college of education - the university of web viewstudents have previously acquired some familiarity...

LEARNING SEGMENT LESSON 1I. Prior Knowledge and Background of Students

Students have previously acquired some familiarity to the concept of making inferences as seen on standardized assessments such as ISAT and NWEA, but have not yet had formal instruction on this essential literacy strategy. Assessment data from NWEA has demonstrated that students need work on this skill. A pre-assessment given in a multiple choice format determined only 38% of students could accurately identify the meaning of the term inference. The pre-assessment also included a series of brief examples followed by questions asking students to identify what can be concluded based on the text excerpt, which showed similar results with 47% accuracy.

II. Lesson Rationale (Why?)Learning Goals and Focus:

As a result of this lesson, students will be able to… Develop inferential thinking used to draw conclusions Make inferences using background knowledge and text evidence to support conclusions Describe how drawing conclusions helps comprehension

Illinois Common Core State Standards: CC.3.RL.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as a basis for the answers. R.CCR.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn.Targeted Academic Language Function: The targeted academic language function of the learning tasks in the lesson is drawing conclusions. This language function is directly associated with deep content learning and essential for student understanding. Within the major language function of drawing conclusions, there are several additional content specific vocabulary terms essential to understanding the central focus of the lesson. I will explicitly teach the following terms as I believe they are necessary for students to develop an understanding as they work through the lesson’s learning activities: prior knowledge, observation, evidence, inference, analyze, logical, justify, develop, conclusion. These language demands will be taught using a variety of strategies to support the broad range of abilities and multiple intelligences within the classroom. After initially introducing the vocabulary terms and their meanings to the class, students will “repeat-after-me” using the word wall display with graphics included to support auditory and visual learners. This whole group structure choral structure is meant to create a safe, comfortable environment without fear of making mistakes. Next, students will be instructed to stand and perform a designated gesture for each word to better clarify meaning and support kinesthetic learners. III. Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks (How?)

Time Learning ActivitiesOrientation/Engagement/Motivation: Introduction of the topic: making inferencesThe lesson will begin as I present a mystery box to the class and explain that the contents of the box are unknown: “This is a job for the third grade detectives!” As a means of capturing student engagement, I will describe the “back-story” of how the box was mysteriously found. Then, before providing any further information, I will begin by asking the class to activate the background knowledge of the students. Next, I will facilitate a discussion about the role of a detective calling upon student volunteers to share their prior knowledge in response to, “What do detectives do?” Then, I’ll underline the root word and thoroughly explain the meaning of the term “detect” using the anchor chart to better clarify the concept for both auditory and visual learners.

“These are all things a detective must do. Detectives make careful observations to

Lesson Plan Template 2012 – edTPA Aligned

5 mins.

gather clues in order to solve a mystery, but that’s not all because the clues don’t just tell the detective what happened. Detectives must analyze evidence or examine clues and think very seriously to draw a logical conclusion.”

Next, I will relate the role of a detective to the essential literacy strategy of making an inference to connect new meaning to prior familiar knowledge:

“A detective uses clues to solve a mystery just like good readers use clues to make an inference. Good readers track their thinking as they read and make inferences to create a better understanding.”

After defining the concept and process, students will learn a song to help better their understanding of the concept. Students will practice the song several times altogether. Then, I’ll introduce students to the vocabulary associated with the lesson including the targeted academic language.

Presentation/Explicit Instruction:I will share with the class that as reading detectives, we will begin working on drawing conclusions. I will explain that we will be exploring various ways to draw conclusions to be able to better understand what we are reading.

Students will then be introduced to the lesson’s objectives as I make explicit what it is we will be learning using the written display to be made both auditory and visual. To check for understanding, students will be asked to turn to their shoulder partner and take turns explaining the learning objectives of the lesson to one another. Before moving forward, I will establish rules, procedures, and address expectations for the following learning activity. I’ll explain how detectives must remain focused on their task and pay very close attention to details in order to make careful and useful observations. Directing attention back to the mystery box, I will clarify the purpose of the task by reminding students how it is our job as the third grade detectives to uncover what’s inside.

“We must be very careful because we don’t exactly know just yet what it is that awaits us inside, so let’s make some observations to look for clues.”

Next, I will demonstrate making an observation by modeling how to analyze evidence: “Since this box is not very big, I know the object must be rather small to fit inside. It is also not very heavy, so I know the object must be light weight.” I will be sure to clarify logical inferences are based on what can be seen or heard and what is already known. Then, I’ll proceed to open the box very slightly appearing puzzled telling students that I am unfamiliar with the object, “I think we still need to investigate to infer what this object is.” Then, I’ll ask a series of follow up questions to provide additional practice and check for understanding to further guide instruction and such as, “If we hear barking coming from the box, what could we conclude?” After revealing the object to the class, I will prompt students to think about what purpose the object may serve and call upon several volunteers to share their thoughts. After each response students will be asked, “Why do you think that?” to provide reasons in support of their answer. After each student justifies their reasoning, I will repeat the given response using the targeted academic language to support understanding and promote use.

For example, if a student states they think the tool is used for cutting because there is a blade on the tool, I will repeat the same response modeling the academic language use such as, “So you first identified a clue by observing the tool has a blade. Then, you think about your prior knowledge about blades to infer this tool might be used for cutting something.”

Paraphrasing student responses:So you are saying that . . . In other words, you think . . .What I hear you saying is . . .


10 mins.

20 mins.

As I facilitate this discussion, I will assess student responses to further guide instruction. If students are having difficulty identifying the object, I will reveal there’s an additional item from the box to serve as a scaffold to guide students in identifying the object and participating in inferential thinking. Once the tool has been accurately identified, the class will review the process used to reach the conclusion. I will provide guiding prompts to scaffold as necessary if responses of those that understand do not guide others such as: What clues did we identify when we first observed the tool? What do we know about those clues that helped us? What do we know about the second related object? How did this help us identify the purpose of the original tool? Then, I will call upon several students to describe the concept of an inference in their own words emphasizing the use of academic vocabulary as a means of assessing student understanding before moving forward.

