Introduction Week

Week one: Plan #1 of 3

Plan type: Summary
Context:
Grade level: 9th
Length of lesson: 90 minutes
Theme: Exploring Commonalities and Introducing Classroom Expectations and
Routines
Critical Learning Objectives
SWBAT:
Cognitive (know/understand):
1. Students will know general classroom expectations and routines.
2. Students will know the names of and some information about their peers and
teacher.
Affective (feel/value) and/or Non-Cognitive:
3. Students will understand that, though each person brings unique background,
experience, and perspective to our class, we have commonalities.
Performance (do):
4. Students will collaborate to write norms for Quiet-Attentive-Listening.
5. Students will be able to share their personal interests and learning preferences with
their teacher.
6. Students will be able to set up and know how to use a personal blog site.
Related SOLs:
7.1
The student will participate in and contribute to conversations,
group discussions, and oral presentations.
a) Communicate ideas and information orally in an organized and
succinct manner.
b) Ask probing questions to seek elaboration and clarification of ideas.

9.6
The student will develop narrative, expository, and persuasive writings for a variety
of audiences and purposes.
i) Use computer technology (to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writing).
CCSs:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,
and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building
on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Methods of Assessment:

Diagnostic:
Interest inventories will serve as the main formal (meaning collected formally, but it
will be ungraded) diagnostic assessment. This will give the teacher an idea about
how students are entering the class in terms of what they like, what their preferred
learning environments are, a little bit about who they are, and finally, how they are
approaching this year in the English classroom. (Objective 5)
Formative:
Students will illustrate their progress in knowing the classroom expectations and
routines during step 3 of class. As the teacher goes over classroom routines, she will
pause after explaining each expectation/routine. Students will take 20-30 seconds
to explain the expectation/routine and its significance to a partner. The teacher will
circulate and listen to students explanations, specifically looking to see if students
are explaining the expectations/routines accurately. The teacher will re-explain if
necessary. (Obj.1)

Students will illustrate their progress towards getting to know their classmates and
their unique qualities: as students play Train Wreck and Common Threads, the
teacher will assess how the students are relating to each other by listening to and
observing student interactions. During the Common Threads game, students will
again share individual facts, but before they share, they will have to connect it to
something the previous peer shared. This requires students to think of ways they
are connected to their peers while using the web as a visual representation. The
teacher will observe the students as they play Common Threads, assessing the
frequency and depth of student connections of similarities. (Obj. 2 and 3)

Students will illustrate their progress on learning to collaborate during Step 4. Part
of the Quiet-Attentive-Listening activity asks students to write ideas on sticky notes
and place them on a large t-chart (Looks Like/Feels Like chart). The teacher will read
the sticky notes as students bring them up and plan to fill in gaps when going over
the lists as a whole class. After this class period, the teacher will write the Q-A-L
norms onto the chart to display in the classroom. Students will reference these
norms throughout the year. (Obj. 4)

Students will illustrate their progress in learning to listen quietly and attentively
during the Common Threads activity: as students speak, the teacher will informally
observe students QAL listening behavior, as well as how the students listen
carefully to their peers in order to make connections. If necessary, the teacher will
refer students back to the norms, as a reminder of how the students should be
listening. (Obj. 4)

Students will illustrate their ability to set up and use a blog as they create blogs (with the teachers
guidance) during class. During class, the teacher will circulate to make sure students have created their
blogs, and she will check in with each student individually to make sure they have their blogs set up.
Also, for homework, students are asked to personalize their blog, if they wish, and also to post about their
current favorite song: by posting a response to the homework prompt, students will demonstrate that they
learned how to use blogs to publish a new post. (Obj. 6)
Summative:

N/A

Materials Needed:
Ball of twine/string
Composition Books (provided by the teacher)
Post-It Notes
Post-It Paper
Laptops (provided by the school)
Internet
Interest Inventories
Procedures/Instructional Strategies
Beginning Room Arrangement: The class is currently set up in a large circle.
[Changes in this arrangement that become necessary later will be noted in the
plan]
Welcome (10 minutes):
The teacher will greet students at the door as they come into class. Chairs/desks
will be arranged in a large circle in preparation for Train Wreck. A Do Now will be
posted on the board for students to follow (Do Now: Good morning students! Please
come in and choose a seat in the circle. Please store your belongings underneath
your seat and introduce yourself to whoever sits next to you.). The teacher will
greet students at the door as they come into class, instructing them to follow the
directions on the board. As class starts, the teacher will greet the class officially,
introducing herself and checking with students that they are in the right classroom.
(2 minutes)
She will take a couple of minutes to take role (as she finds each student, she will
make eye contact with them and start to memorize his/her face). (6 minutes)
The teacher will then introduce the class (title, subject, etc.) and go over the days
agenda and theme (Exploring Commonalities and Introducing Basic Expectations
and Routines). She will briefly share about her background (first year teacher from
UVA, grew up in Northern Virginia, loves to travel, etc.) (2 minutes)
Opening to Lesson:
Step 2: Train Wreck (10 minutes):
Now that the students know a little about the teacher, the teacher will introduce a
game in which the students can learn about one another. Before the game begins,
everyone will say their name. Then, the teacher will explain Train Wreck: everyone
will start near their respective spots in the circle while the teacher stands in the
center of the circle. The teacher will start by saying her name and sharing
something about herself. She will frame it using the phrase switch if The teacher
will explain that things shared can be likes, dislikes, fun facts, experiences, etc. For

example, the teacher could say, Hi, my name is Ms. Wolf. Switch if you love going
to the beach. After the teacher says this, everyone who loves going to the beach
has to find a new seat, including the teacher. Who is left over (did not find a seat
before everyone else did) will end up in the middle (ideally, a student). Then, the
student will say his/her name and share a fact about him/herself using the phrase
switch if Everyone who shares this like/dislike/fun fact/experience will find a new
seat. Train Wreck is called at a time that asks all students to get up and switch:
the last person standing is in the middle. (2 minutes)
The game will go for about eight minutes. Trainwreck will allow students share about
themselves to the whole class while discovering what they have in common with
other students. (8 minutes)
Main Lesson:

Step 3: Go Over Basic Classroom Routines (10 minutes)

Still in the big circle, the teacher will then state that, now that the class has learned
a little about what they have in common with one another, it is only fitting to learn
about how their physical commonality the shared learning space! will work. The
teacher will explain that the following expectations/routines will help the classroom
run smoothly. The teacher will explain the following expectations/routines:
Silent Hand Raise Whenever the teacher needs to have the class attention, the
teacher will raise her hand. When students notice that the teachers hand is raised,
they are quiet and also raise their hands to help other students know that it is time
to be quiet and pay attention. The teacher will challenge students to get quiet as
fast as they can. Students will practice by chatting and watching for the teacher to
raise her hand. (3 minutes)
Do Now When students come into class a Do-Now will be posted at the front of the
classroom. This will tell students what they should be doing at the start of class and
where they can find needed materials. The teacher will explain this procedure,
referring to the Do Now from the beginning of class as an example. After explaining,
students will turn to a partner and explain how the Do-Now will work each class
period. The teacher will listen in and re-explain if necessary. (3 minutes)
Composition Books The teacher will hand out purchased composition notebooks to
the students and explain that the students will complete classwork and note-taking
in their composition notebooks. Periodically, the teacher will collect composition
books to grade. Students are responsible for making sure they keep up with
assignments, even when absent, and they will store their composition books in a file
cabinet in the classroom. After the teacher explains this procedure, students will
write their names on the notebook and then turn to the student sitting on their
other side and explain how composition books will work. The teacher will listen in,
collect notebooks, and re-explain if necessary. (3 minutes)
Step 4: Quiet-Attentive-Listening (15 minutes)
As another aspect of learning classroom expectations and routines, the students will

