Markiesha Gervacio

Assessment 3
5
th
grade
ITE 313, Spring 2014





















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Narrative Summary
Iliahi Elementary School is a Central District school. Iliahi is a grade K-5 school located
in Wahiawa, Hawaii (Iliahi website). Iliahi is identified as a Title 1 school and their No Child
Left Behind status is currently at year 1. The administrators at Iliahi Elementary School include
Principal Garrett Yukumoto, Vice Principal Tom Yamamoto, and counselors Jill Harai and
Norman Olegario. The total amount of students enrolled is currently 437 students. In the school
community the dominant ethnicities are Filipino and Native Hawaiian. The average socio-
economic status of the community is lower-middle class. More information about Iliahi
Elementary School can be found on the school website:
https://sites.google.com/a/dragons.k12.hi.us/iliahiel/home
The fifth grade classroom that I am placed in has no air condition, no fans and is on the
second level. However, Iliahi Elementary School is located in an area where there is always a
cool breeze. In the fifth grade, there are three classrooms and approximately 70 fifth grade
students. My classroom has two doors with a sink near the front door along with the teachers
desk up front and another teacher desk in the corner next to the windows. A Promethean board
and Elmo are also located at the front of the classroom. Shelves that line the back of the room
contain student cubbies, dictionaries, calculators, paper cutter and students mailboxes. The
shelves that line the window contain educational board games, books, magazines and extra
student textbooks. There is one large rectangular table at the back of the room where small group
lessons are held.
The physical arrangement of student desks is in two clusters of four, two clusters of five,
and two clusters of three. However, students are moved around quite often depending on their
needs. There are 24 students total in my class, 9 girls and 15 boys; four boys are identified as
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Special Education (SPED), one girl and one boy are identified as Gifted and Talented (GT).
However, there is no GT program available at Iliahi Elementary School. There is a SPED teacher
that pulls out two of the boys during our Language Arts block and the two other boys are in a
different classroom all day with a Special Education (SPED) teacher.
The content areas that will be taught in my lesson will be reading, writing, oral language,
and science. Typically, the allotted time for reading and writing is 7.5 hours a week. The students
have science switch days where all three of the 5
th
grade classes rotate. Each 5
th
grade teacher
teaches a different type of science and the students are the ones who physically move
classrooms. These science blocks are allocated at 45 minutes a week.
During students Language Arts block, they use their basal textbooks. During their
Science block, students utilize their content area textbooks. Students are assessed through a
variety of formative assessments, summative assessments, and performing assessments. My
mentor teacher utilizes rubrics and checklists as assessment tools to assess the students. These
assessment tools are administered on a daily basis in regards to Language Arts and Science.
In the Student Reading Survey that I designed and implemented in my 5
th
grade field
placement at Iliahi Elemetnary, the majority of students in my class enjoy reading (Gervacio,
2014). Forty percent of students claimed they love to read and another forty four percent stated
they think reading is okay. Additionally, half of the class believed reading is fun. When I
questioned the students learning styles towards reading, more than eighty percent stated that
they read best quietly to themselves or when they are alone. The students top topics of interest
include comedy, scary stories, sports, and fiction. Lastly, I gathered information about students
work habits. Eighty percent of the class does their reading assignments right when they get
home. Another sixteen percent claim that they start their reading assignments late at night.
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In this unit plan, I will implement various ACEI standards. For ACEI standard 1
(Development, learning, and motivation), will be demonstrated in my lesson. I will use the
information gathered from my student survey to create a learning environment that support
individual students, individual development, acquisition of knowledge, and motivation.
Additionally, students will demonstrate productive language through oral communication.
Students will be given the chance to communicate by working groups in order to better their
understanding and motivate each others learning. According to Vygotsky, the range of his or her
experience limits a students learning. Thus, interactions with peers expand students knowledge
(Frey, Fisher, & Everlove, 2009).
I will demonstrate my knowledge of ACEI standard 2 (Curriculum), I will demonstrate
my knowledge of reading, writing, oral language, and science. Throughout my lesson I will teach
students the importance of text features when reading and incorporate writing and oral language
skills. Text features are essential while reading because it emphasizes the important points of a
text and helps the reader comprehend the text on a deeper level. Students reading
comprehension is improved when they understand how to use text features as a strategy (Hanson
& Padua, 2011). Throughout this lesson, I will be using literature thematic units as a reading
strategy. Students will demonstrate productive language through labeling text features in the
article, Twister Alert! from TIME for Kids (TIME, 2014). I am not teaching with basal textbooks
because according to Tompkins, students should have various opportunities to learn about a text
(Tompkins, 2014).
I will demonstrate my knowledge of science through teaching students about the
formation of tornados. Students will learn about the physical attributes, locations and concepts of
tornados. Students will incorporate their knowledge of text features and construct their own
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article containing a title, picture or diagram, headings and captions about what they learned about
tornados.
To exhibit my knowledge of instruction, I will demonstrate my knowledge of standard
ACEI 3.2 (Adaptation to diverse students). I will provide a differentiation plan in my lesson to
insure that each childs needs are met. Every student varies in his or her levels of development,
academic achievement, and ability. According to Vygotsky, if instruction is too easy or too
difficult, it is not effective because it is not in a students zone of proximal development
(Tompkins, 2014). I will group students according to their participation and comprehension
levels to ensure that each student contributes to the activity. The group that needs additional
support with comprehension will be given a set of text features and will summarize the
corresponding important points. I will take the information I already know about my students
academic standing and create a differentiation plan that suits their needs. This includes GT
students, resource SPED students, and struggling learners.
Under ACEI standard 3 (Instruction), I will demonstrate my knowledge of A3.3
Development of critical thinking and problem solving. I will incorporate Marzanos New
Taxonomy of knowledge retrieval and knowledge utilization into my lesson (Borich, 2011).
Students will take their knowledge of text features and recall that information later in the lesson.
They will have to recall information and create their own article about tornados utilizing the
article Twister Alert as a guide. Students will work in work in groups of 3-4 and develop a title,
picture or diagram, headings and captions presenting what they learned about tornados. This
promotes problem solving because students will have to work as a group to summarize the
important points of the article and create related text features. When students problem solve
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through interactions with peers, they are able to form the basis for more complex thinking and
understanding (Frey, Fisher, & Everlove, 2009).
I will demonstrate my knowledge of A3.4 (Active engagement in learning), through my
classroom management strategies. Effective classroom management provides structure to the
classroom environment, establishes clear expectations for learning, and is designed to stimulate
student interest (Borich. 2011). At the start of my lesson, I will explain an attention getter that
involves me saying, One, two, three eyes on me. The students will respond with, One, two,
eyes on you. Second, I will establish what I will be looking for when students collaborate in
groups. I will give examples of how their groups conversations should sound like and establish
how students should be working in groups.
I will demonstrate my knowledge of A3.5 (Communication to foster collaboration) in this
unit plan by instructing students to brainstorm what they already know about text features in
groups of 3-4 at the start of my lesson. After my mini lesson, students will be given the
opportunity to recall the presented information about text features in pairs. During their
independent work time, students will then be given individual time to write down the definitions
of each text feature.
Moreover, students will work in groups of 3-4 and create their own article based on what
they learned about tornados from the article Twister Alert!. They will collaborate their ideas and
figure out the important points in the article that they want to present in their group article.
Students will then utilize their definition list of text features and decide what text feature best fits
each important point. Students will also work as a group and determine the placing of the text
features within their article. At the end of the lesson, each group will present their article to the
class and explain why each of their text features helps the reader better comprehend the text. The
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social interactions that students have with peers form the basis for more complex thinking and
understanding. Over time, these skills, learning, and thinking processes become internalized
(Frey, Fisher, & Everylove, 2009).
I will demonstrate my knowledge of A3.4 (Active engagement in learning) and A3.5
(Communication to foster collaboration) through integrating different types of technology in my
lesson. Vocabulary knowledge is essential to comprehending text. If students do not understand
at least 90% of words in a text, they will not understand what they read (Hanson & Padua, 2011).
I will use the Promethean board to show vocabulary words from the Twister Alert! article. Upon
sharing student friendly definitions of the vocabulary words, I will also display pictures to go
along with each vocabulary word. At the beginning of my lesson, students will complete a
Vocabulary Check. This Vocabulary Check will assess each students understanding, meaning,
and visual representation of each vocabulary word given. I will instruct students to communicate
and share their work with peers. Additionally, I will integrate multimodal text in my lesson
through the usage of the classroom iPads. The classroom has one iPad and two iPad minis.
Students will be able to use these to look up the vocabulary words previously given or any other
word that they have difficulty understanding. The iPads will also serve as a source when students
add pictures or diagrams to their article.
The Vocabulary Check will serve as a formative assessment at the beginning of my
lesson. The Vocabulary Check sheet includes a section that asks students if they have seen a
particular word before. This serves as a formative assessment because I will be able to see which
students have prior knowledge of each vocabulary word. The Vocabulary Check will also serve
as a summative assessment. At the end of my lesson I will give students back their original
Vocabulary Check and ask them if there is anything they want to change. This serves as a
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summative assessment because I will be able to assess what students learned about each
vocabulary word. Another summative assessment I will use is each groups article summarizing
the important parts of the Twister Alert! article. It is important for teachers to continually assess
their students. Teachers assess to improve their instruction through planning, monitoring,
evaluating, and reflecting so their students will be more successful (Tompkins, 2014).
I will also use the Promethean board and Elmo projector as an instructional tool to
display examples of text features in various articles. Students will also use the Promethean board
and Elmo projector to show their finished product at the end of my lesson. I will also use a video
recorder to record myself during my lesson. Incorporating media into my lesson will increase the
instructional variety in the classroom (Borich, 2011).


























