Running head: STRATEGY II LESSON PLAN 1

Rachel Clark
Christina Yeji Lee
Tanisha Alston
Sheila Matson
Chester Walker

Strategy II Lesson Plan

November 6, 2017

University of Maryland University College

EDTP 639

Professor Lesane
STRATEGY II LESSON PLAN 2

Name: Team Inspire Grade: English 7th

Unit: Literature of the Holocaust Time Allotted: 50 minutes
Lesson Topic: Different Perspectives on the Holocaust

Type of Lesson: Developmental

Context for Learning:

The purpose of this lesson is to allow learners to develop a deeper appreciation of literature by
exploring the perspectives of young people who came of age during the dark days of World War
II. The lesson is developmental and is given on the third day of a ten day unit on literature of the
Holocaust. The students are already familiar with the events of the Second World War. They
were given a brief outline on the first day of the unit and then were introduced to two young girls
living in Copenhagen under Nazi occupation through the short story, “Number the Stars,” by
Lois Lowry. The Danish girls were best friends. The one who was Jewish was being sheltered by
her friend’s family after her own family had been forced to flee. In the current lesson, students
will read “Suzy and Leah,” a short story by Jane Yolen. The story involves two young girls who
were not friends but instead were suspicious and fearful of each other. They lived in upstate New
York - the one who was Jewish behind barbed wire in a refugee camp. Today’s lesson will be
followed by a brief glimpse into the Diary of Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who lived in Amsterdam,
where she was completely isolated from other girls her age while she was in hiding.

The lesson is taught in the central area of a major American city to twenty-eight students: twelve
girls and sixteen boys. Among them are three ELL students who have been evaluated as ready
for integration into a regular classroom. Thirteen students (nearly half) come from an
impoverished background and qualify for free and reduced price lunches (FARMS). One student
is hearing-impaired. Another student has Down Syndrome and has been tested as moderately
learning disabled. Two students are highly gifted.

To maximize effectiveness of learning, students will be seated in paired seats in rows of three in
a semicircle so that every student can see the Smartboard and hear the teacher. The teacher’s
desk will be off to one side and will contain in its drawers storage bins and folders. In the bins
will be supplies of paper, pens and tissues for the students as well as personal use. In the folders
will be the teacher’s lesson plans for the school year as well as students’ IEP’s and articles found
helpful in meeting the various needs of the students. The teacher’s desk will not be placed in the
center where it may inhibit traffic. Instead, a Smartboard will be placed front and center.

Students will be grouped heterogeneously throughout the room. Students will be scattered by
race, gender and ethnicity. Placing students in heterogeneous groups does not isolate any one
student because of a trait or disability and thus communicates the message that there are high
expectations for each and every student (Hermann, 2014).

Curriculum Standards Addressed:

STRATEGY II LESSON PLAN 3

The current lesson addresses the first standard set out by the National Council of Teachers of
English (NCTE) and the International Literacy Association in that students are becoming
familiar with “a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of
themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to
respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment.
Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works” (NCTE, 2017).

Five standards from Maryland Common Core Curriculum Standards are addressed (MSDE,
2016). According to the standards, seventh grade students should have or be developing the
abilities to

● Read closely to cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what a text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from a text. (RL.7.1).

● Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development; ability to
provide an objective summary of the text (RL.7.2).

● Analyze how particular elements of a story interact and how the setting shapes the
characters or plot (RL.7.3).

● Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including
figurative and connotative meanings (RL.7.4).

● Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters
or narrators in a text (RL.7.6).

Objective (observable and measurable):

Students will be able to collaborate with their peers to identify and analyze the main ideas of the
short story “Suzy and Leah” by Jane Yolen in order to learn how the Holocaust affected people
in different ways and how it applies to current issues.