now learn about and establish norms for Quiet-Attentive-Listening. Still in a circle,
the teacher will introduce the next expectation the class will discuss: what it looks
like to listen quietly and attentively when someone is talking. She will ask students
to identify the student sitting to their left (students will re-introduce themselves):
the teacher will say they are now partners. The teacher will distribute Sticky Notes
to each pair (two different colors). Next, the teacher will direct students attention to
a large t-chart posted on the board. One side says, Looks like and the other says,
Sounds Like. The teacher will ask students what teachers and students should do
when they listen carefully to someone who is speaking during a discussion. On one
color, students will write what this would look like. On the other color, they will
write what this would sound like. As they finish, they will bring their Sticky Notes
up to the chart and place them on the appropriate side. (8 minutes)
The teacher will lead the class in a short discussion to go over the sticky notes. After
the discussion, the teacher will write the norms onto the chart and keep it posted in
the classroom for students to reference throughout the year. If there are any norms
the teacher had in mind that the students did not brainstorm, the teacher will
suggest these. The teacher will label the chart: Expectations for Quiet-AttentiveListening. (7 minutes)
Step 5: Common Threads Game (12-15 minutes)
The teacher says the students will now have an opportunity to practice QAL through
participating in another icebreaker game, Common Threads. The teacher will need a
ball of twine or string for this game. The teacher will start with the string. She will
share one small fact about her life, or a personal interest. Students will think of a
way to connect to what the teacher shares. Students will raise their hand when they
have thought of a connection. The teacher will choose a student and toss the string
while holding on to the end of the string. Then, the student with the string will share
a small fact or personal interest. Other students will think of a way to connect and
raise their hands. The student will choose another student, preference given to
students who have not had the string yet, and pass the ball of string while still
holding on to part of it. The object is to have all students share something, creating
a web that shows we are all connected through each other. (12-15 minutes)
Step 6: Setting Up and Explaining Blogs (15 minutes)
The teacher will then announce that they are going to take a stretch break and
rearrange the room: flashing up a seating chart, the teacher will introduce what it
looks like to sit in Learning Arrangement 1 (assigned seats in small groups of four).
The students will move their desks, introduce themselves to their table mates, take
out their laptop computers, and pull up the internet. (5 minutes)

The teacher will then introduce the blogs students will keep throughout the year, explaining it
and its purposes (especially that, for their first unit, the blog will be used to help the students plan

and write their first significant piece of writing). The teacher will lead the students in setting up
their blogs, circulating as students follow the steps, to make sure each student is getting the blog
set up correctly. The teacher will then go down the roster and make sure every student has set up
their blog. (10 minutes)
Step 7: Interest Inventory (16-18 minutes)
The teacher will then ask students to close their computers and introduce
themselves to the students at their table. While the students do this, the teacher
will distribute Interest Inventories. (1 minute)
The teacher will explain that the students will individually complete the interest
inventory, an ungraded survey that helps the teacher to get to know the students.
The teacher asks the student to please write thoroughly and honestly. She assures
the students that she will be the only one to read the inventories. (1 minute)
The students will then take the interest inventory for fifteen minutes to work. While
the students work, the teacher stores away the composition notebooks. She also
sets up her computer to walk students through how to personalize their blogs and
start a new post. At the end of fifteen minutes, if the students have not finished, the
teacher will collect the inventories at the end of fifteen minutes. If some students
have not finished, the teacher will have to find a time in the coming two days to let
the students finish. (15 minutes)
Closure:
Step 8: Wrap Up and First Blog Assignment
The teacher asks students to pass the interest inventories to the front. In the last
five minutes of class, she walks students through their first blog assignment
(Prompt: Make your personal blog your own by changing the characteristics of this
blog to better match your personal tastes and preferences. Please also publish your
first blog post! The content of your post will consist of 1) your current favorite song,
and 2) any questions you have about this class. If you do not have any questions,
please write, I do not have any questions at this time.). The teacher will show
students how to personalize their blogs and start a new post. (3 minutes)
The teacher will then explain that she expects students to wait to pack up and get
ready to leave until she has dismissed class each day. She asks them to practice
being still and waiting for her to dismiss them. The students sit and wait. Then she
asks them to pack up and get ready to leave when the bell rings, dismissing them.
(2 minutes)

Introductory Week: Lesson Plan Two

Week one: Plan #2 of 3
Context:
Grade level: 9
Length of lesson: 90 minutes
Lesson Plan goal: Creating a Respectful and Collaborative Classroom Team
Objectives:
SWBAT:
Cognitive (know/understand):
1. Students will know what to do while they are waiting for peers to finish their class
work.
2. Students will understand the importance of working collaboratively and supportively
with peers.
Affective (feel/value) and/or Non-Cognitive:
3. Students will understand that the classroom is a supportive space for learning and
growing.
4. Students will understand that they are part of a team in the classroom and that
their actions and words have an impact on those around them.
Performance (do):
5. Students will be able to sit patiently and quietly in class.
6. Students will be able to consider what makes them individual and create a postcard
to display this information.
Related SOLs:
9.1 The student will make planned oral presentations independently and
in small groups.
b) Use relevant details to support main ideas.
c) Illustrate main ideas through anecdotes and examples.
CCSs:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,
and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building
on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Assessments:

Diagnostic:
N/A
Formative:

As students complete the Silent-Patient-Waiting activity the teacher will facilitate

student responses and create a classroom list of Silent-Patient-Waiting norms that
will be posted in the classroom for students to reference throughout the year. The
teacher will use this activity as a way to assess how well students understand the
concept of SPW, and she will have students practice SPW throughout the Home
Court activity as a way to assess how well the students are internalizing SPW norms.
(Objective 1, 5)
The Home Court activity will emphasize the importance of collaboration and trust in
the classroom. Students will work together and self-reflect on ways to make this
happen. The teacher will observe and participate in conversations, informally
assessing for students understanding of collaboration, teamwork, and how their
words and actions impact the class. During the final discussion of Home Court, the
group reflection, the teacher will especially be assessing how the general class
seems to have understood (and accepted) the concept of treating learning in the
classroom as a collaborative team effort. (Objs. 2, 3, 4)
The teacher will collect students writing responses to the prompt posed in Part E of
Home Court. The teacher will read and provide feedback on these responses, using
these responses as a way to assess how individual students have internalized the
concept of treating the classroom as a mutually-supportive Home Court. (Objs. 2
and 3)
Students will brainstorm ideas for and create a Post Card which displays things that
make individual students unique. This performative assignment will enable students
to share with the teacher and class their understanding of the things which make
them individually unique. (Obj. 6)

Summative:
N/A

Materials Needed:
Student Interest Inventories from the day before
Index Cards (5x8)
Scrap Paper
Post-It Paper
Computer Paper, markers, colored pencils
Lined Paper
3 baskets
Students Composition Notebooks
Procedures/Instructional Strategies
Beginning Room Arrangement: The class is currently set up in 5 pods of 4 desks
(Learning Arrangement 1)
[Changes in this arrangement that become necessary later will be noted in the
plan]
Welcome:
Step 1: Do Now (5-8 minutes)
As students come into the classroom, the teacher will greet them at the door and

remind them to follow the Do Now instructions written on the board. Students will
be expected to begin working on their Do Now as soon as they come into the
classroom, and they will work for the first five minutes of class on the Do Now. When
the bell rings, the teacher will remind the students to keep working, and she will
also explicitly point out where the desk in the back is that students can pull their
interest inventories from. The Do Now prompt is:
Do Now: Please find your assigned seat from yesterday (see the projector if you
forgot where it is). Please also write the following things on the index card on
your desk:
Your name
1 thing you expect to have in common with 75% of the class
1 thing you expect to have in common with 50% of the class
1 thing you expect to have in common with 25% of the class
1 thing you expect is unique to you
If you finish early and did not finish your interest inventory yesterday, please pick up your inventory
from one of the baskets on the desk at the back of the room.
The seating chart will be projected on the board. If students finish early, they will
work on finishing their interest inventory. If students have finished their inventory,
they will have the option of personalizing their blogs a little more. At the back of the
room there will be a desk with three baskets on top of it: one basket with the
students Interest Inventories, one basket with pieces of scrap paper, and one
basket with lined paper on it. Extra index cards will also be on the desk. (5-7
minutes)
**As students work, the teacher will check in with individual students about
completing their first homework assignment (the blog post).
After the students have finished writing on their index cards, the teacher will collect
the cards and explain that she intends to create a getting-to-know-you game out of
the cards that will help the class get to know one another even more. She says that,
starting tomorrow, she will read from three cards and have the class learn if 75, 50,
25, and 0% of the class shares or does not share as much as the students thought.
Essentially, the teacher just takes this time to contextualize the Do Now. The
teacher is collecting them first so she can read through what was written. (1
minute)
Step 2: Welcome (5 minutes)
After the students have completed the Do Now (working for five to eight minutes),
the teacher will greet them. The greeting will consist of a hello, three minutes of
going through the roster and reviewing students names, and establishing the
agenda for the day. The teacher will mention that the desk in the back will always
have the days materials atop it. The teacher will have the students get up and
collect a piece of scrap and lined paper, and then the students will return to their
seats.
Opening to Lesson:
Step 3: Silent Patient Waiting Activity (10 minutes)

