Elementary Literacy

Task 1: Planning Commentary

TASK 1: PLANNING COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 9 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within the
brackets. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Pages exceeding the maximum will not be scored.

1. Central Focus
a. Describe the central focus and the essential literacy strategy for comprehending OR
composing text you will teach in the learning segment.
[The central focus is to understand how to produce an informative text on a particular topic. The
goal of this literacy unit is to explicitly model the process of researching information and writing
an informational report. An informative text examines a topic and conveys ideas and information
clearly with facts, definitions, details, and a concluding statement. All related information about
the topic is grouped together. The essential literacy strategy I will teach in my learning segment
is on generating ideas to compose a text. Students will use the generating strategy to gather
ideas for writing and to activate background knowledge as they think of a topic and its details.
They will also generate ideas through a variety of activities such as note taking, brainstorming,
clustering, and talking. Students will be aware of the purpose of writing an informative text for
the intended audience in mind.]
b. Given the central focus, describe how the standards and learning objectives within
your learning segment address

the essential literacy strategy

related skills that support use of the strategy

reading/writing connections

[The standards and learning objectives I will be implementing in my learning segments are on
R.I.3.2 and W.3.2. The common core standard R.I.3.2 determines the main idea of an
informational text; recounts the key details and explains how they support the main idea. This
addresses the essential literacy strategy of generating ideas because when researching and
collecting information on a topic, students must be able to take notes and look for the main idea
and the key details that support the main idea. Thus, when reading and responding to
information passages, students must be able to identify the topics, facts, details, and concluding
statements. This skill will help students to collect information from research and understand the
prewriting stage in composing an informational report. The common core standard W.3.2 is
about writing informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information
clearly. This addresses the essential strategy of generating ideas because in the prewriting
stage of composing an informational report, students are learning more about a topic through
research. Clustering ideas and details on a web will help students organize the information
theyve collected and write an informative text introducing a topic that groups related information
together along with a concluding statement. Getting students to talk with partners to generate
and elaborate ideas will also help them in the prewriting and drafting stage of organizing their
information clearly.]
c. Explain how your plans build on each other to help students make connections
between the essential literacy strategy to comprehend OR compose text and related
skills that support use of the strategy in meaningful contexts.
[The plan of the lesson is to build the students understanding of composing an informational
report through the essential literacy strategy of generating ideas. The prewriting stage of the
writing process is a related skill that supports the use of the strategy in meaningful contexts. In
the prewriting stage, students must be able to generate ideas and information from research to
Copyright 2015 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.
1 of 6 | 9 pages maximum
All rights reserved.
V4_0915
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.

Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

write a draft of an informative report. The generating strategy explicitly models how to research
information to learn more about the topic and build prior knowledge. Note taking skills will be
implemented in the lesson to help students to comprehend research by identifying the main idea
and key details of a particular topic. Analyzing informational texts will help students to interpret
and write their own informational text. The generating strategy, clustering, builds from analyzing
informational text because students will then be able to cluster ideas from research on a graphic
organizer and discuss how it examines a particular topic. This strategy supports the prewriting
stage of composing an informational text. In the end, students will be able to independently
generate ideas from research and use that information to supplement their own knowledge as
they write an informative text using the writing process.]
2. Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching
For each of the prompts below (2ab), describe what you know about your students with
respect to the central focus of the learning segment.
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different strategies/support
(e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, struggling readers,
underperforming students or those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted
students).
a. Prior academic learning and prerequisite skills related to the central focusCite
evidence of what students know, what they can do, and what they are still learning
to do.
[Students prior academic learning and prerequisite skills related to the central has been based
on my personal observations in my field placement. Students have experienced reading
informational texts from the Wonder textbook. They understand what an informational text is
and how they are different from other texts. They can somewhat identify the main idea and key
details from informational passages and write about it. They practiced how to highlight and take
notes of main ideas and key details. In composing text, students are also able to brainstorm a
list of ideas pertaining to a topic. They are still in the process of learning about the prewriting
stage. They have done procedural writing using a graphic organizer to organize writing, but did
not get to drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. In procedural writing, students also learned
how to effectively use linking words to connect related ideas.]
b. Personal, cultural, and community assets related to the central focusWhat do you
know about your students everyday experiences, cultural and language
backgrounds and practices, and interests?
[Because Waipahu Elementary is labeled as a Title I school, many students are eligible for the
free and reduced lunch programs. Thus, the families and communities of my group of students
are categorized between the middle and lower socioeconomic status spectrum. Through
multiple conversations with my mentor teacher, I learned that some families have very little
background knowledge and/or support for their childs education. I know that a few of my
students come from rough household backgrounds because they would come to school looking
tired and exhausted. My students are born out of diverse cultural backgrounds: Filipino,
Samoan, and Micronesian. Since I am Filipino, I can make some personal connections to my
students cultural backgrounds and practices. Through multiple interactions with my students, I
learned that they enjoy doing hands-on activities and working in small groups. They become
more engaged in the lesson when it is genuinely student centered. My students also enjoy
reading books, and watching videos from BrainPop. They read books everyday in school and for
homework. My mentor teacher switches her students books out every other day, so they are
Copyright 2015 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.
2 of 6 | 9 pages maximum
All rights reserved.
V4_0915
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.

Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

exposed to a variety of texts. I know that some students love to read chapter books, fictional
texts, and informational books.
3. Supporting Students Literacy Learning
Respond to prompts 3ac below. To support your justifications, refer to the instructional
materials and lesson plans you have included as part of Planning Task 1. In addition, use
principles from research and/or theory to support your justifications.
a. Justify how your understanding of your students prior academic learning and personal,
cultural, and community assets (from prompts 2ab above) guided your choice or
adaptation of learning tasks and materials. Be explicit about the connections between
the learning tasks and students prior academic learning, their assets, and
research/theory.
[After understanding my students prior academic learning and personal/cultural/community
assets through observations and interactions, I was able to adapt my learning tasks and
materials to help my students understand how to produce an informative research report on a
particular topic. For example, a lot of my learning tasks include partner work and group work. I
decided to foster collaboration and communication in my learning segment because from my
observation, I noticed that my students get very engaged into the task when working with their
peers. I also noticed that my students enjoy using their hands or moving their bodies. So
providing them the opportunity to do so will hopefully engage their learning as well.
Furthermore, since my students are all diverse learners, I will be providing multiple means of
representations in my lesson. For example, I will use images/pictures in my lesson to help my
visual learners approach the content efficiently. According to my students prior academic
learning, I know that they are familiar with reading informational texts. So I will be providing
informational passages about civil rights leaders for them to research. I will also be giving them
the autonomy to choose the civil rights hero they would like to read about. According to the
Three Principles of UDL, offering learners choices can develop self-determinations, pride in
accomplishment, and increase the degree to they feel connected to their learning. Moreover,
because my students are not so familiar with main idea and key details, I will need to review
them and make connections when reading/writing informational texts.]
b. Describe and justify why your instructional strategies and planned supports are
appropriate for the whole class, individuals, and/or groups of students with specific
learning needs.
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different
strategies/support (e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners,
struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic
knowledge, and/or gifted students).
[My instructional strategies and planned supports are appropriate for the whole class because I
will be providing multiple means of explicit instructions and modeling on how to do specific
learning tasks. I will also be providing multiple means of engagement to influence all individuals
in learning. According to the Three Principles of UDL, learners differ significantly in what
attracts their attention and engages their interests. So my learning segment will introduce a
variation of activities or learning tasks that will hopefully engage my diverse range of students.
During small group activities and discussions, my struggling learner will be partnered with my
accelerated students. The accelerated learner will make sure that they both contribute while
supporting and assisting each other on the assigned learning tasks. As the teacher, I will meet
with my struggling students one-on-one or conference with them in small groups to review and

Copyright 2015 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.

3 of 6 | 9 pages maximum
All rights reserved.
V4_0915
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.

Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

scaffold each step of the process slowly. I will also differentiate my instruction by providing my
students with passages that are appropriate to their reading levels.]
a. Describe common developmental approximations or common misconceptions within
your literacy central focus and how you will address them.
[A common misconception within my literacy central focus might be that the generating strategy
would only occur in the prewriting stage because the prewriting stage is where most ideas are
gathered. The generating strategy, however, could also occur during the drafting and revising
stage of writing an informational text when more ideas are collected. I would address this by
reminding my students that the generating strategy can be used throughout other stages of the
writing process.]
4. Supporting Literacy Development Through Language
As you respond to prompts 4ad, consider the range of students language assets and
needswhat do students already know, what are they struggling with, and/or what is new to
them?
a. Language Function. Using information about your students language assets and
needs, identify one language function essential for students to develop and practice the
literacy strategy within your central focus. Listed below are some sample language
functions. You may choose one of these or another more appropriate for your learning
segment.
Analyze

