Artifact 4 Rationale

Evidence of Student Learning

The Evidence of Student Learning project required me to plan and implement
assessment driven instruction; make instructional decisions, including appropriate
adaptations and accommodations, based on the results of a variety of assessment; reflect
on the effectiveness of instruction; and identify needed adjustments for future instruction.
This connects to CEC Standards 3 (Curricular Content Knowledge), and 4 (Assessment).
I gained knowledge and skills in curricular content (CEC Standard 3) throughout
the completion of this artifact. I gained the most knowledge in this area while creating
my lesson plans for each of the three days I taught. Each of the lesson plans in which I
created followed the standards outlined in the Common Core State Curriculum.
Specifically, my lesson plans focused on reading comprehension skills and knowledge.
While planning my lessons, I was able to learn the essential reading comprehension skills
in which second grade students are required to master. Also, while back mapping to meet
the students needs, I became familiar with the essential reading comprehension skills
required for kindergarten students as well as first grade students. Designing lesson plans
around specific reading standards increased my knowledge and understanding of the
curriculum.
In addition, this artifact was designed to enhance my knowledge and mastery of
assessment (CEC Standard 4). I learned the key role assessment plays in instruction, and
how assessment can be used to guide instruction. In this artifact, pre-assessments,
formative assessments, as well as summative assessments were used to determine the
students level of understanding. Results from the assessments helped me determine the
needs, both whole group needs as well as individual needs, of my students. After
determining this, I was able to adapt and change my instruction, based on the needs of my
students. For example, after administering the pre-assessment, it was evident that the
students needed instruction that targeted specific reading comprehension skills, such as
monitoring comprehension while reading, in order to identify a storys main idea and key
details.
The students I taught throughout the completion of this artifact were positively
affected by my mastery of CEC Standards 3 and 4. The results from this artifact
indicated student growth and learning. Based on the information I gained from the many
assessments administered throughout this artifact, I was able to adapt my instruction to
meet the students needs. As a result, the students were able to learn new concepts and
skills in the area of reading, such as identifying key details in a text. The skills taught
throughout this artifact will continue to help my students learn and develop as readers.

Part A- Learning Context, Topic and Objectives

Carney Elementary is a Baltimore County Public School located in Baltimore,
Maryland. Currently, Carney has approximately 596 students, serving children from prekindergarten to fifth grade. The student population at Carney is very diverse. The
average class at Carney contains about 24 students. Carney also provides services to
students with special needs, both inside and outside the general education classroom.
Carney works very hard to include students with disabilities. Students with disabilities
are included in daily activities with their non-disabled peers. In addition, Carney has a
Communication and Learning Support (i.e., CALS) program. The CALS program
provides services to students who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder
and other related disorders. Each student in the CALS classroom has an IEP developed
specifically for his or her current learning needs. IEP goals and objectives often address
communication needs, social needs, and behavior needs. Carneys highly trained staff is
committed to providing quality instruction in a safe and friendly learning environment for
each and every individual learner.
This unit was taught to a small group of five students in second grade. All of the
students that participated in this small group were male students. There were no major
cultural or linguistic diversities among the students; each of the students in this group
spoke English as their first language. Three of the five students that participated in this
small group have Individualized Education Plans (i.e., IEPs), and share similar goals and
objectives, specifically in the area of Reading Comprehension. These students receive
accommodations and are currently reading below grade level, at the primer and preprimer instructional level. The accommodations that each of these students receive
include, extended time, a scribe, and a human reader. The fourth student that participated
in this small group does not have an IEP at this time, but often requires additional
support during reading instruction. This student is currently receiving tier 2
interventions. The fifth student is reading on grade-level, and does not have an IEP. He
is also receiving tier 2 interventions. This students benefits from small group instruction
and guided practice.
The reading units objectives align with the Maryland College and Career Ready
Standards. The unit was centered around the text The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaola.
The unit focused on several reading comprehension skills, including: monitoring
comprehension while reading the text; answering questions about the text; and
identifying the main idea and supporting details from the text. The unit was taught over
the course of three days, with each lesson being about forty-five minutes. The unit was
taught in a small group instruction room. The unit included a pre-assessment, various
formative assessments, as well as a summative assessment on Day 3.
DAY 1
Objective: Students will practice thinking while reading the text- The Art Lesson by
recording their questions, personal connections, and thoughts about the text on post-it
notes.
MCCRS Alignment: RL1
Cluster: Key Ideas and Details

