Reading & Writing Instruction Lesson Plan

Overview

The information included in this document is to support faculty in teaching about

and supporting students with the T&L (and edTPA) Instructional Plan. While there

are many variations of lesson plans, this format meets departmental requirements

and is aligned with the 2014 edTPA as well.

Background Information

Teacher Candidate: Kaitlyn Louise Sumner | Date: 12/02/19 | Grade: 4th |

School District: PSD #267 | University Supervisor: Dr. Barbara Ward Unit/Subject:

Reading Comprehension exercise with Writing Strategy

Instructional Plans Title/Focus: Inferring vs Show, Don’t Tell

● Reading: Making Inferences from Stories

● Writing: Show, Don’t Tell

Section 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment

Instructional Plan Purpose:

○ To help students learn about descriptive reading with this engaging

lesson. The class will learn to recognize character emotions though the

inferencing reading strategy with a game, practice reading and writing,

and class participation.

○ To improve and reinforce students' inferencing skills by focusing on

inferring character emotions, whether they are reading or writing.

○ To help students learn about descriptive writing with this engaging

lesson. Your class will learn to show character emotions though the
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“show, don’t tell” writing technique with videos, practice writing, and

class participation.

○ This lesson will be taught most likely after introducing the Writing

Traits from previous lesson. This lesson will (subliminally) focus on:

Ideas, word choice, and voice. After students had understood the traits

purpose and importance, students will be given the strategies to be

able to find and write them on their own. These strategies are to

support and better a student’s critical thinking when reading and

strengthen their writing with another support for using ideas, word

choice, and voice.

b. State/National Learning Standards:

○ CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1

○ Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text

says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

○ CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3

○ Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama,

drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts,

words, or actions).

○ CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.4

○ Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and

organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

○ CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.9

○ Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,

reflection, and research.

c. Content Objectives and alignment to State Learning Standards:

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○ SWBAT… Understand the importance of showing, not telling in their

writing.

○ SWBAT… Know the importance of inferencing stories.

○ SWBAT… Pay attention to what the character says or does to infer the

emotion.

○ SWBAT... Show details, instead of telling them, in their writing.

○ SWBAT…Quote accurately from a given text

○ SWBAT…Make inferences from a given text

○ SWBAT…Support inferences with evidence from the text

d. Language Objective:

○ SWBAT… Define what an inference is.

e. Previous Learning Experiences:

○ Students have learned that inferences need to be backed up with

evidence from the text and that quotes from the text are a useful way

to show the evidence.

○ Students would have already known the definitions of the Writing

Literacy Traits.

○ Students have learned about inferences and making educated guesses

based on clues from the text.

○ Students would have previously already learned how to produce

complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate

fragments and run-ons.

○ Students will have already learned the parts of a sentence,

punctuation, and correct word choice.

○ Students will need to use their prior knowledge in order to successfully

complete the stated objectives.

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f. Planning for Student Learning Needs (accommodations, student

experiences, prior learning, and experiences):

Accommodations:

Enrichment: Challenge students who are above level to work on word

choices during individual conferences, and to use similes and

metaphors in their work.

Support: Arrange students into a small group, and create a “jot list” of

possible words that help writers show, instead of telling. Some

possible words include: happy: my mouth widened with a smile; I

jumped up and down.

1. Scaffolding: charts of easy examples with pictures and words of

inferences for students to look at if needed (ex: possibly an ELL

student).

2. ELL students will be paired with students who are English

proficient.

3. ELL students will be provided with directions and instruction in

their first language

4. Teacher will be walking around during this lesson to help

students who may have difficulties reading or writing out the

assignment.

5. Directions will be read aloud to ensure comprehension for all

students, if necessary.

6. Gifted and Talented students will be allowed to work alone.

The teacher will work with these students to set realistic goals

according to their ability levels that may be higher than other

students
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7. Seating accommodations for students who have hearing or

seeing impairments.

8. Students who may have a 504 plan or IEP’s will have their own

set of accommodations based on their individual needs.

Student Experiences:

○ Students may use the classroom library books and their own personal

books to get ideas of creating inferences.

○ Students will have an idea and some practice with inferences and

ideas with the previous lesson, before this lesson takes place. They

may ask to classmates or the teacher, or look at previous paperwork

to help them with this lesson to serve as examples to refer to.

g. Assessment Strategies

Content/Language Objectives Assessment Strategies

○ SWBAT… Understand the importance Formatives (informals): Throughout the

of showing, not telling in their writing. introduction, presentation, class discussions,

teacher will mentally take notes on how students
○ SWBAT… Know the importance of
are recalling prior knowledge from last lesson and
inferencing stories. newly shown information that they may utilize to
○ SWBAT… Pay attention to what the apply to their writing/readings further down the
lesson. Have students write in their notebooks as
character says or does to infer the
best as they can with the given literacy activities. Let
emotion. students look at each other’s works with their
○ SWBAT... Show details, instead of partners to allow time for critical thinking and
needed peer editing during the video instruction
telling them, in their writing.
and the conclusion activity. “Is what they wrote
○ SWBAT…Quote accurately from a connected to the given/shown emotion?”
given text

○ SWBAT…Make inferences from a given

text
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○ SWBAT…Support inferences with

evidence from the text

○ SWBAT… Define what an inference is.

