UMF Unit-Wide Lesson Plan Template

Name: Taylor Burke Program: ELE Course: EDU 450

Lesson Topic / Title: TWS Lesson #4-Identifying Main Idea and Supporting Details in an
Informational Text

Lesson Date: 4/1 Lesson Length: 60 minutes Grade/Age: Grade 3/Age 8 & 9

Learning Objectives & Content Standard Alignment - Selects, creates, and sequences learning
experiences and performance tasks that support learners in reaching rigorous curriculum goals
based on content standards.
Learning Objective(s) Instructional Decisions / Reasoning

Teacher Objectives  This is the fourth lesson on a

Students will be able to independently identify the topic of unit about finding the main
an informational text. They will also be able to use context idea and supporting details in
clues to understand and figure out the main idea. Lastly, an informational text.
students will be able to identify which details in the  My mentor and I noticed that
informational text support the main idea. our students were having
trouble finding the main idea
and supporting details of a text
Student Objectives and this lesson helps students
1. I can identify the topic of an informational text. gain that skill.
2. I can use context clues to identify the main idea of  Students have already learned
an informational text. about the context clues in a
3. I can identify what details support the main idea previous lesson and now they
in an informational text. will be using and applying
their knowledge of the tools.
 Breaking apart the second and
third objectives into two
separate objectives for main
idea and supporting details
makes the learning targets feel
more manageable and less
overwhelming.
 These objectives were chosen
to introduce the concept
actually identifying the main
idea in an informational text.
 These skills are important
because they help students
with overall comprehension of
informational texts.

Content Standard(s) Instructional Decisions / Reasoning

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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details  Only determining the main
and explain how they support the main idea. idea and supporting details
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.5 will be addressed in this
Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, lesson.
sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a  The learning objectives push
given topic efficiently. students to begin determining
the main idea and supporting
details of a text which is the
part of the standard.
 Only addressing this part of the
standard helps make learning
objective less overwhelming
and makes meeting the content
standard more manageable.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.5
 Students have already learned
about specific text features and
what information they provide.
Students will now use text
features to specifically find the
main idea. Students will not be
looking at all text features but
will focus on three to find the
main idea. The three text
features they will mostly
analyze are the title, captions,
and pictures.
 This lesson builds students’
ability to use these specific text
features for comprehension of
an informational text. This is
an important skill for students
to master before they begin
reading more complex
informational texts in the
future.
 Students will be using the
specific text features to find
information to understand the
main idea.

Assessment - Uses assessment flexibly to expand and deepen understanding of learner performance
and determines best supports for continued learner growth.
Assessment Instructional Decisions / Reasoning

IEPs/504s: IEPs/504s:
No modifications need to be made to the assessments due Student 7 has an IEP for speech, but
to IEPs/504s. there are no assessment modifications
Embedded that need to be made in this lesson for
Group Discussion/Observation him.

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Students will be formatively assessed during discussions
and through observation throughout the lesson. Students Embedded:
will be assessed on their ability to identify the topic of an  Group discussion and
informational text, use context clues to identify the main observation will allow the
idea of an informational text, and identify what details teacher to assess students
support the main idea in an informational text. The while they are actively
teacher will be observing students during the whole group learning. It will also assess
highlighting activity, guided practice identification activity, student comprehension before
and the independent work. During the whole-group independent practice. This will
instruction, the teacher will be asking relevant questions be beneficial because it will
and formatively assessing student answers. The teacher allow the teacher to help
will also use the learning targets as a preassessment students prepare to
(during the introduction) and a formative assessment independently identify the
(during the lesson and at the end of the lesson). This will supporting detail and explain
also serve as a self-assessment because students will be what they are.
assessing how they think they have reached the learning  These discussions will make
targets. During the lesson, students will assess their ability the independent work easier
to meet the learning targets with the thumbs-up strategy. because the teacher can adjust
Students who are struggling will get support during the instruction to fit students’
whole-group instruction and guided practice which will needs.
consist of prompting. The teacher will ask questions to aid  Using the learning targets as a
with assessing comprehension during discussions. If self-assessment allows
students are still struggling, they will receive one-on-one students to take ownership of
support during small group and independent work time. their learning and it gives the
teacher some idea of how
Formative students are feeling. Using
Underlining Activity thumbs allows for students to
The underlining activity will assess if students are able to quickly assess themselves and
identify the main idea and supporting details of an for the teacher to quickly
informational text. They will be provided with in observe.
informational text about the solar system and will be  Students already know the
asked to underline the clues that help them identify the thumbs-up procedure, and
main idea in red and the supporting details in green. This they are usually very honest.
will be done as a whole group. Then students will then fill  If at any point in time students
in a graphic organizer where they will record by writing seem to be confused or are
what the topic, main idea, and supporting details of the showing signs of increased
text are. They will also record the context clues used to struggle, the teacher will have
find the main idea. This part can be done individually, in to slow the pace of the lesson
pairs, or in a small group. down. Prompting and
questioning students during
Stool Template Activity whole group instruction and
The stool template activity will assess if students are able small group instruction will
to independently identify the topic, main idea, and help with this because the
supporting details in a text and record them. Students will teacher can assess students’
read a passage about cheese. After they read, students will comprehension throughout the
have the option to use a red colored pencil to underline lesson.
the 3 clues that will help them find the main idea. They can  The teacher will also need to
also use a green colored pencil to underline details that make sure students are getting
support the main idea. Once students have identified these the same amount of
in the text, they will record them, along with the topic, on a opportunities to answer
stool template that will be provided to them. questions and share thoughts
because this conversation is a
End of Lesson Check-in part of learning. Student 1 and
Students will be asked to assess themselves concerning student 2 will always be ready
each learning target based on whether they have met it.

