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Teacher Education Teacher Work Sample


Special Education 329
Amanda Pennington
1. Contextual Factors
Classroom Factors
Ms. Paces resource classroom at Springfield Elementary School is very fast paced and
intense. It is filled with feelings of encouragement along with high expectations. Students know
that what is expected of them and they perform accordingly. The classroom has 7 student desks
and one horseshoe table. Students usually sit at the horseshoe table and participate in small group
instruction. The room is decorated in inspirational messages and encouraging quotes. Students
work is displayed on the walls, as well as newspaper clippings of important and inspiring
educational news. The room is also decorated with educational reminders, such as the alphabet,
numbers, vowels, grammar tips, etc. One interesting feature about the classroom is a small corner
which houses three plush chairs and a rug. It is used as a cool down area or as a place for
students to engage in educational play. There are three computers in the classroom and one smart
board. Students have access to technology in the classroom and have permission to even bring
their own technology. There is plenty of storage in the classroom which houses a large amount of
materials and manipulatives used by the students. The classroom is arranged so that all of the
desks and the round table face the smart board. This is necessary so that students do not have to
move when the smart board is being utilized. The only rules posted are the school wide rules,
which is to SHINE. This is an acronym that stands for self-control, honesty, independence,
neatness, and engagement. Students are expected to come into the classroom on time and sit
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down quietly to await instruction. Students in kindergarten and first grade are escorted to and
from their general education class. Students in second through fifth grade are able to walk to and
from their general education class by themselves.
Student Characteristics
This classroom serves twenty two students who range from kindergarten to fifth grade.
The class has a gender ratio of five females to thirteen males. The class roster includes one
Indian, one Hispanic, seven African American, and thirteen Caucasian students. There is a vast
amount of cultural differences in the classroom which may include traditions, holidays, religions,
etc. The instruction should be tailored to each student and accommodate to their lifestyle.
Thirteen students live with both parents and eight students live in single parent households. This
should be considered when thinking about the whole child and not just who the child is at school.
All students speak English as their first language. The learning disabilities within the classroom
include eleven students with specific learning disabilities, six students with developmental delay,
one student with a visual impairment, two students are classified as other health impairments,
one student classifies as deaf and hard of hearing, and one student has autism. All of these
students are served in the resource setting for an allotted amount of time which is based on each
students needs.
Instructional Implications
The resource teacher collaborates with general education teachers weekly to teach to the
specific needs of each student. The resource classroom is made to give children with learning
disabilities intensive instruction to aid in the learning process and overcome any obstacles that
they may encounter in their area of remediation. Most students with learning disabilities will
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benefit from the style of instruction given in the resource classroom, which includes hands-on,
direct instruction, activities that include all modalities, peer assistance, small group instruction,
and appropriately paced instruction. Each students instruction will be tailored to their IEP goals.
Students are also given preferential seating close to instruction at a round table instead of a
traditional desk setting.

2. Lesson Objectives
Lesson Objectives
1. Lesson One Objective: When given pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters students
will be able to identify the value of each coin four out of five times.
2. Lesson Two Objective: When given a writing prompt the student will create/fill in
a prewriting model (diagram) with at least three main ideas.
3. Lesson Three Objective: After completing a prewriting diagram students will
create a rough draft using information from their prewriting diagram which includes
an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph should
include at least four sentences.
4. Lesson Four Objective: When given the completed rough draft students will edit
and rewrite their paper into a final draft which includes an introduction, three body
paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph should include at least four sentences
with no more than five mechanical errors.
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5. Lesson Five Objective: When reading a DRA level 20 text students will be able to
generate the meaning of unfamiliar high frequency words four out of five times.
Objective Alignment and Appropriateness
o Objective One - This objective aligns with South Carolina Mathematic
Curriculum Standard 1-5: Through the process standards students will
demonstrate a sense of combination of coins and linear, weight, time, and
temperature measurement. This objective also aligns with the Academic Indicator
1-5.1: Use a counting procedure to determine the value (less than a dollar) of a
collection of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. This objective is appropriate
because the students were able to use real money to purchase items, which
including them counting out the appropriate amount to pay for the items. The
students pre-requisite knowledge should include being able to identify a penny, a
nickel, a dime, a quarter, and a dollar as well as the value of each. This lesson
served as a review of the names of coins and their value, but went into further
depth by having the students purchase items with the coins.
o Objective Two This objective aligns with South Carolina English Language
Arts Curriculum Standard 4-4: The student will create written work that has a
clear focus, sufficient detail, coherent organization, effective use of voice, and
correct use of the conventions of written Standard American English. This
objective also aligns with the Academic Indicator 4-4.1: Generate and organize
ideas for writing using prewriting techniques (for example, creating lists, having
discussions, and examining literary models). This objective is appropriate because
the students organized their ideas into a prewriting diagram to prepare them for
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the rough draft portion of the writing process. The students pre-requisite
knowledge should include being able to generate and organize ideas for writing
using prewriting techniques. This lesson served as a review and an introduction
into the mini writing unit.
o Objective Three This objective aligns with South Carolina English Language
Arts Curriculum Standard 4-4: The student will create written work that has a
clear focus, sufficient detail, coherent organization, effective use of voice, and
correct use of the conventions of written Standard American English. This
objective also aligns with the Academic Indicator 4-4.3: Create multiple-
paragraph compositions that include a central idea with supporting details and use
appropriate transitions between paragraphs. This objective is appropriate because
students were instructed to complete a multiple-paragraph rough draft that
included an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The students
pre-requisite knowledge should include using complete sentences and creating
paragraphs that include a topic sentence and supporting details. This lesson
expanded on the students previous knowledge by having them write five
cohesive paragraphs that all included a topic sentence and supporting details.
o Objective Four: This objective aligns with South Carolina English Language Arts
Curriculum Standard 4-4: The student will create written work that has a clear
focus, sufficient detail, coherent organization, effective use of voice, and correct
use of the conventions of written Standard American English. This objective also
aligns with the Academic Indicator 4-4.6: Edit for the correct use of written
Standard American English, including:
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Capitalization: titles of works of art, titles of magazines and newspapers,
brand names, proper adjectives, and names of organizations
Punctuation: quotation marks to indicate direct quotation or dialogue,
quotation to indicate titles of works (for example, articles, reports,
chapters, and other short pieces) published within separately published
works, between main clauses, and underlining or italics to indicate titles of
separately published works (for example, books and magazines)
Spelling: words with suffixes and prefixes and multisyllabic words.
This objective is appropriate because students edited their rough draft before
completing a final draft. They checked for spelling, punctuation, capitalization,
and paragraph formation. In order to be considered proficient, students could miss
no more than five mechanical errors in their final draft this would prove that the
student had to appropriate skills to edit their rough draft. The students pre-
requisite knowledge should include editing for capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling.
o Objective Five: This objective aligns with South Carolina English Language Arts
Curriculum Standard 3-3: The student will use word analysis and vocabulary
strategies to read fluently. This objective also aligns with the Academic Indicator
3-3.1: Generate meaning of unfamiliar and multiple meaning words by using
context clues. This objective is appropriate because students created meaning
from unfamiliar words by reading a leveled text that was on their instructional
reading level. The students pre-requisite knowledge should include being able to
use context clues to generate meanings of unfamiliar words. The lesson expanded
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on that concept by having students pick out multiple unknown words from the
text before reading and then generating a meaning after reading and identifying
context clues.

