Dear Parents,

Hello! My name is Kelsey Hatley and I will be teaching your students

in their English 9 class at Rocky Mountain High School this yearthis will
be my first year teaching at Rocky. I graduated from Linfield College in
Oregon with a B.A. in Literature and then went on to graduate from
Colorado State University with a M.A. in English Education last year. Ive
taught College Composition at CSU for two years and last year I student
taught at Poudre High School. This letter will give you a little bit of
background about my teaching.
My main underlying belief about reading is something that underlies
all my other beliefs and informs my teaching and it is that reading and
writing are social actsthey do not exist in a vacuum. Paulo Freire, a
Brazilian educator, believed that reading is not simply understanding the
words on the page, but it is taking the words on the page and
understanding them within your knowledge of the worldyou cannot read
the word if you do not know the world (29). As such, I believe it is
important for students to understand their own contexts and the contexts of
the authors of the works that they will be reading so that they might better
understand the systems at work. In my classroom, I do not want students to
simply read works to finish them because they were assigned. I want
students to read and make connections, from the text to their own lives, to
other texts, to events in the world. More than that, I want them to create
their own meaningnot search for the right answers.
In my classroom, we will be using reading and writing to explore,
express, and heal ourselves (as Linda Christensen, an American educator
who teaches for social justice), but also to better understand the world
around us. We read to learn about history, cultures, and human nature. In
this class students will learn to read the word and the world, as Freire
puts it, by reading all forms of literature (both contemporary and classic)
and nonfiction and these texts will be the foundations of our discussions
about society and the human condition. Reading is vital, not because policy
makers require children to be able to read, but because reading is the tool
that we can use to explore the inequalities in our world and to find a way to
make it better.
I strongly believe in the power of reading and writing as tools of social
change and that is what your students will learn in my classroom. We will
engage in meaningful activities that not only given them tools to better read
and write, but that also show them how to use their new skills to affect
change in the world. I will expect students to read, and read often! We will
be reading some books as a class, some books in smaller groups, and some
books independently. There will be time in our classes for silent reading, so
your students should always have a book with them! We will also be having

a lot of discussions in class about what we read and write, so your students
should be prepared to participate and think critically. Assessment will be
based on how engaged students are, the skills we will discuss and practice
in class, their sense of curiosity, and their critical thinking skills. I do not
expect every student to be perfect when they enter the classroom, and in
fact I believe that it is when students struggle that they learn the most. I do
expect that students will work hard and respect themselves, their peers,
and me by never taking the easy way out and by always striving to
improve. I am excited to work with your students this year!
Sincerely, Kelsey Hatley

Kelsey Hatley
Professor Garcia
E 401
7 October 2014
SAMPLE ASSESSMENT PLAN: Character Mapping
Standard 2: Reading for All Purposes
Prepared Graduates: Read a wide range of literature (American and world literature) to understand important
universal themes and the human experience.
Concepts & Skills Students Master: 1. Increasingly complex literary elements in traditional and contemporary works
of literature require scrutiny and comparison.
Evidence Outcomes: Students can b) Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting
motivations) develop over the course of the text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the
theme. (CCSS: RL. 9-10.3)
DESCRIPTION OF THE CLASS (Context): This activity is designed for English 9 (a ninth grade) at Rocky
Mountain High School in Fort Collins, CO. The class has 17 girls and 15 boys, including 2 ELL students. The class
reflects the demographics of the larger school. The class meets on a block schedule for a 90 minute period.
WHAT THEY CANT DO (Reading Focus): I have two students in the course who struggle with comparing and
contrasting characters. They have difficulty seeing how different characters develop over the course of a text and
how characters interactions with other characters affect the plot of the text or reflect the theme of the text. They also
have trouble recognizing the cause and effect relationships in different texts. I can tell they struggle with these two
components because they can answer literal questionseither verbally or written(e.g., What did this character
do?), but struggle with the questions that ask them to speculate as to why a character may have done something and
what effect that action or that behavior has on the other characters and/or the text as a whole.
WHAT I/THEY WILL DO (Instructional Strategies):
1.

