Malone Task1 PC

Elementary Education
Task 1: Planning Commentary
TASK 1: PLANNING COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 9 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within the
brackets. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Pages exceeding the maximum will not be scored.
1. Central Focus
a. Describe the central focus and the essential literacy strategy for comprehending OR
composing text you will teach in the learning segment.
[ The central focus of the lessons that I have planned to teach is as follows: Scholars will use
graphic organizers that include organizational structures (beginning, middle, end, and sequence
of events) and strategies (transitional words/phrases or time cue words) to write a narrative
piece. Significantly, while composing narrative stories and being able to retell an event or
sequence of events is an essential literacy strategy, utilizing graphic organizers is a related skill
that helps scholars to better organize their ideas and incorporate the essential elements of a
narrative story. The essential elements of a narrative story are derived directly from the
standard ELAGSE2W3 that states that scholars are expected to write narratives in which they
recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions,
thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of
closure. Based on student pre-assessment results, scholars struggled to compose a narrative
story that incorporated the above-mentioned essential elements which enlightened that this
instruction was necessary for the learning segment. ]
b. Given the central focus, describe how the standards and learning objectives within
your learning segment address
 the essential literacy strategy
 related skills that support use of the strategy
 reading/writing connections
[ The standard at the center of my lessons is ELAGSE2W3 that articulates that scholars are
expected to write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence
of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to
signal event order, and provide a sense of closure [also referred to as essential elements of
a narrative story]. Thus, this is the essential literacy strategy. Furthermore, the learning
objective is for scholars to be able to write a narrative piece in which they recount an event
or sequence of events including details that describe actions, thoughts, and feelings using
organizational structures and strategies (i.e. a graphic organizer). Important to note, utilizing
graphic organizers is a related skill that helps scholars to better organize their ideas and
incorporate the essential elements of a narrative story. As such, in each of my lessons,
students will use a graphic organizer to organize their ideas as they recount an event or
series of events that include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings. Afterwards,
students will transfer what they have written onto a sheet of lined paper. Additionally, I will
introduce the “Show, Don’t Tell” strategy, a strategy that helps scholars add details to their
writing. It encourages them to show the reader what they’re saying as opposed to simply
stating. Significantly, this strategy will help students fill their graphic organizers with detailed
information as opposed to only surface information. Lastly, as I read aloud stories and
model reading comprehension strategies as well as writing strategies to help scholars
deepen their understanding of recounting an event or series of events, I will make
connections by thoroughly expressing that reading and writing are interchangeable, and in
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fact, inverse. It is my hope that scholars know and understand that in order to become great
writers, they must equally become great readers. ]
c. Explain how your plans build on each other to help students make connections
between the essential literacy strategy to comprehend OR compose text and related
skills that support use of the strategy in meaningful contexts.
[ The lessons build on each other in such a way that scholars will be exposed to narratives in
more ways than one to aid in mastery of composing a narrative story, the essential literacy
strategy in this learning segment. To begin, I plan to showcase narrative stories that include
actions, thoughts, feelings, transition words as well as a sense of closure such as The Three
Little Super Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood, which directly align with both the standard and
learning objective. After each showcase, students will then have the opportunity to compose a
narrative story of their own using the essential elements of a narrative story. Thereafter, I plan to
reintroduce the “Show, Don’t Tell” strategy to aid scholars in adding details to otherwise simple
sentences. Additionally, I then plan to model exemplary narrative writing. In this way, scholars
have numerous exposures to narrative stories as well as narrative writing. Important to note, at
the end of each lesson, scholars will be tied back to the central focus of the lesson by
implementing the strategies or elements of narrative writing in their graphic organizer, and thus,
their narrative piece. In this way, each lesson builds upon the other to give scholars various
models of narrative stories as well as different strategies to help scholars improve their
composition of narrative stories. ]
2. Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching
For each of the prompts below (2a–b), describe what you know about your students with
respect to the central focus of the learning segment.
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different strategies/support
(e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, struggling readers,
underperforming students or those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted
students).
a. Prior academic learning and prerequisite skills related to the central focus—Cite
evidence of what students know, what they can do, and what they are still learning
to do.
[ Scholars have experience with using a graphic organizer to organize their ideas and
transferring those ideas to paper. They can also recount an event. However, in the past, they
have struggled to add both relevant and significant details to their narratives as they recount
events. They are still learning that readers like details and not just surface information. Based
on pre-assessment data, when writing narratives, scholars also struggled to include details to
describe thoughts, feelings, and actions, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide
a sense of closure. Thus, they are still learning to incorporate all of the essential elements of a