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They will put a thumb up if they think they met the with answers, but other
learning target independently. They will put a thumb to students will need a little more
the side if they met the learning target with teacher help. time to answer or be prompted
They put a thumb down if they aren’t able to meet the to answer. The teacher needs
learning targets yet and need more practice. The teacher to make sure that student 1
will read each learning target out loud and students will and student 2 are not the only
respond with their thumbs ones getting called on and will
have to use the cold call
Grading scale for Underlining Activity: strategy when students are
✔︎- Beginning: Student can identify and record less than 4 responding to discussion
of the following: topic, main idea, 3 supporting details, and questions.
3 clues that help them find the main idea.  Throughout the whole group
lesson, guided practice, and
✔︎Developing: Student can identify and record at least independent practice the
four of the following: topic, main idea, 3 supporting details, teacher will be observing
and 3 clues that help them find the main idea. students. The teacher will be
walking around the room and
✔︎+ Proficient: Student can identify and record the topic, will observe students and their
main idea, 3 supporting details, and 3 clues that help them ability to meet the learning
find the main idea. objectives. As the teacher
walks around the room, they
will repeat directions, help
Grading scale for Stool Template Activity: students read, provide aid to
There will be 8 places where students will need to record those who are struggling, and
the parts of the text that they have identified. prompt students to keep
working hard.
Students will get 2 points for each part  Observations will allow the
teacher to observe if they need
2 points = part attempted to provide support to a specific
2 points = correct identification student or to the whole class.
Student 1 and student 2 will
The points will be averaged by adding them up for each most likely need the least
part and then dividing them by 8, which is the number of amount of support. Student 3
parts on the stool template. may need additional support
concerning motivation and
1.9 or below: Does not meet: Student is not meeting the reading directions. Student 7
learning targets. The student either didn’t answer the may need additional
questions or did so incorrectly. The student didn’t show prompting and reassurance
that they could identify and record the topic, main idea, 3 due to his low confidence.
supporting details, and 3 clues that help them find the Student 6, student 8, and
main idea. The student isn’t able to identify these parts of student 9 may need help
an informational text by themselves yet. staying on task and prompting
to complete quality work.
2-2.9: Partially Meets: Student is showing beginning work Student 10 will likely need
and is attempting to achieve the learning objectives. help reading directions and
Student has answered at least some of the questions and is words.
somewhat accurate. The student has made attempts to
identify and record the topic, main idea, 3 supporting Questions to ask students:
details, and 3 clues that help them find the main idea. The  “Who remembers what the
student can somewhat identify these parts but is unclear main idea is?
or somewhat inaccurate.  “Who remembers what
supporting details are?”
3-3.4: Meets: Student is meeting learning targets. Student  “How does the topic help you
has answered every question and is mostly accurate in find the main idea?”
answers. The student is able to identify and record the

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topic, main idea, 3 supporting details, and 3 clues that help  “Is the topic of the article
them find the main idea. The student can mostly correctly ‘space’ or the ‘solar system’?”
identify these parts on their own.  “How do you know that that is
the main idea of the text?”
3.5-4: Exceeds: Student is meeting the learning targets.  “What details support the main
The student answered every question and is almost idea?”
always accurate. The student is able to identify and record  “Do all of these details support
the topic, main idea, 3 supporting details, and 3 clues that the main idea?”
help them find the main idea. The student can identify all  “Which details don't support
of these parts independently. the main idea?”
 “Are there always only three
Ex. 28 ÷ 8 parts = 3.5 (Exceeds) supporting details in a text?”
 “Could you use supporting
details to find the main idea of
Extensions: a text?”
-For those who finish their graphic organizer early, they  “Is the main idea always
will be asked to create a title that they think would be a written in the text?”
better clue to help them find the main idea of the solar  “How are you feeling about the
system article. learning targets?”
-For those who finish their stool template activity early,
they will be asked to draw a picture that they think would
a better clue to help them find the main idea of the cheese Formative
passage. If students don’t want to draw, they will also have Underlining Activity
the option to write what the picture would look like.  Students will do the
underlining part of the activity
in a whole group. They will
then record what they found in
the graphic organizer either
independently or in a small
group.
 Doing this activity prior to the
stool template activity allows
for the teacher to see if
students are able to identify
and record the topic, main
idea, 3 supporting details, and
3 clues that help them find the
main idea. This helps the
teacher determine whether to
continue at the same pace or to
slow the lesson down and
reteach.
 Prior to this assessment, the
teacher will complete a review
to make sure students are
prepared for exploring this
content.
 I will be observing students to
see if they are able to correctly
identify and record the topic,
main idea, 3 supporting details,
and 3 clues that help them find
the main idea.
 This activity will be graded by

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 proficiency to help me keep
track of my students’ progress.
However, it will not be graded
with an “exceeds” – “not met”
scale or digitally recorded.
 The choice to not grade using
an “exceeds” – “not met” scale
allows students to practice in a
low stakes environment where
mistakes can be made and
learned from.

Stool Template Activity

 Students will complete the
stool template activity
completely independently. This
allows students show what
they know without the
influence of their peers.
 This activity will assess if
students can identify and
record the topic, main idea, 3
supporting details, and 3 clues
that help them find the main
idea.
 This assessment will give the
teacher the opportunity to
assess whether students need
additional help or review in the
later lesson.
 This will be graded with a
“exceeds” – “not met” scale to
give me an idea of who
understood the learning
targets and how they met
them.
 The questions are at 4 points
each so there is opportunity
for partial credit. Students get
2 points for completing each
part which would put them at
an NM if they got every
question incorrect. This
grading method gives a more
accurate depiction of the
students’ progress.
 I chose to use an “exceeds” –
“not met” scale because the
concepts in this lesson are a
large part of the learning
objectives and the background
knowledge for future lessons.
 If 5/8 or more of the class are
partially meeting or below, I

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 will need provide more
scaffolding in the next lesson
when it comes to students
understanding what
supporting details are and how
to find them.

End of Lesson Check-in

 This check-in allows students
to self-assess themselves at the
end of the lesson.
 This method of self-assessment
is quick, and students are
mostly honest when they
participate.
 Students have done this type of
check-in several times before
which makes it an established
routine that they can easily
follow.
 This check-in is not graded
because there is no learning
objective about how well
students can assess
themselves.

Extension
 Student 1 and student 2 grasp
concepts quickly and may need
something to help extend their
learning.
 This opportunity helps
students stay engaged with
material by providing
additional practice with the
concept of main idea and the
clues that can be used to find it.
 The extensions also allow for
student choice because
students get to choose to draw
or write.
 These extensions strengthen
the students’ understandings
of the main idea, topic, and the
clues that students can use to
show the main idea.
 The extension will not be
graded because it is extending
the learning of my student and
assesses their understandings
beyond the learning targets.
However, it will be observed
and will be assessed by this
observation of the teacher.

