Lesson Plan Template

Name: Jamie Ray Date: 10/18/2010 Cohort: A

Topic/Grade Level: Fourth graders will identify the features of informational texts and why they are used.

Big Ideas/Learning Goals/Driving/Questions: In fourth grade students need to be able to explain how
and why authors use certain features in informational text. At the end of this lesson students will be able
to identify these features, and understand why they are used and what an informational text does for the
reader.

Context: Students already know what the difference between fiction and non-fiction texts. All students
are aware of certain features of fiction texts.

Content Objectives/Assessment
Standards or
GLCEs (state or
district
R.IT.04.03 explain Students will be able to: identify Student will: go on an informational text
how authors use text various features of informational text and their scavenger hunt and make a list of features that
features including uses. These features will include the index, they find in their informational text, as well as
appendices, headings, maps, glossary, table of contents, titles, what the reason for that feature.
subheadings, marginal headings, and captions.
notes, keys and
legends, figures, and
bibliographies to Teacher will discuss in a group the features
enhance the that the students found in their text as well as go
understanding of key over the reasons for the features in the text.
and supporting ideas.
Duration: 1 hour

Materials: Wipe board, marker, 31 pollination brochures, 30 Discovering America books, 30

Scavenger Hunt sheets, 30 “cheat sheets”, students should have their clip boards and pencils.

Time/Task Instructional Moves Teacher Considerations

Have the students come and sit on the rug in their rug Goal: want the student to say that they think of
Opening seats. Ask the students, “If I say the word informational text that teaches or informs the reader about
text what do you think that means? What do you think something.
5 minutes of when I say informational or information?”

The students did great at giving me their ideas on this!

Guided Tell the students that there are certain attributes that
Practice informational texts have that make them different than
other texts such as fiction. (Hand out the brochures).
20 minutes “Everyone has a brochure right now, I want to know
what you see in the brochure that makes it look
differently than another book that you may be reading,
for example The Firebug Connection. I will give you two
minutes to look over the brochure and try to see what
you notice that is different. (Set the timer for 2 minutes)
Once the timer goes off ask the students to give you
examples of what they see (practice using wait time).
As they give examples write them on the board and ask
 them why they think they have such features (example:
it has a map, it shows pollination and honey production
by state, maps help people understand where things
are). Once there are no more volunteers address the
examples that they have already given, make certain
that Table of contents, index, glossary, photos,
magnification, bold print, titles, headings, captions,
maps, and time lines are all addressed. Write
everything on the board with how the features help a
reader next to the feature.

Practice Tell the students that you are going to send them on an The students groups of 3 are already made up.
20 minutes informational text scavenger hunt. Explain the
scavenger hunt sheet. Ask if there are any questions.
Break them into small groups (groups of 3) and give
them all a copy of the Discovering America book, and a
scavenger hunt sheet. Have them look through their
Discovering America book and fill out their scavenger
hunt sheet. Give them 20 minutes for this with their
groups (set timer) As they are doing this walk around
and help various groups as needed and listen to the
discussions that are happening.

Closing Once the timer goes off have the students re-convene Double check if Debra (CT) wants students to put
15 minutes on the rug and ask them what they noticed in their their “cheat sheet” in their writing folder or on
books (all books have extremely similar set ups). Call on their clip board.
students (no duplicate students) who have their hands
raised. Once they are done, tell them that you are going
to give them a “cheat sheet” that they can keep on their
clip board that they can refer to.
Create as many boxes as you need

Reflecting on students’ learning

Did your students accomplish the goals and objectives you determined for them? How do you know?
I am so happy with this lesson. I think that the students really got a lot out of this lesson. I called on
every student who had their hand raised (which was most of them) to get some of their observations that
they found in their informational brochure. While they took their two minutes to look over their brochure I
observed every student analyzing the text. During our discussion portion of the lesson some of the things
that the students said amazed me. One student stated that one of the reasons for pictures and diagrams
in informational text was similar to the supporting details in writing. In writing there are supporting
paragraphs to help someone understand and in informational text the pictures are used for better
understanding. I was so impressed with this thinking! Another student said that the cover of the
informational text does not suck the reader in such as a fiction book’s cover. He said that the reason for
this is that a fiction book is almost trying to sell itself to a reader, and an informational text the reader
already knows what he wants to read. Once again I was very impressed with this way of thinking. The
scavenger hunt went well, the students found many features in their books that we did not even discuss,
such as an area called “for further reading”, they understood that this was in case a reader wanted to
learn more about the subject they knew where to look.

How did your instructional moves help students make progress toward the lesson goals and objectives?
What instructional and/or management moves would you repeat? What would you change? Why?
I gave really clear directions I felt. The student seemed to understand exactly what they were supposed to
do and why there were supposed to do it. One of the moves that I thought benefited the students
immensely was my use of wait time. I observed during my viewing of the lesson that during my wait time I
saw many more students process their thoughts and raise their hands. If I had not used this wait time I
would have only had maybe a choice of 3 students to call on and not the 20 that ended up raising their
hands. I also feel that I made eye contact with all of the students throughout the lesson. I was also
impressed with my presence, I truly felt and looked “in the moment”, I was engaged and it seemed
obvious that I was really enjoying this lesson.

How will you use what you learned to inform your teaching? What next steps will you take?

One thing that I noticed in this lesson that I have observed of myself in other lessons is my arms. I must
be unsure what to do with my arms during giving a lesson if I do not have anything in my hands because I
put my hands on my hips. I do not like this. I look quite bossy and I think it gives a bad impression. I am
going to start noticing what both my CT does as well as my professors do. I think if I had to choose one
thing that I wanted to improve on it is my body language because of the arm issue.