3. Assessment Plan
Overview of Assessment Plan
My showcase lesson was titled Word Study with Julie and covered the academic
content of generating meaning of unknown words using context clues. This lesson included a
pre-assessment, during assessment, and a post-assessment. The assessments were used to
analyze the students comprehension of the learning objective. The objective for this lesson
was when reading a DRA level 20 text the student will be able to generate meaning of
unfamiliar high frequency words four out of five times. This lesson was focused on the skill
of using context clues to define vocabulary, as well as the recognition of high frequency
words. Below is a chart used to depict the pre-assessment, during assessment, and post
assessment.
Lesson Objectives Assessments Format of Formative
Assessments
Accommodations
Lesson Objective 1:
When given a DRA
level 20 text the
student will be able
to generate meaning
of unfamiliar high
frequency words
four out of five
times.
Pre-Assessment








During Assessment

Pre: Pre-reading
vocabulary activity in
which students
examine a list of ten
words and determine
if they can define,
have seen or heard,
or dont know each
word.
During: Checklist
through teacher
Give directions
several times and
reword instructions if
students present
difficulty
understanding. Model
the pre- and post-
assessment so that
students may visually
see how to complete
the assessment.
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Post-Assessment
observation during
reading will
indicate students
familiarity of the ten
previously identified
high frequency
words.
Post: Students create
five sentences using
the high frequency
words of the pre-
assessment to
evaluate
comprehension of
meaning.
Utilize appropriate
wait time and pace
lesson according to
students
performance. Give
verbal and physical
cues to keep students
on task.

Description of Pre/During/Post Assessments
The pre-assessment that was chosen for this lesson was used so that I could evaluate
which words students were unfamiliar with that would be studied in the text during the
lesson. I chose a pre-reading vocabulary activity as the pre-assessment. I gave each student a
chart that had four columns. In the first column were ten high frequency words that would be
encountered in the text. I then read the sentence from the text that contained the words on the
list. After reading the sentence in the text that contained the word, students were asked to
check the box next to the word that either said can define, have seen or heard, or dont know.
Before administering this assessment, I told students that it was okay not to know some of
these words. This helped me to plan the rest of the lesson when deciding which vocabulary
words to focus on and t0 explode while reading. The students should have been familiar with
the majority of the chosen words and had at least seen or heard them before. This assessment
did not necessarily receive a grade because it was used to probe what the students knew and
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did not know. It served as a guide to me so that I could know what direction to take for the
lesson.
During the lesson, students were informally assessed through teacher observation using a
checklist. As the students took turns reading the text, I listened and utilized a checklist to
determine if the students knew the word from sight, attempted to read the word, or was
completely unfamiliar with the word in written text. This assessment helped me to determine
which words, if any, would need to be addressed in the future as unknown sight words.
The post-assessment was given at the end of the lesson. Each student was asked to create
five sentences using the unknown high frequency words that I selected throughout the lesson.
I choose the words that presented students with the most difficulty. I called out each word
and the students wrote a sentence using that word. This tested their ability to write the
formerly unknown words logically in a sentence. It helped me to determine if the students
were now familiarized with the high frequency vocabulary words. Students were expected to
get at least four out of the five correct. If students missed any words then they would be
carried over into the next lesson and taught in an alternative way until they were mastered.
This particular population of students did not require any specific accommodations other
than verbal and physical cues to remain on task. I repeated directions several times and tried
to state them in alternatives ways so that students would be sure to understand and follow
along. I also modeled the pre and post assessment so that students could visually see what I
expected, as well as hearing the instructions.
Use of Formative Assessment
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The pre-assessment was used to collect data on the students familiarity of the high
frequency vocabulary words and their meanings that would be included in the lesson. The
during assessment was used to collect data on the students ability to decode the high
frequency vocabulary word within the text. The post-assessment was used to analyze the
students comprehension of the meaning of the high frequency vocabulary words. Below is a
chart of the post-assessment, including each students performance as well as the class
average for each word and overall performance.
Chimp Place Thing Least Few Total
Student #1 + + + - + 4/5
Student #2 + + + - + 4/5
Student #3 + + + + + 5/5
Average 100% 100% 100% 67% 100% 87%

4. Instructional Design
Lesson Plans
I created five lessons plans and taught them to a diverse group of students in the resource
setting. I taught a math lesson about money to first graders. I taught a mini writing unit,
which consisted of three lessons, to fourth graders. I taught a vocabulary reading lesson, the
showcase lesson, to a mixed group of second and third graders. The math lesson and
vocabulary lesson was observed and evaluated by my cooperating teacher, Ms. Pace. The
first lesson of the mini writing unit was observed and evaluated by the clinical advisor, Dr.
Garrett. Each of the lessons were integrated with the EEDA Standard 4: Students will
demonstrate a positive attitude toward work and the ability to work together.
o Lesson #1:
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Teacher Candidate: Amanda Pennington Date and Time of Lesson: 2/28/14 at 8:00-9:00

School: Springfield Elementary School Subject/Grade Level: Resource/1
st
Grade

Description of Lesson: In this lesson, students will use real money to purchase items. We will focus
on coins and their value. The students will also complete an open ended sentence about money.

