Artifact #6: Social Studies Lesson Plan: Global Communities.

Overview

This artifact is a Social Studies lesson plan I created for Grade 2 students on Global Communities. The lesson’s

objective is to have students choose a country, research their country and compare their country Canada. With this

lesson plan, I wanted to show students how Canada, the country where they live, compares to other countries/global

communities in the world. The important takeaway is what makes Canada unique? But I also wanted students to see

how other communities live. I chose to showcase this artifact because it illustrates my ability to teach students Social

Studies and Global Communities. I love teaching Social Studies and I believe that my love for this subject is reflected

on students. It got them excited to create a project using technology and learn about the world around them.

I started the lesson by teaching students about the word, ‘unqiue’ and what it means. We had a discussion about

some of the things that makes Canada unique. I then showed students a PowerPoint I created on Canada life to further

make the point about Canada’s uniqueness as a global community. This PowerPoint was a model of the project the

students were going to do for their chosen country. That’s right, Grade 2 students would be making a slide show using

Google Slides on Chromebooks, and I would teach them how. After informing students of the project, students chose a

country from a list of countries who’s books we had in the school library. In addition to the books, students could

research their country online.

 There were 12 students in the Grade 2 class because as a Grade 1-2 split, the Grade 1 students go to another

room for their social studies. Of the 12 students, there was one ELL student and one struggling reader. I ensured that

both of those students sat close to me on the carpet and spent time with me after instruction, so I could check in with

them for understanding. The ELL student was great and worked independently, though sometimes needed to be

reminded to stay on task while he was researching his country. The struggling reader needed a lot of help however. As

a struggling reader, he reads two levels below grade level. As a research project that relies on reading facts and writing

the facts on a graphic organizer, this student struggled with this project. I did two things, I sat with him and guided him

while the class was working on their project, and I sent his project with his Reading Recovery instructor to work on

during their time together. The Reading Recovery instructor frequently asked me to send work with him that we’re

doing in class. Though he had some grammatical errors, the struggling reader created a wonderful presentation.

INTASC Standards

Standards #1, #2, #3, #4, #5.

NYS Code of Ethics for Educators

This artifact aligns with Principles #1 and #2 of the NYS Code of Ethics for Educators.

NYS P-12 Common Core Learning Standards

Grade 2 – 2.2.7 - Communities around the world differ from place to place.
TEAC/CEAC Claims

Claim #1: The provider ensures that candidates develop a deep understanding of the critical concepts and
principles of their discipline and, by completion, are able to use discipline-specific practices flexibly to advance
the learning of all students toward attainment of college- and career-readiness standards.

ISTE Standards for Educators

This artifact aligns with Standard 5a) of the ISTE Standards for Educators.
5 a) Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences that foster independent learning and
accommodate learner differences and needs.

Ontario Curriculum Standards

Grade 2 – B.1.1. compare selected communities from around the world, including their own community, in
terms of the lifestyles of people in those communities and some ways in which the people meet their needs
(e.g., in northern Europe, people have homes that are heated and insulated, while in the Caribbean, houses do
not need to be insulated and may have rooms that are open to the outdoors; in cities, most people buy their
groceries from a local shop or a grocery store, but in rural South America people either grow their own food or
trade with other farmers)

Ontario Teacher Ethical Standards

Care
The ethical standard of Care includes compassion, acceptance, interest and insight for developing students'
potential. Members express their commitment to students' well-being and learning through positive influence,
professional judgment and empathy in practice.
 Medaille College Department of Education
Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate’s Name: Jonathan Itzkovitch Date: April 23, 2018

Context for Learning (edTPA)

Where is the school where you are teaching located? City: X Suburb: _____ Town: _____ Rural: ______

Grade level: 2 Number of students in the class: 12

Students with IEPs/504 Plans

Complete the charts below to summarize required or needed supports, accommodations, or modifications for your students that will affect your instruction in
this learning segment.
IEPs/504 Plans: Number of Supports, Accommodations, Modifications, Pertinent IEP Goals
Classifications/Needs Students

Students with Specific Language Needs

Language Needs Number of Supports, Accommodations, Modifications
Students
Student A – Tagalog native speaker; Student B – Arabic 2 Use of graphic organizers; meet with ELL specialist daily; frequent
native speaker check-ins for understanding

Students with Other Learning Needs

Other Learning Needs Numbers of Supports, Accommodations, Modifications
Students
 Lesson _2_ of a _3_ Day Learning Segment

Subject and Lesson Topic: Social Studies – Global Communities

Grade Level: 2 Lesson Duration: 60 mins

Central Focus of the Learning Segment

The central focus is an understanding that you want your students to develop. It is a description of the important identifiable theme, essential question, or topic within the
curriculum that is the purpose of the instruction of the learning segment (Making Good Choices, 2016).
The central focus of this learning segment is to teach students the attributes of a country that make a country unique.
Knowing Your Learners

What do you know about your students’ prior academic learning as it relates to the central focus? (edTPA Handbook, Task 1, Prompt 2a)

The class learned about how traditions in their family and community help shape who they are. Each student showed the class their familial
traditions and why they are important to them and their family. Traditions include the foods they eat at celebrations, the clothes they wear during
celebrations, and how they celebrate holidays. Students have learned about their local communities and the different roles of people within the
community. Students are not familiar with the Canadian provinces, but have learned some attributes that make Canada unique, such as Canadian
currency and animals found in Canada.

