Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Teachers: Ms. Sanchez Subject: English Language Arts/8th Grade

Common Core State Standards:

● 8.RL.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on
meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

Objective (Explicit):
● The students will be able to identify examples of figurative language in the story, “The
Rabbit and the Turtle.” and analyze its impact on the theme of the story.

Evidence of Mastery (Measurable):

◻ Include a copy of the lesson assessment.
◻ Provide exemplar student responses with the level of detail you expect to see.
◻ Assign value to each portion of the response.

● Students will be paired in partners and highlight examples of the different types of
figurative language in the text.
● Students will be expected to do the work individually while also discussing it with their
partners.
● Each example they find in the text will be worth one point and written responses will be
two points for a total of 24 points for the entire worksheet.
Sub-objectives, SWBAT (Sequenced from basic to complex):
◻ How will you review past learning and make connections to previous lessons?
◻ What skills and content are needed to ultimately master this lesson objective?
◻ How is this objective relevant to students, their lives, and/or the real world?

● As the students enter the classroom they will have a bell ringer question on the smart
board. They will be asked to write the time when they last used or encountered a type of
figurative language. The students will have five minutes to answer. When they get done
students will share their short responses in a classroom discussion.
● Students will be expected to properly comprehend a grade level reading text. As well as
have knowledge on highlighting text.
● Students will be expected to fully understand at least 4 different examples of figurative
language and how to properly apply it to text.

Key vocabulary: Materials:

● Figurative language ● Worksheet provided by instructor
● Literary device ● Pen or Pencil
● Simile ● Clean sheet of paper
● Metaphor ● Tablet/Computer

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 ● Hyperbole ● Google Drive Account
● Personification
● Onomatopoeia
Opening (state objectives, connect to previous learning, and make relevant to real life)
◻ How will you activate student interest?
◻ How will you connect to past learning?
◻ How will you present the objective in an engaging and student-friendly way?
◻ How will you communicate its importance and make the content relevant to your
students?

● I will activate my students interest by giving fun examples of the material. Examples that
could be relatable and appropriate for their age.
● I will introduce the connection with their past knowledge through the bell ringer question
along with the group discussion.
● By providing my own examples of figurative language using everyday relatable scenarios
and providing a video of the material.
● By showing them how figurative language can easily communicate an idea to the reader
in a more engaging way. Also by using examples in their everyday lives. For example,
cartoons are fun to watch because they engage the viewer by using these devices.
Teacher Will: Student Will:
◻ How will you ◻ What will students be doing to actively
model/explain/demonstrate all capture and process the new material?
knowledge/skills required of the ◻ How will students be engaged?
I objective?
n ◻ What types of visuals will you use?
s ◻ How will you address
t misunderstandings or common
r
student errors?
u
c ◻ How will you check for
t understanding?
i ◻ How will you explain and model
o behavioral expectations?
n ◻ Is there enough detail in this
a
section so that another person
l
I could teach it?
n
● By providing a clear objective and ● They will be highlighting the text with
p
directions of what they are their partners.
u
expected to complete. ● By using their tablets and discussing
t
● I will provide illustrations as with their partners.
examples, a video and powerpoint.
● I will have the students looks for
help in three different places before
coming to me. 1 Read the

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 instructions again. 2 ask your
partner. 3 try using your tablets for
help and if they still need help then
they can come to me.
● Students will be able to use their
tablets or computers to help them
understand the lesson. However
only during their working time and
not the class instruction.
Differentiation Strategy
◻ What accommodations/modifications will you include for specific students?
◻ Do you anticipate any students who will need an additional challenge?

● Students will have the choice to highlight the text on their tablet through a digital text
or printed.

Teacher Will: Student Will:

◻ How will you ensure that all ◻ How will students practice all
students have multiple knowledge/skills required of the
opportunities to practice new objective, with your support, such that
content and skills? they continue to internalize the sub-
◻ What types of questions can you objectives?
ask students as you are observing ◻ How will students be engaged?
G them practice? ◻ How will you elicit student-to-student
u ◻ How/when will you check for interaction?
i
understanding? ◻ How are students practicing in ways
d
e ◻ How will you provide guidance to all that align to independent practice?
d students as they practice?
P ◻ How will you explain and model
r behavioral expectations?
a ◻ Is there enough detail in this
c section so that another person
t
could facilitate this practice?
i
c ● By providing different activities ● They will be given an activity where
e throughout the class period. For they will be assessed.
example, the bellwork (individual ● By encouraging partnering up for the
written work), Powerpoint activity.
discussion, partner activity, and
finally group discussion.
Differentiation Strategy
◻ What accommodations/modifications will you include for specific students?
◻ Do you anticipate any students who will need an additional challenge?

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 ◻ How can you utilize grouping strategies?

