30 Second Play Lesson Plan

Overview
This concept utilizes play and creativity to teach the skill of using reliable source material to
support a claim. It allows for collaborative learning and gets students out of seats and moving. It
facilitates multiple student talents and learning styles.

Mark Seymour
Grade 8 (Appropriate for All Secondary Grades)
Subject: English/Language Arts
Unit: Research Paper
Content Focus: Informational Text – Research

Grade Level Common Core State Standards (CCSS):

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and
information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.1.B
Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources
and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

Statement of Purpose:
Students should use reasoning and reliable resources to research and explore an important topic
and write their own text to convey and understanding of their research. Students will also use
varied skills to create and produce a performance which supports their textual analysis.

Accommodations:
Teacher led discussion
Group collaboration

Resources:
Teacher provided texts
Class room props for production of play

Learning Objective(s):
Students will: use textual evidence to support a claim.

Strategies:
Student will work collaboratively in a creative way to write, edit, and act out a short play.
Work will include reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
Groups will need to:
 • include at least one claim and supporting evidence
• 2 or more characters
• all group members must contribute (write, act, edit, props, etc.)
• write 1 copy of script per actor
• Have fun, be create but keep it school appropriate.

Bell Work:
SSR (Silent Sustained Reading) 10 Min
Open class daily with personal preference reading materials to develop positive reading habits
and initiate tone and expectations for lesson reading goals.

Opening:
State learning objectives
Set clear goals and objectives for lesson.
Select groups

Instructional Method/Guided Practice:

A. Teacher explains learning target and models a sample script and actual performance with
student volunteers.
B. Small Group Work: Students break off into groups and assign roles. scribe, editor, actors,
etc.
C. Include guided practice to illustrate effective analysis and using textual evidence.
D. Teacher Check-in to ensure students are on task
E. Teacher assigns performance schedule.
F. Groups produce and present plays.
G. Whole class discussion after each play. Did each group fulfill the requirements? What
could be improved upon?

Lesson Closure:
Recap objective and collect scripts and any work produced by students.

Formative Assessments:
A. Check for understanding during Whole Class discussion
B. Access Prior Knowledge
C. Peer feedback

Summative Assessment:
Rubric will consider all assigned elements of activity. Written work, individual roles, speaking,
and listening skills.
Groups will need to:
• include at least one claim and supporting evidence
• 2 or more characters
• all group members must contribute (write, act, edit, props, etc.)
• write 1 copy of script per actor
• Have fun, be create but keep it school appropriate.
Notes / Reflections:
What worked? What didn’t work? What could be changed to make more effective?
Time was the major factor in this lesson. I had originally planned on one day, but it is a two day
process. Day one should be introduction, modeling, and creation. Day two is presentation and
evaluations.

Model Script:

Joe Vaper: Hey come here. I’m cutting class and staying in the bathroom to vape. You should
come with me.

Sam Safely : No thanks, cutting class is a bad idea. Besides, vaping is really bad for you.

Joe Vaper: No it isn’t. It’s not like smoking a cigarette. It’s super safe.

Sam Safely: Actually, vape juice has a lot of bad chemicals that can cause cancer. (claim)

Joe Vaper: That simply isn’t true. It doesn’t say that on the label. My favorite vape juice
supplier wouldn’t lie to me like that.

Sam Safely: Well, I have actually read that the vapor released from e-cigarettes contain
chemicals like “anabasine, myosmine and nicotyrine, which are all carcinogens”. That means
they cause cancer. (supporting textual evidence).

Joe Vapor: Oh… Well, maybe I’ll just go to class.

Sam Safely: Good idea.

Explanation

The purpose of this activity is to take the method of supporting a claim with textual evidence out

of the predominant realm of putting pencil to paper or strikes of the keyboard executed by the

individual and allows students to collaborate. In this lesson students creatively construct their

own knowledge through cooperation and performance. They must utilize all of their literacy

skills to achieve this goal: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Generally, artifacts collected

from this activity express a clear understanding of the target by most, if not all students.

Speaking and listening skills assessment reveal attentive and purposeful engagement.

Furthermore, when students go on to craft their essays, the skills utilized during the 30 second

play are used in their writing. The lesson’s results reflect some research on collaborative

learning. According to Anuradha A. Gokhale’s research collaborative strategies improve critical

thinking; “…students who participated in collaborative learning had performed significantly

better on the critical-thinking test than students who studied individually” (1995). While the final

assessment for this lesson is typically not a test, it does gauge skills dependent on critical

thinking and employing the learned target. Collaborative learning is also supported by the work

of Piaget and Vygotsky. Clinical Psychologist Jenny Sills echoes Piaget’s position in a 2016

article, “Peer interaction facilitates cognitive disequilibrium via socio-cognitive conflict; an

external process where individuals are exposed to opinions different to their own (Piaget, 1959,

1977). “ (2016). And “According to Vygotsky, the source of metacognitive processes is related

to the culture. To him, a child’s learning potential develops only if s/he is with the “other

knowledgeable individuals”. When we are with others, we can succeed much more than when we

are alone. Achievements of human beings are substantially resulted from this kind of

“cooperative” act.” (Yadav, 2016)