LessonPlanDesignElements

LessonTitle:LiteratureCircles1(characters)
Teacher:NM
Date:26January2016
UnitTitle:GlobalRealisticFiction
UnitGoal(s):
Studentswillbeabletodefineglobalrealisticfiction.
Studentswillbeabletoindependentlyidentifythemaincharacter(s)intheirliteraturecirclebook
Studentswillbeabletoindependentlyidentifytheuniversaltheme(s)intheirliteraturecirclebook
Studentswillbeabletoanalyzehowthedevelopmentofcharacterscarrythethemeintheirliteraturecircle
book
Studentswillreflectoncontroversialorotherwisesignificantculturalaspectsoftheirliteraturecirclebooksin
orderlearnempatheticandacceptanceskillsasassessedinformallythroughmeaningfulgroupandcircle
discussions.
Grade/ContentArea:8thgradeELA

Context:Thislessonfitswiththebroaderunitcurriculumbecauseliteraturecirclesformthebulkoftheunitwhere
studentswillworkinsmallgroupstoachievethelearninggoalsthroughcollaborativediscussion.Thelessonis
supportedbypreviousinstructionbymyguidingteacheronthesetting,characters,theme,andgeneralreading
comprehensionstrategiesheruseofliteraturecirclesinthepastanddirectinstructionongenresofliterature.The
lessonwilloccurtowardstheendoftheFallsemesterattheForestGroveCommunitySchool.

TIPCriticalQuestion:DoesthecirclemodelbyIIRPalterstudentparticipationinand/orthoughtsandfeelings
aboutliteraturecirclediscussions?

Standards:
8.SL.1Engageeffectivelyinarangeofcollaborativediscussions(oneonone,ingroups,andteacherled)with
diversepartnersongrade8topics,texts,andissues,buildingonothersideasandexpressingtheirownclearly.
a.Cometodiscussionsprepared,havingreadorresearchedmaterialunderstudyexplicitlydrawonthatpreparation
byreferringtoevidenceonthetopic,text,orissuetoprobeandreflectonideasunderdiscussion.

8.RL.2Determineathemeorcentralideaofatextandanalyzeitsdevelopmentoverthecourseofthetext,including
itsrelationshiptothecharacters,setting,andplotprovideanobjectivesummaryofthetext.

8.RL.3Analyzehowparticularlinesofdialogueorincidentsinastoryordramapropeltheaction,revealaspectsofa
character,orprovokeadecision.

LearningTargets:Studentswillbeabletoindependentlyidentifythemaincharacter(s)intheirliteraturecirclebook

ContentObjectives:
1) Studentswillbeabletoexecutethestepsforparticipatinginaliteraturecircleusingthemodelexplainedin
class
2) Studentswillbeabletoidentifytraitsofthemaincharacterintheirbooksasassessedinformallythrough
checksforunderstandingduringandthevoicerecordingsoftheirliteraturecirclediscussions

StudentAssessments:Studentswillbeassessedformativelythroughteacherobservationontheirabilitytoexecute
thestepsforparticipatinginliteraturecirclesusingtheIIRPmodel.Thisisungraded,butIwillstepintohelpifIsee
thatthemodelisnotbeingfollowed.Iwillalsolistentotherecordingsofthediscussionstomakesurethemodelis
beingfollowed.
StudentswillbealsoassessedformativelyontheirunderstandingofthecharactersthroughoutthediscussionasI
listentotherecordingsafterclass.Additionally,theywillbeassessedtheirsummativeassessmentattheendofthe
unitandintheirdiscussionsinthecomingweeks.Inthisclass,theyareonlyexpectedtothinkaboutwhothemain
characteroftheirbooksiswhiletheybegintoreadtheirliteraturecirclebooksinclass.

LearningMaterials/Preparation:Preparationinvolveswritingthediscussionquestionsbeforeclass,writingthemon
theboardforthestudentstorefertoduringclass,andpreparingtheiPadsfordiscussions.

