UMF

Unit-Wide Lesson
Plan Template

Name: Taylor Burke Program: ELE Course: EDU 450

Lesson Topic / Title: TWS Lesson #4-Identifying Main Idea and Supporting Details in an
Informational Text

Lesson Date: 4/1 Lesson Length: 60 minutes Grade/Age: Grade 3/Age 8 & 9

Learning Objectives & Content Standard Alignment - Selects, creates, and sequences learning
experiences and performance tasks that support learners in reaching rigorous curriculum goals
based on content standards.
Learning Objective(s) Instructional Decisions / Reasoning

Teacher Objectives • This is the fourth lesson on a
Students will be able to independently identify the topic of unit about finding the main
an informational text. They will also be able to use context idea and supporting details in
clues to understand and figure out the main idea. Lastly, an informational text.
students will be able to identify which details in the • My mentor and I noticed that
informational text support the main idea. our students were having
trouble finding the main idea
and supporting details of a text
Student Objectives and this lesson helps students
1. I can identify the topic of an informational text. gain that skill.
2. I can use context clues to identify the main idea of • Students have already learned
an informational text. about the context clues in a
3. I can identify what details support the main idea previous lesson and now they
in an informational text. will be using and applying
their knowledge of the tools.
• Breaking apart the second and
third objectives into two
separate objectives for main
idea and supporting details
makes the learning targets feel
more manageable and less
overwhelming.
• These objectives were chosen
to introduce the concept
actually identifying the main
idea in an informational text.
• These skills are important
because they help students
with overall comprehension of
informational texts.

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Content Standard(s) Instructional Decisions / Reasoning

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details • Only determining the main
and explain how they support the main idea. idea and supporting details
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.5 will be addressed in this
Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, lesson.
sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a • The learning objectives push
given topic efficiently. students to begin determining
the main idea and supporting
details of a text which is the
part of the standard.
• Only addressing this part of
the standard helps make
learning objective less
overwhelming and makes
meeting the content standard
more manageable.


CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.5
• Students have already learned
about specific text features and
what information they provide.
Students will now use text
features to specifically find the
main idea. Students will not be
looking at all text features but
will focus on three to find the
main idea. The three text
features they will mostly
analyze are the title, captions,
and pictures.
• This lesson builds students’
ability to use these specific text
features for comprehension of
an informational text. This is
an important skill for students
to master before they begin
reading more complex
informational texts in the
future.
• Students will be using the
specific text features to find
information to understand the
main idea.

Assessment - Uses assessment flexibly to expand and deepen understanding of learner performance
and determines best supports for continued learner growth.
Assessment Instructional Decisions / Reasoning

IEPs/504s: IEPs/504s:
No modifications need to be made to the assessments due Student 7 has an IEP for speech, but
to IEPs/504s. there are no assessment modifications

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Embedded that need to be made in this lesson for

Group Discussion/Observation him.
Students will be formatively assessed during discussions
and through observation throughout the lesson. Students Embedded:
will be assessed on their ability to identify the topic of an • Group discussion and
informational text, use context clues to identify the main observation will allow the
idea of an informational text, and identify what details teacher to assess students
support the main idea in an informational text. The while they are actively
teacher will be observing students during the whole group learning. It will also assess
highlighting activity, guided practice identification student comprehension before
activity, and the independent work. During the whole- independent practice. This will
group instruction, the teacher will be asking relevant be beneficial because it will
questions and formatively assessing student answers. The allow the teacher to help
teacher will also use the learning targets as a students prepare to
preassessment (during the introduction) and a formative independently identify the
assessment (during the lesson and at the end of the supporting detail and explain
lesson). This will also serve as a self-assessment because what they are.
students will be assessing how they think they have • These discussions will make
reached the learning targets. During the lesson, students the independent work easier
will assess their ability to meet the learning targets with because the teacher can adjust
the thumbs-up strategy. Students who are struggling will instruction to fit students’
get support during the whole-group instruction and needs.
guided practice which will consist of prompting. The • Using the learning targets as a
teacher will ask questions to aid with assessing self-assessment allows
comprehension during discussions. If students are still students to take ownership of
struggling, they will receive one-on-one support during their learning and it gives the
small group and independent work time. teacher some idea of how
students are feeling. Using
Formative thumbs allows for students to
Underlining Activity quickly assess themselves and
The underlining activity will assess if students are able to for the teacher to quickly
identify the main idea and supporting details of an observe.
informational text. They will be provided with in • Students already know the
informational text about the solar system and will be thumbs-up procedure, and
asked to underline the clues that help them identify the they are usually very honest.
main idea in red and the supporting details in green. This • If at any point in time students
will be done as a whole group. Then students will then fill seem to be confused or are
in a graphic organizer where they will record by writing showing signs of increased
what the topic, main idea, and supporting details of the struggle, the teacher will have
text are. They will also record the context clues used to to slow the pace of the lesson
find the main idea. This part can be done individually, in down. Prompting and
pairs, or in a small group. questioning students during
whole group instruction and
Stool Template Activity small group instruction will
The stool template activity will assess if students are able help with this because the
to independently identify the topic, main idea, and teacher can assess students’
supporting details in a text and record them. Students will comprehension throughout the
read a passage about cheese. After they read, students will lesson.
have the option to use a red colored pencil to underline • The teacher will also need to
the 3 clues that will help them find the main idea. They can make sure students are getting
also use a green colored pencil to underline details that the same amount of
support the main idea. Once students have identified these opportunities to answer
in the text, they will record them, along with the topic, on a questions and share thoughts
stool template that will be provided to them. because this conversation is a

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End of Lesson Check-in part of learning. Student 1 and

