This document contains a lesson plan for teaching students how to provide textual evidence to support their answers in writing. The teacher will begin by having students analyze videos to see what makes an argument persuasive. They will then focus on finding textual evidence from "The Scarlet Ibis" to support answers to questions about the story. As a group, students will fill out a chart identifying textual evidence and explaining how it supports sample answers. Then students will practice filling out the chart on their own, choosing evidence about what the scarlet ibis symbolizes and explaining how it relates to the answer. The goal is for students to learn how to effectively integrate relevant evidence from the text to strengthen their written arguments and analyses of literature.

1. Corps
Member:
Judkins CMA: Ardelean Date: Thur, 06/13/13
Vision Setting
Objective
SWBAT provide accurate examples of textual evidence to support their answer(s) in an ACES short answer.
CULMINATING QUESTION:
• How does the scarlet ibis symbolize Doodle? What does the narrator’s reaction to Doodle’s death
reveal about the text’s theme?
READING OBJECTIVES (FYI):
• SWBAT identify and interpret the scarlet ibis as a symbol, and explain how this helps convey the text’s
theme. (Day 4 of 4 for text)
• SWBAT identify examples of foreshadowing within the text and predict what may happen in the story’s
conclusion. (Day 3 of 4 for text)
• SWBAT describe how the narrator is characterized through his actions, descriptions, and thoughts, and
what this reveals about his inner conflict. (Day 2 of 4 for text)
• SMBAT identify examples of imagery in “The Scarlet Ibis” and explain how they establish the story’s
mood. (Day 1 of 4 for text)
• SWBAT identify the point of view of “The Scarlet Ibis” and describe how the narrator feels about
Doodle. (Day 1 of 4 for text)
Why this skill, method, practice?
Explain your rationale for the skill, method, and practiced you’ve prioritized.
Attach 2-3 pieces of photocopied student work that ground your rationale.
SKILL:
I’m focusing on how to provide accurate and solid textual evidence in literary writing. This is a key component
of the 5 considerations of writing lessons and also applicable to the students’ real lives as they will know how to
use evidence to support their arguments. They also need to draw on textual evidence in their final exams for
Summer School.
I will also reiterate the ACES writing strategy again, as it is only the 3rd
writing lesson and organization is a key
to effective written communication.
METHOD:
We will re-use the strategy ACES yet again to reinforce it once more, and delve deeper into why having strong
textual evidence can make their writing more persuasive. Together we will fill out a chart of answers/evidence
and practice explaining the evidence to support my answer. Then I will model how to identify relevant textual
evidence, before group work and individual work too.
PRACTICE:
Students will apply the ACES strategy to their response to the culminating question of “The Scarlet Ibis,” but will
also apply the tools I give then to find/use strong/relevant textual evidence in their writing.
Key Points
What do students need to know about the skill they are working on?
What do students need to do in order to demonstrate this skill?
How will I make this information concrete to students?
WHAT:

2. Textual evidence (TE) is when you provide examples from the text that support your answer
• TE can be a direct quotation or paraphrasing
WHY:
No one will listen to you in ANYTHING if you do not have evidence to back up your opinions.
HOW:
• Ask yourself, what scenes or examples from the text made me choose my answer?
• Re-read that part of the text looking for quotations that support your answer.
• Choose a short sentence or part of a sentence.
• Ask yourself, is this on topic with my answer?
• Ask yourself, can I easily explain how this quotation proves my answer?
ACES:
1. Answer all parts of the question by reading the prompt and circling the questions or parts you have to
answer
2. Naturally provide a claim (cite) or piece of evidence that proves your answer (use annotations!)
3. Explain, in 1-2 sentences, why you chose that evidence. How does that quotation prove your answer to
the question
4. Summarize your paragraph by giving a conclusion sentence
Lesson Plan
Time Teacher and Student Actions Materials
Opening
Starts @
8:35am
:35 - :45
Introduce the objective and purpose of today’s lesson, and how this fits
into the work students have and/or will do.
Morning! How are we all doing today? Good I hope!
DO NOW:
Think-Write-Pair-Share
1. Watch “It Gets Better” video (whole video @ 2:01)
a. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfWw4obqefM
2. Think and write notes to yourself about if you found the video
persuasive (1 min)
3. Share your response with your elbow partner (1 min)
4. Cold-call two pairs to share (1 min)
5. Repeat …
a. Watch “Obama” video (partial video @ 2:06)
i. http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=geyAFbSDPVk
b. Think and write notes to yourself about if you found the video
persuasive, and was it more or less persuasive than the first
video (1 min)
c. Share your response with your elbow partner (1 min)
d. Cold-call two pairs to share (1 min)
So … the first video is more persuasive because it includes testimonials from
individuals and has a variety of people giving evidence of their own experiences,

