Briana Owens

Indirect Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Brain Power Poetry

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Central Focus/Big Idea: Structures and Functions of Living Organisms. The human body and its major
systems. Ideally, students learn one body system at a time and then learn how all the systems work
together.

Subject of this lesson: The role and function of the brain.

Grade Level: 5th

NC Essential Standard(s): 5.L.1.2 Compare the major systems of the human body (digestive,
respiratory, circulatory, muscular, skeletal, and cardiovascular) in terms of their functions necessary for
life.

Next Generation Science Standard(s): 4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have
internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction

21st Century Skills:

Critical Thinking; Students are using critical thinking when they think about the brain as theyre thinking
about the way they think (metacognition). Students also use critical thinking when theyre analyzing the
poem for rhyme scheme, and using context clues to discover what new vocabulary words mean.

Collaboration/Communication: During two parts of the lesson students work with a partner to finish a
portion of the worksheet. This requires collaboration as both parties must share their thinking and justify
their answer to another person. During the vocabulary portion, students must share with their partner
which context clues have made them come to their conclusion of which definition would be the most
appropriate for each vocabulary word.

Academic Language Demand

Language Function: In the table below highlight the one most important language function
for your lesson. Explain why you chose this one.

Analyze Argue Categorize Compare/contrast Describe Explain

Interpret Predict Question Retell Summarize

Analyze is the most important language function of the lesson because students must analyze information
a few different times during this lesson. Students must analyze the poem first to determine the rhyme
scheme. They must identify which lines in the stanza have words that end in a rhyme and label the rhyme
scheme. Students must then analyze the poem to determine the meaning of new vocabulary by using
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context clues. Finally, students must analyze the poem for content. What is this poem actually saying
about our brain? What does it do?

Scientific Vocabulary: Cranium, enable, utilize, involuntary, digest, crucial

Instructional Objective: Students will be able to identify rhyme scheme as well as determine the
meaning of new vocabulary words by using context clues. Students will be expected to earn 8 out of 10
points on the worksheet to demonstrate mastery. Students will work with a partner.

If I were to do this lesson again, I would create a more science related exit ticket to gauge how much
students learned about the brain.

Prior Knowledge (student):Students need to be familiar with the fact that they each have a brain in their
head and that is is responsible for their thinking, as well as other processes carried out by the body. It is
also helpful for students to have experience and be familiar with poems.

Content Knowledge (teacher): The teacher needs have a general understanding of the importance of the
brain. They basically just need to know that it is responsible for everything that the body does. Its also
helpful that they know how it works, as simple as your brain sends messages to other parts of your body
and tells it what to do. In terms of literacy, its helpful for the teacher to know what rhyme scheme is as
well as know which vocabulary word matches up with which definition.

Accommodations for special needs (individual and/or small group): For students who struggle with
reading, they could be pulled into a small group to have the poem read to them and talk through the
content in the poem. Its actually not a bad idea for any student who struggles with this material to be
talked through it. In whole class settings, students who need help often hide in the shadows of those who
know all the answers and are afraid to ask for clarification. These students could benefit from being asked
questions about the material directly and then talking it through with the teacher or some other resource.

Materials and Technology requirements: 1 worksheet per student as well as 1 blank worksheet for the
teacher as well as the teachers key copy. A doc cam is desirable so students can follow along with the
teacher.

Total Estimated Time: 30 minutes

Source of lesson: Poem from: http://sciencepoems.net/sciencepoems/brain2new.aspx#.WNF94G_yvIU

Safety considerations: I will make sure that students stay safe in the classroom by having them remain in
their seats while they work on the worksheet. I will also remind students to raise their hand when they
have a question or would like to contribute an answer, so that nobody gets upset by other students yelling
out.
Content and Strategies (Procedure)
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In your procedure, be sure to include all of the following 5 Es. Your procedure should be detailed
enough for a colleague to follow. If you will be relying on technology (e.g., a YouTube video), describe
your back up plan thoroughly. Imagine your most novice colleague needing to teach from your plan.
Dont just answer the questions. Additionally, I expect you to include possible questions you could ask for
each section. This needs to include higher-order questions.

Engage: Today were going to be talking about a topic that I think you all will find really interesting.
Were going to be talking about our brain. Our brain is very, very important. Its responsible for
everything we do. Everything our body does is a result of our brain sending messages to other parts of our
body.