Standard: Ask and answer questions such as who, what, where, when, and how to
demonstrate understanding in a text.
Essential Skills and Knowledge:
1. Apply appropriate strategies to monitor understanding during reading, viewing, or
listening to a text:
a. Periodically summarize while reading
b. Visualize what is read
c. Look back through the text for connections between topics, events,
characters, and actions in stories to specific life experiences
d. Identify and question what did not make sense
2. Demonstrate understanding after reading, viewing, or listening to a text:
a. Retell and discuss the text
b. Connect text to prior knowledge or personal experience
DAY 2
Objective: Students will identify story elements including: characters, setting, problem,
and solution, for the text- The Art Lesson, by completing a story web.
MCCRS Alignment: RL2
Cluster: Key Ideas and Details
Standard: Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and
determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
Essential Skills and Knowledge:
1. Identify and explain the elements of a story, (e.g., character(s), setting, problem,
solution, plot).
2. Retell story events in sequential order.
DAY 3
Objective: Students will be able to identify the main idea and supporting details of the
story- The Art Lesson by completing a written response.
MCCRS Alignment: RL2
Cluster: Key Ideas and Details
Standard: Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and
determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
Essential Skills and Knowledge:
1. Identify key details in literary text.
2. Analyze key details to determine the central message, lesson, or moral of literary
text.

Part B- Assessment Plan

For this unit, a variety of assessments were created to measure the students
understanding of the MCCRS Standards. Each of the assessments aligned with the
English Language Arts Standards, in the area of Reading Literature.
All assessments, including the pre-assessment, formative assessments, as well as
summative assessment, aligned with each other. The assessments also aligned with the
goals and objectives of this unit.
Pre-Assessment:
In order to identify students prior knowledge and learning needs, a pre-assessment
was administered. The students were given a pre-assessment, prior to Day 1 of this
unit plan. The pre-assessment was aligned with this unit plans summative
assessment. The pre-assessment assessed the students knowledge of identifying the
main idea and supporting details from a text. The students were read aloud a
paragraph and asked to complete a graphic organizer. The graphic organizer required
students to find 4 supporting details from the paragraph. Students were given the
option of completing this assessment verbally, as a way to differentiate instruction.
Instead of writing responses, students were given optioned of answering questions
verbally. To score this assessment, an answer key was created with the correct
responses.
MCCRS Alignment
Standard RL2: Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures,
and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
Essential Skills and Knowledge:
1. Identify key details in literary text.
2. Analyze key details to determine the central message, lesson, or moral of
literary text.
Observation notes were recorded, as a way to collect data during pre-assessment.
Notes included information pertaining to students ability to understand text, identify
main idea, and identify supporting details. Results from the pre-assessment indicated
that each of the students needed assistance in finding supporting details from a text.
The students needed help summarizing what they read. Many of the students copied
the text word for word. It was evident that each of the students needed assistance
with understanding what they read, as well as identifying the main idea and
supporting details. The information gathered from this pre-assessment helped me
prepare for my unit plan. I designed my lessons to fit the needs of each individual
student in this small group. The summative assessment was created to assess
students knowledge of main idea and supporting details; however, there were many
accommodations made.

Summative Assessment:
In order to determine if students met the MCCRS Standards, a summative assessment
was administered. The summative assessment was given on the final day of this unit
plan. The assessment assessed the students gained knowledge from this unit plan.
Students were instructed to complete a writing response. In their writing response,
students were asked to identify the main idea and supporting details from the text,
The Art Lesson. After reviewing results from the pre-assessment, accommodations
were made to the summative assessment. Students were provided with a pre-writing
activity, before completing their written responses. In addition, students were
provided with an outline as well as a word bank. The word bank was created to
differentiate instruction. To score this summative assessment, an answer key was
created with the correct responses.
MCCRS Alignment
Standard RL2: Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures,
and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
Essential Skills and Knowledge:
1. Identify key details in literary text.
2. Analyze key details to determine the central message, lesson, or moral of
literary text.