3. compared to Obama’s video, which only incorporates his own testimonial—
really just an answer. We are going to use the same thing in order to make our
arguments about the text more believable.
Mini-lesson:
Introduce/Re
inforce Key
Points
through
Chosen
Method
:45 -
Okay. Yesterday we did more writing using the ACES strategy, and I also
mentioned that most of you needed stronger citations, or textual evidence.
We also spent time analyzing the response that I wrote, and figuring out why it
was a good reply with strong evidence.
The writing you did yesterday was _______________________________
Today we are going to focus strictly on TEXTUAL EVIDENCE or CITATIONS.
We need to make sure that you are using strong evidence that accurately
supports your answer.
My method for doing this is to:
• Ask myself, what scenes or examples from the text made me choose
my answer?
• Re-read that part of the text looking for quotations that support your
answer.
• Choose a short sentence or part of a sentence.
• Ask myself; is this on topic with my answer?
• Ask myself, can I easily explain how this quotation proves my answer?
We are going to apply this to yesterday’s writing question:
• What do you predict will happen in the story’s conclusion and
why? Use examples of foreshadowing within the text to support
your answer.
My answer is: Due to the foreshadowing in the text, I predict that Doodle will
die in the conclusion of the story.
For chart (do the first row by myself, then have students fill in second row
brainstorming as a group), I will give students 1 min to explain quote
independently in writing and 1 min to discuss with table, then 1 min to write
how the text supports my answer, then 1 min to discuss with table, then have
two groups share with class.
Text Explain how this quote
proves my answer
Write how this quote
supports my answer
“That winter we didn't
make much progress,
for I was in school and
Doodle suffered from
one bad cold after
The narrator emphasizes
that Doodle was often ill,
which means that he was
weak. I can also infer that
since Doodle naturally had
Since the narrator
emphasizes how weak
Doodle is naturally, I predict
that Doodle will become
even weaker as the narrator

4. another.” Paragraph 41 a poor immune system,
that the pressure the
narrator put on him would
likely cause him stress and
consequently to become
weaker.
continues to push him and
may even die.
“At that moment the
bird began to flutter, but
the wings were
uncoordinated, and
amid much flapping and
a spray of flying
feathers, it tumbled
down, bumping through
the limbs of the
bleeding tree and
landing at our feet with
a thud. […]
‘It's dead,’ Mama said.’“
Paragraphs 64-65
The ibis struggles to
balance itself, but
nevertheless falls out of
the tree, an accident which
results in its death. The
ibis’ struggle to right itself
is similar to Doodle’s
efforts to keep up with his
brother because both are
determined to live.
The scarlet ibis’ death
foreshadows that Doodle will
also die since even though
they both struggle, neither
belongs in the world that it’s
in and consequently can’t
survive.
Now I am going to plug in the different parts to I have my final ACES response:
Due to the foreshadowing in the text, I predict that Doodle will die in the
conclusion of the story. The narrator explains, “At that moment the bird began
to flutter, but the wings were uncoordinated, and amid much flapping and a
spray of flying feathers, it tumbled down, bumping through the limbs of the
bleeding tree and landing at our feet with a thud. […] ‘It's dead,’ Mama said.’”
(Hurst 7). The ibis struggles to balance itself, but nevertheless falls out of the
tree, an accident which results in its death. The ibis’ struggle to right itself is
similar to Doodle’s efforts to keep up with his brother because both are
determined to live. The scarlet ibis’ death foreshadows that Doodle will also die
since even though they both struggle, neither belongs in the world that it’s in
and consequently can’t survive.
We Do/You Do:
Now it is time to practice this on your own by filling in the chart with a piece of
evidence from the text that identifies what the scarlet ibis represents as a
symbol and why. You should use a piece of textual evidence from page 10 of
the story. The prompt you are answering is: what does the scarlet ibis
represent as a symbol? Why? Use textual evidence to explain your answer.
You will be working as a pair with your elbow partner. You will have 10
minutes to fill in the chart and then we will be sharing our work.
Answer Text (from page 10) Explain how this
quote proves my
answer
Write how this quote
supports my answer

5. The scarlet ibis
represents
Doodle because
they neither
belongs in the
world that it finds
itself.
“Sadly, we all
looked back at the
bird. A scarlet ibis!
How many miles it
had traveled to die
like this, in our yard,
beneath the
bleeding tree.
(70)
‘Let's finish lunch,’
Mama said, nudging
us back toward the
dining room.
(71) ‘I'm not
hungry,’ said
Doodle, and he
knelt down beside
the ibis.”
Paragraphs 70-72
The narrator
highlights how hard
the ibis worked in
order to travel from
its home, which
makes its death
even more tragic.
His description of
the ibis’
perseverance in
traveling so far is
very similar to the
determination that
he has noted in
Doodle throughout
the story.
Since Doodle
remains with the
bird after it dies and
because the ibis
and Doodle are so
alike, the scarlet ibis
symbolizes Doodle.
(3 min) Cold call 2 groups to share: as we share feel free to add or change what
you have written.
(5 min) to rewrite your answer in paragraph form on the top section of your exit
ticket. You should be working independently and silently. If you have a
question please raise your hand and I will come to you.
Independent
Writing and
Conferring
:12-:28
Give directions and monitor/support students during writing time.
Make sure I tell them …
In your answer, make sure you:
• Clearly explain how Doodle is like the scarlet ibis.
• Identify the theme of the text.
• Discuss how the narrator’s reaction to Doodle’s death helps reveal the
text’s theme.
(3 min) You will now have the opportunity to fill out our final table for the day
which will set you up for answering the last part of the objective. You will be
using the information you learned in reading to identify the theme and use
textual evidence to explain how the scarlet ibis as a symbol communicates the
text’s theme.
You will have 15 minutes to fill in the chart and write your final paragraph. I will
give you a five minute warning when you should begin to write your paragraph.
Feel free to look at your notes from reading and be sure to use your
annotations you have been making to help you find textual evidence that helps
prove your answer. Remember the steps are:

6. 1. Ask yourself, what scenes or examples from the text made me choose my
answer?
2. Re-read that part of the text looking for quotations that support your answer
3. Choose a sentence or part of a sentence
4. Ask yourself, is this on topic with my answer?
5. Ask yourself, can I easily explain how this quotation proves my answer?
If you have any questions please raise your hand and I will come around and
help you individually. This time should be absolutely silent and you should be
only filling in the chart for the first ten minutes, then rewriting it as a short
answer for the last five minutes.
If you finish early please read through your paragraph. When you have done
so please raise your hand and I will dismiss you individually to turn in your exit
ticket and file your Class Packet. Then wait silently until everyone else has
finished. Are there any questions?
Example:
Answer Text Explain how this quote
proves my answer
Write how this
quote supports
my answer
The narrator’s
reaction to the
text helps convey
the theme that
making others be
something that
they’re not can
lead to suffering
or tragedy.
At the end of the
text, the brother
cradles Doodle’s
dead body and
refers to him as his
“scarlet ibis.”
He imagines that
Doodle is the scarlet
ibis, which allows him
to at least momentarily
avoid the painful
reality that his brother
has died and that he
has played a role in
contributing to that
death.
His reaction
demonstrates his
intense feelings
of guilt and
suffering, which
help convey the
theme of the text.
Doodle’s death, in
part, may be
viewed as a result
of his actions by
pushing him too
hard.
With ten minutes left in class encourage students to begin transcribing
paragraph onto final exit ticket.
Share Time/
Revisions
(Time
Permitting)
Give directions for share time and monitor/ support students as they
share their work and give/ receive feedback to one another.
Assessment Rubric:
Requirement Points Possible
Uses textual evidence (TE) /3
TE is accurate /3
TE is on topic with prompt /3

7. TE supports the answer given /3
Uses ACES /3
Paragraph is mostly free from grammatical errors /3
TOTAL /18
Student Needs
Which student(s) will you check on first during writing time? Why?
What may be difficult for students? What will you do (proactively and/or reactively) to help them overcome these challenges?
Tyler Webb – he needs extra help understanding directions
Anthony Iracheta – he has an IEP and may need extra help
Austin Garsha – he needs help staying on task
Anthony Fuentes – he needs help staying focused

8. Directions:
1. Take notes in the 1st
row while the Miss J models how to find good text evidence
2. Then work independently to fill-in the EXPLANATION of the 2nd
row (answer and
citation provided), then share it with your group
3. Next, complete the SUMMARY column of the 2nd
row independently, then share it
with your group
4. Complete the 3rd
row with your group
5. Then, on a separate sheet of paper, working independently, create a paragraph
using your answers in the 3rd
row
6. Lastly, working independently, complete the 4th
row
7. Then, on same sheet of paper as the other paragraph, work independently to
write your final paragraph on the theme of “The Scarlet Ibis”
Question Answer Citation Explain Why This
Supports your Answer
Summarize Your Answer
and Explanation in New
Words
What do you
predict will
happen in the
story’s
conclusion and
why? Use
examples of
foreshadowing
within the text
to support your
answer.
What do you
predict will
happen in the
story’s
conclusion and
why? Use
examples of
foreshadowing
within the text
to support your
answer.
Due to the
foreshadowing in
the text, I
predict that
Doodle will die in
the conclusion of
the story.
“That winter we
didn't make much
progress, for I was
in school and Doodle
suffered from one
bad cold after
another.”
Paragraph 41

9. Question Answer Citation Explain Why This
Supports your
Answer
Summarize Your
Answer and
Explanation in New
Words
What does
the scarlet
ibis represent
as a symbol?
Why? Use
textual
evidence to
explain your
answer.
What does
the narrator’s
reaction to
Doodle’s
death reveal
about the
text’s theme?

10. Question Answer Citation Explain Why This
Supports your
Answer
Summarize Your
Answer and
Explanation in New
Words
What does
the scarlet
ibis represent
as a symbol?
Why? Use
textual
evidence to
explain your
answer.
What does
the narrator’s
reaction to
Doodle’s
death reveal
about the
text’s theme?