○ SWBAT… Understand the importance Formatives (informals): Throughout the

of showing, not telling in their writing. introduction, presentation, class discussions,

teacher will mentally take mental notes on how
○ SWBAT… Know the importance of
students are recalling prior knowledge from last
inferencing stories. lesson and newly shown information that they may
○ SWBAT… Define what an inference is. utilize to apply to their writing/readings further
down the lesson. Pay attention to what they say in
○ SWBAT… Pay attention to what the
class discussions, when facilitating the class during
character says or does to infer the partner work, and converse with students to see
emotion. where some individuals are at.

○ SWBAT…Quote accurately from a Formatives (informals): Throughout the

given text writing/reading activities teacher will take mental

notes of what students have verbally concluded as
○ SWBAT…Make inferences from a given
their answers for their partner handout. Ask
text students why they had concluded their matches
○ SWBAT…Support inferences with and what evidence did they use! Allow the class to
discuss if they all found the same answer, if not, ask
evidence from the text
them to describe how they concluded differently
with different evidence.
Will also receive a paper form of what partners
have concluded from class and they will also have a
homework assignment due to be returned to the
teacher.
Summatives will be used in a later lesson to show students full masteries as

today’s lesson is a more in depth introduction and practice.

h. Student Voice:
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K-12 students will be able Student-based evidence to be Description of how students

to: collected (things produced by will reflect on their learning.

students: journals, exit slips,

self-assessments, work

samples, projects, papers, etc.)

1. Explain student ● Past kept handouts. Students may look at

● Current handouts that handouts they held onto from
learning targets and what
can be kept for the previous lesson to recall what
is required to meet them future. they have already learned.
Students will also have a
(including why they are
handout they may keep with
important to learn). instruction and support to
help them in their activities.

2. Monitor their own ● Notebooks Notebooks will be used to

● Current Handouts make notes of what they’ve
learning progress toward
● Partner work learned during instruction.
the learning targets using With the writing activity,
students will share and
the tools provided
compare their handouts with
(checklists, rubrics, etc.). classmates during class
discussion. From sharing, the
other may guess the inferring
goal as a guessing game then
give each other 1 to 3
constructive criticisms that
may support the execution of
inferring emotions.

3. Explain how to ● Self-assessments Students will work on their

● Peer editing own stories. Have their
access resources and
partners try to assess what
additional support when emotion they are inferring
after proofreading their own
needed (and how/why
writing. Then self-correcting to
those resources will help see how they may improve.
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them).

I. Grouping of Students for Instruction:

Throughout this lesson, students will be divided into various groups (detailed
below). This lesson will focus primarily on independent and whole class work, but
some students will be in partners for portions of the lesson. Students will be
monitored during pairings to ensure they are productive.

Grouping according to learning steps:

● Introduction- Whole Class Reading & Discussion
● Step 1- Whole Class Discussion/ Independent Writing
● Step 2- Whole Class Discussion/ independent writing/ Elbow Partner
assessment
● Step 3- Work in Pairs (reading & writing)
● Step 4- Whole Class Discussion/Assessment
● Closing- Independent Writing

Section 2: Instruction and Engaging Students in Learning

a. Introduction:

○ Introduce the lesson to the students. Start by activating prior

knowledge that the students may have of the combination of “show,

don’t tell” strategy and inferencing reading strategy. For example, ask

how many students make assumptions in their heads while they read

even if the book doesn’t exactly say something directly!

○ Tell them you were reading The Wednesday Wars and you had found

some examples you’d like to share and challenge the class! The book

will already have tabs of examples of what the main character may be

feeling or thinking! (other books may be used as seen best fit or

teacher may also write their own passages if preferred)

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1. Ex: “Every other classroom in Camillo Junior High had fish or

hamsters or gerbils or mice. We had rats.” (p.40)

2. Ex question: Then have students try to feel the scene. “When

reading this, do you think Holling is excited, happy, upset, or

sad?”

3. Written example to read to the class: “Rosy was walking down

the street when she found a $5 bill. As she held the bill, her eyes

widened and her mouth curved from ear to ear. She yipeed as

she turned to run to the candy story. (Ask students what

emotion they think she has. Challenge them: But the story didn’t

say she was happy/excited, what words made you believe that?)