Students will be asked to assess themselves concerning student 2 will always be ready
each learning target based on whether they have met it. with answers, but other
They will put a thumb up if they think they met the students will need a little more
learning target independently. They will put a thumb to time to answer or be prompted
the side if they met the learning target with teacher help. to answer. The teacher needs
They put a thumb down if they aren’t able to meet the to make sure that student 1
learning targets yet and need more practice. The teacher and student 2 are not the only
will read each learning target out loud and students will ones getting called on and will
respond with their thumbs have to use the cold call
strategy when students are
Grading scale for Underlining Activity: responding to discussion
✔ - Beginning: Student can identify and record less than 4 questions.
of the following: topic, main idea, 3 supporting details, and • Throughout the whole group
3 clues that help them find the main idea. lesson, guided practice, and
independent practice the
✔ Developing: Student can identify and record at least teacher will be observing
four of the following: topic, main idea, 3 supporting students. The teacher will be
details, and 3 clues that help them find the main idea. walking around the room and
will observe students and their
✔ + Proficient: Student can identify and record the topic, ability to meet the learning
main idea, 3 supporting details, and 3 clues that help them objectives. As the teacher
find the main idea. walks around the room, they
will repeat directions, help
students read, provide aid to
Grading scale for Stool Template Activity: those who are struggling, and
There will be 8 places where students will need to record prompt students to keep
the parts of the text that they have identified. working hard.
• Observations will allow the
Students will get 2 points for each part teacher to observe if they need
to provide support to a specific
2 points = part attempted student or to the whole class.
2 points = correct identification Student 1 and student 2 will
most likely need the least
The points will be averaged by adding them up for each amount of support. Student 3
part and then dividing them by 8, which is the number of may need additional support
parts on the stool template. concerning motivation and
reading directions. Student 7
1.9 or below: Does not meet: Student is not meeting the may need additional
learning targets. The student either didn’t answer the prompting and reassurance
questions or did so incorrectly. The student didn’t show due to his low confidence.
that they could identify and record the topic, main idea, 3 Student 6, student 8, and
supporting details, and 3 clues that help them find the student 9 may need help
main idea. The student isn’t able to identify these parts of staying on task and prompting
an informational text by themselves yet. to complete quality work.
Student 10 will likely need
2-2.9: Partially Meets: Student is showing beginning work help reading directions and
and is attempting to achieve the learning objectives. words.
Student has answered at least some of the questions and is
somewhat accurate. The student has made attempts to Questions to ask students:
identify and record the topic, main idea, 3 supporting • “Who remembers what the
details, and 3 clues that help them find the main idea. The main idea is?
student can somewhat identify these parts but is unclear • “Who remembers what
or somewhat inaccurate. supporting details are?”

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• “How does the topic help you

3-3.4: Meets: Student is meeting learning targets. Student find the main idea?”
has answered every question and is mostly accurate in • “Is the topic of the article
answers. The student is able to identify and record the ‘space’ or the ‘solar system’?”
topic, main idea, 3 supporting details, and 3 clues that help • “How do you know that that is
them find the main idea. The student can mostly correctly the main idea of the text?”
identify these parts on their own. • “What details support the main
idea?”
3.5-4: Exceeds: Student is meeting the learning targets. • “Do all of these details support
The student answered every question and is almost the main idea?”
always accurate. The student is able to identify and record • “Which details don't support
the topic, main idea, 3 supporting details, and 3 clues that the main idea?”
help them find the main idea. The student can identify all • “Are there always only three
of these parts independently. supporting details in a text?”
• “Could you use supporting
Ex. 28 ÷ 8 parts = 3.5 (Exceeds) details to find the main idea of
a text?”
• “Is the main idea always
Extensions:
written in the text?”
-For those who finish their graphic organizer early, they
• “How are you feeling about the
will be asked to create a title that they think would be a
learning targets?”
better clue to help them find the main idea of the solar

system article.

-For those who finish their stool template activity early,
Formative
they will be asked to draw a picture that they think would
Underlining Activity
a better clue to help them find the main idea of the cheese
• Students will do the
passage. If students don’t want to draw, they will also have
underlining part of the activity
the option to write what the picture would look like.
in a whole group. They will

then record what they found in

the graphic organizer either

independently or in a small

group.

• Doing this activity prior to the

stool template activity allows
for the teacher to see if
students are able to identify
and record the topic, main
idea, 3 supporting details, and
3 clues that help them find the
main idea. This helps the
teacher determine whether to
continue at the same pace or to
slow the lesson down and
reteach.
• Prior to this assessment, the
teacher will complete a review
to make sure students are
prepared for exploring this
content.
• I will be observing students to
see if they are able to correctly
identify and record the topic,
main idea, 3 supporting

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details, and 3 clues that help

them find the main idea.
• This activity will be graded by
proficiency to help me keep
track of my students’ progress.
However, it will not be graded
with an “exceeds” – “not met”
scale or digitally recorded.
• The choice to not grade using
an “exceeds” – “not met” scale
allows students to practice in a
low stakes environment where
mistakes can be made and
learned from.

Stool Template Activity
• Students will complete the
stool template activity
completely independently.
This allows students show
what they know without the
influence of their peers.
• This activity will assess if
students can identify and
record the topic, main idea, 3
supporting details, and 3 clues
that help them find the main
idea.
• This assessment will give the
teacher the opportunity to
assess whether students need
additional help or review in
the later lesson.
• This will be graded with a
“exceeds” – “not met” scale to
give me an idea of who
understood the learning
targets and how they met
them.
• The questions are at 4 points
each so there is opportunity
for partial credit. Students get
2 points for completing each
part which would put them at
an NM if they got every
question incorrect. This
grading method gives a more
accurate depiction of the
students’ progress.
• I chose to use an “exceeds” –
“not met” scale because the
concepts in this lesson are a
large part of the learning

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objectives and the background

knowledge for future lessons.
• If 5/8 or more of the class are
partially meeting or below, I
will need provide more
scaffolding in the next lesson
when it comes to students
understanding what
supporting details are and how
to find them.

End of Lesson Check-in
• This check-in allows students
to self-assess themselves at the
end of the lesson.
• This method of self-
assessment is quick, and
students are mostly honest
when they participate.
• Students have done this type of
check-in several times before
which makes it an established
routine that they can easily
follow.
• This check-in is not graded
because there is no learning
objective about how well
students can assess
themselves.

Extension
• Student 1 and student 2 grasp
concepts quickly and may need
something to help extend their
learning.
• This opportunity helps
students stay engaged with
material by providing
additional practice with the
concept of main idea and the
clues that can be used to find
it.
• The extensions also allow for
student choice because
students get to choose to draw
or write.
• These extensions strengthen
the students’ understandings
of the main idea, topic, and the
clues that students can use to
show the main idea.
• The extension will not be
graded because it is extending
the learning of my student and

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assesses their understandings

beyond the learning targets.
However, it will be observed
and will be assessed by this
observation of the teacher.
• Choosing not to grade these
extensions allows the students
to experiment further and
discover in a low-stakes
environment.

