Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Grade Level/Subject: 4th

Central Focus: Cause & Effect
grade/Reading Comprehension
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:
CCSS.ELA.Literacy.RI.4.5 Describe the overall structure
Date submitted: 3/31
Date
(e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect,
taught: 4/1
problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information
in a text or part of a text.
Daily Lesson Objective:
Students will be able to identify cause & effect relationships in a text. Students will
independently fill out a worksheet and determine the cause & effect relationships in the passage
given. Students are expected to earn 8 out of 10 points by answering the questions correctly (2
points each) and underlining signal words (2 points).
21st Century Skills:
Academic Language Demand (Language Function and
Learning and Innovation Skills
Vocabulary):
-Critical Thinking and Problem
Language Function- Analyze, Describe, Explain
Solving
Vocabulary- Text Structure, Cause, Effect, Signal Words
-Communication and Collaboration
Prior Knowledge: Students need to understand the text they are reading as well as what is going
on in the passage. Students need to have a general understanding of text structures, mainly
cause & effect.
Activity

Description of Activities and Setting

Remind students of last week when we discussed the different

text structures
Ask students to name the text structures and allow time for
them to answer (Cause/Effect, Chronological,
Compare/Contrast, Problem/Solution, Fact/Opinion,
Description)
1. Focus and Review
What do you remember about one of the text structures?
Can anyone give me an example of one?
Allow time for students to answer the above questions
Explain to the students that it is important to learn about text
structures because it helps them understand and
comprehend what they read
Today we will be focusing on the text structure cause &
2. Statement of
effect. We will be looking at a few examples of cause & effect
Objective
relationships as well as reading short cause & effect
for Student
passages.
3. Teacher Input
Explain to the students that cause is a reason why
something happens and effect is what happens as a result
Some signal words to look for are ifthen, therefore,
because, since, as a result, due to, but
Give students a few examples of a cause & effect relationship

Time

3 mins

1 min
5 mins

4. Guided Practice

5. Independent
Practice

6. Assessment
Methods of
all
objectives/skills:
7. Closure

Because lightening hit the tree, the branch broke.

The sun is hot and as a result, our ice cream is melting.
Since it is raining outside, my soccer game is now cancelled.
Ask students to state the signal word, the cause (why), and
the effect (what) of each example
Have students independently write down one cause & effect
sentence
Allow a couple of students to share their sentence including
the signal word, the cause, and the effect
Hand each student a House Rules worksheet
Explain to the students that we will all be reading the passage
together out loud first and then afterwards they will be
reading it again independently
Before reading the passage, the teacher will state the title of
the passage
After reading the passage, ask students to find signal words in
5-7
the passage that helped them understand that the author
mins
was showing a cause & effect relationship
Have students re-read the passage and underline any signal
words then answer the five questions
Make sure students are underlining the correct signal words
Go over the questions with students and allow them to answer
each one
If a student answers incorrectly, have them look back at the
passage and try again
Each student will be given a worksheet
Tell the students that they will independently read the
10 mins
passage, underline signal words, and answer the questions
at the bottom
Students will turn this in for a grade
Formative- Students will be assessed based on their participation
throughout the lesson.
Summative- Students will turn in their completed worksheet done in
the independent practice for assessment. Students can earn up to 10
points 2 points for every correct answer, 2 points for the underlining
of signal words in the passage. (10 points total)

After the students have completed their worksheet, I will ask

the following questions:
What is cause? (Why something happens)
What is effect? (What happens as a result)
What are some examples of signal words? (Since, because,
therefore, etc.)
Why are text structures important? (Helps with

3 mins

comprehension)

Each student completed a worksheet consisting of a short passage and 4

questions based on cause & effect relationships found in the text. 5 out
of 6 students answered every question correctly, one student missed
only one question. 5 out of 6 students underlined words from the
passage that has to do with cause & effect relationships, one student did
not.
Targeted Students
Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations:
Modifications/Accommodations:
Students who are hard of hearing will be
My CT wanted me to teach her second lowest
seated directly beside me or directly in front group of students. The six students who
of me to ensure that they can hear
participated in my lesson are apart of a
everything being said or read aloud.
homogeneous group and therefore no further
Students who are visually impaired will just
modifications/accommodations are needed.
listen to the passages and questions being
read and will orally participate.
Materials/Technology:
-House Rules worksheet
-When It Rains, It Pollutes worksheet
-pencil
8. Assessment
Results of
all
objectives/skills:

Reflection on lesson:
This was my first time teaching a lesson this semester and I didnt really know what to expect
from myself or my students considering I hadnt been with them for very long. For the past
couple of weeks, they had been working on the different types of text structures such as
problem/solution and compare/contrast. The group of students my CT had singled out for me
were having the most trouble on cause & effect relationships, which is why I decided to do my
lesson on that particular text structure. All of the students who participated were able to name
all of the text structures that had been talking about in previous lessons. Some of them had to
look at the table set up behind me that listed all of the text structures but once they recognized
them, they were able to give me a few examples. As I was sharing a few examples of a cause &
effect relationship, a few of my students felt confident enough to come up with and share their
own. A couple students struggled with forming their sentence, but were able to put it together
after a bit of time. I had also asked them to state the cause, the effect and the signal word in
each of their cause & effect sentences or statements, all of the students were able to do so. After
I handed them the House Rules worksheet done in the guided practice section, I had them read
the passage out loud together and focus on the cause and the effect of the different events. 2 of
my students were reading at a faster pace than everyone else so I had everyone stop reading so
I could tell them to slow down. 4 of my students participated in the group read aloud while the
other 2 students didnt orally read the passage. After we all read the passage aloud, I had them
answer the five questions as a group. 1 student gave me an incorrect answer so I had them go
back in the passage and locate where the answer would be and corrected themselves.
Afterwards I handed them each another worksheet, similar to the one they had just completed,
for their independent practice. The students were to read the passage, underline any signal

words that helped them understand that the author was showing a cause & effect relationship,
and answer the four questions at the bottom. 5 of the 6 students underlined words or whole
sentences in the passage. I had one student however who did not. I asked him how he was doing
and told him to remember to underline signal words or phrases that related to cause & effect
outcomes. Unfortunately he continued not to underline anything in the passage. I noticed that
the students underlined the correct signal words, but also phrases that didnt necessarily pertain
to cause & effect. In the future, I would either reteach the lesson in more depth or have a oneon-one conference with each student about what they are having trouble with. After everyone
was finished, I had them turn their worksheet over and go back to their seats so I could grade
them. 4 students got every answer correct, 1 student missed one, and 1 student missed two.
Overall I thought my lesson went very well. I really enjoyed teaching this topic and the students I
worked with.