FRIT 7231 Instructional Design

Design Document

Megan Anderson

Dr. Hodges
Summer 2016
Identification of Learning Problem:

My target audience will be my 5th grade Reading and English Language Arts students. I

typically am in charge of instructing Special Needs students and students with learning

disabilities. Throughout my years of teaching, I have noticed a deficiency in my students

understanding and implementation of figurative language. I identified the problem my first year

teaching English Language Arts. The way that I taught the subject to my students was through

mainly teacher instruction. I generally show a colorful PowerPoint presentation and play a few

games with them to increase their participation and interest. It seems that it is always the end of

the year before the students are ever comfortable enough to create their own figurative languages

and experiment with it through their writing. I feel like the subject could be taught more

efficiently and effectively. As far as needs assessment, I am responding to an existing

performance problem with my students and the curriculum. When Unit Analysis are completed,

figurative language is always around 22%. As the year progresses, the percentage increases to

79%. There is an observed growth in the learning outcome, however the learning took almost

seven months to master.

I also hope to design an instruction that will allow my students to grow faster, and

also more efficiently. My instructional design will be based off of a normative need, comparing

my students against the national standard that is expected of their level of learning. When

comparing to other schools and districts, my students score relatively higher than most.

However, I see a gap in between what they learn at the beginning of the year, and what they are

capable of learning with practice and effort. There are several discrepancies that I see in my
lower achieving students that I hope to better accommodate through my instructional design. My

students currently learn slowly and do not grasp the concept of figurative language easily. As the

year progresses, the students begin to slowly master the seven main forms of figurative language,

due to continuous practice and drilling. Ideally, I believe with the right instruction, the students

should be able to spend only a few weeks learning the different forms of figurative language

through visual, inquiry, and student-based instruction. After reading a novel, students will be

able to list examples of verbal figurative language and describe how the author uses it to enhance

their viewpoint.

Learner Analysis:

My target learners will be 5th grade Reading and English Language Arts learners,

typically aged between ten and eleven years of age. I will have both male and female students in

my three classes. I will be teaching two Inclusive block periods, 95 minute classes, consisting of

students with learning disabilities, special needs, and English Language Learners. My third block

period will consist of the gifted students, whom eight of the group participate in the Galaxy

program. I have a diverse group of learners, providing both opportunities and constrains on my

instructional design.

Typically, with my education experience I have realized that students with the ability to

learn easily show less interest or motivation to learn new material. However, the students who

have difficulty learning, due to disabilities or other components, tend to have more motivation to

learn. My students have prior experience with similes and metaphors from the 4th grade

curriculum. When it is time to discuss idioms, personification, hyperboles, onomatopoeias, or

alliteration the children seem either uninterested or overwhelmed. The characteristics that I wish

to see most to be able to achieve my objectives are interested learners who can make real-world

connections with the material.

Culturally, my students come from either a Hispanic, African American, or Caucasian

background; the majority of my Inclusion classes consisting of Hispanic English Language

Learners and African Americans. I realize that figurative language can be quite confusing for

learners who are using English as their second language; English is difficult enough to learn

without adding phrases and expressions. I also have two dyslexic students who will have

difficulty reading and writing the figurative language. I also will have fourteen students with

ADD/ADHD. I understand that while teaching the material, I may have to repeat or rephrase my

instruction to better capture their attention. My goal is to meet the needs of my students and help

them learn the different forms of figurative language through my module. The students should

also be able to determine how the author uses figurative language to enhance their own view

point.

Task Analysis:

I will be using a procedural analysis for my instructional design. Throughout the analysis

I will be identifying steps used to complete the figurative language task that will be detailed and

broken down completely. The majority of the tasks will also be observable throughout my study.

In my analysis, the reader will be able to understand what the learner must do, what the learner

needs to know before the task, and the cues needed to inform the learner about problems, correct

applications, or different steps needed for the task.

 My Subject Matter Expert (SME) will be myself during the creation process of my

instructional design. I am highly qualified to be the SME for this design because I have taught

the content for four years now. I read novels to my students and together we interpret the types

of figurative language that are used, as well as how the figurative language aids the author in

describing his/her viewpoint. I am certified in Middle Grades Education, as well as GACE

certified to teach all subjects. Scheduling and ease of access of the SME for my design will be no

problem at all; I will just have to motivate myself to keep furthering my knowledge of the

content.

