Emily Maddock Teacher Work Sample with Completed Logs

Running Head: TEACHER WORK SAMPLE 1
Teacher Work Sample:
Research Paper Unit
Eleventh Grade
Dates: April 7, 2016-April 20, 2016
Emily Maddock
Colorado Christian University

TEACHER WORK SAMPLE 2
Table of Contents
TWS Scoring Rubric…………………………………………………………………………………3-9
Section I: Context ……………………………………………………………………………….......10-22
Economics……………………………………………………………………………………………...10
Ethnicity………………………………………………………………..................................................12
School Size……………………………………………………………..................................................13
Special Needs Students…………………………………………………………...................................15
School Grades/Proficiency………………………………………………………….............................16
Classroom…………………………………………………………………………...............................19
Community/Business Partnerships……………………………………………………………….…....20
Section II: Unit Topic Rationale ………………………………………………….…………….......22-29
Topic Rational……………………………………………………………………...............................22
Unit Content…………………………………………………………………………………………..27
Instructional Practices………………………………………………………………………………...28
Section III: Standards, Goals, and Objectives ……………………………………...……………..29-32
Section IV: Pre/Post Assessment Instruments …………………………………………………….32-44
Part I………………………………………………………………………………...............................32
Pre-Assessment…………………………………………………………................................32
Post-Assessment…………………………………………………………..............................35
Disaggregate Groupings…………………………………………………..............................39
Post-Secondary Skills……………………………………………………………………..…42
Part II………………………………………………………………….................................................43
Section V: Instructional Plan ………………………………………………………………………45-87
Part I……………………………………………………………………………………..……………45
Unit Overview…………………………………………………………................................45
Lesson Plan 1: Unit 5 Lesson 2……………………………………………………………..48
Lesson Plan 9: Unit 5 Lesson 12………………………………………………....................73
Lesson Plan 10: Unit 5 Lesson 13…………………………………………………………..76
Part II…………………………………………………………………................................................79
Cross Curricular Integration………………………………………………………………..79
Classroom Management……………………………………………………………………79
Culminating Activity……………………………………………………………………….81
Adaptations of Instruction………………………………………………………………….81
Resources Used…………………………………………………………………………….81
Parent Communication……………………………………………………………………..81
Section VI: Adjusted and Implemented Instructional Plan ……………………………..............87-101
Part I………………………………………………………………………………………………....87
Part II………………………………………………………………………………………………...95
Section VII: Assessment Data …………………………………………………………….............102-106
Section VIII: Interpretation and Reflection ……………………………………………………..107-111
Appendices …………………………………………………………………………………………112-121
Evidence Log……………………………………………………………………………………….112-120
Reference List………………………………………………………………………………………121

TWS Scoring Rubric
Advanced Proficient Developing
90-100% 79-89% 0-78%
I. Context
Weight: 11%
1. Setting detailed
description includes
community economics,
ethnicity (including
rural, urban suburban),
state grading of
neighborhood schools,
and describes the
implications of the
different at an
economic and cultural
influences.
2. The school and
classroom setting
description:
School: Includes all
components from the
“Proficient” column.
Classroom: Includes
all components of the
proficient column and
identifies the number
of special need
students broken down
by their specific need.
3. The description
includes community
and business
partnerships, local
school Accountability
Committee, and the
PTA/PTO activities
and contributions.
1. Setting description includes
community economics, ethnicity
and state grading of neighborhood
schools.
2. The school and classroom
setting description:
School:
 Identifies school size,
ethnic make-up, and
percent of free and
reduced lunch.
 Types of classroom and/or
grade level.
organization/structure
 Student academic
performance data
compared to like
neighborhood schools.
Classroom:
 Identifies grade level, class
size, type of classroom,
and number of identified
special need students.
3. The description includes
community and business
partnerships, local school
Accountability Committee, and the
PTA/PTO activities and
contributions.
1. Setting description
includes limited information
about the community.
2. The school and
classroom setting
description:
School: Includes limited
information about the:
 School size,
ethnic make-up,
mobility rate and
percent of free
and reduced
lunch.
 Student academic
performance data.
 Types of
classroom and/or
grade level.
Classroom: Provides a
limited amount of
information about the
classroom setting.
II. Unit Topic
Rationale
Weight: 11%
1-3. Exemplifies all
“Unit Topic Rationale”
components from the
4. Instructional
decisions are identified
and based on cited
current research of
effective teaching
practices functioning
using APA style.
1. Topic rationale is stated in terms
of content standards, the classroom
population’s academic functioning,
and grade level expectations.
2. Unit content is summarized and
sequenced.
3. Instructional decisions are based
on current best practices.
1. Unit content or
sequence is stated.
2. Few instructional
decisions are identified
based on personal
knowledge of this class.
III.
Standards,
Goals, and
“Standards, Goals,
and Objectives”
components from the
1. All standards, goals, and
measurable objectives relating to
the content are identified and
aligned with identified School
1. Specific standards,
goals, and objectives
relating to content are
listed.

Objectives
Weight: 11%
5. Standards goals
and objectives are tied
to post-secondary
skills and
competencies.
Standards, goals and
objectives utilizing
identified higher order
thinking skills.
District/Colorado Content
Standards.
2. All units must include a minimum
of two standards and goals along
with supporting measurable
objectives correlated with
School/District/Colorado Content
Standards.
3. All TWS units include a math and
language arts/reading standard,
goal and objective.
4. Unit and lesson objectives
include multiple strategies to
demonstrate proficiency.
2. Less than three goals
and related objectives are
correlated
3. Language Arts and Math
literacy are not
satisfactorily addressed
with identified standards,
goals, and objectives.
4. Objectives provide only
one method to
demonstrate proficiency.
IV. Pre/Post
Assessment
Instruments
Part I
Weight: 6%
“Pre/Post-Assessment
Instruments Part I”
requirements from the
6. Unit pre and post
assessments are
aligned with the unit’s
standards, goals and
objectives as well as
identified
postsecondary
readiness skills.
1. All unit pre and post
assessments measure student
performance skills identified in the
unit and lesson objectives
respectively and are aligned with
the stated content standards, goals,
and objectives.
2. At least one scoring rubric is
utilized to evaluate a pre or post-
test or project.
3. At least two different types of
assessment tools are used.
4. Directions for all assessments
are clearly stated and easily
understood by all learners.
5. All assessments include a
disaggregate group analysis and
adaptations are made and
documented when necessary.
1. Pre and post
assessments are utilized
but not aligned with the
content standards, goals,
and objectives.
2. A scoring rubric was not
utilized.
3. Only one type of
assessment tool was used
for evaluating student
performance.
4. Directions for
assessments are not
provided.
5. Assessments do not
include an analysis of
existing disaggregate
groups that may need
adaptations.
IV. Pre/Post
Assessment
Instruments
Part II
Weight:5%
“Pre/Post-Assessment
Instruments Part II”
6. A short narrative is
included indicating
how the data was used
for future planning.
1. Student errors and gains are
identified, recorded, analyzed, and
used for future planning.
2. All unit and pre/post assessment
results/grading for each student are
documented on a spreadsheet.
Daily grading and assessment is
documented on a spreadsheet
during the unit.
3. Some pre/post assessment
adjustments resulting from special
needs analysis are made and
documented.
4. Standardized scoring, when
available, is utilized in instructional
planning.
1. Student errors and gains
are identified and
recorded.
2. Limited assessment and
daily performance results
are recorded.
3. Demonstrates an
awareness of special
needs as a result of
ongoing assessment and
monitoring. Adjustments
are vague and not student
specific.
4. Standardized scoring is
not included in instructional
planning.

5. A copy of the pre/post
assessment instruments are
included. (Pre/post assessments
are the same instrument unless
pretesting indicates a change.)
5. Copy of the pre/post
assessment instruments
are included.
V.
Instructional
Plan Part I
Weight: 6%
“Instructional Plan Part
I” requirements from
the “Proficient”
column.
7. All lessons are
based on pre-
assessment
knowledge according
to the District/Colorado
Content Standards,
goals,& measurable
objectives and
postsecondary
readiness skills.
8. At least 5
performance based
learning activities are
included, of which 3
are authentic activities
and tied to
postsecondary
readiness skills.
1. A minimum of 10 lesson plans, of
which 2 are for pre/post
assessment, or the equivalent of
two instructional weeks, are
included in the TWS.
2. All lessons are based on pre-
assessment knowledge according
to the District/Colorado Content
Standards, goals, and measurable
objectives.
3. The unit plan is sequenced and
cohesive. A clearly stated skeletal
overview of each lesson plan in the
unit is outlined and shows the
correlation with specific unit
objectives as well as the
progression of content
knowledge/skills to be learned.
4. Written lesson plans follow the
CCU lesson plan format as
applicable to the instruction of the
skill or concept.
5. Six or more instructional
strategies are identified and
demonstrated, including
cooperative learning, metacognition
and technology.
6. At least 5 performance based
learning activities are included, of
which 3 are authentic activities.
1. Less than 10 lesson
plans, of which 2 are for
pre/post assessment, or
the equivalent of two
instructional weeks, are
included in the TWS.
2. Not all instructional
objectives are aligned with
the District/Colorado
Content Standards.
3. Not all lessons are
based on pre-assessment
knowledge according to
the District/Colorado
Content Standards.
4. Not all written lesson
plans follow the CCU
lesson plan components as
applicable to the instruction
skill or concept.
5. Less than three
instructional strategies are
identified and
demonstrated, including
cooperative learning,
metacognition, and
technology.
V.
Instructional
Plan Part II
Weight: 5%
“Instructional Plan Part
II” requirements from
column.
8. All lesson plans
show evidence of
cross-curricular
integration
emphasizing literacy
and/or math
integration wherever
appropriate.
9. A variety of
resources are used
involving print, audio,
1.Some lesson plans demonstrate
cross-curricular integration
emphasizing literacy and/or math
integration wherever appropriate.
2. Classroom management system
is identified and followed in most
lessons.
3. A culminating activity is
implemented related to the unit.
4. There are adaptations and
differentiation of instruction in the
class.
5. A variety of resources are used,
involving at least 1 expert or
1. Few lesson plans show
evidence of cross-
curricular integration
emphasizing literacy
and/or math integration
wherever appropriate.
2. The classroom
management system is
unclear.
3. A culminating activity is
not related to the goals of
the unit.
4. There are no
adaptations or
differentiation of