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  Choosing not to grade these
extensions allows the students
to experiment further and
discover in a low-stakes
environment.

Verbal Feedback:
 Verbal feedback will be used
during whole group and
individual work time.
 The teacher will use a mixture
of praise, questions, and
prompts to push students
toward the learning objectives.
 Praise will be used to promote
desired skills and working
behaviors. Questioning will be
used to help clarify questions
on the worksheets and
concepts during the whole
group lesson. Prompts will be
used to aid students with
comprehension and allow
them opportunities to fix
mistakes.

Possible Verbal Feedback:

 “How does that detail support
the main idea?”
 “Would another detail better
support the main idea?”
 “What is the article telling you
about the topic?”
 “Why don't you try finding the
details that don't support the
main idea?”
 “What strategy did we use to
find supporting details in the
example we did together?”
 “Is the text mostly about what
people use cheese for or how
cheese is made?”
 “A supporting detail does help
you find the main idea, but
what are the context clues and
text features that help you?
Think back to the video you
watched on Monday when you
were introduced to main idea.”
 “Where do you put the main
idea on the stool? Think back
to the activity when we build
stools and tables.”
 “Maybe you could try finding

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 the topic of the text?”
 “Maybe you could try to figure
out what the example and facts
are that mostly align with what
you think the main idea is.”
 “Thank you for working hard
on this skill.”
 “I appreciate that you didn’t
give up and kept trying.”
 “I like that you used words to
explain your thinking.”
 “Make sure to be honest about
how you feel about your
learning.”
 “Thank you for staying focused
during the activity.”

Written Feedback:
 Written feedback will be
provided on the passages of
each activity, on the graphic
organizer, and on the stool
template. The written feedback
will give praise of strengths
and will provide suggestions
for improvement.

Possible Written Feedback:

 “Working with peers may be
helpful next time.”
 “Remember to answer each
question and follow each
direction.”
 “Can you give me the full
supporting detail? This is only
part of it.”
 “Does this detail support the
main idea that you identified?”
 “How does this detail support
the main idea? What might be a
better detail to support the
main idea?”
 “It might be helpful to think
about the topic and ask
yourself ‘what is the text
mostly saying about the topic?”
 “It might be helpful to think of
supporting details in a text like
reasons or evidence in your
opinion writing.”
 “I like your strategy of
underlining the supporting
details in green.”
 “I appreciate that you

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 collaborated with your peers
on this activity. Great
strategy!”
 “Thank you for working hard. I
know this was challenging to
do by yourself, but you stuck
with it!”

Instructional Materials and Resources - Stays current in content knowledge and expands expertise in
reviewing instructional materials from the perspectives of both the discipline and individual learner
needs.
Materials, Resources, and / or Technology Instructional Decisions / Reasoning

Teacher Materials Teacher Materials

Projector  The “What’s Up in Space?” PDF
iPad will be used by the teacher to
Stylus model how to underline the
“What’s Up in Space?” PDF parts of the text.
Portable marker board  Using the PDF on the iPad
Dry-erase markers allows the teacher to display
the text for everyone to see
Student Materials while also still having the
“What’s Up in Space?” article ability to use proximity in the
Identify and Record graphic organizer classroom.
“From Milk to Cheese” article  Directly using the PDF file on
Stool template the iPad allows the teacher to
Red and green colored pencils zoom in and show students
Pencil exactly where they need to
underline. This is better than a
Technology doc camera which is a little
Projector more tedious to operate.
iPad  The projector, iPad, and stylus
“What’s Up in Space?” PDF will be used to display and
underline.
 The portable marker board
with be used to display the
learning targets throughout
the lesson. The dry-erase
markers will be used to write
the learning targets on the
board.
 The marker board is at the
front of the room which is the
direction that each students’
desk faces. This is a great
location for the learning
targets to be because they will
be visible to each student.
Student Materials
 The “What’s Up in Space?”
article was chosen because it
has a clear main idea and clear
examples of supporting details.
The article is also a little more

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 complex than the passages that
students have already read
which pushes students use the
skills they’ve gained with a
larger text.
 The Identify and Record
graphic organizer provides a
simple template for students to
record the parts they identify
in the text.
 This basic organizer was
chosen so students could focus
on simply identifying and
recording the parts of the text
that they find.
 The “From Milk to Cheese”
article will be used by students
to use their skills that they just
worked on; identifying and
recording the topic, main idea,
3 supporting details, and 3
clues that help them find the
main idea.
 This article was chosen
because it has a clear main idea
and supporting details which
gives students the opportunity
at practicing their newly
developed skills. It also allows
students to feel successful
because the article is
straightforward and is
appropriate for the stage of
progress that they will be at.
 The stool template is used to
allow students to record the
parts that they have identified.
 Students have already used
this type of template in a
previous lesson and the visual
adds another layer of support
for students.
 The red and green colored
pencils will be used by
students to underline the parts
of the text that they find. These
colors contrast well and are
distinctly different which
makes sure students don’t get
the two mixed up.
 These colors have also been
used in the last lesson to
represent the main idea and
supporting details. Color

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 coding helps students make
connections and strengthens
visual representations. This
can help students internalize
their learning.
 Over half of my class identifies
themselves as visual learners
according to my CFA. This is
why I’ve chosen this as an
element to incorporate into
this lesson and this unit.
 The pencil will be used for
students to fill out the graphic
organizer and stool template.

Technology
 The “What’s Up in Space?” PDF
allows the teacher to model so
that each student can see
exactly what they should
underline. This is beneficial for
student 7 and student 3
because they require constant
confirmation and sometimes
have trouble when only spoken
instructions are provided.
 This also helps student 1
because she recently notified
my mentor and I that she has
trouble seeing the board. This
PDF allows me to zoom in to
specific spots on the PDF and
make it easier for her to see.
 Using the iPad and projector
itself allows for the teacher to
use proximity with students.
 Student 3, student 6, student 8,
and student 9 can get off task.
When the iPad and projector
are used the teacher can use
proximity to help keep those
students and any other
students focused.
 The projector, iPad, and stylus
allow the teacher to
continuously move around the
classroom which improves
classroom management.

