College of Education

Lesson Plan Template

Teacher Candidate: Breanna Cook

Date and Time of Lesson: November 11, 2014 at 9:10

School: Springfield Elementary

Subject/Grade Level: Reading/Fifth

Description of Lesson: The students will analyze informational texts to determine the main
idea and show how the main idea is supported by details in the text. The students will then
write summary sentences based on the details from the text.
Lesson Title or Essential Question that guides the lesson: How can I use detail in an
informational text to determine the main idea and create a summary sentence for the text?
Curriculum Standards Addressed:
SC Curriculum Standard(s):
CCSS R.I.5.2: Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported
by key details; summarize the text.
Other:
EEDA Standard(s): Grade Three-Five Learning to Work Standard 4: Students will
demonstrate a positive attitude toward work and the ability to work together.
o Competency 2: Demonstrate cooperative work habits in a group
o Competency 3: Demonstrate being a positive team member
SSCA Element: Appropriate behaviors for a safe learning environment
o A(1): A safe and civil environment in school is necessary for students to learn and
achieve high academic standards.
Cross Curricular with social studies because the text used with the reading instructional
strategy is a social studies text.
Lesson Objective(s):
Fifth grade students will use the reading instructional
strategy, Somebody Wanted But So to determine the
main ideas and write summary sentences using the
details from their Social Studies text, Harry I Was?!

Assessment(s) of the Objectives:

Before: Students completed a seven
question pre-assessment on the
elements of informational texts.
While the data showed that students
know the definition of main idea, a
handful of students incorrectly
answered the question about how
we summarize informational texts.
Additionally, based on observations,
the majority of students struggle to
write main idea sentences.
During: The teacher will observe
students during whole class and
partner or table discussions.
After: The students will turn in a
Somebody Wanted But So chart and

summary sentence for a passage

from Harry I Was?! The teacher will
look at it to see if the students were
able to provide appropriate details
from the passage. The teacher will
also look for a summary sentence
using the details.
Materials/Resources: The students will need their Harry I was?! text, a pencil, a Somebody
Wanted But So chart, and a group activity directions sheet. The teacher will need the
Smartboard, digital version of the Somebody Wanted But So chart and a timer.
Prerequisites (Prior Knowledge):
Socially, the students will need to listen and respond to their peers during class discussion and
partner talks. Physically, the students need to stay in their seats or table groups unless
otherwise instructed by the teacher. The students will also need to raise their hands if they
have a question or comment. Cognitively, the students will have previously learned about main
idea. They have a page in their interactive reading notebooks, which they can use for support if
needed. Additionally, the students have read chapters one and two of Harry I Was?!, so the
information from the reading should be a review from the previous week. Emotionally,
students need to have the confidence to speak during class discussions and partner talk
activities.
Procedures:
1. Please take out your reading notebooks and Harry I Was?! text.
2. Someone remind us about the main idea of informational texts. What is main idea?
How do we find the main idea of an informational text?
3. Pull up the Somebody Wanted But So chart on the Smartboard.
a. Today, we will use this chart to find details in our Social Studies text, Harry I
Was?!
b. Please turn to page 5
4. We will complete this chart together for the section with the sub-heading Farm Life.
a. Read aloud to the section to the class. Stopping occasionally at the tabs in the
book to discuss each column of the chart.
i. Somebody (Orange tab): Who is this section talking about? Who is our
narrator? Answer- Harry and his family and more generally people who
lived on farms
ii. Wanted (Green tab): What did they want? What issue is this section
about? Answer- Food to survive but cheap ways to get the food
iii. But (Blue tab): Why couldnt they have it? What problems did they face?
Answer- They had a hard time keeping the food cold
iv. So (Pink tab)- What happened because they had difficulty keeping food
cold? Answer- Many people got sick and sometimes died because of
spoiled food
5. Now we will create a summary sentence using what we wrote in the chart.
a. Turn to the person beside you and talk about how we might do that.
b. What ideas did your table groups come up with? Write the summary as students
share their ideas.

i. Tristen, how would we start our summary sentence?