graphic, or technology
and are tied to
postsecondary
readiness skills related
to the standards and
objectives.
community-based sites: website,
video clip, or primary resource.
6. At least 3 types of resources are
used (print, audio, graphic or
technology).
7. Parent communications with
dates are given at least 2 times
during the unit (can be web based),
at the beginning and at the end of
the unit.
instruction.
5. Additional resources are
not used in this unit.
6. Parent communication
and involvement were not
identified.
VI. Adjusted
and
Implemented
Instructional
Plan Part I
Weight: 6%
“Adjusted and
Implemented
Instructional Plan Part
I” requirements from
column.
8. Justifies daily
differentiation of
instruction to enhance
student learning of
each special needs
pupil and
subgroup/class and
are tied to
postsecondary skills.
9. Application of
learning
theory/learning styles
match the intellectual
and social level of
each student and are
linked to appropriate
postsecondary skills.
1. Includes explanation of any
adjustments to standards,
objectives, and evaluation rubrics
for special need students. Daily
lesson plans include specific
adjustments for special need pupils
in accord with the lesson’s
instructional requirements.
2. Describes specific adaptations
for specific students.
3. Describes and justifies daily
differentiation and adaptions of
instruction to enhance student
learning of each special need pupil
based on informal/formal
assessment data.
4. Demonstrates content
knowledge to aid student learning.
5. Application of learning
theory/learning styles match the
intellectual, and emotional level of
most students.
6. Strategies/materials actively
involve students in critical thinking,
problem solving, or authentic
performance.
7. Specific adaptations (2 -3) for
specific students/disaggregate
groups based on pre-assessment
results and other information are
identified.
1. Does not includes an
explanation of one of the
following: standards,
objectives, and/or
evaluation rubrics for
students. Includes less
than 2 weeks of written
lesson plans.
2. Does not describe
adaptations for a few
students/disaggregate
groups based on pre-
assessment results and
other information.
3. Does not describes daily
differentiation of instruction
to enhance student
learning of some special
needs pupils.
4. Does not displays
minimal content knowledge
to aid student learning.
5. Does not provide
Application of learning
theory/learning styles
occasionally match the
intellectual, emotional,
and/or social level of some
students.
6. Does not include
incorporate instructional
strategies utilizing a couple
types/levels of learning
throughout the unit.
7. Literacy and math are
not integrated into the
instructional unit.
VI. Adjusted 1-6. Exemplifies all 1. A detailed written response of 1. A general written

and
Implemented
Instructional
Plan Part II
Weight: 6%
“Adjusted and
Implemented
Instructional Plan Part
II” requirements from
column.
7. Describes and
records the consistent
use of intermittent
positive reinforcement
of classroom
management are
aligned with the
students behavioral
IEP goal
the class/group to each day’s
lesson is noted at the end of each
daily lesson plan that includes a
biblical perspective.
2. Describes and applies effective
research-based principles of
classroom management which
support academic achievement of
students with problematic behavior.
3. Describes the use of intermittent
positive reinforcement of classroom
management.
4. Written lesson plans indicate
checks for students’ understanding
and demonstration of learning using
various informal assessment
techniques, as well as different
levels of questions.
5. Describes the provision of
feedback to students regarding
their educational progress.
6. Technology is integrated
throughout as an instructional tool
and makes a contribution to
learning.
response of the
class/group to each day’s
lesson is included.
2. Describes and
inconsistently applies
principles of classroom
management which
sometimes supports
academic achievement.
3. Provides little feedback
to students regarding their
educational progress of
learning.
4. Occasionally checks for
students’ understanding
and demonstration of
learning.
5. Feedback is limited to
grading.
6. Technology is not
integrated throughout
instruction nor makes a
meaningful contribution to
learning.
VII.
Assessment
Data
Weight: 11%
“Assessment Data”
8. Assessments
monitor daily student
progress and graphs
are developed that
depict student
progress.
9. Progress monitoring
graphs are included for
all disaggregate
groups.
10. Communication
to parents is
developed using data
for each student
showing their
progress on each
objective.
1. The pre/post assessment data of
each unit objective is summarized
in a series of tables and graphs.
2. Assessments monitor student
progress.
3. Data of student assessments is
recorded electronically and
indicates class and disaggregate
groups’ performance scores.
4. All tables and graphs are labeled
and show quantitative data for
individual and different groups of
students.
5. The factual analysis of the
assessment data comparing pre
and post data is described.
6. Qualitative data is concisely
given, explaining changes in the
way students communicate
/demonstrate what they have
learned.
7. Results of assessments and the
implications of these results is
1. The pre/post
assessment data of each
unit objective is not
summarized in a series of
tables and graphs.
2. Assessments do not
monitor student progress.
3. Data of student
assessments is not
recorded electronically and
does not indicate class or
disaggregate groups’
performance scores.
4. Tables and graphs are
not labeled and do not
show quantitative data for
individual or different
groups of students.
5. The factual analysis of
the assessment data
comparing pre and post
data is not described.
6. Qualitative data is not
concisely given, explaining

communicated to
parents/guardians.
changes in the way
students communicate
/demonstrate what they
have learned.
VIII.
Interpretation
and Reflection
Weight: 11%
1-7. Reflects on all of
the “Interpretation and
Reflection” criteria
from the “Proficient”
column in addition to
the following criteria in
an essay format:
8. Implications of the
results are thoroughly
discussed with respect
to the students’
strengths and
weaknesses.
9. Conclusions about
the effectiveness of
teaching the unit
provide future
adaptations for the
content presented
based on economic
and cultural conditions.
Reflects on all of the following
criteria in an essay format:
1. Implications of the results of the
data analysis with respect to
academic gains.
2. Implications of the results with
respect to the students strengths
and weaknesses are discussed.
Conclusions about the unit are
presented.
3. Teaching practice (i.e. teaching
strategies, justification for
adjustments made, instructional
pacing and classroom
management) are discussed.
4. What you would do differently in
the teaching of the unit?
5. Overall experience and how this
experience changed you.
6. Analyzes personal assumptions
and perspectives about teaching
and the classroom experience and
integrates new insights.
7. Analyzes course content against
a biblical worldview as it relates to
their TWS. Scripture is integrated
appropriately and the effect and
influences are examined.
Reflects on some of the
following criteria in an
essay format:
results of the data analysis
with respect to academic
gains.
results are discussed with
respect to the students’
strengths and weaknesses
were not discussed.
3. Did not discuss what
you would do differently for
future teaching of the unit.
4. Did not analyzes
personal assumptions and
perspectives about
teaching and the
classroom experience and
integrates new insights into
the TWS.
5. Does not analyzes
course content against a
biblical world view as it
relates to their TWS.
Scripture is not integrated
appropriately and the effect
and influences are
examined.
IX. Overall
Organization
and
Presentation
Weight: 11%
Use “Proficient”
column for full credit.
1. Cover page includes name, title
of the unit, dates taught, and grade
level.
2. Organizational order: title page,
table of contents, scoring rubric,
then TWS components. Component
order (I. Context, II. Topic
Rationale, etc.) followed.
3. Fewer than 5 grammatical or
mechanical errors.
4. Presentation demonstrates good
written language skills.
5. TWS includes each appropriate
specific scoring rubric.
1. Cover page includes
name, title of the unit,
dates taught, and grade
level.
2. Organizational order:
title page, table of
contents, the scoring
rubric, then TWS
components. Component
order (I. Context, II. Topic
Rationale, etc.) is not
followed.
3. Most basic
organizational criteria are
met.

6. TWS submitted into blackboard
includes all instructional materials.
7. TWS has all Evidence Logs
included and each standard signed.
4. More than 5
grammatical or mechanical
errors.
5. Presentation meets
basic components.
6. Presentation
demonstrates weak written
language skills.
7. TWS omits some or all
of the Evidence Log data.

Section I: Context
I.P.1
Colorado Connections Academy (ColoCA) is an online, tuition free, public K-12th
grade
school that is part of Connections Education LLC. Connections Academy and Connections
Education are both apart of Connections Learning owned by Pearson, one of the largest learning
companies in the world. Connections Education’s headquarters are in Baltimore, Maryland, and
is currently in 28 states with International locations as well. “Each Connections Academy is
operated independently, either by a governing board or in conjunction with a school district”
(Connections Education, 2014). Connections Academy was established in 2001, and Colorado
Connections Academy was one of the first two academies, established in 2002 (About
Connections Academy, 2016). ColoCA currently has our main offices in Englewood, and will
soon have another office in Durango (starting next school year). Also, starting next school year,
Colorado Connections Academy will be divided into two schools: Colorado Connections
Academy-Mapleton (ColoCAM) and Colorado Connections Academy-Durango (ColoCAD).
Colorado Connections Academy works in conjunction with Mapleton Public Schools, Durango
Public Schools, and Colorado state law. It is accredited by the Council for Higher Education and
the U.S. Department of Education, along with the AdvancED national accreditation agency.
While the entirety of Connections Education is over 60,000 students, the focus will be on the
high school division of Colorado Connections Academy.
I.P.2
Being an online school, we are not traditional in many ways such as many brick-and-
mortar high schools. One way in particular is that our 1,035 high school students currently
enrolled come from all across Colorado (see Figure 1 on next page). Over 50% of ColoCA
students come from heavily populated urban to suburban areas with over 300,000 in population.

