Lesson Plan for First Observation of Student Teaching

September 6, 2017
Teacher: Rachel Rhoades Period Length: 69 minutes
Lesson: #1 for Student Teaching Observation School: Rocky Top Middle School
Grade: 7th Content Area: English
Title: Writing Body Paragraph #1
Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson: (Write Content Standards directly from the
standard)
2.1.a.i: Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. (CCSS: RL.7.1)
2.1.a.ii: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over
the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. (CCSS: RL.7.2)
2.3.c: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate and general academic and domain-
specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or
phrase important to comprehension and expression. (CCSS: L.7.6)
3.3.a: Demonstrate a command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing. (CCSS: L.7.2)
o ii: Spell correctly. (CCSS: L.7.2b)
3.3.b: Demonstrate a command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and
usage when writing and speaking. (CCSS: L.7.1)
3.3.c: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading,
or listening. (CCSS: L.7.3)
o i. Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and
eliminating wordiness and redundancy. (CCSS: L.7.3a)
3.3.d: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (CCSS: W.7.4)
3.3.e: With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen
writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach,
focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (CCSS: W.7.5)
Objectives: (Big Ideas)
Students will know and be able to fill out the vocabulary square for the word
analyze and write notes that will help them remember this word throughout the
year. (Warm-up)
Students will know and be able to write their first body paragraph for their analytical
essay.
o This means that the students will know and be able to write all of the different
parts that go inside of a body paragraph including a topic sentence, textual
evidence, and using transition words correctly.
o This means that the students will know and be able to write their essay
answering only the question addressed to them in the prompt.
Students will know and be able to cite multiple pieces of textual evidence that will
support their analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text.
Materials: (Everything that the students will need to be successful in class)
Students will need:
o Chromebooks (for warmup)
o Pencil or pen
o Highlighter
o Doing the Right Thing packets
They will be looking specifically at the text, Doing the Right Thing
o Introduction Paragraph Worksheet
o 2 Body Paragraph #1 Worksheets:
One that is blank that they will fill out
One that has my example paragraph on it that they will annotate
Procedures: (Step by step through the lesson activities)
1. The beginning of the class period will be filling out the vocabulary square on the word
analyze.
a. The students will write the definition that I give to them. This definition is,
To examine carefully and in detail. It helps you identify causes, key factors,
and possible elements that are not explicitly answered inside of the text.
 b. The students will write 3-4 synonyms for the word analyze.
i. Some examples include: assay, break down, dissect, deconstruct
c. The students will write 3-4 antonyms for the word analyze.
i. Some examples include: aggregate, assimilate, integrate, synthesize
d. The students will write a sentence with the word analyze inside of it.
i. For example: She used her many tools to help her analyze the
evidence.
2. The students will then get between 20-25 minutes to work on their introduction
paragraph worksheets.
a. The students had the lesson on how to write the introduction paragraph on
Friday and they were given time in class to work on their worksheet. So we are
giving the students more time to work on the worksheet in class so that they
have our support while writing their paragraph.
b. When the students are working on the paragraphs, I will be walking around the
room answering any questions that the students have and also checking to
make sure that they are all on task.
3. I will pass out the 2 worksheets that the students need. I will also tell the students to
get out their Doing the Right Thing packets.
4. I will ask the students before we move on if there were any questions on the
introduction or anything that still confused them. If there are, I will answer those
before we move on. If there arent, then I will just move on.
5. I will tell the students that they have a copy of my example essay as a MODEL but
they are NOT allowed to take any part of my essay and put it into theirs because that
is considered plagiarism. We gave this to them because it will be helpful for them
while they are writing their body paragraphs on their own. They will be able to look at
my body paragraph, compare it to theirs, and see if they have everything that is inside
of my body paragraph.
6. I will have the students fill out the very top of the Body Paragraph 1 Worksheet where
it says Paragraph Checklist. There are 7 items that go in the boxes. (At this moment,
I am not explaining to the students what they are, but I am having them make a
 checklist so that they can see where all of these items are when we are annotating my
body paragraph).
a. Transition Word
b. Topic Sentence
c. Title and Author of Text
d. How did the character(s) do the right thing?
e. Where did the character(s) get the courage to do the right thing?
f. Text Evidence: 2-3 pieces
g. How does the evidence connect to the main idea of the paragraph?
7. We will read my example body paragraph before we start annotating like we have
done with the other texts that we have annotated.
8. We will start annotating my example body paragraph. (This is where I will go deeper
into what everything they put into the Paragraph Checklist is.) I will show them my
color coded annotated copy before we start so they can see that I did use everything
that is in the Paragraph Checklist on their papers.
a. I will reread the first sentence of my paragraph.
i. I will explain that there are 2 different parts of this sentence that are
needed in their paragraphs; the transition words and the topic sentence.
1. I will have the students turn to look at the back board where
there will be a list of transition words and the definition of what
a transition word is on it. I will give the definition of a
transition word; Transitions are words and/or phrases that
provide a connection between ideas, sentences, and paragraphs.
Transitions help make a piece of writing flow better. I will
then highlight the first example in my body paragraph
because that is the transition word and discuss it with the kids.
2. We will then move on to what the topic sentence is. I will have
the students once again turn to the backboard where there will
be the definition of what a topic sentence is on it. The definition
is, A topic sentence is a sentence that captures the meaning of
the entire paragraph or group of sentences. It tells us what the
 passage is mainly about. I will then highlight the topic
sentence from my example body paragraph and discuss it in
front of the kids.
b. I will read the second sentence of my paragraph.
i. I will show the kids the title of the text and the author in my sentence
and highlight it. I will explain to them that they need to tell the
audience what text you are discussing and who wrote it. I will also
explain that in each paragraph, they should only be discussing ONE of
the three texts.
ii. I will then tell them that they need to be writing their essays as if the
person who will be reading it has never read the text before. That is
why having the sentence like my second one is important.
c. I will read the third sentence of my paragraph.
i. I will highlight the sentence and show the kids how I answered the
question of what the football players did that was the right thing.
d. I will read the fourth sentence of my paragraph.
i. I will highlight the quote of the sentence and explain to the kids how
my text makes sense with what I have already said. I will explain how
the textual evidence always needs to make sense with what has already
been said in the paragraph or else it doesnt help what the kids are
trying to prove.
ii. I will also go over what the punctuation of the quote should look like.
iii. I will explain to them that there MUST be at least 2-3 different pieces
of textual evidence in EACH body paragraph.
e. I will read the fifth sentence of my paragraph.
i. I will highlight it and then explain to the students how I brought the
point I was trying to make by using the quote to the main idea of the
paragraph. So at this point, it would be what the four football players
did that was right.
 ii. I will explain that after EACH piece of text evidence, the students need
to explain why they used the textual evidence. They cannot just use the
textual evidence but not explain it.
f. I will read the sixth sentence of my paragraph.
i. I will highlight it. Now I will be asking the students more questions as
to why I highlighted it. I will ask the students why I highlighted the
sentence that I did.
g. I will read the seventh sentence of my paragraph.
i. I will highlight the quote of the sentence and then ask the students why
I highlighted what I did.
h. I will read the eighth sentence of my paragraph.
i. I will highlight it and ask the students why I highlighted what I did.
i. I will read the ninth, tenth, and the eleventh sentences of my paragraph.
i. I will explain that in this portion of my paragraph, I am now answering
what the prompt is asking us of where the boys got the courage to do
the right thing.
ii. I will highlight the eleventh sentence of my paragraph and tell the
students that this is my answer to the prompt question.
j. I will read the twelfth sentence of my paragraph.
i. I will highlight the quote of the sentence and then ask the students why
I highlighted what I did.
k. I will read the thirteenth sentence of my paragraph.
i. I will highlight it and ask the students why I highlighted what I did.
l. I will read the fourteenth sentence of my paragraph.
i. I will highlight the quote of the sentence and then ask the students why
I highlighted what I did.
m. I will read the fifteenth sentence of my paragraph.
i. I will highlight it and then ask the students why I highlighted what I
did.
9. Since we are done annotating my body paragraph, I will also bring up a couple of
points that we need to see in their essays.
 a. The paragraphs need to be indented.
b. There should be NO first person. For example:
i. I
ii. Me
iii. Us
iv. We
10. I will ask the students if there are any questions. If there are, I will answer them. If
there are not any, I will lead the students into work time.
11. I will tell the students that they have the rest of the class to work on their paragraphs. I
will tell them that Ms. Baca and I will be there to help them with any question that
they have.
a. If the students get a good amount of time to work on their paragraphs, then
they will need to finish them for homework. But if they dont get much time
then they do not need to finish it for homework because they will have time in
class the next day to work on it.
12. Before the students leave I will tell them that if they have not finished their
introduction paragraphs, then they need to finish those for homework tonight.

