Mini-Lesson Plan for Group 1
Teacher Candidate(s): Rebecca Castagner, Brooke Bishop, Rebecca Lindsey,
Adelaide Evans, Allyson Deegan
Date: 3/3/2021
Grade Level: 4th
ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
What is the Essential Question
for this lesson? (Consider the
standards-based question the
students should be able to
answer at the end of the
lesson.)
What are the objectives for
this lesson? (Consider the
concepts, skills, and strategies
students should master.)
What standards are
emphasized in this lesson?
ACTIVATING
STRATEGY:
What strategy will you use to
activate your lesson, link to
prior knowledge, and promote
knowledge of key vocabulary
words?
(Examples: KWL, a word map,
a word splash, etc.)
TEACHING
STRATEGIES:
What instructional strategies
will you use in your lesson?
(Examples: graphic organizer,
guided practice, summarizing,
collaborative pairs, etc.).
Essential Question:
- How is the main idea of bravery in Number the Stars supported by key details?
Objective(s):
- Students can determine the key details and how they support the main idea.
- Students can write a summary using the main idea and key details from the
text.
Standard(s)
- ELAGSE4RI2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported
by key details; summarize the text.
(Story Sequence)
- For this lesson, to get the students hooked on what will be talking about in this
lesson we will start by asking students if they have ever been in a situation that
made them be brave. This will allow the students to share their personal
connections to this lesson and get them thinking about bravery and what it
means to be brave.
- We will then show the students the book trailer. This will connect their personal
experience of being brave to the book, Number the Stars.
I Do:
Teacher will use a Graphic organizer to point out the key details from the text. Chart
paper will be used for this part of the lesson and hung in the room for students to look
back to when they are engaging in the You Do part of the lesson. The teacher will
demonstrate how to find key details in the text.
We Do:
We will then use the graphic organizer to help guide students and model how to use the
key details in the text to help us identify the main idea and write a summary using both
aspects. The teacher will be writing on the board, while the students are writing as well.
You Do: Independent Practice:
Now that we have modeled and worked alongside the student on how to find the main
idea and key details and how to use those aspects of the story to help write a summary,
they will read a short excerpt from the book, Number the Stars. They will then find the

SUMMARIZING
STRATEGIES:
How will students summarize
what they are learning during
the lesson and at the end?
(Examples: Ticket out the Door,
3-2-1, journal entry, etc.)
Answer the Essential Question.
REFLECTION
What is your analysis of the
lesson? How well did the
student grasp concepts in this
lesson? Will you use a
re-teaching strategy after this
lesson?
main idea (bravery) and key details (how Annemarie is brave) from the short part of
the book and write a summary of this chapter on their own.
Students will read Chapter 15, “My Dog Smells Meat!” from the book.
(Journal Entry)
We will conclude this lesson by having students write a summary using the main idea of
bravery and 2-3 key details from the text that support this main idea. The students will
have the opportunity to share their summary with the class. Because some students may
not feel comfortable sharing their summary aloud, we will have all students turn in their
writing journal and we will review all summaries. This will allow us to see the students level
of understanding for identifying main ideas and key details and then being able to
transfer that information into a summary. This will satisfy the essential questions for this
lesson, “How is the main idea of bravery in Number the Stars supported by key details?”
Answer to the EQ: There are several key details that support the idea of “bravery”.
- Annemarie showed bravery when the soldiers showed up at her home the
evening they were hiding Ellen.
- She also showed bravery when she was visiting Uncle Henrick.
1. She was asked by the soldiers about the casket, and she had to show
bravery when lying to them. She did not know what was happening,
but she knew it was for the better.
2. Annemarie has to deliver a package to the boat after her mother falls
and hurts her ankle. As she travels the dirt trail, she is stopped yet again
by German soldiers, and is questioned about the package.