USF Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template (rev.
Sum19) Name: ______Sarah Dunn______________________________
Grade Level Being Taught: 3
Title of Lesson
Meeting your students’ needs as
people and as learners
(supervisors)
What Standards (national or
state) relate to this lesson?
(You should include ALL applicable
standards.)
Understanding the standards
over time
Subject/Content: ELA Group Size: Date of Lesson:
Whole Group
Part 1: Lesson Content
The Life-Cycle of a River: Sequencing
How does this lesson connect to the interests and cultural backgrounds of your students?
Many of the students are not sure exactly what a river is, so this is a unique opportunity to show them.
Throughout history, people have settled on rivers and relied on them for crop fertility and water sources.
It’s important for them to know about rivers because every group of people has relied on them at some
point or another, from the Nile to the Amazon, the Euphrates to the Rhine. Our unit is on water and many
students are intrigued about how water is all connected on the planet. The idea that rivers flow directly
into other water sources like oceans and lakes will hopefully be fascinating to these students, as it
literally connects with another body of water. The ELA concepts, specifically the one about sequencing, is
critical to everyday tasks, even tasks as simple as prioritizing things to do throughout the day. Practice
understanding sequences is important as they will use this skill in life in some way or another regardless
of the cultural background of the student, although ways they may use it can vary.
How does this lesson connect to/reflect the local community?
Hillsborough county is home to the Hillsborough river, a very important river with a lot of history. It has
a state park named after it which holds a lot of history itself. Living in the Tampa Bay area, the
Hillsborough river is extremely important to the community whether we recognize it or not, and being
that Florida is home to many rivers, it is important that our students learn about their local bodies of
water.
LAFS.3.RI.1.1 and RI.3.8 are the big ones, but also applicable is LAFS.3.RI.2.4.
Trace the standard to the previous grade level. What have students already learned or been exposed to
related to this standard?
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USF Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template (rev. Sum19) Name: ______Sarah Dunn______________________________
Grade Level Being Taught: 3
(CPALMS/instructional planning
course)
What misconceptions might
students have about this
content? (talk to your CT)
Objectives- What students will
know or be able to do after the
instruction – the learning
outcomes
Content (WHAT students are
learning- look to the standard)
Action (HOW students will show it-
there might be clues in the
standard)
Measure (HOW WELL they need to
do it)
(Note: Degree of mastery does not
need to be a percentage.)
(connect back to 4504/CT
Support/reinforced in
instructional planning)
Subject/Content: ELA Group Size: Date of Lesson:
Whole Group
LAFS.2.RI.1.1, 2.4, LAFS.1.RI.1.1, 1.3, 2.4
Trace the standard to the next grade level. What will students learn next related to this standard?
LAFS.4.RI.1.1, 2.5, 2.6
The answer to a sequencing question can be anything that happens in the text (Ex: “What happens FIRST
in the article?” would be the question and a student would pick anything they saw from the text).
Some examples:
--Students will be able to accurately (measure- how well) differentiate (action- how) between potential
and kinetic energy (content- what). 
--Based on what they read in the first half of a fiction story, students will be able to write (action- how) a
reasonable (measure- how well) prediction (also part of the action) for how the main character will
respond to a challenge in the second half (content- what).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Students will be able to accurately ask and answer questions about a text using an informational article
as the text.
Students will be able to identify the sequence of a river’s “life-cycle” by accurately filling out a graphic
organizer using an informational text about rivers.
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USF Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template (rev. Sum19) Name: ______Sarah Dunn______________________________
Grade Level Being Taught: 3
Level(s) of Thinking
Assessment Plan- How will you
know students have mastered
your objectives?
Subject/Content: ELA Group Size: Date of Lesson:
Whole Group
Using Bloom’s Taxonomy or Webb’s Depth of Knowledge, which level(s) of thinking is/are called for in
the standard? _Either DOK 2 or 3 (unsure if sequencing is considered basic or complex reasoning).
Which level(s) of thinking is/are called for in your objective? ________Analyze_______________________________
Why did you choose this level(s) of thinking?
Students have had trouble understanding the logical connection standard so I am teaching them about
sequencing. Analyzing includes taking information apart and exploring relationships, and here the
