edTPA Lesson Plan

Name Kelly Durham

Lesson #, Lesson Title Lesson #13; Comparing Text Structure: Cause/Effect, Compare/Contrast

Date and Day of the Week Thursday, March 23, 2017

Grade Level and Class 5th Grade; Class 531
Period and Length Period 6: 12:21 pm – 1:10 pm; 49 minutes
Materials Needed Ready Book, Ready Student Packets, Text Structure Anchor Chart,
Laptop, Projector, Text Structure Game, Dry Erase Board, Graphic
Organizer (for specific students), Short Response Grading Rubric, Chart
Paper

Standards and Objectives

Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.5
Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas,
concepts, or information in two or more texts

Learning Objectives: Students will learn to identify the structure of a text, distinguish between cause/effect,
compare/contrast and determine the purpose of the text. Students will be able to provide evidence from the text that
supports the structure identified.

Central Focus: Distinguishing the structure of a text.

Academic Language Demands: Key vocabulary words that are essential for students to understand this lesson include
the following: text structure, compare, contrast, cause, effect, distinguish, identify, evidence, signal words, and purpose.
In previous lessons in this unit, students were already introduced to the vocabulary words text structure, distinguish,
identify, evidence, signal words, and purpose. Students have previously been introduced to compare, contrast, cause and
effect so they will have background knowledge as to what to do with these, along with the discussion to deepen their
knowledge. If students do not understand these vocabulary words, then it will be difficult at times for them to be engaged
in the lesson. For complete engagement and understanding of this lesson, the students need to use their academic
language for ELA. Meaning that for this specific lesson, they should be using words like compare, contrast, similarities,
differences, cause, effect, as a result of, consequently, evidence, etc. Using this vocabulary to discuss the text structure
will help to reinforce the terms and help the students become acclimated with it. The students will use all their language
functions in this lesson: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The reading is an essential function, as the students will
have to read passages in order to identify the text structure, determine the purpose, and provide evidence from the text.
The students will be writing in their organizer and annotating their passages. They will listen and speak with one another
as well. Supports for the language demands will be given through modeling, think alouds, and anchor charts.

Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks that Support Student Needs

Time Action Rationale

Launch (Motivation) Having the students define the

previous text structures assesses
In our previous lesson, we discussed two forms of text structure, what their previous knowledge and
were those? (Chronology and problem/solution). We also constructed refreshes their minds. Working in
definitions for both of these text structures. Could 2 of you please pairs to create new definitions
10 min. share what you have written down for your definition of chronology? allows the students to work with
Now what about problem/solution? Good, now that we remember one another and the knowledge
what those are, can someone read the learning objective? What is our that they have to construct their
focus for the day? Now I would like you to discuss in your pairs again own meaning for our purpose of
using what you already know, I want you to create a definition for learning for the day. It makes
cause/effect and compare/contrast. For your definition of cause and them responsible for their
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 effect think back to the Rachel Carson text you read. Think about how learning. Having a game to be
the author structured the historical content and how it affected her life. projected on the board gives the
Remember when writing our definitions, we want complete sentences. students something to visualize
In _________, the writer ____________. After enough time, I would and can make them ready to learn!
call on 2 or 3 students to share their definitions. I would write these on
the white board. What are some signal words for cause/effect? For
compare/contrast? Once the class has constructed a good definition, I
would tell them that we can add onto our definitions later in our lesson
when we learn more. I would project a text structure recap on the
board. We are now going to put our knowledge to the test and define
each text structure. We would play the game on the board. Now we
will break into our groups where we will be distinguishing between
different text structures.

Instructional Procedure (Explore) I must be explicit in explaining

and modeling that when good
The students will come to the front desks and the carpet. I tell the readers gist using the 5Ws it is
class that I am going to model how good readers interact with the text. critical that we make inferences
I remind them that we will be using the 5 W’s strategy and will be on and connections. Good readers
15 min. the lookout for signal words. While reading the passage, I will dig deep into the text while
annotate the text, just as the students are expected to do. I will think gisting. It will be modeled how to
aloud my actions. After reading passage 1, Rising Sea Levels, I will participate in a close reading of
ask based off of this text, which definition could we add to and how the text using “sign posts” as she
would you add to the definition? Turn and talk to your partner. After reads and by explicitly modeling
sharing, the class will help to fill out the graphic organizer on chart think alouds. The students and I
paper. Why did the author write this passage? What is the purpose? complete graphic organizer on
What text structure? What is the evidence to support that this is the board. Hearing the student
text structure? Time permitting, I will read the next passage, Great responses would show whether or
Bodies of Water, and do a think aloud again. After I would ask again, not the students should move to
based off of this text, which definition could we add to and how would independent work.
you add to the definition? Turn and talk to your partner. After
sharing, the organizer would be would be filled out based on the
passage, Great Bodies of Water. After the passages and the think
aloud, it is time for the students to work on their own.

The assessment during the instructional period and check for

understanding is informal. One check is how they plan to add to their
definitions of their text structures. Another way would be the student
responses to the graphic organizers. Can they find the purpose? Did
they choose the right text structure? Do they have supporting evidence
to show why that is the text structure? If the students have this down,
then they can move on to the independent work.