How will you use this knowledge to inform your instruction? (edTPA Handbook, Task 1, Prompt 3a)
The teacher will build on students’ prior knowledge of Canada by introducing characteristics of Canada that define it as a country. The teacher
will let students know that they are important attributes to a country that make it a country. This includes, the people that make up the country,
what they eat, transportation, education, how they dress, the animals native or unique to that country and climate.

What do you know about your students’ personal, cultural, and/or community assets as they relate to the central focus? (edTPA Handbook, Task 1, Prompt 2b)

Some students in the class have lived outside of Canada. The teacher will ask these students to share their experience living outside of Canada.
For example, what food do people in Qatar eat? What animals live in Afghanistan? How is our school in Canada different than your school in
Taiwan? Some students have traveled to foreign countries and can contribute to the conversation on what they experienced when they travelled
outside of Canada. For example, in Costa Rica, there were many birds and monkeys. Many people drive scooters in the Philippines for
transportation.

How will you use this knowledge to inform your instruction? (edTPA Handbook, Task 1, Prompt 3a)

The purpose of this conversation is to use students’ personal connections to illustrate to the class how Canada differs from other countries. By
having students share their experience, students will see how other counties are different from Canada. Students will be able to see what makes
those countries unique as well.

Curriculum Standards
Ontario Curriculum Standards
Grade 2 – B.1.1. compare selected communities from around the world, including their own community, in terms of the lifestyles of people in
those communities and some ways in which the people meet their needs (e.g., in northern Europe, people have homes that are heated and
insulated, while in the Caribbean, houses do not need to be insulated and may have rooms that are open to the outdoors; in cities, most people
buy their groceries from a local shop or a grocery store, but in rural South America people either grow their own food or trade with other
farmers)

NYS P-12 Core Curriculum Standards

Grade 2 – 2.2.7 - Communities around the world differ from place to place.
Objectives
Using Bloom’s Taxonomy, include statements that identify
what students will be able to do by the end of the lesson
and are aligned to the standards identified above.
Students will be to create a list of items
related to their topic
The teacher will be able to assess students’
ability to work in and contribute in a group.
Share and articulate their knowledge of the
subject with the rest of the class.
Apply the teacher’s PowerPoint presentation
model on Canada, for their own presentation
on their chosen country
Assessment
Using formal and/or informal assessment tools, how will
you evaluate and document your students’ progress on
each of the objectives?
Formal assessment through students’
presentation to the class at the end of the
lesson
Informal assessment by teacher walking
around classroom during groupwork and
journalizing on a class checklist, student
progress and contribution to groupwork
Formal assessment through students’
presentation to class at end of lesson
Formal assessment through students’
presentation to the class at the end of the unit
Modifications to Assessments
If applicable, explain how you will adapt assessments
to allow students with specific needs to demonstrate
their learning.
(edTPA Task 1, Prompt 5b)
Conferencing with ELL students during
assigned groupwork time and checking in
for understanding.
Conferencing with ELL students during
assigned groupwork time and checking in
for understanding. Have graphic organizer
on hand should students require assistance.
Teacher to assist students during
presentation, should they ask. Teacher to let
students know that he is available to help
them present.
Teacher to assist students during
presentation, should they ask. Teacher to let
students know that he is available to help
them present if need be.

Academic Language Demands Instructional Supports

(edTPA Task 1, Prompt 4c) Strategies teachers provide to help learners understand, use, and practice the
concepts (edTPA Task 1, Prompt 4d)
Function Illustrate their understanding of Students will be given poster paper with their topic. Students will
Looking at your standards and objectives, what makes Canada unique. be required to write attributes that are unique to Canada under
choose the one Bloom’s word that best their topic. For example, under transportation, they could write
describes the active learning essential for
subway, because not every country has subway systems.
students to develop understanding of
concepts within your lesson.
Vocabulary
Key words and phrases students need to be
able to understand and use
Syntax
Describe ways in which students will organize
language (symbols, words, phrases) to
convey meaning.
Discourse
How members of a discipline talk, write, and
participate in knowledge construction and
communicate their understanding of the
concepts
Instructional Process
Country
Unique
Climate
transportation
research
Students will write their list of
attributes related to their topic,
on poster paper.
Students will use the list of key
words as well as language
function during their discourse
with their peers in workgroups,
and during their presentation to
the class.
Teacher will write key words on sentence strips and add the words
to the word wall for this unit.
Teacher will model two to three items that could be on their list, so
that students understand what is expected.
During groupwork, students will be required to use words and
phrases relevant to their central focus and lesson when talking to
their peers and teachers. I.e. “Canada’s transportation makes it
unique from some countries because many people drive in cars or
take the subway.”
Accommodations and/or Modifications
and/or Supports
Anticipatory Set/Motivator ELL student will sit close to the teacher on
the carpet; frequent check-ins for
1) Teacher will invite students to the carpet. understanding.
2) Teacher will remind students of the country they chose for their project, in the previous lesson.
3) Teacher will ask, “what makes Canada unique? First, can someone tell me what unique
means?” Students respond, “it means different from others.” Teacher: “Yes, it means
different. So, what makes Canada unique from some countries?” Students respond, “its colder
than other countries. Our national anthem. Our flag. Our food. Our animals. Our schools,
climate, transportation.” (Be careful with your choice of words. You do not want to leave
students with the impression that some things are not the same)
4) Teacher will ask, “what are some of the things that Canada has that is different from other
countries? For example, “our animals? Are their polar bears in Mexico? Are there beavers or
bears in Israel? Are there camels in the Arctic? Why do you think that is?”
Students respond, “the cars in Canada are different than the cars in the Philippines. The food in
Qatar is different than the food in Canada. The weather is warmer in Afghanistan than it is in
Canada.”
5) Teacher will ask, “what is the climate like in Mexico? Who can tell me what climate means?”
Students respond, “it means weather. It’s usually hot in Mexico.”
“Is the climate – or weather – the same in Mexico as it is in Canada? Can children in Mexico
make a snowman outside? Can they play hockey outside?” Students respond, “no.”
Teacher will ask, why can they not build a snowman?” Students respond, because it’s too hot
to snow in Mexico.” (It does snow in the sparsely populated mountains of Mexico though).
6) Teacher will ask, “how are schools different in the country you lived in compared to our
schools?
Students who lived outside of Canada respond.
7) Teacher will ask, “why do you think our schools are different? Our climate? Our
transportation? Food? Houses? Clothes?” Teacher will take some responses from students.
“It is because all of these things is what make countries, including Canada, unique. What does
unique mean again?” Students respond, “it means different.”
Instructional Procedures Frequent check-ins for understanding; ELL
students will sit close to the presenters and
8) Teacher will let students know that that today we will explore what makes Canada unique teachers on the carpet
from other countries.
9) Teacher will divide students into four groups of three, where they will list things in their
category that are found in Canada. For example, under animals, the group will write beaver,
moose, etc. For sports; hockey, soccer, etc.
10) Each group will be assigned a table to work at, with a predetermined category. Four categories
are: animals, food, sports, clothing.
11) Students will have 10 minutes to write on poster paper in their groups, as many things they
can think of under their topic.
12) During groupwork time, the teacher will do a classroom walk to ensure students stay on task.
Teacher will also ask questions to help guide students. Teacher will ensure students are
contributing to the activity and will take notes on a class checklist.
13) Teacher will take notes of groups’ list to add to the PowerPoint on Canada.
14) Once 10 minutes is up, students will join the teacher on the carpet.
15) Each group will have 3 minutes to share their list with the class. Time permitting, teacher will
ask if other students in the audience have something to contribute to the presenters’ list?

