UMF Unit-Wide Lesson Plan Template

Name: Program: Course:

Cassandra Smith Student Teaching Foundations Block 4 & 5
Lesson Topic / Title:
Inference intro activity and Old Man and the Sea (pg. 62-74)
Lesson Date: Lesson Length: Grade/Age:
10/04/2023 40 minutes 9 and 10
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

● Students will learn about inference and how to
use inference as a critical thinking skill
● Students will be able to make inferences while
reading
● Inference is a useful skill for becoming a
better, more engaged, and thoughtful reader
● This is a good skill to learn how to read
deeper into a text. Being able to make
inferences helps you to better understand a
story as well as its structure.

Content Standard(s) Instructional Decisions / Reasoning

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-D.4 - Cite strong and
thorough textual evidence to support analysis of various
texts in ways that demonstrate what the text(s) says
explicitly and implicitly, including attending to moments of
textual inconsistency or ambiguity.
● They always have to explain why they are
making the conclusions they are making
based on the text.

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

● Logic puzzle activity ● This assesses how good their inference skills
already are, and what they need to succeed in
● Reading worksheet better using them.
● This assesses how engaged they are able to
make inferences while reading. It also
assesses how much of the story they’re
absorbing and understanding.

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
● While classwork should never be worksheets
● Worksheets (logic puzzle and reading) all the time, they work. It’s an easier format
● Writing utensils and most students prefer it.
● books ● They need to be able to follow along as I read
aloud to them.

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.

Revised 07/25/2023
 Teaching and Learning Sequence Instructional Decisions / Reasoning

● What is inference? conversation (6 minutes) ● The introduction to the literary device is

important after seeing what they already
know, to help them with what they don’t.
● Logic puzzles are a good activity for
● Logic puzzle (19 minutes) inference. They take a fair amount of time to
finish even if they are simpler than the ones I
gave the other levels.
● To stay in line with the other levels, who
● Reading and worksheet (15 minutes) were reading a play we read Old Man and the
Sea out loud in class. The worksheet is to help
them make inferences along the way and to
stay engaged.

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

modifications, accommodations)
● The logic puzzle is different than those given to
the college prep and honors students
● They are able to work with each other to solve
the puzzle
● The reading worksheet is being worked on
while reading so we can do it all together
● A digital copy of the reading and the worksheet
are made available for absent students via
Google Classroom
(Class time reduced due to early release Wednesday)
● This is differentiation. All levels were given
logic puzzles to practice inference, but
foundations needed a more simplified
version of one to start with.
● Collaboration is a great way to help meet
students' needs, and it’s a great way to learn.
● Working on the worksheet as we go through
the reading ensures no one will miss key
details and chances to further their inference
skills.
● This ensures that absentees and students
who need this particular accommodation
have their needs met.

Field Courses Only – Post lesson

Reflection
In block 4: 9/9 met the objective. 0/9 were absent.
In block 5: 8/11 met the objective. 1/11 almost met the objective. 2/11 were absent.
The students struggled with the logic puzzle at first, but as they got the hang of it, they appeared to enjoy it. If I did this
again with a different class of students, I would demonstrate doing a puzzle first, and then have them complete one in
small groups like I had them do this time.
I think having them work on the worksheet while reading works really well. It’s a good way to have them take notes
and put ideas down and make sure they actually do it. Stopping while reading helps them process what we’ve just read.
They don’t always take notes while we read, even when I ask, but they will answer questions on a worksheet. It seems
like structured notes work best for the foundations kids. Structure seems like what they need the most.
This lesson met Common Core Teaching Standards: 3(p), 4(c), and 9(l)
3(p): Is committed to supporting learners as they participate in decision making, engage in exploration and invention,
work collaboratively and independently, and engage in purposeful learning.
Rationale: With the puzzles they could work collaboratively or independently. The worksheets while reading were
independent. Both of these assignments engaged the students in making decisions about their answers, exploring
possible answers, which created purposeful learning.
4(c): Engages students in applying methods of inquiry and standards of evidence used in the discipline.

Revised 07/25/2023
Rationale: With the logic puzzles I had the students engaging in applying their new knowledge of inference in a new
context. They had to apply their skills to the evidence and inquiry to discover the answers the clues don’t reveal.
9(l):Takes responsibility for student learning and uses ongoing analysis and reflection to improve planning and practice.
Rationale: With the logic puzzles, I took time to analyze what worked and what didn’t. I was able to realize that I
needed to start by demonstrating how to do them, instead of jumping straight in. This improved my practice of this
lesson and the planning of time.

Revised 07/25/2023