Formative Assessment(s):
Throughout this unit plan, various formative assessments were given to the students.
Each formative assessment assessed the students understanding of each lessons
objective.
Day 1- Formative Assessments
On Day 1, I continuously monitored and observed the students comprehension of the
text, The Art Lesson. I paused frequently while reading the story to ask clarifying
questions. In addition, students were asked to complete the handout titled, Student
Drawing after reading the story. This assessed their understanding of the story, as well
as
their
understanding
of
the
lessons
objective.
MCCRS Alignment: RL1
Standard: Ask and answer questions such as who, what, where, when, and how to
demonstrate understanding in a text.
Essential Skills and Knowledge:
1. Apply appropriate strategies to monitor understanding during reading, viewing, or
listening to a text:
a. Periodically summarize while reading
b. Visualize what is read
c. Look back through the text for connections between topics, events,
characters, and actions in stories to specific life experiences
d. Identify and question what did not make sense
2. Demonstrate understanding after reading, viewing, or listening to a text:
a. Retell and discuss the text
b. Connect text to prior knowledge or personal experience

Day 2- Formative Assessments

On Day 2, I continued to monitor and observe students understanding of the text.
Students also completed a story web, where they were asked to identify the characters,
setting, problem, and solution from the story. An answer key was created as a scoring
tool.
MCCRS Alignment: RL2
Standard: Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and
determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
Essential Skills and Knowledge:
1. Identify and explain the elements of a story, (e.g., character(s), setting, problem,
solution, plot).
2. Retell story events in sequential order.

Day 3- Formative Assessments

On Day 3, students completed a pre-writing graphic organizer. Students were asked to
identify the main idea/topic from the text. Students were also asked to identify
supporting details from the text.
MCCRS Alignment: RL2
Standard: Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and
determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
Essential Skills and Knowledge:
1. Identify key details in literary text.
2. Analyze key details to determine the central message, lesson, or moral of literary
text.

Part C- Instruction
Day 1 Instruction:
Introduction to The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaola
About This Lesson
Description:
This lesson was taught to a small group of five students. Students were introduced to
the story The Art Lesson written by Tomie dePaola. In this lesson, students
developed an awareness of their thinking while reading. The students learned how to
think while reading, by asking questions, making connections, and recording their
thoughts and ideas as they listened to the text.
Prerequisites:
Prerequisite skills for this lesson included: listening to a text; reading a second grade
level text with assistance; asking questions about a text; commenting about a text; and
making personal connections to a text.
Estimated Time:
45 minutes
Potential Use
Purpose:
Small Group, Classroom Instruction
Grade:
2
Content Areas:
English/Language Arts
Common Core
English Language Arts
Reading: Literature
Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA- Literacy.R.L1 (grade 2): Ask and answer
questions such as who, what, where, when, and how to
demonstrate understanding in a text.
Essential Skills:
o Look back through the text for connections between
topics, events, characters, and actions in stories to
specific life experiences.
o Identify and question what did not make sense.
Goals
Instructional Goals
Students will monitor their comprehension of the story, The Art Lesson.

Students will record their thoughts, questions, and comments on post-it notes while
listening to the text. Students will make personal connections to the text.
Objective
Students will develop an awareness of their thinking while reading by asking questions,
making connections, and recording their thoughts and ideas as they read.
Variability/UDL
Students were given multiple ways to share their responses- through writing, drawing, or
sharing verbally. Students were given multiple ways to engage in the text- through
reading, recording thoughts on post-it notes, and post-reading drawing activity. Students
were given the option to listen the story, as I read it aloud, or follow along in their copy
of the story. The skill of thinking while reading was first modeled to the students; they
were provided specific examples to guide new learning.
Assessments
Formative Assessments
Students used post-it notes to record their thoughts/ideas, questions, and
connections to the text while listening to the story.
I continuously monitored and observed students understanding of text, by
listening to their comments, questions, and connections to the text.
Students were to complete the worksheet titled, Student Drawing. The
worksheet required students to draw what the story made them think about the
most. The worksheet also required students to write a caption, explaining their
drawing. This assessment was used for Day 2; there was not enough time on
Day 1 to complete the worksheet.
Instructional Methods
Opening:
Before showing students the story, I read aloud the lessons objective. To clarify, I then
stated the objective in kid-friendly language and said, Today we will learn what it means
to think while we read and practice it. We are going to use post-it notes to record our
thinking while we read. Then, to engage and motivate the students, I showed them the
story we were going to read. I helped the students connect to the story by asking, Who
here likes to draw? Who loves art? I asked a volunteer to read the title and author aloud
to the group. I then asked students to make predictions based on the title, author, cover,
and illustrations. I modeled a prediction first to give an example, and then asked students
to share their predictions.
During:
Introduce New Knowledge
After listening to the students predictions, I introduced the skill of thinking while
reading. I explained why this skill is important. I told students that good readers use this
skill every time they read. I said, It is important to know that reading isnt all about the
words and pictures on the pages. Reading is also about thinking. When we read we think
about the information were reading. We dont just think about what is happening in the