Closure Frequent check-ins for understanding.

16) After each group has presented their list, the teacher will present the premade PowerPoint
presentation on Canada. This presentation will serve as a model for what students’
presentations should look like once they are completed researching their respective country.
17) Teacher will let students know that they will learn how to do a PowerPoint presentation like
the one the teacher made on Canada, and they will present it to the class.
18) Teacher will let students know that tomorrow they will learn how to research information for
their country. Teacher will ask, “who can tell me what ‘research’ means?” Students respond,
“it means finding information on our country for our project.”
Materials and/or Technology Tools
Poster paper x 4; markers x 12; SMARTboard; computer; PowerPoint presentation;
[Back to Table of Contents]

Artifact #7: Assessing Student Literacy

Overview

Literacy is an important subject covered throughout primary and junior grades. In

some schools, three periods a day are devoted to literacy. As an elementary teacher who

will be certified to teach Grades 1 through 6, I chose this artifact to demonstrate that I can

teach literacy confidently at the Grade 6 level.

This artifact is a literacy writing assessment, where I was given two student

sample works to examine. I went through both samples and analyzed their writing. I

identified their developmental writing stage, using Donald Bear’s Levels of Writing

Stages and wrote an analysis of the students’ development.

Though the same grade (6), the student works differed in their wiring skills. One

student writes well and eloquently, and the other student struggles in their writing. These

works were chosen for analysis for these differences. This is because a follow up lesson

plan to teach to the students’ deficit skills was required to help correct errors in the way

they write. As a follow up lesson, I included a lesson on the Hamburger Paragraph using

a graphic organizer, which helps students understood how a paragraph is built. I also

included the INFORM method, to teach students how to organize their thoughts for

writing, use transition words and choosing proper vocabulary. Including an Exit Ticket at

the end of the lesson, allowed me to assess students’ for understanding.

Analyzing Grade 6 student writing, leveling their writing stage of development

and creating a follow up lesson plan, makes this an important to highlight my literacy

skills for this portfolio.

 InTASC Standards

This artifact aligns with Standard #1 of the InTASC Standards.

Standard #1: The teacher understands how learners grow and develop,

recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across

the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and

implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.

NYS Code of Ethics for Educators

Principle #1 and #2:

#1 Educators nurture the intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and civic

potential of each student. Educators promote growth in all students through the

integration of intellectual, physical, emotional, social and civic learning.

#2 Educators create, support, and maintain challenging learning environments for

all. Educators apply their professional knowledge to promote student learning. They

know the curriculum and utilize a range of strategies and assessments to address

differences.

NYS P-12 Common Core Learning Standards

NYSED CCL Standards for ELA

W.6.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas,
concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of
relevant content.

W.6.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,

organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

W.6.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question drawing on several

sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
 TEAC/CEAC Claims

Claim #1: The provider ensures that candidates develop a deep understanding of

the critical concepts and principles of their discipline and, by completion, are able to use

discipline-specific practices flexibly to advance the learning of all students toward

attainment of college- and career-readiness standards.

ILA (Literacy)

3.2: Select, develop, administer, and interpret assessments, both traditional print
and electronic, for specific purposes.