Verbal Feedback:
• Verbal feedback will be used
during whole group and
individual work time.
• The teacher will use a mixture
of praise, questions, and
prompts to push students
toward the learning objectives.
• Praise will be used to promote
desired skills and working
behaviors. Questioning will be
used to help clarify questions
on the worksheets and
concepts during the whole
group lesson. Prompts will be
used to aid students with
comprehension and allow
them opportunities to fix
mistakes.

Possible Verbal Feedback:
• “How does that detail support
the main idea?”
• “Would another detail better
support the main idea?”
• “What is the article telling you
about the topic?”
• “Why don't you try finding the
details that don't support the
main idea?”
• “What strategy did we use to
find supporting details in the
example we did together?”
• “Is the text mostly about what
people use cheese for or how
cheese is made?”
• “A supporting detail does help
you find the main idea, but
what are the context clues and
text features that help you?
Think back to the video you
watched on Monday when you
were introduced to main idea.”

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• “Where do you put the main

idea on the stool? Think back
to the activity when we build
stools and tables.”
• “Maybe you could try finding
the topic of the text?”
• “Maybe you could try to figure
out what the example and facts
are that mostly align with what
you think the main idea is.”
• “Thank you for working hard
on this skill.”
• “I appreciate that you didn’t
give up and kept trying.”
• “I like that you used words to
explain your thinking.”
• “Make sure to be honest about
how you feel about your
learning.”
• “Thank you for staying focused
during the activity.”

Written Feedback:
• Written feedback will be
provided on the passages of
each activity, on the graphic
organizer, and on the stool
template. The written feedback
will give praise of strengths
and will provide suggestions
for improvement.

Possible Written Feedback:
• “Working with peers may be
helpful next time.”
• “Remember to answer each
question and follow each
direction.”
• “Can you give me the full
supporting detail? This is only
part of it.”
• “Does this detail support the
main idea that you identified?”
• “How does this detail support
the main idea? What might be
a better detail to support the
main idea?”
• “It might be helpful to think
about the topic and ask
yourself ‘what is the text
mostly saying about the topic?”
• “It might be helpful to think of
supporting details in a text like

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reasons or evidence in your

opinion writing.”
• “I like your strategy of
underlining the supporting
details in green.”
• “I appreciate that you
collaborated with your peers
on this activity. Great
strategy!”
• “Thank you for working hard. I
know this was challenging to
do by yourself, but you stuck
with it!”

Instructional Materials and Resources - Stays current in content knowledge and expands expertise in
reviewing instructional materials from the perspectives of both the discipline and individual learner
needs.
Materials, Resources, and / or Technology Instructional Decisions / Reasoning

Teacher Materials Teacher Materials
Projector • The “What’s Up in Space?” PDF
iPad will be used by the teacher to
Stylus model how to underline the
“What’s Up in Space?” PDF parts of the text.
Portable marker board • Using the PDF on the iPad
Dry-erase markers allows the teacher to display
the text for everyone to see
Student Materials while also still having the
“What’s Up in Space?” article ability to use proximity in the
Identify and Record graphic organizer classroom.
“From Milk to Cheese” article • Directly using the PDF file on
Stool template the iPad allows the teacher to
Red and green colored pencils zoom in and show students
Pencil exactly where they need to
underline. This is better than a
Technology doc camera which is a little
Projector more tedious to operate.
iPad • The projector, iPad, and stylus
“What’s Up in Space?” PDF will be used to display and
underline.
• The portable marker board
with be used to display the
learning targets throughout
the lesson. The dry-erase
markers will be used to write
the learning targets on the
board.
• The marker board is at the
front of the room which is the
direction that each students’
desk faces. This is a great
location for the learning
targets to be because they will
be visible to each student.

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Student Materials
• The “What’s Up in Space?”
article was chosen because it
has a clear main idea and clear
examples of supporting details.
The article is also a little more
complex than the passages that
students have already read
which pushes students use the
skills they’ve gained with a
larger text.
• The Identify and Record
graphic organizer provides a
simple template for students
to record the parts they
identify in the text.
• This basic organizer was
chosen so students could focus
on simply identifying and
recording the parts of the text
that they find.
• The “From Milk to Cheese”
article will be used by students
to use their skills that they just
worked on; identifying and
recording the topic, main idea,
3 supporting details, and 3
clues that help them find the
main idea.
• This article was chosen
because it has a clear main
idea and supporting details
which gives students the
opportunity at practicing their
newly developed skills. It also
allows students to feel
successful because the article
is straightforward and is
appropriate for the stage of
progress that they will be at.
• The stool template is used to
allow students to record the
parts that they have identified.
• Students have already used
this type of template in a
previous lesson and the visual
adds another layer of support
for students.
• The red and green colored
pencils will be used by
students to underline the parts
of the text that they find. These
colors contrast well and are
distinctly different which

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makes sure students don’t get

the two mixed up.
• These colors have also been
used in the last lesson to
represent the main idea and
supporting details. Color
coding helps students make
connections and strengthens
visual representations. This
can help students internalize
their learning.
• Over half of my class identifies
themselves as visual learners
according to my CFA. This is
why I’ve chosen this as an
element to incorporate into
this lesson and this unit.
• The pencil will be used for
students to fill out the graphic
organizer and stool template.

Technology
• The “What’s Up in Space?” PDF
allows the teacher to model so
that each student can see
exactly what they should
underline. This is beneficial for
student 7 and student 3
because they require constant
confirmation and sometimes
have trouble when only
spoken instructions are
provided.
• This also helps student 1
because she recently notified
my mentor and I that she has
trouble seeing the board. This
PDF allows me to zoom in to
specific spots on the PDF and
make it easier for her to see.
• Using the iPad and projector
itself allows for the teacher to
use proximity with students.
• Student 3, student 6, student 8,
and student 9 can get off task.
When the iPad and projector
are used the teacher can use
proximity to help keep those
students and any other
students focused.
• The projector, iPad, and stylus
allow the teacher to
continuously move around the

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classroom which improves

classroom management.