students will be exploring the relationships between different aspects of a river. Unfortunately, there is
not enough time in the day to plan for the evaluation and creation stages in the “levels of thinking.”
Describe your assessment plan:
As students complete their work, I will come around and give them an “all clear” check mark on each box
they fill in for the graphic organizer to check their understanding of what they are supposed to be doing
and their understanding of the sequencing activity. I will also have them turn in 2 sticky notes: one with
any questions they have and one with something they learned. The learned part is to check for
comprehension of the article and more for me to make sure they read through it instead of just picking
out pieces of information, and the questions is to identify anything that they would want to know more
about to better plan lessons around this water unit in the future. The questions activity is an opportunity
for them to practice “test-questions” relating to the article that they will see in the near future on bigger
summative assessments, and will be used as an extra activity in the event that students finish early.
How does it align with your objective?
The graphic organizer is a way for students to directly sequence the things that happen in the river and
the different parts of the river, from its start to its end. It relates directly to the 3.8 standard, and
therefore to my objective on sequencing (logical connections between paragraphs).
The graphic organizer and questions activity allow students to engage in answering questions and
referencing an informational text on rivers, which ties into our water unit. This aligns with standard 1.1
and therefore my objective on answering questions. Students will also be asked to write any questions
they have after reading the article on sticky notes, which gives them a chance to ask question related to
the informational text.
Is your assessment formative or summative? Why did you make that assessment decision?
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USF Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template (rev. Sum19) Name: ______Sarah Dunn______________________________
Grade Level Being Taught: 3
Assessment Scoring/Rubric
What are the criteria for how you
will assess student
learning/student work? If you’re
using a rubric, include your rubric
here.
Management & Environment
(integrated throughout your
step-by-step plan):
Subject/Content: ELA Group Size: Date of Lesson:
Whole Group
Formative because we are in the middle of a unit.
Students should either copy from the text or paraphrase what is written in the text to identify each stage
of the river’s “life cycle.” I will have my own copies of the article marked up and graphic organizer
completed for reference as well. The sticky notes should include one fact from the article that they
enjoyed, this is to make sure they learned something while reading, and questions promote higher level
thinking and curiosity among the students on the topic. They should have at least one question. For
gifted students or students who need challenging, I will encourage them to try to think of at least 3
questions they have after reading the article. I do not have a rubric.
Part 2: Lesson Implementation
● How will you arrange yourself and the students (location in the classroom, seating)?
Students will be at their desk as usual. Some students may use the back table or take a break desk
if preferred. I can move a student or two to work with S if she would like to work with someone
(maybe Ja or N)
● What processes & procedures will you use? How and when will you communicate those to
students?
Lots of “thumbs up/down” and checking for understanding. “Does everyone understand what we are
supposed to be doing?” Use clear language when giving directions. Use powerpoint to keep students on
track. Give adequate time for students to get materials ready. Hands on top attention getter. Circulating
during activities.
● What expectations will you have for the students? How and when will you communicate those to
students?
Students are expected to be working either collaboratively or individually on their graphic organizer. I
will inform them multiple times on activities for which they have a choice on how they will work. During
the question activity, I will inform students that this is to be individual as they are handed the questions.
● What strategies will you use if students do not meet your expectations? Are there specific
students who require a more extensive management plan? What will that consist of?
If students do not meet expectations, I will get individuals’ attention if it is a problem with certain
students and speak to them, but if it is a collective issue, I will use the verbal attention getter for the class
and restate expectations and check for understanding. Students that may require extensive management
include:
Z: May not do work. I can pair her up with another student or group such as K and M who may be able to
bring her up to speed.
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USF Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template (rev. Sum19) Name: ______Sarah Dunn______________________________