○ Then, remind students of the previous lesson about the writing traits.

Tell them we are focusing on: idea, voice, and word choice. Ask

students what those traits are and their purpose as a reminder (they

may take out previous handout for help).

○ Bring up the recently fresh word “inferring” and tell them that is what

they did. Go over definition and purpose for reading comprehension

(as a refresher).

○ Explain we will be doing a mixture of reading and writing to see if they

can be the masters of “show, don’t tell.”

○ Tell them “show, don’t tell” refers to a writing strategy that is used to

give descriptions of character’s emotions.

○ Main supporting theory for introduction is the base layer of

Bloom’s Taxonomy is Knowledge. For students to recall what they

remembered from the previous lesson to apply what they know to

work on and apply to today’s lesson.

 Reading & Writing Instruction Lesson Plan

b. Questions:

○ Who remembers when we talked about inferences? What are

inferences? (Knowledge)

○ Who can give me an example of an inference? (Comprehension)

○ What is the difference between showing and telling, when we talk

about inferencing? (Analysis)

○ Can you create your own inferences? (Synthesis)

○ Can you interpret the meaning of your classmates’ inferences?

(Evaluation)

c. Learning Activities: Describe what the teacher will do and say and students

will do during the lesson. Write it as a procedural set of steps in the left

column of table below. On the right, refer to a supporting learning theory or

principle driving that activity and/or your rationale for doing what you are

doing.

Prompts for the right-hand column—supporting theories/principles. In the right

column, use references from texts, research/peer-reviewed journals, or other

learning theories to support your choice of activities. You might draw from your 301

and/or your methods courses here.

o Connections between students’ own lives, experiences, cultures, interests, and

the content.

o Active learning over passive learning (e.g. SCI Learning Experiences ladder—

simulation over verbal)

o Theoretical support for learning activities (e.g. Culturally responsive strategy, or

processing)

o Multiple means of representation for the K-12 students (UDL principle)

o Multiple means of engagement for the K-12 students (UDL principle)

 Reading & Writing Instruction Lesson Plan

o Multiple means of expression of learning by the K-12 students (UDL principle)

o Accommodations and modifications for students with diverse needs, including

those with disabilities (as stated in their IEPs)

o How the teacher candidate will assess the learning of the students (from table

above)

Learning Steps and Activities Supporting Theories/Principles

(Why are you doing what you are doing?)

Gradual Release of Responsibility and

Bloom's Taxonomy!

(Transition from introduction) Step 1 Main Reason is: Connecting and Engaging.

Teacher will do: Explain that while looking at The teacher builds intrigue and interest in the

your students’ writing, you often see topic.

sentences such as, “I was happy” and “I was

nervous.” The teacher activates and ascertains students’

Teacher will say: These are examples of background knowledge.

“telling” the reader how you (or character) is

feeling, instead of “showing” it. Students begin to start connecting the new to

Tell the class that when writers “show” a the known.

feeling, readers can create a more accurate

and vivid pictures in their minds. Video also gives students the understanding of

Teacher will do: Pull up “Show, Don’t Tell” the importance of why we are learning this

video topic. This also gives scaffolding, another

https://www.youtube.com/watch? explanation, and a possible way for some

v=N4RthqSOcR0 Then pull up a few sample children to memorize the purpose!

videos, Teacher will say: Tell the class that

they’re going to watch the clips, and describe

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how a person is feeling based on how they

act and look.

Teacher will do: Show video clips to the

class. (Good examples include Nicki Minaj

Sings 'Super Bass' with Sophia Grace by The

Ellen Show, Lily’s Disney Surprise! by KAftC,

and Epic Roller Coaster Fail @ Disney

California Adventure by Ray Valverde)

Students will do: Write down actions from

the videos and their reactions in their

notebooks.. It’s critical that they pay close

attention to what each person does—they

will need to remember the actions that

determine how the person is feeling.

Step 2 Main Reason is: Teacher modeling, Guided

Teacher will say: “Now that we’ve taken our Practice,Independent Practice, and Student
Sharing.
notes, we will fix our own writing and add our

‘show’.” Bloom’s taxonomy’s second level is

Teacher will do: Model an example for the comprehension. This is set up so that students
class before students start their individual may practice, show, and share their
work. Start by writing a sentence that “tells” comprehension. They will do this by
on the board. For example, write the demonstrating their skills in their notebooks
sentence “She was excited.” and sharing with elbow partners.
Teacher will say: “Okay students, now I’d like

you to fix this sentence ‘Show’ the subject is For the teacher to explain the strategy more,
excited, using the words or phrases you how to effectively use the strategy to
 Reading & Writing Instruction Lesson Plan

wrote down from the video clip.” understand text. Teacher thinks aloud to show

Students will do: Fix the sentence thinking and strategy use. Students will then

independently and then share their thoughts engage in beginning the strategy.

and work from their notebooks to elbow

partners. Students write in notebook to practice the

strategy on their own.