First, my students must learn the seven main forms of Figurative Language. To do so,

they must understand the definition of each; simile, metaphor, hyperbole, idiom, personification,

alliteration, and onomatopoeia. Secondly, the students must be able to recognize figurative

language when read or heard, and then students should be able to label what type of figurative

language it is. Lastly, students should be able to create and design their own types of figurative

language. The students may be as silly and unrealistic as they wish, due to the fact that figurative

language serves the purpose of explaining the authors own point of view.
Instructional Objectives:

1.) Students will be able to name the types of figurative language in a sentence or phrase.

2.) Students will be able to recognize and label figurative language when it is read or heard.

The first objective is classified as a cognitive domain. The students will learn the

different types of figurative language provided by an author. This level of learning, based on

Blooms Taxonomy, is the Knowledge level; focusing on the recall and naming of specific

information. The second objective for my design will also be classified as a cognitive domain.

The students will again be classified on the Knowledge level of Blooms Taxonomy, recalling

and experiencing intellectual activities. This level of learning is also on the Analysis level; the

students can be focusing on the breaking down of an idea or statement into parts and then

describing its significance.

Assessments:

My assessments for my instructional design are all formative assessments. As the

instruction progresses the students will be given three assessments; a ticket out the door in

Google Forms, an assessment in Google Forms, and lastly a comic strip design activity that will

be shared with the students via Google Classroom. The ticket out the door will simply be for my

own data to determine which students may need addition information or assistance due to a

misunderstanding with one or more of the figurative languages. The students are just required to

recall which figurative language the phrase is using (see Appendix A and B). Secondly, the

figurative language assessment (Appendix C, D, and E) uses process differentiation through

tiered activities to assess whether or not students can label figurative language appropriately and

give an explanation. Appendix C is an assessment that would be used for my lower Lexile

students; as I teach Inclusive classes including students with special needs. This is a knowledge

assessment, using mostly selected response and only one constructed response. Appendix D is an

assessment that I would use to challenge my higher Lexile students. This is an application

assessment where all but one question are constructed response, the last question being a selected

response. For the last assessment, students will make a comic design demonstrating their

knowledge of figurative language by designing a comic strip where the point of view is being

enhanced by the seven different forms of figurative language. Product Differentiation is being

used in this case due to the fact that students are allowed to create their own product assignments

as long as they adhere to the requirements of the tasks. The comic strip creation is a synthesis
assessment and authentic because the task determines whether or not students can apply their

knowledge to real situations.

Due to the fact that Google Forms does not allow the download of documents, I have created a
Word version of the assessments (Appendix A through Appendix D). The links to the Forms are:

Ticket Out the Door: (Appendix A)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1w_BESP9pubds2l0b_7tUU4iw9qOnSzbRxgJx1E7ZPBM/viewform?entry.11493588
31=Personification&entry.1258127436=Simile&entry.1897951779=Alliteration&entry.1900008934=Onomotopeia

Figurative Language Assessment (Appendix C):

http://goo.gl/forms/OuPgP4XlxeyF47fY2

Differentiated Figurative Language Assessment (Appendix D):

http://goo.gl/forms/DacfSv9oqbdXyoTx1

Content Sequencing and Instructional Strategies:

Sequence Description Objective

1 Describe the differences between each of the seven types of 1

figurative language.

2 Show several examples of each of the seven types of figurative 1

language.

3 Read figurative language examples from the class novel, Walk 2

Two Moons.

4 Differentiate between the phrases to determine the types of 2

figurative language.

5 Demonstrate how figurative language adds to the point of view 2

of the author.

For the first and second step of my instruction I will describe the differences between

each of the seven types of figurative language. I will display illustrated examples on the board of
the definition of each and several examples of each figurative language. The task is learning

related, drawing on the students prerequisite skills of point of view and the content difficulty

will be determined based on the learner analysis. Generally, the first two steps for instruction

will ask the students to recall information learned. According to our book, the students will

simply be learning facts that associate with another item, point of view. Figurative language is

also a concept that simplifies the sub content: similes, metaphors, hyperboles, idioms,

personification, alliterations, and onomatopoeia. The first two steps of instruction can also be

considered principle and rules due to the relationship observed between figurative language and

an authors point of view. The RULEG version is applied in the first two steps of instruction by

providing the statement of rule and then several examples. The first objective is met by allowing

the students to learn and establish an understanding of the seven types of figurative language.

