Lesson 1

Title
Introduction to Civil Rights Heroes/Note-taking Strategies
Grade Level
Subject

Unit of Study

3
Language Arts
Writing an Informational Report
Overview
This lesson guides students to build content knowledge of four civil rights heroes. It also promotes scaffolding in reading
informational texts, analyzing information, taking notes and using a graphic organizer/web. Thus, this lesson will be broken
into four parts to build note-taking strategies and background knowledge of important heroes. The teaching strategy: I DO,
WE DO, and YOU DO is used to scaffold students understanding of analyzing information and identifying which parts of the
text is important to include on a graphic organizer. The comprehension worksheets will be used as a guide to help students
understand what important information is needed to when underlining and adding to the cluster web/graphic organizer.
Students are able to access their prior knowledge and skills on which will be carried over the next 3 lessons.
Content Standard(s)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Learning Objective(s)

Students will be able to build content knowledge of four civil rights heroes.
Students will read informational texts and practice note-taking strategies.
Students will be able to analyze important information from the text and transfer it onto a graphic organizer/cluster web.

Informal and Formal Assessments

Informal:
Choral response
Group work
Cluster web
Notes on reading passages
Comprehension questions
Formal:
Students will independently read an informational text about Cesar Chavez and apply note-taking strategies by underlining
important information in the text. Students will then need to be able to transfer the information they analyzed from the text onto
a graphic organizer/cluster web. The comprehension worksheet will also be used to show understanding of the text.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
Teacher Will:
Part 1 Fredrick Douglass
Lesson Introduction:
Read the story Of thee I Sing by Barack Obama. When finished,
discuss the authors purpose for the story (to inform us about the

Student Will:
Lesson Introduction:
Engage in the text and understand what it is about.

edTPA Lesson Plan Template: Elementary Education Program (EEP) College of Education University of Hawaii at Manoa

different heroes in our nation) and the details we learned about the
heroes.
Next, explain that over the next couple of days, they will be learning
about different civil rights heroes by reading informational texts about
them and by taking notes. They will also be learning about how to
write an informational report using their knowledge of civil rights
heroes. The purpose for this writing is to summarize factual
information from research and to share what you have learned.
Accessing Prior Knowledge:
Timeline Activity: Ask for volunteers to read the strips of paper and
place it onto the timeline drawn on the board. Then make any
corrections to errors and briefly go over the different heroes the class
will be learning about.
Read aloud A Picture Book of Fredrick Douglass by David A. Adler.
When finished, share a short discussion about what they learned
about Fredrick Douglass after listening to the story. Show a BrainPop
video about Fredrick Douglass.

Accessing Prior Knowledge:

Volunteers/Students will read the strips of paper aloud and
place the strips of paper onto where they think it belongs on
the timeline.
Engage in the text and build prior knowledge.

Mini Lesson (I DO):

Do a shared reading on a short passage with the class about Fredrick
Douglass. Model note-taking strategies and point out main ideas and
key details in the passage. Use a map to show where Fredrick
Douglass is born, etc. to help visual learners.
Next, model how to transfer information from the notes they took on
the reading onto a cluster web.

Mini Lesson:
Students will follow and read the passage as the teacher reads
aloud. Students will also be copying the note-taking strategies
the teacher does on the reading.

Closure:
Reiterate what the students have learned about Fredrick Douglass.
Part 2 Susan B. Anthony
Accessing Prior Knowledge:
Ask students what they remember about Fredrick Douglass.
Show a BrainPop video about Susan B. Anthony and share a
discussion about her.

Closure:
Students will share what they learned.

Mini Lesson (WE DO)/Informal Assessment:

Do a choral reading on a short passage about Susan B. Anthony and
practice note-taking strategies together as a class. Use a map to
show where Susan B. Anthony is born, etc. to help visual learners.
Next, analyze and transfer information from the reading onto a cluster
web with the class.

