Inquiry 2: Designing for Learning

Michigan State University

TE 802: Reflection & Inquiry in Teaching Practice I: Literacy
Fall 2014
By Kendra Asher
How will I design our curriculum and instruction so that students learn what they
need in order to become proficient literacy learners? How do I select and/or create appropriate
assessments so that I have evidence that my students have learned?

Inquiry Two
Part B: Teaching Overview

Name: Kendra Asher Grade Level: 5th
School: Mt Hope STEAM School MT: Janet Scheetz
1. Describe your target area for guided lead teaching: Reading Comprehension and Strategy
Instruction
2. List the main Common Core State Standard(s) that this unit will work toward.
a. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6 Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view
influences how events are described.
3. List a small set of well chosen objectives for the unit. Label each objective with a number so
you can easily list the objective(s) for each day in the table below.
a. 1 Students will analyze a story to determine aspects of a characters personality by
using the concept of voice with at least 3 aspects of facts and personality traits.
b. 2 Students will orally state the characters traits with evidence from the book.
c. 3 Students will be able to argue with evidence and personal experience when applicable
the impact point of view has on the story after and during reading.
d. 4 Students will provide reasoning of how first person point of view aids in character
development and affects the story with at least 2 specific examples from the text to
support their claim.
4. Provide a rationale for why your overall goals and your specific objectives are important and
worthwhile content or skills to learn, and how they are relevant to your students lives.
a. My goal is for students to understand the impact point of view has on stories. In their
everyday life they are going to be faced with situations in which they have a side of a
story and someone else has a different recollection. Through this exploration of point of
view, I hope that students will realize and understand why these differences occur and
their implications. Objective 1 exposing students to character traits and how these traits
will impact the perspective they give. This will help them understand why there are
different views or voices. Objective 2 challenges students to communicate verbally and
have a discussion. The class I will be working with tend to not want to share their
opinions so I hope to challenge them and assist them in having a group discussion.
Objective 3 starts to get at the core of the standard and making an argument with
evidence as to the effect the point of view has. In real life contexts, you need evidence.
Lastly, Objective 4 students will explore point of view in a chapter book they have been
reading. This will challenge them to think about perspectives that may not be in human
form as the character is alone on an island. This will require them to really think and
comprehend point of view.
5. List the main assessment(s) you will use to determine if your students meet your unit objectives
for the unit
a. There will be formative assessments throughout the unit focusing on self-reflection
rubrics of participation and recording student ideas on the Promethean Board. The
summative assessment will be a writing activity. I will be less concerned with the writing
structure and more focused on the ideas they portray. Students will select a scene or
event from any of the stories we have read. They will then write the scene from a
different characters perspective. I will be looking to see if they did change the point of
view and if they altered how the events were described to reflect the new point of view.
Their writing can be a paragraph or page but it must demonstrate a change in point of
view and how the story or event is altered as a result. If student would do better by
drawing a picture they are welcome to but must meet the requirements. They are
welcome to use an image to support their writing.
6. Indicate with an asterisk (*) which lessons will require your explicit attention in planning and
teaching to develop the core practice you identified for your professional learning.

a. Developing Structures that Promote Purposeful Talk.

7. Describe what you will do to provide differentiated instruction in one area (content, processes
or products), and explain how that choice appropriately meets some of your students learning
needs:
a. I will be differentiating the product on my lessons. This includes Venn diagrams and
drawings for visual learners, talking for interpersonal learners, writing for intrapersonal
learners, and acting for students as well. These will occur during the lesson and will
serve also as a means of assessment of student learning. I will be teaching during
Reading Switches and have students who read from grade levels 4.6 to post high
school. This is why I chose to focus on different types of learners for my differentiation.
List the following for
each lesson
Lesson
Focus/Topic
Objective # that is
the focus of this
lesson

Instructional Format
(e.g., mini-lesson
followed by a group
activity)

Ongoing
Assessment:
what will you look for
as you teach, and
how will you use that
information to plan
your next lesson?

Teaching Notes: jot down

topics, resources or tasks
you want to make sure you
incorporate into your lesson
as you develop your plans
such as introducing centers
that day, or making sure you
provide an anchor chart on
predictions, or what you will
focus on to develop your
core practice

Day 1: Introducing
Voice and Point of
View
Objective # 3

Mini Lesson followed

by independent
activity for
assessment

First, second, third, narrator

review
Use promethean board
Think Pair Share

Day 2: *How to have a

discussion
Objective # 3

Mini Lesson with

gradual release of
responsibility

Can students identify

point of view from an
excerpt? They need
this basic
understanding to be
successful with the
CCSS. What point of
views are they getting
confused on? I want
at least 80% of
students to be
successful. Can they
produce an example
of each?
Introduce Discussion
Self Check List. I
shared by opinion
during the discussion.
I used evidence from
the text. I used my
personal experiences.
I shared how the point
of view affected the
story or contributed to
the discussion about
it. I do well at. I
need to improve on.
I didnt get to share
the idea.
I connected my idea
to __________. I will
look for students to
improve on how they

Ground rules, structure,

model with Island of the Blue
dolphins discussion
questions
Use promethean to show
rules and procedures, rubric
Island of the Blue Dolphins