Structured Practice/Exploration: For the following activity, students will work in small collaborative groups assuming the role of a detective to analyze evidence in order to draw logical conclusions. Before group work begins, rules, procedures, and expectations will be addressed while students are still seated in a whole group structure. Written instructions will be displayed using a power point presentation as I orally explain using clear, concise directions for the activity. Then, posing the following question to the class: “what does it mean to be a good group member?” the whole group will discuss appropriate behavior emphasizing: “although it’s easy to get distracted during activities, detectives don’t want to miss any clues especially since there is only a limited amount of time to make observations and analyze evidence, so it is very important groups stay focused and on task.”

Students will then divide into small collaborative groups of 6 and each student will be assigned a different group role. Roles include: captain, recorder, reporter, organizer, monitor, and encourager. I will briefly review the various duties of each group role with which students are familiar from previous group activities and distribute the necessary materials including a “case file” and graphic organizers for each student. I will also explain how graphic organizers are used to record thinking in order to form a better understanding.

Before allowing collaborative work to begin, I will repeat directions to ensure students are fully aware of what they are being asked to do. Then, I’ll demonstrate what’s expected for those that are visual learners as well as encourage students to orally review the process of making inferences within their groups by taking turns explaining what to do as if they were the teacher in support of auditory learners. Lastly, I will emphasize students should be using the targeted academic language during discussions before releasing the class to begin working.

Guided Practice/Feedback: Then, as students perform the duties of their respective positions within each group, I will circulate throughout the classroom to facilitate collaboration and provide feedback. During this time, I will be observing students to assess learning development and understanding and provide additional assistance as necessary. Students will be actively engaged in effective group discussions articulating original ideas regarding their analysis, linking their individual contributions to others, and recording their collective synthesis. Then, groups will be called upon to present their case file to the whole class and describe their inferences. After each presentation, a whole group discussion will be facilitated regarding whether other groups agree with the conclusions reached through a thumb up thumb down signal. Students will be asked to defend their claims describing why the inference is logical or invalid.


Independent Practice/Application: To conclude the lesson, students will be given an exit slip as an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and serve as a learning reflection. The exit slip will consist of the following questions:1. How do good readers make inferences?2. Why is making inferences important to good readers?This independent activity will also serve as an assessment to collect evidence used to guide further instruction in the following lessons.

IV. Assessment Formative Assessment (Process):Formative assessment will take place throughout the lesson as I observe student engagement, participation, and evidence of learning. Engagement will be assessed based on whether students are following along during direct instruction, as well as during activities as directed by the teacher (for example, making eye contact with the speaker, following given directions, actively listening etc.) Students are also expected to be engaged in the learning activities by actively participating in whole group discussions exhibiting critical thinking, contributing original ideas, identifying relevant examples and details, and asking questions to clarify misunderstandings when necessary. Participation is also required throughout the lesson in completing practice exercises within the various group structures. Throughout the lesson, classroom discourse should include students using academic language in both teacher-student and student-student dialogue. This won’t be expected from the beginning of the lesson, although self-correcting should be heard as the lesson progresses as evidence of learning development and application of the targeted academic vocabulary. Observation will mainly be focused on finding evidence students can demonstrate their understanding of making logical inferences. In addition, observations will aim to seek evidence of students having learned how to identify text clues and reflect on prior knowledge in order to draw conclusions.


Evidence gathered from formative and summative assessments as well as informal observation of the previous lesson will be used to further guide the following instruction, but based on the learning objectives students will be able to understand what an inference is and describe how making inferences contributes to comprehension while reading. Because students received the first lesson on a Friday, I anticipate the duration of the weekend between the lessons may pose difficulty for some students in recalling and expressing what they learned. To accommodate for this, I will begin the lesson using all the same materials from the previous lesson such as the anchor chart, detective case files, as well as the having the class sing the same song they learned the week before. Students should have some familiarity to the concept of making inferences from the introductory lesson as this is the second in the learning segment series on drawing conclusions. There are 4 struggling readers, so to accommodate for that I will be sure to orally explain and facilitate discussion to support comprehension. Also, I will emphasize visual supports such as color coding key information in text, provide graphic organizers, and use leveled texts. For the 14 ELL students in the class, I will encourage including illustrations along with writing as well as on the handout texts in support of comprehension.


5 mins.

V. Instructional Materials, Resources, and Technology “Reading Detective” anchor chart “Mystery box” prop (apple corer) Apples

ELMO document camera Song lyrics student handout Song lyrics in digital display format Inference case files

II. Lesson Rationale (Why?)Learning Goals and Focus:

As a result of this lesson, students will be able to… Develop inferential thinking used to draw conclusions Make inferences using background knowledge and text evidence to support conclusions Describe how drawing conclusions helps comprehension

Illinois Common Core State Standards: CC.3.RL.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as a basis for the answers. R.CCR.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn.Targeted Academic Language Function: The targeted academic language function of the learning tasks in the lesson is drawing conclusions. This language function is directly associated with deep content learning and essential for student understanding. Within the major language function of drawing conclusions, there are several additional content specific vocabulary terms essential to understanding the central focus of the lesson. I will explicitly teach the following terms as I believe they are necessary for students to develop an understanding as they work through the lesson’s learning activities: prior knowledge, observation, evidence, inference, analyze, logical, justify, develop, conclusion. These language demands will be taught using a variety of strategies to support the broad range of abilities and multiple intelligences within the classroom. After initially introducing the vocabulary terms and their meanings to the class, students will “repeat-after-me” using the word wall display with graphics included to support auditory and visual learners. This whole group structure choral structure is meant to create a safe, comfortable environment without fear of making mistakes. Next, students will be instructed to stand and perform a designated gesture for each word to better clarify meaning and support kinesthetic learners. III. Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks (How?)

Time Learning Activities

The lesson will take about 60 minutes to complete.