3.3: Use assessment information to plan and evaluate instruction

Ontario Curriculum Standards

Ontario Literacy Standards:

W.6.2.1 Write longer and more complex texts using a wide range of forms

W.6.2.2 Establish a distinctive voice in their writing approach to the subject and
audience

W.6.2.3 Use some vivid and/or figurative language and innovative expressions to
enhance interest

W.6.2.4 Create complex sentences by combining phrases, clauses and/or simple

sentences

W.6.2.5 Identify their point of view and other possible points of view; determine,
when appropriate, if their own view is balanced and supported by the evidence;
and adjust their thinking and expression if appropriate

W.6.3.4 Use punctuation appropriately to communicate their intended meaning in

longer and more complex sentences, with a focus on the use of; commas to
separate words in a list or after an introductory word or phase; quotation marks in
dialogue; and some uses of the colon, semi-colon, and brackets

W.6.3.5 Use parts of speech correctly to communicate their meaning clearly, with
a focus on the use of: personal subject and object pronouns (e.g. I, me) indefinite
pronouns (e.g., someone, nobody); conjunctions; subordinate clauses; adverb
phrases; and present, past and future verb tenses
 W.6.3.8 Produce pieces of published work to meet identified criteria based on the
expectations

Ontario Teacher Ethical Standards

Care

The ethical standard of Care includes compassion, acceptance, interest and insight
for developing students' potential. Members express their commitment to students' well-
being and learning through positive influence, professional judgment and empathy in
practice.
Assessing Student Literacy

Jonathan Itzkovitch

Medaille College

EDL 650

U36

Mary Beth Scumaci

November 2, 2017
 Name: Jonathan Itzkovitch___________________Date: November 2nd, 2017____________
Student Names: Grade: Work Sample Being Assessed:
Student 1 (Penguin) 6 Information Writing
Student 2 (Earth)
1. Assessment Tool:
Donald Bear – Word Study
Developmental Writing Continuum
2. Standards:
NYSED CCL Standards for ELA
W.6.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information
through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

W.6.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience.

W.6.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question drawing on several sources and refocusing the
inquiry when appropriate.

Ontario Literacy Standards:

W.6.2.1 Write longer and more complex texts using a wide range of forms

W.6.2.2 Establish a distinctive voice in their writing approach to the subject and audience

W.6.2.3 Use some vivid and/or figurative language and innovative expressions to enhance interest

W.6.2.4 Create complex sentences by combining phrases, clauses and/or simple sentences

W.6.2.5 Identify their point of view and other possible points of view; determine, when appropriate, if their own
view is balanced and supported by the evidence; and adjust their thinking and expression if appropriate

W.6.3.4 Use punctuation appropriately to communicate their intended meaning in longer and more complex
sentences, with a focus on the use of; commas to separate words in a list or after an introductory word or phase;
quotation marks in dialogue; and some uses of the colon, semi-colon, and brackets

W.6.3.5 Use parts of speech correctly to communicate their meaning clearly, with a focus on the use of: personal
subject and object pronouns (e.g. I, me) indefinite pronouns (e.g., someone, nobody); conjunctions; subordinate
clauses; adverb phrases; and present, past and future verb tenses

W.6.3.8 Produce pieces of published work to meet identified criteria based on the expectations

3. Summary of Each Student Performance: Identify the Developmental Writing/Spelling Stage for Each
Student
Skills demonstrated:
Student 1 (Penguin):
 Developmental Writing Stage: Stage 4 (Late) Syllables and Affixes Spelling Donald Bear
Developmental Writing Continuum Stage Expanding (Ages 7-9) – Bridging (Ages 8-10)
(APPENDIX A)
 Writes with a central focus (Polar Bears)
 Writes with complete sentences
 Uses paragraphs to discuss and support a topic
 Follow-up sentences support the topic sentence, albeit generally
 Sentences are clear and logically organized to form support for topic sentence
 Sections/chapter are organized and support the central focus of the section (i.e. Chpater 3 discusses baby
penguins)
 Begins to use interesting language (i.e. flightless, predetor [sic], responsibilities)
 High-frequency words are spelled correctly
 Beginning use of punctuation, including commas (i.e. first page of section 2, “For example, penguins are
the only flightless birds that can swim.”)
 Work is legible
 Provides examples to support topic (i.e. when stating that penguins are not the only flightless birds, lists
other flightless birds in section 2 “ostriches, flamingos and emu’s [sic]”)
 Proper use of, and consistent tone for informational writing; student understands tone and makes effective
use of tone throughout their writing

Student 2 (Earth)
 Developmental Writing Stage: Stage 5 (Late) Derivational Relations Spelling - Donald Bear
 Developmental Writing Continuum Stage – Connecting (Ages 11-14) (APPENDIX A)
 Writes with a central focus and theme (Saving the Earth from global warming)
 Writes with excellent tone and consistently uses tone throughout their writing
 Persuasive tone and voice in support of argument (i.e. “This world is being destroyed because so many
people aren’t recycling.”)
 Work is legible
 Introductory provides an example for theme, uses second paragraph to expand on theme
 Author’s opinion and stance on topic is clear (i.e. “Those people are carelessly putting their convenience
over making the right choice for our planet.” And, “There are so many people who carelessly mistreat the
environment by polluting it with trash.”)
 Correct use of punctuation, including commas and quotations (i.e. “Some animals that are endangered by
global warming are polar bears, seals, turtles, penguins, shrimp, migrating birds and fish.”)
 Student uses quotations for citation (i.e “The floods roase to at least 18 feet above normal tide,” scientists
recorded.)
 Words are spelled correctly, including complex words (i.e. “consumption” and “environment”)
 Complex, descriptive word choice (i.e. “destroyed” in support of author’s argument as to what is
happening because people are not recycling; “consumption” referencing the idea that people are selfishly
consumers of Earth’s natural resources)
 Effective use of charts (i.e. survey on “Do you know the three R’s?” and what gases make up
“Greenhouse Gases” on the first page
  Uses facts in support of argument (i.e. “70% of the world’s solid waste is created by the U.S., and about
80% of that waste was only used once and then thrown away.”)
 Uses a list (second last page) to suggest ways to curb global warming; the first word in each sentence is a
verb, which denotes a call to action
 Introduction paragraph grabs readers attention – very descriptive