To start class, the teacher will explain that they will discuss the routine for how
students should act when they finish something and the rest of the class is not yet
ready to move on. The teacher will give the definition of Silent Patient Waiting. (2
minutes)
The students will then work with a partner to brainstorm examples of what SPW
should look like. The teacher will make it clear to the students that they should
make a list of examples that reflect what students should do when they finish both
independent AND group work in the class. The students will use a scrap sheet of
paper to write down their ideas. Students will brainstorm for four minutes. (4
minutes)
The teacher will have a large piece of Post-It paper posted on the board with a
Looks Like/Feels Like t-chart (like from the day prior with the Quiet-AttentiveListening chart). When students have finished brainstorming, they will share their
ideas with the class. The teacher will make a master list on the board, and she will
add anything she thinks the students have not come up with (anchor activities, for
example she will explain anchor activities by giving the example of working on the
interest inventory during the Do Now, once students had completed their index
cards). The teacher will keep this list of norms posted next to the Quiet-AttentiveListening chart, and the students can students reference it throughout the year. (4
minutes)
Main Lesson:
Step 4: Student Post Cards (20 minutes)
The teacher thanks the students for their help with creating considerate classroom
norms, and she says that, while it is important to have aspects of the classroom that
reflect the classroom policies, it is also to have aspects of the classroom that reflect
individual students themselves. Thus, they will complete a creative assignment in
which all students will create a post card that represents personal aspects that are
important to them. The teacher introduces this assignment and how students will
complete it. (3 minutes)
Using colored pencils and markers, students will have a chance to start making their
Post Cards. The students will have the chance to draw on their Post Cards, or they
can use the computer to put pictures, quotes, or anything digital that they want.
Students who want to use their computers to design their Post Cards can use their
laptops; students who prefer to draw can do so. The teacher explains that the
students will have a little over fifteen minutes to design and create. What they do
not finish will be due in two class periods. (15-17 minuetes)
Step 5: Home Court Activity (45 mins.)
The teacher will then introduce the next activity as a multifaceted, critical part of
developing classroom community expectations and understandings. The teacher
will indicate that, while they have and will focus on what it means for each student
to be an individual, it is also crucial that the class understands what it means to be

A.

B.

C.

D.

a part of a classroom of individuals working together towards the common goal of

learning and growing. Students will need scrap paper and their composition
notebooks.
Introduction (2-3 minutes)
The teacher will start by introducing the overall activity, home court. The
teacher begins by asking students what they know about a sports teams
chances of winning at home vs. winning away. Students will presumably share
that most teams do better when they play on their home court. The teacher
will affirm this, and share that, statistically, teams win more games at home
than when they are away. This fact is consistent across sports and also
between amateur and professional players. The teacher will then ask the
students to think about different sports players and the fact that, in team
sports, it is best to play as a team, even when the team is composed of many
different players. The teacher will then suggest to students that the
classroom is a place for students to come together as a team of learners. The
teacher will remind students that there are many ways of thinking about a
team: that a team is not just about sports, but also dance teams, debate
teams, familiesand now the classroom.
Partner Brainstorm (5 minutes)
The teacher will ask students to turn to an elbow partner and brainstorm on
scrap paper and answer to the question: Why do you think teams perform
better when they play at home? The teacher will emphasize that
brainstorming means quantity over quality; they should write everything
down. The teacher will also encourage partners to write down everything
they think of (meaning: even if one partner does not agree with something
the other partner says, they should write it down).
Partner Prioritize (2-3 minutes)
Students will then work with the same partner to prioritize the list according
to how much they believe each reason actually affects a team (with number
one as the reason that makes the most difference, and so on). The students
will write their prioritized lists in the next clean page of their composition
notebooks.
Share Out/Norms (10 mins.)
The class will come together and share the reasons they came up with. (The
teacher will remind students to reference the Quiet-Attentive-Listening chart
during share out.) The class will go around to the pairs, each pair taking a
turn to read one of their ideas to the class. The direct instructions will be:
When it is your turn, read your number one idea. If that has already been
mentioned, read your number two, etc. If all of your ideas have been taken,
go back to your number one and read that. As you listen, check off the ones
that are mentioned and add new ones to your own list in your composition
notebook. Students will typically choose fan support and comfort with their
playing field as the top two reasons. After sharing out, the teacher will open
up class discussion to briefly talk about why these things function to improve
performance at home.

