Adapted from Deborah Layzell Illinois State University

LESSON PLAN MODEL

1
: English Language Arts (Writing)

LESSON TITLE: Opinion writing-Earth Day
Lesson 2 of 3


Teacher(s): Jessica Barbis/Amanda Todd/Holly Tomesello
Number of Students: 4 students
Grade Level(s): 3
rd
grade
Date: 4/3/13
Time: 3:30-4:30pm
Duration: 60 minutes

Lesson Structure: X Whole class X Small group One-on-one Other: _______________________


Learning Central Focus
Central Focus
What is the central focus for the
content in the learning segment?

The central focus for this learning segment is opinion writing. The learning segment will focus on the essential literacy strategy
(using evidence to support an argument) and requisite skills (e.g., writing paragraphs, using correct verb tense, or using other
conventions).

NYS/Common Core or
NYSAA Content
Standard(s)
What standard(s) are most
relevant to the learning goals?

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1- Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1a- Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an organizational
structure that lists reasons.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1b- Provide reasons that support the opinion.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1c- Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because, therefore, since, for example) to connect opinion and
reasons.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1d- Provide a concluding statement or section.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.5- With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, and editing.
Student Learning
Goal(s)/ Objective(s)
Skills/procedures
What are the specific learning
goal(s) for student in this lesson?

Concepts and
reasoning/problem
solving/thinking/strategies
1

Lesson Objectives:
Students will be able to read and comprehend the sample opinion piece about Earth Day that will be handed to them.
Students will be able to identify the parts of the opinion piece (topic, opinion, one fact, one reason, and linking words) by the end of
the lesson.
Students will be able to understand and write their own opinion piece after the 3 day lesson bout how to persuade the reader to
agree with their opinion.



1
The lesson plan template is intended to be used as a formative process prior to a candidates submission of edTPA materials. The template offers an opportunity for candidates to practice documenting their thinking
when planning lessons leading up to the learning segment they will teach for edTPA. Lesson plans with this level of detail are not necessary and should not be submitted as part of edTPA. It is intended to prepare
candidates to articulate their thinking and justification for plans when responding to the Planning Task commentary prompts
Adapted from Deborah Layzell Illinois State University

What are the specific learning
goal(s) for students in this lesson?

Relevant IEP Goals and Benchmarks:
Learners 1-4: Students will demonstrate understanding of the opinion piece by identifying the topic, the opinion, one fact, one
reason, and linking words.
Students will write each part independently and then, as a class, we will go over it to make sure every student has the correct
answers.


Prior Academic
Knowledge and
Conceptions

What knowledge, skills, and
concepts must students already
know to be successful with this
lesson?

What prior knowledge and/or
gaps in knowledge do these
students have that are necessary
to support the learning of the
skills and concepts for this lesson?

a) Students will have already learned the step-up-to-writing skills that will help them figure out the 5 parts of identification of
the opinion piece.
b) Students can even highlight the different parts in the same colors as the step-up-to-writing strategy uses to develop this
skill further.
c) Students will also already know how to use appropriate sentence structures, spelling, and punctuation.




Common Errors,
Developmental
Approximations,
Misconceptions, Partial
Understandings, or
Misunderstandings
What are common errors or
misunderstandings of students
related to the central focus of this
lesson?

How will you address them for
this group of students?

Students will have challenges with pulling out the opinion because this seems like a hard concept for students to understand fully.
Students will have challenges with linking words because these always seem to be harder for students to actually know and
understand how they are properly used.
Students may also struggle with comprehension of the opinion piece that they will read and use as an example for them to write
their own piece.















2
The prompt provided here should be modified to reflect subject specific aspects of learning. Language here is mathematics related. See candidate edTPA handbooks for the Making Good Choices resource for subject
specific components.
Adapted from Deborah Layzell Illinois State University

Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
Description of what the teacher (you) will be doing and/or what the students will be doing
Launch/
Anticipatory Set
____10___ Minutes

How will you start the lesson to
engage and motivate students in
learning?

******ALL VERBATIM*******

What: Hello boys, refresh my memory, what did we do yesterday?
Why: Remember why we are writing an opinion piece?
S: We will need what we learn today to help prepare us to take our ELA test and when we will need to argue our point in a well
organized debate.


There will be a list of what they did the day before on the SmartBoard that will be revealed after they discuss it.
Instruction
____5___ Minutes

What will you do to engage
students in developing
understanding of the lesson
objective(s)?

How will you link the new content
(skills and concepts) to students
prior academic learning and their
personal/cultural and community
assets?

What will you say and do? What
questions will you ask?

How will you engage students to
help them understand the
concepts?

What will students do?