Ask students to open their texts (most likely I will use a novel or a short story for this particular learning
goal) and begin highlighting/underlining/staring/circling key moments or quotations in the passages when
they see a main character speaking or acting in a significant way. What this means will depend on the text
and we will talk about it as a group. Generally, this will mean that students will mark when a character is
feeling something and how they act and then also marking when those feelings and actions change. I will
explain that visually tracking events and characters (by annotating a text) is one way that readers can
remind themselves of what has happened so far in a text and that they can go back later and see all the ways

in which a certain character had an influence on other characters and/or on the whole of a text. They can
then review and quote these passages later to support their arguments in class discussion or in a writing
assignment. I will also tell students that they will be using these pieces of evidence to practice mapping
characters development with graphic organizers. (10 mins.)
2.

Model annotating a text and filling out the graphic organizer on a document camera. Show students what I
have underlined/highlighted/starred/circled and written in the graphic organizer. Point out that Ive included
the page number(s). Think aloud about why I thought this are was important or significant to the story (e.g.,
Some questions I might answer in my thinkaloud include: How do I know the character is feeling this way?
How do those feelings translate to their actions? When is the character feeling differently? How do I
know? How are they acting now? How do their actions reflect their feelings? What happened that changed
the characters feeling about something/someone?). As I think aloud, I will write my responses on the other
side of the index card. (15 mins.)

3.

Ask students to now pick a main character and begin marking in the text where that character is displaying,
thinking, or speaking about their emotions. Ask students to tie those emotions to that characters actions
and mark those areas in the text in a similar way. Have them then fill out the first part of the graphic
organizer with these passages. Then ask students to find the areas in the text where the character has
changed the way they are feeling and acting and mark those passages in a different way. Have students
write down these passages in the second half of the graphic organizer. Finally, students should then look for
places in the text where they see the cause for the difference in feelings and actionsthe different ways of
marking the Before and After should help them to find the cause somewhere in the middle. Have them
write this in their graphic organizer. Browse among students to answer questions they have while writing.
(10 mins.)

4.

Next the students will meet in their pairs to share their characters and their graphic organizers. They will
discuss which characters they chose, why, and why the passages they wrote down seem significant. At the
end of their sharing, they will pick one of their graphic organizers to share with the class on the document
camera in order to generate more discussion of the character chosen. (15 mins.)

5.

Use the graphic organizers students have selected to guide whole-class discussion. Chart the highlights of
the discussion on the board: Feelings/Actions/Causes. Students should take notes. (10 mins.)

6.

Choose one character (either that a majority of the students chose to chart or that you as the teacher find
easy or important to analyze) and write their name on the board (you will also write the answers to the
follow questions on the board). On one side of the board: Ask students to describe the character: first focus
on physical descriptions and then ask them about traits. Next have students list any goals or wishes that the
character has. On the other side of the board: Ask students to list emotions that the character displays
throughout the story. Finally ask students to list the behaviors and actions of that character. Once these have
been mapped out for this character, ask students how the traits and goals/wishes of the character influence
how the character feels and acts in the story. Have them use their knowledge from the earlier activity to
make text-based comments about their arguments. (25 mins)

7.

For homework, ask students to fill out two different graphic organizers charting the traits, goals, feelings,
and actions of different character that they did not work with in class. They should used evidence from the
text to support their work. (5 mins.)

ASSIGNMENT SHEET/MATERIALS: Graphic Organizers and document camera

HOW ILL KNOW THEY GOT IT (Assessment Tools): I will assess students ability to support their assertions
with direct reference to a text by:
* Reading the graphic organizers completed in class and paying attention to how well the passages they
marked from the text reflect the questions asked and how well they have identified the causes for the
changes in feelings and actions of the character they have chosen. The graphic organizers they have
completed in class will be graded for completion.

