EE 326 and T&L 413 Teaching Reading and Language Arts in the Middle Grades

Reflective Dialogic/Guided Reading Lesson Plan Assignment Template: Using the edTPA Framework
(Adapted, with gratitude, from work by Deborah Layzell, Illinois State University)
Name: Benjamin Hiromura
Age/grade level this plan is for: Seventh Grade
Text Utilized: Matched by Ally Condie
Central Focus

Central Learning Focus and Planned Learning Outcomes

Students will focus on pulling out recurring and important themes within the novel, Matched, in
order to deepen their understanding of the text.
*This lesson was facilitated in accordance with an ongoing Literature Circle group (four
students at reading level Z). The students predetermined and read to page 168 of the novel
Matched by Ally Condie, while coming up with 5 discussion questions, 10 vocabulary words, and
an illustration (not assigned as part of this particular lesson). I have adapted their reading and
class requirements in order to teach a minilesson on the literary device of theme.

CCSS Anchor
Standard(s)
(p.10)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2
Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key
supporting details and ideas.

CCSS K-5 ELA

Standard(s)
(p.11-29)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the
text; provide an objective summary of the text.

Prior Academic
Knowledge

Students must have some prior experience working with the abstract concept of theme. They
must understand that a theme is recurring, relevant in multiple places, and usually
characterized by a single word or phrase. The students must have read closely, paying attention
to the patterns within the plot and the deeper meanings of character thoughts and actions.
Lastly, students must be able to exhaust the meaning of plot details in the text,
academically/emotionally/philosophically.

Anticipated
Issues

Theme, in itself, can be an overwhelmingly abstract literary device, as it is implicit rather than
explicit. Because these students were not directly told to search for themes while reading, it
may be difficult to have them collectively compile themes in the text. Additionally, when using
the Dylan Thomas poem I recognize that these students are not necessarily well equipped to
comprehensively analyze the text.
With that said, I will scaffold student understanding of theme by defining the term and giving
some examples from the text. I will also provide for student collaboration and conversation, in

Launch
5-7 Minutes

addition to giving adequate think time for all students. I will address the complexity of the
poetic prose by asking small/detailed questions about it, building to theme. This will also
demonstrate to students how to pull out themes from the novel.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
Read the poem Do Not Go Gentle by Dylan Thomas
o Aloud once, then silently
o Students- Underline important words, Star essential stanzas and Circle
unknown terms
Discuss themes within the poem
o What did you underline, star, and cirlcle? Why?
o How did this poem make you feel? Why?
o What is the author saying/ the basic message?
o What are the themes within the text?
o Why are they important to the larger novel/the reader/the world?

Instructional Core
Sequence
10-12 Minutes

Transition: Now that we have taken a stab on some themes in this essential poem
within the novel, let me clear up what exactly is meant by the word theme.
Defining Theme
Definition: The theme of any literary work is the base topic or focus that acts
as a foundation for the entire literary piece. The theme links all aspects of the
literary work with one another and is basically the main subject. The theme can
be an enduring pattern or motif throughout the literary work, occurring in a
complex, long winding manner or it can be short and succinct and provide a
certain insight into the story.
Example: The main theme in the play Romeo and Juliet was love with smaller
themes of sacrifice, tragedy, struggle, hardship, devotion and so on.
(Literary-Devices.com)
Brainstorm of Themes in the novel Matched
Students- take 2-3 minutes to brainstorm a few recurring, important themes in
the text;
Try to come up with at least three;
Think deeper than the plot, what patterns can you find?
Share out and collect a numbered list (visual in center of table)

Structured Practice
& Application
15-20 Minutes

My Examples
Passing Time- in The Society, the powers that be structure the time of all
citizens and give everyone more time to live by dictating health, wellness, and
death;
Love- Cassia must decide between Ky and Xander;
Control/Power- The Society is oppressive in every way, but is it a good thing?
Choice- does Cassia have a choice at all, how much power does the individual
really have?
Beauty and Art/Nature- The Society has a singular, easy conception of beauty,
but that is not the true nature of beauty.
Students will align their predetermined 5 Questions to the list of Themes
o *Students will have come up with 5 discussion questions, 10 vocabulary words,
and an illustration from the text as part of their class requirements for this
Book Club meeting;
o Students- go through their questions and write the numbered theme that most
closely aligns;
The list may include up to 15 themes (choose the closest one)
My Questions
Passing Time- It is clear that The Society give individuals more time due to
strict living routines. Does this automatically make for a better life? Why or why
not? (p. 19);
Love- In what ways would a relationship between Cassia and Ky be forbidden?
Why is Cassia so obsessed with an aberration? (p. 56);
Control/Power- Is fairness and predictability enough to justify automatic death
at 80, instead of a natural death? Why or why not? (p. 70);
Choice- What parts of The Society are controlled and when does Cassia make
decisions? How might these controls and Infractions display what The Society
values?
Beauty and Art/Nature- On page 29, Cassia talks about the Hundred Lists.
According to that, how is beauty viewed by The Society? Is it good or bad?
After applying knowledge of theme to their five questions, students will discuss will
them in order of each theme
Ex. Theme 1 (Passing Time)- discussion questions, Theme 2 (Love)- discussion

Closure
3-5 Minutes

Differentiation/Plan
ned Additional
Support

questions, etc.
Students will retain normalsy of Literature Circle discussion within structured
parameters;
Theme will not only become apparently important, but the practice will make
finding theme second nature.