Lesson Title: Counting Money A Valuable Life Skill

Curriculum Standards Addressed:
SC Curriculum Standard(s): 1-5: Through the process standards students will demonstrate a
sense of combination of coins and linear, weight, time, and temperature measurements.
SC Academic Indicator(s): 1-5.1: Use a counting procedure to determine the value (less than a
dollar) of a collection of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.
Cross Curricular Connections: This math lesson will be integrated with English language
arts. The students will learn a new word- buy, and then write an open ended sentence using buy.
The students will listen to a book about money and follow along as I read aloud. It will also be
integrated with art because the students will etch the different types of coins using the coins,
paper, and crayons.



Instructional Objective(s) Criteria: Assessment(s) of the Objectives:
What should students know or be able to do by the end
of the lesson? Objectives should be observable and
measurable
Antecedent: When given pennies, nickels, dimes, and
quarters
Behavior: students will be able to identify
Content: the value of each coin
Degree: 4 out of 5 times.
1-5.1
I will use teacher observations to
assess that the students have learned
the objective. The students will also
complete an activity that includes the
etching and labeling each coin by its
value.

Materials/Resources: white boards, dry erase markers, pencils, lined paper, labeled paper,
coins, items to buy (small toys and school supplies), paper, Tupperware containers, Ziploc bags,
price tags, Making Money by Abby Jackson.
Prerequisites (Prior Knowledge): Social: students need to be able to work cooperatively in
small group instruction, be respectful to peers, and participate. They will also need to stand in
line patiently and demonstrate real world social skills. Cognitive: Students should be able to
recognize the different types of coins by their name and value. Physical: Students should be able
to attend to the lesson and stay focused during instruction. They should be able to stand in line
patiently and wait their turn at the store. Emotional: Students need to be patient and respect
their peers.

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Procedures:
1. Warm up with a quick discussion What do we use money for? (Prompt for the
response to buy items. I will write the word buy on the white board. We will refer back to this
when the students do their quick write). How do we earn money? What is the difference
between a coin and a bill? Does anyone know the names of our four coins? Then I will take
out a penny, a nickel, a dime, and a quarter as they name them.
2. Then the students will etch each coin onto their paper and label it with its appropriate
value.
3. Each student will complete an open ended sentence about the lesson. The sentence will
be I like to buy ________. We will work on handwriting, phonemic awareness, and sentence
structure.
4. I will give each student a Tupperware with some of each type of coin. The students will
buy very small items priced at different quantities (25, 10, 5, and 3). They will be able to
keep these items (erasers, pencils, crayons, and play dough). There will be a store set up at a
desk. I will be the cashier and the students will stand in line (to also practice social and real
world skills). I will direct the student to the item that they must buy. Each student will have three
separate tries to buy all four items at the store. They may continue to try and buy each item until
they get an amount incorrect. If they do, then they must go to the back of the line and wait their
turn to try again. I will give each student a Ziploc bag for their items. After we are done buying
items I will take the students bags and then return them after their assignment is completed at the
end of class. If a student did not have a chance to earn all four items I will give them one more
opportunity at the end of class.
5. Read aloud Making Money by Abby Jackson and discuss where money comes from.
6. Wrap up Ask each student: Tell me one thing you learned today. Review the name
and value of each coin.

Accommodations: While teaching this lesson, I will be in a resource setting with a group of
three students. These students will benefit from the small group instruction. The students will
also being using their visual, auditory, and tactile senses. I will repeat directions and
instructions multiple times so that students can process what is being expected of them. I will
also provide verbal and physical cues to keep students on task.

o Lesson #2:
Teacher Candidate: Amanda Pennington Date and Time of Lesson: 3/4/14 @ 1:00

School: Springfield Elementary Subject/Grade Level: Resource/4
th
Grade

Description of Lesson: In this lesson, students will learn how to begin the writing process. Students
will start by learning the Hamburger Model and then completing a diagram.

Lesson Title: Writing Using the Hamburger Model

Curriculum Standards Addressed:
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SC Curriculum Standard(s): 4-4: The student will create written work that has a clear focus,
sufficient detail, coherent organization, effective use of voice, and correct use of the conventions
of written Standard American English.
SC Academic Indicator(s): 4-4.1: Generate and organize ideas for writing using prewriting
techniques (for example, creating lists, having discussions, and examining literary models).
Cross Curricular Connections: This lesson will be integrated with science. The students will
be prompted to write about their favorite animal. They must include scientific facts about their
favorite animal.

Instructional Objective(s) Criteria: Assessment(s) of the Objectives:
What should students know or be able to do by the end
of the lesson? Objectives should be observable and
measurable
Antecedent: When given a writing prompt
Behavior: the student will create/fill in
Content: a prewriting model (diagram)
Degree: with at least three main ideas.
List 4-4.1
I will use teacher observations to
assess that each student is utilizing a
prewriting diagram. I will collect the
diagrams to assess if each student
grasps the concept of the prewriting
technique.

Materials/Resources: Handout cheat sheet, diagram sheet, pencil, Smart Board
Prerequisites (Prior Knowledge): Social: Students should respect their peers. Cognitive:
Students should know vague scientific facts about well-known animals. Physical: Student should
be able to attend to the lesson and stay on task. Emotional: Students should respect theirs peers
opinions and questions.