* Listening in on students discussions as they share their graphic organizers with each other and taking
notes during the class discussion to determine whether or not they are able to chart causes and effects and
the link between feelings and actions. I will also pay attention to whether or not they are able to use
evidence from the text to support their ideas.
* Reviewing students written responses completed for homework. Students will earn a daily grade for their
responses. This grade will be based on students ability to 1) connect passages quoted in the graphic
organizer to a specific character in the text and reflect their feelings, goals, actions, etc., 2) write in
complete sentences, and 3) observe proper written conventions.
WHY EXPERTS THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA (Research Base): Kylene Beers writes that the dependent
reader does not recognize the cause and effects relationships and has trouble comparing and contrasting events,
settings, and characters (25). This can make readers disengage from the texts they are reading. Modeling reading
skills through thinkalouds can help dependent readers see the strategies that experienced readers use to help them
engage with reading, which can give dependent readers some tools they can use to engage in their own reading.
Beers, K. (2003). When Kids Cant Read, What Teachers Can Do. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Kelsey Hatley
Professor Garcia
E 401
18 November 2014
SAMPLE ASSESSMENT PLAN: Literary Elements
Standard 2: Reading for All Purposes
Prepared Graduates: Read a wide range of literature (American and world literature) to understand important
universal themes and the human experience.
Concepts & Skills Students Master: 1. Increasingly complex literary elements in traditional and contemporary works
of literature require scrutiny and comparison.
Evidence Outcomes: Students can e. Identify the characteristics that distinguish literary forms and genres ii. Use
literary terms to describe and analyze selections.
DESCRIPTION OF THE CLASS (Context): This activity is designed for English 9 (a ninth grade) at Rocky
Mountain High School in Fort Collins, CO. The class has 17 girls and 15 boys, including 2 ELL students. The class
reflects the demographics of the larger school. The class meets on a block schedule for a 90 minute period.
WHAT THEY CANT DO (Reading Focus): I have three studentsSam, Andy, and Jessicawho have trouble
identifying literary elements (things like setting, characters, primary conflict, and theme) in a text. They also have
difficulty discussing how those elements affect a text. Sam, Andy, and Jessica can provide general ideas about what
kinds of literary elements there are, but they cannot give an example of them nor can they find examples of them in
the texts we read for class. Specifically, they can identify characters, but they cannot always explain the functions of
the different characters in the text. Also, Sam and Jessica can explain how the elements should affect a text to some
extent (they base their answers on the examples given in class), but when asked about specific examples from a text
we read in class, they cannot explain how that literary element affects the text as a whole or why the author might
have chosen to use it. Andy cannot explain what a literary element typically does or how it affects the texts we are
reading about and discussing in class.
WHAT I/THEY WILL DO (Instructional Strategies):
8.

I will begin by modeling using a think-aloud technique. I will focus on how I find and use clues in the text
to find information about setting, characters, primary conflict, and theme in an excerpt from a novel that we
are reading as a class. I will also model how these clues and then these literary elements affect how I
perceive the text and how I expect that the text will continue (making predictions). (10 mins).

9.

I will then ask students to open their texts and begin highlighting/underlining/staring/circling clues in the
excerpt from our novel that are related to setting, characters, primary conflict, and theme. I will explain that
visually tracking these clues and how they reveal the literary elements of a text and their meaning (by
annotating a text) is one way that readers can remind themselves of what has happened so far in a text and
that they can go back later and see how these elements have: been reoccurring in a text, changed or
developed over the course of a text, or have disappeared from the rest of the text. This will also help them
to see how certain elements affect other aspects of the novel and the novel as a whole. They can then
review and quote these passages later to support their arguments in class discussion or in a writing
assignment. Students will be using these pieces of evidence to complete their Excerpt Log. (10 mins.)