Materials:

Consumables

● For each student in the class: a blank graphic organizer and copies of the warm-up
questions and of the short story, “Suzy and Leah.”
● For ELL students: printed copies of translations of high level English words.
● For the hearing impaired student: carbon paper so his buddy can make copies of
his notes.
● For all students: highlighters, pens, pencils and personal notebooks for taking
notes.

Non-consumables
STRATEGY II LESSON PLAN 4

● Smartboard
● Internet Connection
● Computer
● Microphone (for students)
● Voice amplifier (for teacher)

Proactive Behavior Management:

At the beginning of the school year, each student is assigned a “peer buddy.” According to
Carter, Cushing and Kennedy (2009), some of the benefits of a peer buddy system are
development of social skills, higher academic achievement, and a more positive outlook on life.
Johnson (2013) also states that peer buddies become protectors of one another. So, after building
a more positive atmosphere in the classroom with a peer buddy system, there should be fewer
disruptions. In assigning peer buddies, students of different ability levels will be paired after a
one-week observation of the class, with the hope that the student in the pair with the higher
ability can aid the buddy. The student paired with the hearing impaired student also will
understand that he is to make carbon copies of his notes so that another student can succeed.
The teacher will create a warm and nurturing atmosphere in the classroom by making personal
connections with each student and by letting the students know him/her as an individual. (Erwin,
2016). The teacher will emphasize that persistence and effort can make them successful in the
course. Researchers have shown that students feel more motivated if material is applicable to
their interests and communities (Carlone & Johnson, 2007). Therefore, during the first week of
school, the teacher will do a survey of interests and incorporate the results into lesson plans, for
example, by choosing short stories linked to their interests. Mounted on the walls will be
colorful, motivational posters and charts of the agreed-upon norms and objectives of classroom
behavior. To enable the teacher to see the faces of all students at one time, paired seats will be
arranged in rows in a semi-circle. With this arrangement, the teacher can make eye contact with
and get to each student quickly. The teacher will use strategies such as proximity, strategic
pauses and hand gestures to deter students from disrupting the class.

Provisions for Student Grouping:

Students will be placed into pre-arranged diverse cooperative groups to work with during the
lesson. These heterogenous groups were arranged in order to maximize student success,
participation, and focus during the activity (Hermann, 2014). Higher-level students will be
placed with lower-achieving ones in the hopes of motivating them and assisting them as needed.
A breakdown of the groups is as follows:
KEY: ELL=English-Language Learner, DS=Down Syndrome, HI=Hearing Impaired,
HG=Highly Gifted, FA=Free and Reduced Meals, AV=Average Student
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Group 7

AV, AV, FA, DS, AV, FA, HI, AV, FA, ELL, FA, ELL, AV, ELL, HG, AV, AV, FA,
FA FA FA HG, FA AV, FA FA, FA FA
Procedures:

Warm-Up/Motivator (5 min):
STRATEGY II LESSON PLAN 5

Once the bell rings, students will work independently to write a journal entry to the warm-up
question, “Have you ever met someone from a different background whose culture was different
or interesting? Please describe that experience and how you responded.”

This is a short story about a refugee girl that is struggling to adjust to a new country and an
American girl trying to understand someone different from herself. By responding to this warm-
up question before reading the story, students would be able to put themselves in the shoes of the
two characters who are trying to understanding someone different from themselves.

Bridge (5 min):
Teacher will ask for 1~2 volunteers to share their experiences. Then, the teacher will introduce
the short-story as one with two different perspectives. The teacher will review questions about
what perspective is and how different perspectives would make the story different/difficult to
read. The objective for the lesson will be stated both verbally and on the board.

Read Aloud (10 min):

The model that will be used in this lesson is diverse cooperative groups and questioning. Once
students are finished with the motivator, they will be asked to move into pre-arranged groups.
They will listen for their names to be called and move into their groups as they hear their names.
Once students are in their groups, they will be given a copy of the text “Suzy and Leah.”
Students will be instructed to think about the main idea of the story as they read the story
together as a class.
The teacher will ask students to volunteer to read aloud by raising their hands, if there are no
volunteers, then the teacher will use popsicle sticks to randomly pick a student to read.