Explore: To introduce our brain and the many things its responsible for, were first going to read a poem.
Cradled in our cranium, A
Is where you'll find our brain-ium, A
Enables us to think and do, B
Remembers what! Remembers who! B
When we're feeling fine, or in pain, C
We're utilizing our large brain, C

Like we're doing, A

When we think... B
Lets us see, makes us blink B
Some functions are involuntary, C
Breathing air is one of many, D

Digesting food! A
Our beating heart! B
Controlled by brain! C
Our crucial part! B

Connects straight-up with spinal cord, A

It's never bored, A
Gives us feelings, B
Does great things! C
Let's thank our brain for all it brings! C

Were going to do a couple of things with this poem today. The first thing were going to do is talk about
the rhyme scheme. To identify the rhyme scheme, we must look at the word at the end of each line in a
particular stanza. Lets start by looking at the first stanza, cranium and brain-ium, do those words rhyme?
Absolutely. So, we can mark an A by the end of each line. This will help us remember that these two lines
rhyme. Lets look at the next two lines. Do and who. Do those words rhyme? Great! Do they also rhyme
with our first two? Do they rhyme with cranium and brain-ium? No, they sure dont, so next to these two
lines, we will write a B, because they rhyme with each other, but not with our other two lines. Last two
lines, pain and brain. They rhyme! But, do they rhyme with our earlier lines? Nope. Can anyone guess
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what letter were going to be putting by these two lines? Of course, C! Lets try one more stanza together.
The last two words of the first two lines are doing and think. Do those words rhyme? No, so we can put
an A by the first one and a B by the second one. The reason I put A again at the first line instead of going
to D is because the alphabet starts over for each stanza. Lets look at the next line, blink. Does it rhyme
with either of the word before it? Right, it rhymes with think. So, what letter should I put beside it? Great.
B. Look at the next two lines and turn and talk with your partner. What letters should go beside these two,
label it on your paper. (During turn and talk, the teacher will walk around and listen to the students
thoughts. After 3 minutes or so, the teacher will come back to the front and share the answer. The students
should come to the conclusion that these last two lines should have C and D respectively). Now Id like
you to work with a partner and try to find the rhyme scheme of the next two stanzas on your own.
(Students should come up with ABCB for the first stanza and AABCC for the second). You all did great
work today. The rhyme scheme of a poem creates the rhythm, like beats, in which we read it.

This poem has a lot of vocabulary words it. On the back of your worksheet, there is a vocabulary
challenge. Ive underlined some of the keywords from this poem. On the right side of the page are the
definitions to these words, but its your job to match the correct definition to the word. Use context clues
from the poem to help you figure out what each word means. At the bottom of the page, pick one of the
words and to write a sentence using that new word, like you do on your do-nows. If you finish early, try
making sentences with all the words. (The words students will be asked to define are as follows: cranium,
enable, utilizing, involuntary, digesting, crucial.)

Explanation: Alright, lets go over this new vocabulary were learning! Lets look at the first one,
cradled in our cranium, is where youll find our brain-ium. What did somebody get for their answer?
Head? Cradled in our head, is where youll find our brain-ium. Does that make sense that you would
find your brain in your head? Thats right, great job. (The teacher will continue to go over the worksheet
by asking students for their answer, substituting the definition into the poem and clarifying that it makes
sense. The answers are: enable-allow, utilizing-using, involuntary-automatic, digesting-break down, and
crucial-very important). Now that we know what some of these words mean, lets flip back over to the
poem. Who can raise their hand and tell me something this poem teaches us about the brain? (Its located
in our head, its very important, is responsible for things we do like blink, digest food, breathe).

Elaborate: The brain is an awesome thing and its very powerful. Were going to do some neat tricks to
see if we can outsmart our brains. Our brain is split into two hemispheres, the left and the right. Which
side of the body do you think your left brain is in charge of? Nope! Your left brain is actually in charge of
the right side of your body and the left side of your body is responsible for your right brain. Okay, put
your arms in front of you, cross at the wrists and grab hands. Then do a flip with your arms and bring
your hands closer to your body. Im going to come around and point to one of your fingers and youre
going to try to move that finger, okay? (Students will most likely struggle to move the finger on the
correct hand and will often move the finger on the opposite hand). Youre finding this is hard right? Why
do you think youre having a hard time? Its because your brain is confused! Your hands cross the middle
of your body and brain, also known as your midline, your hand is on your other side of your body, so the
wrong side of the brain takes action and moves your finger. Lets try another. Here we have a list of
colors, and each color is written in a different color. Try reading the color that the word is written in, not
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the word itself. Is this easy or hard? Why do you think it might be hard? Its because youre all such good
readers! You read the word faster than your brain can process what color its written in!

Evaluate: Informal assessments will be conducted during and after this lesson. The summative
assessment will consist of observations during the lesson and independent working times. The formative
assessment will be based out of 10 points on how accurately students completed the worksheet. Students
will also complete an exit ticket where they will write one thing they have learned during the lesson.

If I were to do this lesson again, my exit ticket would be different and more specific. I would try to gauge
how much students were able to learn about the brain during this lesson. It would be something along the
lines of from what youve learned today, what is one function of the body that the brain is responsible
for?

To be completed after the lesson is taught as appropriate

Assessment Results of all objectives/skills:

Reflection on lesson:

CT signature/confirmation: _________________________________ Date: ________________