story, we have thoughts of our own. We might be reminded of something or we might

wonder why something happened. Thinking matters while reading. This helps us
understand, or comprehend, what we read. Then, I asked leading questions, such as
How do we think while we read and What can we do to help us think while we read?
I listed three strategies that help us think while reading. These included: making
comments, asking questions, and making personal connections. As a visual reminder, I
wrote down each of these skills on the dry erase board, which was sitting at the front of
the group table. I told students that we were going to be practicing these skills while
reading The Art Lesson. I explained we were going to record our thinking on post-it
notes. Then, I distributed a copy of the story to each student. Each student also received
a stack of post-it notes.
Guided Practice
I began reading The Art Lesson aloud to the group of students, pausing frequently to
model my thinking while reading. I modeled writing on the post-it notes to record my
thinking. I also modeled drawing pictures, instead of writing, on the post-it notes. I
paused several times throughout the beginning of the story to provide students with
several models of this skill. For example, after reading the first page, I stated, When I
read this, I cant help but think about how much I love to ski. That is my favorite thing to
do, just like art is Tommys favorite. Then, I wrote a quick phrase on a post-it note and
placed on in my book. I continued to model my thinking throughout the beginning of the
story.
Independent Practice
I continued reading the story aloud, occasionally asking for a volunteer to read. To
ensure on-task behavior, I encouraged students to track the storys print while listening. I
also asked specific students, who appeared distracted, to read aloud to the group. I
paused throughout the story and asked, Does anyone have something theyd like to write
down? Or, I asked, Does this remind you of anything? I encouraged students to
thinking critically and creatively, and told students that there were many parts of the story
they could connect with. The students recorded their comments, questions, and
connections on post-it notes. I encouraged many of the students to draw their ideas on
post-it notes, as several students in this small group have difficulty with writing and
require scribes.
Closing:
After finished reading the story, I summarized the days lesson. While revisiting the
lessons objective, I asked students Did we meet our objective? and How did we meet
it? I told the students that we would be using our post-it notes and the story for the next
few days. Lastly, I encouraged students to use post-it notes when reading any text, just
like we had done today.
Materials
The Art Lesson books (1 per student)
Post-It Notes (about 5-7 per student)
Dry Erase Board

Chalkboard
Student Drawing Worksheet (see attached in Part B)

Day 2 Instruction:
The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaola
About This Lesson
Description:
This lesson was part of the unit plan centered on the text, The Art Lesson. In this
lesson, the students summarized the main events of the text. The students sequenced
the main events of the story. The students also identified story elements, including
the characters, setting, problem, and solution, from the text.
Prerequisites:
Students must have read the story, The Art Lesson. They needed to be familiar
with the main events of the story.
Estimated Time:
45 minutes
Potential Use
Purpose:
Small Group, Classroom Instruction
Grade:
2
Content Areas:
English/Language Arts
Common Core
English Language Arts
Reading: Literature
Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA- Literacy.R.L2 (grade 2): Recount stories,
including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and
determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
Essential Skills:
o Identify and explain the elements of a story.
o Retell story events in sequential order.
Goals
Instructional Goals
Students will retell the story, The Art Lesson by sequencing events from the story.
Students will identify story elements, including characters, setting, problem, and solution,
in the story The Art Lesson.
Objective
Students will revisit the text- The Art Lesson in order to identify story elements,
including the characters, setting, problem, and solution.

Variability/UDL
Background knowledge was built from previous lesson; students completed sequencing
activity to revisit the text. Students were given the option to verbally share their
responses. Students were also encouraged to draw their responses. Students with writing
difficulties were provided with a scribe, while completing story web.
Assessments
Formative Assessments
Students completed the worksheet titled, Student Drawing. The worksheet
required students to draw what they story made them think about most. This
worksheet also required students to write a caption, explaining their drawing.
Students participated in sequencing activity. Given picture cards (with text) from
the story, students were asked to put the events from the story in the correct
sequential order. This assessed their understanding of the story, The Art
Lesson.
Students completed a story web. The story web required students to identify the
characters, setting, problem(s), and solution(s) of the story.
Instructional Methods
Opening:
At the beginning of Day 2, I first reviewed our lesson from the previous day. I asked
students review questions, such as Who can remember the title of our story from
yesterday? and What did we practicing doing while listening to our story?. After
reviewing, I asked students to complete the handout titled Student Drawing. This
handout was originally created for the previous lesson, but we ran out of time. Students
were asked to look back at their post-it notes and draw what the story made them think
about most. Also, the students were asked to write a brief caption under their drawing,
explaining what they drew. As a model, I first showed the students my drawing about the
story.
During:
Introduce New Knowledge
Next, I read aloud the lessons objective. To clarify any misunderstandings, I restated the
objective in kid-friendly language. I said, Today we are going to go back through our
story from yesterday and revisit the events that took place. We are going to summarize
the story and complete a story web. To engage and motivate the group, I asked students
to help me sequence the events from the story. A copy of the story was given to each of
the students, in case they needed it as a reference. To model, I put the first event in order.
I read aloud the text that went with the picture. Then, I asked the students to work
together, as a group, and sequence the remaining events from the story. Each picture card
included the exact text from the story. When the students finished, I asked each student
to retell the story, using the picture cards from the sequencing activity. The students
were expected to retell the story in their own words.
Guided Practice/Independent Practice