Day 3: Voices in the

Park Day 1
Objective # 1

Interactive Read
aloud

Day 4: *Voices in the

Park Day 2
Objective # 1,2,3

Questioning the
Author/ Point of View
Discussion

Day 5: *The: Islands

of the Blue Dolphins A
Objective # 3,4

Questioning the
Author/ Point of View,
Modeling
Discussion

Day 6 *Voices in the

Park Day 3
Objective # 3

Questioning the
Author/ Point of View
Discussion

Day 7: *Islands of the

Blue Dolphins B
Objective # 3,4

Questioning the
Author/ Point of View
Discussion

Day 8 The Encounter

Objective #2, 3

Interactive Read
aloud, Questioning
the Author/ Point of
View
Discussion

access themselves
and play a larger role
in the discussion.
Comprehension
Questions: Can they
identify the four points
of views? Do
recognize the
difference?
Record responses
relating to point of
view on Promethean
Discussion Self Check
List
Were students able to
find differences in the
characters and use
support?
Record responses
relating to point of
view on Promethean
Discussion Self Check
List
Did they discuss
specific events from
the story or chapters?
Record responses
relating to point of
view on Promethean
Discussion Self Check
List
Did they give
reasoning for their
ideas and support?
Did they connect back
to character traits?
Record responses
relating to point of
view on Promethean
Discussion Self Check
List
Did they realize that
point of view does not
need to be a person?
What about a
narrator? All knowing?
Retelling?
Record responses
relating to point of
view on Promethean
Discussion Self Check
List
Did the students need
less guidance and
modeling to have the

Initial read with

comprehension questions,
analyzing character traits
Use ELMO to show story
Identify the 4 characters
Notice how text elements
help to differentiate the
characters.
Discussing findings of
character traits, how does
first person and others point
of view impact character
traits?
Record findings on
promethean board

How does Karanas point of

view impact the story? Think
Pair Sharea

Examining events from

opposing point of views
Record findings on
Promethean Board, review
past boards

What would another point of

view in the story sound or be
like?
List on Promethean Board
and what their view would
be, specific events

Applying understanding of
point of view with less
modeling
Answer comprehension
questions, Identifying points

Day 9: The Encounter

Day 2
Objective # 2,3

Questioning the
Author/ Point of View
Discussion, Venn
Diagram

Day 10: Fractured

Fairy Tale
Objective # 2, 3

Interactive Read
aloud, Questioning
the Author/ Point of
View
Discussion

discussion and
analyze the story?
Record responses
relating to point of
view on Promethean
Discussion Self Check
List
Record responses
relating to point of
view on Promethean
Discussion Self Check
List. By now students
should be talking
multiple times during
the discussion and
delving deeper into
the idea about point of
view.
Record responses
relating to point of
view on Promethean

of view and the characters

on promethean
Tell students that I will stop
and share to have them
comment on point of few
Encounter from Columbus
point of view. Compare and
contrast with story
Venn on Promethean Board
Read Little Red Riding Hood
(The Big Bad Wolf)
by Anneliese, How does this
differ from the perspective
we know so well?

Date: Day 3
Objective(s) for todays lesson: Students will analyze a story to determine aspects of a characters
personality by using the concept of voice with at least 3 aspects of facts and personality traits.

Rationale: Today introduces a story to the students that we will discuss the following day and
through the interactive read aloud and the character analysis worksheet, gets them to think
about the point of views. I also will use this day, as an assessment on how is likely to share
their ideas and who is not. In the real world, students will be exposed to many perspectives
and being able to determine why they are different and respecting them will make them good
citizens. Being able to read a story and analyze the images, as the task will require is a very
useful comprehension skill.
Materials & supplies needed: ELMO, Promethean, Voices in the Park, Character Analysis
Worksheet
Procedures and approximate time allocated for each
event
Introduction to the lesson (What will I say to help children
understand the purpose of the lesson? How will I help
them make connections to prior lessons or experiences in
and out of school? How will I motivate them to become
engaged in the lesson and understand its real world
purpose? How will I make explicit behavior expectations
and other issues related to classroom management?) (3
minutes)
We are going to read Voices in the Park. While I am
reading I will stop and ask questions. When you can think
about how to use our guidelines for discussions. We
learned yesterday about different point of views.
Who can tell me what they are?
This story is told from numerous different perspectives. I
want you to figure out the different view points and what
makes them different.
We have all had similar experiences to the characters in
the story when we experience an event differently from
another
I expect you to have a level 0 voice, remain in your seat,
and raise your hand if you have a question.
After we read, you will start on an assignment that will
want you to look at one character: facts about them and
their personality to discuss tomorrow.
OUTLINE of key events during the lesson (Include
specific details about how I will work on developing and
improving my core practice and attend to other
instructional issues such as beginning and ending activities;
what discussion questions I will use; how I will help children
understand behavior expectations during the lesson;
when/how I will distribute supplies and materials) (15-20

Academic, Social and/or

Linguistic Support during
each event
Going over my behavior
expectations is beneficial to
all students but even more so
for some students who like to
fidget in their seats or who
tend to talk out of turn.
If I sense confusion or
students ask what a view
point is: an attitude of the
mind, or perspective

minutes)
Interactive read aloud of Voices in the Park
Ask predictions from cover
What does the title mean?
Look at word choice, text variations
How would you feel if you went to the park and then were
told to sit on the bench?
How does the image support what happened next? Trees
that are yelling.
Why is the tree burning?
I find it interesting that instead of footprints there are
leaves
Why did the author choose Gorillas?
Hey look, its the Mona Lisa!
Look how the trees point to the direction they are walking.
The colors are not as bright as the other pages
Whoa, there is a random light post in the forest. What
could that represent?
Its the portrait Scream!
Their footprints look different. How has this image
changed? Why do you think this happened?
What mood do you get from the third voice?
More light posts.
What do you see in this picture? (Next to the slide)
I am wondering if he has any friends. I would be sad
without friends
Lets compare voice 3 and 4. Look at how the text
changed. What else changed?
How does the girl see the world differently?
Now that we have read the book lets think about the 4
voices. What makes each different? Record on
Promethean the student responses
What makes them similar?
Assessment: Can they identify the four points of views?
Do recognize the difference? Give me a little evidence.
We will go into more detail tomorrow about this
o Record responses relating to point of view on
Promethean
You are now going to work on this character analysis
worksheet. This will help you for our discussion tomorrow.
You must find evidence from the story that are facts about
the characters (visual or physical traits) and personality
traits. You can use things the pictures showed you, the
text but must have proof.
If time, give students time to work on it
Closing summary for the lesson (How will I bring
closure to the lesson and actively involve children in
reflecting on their experiences? How will I help them make
connections to prior lessons or prepare for future
experiences? What kind of feedback do I want from them