Group Discussion (10 min):

Once they are finished reading the text, students will discuss with their groups what they think is
the main idea of story is. The teacher will prompt this discussion by saying, “Thinking about
what we have read, discuss with your group members what you think is the main idea of the
story. You will have 10 minutes to discuss the main idea and also create three “so-what”
questions about the text. Select one person in your group to write down your thoughts.”
Students will already have been taught how to create “so-what” questions from a previous
lesson. “So-what” questions ask what parts of the story are important and why, what can be
inferenced from the story and how, and generally delves deeper into the story’s main idea.
The teacher will go around the classroom and help students with their “so-what” questions. The
teacher will also put a star next to the best question so that the group will be able to confidently
share it with the class. The teacher should make sure that the starred “so-what” questions are
varied so that the class is not presenting the same questions.

Class Discussion (10 min):

Once the students have had 10 minutes to discuss their ideas, the teacher will signal the time for
class discussion by saying “What do you think the main idea of the short story was?”
STRATEGY II LESSON PLAN 6

After a few groups reply, the teacher will then ask the groups to share one of their “so-what”
questions (will most likely be the starred questioned), and will have other groups answer them to
their best ability. The teacher will monitor the discussion, and will provide more questions if the
students are missing a point or to lead them more deeply into the text.
Some questions include:
● “Who were the main characters in the story?”
● “What were the main characters doing?”
● “How did the characters meet?”
● “What became of the two main characters?”
● “How does this contribute to the theme?”

If there is time, as a final question, the teacher will ask “what are some ways this story connects
to current issues or the world around us?” This will be the exit ticket question.

Summary/Closure (10 min):

The teacher will wrap up the class with an exit ticket.

“What are some ways this story connects to current issues or the world around us? Please explain
using the story as reference. Please write a short paragraph, this will be your exit ticket. We will
have a very brief discussion tomorrow regarding this question.”
Students will have about 10 minutes to write a short paragraph of their answer and will turn in
their work as they leave the classroom.

Extension Activity:

If discussion and the exit ticket are completed early, students will be given the opportunity to
work on their homework.

*Review/Reinforcement (Homework):

Students will write a diary entry as if they were one of the characters in the future after Suzy and
Leah have become friends. What will they say to each other? What are their futures like? How
are they making up for their differences and helping each other? In addition, students can
entertain the following questions: Are there any other problems that arise between Suzy and
Leah and why?

Adaptations:

Students are grouped strategically in order to maximize their learning in the classroom.
The student who is hearing impaired has been seated near the front of the room with a
paraprofessional by his side. The paraprofessional will be using sign language to interpret for the
student if necessary. This student’s peer buddy will be using carbon paper to take notes for this
student as well. The teacher uses the Smartboard with the cc/subtitle function turned on, and
wears a voice amplifier. Whenever students in the class speak aloud, the use a microphone that
is passed by the teacher to them (Ferris State University, n.d.).
STRATEGY II LESSON PLAN 7

The student with Down Syndrome also has a paraprofessional and is also near the front of the
room. Their paraprofessional’s role involves being their scribe when necessary, and assisting
them in task completion. They also assist with movement around the room and assists with
clarifying any communication between the student and anyone else in the room if necessary.
The ELL students will have access to the translations of higher-order English words, and will
have the assistance of their peer buddies and groups throughout the lesson.
Heterogenous groups allow students to work together to complete the assignments, as higher-
achieving students will be able to support those that struggle. Impoverished students especially
will need extra support in order to develop a growth mindset (Jensen, 2014). One way to do that
is through the heterogeneous grouping, where students of different abilities can build each other
up, instead of all of the FARMS students working together and feeling separate from their peers.