E. Writing Prompt (8 minutes)

Students will independently respond to the prompt: How can fan support
and a comfortable playing field translate to classroom support for each
student in this room? How can we create a home court advantage here? The
teacher will remind students to reference the Silent-Patient-Waiting list as
they finish up their writing, but she will encourage them to write as much as
they can in the time they have. (Students can return to their inventories, if
they need or want to)
F. Partner Share (5 mins.)
Students will turn to a different partner to share what they wrote during the
writing prompt. The teacher will observe and join these conversations.
G. Whole class reflection- (10 mins.)
As a class, the activity will end with a reflection on how individual students,
as well as the class, can work together to make the classroom a home court
for student success and learning. The class will come up with ways to do this,
especially focusing on ways students can collaborate and work together as a
team to make this happen. The teacher will record the ideas onto a piece of
Post-It paper, and at the end, the class will review the most important
strategies.
H. Closure- (1 min.)
After discussion, the students will turn in their written reflections to the
teacher for ungraded feedback. The students will also stack their composition
notes in the center of their desks.
Closure:
Step 6: Wrap-Up (5 minutes)
The teacher will thank the students for an excellent discussion, and say she looks
forward to seeing how their classroom continues to turn into a home court in the
next few weeks and months. The students will, at their tables, share for two minutes
how they foresee themselves implementing home court in the next few classes. (2
minutes)
The teacher will then make end-of-class announcements: they will take an ungraded
reading pre-assessment next class, their Post Card homework is due in two class
periods. The class will then go over the end-of-the-day procedure in which the
students do not pack up to leave until the teacher dismisses them. (2-3 minutes)

Week one: Plan #3 of 3

Plan type: Summary
Context:
Grade level: 9th
Length of lesson: 90 minutes
Theme: Reviewing Classroom Expectations and Routines, and Looking Ahead.
Critical Learning Objectives:
SWBAT:
Cognitive (know/understand):
1. Students will know general classroom expectations and routines.

U1: Students will understand that writing is a powerful tool of personal reflection and
communication.
a) Students will understand that personal writing is one way through which identity can
be expressed and communicated.
Affective (feel/value) and/or Non-Cognitive:
U4: Students will have a positive understanding of their identity.
b)
Students will become comfortable with celebrating their identity.
Performance (do):
2. Students will perform skits to illustrate their knowledge of classroom values of community, norms, and
procedures.
3. The students will be able to demonstrate their competency with critical reading.
U6: Students will understand that identity can be expressed in multiple ways, but especially through
writing.
a) Students will be able to analyze the concept of identity.
Related SOLs:
9.4
The student will read, comprehend, and analyze a variety of literary texts including narratives,
narrative nonfiction, poetry, and drama.
a) Identify authors main idea and purpose.
k) Analyze how an authors specific word choices and syntax achieve special effects and support
the authors purpose.
CCSs:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with
diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own
clearly.
Methods of Assessment:
Diagnostic:
Students will complete a writing pre-assessment that shows the teacher individual students
ability to identify an authors purpose for writing, infer how an author is feeling (based on what

they have written), characterize what an author is thinking (based on what they have written),
identify and discuss the effect of instances of figurative language in writing, discuss the effect of
two phrases, and analyze why an author communicated through their chosen form of writing
(personal writing). This pre-assessment will show the teacher what effect students believe
personal writing has on an authors purpose This pre-assessment will inform the teacher as she
plans for unit reading experiences, as well as in her instruction of personal writing. (Objectives
U1.a, 2, and U6.a)
Whole class discussion of the Jessie J. song will give the teacher insight into how positively
students feel about the concept of identity and being their selves, and therefore how positively
students might regard their own identity. This assessment will inform the teacher in how to frame
the many themes related to identity in the next unit. (Obj. U4.b)
During whole class discussion about identity, the teacher will assess the depth with which
students are thinking about these topics of identity and identity expression. The teacher will use
this information to inform how she continues to introduce identity in the coming lessons. (Objs.
U4.b and U6.a)