10. I will divide students up into groups and assign each group one of the literary elements (setting, characters,
primary conflict, or theme). Students will now fill out the Excerpt Log for that element. Meanwhile, I will
put four pieces of chart paper (one for each literary element) around the room on the walls. After the groups
have filled out their Excerpt Logs, I will have each group choose one member to record the groups main
points and predictions for their literary element. Students will then compare their responses with those of
other groups that worked on the same topic, and add missing ideas to their log. (15 mins.)
11. Next, all students will read all of the posted main ideas and predictions. Then we will open up into a whole
class discussion and consider these questions: How have the characters developed? Can you find a
quotation from the excerpt that shows this? What did you learn about the setting (i.e., time period,
location)? Why might the author have chosen this setting? How has the conflict developed? What factors
have contributed to the conflict? What evidence did you find about the theme of this novel? (20 mins.)
12. Next we will transition into the exploration of how those literary elements affect the text as a whole.
Students will choose one literary element (setting, characters (in which case, they would choose one
character to focus on), primary conflict, or theme) to focus on. For each element, they will be given a
prompt to consider how our novel would be different if that element was changed. Students will use their
evidence from their Excerpt Log and their annotations in their novels to support their ideas. (20 mins.)
13. Students will fill out two copies of a graphic organizer: one copy will chart the theme, setting, characters,
and conflict of the novel that we have read as a class and the second copy will chart those elements based
off of what they wrote about in their writing assignment just now. The second copy will show (in a concrete
way) what happens to the story/novel as a whole if you change one element. Students will use this
organizer to help them write their homework. (10 mins.)
14. For homework, ask students to write a short excerpt based on their writing in class and their graphic
organizer that details what would happen to the story if one literary element was different. Students are
asked to write as the author might and to keep characters (and their behaviors, personalities, traits, etc.),
theme, conflict, and setting true to the style of the author. (5 mins.)
ASSIGNMENT SHEET/MATERIALS: Excerpt Log, chart paper, prompts, and graphic organizer (Story Map)
HOW ILL KNOW THEY GOT IT (Assessment Tools): I will assess students ability to support their assertions
with direct reference to a text by:
* Reading the charts around the room and noting which examples (from the excerpt) students picked out for
each literary element. I will pay attention to: how they are identifying characters and the characters
purpose in the text (as well as how well their predictions match what I know actually happens in the novel);
how students describe setting and what information they pulled from the text to support that description;
how they identify the conflict in the text and what clues from the text they used to help them identify it; and
what themes students identify and what evidence they give to support their ideas about themes (and how
well those match what I believe are the major themes).
*Reading students written responses to the prompts. I will look for how they describe the effects on a text
brought about by their element and how it also affects the other elements in a text. I will know that students
understand literary elements if they can accurately describe what they look like in the text (and give

examples from the text as evidence to prove they can find it in context). I will know that students further
understood literary elements if they can talk about how the text would be different if they changed one of
the elements. This would tell me that they understand how one element affects multiple parts of the text and
how it can change the meaning of the text as a whole.
*Reviewing students graphic organizers and looking to see whether or not they can accurately identify and
provide evidence for literary elements in a text.
* Reviewing students written responses completed for homework. I will know that they understood the
effects that literary elements can have on a text by seeing how they envision the novel changing as a result
of one of the elements being different. I will be able to tell how they think each element affects the text
based on their re-writing of the novel.
WHY EXPERTS THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA (Research Base): Kylene Beers writes that the dependent
reader cannot identify literary elements in a text or discuss how those elements affect a text (25). This can hurt
readers understanding of a textboth on a literal level (what is happening in the story) and on a more abstract level
(how are the elements interacting to create this story? Why did this author choose these elements and to write them
in this way? How does it contribute to the meaning of the work?). Modeling reading skills through thinkalouds
can help dependent readers see the strategies that experienced readers use to help them engage with reading, which
can give dependent readers some tools they can use to engage in their own reading. Also, helping students to chart
events in a text can help them to keep engaged and then scaffolding can help them to understand how those
elements, if different or changed in any way, could completely change the meaning of the text.
Beers, K. (2003). When Kids Cant Read, What Teachers Can Do. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
**Excerpt Log and Story Map are on separate pages following this one**