Assessment:

Formative assessment
The teacher will perform formative assessments based on observations as she walks around the
classroom. The teacher will assess how each student is participating with the group during the
cooperative group activity (see appendix). This will be a formative assessment because the
students are still in the process of mastering the skill of finding the main idea of a story. The
teacher will also see who raises their hand to answer the questions that are being asked (it
doesn’t matter if they are called on or not), and will be looking to see who attempts to answer the
questions.

Summative assessment
Exit tickets and homework will be graded to assess student understanding.
STRATEGY II LESSON PLAN 8

References

Carlone, H.B., & Johnson, A. (2007). Understanding the science experiences of women of
Color: Science identity as an analytic lens. Journal of Research in Science Teaching,
44(8), 1187-1218.

Carter, E.W., Cushing, L.S., & Kennedy, C.H. (2009). Peer support strategies for
improving all students’ social lives and learning. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes
Publishing Co.

Erwin, J.C. (November, 2016). Ten ways teachers can create a positive learning environment.
Retrieved from
https://freespiritpublishingblog.com/2016/11/29/ten-ways-teachers-can-create-a-positive-
learning-environment/

Hermann, E. (April, 2014). Grouping students: Heterogeneous, homogeneous and random

structures. Retrieved from
http://alliinc.com/grouping-students-heterogeneous-homogeneous-random-structures

Jensen, E. (2014). Engaging students with poverty in mind. Retrieved from

https://www.cosa.k12.or.us/sites/default/files/images/networkcoachengagementorganize
2_27_14f.pdf.

Johnson, A. (n.d.). Buddy system. Retrieved from

http://www.nea.org/tools/tips/Buddy-System.html

Ferris State University. (n.d.). Teaching strategies for hearing impaired students. Retrieved from
https://ferris.edu/HTMLS/colleges/university/disability/faculty-staff/classroom-issues/hea
ring/hearing-strategy.htm.

Maryland State Department of Education. (2016). Maryland college and career-ready standards
for english-language arts. Retrieved from
http://mdk12.msde.maryland.gov/instruction/curriculum/reading/includes/AdditionalFiles
/MCCRS%20Middle%20School%20(6-8)%20(2).pdf.

National Council of Teachers of English. (2017). Standards. Retrieved from

http://www.ncte.org/standards.

Appendix

Rubric for Group Discussion

STRATEGY II LESSON PLAN 9

Category 4 3 2 1 0

Polite Student was Student was Student was Student was Student was
observed by observed by observed by observed by rude and did
the teacher the teacher to the teacher the teacher not obey any
to obey 5-6 obey 3-4 of to obey at obeying of the
of the the least 2 of only 1 of the discussion
discussion discussion the discussion rules or the
rules rules discussion rules student
rules refused to
participate in
the discussion

Stayed on Student was Student was Student was Student was Student did
Topic observed observed observed observed not discuss
staying on going of going of going off topic at all or
topic 100 % topic 1-2 topic 3-4 topic more student
of the time times times than 4 times refused to
participate in
discussion

Discussion Student was Student was Student was Student was Student did
observed by observed by observed by observed not participate
teacher teacher teacher answering in discussion
answering at answering at answering no and was
least one least one no questions, distracted with
question and question and questions, responding other side
responding responding to but to no conversations
to at least 1 no classmates responded classmates,
classmate to at least but listening
one to
classmate discussion
STRATEGY II LESSON PLAN 10

Prepared Student was Student was Student did Student did Student was
observed by observed by not come to not come to not prepared
teacher to teacher to class class for class and
come to come to class prepared prepared student was
class ready ready to learn student was missing only not ready to
to learn and but needed missing, 1 item and participate in
ready to motivation in pen or student was discussion.
participate participating paper, but not ready to
in the in the student was participate
discussion discussion ready to in
participate discussion
in
discussion

Total

* Readiness to participate in discussion is observed through the student’s body language. If the
student is sitting up and attentive then the student is ready to participate. If the student is lying
down, talking to classmates, or walking around classroom the student is not prepared for the
discussion.