Skills not yet demonstrated:

Student 1:
 Student uses two sentences where there should be one sentence. (i.e. “All of the penguins look different.
Though they are always a black color.” Try, “Though they are always black in color, all penguins look
different.”)
 Punctuation – use commas or semi-colons to compound two sentences to allow for a fluent read for the
reader (i.e. “Though they are always black in color, all penguins look different.”)
 Use of exclamation points in an informational text to highlight a point (“Today people think that penguins
can fly. The thing is they can’t!” Try, “Some people think that penguins can fly, the interesting thing is,
they can’t.” This highlights the fact.)
 Use of apostrophes (i.e. “Like ostriches, flamingos and emu’s.”) Apostrophes denotes ‘belonging to’
 Choose words that are more descriptive (i.e. “Penguins are always dinning [sic] on different types of food.
Nothing to [sic] fancy” and “Penguins always have ordinary things about themselves.” Try, ‘Penguins
have attributes that are unique to their species.’).
 Conventional spelling errors (i.e. “to” for too; “alot” for a lot; “dinning” for dining; “predetors” for
predator)
 Sentence structure needs refining (i.e “They also will always have a beak and flippers.” Should be, “They
will also have a beak and flippers.” Omitting ‘will’ altogether is acceptable as well.)

Student 2:
 Paragraph organization – starts with a topic sentence then next supporting sentences are unrelated to topic
sentences (i.e. on page 2, first paragraph on cars). Student talks about cars in topic sentence, but then
discusses animals that are affected by global warming.
 Use of tense errors (i.e. “In 2007, about 248 million tons of waste were created…” Should be, “In 2007,
about 248 million tons of waste was created…” Waste is singular, therefore use the word ‘was’ instead of
were.) Also, “70% of the world’s solid waste is created by the US, and about 80% of that waste was only
used once…” Should be, “70% of the world’s solid waste is created by the US, and about 80% of that
waste is only used once…” Student used ‘is’ in first part of sentence, therefore need to be consistent with
tense.
 Use a dash for two words that directly relate to one another. (i.e “over-population”, “gas-guzzling”)
 Starting sentences with numbers should be written (i.e. “70% of the world’s solid waste….” Should be,
“Seventy-percent of the world’s solid waste…”)
 Punctuation and use of commas when listing items (i.e. “Most of those people in the cars could have been
taking the bus or a subway, or in a car pool.” Should read, “Most of the people in the cars could have been
taking the bus, subway or carpooled.”) Also, on page 5, “Ways To Help Fight Global Warming”, last
point in the list, a comma should be used to list items
 Informational text should be giving the reader information and supporting facts with data and references.
For an informational text, student’s writing is strongly opiniated.
4. a. How will you support future learning? Identify the Developmental Writing/Spelling Stage for Each
Student
Student 1 lesson summary:
Developmental Stage: Syllables and Affixes Spelling (Stage IV, Bear) and; Expanding (Ages 7-9) –
Bridging (Ages 8-10)
Objectives: Students will be able to use a graphic organizer to effectively outline their writing, into a topic,
supporting sentences and concluding sentence.
Lesson length: 50 minutes
Anticipatory Set:
 Teacher starts lesson by asking students, “Who likes hamburgers?” Can be a veggie burger too. Teacher
asks, “what do people like to put on their hamburger?”
 Teacher lists students’ responses of condiments, in a top-to-bottom format.
 Teacher explains that to make a hamburger, we need two buns, the meat (or veggie burger) and
condiments.

Main Procedure:
 The teacher continues to explain that writing a paragraph, is like creating a hamburger.
 Teacher illustrates on the board, using a drawing of a hamburger stating, “The top bun is the topic
sentence. The cheese, ketchup or lettuce is one detail. The burger is a second detail. Another condiment
(pickles?), is a third detail. Your bottom bun is the concluding sentence of the paragraph. Like a bun that
holds your burger together, you need a topic sentence and a concluding sentence to hold your paragraph
together.
 The teacher will inform students that today we will be practicing writing a paragraph, using the
hamburger method.
 First, the teacher will model writing a paragraph using the hamburger method.
 Teacher asks, “who likes dogs?” Students raise their hand.
 Teachers says, “let’s write about why dogs make great pets.”
 Teacher asks class, “what will my topic statement be?” Elicits responses from students.
 Teacher responds to a student who states, “Dogs make wonderful pets.”
 The teacher agrees and states “that is our topic sentence, like our top bun in a hamburger. Now we need to
support our topic sentence with supporting sentences, like the meat and condiments of a hamburger.”
 Teacher asks, “why do dogs make wonderful pets?” Elicits responses from students.
 Possible answers are: they are loyal, they can be trained for commands, they are friendly, they are smart
 Teacher explains that now that we have our supporting sentences, we need a concluding sentence; the
bottom bun of the hamburger.
 Teacher asks students, “what does a ‘conclusion’ mean?”
 Response from students is, “a conclusion summarizes the main idea – the topic sentence” The topic
sentence ties the first four sentences together
 Teacher enthusiastically compliments students for their great response and asks students if they can think
of a good conclusion to their paragraph on why dogs make great pets
 Students responses are, “Since dogs are loyal, friendly and smart, they make great pets.”
 Teacher explains to students that for a concluding sentence, they can use concluding words like, “In
summary”, “To summarize”, “In conclusion”, “Therefore”, “Since”
Activity:
 Teacher has the classroom helper hand out the Hamburger Graphic Organizer (APPENDIX B
 Teacher explains that this graphic organizer is the same activity we just went through, but students will
have the opportunity to do it themselves.
 One the white board, teacher writes topic examples that students can write about.
 Some topic examples are: “Hockey (or any other sport) is my favourite sport”, “Buffalo/Toronto is the
best city to live in” “Justin Bieber is the greatest pop star of all time” “Why we should all be concerned
about global warming” “Full House is the best TV show”
 Teacher gives students 15 minutes to complete the graphic organizer
 ELL students will work with teacher to ensure they understand the activity. They will work with their
ELL counsellor on the activity and will be able to take the activity home to work on.
 As students work, the teacher will walk around the room checking in with students on their progress and
helping where required. Teacher to informally assess students as they work.