PARAGRAPH I WILL BE TEACHING THEM OFF OF:

The first example shows that some people get the courage to do the right thing from their
family members. In the text, Doing the Right Thing by Rick Reilly, there were four football
players that went into Buddys Small Lots, which is a catch-all chain store, that had accidentally
been left unlocked, so no employees were inside of the store. But the four football players did the
right thing by paying for their items, even though no one was in the store to help them. The text
shows how hard the boys looked around for someone to pay, We were down there for 10
minutes looking for someone to pay. This shows the boys doing the right thing because they
didnt give up on looking for an employee, when they could have easily walked out of the store
without paying for their items. Then, when the boys couldnt find someone that they could give
their money to, they went above and beyond to make sure that the employees of Buddys Small
Lots knew that they did pay for their items. In the commentary, it states, So wide receiver
Thomas James pulled out the $5 to cover the batteries and a video cord they needed, waved it at
the surveillance camera above the cash register and laid it on the counter. This text shows that
the boys did everything that they could do to make sure that the employees of Buddys Small
Lots knew that they paid for their items. What these boys did was not easy. It definitely took
courage for the boys to do the right thing. The football players got this courage from their
families. The text provides this evidence saying, For Biondi, it was his mother. For Gallimore, it
was his whole family For James, it was his father. This shows that these football players got
the courage from those people to do the right thing while they were alone inside of the store. As
Rick Reilly states, the best gift you can give your kid is someone theyd hate to disappoint.
The football players did not want to disappoint their families, which is why the boys did the right
thing while inside of Buddys Small Lots.