I am modeling through a think

aloud and an interactive read
aloud how to connect and
comprehend the text. I hope
that the areas I draw to their
attention will help those who
struggle academically as I am
trying to help them see the
different characters.
The story has simple words,
so I do not foresee any issues
with understanding words.
However if it does occur I will
suggest that the student look
in the dictionary and then
share with the class.
There are students with ADD
and ADHD in the class who
are high functioning but they
like to talk. With the
interactive aspect of the
lesson, I hope it gives them
an outlet to share their
thoughts and not have to tell
them to be quiet.

The summary of the events of

the day, the main idea and
what tomorrow brings will help
all students but in particular

at this time?) (5 minutes)

Today we read Voices in the Park. This was a unique story
as it was told from 4 different voices. Our unit is going to be
focusing on point of view and how it impacts the story.
Think about that as you complete your worksheet.
Someone tell me something they liked about the story.

Transition to next learning activity

Assessment (How will I gauge the students learning as I
implement the lesson plan and once the lesson is completed?
Specifically, what will I look for? How will I use what I am
learning to inform my next steps?)
The assessment is informal. I will record what the students
bring up and focus on these questions: Can they identify the 4
voices? Do they recognize the differences? What evidence do
they provide? I will record the answers on the Promethean
Board. I will look for specific evidence to be given. I will ask
them these questions because it will inform me if they are
capable at this time to locate different voices and points of
views. If they struggle, then I will need to look at revisiting the
text and images the next day to model how to find the
differences. Their homework assignment will demonstrate to
me a few things: if they pay close attention while listening, can
they use support, can they use image support, and are they
critical readers. Again, I want specific evidence and at least 2
traits for each type of support for each type of trait. While this
is not a full discussion lesson, I wanted to see how students
do sharing their ideas before we start the full class discussion.
Who talks naturally when I guide it? Who gets distracted?
These are important for me to know before I let students have
their own discussion.

the students who get

distracted who may have
forgotten what we were
focusing on.

Academic, Social, and/or

Linguistic Support during
assessment
Students who do not
understand how to use
images for support I will ask
them to think about what the
images shows us. What does
it show that the text does not?
Analysis means to examine,
study, access, or evaluate.
There are some students in
the class who do not like to
write, while I would like to tell
them they can draw I do not
feel it would portray the
characters traits or show that
they can analyze images.

Bibliography
Browne, A. (1998). Voices in the Park. NYC: DK Publishing.
Podoiski, J. (2014). Teaching Voice with Anthony Brownes Voices in the Park. (N. C. English,
Producer) Retrieved 9 15, 2014, from Read Write Think:
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/teaching-voice-with-
anthony-167.html

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Date: Day 4
Objective(s) for todays lesson:
b. Students will be able to argue with evidence and personal experience when applicable the
impact point of view has on the story after and during reading.

Rationale (Explain why this content and/or skill is important and worthwhile, and how you will
work to make it relevant to your students lives): This task is relevant to student lives because
they will have times when they are required to provide evidence for their ideas, think critically
about a text and need to share their ideas. Students will have times when they need to share
their perspective and need to be prepared to think about what the other perspective is thinking
and how the others view point influences their recollection of the event.
Materials & supplies needed: ELMO, Voices in the Park, Discussion Self Rubric, Promethean
Board
Procedures and approximate time allocated for each
event
Introduction to the lesson (What will I say to help children
understand the purpose of the lesson? How will I help
them make connections to prior lessons or experiences in
and out of school? How will I motivate them to become
engaged in the lesson and understand its real world
purpose? How will I make explicit behavior expectations
and other issues related to classroom management?) (5
minutes)
Today we are going to discuss what you found out about
the characters and voices in Voices in the Park. We are
going to have a whole group discussion.
Show the discussion guidelines: No talking while others
are talking, stay in your seat, raise your hand if you have
something to say, use examples from the text, look and
listen to the speaker, do not make mean or rude
comments
We are focusing on point of view and perspective. How
do they affect the story?
This time, you will be in charge of the lesson. I might ask
you a question to help me understand your thinking.
Try to connect your ideas to others and refer to the story
o It may help to say, Like ___ said. Unlike or
Bobs idea makes me think about I disagree
because
c. The goal is that you will argue with evidence and

Academic, Social and/or

Linguistic Support during
each event

To help the visual learners

and to benefit all, I will show
the discussion guidelines,
expectations and the rubric
before we begin. I will go over
them so that students know
what is expected of them.

personal experience when applicable the impact point of

view has on the story after and during reading.

Rationale (Explain why this content and/or skill is

important and

OUTLINE of key events during the lesson (Include

specific details about how I will work on developing and
improving my core practice and attend to other
instructional issues such as beginning and ending activities;

To help the visual learner and

all keep track of the shared
ideas, I will keep track of the
ideas on the Promethean

what discussion questions I will use; how I will help children

understand behavior expectations during the lesson;
when/how I will distribute supplies and materials) (20
minutes)
We read Voices in the Park. There were 4 voices and you
were asked to pick one character. With that one character
you were to find text and visual details about their
characteristics. We will first go over what we found about
the characters. I will record what you found on the
Promethean.
They will lead the discussion but I want them to think
about a few things. Share before they start
1. What makes each character different?
2. How does this impact the story?
3. Does the story sound the same from all perspectives?
4. What role does the characters personality or perspective
play in how the story is told?
Pick one student to start with. Have them share a detail
about their character and their support. Record.
Repeat so you have a few characteristics for the
character and move onto the next.
After each character has been shared, inform students
that they are now in charge.
Give students about 10-15 min to discuss
Record their findings
Summarize the main ideas I heard and what I didnt
expect.
Now students will complete the assessment.
Using the discussion self rubric students will put an X if
they believe they completed the task and fill in the other
spaces.
Closing summary for the lesson (How will I bring
closure to the lesson and actively involve children in
reflecting on their experiences? How will I help them make
connections to prior lessons or prepare for future
experiences? What kind of feedback do I want from them
at this time?) (2 minutes)

We just had a great discussion.