narrative story, which is an integral part of the central focus of the learning segment.
Significantly, for the pre-assessment, they were given the task to write about a time that they
were happy and were scored according to the elements of a narrative story. From this, I know
that my students have not mastered the learning objective and need the instruction embedded
in the learning segment to do so. ]
b. Personal, cultural, and community assets related to the central focus—What do you
know about your students’ everyday experiences, cultural and language
backgrounds and practices, and interests?
[ Students’ personal, cultural, and community assets relate to the central focus. Some of my
students are economically disadvantaged and lack access to a surplus of books at home.
However, students have shown interest in fiction stories as well as American tales such as
Goldilocks and The Three Bears and The Three Little Pigs. Additionally, in my classroom, I
have a total of 4 ESOL students. With this in mind, I chose stories or narratives like The
Three Little Super Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood that were common in American literature
to help my ESOL students better immerse into American culture. I also chose writing topics
centered around feelings that I knew my students could write about as their personal
experiences allow them to be able to do so. Thus, I have incorporated all of these elements
to help students better organize their ideas in their graphic organizers and create an
enjoyable narrative piece; as students should be at peak levels of engagement. ]
3. Supporting Students’ Literacy Learning
Respond to prompts 3a–c below. To support your justifications, refer to the instructional
materials and lesson plans you have included as part of Literacy Planning Task 1. In
addition, use principles from research and/or theory to support your justifications.
a. Justify how your understanding of your students’ prior academic learning and personal,
cultural, and community assets (from prompts 2a–b above) guided your choice or
adaptation of learning tasks and materials. Be explicit about the connections between
the learning tasks and students’ prior academic learning, their assets, and
research/theory.
[ Because I am knowledgeable of my students’ prior academic learning and personal, cultural,
and community assets, I have planned my lessons with essential elements that I know will
benefit my students. As stated previously, pre-assessment results revealed that scholars
struggle to include details to describe thoughts, feelings, and actions, use temporal words to
signal event order, and provide a sense of closure. As such, in each lesson, I plan to provide a
graphic organizer (provided as part of instructional materials in Literacy Planning Task 1) to help
students organize their ideas and give them some useful temporal words to help with event
order. I have also planned to revisit the “Show, Don’t Tell” strategy in Lesson 3 to help my
students add more detail to their narratives. Significantly, I know that previously my students
struggled with providing details, and I know that they will need a graphic organizer to help them
organize their ideas. According to Vygotsky, with teacher scaffolding and planned supports,
students can achieve a learning objective with ease. As such, this is the goal for this learning
segment. ]
b. Describe and justify why your instructional strategies and planned supports are
appropriate for the whole class, individuals, and/or groups of students with specific
learning needs.
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different
strategies/support (e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners,
struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic
knowledge, and/or gifted students).
[ I plan to challenge my above average or gifted students by taking them a step further. If they
finish early, they will create an imaginative narrative story ensuring that they have established a
sequence of events and included actions, details, thoughts, feelings and an organizational
structure (i.e. transition words) with a sense of closure as an extension. If students such as
struggling readers, underperforming students, English Language Learners, or those with gaps in
academic knowledge cannot do what I’ve planned, I will incorporate Vygotsky’s definition of
scaffolding by guiding those students through the writing process so that they can meet the
learning objective. Using Vygotsky’s theory of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) or the
difference between what a scholar can accomplish alone as opposed to what they can
accomplish with teacher guidance or scaffolding, I am certain that this is an appropriate planned
support to steer scholars towards mastery. ]
c. Describe common developmental approximations or common misconceptions within
your literacy central focus and how you will address them.
[ A common misconception within my literacy central focus is that students do not need to
prewrite or organize their ideas before writing on a given topic. However, when students use a
graphic organizer, they have better success with structuring or organizing their ideas which it is
why it is an important related skill in the lessons that I have planned. ]
4. Supporting Literacy Development Through Language
As you respond to prompts 4a–d, consider the range of students’ language assets and
needs—what do students already know, what are they struggling with, and/or what is new to
them?
a. Language Function. Using information about your students’ language assets and
needs, identify one language function essential for students to develop and practice the
literacy strategy within your central focus. Listed below are some sample language
functions. You may choose one of these or another more appropriate for your learning
segment.
Analyze Argue Categorize Compare/contrast Describe Explain
Interpret Predict Question Retell Summarize
[ It is essential for students to practice retelling when writing a narrative piece as well as in daily
conversation. Significantly, we share stories in our conversations with others almost every day.
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English the meaning of the word retell is to tell a story
again or differently. Thus, when students develop their story, beginning, middle, and end, they
need to be able to retell an event or sequence of events and describe those events in detail so
that their reader is able to develop a mental image of their narrative as they read. Each day