Instructional Methods: Selects, creates, and sequences learning experiences and performance tasks
by using a variety of instructional approaches, strategies, and technologies that make learning
accessible to all learners and support learners in reaching rigorous curriculum goals.
Teaching and Learning Sequence Instructional Decisions / Reasoning

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Prior to Lesson Prior to Lesson
The teacher will have created the Identify and Record  Being prepared prior to the
graphic organizer and the stool template. The teacher will lesson helps the lesson run
have printed them along with the “What’s Up in Space” more smoothly and prevents
article and the “From Milk to Cheese” article. The teacher unnecessary interruptions
will have the “What’s Up in Space” PDF open on the iPad during instructional time. The
and will have the iPad connected to the projector. The students will get some of their
teacher will also have the learning targets on the portable own materials when instructed
marker board. which will give them some
responsibility for their
Introduction (5 minutes) learning.
Review (3 minutes)
The teacher will begin by asking students to go to their Introduction
seats and wait patiently until everyone returns from lunch. Review
Once everyone is seated, the teacher will ask what they  Waiting for each student to
learned about last class. The teacher will guide them return before starting allows
towards the answer of “supporting details and main idea”. the lesson to have a clear
The teacher will ask what they learned about them and starting point with clear
guide students towards the answer of “the connection expectations.
between main ideas and supporting details” and  Reviewing the previous lesson
“symbolizing the relationship between main ideas and with students allows them to
supporting details”. The teacher will ask students what a retrieve background
topic, a main idea, and the clues that can help them find knowledge from the previous
the main idea in an informational text are. The teacher will lesson that they will be
also ask students what supporting details are. building on in the lesson.
[The topic is what the text is mostly about. The main idea  The review also assesses what
is what the text is mostly saying about the topic. Pictures students remember and what
and captions, repeated words, and the title are clues that they retained from the last
can help find the main idea. Supporting details are facts or lesson. This allows the teacher
examples that support the main idea] to figure out if any reteaching
The teacher will remind students that a main idea has a should be done.
topic and explains what the text is saying about that topic.
Learning Targets
Learning Targets (2 minutes)  Asking students to share the
The teacher will read each learning target all of the way words they don’t understand
through. The teacher will then ask students to raise their creates a culture of growth and
hands if they heard any words that they don’t understand. acceptance because students
The teacher will call on students and discuss and explain understand that it is ok to not
specific vocabulary in each target so that students know everything.
understand what they are working towards in the lesson.  Asking students which words
they don’t understand allows
Whole Group Instruction (18 minutes) the teacher to pre-assess what
Underlining Activity: Part 1 vocabulary the lesson may
The teacher will explain that “What’s Up in Space” will be have to focus on and where
the article that the class will read first. The teacher will students are at with the
hold up the article and show students that it will be up on lesson’s content.
the projector screen as well. The teacher will then pass out  Going over learning targets at
the article to each student. The teacher will also give a the beginning of the lesson
direction to students to get out a red and green colored gives students a goal and sets a
pencil. purpose for the lesson.
Once students have gotten their pencils, the teacher will  This process is familiar to
ask students some prereading questions. students and opens the lesson
What do you think the topic of the text is? with a familiar routine that
The teacher will take predictions without telling students allows students to get
the correct answer but will praise for informed

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predictions. acquainted with the content
What types of text features do you see? before beginning the lesson.
[Pictures, section headings, title]
What context clues will help you find the main idea? Whole Group Instruction
[Pictures, titles, and repeated words] Underlining Activity: Part 1
After asking these questions, the teacher will go over some  Familiarizing students with the
vocabulary word that will be pre-highlighted on the pdf. materials that will be used
The teacher will ask students if they know what the word before doing the activity sets a
means. If they don’t, the teacher will guide them towards purpose for the material and
understanding the meaning of each word and how it is helps students understand
used. how to use it.
Solar system, orbit, craters, reflects  Having students get their
Once students understand the vocabulary, the teacher will colored pencils out before
ask if students have any questions about the article. If reading prevents students
there aren’t the teacher will tell students to turn the article from missing out on the
to front page. Once everyone is there, the teacher will underlining activity because
explain to students that they while the teacher reads the they can’t find their colored
article, they should be thinking about what the topic and pencils. This helps students be
the main idea of the text is. The teacher will also explain prepared and allows the lesson
that they should be following along with their text. to run more smoothly.
The teacher will read the article out loud as students  Asking prereading questions
listen. prior to reading allows
After reading, the teacher will ask students what they students to become familiar
think the topic of the article is. If students say “space” the with the text. It also allows the
teacher will ask “Did the article mostly talk about all of teacher to observe students
space?”. If students say yes, the teacher will ask if it talked and their thinking which
about other galaxies and solar systems than ours. Once reveals what the teacher might
students come to the conclusion that the article is about want to emphasize while
the solar system, the teacher will ask what clues they can modeling.
look at to figure out what the main idea of the text is.  Prereading questions help
[Title, pictures, repeated words] students access their
The teacher will model underlining these clues with red by background knowledge of the
going to the markup tool bar and will then click the sketch content. This will help students
tool. The teacher will make sure it is in red and will ask build on that knowledge
students to watch as the teacher underlines the picture, throughout the lesson.
title, and repeated words. The teacher will ask the  Going over content specific
students where each part is before underlining it. After vocabulary prior to the reading
underlining one part, the teacher will wait and assist allows students to comprehend
students as they underline the same part with red colored the text where those words
pencil. Once the teacher has modeled each part and the appear.
students have underlined, the teacher will begin another  Asking students if they have
conversation about the main idea. questions prior to reading
[repeated words: solar system, made/make up, in/around] allows the teacher to clear up
[picture: solar system, planet, sun] [title: what’s up in any misconceptions and make
space] sure students understand what
What do these clues tell us about what the main idea is is expected of them.
about?  Reading the article out loud
The teacher will use wait time and let students process the makes sure that all students
question. If there are few students with their hands up the can access the reading and
teacher will remind students that a main idea is what the allows for the teacher to
text is mostly saying about the topic. The teacher will also answer any questions that pop
have students turn and talk for 30 seconds. up during the reading.
After the 30 seconds, the teacher will ask what students  Having students find the topic
talked about. As students reply the teacher will help the of the text first allows students
students piece together the main idea of the text.