About 19% of students reside in rural counties with fewer than 160,000 in population, with
nearly 7% of those students living in counties having fewer than 20,000 in population.
Figure 1. Map of counties in Colorado, color coded with population densities according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Red numbers
indicate how many Colorado Connections Academy students reside in each county.
According to Colorado School Grades, about 39% of Colorado Connections Academy
students come from low income families (Overall Grade, 2014). That being said, according to
data collected by ColoCA about 11% of our students qualify for either free or reduced meal
programs, while 89% either do not qualify, did not report, or submitted incomplete income
information to our school (see Figure 2 on next page). However, since our school is virtual, the
FARM eligibility does not affect the school in many ways, as we do not have to provide free or
reduced meals. The school does provide FARM students with vouchers or waivers to students
taking ACT or SAT and some college applications.

Figure 2. Colorado Connections Academy High School Household FARM Eligibility reported in the 2015-16 school year.
The ethnic make up of ColoCA students tend to be predominately white, making up a
little over 63% (See Figure 3). Surprisingly about 21% identify as being racially Hispanic. The
remaining 16% identify as either: Black/African American, Asian, Native American/Native
Alaskan, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (See Figure 3).
Figure 3. Colorado Connections Academy High School Household Ethnicity makeup reported in the 2015-16 school year.
512, 49%
197, 19%
70, 7%
40, 4%
176, 17%
40, 4%
Household FARM Eligibility
N/A
FIF Income Information Incomplete
Qualifies for free
Qualifies for reduced
Does not qualify
Refused to Report
63%
21%
5%
5%
4% 2%
Student Ethnicity/Race
White
Hispanic
American Idian or Alaskan Native
Black/African American
Asian
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

While Connections Academy doesn’t have the most diverse climate in regards to
economics and ethnicity, it overall does not have much effect on the students in regards to the
classroom and learning environment. Each Connections Academy household is given one
desktop computer, with microphone headset, and preloaded with Microsoft office. This relieves
some financial burdens on our families, in that they do not need to purchase these materials.
ColoCA also gives families who qualify, or really any families who just inquire, a stipend for
internet services as well (about $40-50 per semester). Students also can access our curriculum
from any public computers, such as in a library, which can also relieve financial hardships. Most
families, especially those with multiple children enrolled in our school, opt for also buying a
laptop to give students more freedom on where they can complete their work. As far as ethnicity
goes, since students can’t “see” each other there tends not to be any problems on that front.
There are currently 2,277 students enrolled at ColoCA, including its elementary, middle,
and high school divisions (our projected growth with adding on the ColoCAD school is 3,050
total students, by next school year). In the high school division there are 1,035 students, as
mentioned previously. The figure below shows the number of students we have per grade level.
In the high school division there are 315 ninth graders, 284 tenth graders, 241 eleventh graders,
and 195 twelfth graders (See figure 4 below). These students are identified in their grade levels
not by age but by the number of high school credits they have accumulated. To be considered a
sophomore (10th
grade) a student needs a minimum of 5.5 credits. A junior (11th
grade) needs a
minimum of 11 credits. To move on to senior year a student needs 16.5 credits. And in order to
graduate, a student needs 22 credits, in the appropriate areas.

Figure 4. Breakdown of the number of Colorado Connections students per grade level for the 2015-16 school year.
While students are organized into grade level by how many credits they have taken, class
organization is very much in the same way. Since most of our students come to us from
originally brick-and-mortar high schools they have varying classes they have already taken.
Students can take whichever courses they need in order to fulfill the graduation requirements. In
some cases, in particular Math classes, students must take classes in a certain order because the
classes build on one another. While some courses, like English classes, do not necessarily build
on one another and can be taken out of ‘order’. A typical course progression follows along the
figure below.
71 79 84
102 95
119
148
243
305 315
284
241
195
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Number of Students Per Grade Level
Number of
Students

Figure 5. Typical Course Progression for Colorado Connections Academy high school students for the 2016-17 school year.
Along with the breakdown of students per grade level, we can also take a look at the
breakdown of students with special needs. As shown in the figure below, a majority of our
students tend not have any special needs, about 16% of our students fall somewhere on the
special needs spectrum. Currently Colorado Connections Academy has only two teachers
directly in charge of our IEP students, and one teacher in charge of our 504 and ELL/ESL
students.
Figure 6. Number of ColoCA high school students per special needs categories reported in the 2015-16 school year.
As far as my class breakdown is concerned I have 3 primary classes: my 12th
grade homeroom,
my English 11 classes, and my English 12 class. My homeroom has a total of 44 students
66
66
10
28
865
Number of Special Need Students
IEP: 66 > 6%
504: 66 > 6%
ELL/ESL: 10 < 1%
Gifted: 28 < 3%
Regular: 865 > 83%

(originally 52 at the beginning of the school year). Out of theses 44 homeroom seniors 42 are
graduating this semester, 2 have ‘late graduation’ and 3 have accommodations (one ELL student
and two 504 students). My English 11 classes are broken into three levels: Foundations
(remedial), Standard (regular) and Honors. In my Foundations English 11 class I have a total of
15 students, nine of whom have accommodations (three with 504s and six with IEPs). Standard
English 11, I have 64 students with 5 accommodation students (three with 504 and two with
IEP). My Honors English 11 class I have 19 students, none of whom have accommodations of
any kind. Lastly, in English 12 I have 56 students (some of whom are in my homeroom class).
Six of these students have accommodations: one with ELL, four with 504s, and one with an IEP.
So in total I have 177 students, and 22 with accommodations (twelve with 504s, nine with IEPs,
and one student with ELL—she is also in my homeroom class).
I personally feel like the data is skewed in regards to our school’s grading. On the
Colorado Schools Grades website, Colorado Connections Academy (high school) received a
score of C-, according to data from 2014.
Colorado Connections Academy: School Grade
Key
Performance
Indicators
Overall Grade Reading Math English Science
Academic
Proficiency
C C C- C --
Academic
Growth
C B- C- C --
College &
Career
Readiness
50.4% of
students
graduated
within 4 years
No No Yes No
Is the average student at this school ready for college or career based
on ACT scores?
Figure 7. Report Card and Grade Breakdown on Colorado Connections Academy from ColoradoSchoolGrades.com, according
to the 2014 School Year.
As you can see, no data was given for Science, and it did not indicate how the data was collected.
As Connections Academy is not a traditional brick and mortar school I wanted to compare to
“local” online schools as well. Unfortunately, I could not find grading reports on Hope Online

(high school), only on the elementary and middle school. Hope Online is also a smaller online
school then ColoCA. According to the AdvancED Executive Summary Report, from 2011, the
high school division only had 370 students total, while ColoCA is over 1,000 students and
growing.
The other comparable online high school is Insight School of Colorado (high school)
(ISCO), which is a part of K12 online public schools. Connections Education and K12 tend to be
the leading names in online education, and each other’s biggest competitors. So it makes sense to
compare not only the size schools, but also the companies that back them. According to the data
collected from 2014, both school scored similar grades.
School Grade Comparison: Colorado Connections Academy & Insight School of Colorado
Key
Performance
Indicators
Overall Grade Reading Math English Science
ColoCA | Insight ColoCA | Insight ColoCA | Insight ColoCA | Insight ColoCA | Insight
Academic
Proficiency
C C- C C- C- D C C -- --
Academic
Growth
C D B- C+ C- D- C F -- --
College &
Career
Readiness
50.4%
graduated
within 4
years
15.2%
graduated
within 4
years
No No No No Yes No No No
Is the average student at this school ready for college or career
based on ACT scores?
Figure 8. Report Card and Grade Breakdown on Colorado Connections Academy and Insight School of Colorado from
ColoradoSchoolGrades.com, according to the 2014 School Year.
As you can see, both struggled in their marks, and were given an overall rating of not preparing
their students for college. Again, I find that this data is skewed in the sense that many of online
students tend to be struggling, second chance students; many online students do not tend to go on
to college, taking more of the vocational or military service route.
In the case of Connections Academy, we are a credit based school for the exact reason of
students being significantly in credits and cohort. The same can be said for ISCO. According to
data collected this year from Connections Academy’s “Promotion 9-11 Professional Learning
Committee”, over a third of ColoCA students enrolled at the beginning of the 2015-16 school

year were not on track to graduate on time. Out of the 1,035 students enrolled this semester 146
of those students had earned zero credits. These 146 students were also not incoming first time
freshmen, but students who have already had at least one year of high school. Another 73
students, whose cohorts were tenth through twelfth grade, enrolled this year did not even have
enough credits to be considered a sophomore with the minimum 5.5 credits, leaving them to
enrolled as freshman. About 59% of these students should have been tenth grades, 34% should
have been juniors, and 7% should have been seniors. Moreover, many of our students come to
our online school because they have grave academic holes as well, lacking in reading and
mathematics abilities. Out of the 171 students that are under my supervision (either in my
homeroom or English classes) about 21% are considered “unlikely to be proficient” in either
Math or English according to state testing.
Figure 9. Math Proficiency breakdown according to State
Testing for my English classes (English 11 & English 12)
and my senior homeroom.
Figure 10. English Proficiency breakdown according to
State Testing for my English classes (English 11 & English
12) and my senior homeroom.
As we can see a good deal of online students tend to be behind, and not the traditional students
who would accurately portray in school grading.
Now going back to the comparison between the three online schools—Colorado
Connections Academy, Insight School of Colorado, and Hope Online—what all three of these
schools have in common is that they are online public high schools, with the ability for students
60
7 10
27
12
25
7 16
1 0 4 2
Likely to be
Proficient
May or may
not be
Proficient
Unlikely to
be Proficient
No
Proficiency
Data
Math Proficiency
Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3/IEP
69
1 0
24
10
28
11
23
1 1 3 0
Likely to be
Proficient
May or may
not be
Proficient
Unlikely to
be
Proficient
No
Proficiency
Data
English Proficiency
Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3/IEP