Elbow partner sharing allows students to reflect

on their process of understanding and the

content and strategy.

Step 3 Main Reason is: Collaborative Practice, and

Teacher will do: Have students pair up Student Sharing.

with elbow partners and each pair grabs a

Bloom’s taxonomy’s second level is
stack of “Infer Character Emotions
comprehension. This is set up so that students
Matching Game.” Teacher will read the
may practice and share their comprehension
instructions out loud and allow students to
with partners. They will do this by
10 minutes to match the following cards.
demonstrating their skills by their matching and

filling out handout.

Teacher will release learning responsibility to

students.

Students share their thinking processes with

their partners during the game.

Students will do: Play the mix and match Teacher moves from group to group, assessing
 Reading & Writing Instruction Lesson Plan

cards. and responding to students’ needs.

Teacher will do: As students mix and

match, the teacher will walk around to

hand each pair an answer sheet that they

must fill in. As well as walk around to watch

and facilitate pairs around the classroom.

Students will do: Fill in their handout.

Step 4 Main Reason is: Teacher modeling and

Teacher will do: (After all pairs of students Student Sharing.

believe they’ve mixed and matched them

Bloom’s taxonomy’s second level is
correctly and wrote down all of their
comprehension. This is set up so that students
evidence). Teacher will have each group
may share their comprehension with their
share what they have and students may
classmates and compare with the class. They
show that they agree or disagree by “My
will do this by explaining their demonstrated
evidence”.
skills by sharing their matches and filled out
Teacher will say: “Let’s begin with the
handout to the class. (Sharing how they had
word ‘Angry,’ what picture and passage did
made their inferences with supporting
you see fit best for ‘Angry’?”
evidence).
Students will do: Share what answers

they, with their partner, had put together

The teacher will think aloud strategy use of
and explain the reasons behind it.
students answers if students have trouble
Students will say (example): “My partner
explaining (or teacher may just reiterate what
and I said that Blake is angry because he
student said to focus on the importance of
sounded upset. He said “ugh” and think he
evidence used).
got blamed for something he didn’t do,

which would make us upset if that

 Reading & Writing Instruction Lesson Plan

happened to us too. We also saw some Teacher will also write down class answers on

angryish words like ‘hissed’ and he crossed sheet over projector.

his arms, which might be in an angry way.”

Students come together to share thinking,

learning, and understanding.

Students reflect on their learning process.

Section 3: After the Lesson

a. Closure:

○ After the class sharing, have students pick out an Emotion Card. Then give

them independent work time to write their own sentence(s) that will help

infer the emotion they chose.

○ Have students share how they have edited their own writing to their elbow

partners.

○ Concluding, teacher will say: “Good writers, today and everyday, will show,

not tell, how characters feel.”

○ (If extra time, allow silent reading and ask them to try to use what they’ve

learned)

b. Independent Practice:

Students will now have the practice and experience of being able to be observant in

literacy. With the new reading comprehension, they will be able to lead to new

conclusions with their critical thinking as they infer more information from a book!

They may now use this skill when reading in the classroom and at home! The

teacher will also give Inference worksheets for them to expand on inferring other
 Reading & Writing Instruction Lesson Plan

things that aren’t just emotions! This will also allow parents to support their

children to improve their reading comprehension and writing skills.

c. Instructional Materials, Resources, and Technology:

○ Computer

○ Notebooks for each student

○ Pens or pencils for each student

○ Interactive white board and projector

○ Access to the Internet

○ Short video clips with examples of people displaying intense emotions.

○ Handout(s) (are on pdf, having trouble attaching it on here, so will be turned

in together)

○ Game Cards (are on pdf, having trouble attaching it on here, so will be

turned in together)

d. Acknowledgements:

○ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Inference-Task-Cards-

3rd-4th-5th-Making-Inferences-Reading-Passages-4411307

○ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Making-Inferences-

Inferring-Character-Feelings-and-Emotions-Inference-3049668

○ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Inferencing-Activities-

Making-Inferences-Worksheets-2513076

○ file:///C:/Users/Kate/Documents/WSU/MakingInferencesInferringChara

cterFeelingsandEmotionsInference%20(1).pdf

○ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4RthqSOcR0

○ https://www.education.com/download/lesson-plan/writing-show-dont-

tell/writing-show-dont-tell.pdf

○ http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/
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Wonderful Visual Examples that may be used!

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