Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Grade Level/Subject:
Central Focus: History of St. Patricks day and using
rd
3 Grade Readers
context clues to figure out unknown words.
Workshop/Social Studies
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate
understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text
as the basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral
language.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.2
Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths
from diverse cultures; determine the central message,
Date taught: 3/17/16
lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through
key details in the text.
NCES Social Studies
3.C.1 Understand how diverse cultures are visible in
local and regional communities
3. C.1.1 Compare languages, foods and traditions of
various groups living in local and regional communities.

Daily Lesson Objective:

Performance- The students will be able to understand and apply vocabulary from our
video and comprehension work sheet.
Conditions- The students will be able to figure out unknown words in a text and use
context clues to figure out these unknown words.
Criteria The students will meet todays objective(s) by providing 4 out of 6 correct
answers on the comprehension worksheet and giving the correct meanings to unknown
words by drawing from the context clues within the particular text.

Academic Language Demand (Language Function and

Vocabulary):
Students will need to interpret different words in the text that
they do not understand. The students will then explain the
meaning of the word that supports their reasoning. The
students will also be able to self-correct and confirm
using context while they read through their text.

st

21 Century Skills:
Analytical Thinking- The
students will be looking at the
similarities and differences of
American Culture and Irish
Culture.
Collaborating- The students will
work together to determine the
similarities and differences of
American and Irish Cultures.
Students will then work in
groups to determine the
meaning of unknown words.

Use and apply context clues, structure, sound, and

resources.

Learning within the context of

culture, the students are being
respectful when they learn
about cultures that are not
their own. The students will be
able to compare and contrast
different aspects of Irish
Culture and American Culture.

Prior Knowledge: Students should understand that the communities are made up of
various cultures. The students should be able to respect everyones opinions and beliefs
even if theyre not their own. The students just finished up working on context clues and
using these clues to figure out the meaning of unknown words, so they should be
familiar with this strategy.

Activity
1. Focus and
Review

Description of Activities and Setting

Students will all gather around the floor and I will tell the students
that today we will be learning all about St. Patricks Day. I will ask:

Tim
e

Does anyone remember what culture is?

Are all Cultures the same?
How might one culture differ from another?
Can you tell me why respecting other cultures that are not our own
are important?

When we begin learning about this culture and holiday we will

come across words we may not understand.
Does anyone remember what we do when we dont know the
meaning of a word surrounded in the text?

We will then talk about the use of context clues and how this can
help them today in our lesson.

2.
Statement of
Objective
for
Student

Can anyone tell me what today is? Well today boys and girls we
are going to learn about Irish cultures and St. Patricks day, since
today is March 17th.Now we are going to watch a short clip on some
fun facts about St. Patricks day. The Irish celebrate St. Patrick's
Day as a religious holiday since the island's conversion to
Christianity in the early Middle Ages. The first St. Patrick's Day
parade in the US, New York City took place on March 17, 1762,
giving the Irish soldiers serving in the English military the
opportunity to reconnect to their roots. Today, St. Patrick's Day is
celebrated by people of varied backgrounds around the globe.
(After the students watch the short clip we will read a quick
summary all about St. Patricks day.) In this summary the students
are to use their context clues to figure out unknown words.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmNc-NTfmPc
http://web.archive.org/web/20090206222351/http://www.americasli
brary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/modern/stpatric_1

3. Teacher
Input

4. Guided
Practice

During this time the students will watch a quick video all about St.
Patricks day, if the technology is not working during this time I will
have a print out so I can read and express the information to the
students. I will introduce new vocabulary during this time so
students can be aware of these words during the video/ or reading.
In the video the author is talking about the celebration of March
17th each year and the importance behind this holiday. St. Patricks
day is an Irish holiday but is now celebrated worldwide. It is known
as feast day of the Irish Patron Saint Patrick. Here in America
people celebrate this holiday by wearing green. This video goes
beyond the green and shows that its important to include the Irish
culture behind the holiday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmNc-NTfmPc
http://web.archive.org/web/20090206222351/http://www.americasli
brary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/modern/stpatric_1
As a class we will complete a Venn diagram comparing American
Culture to Irish Culture how its alike and how it is different. On the
whiteboard, we will create the Venn diagram with two topics
American culture and Irish culture. In each circle we will write
whats unique to those specific cultures and in the middle we will
write the similarities between the two cultures. Okay class lets
see what we can come up with different aspects of American
Culture and Irish culture. Now what can we tell that is alike in both
cultures? As we complete the VENN diagram during class the
students are going to be drawing their own Venn diagram because
the Students will be able use their Venn diagrams as a resource for
their comprehension worksheet on St. Patricks day. The students
will also share words in the text that they have configured from
context clues.
The students will now independently complete a reading
comprehension worksheet. During this time, I will walk around
making sure no students are behind and helping if they have any
questions. http://www.teachnology.com/worksheets/misc/stpats/read/