Closure:
 Teacher will ask students to share with the class the topic they chose to write about
 Teacher will offer students the opportunity to share their Hamburger Graphic Organizer with the class
 This will be an opportunity for teacher to informally assess students
 Teacher reviews the Hamburger Method to creating a paragraph with students by asking, “What signifies
the top bun of our paragraph?” Students should respond with, “the main idea” or “the topic sentence”.
Teacher continues asking what the meat and condiments represent in the Hamburger Graphic Organizer
(supporting sentences. Finally, teacher elicits responses as to what the bottom bun represents (the
concluding sentence)
 Teacher reviews words that can be used for to conclude the sentence
 Assessment – students hand in graphic organizer for assessment
Student 2 lesson summary:
Developmental Stage: Derivational Relations (Stage V, Bear) and; Connecting (Ages 11-14)
Objective: Students will be able to use the INFORM method to effectively produce an information writing text
Lesson Length: 50 Minutes
Anticipatory Set:
 Teacher to review with students the three types of writing they have discussed in the previous lesson
 Teachers asks, “Who can tell me the three types of writing that we discussed in yesterday’s lesson?”
 Students respond with, “Narrative (story telling), Persuasive (argument), and Informational (expository)”
 Teacher writes a topic – Global Warming - on the board and asks students, “if I were to write about this
what kind of writing would it be?”
 Students should respond by saying it is informational writing
 Teachers writes another topic on the board – “Why I think Global Warming is harming Earth” – and asks
students, “what kind of writing would this be if I were to be write about this topic?”
 Students respond by stating that it’s persuasive writing
 Teacher writes a final topic on the board – “How I do my part in stopping Global Warming” and asks
students, “what kind of writing would this be if I were to write about this topic?”
 Students respond with, narrative writing
 Teacher informs students that for today’s lesson the class will focus on informational writing
Main Procedure:
 Teacher asks students, “why do you think we write informational texts?”
 Teacher explains that we use information writing to write about a topic, to help the reader learn more
about a topic that they may not know much – if anything – about
 The teacher asks students if they can provide an example of information text
 Students provide example of this type of writing as a newspaper article
 Teacher commends student for their great answer and adds, “yes, a newspaper article is meant to inform
us of the news, by just providing the reader with the facts, not the writers opinion.”
 Teacher has classroom helper hand each student INFORM handout (APPENDIX C)
 Using the handout on the overhead, the teacher explains that by using the INFORM method, students will
be able to effectively write an information text
 The teacher explains to students what the acronym, INFORM, stands for
 Teacher to model INFORM approach, with the topic “what is elementary school?”
 Teacher explains, that in the opening paragraph – the I for Include - we would let our readers know that
our topic is elementary school
 Teacher asks, “what would we want to write about next?”
 Students should respond by stating that we would want to include facts about our topic
 Teacher asks, for examples
 Possible examples are, elementary school is a place of learning for students in K-5; learn math, literacy,
science, art, etc.; students are in classrooms
 Teacher explains that the F in INFORM stands for “Follow the facts with supporting detail”
 Teacher explains that the O stands for “Organize your writing with transition words”
 Teacher explains that transition words are words that are used to link words, sentences and paragraphs
together
 Teach provides an example, “For example” is a transition word
 Teacher asks students for other transition words
 Possible student answers are, “therefore”, “since” “as a result”
 Teacher explains that when we write information texts, we need to include key vocabulary that is
important to our topic.
 Teacher asks, “what is some vocabulary that is important to our topic?”
 Student respond with, “recess”, “school yard”, “homework”, “principal”, “classroom”
 Teacher explains that this is what the R stands for – “Refer to the topic and include key vocabulary”
 The teacher asks students, “how do we want to end our information writing with?”
 Students respond, “by writing a conclusion”
 Teacher agrees and states that the M in INFORM stands for exactly that: “Make a closing paragraph
related to your topic”
 Teacher explains that a conclusion paragraph is used to summarize what we’ve discussed in our topic

Activity (15 minutes):