Instructional Methods: Selects, creates, and sequences learning experiences and performance tasks
by using a variety of instructional approaches, strategies, and technologies that make learning
accessible to all learners and support learners in reaching rigorous curriculum goals.
Teaching and Learning Sequence Instructional Decisions / Reasoning

Prior to Lesson Prior to Lesson
The teacher will have created the Identify and Record • Being prepared prior to the
graphic organizer and the stool template. The teacher will lesson helps the lesson run
have printed them along with the “What’s Up in Space” more smoothly and prevents
article and the “From Milk to Cheese” article. The teacher unnecessary interruptions
will have the “What’s Up in Space” PDF open on the iPad during instructional time. The
and will have the iPad connected to the projector. The students will get some of their
teacher will also have the learning targets on the portable own materials when instructed
marker board. which will give them some
responsibility for their
Introduction (5 minutes) learning.
Review (3 minutes)
The teacher will begin by asking students to go to their Introduction
seats and wait patiently until everyone returns from Review
lunch. Once everyone is seated, the teacher will ask what • Waiting for each student to
they learned about last class. The teacher will guide them return before starting allows
towards the answer of “supporting details and main idea”. the lesson to have a clear
The teacher will ask what they learned about them and starting point with clear
guide students towards the answer of “the connection expectations.
between main ideas and supporting details” and • Reviewing the previous lesson
“symbolizing the relationship between main ideas and with students allows them to
supporting details”. The teacher will ask students what a retrieve background
topic, a main idea, and the clues that can help them find knowledge from the previous
the main idea in an informational text are. The teacher will lesson that they will be
also ask students what supporting details are. building on in the lesson.
[The topic is what the text is mostly about. The main idea • The review also assesses what
is what the text is mostly saying about the topic. Pictures students remember and what
and captions, repeated words, and the title are clues that they retained from the last
can help find the main idea. Supporting details are facts or lesson. This allows the teacher
examples that support the main idea] to figure out if any reteaching
The teacher will remind students that a main idea has a should be done.
topic and explains what the text is saying about that topic.
Learning Targets
Learning Targets (2 minutes) • Asking students to share the
The teacher will read each learning target all of the way words they don’t understand
through. The teacher will then ask students to raise their creates a culture of growth and
hands if they heard any words that they don’t understand. acceptance because students
The teacher will call on students and discuss and explain understand that it is ok to not
specific vocabulary in each target so that students know everything.
understand what they are working towards in the lesson. • Asking students which words
they don’t understand allows
Whole Group Instruction (18 minutes) the teacher to pre-assess what
Underlining Activity: Part 1 vocabulary the lesson may
The teacher will explain that “What’s Up in Space” will be have to focus on and where
the article that the class will read first. The teacher will students are at with the
hold up the article and show students that it will be up on lesson’s content.
the projector screen as well. The teacher will then pass out

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the article to each student. The teacher will also give a • Going over learning targets at
direction to students to get out a red and green colored the beginning of the lesson
pencil. gives students a goal and sets a
Once students have gotten their pencils, the teacher will purpose for the lesson.
ask students some prereading questions. • This process is familiar to
What do you think the topic of the text is? students and opens the lesson
The teacher will take predictions without telling students with a familiar routine that
the correct answer but will praise for informed allows students to get
predictions. acquainted with the content
What types of text features do you see? before beginning the lesson.
[Pictures, section headings, title]
What context clues will help you find the main idea? Whole Group Instruction
[Pictures, titles, and repeated words] Underlining Activity: Part 1
After asking these questions, the teacher will go over some • Familiarizing students with the
vocabulary word that will be pre-highlighted on the pdf. materials that will be used
The teacher will ask students if they know what the word before doing the activity sets a
means. If they don’t, the teacher will guide them towards purpose for the material and
understanding the meaning of each word and how it is helps students understand
used. how to use it.
Solar system, orbit, craters, reflects • Having students get their
Once students understand the vocabulary, the teacher will colored pencils out before
ask if students have any questions about the article. If reading prevents students
there aren’t the teacher will tell students to turn the from missing out on the
article to front page. Once everyone is there, the teacher underlining activity because
will explain to students that they while the teacher reads they can’t find their colored
the article, they should be thinking about what the topic pencils. This helps students be
and the main idea of the text is. The teacher will also prepared and allows the lesson
explain that they should be following along with their text. to run more smoothly.
The teacher will read the article out loud as students • Asking prereading questions
listen. prior to reading allows
After reading, the teacher will ask students what they students to become familiar
think the topic of the article is. If students say “space” the with the text. It also allows the
teacher will ask “Did the article mostly talk about all of teacher to observe students
space?”. If students say yes, the teacher will ask if it talked and their thinking which
about other galaxies and solar systems than ours. Once reveals what the teacher might
students come to the conclusion that the article is about want to emphasize while
the solar system, the teacher will ask what clues they can modeling.
look at to figure out what the main idea of the text is. • Prereading questions help
[Title, pictures, repeated words] students access their
The teacher will model underlining these clues with red by background knowledge of the
going to the markup tool bar and will then click the sketch content. This will help
tool. The teacher will make sure it is in red and will ask students build on that
students to watch as the teacher underlines the picture, knowledge throughout the
title, and repeated words. The teacher will ask the lesson.
students where each part is before underlining it. After • Going over content specific
underlining one part, the teacher will wait and assist vocabulary prior to the reading
students as they underline the same part with red colored allows students to
pencil. Once the teacher has modeled each part and the comprehend the text where
students have underlined, the teacher will begin another those words appear.
conversation about the main idea. • Asking students if they have
[repeated words: solar system, made/make up, questions prior to reading
in/around] [picture: solar system, planet, sun] [title: allows the teacher to clear up
what’s up in space] any misconceptions and make
What do these clues tell us about what the main idea is
about?