Procedures:
1. Warm up with a quick discussion How do you feel about writing? Why? Are
you confident in your writing? Let students know that through this series of lessons (learning
the three stages of writing) their confidence will increase. Writing must come in three stages: a
diagram to get all of your ideas down in a timely manner, a rough draft to form coherent
thoughts about these ideas, and a final draft to polish up everything that you are writing. When
you know how to do something, then it eventually becomes easier to do. We must practice now
so that we can perform our best on PASS in two weeks.
2. I will set up the hamburger model on the Smart Board and explain each section of the
hamburger. This is one style of writing that will help you get your big ideas organized and put
on to paper. The top bun is the introduction, then the cheese, lettuce, and meat are the body
paragraphs, and lastly, the bottom bun is the conclusion. This should be a review for the
students: The introduction should include small pieces of information that will be included in the
body paragraphs. Each body paragraph should include one main idea with supporting details.
Finally, the conclusion should wrap up all of your ideas. Reintroduce the three main topics and
end it with a closing statement. This might be helpful because you can visualize it better than
memorizing that you need an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
3. I will give each student a writing cheat sheet that I created and we will discuss each
component. I will get the students to recap on how to use the hamburger model and then I will
discuss the other big ideas to remember. These ideas include remembering to use exclamation
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points and question marks, remembering to indent, remembering to write inside of the red lines
on notebook paper, providing details using who, what, when, where, how, and using connecting
words.
4. I will tell the student that the prompt is for them to Tell about your favorite animal
and why this animal is your favorite. This paper must include real facts such as the animals
diet, habitat, lifestyle, etc.
5. I will pass out a hamburger diagram sheet for each student. The students will begin
filling in their prewriting diagram to gather their big ideas for the paper. I will assist and
observe during this time.
6. We will all come back together before dismissal and I will ask each student to Tell me
one thing you learned today. Then I will let the class know that if they did not get to finish their
diagram then they may continue on Wednesday, because on Thursday we are moving on to the
rough draft.

Accommodations: I will be teaching this lesson in the resource setting with three students.
These students will benefit from small group instruction. I will present the information in an
auditory and visual way. Then the students will have a chance to practice by completing their
own diagram. I will also pace my lesson according to how the students are reacting to the
material.

o Lesson #3:
Teacher Candidate: Amanda Pennington Date and Time of Lesson: 4/3/14 @ 1:00
School: Springfield Elementary Subject/Grade Level: Resource/4
th
Grade

Description of Lesson: In this lesson, students will begin the rough draft part of the writing process.
They must transfer their information from the diagram into paragraph form. Students will use the
hamburger model when structuring the paper.

Lesson Title: Writing Using the Hamburger Model

Curriculum Standards Addressed:
SC Curriculum Standard(s): 4-4: The student will create written work that has a clear focus,
sufficient detail, coherent organization, effective use of voice, and correct use of the conventions
of written Standard American English
SC Academic Indicator(s): 4-4.3: Create multiple-paragraph compositions that include a
central idea with supporting details and use appropriate transitions between paragraphs.
Cross Curricular Connections: This lesson will be integrated with science. The students will
be prompted to write about their favorite animal. They must include scientific facts about their
favorite animal.

Instructional Objective(s) Criteria: Assessment(s) of the Objectives:
What should students know or be able to do by the end
of the lesson? Objectives should be observable and
measurable
Antecedent: After completing a prewriting diagram
I will use teacher observations to
assess that each student is
successfully transferring their
information from the initial diagram
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Behavior: students will create
Content: a rough draft using information from their
prewriting diagram
Degree: which includes an introduction, three body
paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph should
include at least four sentences.
List 4-4.2

into a rough draft. I will prompt
students periodically to articulate
what they are doing and why.

Materials/Resources: Lined paper, pencils, handout-cheat sheet
Prerequisites (Prior Knowledge): Social: Students should respect their peers within the
classroom. Cognitive: Students should know vague scientific facts about well-known animals.
Students should also know how to write a paper in paragraph form. Physical: Student should be
able to attend to the lesson and stay on task. Emotional: Students should respect theirs peers
opinions and questions.

Procedures:
1. Warm Up with a quick recap of Writing Lesson #1 Review the components of a well-
structured paper by explaining the Hamburger Model. The introduction should include small
pieces of information about what your whole story will be about. Each of the body paragraphs
should include one main idea with supporting details. The conclusion should wrap up all of your
ideas and end the paper.
2. Probe about rough drafts What is a rough draft? Why do we use them? Do
you like writing rough drafts? A rough draft is a very important piece of the writing process
and must be used!! We need them to put our thoughts from the diagram into paper form
(introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion). It is okay to not have a perfect rough
draft. The main purpose of the rough draft is to create a sloppy copy before creating a final
paper. Writing is a process and each component is necessary.
3. I will demonstrate the rough draft process. I will quickly complete a prewriting
diagram on my favorite animal and then show the students how I would begin my rough draft. I
will sample what each component of the paper should look like.
4. Now it is the students turn. Begin the rough draft students will have the rest of the
period to work on their rough draft. I will assist and help guide students through the process. I
will ask students how they are doing and prompt them to articulate what they are working on. If
students finish early then we may begin editing the paper together.
5. Recap: Ask each student to Tell me one thing that you did as a writer today? Tell
me one thing that you feel really good about in your writing? Is there anything that you dont
feel good about in your writing?

Accommodations: I will be teaching this lesson in the resource setting with three students.
These students will benefit from small group instruction. I will also pace my lesson according to
how the students are reacting to the material. This lesson will mostly be independent work so I
will be observing and guiding the students through the rough draft process.

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o Lesson #4:
Teacher Candidate: Amanda Pennington Date and Time of Lesson: 4/4/14 @ 1:00
School: Springfield Elementary Subject/Grade Level: Resource/4
th
Grade

Description of Lesson: In this lesson, students will edit their rough draft and then complete a final
draft portion of the writing process. They must transfer the information from their edited rough draft
to a final draft. Students will use the hamburger model when structuring the paper.

Lesson Title: Writing Using the Hamburger Model

Curriculum Standards Addressed:
SC Curriculum Standard(s): 4-4: The student will create written work that has a clear focus,
sufficient detail, coherent organization, effective use of voice, and correct use of the conventions
of written Standard American English
SC Academic Indicator(s): 4-4.6 Edit for the correct use of written Standard American
English, including:
capitalization
titles of works of art,
titles of magazines and newspapers,
brand names,
proper adjectives, and
names of organizations;
punctuation
quotation marks to indicate direct quotations or dialogue,
quotation marks to indicate titles of works (for example, articles, reports,
chapters, and other short pieces) published within separately published works,
between main clauses, and
underlining or italics to indicate titles of separately published works (for
example, books and magazines); and
spelling
- words with suffixes and prefixes and
- multisyllabic words.