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Sources
Borich, G. (2011). Observation skills for effective teaching. (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson
Education, Inc.
Hanson, S. & Padua, J. (2011). Text features. HI: Pacific Resources for Education and Learning.
Hanson, S. & Padua, J. (2001). Teaching vocabulary explicitly. HI: Pacific Resources for
Education and Learning.
Iliahi Elemetnary School website, https://sites.google.com/a/dragons.k12.hi.us/iliahiel/home
Frey, N., Fisher, D., & Everlove, S. (2009). Productive group work. VA: ASCD.
TIME. (2014, March 21). Time for kids. Twister Alert!, 4(20)
Tompkins, G. (2014). Literacy for the 21st century. (6th ed.). NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.


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Lesson Plan
Name: Markiesha Gervacio Grade: 5
th
grade
Date: April 17, 2014 Content Area: (pick one)
Reading in language arts
Reading in content area
Duration: 90 minutes, 2 days
Materials needed:
TIME for Kids: Twister Alert! article
Large construction paper
Pencil
Paper
Scissors
Glue
iPad and iPad minis
Promethean board
Elmo
Blank labels (pieces of paper)
Guiding Questions:
What are text features? Why are they important?
What are the different types of text features?
What are the important points in the article?
How do text features help us read and comprehend?
Enduring understanding:
Text features help us better understand the important points while reading.
What reading component/s will be the lesson
focus?

letter knowledge
phoneme awareness
phonics
fluency
vocabulary
comprehension (listening or reading)
Strategy or skill emphasis:
Text Features (listening and reading)
Main idea and details (listening and
reading)
Vocabulary (word knowledge)
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Purpose of lesson: To assist students identifying and learning the importance of text
features