to facilitate their own learning. Students have 24/7 access to their learning, they have access to
licensed teachers (who grade their work and to a certain extent give “live” lessons), and these
programs are not considered homeschooling, because they are led by licensed teachers with
accredited curriculum.
While this is not a traditional brick-and-mortar environment, there are still classrooms
that we teach in, as a flipped classroom model. The classrooms for ColoCA are virtually
supported by Adobe Connect. They allow for different “pods” to be shown. There is a variety of
pods (see Figure 11 on the following page), including: an ‘attendance pod’ where you can see
what students are in your room (much like an attendance list); ‘share pods’ to display documents,
videos, or share your screen to your students; ‘video pods’ where you can go on webcam; ‘chat
pods’ which are very similar to IM chats (they can be directed to the group or to an individual);
‘poll pods’ where you can as your students to participate in a simple polling or voting; ‘note
pods’ which you can simply type whatever you wish (such as announcements, notes, outline,
messages, etc.); ‘file pods’ where you can have files that you want your students to download;
‘web link pods’ which you can put essentially hyperlinks to websites you want your students to
look at; and ‘Q and A pods’ where you can have students write in questions anonymously to be
answered.
These classrooms are used in every grade level at ColoCA and we can use them a variety
of ways. While you can have your standard classroom with all your students in the main room
with the teacher facilitating the lesson, you also could do a ‘breakout room’. A ‘breakout room’
is essentially moving students into other virtual rooms within the main classroom, similar to
moving students into groups or centers within a traditional classroom. This can allow for a
teacher to assign multiple prompts or activities for the students to work on in smaller groups

while the teacher can move from room to room checking and monitoring progress. You can also
invite just one student into the virtual classroom and work one-on-one with them for a more
individualized session; this is generally used for interventions or help on a specific question.
Figure 11. Screenshot of an Adobe Connect Live Lesson classroom with the different pods shown. Pods can be moved and
adjusted to what you will need in your classroom for that particular lesson.
I.P.3
Now that we have gone through the school and classroom makeup, the last component is
our community and business partnerships. As already mentioned, Colorado Connections
Academy, part of Connections Education, is owned by the British parent company Pearson
Education Corporation, whose origins go back to 1724 (Pearson). Unlike many Connections
Academy, Colorado Connections Academy does not have a school board. We do however, have
a “superintendent” of our school, but unlike brick-and-mortar schools he is in charge of a
multiple schools in a region of multiple states, not a number of schools in a district in one state.
Thus our principal works directly with our school districts, of Mapleton and Durango, to make

sure that everything runs accordingly and our contracts with the district stay current.
Additionally, in order to keep our contacts with these districts eligible, our school has to abide by
district policies. For instance, it is not a requirement for Connections Academy students to
complete a Capstone Presentation and Research Paper, however, it is Mapleton and the state of
Colorado’s requirement so we must abide. Moreover, Connections now works with two home
districts so we must abide by both of their district policies (which can sometimes conflict, as is
the case with Durango and Mapleton’s credit requirements for graduation). Thus even though
ColoCA does not have a school board within our school, we report to our home district’s school
boards and are held accountable by that means.
Also, unlike brick-and-mortar schools we don’t have a PTA/PTO. We do however have a
group of active parents in our school that we call “Team Orange”. They help relay information to
other parents about the school’s happenings and help answer parent questions. We also have
“community coordinators” which are parent volunteers in different areas around the state who
help create field trips/school activities in their areas, they also relay any information from the
school to the parents in their area. But as you can see these parent volunteers are different from a
PTA/PTO because they do not meet in a central location (like they would at a traditional school)
nor do teachers directly interact with them on a regular basis. The most contact a teacher would
have is with the community coordinator if they were planning a field trip together or in the
coordinator’s area. As far as other involvement of parents in our school there is little else. We
don't have parent involvement in our UIP, as it has always been presented to the school as ‘not
being required’. The school has our corporate team review it but since it is so closely aligned to
our school goals, for our bonus, there is little adjustment. Our principal, Chaille Hymes, has
thought we should include parents, but since this would really be the only thing that they would

review our school really hasn’t figured out a way to do it and make it meaningful. We use a lot
of the info from the parent survey and the end of course survey to gauge the family impact but
that is about it.
Section 2: Unit Topic Rationale
II.P.1
For this teacher work sample (TWS) I will be teaching Unit 5: Research Paper with my
English 11 classes (Foundations, Standard, and Honors). There are two main reasons I wanted to
do this Unit for my TWS. The first reason is for the fact that the Research Paper is probably one
of the most important skills for a high school student to know before going into college. Not only
does it teach students the importance of finding research to support their claims but also the
importance of citing their research and avoiding plagiarism (which happens to be my personal
vendetta). The second reason why we will be focusing on the Research Paper Unit is because the
research paper tends to be one of the hardest papers a student will do within their high school
career. Students tend to not only struggle on the length of the paper (they tend to be the longest
paper of the year) but also, students tend to struggle with the foresight to plan and organize their
research before writing the paper.
As far as content standards are concerned, this Unit fulfills the Reading, Writing, and
Communicating (content area) for 11th
graders for the state of Colorado, with the grade level
expectation of: self-designed research provides insightful information, conclusions, and possible
solutions (“New Colorado P-12 Academic Standards”). The desired evidence outcomes are
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-
generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate;

synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under
investigation (CCSS: W.11-12.7) (“New Colorado P-12 Academic Standards”).
As mentioned previously I have 3 sections within my English 11 class: Foundations
(remedial) of which I have 15 total students, Standard (general ed.) of which I have 64 students,
and in my Honors class I have 19 students. The data for my classes grades are a little skewed due
to the fact that teachers and students are out for state testing, not all of their assignments are
graded (currently 86 portfolios, tests, and quizzes need grading) and some students have opted to
submit “blank” documents in our class’ Drop Box in order to move on in the course, then go
back to it later. This is a popular choice for students who are behind in their lessons and need to
catch up, students who just need more time completing the essay portfolios, or students who
need one-on-one help from me and will have to wait till end of testing (and who will not come to
our Live Lessons to get said help). Also, in our school we have a system of “temporary zeroes”
in our grade books that are represented by a 0*. Temporary zeroes (0*) are used as place holders
to show where a student should be in their courses, to indicate how far behind they are. They also
indicate what grade the student would have if they did not complete the course, since all
unfinished assignments will be given a grade of zero at the end of the semester. These zeroes
highly affect student grade reporting.
Taking into consideration these factors, the current average grade for my English 11
Standard class is a D- 60%, English 11 Foundations is an F 53%, and English 11 Honors is a C+
77%.

Figure 12. Breakdown of Letter Grades per class sections.
The average lesson completion these students should be at 68% (by the time I recorded this
data), however, the average lesson completion for each of the classes are as follows: Standard’s
average lesson completion is currently at 55%, Foundations’ average lesson completion is
currently at 58%, and Honors’ average lesson completion is currently at 64% (See Figure 13).
Figure 13. Chart displays the number of students who are below, current, or above course lesson completion of 68%.
That means on average these classes are behind between 1-7 assessments, meaning between 1-7
temporary zeroes are affecting their grades (with assessment grading weights ranging between 3-
19% of their total grade). This is also not taking into account if the students opted to skip a
6 7
3 2 1
3
11
8
11
30
1
4 3
1
8
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
A B C D F
Letter Grade Breakdowns
Honors
Standard
Foundations
8
42
11
1 1
4
10
19
5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Honors Standard Foundations
Student Lesson Completion
Below
Current
Above

portfolio and submit a blank portfolio (also earning a grade of 0% of a weighted grade of 19%,
until they submit the assessment).
These average grading scores are, of course, not flattering. However, if you compare
them to the number of students who regularly attend our Live Lessons, compared to those
students who do not, you can see there is a significant difference both in academic achievement
and lesson completion. It is important to note that it is not required for ColoCA students to attend
our Live Lessons, so many of them opt not to come (no matter how much I encourage them to do
so).
Figure 14. Comparison of students who choose to come to Live Lesson (regularly) verses those who do not.
While comparing the class averages to the averages of students who do attend our Live Lessons,
there is an increase in all sections and in both categories of Lesson Completion and Grades that
students who attend our Live Lessons are more successful in our course (See Figures 15 and 16
below).
4 2 1
15
62
14
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Student Attendance
For Live Lessons
Students Who Attend
Live Lessons
Sudents Who Do Not
Attend Live Lessons

Figure 15. Comparison of students’ Lesson Completion Averages in English 11 Honors, Standard, and Foundations classes of
those students who attend our Live Lessons to those who do not.
Figure 16. Comparison of students’ Grade Averages in English 11 Honors, Standard, and Foundations classes of those students
who attend our Live Lessons to those who do not.
As you can see those students who attend my lessons tend to have about 4% or greater lesson
completion on average than their classmates, and about 6% or greater in their grade averages for
our class.
II.P.2
64%
58% 55%
69.75%
62%
90%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Lesson Completion Averages
Class Lesson Completion
Average
Students Who Attend
Live Lesson Lesson
Completion Average
77%
58% 60%
83.75%
70%
88%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Grade Averages
Class Grade Average
Stundent Who Attend Live
Lessons Grade Average