Revised 07/19/2018
[The main idea is of the text is about the solar system and to build from there to find the
the objects that make up the solar system.] rest of the parts of the text.
The teacher will then do a second read of the article and  The topic in this article isn’t
follow the same modelling process when looking for initially obvious from the title.
supporting details. After each section, the teacher will ask This means that the teacher
if there are any examples or facts that support the main may have to do more
idea. If students are having trouble finding the supporting prompting after the reading.
details, the teacher will ask prompting questions.  Having students provide
Once students have finished underlining the text, the answers to the questions
teacher will praise them for their hard work. initially allows the teacher to
assess how much support
Guided Practice (15 minutes) students need.
Underlining Activity: Part 2 (13 minutes)  Modeling the underlining helps
The teacher will show students the graphic organizer. The students understand how to
teacher will explain that students will be recording the use that strategy. Doing this
parts of the text that they found and underlined on the before guided and independent
graphic organizer. practice prepares students to
The teacher will explain that students will write down the work more independently
topic of the article, the main idea of the article, and three because they have already seen
details that support the main idea. The teacher will put a the skill modeled during whole
sentence starter on the portable white board and explain group instruction.
that it can be used to begin to write what the main idea is.  Instead of just telling students
(The main idea of the text is about…) where to underline, I decided
The teacher will also put a sentence starter for the to make the activity more
supporting details. The teacher will explain that students interactive and have students
may use the sentence starter, or they can just put the explain the location of each
supporting detail that they find as it is in the text. idem. This allows students to
(A detail that supports the main idea is…) show what they know and
The teacher will explain that students may work with allows the teacher to see who
others around them to fill out the graphic organizer. feels more and less confident
The teacher will pass out the graphic organizer. in identifying the parts in a
The teacher will ask if students have any questions. text. During guided and
If there are no questions the teacher will direct students to independent practice, the
begin. As students work the teacher will assist them when teacher will make sure to
they need it. Once students are finished, they will be provide extra support those
directed to pass their graphic organizers into the “in” box. who are less confident and give
them encouragement.
Learning Target Check-in (2 minutes)  Assisting students after
The teacher will explain that they are going to do a modeling how to underline
learning target check-in. The teacher will read the learning each part, makes sure that
target out loud to the students. Students will be asked to students don’t get lost and
assess themselves concerning each learning target based keeps the lesson at a pace
on whether they have met it. The teacher will explain that where students can keep up.
students will put a thumb up if they think they met the  Asking students what the clues
learning target independently. They will put their thumbs tell them about the main idea
to the side if they met the learning target with teacher allows them to explore what
help. They put a thumb down if they aren’t able to meet they’ve learned about the clues
the learning targets yet and need more practice. with the supervision of the
As the students show their thumbs for each learning teacher. This will allow the
target, the teacher will observe them and make a note of teacher to clear up any
students who think they need more help with specific misconceptions.
learning targets. Once students have assessed themselves,  Using wait time and the turn
the teacher will thank them for their honesty. and talk method promotes
student thinking and creates
Independent Practice (20 minutes)

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Stool Template Activity student-driven instruction.
The teacher will hold up the “From Milk to Cheese” article  The turn and talk method
and explain that students will be reading this article next. allows students to explore
The teacher will explain what they are looking for and will their thinking in a low-stakes
encourage students to use their colored pencils to environment.
underline. The teacher will also show students the stool  Only allowing 30 seconds for
template. The teacher will explain that the template will be the turn and talk keeps the
used by students to record the parts they identified. lesson moving. If needed the
Where does the main idea? teacher can choose to add
[The top of the stool.] additional time.
Where do the supporting details go?  Students may not know how to
[The legs of the stool.] articulate the main idea. The
The teacher praise students for remembering from the last teacher will help students
lesson. gather all the information from
The teacher will then pass the articles out. their conversations and will
The teacher will explain some of the vocabulary from the articulate the main idea using
text. their conclusions.
Curdles and ripen  Doing a second read of the
The teacher will explain that students will follow along as article allows students to look
the teacher reads. for supporting details with the
The teacher will ask if students have any questions so far. main idea in mind.
If they don’t, the teacher will proceed to read the passage.  Following the same modelling
After the teacher has read the passage, the teacher will process when looking for
reiterate the directions and will tell students that they may supporting details allows
begin working independently. The teacher will observe students to follow along and
and support students as needed. As students finish, the keeps a steady, but easy to
teacher will ask them to put their template and passage in keep up with pace.
the “in” box.  Going section be section is less
overwhelming and shows
Closing (2 minutes) students a strategy that they
End of Lesson Check-in can use when they begin
Once each student is finished, the teacher will ask students independent work.
to put their materials away. Students will be asked if they  Prompting questions will keep
have any final questions. The teacher will answer any the instruction student driven
questions about the lesson that the students may have. but will still provide the
Students will be asked to assess themselves concerning support that students need.
each learning target based on whether they have met it.  Praising students for their hard
The teacher will explain that students will put a thumb up work builds students’
if they think they met the learning target independently. confidence and is a positive
They will put a thumb to the side if they met the learning reinforcement for hardworking
target with teacher help. They put a thumb down if they behavior.
aren’t able to meet the learning targets yet and need more
practice.
As the students show their thumbs for each learning Guided Practice
target, the teacher will observe them and make a note of Underlining Activity: Part 2
students who think they need more help with specific  Giving directions to the whole
learning targets. Once students have assessed themselves, group at the same time allows
the teacher will thank them for their hard work. for everyone to be one the
same page. My students aren’t
quite at the independent stage
of reading and following
directions and verbal
directions often work better.
 The teacher sentence starter

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 will help students who don’t
know how to get started when
writing about the main idea.
The sentence starter doesn’t
give them the answer, but
helps them start their sentence
which can make them more
independent.
 Students will have the option
of how they format the
supporting details because it
will be easier and more
accurate for some just to write
exactly what is in the text and
others will want to write their
own sentence.
 Allowing students to work
with others allows them to still
have support, but not in a
whole group setting. This is the
next step in the gradual release
of responsibility before
independent practice.
 Having students ask questions
before they begin allows the
teacher to clarify anything for
the students and clear up any
misconceptions.