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The teacher will use wait time and let students process the sure students understand what
question. If there are few students with their hands up the is expected of them.
teacher will remind students that a main idea is what the • Reading the article out loud
text is mostly saying about the topic. The teacher will also makes sure that all students
have students turn and talk for 30 seconds. can access the reading and
After the 30 seconds, the teacher will ask what students allows for the teacher to
talked about. As students reply the teacher will help the answer any questions that pop
students piece together the main idea of the text. up during the reading.
[The main idea is of the text is about the solar system and • Having students find the topic
the objects that make up the solar system.] of the text first allows students
The teacher will then do a second read of the article and to build from there to find the
follow the same modelling process when looking for rest of the parts of the text.
supporting details. After each section, the teacher will ask • The topic in this article isn’t
if there are any examples or facts that support the main initially obvious from the title.
idea. If students are having trouble finding the supporting This means that the teacher
details, the teacher will ask prompting questions. may have to do more
Once students have finished underlining the text, the prompting after the reading.
teacher will praise them for their hard work. • Having students provide
answers to the questions
Guided Practice (15 minutes) initially allows the teacher to
Underlining Activity: Part 2 (13 minutes) assess how much support
The teacher will show students the graphic organizer. The students need.
teacher will explain that students will be recording the • Modeling the underlining helps
parts of the text that they found and underlined on the students understand how to
graphic organizer. use that strategy. Doing this
The teacher will explain that students will write down the before guided and
topic of the article, the main idea of the article, and three independent practice prepares
details that support the main idea. The teacher will put a students to work more
sentence starter on the portable white board and explain independently because they
that it can be used to begin to write what the main idea is. have already seen the skill
(The main idea of the text is about…) modeled during whole group
The teacher will also put a sentence starter for the instruction.
supporting details. The teacher will explain that students • Instead of just telling students
may use the sentence starter, or they can just put the where to underline, I decided
supporting detail that they find as it is in the text. to make the activity more
(A detail that supports the main idea is…) interactive and have students
The teacher will explain that students may work with explain the location of each
others around them to fill out the graphic organizer. idem. This allows students to
The teacher will pass out the graphic organizer. show what they know and
The teacher will ask if students have any questions. allows the teacher to see who
If there are no questions the teacher will direct students to feels more and less confident
begin. As students work the teacher will assist them when in identifying the parts in a
they need it. Once students are finished, they will be text. During guided and
directed to pass their graphic organizers into the “in” box. independent practice, the
teacher will make sure to
Learning Target Check-in (2 minutes) provide extra support those
The teacher will explain that they are going to do a who are less confident and
learning target check-in. The teacher will read the learning give them encouragement.
target out loud to the students. Students will be asked to • Assisting students after
assess themselves concerning each learning target based modeling how to underline
on whether they have met it. The teacher will explain that each part, makes sure that
students will put a thumb up if they think they met the students don’t get lost and
learning target independently. They will put their thumbs keeps the lesson at a pace
to the side if they met the learning target with teacher where students can keep up.

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help. They put a thumb down if they aren’t able to meet • Asking students what the clues
the learning targets yet and need more practice. tell them about the main idea
As the students show their thumbs for each learning allows them to explore what
target, the teacher will observe them and make a note of they’ve learned about the clues
students who think they need more help with specific with the supervision of the
learning targets. Once students have assessed themselves, teacher. This will allow the
the teacher will thank them for their honesty. teacher to clear up any
misconceptions.
Independent Practice (20 minutes) • Using wait time and the turn
Stool Template Activity and talk method promotes
The teacher will hold up the “From Milk to Cheese” article student thinking and creates
and explain that students will be reading this article next. student-driven instruction.
The teacher will explain what they are looking for and will • The turn and talk method
encourage students to use their colored pencils to allows students to explore
underline. The teacher will also show students the stool their thinking in a low-stakes
template. The teacher will explain that the template will environment.
be used by students to record the parts they identified. • Only allowing 30 seconds for
Where does the main idea? the turn and talk keeps the
[The top of the stool.] lesson moving. If needed the
Where do the supporting details go? teacher can choose to add
[The legs of the stool.] additional time.
The teacher praise students for remembering from the last • Students may not know how to
lesson. articulate the main idea. The
The teacher will then pass the articles out. teacher will help students
The teacher will explain some of the vocabulary from the gather all the information from
text. their conversations and will
Curdles and ripen articulate the main idea using
The teacher will explain that students will follow along as their conclusions.
the teacher reads. • Doing a second read of the
The teacher will ask if students have any questions so far. article allows students to look
If they don’t, the teacher will proceed to read the passage. for supporting details with the
After the teacher has read the passage, the teacher will main idea in mind.
reiterate the directions and will tell students that they • Following the same modelling
may begin working independently. The teacher will process when looking for
observe and support students as needed. As students supporting details allows
finish, the teacher will ask them to put their template and students to follow along and
passage in the “in” box. keeps a steady, but easy to
keep up with pace.
Closing (2 minutes) • Going section be section is less
End of Lesson Check-in overwhelming and shows
Once each student is finished, the teacher will ask students students a strategy that they
to put their materials away. Students will be asked if they can use when they begin
have any final questions. The teacher will answer any independent work.
questions about the lesson that the students may have. • Prompting questions will keep
Students will be asked to assess themselves concerning the instruction student driven
each learning target based on whether they have met it. but will still provide the
The teacher will explain that students will put a thumb up support that students need.
if they think they met the learning target independently.
• Praising students for their
They will put a thumb to the side if they met the learning
hard work builds students’
target with teacher help. They put a thumb down if they
confidence and is a positive
aren’t able to meet the learning targets yet and need more
reinforcement for
practice.
hardworking behavior.
As the students show their thumbs for each learning

target, the teacher will observe them and make a note of

students who think they need more help with specific

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learning targets. Once students have assessed themselves, Guided Practice

the teacher will thank them for their hard work. Underlining Activity: Part 2
• Giving directions to the whole
group at the same time allows
for everyone to be one the
same page. My students aren’t
quite at the independent stage
of reading and following
directions and verbal
directions often work better.
• The teacher sentence starter
will help students who don’t
know how to get started when
writing about the main idea.
The sentence starter doesn’t
give them the answer, but
helps them start their sentence
which can make them more
independent.
• Students will have the option
of how they format the
supporting details because it
will be easier and more
accurate for some just to write
exactly what is in the text and
others will want to write their
own sentence.
• Allowing students to work
with others allows them to still
have support, but not in a
whole group setting. This is the
next step in the gradual release
of responsibility before
independent practice.
• Having students ask questions
before they begin allows the
teacher to clarify anything for
the students and clear up any
misconceptions.