DifferentiationStrategies:Theassignedbooksrangeindifficultylevelfromfifthgradetohighschoollevels.
Studentswhoarenotasstrongofreadersareputintogroupswheretheywillreadanappropriatebookfortheir
readinglevel.Thechallengecoursestudentswillbeassignedanadditionalbookthatisahighschoolreadinglevelto
readoutsideofclassonwhichtheywillfocustheirsummativeassessments.Theywillalsobeassignedaliterature
circlebooktoreadinclassandwillparticipateintheliteraturecirclediscussionsonthisbook.Inthisway,their
literaturecirclebookswillbeeasiertoreadforthem,buttheywillleadtheirgroupandhelpguidethestudentsinthe
literaturecircleswhoarenotasstrongofreaders.Aninstructionalassistantwillalsojoinoneofthegroupstoassist
withastudentwhohasASD.

LessonSequence

Pacing
Time:
57
minutes

Time:57
minutes

Time:
3035
minutes

Procedures/Activities
(Teacher&Student)
LessonIntroduction/Set:
Explainthattodaythestudentswillstartliteraturecirclediscussionsbutfirstyou
wanttogivethemanotherrundownofhowtousethediscussionmodelItold
themaboutlastweek.

CommunicationofLearningTargets,KeyVocabularyandObjectives:
Todaysgoalsaretousethecirclediscussionmodelsuccessfullyandtolearn
moreaboutthemaincharactersoftheirliteraturecirclebooksthroughtheir
collaborativediscussions.

LearningActivities:
Explainthecirclemodelagain:
Whocantellmeaboutthecirclemodelweregoingtouse?
Addtotheirexplanations
Modelitusingstudentvolunteers
Usethesameprompt,butourbookisBambi
Followtheguideyougavethestudents
Writethediscussionquestionontheboard
Remindthemtouseevidencefromthebooktosupporttheiranswers
Askthemtogettheirliteraturecirclebooksandgetintotheirgroups,ask
thefacilitatorstograbtheiPads
RemindthemtowritetheirnameinNotabilityandsaytheirnamebefore
theyspeak

Readingtime

Teacher
Actions/Notes

Modelit

Writeontheboard:
Whoisthemain
characterandwhat
isherorhis
personalitylike?
Howdoyouthink
themaincharacter
needstoorwill
groworchange
throughoutthe
book?Use
evidencefromthe
texttojustifyyour
answer.


Time:57
minutes

Closure:
Recapasagroupabouttheircharactersandtheprocess.
Didtheyfindthediscussionuseful?Whatcouldhavegonebetter?
Tellthemaboutthepreassessmentandhowitlookslikeweneedtoreview
dynamicandstaticcharactersandprotagonistsandantagonists.Nextweek
beforeourliteraturecircles,welllookatprotagonistsandantagonists.
AskthemtoputawaytheliteraturecirclebooksandiPads

AnalysisandReflectiononLesson:
Thislessonwentconsiderablywell.IthinkIcouldworkonbeginningclassandtransitions.Itwasalittleclunky
whenIwenttowritethequestionontheboardandhandouttheiPads,especiallybecauseIwantedthegroupsto
havethesameiPadthattheyhadbefore.Perhapsitwouldbebetterifwrotethequestionsontheboardbefore
class.
Allofmyfacilitatorsdidwell,exceptonewhoisinagroupwithtwootherstudentswhooftentakeonleadership
roles.Oneofthosestudentsrefusedtoparticipateuntiltheyallhadwrittenoutananswertothequestion.Thatis
notpartoftheprocess,andtheyknewthat.Thefacilitatorforthegroupseemedtofeeluncomfortabletellingherto
followtheprocessandIdidntcatchthisuntilIcamearoundtotellthemthatweonlyhadafewminutesleftofour
discussiontime.IwouldliketohaveatalkwiththisfacilitatoroneononetoaskherhowIcangiveherthetools
sheneedstoleadthegroup.Iwouldalsoliketohaveatalkwiththediscussiongroupsothattheyknowthatthe
processdoesntinvolveanywrittenpreparationandthattheyareexpectedtofollowtheprocessandfacilitator.