P6 Lesson Plan Template

Lesson Title: The Road Not Taken Points

Teacher: Ms. McAlister Class/Subject: English Lit. Grade Level: 6th Class Length: 55 minutes ___/1

Content Standard: ___/1

2.) Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through
particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or
judgments. [RL.6.2]

Learning Objective: ___/1

SWBAT identify one central theme from the poem The Road Not Taken by
Robert Frost using textual evidence and summarize what the poem means to them
by the end of class.

Materials/Media/Technology
Their literature textbook, or printed poem (that the teacher will provide if the
textbook is not available). The pictures from the internet of examples of someone
going against the crowd. Paper and Pencil. Colored pencils optional.
Assessment : ___/1

Formative/informal : I will take up the closure activity to see if they have grasped
how a theme works in a specific story. Also, by going around to each group I can
asses if the students understand what a theme is, and if they grasp the themes in
The Road Not Taken

Teaching/Learning Procedures

Engage: 10 minutes ___/1

Step1: Review the information on the PowerPoint about themes and
summaries from the lesson the day before by asking someone who knows
what a theme is and asking another student what a summary is.
Step 2: Ask students about a time they felt they went against the crowd and
were acting as a leader, and think about how it turned out.

Step 3: Show them illustrations of the poem The Road Not Taken and the
other images that relate to people going against the crowd.

Step 4: Ask students to think about people like Lady Gaga and how they have
taken the road less traveled. Tell students that studies show that the most
successful people are the ones who make the difficult choice and go against ___/1
the norm.
Explore: 15 minutes

Step 1: Choose students to put into groups of 2 or 3 (1 minute)

Step 2: Assign one person to read the poem to the group while the others
follow along, and one person to be the speaker for the group. (4 minutes)
___/1
Step 3: When they are finished reading, have them summarize the poem
in their groups and discuss what it means to them if they feel
Comfortable.
Step 4: Then have them discuss the potential themes of the poem with
their group and what details support it. ( Step 3 & 4: 5 minutes)

Explain: 15 minutes
___/1
Step 1: Ask the students which group would like to go first. If no one
volunteers pick a group to explain what they picked as the central theme
of the poem. Have each groups speaker tell what they picked as the
theme and why they picked it.

Elaborate: 5 minutes
Step 1: As each group explains what they think Robert Frost is trying to get
across with this poem the teacher will ask them why they decided on that
theme and what textual evidence they got to support it.

Step 2: In discussion, if one or more groups come up with a particular theme ___/1
that is different from the rest of the class, I will ask the class if they agree with
that theme and why.

Step 3: When each group has presented, ask the class why they think the
theme of being an individual/being different/going against the norm/choices is
something important to the author. Ask: Do you think the speaker is happy
with his choice?

Closure: 10 Minutes

Step 1: Tell the students to get out a piece of paper and pencil. Colored
pencils if them wish to draw.

Step 2: Ask students to either draw a picture of the two roads and
summarize the poem OR write what the poem means to them by either
summarizing the poem or giving an example of a time they made a
difficult choice.
Differentiation and Targeted Support:
Whole class: Review the PowerPoint about themes and summaries.

Groups of students with similar needs: Go around to each group and help those
struggling with identifying a theme.

Individual students: Put the individual in a group with students who grasp the prior
knowledge and that I know are willing to help students who are struggling. (I
would obviously have to know my students to be able to put individuals in the right
groups.)

Feedback ___/1
I will go around to each group and help them if they are stuck. They will have an
opportunity to provide feedback to one another in their group discussions and as
they discuss with the class. Pick out students who are not giving much to the
discussion and ask what they think. I will ask each group what they are currently
discussing and help them arrive at a theme if needed. I will also ask questions as
the students present what they discussed in groups.