Instructional Approach/Practice:

Using literature thematic units

Language modalities to be used in this lesson:
Reading, listening, speaking, writing
Critical Thinking Skills
ACEI 3.3-Critical thinking, problem solving and
performance skills.
Understanding text features
Application (labeling article &
labeling text featureless article)
Understanding given vocabulary
words
Student Engagement Techniques and
Grouping
ACEI 3.4-Active Engagement in Learning
Working in small groups
Whole class discussions
Individual work time



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DIFFERENTIATION PLAN
ACEI 3.2 Adaptation to diverse students.
Identify type of learner
(ELL, SPED, Accelerated Learners,
Striving learners, 504 students,
reading)
List type of differentiation
(learning environment, content,
process, product, performance task)
Instructional approach
(Write the instructional
approach/accommodations that will
be used for these learners)
Struggling learners Product All struggling learners
(grouped together) will be
given pre-made text features
to assemble their groups
personal tornado article.
Accelerated Learners Process Work in pairs or individually
to create their personal
tornado article.
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1. Standard/Benchmark
(ACEI 2.1-2.4 Content Area Knowledge. List CCSS , HELDS, GLOs)
I can use text features to identify the main ideas of a text.
-5.RI.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported
by key details; summarize the text.

I can orally participate in my group discussions about the topic.
-5.SL.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one. in groups,
and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others
ideas and expressing their own clearly.
c. Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the
discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.

I can use the text as a clue to the meaning of vocabulary words.
- 5.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multi-meaning words and
phrases based on grade 5 reading content, choosing flexibly from a range or strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to
the meaning of a word or phrase.
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2. Assessment Task
(ACEI 4-Informal and formal assessment. Candidate plans appropriate formative and summative assessments to guide
and assess student learning, including criteria)
Students will participate in several group discussions and will be assessed on their
contribution to their group discussions. Students will present their final article in which
their group placed the text features on, and will be assessed on if they have all the main
points from the article. The teacher assessment tool will be anecdotal notes to record
students group work on text features.








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3. Activities/Instructional Strategies
(ACEI 3.1: Knowledge of students and community; integration of knowledge for instruction; ACEI 3.3: Critical thinking,
problem solving and performance skills; ACEI 3.4: Active engagement in learning; ACEI 3.5: Communication to foster
learning)

DAY 1

1. Introduction (5 minutes):
a) Share, Today we will be learning about what text features are and how they help us
while we read.
b) Display I can statements on the board. Share, These are some of the goals I want
you to reach by the end of this activity.
c) Instruct students to read I can statements out loud as a class:
i. I can use text features to identify the main ideas of a text.
ii. I can orally participate in my groups discussions.
iii. I can use the text as a clue to the meaning of vocabulary words.
d) Share, Today I will be using the attention getter, 1, 2, 3, eyes on me. Then you all
say, 1, 2, eyes on you. After you say that, it should be quiet and I should see
everyones eyes on me.
e) Practice a few rounds of using the attention getter until students get it right.
2. Building background (20 minutes):
a) Share, Now, we are going to discuss what we already know about text features.
b) Instruct students to turn to their side partner and talk about what they already
know about text features.
c) Guide students conversations by asking guiding questions:
i. What are text features?
ii. Where can they be found?
iii. How do they help us when were reading?
iv. Can you think of any examples of text features?
d) Explain that text features are details that support the text we are reading. It helps
the reader comprehend and understand what the text is about.
e) Explain that vocabulary is one type of text feature that is important in helping the
reader comprehend a text.
f) Share, There are some vocabulary words in this text that you may or may not have
heard before.
g) Pass out Vocabulary Check.
h) Display only vocabulary words on Promethean board.
i) Instruct students to fill out the word and my first understanding for each
vocabulary word. Model how to fill out Vocabulary Check on Promethean board.
j) Pass out Time for Kids Twister Alert! article. One article per pair.
k) Display vocabulary words with student friendly definitions and corresponding
pictures on Promethean board:
i. drone- an aircraft guided by remote control.
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ii. penetrate- to go through or into
iii. supercell- a thunderstorm that sometimes leads to tornados.
l) Display article on Promethean board and point out where each vocabulary word is
in the article. Read each sentence that contains each vocabulary word out loud.

3. Mini lesson (15 minutes):
a) Instruct students to pair up with their side partner. Move students as necessary.
b) Ask students to hold up the article and point to the title of the article.
c) Explain that the title identifies the topic of the text. Call on a student to explain what
the title explains in the article.
d) Ask students to hold up the article and point to a heading in their article.
e) Explain that the headings divide the text into sections. Call on a student to explain
what one of the headings says about the article.
f) Ask students to hold up the article and point to a caption.
g) Explain that captions help the reader understand what the illustration or picture is
about. Call on a student to explain what a caption says about one of the illustration.
h) Ask students to hold up the article and point to an illustration.
i) Explain that illustrations help the reader understand information in a visual way.
Call on a student to explain an illustration in the article.
j) Ask students to hold up the article and point to a bolded word.
k) Explain that bolded, or sometimes highlighted, words in a text means it is an
important word in the article. Most times the definition of this bolded word can be
found in the glossary.
l) Hold a class discussion about the bolded words in the article (drone and penetrate)
and why they think those particular words are bolded and not other words.
m) Show an example of a glossary on the Elmo. Ask students if there is an example of a
glossary on their article, hold it up and point to it.
n) Explain that a glossary is a quick, alphabetical way to find the meanings of
important words in the text.
o) Ask students to hold up the article and point to a diagram.
p) Explain that a diagram in a text displays information in a picture form that helps the
reader understand the article better.
q) Ask students if they can identify a diagram in the article. Ask students what is the
difference between a picture and a diagram.
4. Guided practice (5 minutes):
a) Call out a text feature and call on student to tell teacher where it can be found on
the article and what it tells us about the text.
b) Call out one more text feature and call on a student to tell teacher where it can be
found on the article and what it tells us about the text.
c) Ask, What is a text feature? Remind students to raise their hands before they talk.