Mini Lesson/Informal Assessment:

Selected students will read the passage aloud. Selected
students will determine what important information the class
should underline in the text.
Selected students will determine what information will be
transferred onto the web. When finished, students will
complete a reading comprehension worksheet to do
independently. Accelerated students may create a timeline on
the back of their worksheet when everything is complete.

Closure:
Reiterate what the students have learned about Susan B. Anthony.
Part 3 Harriet Tubman
Accessing Prior Knowledge:
Ask students what they remember about Susan B. Anthony.

Closure:
Students will share what they learned.

Students will copy the same information onto their web about
Fredrick Douglass. When finished, students will independently
complete a reading comprehension worksheet about the text.
This will help struggling students to comprehend the text
better. Accelerated students will create a timeline about
Fredrick Douglass when finished.

Accessing Prior Knowledge:

Students will recall their prior knowledge about that hero.
Engage in the video and build prior knowledge.

Accessing Prior Knowledge:

Students will recall their prior knowledge about that hero.

edTPA Lesson Plan Template: Elementary Education Program (EEP) College of Education University of Hawaii at Manoa

Show a BrainPop video about Harriet Tubman and share a

discussion about her. Read Harriet Tubman Hero of the
Underground Railroad by Lori Mortensen.

Engage in the video and story to build prior knowledge.

Mini Lesson/Informal Assessment (YOU DO):

Teacher will model and go over the instructions of the Strips Activity,
and assign students into small groups.

Mini Lesson/Informal Assessment:

Students will work together to sequence the strips of paper
from the short reading about Harriet Tubman. Next, students
will read the passage as a group and practice note-taking
strategies, underlining important information. Then students
will transfer their information onto a cluster web. When
finished, students will complete a reading comprehension
worksheet to do independently. Accelerated students may
create a timeline on the back of their worksheet when
everything is complete.

Closure:
Reiterate what the students have learned about Harriet Tubman and
the note-taking strategies they practiced.
Part 4 Cesar Chavez
Accessing Prior Knowledge:
Ask students what they remember about Harriet Tubman.
Read aloud Cesar Chavez A Leader for Change by Eric
Charlesworth. When finished, share a short discussion about what
they learned about Cesar Chavez after listening to the story. Show a
BrainPop about Cesar Chavez.

Closure:
Students will share what they learned.

Mini Lesson/Formal Assessment (YOU DO):

Read the short passage about Cesar Chavez to the class. Explain
that students will be practicing their note-taking strategies and cluster
web activity independently. Teacher will work with struggling students
who may need support.

Mini Lesson/Informal Assessment:

Students will independently read the passage and take notes,
underlining important information. Students will then transfer
information onto their cluster web. When completed, students
will do a reading comprehension worksheet. Accelerated
students may create a timeline on the back of their worksheet
when everything is complete.

Closure:
Reiterate what the students have learned about Cesar Chavez.
Explain that for the informative report, students will need to choose
one hero they want to learn more about.

Closure:
Students will share what they learned. Students will then write
the name of the person they want to learn more about onto an
index card.

Accessing Prior Knowledge:

Students will recall their prior knowledge about that hero.
Engage in the text and build prior knowledge.

Instructional Materials and Resources

Part 1 Fredrick Douglass
Of Thee I Sing a Letter to my Daughters book by Barack Obama
Strips of paper for timeline activity
A Picture Book of Fredrick Douglass book by David A. Adler
Laptop: access to BrainPop
Reading passage about Fredrick Douglass
Cluster web
Comprehension worksheet
Part 2 Susan B. Anthony
Laptop: access to BrainPopJr.
Reading passage about Susan B. Anthony
Cluster web
edTPA Lesson Plan Template: Elementary Education Program (EEP) College of Education University of Hawaii at Manoa

