Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Grade Level/Subject: 3/reading

Central Focus: Characterization/personality traits

Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.3
Date submitted:
Date
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations,
taught:
or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the
sequence of events
Daily Lesson Objective: Students will be able to understand personality traits and interpret them
from the reading. Students will be given a worksheet and complete this objective by correctly
answering 4 out of 5 questions.
21st Century Skills:
Academic Language Demand (Language Function and
Vocabulary):
Confirm- Students will be confirming personality traits as
they read.
Understand- Students will be understanding the differences
in personality traits.
Prior Knowledge: Students will need to understand different personalities, such as happy, sad,
lazy, energetic, etc.

Activity

1. Focus and Review

2. Statement of
Objective
for Student
3. Teacher Input

Description of Activities and Setting

Ok, class, right now I want to talk to you all about personality
traits. Remember when we were talking about physical traits
yesterday? We said that some of us are taller than others, and
some of us have brown hair while others had a different color.
Well, personality traits are like physical traits, except they
describe a characters behavior.
Today, we are going to learn about figuring out a characters
personality traits.
First, what I want to do is give a few examples of personality
traits. So, some examples could be being happy, or sad, and
other examples could be lazy, or afraid. Can anyone give me
some more examples? The teacher should put the students
examples on the board, and continue to do so until there are a
good amount of examples. If students use a physical trait
remember to explain that, and clarify the difference if needed.
Ok, very good class, we have a lot of great examples on the
board. Do you think people can only have one of these
personality traits? Do you think these personality traits can
change, depending on how the person feels? Ok, good. Now, I
am going to read a passage to you. The teacher will read the

Time

4. Guided Practice

5. Independent
Practice

6. Assessment
Methods of

first passage, on Chicago, to the class. Be sure to stop every

time there is a description of personality traits and say to
yourself what you are wondering. Show your thinking, and
how you come to conclusions about the personality out loud
so the class can hear you. It is a good idea to outline the
stopping points ahead of time, so you dont accidentally pass
them. When getting to a certain personality trait, mention
that trait. For example, if you get to a stopping point that
describes bravery, say out loud, Wow, those people must
have been very brave to do that, or something along those
lines. When you get to the end of the story complete the first
question out loud, showing students how you got the answer,
and going back to the story to find evidence on why you
chose this answer.
For guided practice the teacher will guide the students while
they complete the second question pertaining to the reading
passage. For this, the teacher will read out the question, read
all of the answers, and then ask the students what they think.
What do you think the answer to this question is? Why do
you think that? Can we find any evidence from the reading
that supports that answer? The teacher will clear up
misconceptions at this point, and make sure students are on
the right track. When the second question is complete, and
the students are showing an understanding of personality
traits, the teacher can then have the students finish the
remaining questions individually.
For the individual practice, the teacher will have the students
finish the remaining questions. While the students work on
this the teacher should be walking around the classroom
observing the students and helping them if needed. The
teacher should explain that they want the students to answer
these questions in the same way as before. Students should
use the reading passage to find evidence that supports the
answer they chose. When the students are finished, the
teacher will go over the remaining questions. During this,
have a student read out the question and all of the answers,
then have the students read the answer they chose along with
the supporting evidence. Have the student explain how the
supporting evidence shows that particular personality trait.
Ask the class if they agree or not and why. Clear up
misconceptions for this question. Continue to review the
independent practice in the same manner.
Once the independent practice is complete hand out the next reading
passage. Alright, class, great job so far. Now, I want you to do the same

all
objectives/skills:

7. Closure

thing with this reading passage. Read the passage, and answer the
questions the best you can, making sure to use evidence from the text
that supports that answer. During this phase students will work
individually.
The teacher will close the lesson by asking students to review
what they have learned. The students should describe what
they did, including using the text to support their answers.

8. Assessment
Results of
all
objectives/skills:
Targeted Students
Modifications/Accommodations:
The students with special learning needs
will be able to work on their own throughout
the lesson. These students will be observed
more closely.

Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations:
Students that still have misconceptions after the
guided practice will be allowed to form a small
group during the independent practice. The
teacher will observe and help this group during
that phase of the lesson.

Materials/Technology:
(Include any instructional materials (e.g., worksheets, assessments PowerPoint/Smart Board slides, etc.) needed to implement the lesson at
the end of the lesson plan.)

Two reading passages and copies of them for each student.

References: Reading passages- http://teacher.depaul.edu/Skill-Focused-Readings/Grade
%203%20Character%20Traits.pdf
Reflection on lesson:

These reading passages are a copy/paste version for example only. The format
should be revised before using.

Skill: Identify and infer stated and implied character traits 3rd Grade Nonfiction:
The Chicago Fire
Center for Urban Education 2007 Chicago started
out as a small town. Then many people moved to Chicago. They wanted to be part
of the new city. They were brave. They came here to make a new life. They started
with nothing. They worked hard. They made their homes good places to live.
But Chicago grew so fast people did not have time to build homes of brick. So they
made them of wood. The city had to put in streets quickly. The streets were made
of wood. People had just put wooden planks down to make streets. They stuck
them together with tar.