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5. Work Time (7-10 minutes):
a) Instruct students to read the Twister Alert! article to themselves first.
b) Explain that they will be working in their table groups to label the text features in
their article.
c) Show students rubric scale that they will be graded on for that day.
-I can orally participate in my groups discussions.

6. Collaborative Group Work (You do it together) (30-35 minutes):
a) Pass out large construction paper.
b) Pass out blank of text feature cards.
c) Model that students should glue their article on the middle of the construction
paper.
d) Model how students are to fill out blank text feature cards (index cards) and show
where they should glue them.
i. Students will write down what the text feature is and what information it
tells the reader on the text feature card.
ii. Students will glue the filled out card, on the construction paper, next to the
text feature on the article.
iii. Students will draw a line from the index cards to the text feature to stay
organized.
iv. Students will do this for all text features found in the article.
e) Explain what types of conversations the teacher should hear from each group.
Explain that they should not be talking about things not related to the article.
f) Explain that the noise level should not get loud because they are only discussing in
their groups.
g) Provide students with a time limit of 30 minutes in which to finish their work.
h) Instruct students who finish early to summarize three important points of the
article. Explain that they should not copy the article word-for-word. Instruct
students to explain what text feature would best fit each main point and explain
why. Pairs will work together.
i) Monitor student work time and assess conversations that students are having in
their groups. Record anecdotal notes in assessment tool.
j) Gather students together by using attention getter, 1, 2, 3, eyes on me, (students will
respond, 1, 2, eyes on you). Make sure all students are attentive.
k) Explain that tomorrow they will be creating their own article about tornados using
this article. They will have to work in groups, figure out the important point in the
article and create text features to go with those points.

DAY 2

7. Introduction (5 minutes):
a) Share, Remember yesterday we learned about text features? Today, we will be
working in groups to create our own article about tornados.
b) Assign students to work in table groups. Move students is necessary (Struggling
learner all in one group).
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c) Explain that the attention getter 1, 2, 3, eyes on me, will be used again.
d) Practice the attention getter one time with students.
9. Collaborative Group Work (40-50 minutes):
a) Explain how students will be assembling their article:
i. Students should have a title, picture or diagram with one caption, 3 important
points of the article Twister Alert!, and a heading for each important point.
ii. Explain that students can refer back to their article for the information but
must not copy information word-for-word.
iii. Explain that each person in the group will be responsible for a section of the
article. Each group member is responsible for one important point and
corresponding heading. The whole group is responsible for coming up with a
related title and a picture or diagram with a related caption.
iv. Display text features students should include in their article and group roles
on a large sheet of paper for students to refer back to during work time.
b) Instruct students to take out their tornado article from the pervious day and
markers.
c) Pass out large blank sheet of paper.
d) Remind students that they should be having group conversations about the topic.
e) Set noise level expectations at a level 2. Students should not be making unnecessary
noises or talking off topic.
f) Share, If you need to look up a word that you do not know, you may use either the
dictionary or one of the iPads. You can also use the iPad to look up pictures that
might go with your article.
g) Explain that students should only be using the iPads to look up definitions of
unknown words or pictures relating to tornados. If students are not on task while
using the iPad, it will be taken away and given to another group that is on task.
h) Give students a time limit in which to complete their work, 40 minutes.
i) Walk around the class as students work. Ask guiding questions when needed:
i. Why did you decide on that text feature?
ii. How did you decide on the main points of the article?
iii. How did your group decide on the title? What was discussed?
j) Bring class back together, after 30 minutes, with attention getter 1, 2, 3, eyes on me.
Students will say, 1, 2, eyes on you.
10. Closure: (How will you synthesize all the learning that occurred in this lesson?
How will students know they have met the benchmarks? How will you know that
you have effectively taught the lesson? Include students interacting with each
other and then the teacher. Revisit the purpose, benchmark and I can
statements.) (20 minutes)

a) Display I can statements and have the class orally repeat the benchmarks they were
supposed to have met during this lesson.
b) Call up one group to come to the front of the class and share the text features they
chose and why they chose it.
c) Refer back to the I can statements with the class and determine as a class if that one
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group met all the benchmarks.
d) Repeat 10b and 10c with the remaining groups.
e) Pass out student self-assessment sheet. Instruct students that they have 3 minutes to
fill out their self-assessment. Remind students to be honest.
f) Pass back Vocabulary Check to students and share, If there is anything you want to
change about anything on your Vocabulary Check, please do so in another color pen.
g) Instruct students to hang up their finished articles on the back wall for everyone to
see.

Teacher Assessment Tool
Benchmark 5 3 1
I can use text
features to identify
the main ideas of a
text.

-5.RI.2 Determine
two or more main
ideas of a text and
explain how they are
supported by key
details; summarize
the text.

Identifies main
ideas of a text.
Creates a
personalized
article that
includes main
points.
Identifies some
main ideas of a text.
Creates a
personalize article
that includes some
main points.
Does not identify
the main ideas of a
text.
Does not create a
personalized
article that
includes main
points.
I can orally
participate in my
group discussions
about the topic.

-5.SL.1 Engage
effectively in a range
of collaborative
discussions (one-on-
one. in groups, and
teacher-led) with
diverse partners on
grade 5 topics and
texts, building on
others ideas and
expressing their own
clearly.

c. Pose and respond
to specific questions
by making
comments that
contribute to the
discussion and
elaborate on the
remarks of others.