Orientation/Engagement/Motivation: With students seated in a whole group structure, I will begin by activating background knowledge and connect to the previous lesson to review key concepts associated with drawing inferences. I will select student volunteers to respond to the following questions in their own words and encourage students to try using the academic language as they respond.

Before we move on today, let’s review. Nice job cracking those last case files! How did you do it? How do active reading detectives make inferences? Why is this important?

Initially, the students will be asked open ended questions, but if students have difficulty responding, I will then scaffold and adjust as necessary by providing prompts to guide thinking. I will briefly review the learning activity from the previous lesson with the class to further activate the background of the students and clarify any misunderstandings. Before moving forward, students will sing the “Inference Song” and then review vocabulary in a repeat after me structure while students perform the gestures associated with each term to support meaning. Students will review vocabulary using the word wall to cater to multiple intelligences within the classroom by providing visual supports to accompany the auditory and kinesthetic practice as well. Then, students will sing the inference song together as a class using the vocabulary gestures matching lyrics. Next, students will be introduced to the new targeted academic language unique to the lesson as described in the designated section above. Then, I will call upon several students to describe the concept of an inference in their own words emphasizing the use of academic vocabulary as a means of assessing student understanding before moving forward.


.

Presentation/Explicit Instruction:I will share the learning objectives with the class describing that while we practice being the third grade reading detectives, we will continue working on drawing conclusions. I will explain that we will be exploring various ways to draw conclusions to be able to better understand what we are reading. To check for understanding, students will be asked to turn to their shoulder partner and take turns explaining the learning objectives of the lesson to one another. Next, I will establish rules, procedures, and address expectations for the following learning activity. I’ll explain how detectives must remain focused on their task and pay very close attention to details in order to make careful and useful observations. Then, the inference practice worksheet will be distributed to the class and I will first read the directions and explain how for the first two examples, we must read the passage and choose the appropriate conclusion that can be drawn by making a logical inference. Then, for the last example, we must draw a conclusion of our own. Then, I’ll model the first example using the ELMO to display as students follow along on their individual handout as well. After reading the first example text passage aloud, I will think aloud to model inferential thinking as I describe finding clues in the passage highlighting the text to emphasize important information and encourage students do the same by underlining in their own texts. Then, model how by reflecting on my prior knowledge, I can conclude that the first inference is the most logical.

Structured Practice/Exploration: For the next example, I will first ask the students to read the text passage independently to themselves and think about which conclusion is the more logical inference. Then, students will follow along as I read aloud the passage and the possible conclusions. I will scaffold the task of drawing a logical conclusion by prompting students to identify a text clue asking, “What clues from the text can we identify to help us draw a logical inference?” I will select a student volunteer to identify a clue in the text, after which I will ask another student from the group of auditory learners to repeat which text clue the first student just identified to involve students in a discussion of the material. To elicit participation and promote student engagement, I will continue using this strategy as I pose the following guiding prompts as I question the class and select students to respond.

Do you agree that the identified text clue can be used to draw an inference? Are there any other text clues that we can identify? What are they? Why? How can this clue be used to draw a conclusion?

Then, I will use the guiding prompts below to scaffold students in reflecting on their prior knowledge to draw a logical conclusion.

What do we know about the clues in the text? How does what we already know connect to the information in the text? How did this help us make an inference?

For the last example, students will work with their shoulder partner to read the passage and draw a conclusion of their own. Students will be given 5 minutes to complete this task, after which pairs will be selected to share their inference with the class as I facilitate a class discussion of student responses.

Guided Practice/Feedback:

For the following activity, students will work in small collaborative groups to rotate through a series of differentiated center activities. Before group work begins, rules, procedures, and expectations will be addressed while students are still seated in a whole group structure. Written instructions will be displayed using a power point presentation as I orally explain using clear, concise directions for the activity. Then, posing the following


question to the class: “what does it mean to be a good group member?” the whole group will discuss appropriate behavior emphasizing: “although it’s easy to get distracted during activities, detectives don’t want to miss any clues especially since there is only a limited amount of time to make observations and analyze evidence, so it is very important groups stay focused and on task.” I will distribute the necessary materials including a “case file” and graphic organizers to each student. I will also explain how graphic organizers are used to record thinking in order to form a better understanding. Before allowing collaborative work to begin, I will repeat directions for each activity to ensure students are fully aware of what they are being asked to do. The class will be divided into 3 groups each consisting of students with mixed abilities. This heterogeneous grouping strategy allows for students to collectively develop social and communication skills as they collaboratively construct an understanding of the content.

Differentiation: Each group will participate in a total of four activities, which include one that is a tactile activity for kinesthetic learners, an auditory exercise as well as a visual practice activity, and a practice assessment task. I will circulate throughout the classroom to facilitate collaboration. When students begin working, I will monitor groups while working and visit each to review and rephrase instructions to each as they complete the various activities. Students will be given a variety of thinking stems to help guide group discussions. Students will also be provided a checklist used to monitor group progress and track and assess communication, cooperation, as well as individual group member participation in each activity. I will be available to students needing assistance and provide additional instruction and support as necessary.

1. Matching Activity – In this tactile activity students will be given a set of cards, some will have text clues and others inferences. Students must physically sort the cards in order to match the text clues to the corresponding inference that can be made. Once students have matched the cards, they will make a T chart on construction paper to paste matching sets accordingly.

2. Drawing Conclusions practice exercises – For this activity, students will make inferences based on a given description. Each example will include three clues students must use to infer what’s happening in each situation. Students will read the clues aloud for each example discussing thoughts with their group members to exchange ideas and together draw logical conclusions. This activity is meant to provide practice in making inferences both orally and in writing. Students will be encouraged to use the provided thinking stems to help guide group discussions.

