Clinical Teacher: Darcy Lea Raulston

Cooperating Teacher: Sarah Morphey

Houston Baptist University

Department of Education
Lesson Plan Format
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Subject: English Language Arts

Grade Level: 5th

Time Estimate: 1 class period

Unit: Memoirs
Topic: Story Arc
Goal(s): TLW understand what a story arc is and use the terminology associated with it
correctly.
Objective(s): TLW create a story arc. TLW correctly label the story arc with infrastructure
events. TLW identify the infrastructure events from The Carport and place the events in the
appropriate places on the story arc.
TEKS: 5.6A Reading/Comprehension of Literary text/Fiction. Students understand, make
inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide
evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to describe incidents
that advance the story or novel, explaining how each incident gives rise to or foreshadows
future events.
Materials/Resources/Technology needs: The Story Arc...what IS it? Anchor Chart, Story
Arc/Infrastructure Events Anchor Chart, Story Arc/Infrastructure Events Handout, Blank Paper,
The Angel Figurine, The Carport
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Instructional Procedures
Focusing Event: The teacher will explain that we are going to be investigating something today
that will help us extend our understanding of memoirs. That its a topic they have seen before,
but that well be delving deeper into it in order to gain a better comprehension of memoirs before
we start writing our own memoirs.
Teaching/ Learning Procedures: The teacher will explain that we are going to be dealing with
the story arc today. The teacher will then lead the students through guided practice of drawing a
story arc. The teacher will have the students draw a triangle, an arch, and a curved line that
rises and falls in their reading journals. She will then ask them which one they think is the proper
representation of a story arc.
The teacher will then model a story arc for the students, emphasizing each of the infrastructure

Clinical Teacher: Darcy Lea Raulston

Cooperating Teacher: Sarah Morphey

events covered in a previous lesson. The teacher will emphasize that the climax is not in the
middle of the story arc, using The Angel Figurine as a familiar example. The teacher will ask the
students what they notice about where the climax is, and why they think that it is where it is.
The teacher will then hand out blank sheets of paper to the students. The students will each
draw the story arc, labeling the infrastructure events in place. Then the teacher will lead the
class in a group discussion of The Angel Figurines infrastructure, and where each of those
pieces should be labeled on the story arc.
After making sure that most of the class has a good understanding of this, the teacher will
separate the students into pairs. Each pair will be responsible for drawing another story arc in
their reading journal and labeling it with the proper infrastructure events from The Carport.
Explain that the students will have to decide on those infrastructure events before plotting them
on the story arc.
Formative Check (ongoing or specific): The teacher will wander through the room, checking
for understanding of each group by listening to their conversations and engaging them with
questions when the need for clarification, extension, or re-teaching is necessary.
Reteach (alternative used as needed): The teacher will work with a student individually or in a
small group, if the need arises, to help reteach the concept.
Closure: The teacher will provide closure to each small group individually, since the students
will be released to independent reading when they have completed their assignments. The
teacher will explain that mapping our memoirs has helped us see how the parts are related and
fit together, which will help us when we write our own memoirs.
Assessment/Summative Evaluation: This specific lesson is not part of any summative
evaluation. However, the students will have to demonstrate understanding of the key concepts
presented in the lesson - this will be showcased in their ability to complete the story arc in their
small group/pair. For those students who are still struggling, additional help and/or reteaching
will be provided after the lesson concludes (most likely the next school day).
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Modifications/Notes: If students demonstrate confusion that cannot be addressed by their
partner/group, the teacher will help address it as the activity continues by working with that
student/group as they complete the activity.
If it is necessitated, a small group may be pulled to the group-work table for re-teach.
Copies of the story arc (with infrastructure events) anchor chart will be available for students to
work with if they choose.