Argue

Categorize

Compare/contrast

Describe

Interpret

Predict

Question

Retell

Summarize

Explain

[The academic language function analyze serves as the central focus of this learning
segment. Students must be able to examine a variety of informational texts carefully by looking
at the key facts, definitions, and details about a particular topic. In the first learning segment,
students are taught how to read a text and analyze the information presented. They use the
note taking strategy to find the main idea and key details of an informational paragraph. Once
they are able to analyze their research, students use that information to supplement their own
knowledge and ideas as they write in the prewriting and drafting stage.]
b. Identify a key-learning task from your plans that provides students with opportunities to
practice using the language function in ways that support the essential literacy strategy.
Identify the lesson in which the learning task occurs. (Give lesson day/number.)
[In Lesson 1, students will understand and practice how to analyze information through various
activities. In the Close Reading/Note Taking Activity, students will examine the informational
passage about Martin Luther King Jr. and take notes on some key facts, definitions, and details.
In the prewriting activity, students will work in groups to analyze different texts about Harriet
Tubman and gather information for the Cluster Web. Lastly, during independent work, students
will be researching informational texts and analyzing information.]
c. Additional Language Demands. Given the language function and learning task
identified above, describe the following associated language demands (written or oral)
students need to understand and/or use:

Vocabulary or key phrases

Plus at least one of the following:
Copyright 2015 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.
4 of 6 | 9 pages maximum
All rights reserved.
V4_0915
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.

Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

Syntax
Discourse
[Other vocabulary or key phrases students need to understand and/or use in this learning
segment are: analyze, informative text, note taking, researching, facts, generating, cluster web,
brainstorm, main idea, key details, categorize, prewriting, drafting, editing, publishing,
hook/lead, linking words, concluding statement, and topic. The discourse that will be
implemented in the lesson will provide students with sentence starters when discussing their
ideas with a partner, as a class, or in small groups such as, I underlined this because I chose
to put this detail under that topic because This topic interests me because]
d. Language Supports. Refer to your lesson plans and instructional materials as needed
in your response to the prompt.

Identify and describe the planned instructional supports (during and/or prior to the
learning task) to help students understand, develop, and use the language demands
(function, vocabulary or key phrases, discourse, or syntax).
[To help students understand, develop, and use the language demands, I will show my students
anchor charts of important vocabulary words during and prior to the learning task. I will also
model for my students how to use the language demands by writing examples of starter
sentences for them prior to the learning task or by expressing it orally.]
5. Monitoring Student Learning
In response to the prompts below, refer to the assessments you will submit as part of the
materials for Planning Task 1.
a. Describe how your planned formal and informal assessments will provide direct
evidence that students can use the essential literacy strategy to comprehend OR
compose text AND related skills throughout the learning segment.
[My planned formal and informal assessments throughout the learning segment provide direct
evidence that students are using the generating strategy to compose text and related skills
through collaboration and independent work. In small groups, students are collaborating and
communicating with their peers to gather ideas and/or facts after reading an informational
passage. The ideas they gather from each other are eventually used to supplement their own
knowledge as they begin prewriting, drafting, editing, revising, and publishing an informative
report about a civil rights hero of their choice.]
b. Explain how the design or adaptation of your planned assessments allows students with
specific needs to demonstrate their learning.
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different
strategies/support (e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners,
struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic
knowledge, and/or gifted students).
[The design of my planned assessments is done similarly to the guided practice I do as a class.
The repetition and use of modeling I do with all my students is supposed to help them with
understanding how to do the assigned learning tasks. However, if that does not work, struggling
students could demonstrate their learning by drawing pictures or by communicating their ideas
with me. They could also work in smaller groups that way they are still engaged and learning
from their peers. As for my accelerated students, I will give them challenging passages to read. I
Copyright 2015 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.
5 of 6 | 9 pages maximum
All rights reserved.
V4_0915
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.

Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

will also have them work with my struggling students by placing them in a teaching and assisting
role. They will support their learning and help with editing their rough drafts.]

Copyright 2015 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.

6 of 6 | 9 pages maximum
All rights reserved.
V4_0915
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.