3. “Where Am I?” practice assessment – Students will begin this activity individually as they first independently brainstorm a specific setting or event for which to write descriptive clues. Then, students swap with a partner in their group and draw a conclusion about what is happening based on the given clues. Students will be required to write three sets of clues as well as analyze a partner’s work to draw three logical conclusions. For the first set of clues, students must write one clue describing what they saw, another for what they heard, and a third for how they felt that can be used to draw a conclusion about the scenario being depicted. For the next two sets of clues, students can choose to write between 2-3 clues of any kind. Students will use a provided worksheet to scaffold the task. This activity will provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate their knowledge and serve as an assessment of student understanding.

As students perform the duties of their respective positions within each group, I will circulate throughout the classroom to facilitate collaboration and provide feedback. During this time, I will be observing students to assess learning development and understanding and provide additional assistance as necessary. Students will be actively


engaged in effective group discussions articulating original ideas regarding their analysis, linking their individual contributions to others, and recording their collective synthesis. Independent Practice/Application: To bring the lesson to a close, I will distribute a differentiated independent practice activity in which students will read a leveled text appropriate to their reading level and draw inferences about what happened in the story. To best support all students, the texts will be differentiated mystery stories as students can relate it to the activities from Lesson 1. Also, students will be given the option to use highlighters to color code the text as well as a graphic organizer to scaffold and brainstorm before beginning to write. Lastly, I will scaffold using academic language as well as writing that may pose a challenge for ELL students by providing the following sentence starters for students to use in their writing:

In the text is says… I know… Therefore, I can infer…

IV. Assessment Formative Assessment (Process):Formative assessment will take place throughout the lesson as I observe and assess the level of student engagement and participation, as well as gather evidence to provide insight into their understanding. I will observe and listen to students in the various grouping structures and assess student abilities to make reasonable inferences from the text. I will also assess if students are able to explain why they made certain inferences. Engagement will be assessed based on whether students are following along during direct instruction as evidence from direct eye contact, following given directions, and actively listening to speaker, as well as linking remarks to others and contributing original ideas in addition to active participation during small group activities and partner work. Students are also expected to be engaged in the learning activities by exhibiting critical thinking, contributing original ideas to discussions, identifying relevant examples and details, and asking questions to clarify misunderstandings as needed. Throughout the lesson, classroom discourse should include appropriate academic language use in both teacher to student and student to student exchanges as evidence of learning development through assessing application of the targeted academic vocabulary. Observation will mainly focus on finding evidence students can demonstrate their understanding of making logical inferences in addition to seeking evidence that students understand how to identify text clues and reflect on prior knowledge in order to draw conclusions. I will also be collecting the work students completed in the activities to assess and guide further instruction for the next day.


Evidence gathered from formative and summative assessments as well as informal observation of the previous lesson will be used to further guide the following instruction, but based on the learning objectives students will be able to understand how making inferences contributes to comprehension while reading as well as explain the process of drawing conclusions including the use of text examples and prior knowledge to support inferences. I will begin the lesson using all the same materials from the previous lesson such as the anchor chart as well as the having students sing the same inference song


V. Instructional Materials, Resources, and Technology “Reading Detective” anchor chart Inference practice worksheets (A and

B included in instructional materials) Text clues and Inference matching

activity

ELMO document camera Song lyrics student handout Song lyrics in digital display format “Where Am I?” student handout Drawing conclusions practice handout

learned in the first lesson. There are 4 struggling readers, so to accommodate for that I will be sure to orally explain and facilitate discussion to support comprehension. Also, I will emphasize visual supports such as color coding key information in text, provide graphic organizers, and use leveled texts. For the 14 ELL students in the class, I will encourage including illustrations along with writing as well as on the handout texts in support of comprehension.

II. Lesson Rationale (Why?) Learning Goals and Focus:

As a result of this lesson, students will be able to… Make logical predictions Explain inferences using text evidence to support predictions

Illinois Common Core State Standards: CC.3.RL.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as a basis for the answers. R.CCR.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn.Targeted Academic Language Function The targeted academic language function of the learning tasks in the lesson is drawing conclusions. This language function is directly associated with deep content learning and essential for student understanding. Within the major language function of drawing conclusions, there are several additional content specific vocabulary terms essential to understanding the central focus of the lesson. I will explicitly teach the following terms as I believe they are necessary for students to develop an understanding as they work through the lesson’s learning activities: prior knowledge, evidence, inference, analyze, logical, prediction, develop, conclusion. These language demands will be taught using a variety of strategies to support the broad range of abilities and multiple intelligences within the classroom. After initially introducing the vocabulary terms and their meanings to the class, students will “repeat-after-me” using the word wall display with graphics included to support auditory and visual learners. This whole group structure choral structure is meant to create a safe, comfortable environment without fear of making mistakes. Next, students will be instructed to stand and perform a designated gesture for each word to better clarify meaning and support kinesthetic learners.

III. Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks (How?)Time • Learning Activities Purpose. Orientation/Engagement/Motivation:

The lesson will begin in whole group setting as students are asked to respond to the following questions in their own words using the academic language learned in the previous lesson:

What is an inference?How do reading detectives make inferences?Why is this important?

Initially, the students will be asked open ended questions, but if students have difficulty responding, I will then scaffold and adjust as necessary by providing prompts to guide thinking. I will briefly review the learning activity from the previous lesson with the class to further activate the background of the students and clarify any misunderstandings.

Before moving forward, students will sing the “Inference Song” and then review vocabulary in a repeat after me structure while students perform the gestures associated with each term to support meaning. Students will review vocabulary using the word wall to cater to multiple intelligences within the classroom by providing visual supports to accompany the auditory and kinesthetic practice as well. Then, students will sing the inference song together as a class using the vocabulary gestures matching lyrics. Next,


10 mins.

students will be introduced to the new targeted academic language unique to the lesson as described in the designated section above. Then, I’ll explain how everyone makes inferences everyday and pose the following simple, familiar example scenarios to the class:

If there are dark clouds in the sky and howling winds blowing leaves off trees, what can you infer?

You just get home from school and you see a big truck in your neighbor’s driveway. The front door of the house is propped open and someone is carrying a table to the truck.”