Learning Target Check-in
• Doing a learning target check-
in in the middle of the lesson
allows the teacher to quickly
check students’ progress and
where some student may need
more support in the second
half of the lesson.
• This thumbs-up check-in
format is a familiar process for
each student and is an already
practiced routine.

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Independent Practice
Stool Template Activity
• Giving spoken directions prior
to the activity gives students
the opportunity to get familiar
with the activity. It also allows
students to ask questions and
get clarification before
starting. My students often do
better when the directions are
discussed before activities
instead of being expected to
read them on their own.
• Encouraging students to use
their colored pencils gives
them a strategy to use while
completing the activity.
However, if this strategy
doesn’t work for students, they
aren’t required to use it. This
gives an opportunity for
student choice.
• Going over each part of the
stool accesses students’
background information and
gets students reacquainted
with the stool symbolization.
• Praising students encourages
them to continue to participate
and work hard. It also shows
students that they are valued
which will improve their
confidence and provide a
positive reinforcement.
• Going over content specific
vocabulary prior to the reading
allows students to
comprehend the text where
those words appear.
• Providing an opportunity for
questions prompts those who
have questions to ask them.
• Reading the passage out loud
ensures that each student can
access the content and allows
for students to ask questions
about the passage before
completing the activity.
• Restating the directions
provides another opportunity
for students to hear the
directions again. This will limit
confusion and will help

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students understand what is

being asked of them.
• Independent practice is the
next step after guided practice
when using the gradual release
of responsibility. Doing
independent practice after
guided practice allows
students to apply the skills and
strategies that they learned
during whole group
instruction and guided
practice.
• The teacher will observe
students. Depending on what
is observed, the teacher may
have to provide whole group,
small group, or individual
prompting for support.
• Asking students to put the
finished activity in the “in” box
after they’ve finished is done
after the activity so that
students aren’t overwhelmed
by directions prior to the
activity.

Closing
End of Lesson Check-in
• Having students put their
materials away before closing
the lesson prevents students
from being distracted during
the learning targets check-in.
• Providing an opportunity for
final questions allows students
to have opportunities to clear
up any misconceptions that
they have.
• Closing the lesson with a
check-in allows students to
process their learning and
assess their own progress.
• Providing a closing to the
lesson wraps up the lesson and
gives students the opportunity
to give a final organization to
their thoughts on the topic
learned.
• This thumbs-up check-in
format is a familiar process for
each student and is an already
practiced routine.

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• Praising students, at the end of

the lesson, for their hard work
will help students feel valued
and accomplished.

Meeting students’ needs (differentiation, extensions, Instructional Decisions / Reasoning
modifications, accommodations)

Extensions: Extensions:
-Having students who finish their graphic organizer early • Students 1 and 2 often grasp
create a title that they think would be a better clue to help concepts and skills quickly and
them find the main idea of the solar system article. need an opportunity to expand
-Having students who finish their stool template activity their learning. Drawing and
early draw a picture that they think would a better clue to writing better clues for each
help them find the main idea of the cheese passage. If passage helps students
students don’t want to draw, they will also have the option continue thinking about the
to write what the picture would look like. main idea and topic. It also
helps gives them another way
Differentiation: to think about the clues that
-Reading directions and words out loud help them find the main idea.
-Familiar lesson sequence Providing this opportunity to
-Familiar learning target check-in further their thinking, deepens
-Partner work/collaboration the students’ understanding of
-Whole group and independent work the concepts.
-Using wait time to allow students to form a • This extension provides
response. students 1 and 2, along with
-Hands-on block activity, visual template activity, any other student who finishes
discussion early, the opportunity to
deepen their understandings
Accommodations: of the main idea in each
-Providing additional wait time for specific students passage.
-Check in with student 3, student 7, and student 10 to see
if directions need to be reread to them during Differentiation:
independent work. • Reading directions and words
-Offering to read passages to student 10 out loud will help student 10
-Prompting to stay focused who has reading difficulties
-Pre-cutting materials and will help students like
student 3 who has told me she
comprehends better by
Modifications: listening.
There are no modifications that need to be made for • The similarity of the mini
students. lesson sequence to the
previous lesson allows for
Absent Student students, especially student 3
-If a student were absent during this lesson, I would use to stay composed and focused.
the time during the next morning to get the student caught Knowing what to expect can
up. help encourage students to
-I would ask the student what they know about supporting participate because they can
details to pre-assess their understandings. I would then go use their background
over the learning targets and the activities, that we did in knowledge during discussions.
class, with the student. This would give the student a one- • The familiar learning target
on-one mini lesson where the students would have the check-in allows students to use
opportunity to ask questions and practice under the a self-assessment strategy that
supervision of the teacher. I would also guide the student they already know and feel

Revised 07/19/2018


through the underlining activity and connect this to the comfortable with and
stool template activity. understand. This makes the
self-assessment process easier
No Technology for students.
-If there was a no technology due to the power being out, I • Partner work and
would print the “What’s Up in Space” article that is used collaboration allows for those
by the teacher as a pdf. There would model on this copy who process information
and go around and show students how the activity should through conversation to have
be done. those conversations with
classmates. Providing this
Technology: option is beneficial for student
- iPads 7 specifically because his
- Projector confidence in his academics is
fairly low. Working with others
Student Choice and Interest: helps him process information
-Hands on activities, like the underlining activity is a tool and be reassured by the work
that is used due to the high interest they create for of this classmates.
students. • Doing whole group instruction
-Visual activities like the stool template, color coded prior to independent work
underlining activity, and graphic organizer are tools used allows the lesson to be
due to the high interest it creates for visual learners. scaffolded so that students
-The first article used has a topic of the solar system which (especially students 3, 7, and
is of high interest to student 7 and student 9. 10) aren’t overwhelmed by
-The second article is about cheese and student 3 has an being thrown into independent
interest in cooking which makes this article of high work.
interest to her. Student 2 and student 8 have pizza as their • For those students who need
favorite food. Student 10 has macaroni and cheese as her more time to process, the use
favorite food. This makes the topic of cheese of high of wait time during the whole-
interest to these students. Student 9 has cows, and the group discussions and other
article talks about the dairy from cows that is used for discussions is helpful. This is
cheese. This is something that the student can relate to. specifically beneficial for
-Choice of using colored pencils or not for the stool students 3, 7, and 8.
template activity Sometimes it takes these
-Choice of writing or drawing in the second extension. students longer to process
-Students can choose whether they work independently or information and this allows
with a partner around them. them to have that time. This is
also beneficial for my internal
Misconceptions thinkers who like to prepare
-The first article has a topic of space. their answers before giving
-The second article’s main idea is “what things are made them such as student 7, 6, and
with cheese”. 2.
-The main idea is always written directly in the text. • Providing a variety of learning
-The three context clues that help identify the main idea supports for different learners
are always helpful. in my classroom allows the
content to be more easily
accessed by my students. The
underlining activity supports
my learners who learn by
doing because they can
physically find and mark the
parts of the text with their
hands. According to my CFA
student 7 and student 2 learn
by doing.

