Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Grade Level/Subject:
Central Focus:
th
4 grade writing
Time order sentences/ introduce time order signal words
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:
RI.4.5: Describe the overall structure of events, ideas,
Date submitted:
Date
concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
taught:
10/28/2015
W.4.3.c: Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to
manage the sequence of events.
Daily Lesson Objective: Students will be able to identify and correctly use time order words in
sentences to describe a sequencing event.
21st Century Skills:
Academic Language Demand (Language Function and
cooperation and communication
Vocabulary):
Time order, sequencing, First, next, before, last sometimes.
Prior Knowledge: Students should have a general knowledge of what sequencing means. (putting
things in order as the happened)
Activity
1. Focus and Review
2. Statement of
Objective
for Student

3. Teacher Input

Description of Activities and Setting

Since we will be doing persuasive writing we need to be able
to transition between our thoughts and we will need a variety
of words who.
Today we are going to learn time order words and how to
identify and use these words in sentences. These words allow
authors to tell a sequence story and have the story flow from
beginning to end.
Teacher will introduce time order words to students in a way
that they can take notes on have it to access later:
Time order words are words we use when we are describing a
sequence. Words such as First, Next, Before, Last, and
Sometimes are used to guide the reader through the flow of a
text. Can we think of other words that might be used in place
of the word first?
turn and talk to your neighbor to come up with a word or
phrase to use in place of the word first and a sentence that
it can be used in
Students will turn and talk to come up with words and phrases
that can be used as well as an example sentence. Then the
teacher will have students share their examples to the class
so that she can get a clue about the students prior
knowledge on the subject.
The teacher will then pull up the chart with all of the words
placed into categories with columns of examples under them.
After a quick review of the categories the teacher will pass out
white boards to each student.

Time

4. Guided Practice

5. Independent
Practice

6. Assessment
Methods of
all
objectives/skills:

7. Closure

Turn and talk to your partner again but this time I want you
to each run through the sequence YOU went through this
morning before you came to school. Use at least one word
from each category and try to use words other than the
category title. Each partner should have a chance to tell their
own story I will give you 6 minutes to discuss, ready, go.
After 6 minutes of talking call students back to attention.
I hope you were all listening to your partners stories because
now I want you to write your partners story down on your
white board with out talking. Be sure to use the time order
words. Give a couple of minutes for students to complete the
task. Then ask some students to share stories. Once you find
a good story that used all of the categories ask student if you
can take the story to use.
Read each sentence and have the class as a whole try to
come up with words they can use to substitute for the time
order word that was used. Make sure students know that they
might need to alter the sentence slightly to use a word rather
than just plugging a word into the sentence where the other
word was before. For example instead of first I opened my
eyes. You have to alter the sentence slightly to change it to,
To commence the morning, I opened my eyes. Run through
each category having students make the new sentence and
then having the rest of the class vote by a thumbs up for
yes it fits, and thumbs down for no it doesnt fit, and a
sideways if you have no idea. (this is a good way to judge if
the students are following along and understanding or not)
At this point an informal assessment would take place to track
understanding. The sentences being made and shared as well as looking
to students responses to peer text would be observed and the teacher
would judge if the students have a full understanding of the concept of
time order words. Later on with other parts of this unit teacher would
assess based on sentence written by students in a more formal format
such as a summative assessment. There are many work sheets and
books that go along with this topic that can be used to measure
understanding.
Time order words are important to learn because they help
the flow of a piece when you as a student are writing but also
because these words can help you comprehend text. This can
happen if you recognize that the text you are reading is a
sequence and then as you read the text you can remember
what happened by thinking back to the time order words that
were used. Can anyone think of a good example of where we
might use this technique outside of reading and writing?

Students may respond with several options one might be

history because everything in history pretty much has a
sequence to follow.
By observing the students I gathered that each student had at least
8. Assessment
grasped a basic understanding of time order words by the end of the
Results of
lesson. I think that they will greatly benefit from reading stories that give
all
examples of time order words and how to use them in a structure that is
objectives/skills:
larger than one to two sentences.
Targeted Students
Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations:
Modifications/Accommodations:
The reason for using white boards is
Students can be given a series of sentences in
because it gives students the chance to self which two options are given and they circle the
evaluate and self correct by simply erasing
right option that way they dont have to write or
what they wrote and changing it.
think about making their own sentences. These
students could also be given a chart or paper with
fewer words on it for each category that way they
are not over whelmed with all of the choices. This
could be good for ELL and students with LD.
Materials/Technology:

Chart, white boards, markers, erasers, projector

References: Mrs. Ellis, 4th grade teacher at Davidson elementary

Reflection on lesson: Overall I felt that I did a good job on the first part (the part I taught) This
lesson would take place over a 3-4 day period first by introducing the words and manipulating
them. Then reading a book with the sequencing text structure. Last they would create sentences
using their vocabulary words for the week as a summative assessment. Something I did good I
would say would be my feedback to my students. I wish I had been a little more prepared with
my scrip on hand because while I was teaching some of words werent exactly the ones I wanted
to use such as interchange instead of substitute. I feel like I kept students engaged and active
throughout the lesson and the teacher seemed pleased with my over all results. Next time I
teach this lesson I wont give them the white boards until I am ready for them to write on them
and I will be explicit as to when they can erase their work. I had quire a few students erase their
story because they didnt think we were sharing them or something along those lines. I might
also come up with a PowerPoint to go along with this lesson instead of so much discussion it
might be nice for students to see each sentence as they hear them rather than just hearing
them. I liked the white board idea and that I had them share a partners story rather than just
sharing their own which made them focus on comprehending the other persons story.