Learning Target Check-in

 Doing a learning target check-
in in the middle of the lesson
allows the teacher to quickly
check students’ progress and
where some student may need
more support in the second
half of the lesson.
 This thumbs-up check-in
format is a familiar process for
each student and is an already
practiced routine.

Independent Practice
Stool Template Activity
 Giving spoken directions prior
to the activity gives students
the opportunity to get familiar
with the activity. It also allows
students to ask questions and
get clarification before starting.
My students often do better
when the directions are
discussed before activities

Revised 07/19/2018
 instead of being expected to
read them on their own.
 Encouraging students to use
their colored pencils gives
them a strategy to use while
completing the activity.
However, if this strategy
doesn’t work for students, they
aren’t required to use it. This
gives an opportunity for
student choice.
 Going over each part of the
stool accesses students’
background information and
gets students reacquainted
with the stool symbolization.
 Praising students encourages
them to continue to participate
and work hard. It also shows
students that they are valued
which will improve their
confidence and provide a
positive reinforcement.
 Going over content specific
vocabulary prior to the reading
allows students to comprehend
the text where those words
appear.
 Providing an opportunity for
questions prompts those who
have questions to ask them.
 Reading the passage out loud
ensures that each student can
access the content and allows
for students to ask questions
about the passage before
completing the activity.
 Restating the directions
provides another opportunity
for students to hear the
directions again. This will limit
confusion and will help
students understand what is
being asked of them.
 Independent practice is the
next step after guided practice
when using the gradual release
of responsibility. Doing
independent practice after
guided practice allows
students to apply the skills and
strategies that they learned
during whole group instruction
and guided practice.

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  The teacher will observe
students. Depending on what is
observed, the teacher may
have to provide whole group,
small group, or individual
prompting for support.
 Asking students to put the
finished activity in the “in” box
after they’ve finished is done
after the activity so that
students aren’t overwhelmed
by directions prior to the
activity.

Closing
End of Lesson Check-in
 Having students put their
materials away before closing
the lesson prevents students
from being distracted during
the learning targets check-in.
 Providing an opportunity for
final questions allows students
to have opportunities to clear
up any misconceptions that
they have.
 Closing the lesson with a
check-in allows students to
process their learning and
assess their own progress.
 Providing a closing to the
lesson wraps up the lesson and
gives students the opportunity
to give a final organization to
their thoughts on the topic
learned.
 This thumbs-up check-in
format is a familiar process for
each student and is an already
practiced routine.
 Praising students, at the end of
the lesson, for their hard work
will help students feel valued
and accomplished.

Meeting students’ needs (differentiation, extensions, Instructional Decisions / Reasoning

modifications, accommodations)

Extensions: Extensions:
-Having students who finish their graphic organizer early  Students 1 and 2 often grasp
create a title that they think would be a better clue to help concepts and skills quickly and
them find the main idea of the solar system article. need an opportunity to expand
-Having students who finish their stool template activity their learning. Drawing and
early draw a picture that they think would a better clue to writing better clues for each

Revised 07/19/2018
help them find the main idea of the cheese passage. If passage helps students
students don’t want to draw, they will also have the option continue thinking about the
to write what the picture would look like. main idea and topic. It also
helps gives them another way
Differentiation: to think about the clues that
-Reading directions and words out loud help them find the main idea.
-Familiar lesson sequence Providing this opportunity to
-Familiar learning target check-in further their thinking, deepens
-Partner work/collaboration the students’ understanding of
-Whole group and independent work the concepts.
-Using wait time to allow students to form a  This extension provides
response. students 1 and 2, along with
-Hands-on block activity, visual template activity, any other student who finishes
discussion early, the opportunity to
deepen their understandings of
Accommodations: the main idea in each passage.
-Providing additional wait time for specific students
-Check in with student 3, student 7, and student 10 to see Differentiation:
if directions need to be reread to them during independent  Reading directions and words
work. out loud will help student 10
-Offering to read passages to student 10 who has reading difficulties
-Prompting to stay focused and will help students like
-Pre-cutting materials student 3 who has told me she
comprehends better by
listening.
Modifications:  The similarity of the mini
There are no modifications that need to be made for lesson sequence to the
students. previous lesson allows for
students, especially student 3
Absent Student to stay composed and focused.
-If a student were absent during this lesson, I would use Knowing what to expect can
the time during the next morning to get the student caught help encourage students to
up. participate because they can
-I would ask the student what they know about supporting use their background
details to pre-assess their understandings. I would then go knowledge during discussions.
over the learning targets and the activities, that we did in  The familiar learning target
class, with the student. This would give the student a one- check-in allows students to use
on-one mini lesson where the students would have the a self-assessment strategy that
opportunity to ask questions and practice under the they already know and feel
supervision of the teacher. I would also guide the student comfortable with and
through the underlining activity and connect this to the understand. This makes the
stool template activity. self-assessment process easier
for students.
No Technology  Partner work and
-If there was a no technology due to the power being out, I collaboration allows for those
would print the “What’s Up in Space” article that is used by who process information
the teacher as a pdf. There would model on this copy and through conversation to have
go around and show students how the activity should be those conversations with
done. classmates. Providing this
option is beneficial for student
Technology: 7 specifically because his
- iPads confidence in his academics is
- Projector fairly low. Working with others
helps him process information
Student Choice and Interest:

Revised 07/19/2018
-Hands on activities, like the underlining activity is a tool and be reassured by the work
that is used due to the high interest they create for of this classmates.
students.  Doing whole group instruction
-Visual activities like the stool template, color coded prior to independent work
underlining activity, and graphic organizer are tools used allows the lesson to be
due to the high interest it creates for visual learners. scaffolded so that students
-The first article used has a topic of the solar system which (especially students 3, 7, and
is of high interest to student 7 and student 9. 10) aren’t overwhelmed by
-The second article is about cheese and student 3 has an being thrown into independent
interest in cooking which makes this article of high work.
interest to her. Student 2 and student 8 have pizza as their  For those students who need
favorite food. Student 10 has macaroni and cheese as her more time to process, the use
favorite food. This makes the topic of cheese of high of wait time during the whole-
interest to these students. Student 9 has cows, and the group discussions and other
article talks about the dairy from cows that is used for discussions is helpful. This is
cheese. This is something that the student can relate to. specifically beneficial for
-Choice of using colored pencils or not for the stool students 3, 7, and 8. Sometimes
template activity it takes these students longer
-Choice of writing or drawing in the second extension. to process information and this
-Students can choose whether they work independently or allows them to have that time.
with a partner around them. This is also beneficial for my
internal thinkers who like to
Misconceptions prepare their answers before
-The first article has a topic of space. giving them such as student 7,
-The second article’s main idea is “what things are made 6, and 2.
with cheese”.  Providing a variety of learning
-The main idea is always written directly in the text. supports for different learners
-The three context clues that help identify the main idea in my classroom allows the
are always helpful. content to be more easily
accessed by my students. The
underlining activity supports
my learners who learn by
doing because they can
physically find and mark the
parts of the text with their
hands. According to my CFA
student 7 and student 2 learn
by doing.
 The visual supports like the
graphic organizer and stool
template help my visual
learners because they are able
to use see a visual
representation of the concepts
they are learning. According to
my CFA, students 1, 3, 10, 9, 6,
and 8 learn visually.
 The discussions throughout
the lesson provide my social
students and those who prefer
to listen to use discussion to
access the concepts. Through
observation it has been noted
that students 1, 2, 7, and 9

Revised 07/19/2018
 often engage in conversation to
gain understanding of
concepts.

Accommodations:
 Student 3 has tendencies that
mirror Asperger’s syndrome
and because of this she needs a
little more wait time to provide
answers to questions. Student
8 also needs a little more wait
time to provide meaningful
answers. By providing extra
wait time it allows students to
fully grasp the question and
process it to then create a
meaningful answer. This wait
time will also be beneficial to
other students who may need
more wait time depending on
the question.
 Re-explaining directions and
words to student 3 and student
7 allows them to have more
time to process information.
 Student 10’s reading
difficulties impact her
comprehension. Offering to
read the passages to her again
allows student 10 to access the
content without changing the
assignment. I chose this option
instead of providing an easier
to read passage because I don’t
want her to feel excluded from
the class because her reading
passage is different.
 Students 3, 6, 8, and 9 have
difficulty staying on task
sometimes. This requires
prompting to encourage them
to keep going. This type of
prompting will also be helpful
for any other student who
needs help staying on task.

Modifications:
There are no modifications that need to
be made for students.

Absent Student
 The morning work time will be
used because students aren’t
learning content during this

Revised 07/19/2018
 time and are practicing skills.
This way the review of the
lesson doesn’t take away from
the student learning new
content.
 Pre-assessing student
background knowledge helps
the teacher see how much they
need to teach and go over from
the lesson.
 Going over the learning targets
and activities with the student
creates a guided mini lesson
where the teacher can observe,
monitor, and support the
student and their
comprehension of the content.
 The one-on-one opportunity
will allow the student to more
individualized instruction
which makes it more
comfortable for students to ask
questions.
 The one-on-one mini lesson
also allows the teacher to see
what the student needs
practice with and what they
can just talk about.
 Having the student do the
underlining activity connects
their new knowledge to an
activity which can be
referenced in later lessons.
This prepares the student to
determine the main idea and
supporting details in the next
lesson.

No Technology
 The solar system pdf is a tool
for the teacher to model the
underlining activity for each
student to see. Without the
access to this technology the
teacher would have to use a
printed copy and go around
the room and show students.
This may take longer which
speaks to the efficiency of the
technology.

Technology:
 Using the iPads allows for the
teacher to walk around the

Revised 07/19/2018
 room and observe students
because it is portable.
 The projector allows for
students to see the solar
system article pdf on the large
screen. The teacher can also
zoom in which makes the
modeling easy to see and
allows students know exactly
what they are underlining. This
makes it easier for all students
to physically see the material
used by the teacher.

Student Choice and Interest:

 The underlining activity
creates high interest for those
who learn by doing. According
to my CFA, 30% of my students
like to learn by physically
doing things. This is quite a
large number of students that I
could engage by incorporating
a hands-on activity.
 The stool template and graphic
organizer activity sheet creates
high interest for those who
learn visually. According to my
CFA, 70% of my students learn
by watching and through
visuals. With this activity I can
engage these learners and with
their learning style.
 Using the solar system as the
topic in the underlining activity
passage engages student 7 and
student 9 because they have an
interest in space. This is a
strategy used to keep them
focused and engaged in the
content.
 Using cheese as the topic in the
stool template activity passage
engages student 3, student 2,
student 8, student 10, and
student 9 because they have
related interests which come
up in the article. This is a
strategy used to keep them
focused and engaged in the
content.
 Giving students the choice of
using colored pencils or not
allows them to take ownership

Revised 07/19/2018
 of their learning and do what is
best for them. This also allows
students to use any other
strategy that they have that
works for them.
 Giving students the choice of
writing or drawing in the
second extension let’s students
participate in the way that best
aligns with their learning style
and interest.
 Allowing students to choose if
they work independently or
with others allows students to
take control of their own
learning and do what is best
for them. It also allows both
students who like to work with
others and individually to be
successful.

Misconceptions
 If students think that the first
article has a topic of space, the
teacher will provide prompting
questions to redirect students
after reading which can be
seen in the learning sequence.
 If students think the second
article’s main idea is “what
things are made with cheese,”
the teacher will ask students
prompting questions to
redirect student thinking. This
should clear up the
misconceptions and steer
students in the right direction.
Did the whole article talk about
what things are made from
cheese?
Try looking at the context clues.
What types of examples or
supporting details does the
passage have?
 The teacher will ask if the main
idea is always written directly
in the text. This will spark a
conversation that the teacher
will facilitate. The teacher will
help show students that the
main idea isn’t always
explicitly stated.
 If students think that the title
helps them find the main idea

Revised 07/19/2018
 of the text, the teacher will ask
if the three context clues that
help identify the main idea are
always helpful. The teacher
will help students examine the
title in the solar system
passage. The teacher will guide
students to the understanding
that the context clues don’t
always help students find the
main idea. The extension for
the underlining activity will
further this understanding as
well.