Once put in the correct order, the picture cards were placed on the chalkboard. Next, the
students were asked to complete a story web. To review, I asked students to identify the
four main story elements. The students responded and each story element was written on
the dry erase board. Each student received a story web to complete. As a group, we
completed the first half of the story web together. I asked students to identify the storys
characters, setting, problem, and solution. I explained to the students that it would be
helpful to look at the sequencing picture cards when filling out the story web. The
sequence cards served as a visual aid for the students. A scribe was provided for three of
the students, while completing the story web.
Closing
As a group, we reviewed the story web. Then, I summarized the days lesson. I revisited
our lesson objective and asked students, Did we meet our objective today?. I explained
that we would be using our story webs for the next days lesson.
Materials
The Art Lesson books (1 per student)
Post-it Notes (from previous days lesson)
Dry Erase Board
Chalkboard
Student Drawing Worksheet (see attached in Part B)
Story Web Worksheet (see attached in Part B)
Sequencing Picture Cards

Day 3 Instruction:
Unit Plan- The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaola
About This Lesson
Description:
This lesson was the final part of the unit plan centered on the text, The Art Lesson.
In this lesson, students recalled events that occurred in the text by completing
sequencing activity. The students identified the main idea as well as supporting
details from the story, by completing a writing activity.
Prerequisites:
Students must have read the story, The Art Lesson. They needed to be familiar
with what a main idea of a story is, in addition to what supporting details are.
Estimated Time:
45 minutes
Potential Use
Purpose:
Small Group, Classroom Instruction
Grade:
2
Content Areas:
English/Language Arts
Common Core
English Language Arts
Reading: Literature
Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA- Literacy.R.L3 (grade 2): Recount stories,
including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and
determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
Essential Skills:
o Identify key details in literary text.
o Analyze key details to determine the central
message, lesson, or moral of literary text.
Goals
Instructional Goals
Students will use previous knowledge of the text to identify the main idea and supporting
details from the text, The Art Lesson.
Objective
Students will identify the main idea and supporting details of the text- The Art Lesson
by completing a written response.

Variability/UDL
Background knowledge was built from previous lesson; students completed sequencing
activity to revisit the text. Students were provided with a pre-writing graphic organizer,
to help them organize their thoughts prior to completing summative assessment.
Assessment was provided in an outline format, where students had to fill in blanks. A
word bank was also provided for students.
Assessments
Formative Assessments
Students participated in sequencing activity. Given picture cards (with text) from
the story, students were asked to put the events in the correct sequential order.
This assessed their understanding of the story, The Art Lesson, as well as their
ability to recall important events from the text.
Students completed a pre-writing graphic organizer. The graphic organizer
required students to identify the main idea and support details from the text.
Summative Assessment
Students completed the handout, Writing Response- The Art Lesson. Students
were required to compose a writing response, identifying the main idea and
support details in the text.
Instructional Methods
Opening:
At the beginning of Day 3, I read aloud the lessons objective to the students. To clarify
any misunderstandings, I restated the objective in kid-friend language. I stated, Today
we are going to use what weve learned from the past two days, and complete a writing
response about our story. In our writing response, we are going to summarize the story
by identifying the main idea and supporting details. Next, to engage and motive the
students, I asked students to play the sequencing game from the previous days lesson. I
explained to the students that they were going to work a group and had a limited amount
of time to put the picture cards in order. I placed the picture cards all around the
classroom. The students were required to first find the picture cards, and then place them
on the chalkboard under the correct number. There were a total of eight picture cards
from the text. Once completed, the students were asked to come up to the chalkboard,
one by one, and read the picture card. This activity was created to engage students; it
also helped students recall facts from the story. The picture cards from this sequencing
activity were to be used as visual supports for the summative assessment.
During:
Introduce New Knowledge
After reviewing the sequencing activity, I explained that the story mainly focused on one
idea. I explained that the story was centered on one main talent. I asked students, What
was the story mostly about? and What was the talent that was discussed over and over
again in the story?. Students responded verbally. I explained that the characters talent
for art was the main idea of the story. I wrote down the main idea on the dry erase board,