Why do you think the discussion went well?
I saw students starting to use personal experiences and
evidence from the book to support their ideas about point of
view. You started to discuss the ways characters impact the
story in this way.
I think we are on our way to analyzing and thinking critically
about the perspective presented in the story and how the
story is altered or affected as a result. Tomorrow we are
going to think about the perspectives in Island of Blue
Dolphins and have a similar discussion. Seeing how you
did today, I know that you can do it.

Board.
I may need to remind
students to not talk while
others are talking but that
they also need to pay
attention. If necessary I will
refer to the classroom
CHAMPS poster.
By allowing students time to
complete the worksheet the
day before, it allows them to
have something to look at.
This helps them academically
as their ideas may already be
formed. It also helps socially
for shy students will have
something to reference when
they are sharing. When it
comes time to debate and
discuss, I will allow students
to write their ideas down but
will need to monitor that they
are not drawing but remaining
on task.
By connecting to their past
experience with Island of the
Blue Dolphins, I hope that this
will help them be more
confident in their work the
next day and know what to
expect.

 Transition to next learning activity

Assessment (How will I gauge the students learning as I
implement the lesson plan and once the lesson is completed?
Specifically, what will I look for? How will I use what I am
learning to inform my next steps?)
My assessment in the discussion self-rubric. This gives me
insight into how the student thought they performed. I will
attempt to make comments on the sheet on what I heard that I
think is noteworthy. I will be looking for improvement over the
unit. Based on what I see, I can put more emphasis on. For
example, if many say they had something to share but didnt
then I will need to find a way to encourage them to talk or give
them a chance to talk. I will also record the ideas they bring
up. This gives me insight into what they noticed, if they were
able to locate the differences and how critical of readers they
were. I will also collect the worksheet they completed the night
before. I will take anecdotal records of ideas I notice that fit
with the objective.

Academic, Social, and/or

Linguistic Support during
assessment
The Student rubric is very
straightforward. If they
struggle to formulate
sentences then they dont
need to write them. But I do
want one of their ideas. I put a
spot on there for students to
share an idea that they didnt
share with the class. This lets
me know even when shy
students have good ideas.

Reflection
What did students learn and which students struggled with the lesson?
My students struggled to abide by the discussion guidelines. They did not use linking statements
or look at each other while they talked. I had to remind them to do so. I made an effort to praise the few
students who did use linking statements. I also made attempts to remind students to look at the person
who was talking by saying thing such as Lets look at Bob while he talks. In regards to my specific goal
of the lesson, which was Students will be able to argue with evidence and personal experience when
applicable the impact point of view has on the story after and during reading students made progress
towards meeting this goal. They were able to determine the different characters in the story Voices in the
Park and how characteristics of each impact their point of view. They brought up the ideas of gender and
mood, for example. They came to the conclusion that the view points were not all the same. They had
different points of view on events and of other characters. For this reason, I think the students learned
how to think about the impact characters have on the point of view.
What are alternate reads (interpretations) of your students performance or products?
Some students did very well because they had read the story before. I believe that since they had
heard the story, during my initial read they were able to think more critically then others. Thus when it
came time to characterize they knew the story better from more exposure. In addition, the students were
and have been excited that I am teaching. I think this enthusiasm led to some students being more
engaged in the task then they might have been. Even with this novelty of me teaching by Day 4 the
students expressed being tired of talking about the book and point of view. Their increasing tiredness of
talking about point of view is going to potentially decrease their engagement. This is something to
consider. There is one student in the class to tends to talk out of turn and becomes a distraction. He
makes sounds to get attention and cant sit still. His actions start to pull the students near him away from
the discussion and they focus on him. As a result, their participation decreases.
What did you learn about your students literacy practices that extend beyond your objectives?
I learned a vast amount about my students literacy knowledge and practices as the result of this
discussion. One student used the word nonchalant to describe a character but was not able to define
the word to others. This tells me about his word choice and experience. Since he does not know the
definition I think that he has read and been exposed to the word. I was surprised with his word choice as
it was much more descriptive then the words other students provided. I also learned about the students
word knowledge in regards to the words they chose. The students tended to chose no descriptive words