How will you determine if
students are meeting the intended
learning objectives?

What will other adults in the room
do?
******ALL VERBATIM*******

Input:
T: We are going to continue with what we did yesterday by writing our paragraphs out. Any questions?
S: Students may have a question at this time and the teacher will answer the questions.
T: Now you will have the full class time to write your rough draft. I will write a topic sentence first on this sentence strip to help
you begin.
T: Once you finish writing your rough draft, you will trade papers and peer edits each others paper. This way we can fix the
mistakes for our final draft.


Modeling: Teacher will model how to write a good complete sentence on a sentence strip. Teacher
will also model how to put the sentence strips in the correct order in the pocket chart while the
students observe.














Adapted from Deborah Layzell Illinois State University

Structured Practice and
Application
____35____ Minutes

How will you give students the
opportunity to practice so you can
provide feedback?

How will students apply what they
have learned?

How will you determine if
students are meeting the intended
learning objectives?

******ALL VERBATIM*******

Structured Practice:
The students will see how to write sentences and order these sentences in the paragraph correctly.




Independent Practice:
Students will have 35 minutes to write their 3 paragraphs in a rough draft form. They will write an opinion piece where they
express what they believe people should do to help care for the Earth.




Extension or Sponge Activities:
When the students finish with writing their rough draft, they will then trade papers and peer edit each others papers.






Closure
___5_____ Minutes

How will you end the lesson?

******ALL VERBATIM*******
We will come together after the teachers told them that they need to start packing up what they are working on and then face
towards the white board for the next direction. The students will then all stand up and we will toss around a ball that has questions
about what they learned today and what they enjoyed about today. This will be a great way to end the lesson and hopefully help
them remember what they will have to do the following day. The students will be asked what they liked about writing and what
they didnt like. This will help them and the teachers on reflect on how the lesson went for the day.









Adapted from Deborah Layzell Illinois State University

Differentiation/
Planned Support

How will you provide students
with access to learning based on
individual and group needs?

How will you support students
with gaps in the prior knowledge
that is necessary to be successful
in this lesson?


Whole Class:
a) Their graphic organizer that is filled out.
b) Directions will be given orally and visually.
c) Teacher will model on sentence strips.
d) Tactile experience (dirt-dessert, sentences, graphic organizer, rough draft paper, peer edit
sheet)
e) Students will all have copies of the materials that are being talked about in class.
f) Students will have the peer editing sheets and be able to peer edit another students work.

Students with IEPs or 504 Plans:
a) Students will be given extra prompting and the use of highlighters to highlight the key points in
the paragraphs.
b) Students will be given extra time for finishing the writing such as taking it home or finishing it
in class once they finish with their homework.

Strategies for responding to common errors and misunderstandings, developmental approximations,
misconceptions, partial understandings, and/or misunderstandings:
All of the strategies listed above.


Student Interactions

How will you structure
opportunities for students to work
with partners or in groups? What
criteria will you use when forming
groups?

Students will be able to talk with a peer about the topic and also as a whole class.
Students will peer edit another students work after the rough draft is completed.
What Ifs

What might not go as planned, and
how can you be ready to make
adjustment?

If the students are having a difficult time writing on their own, I will have the students to have the chance to write with a partner.
This will then be assessed later on individually. This way it reinforces the concept of opinion and still has the student writing it
down. However, this leads to more collaboration and room for further understanding on the concept because they are working and
communicating together.
Theoretical Principles
and/or ResearchBased
Best Practices

Why are the learning tasks for this
Auman, M. E., & Maureen, E. (2003). Step up to writing. Sopris West.
Maag, J. W. (2004). Behavior management: From theoretical implications to practical applications (2
nd
ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Teachers pay teachers. (2013, October). Retrieved from http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse

Adapted from Deborah Layzell Illinois State University

lesson appropriate for your
students?

Materials

What materials does the teacher
need for this lesson?

What materials do the students
need for this lesson?


SmartBoard
Pencils
White board
Expo markers
Sentences strips
Packet charts
Worksheets
Writing paper
Example of an opinion piece
Highlighters









Adapted from Deborah Layzell Illinois State University

Academic Language Demand(s)
Language Function(s)

What language function(s) do you
want students to develop in this
lesson? What must students
understand in order to be
intellectually engaged in the
lesson?
Language functions: The content and language focus of the learning task represented by the active verbs within the learning
outcomes. I want the students to develop an opinion on a position or point of view about Earth day and how to save the Earth.
Students must understand what an opinion is and how to actually argue their point of view in writing.

Key Vocabulary

What content-specific terms
(vocabulary) do students need to
support learning of the learning
objective for this lesson?