After, I’ll ask questions to guide inferential thinking such as, “What are the neighbors doing? How do you know that?” facilitating a discussion as students defend their answers. To further clarify the concept of drawing inferences I’ll explain, “Our conclusion that the people are moving is not directly stated in words, but based on our experiences, we can feel confident that our inference is logical.”

Presentation/Explicit Instruction:To build upon what students have already learned about inferences, I will introduce the focus of the following activities by connecting to the learning objectives of the previous lesson. I will explicitly describe how the essential literacy strategy will help them as readers to not only provide an understanding of what exactly they are learning, but the purpose and the value of the knowledge as well.

“Authors often tell readers a lot more than they directly state in a text. We know from our last lesson that active reading detectives make inferences by gathering clues and then reflect on their prior knowledge to draw conclusions. Well, today we are going to explore ways of applying this skill while reading and practice effective habits of good active readers that will help us form a better understanding of what we are reading.”

Next, students will gather on the carpet where I will then further describe the focus of the lesson. “One way readers make inferences is by making predictions. When you think about what might happen next in a story you are making a prediction. A prediction is a statement of what you think will happen in the future based on what you already know.” Then, I will add this strategy to the “Ways to Draw Conclusions” anchor chart. Then, students will be introduced to the lesson’s objectives as I make explicit what it is we will be learning using the written display to be made both auditory and visual. Students will be asked to turn to their shoulder partner and take turns explaining the learning objectives of the lesson to one another. I will then select a few students to describe the learning goals of the lesson in their own words to check for understanding and engagement.

What will we be learning today? What will you be able to do? How will this help you as a reader?

Then, I’ll explain the concept of inferring predictions based on evidence to describe how active reading detectives use clues from a story in the titles, text, and illustrations to make predictions about characters and events before reading. I will then clarify and explain that active reading detectives do not only make predictions before reading, but also during reading by explaining how to continue gathering clues while reading that lead to either confirm or revise previously made predictions based on new information from the story.

To introduce the read aloud text and set a purpose for reading, I will tell students, “Today we are going to read a story called “The Lion Who Saw Himself in the Water,” which is a folktale from Afghanistan. While we read, let’s practice making predictions that help us understand the story better.” Next, I’ll read the title and present the cover illustrations to the class as I “think aloud” to model the strategy by describing how readers should first


10 mins.

think about these elements along with their prior knowledge to make a prediction about what the text will be about before reading. After modeling making a logical prediction, I’ll prompt the class to make their own predictions using a questioning strategy to guide thinking: What do you think is going to happen to the lion in this story? Why do you think so? What do think the butterfly has to do with the story?

Before beginning to read, I’ll be sure to clarify a key concept that there is never just one right prediction and that it is all right to disagree on what will happen next. Then, I’ll remind students of the set purpose for reading by reiterating, “As I read, listen carefully to what’s happening in the story as well as what is being shown in the illustrations. Be thinking about what has already happened and what might happen next.”

Structured Practice/Exploration: As I begin reading the story aloud, I’ll pause after the first page to ask students to make a prediction as to how the lion got the name “Share.” Students will first turn and talk to their partners, then pairs will share their ideas with the whole group as I facilitate the discussion. Then, once the class has discussed a few pair responses, I will resume reading aloud pausing after page 8 where the text describes the animals running away from the lion to have students make another prediction. “What do you think the lion will do now? Why? How do you think the animals are going to respond to this? Why do you think so? to provide an opportunity for the class to make a prediction. Reminding students that it is alright not to agree on what they think will happen next, I’ll call upon several students to share their predictions with the class asking each to identify details in the story and prior knowledge used to support their given prediction. After each student shares an idea, I will ask remaining classmates if they agree. If students disagree they will be encouraged to provide reasons and debate their ideas. I will facilitate the class discussion to ensure students are staying on topic as well as respectfully sharing opinions. Then, I’ll resume reading aloud and continue until page 16 where the class will follow the same procedure in discussing predictions. “What do you think is going to happen next? Why do you think so?”

Together as a class we will continue reading stopping at the pages designated below as students are guided in reflecting on previous predictions to discuss whether to revise or confirm based on new knowledge.

Page 20: “Oh, dear me!” he said to himself. “That’s another lion, and he wants to stop medrinking his water.” Now what do you think Share the Lion is going to do? Why do you think so?Page 24: “And then a beautiful butterfly flew very close to the Lion’s ear and said in hertiny little voice, “Don’t be silly, Share the Lion. There’s nobody in the water!” What do you think Share the Lion will do next? Why do you think so?

Guided Practice/Feedback: Page 27: “And everybody just stopped and waited to see what would happen.” After reading this passage, I will stop reading and instruct students to turn to their shoulder partner and discuss how they think the story will end in a think-pair-share structure. “What do you think is going to happen? Why do you think so? Use what we’ve learned about the characters and events so far to predict how you think the story will conclude.” Once student pairs have discussed for a few minutes, students will record their predictions in their reading logs. Students will be directed to create their own ending to the story and why providing a basis for their inferred prediction in reference to the text. Once students have finished writing their endings, we will reconvene as a whole group to share our


20 mins.

10 mins.

predictions with one another before finishing the story. After reading the remainder of the story, I will facilitate a class discussion of what actually happened in the book in comparison to students’ predictions. After comparing predicted endings and actual outcomes, I will check for student understanding by posing prompts that refer to text based factual information then progress toward engaging students in an inferential discussion to deepen their comprehension of the story and elicit higher order thinking.

Factual Questions: What did the animals do when they hear Share the Lion say “Grrrrr”? What do the other animals do when they see their animal friends running away? What is Share the Lion afraid of at the beginning of the story? How does the water taste when he finally takes a drink?

Inferential Questions:Why were the animals afraid of the lion at the beginning of the story?What else could they have done about their fear besides run away?The lion thought the animals were silly to be afraid, and he decided to ignore them.What else could he have done to help the animals understand him and get over their fear

of him?Why do you think that the animals can’t understand Share the lion in the first part

of the story, but are able to understand him in the second part of the story? What does this tell us about the characters and their relationships?