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• The visual supports like the

graphic organizer and stool
template help my visual
learners because they are able
to use see a visual
representation of the concepts
they are learning. According to
my CFA, students 1, 3, 10, 9, 6,
and 8 learn visually.
• The discussions throughout
the lesson provide my social
students and those who prefer
to listen to use discussion to
access the concepts. Through
observation it has been noted
that students 1, 2, 7, and 9
often engage in conversation
to gain understanding of
concepts.

Accommodations:
• Student 3 has tendencies that
mirror Asperger’s syndrome
and because of this she needs a
little more wait time to
provide answers to questions.
Student 8 also needs a little
more wait time to provide
meaningful answers. By
providing extra wait time it
allows students to fully grasp
the question and process it to
then create a meaningful
answer. This wait time will
also be beneficial to other
students who may need more
wait time depending on the
question.
• Re-explaining directions and
words to student 3 and
student 7 allows them to have
more time to process
information.
• Student 10’s reading
difficulties impact her
comprehension. Offering to
read the passages to her again
allows student 10 to access the
content without changing the
assignment. I chose this option
instead of providing an easier
to read passage because I don’t
want her to feel excluded from

Revised 07/19/2018


the class because her reading

passage is different.
• Students 3, 6, 8, and 9 have
difficulty staying on task
sometimes. This requires
prompting to encourage them
to keep going. This type of
prompting will also be helpful
for any other student who
needs help staying on task.

Modifications:
There are no modifications that need to
be made for students.

Absent Student
• The morning work time will be
used because students aren’t
learning content during this
time and are practicing skills.
This way the review of the
lesson doesn’t take away from
the student learning new
content.
• Pre-assessing student
background knowledge helps
the teacher see how much they
need to teach and go over from
the lesson.
• Going over the learning targets
and activities with the student
creates a guided mini lesson
where the teacher can observe,
monitor, and support the
student and their
comprehension of the content.
• The one-on-one opportunity
will allow the student to more
individualized instruction
which makes it more
comfortable for students to ask
questions.
• The one-on-one mini lesson
also allows the teacher to see
what the student needs
practice with and what they
can just talk about.
• Having the student do the
underlining activity connects
their new knowledge to an
activity which can be
referenced in later lessons.
This prepares the student to
determine the main idea and

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supporting details in the next

lesson.

No Technology
• The solar system pdf is a tool
for the teacher to model the
underlining activity for each
student to see. Without the
access to this technology the
teacher would have to use a
printed copy and go around
the room and show students.
This may take longer which
speaks to the efficiency of the
technology.

Technology:
• Using the iPads allows for the
teacher to walk around the
room and observe students
because it is portable.
• The projector allows for
students to see the solar
system article pdf on the large
screen. The teacher can also
zoom in which makes the
modeling easy to see and
allows students know exactly
what they are underlining.
This makes it easier for all
students to physically see the
material used by the teacher.

Student Choice and Interest:
• The underlining activity
creates high interest for those
who learn by doing. According
to my CFA, 30% of my students
like to learn by physically
doing things. This is quite a
large number of students that I
could engage by incorporating
a hands-on activity.
• The stool template and graphic
organizer activity sheet creates
high interest for those who
learn visually. According to my
CFA, 70% of my students learn
by watching and through
visuals. With this activity I can
engage these learners and with
their learning style.
• Using the solar system as the
topic in the underlining

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activity passage engages

student 7 and student 9
because they have an interest
in space. This is a strategy used
to keep them focused and
engaged in the content.
• Using cheese as the topic in the
stool template activity passage
engages student 3, student 2,
student 8, student 10, and
student 9 because they have
related interests which come
up in the article. This is a
strategy used to keep them
focused and engaged in the
content.
• Giving students the choice of
using colored pencils or not
allows them to take ownership
of their learning and do what is
best for them. This also allows
students to use any other
strategy that they have that
works for them.
• Giving students the choice of
writing or drawing in the
second extension let’s students
participate in the way that best
aligns with their learning style
and interest.
• Allowing students to choose if
they work independently or
with others allows students to
take control of their own
learning and do what is best
for them. It also allows both
students who like to work with
others and individually to be
successful.

Misconceptions
• If students think that the first
article has a topic of space, the
teacher will provide
prompting questions to
redirect students after reading
which can be seen in the
learning sequence.
• If students think the second
article’s main idea is “what
things are made with cheese,”
the teacher will ask students
prompting questions to
redirect student thinking. This

Revised 07/19/2018


should clear up the

misconceptions and steer
students in the right direction.
Did the whole article talk about
what things are made from
cheese?
Try looking at the context clues.
What types of examples or
supporting details does the
passage have?
• The teacher will ask if the main
idea is always written directly
in the text. This will spark a
conversation that the teacher
will facilitate. The teacher will
help show students that the
main idea isn’t always
explicitly stated.
• If students think that the title
helps them find the main idea
of the text, the teacher will ask
if the three context clues that
help identify the main idea are
always helpful. The teacher
will help students examine the
title in the solar system
passage. The teacher will guide
students to the understanding
that the context clues don’t
always help students find the
main idea. The extension for
the underlining activity will
further this understanding as
well.