like sad or happy. This tells me that they need more exposure and practice using more descriptive words
such as depressed or ecstatic. I learned the students are able to compare and contrast characters and
know how to look for similarities and differences. This is a skill they are familiar with. Although the
students were unaware of what the word inferring means, they were able to make inferences from the
pictures and text about mood. Students were also able to communicate their ideas orally with
competency.
When and how will you re-teach the material to students who need additional support?
I feel like the way my lessons are structured I do not need to specifically re-teach to certain
students. My lessons are organized so that we read a story, determine the point of views we have and
then look at specific events. With the events, they think about how the point of view impacts the story.
What do we know and not know? Thus even if a student misses a day, the content and ideas will be
covered again another day with another text. This is why I do not think I need to re-teach. The one thing I
may need to do is reread the story.
If you were to teach this same lesson again, what would you do differently and how do you think
the changes would improve students learning?
I would make a couple of changes if I were to teach this lesson again. I would need to find a more
efficient means to review the characterization of the characters. This took longer than expected to cover. I
thought that by assigning students a character and giving them the assignment of looking for facts and
personality traits would help the students share more effectively. I am still not sure how to facilitate this
better but it would be something I would likely change. Another item I would change be to possibly review
the characters one day and then the following day have a discussion about them. I would do this if I could
not solve my previous issue. I think that making this change would help students to have a better
discussion as they would have more time and feel less rushed. This would also give me more
opportunities to elicit responses from quiet students as this continues to be an issue. I am not sure how
these quiet students are progressing in regards to the goals for even when they complete the Students
Self Assessment they do not fill it out completely. It is important to get all students involved so I would like
to work on this as well. All these changes would help students have a more successful discussion to
support their attainment of the goal.
What did you learn so far about implementing your core practice and what do you need to do to
continue your professional learning?
As stated above, I need to find ways to engage the quiet students. I provided a means for them to
prove to me that they had ideas that pertained to the objective through the Self Assessment but not all of
them fill it out completely. This makes it a challenge for me to assess their knowledge. I need to think of
another means of assessing students in discussions. Another thing I learned about Talking About
Reading is that is can be challenging to keep students on the task. They want to talk about what they
found interesting. While this is beneficial it makes it a challenge for me to meet my goal for the day.
Learning to keep students on task and not talking out of turn is my current challenge. I have made explicit
behavior expectations but it seems to get forgotten. So in regards to continuing my professional learning,
I think I need to look into how to keep students on task during discussions or other ways to have
discussions

Bibliography

Browne, A. (1998). Voices in the Park. NYC: DK Publishing.

Podoiski, J. (2014). Teaching Voice with Anthony Brownes Voices in the Park. (N. C. English,
Producer) Retrieved 2014 15-9 from Read Write Think:
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/teaching-voice-with-
anthony-167.html

Student Discussion Rubric

_________ I shared my opinion during the discussion.
_________ I used evidence to support my opinion.
_________ I used my personal or past reading experiences as support.
_________ I shared how the point of view affected the story or contributed to the discussion
about it.
I did well at _________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
I need to improve on __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
I didnt get to share the idea ____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
I connected one of my ideas to ____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Date: Day 9
Objective(s) for todays lesson:
d. Students will be able to argue with evidence and personal experience when applicable the impact
point of view has on the story after and during reading.
e. Students will provide reasoning of how first person point of view aids in character development and
affects the story with at least 2 specific examples from the text to support their claim.

Rationale (Explain why this content and/or skill is important and worthwhile, and how you will
work to make it relevant to your students lives): In todays world, we read many first hand
accounts but also many second hand or fictionalized accounts. It is important that as citizens
we know how to read and understand the varied points of view. We cant take one perspective
as the right view and we cant ignore another. We need to learn to be able to interpret what we
read the ways that the point of views impacts the ways events are told.
Materials & supplies needed: The Encounter, excerpt from Christopher Columbuss diary,
ELMO, Promethean Board, Venn Diagrams, Discussion Rubrics
Procedures and approximate time allocated for each
event
Introduction to the lesson (What will I say to help children
understand the purpose of the lesson? How will I help
them make connections to prior lessons or experiences in
and out of school? How will I motivate them to become
engaged in the lesson and understand its real world
purpose? How will I make explicit behavior expectations
and other issues related to classroom management?) (2
minutes)
Yesterday we read Encounter. Today we are going to
read an excerpt from Christopher Columbuss diary. We
are going to investigate the two accounts. Next in pairs,
you will work to fill in a venn diagram looking for
similarities and differences between the accounts. Then
you will have a whole group discussion about how the two
accounts portray the same event and then think about he
point of views.
I will expect you to work hard on the task, talk with your
partner using a level 1 or 2 voice level.
While I read however, I expect you to have a zero level
voice and remain in your seats.
OUTLINE of key events during the lesson (Include
specific details about how I will work on developing and
improving my core practice and attend to other
instructional issues such as beginning and ending activities;
what discussion questions I will use; how I will help children
understand behavior expectations during the lesson;
when/how I will distribute supplies and materials) (20
minutes)
Begin by detailing that one is a primary document or

Academic, Social and/or

Linguistic Support during
each event

By outlining the lessons

events, students will be
prepared and know what to
focus their attention on.
I am giving students explicit
instruction on behavior
expectations. I can refer back
to the CHAMPS poster as
needed.

really happened, Columbuss words, while the Encounter

is fiction. While the big events did happen, we dont know
the specifics. It like Island of the Blue Dolphins
Read the excerpt
Pair students into groups. Give each group a Venn
diagram.
Tell students you expect 3 to 4 differences and 3
similarities. The more the better.
Give students 10 min less if possible
When students are done have students share until 3 to 4
items are on the Promethean Board diagram, try to select
students who do not talk often or who you saw have a
unique or unexpected idea
After all the ideas have been shared begin the discussion
Share rubric for student discussions and review ground
rules
This time I will take a step back and let the students run the
whole group discussion. I will give them ideas to discuss
but how they get to them is on them. However if I find they
are off topic I will redirect them.
Tell students you want them to talk about how the accounts
detail the same events differently
How does the point of view impact the way the events are
portrayed?
How do the accounts play to the readers emotions?
What have you learned about the role point of view has the
events are portrayed?