How do the other animals relate to Share at the end of the story?The butterfly tried to help the lion, but the lion was still afraid. Why do you think the

butterfly couldn’t help the lion? What would you have said if you were the butterfly? What finally helped the lion get over his fear?

Do you think the lion was brave when he drank the water? What does it mean to be brave? What can we infer about the characters’ traits based on their actions and dialogue within the text?

Do you know someone who is afraid of something he or she doesn’t understand? What do you think might help the person stop being afraid?

Have you ever been afraid of something that you didn’t understand? What was it? Did you get over being afraid of it? How did you do this?

Independent Practice/Application: To bring the lesson to a close and formatively assess understanding and learning outcomes, I will explain to the class, “To conclude our lesson, let’s review. What is a prediction?” I will select a student volunteer to describe the definition in their own words. Then, before providing feedback in return to their response, I will ask the class whether they agree with the student’s explanation using a thumbs up or down signal. If students disagree, they will be asked to explain their reasoning to support their alternative response. Then, I’ll continue using a questioning strategy to gain insight into student thinking and assess understanding of the learning objectives with the following prompts: Why do reading detectives make predictions? What can we use in the books to help us predict what it is about? What evidence do you see that supports your prediction?

Lastly, the class will collaborate to describe the process of making predictions in response to the following questions listed below. As the class discusses, I will record their synthesis on chart paper to use as a “How to Make Predictions” anchor chart.

1. How do you make predictions before you read?


10 mins.

ANSWER SHOULD INCLUDE: by looking at the cover, titles, headings, table of contents, illustrations, and reflect on prior knowledge of the author or genre of the text

2. How can you make predictions during reading? ANSWER SHOULD INCLUDE: Pause periodically to monitor

understanding and make predictions, ask “I wonder what will happen next?” and think about the characters, setting, and events in response

3. What should you do after you make a prediction? ANSWER SHOULD INCLUDE: Keep predictions in mind and pay close

attention to details in order to revise or confirm based on what is learned from what happens in the story

Students will then conclude the lesson with an independent practice activity. Students will read a short passage at varying complexities based on their individual developmental reading levels and make a prediction based on the text. Students must write what they think will happen next in a given story and identify which clues in the text gave clues to help infer their predictions. I will emphasize that students do not need to rush and can finish the exercise for homework, but my intent is to allow for an opportunity to further assess learning outcomes and provide assistance as needed.

IV. Assessment Formative Assessment (Process):During the lesson, I will conduct careful observations gather evidence to gain insight whether students understand that inferences involve using clues and prior knowledge to come up with a new idea or draw a conclusion. I will observe students as they work in various group settings to assess abilities to make reasonable inferences using prior knowledge and information from the text. I will observe student dialogue to assess their use of academic language used to explain why and how inferences are drawn. Formative assessment will take place throughout the lesson as I observe and assess the level of student engagement and participation, as well as gather evidence to provide insight into their understanding. I will observe and listen to students in the various grouping structures and assess student abilities to make reasonable inferences from the text. I will also assess if students are able to explain why they made certain predictions and inferences accurately using the associated academic language. Engagement will be assessed based on whether students are following along during direct instruction as evidence from direct eye contact, following given directions, and actively listening to speaker, as well as linking remarks to others and contributing original ideas in addition to active participation during small group activities and partner work. Students are also expected to be engaged in the learning activities by exhibiting critical thinking, contributing original ideas to discussions, identifying relevant examples and details, and asking questions to clarify misunderstandings as needed. Observation will mainly focus on finding evidence students can demonstrate their understanding of making logical predictions in addition to seeking evidence that students understand how to identify text clues and reflect on prior knowledge in order to draw conclusions. Summative Assessment (Product):I will collect students’ work products including the graphic organizers completed during class as well as for the independent practice activity and corresponding writing piece and assess their understanding using the assessment rubric.V. Instructional Materials, Resources, and Technology

“Reading Detective” anchor chart “How to Make Predictions” anchor chart ELMO document camera Song lyrics student handout Song lyrics in digital display format

“The Lion Who Saw Himself in the Water” in digital format and printed text (hard cover)

Infer predictions graphic organizers Differentiated independent practice activities



Evidence gathered from formative and summative assessments as well as informal observation of the previous lesson will be used to further guide the following instruction, but based on the learning objectives students will be able to understand what an inference is and describe how making inferences contributes to comprehension while reading. There are 4 struggling readers, so to accommodate for that I will be sure to orally explain and facilitate discussion to support comprehension. Also, I will emphasize visual supports such as color coding key information in text, provide graphic organizers, and use leveled texts. For the 14 ELL students in the class, I will encourage including illustrations along with writing as well as on the handout texts in support of comprehension. For independent practice, students will be given choices from which to choose how they would like to demonstrate their knowledge. These choices will include various options that allow for multiple learning modalities to express their learning.

II. Lesson Rationale (Why?) Learning Goals and Focus:Students will be able to…

Infer character traits using story details to support conclusions draw sensible conclusions about characters from their thoughts, words, and actions

Illinois Common Core State Standards: CC.RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as a basis for the answers. CC.RL3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.R.CCR.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn.Targeted Academic Language Function (e.g. identifying main idea, recording multiple ways to solve problems): The targeted academic language function of the learning tasks in the lesson is drawing conclusions. This language function is directly associated with deep content learning and essential for student understanding. Within the major language function of drawing conclusions, there are several additional content specific vocabulary terms essential to understanding the central focus of the lesson. I will explicitly teach the following terms as I believe they are necessary for students to develop an understanding as they work through the lesson’s learning activities: prior knowledge, evidence, inference, logical, character, trait, develop, conclusion, hasty, scheme, predicament, hesitation. These language demands will be taught using a variety of strategies to support the broad range of abilities and multiple intelligences within the classroom. After initially introducing the vocabulary terms and their meanings to the class, students will “repeat-after-me” using the word wall display with graphics included to support auditory and visual learners. This whole group structure choral structure is meant to create a safe, comfortable environment without fear of making mistakes. Next, students will be instructed to stand and perform a designated gesture for each word to better clarify meaning and support kinesthetic learners. III. Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks (How?)Time Learning Activities

This lesson should take about 1 hr. total

Orientation/Engagement/Motivation: With students seated in a whole group structure, I will begin by activating background knowledge and linking this new lesson to that of the previous day. Before moving forward, students will review the concept of drawing inferences. I will select student volunteers to respond to the following questions in their own words and I will emphasize using the targeted academic language as they respond:

Before we move on today, let’s review. What comprehension skill have we been working on?


time to complete.

