Urban Teaching Apprenticeship Program

Secondary Lesson Planning Template

GOALS

(A) What is the enduring understanding of the unit in which this lesson resides? What greater
understanding are you working towards in this lesson?
● Students will understand that conflict plays a role in shaping how identity
develops/ who people are
○ Identity develops in response to, and is shaped by, lived experiences, both
positive and negative
● Students will understand that conflict comes about, in part, because of inequitable
distribution of resources and systemic racism
○ People with different identities experiences inequities and systemic racism
in very different ways
○
(B) What essential question guides this learning?
● How does identity develop as a result of experiencing conflict or challenges?

(C) What is the objective of this particular lesson or activity that you are planning? What do
you want your students to be able to demonstrate?
● Students will identify and discuss different types of conflict in “Occasional Poem”
by Jacqueline Woodson
● Discuss and write about the ways in which identity mediates experiences and
responses to inequities and systemic racism in the poem
○ Interaction between identity and conflict
● Students will write an occasional poem that represents a part of their identity

(D) What state standards/school-based standards align with these goals?

● CC.1.5.9–10.A: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative

discussions on grade-level topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas
and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
 ● CC.1.4.9–10.S: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support
analysis, reflection, and research, applying grade-level reading standards
for literature and literary nonfiction.

EVIDENCE

How will you know if your students have achieved the goal(s) that you listed in (B)?
I will know if students achieved the goals of the lesson based on their discussion and
written response. Furthermore, the draft of the occasional poem will offer further
insight into the ways in which students are engaging with identity.

LEARNING PLAN

Time Teacher Actions Student Actions Resources

9:55-10:02 Project Do Now on board Students will work on do Do Now books

AM now in notebooks
Circulate through room and Board
check in periodically with
[LIST OF STUDENTS],
otherwise checking for effort

Select one student to lead

discussion (someone who did
not speak last class)

10:02-10:06 Discuss Do Now Do Now leader responds to Do Now books

AM - Flip slide to Do Now Do Now prompt
+ Habits of Board
Discussion Two more students (at
- Review habits of least)
discussion and call on
predetermined student
to be Do Now leader
- Monitor for habits of
discussion and
provide feedback
10:06-10:10 Select one student to collect Preparing for class Packets
AM do now books (pencils, paper, etc)
(predetermined) Pencils
Questions pertaining to the
Select one students to pass class
out “Occasional Poem”
packet Names on the top of
packets
Project plan for today slide
and discuss + answer
questions

10:10- 10:18 Conflict in literature review: Students will work Packets

AM independently for four
“On page 1 of your packet, minutes to define and Pencils
you have six boxes. Each of visually represent each of
those boxes is labeled with the types of conflict in
one type of conflict in literature.
literature that we discussed
last class. Your task is to Students will work
define and draw a picture or collaboratively for four
symbol of each type of minutes to address
conflict. conflicts they are unsure of
or support classmates.
You will be working
independently for four
minutes and will have four
minutes to work in pairs. I
will tell you when it is time to
work collaboratively.”

Circulate and position

strategically

10:18-10:19 Optional: Planned extra time Students continue and finish Packets
AM for students to finish work
Pencils
“Based on what I am seeing I
am going to give everyone
 one more minute. I will be
doing cold calls, so use the
time wisely.”

10:19-10:25 Six cold calls (one for each Students will write
AM type of conflict) definitions and read out
Select mixture of students definitions + image or
who need a subtle redirection symbol
and students who have not
been speaking frequently
(low stakes opportunity)

“I will be cold calling right

now. When I call on you,
please select a conflict that
has not been discussed and
give us the definition and
describe your picture or
symbol.

I will project all six

definitions at the end.”

Track engagement,
preparedness, etc.

“Can I answer any questions

about conflict in literature for
anyone?”

