduction?
(see “formative assessment” in edTPA
glossary & toolbox for ideas)
Teacher uses think/pair/share to gauge whether or not students can
distinguish between details and major events in a story. Students
use hand signals to indicate agreement with a definition or idea.
LESSON PROCEDURE: DEVELOPMENT
29. Timeframe:
How long is the development?
12 minutes
30. Transition:
What will you say/do to help
students transition into the
development?

6. 31. DEVELOPMENT
Teacher Actions, Strategies, and Questions:
DEVELOPMENT
Student Tasks and Strategies:

7. Teacher asks students to give a thumbs-up if they
have read The Giving Tree before.
Teacher responds to hand signals: “Oh, so many of
you have so much to say about this book. Turn to
your partner. You have one minute to talk about
this book.
Teacher continues, “okay, while I read I want you
to think about the most important things that
happen in this story. After we read we are going to
make a chart of the major events.
Teacher reads story.
Teacher asks students to think about the important
things that happened in the story, and asks them to
turn to a partner and tell them one important thing
that happened. Teacher listens to conversations.
Teacher tells students they are now going to talk
about the major events in the story, and directs
students to look at two pages in the book (man and
apple-less tree). Teacher says, “whisper to your
partner: what important event happened?” Teacher
listens.
Teacher asks students to share what they talked
about and writes responses on the anchor chart.
Teacher listens.
Teacher says, “ Now I want you to JUST use your
eyes. I am going to show you some pages. Then, I
want you to whisper to your partner what major
event happened on the pages I show you. (Teacher
shows students the pages where the boy picked the
apples, cut off the trees branches, cut down the
tree and let them share with partner) “What major
event happened?”
Teacher elicits responses from students, and writes
response on chart. (If students list details,
model collapsing them into a main event
statement.)
Teacher shows the page with the sad tree in a
stump and asks for a major event statement.
Teacher asks students to remember the end of the
book, and to turn to a partner and whisper to each
other about the last major event that happened in
the book. Teacher listens to conversations, and
writes response on the chart.
Students turn and talk to one another for one
minute.
Students listen quietly.
Students listen quietly.
Students turn and talk.
Students whisper to their partners about the major
events on the pages (i.e., man took all the apples
form the tree).
Students share what they talked about in pairs.
Students share their thoughts with a partner.
Students respond with something like “Now the
tree doesn't have any more apples.”
Student responds with something similar to
“Now the tree is sad because she has nothing left
she can give.”
Students respond that the old man and tree stump
were still happy together

8. 32. Development
Differentiation
How will you accommodate
students’individual needs based
on answer to #9 above (see
differentiation toolbox for ideas)
For students who struggle with short attention spans, I will give them a
job to do such as ask them to flip the pages for me.
For students who are restless I will let them stand in the back.
For students that struggle to understand comprehension the class will
define vocabulary words.
33. Formative Assessment
Strategies
How will you know if all students
are learning what you think you
are teaching DURING the
development?
(see toolbox for ideas)
I will ask open ended questions throughout the story such as, “why do
you think the tree is sad?”,“what do you think is going to happen
next?, “Do you think this is a major event and why?”
LESSON PROCEDURE: CLOSING
34. Timeframe:
How long is the closing?
3 minutes
35. Transition:
What will you say/do to help
students transition into the
closing?
36. CLOSING
Teacher Actions, Strategies, and Questions:
CLOSING
Student Tasks and Strategies:
Teacher tells students, “You have done a
wonderful job of finding the major events in our
story. I have one more question for you. We will
do a think/pair/share: Why is it important to know
the major events in a story?” Teacher listens to
students and asks students to share.
Teacher tells students that it is now time for
reading workshop: “I want you to think about the
major events in your book as you read. During
sharing time, I will ask you to tell a friend the
major events you read about.”
Students think/pair/share and respond with
something like “When we focus on the major
events, we understand the story better. If we just
think about the details we can get confused;
excellent readers think out loud about and figure
out the major events in stories while they read.”
Students go back to their seats or settle in around
the room to read independently.

9. Developed By T. Lewis & I. Watts-Politza, 2015
37. Differentiation
How will you accommodate
students’individual needs based
on answer to #9 above (see
differentiation toolbox for ideas)
I will sit down with them individually and go over the story and main
events. I will also go over the important vocabulary words we
discussed during the reading.
38. Formative Assessment
Strategies How will you know if
all students are learning what you
think you are teaching DURING
the closing?
(see toolbox for ideas)
When the students think/pair/share I will overhear what their
conversations are about and contribute if they are confused.
39. Transition to next
instructional activity
What will you say/do to help
students transition to the next
activity that occurs after this
lesson?