 Using the INFORM approach, students are to work in their table groups to jot down: a topic they would
write about (teacher to time two minutes for groups to decide their topic); facts they would include about
their topic; follow up facts to support their topic; transition words they would use; key vocabulary
relevant to their topic; and conclusion words they would use in their last paragraph
 Teacher will work in a group with ELL students
Closure:
 Teacher asks two students from each group of four to share their work with the class
 After the last group presents, teacher hands each student an Exit Ticket, which they need to complete
before leaving for the day
 ELL students will work with their ELL counselor (teacher to provide counselor with lesson notes)
 Students to hand in Exit Ticket to teacher for assessment (APPENDIX D)

b. Student feedback (for each): Identify the Developmental Writing/Spelling Stage for Each Student
Student 1 lesson summary:
The student is a eager writer and is clearly passionate about their chosen subject, penguins. The student is in the
Expanding to Bridging stages of the Writing Continuum. Though the student is progressing well through the
Expanding stage, they lack some requisite skills to move into the Fluent phase. The student’s use of commas and
apostrophes needs to be refined, though with some honing, that skill can be improved with practice. The student’s
spelling is good and developmentally the student is in the Syllables and Affixes stage of Donald Bear’s Words
Their Way. Though the student’s spelling is good, the students word choice needs improvement. Word choice is
simplistic and the student should use more descriptive words to pull in their reader. For example, the student
writes: “Penguins are always dinning [sic] on different types of food. Nothing to [sic] fancy.” The student would
benefit from exposure to Bravo, Cervetti, Hiebert and Pearson’s science literary unit, to learn some scientific
language and write with scientific- academia. Moreover, for each writing assignment, the student should continue
to use graphic organizers to organize their thoughts, so that it supports and clearly articulates the texts main idea.
The student did use chapters to organize their topics in their writing sample of Penguins. Punctuation should also
be honed so that the student understands where apostrophes, commas and exclamation marks are used in a
sentence. I will provide the student with supplemental worksheets to aid the student with their use of punctuation.
The worksheets are sentences without punctuation and the student is required to fill in where punctuation should
be added. I will work with the student during independent work time to review the worksheets. The student
should challenge themself to read informational texts so that they can have a clear understanding of the tone for
this type of text. Though the student is indeed passionate about the subject of penguins, the tone should be more
informative and less vociferous. I will offer the student grade and above-grade level informational books to help
them find their tone. It is important for the student to continue to proof-read their work and/or have a peer editor,
prior to submitting their work.

Student 2 lesson summary:

After reading this student’s work, I could tell that the student is well-versed and passionate about their chosen
subject, saving the Earth. Their writing has good flow, good word choice and good use of supporting facts.
Spelling is good, with a few minor errors, like “eco system”. Developmentally, the student is in the Connecting
stage of the Writing Continuum and Stage 5: Derivational Relations Spelling in Donald Bear’s Words Their Way.
Though the student’s writing reads with fluidity, the student’s paragraph structure requires attention to. For this
reason, I chose to review the INFORM approach to informational text writing for my lesson. In the student’s
writing, they start with a topic sentence, how cars contribute to global warming, for example, but supporting
sentences are about animals affected by global warming. Moreover, the student’s voice in their writing sample is
not that of a writer for an information text; the student injects their tone, which would be more suitable for an
opinion piece. Coupled with the INFORM approach, Reading Guides are excellent tools to practice extrapolating
information for an informational writing text. Using an informational Reading Guide and then answering
questions, will help the student find the tone required for informational writing. Student’s punctuation is great,
but they are encouraged to practice using a dash for words that are closely related. For example, “gas-guzzling”
and “over-population” are words found in the student’s text that should have a dash. I have a worksheet I will
share with the student so they can practice this skill. The student is encouraged to seek guidance from me prior to
submitting their work so I can proof-read their work before they submit their work for assessment. Though a
concept learned in later grades, it is important to note that conventional sentence structure states that sentences
beginning with a numerical value, are written out. For example, beginning a sentence with “70%”, should read
Seventy-percent. Similarly, conventional sentence structure dictates that “2/3” should be written as two-thirds.
c. Reference the research/ theory that support your instructional steps.
Both students possess good conventional spelling, which allowed me to direct instruction to the structure of the
text itself. Though both students can use practice in their punctuation, the key area I felt that required attention
was the structure of their writings. Student 1 (penguin) organized their text into a book format, which is not ideal
for high school readiness. Their passage should have been written with more descriptive words and scientific
vocabulary. For their writing, I was looking for Tier 3 words. “Words that are conceptually associated with
particular fields of study.” (McKenna and Stahl p. 189, 2015). This student’s writing was too simplistic, and it
was not grade-level prose. I therefore felt that this student would greatly benefit from a graphic organizer to help
them organize their thoughts and produce grade-level, or above, work. Graphic organizers are excellent tools for
organizing ideas, supporting sentences and paragraphs, as well as summarizing the main topic. McKenna and
Stahl state in their book that, “Graphic organizers that reflect the text structures of expository text can help
students recall and organize the ideas in informational texts.” (McKenna and Stahl p. 215, 2015). Since this
student’s work was informational, providing instruction paragraph structure using graphic organizers, will be
beneficial to this student.
Student 2’s writing is fluid and they provide ample amount of evidence in support of their main idea. However,
there are flaws with their writing piece that I felt requires attention. First, the text is an informational text, but the
student inserts a lot of opinion for an informational piece. Second, paragraph structure is flawed in that it lacks
structure. I felt for this reason, the student would benefit from the INFORM approach to informational writing.
While researching on ways to help students learn the correct way structure s text, I found the INFORM approach.
It lines up directly with the Grade 6 Common Core Standards for writing:
I – Include an opening paragraph that tells the topic (W.6.2a)
N – Name the facts in the body of your article (W.6.2b)
F- Follow the facts with the supporting details (W.6.2b)
O – Organize your writing with transition words (W.6.2c)
R – Refer to the topic and include vocabulary (W.6.2d)
M – Make a closing paragraph related to your topic (W.6.2f)
This approach to writing is a good roadmap for students to follow, because a) this is the proper way to write an
informational text and; b) students respond well to academic acronyms as they’re easy to recall. Student 2’s
punctuation and conventional spelling are both good, where they need help is with structuring their paragraphs
and their voice. I strongly feel that both of these skills can be strengthened and refined by incorporating INFORM
into their writing.
5. How will you determine each student’s learning/ monitor progress:
I believe a teacher should always be informally assessing student’s abilities. Whether it’s making mental notes,
using a notebook or a digital application to take notes on students, the teacher should always take inventory of
how students in their class are progressing (or digressing). For these two students, I will be conducting both
formal and informal assessments. Informal assessments through frequent check-ins during literacy instruction,
and formal assessments through their written work. Though both formal and informal assessments are equally
important, written work will provide me with a good benchmark on how these two students are progressing
through their written work. I will also be assessing student’s understanding of the different types of writing,
through their writing examples and course-correct as required. I will continue to provide these students with
additional guidance, support and instruction, providing they are willing to see me during their in-school free time.
 References

Bear, D. R. (2004). Words Their Way (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill

Prentice Hall.

