Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Central Focus: Readers of historical fiction consider both the big historical timeline
and the smaller timeline of the character.

Grade Level/Subject: 4th Grade

Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or

concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what
happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.6 Compare and contrast a firsthand and
secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the
differences in focus and the information provided.

Date submitted: April 3,2015

Date taught: March 19, 2015

Daily Lesson Objective: Students will understand

21st Century Skills:

Academic Language Demand (Language Function and Vocabulary): timeline,

historical, staggered, reeds, cut stalks, papyrus, abundance, monotonous, prow, gourd,
gauge, mangoes, ferried, desperate.

Learning and Innovation Skills Communication and Collaboration

Information, Media and Technology Skills Information Literacy
Life and Career Skills - Initiative and Self
Direction

Prior Knowledge: Students should already know what events are and how they are a part of their characters story. They should know
how to look at the passage to determine the types of settings or story elements that help us picture the time period in which our characters
are in. They should have basic knowledge of what a timeline is and how it relates to their characters.
Activity

Description of Activities and Setting

1. Focus and Review

Review with students the work they have done so far

with historical fiction. Reading closely for details
about the setting and story elements. When we
discuss timeline, there are two different types of
timelines we should look at in historical fiction.
There is the main characters timeline and there is
the larger historical timeline of these historical
events. The events in your characters life are
affected by world events. To better understand your
character, we have to know not only know their
timeline but also the historical timeline. Have
students turn and talk with a partner about the events 5 mins.
that happened before Rosa and the bus boycott that
might have affected Rosas decision of refusing to
move. While students are still brainstorming, create
a timeline on chart paper and mark on the timeline
the date of Rosas event. After students turn and
talk, have students call out things that can be added
to the timeline. Students may answer, Brown vs.
Board, The NAACP, or the Civil Rights Act.
Reflect back to the line in Rosa, where she spoke
about, All the brave women and men who stood
tall for civil rights.

2. Statement of Objective
for Student

Today you will learn how to look at the events in

your characters timeline and see how the bigger
historical timeline affected those events in your
characters life.

Time

2 mins.

3. Teacher Input

Today I am going to read both chapters seven and

eight of A Long Walk to Water. In your journals I
would like you to create this timeline graphic
organizer. As I read, write down any significant
events that take place on the timeline for both Nya
and Salva. In chapter seven, stop and ask students,
What kind of event or challenge is Nyas family
having? What choices is Nyas family faced
with? What event has happened in Salvas
journey? Also ask students about vocabulary
words, What do the words reed and papyrus
mean? What parts of the passage can help you to
figure out their meaning? In salvia story, what
does the group do to overcome their obstacle of
crossing the river? In chapter eight ask students,
What is the family told to do to keep Akeer from
getting sick again? Why will this be difficult
while the family is at the lake camp? What does
Salvas Uncle share with him? What does Salva
remember his father bringing as a treat from the
marketplace and what was special about the way he
brought it home? What happens after all the
fishermen go into their tents? What warning are
the travelers given about the next part of their
journey?

15 mins.

4. Guided Practice

After reading chapter seven and eight, inform

students that we are going to have a Tug of War
game where they will decide what the best option is
for Nyas sister. Should the family risk traveling a
two day walk to see the doctor or should they stay
and wait the out sickness and hope she recovers. I
will hand each of you a sticky note and on it I would
like for you to write the reason why you chose that
whether to stay or not and the details from the
passage helped you come to your decision. After
students finish place their sticky notes on the side
theyve chosen. The teacher will choose a few from
each side and read their reasoning as to why they
chose to go or stay. Then draw a timeline on chart
paper and have the students tell you the significant
events that they had written down on their timeline.
Inform students that tomorrow we will look at the
historical timeline that has affected your character
and led to these significant events in their life.

10 mins.

5. Independent Practice

Students will break into their book club groups and

discuss the different timelines within their book club
books. They should discuss both the historical
timeline and the characters timeline. To do this,
students can use their chrome-books to research the
historical events that had happened before
characters events in their books. Then have them
infer how the characters life was changed or
influenced by the historical events and write their
findings in their journals.

25 mins.

6. Assessment Methods of
all objectives/skills:

Informal Assessment is based on their participation during the lesson and observation of
involvement in their book clubs.
Assessment will also be conducted by having students turn in their journals to be reviewed by the
teacher. For mastery, they must have concluded in at least 3 sentences how the historical events

changed or influenced their characters life.

7. Closure

8. Assessment Results of
all objectives/skills:

Students will return to the carpet after discussing

their book club books. The teacher will recap with
the students that the events that happen within their
characters life is usually a part of a much larger
historical timeline of events. Teacher will have one
group share their findings with the class.

5 mins.

All of the students completed their conclusion as to how the historical events has changed or
influenced their characters life in 3 sentences.

Targeted Students Modifications/Accommodations:

Student/Small Group Modifications/Accommodations:

Students who struggle with reading will be given extra

time to re-read the passage with the teacher during
independent practice so that they can address any
questions they may have regarding how to define
timelines within their passages. Individuals who may
finish early can create an illustration to include with
their information from their book club books or they
may use this time to work on the iready.

Students will work together to create their timelines. Groups will meet in their
usual areas to conduct research on their timelines. If more than two group
members are absent, the remaining members will join another group for that
particular day.

Materials/Technology: Chart Paper, Markers, A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park and Rosa by Nikki Giovanni, Book club books,
Journals, Pencils, Chrome-books.
References: A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park and Rosa by Nikki Giovanni
Reflection: Overall I believe my lesson went really well. The students were engaged in our discussion on timelines. They worked well
together during elbow partner discussions and I was able to get their full attention back to finish the discussion as a whole group. I think
one of the reasons it went so well is because they had already been working on historical fiction for a while. If they hadnt already had
some prior knowledge in the subject, I believe it wouldve been harder to teach the lesson. I cant express enough how great the students
were; they really enjoy their lessons during writing and reading. Its great to see that all of the students are such avid readers. I think if we
wouldve had the time, the students wouldve let me read the entire book of A Long Walk to Water. They were extremely excited to begin
the next chapters. As, I read the students listened to the story and jotted down any specific events in the passage. After reading, I was
excited myself because Mrs. Prevette had provided me with an idea for discussing what was going on with Nyas family. Tug of War,
what a brilliant idea! The kids loved it and were interested to see which side their peers were going to choose. This is one strategy that I
will definitely use in my future classroom. With being a novice in teaching and writing lessons, I am always trying to work harder at
specific things like time management, making sure to set the students up for the next transition, and giving clear instructions but it is still
a working progress. I am appreciative for the constructive criticism that Mrs. Prevette has given me so that I can really focus on the
important parts of the lesson I may have missed. I did notice that Mrs. Prevette had written that I needed to work on being more
expressive, which came as quite a shock to me because I thought I was doing a pretty decent job considering the storyline. It is always
good to have someone else's view from the other side though, so I will try to be more aware of my expressiveness and continue to
practice. I really enjoyed seeing the students interact during book clubs. They really had some interesting discussions on the books they
were reading. I still feel very confident about the lesson and have no doubt that I will only become better as I move forward toward my
future as a teacher.