In this Unit students will write an MLA-formatted research paper based on research
drawn from credible resources. Students will have the opportunity to become an authority on a
subject by creating their own research report. Working through the writing process, they will
select a topic, evaluate sources and conduct research, cite sources properly, draft a report, and
revise and edit the report before publishing it and submitting it for their portfolio. The students
will be writing a Research Paper on one of following options:
Research Portfolio Prompt Option 1:
Your research paper will analyze a
historical event that has had a monumental
effect on American literature.
Research Portfolio Prompt Option 2:
Choose an author. Research that author’s
background. Write a research paper that
explains how that author's background
influenced the work that he/she created
The sequences of the lessons are as follows:
Unit 5: Research Paper Lessons
1. Introduction to Research Writing
2. Choosing a Subject
3. Introduction to Research
4. Gathering Information
5. Using Quotations
6. Synthesizing and Organizing
7. Documenting
8. Outlining
9. Drafting
10. Nonfiction Writing I
11. Nonfiction Writing II
12. Evaluating Research
13. Revising, Editing, and Publishing
We will not cover Lesson 1 together since this is only an introductory lesson, but we will be
using the Quick Check ( ) as our Unit pre-assessment. We will also not be covering Lessons 10
and 11 together, mostly for the fact that they do not directly deal with the paper at hand and
secondly for the fact of time management. The students can easily cover the material in these
lessons by themselves without additional support.
In Lessons 2–5, students will complete prewriting activities for their research paper.
During Lessons 6–8, students will organize, write, and evaluate the rough draft of their research
paper. In Lesson 9, students will write and submit a rough draft of their research paper as a
portfolio assessment. During Lesson 12, students will evaluate and revise their rough draft in

order to write a final draft. In Lesson 13, students will read aloud their essay to make final
revisions before they submit their final draft as a portfolio assessment.
II.P.3
In our virtual classroom we follow a flipped classroom model. According to Cynthia
Brame, CFT Assistant Director at Vanderbilt University, “‘Flipping the classroom’ means that
students gain first exposure to new material outside of class, usually via reading or lecture
videos, and then use class time to do the harder work of assimilating that knowledge, perhaps
through problem-solving, discussion, or debates” (Brame). And that is preciesly what we try to
accomplish in our classroom for this Unit. We spend time in our classroom practicing the skills
covered in the lesson so students get one-on-one help they wouldn’t get in completing their
lesson on their own.
“In terms of Bloom’s revised taxonomy (2001), this means that students
are doing the lower levels of cognitive work (gaining knowledge and
comprehension) outside of class, and focusing on the higher forms of
cognitive work (application, analysis, synthesis, and/or evaluation) in
class, where they have the support of their peers and instructor. This
model contrasts from the traditional model in which ‘first exposure’
occurs via lecture in class, with students assimilating knowledge through
homework; thus the term ‘flipped classroom’” (Brame).
Using this model is also important at our online school especially for the fact that students can go
at their own pace throughout the course (as long as they finish by a set date). So students tend to
be in all different places within the course, having a flipped classroom allows teachers to engage
students who are “ahead” of what their current lesson should be and students who are behind
(going back to the first exposure model).
II.P.4
This practice is has been supported and publicized in The New York Times article “Classroom
Lectures Go Digital” by Michael Fitzpatrick (Fitzpatrick, 2012); The Chronicle of Higher

Education’s article “How 'Flipping' the Classroom Can Improve the Traditional Lecture” by Dan
Berrett (Berrett, 2012); and ‘Science’ magazines article “Farwell, Lecture?” by Eric Mazur
(Mazur, 2009).
Section 3: Standards, Goals, and Objectives
III.P.1-4
Unit 5 of our English 11 class follows the Colorado Standard Content Area of “Reading,
Writing and Communicating” for eleventh grade. Our grade level expectations is “Self-designed
research provides insightful information, conclusions, and possible solutions.” We will also be
using the Colorado Standard Content Area of “Mathematics” for high school. Our Math concepts
and skills students should master are “visual displays and summary statistics condense the
information in data sets into usable knowledge.” For our Math standard, students will create a
graph, table, or timeline in order to create a visual aid for their research paper. We also have a
Social Studies component, in that one of the Research Paper options askes students to “Describe
and analyze the historical development and impact of the arts and literature on the culture of the United
States (DOK 1-3).”
Unit & Lesson
#
TWS
#
Lesson Objective(s) Goals Colorado State Standard(s)
Content Area: Reading,
Writing and Communication
Standard: 4. Research and
Reasoning
Content Area: Mathematics
Standard: 3. Data Analysis,
Statistics, and Probability
Content Area: Social Studies
Standard: 1. History
Unit 5
Lesson 2:
Choosing a
Subject
1 Choose a subject for
the research paper;
Develop research
questions.
Pick a Subject for the
Research Paper.
Create at least 3
research questions.
A. Conduct short as well as
more sustained research
projects to answer a question
(including a self-generated
question) or solve a problem;
narrow or broaden the
inquiry when appropriate;

synthesize multiple sources
on the subject, demonstrating
understanding of the subject
under investigation. (CCSS:
W.11-12.7)
History Standard: G.
Describe and analyze the
historical development and
impact of the arts and
literature on the culture of the
United States (DOK 1-3)
Unit 5
Lesson 3:
Introduction to
Research
2 Gather information
and evaluate sources
for the research
paper.
Be able to find and
distinguish reliable
sources off the
internet for practice
questions.
C. Evaluate and revise
research questions for
precision and clarity
Unit 5
Lesson 4:
Gathering
Information
3 Practice successfully
using the internet for
research.
Find 3 reliable
sources for research
paper.
B. Gather relevant
information from multiple
authoritative print and digital
sources, using advanced
searches effectively; assess
the strengths and limitations
of each source in terms of the
task, purpose, and audience;
integrate information into the
text selectively to maintain
the flow of ideas, avoiding
plagiarism and overreliance
on any one source and
following a standard format
for citation. (CCSS: W.11-
12.8)
Unit 5
Lesson 5:
Using
Quotations
4 Organize notes
effectively. Avoid
plagiarism by
creating source cards.
Review how to do
MLA citations.
Create source cards
from the reliable
sources students
found for the research
paper.
E. Document sources of
quotations, paraphrases, and
other information, using a
style sheet, such as that of the
Modern Language
Association (MLA) or the
American Psychological
Association (APA)
Unit 5
Lesson 6:
Synthesizing
and Organizing
5 Synthesize
information from
different sources.
Compose a working
thesis for the
research paper.
Create a working
thesis statement.
F. Draw evidence from
literary or informational texts
to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
(CCSS: W.11-12.9)
Unit 5
Lesson 7:
Documenting
6 Create a work cited
page. Review MLA
formatting.
Create a work cited. E. Document sources of

Modern Language
Association (APA)
Unit 5
Lesson 8:
Outlining
7 Organize supporting
details. Develop an
outline.
Create an outline. F. Draw evidence from
(CCSS: W.11-12.9)
Unit 5
Lesson 9:
Drafting
8 Identify the
characteristics of a
successful
introduction. Create a
graph, table or
timeline for research
paper.
Write an introduction.
Create a graph, table
or timeline.
(CCSS: W.11-12.9)
Math Standard: 1. Visual
displays and summary
statistics condense the
information in data sets into
usable knowledge
History Standard: Describe
and analyze the historical
development and impact of
the arts and literature on the
culture of the United States
(DOK 1-3)
Unit 5
Lesson 12:
Evaluating
Research
9 Develop strategies
for addressing
“trouble spots” in the
research report.
Evaluate the research
paper using a
checklist.
Revise Rough Draft
from problem areas.
(CCSS: W.11-12.9)
Unit 5
Lesson 13:
Revising,
Editing, and
Publishing
10 Revise the research
paper using an
evaluation checklist
for revising. Edit a
report for grammar,
usage, mechanics,
and spelling.
Make final edits of
Rough Draft for Final
Draft.
(CCSS: W.11-12.9)
III.P.5
For this Unit, our standards, goals, and objectives are all tied to the post-secondary skills
and competencies that students will be able to: gather information from a variety of sources;
analyze and evaluate the quality and relevance of the source; and use it to answer complex

questions. We can see that this Unit also identifies higher order of thinking skills based on
Bloom’s Taxonomy (Revised) (Figure 17).
Figure 17. Bloom’s Taxonomy (Revised) (Brame).
In class students are asked to analyze and evaluate sources for their information and reliability
for their research papers. Then then need to synthesize and organize said information, further
analyzing and evaluating it. After they have their sources fully scrutinized they move onto the
‘creation phase’ of the Unit. Applying what they have learned they are asked to create source
cards, work cited pages, outlines, drafts, and a final draft to demonstrate their understanding of
the objectives, goals, and standards for the Unit.
Section 4: Pre/Post Assessment Instruments
Part I: IV.P.1-6
Before I start explaining the pre- and post- assessments that I utilized in Unit 5: Research
Paper, I should first explain that at our school, and at all Connections Academics, our lessons
and assessments are pre-made by the Pearson company and cannot be altered. I can, however,
change the writing prompts for portfolios (i.e. Essays), but that is the extent of it. I also cannot
add extra assessments for graded assignments. So for the purpose of this TWS I tried to use as
much as possible of what was already found in our course tree and supporting that with ‘poll
pods’ or ‘Q & A pods’ within our lessons.

For our pre-assessment I used the Unit 5 Lesson 1 Quick Check, found in the course tree.
This assessment serves as an introduction for the Colorado Standard of the Reading, Writing, and
Communicating Content Area: “Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to
answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden
the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating
understanding of the subject under investigation (CCSS: W.11-12.7).” And in order to have unity
between the pre-assessment from the course and our Live Lessons, I created a second type of
assessment via the Adobe Connect ‘poll pod’ with a similar question to the first found in their
Quick Check. The Quick Check question was: “What is a good way to start a research report?”;
and the poll pod question was: “What is important when picking a topic and starting a research
paper?”.
On the following page is a screen shot (See Figure 19) of the pre-created assessment in
our course for the Unit 5: Research Paper. It can be found in our course tree under Unit 5: Lesson
1- Introduction to Research Writing. Additionally, in our course tree there are no ‘directions’ on
taking the assessment. Students just see this screen, figure 18, before taking the Quick Check
assessment. This is again something in our course that I do not have control over.
Figure 18. Screen shot of page before Unit 5 Lesson 1 Quick Check.

Figure 19. Unit 5 Lesson 1 Quick Check.