as a visual reminder. Then, I explained that throughout the story, many people supported
the characters love and talent for art. I referred back to our picture cards, on the
chalkboard, and explained that the story talked about a lot of people that supported his
talent. To clarify any misunderstandings, I defined the term supported. I stated,
Supported means that they made him feel good about his art. Another word for
supported is encouraged. The definition was written on the dry erase board. I asked
students to brainstorm about a time when someone in their life supported a talent of
theirs. I said, On Day 1, many of us made connections to the story. The story reminded
us of a talent we have, or a hobby that we love. Think back and think about who
supported, or encouraged, your talent or hobby. It may be a family member or a friend.
This brainstorming activity was created to engage and connect students to the lesson. It
also assessed their understanding of the word support.
Guided Practice
Next, the students were asked to complete a pre-writing graphic organizer. This was
given to students so they could organize their thoughts before completing the writing
activity. Each student received a copy of the handout tilted, The Art Lesson: PreWriting. I read aloud the questions on the handout. The students verbally answered the
questions and I provided assistance and feedback when needed. I explained to the
students that there were many examples in the story, and that everyone might not have
the same answer. I told students to use the picture cards, from the sequencing game, if
they needed some ideas. I also told students they could use the text as reference, if
needed.
Independent Practice
After completing the graphic organizer, I explained that we were going to complete a
writing piece. I told students to use the information from the graphic organizer in their
writing responses. Each student received the worksheet titled, Writing Response- The
Art Lesson. I read aloud the directions and asked for questions. The assessment was
created in an outline format, and had sentence starters. This assessment was adapted to
meet the needs of each individual student. The assessment asked students to identify the
storys main idea and supporting details. Students were asked to fill in the blanks. A
word bank was provided to students who needed additional assistance. The words on the
word bank were labeled with numbers. The students who required scribes, as noted on
their IEPs, were told they could write the number, instead of writing out the answer, in
their responses. Students completed the assessment individually. An enrichment activity
was provided for those students who finished early.
Closing
After collecting each students writing response, I reviewed the days lesson. I asked a
student to read the objective and then asked, Did we meet our objective today?. I
rewarded students for doing a nice job the past three days. I summarized the unit and
asked students what they learned. Students responded verbally. To close, I allowed each
student to pick a prize from the prize box.

Materials:
The Art Lesson book (1 per student)
Dry Erase Board
Chalkboard
Sequencing Picture Cards
Story Web (hung up on chalkboard)
Pre-Writing graphic organizer (see attached in Part B)
Writing Response worksheet (see attached in Part B)
Word Bank (see attached in Part B)

Part D- Analysis and Instructional Decision-Making

Pre-Assessment Data: Finding Supporting Details (Day 1)
Student
Student I

Pre-Assessment Total
3/4

Pre-Assessment Percentage
75%

Student J

1/4

25%

Student W

1/4

25%

Student M

2/4

50%

Student X

0/4

0%

Summative Assessment Data: Finding Main Idea/Supporting Details (Day 3)

Student
Student I

Summative Assessment
Total
4/5

Summative Assessment
Percentage
80%

Student J
Student W

5/5
5/5

100%
100%

Student M

Absent

Absent

Student X

3/5

60%

Pre-Assessment & Summative Assessment Comparison (Day 1/Day 3)