Structured Practice and Application Working independently on this

task allows myself and the other
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 Once the student has been cleared, they will be given the independent teachers in the classroom to
assignment for this lesson. The students must read and annotate the circulate and really get a feel for
passage, Tsunamis and Hurricanes. When annotating, they are using who is completing and
17 min. the 5 W’s strategy, as well as searching for signal words to help understanding the task and who is
identify the text structure. Once they have completed their reading, not. The independent work allows
they are to fill out a graphic organizer just as we have been doing. For the struggling students to be
those with IEPs (speech), they are given a handout of the graphic worked with one-on-one. Once
organizer so that they don’t have to write it out. The ELLs are also they have independently
given a handout of the graphic organizer, except theirs has guiding answered, then sharing in groups
sentence starters. The students are expected to complete the organizer allows them to hear different
with the purpose of the passage, the identity of the text structure, and thoughts and ideas other than their
what is the evidence that supports this? This piece shows whether or own. Being able to grade one
not they are learning the objective. Once the graphic organizer is another allows the students to get
done, the students must complete a short answer question: Which a feel for what they must include
phrases from Tsunamis and Hurricanes helps you understand how the for their own responses. The
article is organized and how do you know that? Once everyone has supports are the guided notes
completed their responses, they are asked to share in their groups and structure.
grade each other based upon the rubric.

The assessment for this part of the lesson is me circulating the room
and reading the annotations and notes of the students. I will also take
note of what they are doing on their graphic organizers, and the
organizers show if the objective was accomplished or not. Last but not
least, I will assess them on what they share for the short response.

Closure

5 min. After sharing in their groups, the students will have a few minutes to
share with the class, what they believe is a level 2 response.

PLANNING COMMENTARY

Describe your students. (What they know and can do related to the Central focus…include students’ culture,
experiences, language background, practices and interests This is your context for learning.
The students in this class all come from different backgrounds. Related to the central focus, the students have already had
practice identifying text structures (chronology and problem/solution) in the previous lessons. They will be able to apply
this knowledge to this new lesson. They will be using the same strategies of the 5 W’s and signal words in order to
identify different text structures. Their interests and enthusiasm in science will come into play for this lesson as the
informational texts have to do with global warming and tsunamis and hurricanes.
How does this lesson connect to and build on prior learning or previous lessons?
This lesson connects to and builds on the previous lessons because we are still dealing with text structures. The students
have previously worked on identifying and distinguishing between chronology and problem/solution text structure. We
worked on finding signal words and using the 5 W’s strategy. The students struggled with their annotations that is why
the think aloud is occurring. The think aloud is to help model to the students what they need to do in order to be
proficient readers and to help with their gap for this skill. The support for the whole class is writing the definitions on the
board, playing the recap game on the projector, modeling a think aloud of a good reader, and modeling how to complete
the graphic organizer. These supports give the students an example of what they are expected to do and a visual for them
to look at. A support for each individual is their anchor chart with the different text structures. Supports for groups of
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students with specific needs include their pre-made graphic organizer (some just the chart and others have sentence
starters) and they may do small group work with the special ed teacher depending on their checkpoints.

How will this lesson prepare students for subsequent lessons?

This lesson prepares students for future lessons by giving them the skill of finding signal words for compare/contrast texts
and cause/effect texts. It also prepares them by giving them a step by step example of how to read passages and interact
with the text that they are reading. This lesson will be built upon in the future when we combine all the text structures
and have the students distinguish between them. It will also come in use when we are talking about the purpose of texts.

Teacher Self-Assessment and Reflection

My lessons build upon one another by slowly adding more text structures for the students to learn. They have previous
knowledge from their years of learning, but they may not be aware of what that previous knowledge is. This lesson builds
upon the previous ones because we are still looking at the main focus of text structures, but we are shifting to two
different and new specific structures. The expands the students’ knowledge. After they master the other text structures,
they add to their knowledge and begin to learn the new structures. I met the needs of diverse learners by having whole
group work, partner work, small group work, and individual work. This gives all learners a chance to work in different
settings. I also will be using the recap game on the smartboard, the dry erase board, and chart paper which gives students
visual elements to look at. The think aloud gives the students a model and is good for auditory learners. I also provided
scaffolding by giving the select students pre-made graphic organizers and sentence starters. I think that one area of
concern for me is time. 531 can work slow sometimes and I am unsure if I can fit all of this in one period, as they usually
have an ELA block. I do know that whatever isn’t finished in this lesson will be completed the next day. One way to
help with time constraints is I could use a timer when working on different things. For instance, when they pair share I
can give them an exact amount of time to talk and when the time is up, the discussion is over no matter where they are in
their conversation. Looking at how students complete their graphic organizer will show if the students can identify the
structure of a text, distinguish between cause/effect, compare/contrast and determine the purpose of the text. Students
will be able to provide evidence from the text that supports the structure identified. Their short responses will also
exemplify whether or not the students have accomplished the learning objective.

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