Wrap up discussiono The reason we talked so much about theme today is because this book is full
of messages deeper than the plot. If you continue to read closely, paying
attention to the details about the characters and their connection to this weird
imaginary world, you will get a lot out of it. If you can draw out the themes,
make inferences about what the author is trying to say, you can make
connections to our own world. By battling academically with the implicit you
will see the world in a whole new way. Try to catch on to the patterns in this
book like how Cassia sorts numbers.

(optional)- follow-up writing assignment

o Compare and Contrast The Society with Our Society

Whole Class
In a whole class setting this lesson would include a good deal of think-pair-share in
order to narrow the aloud responses to only those that are well-thought-out and
refined;
The amount of shared themes would have to have a limit (10-15);
Students above and/or below level Z would need enhancement and/or scaffolding;
Groups of students with similar needs
Students with similar needs would be called upon to push each others
understandings of the text by playing Devils advocate and calling for rationales
during discussion;
Students with similar needs will rely more heavily on either the abstract or the
concrete, thus they should be pushed to practice the other;
Individual students
4

Individual students will feel more heavy accountability in determining themes, and
educator must challenge them to take risks and feel comfortable;
Students and educators can think aloud, modeling their thought processes in
determining theme;

Students with IEPs or 504 plans (include ESL/bilingual; learning disability; physical
disability):
Task analysis should be employed in order to clearly delineate the schedule of
instruction;
Collaborative learning tasks exist within the lesson and the group should make sure
students are not falling behind;
Group discussion should be more linear/logical and concrete;
Academic Language Demands
Describe and reflect upon the formal language of instruction plus the concepts youre teaching in this lesson.
Academic
Theme- used throughout lesson, introduced subtly in poetry analysis, defined literally, then
Language
practiced and communally constructed;
Used
Stanza- point to example (visually) and use synonym like chunk or group of words;
Literary- of or pertaining to reading a story, use context clues to determine;
Meeting the
Explicit- use synonyms real or sensible or physical or concrete;
Language
Implicit- explain as antonym of ^ and use synonyms imaginary or abstract;
Demands
Inference- make best guess, make an assumption based on the details, addressed when
talking about theme;

Assessments
Assessm
ent Type
(Informal
or
Formal)

Assessm
ent
Descripti
on
10

Planned
Modifications
to Assessments
*Less or more

Evaluation Criteria
(What evidence of student learning related to the learning
objectives and central focus
does the assessment provide?)

Students will have the correct number of each part;

Formal

Unknown
Words, 5
Qs, 1
Illustration

Informal

Discussion
participati
on/ social
skills
Compare
and
Contrast

Formal
(optional)

Which lesson

based on
percieved ability
to complete task
and desired focus
level.
*Vocal/verbal
accomodations;
*Attention issues
considered;

Questions will NOT be yes/no answers only;

Illustrations judged by percieved effort;

Content of questions and responses (did they read?);

Quantity of responses (participation);
Quality of discussion behavior (engagement, politeness, etc.)

*Graphic
organizer
provided.

Bullet points in each column;

Written summary of findings (full sentences);
Valid similarities/differences;

Viable Components-

Teaching Analysis
Needs Improvement-

aspects
worked?
Which did not
work as well
as you
planned?
What would
you need to
say/do
tomorrow,
based on
how well this
lesson
worked
today?
Specific
Changes

Use of poetry;
Collaboratively constructing book themes;
Aligning themes with individual questions;
Book club discussion guided by themes

Scaffolding poetry analysis (question

clarification);
Limited imagination on poetry themes;
Aligning questions with more than one
book theme;
o Complicated discussion;
Explicit directions (task analysis)
Educator questions to group (re-evaluate)
*I would check in with each student individually and casually discuss how they are enjoying the
book. I would ask which specific aspects of the book they enjoyed. I would be looking to see whether
or not the student talked about a specific theme, plot, or character. If the student did not talk about
a theme, I would try to lead their answer toward a broader, more abstract topic. For example, if the
student speaks about how he/she loved Cassias green dress, I would push he/she toward examining
how this beautiful dress was chosen out of a select 100 determined by The Society.
*I would simply try to gauge how each student is thinking about the text (concrete vs. abstract) and
how much he/she is experimenting with theme, while taking note of his/her specific focuses and
interests.
Whole class
Revise and further specify questions about poem;
Utilize SMART board and white board when constructing themes;
Groups of students
Further scaffold and investigate the process of constructing themes;
Think Aloud to model how to find a theme;
Continually tie discussion back to the theme at hand;
Individual students
Find specific examples where each theme is found.

Resources
Condie, A., & Goossens, J. (2010). Matched. Rotterdam: Lemniscaat.
Theme. (n.d.). Literary Devices. Retrieved June 2, 2014, from http://literarydevices.com/content/theme
7

Thomas, D. (n.d.). Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved June 2,
2014, from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175907