Formative:
N/A
Summative:
Students will demonstrate their understanding of classroom expectations and procedures when they write
and perform skits showing examples or non-examples of: Quiet-Attentive-Listening, Silent-PatientWaiting, Home Court, and Daily Classroom Routines. The teacher will take notes during each skit and
assess how well each group understands the classroom procedure they perform. Students will also show
individual understanding of classroom expectations and routines when they submit analysis charts on
each of the skits performed. (Objs. 1 and 2)
Materials Needed:
Class set of lyrics to Jessie J.s song Who You Are
Who is It? cards students filled out in the previous lesson
Critical reading pre-assessment
Summative Assessment Rubrics
Classroom Expectations and Routines Skit Analysis handout
Jessie J. music video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2WWrupMBAE&nohtml5=False )
Procedures/Instructional Strategies
Beginning Room Arrangement: The class is currently set up in 5 pods of 4 desks (Learning
Arrangement 1)
[Changes in this arrangement that become necessary later will be noted in the plan]
Welcome:
Step 1: Do Now (to be completed before bell)
As students come into the classroom, the teacher greets them at the door, reminding them to check the
board for their Do-Now. Do Now: Do Now: Please visit the desk in the back for a copy of the song lyrics
to Jessie J.s song Who You Are. Please bring the lyrics to your desk and silently read them. At the
bottom of the paper, answer the question: what message about being yourself is Jessie trying to give to
her listeners? Why do you think this? After the bell rings, the teacher will begin class, but the students
will save their lyrics.

Step 2: Welcome (2-3 minutes)

The teacher will greet the students and go over roll again (at this point, the teacher should know
everyones name!). The teacher will go over the agenda for the day, reminding students of their reading
pre-assessment. The teacher will tell the students that the day is dedicated to finishing up their first week
of school discussions, and then end the class by beginning their first unit.
Opening to Lesson:
Step 3: Who Is It? (7 minutes)
To break the ice and have some fun before the pre-assessment (and also to keep getting to know one
another as a class), the class will play Who Is It? using the cards the students filled out the day before.
The teacher will introduce the getting-to-know-you game, explaining that everyone will stand up and
gradually sit down when the details on the card do not apply to them. (1 minute)
The teacher will take the first card and ask every student to stand up. Without reading the name of the
student who wrote the card, the teacher will read out the first detail written on the card (one thing the
author believes 75% of the class will have in common). If the detail does not apply to any student, that
student will sit down. Next, the teacher will read the second detail on the card (one thing the author
believes 50% of the class will have in common). Any students to whom the detail does not apply will sit.
The teacher will read the next item (less than 25% of class have this thing in common), and students will
sit. If only one student is standing at this point, the class will know which student wrote the card. If there
are a few students left, the teacher will read the last thing, and presumably only the person who wrote the
card will be standing. The teacher will ask the student to explain the context of the last item (the thing that
is specific to that student). Then, the class will do two more cards. (5-6 minutes)
Main Lesson:
Step 4: Reading Pre-Assessment (30 minutes)
The teacher will preface the reading pre-assessment by explaining that the students are going to receive a
passage of writing, which they will read, answer questions about, and briefly write about. The teacher
explains that the assessment is not going to be graded, and the reason why students are taking it is so that
she (the teacher) can get an idea of their reading skills. The teacher explains that this will help her plan
her reading instruction to the students throughout the rest of the year. The teacher will then pass out the
pre-assessment, walk through each of the parts of it, and ask the students if they have any questions. (5
minutes)
The students will take the pre-assessment exam. As the students work, the teacher will be available to
answer questions. If she has not finished giving feedback to students on their Home Court responses from
the day before, she should finish those now so she can pass them back out to students. If students finish
before their time is up, they will return to the Do Now Jessie J. lyrics and answer the question at the
bottom. (20-25 minutes)
After students finish the pre-assessment, the teacher will collect it and invite students to stand up and