Below (Figure 20) is a screen shot from our Live Lesson of the ‘poll pods’ we utilized
that allude back to the Quick Check in order to evaluate student performance in another medium:
Figure 20. Pre-Assessment Poll Pod (top left), relates back to Quick Check. Pre-Assessment Poll Pod (bottom left), relates to the
Research Paper topic (post-assessment). Directions are in the “Read Me: Directions!” note pod in green.
As for the post-assessment, students were asked to create a Research Paper, following the
Colorado State Standards of the Reading, Writing, and Communicating Content Area: “Draw
evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (CCSS:
W.11-12.9).” The following images are as follows: a screen shot from our course tree of
Research Paper directions (Figure 21), followed by a screen shot of our English 11 message
board (including a second paper option for accommodations) (Figure 22), and lastly, a copy of
our Research Paper Rubric (Figure 23).

Figure 21. Screen shots from English 11 course tree of Unit 5 Lesson 2 Pages 2-3.

Figure 22. Screen shot of our English 11 Message Board with additional instructions and secondary paper option for
accommodations.

Figure 23. English 11 Research Paper Rubric.

Taking both the pre- and –post assessment data I categorized it into 3 disaggregate
groups: section levels, male vs. female, and students who attended Live Lesson and those who
did not. As much as my findings were interesting in the analysis of these groupings, I also ran
into many struggles due to ‘lack of data’, much of which I will go into later. However, here are
my preliminary findings and raw data I collected.
ID
Number
Special
Needs
Section Attended
Live
Lessons
Male/Female Pre-
Assessment
Post-
Assessment
645848 N/A Honors Yes Male 100% N/A
378602 N/A Honors No Female 50% N/A
441125 N/A Honors No Female 100% 100%
1389296 N/A Honors No Male 50% N/A
947258 N/A Honors No Male 100% N/A
1108493 N/A Honors No Female 75% N/A
1839707 N/A Standard No Female 25% N/A
985814 N/A Standard No Male 25% N/A
1762488 N/A Standard Yes Female 50% N/A
1531489 N/A Standard No Female 50% 0%**
1647876 N/A Standard Yes Female 25% N/A
1680706 N/A Standard No Male 50% 0%**
487383 IEP Standard No Male 100% N/A
1815090 N/A Standard Yes Male 25% N/A
1153523 N/A Standard No Female 75% 100%
1623831 N/A Foundations No Female 75% 96%
1416318 IEP Foundations Yes Male 50% N/A
1666688 IEP Foundations No Male 0% 0%**
1577277 N/A Foundations No Female 25% 58%
1577276 IEP Foundations No Female 100% N/A
**Average includes scores of students who submitted ‘blank’ documents
In order to obtain this data I first started with the students who completed the pre-assessment
Quick Check (Unit 5 Lesson 2- Introduction to Research Writing). I then noted if they had an
IEP, what section they were in, if they attended any of our night live lessons on the Research
Paper, and if they were male or female.

For the Post-Assessment, I have made some adaptations on a case-by-case basis. As a
whole I gave students a second paper option if the first was too hard for them (taking into
consideration that previous classes struggled as well with the original prompt). Also, students in
the Foundations classes were given extra credit for attending our Live Lesson sessions, in order
to reward them for their additional effort. As far as the case by case accommodations are
concerned, I have 4 students with IEP accommodations, two of which require shortened writing
assignments. For these students they were asked to write a 2 page research paper instead of 3
pages (not including the work cited in the page count). The other two student accommodations
were for extended time so that didn’t much apply to this assignment (since there are no ‘due
dates’ in our class, as long as it is completed before the end of the semester).
Of the students who submitted both assignments the disaggregate group analysis is as
follows. The first of which is two charts displaying each sections average score on the pre- and
post- assessments (of those students who are currently in the unit):
Class Pre-Assessment Name Weight Type Number of
Students
Average
Score
Standard Introduction to Research
Writing
Quick Check 15 out of 64 45%
Foundations Introduction to Research
Writing
Honors Introduction to Research
Writing
Class Post-Assessment Name Weight Type Number of
Students
Average
Score
Standard Final Draft Submission
Portfolio
Portfolio Item 3 out of 64 33% **
Foundations Final Draft Submission
Portfolio
Portfolio Item 3 out of 15 51% **
Honors Final Draft Submission
Portfolio
Portfolio Item 1 out of 19 100%

As we can see from the number of students included in the average score polling, very few of my
students are currently in Unit 5 of their lessons. I was not surprised in this grouping that the
Honors class had the highest grades overall, that is to be expected (especially because it was only
one student who finished our course over a month ago). I was presently surprised that the next
highest ground was the Foundations students, who tend to be the least proficient on our
assessments. But this data will be a little ‘off’ since 2 of the students in the Standard grouping
submitted ‘blank documents’ scoring them a score of 0%.
And as we continue on to our next group, we can see that even less students took the time
to participate in our Live Lesson covering the Research Paper Unit. Here are the average scores
of students who attended our Live Lessons to those who did not (divided up by all sections, then
by their individual levels):
PRE-
ASSESSMENT
Average Scores
All Sections
(number of
students)
Standard
(number of
students)
Foundations
(number of
students)
Honors
(number of
students)
Attended Live
Lessons
56% (4) 37.5% (2) 50% (1) 100% (1)
Did Not Attend
Live Lessons
49% (23) 46% (13) 50% (4) 71% (6)
POST-
ASSESSMENT
Average Scores
All Sections
(number of
students)
Standard
(number of
students)
Foundations
(number of
students)
Honors
(number of
students)
Attended Live
Lessons
No Data (0) No Data (0) No Data (0) No Data (0)
Did Not Attend
Live Lessons
51% (7)** 33% (3)** 51% (3)** 100% (1)
As we can see in the cases of the pre-assessment, two of the three sections whose students
attended our lessons received equal or higher grades than those who did not. Also the average of
all the sections together supports my earlier data that students who attend our Live Lessons tend

to have a 4-6% higher grade in my class. As we can also see, the data is not conclusive for the
post assessment data, as there was no data to come by. Currently none of the students who have
attended our Live Lessons have submitted a Final Draft. This is due to the fact that almost all of
the students who participated in our lessons are still in Unit 4 of the course, and will not be in
Unit 5 till nearly the second week of May.
I was surprised by the uneven spread of grade averages in the different section levels for
male vs female students. As the whole class averages are very similar to each other (52% and
55%), the individual levels shift severely in my Foundations and Honors classes. Below are the
average scores of male versus female students (divided up by all sections, then by their
individual levels):
PRE-
ASSESSMENT
Average Scores
All Sections
(number of
students)
Standard
(number of
students)
Foundations
(number of
students)
Honors
(number of
students)
Boys 52% (11) 46% (6) 25% (2) 83% (3)
Girls 55% (16) 44% (9) 67% (3) 69% (4)
POST-
ASSESSMENT
Average Scores
All Sections
(number of
students)
Standard
(number of
students)
Foundations
(number of
students)
Honors
(number of
students)
Boys 0% (2)** 0% (1)** 0% (1)** No Data (0)
Girls 71% (5)** 50% (2)** 77% (2) 100% (1)
Something else that I found intriguing when looking at this data between boys and girls in my
classes is that more boys submit blank documents in my classes than girls.
Both these pre- and post- assessments (as for all of the assessments we use in this unit)
align with the postsecondary readiness skills of being able to gather information from a variety

of sources; analyze and evaluate the quality and relevance of the source; and use it to answer
complex questions. With such applications as: representing and accurately citing data,
conclusions, the opinions of others can be compromised if the researcher does not recognize
his/her bias on the topic; and accurately documenting sources of information can prevent
accusations of plagiarism which can sometimes lead to legal action.
Part II: IV.P.1-6
The chart below contains all of the daily performance results for my students who are
currently in Unit 5: Research Paper. The gray squares signify uncompleted lessons; green are
passing grades; red are failing grades; and yellow are students with IEP accommodations.
ID # Section (IEP) 5-1 5-2 5-3 5-4 5-5 5-6 5-7 5-8 5-9 5-12 5-13
645848 H 100 50 100 - - - - - - - -
378602 H 50 50 60 100 40 70 50 100 - - -
441125 H 100 50 80 100 100 40 75 100 100 0 100
1389296 H 50 50 80 100 60 - - - - - -
947258 H 100 100 80 75 - - - - - - -
1108493 H 75 50 80 - - - - - - - -
1561370 H 50 75 80 50 40 - - - - - -
1839707 S 25 - - - - - - - - - -
985814 S 25 50 80 100 100 100 0 - - - -
1762488 S 50 50 80 100 100 - - - - - -
1541399 S 0 50 80 100 100 100 50 - - - -
1531489 S 50 25 100 100 100 70 50 100 100 100 0**
1647876 S 25 50 80 - - - - - - - -
1317618 S 50 - - - - - - - - - -
1680706 S 50 100 80 100 60 100 50 100 0 100 0**
487383 S (IEP) 100 75 - - - - - - - - -
1815090 S 25 50 60 100 60 - - - - - -
1656262 S 50 50 - - - - - - - - -
1602188 S 25 50 60 75 100 100 100 100 100 - -
1153523 S 75 75 100 100 60 100 100 100 100 100 100
624708 S 100 50 100 100 100 - 50 100 - - -
1290038 S 25 50 60 75 40 - - - - - -
1623831 F 75 50 80 25 100 70 25 80 100 100 96
1416318 F (IEP) 50 25 20 0 40 100 25 60 100 67 -
1666688 F (IEP) 0 0 40 75 40 40 0 40 0 67 0**
1577277 F 25 25 60 75 100 70 75 80 100 100 58
1577276 F (IEP) 100 100 60 75 100 100 - - - - -
**Student submitted ‘blank’ document

