Secondary English Language Arts: Revised ed:TPA Lesson Plan Template

Name: Audrey Hutchings

Lesson Title: The Things They Carried and

Symbolism (During-Reading)

Grade Level: 10th

Lesson Goals
Central Focus: Describe the central focus (of the unit) and explain how this lesson reflects the central focus.
To explore what we carry with us, synthesizing narrative strategies from mentor texts and creating personal narratives and
thematic elements that reflect individual growth experiences.
List the title, author, and write a short description of the text(s) used in this lesson.
The Things They Carried, Tim OBrien
Set in the dual theatres of VC occupied Vietnam and the American life back home, The Things They Carried offers a deeply
moving account of a small unit of men that must learn to endure both the unfamiliarities of war in an unaccustomed country as
well as the hardships that it brings. Each character is affected by the death of Ted Lavender, the first one in the Alpha Chapter
to die, and they try to cope with and justify it. As they share their narratives of the brutalities and grief that they face, the
characters cope by using humor and alternate versions of the truth. Between the guilt and the terror that the war conditions
and experiences, they carry much more than their supplies and mementos from back home. The protagonist and main
narrator, Tim OBrien, also speaks to the audience during several chapters about the power of stories and what makes a true
versus effective narrative about the war. Ultimately, he says that the difference between a true story and a good story is
sometimes minimal, as many details are blurred, ignored, and supplemented in order to capture the moment.

Conceptual/Theoretical Framework (draw from research and readings in CI and English courswork:
As a whole, this lesson is founded on Jim Burkes theories on symbolism and language in his text The English
Teachers Companion. In reference to literacy education and understanding symbolism in a social context, Burke
writes that the nature of work in the United States puts a premium on the ability to traffic in symbols generally
and verbal symbols particularly, as print and print-based technologies have radically developed in influence and
utilization (Burke 2). Therefore, this lesson is writing in context of understanding that symbolism is not only

important to literary study, but to cultural literacy as well. As students are understanding symbolism more deeply
as a literary device and as it works within the novel The Things They Carried, they will also be able to apply
crucial understandings of symbolism to everyday life. In addition, this lesson also reflects Burkes practical
teaching strategies regarding daily writing. Burke argues that writing dailydevelops students stamina unless
they write for a purpose that engages them and develops their skills and knowledge (Burke 119). This lesson,
coupled with the previous two lessons, reflects an emphasis on daily writing and reflection as a means to foster
both writing skills and reading comprehension skills.
Standard(s) Addressed (use examples from both the Common Core State Standards and the Illinois Professional Teaching
Standards):
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day
or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.C
Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas;
actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
IPTS Standard 2 - Content Area and Pedagogical Knowledge The competent teacher has in-depth understanding of content
area knowledge that includes central concepts, methods of inquiry, structures of the disciplines, and content area literacy. The teacher
creates meaningful learning experiences for each student based upon interactions among content area and pedagogical knowledge

Recall your central focus and explain how the standards (above) and learning objectives (below), that you have identified, support
students learning:
The learning objective of students being able to accurately define symbolism and apply their understanding to symbolism in
the novel The Things They Carried directly relates to the Common Core standard that asks students to clarify, verify, or
challenge ideas and conclusions in the context of collaborative discussion. This also applies to the central focus in that
students are growing their foundational understanding of thematic elements. In addition, the learning objective of
students being able to create and discuss a personalized example of symbolism relates to the Common Core standard that
asks students to shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Because the writing assignment is fairly open to interpretation, text types, etc., students will have the opportunity to

creatively demonstrate their knowledge of symbolism within the scope of their highly individualized writing. This also
relates to the central focus in that students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of thematic elements by applying
their knowledge to writing and reading comprehension.
Materials/ Instructional Resources:

SmartBoard
White Board
Projector
Chromebooks/Laptops
*Learning Objectives (Add additional objective boxes as
needed):

*Assessment (both formal and informal)- Evidence of Student

Understanding:

Objective 1:

Related Assessment:

Students will be able to accurately define symbolism and

apply their understanding to symbolism in the novel The
Things They Carried.

Students will create brief notes in answering questions about

the role of symbolism in The Things They Carried.

Explain the Assessments Alignment with the Objective:

As students are able to thoughtfully discuss and write
About symbolism in The Things They Carried, they will
Demonstrate their mature understanding of symbolism
As a literary device.
Describe the form of Student feedback that accompanies
the assessment:
Students will submit a hard or electronic copy of brief
Notes.

Objective 2:

Related Assessment:

Students will be able to create and discuss a personalized

example of symbolism.

Students will write a short narrative/story/poem.

Explain the Assessments Alignment with the Objective:
This assessment asks students to write a narrative/story/
Poem that is driven forward by a single example of
Symbolism.

Describe the form of Student feedback that accompanies

the assessment:
Students will produce a sample of writing. The length or
Text type is open to creative solutions and many
Different genres.
Lesson Considerations
Pre-Assessment:
Students will have read Chapters 14 and 15 for homework. Students will also be required to identify at least one symbol
they find while reading these chapters, and be ready to discuss it in class.
Prior Academic Learning and Prerequisite Skills: (Cite evidence that describes what students know, what they can

do, and what they are still learning to do.)

Students will need to have at least a basic understanding of symbolism as a literary device.