Writing Prompts
Setting: Consider the extent to which your setting/time and place contributes to your behavior.
For example, what are the signals that you are in a classroom? What behaviors seem appropriate
for you as a result of these signals being present? If these signals were replaced by another
setting (say, a party in a friends basement on a Friday night), how many of your current
behaviors would still seem appropriate? Now consider the characters in the novel we are reading
as a class. How does the setting influence their behavior? How would they act differently if they
were in a different time period? A different place? How would this affect the events in the novel?
Characters: Think about an important moment/the climax of the novel. Why did the characters
make the choices they made at this point? What about their personalities/behavior reflect their
choices? How do these choices affect the rest of the plot? Now consider what other decisions
could the character have made at this point in the plot? How could the remainder of the plot have
changed as a result?
Primary Conflict: What is the primary conflict in the novel? What characters are involved? How
do their beliefs affect how they view and behave in this conflict? What other facts are
influencing the conflict? What are some other conflicts that could have occurred in this novel?
Why? How would those have changed the events of the novel? How would a different conflict
affect the characters and their behavior? How would it affect the outcome of the novel?

Theme: What is a major theme of this novel? How do you know? What clues are there that show
this theme? How does it affect your understanding of the novel? What are some other themes
that the author might have chosen to focus on? How would that theme have been developed?
How would that affect the setting? The characters? The conflict?

Adapted from University of Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts. (2000). Enhancing reading
comprehension for secondary students: Part II. Austin, TX: Texas Education Agency.

Excerpt Log
Name(s): ___________________________________________ Date: _______________
Title of novel: ____________________________________________________________
Assignment (circle your topic):
Setting Characters Conflict Theme
What I already know about my topic:
1.____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2.____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What I just learned about my topic:
1.____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

2.____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What I predict will happen about my topic:
1. I think __________________________________________________________
because ___________________________________________________________
2. I think __________________________________________________________
because ___________________________________________________________
3. I think __________________________________________________________
because ___________________________________________________________

How is this topic same as/different from my own experiences:

1. Same as _________________________________________________________
because _________________________________________________________
2. Same as _________________________________________________________
because _________________________________________________________
3. Different from ____________________________________________________
because _________________________________________________________
4. Different from ___________________________________________________
because ________________________________________________________

From Daily Teaching Tools

Kelsey Hatley
Professor Garcia
E 401
16 December 2014
SAMPLE ASSESSMENT PLAN: Genre
Standard 2: Reading for All Purposes
Prepared Graduates: Read a wide range of literature (American and world literature) to understand important
universal themes and the human experience.
Concepts & Skills Students Master: 1. Increasingly complex literary elements in traditional and contemporary works
of literature require scrutiny and comparison.
Evidence Outcomes: Students can e. Identify the characteristics that distinguish literary forms and genres
DESCRIPTION OF THE CLASS (Context): This activity is designed for English 9 (a ninth grade) at Rocky
Mountain High School in Fort Collins, CO. The class has 17 girls and 15 boys, including 2 ELL students. The class
reflects the demographics of the larger school. The class meets on a block schedule for a 90 minute period.
WHAT THEY CANT DO (Reading Focus): I have two students, Jada and Riley, who cannot discuss how one
genre differs from anotherthey specifically have a difficult time explaining the general purpose of each genre.
Jada and Riley can tell when a piece is visually different from another work (a poem in stanza for vs. a short story),
but they have difficulties identifying the identifying characteristics for the genres and why an author would use one
over the other.
WHAT I/THEY WILL DO (Instructional Strategies):
15. In preparation for reading Monster by Walter Dean Myers, we are going to discuss different genres and
their purposes. I will first start with the definition of Genre. I will either give students the handout or I
will put it on the board or on the document camera. (5 mins.)
16. I will pair students together and have them brainstorm possible types of genres that they have seen, read, or
heard. Students will write down a list. Once they are finished, we will come back as a whole class and I