As already shown, the scoring for Unit 5 Lesson 1 Quick Check is based on the online multiple
choice quiz from the course tree. The scoring on the Unit 5 Lesson 14 Portfolio assessment is a
scoring rubric which I will use to grade the Research Paper. Copies of these assessment can be
found in the above: figure 18- ‘directions’ to the pre-assessment, figure 19- screen shot of the
pre-assessment, figure 21-a screen shot from our course tree of Research Paper directions,
followed by a screen shot of our English 11 message board (including a second paper option for
accommodations) (Figure 22), and lastly, figure 23- a copy of our Research Paper Rubric.
During our Live Lessons we did offer another accommodation but no special needs
students took the opportunity. For the Rough Draft Lesson (Unit 5 Lesson 9) I have the Learning
Specialist, Mrs. Biggs, join our nightly Live Lesson. She is responsible for all 10th
and 11th
graders with IEPs and they are all in her homeroom class. The accommodation was to have a
collaborative effort between Mrs. Biggs and I in order to give these students one-on-one help
with two teachers on the draft before the final draft (and final assessment) was submitted.
However, as I said none of these students showed up. Even with personal invitations and
reminders.
Since the assessments were already pre-made and cannot be altered, I used our Live
Lesson time to identify any questions they would see on their future assessments, and use the
data (if they had taken the assessment) to see if we needed to review any material. One lesson in
particular we reviewed a few times over in other lesson days, that being the “Choosing a Topic”
lesson. As you can see it has the most failing grades after the pre-assessment. I used this data to
constantly re-address the concept of how to pick a topic, how to focus it, and how to write
research questions to answer the topic at hand (since each lesson touches on this idea
differently). After this lesson the failing rate dropped significantly.

Section 5: Instructional Plan
Part I: V.P.1-8
The following list gives a brief overview of the lessons that will be taught in the Research
Paper Unit. This entire Unit works toward the post-secondary skills and competencies that
students will be able to gather information from a variety of sources; analyze and evaluate the
quality and relevance of the source; and use it to answer complex questions.
Unit 5: Research Paper Lesson Overview
1. Introduction to Research Writing
(Pre-Assessment)
2. Choosing a Subject
3. Introduction to Research
4. Gathering Information
5. Using Quotations
6. Synthesizing and Organizing
7. Documenting
8. Outlining
9. Drafting
10. Evaluating Research
11. Revising, Editing, and Publishing
(Post-Assessment)
The following chart outlines the order in which lessons will be taught, along with all the
objectives and Colorado State Standards to which they relate. These standards include content
areas in ‘Reading, Writing, and Communication’, ‘Mathematics’, and ‘Social Studies’.
Unit & Lesson
#
TWS
#
Lesson Objective(s) Performance Based
Activities
Colorado State Standard(s)
Content Area: Reading,
Writing and Communication
Standard: 4. Research and
Reasoning
Content Area: Mathematics
Standard: 3. Data Analysis,
Statistics, and Probability
Content Area: Social Studies
Standard: 1. History
Unit 5
Lesson 2:
Choosing a
Subject
1 Choose a subject for
the research paper;
Develop research
questions.
Pick a Subject for the
Research Paper.
Create at least 3
research questions.
A. Conduct short as well as
more sustained research
projects to answer a question
(including a self-generated
question) or solve a problem;
narrow or broaden the
inquiry when appropriate;
synthesize multiple sources
on the subject, demonstrating
understanding of the subject
under investigation. (CCSS:

W.11-12.7)
History Standard: G.
Describe and analyze the
historical development and
impact of the arts and
literature on the culture of the
United States (DOK 1-3)
Unit 5
Lesson 3:
Introduction to
Research
2 Gather information
and evaluate sources
for the research
paper.
Be able to find and
distinguish reliable
sources off the
internet for practice
questions.
C. Evaluate and revise
research questions for
precision and clarity
Unit 5
Lesson 4:
Gathering
Information
3 Practice successfully
using the internet for
research.
Find 3 reliable
sources for research
paper.
B. Gather relevant
information from multiple
authoritative print and digital
sources, using advanced
searches effectively; assess
the strengths and limitations
of each source in terms of the
task, purpose, and audience;
integrate information into the
text selectively to maintain
the flow of ideas, avoiding
plagiarism and overreliance
on any one source and
following a standard format
for citation. (CCSS: W.11-
12.8)
Unit 5
Lesson 5:
Using
Quotations
4 Organize notes
effectively. Avoid
plagiarism by
creating source cards.
Review how to do
MLA citations.
Create source cards
from the reliable
sources students
found for the research
paper.
E. Document sources of
Modern Language
Association (APA)
Unit 5
Lesson 6:
Synthesizing
and Organizing
5 Synthesize
information from
different sources.
Compose a working
thesis for the
research paper.
Create a working
thesis statement.
(CCSS: W.11-12.9)
Unit 5
Lesson 7:
Documenting
6 Create a work cited
page. Review MLA
formatting.
Create a work cited. E. Document sources of
Modern Language
Association (APA)

Unit 5
Lesson 8:
Outlining
7 Organize supporting
details. Develop an
outline.
Create an outline. F. Draw evidence from
(CCSS: W.11-12.9)
Unit 5
Lesson 9:
Drafting
8 Identify the
characteristics of a
successful
introduction. Create a
graph, table or
timeline for research
paper.
Write an introduction.
Create a graph, table
or timeline.
(CCSS: W.11-12.9)
Math Standard: 1. Visual
displays and summary
statistics condense the
information in data sets into
usable knowledge
History Standard: Describe
and analyze the historical
development and impact of
the arts and literature on the
culture of the United States
(DOK 1-3)
Unit 5
Lesson 12:
Evaluating
Research
9 Develop strategies
for addressing
“trouble spots” in the
research report.
Evaluate the research
paper using a
checklist.
Revise Rough Draft
from problem areas.
(CCSS: W.11-12.9)
Unit 5
Lesson 13:
Revising,
Editing, and
Publishing
10 Revise the research
paper using an
evaluation checklist
for revising. Edit a
report for grammar,
usage, mechanics,
and spelling.
Make final edits of
Rough Draft for Final
Draft.
(CCSS: W.11-12.9)
Instructional Strategies Used Throughout Unit
Instructional Strategies How it was Used Lesson it was Used In
1. Direct Instruction Lecture (using PowerPoints or PDF
materials).
Unit 5 Lesson 5 (TWS 4)
2. Guided Instruction Explain components of the paper and
work through an example together.
3. Independent Practice Writing different components of the
paper.
4. Graphic Organizer Fill in the chart with topic and
research questions.
5. Admit/Exit Slips Entrance poll pod and Exit Q&A pod. All Lessons
6. Data Gathering Gather research for their papers, along
with reliable sources.

Research Paper: Choosing a Subject
CCU Teacher Candidate: Emily Maddock Student ID #: 0484495
Program Code: Secondary Licensure
Lesson Date: April 7, 216 District: Mapleton School: Colorado Connections Academy
Mentor Teacher: Tracy Reynolds University Supervisor: Valerie Perciante
Content Area: Reading, Writing, and Communicating Grade Level: 11th
Grade Level Expectation: Self-designed research provides insightful information, conclusions,
and possible solutions
Desired Evidence Outcome(s): Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to
answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden
the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating
understanding of the subject under investigation. (CCSS: W.11-12.7)
Lesson Objective(s): Choose a subject for the research report; Develop research questions.
Lesson Pre-Assessment: Students will have already completed Unit 5 Lesson 1: Introduction to
Research Writing (see attachment) and the “Introduction to Research Writing” Quick Check. If
the students have not finished the Quick Check before the lesson, during the Anticipatory Set
(American Authors “Believer” & the ‘poll pod’) I will give students a chance to finish the
Lesson 1 Quick Check (it should not take them more than 3-5 minutes). We will be using the
Quick Check as a starting point for the lesson, in particular the question “What is a good way to
start a research paper?” This will bring us to choosing a subject and developing research
questions, since “think about questions you want answered” is the correct answer in the Quick
Check and we will be focusing on writing questions to start our papers.
Materials Needed: Computer, Internet, Word Processing Program (such as Word or Pages),
Writing with Power online textbook, paper and pen (if desired)
Introduction: (Motivation/Anticipatory Set): While students are entering into our Live Lesson
virtual classroom I will have American Authors “Believer” playing with a ‘poll pod’ asking
students to type in either the name of an author that interests them or an event in American
history that interests them. That way we can discuss potential subjects for their research papers,
to get them thinking. The reason for the music and poll pod is to help the students transition into
class, provide students who have not done the pre-assessment with time to finish it before we
start, and also, to get students feeling comfortable with today’s topic (additionally, “American”
“Authors” will tie into the research topics that will be explained later). We will also have another
question in a separate poll pod repeating a question from their Quick Check, “What is a good
way to start a research paper?” Again, this is to get them thinking about their papers and where
they should be starting.