Cross Curricular Connections: This lesson will be integrated with science. The students will
be prompted to write about their favorite animal. They must include scientific facts about their
favorite animal.

Instructional Objective(s) Criteria: Assessment(s) of the Objectives:
What should students know or be able to do by the end
of the lesson? Objectives should be observable and
measurable
Antecedent: When given their rough draft
Behavior: students will edit and rewrite
Content: their paper into a final draft
I will use teacher observation to
assess that each student is
successfully editing their rough draft
and transferring the information to a
final draft. I will review students
final draft for errors as a post-
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Degree: which includes an introduction, three body
paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph should
include at least four sentences with no more than five
mechanical errors.
List 4-4.6
assessment (no more than 5
mechanical errors).


Materials/Resources: Rough drafts, pencils, pens, highlighters, lined paper, handout-editing
checklist.
Prerequisites (Prior Knowledge): Social: Students should respect their peers within the
classroom. Cognitive: Students should know vague scientific facts about well-known animals.
Students should also know how to write a paper in paragraph form. Students should be familiar
with the editing process and the transformation of an edited rough draft into a final copy.
Physical: Student should be able to attend to the lesson and stay on task. Emotional: Students
should respect theirs peers opinions and questions.

Procedures:
1. Warm Up with a recap of Writing Lesson #2 Review the components of a well-
structured paper using the Hamburger Model. The introduction should include small pieces of
information about what your whole story will be about. Each of the body paragraphs should
include one main idea with supporting details. The conclusion should wrap up all of your ideas
and end the paper.
2. Probe about editing Have you ever edited your rough drafts? Why should we edit
our papers? Editing is crucial to the writing process. We must go back over our rough draft to
be certain that it makes logical sense. When we edit we look for thing such as spelling,
punctuation, and neatness. We also make sure that our paper includes all the pieces of the
hamburger (introduction, three bodies, and a conclusion), strong connecting words, staying on
topic, making sense, etc. Editing is used to polish your paper and make it perfect. Take time to
pick through every sentence in the paper to make sure that there are no errors. Probe about final
drafts Do you normally edit rough drafts and rewrite them into a final draft? Do you think
final drafts are necessary? Explain that final drafts are the end product that we are proud to
show to others. The final draft has been our goal since we starting this unit, but writing is a
process so it takes time to get to the final piece.
3. Students will edit their own paper first. I will encourage students to read their paper
out loud, which may help them by hearing any mistakes. Students must use the editing checklist
provided. They are not finished editing until every task has a check. Then they will swap papers
with a peer to edit. They will use the same editing checklist with their peers paper. Explain the
importance of peer editing writing is a very social process. The main purpose of writing is so
that other people will read what you have written, so it only makes sense that you would include
other people in the writing process. Each student will have to provide compliments, suggestions,
and corrections to monitor the amount and type of feedback being given. I will have students
articulate why they are making certain corrections on their peers paper. I will also prompt
students with help when editing so that every correction is found.
4. Once students have appropriate corrections, they will then copy the revised rough
draft into a final draft.
5. After the final drafts are finished I will ask if any student wants to share their final
Pennington 18

draft. The students all went through the same writing process, so it might be interesting for each
student to hear their peers final paper. I will not make any students read aloud if they do not
wish to, but I will offer to read it for them.
6. Wrap Up What did you like best about the writing process? What did you learn
about the writing process? What will you use in the future that I have taught you?


Accommodations: I will be teaching this lesson in the resource setting with three students.
These students will benefit from small group instruction. I will also pace my lesson according to
how the students are reacting to the material. This lesson will mostly be independent work so I
will be observing and guiding the students through the final phase of the writing process.

o Lesson #5:
Teacher Candidate: Amanda Pennington Date and Time of Lesson: 4/4/14 @ 9:40

School: Springfield Elementary School Subject/Grade Level: Resource/2
nd
and 3
rd
Grade

Description of Lesson: Students will identify unfamiliar high frequency words and generate a
meaning based on context clues. This lesson will have an emphasis on high frequency words but will
be integrated with fluency and spelling.

Lesson Title: Word Study with Julie

Curriculum Standards Addressed:
SC Curriculum Standard(s): 3-3: The student will use word analysis and vocabulary
strategies to read fluently.
SC Academic Indicator(s): 3-3.1: Generate the meaning of unfamiliar and multiple-meaning
words by using context clues.
Cross Curricular Connections: The book that students will read Julies Mornings is about
jungle animals. We will make the scientific connection through the text during read aloud.

Instructional Objective(s) Criteria: Assessment(s) of the Objectives:
What should students know or be able to do by the end
of the lesson? Objectives should be observable and
measurable
Antecedent: When reading a DRA level 20 text,
Behavior: students will be able to generate meaning
Content: of unfamiliar high frequency words
Degree: 4 out of 5 times
List 3.3-1

Pre-assessment: Determine students
understanding of the books high
frequency words by having them
complete a pre-reading vocabulary
activity. This will determine which
words are unfamiliar to the students.
During Assessment: Teacher
observation with chart of how well
the students are able to identify
unfamiliar words with the text.
Post Assessment: Have students
Pennington 19

create sentences with the high
frequency words that were unfamiliar
in the pre-reading vocabulary activity
to evaluate comprehension of
meaning.

Materials/Resources: Julies Mornings by Lois Bick, pencil, paper, pre-writing vocabulary
worksheet.
Prerequisites (Prior Knowledge): Social: Students should respect their peers within the
classroom. Cognitive: Students should be able to read a DRA level 20 text with minimal error.
Physical: Student should be able to attend to the lesson and stay on task. Emotional: Students
should respect theirs peers opinions and questions.

References: Julies Mornings by Lois Bick Ready Readers Modern Curriculum Press DRA
leveled text.