How do active reading detectives make inferences? Why is this important?

After students respond, I will clarify any misunderstandings and reteach concepts as necessary. Before moving forward, we will review vocabulary from the previous lesson and introduce new academic language in a repeat after me structure while students perform the gestures associated with each term to support meaning. First, I will describe how authors don’t always directly state everything they want us to know in a text, but instead give clues that help readers draw logical conclusions about characters and events.

Active readers gather information about the characters in a story to determine their traits. Active readers also look for ways characters grow and change based on what they learn from the events of a story.

To clarify I will describe how this is another way readers make inferences. Then, I will check for understanding before moving forward by asking students to describe these ways in their own words before adding them to the master “Ways of Making Inferences” anchor chart.

Presentation/Explicit Instruction: Next, I’ll introduce the learning objectives of the lesson by providing a visual display, which I will read aloud, as well as have students repeat-after-me to support multiple learning modalities within the classroom.

“Today we are going to talk about how we think about the characters in stories we read and how to support our thoughts about character traits with evidence from the text.”

Then, I will rephrase and repeat the lesson focus to emphasize key concepts as well as describe how this helps students as readers: “When you use clues or evidence from the text to support your thinking about character traits, you draw conclusions about that character and form a deeper understanding about the story.” To further support student understanding, I will place the “Identifying Character Traits” handout on display as well as distribute individual copies to students to read along as we discuss the essential literacy concept.

Before Reading: I will further explain how authors don’t always just directly describe their characters, but they give clues throughout the story to help the reader figure out the character’s traits. I’ll describe how these clues include what the character looks like, what they say, and what they do. Then, I’ll describe the how this skill is important by explaining how understanding characters helps readers better understand a story using the anchor chart as a visual representation to support the verbal explanation. Together as a class we will outline steps of how to draw conclusions about characters, which will be recorded on the anchor chart. Then, I will assess understanding of this concept before moving forward by selecting students to describe the process of inferring character traits in their own words.

Next, students will receive “The Fox and the Goat” text and the corresponding graphic organizer. I will introduce the text and activate the students’ background knowledge to promote engagement as well as build upon what students already know as a means of better constructing meaning. Although students will be familiar with the graphic organizer as it is the same that was used in the previous lesson, we will review how to appropriately use the tool following the introduction of the text. To activate student background knowledge, I will provide guiding prompts to review elements of fables such as: What is a fable? How is this genre different from other genres? What unique characteristics do fables have? What characters are typically featured in fables? I will first pose the initial


open ended question to the class and then assess and scaffold with the following questions as necessary since students should be able to recall details as the previous unit focused on fables and folktales. Reminding students to listen carefully and follow along, I will set a purpose for reading by describing how we will identify important details about what characters say, think, and do to infer traits. With the text on display using the ELMO, I’ll ask, “Based on our title, what two characters do we know will be in the story?” This question is meant to guide students in making a prediction or drawing a logical inference about the story based on the title.

During Reading: Next, I’ll select a student volunteer to read the first paragraph of the text aloud, and then pause to clarify vocabulary that may be challenging for students. First, I’ll address the multiple meanings of term “well” and how it is used in the text, with which some students may not be familiar. The next terms discussed will be fate, scheme and predicament. With each term, I’ll first ask the class who has heard it before and select students to suggest meanings. After providing positive reinforcement and authentic feedback to acknowledge student responses, I’ll discuss the definition of the term and provide synonyms students may already know to clarify and support understanding for all. As I circle the term in the passage and model annotating the text writing the meaning in the margin, students will be instructed to observe and follow along. As I encourage students to do the same on their copies of the text, I’ll explain how it is important to think about the vocabulary used in a text to monitor our understanding and better comprehend what we are reading.

Then, I will reread the first paragraph aloud to redirect the focus of the lesson, and provide students the opportunity to first infer a character trait of their own before directly modeling by posing the following open ended question as a prompt to act as a scaffold: “What are some character traits we can infer? I’ll provide further prompts to guide discussion as necessary such as: What do we know about fox? How do we know that?” As students raise their hands to contribute, I will select various volunteers to share ideas with the class acknowledging responses, providing feedback, and repeat for clarification using the targeted academic language to support and promote use. As I think aloud to model, I will highlight the text identifying the character trait to signify important information by color coding to support understanding for those that are struggling readers, ELL students, as well as visual learners within the class. I will differentiate questioning beginning with higher order prompts, then assess and adjust as necessary based on student responses. The following prompts will be provided to scaffold as necessary: We already identified the Fox’s actions to infer a character trait, but what else can help us? What else might we use to understand what the Fox has shown about his character?

After discussing student responses, I’ll conclude, “So we can tell based on the story and what we know that the fox is clumsy.” Then, I’ll repeat and rephrase as I model recording the text clues discussed and prior knowledge to draw a conclusion about the fox using the graphic organizer. “Based on the actions of the Fox in the beginning of the story, I can infer he is clumsy. I know this because in the text it describes the actions of the Fox falling into the well and based on what we discussed and what I already know from my personal experience, I can conclude that this shows Fox wasn’t being very careful. Therefore, I can infer the Fox is clumsy.”