Participates in
groups
discussions by
asking questions,
making
comments, and/or
elaborating
important ideas
about the topic.
Participates some of
the time in groups
discussions by
asking questions,
making comments,
and/or elaborating
important ideas
about the topic.
Does not
participate in
groups
discussions by
asking questions,
making comments,
and/or elaborating
important ideas.
Contributions to
discussion are off
topic or irrelevant.
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21

I can use the text
as a clue to the
meaning of
vocabulary words.
5.L.4 Determine or
clarify the meaning
of unknown and
multi-meaning
words and phrases
based on grade 5
reading content,
choosing flexibly
from a range or
strategies.

a. Use context (e.g.,
cause/effect
relationships and
comparisons in text)
as a clue to the
meaning of a word
or phrase.

Uses text clues in
order to determine
the meaning of
given vocabulary
words.

Uses text clues in
order to determine
the meaning of
some of the given
vocabulary words.

Does not use text
clues in order to
determine the
meaning of given
vocabulary words
without consistent
help.


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Student Self-Assessment
Name: ______________________________________ Date: _______________________________
I can orally participate in my group discussions about the topic.
-5.SL.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one. in groups,
and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others
ideas and expressing their own clearly.
c. Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the
discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.

Directions: Circle the category that you fall under.
5 3 1
I participated in my groups
discussions about the
important ideas. My
contributions were always
on topic.
I sometimes participated in
my groups discussion
about the important ideas.
My contributions were
sometimes off topic.
I rarely participated in my
groups discussion about
the important ideas. My
contributions were off topic
almost all the time.


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Assessment Data Table:
Student Name 5.RI.2 I can use text
features to identify
the main ideas of a
text.

5.SL.1 I can orally
participate in my
groups discussions.

5.L.4 I can use the
text as a clue to the
meaning of
vocabulary words.
3 3 4
3 2 3
4 3 4
4 5 5
3 5 5
5 5 4
3 5 5
5 4 5
3 3 5
3 4 4
4 5 5
3 3 4
5 4 5
4 5 5
5 4 5
4 5 5
4 3 5
3 5 3
5 5 4
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2 3 3
4 3 4
4 5 5
3 2 5
4 5 5


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Lesson Reflection
What reading instructional approach did you select and how effective were you in
using this approach? (Describe the approach briefly, explain why you selected and
address strengths and challenges, what would you do differently or refine for the next
time)

The instructional approach that I used was using literature thematic units. This
instructional approach focuses on various core subjects at the same time. It creates
connections among the curriculum and is based on the common core standards. The reason
why I selected a literature thematic unit approach is because I believe the students should
have various opportunities to learn about a text.
One of the strengths that arose from this instructional approach was that most
students were interested about the topic. Students were interested because they were able
to relate some of the information in the text to their background knowledge. For example,
when I assessed the students Vocabulary Check, many of the boys in the class were
familiar with the word drone. Im guessing its from video games. I knew the students
were interested about the article because they had engaging conversations during their
independent group work. Most conversations were about the article.
However, one challenge I faced was trying to find an article that the whole class
could relate to. The classroom has more boys than girls. So, I knew that most of the boys
would find the article interesting because of the drones. Some of the girls did not seem
interested in the article because they did not have any related background knowledge of
the topic. One thing I would do differently is to have two or three different articles available
for the students to chose from. If I have an assortment of articles to choose from in the
future, the students might be more prone to reading something that interests them.

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What reading strategy/ies and skill/s did you select and how effective were you in
using this approach? (Describe the strategy and skill briefly, explain why you selected and
address strengths and challenges, what would you do differently or refine for the next
time)

The reading strategies that I selected were text features (listening and reading),
main idea and details (listening and reading), and vocabulary (word knowledge). The
reading strategy text features focused on what text features are and how they are
important for the reader. The main idea and details related to text features because text
features tell the reader what the important points of the text is. Lastly, I chose vocabulary
and focused on the students word knowledge. I wanted the students to understand the
difficult words that were presented in an unknown article. These words needed to be
addressed before I had the students read the article because if they do not understand the
important vocabulary words in the article, they will not comprehend the article as they
read.
A strength that came from teaching these reading strategies was that the students
were able to make a connection between the three strategies. Students understood that
vocabulary words are presented as highlighted or bolded words in an article. The reason
they are highlighted or bolded is because they are important. Highlighted words are also a
type of text feature. I knew students understood the article because they were able to refer
back to the vocabulary words and relate it to other text features that were in the article.
A challenge that I faced with these reading strategies was trying to differentiate it
for the struggling learners. I taught the same vocabulary words and the same text features
to the struggling learners. They also had to read the same article that the rest of the class
were assigned. In the future, I believe that I should provide a lower reading level text, but
similar to the original article, for struggling learners. Although the students claimed they
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understood the vocabulary words, they did not use it correctly in a sentence on their
Vocabulary Check. If I provided a lower reading level text for struggling learners, and a
different set of vocabulary words, I believe these students would have been more
successful in labeling text features in an article.
What text did you select to use? Why did you select it? What was students
engagement with the text? (Describe text, explain why you selected and address
strengths and challenges students encountered using the text, what would you do
differently or refine for the next time)