Vocabulary:
Opinion- based off our feelings or beliefs.
Earth Day- this is a day for us to think about how to preserve, or save, our Earth.




Language Demand(s)

What specific way(s) will students
need to use language (reading,
writing, listening and/or
speaking) to participate in
learning tasks and demonstrate
their learning for this lesson?

Language demands: Students will need to use the vocabulary they have learned and also their ability to pull out important
information from the paragraph. Students will also need to know their vocabulary thoroughly to help edit their classmates paper.
This will help them see that they can help their friends have great papers just like they will have a great paper after fixing the
mistakes that were made in the writing.

Language Abilities

What are your students abilities
with regard to the oral and written
language associated with this
lesson?

The students will now sit with a partner and switch papers to peer edit each others paper. This will allow
some time to discuss with a classmate and learn about each others opinions on the same topic.
Support for Language
Demands

How will you support students so
they can understand and use the
language associated with the
language function and other
demands in meeting the learning
objectives of the lesson?

Developmental approximations:
Analyzing the content objective.
Considering data on students' language strengths and needs.
Analyzing texts and student tasks.
All dealing with looking at the other students paper. This will help them edit their own paper by seeing that they are not alone in making
mistakes. It is key in showing them that all great writers make mistakes and fix them to have a great final paper to show off to their
classmates.


Adapted from Deborah Layzell Illinois State University

Assessments
Describe the tools/procedures that will be used in this lesson to monitor students learning of the lesson objective(s).
Attach a copy of the assessment and the evaluation criteria/rubric in the resources section at the end of the lesson plan.
Type of assessment
(Informal or Formal)

Description of assessment Modifications to the assessment so
that all students can demonstrate
their learning.
Evaluation Criteria - What evidence of
student learning (related to the learning
objectives and central focus) does the
assessment provide?
Informal





Observation of the peer
editing process.
Students that need the extra time will
receive it and also will be able to have
the help of a teacher if they need it.
Ability to peer edit another students paper.
Formal





Students will turn in the
peer edit sheet.
Students that need the extra time will
receive it and will be able to hand in
the sheet after they have completed it.
Ability to properly give positive and
constructive criticism to another student.






















Adapted from Deborah Layzell Illinois State University

Acquired Data
Assessment
Spreadsheet

From your
assessment(s)
above, display your
whole (group) class
data in an Excel
form as an
attachment.

See attached Excel spreadsheet.

Qualitative Description:
Describe what you have learned from the spreadsheet data.






Assessment
Graph

From your
assessments above,
display your whole
(group) class data in
a graph form as an
attachment.

See attached graph.

Qualitative Description:
Describe what you have learned from the graphical data.






Analyzing Teaching
To be completed after the lesson has been taught
Teacher
Reflection

What worked?
What didnt?
For whom?



Student Attainment of Objectives:
Include a narrative description that discusses whether or not your students met the intended outcomes for this lesson. Use the data that was
collected as part of your assessment plan to address this section.

Personal Reflection:
In this section, identify the things you feel you did well in teaching this lesson. Use examples to provide details about those strengths. Discuss
the things that you need to improve upon and why. Also include information on how you could improve this lesson (what you would do
differently?) if you had to teach this lesson again. Incorporate feedback from your teachers and/or instructors observation of your lesson. Use
direct quotes or notes.

Adjustments

What instructional
changes do you need
to make as you
prepare for the
lesson tomorrow?
Description of Patterns of Learning:
Includes both quantitative and qualitative consistencies for different groups of students and individuals across the whole class. Quantitative
patterns indicate the number of similar correct responses or errors across or within student assessments. Qualitative patterns include
descriptions of understandings and/or misunderstandings, partial understandings, and/or attempts at applying a strategy that underlies the
quantitative patterns.

Adapted from Deborah Layzell Illinois State University






Adjustments Based on Patterns of Learning:



Proposed
Changes

If you could teach
this lesson again to
this group of
students what
changes would you
make to your
instruction?

Whole class:


Groups of students:


Individual students:


Justification

Why will these
changes improve
student learning?

What research/
theories support
these changes?
Make sure to cite in APA.






Additional Information
Resources/
References


o Auman, M. E., & Maureen, E. (2003). Step up to writing. Sopris West.
o Identifying academic language demands in support of the common core standards. (2012, May 24). Retrieved from
http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol7/717-ohara.aspx
o Teachers pay teachers. (2013, October). Retrieved from http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse

Attachments


See attached.
Worksheets for the students:
o What is an Opinion Piece? Sheet
o Example of the opinion piece
o Graphic organizer
o Support your reasons with facts sheet
o Draft sheets for paragraphs
o Peer editing sheets
o Final draft sheets