Working in pairs is beneficial

to students who are
interpersonal learners. It was
appeal to their skills and
learning styles.
Using a venn diagram helps
students keep track of their
thoughts. For visual learners it
is even better as it lays out
the relationships between the
stories. It can also be a place
for students to jump off of
during the discussion.
For students who get off task,
I will ask them to redirect their
attention. I believe working in
a pair will help some students
remain on tasks but may also
distract others. That is why I
gave explicit instructions on
voice level. If needed I can
refer back to the CHAMPS
poster

Closing summary for the lesson (How will I bring

closure to the lesson and actively involve children in
reflecting on their experiences? How will I help them make
connections to prior lessons or prepare for future
experiences? What kind of feedback do I want from them
at this time?) (1 minutes)
We had another terrific discussion.
What made this whole group discussion go well?
Today we worked on arguing and supporting with evidence
the impact of point of view. We also worked on addressing
first person point of view and how it impacts the text.
I think we are really starting to grasp the concept of how
point of view can alter and affect the story. We talked about
in Island of the Blue Dolphins and Voices in the Park.
Tomorrow we are going to read a Fractured Fairy Tale and
have another discussion.

Transition to next learning activity

Assessment (How will I gauge the students learning as I
implement the lesson plan and once the lesson is completed?
Specifically, what will I look for? How will I use what I am
learning to inform my next steps?)

Academic, Social, and/or

Linguistic Support during
assessment

I have a few assessments from todays lesson. When looking

at the student discussion rubric I want the student to check off
every statement. I want to see improvement in their
participation from the beginning. I also want to see the idea
they wrote down to be more complex. This will be hard to
asses but if I can I would like to see improvement here as well.
The Venn diagram also serves as an assessment. It shows
me how they could compare the two points of views. I will also
look at how the discussion went. Did the students struggle to
get to the main idea of how point of view altered the story?

The Student rubric is very

straightforward. If they
struggle to formulate
sentences then they dont
need to write them. But I do
want one of their ideas. I put a
spot on there for students to
share an idea that they didnt
share with the class. This lets
me know even when shy
students have good ideas.

_________ I shared my opinion during the discussion.

_________ I used evidence to support my opinion.
_________ I used my personal or past reading experiences as support.
_________ I shared how the point of view affected the story or contributed to the discussion
about it.
I did well at _________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
I need to improve on __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
I didnt get to share the idea ____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
I connect one of my ideas to ____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________


What did students learn and which students struggled with the lesson?
My students learned the similarities and differences between Encounter and
Christopher Columbuss Diary. They learned that although they describe the same
events and have some similarities there are differences. These include how they view
each other and their religion. Their point of view influenced how they perceived events
as well. For example, the story details the narrator boys worries about the new people
arriving on the island. In comparison the diary seemed optimistic and positive in
comparison. Some students brought up the idea that the villagers were more open to
the explorers than the narrator. I was proud that they were able to bring up another
point of view. They were also able to determine the point of view of the stories. While
some students were able to analyze what point of views we had and what we know,
others were not able to yet take the leap to think beyond what the text presented.
What are alternate reads (interpretations) of your students performance or
products?
Although my class is composed of more than my 5th grade students, today the
class was more fidgety and riled up them most days. My class had their first field trip
today to a Mini Medical Expo at the Breslin. They were excited all day so it made it a
struggle for them to focus. It was a change of routine, which excited some students and
is not good for others who need structure. They struggled to initially make comparison
between the two stories. I think this is the result of the picture book being read late last
week. Even though I reviewed the story, I think this was a factor. I also think the primary
document was also a factor. It was not as engaging or flashy as the picture book. This
may have made it challenging for some students to focus and follow along. One
particular student who was fidgeting in her seat and making noises distracting some
students in the class. This is minor compared to her other possible behaviors. I also
need to consider todays product is written. Students may be better at verbally
communicating their ideas then on paper. This is why I selected a variety of means of
assessments. The students worked in pairs on the venn diagram. I had them work with
their neighbor and this might have been a factor in the final product. They might not

work well with their friend who they got to sit next too or both were absent. Thus, this
has the potential to impact the product as well.
What did you learn about your students literacy practices that extend beyond
your objectives?
I learned students can work together to share ideas relating to literacy. My
students are able to recall details from a story that was read previously. They also use
the images and text to support their ideas. They are able to use a venn diagram to
represent similarities and differences between two stories. Some students are able to
think deeper and not at the surface level. They are able to analyze the text as well. The
majority of the class can relate their personal experiences to literacy. They can identify
the point of view. They are able to connect a reading to past reading experiences. They
support each others ideas and do not respond negatively to them. They reference
visual recordings of their ideas.
When and how will you re-teach the material to students who need additional
support?
My goal today was for students to apply their new knowledge about point of view
and then analyze and compare two stories. I do not know how to effectively re-teach
this to students or even to students who were not there. How do I catch students up
who were not there for the reading of the book and the following discussion about point
of view? I also am limited on time as I only have the students four days a week for one
hour. One option would be to give the students a copy of the diary excerpt. They could
then do the venn diagram on their own. I worry the language will be challenging for
them so I would recommend that they work with an adult. Discussions are impossible to
make up but I could give them the worksheet from class. In regards to teaching those
who need more support, I think having more experiences and practice would be one
way to help them.
If you were to teach this same lesson again, what would you do differently and
how do you think the changes would improve students learning?