The text that I used was called Twister Alert! It was an article in the Time for Kids
magazine. I selected this article because my mentor teacher wanted me to choose an article
from one of the Time for Kids magazines. Additionally, I thought that majority of the class
would find it interesting because we do not have tornadoes in Hawaii. I thought it would be
interesting for them to understand why we do not have tornadoes here in Hawaii.
Moreover, I thought the students would find the part about the drones interesting because
most of them possessed background knowledge about drone.
A strength that students encountered using this text was relating it to their lives. I
remember one of the students stating that they had been to Oklahoma before. This relates
to the article because in one of the captions, it shows a picture of a tornado forming in
Oklahoma. Another student mentioned that he used drones in his video game. This relates
to the article because it states how scientists are sending drones into the tornadoes to
gather information about them.
However, one challenge that students encountered was trying to determine the
difference between a diagram and an illustration in this article. Some of the students were
confused because they thought all the pictures in the article were considered illustrations
because they were visual representations of information. I had to explain that diagrams
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give visual information, like tables and graphs, and illustrations are just pictures. If given
the chance to do this lesson over, I think I would pick a different article. I would choose an
article that has a clear depiction of a diagram and an illustration.
What instructional grouping approach did you use? Why did you select this
approach? What was students engagement and your management of this grouping
approach? (Describe if you used independent, pairs, small groups, and/or whole group
approaches, why were they selected, strengths and challenges among students and you
with managing the groups, what would you do differently or refine for the next time).

The instructional grouping that I used in my lesson was pairs, small groups, whole
group, and independent approaches. I selected pairs because I wanted students to gain
another perspective about the topic. I had the students discuss with a partner what they
already knew about text features. It was less intimidating for students but they still get to
hear another persons opinion. This was a strength because I was able to get most of the
class to brainstorm ideas. However, a challenge that arose from using pairs was that I was
not able to listen in on all of their conversations. It was not hard to manage, but it was
difficult to determine if all the pairs were on task.
I used the small group approach because of the same reason for using pairs. I
instructed some students to label their text features in small groups of 4 because these
were the struggling learners. I wanted them to split up the responsibility evenly so that
they each could focus on a smaller portion of the given task. One strength among students
was that the struggling learners were able to finish labeling their articles at the same time
that the pairs did. I grouped the more advanced learners in pairs because I knew that they
worked at a faster pace. However, a challenge that I faced was that I could not manage
whether each group member did his or her part. Although all of the groups finished their
product on time, I could not determine how much work each student contributed.
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I used a whole group approach at the beginning of the lesson because I wanted the
whole class to hear everyones ideas. By getting students involved in a whole group
discussion students were able to hear their peers ideas and share their own. This was one
of the strengths that students faced during whole group discussions. A challenge that I
faced by using the whole group approach was that not all students were able to participate.
It was hard for me to manage the discussion because the same four students kept raising
their hands. However, I did not want to put pressure on any of the students who werent
raising their hand.
Lastly, I used the independent approach because I needed each student to
understand the article. I had each of the students read the article to themselves before I
broke them up into groups. A strength that I faced was that I was able to manage who was
done reading the article or not. I instructed the students to turn over their article once they
were done reading. However, the challenge I faced was determining if the students were
actually reading. I was especially worried about the struggling learners because I was not
able to determine if they comprehended the text.
What evidence can I show about my students learning (e.g., student work)? How
effective was my assessment plan for getting information about my students
learning? (Describe the process you used to collect data about student learning)

The processes that I used to collect data about student learning were anecdotal
notes and formative assessments. The type of formative assessment I used was the
Vocabulary Check. I had the students fill out what they already knew about each vocabulary
word before I gave them the meaning. I then took this information and used it as another
formative assessment at the end of my unit plan. I gave the Vocabulary Checks back to the
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students and they had to state how well they are able to use each vocabulary word after
they were exposed to it in the article.
Moreover, I used a student self-assessment at the end of my unit plan as a
summative assessment. I had the students rate themselves on a rubric based on their oral
participation in their group. I also gathered anecdotal notes as the students participated in
their group discussions. I used these anecdotal notes as a formative assessment to help me
determine the students oral participation.
Overall, I believe my assessment plan was effective because I was able to assess the
whole class. Having a print copy of the Vocabulary Checks was very helpful because I was
able to look at each students progress. Utilizing the self-assessment was also effective
because I was able to compare it to my anecdotal notes to determine the validity of
students self-assessment scoring.
How did I do in meeting my desired results for this lesson? What are my next steps to
improve students learning? (Describe the results of each benchmark and information
from the assessment data table?)

I believe I partially met my first desired benchmark, 5.RI.2 Determine two or more
main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
According to my assessment data table, most of the students received a score of 3 or 4. This
means that most of the students needed help summarizing the key details in the text. I
believe that the next step to address this benchmark is to go over how to effectively
summarize a text. Most of the students copied sentences straight from the text or example.
I had to remind most of the students to read a sentence first, and then write it in their own
words. I believe that going more into depth about summarizing the key details will help
students understand the text.
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The next benchmark I assessed was 5.SL.1 Engage effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one. in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on
grade 5 topics and texts, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly. I
assessed whether students made oral contributions to their groups discussions. These
contributions were instructed to be on topic. If students were not on topic, they received a
lower score on my assessment data table. In my opinion, I think I was able to successfully
assess this standard utilizing anecdotal notes and gathering information from self-
assessments.
According to my assessment data table, majority of the students scored a 5 or 3.
Only a few students scored a 2 because they had to be constantly reminded to focus on
their task. I believe most students were able to score a 5 because they were engaged in the
activity. The next step to address this benchmark is to have students assess each other.
Although the self-assessment was useful, assessing each group member may provide me
with more evidence of student learning.
The last standard that I assessed was 5.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multi-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading content,
choosing flexibly from a range or strategies. I assessed whether students were able to use
context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. I was able to successfully assess each
student using the Vocabulary Check.
As presented in my assessment data table, majority of the students received a score
of 5. The only students who scored the lowest were my resource special education
students. These students are not usually included in language arts. The next step to address
this standard would be to assign more vocabulary words that can be related to the words I
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previously taught. However, I believe I should go into more depth about each vocabulary
word for the special education students. I should include more visuals to help the
struggling learners.