 Comprehension worksheet
Part 3 Harriet Tubman
Laptop: access to BrainPopJr.
Harriet Tubman book by Lori Mortensen
Reading passage about Harriet Tubman in strips of paper
Cluster web
Comprehension worksheet
Part 4 Cesar Chavez
Cesar Chavez A Leader for Change book by Eric Charlesworth
Laptop: access to BrainPop
Reading passage about Cesar Chavez
Cluster web
Comprehension worksheet
Index cards

edTPA Lesson Plan Template: Elementary Education Program (EEP) College of Education University of Hawaii at Manoa

Lesson 2

Title
Prewriting/Research Stage
Grade Level

Subject

Unit of Study

3
Language Arts
Writing an Informational Report
Overview
This lesson provides a brief introduction of the different stages of the writing process when producing an informational report. It also
guides students in understanding the prewriting/research stage of the writing process for their civil rights report through explicit
modeling and scaffolding. Students will be researching more information of their chosen topic/hero with the provided resources. They
will also be adding to the cluster web that they created from the previous lesson and organize it into three subtopics.
Content Standard(s)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Learning Objective(s)

Students will understand the prewriting/research stage of the writing process.

Students will choose one hero they are interested in to write about in their report.
Students will apply the note-taking strategies from the previous lesson when researching new information.
Students will be able to analyze their information and add to their cluster web.
Students will be able to categorize their cluster web into three subtopics (early life, accomplishments, later years).

Informal and Formal Assessments

Informal:
Choral response
Organization of final cluster web
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
Teacher Will:
Lesson Introduction:
Explain that they are going to learn how to write an informational
report using our knowledge of civil rights leaders/heroes. The
purpose for this writing is to summarize factual information from
research and to share what you have learned.

Student Will:

Vocabulary Review:
Go over the different stages of the writing process using the anchor
chart and explain each stage.
1. Prewriting/Research
2. Drafting
3. Revising
4. Proofreading/Editing
edTPA Lesson Plan Template: Elementary Education Program (EEP) College of Education University of Hawaii at Manoa

5. Publishing
Explain that they will be focusing on the prewriting stage of the writing
process today.
Learning Activity/Informal Assessment:
Explain that students will be researching more information on their
chosen topic/hero and will continue to add to their cluster web.
Teacher will model how to categorize the cluster webs from previous
lessons into three subtopics (early life, accomplishments, later years).
Assign students to their designated groups to continue their research
and work on their cluster web. Conference with struggling students
who may need support.

Learning Activity/Informal Assessment:

Students will work in their stations and continue to research
their civil rights heroes. Students will also add to their cluster
web and organize it into three subtopics. Accelerated students
can organize information on index cards after completing the
cluster web.

Instructional Materials and Resources

Anchor chart of Writing Process
Cluster web
Resources for research
Index cards

Lesson 3
edTPA Lesson Plan Template: Elementary Education Program (EEP) College of Education University of Hawaii at Manoa

Title
Drafting Stage
Grade Level

Subject

Unit of Study

3
Language Arts
Writing an Informational Report
Overview
This lesson guides students in understanding the drafting stage of the writing process. It also provides explicit instruction of how to
write an appropriate introduction and conclusion paragraph for an informational report. Students will be using an outline template to
organize all of their ideas. When completed, students will begin writing the first draft of their hero report. Students will not worry so
much about making mistakes. They will, however, add more details if new ideas are generated along the way.
Content Standard(s)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Learning Objective(s)

Students will understand the drafting stage of the writing process.

Students will learn how to write an introduction and conclusion paragraph.
Students will be able to organize all of their information paragraphs.
Students will be able to use their outline to write the first draft of their paper.

Informal and Formal Assessments

Informal:
Choral response
Outlines for introduction, conclusion, and information paragraphs
Formal:
Students will complete a first draft. It will include an introduction paragraph, three informational paragraphs, and a conclusion
paragraph.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
Teacher Will:
Lesson Introduction:
Explain that they will begin outlining and drafting their research
report. Remind students that their task is to write an information
paragraph and that the purpose is to share facts about the topic.

