Monday English Plan (45 minute bell)

Teacher (Candidate): Ms. Emily Harris Grade-Level: Lesson Date: Monday

English 6 February 12, 2024
Title of Lesson: Author Research Project Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Erin Rappold
[Stella By Starlight Reading Unit]

Core Components
Subject, Content Area, or Topic
English 6 Reading Unit
Student Population
● Bell 2- 17 Students total. 7 boys and 10 girls
● Bell 4- 20 Students total. 10 boys and 10 girls
● Bell 6- 23 Students total. 14 boys and 9 girls
[No IEP’s Present. As a student teacher I do not have access to those records.]
Learning Objectives

6.9 The student will find, evaluate, and select appropriate resources to create a research
product.

● Students will know:

○ how to use the Internet purposefully and responsibly.
● Students will be able to:
○ Collect and organize information from multiple sources.
○ Evaluate and analyze the validity and credibility of sources.

Virginia Standard(s) of Learning (SOL)

6.9 The student will find, evaluate, and select appropriate resources to create a research
product.

b) Collect and organize information from multiple sources.

c) Evaluate and analyze the validity and credibility of sources.

f) Demonstrate ethical use of the Internet.

Materials/Resources
Author Research Worksheet (60) print

High Yield Instructional Strategies Used (Marzano, 2001)

Check if Used Strategy Return
Identifying Similarities & Differences 45%
Summarizing & Note Taking 34%
X Reinforcing Efforts & Providing Recognition 29%
X Homework & Practice 28%
Nonlinguistic Representations 27%
 Cooperative Learning 23%
Setting Goals & Providing Feedback 23%
Generating & Testing Hypothesis 23%
X Questions, Cues, & Advanced Organizers 22%
Does your instructional input & modeling yield the positive returns you want for your students?
Check if Used Strategy Return
Teach Others/Immediate Use of Learning 95%
X Practice by Doing 75%
X Discussion 50%
X Demonstration 30%
Audio Visual 20%
X Reading 10%
X Lecture 05%
Safety Considerations
● Atlantic shores has a screening program on school chromebooks which blocks students
from reaching inappropriate sites.
● TTW also monitor chromebooks by walking the room as they research.

Time
(min.) Process Components
5-6 *Anticipatory Set
min ● Think pair share:
○ Students will write a couple sentences about why they think writing stories
is important to ourselves and even to our world.
○ TTW have students share their responses with their shoulder partner,
○ Then as a whole group, TTW call on different pairs to share.
● TTW explain that as writers we can express ourselves: our feelings, our emotions,
what we think about the things or events going on around us. But most importantly
we can be voices who point back to Christ.
● By using our writing to spread the good news, we can make an impact on our peers,
families, communities, and even our world.

1 min *State the Objectives (grade-level terms)

● I can… understand the purposeful and responsible use of the Internet.

● I can… Collect and organize information from multiple sources.

● I can…Evaluate and analyze the validity and credibility of sources.

● I can…research the lives of a variety of different authors in order to learn

something new.
● I can… understand the impact writing has on our world

5 min *Instructional Input, Modeling, or Procedures

Introducing Black History Month Reading Unit:
 ● TTW discuss Black History Month
○ Black History month is an opportunity to spotlight and celebrate the
achievements that African Americans have accomplished in this country
despite the history of racism.
○ TTW (Focus on Unity, and how we are all One in Christ) and introduce the
reading unit by first discussing Galatians 3:26-28 NIV
○ For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of
you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor
Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you
are all one in Christ Jesus.
○ 2 Corinthians 12:13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are
slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by
one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit
● TTW say:
○ So as Christians we know that no matter our backgrounds, our skin color,
our skill-set, etc. we are united by our Creator and the love that is Christ.

“Now diving into our activity for today…”

● Research Activity: (TTW explain:)

○ TTW say: In class today we will be spending some time researching the
African American author, Sharon M. Draper.
○ Students will be given a worksheet with prompts for their research. (Which
the teacher will model during the guided practice)

15-20 Guided Practice: [modelling]

min ● TTW have the students pull out their chromebooks.
● TTW go over the importance of using reputable sources.
○ What does reputable mean?
○ Would websites like wikapedia be a reputable source? why/why not?
● TTW explain that as the students are researching Sharon M. Draper, they should be
looking for the information asked in the worksheet prompts. (TTW go over the
questions on the worksheet.)
○ Some prompt examples from the sheet:
■ Where did you find your information about Sharon Draper?
■ In which country & time period was Sharon Draper born and raised?
■ Are there any facts or anecdotes about the author that you found in
your research?
■ Where did you find your information from?
● [modelling]- TTW pull up a search engine on the board and work alongside
students to find the information to answer each of the prompts. Along the way,
TTW emphasize the importance of finding websites like .edu or .org instead
of .com or wikapedia.
● TTW also encourage students to:
○ Not click on the first website that pops up
○ Thoroughly read articles to find information instead of skimming.
 ● After modelling the first two questions on the sheet, TTW ask students what they
have found on their own to fill in the blanks.
10 *Independent Practice
mins- TTW Introduce Research Assignment Worksheet: (Due Wednesday/Thursday)
end of
class TTW explain ( after guided practice) that students will be given the task to choose an
author out of their given list, and fill out the research guide sheet provided:

● What is the author’s name ____

● What is the author’s hometown _______

● What books are they known for writing? ________

● Which book do you want to do your poster on? ________

● Did they accomplish anything in their life beyond just authorship? _________

● What is something interesting about them that you learned from your research that
you didn’t know before? _______________(complete sentences)

List of authors:
● Priscilla Shirer
● L.B. Anne
● Kereen Getten
● Tonya Duncan Ellis
● Crystal Allen (author of between two brothers)
● Rashad Doucet

ON THEIR OWN:
1.) Students will pick a chosen author from the list provided. If students choose a
different author, they will need to receive approval from either myself or Mrs.
Rappold.
2.) Students will begin to research their chosen author in the same way as was
modelled.
3.) TTW walk the room and help students where necessary.

Assessment
n/a

remai *Closure
nder ● TTW explain that students will also create a poster.
of ● TTW show students an example poster of what they will later be creating.
class ● TTW emphasize that students will first research. [details about the poster project
will be discussed on a later date.]

THESE DETAILS WILL NOT BE SHARED UNTIL AFTER THE 20TH (so that students
do not work on projects over their break):
● [This will be homework and done at home, not done in class]
 ● Students should choose an author and a book written by that author to highlight on
a poster
The front of the poster must have:
● A clear picture on the front of the poster of either their chosen book or of the author
● The title of the chosen book by the author
● Author’s Name
● The research information from their worksheet.
● 2-3 facts about the author
● A summary of why they are interested in their chosen book and why they picked it.

Students will submit the research for these projects by the 15th of February.
Parents will be notified that they will need a poster for the assignment, and details about
the project will be posted on the 20th. (An email will be sent out on 2/12)
Students will submit these posters in for a grade on February 23rd
Differentiation Strategies (e.g. enrichment, accommodations, remediation, learning style, multi-cultural).
● Visual Learners:
○ Modelling on the board how to research an author.
● Auditory Learners:
○ Verbally discussing each prompt of their research
○ direct instruction about sources.
● Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners:
○ Hands on learning, researching Sharon Draper on their own and taking notes on their
worksheet.
● Bell Ringer/Journal/Think Pair Share:
○ Making the connection between the creative writing unit and the reading/author
research unit
○ Collaboration/discussion
Classroom Management Strategies (To ensure a positive learning environment).
● 5,4,3,2,1 Strategy: TTW count down to 1 when needing to reel students back in.
● Sticky notes on desks: TTW stick sticky notes on desks if a student repeatedly talks out of
turn.
● Phone Parking lot (School policy): Students place their phones in the phone parking lot by
the door when they come into class, or keep their phones in their backpack.
Lesson Reflection. To be completed following the lesson. Did your students meet the objective(s)? What
parts of the lesson would you change? Why? (Professor will determine if reflection goes here or in written report).
 Reflection

This author-research lesson was designed to hit the sixth-grade English standards for the

state, where students begin to learn basic research skills. It serves as a great intro into the reading

unit, where students will begin reading the novel “Stella by Starlight,” by Sharon M. Draper. By

researching Sharon Draper and other African American authors, students get the chance to learn

more about a variety of different authors and their contribution to the literary world. As an educator,

I think it is important that students are exposed to a variety of diverse authors and novels of

different cultures and time periods.

 As Christians, we should also combat the divisive nature of current culture by referring to

Scripture. When discussing Black History Month and “Stella by Starlight,” I thought it was

extremely important to refer to scripture with the students and say that as Christians we know that

we are all a child of God and are created in God’s image. It is so easy to look to our world and

culture to provide us with answers of how to address our country’s past, but as a teacher I find it

crucial that we first open the Word.

When planning my lesson, I made sure to meet the different learning styles of my students.

Dunn (1984), explains that learning styles are dramatically different for every student. She writes

that based on research conducted, students had “increased academic achievement, improved

attitudes toward school, and reduced discipline problems when strong [learning] preferences are

responded to” (17). In order to meet the various needs of my students, I modelled on the board how

to research an author, I verbally discussed each prompt of their research and provided direct

instruction about finding sources. I also provided a way for students to research on their own and

write notes, and also provided them with the ability to discuss and share information verbally. Each

area of the lesson met the needs of different learning styles present in my classroom.

Work Cited

Dunn, Rita. “Learning Style: State of the Science.” Theory Into Practice, vol. 23, no. 1, 1984, pp.

10–19. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1476733.