10:25-10:40 Pyramid activity: Round 1: Packet

AM
Each round: 90 seconds +
share outs
“We are going to be reading a
poem together called
Students write a 10-15 Pencils
word sentence describing
what it is like to be a Board
student at West. Students
Sticky notes
“Occasional Poem.” The
narrator of the poem is a
student in a classroom.
Before reading the poem I
want us all to think about
what it is like being a student
in this school--the good and
bad parts.
To do that we are going to do
a pyramid chalk talk. On the
back of your packet are four
sticky notes. Use one sticky
note for each round of
writing.
During round 1, you will
write and share out a 10-15
word sentence describing
what it is like to go to school
here. During round 2, you
will write and share out a 5-9
word sentence, and for round
3 you will write and share out
one word.
During round 4, I will give
you 3 minutes for silent
reflection and the opportunity
to write a short sentence or
one word reflection that you
will post on the board. You
can say more about what it’s
like to go to school here, or a
reflection about the activity.
Can I answer any questions?”
share out responses at the
end of the round.
Round 2:
Students write a five to
nine word sentence
describing what it is like to
be a student at West.
Students share out
responses at the end of the
round.
Round 3:
Students write one word
describing what it is like to
be a student at West.
Students share out
responses at the end of the
round.
Round 4:
3 minutes for silent
reflection and writing a one
word or short
sentence-length reflection
that will be posted on the
board. This can either be a
further reflection on what it
is like to be a student at
West or on the activity
itself.
10:40-10:46 Read “Occasional Poem”
“Flip to page two in your
packet. We are going to hear
“Occasional Poem” by
Jacqueline Woodson twice. I
will read it the first time and
STUDENT (selected before
class) will read it the second
time.
During this first reading, I
would just like people to
listen. If you feel
comfortable, you can close
your eyes to help you imagine
the scene.
Now, during this second
reading, I would like for
everyone to read in partners
or small groups.
During this round, you will
also be using our annotation
strategies. I will set a four
minute timer on the board.
There is space next to the
poem for notes”
10:46-11 AM End of full group instruction:
“Ok, folks, let’s bring it back
together one last time. We
are going to have a brief
First read: Packet
Students will listen to the Pencils
poem read by the teacher.
Second read:
Students will read the
poem with a partner or
small group. Annotation
strategies include:
● Underline,
highlight, and mark
up the poem in
places that you like
or that are
surprising or
confusing
● Identify the narrator
● Identify the setting
● Notes about what is
happening in the
poem
● Thoughts, ideas,
questions, or
connection
Students begin by taking Packet
two minutes to write down
thoughts for the discussion. Pencils
Students have a ~10
minute discussion. If the
discussion to build meaning
together as a class.
Our goal for this discussion is
to identify conflicts in the
poem and think about how
identity is connected to
conflict.
conversation is productive
beyond ten minutes it can
go on longer.
After discussion: 1-2
sentence reflection on how
students did individually.

As students in a school, you

are in a strong position to
think about the conflicts in
this poem by making
connections to your life and
experiences. That is an
important part of this
discussion.

I will project our habits of

discussions on the board as a
reminder of our goals for
discussion.

Take two minutes to draft

some ideas, but remember we
are building meaning together
and it is ok to ask questions
and be unsure in this space.”

After discussion:

“Your job now is to write a

1-2 sentence reflection on
how you think you did during
that discussion. Think about
successes, areas of
improvement, and goals.”
11-11:05 AM “On the bottom of page three Packet
is an analytical question. You
have five minutes to answer Pencils
the question. This will be
your exit ticket for today.

Once you are finished, move

on to the activity on page
four.

If you have questions I will

be around to answer them.”

11:05-11:22 Circulate to support students Students working on exit Packet

with exit ticket question and
poem (support specific
students).
ticket/ poems. Poetry
writing will always be a Pencils
writer’s lounge activity,
meaning that students are
free to move around the
room, work
collaboratively, etc.

DIFFERENTIATION CONSIDERATIONS

What knowledge of students informs your lesson design?

Many of my students are strong in collaborative and discussion-based settings. This lesson
draws upon those strengths in an intentional way by generating meaning through collaborative
and discussion-based analysis.

Furthermore, my students are critical, in a positive way, of their school. Many of them
advocate for changes that they want to see and seek to make themselves a part of the solution.
This lesson is an opportunity to draw upon those thoughts, feelings, and skills.

How will you differentiate instruction (materials, inputs, outputs, modalities, etc.)?
I will differentiate instruction by continuing to encourage students to write more and engage in
analysis that they find compelling. This is an ongoing structure in the classroom.
Furthermore, I will be circulating throughout the room and checking in with each group.
Some of my students find analytical work, in addition to reading and writing, challenging. I
will be focusing on supporting those students as the need arises.