Kendall Brown – Direct Instruction Lesson May 18th, 2015

Unit Focus Standard

Wonders Curriculum; Unit 6, Week 3- Big Idea: “Why is teamwork important?” Wonders Writing Traits: adding supporting details to writing. To align with our reading work, students will be writing an opinion paragraph that explains why they think teamwork is important, with a focus on using supporting details.

*CCSS: W.2.1. Students can write to persuade (opinion).

Student Learning Target(s)

I can explain why I think teamwork is important, using supporting details in my opinion writing!

Vocabulary

Supporting details (“reds” from “Street Light” graphic organizer) “Street Light Paragraph” – greens, yellows, reds (parts of a paragraph, graphic organizer for paragraph writing) Descriptive Details Writing Process terms: drafting, editing, revising, and publishing Teamwork Opinion

Assessment Plan – Leveled Assessments, Scoring Guides, Reporting System

Prior knowledge: students’ recent performances and current writing grades for opinion writing and conventions. Formative assessment:

Conferences: At the small back table during independent writing time, I will be individually meeting with students to assess their progress and meeting of the learning target (writing an opinion paragraph with supporting details that answers the writing prompt). I will call the students to the back table when they have checked off the “Reading Journal” area on the accountability flipchart: “How am I using my Writing Time?” *Using my teacher notes and, the student and I will be discussing their writing and their use of supporting details. *Using my checklist, I will also be providing feedback (task, process, self-regulation, and praise).

Observations: when I am not conferencing with students at the back table, I will be walking around and informally observing students as they write an opinion paragraph about why teamwork is important with supporting details.

Closure: in the closure, one student will share their writing from that day, in which their classmates will provide peer feedback regarding the student’s use of

Kendall Brown – Direct Instruction Lesson May 18th, 2015

supporting details. The class will then as a whole reflect on their learning and lead a discussion on the day’s learning and target.

Summative: these writing skills will be applied to future opinion writing unit projects for the remainder of the year (all of which will be entered into the grade book).

Lesson Introduction

Over at the classroom rug, students and I will have a discussion for the anticipatory set:

“What are the ‘reds’ that we have been adding to our paragraph writing all year long?” (Student responses – details)

“Why have we been adding these “red” details to our writing all year long?” (They support and further explain the main ideas of our writing).

Learning Target: “Today, we will share our opinion about why we feel teamwork is important, using supporting details in our writing!”

Future Learning: “Turn and talk to a neighbor…why is it important for writers to add details in their writing?” (1-2 minute conversation – then share out)

Excuse students back to their seats to glue the practice activity into their reading journals (for direct instruction segment of the lesson).

Lesson Core

Teacher (Direct Instruction) 1. Teacher will glue her supporting

details practice page in her reading journal (for direct instruction part of the lesson)

2. Teacher will call on a student to read the draft paragraph (this will be a paragraph about teamwork that the teacher and students will edit together by adding supporting details).

3. Teacher will read the first question that guides the editing of supporting details: “Why does the team need maps?” Teacher will model how to answer this question by adding supporting details to the paragraph.

4. Teacher will call on a student to read the second question.

5. Teacher asks students for their ideas on how the class might answer this

Student 1. Students will glue their supporting

details writing practice in their reading journals, and begin to read the paragraph/questions while they wait for others.

2. One student will read aloud the draft paragraph.

3. Students will follow teacher’s direction and do the same to their paragraph.

4. One student will read aloud the second question that guides the adding of another supporting detail: “What other kids of jobs might team members have?”

5. Students offers their ideas of a supportive detail that the class could add to the paragraph.

6. One student reads aloud the third question that guides the adding of

Kendall Brown – Direct Instruction Lesson May 18th, 2015

second question by adding in another supportive detail to the paragraph.

6. Teacher calls on another student to read the third question.

7. Teacher will number students off 1-5 (or 1-4 depending on the table group size), for the next student-led conversation.

8. Teacher will tell students to turn-n-talk with their table group about possible supportive details to add to the paragraph, answering number three.

9. Teacher will walk around and listen in on table group conversations.

10. Teacher will call students back, and choose a number. Students with this number will share out what their table group suggested.

11. With the help of the students, the teacher will add the final supporting details to the paragraph. * (end of direct instruction) ----------------------------------------------

12. Teacher will remind students of the day’s learning intention.

13. Teacher will have students get up out of their seats, find a quick partner, and share why they feel teamwork is important.

14. Teacher will call students’ attention back, and have them get ready to write their own opinion paragraph about why they feel teamwork is important, using supporting details.

15. Teacher will put up accountability chart “How am I using my writing time?” (to guide students’ independent writing time)

another supportive detail: “What other details can you add to show why teamwork is important?”

7. Students will receive their number for a cooperative learning discussion.

8. Students will have a conversation with their table group about the third and final question that will help them add additional supportive details to the paragraph.

9. Students will have their conversation about other possible supportive details, and help each other prep for sharing.

10. Students who have the number that the teacher called will offer what their table group suggested for additional supportive details, answering the third question.

