Ashley Runyon

March 12, 2015

Decision Making Lesson Plan
Decision Making Strategy
Lesson: Decision Making Lesson
Time: 120 minutes
SUMMARY:
The students will work together to decide alternative choices for the characters in
The Emperors New Clothes. After developing alternative choices, the students
will rank the choices, choose the best one, and create a way of presenting the new
decision for the story.
STANDARDS:
ELACC3RL1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text,
referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
ELACC3RL7: Explain how specific aspects of a texts illustrations contribute to what
is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a
character or setting).
ELACC3SL1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-onone, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and
texts, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly.
ACS8: The student participates in small group discussions to argue persuasively
or reinforce others good points.
ACS10: The student supports and defends his/her own opinions while
respecting the opinions of others.
HO/CTS2: The students responds to questions with supporting information that
reflects in-depth knowledge of a topic.
HO/CTS11: The student draws conclusions based upon relevant information
while discarding irrelevant information.
Essential Question: How are motivations and decision making reflected in literature?
How does the incorporation of irony affect the outcome in literature?
Enduring Understanding(s): Making a decision based off of certain morals and
themes
Making a decision based off of all possible outcomes
OBJECTIVES: The students will
1. Know
a. Key elements in a narrative are setting, characters, plot, and resolution
b. Characterization is how the writer reveals the personality of a character
c. Conflicts can be external (character and some outside force like another
character, society, or nature), or internal (inside the characters mind)
2. Understand
a. The characters thoughts play a major role in their motivation and
decision-making
b. Since literature reflects real life, the characters often reflect real people
c. Effects of irony on outcomes found in literature
3. Do
a. Make, defend, and evaluate decisions

Ashley Runyon
March 12, 2015
Decision Making Lesson Plan
b. Compare/contrast characters actions and motives
c. Create a synthesis that reflects the alternative outcome
MATERIALS
LESSON DESCRIPTION
Handouts (20 of each)
1. Packet that contains directions,
Hook: Students will complete and
lesson reflection, synthesis choice discuss My Decision-Making Style.
sheet.
Students will then discuss when they
2. Hand out of short story (The
have not told the truth or were honest
Emperors New Clothes)
when they know they should have been.
3. My Decision-Making Style
Technology for synthesis (Chromebooks,
1. Introduce the lesson to the
ipads, desktops)
students.
Websites: padlet.com,
2. Explain that today, students will
kidblog.org/msrunyonsclass-2/
read a story, look at story

3.

4.

5.

6.

elements, and create a decision

based on the theme and moral of
the story.
Define the term swindler (to
cheat someone or a business out
of money, to con them). Explain to
students that an Emperor
(someone ruling an empire), Prime
Minister (head of state), and a
Councillor (member of council)
work for the head of government
(compare to US).
Distribute The Emperors New
Clothes. Students will read the
story. This may be done with
either a partner or by themselves.
Discussion: Lets record
everything we know about the
Emperor, the Prime Minister, the
Councillor, and the child. What is
the setting of the story? Students
will discuss this with a person
sitting next to them and together,
they will post their response on
Padlet.com and we will read the
posts together as a class.
Discuss what the different types of
irony are in a story (verbal
character says something that

Ashley Runyon
March 12, 2015
Decision Making Lesson Plan
does not align with a particular
situation, situationalwhen
theres an unexpected outcome of
a story, and dramaticwhen
readers know more about a
situation than a character in a
story, making a situation
suspenseful or humorous).
7. Evaluating the Decision: The
teacher will facilitate a class
discussion on the inferences found
in the passage and how they are
used to evaluate decisions.
8. Discuss: Should the Prime
Minister or Councillor tell the
Emperor about not seeing the
cloth? Students will use a
physical barometer to rate
whether or not they agree with
the decision of the prime minister
and Councillor to not tell the
Emperor he was not wearing any
clothes or that there was no cloth
to be seen. If they agree, they will
go to the left side of the room,
disagree, they will go to the right
side of the room, and impartial will
go in the middle.
9. Divide the class into groups of 5 (4
students in each group). Each
group will complete page 1 by
brainstorming alternative
decisions the Prime Minister and
the Councillor could have made.
Then, compare all alternatives
based on the following criteria:
a. Impact on message of story
b. Impact on ending of story
c. Impact on personal
characteristics of the Prime

Ashley Runyon
March 12, 2015
Decision Making Lesson Plan
Minister and the Councillor
10.Explain to students that on the
next page, there is a rubric that
rates each of these four
alternatives based on the criteria,
much like the Creative Problem
Solving lesson done previously.
Students will rank the alternatives
using a scale of 1-4, 1 being the
least impact on the story, and 4
being the most. The number with
the lowest total is the most
plausible solution. Provide an
example if needed. Each group
will reach a consensus on the
decision the Councillor and the
Prime Minister should have made
based on the comparison of
alternatives. Each group will
create a bulleted persuasive essay
to share with the class that
communicates their decision in
the space provided below the
chart.
11.Discuss synthesis activities. Each
student will select one synthesis
activity to complete individually.
12.Students will present their
synthesis with the class. Students
will then reflect on the lesson as a
whole. As a ticket out the door,
students will write a reflection
answering the Essential
Questions: How are motivations
and decision making reflected in
literature? How does the
incorporation of irony affect the
outcome in literature? This may
be handwritten or typed on
kidblog.com/msrunyonsclass-2

Ashley Runyon
March 12, 2015
Decision Making Lesson Plan

Extension:
Option 1: Students will create their own
story using one of the three types of
irony. The theme/moral must be clear. Be
creative!
Option 2: Students will read the story
The Necklace and create a Venn
Diagram comparing/contrasting the
different types of irony in the short
stories. Students will analyze the text
and infer why the authors chose that
type of irony for that story.
Differentiation:
High students: These students will have the choice to develop their own criteria for
ranking or use the one provided. Students are required to create 4-5 possible
alternatives.
On-level students: Students will complete the packet as is.
Low students: These students will read the passage with the teacher in a small
group. Students will be able to determine 2-3 possible alternatives.
ESOL students: These students may listen and watch the story on youtube
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgFlbgwWf94) and draw pictures for their
alternatives instead of writing the words.
EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT: Student synthesis activity/packet and lesson
reflection
Students will be assessed informally through observation while taking pictures of
synthesis activity as well as take into consideration the class discussion. Students
will be formally assessed using the rubric Decision Making Skills on their
presentation as well as the packet completed in class. The teacher will specifically
look for plausible alternatives, use of text evidence, evaluation of solution,
reflection, and quality of work/work ethic.