during the learning segment, students will practice retelling events as they compose narrative
stories using graphic organizers that include organizational structures (beginning, middle, end,
and sequence of events) and strategies (transitional words/phrases or time cue words). ]
b. Identify a key learning task from your plans that provides students with opportunities to
practice using the language function in ways that support the essential literacy strategy.
Identify the lesson in which the learning task occurs. (Give lesson day/number.)
[ At the close of each lesson, students will be expected to retell an event or sequence of events
as they compose a narrative story, which is the essential literacy strategy in this learning
segment. More specifically, however, in Lesson 3, as a key learning task, students will utilize the
“Show, Don't Tell” strategy in their narratives. They will use a graphic organizer to write a
narrative story of their own; retelling or recounting an event or sequence of events including
actions, details, thoughts, feelings, and transitions. As such, they will thoroughly describe the
events or sequence of events in their story so that their reader is able to create a mental image
of what is happening in their story. In this way, they engage their reader and hook them with
vivid details. ]
c. Additional Language Demands. Given the language function and learning task
identified above, describe the following associated language demands (written or oral)
students need to understand and/or use:
 Vocabulary or key phrases
 Plus at least one of the following:
 Syntax
 Discourse
[ Given the language function and learning task identified above, the vocabulary that
students need to understand and use are words such as narrative, actions, closure,
recount/retell, sequence, feelings, temporal words, details, event, and order. As it relates to
discourse, in each lesson, students will have the opportunity to write a narrative piece in
which they recount an event or series of events with details that include actions, thoughts,
feelings, and transitions with a sense of closure. As it relates to syntax, students will be
utilizing a graphic organizer to organize their ideas as they compose a narrative story
embedded with the previously mentioned essential elements. ]
d. Language Supports. Refer to your lesson plans and instructional materials as needed
in your response to the prompt.
 Identify and describe the planned instructional supports (during and/or prior to the
learning task) to help students understand, develop, and use the identified language
demands (function, vocabulary or key phrases, discourse, or syntax).
[ Prior to each task, I will read aloud stories and model reading comprehension strategies as
well as writing strategies to help students deepen their understanding of how to successfully
recount an event or series of events with details that include actions, thoughts, feelings, and
transitions with the use of temporal words as well as a sense of closure. To help with this,
students will also be provided with a graphic organizer, which can be found in Instructional
Materials. Additionally, as I use read alouds to model as well as when modeling the “Show,
Don’t Tell” strategy, I will thoroughly explain vocabulary and what is expected when
incorporating vocabulary into their writing. Significantly, instead of just telling students the
definition of the word order, I will model and explain what it looks like when a story is ordered
from beginning, middle, and end using transition words like first, next, then, and last. Lastly,
during each lesson, as I walk around and informally assess, I will provide additional support and
scaffold as needed. ]
5. Monitoring Student Learning
In response to the prompts below, refer to the assessments you will submit as part of the
materials for Literacy Planning Task 1.
a. Describe how your planned formal and informal assessments will provide direct
evidence that students can use the essential literacy strategy to comprehend OR
compose text AND related skills throughout the learning segment.
[ At the close of lessons 1-4, I will informally assess students. As such, students will be
charged with the task of writing a narrative piece that houses details that include actions,
thoughts, and feelings as well as organizational structures and strategies such as temporal
words and a sense of closure, using first, a graphic organizer. Significantly, this assessment
strategy allows me to see if students understand the learning objective, and thus, can
execute the learning objective during the learning segment and adapt writing instruction as
needed. At the close of the learning segment, students will be assessed formally. I will
briefly go over what we have learned during the week, and afterwards, students will be
charged to create another narrative including the elements of a narrative story. ]
b. Explain how the design or adaptation of your planned assessments allows students with
specific needs to demonstrate their learning.
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different
strategies/support (e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners,
struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic
knowledge, and/or gifted students).
[ Students will have ample opportunities to show their knowledge or demonstrate their learning
by applying what they learned in the day’s lesson. Each day, they will be given an opportunity to
attempt writing a narrative that recounts an event or series of events that houses details that
includes actions, thoughts, and feelings, temporal words, and a sense of closure (the essential
elements of a narrative story). More specifically, the first four days of instruction, I will informally
assess students to see that they are meeting the above-mentioned criteria for writing a
narrative. The last day of instruction, I will formally assess students to see that they have
mastered writing a narrative. Each student will be evaluated against the same rubric that
surrounds the essential elements of a narrative story. As such, I am able to see where my
struggling readers, underperforming students, English language learners as well as my gifted
learners are in their writing each day as well as at the end of this unit so that I am able to
provide extra support, if need be, or extend students to a higher depth of knowledge level. ]

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Elementary Education

Task 1: Planning Commentary

TASK 1: PLANNING COMMENTARY

Analyze Argue Categorize Compare/contrast Describe Explain

Interpret Predict Question Retell Summarize

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