Grade Level Being Taught: 3 Subject/Content: ELA Group Size: Date of Lesson:
Whole Group

Ja: may be rude or disruptive. Working alone or with S can be good for her to minimize issues with other
students. If she causes problems, I can usually resolve them by talking with her. If she refuses to work, I
can try pairing her with someone because she will usually try to take the lead. For this lesson, I cannot sit
with her as I will need to focus on other students too.
A: Speaks little to no English. I will have to ask Ka if she can pair with him and help him out a little with
instructions as she also speaks Spanish. He will have the article in Spanish, and I will let him know that
he can do the assignment in Spanish as well (like write in Spanish).
Jk: He doesn’t write much. If I can get him to write a little bit, even a few key words, it’s a win.
Jn: He will be allowed to work alone or with a partner and he can stand. I will try to keep him away from
Cn because they sometimes have conflicts.
S: I need to make sure she can see the powerpoint and what I do on screen. If she wants to work with
someone, I can pair her with N and T or maybe J? I will also make sure is able to read her paper through
her Onyx machine or her handheld magnifier.
Ta: Do not let work with Jh if possible. Keep away from Ke at all times. Circulate near him a lot and praise
every little good thing he does. Look for opportunities to let him move his clip up because it makes him
want to do better.
Jh: Do not let work with Ta if possible. Encourage a lot. Look for opportunities to let move clip up. Be
lenient on moving around and voice level as long as she is on task.
Hy: If she doesn’t do work, encourage her to just do a little bit, look for lots of opportunities to move clip
up, allow to work individually or maybe with Ke. If she needs time to chill out, give her space. Don’t
acknowledge anger too much, OR talk to her briefly about how it’s okay to be angry and to feel it, but she
needs to acknowledge it, feel it, and then let it go so she can move on with her day and that we all feel
negative emotions and that it’s okay. Allow her to take breaks if necessary and give plenty of positive
praise if she works productively.
Ke: Keep away from Ta at all times. Look for clip opportunities. Allow to work with Hy if they want to
work together.
G: Lots of circulation, redirection, and encouragement to focus. Praise when notice him focusing and clip
opportunities.

● What will students do if they complete the task quickly?

Students will move from graphic organizer to sticky notes to questions to iReady. Most will probably not
finish questions or get on iReady.

Materials Materials Needed for Lesson:

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USF Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template (rev. Sum19) Name: ______Sarah Dunn______________________________
Grade Level Being Taught: 3
(What materials will you use? Why
did you choose these materials?
Include any resources you used.
This can also include people!)
Subject/Content: ELA Group Size: Date of Lesson:
Whole Group
Phone for timer and spinner
Article printout for students
“The Life-Cycle of a River” graphic organizer
“The Life-Cycle of a River” questions worksheet
Powerpoint for lesson
Article in Spanish (for ELLs)
Colored pencils or other colorful writing utensils (green, red, and blue if possible)
Other resources:
The article was adapted by me from this one found on Britannica:
https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/river/346203
An article to start working on standard RI.3.9 could be this one, as it discusses canyons more in depth
and the students could compare and contrast what they see in the two articles about rivers and canyons.
https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/canyon/346098
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USF Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template (rev. Sum19) Name: ______Sarah Dunn______________________________
Grade Level Being Taught: 3
Differentiating Instruction
(adapting instruction to meet the
needs of individual students or
groups of students)
Differentiating Instruction
(adapting instruction to meet the
needs of individual students or
groups of students)
Accommodations
Subject/Content: ELA Group Size: Date of Lesson:
Whole Group
How will you differentiate instruction in this lesson? Circle those that apply:
Process Product Content Readiness Interest Learner Profile
Describe what/how you will differentiate:
I have translated the article to Spanish for my ELLs. I have also made the graphic organizer
assignment flexible for student cultural styles, allowing for either collaboration on the organizer
or individual work time depending on the preference of the student.
Which specific students will benefit, and why?
All students will benefit from the opportunity to choose their method of work on the graphic
organizer, but native English speakers will benefit more from this activity overall because I have
not translated the other materials (outside of the article) into Spanish and will not deliver all my
instruction in Spanish. I am also not going to be using my spinner much, if at all, for this lesson
due to its nature, so this may give an advantage the more confident students who are willing to
raise their hands more.
How will you adapt this lesson to meet the needs of individual students or groups of students?
(content? materials? level of support? pace? etc.). Make connections to your student asset profile.
For the students with ADHD (and all the students really), I tried to make the powerpoint more
entertaining to watch because it is easy for certain students to become distracted by other things
around the room. I created many animations in the powerpoint so that the students hopefully
find it a little more interesting, and made it colorful in colors relevant to the topic of the unit:
water.
I will be communicating with ELLs when necessary to the best of my ability to help them
understand the activities if they are confused and will have google translate available on my
phone to assist me with answering any questions in Spanish if necessary.
I will also ensure that my visually impaired student is able to see the powerpoint and her
materials, and that she has a partner to work with if she would like to work with someone on the
graphic organizer.
What accommodations will you make for students who are English Language Learners? (Refer to
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USF Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template (rev. Sum19) Name: ______Sarah Dunn______________________________
Grade Level Being Taught: 3
(What students need specific
accommodation? List individual
students (initials), and then explain
the accommodation(s) you will
implement for these unique
learners.)
*If you don’t have students who
require these accommodations,
describe what you WOULD do if
you did have these students.
Subject/Content: ELA Group Size: Date of Lesson:
Whole Group
your ESOL Strategies checklist and list specific strategies)
● Pre-Production Level: Students will have access to the article in Spanish and I will be available to
help translate other materials and answer questions. If necessary, I can ask another ELL for help
translating, although I would like to keep this to a minimum.
● Early Production Level: Students will have access to the article in Spanish and I will be available
to help translate other materials and answer questions. If necessary, I can ask another ELL for
help translating, although I would like to keep this to a minimum.
● Speech Emergence Level: Students will have access to the article in Spanish and I will be available
to help translate other materials and answer questions.
● Intermediate Fluency Level: Students will have access to the article in Spanish and I will be
available to help translate other materials and answer questions.
What accommodations will you make for students who have an IEP or 504 plan?
Students will be allowed to stand and move about their area as they work, and I will allow certain
students to take “stretch breaks” for 1 minute at a time if necessary. The “take a break” desk is
always open and available to students who want a change of environment to do their work, and
the “time out” desk in block 2 can be used as a secondary take a break desk if the student would
like to sit there to work. If the back table is available, it can also serve as a place to move for a
change of environment. Students will have as much time as needed to work on each part of the
lesson, although I will try to push them to work at an appropriate pace in order to complete
everything necessary by the time we need to move on. All student should be able to complete the
graphic organizer at the very least with the time they are given.
What accommodations will you make for students identified as gifted and have an EP (education
plan)?
These students will be encouraged to add any additional details they find that support the information in
the graphic organizers, and will be encouraged to think of at least three questions they might have after
reading the text.
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USF Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template (rev. Sum19) Name: ______Sarah Dunn______________________________
Grade Level Being Taught: 3
References (Planning of
instruction should be guided by
research-informed
approaches. Acknowledge
references used to inspire lesson
ideas.)
Step-by-Step Plan
(What exactly do you plan to do in
teaching this lesson? Be thorough.
Act as if you needed a substitute to
carry out the lesson for you.)
Where applicable, be sure to
address the following:
◻ What Higher Order Thinking
(H.O.T.) questions will you ask?
◻ How will materials be
distributed?
◻ Who will work together in
groups and how will you
determine the grouping?
◻ How will students transition
between activities?
◻ What will you as the teacher
do?
◻ What will you as the teacher
say?
◻ What will the students do?
◻ What student data will be
collected during each phase?
◻ What are other adults in the
room doing? How are they
Subject/Content: ELA Group Size: Date of Lesson:
Whole Group
Field experience, discussions with peers about translating information for ELLs, personal
experience in classes with “fun” powerpoints, iReady Florida LAFS textbook, advice from CT and
Dr. L, sample questions provided by CT
1. What is the content area for this lesson? ___ELA___________________________________
2. What is the expected lesson structure for a lesson taught within this content area? In other
words, what lesson structure is appropriate for teaching within this content area? (5Es;
guided/gradual release/etc.) ______Level 2, CT cycle 1 =_Whole group
3. Step-by-step plan:
Time: Action Steps:
9:00
*Open powerpoint* “Good morning everyone! I am so excited today because we are going to
do a lesson about rivers, which I think are just the most amazing things! In fact, Hillsborough
county is home to the Hillsborough river, which has its own state park named after it.”
*Begin handing out the papers* “Today we are going to read an article on the life cycle of
rivers. We will learn how rivers form, what goes on in different parts of a river, and how
rivers end. We will be recording the order of a river in these graphic organizers, which we
will get to in a moment.”
9:02 *Go to slide 2* “Now, let’s move on to our learning targets. Everyone stand behind your
chairs and get ready!” *State the learning targets and do hand motions with them as the
students repeat* At the end of each target, ask: “Can I have a volunteer to tell me what the
learning target is?”
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USF Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template (rev. Sum19) Name: ______Sarah Dunn______________________________