Student Will:

Mini Lesson Creating an Introduction:

Explain that the introductory paragraph is important because it tells
the reader about what is coming up in the whole paper.
It encourages curiosity and interest in the topic and makes the
reader want to read the paper.
Define lead starts with a question, grabs the readers attention
using emotion and senses, share an amazing or unusual fact.
It lets the reader know what information will be presented in the
edTPA Lesson Plan Template: Elementary Education Program (EEP) College of Education University of Hawaii at Manoa

research report (main ideas/subtopics).

Show students an example of how to organize an introduction
paragraph on an outline using the Cluster Web from Lesson 2.
Mini Lesson Organizing Information Paragraphs:
Show students an example of how to organize their information
paragraphs (subtopics) on the provided outline.

Independent Work/Informal Assessment:

Complete the outline handouts on organizing the introduction
paragraphs and the body paragraphs.

Mini Lesson Creating a Conclusion:

Explain that the conclusion paragraph is a summary of what you have
written about in your research.
Show students an example of how to organize a conclusion
paragraph on an outline.

Independent Work/Informal Assessment:

Complete the outline handout on organizing the conclusion
paragraph.

Teacher will have some students share their introduction and

conclusion paragraphs to the class to provide other students with
additional support.
Mini Lesson Drafting:
Explain that once they finish organizing their outline, they may begin
writing their first draft. Share that they may use their outline to help
write their topic sentence and detail sentences. They should not have
to worry about making mistakes yet because they will have time to
make changes.
Model for students how they could complete draft one, using the
class example. Note that they will need to skip lines to leave room for
revisions, which is the next part of the writing stage.

Independent Work/Formal Assessment

Use the outline handouts to complete the first draft on folder
paper. They will also add more details if new ideas are
generated along the way.

Instructional Materials and Resources

Anchor chart of Writing Process
Cluster web from previous class
Organizing introduction paragraph outline handout
Organizing conclusion paragraph outline handout
Organizing information paragraphs outline handout
Folder paper

Lesson 4

edTPA Lesson Plan Template: Elementary Education Program (EEP) College of Education University of Hawaii at Manoa

Title
Revising/Editing Stage
Grade Level

Subject

Unit of Study

3
Language Arts
Writing an Informational Report
Overview
This lesson guides students in understanding what happens in the revising and editing stage of the writing process. After explicit
instruction and modeling, students will be able to practice how to revise and edit information paragraphs with a partner. Once students
are familiar with using the editors marks and revising/editing paragraphs, students will then begin revising/editing their own papers.
They will use the Student Writing Checklist to help guide them in the process of editing their first draft as well as their peers first draft.
Content Standard(s)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Learning Objective(s)

Students will understand what happens in the revising and editing stage of the writing process.
Students will become familiar of the different editors marks.
Students will be able to use the editors marks to revise and edit information paragraphs.
Students will be able to use a writing checklist to guide them in proofreading their first draft.

Informal and Formal Assessments

Informal:
Choral Response
Partner work
Formal:
Students will revise and edit the first draft of their informational report. They will use the Student Writing Checklist as a guide to
see if they have completed everything.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
Teacher Will:
Lesson Introduction/Vocabulary Review:
Explain that they will begin revising and editing the first draft of their
research report. Remind students that their task is to write an
information paragraph and that the purpose is to share facts about
the topic.