Field Courses Only – Post lesson

Student Underlining Activity Stool Template Activity

1 ✓+ Proficient 3.25 Meets
2 ✓+ Proficient 4 Exceeds
3 ✓- Beginning 4 Exceeds
4 Special Services Special Services
5 Special Services Special Services
6 ✓+ Proficient 4 Exceeds
7 ✓+ Proficient 4 Exceeds
8 ✓+ Proficient 4 Exceeds
9 ✓ Developing 4 Exceeds
10 ✓+ Proficient 4 Exceeds
Assessment Data

This data shows me that

8/8 students in the class are meeting or above on the stool template activity. This data was collected
after the pace of the lesson was slowed down which actually required an extra day of instruction.
There wasn’t necessarily any reteaching required. The assessment data changed in this lesson
because the teacher guided students heavily on each part. This data also shows me that 6/8 students
are proficient with the underlining activity. This means that most students can identify the topic, the
main idea, and supporting details of an informational text with teacher assistance because I was
assisting.
According to this assessment data, 8/ 8 students can identify the topic of an informational text with
help from a teacher. This means that each student has partially meeting the first objective. 7/8
students who were assessed can use context clues to identify the main idea of an informational text
with help from a teacher. This means they have partially met the second learning objective. Students
can also identify what details support the main idea in an informational text with help from a teacher.
This means they have partially met the third learning target. This reveals that although not all
students are partially meeting the objective, there was enough struggle amongst the class that the
teacher decided to not count this assessment as an individual assessment. It was decided that review
and more practice amongst the class would be beneficial to students.

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 Upon further analysis, I observed that students were having trouble identifying the topic, main
idea, 3 supporting details, and 3 clues that help them find the main idea in the solar system text.
Many of the students couldn’t identify these things without help from the teacher. The formative data
I collected while observing informed me of this and pushed me to change the pace of assessments
and how they were carried out.

Reflection
One thing I added to this lesson at the beginning was a Kahoot. I knew wanted to do a bit more of an
engaging review because I had observed that students weren’t as engaged with just discussion. I felt
that this formative assessment would help me see if students could apply their knowledge outside of
a discussion. When I had students play the Kahoot, these were my results:

As you can see, students did not score well on these questions. Questions 5 and 6 were hard to see
on the board, so that may have contributed, but overall, this was all stuff that students had learned
and should’ve known. This was one of the first signs that I would need to slow down the day’s lesson.
This lesson didn’t go as well as I would’ve hoped. One mistake I made during the underlining
activity was switching the colors and I underlined the supporting details in red instead of green. In
the future I would probably write myself a sticky not to remind myself because this could’ve caused
confusion among students. In reflection, I think this article might have been a little too big for
students to practice identifying main ideas and supporting details on first. I chose this article because
I thought it was really clear, but it took me most of the rest of the class period to get through the
reading and to get through the graphic organizer. Instead of having students do the graphic
organizers independently or with another student, we did it as a whole group. I modelled the
answers on a white board for students to see how to identify and record each part. This took the
whole class, but I really wanted students to see a good model due to the trouble they were having
with the content.
The stool template activity didn’t happen until the following day 4/2. On 4/2 I helped students
review content and I also provided them with a guide to help them identify the topic, main idea, and
supporting details. I color coded the activity in the correct colors and allowed students to use it for
the rest of the lesson. We read the article together and underlined each part by the color on the guide.
This type of modelling was very beneficial for students. I guided students to help them find the main
idea and topic but let them work in small groups and independently to find the supporting details. I
used a lot of prompting questions supported students. This lesson was much better and needed a
little less teacher guidance. Students were beginning to feel better about the learning targets based
on their self-assessment. However, I still don’t feel comfortable sending students off to do a
summative assessment on Monday without more practice. I plan to provide more practice
opportunities for students on Monday which will prepare them for an assessment on Tuesday.
It was clear by the assessment data and by the fact that I provided a little less prompting that giving
students that guide was really helpful and was a successful tool that pushed students towards
reaching their learning goals. Another thing that you might notice on the assessments is that many

Revised 07/19/2018
students forgot to do part of the stool template. I had told students during the lesson that they could
skip over that part and go back to it at the end after they used them. That afternoon, I looked at the
papers and realized that many of them were missing the 3 clues section. The next morning, on
Monday, I individually called over each student who didn’t have this filled out to my desk. I simply
asked them what the clues were in an interview style and wrote them down. This was a quick and
manageable way for students to complete the activity and for me to make sure it got done. I also
didn’t think it was right to not let them try again, since it was partially my fault that they forgot. I also
wanted to get accurate assessment data, and this assessment as it was, wouldn’t have given me that
without allowing students to finish.
Overall, I am very proud of myself for recognizing student struggles and modifying my instruction
to fit the needs of students. I would like to work on recognizing the possibility of this struggle when I
plan for instruction. I recognized that the article was fairly large, and I think what I should’ve done is
scaffolded my instruction and recognized that students might feel overwhelmed. For future lessons, I
think I should plan for more scaffolding and then if I don’t need it, I can quickly switch to more
independent work if that’s what students need. I think my expectations of students were a little too
high and I should’ve reflected and recognized this before carrying out the lesson.

Teaching Standards and Rationale

Standard 8: Instructional Strategies

Standard #8 Instructional Strategies The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional
strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their
connections, and to build skills to access and appropriately apply information.

8 (i) Asks questions to stimulate discussion that serves different purposes, (e.g., probing for learner
understanding, helping students articulate their ideas and thinking processes, promoting risk-taking
and problem-solving, facilitating factual recall, stimulating curiosity, and helping learners to
question).

The teacher asks questions to get students engaged in material and prompts them to recall
information, express ideas, and think deeper. The teacher asks questions to model what it means to
question and be inquisitive.
Revised 07/19/2018
This lesson proves that I have met standard 8 under indicator 8 (i). In the review of this lesson, I
ask questions about students prior learning. These questions are used to help students access
background knowledge and to assess the students’ retention of information. Another question that is