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Student Sample A
Date: April 28, 2014
Rating: 4
Benchmark 5 3 1
I can use text
features to identify
the main ideas of a
text.

-5.RI.2 Determine
two or more main
ideas of a text and
explain how they are
supported by key
details; summarize
the text.

Identifies main
ideas of a text.
Creates a
personalized
article that
includes main
points.
Identifies some
main ideas of a text.
Creates a
personalize article
that includes some
main points.
Does not identify
the main ideas of a
text.
Does not create a
personalized
article that
includes main
points.
I can orally
participate in my
group discussions
about the topic.

-5.SL.1 Engage
effectively in a range
of collaborative
discussions (one-on-
one. in groups, and
teacher-led) with
diverse partners on
grade 5 topics and
texts, building on
others ideas and
expressing their own
clearly.

c. Pose and respond
to specific questions
by making
comments that
contribute to the
discussion and
Participates in
groups
discussions by
asking questions,
making
comments, and/or
elaborating
important ideas
about the topic.
Participates some of
the time in groups
discussions by
asking questions,
making comments,
and/or elaborating
important ideas
about the topic.
Does not
participate in
groups
discussions by
asking questions,
making comments,
and/or elaborating
important ideas.
Contributions to
discussion are off
topic or irrelevant.
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elaborate on the
remarks of others.



I can use the text
as a clue to the
meaning of
vocabulary words.
5.L.4 Determine or
clarify the meaning
of unknown and
multi-meaning
words and phrases
based on grade 5
reading content,
choosing flexibly
from a range or
strategies.

a. Use context (e.g.,
cause/effect
relationships and
comparisons in text)
as a clue to the
meaning of a word
or phrase.

Uses text clues in
order to determine
the meaning of
given vocabulary
words.

Uses text clues in
order to determine
the meaning of
some of the given
vocabulary words.

Does not use text
clues in order to
determine the
meaning of given
vocabulary words
without consistent
help.

Commentary:
This student scored a 5 overall because she was able to identify the main ideas of a
text, participate in some of her groups discussions, and used text clues in order to help her
determine the meaning of a vocabulary word. This particular student needed little
reminding about copying the examples and/or articles text. She was able to summarize the
main ideas in her own words. Moreover, she was a community contributor to her group.
She took over the leader role and assigned some group members to do certain tasks when
they were off task. She was deducted points when assessed on 5.SL.1 because I had to
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remind her to stay on topic a couple times. The only reason why she wandered off topic is
because her peers were also contributing information that was off topic. She did not need
constant reminding throughout the lesson. Which is why I did not give her a score 5 or a
score of 1.
Furthermore, I assessed her Vocabulary Check to determine the growth of her
vocabulary knowledge. She was able to present efficient, detailed sentences for each of the
assigned vocabulary words. She used the vocabulary words in each of her sentences in a
way that pertained to the rest of the text. In addition, her vocabulary sentences reflected
her background knowledge of the vocabulary words. This student check off I am confident
that I can use the word to create sentences on her Vocabulary Check, for each word, at the
end of the lesson. She displayed evidence supporting her Vocabulary Check through her
detailed sentences.
Ongoing Goals:
This student has seemed to grasp all the concepts presented in my unit plan. She
was able to efficiently use text features to help her determine the important ideas in a text
during this activity. In order to broaden her knowledge about main ideas in a text, I would
expand more on comprehension. In correspondence to this expansion, I would assign more
vocabulary words. In my unit plan I only assigned three vocabulary words because of the
time limit.
I would develop activities that will help this student deepen her understanding of
each vocabulary word through multiple experiences. This could include drawing detailed
pictures, using them in sentences, and explaining how each vocabulary word relates to the
given text.
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Student Sample B
Date: April 28, 2014
Rating: 4
Benchmark 5 3 1
I can use text
features to identify
the main ideas of a
text.

-5.RI.2 Determine
two or more main
ideas of a text and
explain how they are
supported by key
details; summarize
the text.

Identifies main
ideas of a text.
Creates a
personalized
article that
includes main
points.
Identifies some
main ideas of a text.
Creates a
personalize article
that includes some
main points.
Does not identify
the main ideas of a
text.
Does not create a
personalized
article that
includes main
points.
I can orally
participate in my
group discussions
about the topic.

-5.SL.1 Engage
effectively in a range
of collaborative
discussions (one-on-
one. in groups, and
teacher-led) with
diverse partners on
grade 5 topics and
texts, building on
others ideas and
expressing their own
clearly.

c. Pose and respond
to specific questions
by making
comments that
contribute to the
discussion and
Participates in
groups
discussions by
asking questions,
making
comments, and/or
elaborating
important ideas
about the topic.
Participates some of
the time in groups
discussions by
asking questions,
making comments,
and/or elaborating
important ideas
about the topic.
Does not
participate in
groups
discussions by
asking questions,
making comments,
and/or elaborating
important ideas.
Contributions to
discussion are off
topic or irrelevant.
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elaborate on the
remarks of others.

I can use the text
as a clue to the
meaning of
vocabulary words.
5.L.4 Determine or
clarify the meaning
of unknown and
multi-meaning
words and phrases
based on grade 5
reading content,
choosing flexibly
from a range or
strategies.

a. Use context (e.g.,
cause/effect
relationships and
comparisons in text)
as a clue to the
meaning of a word
or phrase.

Uses text clues in
order to determine
the meaning of
given vocabulary
words.

Uses text clues in
order to determine
the meaning of
some of the given
vocabulary words.

Does not use text
clues in order to
determine the
meaning of given
vocabulary words
without consistent
help.