will have students share their ideas. I will write each one up on the board until everyone has shared what
they wrote down. (5 mins.)
17. Next, I will model aloud my thinking about one of the genres and what I think distinguishes it from another
genre. For example: a poem tends to have short lines, might be organized into stanzas, might have a rhyme
scheme, focuses on imagery and sound, etc. However, I will also think aloud about some of the ways that
this is complicated (e.g., prose poems). Then, I will choose 2-3 genres (at least 2 that can be groups
together under the same typelike persuasive writing or visual) on the board and have students (as a
whole class) describe what makes each genre what it is. I will record their answers on the board. (10 mins.)
18. Then I will have students work in small groups and try to categorize each of the genres listed on the board
under a major heading (examples: narrative, visual, expository, persuasive, auditory, etc.). Each group will
get a sheet of chart paper to record their lists on. If students find that something on the board can be written
in more than one category (and they probably will), I will have them draw arrows or write it under multiple
categories. Students should have a rationale ready to explain for each one of their choices. (20 mins.)
19. Once all of the groups are done, I will post the charts around the room. We will have a brief discussion
about some of the differences between charts and which genres fit under multiple headings and why. I will
then hand them the Genre List and see if there are things we can add to the charts around the room. (10
mins.)
20. Next, we will move to learning about the purposes of different genres. Students will choose a genre that
appeals most to them and we will use laptops to investigate the answers. Students can go to the websites I
will provide (listed below) and answer the following questions: Which genre did you choose? What are its
defining features? Which major category (or categories) can it fit under? What purpose(s) do authors
generally have when they employ this genre? How does the form fit the content? Students will record their
answers to turn in and also be ready to report out about their genre to the class (20 mins.)
21. Students will report out their findings to the class and will have the opportunity to ask each other questions
about their genres. Students should take notes during this time. (15 mins.)
22. For homework, students will begin reading Monster. They should pay particular attention to the multi-genre
nature of the work. They should come to class ready to discuss the different genres, the features of each
genre, and possible purposes behind using those genres and what it adds to the story. (5 mins).
ASSIGNMENT SHEET/MATERIALS: Genre Definition, chart paper, Genre List, laptops, Monster by Walter
Dearn Myers, http://web.archive.org/web/20130202131002/http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/rl/ll/litrlgenres.asp
http://web.archive.org/web/20100620194025/http://thewritingsite.org/resources/genre/default.asp
HOW ILL KNOW THEY GOT IT (Assessment Tools): I will assess students ability to support their assertions
with direct reference to a text by:
* Reading the charts around the room and paying attention to how students categorized each genre. I will
pay attention to their rationales as they present their group work and I will know if they understood it if
they are able to talk about what each genre looks like and how it is different and/or similar to other genres.
*Reading students written responses to the prompts. I will look for how they are identifying the purpose of
the genre they chose and why they argue for that purpose. I will pay close attention to see if they connect
form to content and write about why an author might choose that genre over another kind of genre.
*Listening to students in class the following day and seeing if they can connect our discussions for this
class period to our whole class novel. It is important that students can identify the genre (by its
characteristics), but also if they can explain how using that genre adds to the meaning of the text as a
whole.

WHY EXPERTS THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA (Research Base): Kylene Beers writes that the dependent
reader cannot identify literary elements in a text or discuss how those elements affect a text (25). This can hurt
readers understanding of a text. Also, Linda Christensen wrote, If I want my students to wrestle with the social text
of novels, news, or history books, they need the tools to critique media that encourage or legitimate social inequity
(42). Part of learning those tools is learning about genres and how different genres are enacted for different
purposes. Its also important to talk with students about how certain genres are privileged over others and why. In
learning these realities, students can better critique the texts around them and be better prepared to work for social
justice.
Beers, K. (2003). When Kids Cant Read, What Teachers Can Do. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Christensen, Linda. (2000). Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Teaching About Social Justice and the Power
of the Written Word. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Rethinking Schools.