Personal, cultural, and community assets related to the central focusExplain what you know about your students

everyday experiences, cultural and language backgrounds and practices, and interests.
Some of these students may have grandparents and other family members who were directly involved in the Vietnam War.
Therefore, there should be a level of anticipated sensitivity in discusses events of violence and differing political ideologies
related to the war itself. In addition, in these students lifetimes, they have not experience a kind of large-scale, formal war
waged by the United States similar to the Vietnam War, the Cold War, etc. Therefore, it would be important to make
meaningful connects to present political and social tensions, and military aggressions that have happened in the past 20
years.
Misconceptions:
That symbols are subjective, not personalized/individualized based on life experiences, and are largely vague and
ambiguous.

Language Objectives and Demands

Identify a Language Function:

Language Function. Using information about your students language assets and needs, identify one language function essential
for students within your central focus. Listed below are some sample language functions. You may choose one of these or another
more appropriate language function for this lesson.
Analyze

Argue

Describe

Evaluate

Explain

Interpret

Justify

Synthesize

Students will be able to explain what symbols are, and analyze their function within the novel The Things They Carried.
Vocabulary:

Symbolism

Learning and Linguistic Accommodations: Describe the instructional accommodations that you must make, as the classroom
teacher, in order to address the learning needs of students with special needs and students who are not English proficient or
students who use varieties of English.
Accommodations for students with Special Needs:

For the student with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, few instructional accommodations will need to be made to this lesson.
As in previous lesson plans, light and noise stimuli will be monitored and reducing in and near the classroom. In addition,
if this student is having trouble beginning writing a short narrative, he can have the option of simply taking brief, bulletpoint notes during class, or discuss his ideas/writing orally with the teacher.
Accommodations for students who are not proficient uses of Standard English:

For the student that is a native French-speaker, she will have a hard copy of the mini-lesson presentation in French to
refer to while reading the English version projected on the SmartBoard. In addition, since there is little to no guidelines for
length and text type for writing the short narrative, this student will be able to produce a product that is appropriate for her
reading level and writing ability in English.

Explain your instructional decision-making and the way you plan to support student learning when using whole class,
small groups, and individualized assignments. In addition, explain accommodations for students who have
special needs and students who are not proficient users of Standard English as part of whole class and small
group arrangements
Whole-class instruction will be used to solidify understandings of symbolism as a whole. This way, the teacher will be able
to holistically and effectively address and prevent any misconceptions before moving onto small group activities that deal
with contextualized discussions of symbolism. Small group work will be used to generate thoughtful, analytic discussion of
symbolism in a low-stress environment. Accommodations are listed above.

Time

1) 1-2
minute
s
2) 1-2
minute
s
1) 5-6
minute
s
2) 3-4
minute
s
3) 7-8
minute
s
4) 6-7
minute
s
5) 25-27
minute
s

*Lesson Plan Details

Lesson Introduction
1) Greet students. Students will sit in their regularly-assigned seats.
2) Note to students that you will be covering the topic of symbolism in class, and how it relates to The Things
They Carried. Ask them to take out their brief notes on one example of symbolism in Chapters 14 and 15.

Learning Activities
1) Initiate full-class discussion. Ask students what symbols they found in Chapters 14 and 15.
2) Ask students what makes these symbolssymbols (note: there will most likely be a range of answers-this will
be used to gauge the level of understanding students have about symbolism as a literary device). Type examples
that students give onto Powerpoint slide for upcoming mini-lesson.
3) Give mini-lesson presentation about Symbolism. Engage students throughout, asking brief, guiding questions
related to potential misconceptions encountered in Procedure #2 of Learning Activities.
4) Divide students into small groups. Ask students to identify and discuss items that characters in the novel are
carrying/on their person. Have students have oral discussion and take brief notes in answering the questions:
How these items (as symbols) help to better understand a characters personality? If you think that the character
themselves is a symbol, what do they represent? Students will submit individual written notes at the end of this
question in answering these questions.
5) Have students return to their original seats. Ask students to begin writing a short narrative/story or poem in
which a symbol is crucial to plot development (NOTE: students are not expected to finish this narrative in class)

Describe how your planned formal and informal assessments, including a written product, will provide direct evidence of
students abilities to construct meaning from, interpret, OR respond to a complex text throughout the learning segment.
The pre-assessment of having students bring in one example of symbolism in the novel will serve as evidence that they
are able to identify what a symbol, and be able to start analyzing symbols in the context of narratives. The largely informal
assessment of students answering questions about symbolism in small groups will give students an opportunity to
demonstrate their running understandings of symbolism and integration of that knowledge in reading comprehension. The
formal assessment of writing a short narrative will allow students to demonstrate their writing skill, and additionally their
growing understanding and application of knowledge about symbolism as a whole.

1) 1-2
minute
s

Closure
Ask students to reflect on the symbol they chose to write about in their short narrative/story/poem, and how it may or may
not be similar to how Tim OBrien utilizes symbolism in The Things They Carried.
Extension
Students will complete their short narratives for homework. They will be due at the beginning of the next days
class. Students will also read Chapters 14 and 15 for homework.

Resources and References (use APA or MLA listing the information from the conceptual framework above as
well as from any other categories where cited a source):
Burke, Jim. The English Teacher's Companion: A Completely New Guide to Classroom, Curriculum, and the
Profession. Fourth ed. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2013. Print.

Attachments: handouts, assessments, etc.

*Mini-Lesson Presentation