stretch. (1 minute)
Step 4: Summative Skits: (30-35 mins.)
The teacher will then ask students to remind her which classroom expectations and routines they have
discusses in the week. The teacher will write them on the board as the students remember, and the teacher
will then announce that they are going to review these expectations and routines by performing mini-skits
that are either examples or non-examples of how to fulfill those expectations and routines. The teacher
explains the assignment: in their groups, students will be assigned one of the classroom expectations or
routines, they will spend eight minutes brainstorming an example or non-example of the routine or
expectation, they will plan how to perform the example/non-example, and then they will perform. Some
specific guidelines the teacher should give include: every group member must play a role, the group
cannot explicitly say what their expectation/routine is (but the audience should be able to identify what
the group is acting out), and the skit should emphasizes the example or non-example in a fun, memorable
way. The teacher will mention that the students will be graded on how clearly they represent the
expectation or routine. The teacher should encourage students to ask her any questions they have about
expectations or routines. (3-4 minutes)
The teacher will go around and assign a classroom routine or expectation for the group to perform (either:
Quiet-Attentive-Listening, Silent-Patient-Waiting, Home Court, or Daily Classroom Routines). The group
will decide whether or not to perform an example or non-example of their assigned expectation/routine.
The group will then plan and write a 30 second one minute skit of the example/non-example. The
students will be encouraged to rehearse their skit. (5-8 minutes)
Before the skit performances happen, the teacher will explain the process: the skits will go, the class will
identify which expectation/routine the group performed, and students will individually analyze the skit on
a handout. The teacher passes out the Classroom Expectations/Routines Skit analysis handout and walks
students through how to fill it in (the handout has six columns: in the first row, students will put the
names of the skit presenters, in the second column the students will identify which expectation/routine the
group performed, in the third column the students will explain what happened in the skit, and in the fourth
column the students will write why the skit is an example or a non-example). The teacher will explain
how students should fill in the handout by walking students through the handout under the doc cam. (2
minutes)
Five groups will then perform the skits. Each skit (including transitioning up to the front of the class, the
class guessing about the routine/procedure and whether its an example or non-example, transitioning
back to seats) should take two minutes. Students will then have two minutes to complete a row filling in
the appropriate information about the skit performed. (20 minutes)
Step 5: Introducing Identity Unit (15-18 minutes)
For closure to the skit activity and the first week of school conversations, the teacher will thank the
students for their exciting skit presentations, and she will hand out Home Court feedback, making any
general comments she noticed regarding the sheets. She will assert that she is looking forward to the year
with the students, and she is glad they have been able to establish clear expectations that every student
seems to be on board with upholding. (2 minutes)
The teacher will then transition into an introduction of the next unit on identity. The teacher will begin by
playing the Jessie J. music video, prefacing it by saying that identity relates very closely to the question of
Who You Are. The teacher will remind students to follow along with the video by looking at the printed
lyrics. (4 minutes)

The teacher will then lead a discussion about the students responses to the Jessie J. question. Students
will share and the class will hopefully touch on the following (10 minutes):

Jessie J. encourages people to be who they are, and not worry about being perfect
Jessie J. says it is important to not give in to pressure to be like the celebrities around
It can be hard to feel confident about who you are: its a process
Many people struggle with Who they are and who they want to be = everybodys
bruising / its okay not to be okay. Why do we struggle with this?
Do the students agree with what Jessie is saying? Why?

**As the discussion unfolds, the teacher will take notes on the board of issues surrounding
identity that come up, as well as questions that come up. The teacher explains that she will
redistribute these questions and issues later in the unit. Notes will look something like the
following:
Issues Related to identity:
Figuring out who the self is
Staying true to ones self
Standards of perfection: meeting them or not measuring up
Fitting the mold holds people back from asserting themselves
There is pressure to be a certain way. This complicates being authentically ones self
Feeling confident in ones self is hard; a lot of people struggle with it
People feel like there are things wrong with who they are
It is easy to get caught up in comparison and focus on little parts of ourselves that are
not a certain way
Others perceptions of our identity can make us feel insecure
Questions related to identity:
Who am I?
Do I feel pressure to be somebody I am not?
Do I find it hard to be my true self?
Why do people struggle with being themselves?
Do we agree with Jessie J. that everybodys bruising because of self-identity
questions? Does everyone struggle with identity?
Is it important to be true to who you are?
Is it easy to be true to who you are?
How can we confidently be ourselves without caring about what others think?
Is it important to care about how others perceive you?
The teacher will close out discussion by addressing the fact that answering the question Who
You Are is only one part of an investigation of identity. She will tell the students that they will
use this unit to answer the question of Who You Are, but they will also return to these
questions of asserting ones self against the mold. (1 minute)
Closure:

Step 6: Wrap Up (5 minutes)

The teacher will then tell the students what to kind of identity-related conversations they can expect in the
coming classes. She shows the unit promo and introduces the units title, I Sing Celebrate Myself and I
Sing Myself. The teacher explains that the unit title is based on Walt Whitmans poem, and the title is
meant to set a positive tone for the unit: one of the goals of the unit is to support the students in getting to
a point at which they feel comfortable celebrating and singing themselves, like Walt Whitman. (4
minutes)
The teacher thanks the class for an awesome first week, and then reminds them that their Post Card
assignment is due next class. The teacher then dismisses the students on the condition that they come back
on ready to dive into the question of identity, as well as the question of their personal identities. (1
minute)