11. Students will add the final supporting details to the paragraph. ------------------------------------------

12. Students will be reminded of the day’s learning intention.

13. Students will get up out of their seats (for a wiggle break), find a partner, and share why they feel teamwork is important. (Brainstorming for writing).

14. Students will give attention to the teacher, and get organized for their independent writing time.

15. Students will use the accountability flipchart as they begin their independent writing time. (Students will use their direct instruction/whole-group practice as they write their own paragraph in their reading journals). *Using the direct instruction part of the lesson to

Kendall Brown – Direct Instruction Lesson May 18th, 2015

16. Teacher will begin formative assessment of students’ progress, using teacher notes and the checklist for providing feedback (task/process).

17. When not meeting with students at the back table, I will observe students informally by walking around the room, and choose 1-2 students to share their writing with the class in the lesson’s closure.

support their independent learning.

16. Students will periodically meet with the teacher to reflect on their work and receive feedback on their writing and progress towards the learning target (task/process/self-reflection/praise).

17. 1-2 students will be chosen for the sharing of their work in the lesson’s closure.

18. Students who finish their opinion paragraph are to edit their own paragraph, and then check off “editing” on the accountability flipchart. They then can make writing stamina choices if they finish.

Lesson Conclusion

I will call for students’ attention, and instruct them to head back to their seats with their writing work.

I will have one student come to the front of the classroom to share their opinion paragraph.

The student will share their paragraph, while their classmates watch and listen and get ready to provide feedback.

Students will provide their feedback on the writer’s use of supporting details in their writing about why they feel teamwork is important.

After students have provided feedback, I will then have students have a table group discussion of the question asked in the beginning of the lesson: “Why is it important for writers to add details in their writing?”

Using their same numbers as before, students will have a conversation. Teacher will walk around and listen in on the collaborative conversations/purposeful talk.

Teacher will call students’ attention back, call on a number (1-5), and have these students share something that they talked about regarding the question asked, or something they heard a tablemate share.

Have students put away writing materials and get ready for lunch.

Differentiation Strategies

Kendall Brown – Direct Instruction Lesson May 18th, 2015

Learning Environment Resources and Materials

Classroom Rug – anticipatory set and lesson introduction Students’ desks – independent writing time, lesson closure, sharing of student work, feedback, reflection on learning target. Back small table – formative assessment of students meeting/progressing towards the learning target. *Use of checklist here. Classroom areas around the room – independent writing time.

Students’ reading journals (includes whole-group practice of adding supporting details to a paragraph, from direct instruction part of the lesson). Editing pens Clipboards DOC Camera Classroom Rug/Whiteboard Writing anchor charts on writing wall for student support during independent writing time (opinion writing and “Street Light Paragraph”). Student writing folders/dictionaries/transition word examples Teacher notes/checklist for feedback (task/process). Accountability flipchart “How am I using my writing time?”

Parent/Family Connection Local and/or Global Connections

At the end of the year, students will be able to take their reading journals home (composition book that has collected all of their writing and reading responses from the year). In our weekly newsletter, families will be able to read about our week’s learning, including what we have done for the week in writing. On Friday, students will reflect on their week’s learning (including writing work), and take this home to be commented on by families and returned to school.

Connections to how people in our community and beyond work together as a team.

Lesson Reflection

Kendall Brown – Direct Instruction Lesson May 18th, 2015

1. What is the evidence of student learning? Through student-led conversations during all parts of the lesson, understanding of opinion writing and supporting details was evident. Also, through one-on-one conferences with students and informal observations, students’ ability to write an opinion paragraph with supporting details was determined. Most students met learning target, with the help of teacher notes and the checklist.

2. What went well? Conferring with students and using the checklist went well because it provided me with an understanding of students’ progress towards the learning target. Student-led conversations throughout all parts of the lesson went well too, considering this is the area I feel my students have done beautifully well this year (they are skilled with having “Collaborative Conversations” with their peers, and using hand signals called “Purposeful Talk” to show their peers they are actively listening and are ready to respond and contribute to the conversation). Students’ overall ability to connect their previous learning with the day’s learning went well.

3. What did not go well? Nothing necessarily did not go well. 4. What were your challenges? One challenge was the amount of time the direct

instruction part of the lesson took. Even though it was an effective whole-group practice with a gradual release of responsibility, it took time. In the first day of this lesson (this writing project took about 2 days overall), about half of the class finished their opinion paragraphs. The rest of the class finished the next day.

5. What would you change next time? Next time, I might not edit the entire paragraph for supporting details as an entire class (direct-instruction part of the lesson). We may do part of it together, and then I might gradually release it to the class (3 different times of practice with adding supportive details may not be necessary).

6. What are your next steps? I used the feedback checklist with this lesson, and I therefore have gained some new insights into how I communicate and integrate the learning intentions and success criteria into my teaching/learning. In meeting with students, with the help of my checklist, I found the majority of the students struggled with effectively communicating the “Task/Product” or what the learning intention was for that day. This tells me that even though I may communicate the target in a variety of ways, I need to be more intentional with it so that students can see how it is driving their progress and learning. I will speak more to this in my separate reflection on my checklist.

Kendall Brown – Direct Instruction Lesson May 18th, 2015