The third and fourth step of instruction deals with whether or not the students can use

application of their knowledge of figurative language to determine what type of figurative

language is read. The students will then integrate what they know and describe in their own

words what type of figurative language the examples are and why. The fact prescription is used

again as the students recall prior information to determine the answer. The fifth step of

instruction is considered a principles and rules prescription because the students are relating the

concept of figurative language and point of view. The students actually apply what they know

about figurative language and analyze how this help the author express his/her point of view. The

second objective is met because students are able to label the figurative language and understand

its purpose in a text.

 Differentiation will be used in several ways throughout the instruction. First, when the

Ticket Out the door is analyzed and student data shows those who need remediation and those

who need extensions, extra practice will take place. Following step two of instruction, some

students will be given extra practice to re-teach the content that was missed. Those students who

excelled on the assessment will be allowed to begin creating their own figurative languages. The

process of learning will also be differentiated due to the different tasks that they will complete.
 Ticket out the Door Appendix A
Instructions: Determine which figurative language each phrase is. (Remember: simile,
metaphor, hyperbole, personification, onomatopoeia, alliteration, and idiom)

1.) The cat was yelling at me to fill his food bowl.

2.) The wall was like glass because it was so thin.

3.) The mail man meant for me to meet him Monday.

4.) Bang! What was that?

 Answer Key for Ticket out the Door Appendix B

1.) Personification. The cat is being given a human characteristic.

2.) Simile. The wall is being compared to thin glass using the word like.
3.) Alliteration. The m sound is being repeated.
4.) Onomatopoeia. Bang is a sound given to describe an event.
 Figurative Language Assessment Appendix C
For this assignment, you will label, describe, and choose the correct form of figurative
language.

1.) The dog was like a rabbit hopping across the field full of rabbits.
a. Personification
b. Hyperbole
c. Simile
d. Metaphor
2.) In the book, the author stated that even the trees are listening.
a. Personification
b. Metaphor
c. Idiom
d. Simile
3.) My husband runs around like a chicken with his head cut off.
a. Onomatopoeia
b. Hyperbole
c. Personification
d. Idiom
4.) The cloud was a fluffy marshmallow in the sky.
a. Simile
b. Metaphor
c. Hyperbole
d. Alliteration
5.) Kaboom!
a. Idiom
b. Hyperbole
c. Onomatopoeia
d. Alliteration
6.) What type of figurative language is the following statement? Write your answer and
explain.
It was so hot outside that the trees were melting!

7.) The stinky skunk swam down the slimy stream.

a. Simile
b. Alliteration
c. Hyperbole
d. Metaphor
 Figurative Language Assessment Appendix D
For this assignment, you will label, describe, and choose the correct form of figurative
language.

1.) Explain what type of figurative language this is. The dog was like a rabbit hopping across
the field full of birds.

2.) Explain what type of figurative language this is. In the book, the author stated that even
the trees are listening.

3.) Explain what type of figurative language this is. Hint: There may be more than one
option. My husband runs around like a chicken with his head cut off.

4.) Explain what type of figurative language this is. The cloud was a fluffy marshmallow in
the sky.

5.) What type of figurative language is the following statement? Kaboom!

6.) What type of figurative language is the following statement? Write your answer and
explain. It was so hot outside that the trees were melting!

7.) The stinky skunk swam down the slimy stream.

 Answer Key for Figurative Language Assessment Appendix E

1.) The phrase is a simile because it uses the word like to compare a dog to a rabbit.

2.) The phrase is personification because it is giving trees a human characteristic; to listen.

3.) The phrase can be both an idiom and a simile. For the differentiated assignment, it should
be explained that the phrase is a simile because the man and chicken are compared using the
word like. It is also an idiom, an expression that means different than the original phrase.
For the original assignment, the answer selected should be idiom.

4.) The phrase is a metaphor because a marshmallow is being compared to a cloud, without
using the words like or as.

5.) Kaboom is an onomatopoeia because it makes the sound of an object.

6.) The phrase is a hyperbole because it is an exaggeration; it will not get hot enough for
trees to actually melt.

7.) The phrase is an alliteration because it is repeating the s sound.

Rubric for Comic Design Appendix F