To help students recall the details of Encounter, I would ideally have a book for
each pair of students. This would allow them to refer back to the book as they compared
and contrasted the stories. I think they would then have more and less surface level
ideas. While I like that I read them a primary document, which was an excerpt from
Christophers Columbuss dairy about his crew landing on an island of the Tiano people,
the words and structure were challenging for the students to understand. Thus, if I were
to teach this again I would spend one session reading and analyzing the primary
document. This would mean that one day would be spent on an interactive read aloud
of Encounter, one interactive read aloud of the primary document the next day, and the
last day the students would make comparisons and then have a discussion. I believe
giving them time to analyze and think beyond the words of the diary would help them to
see larger differences and similarities.
What did you learn so far about implementing your core practice and what do
you need to do to continue your professional learning?
Today I learned a lot about teaching and talking about reading. Since I did not
get to my core practice the first day, I had to have the discussion on a second day.
Behavior on the second day was very different. Students were very talkative and
couldnt stay in their seats. What was interesting is that it was only half the class that
had this issue. After talking to other teachers at the school, it appears that it was a
school wide issue today. It is not a full moon so I do not know exactly what caused it. I
am wondering if it from the lack of routine this week due to two field trips. Getting back
to my core practice today, it did not go well. Students were not engaged or interested in
talking today. They usually always have something to say. I refreshed their memory of
the venn diagram they had filled, gave them questions to think about, and then time to
think. I did not get the vibe from the students that they had ideas to share, as it felt like I
had to scaffold too much. I did not want to give them ideas. My goal for the day was to
have them lead the discussion. I am now thinking that it was not the right time. I learned
that sometimes you have a lesson planned out but you need to be flexible and able to
cut it short. I made the decision to not press the students any further. I also chose not
the give them the final self-assessment as a discussion did not take place. I learned in

order to have a fruitful discussion, the students must be talking about something they
care about or interested. To continue my professional learning I need to continue to
assess student interests in the topic. While they may sometimes not be interested, I do
not want to pull and yank at them if it is not working. Thus, I also need to work on
learning what are good and effective ideas to talk about. There may have been a better
way to achieve my goal and objective besides having a discussion. I noticed the
students were more interested in talking while I read them a picture book.

Excerpts from Columbuss Journal

Thursday, 11 October. Steered west-southwest; and encountered a heavier sea than
they had met with before in the whole voyage. Saw pardelas and a green rush near the
vessel. The crew of the Pinta saw a cane and a log; they also picked up a stick which
appeared to have been carved with an iron tool, a piece of cane, a plant which grows
on land, and a board. The crew of the Nina saw other signs of land, and a stalk loaded
with rose berries. These signs encouraged them, and they all grew cheerful. Sailed this
day till sunset, twenty-seven leagues.
After sunset steered their original course west and sailed twelve miles an hour till two
hours after midnight, going ninety miles, which are twenty-two leagues and a half;
and as the Pinta was the swiftest sailer, and kept ahead of the Admiral, she discovered
land and made the signals which had been ordered. The land was first seen by a sailor
called Rodrigo de Triana, although the Admiral at ten o'clock that evening standing on
the quarter- deck saw a light, but so small a body that he could not affirm it to be land;
calling to Pero Gutierrez, groom of the King's wardrobe, he told him he saw a light,
and bid him look that way, which he did and saw it; he did the same to Rodrigo
Sanchez of Segovia, whom the King and Queen had sent with the squadron as
comptroller, but he was unable to see it from his situation. The Admiral again
perceived it once or twice, appearing like the light of a wax candle moving up and
down, which some thought an indication of land. But the Admiral held it for certain
that land was near; for which reason, after they had said the Salve which the seamen
are accustomed to repeat and chant after their fashion, the Admiral directed them to
keep a strict watch upon the forecastle and look out diligently for land, and to him
who should first discover it he promised a silken jacket, besides the reward which the
King and Queen had offered, which was an annuity of ten thousand maravedis. At two
o'clock in the morning the land was discovered, at two leagues' distance; they took in
sail and remained under the square-sail lying to till day, which was Friday, when they
found themselves near a small island, one of the Lucayos, called in the Indian
language Guanahani.Presently they descried people, naked, and the Admiral landed in
the boat, which was armed, along with Martin Alonzo Pinzon, and Vincent Yanez his
brother, captain of the Nina. The Admiral bore the royal standard, and the two
captains each a banner of the Green Cross, which all the ships had carried; this
contained the initials of the names of the King and Queen each side of the cross, and a
crown over each letter Arrived on shore, they saw trees very green many streams of
water, and diverse sorts of fruits. The Admiral called upon the two Captains, and the
rest of the crew who landed, as also to Rodrigo de Escovedo notary of the fleet, and
Rodrigo Sanchez, of Segovia, to bear witness that he before all others took possession
(as in fact he did) of that island for the King and Queen his sovereigns, making the
requisite declarations, which are more at large set down here in writing. Numbers of
the people of the island straightway collected together. Here follow the precise words
of the Admiral: "As I saw that they were very friendly to us, and perceived that they

could be much more easily converted to our holy faith by gentle means than by force,
I presented them with some red caps, and strings of beads to wear upon the neck, and
many other trifles of small value, wherewith they were much delighted, and became
wonderfully attached to us. Afterwards they came swimming to the boats, bringing
parrots, balls of cotton thread, javelins, and many other things which they exchanged
for articles we gave them, such as glass beads, and hawk's bells; which trade was
carried on with the utmost good will. But they seemed on the whole to me, to be a
very poor people. They all go completely naked, even the women, though I saw but
one girl. All whom I saw were young, not above thirty years of age, well made, with
fine shapes and faces; their hair short, and coarse like that of a horse's tail, combed
toward the forehead, except a small portion which they suffer to hang down behind,
and never cut. Some paint themselves with black, which makes them appear like those
of the Canaries, neither black nor white; others with white, others with red, and others
with such colors as they can find. Some paint the face, and some the whole body;
others only the eyes, and others the nose. Weapons they have none, nor are acquainted
with them, for I showed them swords which they grasped by the blades, and cut
themselves through ignorance. They have no iron, their javelins being without it, and
nothing more than sticks, though some have fish-bones or other things at the ends.
They are all of a good size and stature, and handsomely formed. I saw some with scars
of wounds upon their bodies, and demanded by signs the of them; they answered me
in the same way, that there came people from the other islands in the neighborhood
who endeavored to make prisoners of them, and they defended themselves. I thought
then, and still believe, that these were from
the continent. It appears to me, that the people are ingenious, and would be good
servants and I am of opinion that they would very readily become Christians, as they
appear to have no religion. They very quickly learn such words as are spoken to them.
If it please our Lord, I intend at my return to carry home six of them to your
Highnesses, that they may learn our language. I saw no beasts in the island, nor any
sort of animals except parrots." These are the words of the Admiral.
Saturday, 13 October. "At daybreak great multitudes of men came to the shore, all
young and of fine shapes, very handsome; their hair not curled but straight and coarse
like horse-hair, and all with foreheads and heads much broader than any people I had
hitherto seen; their eyes were large and very beautiful; they were not black, but the
color of the inhabitants of the Canaries, which is a very natural circumstance, they
being in the same latitude with the island of Ferro in the Canaries. They were straightlimbed without exception, and not with prominent bellies but handsomely shaped.
They came to the ship in canoes, made of a single trunk of a tree, wrought in a
wonderful manner considering the country; some of them large enough to contain
forty or forty-five men, others of different sizes down to those fitted to hold but a
single person. They rowed with an oar like a baker's peel, and wonderfully swift. If
they happen to upset, they all jump into the sea, and swim till they have righted their