Procedures:
1. Pre-Assessment: The book for todays lesson, Julies Mornings by Lois Bick is a
DRA level 20 text. Preform a pre-reading vocabulary activity. Use the words bathtub, chimp,
thing, few, least, paint, place, same, woke, and window. These words are listed in the back of the
book as the word study meaning they are the more abstract or high frequency words in the
book. Students will be given a chart with the words in the first column. First, I will explain the
directions of this activity and then model what it would look like. I will read the sentence out of
the book that contains the word. Then students will either check that they can define the word,
have seen or heard the word, or dont know the word. Repeat for each word. Once every word
has been read in a sentence, go back to the first word and ask if anyone can define the word. If
no one can define the word then I will define it and then ask the students what they think it has to
do with the story. Definitions:
Chimp: a type of monkey that lives in the trees.
Woke: to wake up past tense
Few: not many
Bathtub: the tub in the bathroom where you take a bath
Thing: can be an event, detail, object, activity, something, etc.
Least: smallest in size or value
Place: a location not made specific
Paint: to give color to something
Same: resembling another equal
Window: an opening in the wall that lets in light.
After we read the text we will revisit our pre-reading vocabulary word chart.
2. We will take a student lead picture walk of Julies Mornings.
3. As a group, students will take turns reading the word study in the back of the book and
spell the words out loud.
4. Read the book independently to become familiar with the text.
5. Read the book together and discuss the high frequency word meanings while we read.
Pennington 20

Ask questions during the text to check for comprehension. Why did Julie want to paint her
room? How did Julies room look after it was painted? Who was in Julies room on
Tuesday morning? Who was in Julies room on Wednesday morning? Why do you think the
chimp wont eat the plant? Who was in Julies room on Thursday morning? Why did Julie
repaint her room? What do you think will happen?
Ask the students What was this book about? What was your favorite part of the book?
6. Revisit word chart and have a group discussion on the words ask students who were
initially unfamiliar with a word if they can define it now. If the student can give a clear definition
then allow them to check the can define box with a colored pen.
6. Post Assessment Now its your turn to show me what you know. Have students
write sentences with at least five of the high frequency words that they may have been unfamiliar
with from the text. This will test their ability to write the word logically in a sentence. I will
model how to write the words in a sentence so that students can visually see what I expect, as
well as hearing the verbal directions. Each student may be using different words. If a student
initially knew all of the words then they may choose which ever five they want.
7. Wrap Up Ask students what they learned today. Tell me one new thing you learned
today? Which word was your favorite that we talked about today why?

Accommodations: I will be teaching this lesson in the resource setting with four students.
These students will benefit from small group instruction. I will present the information in an
auditory and visual way. I will repeat directions several times and restate instructions if students
present difficulty understanding. I will model the pre-assessment as well as the post-assessment
so that students can visually see how to complete the assessments. I will also pace my lesson by
utilizing appropriate wait time and adjust the pace according to how the students are reacting to
the material.

Technology:
Technology was used in the first lesson of the mini writing unit. I utilized the Smart Board to
display a picture of a hamburger. Then I labeled each section of the hamburger that correlated to
the parts of a paper. I left the diagram on the Smart Board for students to refer to. Although this
was the only lesson that I used technology while teaching, I utilized technology when creating
each lesson that I taught. I used a computer to create price tags for the money lesson, as well as
to find a template paper for the etching activity. I used a computer to create the writing cheat
sheet and editing checklist for the writing mini unit, as well as to find the prewriting diagram
templates. I used a computer to complete a checklist for the vocabulary reading lesson, as well as
Pennington 21

to scan and copy the pre-reading vocabulary activity. I did not choose to use technology while
teaching any of the other lessons because I felt that it was not necessary. With the lessons that I
planned, it seemed that the students would benefit more from hands-on activities rather than
technological activities.
Activity Analysis
Lesson One Money with 1
st
Graders: During this lesson, students were able to use real
money and shop at a simulated store in the classroom. Students had to use their best
shopping behavior, such as waiting in line patiently, being respectful to the cashier, and
being respectful to other shoppers. This was integrated as an SSCA standard to practice real
world and social skills. There were four different items at the store priced at different
quantities (25, 10, 5, and 3). I prompted the student on which item to buy and if the
student bought the item with the correct payment then they were able to keep the item.
Students were asked to buy crayons, play-doh, an eraser, and a pencil. Students could
continue to try and buy all four items until they either bought them all or incorrectly paid for
an item. If the student did not use the correct amount of money when buying the item, they
were asked to get in the back of the line and try again. Every student got three chances to buy
all the items and if they still did not earn all four then they would receive another chance
after class. This activity supported my lesson objective because students got to identify coins
and their value in a real world setting. The students needed to know how much money each
coin was worth in order to purchase any items. The students benefited from verbal and
physical cues to help keep them stay on task. The students were very excited to go shopping
and as a result needed reminders of appropriate shopping behavior. This taught students how
to behave in a real store, but it also made sure that I was able to teach the lesson smoothly
Pennington 22

without any disruptions. The materials I used for this activity included price tags made out of
construction paper, coins (pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters), Tupperware containers,
items to buy (pencils, erasers, crayons, play-doh), Ziploc bags, and desks to set up the mock
store.

