Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Melissa Losito
Grade Level/Subject: 4th Grade/Reading
Central Focus: Theme
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:
Date submitted:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text;
Date taught: March 17, 2016
summarize the text.
Daily Lesson Objective: Given a short poem, students will answer questions about the poem and determine the theme of
the poem using details from the text.
21st Century Skills:
Academic Language Demand (Language Function and Vocabulary):
Technology: The teacher will use the
Vocabulary: Theme, poetry, details
SmartBoard to display the poems.
Language function: Use- Students will use details from a poem to
Collaboration and communication: Students determine its theme.
will work in partners during guided practice.
Prior Knowledge: Students should be able to read with sufficient accuracy to comprehend the poem. Students should
know what theme is.
Activity

Description of Activities and Setting

Time

1. Focus and Review

We have already talked about themes in short stories, so who can tell me
what theme is? The teacher will call on students raising their hand to
respond. Very good. Theme is the message that the story is trying to get
across, and is usually something important.

5 min.

2. Statement of Objective
for Student

Today we are going to determine the themes of poems using details from the
text.

30 sec.

3. Teacher Input

The teacher will display a short poem on the SmartBoard and read it aloud to
the class. After reading the poem aloud, the teacher will say Hm. What was
this poem about? It was about a person deciding which way to go. How do I
know this? The person in the poem does not know which to go or how to
make up his/her mind. I know this because the poem says, I simply do not
know and How do I make up my mind? What is the theme of this poem?
Based on this information, I think the theme is making choices/decisions in
life can be difficult. I can use details in the poem to help me answer multiplechoice questions.

4. Guided Practice
The teacher will pass out a packet of poems. The teacher and students will
read half of a poem, Roads, together. The students will predict what the theme
of the poem might be after reading the first half. They will also answer
questions such as What is the poem mostly about? What does the poem

10 min.

15-20
min.

describe? The teacher and students will continue on to the second half of the
poem together. Students will answer the multiple choice question, Which
sentence best describes the theme of this poem? and provide details as to
why they selected that answer. The teacher and students will select the best
answer and discuss why the other answers are incorrect. Students will then get
with a partner to read The House by the Side of the Road. Students will answer
two multiple-choice questions about the poem and describe the theme using
details from the poem to support their answer. Pairs will share out to the
whole class.

5. Independent Practice

Students will read the final poem, The Beach Road by the Woods,
independently. They will answer three multiple-choice questions and one short
response about the poem and its theme (s).

6. Assessment Methods of
all objectives/skills:

The teacher will collect the packet of poems and assess, focusing on the last poem that the
students did individually. Students will have to have answered the multiple-choice
questions correctly as well as explain the theme of the poem using details to support their
explanation to meet the lesson objective.

7. Closure

Students will turn and talk to a neighbor about the theme of the poem. The
teacher will be walking around and listening to groups. The teacher will
review what theme is to end the lesson.

8. Assessment Results of
all objectives/skills:

Most students understood how to find the theme of a poem using details from the text. A
few struggled with determining the theme of The Beach Road by the Woods because they
had a hard time figuring out the meaning of the poem. If they did not understand the
meaning of the poem, the multiple-choice questions were a little tricky. The majority of
students answered the multiple-choice questions correctly.

Targeted Students Modifications/Accommodations:

Students that have difficulty seeing or hearing will be
seated closer to the SmartBoard and the teacher.
English Language Learners can have poems translated
into their native language. Gifted students may extend
their learning by providing more than one theme with
supporting details.
Materials/Technology:

15-20
min.

5-10 min.

Student/Small Group Modifications/Accommodations:

If multiple students are misunderstanding theme, the teacher
may have to re-teach the lesson in a different way. If only a few
students are struggling, small group remediation may be
conducted.

(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.)

Packet of poems and guiding questions (attached)

SmartBoard

References:

Reflection on lesson: Overall, the lesson went very well. The poems were at an appropriate level for the students to
comprehend. All students, minus a couple, were on task and engaged throughout the entire lesson. One thing I would do
differently is giving students time restrictions to keep the lesson moving. Some students finished before others during
guided practice and just had to sit there until the others were finished.