Student Adjustment(s): This Unit will really be concentrated on individualized help, since each
student will have a different topic. I have some example topics for students who can’t think of
something to write on or are not inspired by the prompts. I will also have Open Office Hours on
Fridays for students to ask for help. If Fridays don’t work, I will also have scheduled meeting
times where we can work on the paper one-on-one in our Live Lesson virtual classroom. I have
research paper video recordings which give step by step instructions on the different components
of the research paper and written outlines on how to write a research paper. After our 30 minute
sessions I will keep the virtual room open for any students who wish to work on a particular
section, giving them their own break out room to work in (like a study room in a library) where I
can come in to see if they need help. Once they have topics selected, later in the Unit, they will
work in breakout rooms to work on their papers with classmates. I have also arranged for our
Special Education teacher to come and help with some lessons, to help explain confusing
concepts and to address any other needs for our special education students (dates TBA).
Instructional Input: Instruction will mainly be using a PowerPoint and then a PDF that students
will be able to edit themselves. We will be first be focusing on choosing a subject for the
student’s research paper: what options the students have to write on their papers, picking a
subject, how to not make it too broad or too narrow. Also, we will be focusing on what kinds of
research questions are helpful in starting a research paper (and why). We would also be giving
examples of both topics and questions.
Guided Practice: In a PDF chart (which will be editable by students), we will look at the
authors or events the students mentioned in the ‘poll pod’ and discuss what kind of research
questions would work to increase our knowledge of these topics. I will start with an example and
what questions would help me in my research.
Independent Practice: Once we have gone over my example of a topic and the research
questions that would help me in the research process I would then have the students do the same
with the examples they came up with. In a share pod I will bring up a PDF chart for the students
to fill out. It will have 3 sections: What is your topic idea? What are three questions you think
would help in your research? Why do you think these three questions will help in your research?
Again, I will start with my example, explaining each of the components, and then, as a class, ask
them to fill out the chart in for the example they came up with at the beginning of class.
Lesson Post Assessment: After the lesson students will be asked to answer a poll pod which will
ask if they feel comfortable picking a topic for their research paper, if they answer ‘no’ or ‘kind
of’ I have directions to ask them to stay after class for some additional help (showing that they
have not learned/mastered the topic entirely). Students will also have to complete the Unit 5
Lesson 2: Choosing a Subject (see attachment) and “Choosing a Subject” Quick Check post
assessment in their course tree.
Closure: I will wrap things up with the “wrap up note pod”. It will explain again what we
accomplished in this lesson (picking a topic, creating research questions), what they need to do
after the lesson (complete the poll pod and Unit 5 Lesson 2), and what we will be doing next
class (Unit 5 Lesson 3- Introduction to Research). I will also invite any student who still have
questions to stay in the live lesson room so we can work together through their confusion. If

there is more than one student or if a student has a more personal question to ask I will pull them
into individual breakout rooms to give them individualized attention.
Next Steps: Unit 5 Lesson 3: Gathering Information
Teacher Performance Standards Addressed in this Lesson:
Standard Five: Knowledge of Classroom and Instructional Management:
The teacher is knowledgeable about classroom practice in order to successfully manage time,
communications, and record keeping procedures that will support and enhance student learning.
The teacher has demonstrated the ability to:
5.1 Create a learning environment characterized by acceptable student behavior, efficient use of
time, and disciplined acquisition of knowledge, skills, and understanding.
5.3 Apply appropriate intervention strategies and practices to ensure a successful learning
environment.
5.5 Understand the cognitive processes associated with various kinds of learning (e.g. critical and
creative thinking, problem structuring and problem solving, invention, memorization and recall)
and ensure attention to these learning processes so that students can master content standards.
Post Lesson Reflection:
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this though him who gives me strength.”
I felt like this was a very successful lesson, not only because the feedback from my
supervisor was positive, but also because: all of my students engaged in the lesson; in the exit
poll, all the students answered that they now felt comfortable proceeding with picking a topic for
their paper; and because the class went fairly smooth. I have to give this up to God that my
lesson went so well.
Some things that my supervisor thought was successful in my lesson was my ‘wrap up’
notes at the end of the lesson (which I will make sure to continue to do), she thought it was
concise and highlighted everything we did. She also thought my upbeat communication with my
students was noteworthy. I have to admit this made me extremely happy. I only have my students
for a limited amount of time so I always try to make sure I leave them with a positive view of our
class and my teaching style. However, my students made this possible by being amazing and
really participating in the class. Lastly, she thought my PowerPoint and examples were clear and
helpful to my students. This was also a little personal victory for me, since I always think I
struggle with modeling activities for my students. Sometimes I struggle with acknowledging that
not all students are coming to my lessons with the same prior knowledge. So I really tried to
work on that today.
We did have some small hiccups. Two of the ‘share pods’ I had lost the document that
was pre-loaded into them. This might have been due to the fact that I set them up the day before,
or that I might have changed the document name or location on my computer without realizing it
(causing the program to lose the documents). I was able to recover them but it left a lull in the
pacing of the lesson. We also ran a little over time at the end (about 7 minutes). But this was

actually a good thing, because all of the students were engaging in the activity. I tried to give
them as much time as possible to get their full participation.
Some things that I am taking away from this lesson is utilizing my exit poll to the full
extent, possibly incorporating the use of student microphones, and making sure to keep to our
time constraints. For our exit poll tomorrow my supervisor suggested that I ask my students what
three things they are taking away from the lesson and if they have additional questions, instead
of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ replies. Another take away is having the students use their microphones. It would
have save a lot of time in the activity if the students used their mics instead of typing into the
PDF document. We will see how that will work, since many students do not like using the mic or
do not have one. Lastly, the last thing I want to work on in future lessons is keeping a closer eye
on our timing. This will be particularly necessary in our example and group work tomorrow. I
will try to do a run-through of the activity to see what a realistic time would be in completing it.
I have to admit I was nervous about this lesson. This was the first time we were doing a
lesson at night, the first time that some of these students attended one of our live lessons, the first
time I had so many pods layered on top of each other to smoothly transition from one item to the
next, and the first time that I gave a lesson from my house. But as said in Jeremiah 17:7, “But
blessed in the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” I prepared ahead of time,
did a dry-run of my lesson, and then left the rest to God. He seemed to smile on me tonight.
Hopefully tomorrow will be successful as well, pushing the boundaries and trying even more
new things!
Lesson Recording: http://ww2.livelesson.com/p7vxj99nync/

Research Paper: Introduction to Research
CCU Teacher Candidate: Emily Maddock Student ID #: 0484495
Program Code: Secondary Licensure
Lesson Date: April 8, 2016 District: Mapleton School: Colorado Connections Academy
Mentor Teacher: Tracy Reynolds University Supervisor: Valerie Perciante
Content Area: Reading, Writing, and Communicating Grade Level: 11th
Grade Level Expectation: Self-designed research provides insightful information, conclusions,
and possible solutions
Desired Evidence Outcome(s): Evaluate and revise research questions for precision and clarity
Lesson Objective(s): Gather information and evaluate sources for the research report.
Lesson Pre-Assessment: Students will have already completed Unit 5 Lesson 2: Choosing a
Subject (see attachment) and the “Choosing a Subject” Quick Check. If the students have not
finished the Quick Check before the lesson, during the Anticipatory Set (Blondie “One way or
another” & the ‘poll pod’) I will give students a chance to finish the Lesson 2 Quick Check (it
should not take them more than 3-5 minutes). We will be using the Quick Check as a starting
point for the lesson, in particular the question “Which of the following is not a guideline for
choosing a research subject?” This will bring us to introduction to research, since “choose a
subject for which you can find a variety of information in the library or media center” is one of
the correct answer in the Quick Check and today we will be focusing on finding reliable sources.
Materials Needed: Computer, Internet, Word Processing Program (such as Word or Pages),
Writing with Power online textbook, paper and pen (if desired)
Introduction: (Motivation/Anticipatory Set): While students are entering into our Live Lesson
virtual classroom I will have Blondie “One way or Another” playing with three different ‘poll
pods’ asking students a question about starting a research paper (relating back to the Quick
Check from the lesson beforehand) and how can you tell a source is reliable. That way we can
ease into what the different is between reliable sources and unreliable sources. The reason for the
music and poll pod is to help the students transition into class and provide students who have not
done the pre-assessment with time to finish it before we start. After students have had enough
time I have a short video on “How to Know If a Source Is Reliable” by Shmoop.
Student Adjustment(s): This Unit will really be concentrated on individualized help, since each
student will have a different topic. I have some example topics for students who can’t think of
something to write on or are not inspired by the prompts. I will also have Open Office Hours on
Fridays for students to ask for help. If Fridays don’t work, I will also have scheduled meeting
times where we can work on the paper one-on-one in our Live Lesson virtual classroom. I have
research paper video recordings which give step by step instructions on the different components

of the research paper and written outlines on how to write a research paper. After our 30 minute
sessions I will keep the virtual room open for any students who wish to work on a particular
section, giving them their own break out room to work in (like a study room in a library) where I
can come in to see if they need help. Once they have topics selected, later in the Unit, they will
work in breakout rooms to work on their papers with classmates. I have also arranged for our
Special Education teacher to come and help with some lessons, to help explain confusing
concepts and to address any other needs for our special education students (dates TBA).
Instructional Input: Instruction will mainly be using a PowerPoint within different breakout
rooms to help facilitate them through our independent practice. Students will be asked to
research topics for credible sources. Relaying back to the objective of “gathering information and
evaluate sources”.
Guided Practice: Students will be asked to research topics for 3 credible sources, give a quote
or summary from each source, and the reason why the source is credible. I will start by having a
research topic and sharing my screen on how I can look online for credible sources. Then I will
demonstrate for them how I can take simple notes from each source, and my reasoning on why
they are credible sources.
Independent Practice: Students will be put into one of three breakout rooms where a question is
already posted with the directions from the example prompt. Each group will have a different
question and note pod to type their answers. They will be given 10 minutes to finish the
assignment. After they have done so I will pull them back into the main room to discuss our
questions and findings.
Lesson Post Assessment: Students will complete the Unit 5 Lesson 3: Introduction to Research
and “Introduction to Research” Quick Check post assessment in their course tree.
Closure: At the end of the lesson I will have a poll pod with a question asking “what are some
common un-reliable sources?”. Recapping what makes these sources unreliable and that they
should be avoided in their research process. (This will also serve partially for the lesson post
assessment)
Next Steps: Unit 5 Lesson 4: Gathering Information
Teacher Performance Standards Addressed in this Lesson:
Standard Seven: Knowledge of Technology: The teacher is skilled in technology and is
knowledgeable about using technology to support instruction and enhance student learning.
The teacher has demonstrated the ability to:
7.1 Apply technology to the delivery of standards-based instruction.
7.2 Use technology to increase student achievement.
7.3 Utilize technology to manage and communicate information.
7.5 Instruct students in basic technology skills.

Emily Maddock Teacher Work Sample with Completed Logs

Emily Maddock Teacher Work Sample with Completed Logs

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