5E Lesson Plan: “If You Can Dream It, You Can Podcast It”

AUTHOR’S NAME: Elizabeth Stoneburner

DATE OF LESSON: Week 6, Day 3
LENGTH OF LESSON: 1 class period (50 minutes)
NAME OF COURSE: English II
SOURCE OF THE LESSON: This lesson is not in any resource book; it can be found in the
English II Google Drive folder.
TEKS ADDRESSED:
 ENGLISH II: 110.37

 (c) Knowledge and skills.

o (1) Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking,

discussion, and thinking--oral language. The student develops oral language
through listening, speaking, and discussion. The student is expected to:

 (A) engage in meaningful and respectful discourse by listening actively,

responding appropriately, and adjusting communication to audiences and
purposes.

o (9) Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using

multiple texts--writing process. The student uses the writing process recursively
to compose multiple texts that are legible and use appropriate conventions. The
student is expected to:

 (A) plan a piece of writing appropriate for various purposes and audiences
by generating ideas through a range of strategies such as brainstorming,
journaling, reading, or discussing.

 (B) develop drafts into a focused, structured, and coherent piece of writing
in timed and open-ended situations by:

 (i) using an organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience,

topic, and context; and

 (ii) developing an engaging idea reflecting depth of thought with

specific details, examples, and commentary.

CONCEPT STATEMENT (GOAL):

 The goal of this lesson is to scaffold students' knowledge from the previous lesson
(brainstorming and writing a descriptive narrative) and have them explore the concept of
a podcast narrative. Students get to choose between a fully written descriptive narrative
(such as a diary entry) or a podcast with a script. This lesson will introduce the concept of
podcast narratives so students can make an informed decision about their narrative’s
format.
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to
 Draw conclusions about given scenarios and explain through descriptive details.
  Participate and contribute to meaningful discussion about descriptive details in writing
and speaking.
 Demonstrate their knowledge of descriptive details in writing and speaking by
completing a podcast trailer script and video using their Adobe Spark accounts.
 Use the writing process to brainstorm and draft details for their descriptive narrative
podcast scripts.
RESOURCES: (web sites, videos, etc.,)
 Serial Podcast trailer video (to be used as an example): https://youtu.be/N8f7FqyOjOc
 BBC Earth Podcast Series 3 trailer: https://youtu.be/eEaZvEZye84
 Podcast explore and draft worksheet (last page of document)
 Adobe Spark accounts: https://www.adobe.com/express/pricing?
sdid=S6XGMSB1&mv=search&ef_id=Cj0KCQjwppSEBhCGARIsANIs4p7BL-
9nqvIagjO4HqR7dA9lhpJT6XUqlwmMAqlXdNsthxJ_M5I6VoQaArRtEALw_wcB:G:s
&s_kwcid=AL!3085!3!410989312251!e!!g!!adobe%20spark!8850723118!
88014125214&gclid=Cj0KCQjwppSEBhCGARIsANIs4p7BL-
9nqvIagjO4HqR7dA9lhpJT6XUqlwmMAqlXdNsthxJ_M5I6VoQaArRtEALw_wcB
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: none for this lesson
MATERIALS: Students will work individually on this assignment as opposed to other weeks
when they will work in groups.
o 1:1 student devices (laptops or Chromebooks) with built-in microphones
o Adobe Spark accounts for making a podcast trailer (completed prior to class)
Overhead projector with external speakers
ENGAGEMENT Time: 3-5 minutes
What the Teacher Will Do What the Students will do Probing Questions/Expected
student Responses
Provide background Recall and share their  Have you ever listened to a
information to the podcast experience with podcasts. podcast series before?
trailer we are about to watch Expect a small group of
together: The Serial podcast is students to say yes, but it is
a true crime story produced by also ok if most students say
This American Life. It is a very no.
popular podcast.
Show students the Serial Watch the trailer and how  How do you know what
Podcast video trailer (about 1 they might make their own this series will be about?
minute long) podcast trailer for their Students may say they
descriptive narrative. know it is about Adnan and
whether or not he
committed the crime for
which he is in prison.
 Does this trailer make you
want to listen to the
podcast? Why or why not?
Students who answered yes
should explain that they
thought the trailer was
interesting and they want