Some people said to watch out. They said that all the wood was dangerous. There
could be a fire. But more people kept moving here. They needed homes in a hurry.
So they kept building more wooden houses.
More than 100 years ago there was a big fire in Chicago. It was 1871. It had been
hot all summer. The trees and bushes were dry because they needed rain. It had
not rained enough to keep them growing green.
The fire kept burning. It lasted more than 30 hours. People tried to stop it. But all
the wood kept the fire burning. Finally, it started to rain. That helped to put the fire
out.
When people saw how much was burned, they were worried. How would
they be able to stay here? But the people who had moved here had started with
nothing. They had built the city. They could have moved. But they decided to
stay. They would rebuild the city of Chicago.
The day after the fire the newspaper had headline that said Cheer up! Chicago
shall rise again. People stayed and worked together. They built new homes of
brick.
People helped each other. They shared food. They shared homes. And they
passed laws about building in Chicago. From then on, people would build with
bricks so homes would not burn. By 1891, Chicago was a big city again. People
who had stayed felt glad. They knew they had made the right choice.
Questions developed by Center for Urban Education for use by Chicago Public
Schools 2008-2009. Directions: Choose the best answer for each question 1.
Which trait did the people who moved to Chicago have?
a. new
b. hard working
c. worried
d. careless
2. Why do you think the people who moved here were brave?
a. They built homes.
b. They traveled a lot.
c. They hurried.
d. They stayed after the fire.
3. What trait do you think the people who said to watch out had?
a. careful

b. careless
c. angry
d. friendly
4. What trait do you think people who shared food after the fire had?
a. greedy
b. helpful
c. frightened
d. mean
5. Write your own answer to this question. What is a character trait? Explain in
your own words and give an example.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Answers: You can remove this answer key and then give it to students and ask them
to figure out the basis for the correct response.
Item 1 2 3 4 Answer b d a b
Question 5 is open-ended. Here is a suggested response.
5. A character trait is a way a person is. An example is: friendly.
Skill: Identify and infer stated and implied character traits 3rd Grade Fiction: The
Turtle and the Ducks Center for Urban Education adapted from Gutenberg 2007
Once upon a time, a turtle lived in a pond with two ducks. They were good
friends. The turtle liked to talk. He always had something to say to the ducks. He
liked to hear himself say it. He was very friendly. One summer it was very hot and
dry. The pond dried up. The two ducks saw that they could no longer live there.
They decided to move. They would go where there was more water. They told the
turtle they were leaving. "Oh, don't leave me behind!" begged the turtle. "Take me
with you." "But you cannot fly!" said the Ducks. "How can we take you with us?"
"Take me with you! Take me with you!" said the turtle. The ducks felt so sorry for the
turtle. They were kind ducks. We have thought of a way," they said. But you have
to keep still. We will each take hold of one end of a strong stick. You take the middle
in your mouth. Then we will fly up in the air with you and carry you with us. But
remember not to talk! If you open your mouth, you will fall." The turtle said he
would not say a word. He was very grateful. So the ducks brought a strong little
stick and took hold of the ends, and the turtle bit firmly on the middle. Then the two

ducks rose slowly in the air and flew. When they were above the treetops, the turtle
wanted to say, "How high we are!" But he remembered, and kept still. When they
passed another pond he wanted to say, "Lets stop here. But he remembered, and
stayed silent. Then they came over the town. People looked up and saw them. "Look
at the ducks carrying a turtle!" they shouted. Everyone ran to look. The turtle
wanted to say, "What business is it of yours?" But he didn't. Then he heard the
people shout, "Isn't it strange!" The turtle forgot everything except that he wanted
to say, "I am not strange. I am special!" He opened his mouthand fell from the
sky. Luckily, the turtle fell in a bush. But the turtle broke its leg and could not walk
for weeks. A family felt sorry for the turtle and took it in. The mother said, We will
help you. She put a tub in their yard so it could have water. It wasnt a pond. But
at least the turtle was alive. He helped her every day by eating weeds in the
garden.
Questions developed by Center for Urban Education for use by Chicago Public
Schools 2008-2009. Directions: Choose the best answer for each question 6.
Which trait do the ducks have?
a. mean
b. foolish
c. kind
d. birds
7. Which trait does the turtle have? a. angry
b. greedy
c. lazy
d. talkative
8. Which trait do you think made the turtle fall?
a. frightened
b. careful
c. lazy
d. proud
9. Which trait do you think the mother who saved the turtle had?
a. helpful
b. busy

c. angry
d. sad
10. Write your own answer to this question. What trait do you think the turtle
learned to have after he fell?
______________________________________________________
Answers: You can remove this answer key and then give it to students and ask them
to figure out the basis for the correct response.
Item 6 7 8 9 Answer c d d a
Question 10 is open-ended. Here is a suggested response.
10. patient; cooperative; helpful