Student
Student I

Pre-Assessment
Total
3/4 = 75%

Summative
Assessment Total
4/5 = 80%

Percentage of
Improvement
5%

Student J

1/4 = 25%

5/5 = 100%

75%

Student W

1/4 = 25%

5/5 = 100%

75%

Student M

2 / 4 = 50%

Absent

N/A

Student X

0/4 = 0%

3/5 = 60%

60%

Assessment data was collected for each of the five students who participated in
this three-day unit. Data was collected prior to the beginning of this unit, as well as at the
end. In addition, I continuously monitored and observed students performance
throughout this unit. On Day 1, a pre-assessment was administered, and on Day 3, a
summative assessment was administered. Both the pre-assessment and summative
assessment measured each students ability to identify the main idea and supporting
details from a text. Various formative assessments were also given, to track students
understanding of lesson objectives. All of the assessments in this unit plan aligned with
the Maryland College and Career Readiness State Standards, specifically in the area of
English Language Arts.
As the charts above indicate, each student made improvement from the preassessment to the summative assessment. Because the students included in this small
group share similar IEP goals and reading difficulties, as noted in Part A, I was able to
compare data, as a whole, based on their reading disabilities and special education
requirements. There was a clear pattern of achievement of the MCCRS standards. Three
out of the five students improved significantly, with improvement percentages greater
than fifty percent. Student W and Student J improved by 75%; Student I improved by
5%; and Student X improved by 60%. Although Student I only achieved 5%
improvement, he scored an 80% on the summative assessment, which indicated mastery
of the MCCRS standard. Student M was absent on Day 3 of this unit; therefore, he was
not able to complete the summative assessment. That being said; however, results from
various formative assessments throughout this unit indicated that Student M would have
also made significant improvement.
There was also a clear pattern of achievement, when observing results from the
formative assessments. The formative assessments that were administered throughout
this unit plan measured students reading comprehension skills. Specifically, the
formative assessment for Day 2 assessed the students ability to summarize the text,
recall events from the text, and identify story elements. The formative assessments for
Day 3 assessed the students ability to summarize the text, identify main events from the
text, and identify supporting details from the text. Each of these reading skills supported
the skills needed to successfully complete the summative assessment on Day 3.
Therefore, it was important to analyze results from each of the formative assessments. I
continuously monitored and observed students ability to complete each of the formative
assessments. I also reviewed all assessment documents at the end of each day, to
determine success rates of students. With assistance, students demonstrated the ability to
successfully answer questions on the formative assessments. When participating in the
sequencing activity, on Day 2, students showed their ability to recall events from the
story. When completing the story web, also on Day 2, students showed their ability to
identify important details from the story. When completing graphic organizer on Day 3,
students showed their ability to list supporting details from the text. The patterns of
achievement the students showed while completing the formative assessments indicated
that students were prepared for the summative assessment.
In order to prepare students, I needed to analyze results from pre-assessment and
plan my lessons accordingly. Results from the pre-assessment indicated that each of the
students had not yet mastered the skill of identifying main idea and supporting details
from a text. There was a clear pattern of lack of achievement. After administering the

pre-assessment, it was evident that the students needed support with reading
comprehension skills. Although the text in the pre-assessment was read aloud to them,
each of the students struggled with comprehending the text. When asked to identify the
main idea or supporting details, many of the students simply copied the text word for
word. All of the students required additional support with summarizing and recalling
what they had just read. It was very evident that the students needed repetitive practice
with the same text. For these reasons, I decided to design a reading unit plan that was
centered on one text, which we would focus on for a total of three lessons. It appeared
that the students would benefit from exposure to the same text for multiple days.
Focusing on the same text for multiple days also supports the current shifts in the English
Language Arts Common Core Standards. My goal was to dig deep in the text, to promote
student understanding and comprehension.
Additionally, after observing each of these students in the classroom and
gathering results from the pre-assessment, I decided to adapt many parts of this unit. It
was evident that instructional strategies and interventions were needed. First, it appeared
that the students benefitted from visual aids, such as graphic organizers. Therefore, I
decided to include various graphic organizers in this unit. Once completed, the graphic
organizers were posted on the chalkboard; the graphic organizers served as visual aids for
the students to use during summative assessment. Further, it was also evident that these
students could better express themselves through artwork, rather than through words.
Many of the students in this group have difficulty with writing tasks, but are able to
express themselves through drawings. Therefore, the students were given the option to
draw their responses during Day 1 and Day 2 lessons. In addition, it was clear that these
students needed simple, broken down tasks. As mentioned previously, many of these
students were reading below grade level and require additional support during reading
instruction. They require clear expectations and many models to be successful. For these
reasons, I decided to break down each day with a different activity. Each of the lessons
activity were related to the story, The Art Lesson, and focused on comprehension skills
needed to prepare them for the summative assessment. My goal was to prepare students
for Day 3 and the summative assessment.