canoe and emptied it with the calabashes they carry with them. They came loaded
with balls of cotton, parrots, javelins, and other things too numerous to mention; these
they exchanged for whatever we chose to give them. I was very attentive to them, and
strove to learn if they had any gold. Seeing some of them with little bits of this metal
hanging at their noses, I gathered from them by signs that by going southward or
steering round the island in that direction, there would be found a king who possessed
large vessels of gold, and in great quantities. I endeavored to procure them to lead the
way thither, but found they were unacquainted with the route. I determined to stay
here till the evening of the next day, and then sail for the southwest; for according to
what I could learn from them, there was land at the south as well as at the southwest
and northwest and those from the northwest came many times and fought with them
and proceeded on to the southwest in search of gold and precious stones. This is a
large and level island, with trees extremely flourishing, and streams of water; there is
a large lake in the middle of the island, but no mountains: the whole is completely
covered with verdure and delightful to behold. The natives are an inoffensive people,
and so desirous to possess any thing they saw with us, that they kept swimming off to
the ships with
whatever they could find, and readily bartered for any article we saw fit to give them
in return, even such as broken platters and fragments of glass. I saw in this manner
sixteen balls of cotton thread which weighed above twenty-five pounds, given for
three Portuguese ceutis. This traffic I forbade, and suffered no one to take their cotton
from them, unless I should order it to be procured for your Highnesses, if proper
quantities could be met with. It grows in this island, but from my short stay here I
could not satisfy myself fully concerning it; the gold, also, which they wear in their
noses, is found here, but not to lose time, I am determined to proceed onward and
ascertain whether I can reach Cipango. At night they all went on shore with their
canoes.
Bibliography

Browne, A. (1998). Voices in the Park. NYC: DK Publishing.

Cicilline, L. (n.d.). TEACHING AMERICAN HISTORY PROJECT Lesson Title Encounter with
Christopher Columbus. Retrieved 10 12, 2014, from
http://www.eastconn.org/tah/1011LC1_EncounterwithChristopherColumbus.pdf

Name :

Venn Diagram

Math-Aids.Com

Inquiry 2
Part D: Make a Unit Assessment Plan: Whole Class
(due prior to beginning your unit teaching)
Kendra Asher
All through your unit, you will be formally and informally assessing students learning, but you
also need some key assessments to showcase what students learned overall from your unit.
Decide which of the approaches listed on the assignment sheet (pp. 6-7) would help you learn
about your students in relation to your target area for Guided Lead Teaching.
Write a 2-paragraph description of how you will assess your unit in relation to your
objectives and append it to your lesson plans.
See assignment sheet for suggestions and the assessment materials on our course website:

https://sites.google.com/site/te802coursewebsitefall2014/home/your-unitplanning/assessment-resources . As you consider your options for assessment, think about

whether it would be appropriate to differentiate the assessments you use for the range of
learners in your classroom.
Your paragraph:

I will asses my students with two formats: formative and summative. My

formative assessments will occur during the lessons and vary. During discussions I will
look at the content students brought up, their arguments, and the evidence they
provided. The goal is for them to use evidence and make an argument, thus I want to
see improvement across my lessons. I will keep track with notes on my lesson plans. I
will also look at the content of the discussions focusing on point of view and its affects
on the text. Ideally, I will see more discussion of the topic. To help me keep track of the
discussions, I am having students fill out a Student Discussion Self Rubric. It includes
topics such as participation but also includes area of bringing up an idea about point of
view. This will be used after every discussion. I chose to use this format of self-reflection
because I want students to be aware of their learning and reflect. The form also allows
students to share an idea that they had but did not get to share. This will show me that

even if a student was quiet, that they had an idea to share. I will be looking for students
to increase in participation and eventually mark all the tasks. Some lessons do not have
discussions. In this case I will be looking at student involvement in the interactive read
aloud or similar task. However, my main goal is to look at their improved understanding
of how point of view impacts the story.
My summative assessment is going to require students to recall what they
discussed during the discussion and what we read. Students will have to take an event
from one of the stories and rewrite it in a different point of view or perspectives. They
will take an event from Islands of the Blue Dolphins, The Encounter or Voices in the
Park and write it in a point of view not used in the story. I will be looking to see how and
if they changed the scene to reflect the new point of view. The events should be
described differently and a new narration should be present. I will be differentiating this
assessment. If students believe they can complete the requirements by drawing a
picture or other visual representation they may. They also may choose to draw a picture
to support their writing. This allows students who are not the best or confident writers to
still complete the assignment. The assessment will require me to create a rubric and
score the products.