Grade Level Being Taught: 3 Subject/Content: ELA Group Size: Date of Lesson:
Whole Group

supporting students’ learning?

*Go to slide 3* “I know that some of you will know what rivers are and some of you wont,
9:04 and that is okay. I want you to turn and talk to a friend and discuss: what is a river? Or, what
do you think a river is?”

9:06 “Can I have a volunteer tell me what a river is, or what they think it might be?” If the first
volunteer doesn’t know, call on a second hand. If they don’t know, then tell them what it is. “A
river is a body of water that starts at a high place and flows to a larger body of water, often to
an ocean.” *Show pictures on slide* “Here are some pictures of several different rivers. You
can see that these ones snake around hills and mountains, but they don’t always. Some rivers
flow through flatter areas, like in Florida, but all rivers start somewhere a little higher, such
as a hill or mountain.

“Today we are going to read about what I like to call the ‘life-cycle’ of a river. If you
remember back to our frog unit, we learned that the life cycle of a frog started out when the
frog laid eggs. What happened to the eggs?” *Spinner or call on hand* Student should answer
“The eggs hatched into tadpoles!” If not, I will say it. Then, “What was the next thing in the life
cycle of the frog, after the tadpoles hatched?” *Spinner or call on hand* Student should say
something along the lines of, “they grew arms/legs” or “they turned into baby frogs/froglets.”
If not, say this.
“When we look back to the life-cycle of a frog, we can notice that there are certain events that
happen in a specific order. The order being egg, tadpole, froglet, then adult frog. In the same
way, a river has a certain order to it, which is why I call it a ‘life-cycle’ even though rivers are
not actually alive. Rivers are not living things because they are made out of dirt and water,
they don’t breathe, they are not plants, they are not animals, they are not actually alive, but I
am calling this the river’s life cycle because it is LIKE a life-cycle that an animal might have.
Does everyone understand? Show me thumbs.” *check for thumbs up and thumbs down*

*Move to slide 4* “Now, I want everyone who wants to work with someone to find a friend,
and you are going to read the introduction of the article together and then discuss what you
think these pictures are. If you want to work alone, you can do that too. It is your choice.
Show me thumbs? Go.”

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USF Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template (rev. Sum19) Name: ______Sarah Dunn______________________________

Grade Level Being Taught: 3 Subject/Content: ELA Group Size: Date of Lesson:
Whole Group

“Hands
9:15 on top…” “Can I have a volunteer to tell me what they think one of these pictures is?” *call on
hand* “good job!” or “hmm, not quite, its ___!” Tell the students what each picture is. “The Grand Canyon
and deltas will be mentioned briefly in the article, so I wanted to let you see pictures of them before you
read.”
9:17 to slide 5* “Does anybody want to take a guess at what the word ‘sequence’ means?” *Call on a
*Move
hand* “Sequence means the order in which things happen.” *click for numbers* “Here you can see a
number sequence of 1, 2, 3. These numbers are in order, they are in sequence. “
“When we sequence things, it means we are determining, or finding, the order that they are supposed to
be in. Can I see thumbs to see if everyone understands sequencing?”