Part E- Reflection & Self Evaluation

Overall, I am very pleased with the outcome of this unit, and think this unit
proved to be very successful. Results from the summative assessment indicated student
growth. As noted in Part D, each student that participated in this small group improved
from the pre-assessment to summative assessment. One hundred percent of the students
showed improvement throughout this three-day unit, and received satisfactory to above
average grades on the summative assessment. Three of the five students improved
significantly, with improvement rates greater than fifty percent. These three students also
achieved scores in the high average range, with 100%, 100%, and 80%. In addition, the
other student achieved a passing score of 60%. As you can see, it is evident from the data
that all five students met the learning goals and objectives for this unit, which, as
mentioned previously, aligned with the MCCRS Standards. This data also indicates the
use of effective instructional strategies and interventions.
As mentioned in Part D, I decided to adapt many parts of this unit, to address the
cultural, linguistic and learning differences of the students. I differentiated my
instruction to influence student learning. Many of the students in this group share similar
learning needs, such as small group instruction, human readers, scribes, and broken down
tasks. I was able to adapt my lesson to meet each of these needs. I made sure to include
a variety of visuals to support students needs, such as graphic organizers and pictures
from the text. I also made sure to use simple language when explaining new concepts. In
addition, I provided students with definitions of any new or unfamiliar vocabulary needed
to complete the lessons. I provided students with many models before asking them to
perform tasks individually. Many of the strategies and interventions used are mentioned
above in Part D. Scores from the summative assessment show the effectiveness of my
differentiated instruction. As you can see, the students benefitted from each of the
instructional strategies and interventions in which I chose to implement.
For future instructional activities, I think I would try to focus on providing more
individual support for students. One of the five students made less improvement than the
others. Therefore, I believe I could have provided this student with more individualized
instruction. Occasionally, throughout this unit, I observed this student becoming
distracted and, at times, unengaged. I think I could have implemented additional
strategies to better motivate and engage him. For instance, this student may have
benefitted from an individual reinforcement system, such as a sticker chart. That being
said, I also would try to focus on providing enrichment activities for those students who
made significant gains. Two of the students received a 100% on the summative
assessment. While I believe this data indicates effective instruction, I also feel that I
could have challenged these students more during the unit. In the future, I could provide
these students with enrichment or expansion activities that they could complete
individually after completing the assessment. Or, I could pair these higher-achieving
students with students who require more individualized support.
In order to make these changes, in the future, I believe I could collaborate with
other school-based professionals. First, the special educator would be an excellent
resource and person to collaborate with. The special educator could help brainstorm
different instructional strategies for students with IEPs. In my case, I think the special
educator and I could have collaborated more on how to keep all students engaged,

focused, and on task. This may have improved achievement rates for the student
mentioned above. In addition, I think we could have collaborated on finding a more
appropriate reinforcement system for this student. Providing him with more
reinforcement may have increased his on-task behavior throughout this unit.
Furthermore, I also believe I could collaborate with the general education, or the
classroom, teacher. Each of the five students that participated in this small group are in
the same second grade class. Therefore, the second grade classroom teacher and I could
have collaborated more on my unit. She could have provided more background
knowledge on each of the students, and identified which students may need more
challenging work tasks. Using this information, I could have better prepared enrichment
or expansion activities for these students. Both the special educator and general
education teacher would be great resources to use and collaborate with, when planning
for future instructional activities.
Throughout this experience, I was able to achieve many professional learning
goals, which aligned with the CEC standards. First, I was able to understand and apply
CEC Standard 1- Learner Development and Individual Learning Differences. When
planning and implementing my lessons, I was first required to recognize the specific,
individual learning needs of my students. Then, using that information, I was required to
accommodate and adapt my lessons to meet those specific learning needs. For example,
when learning that some of the students benefit from visual supports, I decided to have
students complete a story web. The story web helped support those particular students
need for visuals. Understanding the needs and differences of my students, helped me
better prepare my lessons as well as helped my students become successful. Also, I was
able to understand and apply CEC Standard 4- Assessment. Throughout this unit, a
variety of assessments were administered, including a pre-assessment, various formative
assessments, as well as a summative assessment. Information gathered from the
assessments helped me prepare and plan for my three-day unit. Results from the preassessment indicated specific areas of need for each of the students. I was able to use this
information to adapt and differentiate my instruction to meet the needs of the students. It
was evident that students needed instruction that targeted specific reading comprehension
skills, such as monitoring comprehension while reading; identifying elements of the
story; and identifying main idea and key details of the story. As you can see, I learned a
tremendous amount throughout the completion of this assignment. I look forward to
applying the knowledge and experience I have gained from this project in my future
classrooms, as a special educator.