5. Analysis of Student Learning
Whole Class
The chart pictured below examines the pre- and post-assessments scores of the second
and third grade students who participated in the showcase lesson. The pre-assessment was
used a probe to determine which high frequency words of the text the students knew and did
not know. The post-assessment was used a measurement of the lessons objective: When
reading a DRA level 20 text, students will be able to generate meaning of unfamiliar high
frequency words four out of five times.
Student Pre-Assessment Score Post-Assessment
Score
1 10/10 4/5
2 10/10 4/5
3 9/10 5/5

I was expecting most of the students to do well on the pre- and post-assessment, but I was
thrilled at how well each student performed! The pre-assessment was not very difficult because it
only prompted students to identify which words they were familiar with and which ones they
were not. I was surprised that most of the students were familiar with all of the words. I was
expecting for some of the words to be a challenge. This allowed me to understand that the
Pennington 23

students could recognize the words on paper or in a text. Two of the three students knew all ten
words and the third student knew nine of the words. The students were very enthusiastic about
the pre-assessment because they knew most of the words. This gave them some confidence and
as a result they were excited about the upcoming activities.
During the lesson, the students were assessed through teacher observation. They did not
know they were being assessed while reading. I kept a checklist of the students ability to read
the high frequency words within the text. Most of the students could decode all of the words, but
every student struggled when reading the word least. I took this into consideration and
reviewed the word and its meaning with the students after reading the text. A correlation of the
during and post-assessment scores was apparent with the word least. All three students had a
hard time reading least and then two of the students missed the word least in their post-
assessment. If I were to teach another lesson on high frequency vocabulary words with this group
of students, I would include least in the word study again and introduce it in a new way so that
students get try and retain the word.
I was very satisfied with the post-assessment scores. The students had to apply their
knowledge of the words meaning in order to make a coherent sentence. Two of the three
students received four out of five points and the third student received all five points. In order to
be considered proficient, the students needed to score at least four out of the five points. Every
student met the goal of the objective for the lesson. The scores of the pre-assessment and post-
assessment did not seem to have any correlational relationship. In general, all of the students did
very well on both the pre- and post-assessment. The scores of the students pre- and post-
assessment does not show that any of the students made much progress. This tells me that the
content was relatively easy for the students and that the rigor of the material could be increased
Pennington 24

in the next lesson on high frequency vocabulary words. After analyzing the data of the students
assessments it seems apparent that the student are very familiar with the words within their DRA
reading level (DRA 20) and could possibly study more advanced words than what is required of
their specific reading level. The graph below gives a visual representation and supports the fact
that the students did not show any signs of vast improvement from the pre-assessment to the
post-assessment.

Individuals
There were only three students who attended this lesson, therefore each of their scores are
analyzed in the whole class section above. The students scores were relatively similar and
suggest that all of the students are performing on or around the same level.

6. Reflection, Self-Evaluation, & Professional Development
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Pre-Assessment (Out of 10 Possible
Points)
Post-Assessment (Out of 5 Possible
Points)
Student 1
Student 2
Student 3
Pennington 25

Reflection on Showcase Lesson
I taught my showcase lesson to a group of three second and third grade students in the
resource setting. All of the students should have been in third grade, but two were previously
retained. Each of the students are required an hour of resource daily for English language arts as
stated by their IEP. The students are about a grade level or more behind on their reading level. I
choose to create an English language arts lesson with this group of students as my showcase
lesson. When creating this lesson, I should have set higher expectations for the students. After
teaching the lesson and analyzing the data from the pre-, during, and post-assessment I realized
that the lesson was too easy for the students. The students were already familiar with most of the
words that we were studying during the lesson. I also think the students could have read a higher
DRA leveled text. They read the text smoothly and could recall most of the details. The students
also did a great job of retelling the story, which proved that they comprehended the text. The
students did struggle to decode the word least throughout the during assessment, which
prompted me to modify my instructional plans and review the word. I thought that if the students
were exposed to the word more, than as a result they might retain it. Through analysis of the
post-assessment data, the students still seemed to struggle with the word least. In the future I
would add least to my next word study lesson and expose them to the word in a different way
with a new activity.
I believe this lesson helped boost the students confidence. Although the lesson may have
not been difficult enough, I could tell the students felt good to be proficient in their studies. The
students performed on or above expectation and as a result, I would increase the rigor of the next
lesson. It is essential to teach students at their instructional level. I was not familiar with the
students and their academic ability, so I based my lessons difficulty on the students reading
Pennington 26

level. If I were to teach this group of students again, I believe I could create a lesson with a little
more challenge, but still be able to let the students feel the same confidence that they felt with
the showcase lesson. This lesson was a picture perfect lesson. The students gladly participated
and showed full involvement in the lesson. The style of lesson and assessments were ideal for
this group of students and could be used again expect with the academic rigor slightly increased.
All three of the students who participated in the showcase lesson are very active and
involved students. The students rarely present a behavior problem and if they do it is very minor.
The three students all get along very well and have created a community-style classroom
environment. They all help each other out and make sure that everyone is, figuratively speaking,
on the same page. I believe that all three of the student performed similarly because they are all
approximately on the same academic level. All three students performed very well during this
lesson and now that I know what these students are capable of I will set higher standards for
them in the future.
Other Lesson Reflection and Analysis
o Lesson #1 Reflection: Counting Money A Valuable Life Skill
This was my favorite lesson that I taught during my special education 329
clinical experience. I taught this lesson to three first grade students in the resource
setting. This mathematics lesson was taught to focus on coins and their values. I
integrated English language arts into the lesson by having students complete an
open ended sentence and an interactive read aloud. The lesson lasted an hour
which is the allotted amount of time that these students receive resource. I believe
it was appropriate for this lesson to last an hour because the students were
Pennington 27

involved in many different activities and remained engaged during the entire
lesson.
I began the lesson with a quick discussion about money. All of the
students were very excited because they knew that after we did a few activities,
we would be able to go shopping and buy things at a simulated store in the
classroom with real money. This lesson included all of the learning modalities.
Students visually saw the money, heard me say what each coin was called, and
were able to physically go to the store and count out money to buy objects. The
students remained actively involved in the whole lesson by showing full
participation and staying engaged in each activity that we completed. The students
did not demonstrate any behavioral issues, but did benefit from being verbally and
physically reminded to stay on task. The students really enjoyed being able to
work with real coins, as opposed the fake money that is often used as a
manipulative in math.
If I taught this lesson in the future, I would incorporate a way to establish
the coins values at the beginning of the lesson. I would have representations of
each coin and post them on an anchor chart with their equivalent values next to
the coins. I believe this would help students understand the value of a coin, rather
than me just saying what the value is and having them repeat it.
o Lesson #2 Writing Using the Hamburger Model [First Lesson of the Mini
Writing Unit]
Pennington 28