5.
Independent
Practice

For students who finish early on a separate sheet of paper the

students can write either a poem or short story on St. Patricks day.
The students would be required to include vocabulary that relates
to this particular holiday and relevant to information they have
learned during the video and/or reading passage.

6.
Assessment
Methods of
all
objectives/sk
ills:

7. Closure

For the assessment method the students will be given a comprehension

worksheet about St. Patricks Students will be required to use context
clues to find and explain the meaning of the vocabulary words in the
passages provided. Students who place 4 of the 6 of questions correctly
have met the objective.
Have the students talk within their groups and compare with their
neighbors what they learned about St. Patricks day. Some students
can volunteer to share their work with the class if they would like.
Ask the students what they have learned today and any importance
they learned about St. Patricks day, and how the Irish culture
differs from the American culture.
The students will turn in their comprehension sheet for a grade.

8.
Out of 24 students
Assessment
16/24- Met the objective of 4 or more correct answers
Results of
all
objectives/sk
ills:
Targeted Students
Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations:
Modifications/Accommodations:
For students that are struggling with the
For the students who finish early have
comprehension of the reading, remind them of
them illustrate their idea of Irish culture strategies such as rereading, underline key
and what they believe it is like.
words, main idea, etc..
For ELL students have them work with a
partner so they can assist each on another
during transitions or if they have any particular
questions.
Materials/Technology:
White Board
Smart Board
Markers
Reading Passage Handouts

Lined paper
Pencil
http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/misc/stpats/read/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmNc-NTfmPc
http://web.archive.org/web/20090206222351/http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgibin/page.cgi/jb/modern/stpatric_1

Reflection on lesson:
Overall I believe this lesson was great! I was a little nervous going into this lesson
because it was my first lesson taught during this IMB experience and the teacher wanted
me to integrate something about St. Patricks day so the students could learn some
background information behind it as well as review on using context clues in the text. For
my first lesson I think most things ran smoothly and students who are usually off task
were engaged throughout the entire lesson. Things to consider in future lessons:
smoother transitioning. It began to get loud during transitioning but this is something I
learned from and will keep In mind during future lessons.

Reading Comprehension Worksheet

St. Patrick's Day

For many centuries, as everyone knows, English monarchs tried to

impose their will on Ireland. Queen Elizabeth I, eager to extend the
influence of her government, sent a deputy to Cormac MacDermot
MacCarthy, who was Lord of Blarney, and demanded that he take the
tenure of his lands from the Crown. Cormac set out to visit the Queen
and plead for his traditional right to his land, but he despaired for success
for he was not fluent of speech.
Shortly after starting his journey, he met an old woman who asked him
why he looked so forlorn. He told her his story and she said, "Cormac,
when Blarney Castle was built, one stone was put into place by a man
who predicted no one would ever be able to touch it again. If you can kiss
that stone, the gift of eloquence will be conferred upon you."
Cormac traveled back to his castle and succeeded in kissing the stone.
He then was able to go and address the Queen with speech so soft and
words so fair that as long as he lived, he never had to renounce his right
to his land. From that time forward, people have traveled from many
lands to try to kiss the Blarney stone and receive the "gift of gab" and
eloquence of speech.

1. Which country throughout

history was in a power struggle
with the of Ireland for their land?

_____________________________
____

2. Who was known as "Lord of

Blarney"?

3. What act did Cormac

MacDermot MacCarthy believe
allowed him to speech fluently
to the Queen?

_____________________________
____

_____________________________
____
_____________________________
____
_____________________________
____

_____________________________
____

4. Who told MacCarthy of the

legend of the blarney stone?

_____________________________
____
_____________________________
____

5. Based on Context clues what

do you think the Author was
trying to say by Gift of gab,
and why?

6. Based on Context clues what

does the Author mean when he/she
says conferred, and why?