Student Will:

Define revision as seeing again. Explain why it is important (to

clarify ideas) and how it differs from editing. Have students think of
ARMS and explain what it means.
A Add sentences and words
R Remove unneeded words or sentences
M Move a sentence or word placement
S Substitute words or sentences for others
Define editing as making your writing readable. Explain that it focuses
edTPA Lesson Plan Template: Elementary Education Program (EEP) College of Education University of Hawaii at Manoa

mainly on the conventions or mechanics of the writing. Have students

think of COPS and explain what it means.
C Capitalizations: sentences, names, places, months, titles, I
O Organization: usage of words
P Punctuation: . ? ! ,
S Spelling: Check all words, use your resources
Review the different editing marks when revising and editing.
Mini Lesson/Informal Assessment:
Introduce the proofreading activity. Go over the directions and model
how to complete the Proofreading for Punctuation and Capital
Letters worksheet. Have students complete the rest on the there
own, and then review/make corrections as a class.
Next, go over the directions of how the Proofreading an Information
Paragraph worksheet. Assign students with a partner to complete
this worksheet, then come together as a class and review what
changes students made.
Formal Assessment:
Explain that students will now revise and edit the first draft of their
hero report. Model how to revise and edit a paper by using a student
example first draft. Teacher will then model how to use the Student
Writing Checklist to show students if they have completed everything
in the editing/revising stage. Next, teacher will go over the
instructions of peer reviewing a peers first draft and model what to
do. The peer will read over their partners work and check yes or no
on the Student Writing Checklist.

Informal Assessment:
Students will work independently in the first proofreading
activity. In the second proofreading activity, students will
complete the worksheet with a partner.

Formal Assessment:
Students will edit/revise their own paper using the Student
Writing Checklist, then exchange their papers with a fellow
student to do peer-edits.

Instructional Materials and Resources

Anchor chart of Writing Process
Anchor chart of revision and editing
Editing Marks worksheet
Proofreading worksheets
Student Writing Checklist

Lesson 5

Title
edTPA Lesson Plan Template: Elementary Education Program (EEP) College of Education University of Hawaii at Manoa

Publishing Stage
Grade Level

Subject

Unit of Study

3
Language Arts
Writing an Informational Report
Overview
This lesson guides in understanding what happens in the publishing stage of the writing process. Through explicit instructions, students
will begin writing the final copy of their informational report along with illustrations.
Content Standard(s)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Learning Objective(s)

Students will understand what happens in the publishing stage of the writing process.
Students will be able to complete a final copy of their informational report neatly using the provided template.
Students will be able to create illustrations that match the paragraphs in the report.

Informal and Formal Assessments

Formal:
Students will use a template to write the final copy of their civil rights hero research report neatly. They will also make illustrations
to match their paragraphs.
Rubric:
ME
MP
DP
Clearly introduces a topic
Discusses a topic
Discusses a topic but strays from Does not clear
Topic is well researched and
Topic is supported with facts,
it at times
topic
Topic is weak and does not seem No facts prese
developed with facts, definitions
definitions, and/or details mostly
and/or details
related to topic
well-researched
topic
All related information about the
Most related information about
Some related information about
Lack of organiz
topic is grouped together
the topic is grouped together
the topic is grouped together, but Uses no linking
Effectively uses linking words to
Uses some linking words to
some is out of order
related ideas
Uses few linking words to connect Makes many s
connect related ideas
connect related ideas
Is free or almost free of errors
Has minor errors that do not
related ideas
Is difficult to re
Makes errors that confuse the
Is easy to read, neat, and
confuse the reader
poor format or
Is mostly easy to read and mostly
reader
consistently formatted
Is not always easy to read
consistent
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
Teacher Will:
Lesson Introduction:
Explain that publishing is the final stage of the writing process when
producing an informational text or any text. Go over the publishing
checklist with students:
1. Copy your paragraphs neatly.
2. Check to see that nothing has been left out.
3. Be sure that there are no mistakes.

Student Will:

edTPA Lesson Plan Template: Elementary Education Program (EEP) College of Education University of Hawaii at Manoa

Independent Work/Formal Assessment:

Write their final draft neatly and make all corrections. They will
also draw any illustration that goes along with the informational
paragraphs.
Instructional Materials and Resources
Publishing Checklist
Final draft templates
Rubrics

edTPA Lesson Plan Template: Elementary Education Program (EEP) College of Education University of Hawaii at Manoa