Structured Practice/Exploration: Before modeling the process of inferring another character trait, students will be asked, “Can we infer any other character traits from what the Fox has said, thought, or done so far?” If students have difficulty gaining insight into the character, I’ll then direct the class to reference the anchor chart by highlighting what to look for in the text. Next, I’ll guide students in recognizing the character’s actions by thinking aloud, then scaffold drawing a conclusion about the character’s traits using questioning to promote interactive involvement and elicit student participation in the lesson to collectively construct meaning together. Students will record additional conclusions drawn from discussion on their graphic organizers as I do the same on the display text to demonstrate. The class will then listen and follow along as I read aloud the next few paragraphs pausing to provide guiding prompts to scaffold students in drawing conclusions about character traits asking, “What was Fox doing? Why? What was he trying to do? How do you know? So what does that tell us about the fox?” What does that tell us about the goat? what do we already know from our own experiences? Just like fox, was the goat being very careful? Questions will aim to direct students in drawing conclusions based on what is said and done and recognizing the relationship between characters.

As we continue reading the remainder of the text, I will prompt students in drawing conclusions about characters using the following prompts:

To distinguish between literal and nonliteral language I will ask, “Did the text state that directly? Or is that something we are inferring? How can you infer that? What clues can be used from the text?

To guide students to reflect on their own background knowledge I will provide the following prompt: What do we already know about that from our own experiences?

What else does this tell us about the character? What are some other character traits we can conclude from this? Who else has any other ideas?

I will also remind students that since inferences are based on prior knowledge, sometimes conclusions may vary, but its okay to disagree or think of different ideas. I will also encourage students to record more than just what the class discusses, but their own original conclusions additionally while also encouraging students to share these original ideas.

Guided Practice/Feedback: At this time, students will review how to infer character traits before transferring the skill to be applied to a familiar context. The students have been reading the novel “Marley: A Dog Like No Other” by John Grogan and will have read 22 out of 24 total chapters before this lesson. Using the Marley anchor chart, I will explain that since Marley is a dog we can’t infer his traits based on what he says, but we can think about his actions and what the other characters say and how the author describes Marley’s thoughts, actions, and feelings to determine the traits of his character. Next, I will model by describing using a think aloud, “So, first we take clues from the text. Here’s my example: in the text it says Marley would cry and destroy the house whenever it rained or stormed outside.” Then, I’ll elicit student participation to guide the class in inferring character traits by asking, “What did Marley do to the garage that made Jenny angry?”

Guiding Prompt: What did Marley do to the garage? After posing this question to the class, I’ll elicit student responses by selecting volunteers to provide further examples and descriptions as well as interpretations. Then, I’ll model appropriate academic language and scaffold transferring the skill to another familiar context.


“From this example I can infer that Marley is afraid of thunderstorms and bad weather. So I know once of Marley’s character traits is he’s afraid, or scared, or fearful.” I’ll provide synonyms and multiple examples to clarify meaning for ELL students assessing their understanding and further explain as necessary.

Next, I will guide students to infer another character trait. To scaffold for students, I will provide an example of a character trait and ask students to identify examples to support this conclusion “I think another trait is that Marley is clumsy. How can we infer that Marley is clumsy? Let’s find some examples to support this inference.” Students will then be instructed to search the text to identify examples of Marley portraying this trait. I will give students sufficient time to locate examples as I assess progress and adjust wait time as necessary. I will provide further prompts to scaffold as necessary, such as: Why does the family need to move all their household objects up high? Then, I’ll select a volunteer to share their example with the class. As the selected student shares, students will be directed to turn to the page number and follow along as we read the example aloud to collectively analyze what we can infer from the example given. First, the selected student will read aloud, and then I will reread the example a second time aloud to ensure all students have heard. Then, I’ll ask, “So what does that example show?” and facilitate a discussion around the example provided in order to draw conclusions about the character’s traits.

Then, students will be asked to work with their small groups at their tables to think of another additional character trait we have not yet discussed and find at least one example to support their conclusion. After students have discussed, we will follow this same process in sharing ideas as a whole group.

Independent Practice/Application: Students will then conclude the lesson with an independent practice activity. Students will be given a list of activity choices from which to choose how they would like to demonstrate their knowledge of drawing conclusions about characters using the “Marley: A Dog Like No Other” text. As a class, we will discuss directions and read through each option to clarify any misunderstandings. I will emphasize that students do not need to rush and can finish the exercise for homework, but my intent is to allow for an opportunity to further assess learning outcomes and provide assistance as needed.

IV. Assessment Formative Assessment (Process):Formative assessment will take place throughout the lesson as I observe and assess the level of student engagement and participation, as well as gather evidence to provide insight into their understanding. I will observe and listen to students in the various grouping structures and assess student abilities to make reasonable inferences from the text. I will also assess if students are able to explain why they made certain inferences. Engagement will be assessed based on whether students are following along during direct instruction as evidence from direct eye contact, following given directions, and actively listening to speaker, as well as linking remarks to others and contributing original ideas in addition to active participation during small group activities and partner work. Students are also expected to be engaged in the learning activities by exhibiting critical thinking, contributing original ideas to discussions, identifying relevant examples and details, and asking questions to clarify misunderstandings as needed. Throughout the lesson, classroom discourse should include appropriate academic language use in both teacher to student and student to student exchanges as evidence of learning development through assessing application of the targeted academic vocabulary. Observation will mainly focus on finding evidence students can demonstrate their understanding of drawing logical conclusions about characters using relevant text examples portraying a character’s thoughts, actions, or dialogue as well as reflect on


prior knowledge in order to support their conclusions.Summative Assessment (Product):I will collect students’ work products including the graphic organizers completed during class as well as for the independent practice activity and assess their understanding using the assessment rubric.

V. Instructional Materials, Resources, and Technology “Marley: A Dog Like No Other” by John

Grogan novel The Fox and the Goat fable Drawing conclusions graphic organizers

for fable text

“Reading Detectives” anchor chart Character traits anchor chart Marley character traits anchor chart/graphic

organizer Group roles for discussion task cards


college of education - the university of web viewstudents have previously acquired some familiarity...

Documents