McKenna, M. C., & Stahl, K. A. (2015). Assessment for Reading Instruction (3rd ed.). New

York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Informative Writing Anchor Chart (Retrieved Oct. 31, 2017) Retrieved from:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/InformativeExplanatory-Writing-CCSS-

Grades-3-5-911784
APPENDIX A
 APPENDIX B
Name: Date:

A paragraph is like a hamburger—they both have several layers. Use this graphic organizer to help build a juicy
paragraph.
1. For the top layer, write the topic sentence that introduces the main idea.
2. Fill the middle layers with supporting details.
3. The bottom layer holds it all together with a conclusion sentence.

Source: Understood.org
APPENDIX C

APPENDIX D
Your Ticket Out the Door
1. Which one of the three types of writing we discussed, would you choose if
you were to write an argumentative text?
Persuasive

2. What is the acronym we learned that is an approach to informational writing?

INFORM

3. True or False: A newspaper article is a type of information text

TRUE FALSE

4. What are two types of transitional words?

Therefore, In Conclusion, Since,

5. Provide a Hashtag from what you’ve learned in this lesson

#INFORMisAwesome!

[Back to Table of Contents]

Artifact #8: Stages of Developmental Writing Workshop.

Overview

As members of the teaching profession, our work is not limited to the

classroom. There are extracurricular activities and workshops within the school

and the community that help us developed professionally and educate those

within our school and greater community. This artifact is a brochure I created for

a Parent Workshop that informs parents on the Stages of Writing. The

Developmental Stages of Writing, as adapted by the work of Dr. Richard Gentry,

informs parents and teachers what stage of writing their child or student is in. It

can be used as a guide to understand if a child in the correct stage

developmentally. Some parents feel their children should be further along the

Writing Stages, but as Piaget noted, children progress developmentally within

their cognitive ability.

I chose this artifact to illustrate my reach outside of the classroom through

parent and teacher workshops. I also want to highlight the importance of

extracurricular work within the school and greater community. I think it’s

important to educate our colleagues, parents and others within our community.

For these reasons, I have entered this artifact for inclusion in my portfolio.

INTASC Standards

This artifact closely aligns with this InTASC Standard:

1(c) The teacher collaborates with families, communities, colleagues, and
other professionals to promote learner growth and development.
 ILA (Literacy)

2.2: Use appropriate and varied instructional approaches, including those

that develop word recognition, language comprehension, strategic knowledge, and
reading–writing connections.

NYS Code of Ethics for Educators

Principle 5: Educators collaborate with parents and community, building

trust and respecting confidentiality. Educators partner with parents and other
members of the community to enhance school programs and to promote student
learning. They also recognize how cultural and linguistic heritage, gender, family
and community shape experience and learning. Educators respect the private
nature of the special knowledge they have about students and their families and
use that knowledge only in the students’ best interests. They advocate for fair
opportunity for all children.

NYS P-12 Common Core Learning Standards

Kindergarten - Writing
W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating and writing to compose
informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and
supply some information about the topic.

Grade 1 – Writing
Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply
some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.

Grade 2 – Writing
Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use
facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or
section.

Grade 3 – Writing
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas
and information clearly.

TEAC/CEAC Claims

This artifact aligns with Claim # 1: The provider ensures that candidates
develop a deep understanding of the critical concepts and principles of their
discipline and, by completion, are able to use discipline-specific practices flexibly
to advance the learning of all students toward attainment of college- and career-
readiness standards.
 Ontario Curriculum Standard
Grade 1
1.1 identify the topic, purpose, audience, and form for writing, initially
with support and direction

Grade 2
1.1 identify the topic, purpose, audience, and form for writing

Grade 3
1.1 identify the topic, purpose, audience, and form for writing

Ontario Teacher Ethical Standards

Care
The ethical standard of Care includes compassion, acceptance, interest and
insight for developing students' potential. Members express their commitment to
students' well-being and learning through positive influence, professional
judgment and empathy in practice.
Conclusion

This section is perhaps the most poignant section of the portfolio. I hope it served to

inform you of my abilities as a teacher for primary and junior grades. As mentioned, when I plan

my instruction, I take into account my learner’s strengths and weaknesses and create material

and instruction for all learners in my classroom. I also drawn on theorists like Piaget and Bloom

to create instruction that is age, grade and cognitively appropriate for my students. I also ensure

that I challenge all learners include those who are identified as gifted.

In the next section, Section 4, I will delve into the standards used for my artifacts help

you understand why the artifact aligns with the standards chosen. Standards are guidelines

teachers use to ensure we are covering the curriculum. Standards allow us to build unit plans that

are in line with students’ grade-level ability. As teachers, we have a duty to ensure that students

are learning everything that is outlined for their grade-level.

Back to Table of Contents]