● For example, for the students that have a hard time writing or highlighting on a
printed worksheet I will provide them with a digital copy. The online copy will be sent
through their google drive where they will be able to go through the same process
as the rest of the students.

Teacher Will: Student Will:

◻ How will you plan to coach and correct ◻ How will students independently practice
I during this practice? the knowledge and skills required by the
n ◻ How will you provide opportunities for objective?
d remediation and extension? ◻ How will students be engaged?
e
◻ How will you clearly state and model ◻ How are students practicing in ways that
p
e academic and behavioral align to assessment?
n expectations? ◻ How are students using self-assessment
d ◻ Did you provide enough detail so that to guide their own learning?
e another person could facilitate the ◻ How are you supporting students giving
n practice? feedback to one another?
t
P ● I will walk around the classroom to ● The students will seek clarification from
r reinforce the lesson objectives. their peers, the resources provided by
a me or use their tablets for help.
c
t Differentiation Strategy
i ◻ What accommodations/modifications will you include for specific students?
c ◻ Do you anticipate any students who will need an additional challenge?
e
● Yes I do anticipate students with an additional challenge and have prepared the
lesson to be flexible.
Closing/Student Reflection/Real-life connections:
◻ How will students summarize and state the significance of what they learned?
◻ Why will students be engaged?

● Students will be incorporating their knowledge of this lesson on to a personal narrative

where they will be expected to incorporate both the figurative language covered and the
theme of perseverance.
● Students will be engaged by having conversations with their partners and the whole
class on the material.

EXAMPLE WORKSHEET WITH ANSWERS

Name:__________________________________ Date:______________________

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Directions:
1. Read the story, “The Rabbit and the Turtle” with your partner.
2. Underline or Highlight examples of: Simile, Metaphor, Onomatopoeia, Hyperbole,
and Personification.
3. Share your findings.
4. Reflect on the theme of the story.
5. When you are finished with steps 1-4 answer the questions at the end of the
worksheet.

The Rabbit and the Turtle

One day a rabbit was boasting about how fast he could run. He was laughing at the

turtle for being as slow as a snail. Much to the rabbit’s surprise, the turtle challenged him to a

race. The rabbit thought this was a good joke and accepted the challenge. The fox was to be

the umpire of the race. As the race began, the rabbit raced way ahead of the turtle as fast as

lightning. The sun was a golden ball illuminating their way through the race with the air swaying

the trees poofff and puufff.

The rabbit got to the halfway point and could not see the turtle anywhere. He was hot

and tired and with a huge Phewww decided to stop to take a short nap. Even if the turtle passed

him, he would be able to race to the finish line ahead of him. All this time the turtle kept walking

step by step by step. His flippers moving slowly through the road clank clank. He never quit no

matter how hot or tired he got. He just kept going.

However, below the cotton ball clouds the rabbit slept like a baby. After time had

passed him by, the rabbit woke up and with a rushed aghhh noticed he could not see the turtle

anywhere! He went at full speed to the finish line. He ran and he ran, but ahead the trees were

laughing at him. When he finally got to the finish line with sweat dripping down his forehead

cling cling he found the turtle there, already waiting for him.

When analyzing figurative language, I feel:

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Confident___x___ Unsure______ I need help!______

Answer the following questions: (Please write 1-2 complete sentences)

Why did the turtle finish the race faster than the rabbit?

Example Response: The turtle finished the race faster because he never gave up. When the

rabbit stop to take a nap the turtle kept going even when he was tired.

Have you encountered a situation in your life where you kept going despite the obstacles?

Example Response: Yesterday, when me and my brother were playing video games I was

losing by a big difference, but I did not give up. We kept playing for hours and after several

games I beat him.

How does the figurative language used throughout the story convey the overall theme of

perseverance?

Example Response: The story describes the turtle as being as slow as a snail and the rabbit as

fast as lightning. The story also describes how the rabbit stops to rest while the turtle keeps

going with his flippers moving through the road (clank clank).

Reflection

As I went through my lesson and reviewed it on my own I noticed several things that had

to be fixed or incorporated to make it more flexible. I think that the most effective part of my

instruction was the short powerpoint review. Some students may be new to some of the material

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and others may be proficient, so adding extra resources flexible enough to be moved around

could help the class flow more effectively. In the powerpoint I presented I tried using the least

writing that I could. That way students could read them to the class and the majority could

participate. Sometimes students don’t participate because they are too shy and are expected to

read long paragraphs (in this case the slides). As I presented the class with the powerpoint I liked

how they started to familiarize with the words, relate them to everyday life, and have fun

discussing it. This type of review is something that I would possibly incorporate in my next

lesson. However, one thing that I would do differently is explained their worksheet more

thoroughly. For example, maybe including clearer directions and more materials to work with.

Something I could’ve done was providing the students with different colored highlighters to each

pair of students (for example 5 different colors). That way they could’ve highlighted every

different type of figurative language in a different color to avoid confusion.