ii. Jade, what would be next?
iii. Tori, is there anything else we need to add to our summary sentence?
c. Example summary: Harry and his family wanted a cheap way to make food but
they had a hard time keeping the food cold. So, many people got sick from the
spoiled food.
6. Your turn to practice. Turn to page 8. With your table groups, read the information
under the sub-heading titled The War. Then complete the chart with your groups for
the information under The War.
a. Walk around to observe student discussions and keep students on task.
b. Provide students with roles so that each team member participates.
c. Start a timer for 10 minutes.
d. Provide groups with a directions sheet below:
i. In your groups:
Read The War
Complete the chart in your group
a. Write group job descriptions on the board
i. Scribe- Write the information in the chart
ii. Bookworm- Read The War to the group
iii. Taskmaster- Take note of the time and keep the
group on task
iv. Reporter- Share to the whole class when time is up
Do not get out of your seat
Do not change your group job unless you talk with Ms. Cook and
she approves
e. Once the timer has gone off, ask one member of each group to share what they
wrote in one of the columns.
i. Table 1- Somebody
ii. Table 2- Wanted
iii. Table 3- But
iv. Table 4- So
v. Table 5- Make any changes or add information as necessary
f. Discuss the idea that there is often many main ideas in informational texts. We
looked at two different sub-headings of Harry I Was?! and discovered that there
was more than one way to complete the chart.
g. Remember to think about this chart as you read independently to help write main
idea and summary sentences.
7. Like we did before, write a summary sentence using the information in the chart. Once
you have finished you will turn your chart sheet in the green basket and then write your
homework in your agenda.
a. Then, you may read silently until it is time to pack up.
b. Write the directions on the board
Turn your chart sheet in the green basket
Write your homework in your agenda and let me sign it
Read silently until time to line up and go to the next class
Activity Analysis:
The first activity is a teacher model of the Somebody Wanted But So chart with the Harry
I Was?! text. This activity was chosen because students will not be familiar with this
chart. Therefore, they will need a model to scaffold their learning to master the

objective for the lesson. Higher-level thinking stems from students providing details
from Harry I Was?! during the teacher model. When introducing a new strategy,
research says it is best to model expectations. Thus, I modeled the Somebody Wanted
But So chart to better prepare students to create their own chart in their groups.
The second activity is a table group activity where the students will complete the
Somebody Wanted But So chart. With the support from their peers, the students can
talk through their ideas and feel more comfortable with finding details from
informational texts. Research shows that students often understand content being
taught if they are able to talk with their peers. Teachers often speak in terms that
students cannot relate easily. Higher-level thinking is addressed through table talk and
prompting provided by the teacher throughout the group work.
The students like to move around the room to talk to their friends whenever they are
not supposed to. Therefore, these students need to participate in activities with their
peers. Half of my class are boys and the students enjoy reading Harry I Was?!, so the use
of this text will interest students and motivate them to participate in class discussions.
Many students are apathetic about learning, so I will use jobs to ensure that all students
participate in group activities. I have created a job assignment sheet, which I will place
in the center of the table. If the students do not like their assigned role, they may ask
me to change them with another group member. Higher-level thinking is used to
compromise and work together to complete student jobs. Based on research, providing
clear instructions and expectations will provide the consistency that students need.
I will use the Smartboard as a visual model for completing the Somebody Wanted But So
chart with the students. I will also use the Smartboard to write directions and
descriptions for students to see throughout the lesson. I will not have students using
technology during this lesson because often the Smartboard does not work correctly
and I do not want the students to get off task due to technology complications.
Additionally, iPads are not necessary for this lesson and would only be a distraction to
the students.

Differentiation/Accommodations/Modifications/Increases in Rigor
The students with behavior issues are seated at the front of the classroom. The students will be
observed closely to ensure they stay on task and do not disrupt others around them. Students
will work together in groups to support one another if someone needs help during the
completion of the Somebody Wanted But So chart. For groups that finish early, they will be
given the opportunity to write four sentences where one is the main idea and the other three
are details that support the main idea. They could make it a game where two team members
write the sentences and the other two figure out which is the main idea and then switch.
Students could also opt to read silently to work toward their daily independent reading time.
During the individual work, students may use the whole group model as a guide.
References:
Patriots Point Institute of History, Science & Technology. 2014. Harry I Was?!. Mt. Pleasant, SC.
Reed, B. Inside creative writing: The weekly podcast on craft and technique. July, 2014.
Retrieved from: http://www.insidecreativewriting.com/episode-14-somebody-wantedbut-so/