“As we go through the text, we are going to put together the life cycle of the river in a sequence in our
graphic organizers. There are six main parts to the river’s life. You can do this with a friend or two, or on
your own. It is your choice.”

“Now I need everyone to pull out their green, red, and blue colored pencils. If you do not have colored
pencils, you can use crayons or highlighters. If you do not have blue, you can pull out purple. If you do not
have red, you can pull out pink or orange. Right now, we are going to start with green. I will give you one
minute to pull out your colors. Go.”

*Switch to slide 6* “I need everyone to have their green colored pencil and article in front of them. We
are going to do the first example together. Follow along with me as I read the first paragraph.” *read the
first paragraph* “I am going to circle the word “first” in my green colored pencil because it is a word that
signals to me that it is going to talk about something in the sequence. What is the first thing that the
article tells us?” *look for hands, call on one* student should say “the river begins as a tiny trickle in the
ground”. Say “excellent!” or “hmm, not quite”, then repeat “the river begins as a tiny trickle in the
ground.” I am going to underline this because it is telling me the first event or thing in the river’s life. The
river’s life begins with a tiny trickle of water. But where does the tiny trickle of water start?

9:23
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USF Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template (rev. Sum19) Name: ______Sarah Dunn______________________________

Grade Level Being Taught: 3 Subject/Content: ELA Group Size: Date of Lesson:
Whole Group

*look for hands, call on one* student should say “from rain, snow, or springs* say “wonderful!” or “hmm,
not quite” and repeat, “The water may come from rainfall, from melting snow or ice, or from
underground through a spring” “I am going to underline this because I need this information to explain
where the river starts. Does everyone understand why I underlined these things? Can I see thumbs?”

Now, I need everyone to grab their graphic organizers *switch computer to doc cam* We are going to
find number 1 because it’s the first event in the sequence of the river’s life cycle, go to the box under it,
and write down, ‘The river begins with a tiny trickle of water from rain, snow or ice melting, or an
underground spring.’ Do you see what Ms. Dunn did here? She wrote what the article said, but in her own
words. When you fill in your graphic organizer, you can either write exactly what the article says, or you
can write it in your own words. Can I see thumbs?”

Students should have had enough time to copy down the sentence. *Switch back to powerpoint and move
to slide 7* “The second part of the river’s life cycle is in this paragraph. On your own or with a friend,
reread the rest of the paragraph and find the next thing that happens to the river. Use your green colored
pencil to find it, and write it down in your graphic organizer. Once you have written in your organizer,
raise your hand and I will come around and give you checks.” At this point, circulate and give checks as
students finish up.

“Hands on top… Alright everybody, now we are going to move on. With your partner or on your own, we
are going to continue working on our graphic organizers and finding the next two events in the river’s
life cycle. Please switch over to your red or orange writing utensil. Go ahead and search for the next two
events, marking in your article, and writing in your graphic organizer. Go!”

“Hands on top… You should have found and written down at least one more event at this point. When
you have found the third and fourth events in the sequence of the river’s life-cycle, you can pull out your
blue or purple writing utensil and move on to the final events.”

“Hands
9:44 on top… At this point everyone should be almost done with their graphic organizers. Remember
to raise your hand when you are finished so I can come give you checks and sticky notes, and then again
when you finish with the sticky notes for your next task. Make sure you are focusing on your work, as we
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USF Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template (rev. Sum19) Name: ______Sarah Dunn______________________________

Grade Level Being Taught: 3 Subject/Content: ELA Group Size: Date of Lesson:
Whole Group

do not have a lot of time left!”

As students finish, give them their sticky notes for their informal assessment and to see any questions
students have, and then the questions handout for the lesson. Most students will probably not get to
finish the questions, but try to make sure everyone gets the handout.

Time for music class.

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