EXPLORATION Time: 10 minutes
What the Teacher Will Do What the Students will do
Instruct students to explore
other podcasts and their trailers
such as the BBC Earth series 3
podcast trailer.
EXPLANATION Time: 5-10 minutes
What the Teacher Will Do What the Students will do
Discuss the unique advantages
of written narratives and
spoken narratives with
students.
Instruct students to Login to
Adobe Spark and try making
a 1-minute trailer for their
dystopian society. Students
Probing Questions/Expected
Watch or listen to two or three
podcast trailers and complete
the worksheet as they go.
Probing Questions/Expected
Discuss the advantages of a
recorded narrative.
Explore the audio recording
and controls of Adobe Spark
videos. Summarize their
group’s dystopian society in
to know what happens.
Students who answer no
should explain why they
are not interested; perhaps
the trailer is too vague or
they are not interested in
true crime. They should
also be thinking about how
they would improve the
trailer if they were in
charge.
student Responses
 What do you think makes a
good podcast trailer?
Students may say
suspenseful music or
engaging phrases
 What were some trailers
you found that made you
want to listen to the
podcast? Students may
share podcasts they found
about true crime, nature,
comedy, etc.
student Responses
 How is a podcast different
from a written article or
essay? On the surface,
students will say a podcast
is audio versus reading. At
this point, we can also
clarify the difference in
assignments: a podcast
script is in a sentence
outline format, but a
written narrative is in a
paragraph format.
 Do podcasts hold any
advantages over written
work? Students may say
podcasts feel more
conversational and can be
more engaging.
 What kind of phrasing can
you use to make your video
more engaging? Students
may say they can start by
 can follow a basic template in
mentioning what went wrong
in their society and what life
is like for people in this new
society.
ELABORATION Time: 10 minutes
What the Teacher Will Do What the Students will do
Instruct students to now
brainstorm ideas for a
podcast descriptive
narrative. For example,
students could do something
as simple as a diary log that
is spoken or even in the
format of a collection of
voicemails.
Instruct students to create a
trailer for their podcast after
they have had a chance to
brainstorm their layout.
Monitor students as they
work through this
assignment and offer help
and suggestions when
needed.
EVALUATION Time: 10 minutes
What the Teacher Will Do What the Students will do
Assign students to create a 1-
minute podcast trailer for their
descriptive narratives. Explain
that whatever they do not finish
in class is homework for
tomorrow.
Sample worksheet assignment on next page:
the form of a 30 second to
1-minute trailer with
graphics.
Brainstorm ideas for their
podcast
Begin scripting and
recording audio for their
trailers.
Complete worksheet
assignment and create and
edit a final script and a 1-
minute podcast trailer for their
descriptive narrative.
listing strong words like
“famine, disease, war,
etc.”
 Can you include any
background music or
pictures that add emotion
or human interest to your
video? Students may say
they chose to include
pictures of abandoned
buildings or music with sad
undertones.
Probing Questions/Expected
student Responses
 How would you like to
layout your podcast?
Students may choose
various layouts such as a
diary log, a series of
voicemails, or even a radio
show.
 What makes a good
script for a trailer?
Students may say that a
series of rhetorical
questions might be a
good start.
Probing Questions/Expected
student Responses
What does the writing process look
like in this format? Students should
say that creating their script and
trailer still require brainstorming,
drafting, and editing just like when
writing.
Name:
Date:
Class and Period:

Podcast Descriptive Narrative

Driving Question: What is dangerous in our world today? What might go so wrong that our
world would change drastically?
Goal: Brainstorming and drafting a podcast trailer script and video.

Category Question Answer

Search YouTube for podcast trailers. 1.
Start with the BBC Earth Podcast 2.
Exploring Podcasts Series 3 video. Find two more
podcast trailers and list them in the
answer box with links.
List at least two ideas you have for 1.
Brainstorm your own podcast trailer now that you 2.
have viewed some examples.
Construct a script to guide your
Draft audio: 5-6 sentences.
Paste a link to your trailer in the box
Publish to the right. Make sure you test the
link beforehand.

This assignment is due tomorrow.