Commentary:
This students scored a 4 overall because she was not able to correctly summarize
the important ideas in a text or stay on task for the duration of independent work time.
This student needed several reminders to stay on task. I noticed that she took a while to
finish one task and move on to another because her group members distracted her.
However, she did score a 5 in 5.L.4 because she was able to provide proficient
sentences on her Vocabulary Check. Students were instructed to create a sentence that
included each of the vocabulary words. Her sentences on her Vocabulary Check did not
include any of the given vocabulary words. If you refer to her student sample on the next
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page, her sentence for the word drone is written in context to the vocabulary word.
However, she failed to include the actual vocabulary word in the sentence. I did not deduct
points from this benchmark because her sentence shows that she understands the meaning
of the word drone.
In addition, I had to remind her not to copy sentences word-for-word from the
article. She tended to copy straight from the example provided. I had to explain that the
example article was based on a different topic. She was copying information that was not
relevant to tornadoes. She had a hard time determining the important ideas in the text.
When I asked her what the article was about, she answered, I dont know, tornadoes? I
had her go over the text features to remind her what the important ideas were in the
article. She then came to a conclusion that the scientists used drones to increase warning
times for tornadoes. The only problem she had with the task was trying to summarize
those ideas in her own words.
On Going Goals:
An on going goal for this student would be to review text features. She seems to not
fully understand what text features represent and how to use them because she was not
able to use them to find the key points in the text. I would use more visual cues to help her
understand what each text feature looks like. Moreover, I would provide multiple texts and
the text features presented in each text. This will help the student see different variations
of text features and how they are used in different contexts.
In order to expand her vocabulary, I would introduce other vocabulary words that
relate to drone, penetrate, or supercell. Along with the new vocabulary words, I would have
her use the vocabulary words in sentences to further help her comprehension. I believe
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that exposing the class to only three vocabulary words helped them gain a better
understand of each word. Since I only assigned three new vocabulary words, she was able
to understand each word at a deeper level.

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Student Sample C

Date: April 28, 2014
Rating: 3
Benchmark 5 3 1
I can use text
features to identify
the main ideas of a
text.

-5.RI.2 Determine
two or more main
ideas of a text and
explain how they are
supported by key
details; summarize
the text.

Identifies main
ideas of a text.
Creates a
personalized
article that
includes main
points.
Identifies some
main ideas of a text.
Creates a
personalize article
that includes some
main points.
Does not identify
the main ideas of a
text.
Does not create a
personalized
article that
includes main
points.
I can orally
participate in my
group discussions
about the topic.

-5.SL.1 Engage
effectively in a range
of collaborative
discussions (one-on-
one. in groups, and
teacher-led) with
diverse partners on
grade 5 topics and
texts, building on
others ideas and
expressing their own
clearly.

c. Pose and respond
to specific questions
by making
comments that
contribute to the
discussion and
Participates in
groups
discussions by
asking questions,
making
comments, and/or
elaborating
important ideas
about the topic.
Participates some of
the time in groups
discussions by
asking questions,
making comments,
and/or elaborating
important ideas
about the topic.
Does not
participate in
groups
discussions by
asking questions,
making comments,
and/or elaborating
important ideas.
Contributions to
discussion are off
topic or irrelevant.
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elaborate on the
remarks of others.

I can use the text
as a clue to the
meaning of
vocabulary words.
5.L.4 Determine or
clarify the meaning
of unknown and
multi-meaning
words and phrases
based on grade 5
reading content,
choosing flexibly
from a range or
strategies.

a. Use context (e.g.,
cause/effect
relationships and
comparisons in text)
as a clue to the
meaning of a word
or phrase.

Uses text clues in
order to determine
the meaning of
given vocabulary
words.

Uses text clues in
order to determine
the meaning of
some of the given
vocabulary words.

Does not use text
clues in order to
determine the
meaning of given
vocabulary words
without consistent
help.


Commentary:

This student received a score of 3 overall. He was not able to identify the main
points in the given text. He contributed little information to his groups personal article.
Which is why he received a score of 3 for the benchmark 5.SL.1. Most of his oral
contributions were on topic during his group discussions. However, he did not contribute
much to the group. When I observed him and his group, he just sat on the side and let the
rest of the group members do the work. It was not until someone gave him a task that he
would contribute.
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Additionally, his Vocabulary Check displayed confusion about some vocabulary
words. For example, he wrote the following sentence for the word penetrate, I was so
penetrate that I punch my own wall. The example sentence that I gave the class for the
word penetrate was, I punched so hard that my fist penetrated through the wall. I believe
that he was trying to use the vocabulary word in the same context as my example sentence.
However, he did not show a full understanding of what the word means because
structurally he used it wrong. He also checked off Im confident that I can use the word to
create different sentences at the end of the lesson. From this assessment, I came to the
conclusion that he was not able to use any text clues to help him determine the meaning of
this particular vocabulary word. I did not give him a score of 1 because his other two
vocabulary word sentences were used in the correct context.
On Going Goals:
It is hard to determine the on going goals for this student because he is a resource
special education student. He is usually pulled out of class during language arts. However, I
believe I would need to spend more one-on-one time with this particular student on text
features. He knows what most of the text features look like but he is not able to
comprehend how each text feature related to the text. Utilizing more visuals might help
him understand what text features look like and where they can be found in different types
of texts.
When I asked the student what the article was about, he was not able to answer me.
I then pointed to a picture and asked him, What does this text feature tell us? He
answered that it shows how a tornado is formed. I then asked him, Okay, so from looking
at that text feature alone, what do you think the article will be about? He was not able to
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answer me. So, I believe that more explicit instruction about how readers utilize text
features will help this student comprehend a text better.
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