I decided to create a mini writing unit with the three fourth graders who
received resource. I collaborated with my cooperating teacher to create this lesson.
She asked me to focus on writing with the fourth graders because the writing portion
of the PASS test was coming up in the next few weeks. I really enjoyed teaching
them about the writing process. Even though I had little background knowledge on
the specific techniques of teaching the writing process, I still think the lesson went
well. I decided to relate the writing process to a hamburger. I remember being taught
the hamburger model in school and I really found it beneficial when writing papers. I
felt that the students could really relate to the hamburger model of writing. It seemed
that being able to actually see the different parts of a hamburger create a whole
helped them to realize how different paragraphs create a whole paper.
I found it helpful to open up the lesson with a quick open discussion about the
students feelings about the writing process. I also brought many different styles of
prewriting diagrams to class. This came in handy because one of the students had a
hard time filling in the initial diagram. The students also benefited from the writing
cheat sheets that I created. The writing cheat sheet included helpful information for
the students to refer to throughout the writing process, such as the hamburger labeled
with the paragraphs that should be included in the paper, reminders about
punctuation, capitalization, paragraph formation, and details to include such as who,
what, when, where, why, and how.
Although I believe the lesson went well, there are some things that I would
change if I taught the lesson again. I believe the lesson could have been more
effective if I was more confident in myself. I was very nervous because this was only
Pennington 29

the second lesson that I had ever taught. I hope that the confidence will come
naturally after some more practice. I felt that the lesson might have gone too fast for
my students. In the future, I will slow down the lesson and possibly have it span over
two days. I will create a pre-writing diagram with the students so they can see the
process being modeled. We could create one together on an anchor chart or the white
board so that they could refer to it while creating their own diagram. I will also try to
encourage the students to be independent during this process. I want them to write
about their own ideas, not mine. I felt that I might have helped some of the students
too much with their pre-writing diagrams. Even though there are some things I will
change if I teach this lesson again, I still feel that it went smoothly and the students
thoroughly enjoyed the lesson.
o Lesson #3 Writing Using a Hamburger Model [Second Lesson of the Mini
Writing Unit]
The third lesson that I taught was the second lesson of the mini writing unit
with the fourth grade students. After completing the prewriting diagram in the
previous lesson, the students began a rough draft. I began the lesson with a recap of
the hamburger model. This was the main lesson within the writing mini unit where
students would thoroughly use the hamburger model. I was very impressed with the
students ability to transfer the information from their prewriting diagram into a rough
draft.
After teaching the first lesson of the mini writing unit, I realized that it might
have been more beneficial if I modeled the different parts of the writing process to the
Pennington 30

students. During the second lesson of the mini writing unit about rough drafts, I
brought my own completed prewriting diagram and I modeled what it looks like to
transfer information from a prewriting diagram into a rough draft. I sampled what
each component of the paper should look like. After visually seeing how one begins a
rough draft I gave the students a chance to create their own rough draft. I assisted and
helped students through this process by having the students periodically articulate
what they were doing during this step in the writing process.
If I teach this mini writing unit in the future, I will modify a few things. As
previously stated, in the first lesson, I will create a prewriting diagram with the
students on an anchor chart. Then, in the second lesson, I would take that prewriting
diagram and turn it into a rough draft with the students on another anchor chart. I
believe this would be more beneficial to have students interacted in the process rather
than just watching me make a rough draft. They would also be able to see the
prewriting diagram on an anchor chart hung up next to the rough draft that we
complete together on an anchor chart. They would be able to refer to those anchor
charts throughout the mini writing unit.
o Lesson #4 - Writing Using the Hamburger Model [Third Lesson of the Mini
Writing Unit]
The third and final lesson of the mini writing unit included students editing
the rough draft and then completing a final draft. As a warm up we reviewed the
hamburger model with a quick class discussion. I felt that it was important that the
students remember the components of the hamburger model so that they could use it
Pennington 31

outside of the resource classroom, such as on the PASS test or in the general
education classroom. By the end of the mini writing unit, students seemed to really
grasp the concept of the hamburger model and they enjoyed using it while writing. I
think the students liked using the hamburger model so much because they could
really relate to it and visualize the hamburger as they wrote their paper. I will
absolutely use the hamburger model next time I teach the writing process.
During this lesson, students edited their own paper and then they edited their
peers paper. I gave the students an editing checklist to follow so that they could
remember everything they were looking for while editing. The checklist included
things such as spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and paragraph formation. It really
seemed the help the students to have a checklist to refer to while editing. After all of
the rough drafts were editing the students wrote their final draft. All of the students
did not have enough time to edit the rough drafts as well as complete a final draft in
one class period.
In the future when I teach this lesson, I will break it up into two days. On the
first day we would do a self-edit and then a peer-edit. Then on the second day the
students would have the whole class period to complete their final draft. This would
mean that the mini writing unit would span over four days rather than three days. I
would also create an editing checklist on an anchor chart prior to class so that we
could post it with our other writing unit anchor charts. As previously stated, in the
second lesson of the mini writing unit, I will create a rough draft with the students on
an anchor chart. Then in the third lesson, we will use the rough draft that we created
on the anchor chart together in the second lesson to edit together as a class. We would
Pennington 32

use the anchor chart with the editing checklist on it to make sure that we completely
edited our rough draft. I believe completing the editing process together would help
students because they would be able to see and hear what is expected during the
editing process. When teaching the mini writing unit in the future, the main
modification being made will be adding in models of how to complete the different
processes. I now know that it is crucial to model what you expect students to be able
to do. Teachers must build the students schema first before expecting the student to
be able to complete an assignment.
Professional Development
After teaching five lessons and being immersed in the resource classroom for two weeks, I
have created two professional development goals for future clinical experiences. My goals are to
become more confident when teaching and to always model what I expect of my students. I
believe that confidence will naturally come over time as I teach more lessons. This was my first
clinical experience where I was able to teach and I was very nervous. One way I could improve
this in the future is by practicing my lessons on someone else so that I would not be so anxious
before teaching. Throughout this clinical experience, I learned that it is crucial to model what
you expect your students to do. In the future, I will be aware of this and be sure to include it in
all of my lesson plans that are applicable.

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