Field Courses Only – Post lesson

Assessment Data Student Underlining Activity Stool Template Activity
1 ✓+ Proficient 3.25 Meets
This data shows me that
8/8 students in the class 2 ✓+ Proficient 4 Exceeds
are meeting or above on the 3 ✓- Beginning 4 Exceeds
stool template activity. This 4 Special Services Special Services
data was collected after the
pace of the lesson was 5 Special Services Special Services
slowed down which 6 ✓+ Proficient 4 Exceeds
actually required an extra 7 ✓+ Proficient 4 Exceeds
day of instruction. There
wasn’t necessarily any 8 ✓+ Proficient 4 Exceeds
reteaching required. The 9 ✓ Developing 4 Exceeds
assessment data changed in
10 ✓+ Proficient 4 Exceeds

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this lesson because the teacher guided students heavily on each part. This data also shows me that
6/8 students are proficient with the underlining activity. This means that most students can identify
the topic, the main idea, and supporting details of an informational text with teacher assistance
because I was assisting.
According to this assessment data, 8/ 8 students can identify the topic of an informational text with
help from a teacher. This means that each student has partially meeting the first objective. 7/8
students who were assessed can use context clues to identify the main idea of an informational text
with help from a teacher. This means they have partially met the second learning objective. Students
can also identify what details support the main idea in an informational text with help from a
teacher. This means they have partially met the third learning target. This reveals that although not
all students are partially meeting the objective, there was enough struggle amongst the class that the
teacher decided to not count this assessment as an individual assessment. It was decided that review
and more practice amongst the class would be beneficial to students.
Upon further analysis, I observed that students were having trouble identifying the topic, main
idea, 3 supporting details, and 3 clues that help them find the main idea in the solar system text.
Many of the students couldn’t identify these things without help from the teacher. The formative data
I collected while observing informed me of this and pushed me to change the pace of assessments
and how they were carried out.

Reflection
One thing I added to this lesson at the beginning was a Kahoot. I knew wanted to do a bit more of an
engaging review because I had observed that students weren’t as engaged with just discussion. I felt
that this formative assessment would help me see if students could apply their knowledge outside of
a discussion. When I had students play the Kahoot, these were my results:

As you can see, students did not score well on these questions. Questions 5 and 6 were hard to see
on the board, so that may have contributed, but overall, this was all stuff that students had learned
and should’ve known. This was one of the first signs that I would need to slow down the day’s lesson.
This lesson didn’t go as well as I would’ve hoped. One mistake I made during the underlining
activity was switching the colors and I underlined the supporting details in red instead of green. In
the future I would probably write myself a sticky not to remind myself because this could’ve caused
confusion among students. In reflection, I think this article might have been a little too big for
students to practice identifying main ideas and supporting details on first. I chose this article because
I thought it was really clear, but it took me most of the rest of the class period to get through the
reading and to get through the graphic organizer. Instead of having students do the graphic
organizers independently or with another student, we did it as a whole group. I modeled the answers
on a white board for students to see how to identify and record each part. This took the whole class,
but I really wanted students to see a good model due to the trouble they were having with the
content.

Revised 07/19/2018


The stool template activity didn’t happen until the following day 4/2. On 4/2 I helped students
review content and I also provided them with a guide to help them identify the topic, main idea, and
supporting details. I color coded the activity in the correct colors and allowed students to use it for
the rest of the lesson. We read the article together and underlined each part by the color on the
guide. This type of modeling was very beneficial for students. I guided students to help them find the
main idea and topic but let them work in small groups and independently to find the supporting
details. I used a lot of prompting questions supported students. This lesson was much better and
needed a little less teacher guidance. Students were beginning to feel better about the learning
targets based on their self-assessment. However, I still don’t feel comfortable sending students off to
do a summative assessment on Monday without more practice. I plan to provide more practice
opportunities for students on Monday which will prepare them for an assessment on Tuesday.
It was clear by the assessment data and by the fact that I provided a little less prompting that giving
students that guide was really helpful and was a successful tool that pushed students towards
reaching their learning goals. Another thing that you might notice on the assessments is that many
students forgot to do part of the stool template. I had told students during the lesson that they could
skip over that part and go back to it at the end after they used them. That afternoon, I looked at the
papers and realized that many of them were missing the 3 clues section. The next morning, on
Monday, I individually called over each student who didn’t have this filled out to my desk. I simply
asked them what the clues were in an interview style and wrote them down. This was a quick and
manageable way for students to complete the activity and for me to make sure it got done. I also
didn’t think it was right to not let them try again, since it was partially my fault that they forgot. I also
wanted to get accurate assessment data, and this assessment as it was, wouldn’t have given me that
without allowing students to finish.
Overall, I am very proud of myself for recognizing student struggles and modifying my instruction
to fit the needs of students. I would like to work on recognizing the possibility of this struggle when I
plan for instruction. I recognized that the article was fairly large, and I think what I should’ve done is
scaffolded my instruction and recognized that students might feel overwhelmed. For future lessons, I
think I should plan for more scaffolding and then if I don’t need it, I can quickly switch to more
independent work if that’s what students need. I think my expectations of students were a little too
high and I should’ve reflected and recognized this before carrying out the lesson.

Revised 07/19/2018


Teaching Standards and Rationale

Standard 8: Instructional Strategies
Standard #8 Instructional Strategies The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional
strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their
connections, and to build skills to access and appropriately apply information.

8 (i) Asks questions to stimulate discussion that serves different purposes, (e.g., probing for learner
understanding, helping students articulate their ideas and thinking processes, promoting risk-taking
and problem-solving, facilitating factual recall, stimulating curiosity, and helping learners to
question).

The teacher asks questions to get students engaged in material and prompts them to recall
information, express ideas, and think deeper. The teacher asks questions to model what it means to
question and be inquisitive.

This lesson proves that I have met standard 8 under indicator 8 (i). In the review of this lesson, I
ask questions about students prior learning. These questions are used to help students access
background knowledge and to assess the students’ retention of information. Another question that
is asked is “What do you think the topic of the text is?”. This question is used to have students
predict the topic which is a higher order thinking skill. Other questions can be seen in the lesson
that prompt students and help them articulate ideas.
I also purposely incorporated a “Questions to ask students” section, a “Verbal Feedback” section,
and a “Written Feedback” sections that all include questions to ask throughout and after the lesson.
This purposeful incorporation of these various questions shows that I ask questions as an
instructional strategy to either get my students think or the aide in their thinking. These examples in
this lesson prove that I have met standard 8 under indicator 8 (i).

Revised 07/19/2018