Direct Instruction Lesson Plan - Reading

Central Focus:
Students will be able to compare
and contrast two different versions
of the same story and fill out a
corresponding venn diagram.

Subject: Reading, 2nd Grade

Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:

RL.2.9
Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story
(e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different
cultures.

Date submitted: November 17, 2016

Date taught: October 26, 2016

Daily Lesson Objective:

Performance- Students will independently be able to find three similarities within the two texts and
then graph it in their venn diagram.
Conditions- Students are to identify the similarities between the two versions independently and
write it down on their provided venn diagrams.
Criteria To demonstrate mastery of the objective, students must obtain two out of three points on
their venn diagram. Points are allocated as one point per similarity, with the goal of three differences
listed.
Adapted from: O'Bannon, B. (2002). Planning for instruction: Writing objectives. Retrieved from
http://itc.utk.edu/~bobannon/writing_objectives.html
st
21 Century Skills:
Academic Language Demand
(Language Function and
Work independently- Must complete assessment
Vocabulary):
independently.
Compare, contrast, venn diagram,
similar, differences

Reason effectively- Reason through similarities and

differences in order to compare and contrast.
http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/P21_Framework_Defini
tions.pdf

ALSO VIEW:
http://www.passedtpa.com/tag/acad
emic-language/

Prior Knowledge:
Before beginning this lesson, students should have read the two stories, The Tortoise and The Hare
and The Fox and The Snail, and summarized the events of the stories within a T-Chart.

Activity
1. Focus and Review

Description
Monday an Tuesday of this week, we read the fables The
Tortoise and The Hare and The Fox and The Snail. As we read
through each text, we made notes on out charts of main events,
characters, setting, problems, and solutions. Lets take a few
minutes to turn and talk with your partner about what happened

in the two stories. Use your T-Charts in your notebook to help.

2. Statement of Objective
for Student

Lewis, B. (2010). Lesson Plan Step #2 - Anticipatory Sets.

Retrieved from
http://k6educators.about.com/od/lessonplanheadquarters/g/anti
cipatoryset.htm
Today, we are going to practice sorting this information into a
venn diagram. Using a venn diagram to compare and contrast
stories helps readers to easily sort and identify things that were
the same in both stories, as well as identify things that were
different.
Stowell, R. (2010). Creating Classroom Lesson Objectives That
are SMART.Retrieved from
http://www.suite101.com/content/creating-classroom-lessonobjectives-that-are-smart-a237581

3. Teacher Input

Teacher says: What does it mean to compare and

contrast something? Allow a few students the
opportunity to answer. All of those answers were great!
Comparing something means to find the similarities, or
the things that are the same, within two different things,
in this case it is stories. Contrasting something means
finding the things that are different between two things.
Pass out venn diagram worksheet to each student.
Teacher says: To help us compare and contrast we are
going to use a venn diagram. Do you see where the two
circles overlap? This is where the similarities go. The
differences go in the other circle part. Im going to
demonstrate how we find the differences in the stories.
First, let me show you how I label and set up my venn
diagram. Modeling while talking: I am going to put the
title of each fable at the top of the big circles. Above the
middle, overlapping section, I am going to label it as
similarities. I am also going to number 1, 2, and 3 in
each section to remind me that I need 3 examples for
each.
Teacher says: Now that I have labeled my venn
diagram, Im going to start filling it out. Im going to do
the story of The Tortoise and The Hare. Im going to start
by thinking about what was different in the two stories.
One thing I noticed, even just from the titles, was the
characters. Next to #1 underneath The Tortoise and The
Hare, I am going to write The main characters were
Tortoise and Hare. Hmmm what else was different?
Oh, I know! The tortoise won by walking to the finish line,
remember that? So by #2, Im going to write Tortoise
won by walking across the finish line. Okay, I just need
one more difference. Let me try to recall what happened

at the end. Oh, I remember! The Hare slept while the

tortoise kept walking. By #3 I am going to write The
Hare took a nap while Tortoise was trying to win. Good, I
now have three different details about what happened in
The Tortoise and The Hare. Now, I need to move on to
the other story, The Fox and The Snail.

4. Guided Practice

Lewis, B. (2010). Lesson Plan Step #3 - Direct Instruction.

Retrieved from
http://k6educators.about.com/od/lessonplanheadquarters/g/di
rectinstruct.htm
Teacher says: Now that I have done one side by myself,
we are going to add more information as a class. I want
you guys to help me contrast The Fox and The Snail.
Turn and talk to your partner about what we can put in
this contrasting circle that is different from the other
story. Allow 2 minutes, or as long as you deem fit.
Teacher says: Okay, which groups thinks that they have
a good difference to put in our venn diagram. Call on a
group to share. Do this for all three differences and
record on the venn diagram. Adjust answers as needed
and guide students to the correct answer, if necessary.
Student given answers from my experience using this
lesson:
The main characters are Fox and Snail.
Snail hid in Foxs tail and jumped across the finish line.
Snail won while Fox was bragging about winning.
The setting is in a German Meadow.
Example of completed teacher input /guided practice venn
diagram:

Teacher says: Now its your turn to try! When I say go, I
want you all to go back to your seat and do the middle
part independently. Who can tell me what goes in the
middle section again? (Kids answer) Yes, the similarities!
Make sure you have three, well-thought out similarities
between the two stories go!

Example of what the venn diagram worksheet should look like

at completion:

5. Independent Practice

Lewis, B. (2010). Lesson Plan Step #6 - Independent Practice.

Retrieved from
http://k6educators.about.com/od/lessonplanheadquarters/g/inde
pendent_pra.htm
Summative Assessment: Students will be assessed on
their performance and completion of the similarity section
on the venn diagram worksheet. They are expected to get
two out of three points possible (one point per similarity) in
order to demonstrate mastery of the lesson.
6. Assessment Methods of
all objectives/skills:

Formative Assessment: The teacher will make formative

assessments throughout the lesson. The teacher will look
for participation in discussions and ability to complete the
similarity section of the worksheet.
Lewis, B. (2010). Lesson Plan Step #8 - Assessment and
Follow-Up. Retrieved from
http://k6educators.about.com/od/lessonplanheadquarters/g/lp_a
ssessment.htm

7. Closure

8. Assessment Results of
all objectives/skills:

Targeted Students
Modifications/Accommodations:

For closure, the teacher will reserve time at the end of the
lesson to come back together and go over what the students
have identified as similarities. A few volunteers will be chosen to
share what they wrote down. They will not be permitted to
change their answers on their venn diagram, but this is the time
to reinforce the lesson and solidify understanding.
Lewis, B. (2010). Lesson Plan Step #5 - Closure. Retrieved
from
http://k6educators.about.com/od/lessonplanheadquarters/g/clos
ure.htm
To show mastery of this lesson, students were expected
to obtain two out of three points on the venn diagram
worksheet. Fifteen out of eighteen students, about 83%,
demonstrated mastery of this lesson.
It seems as though most students were able to correctly
identify the similarities in the two different versions of the
story. I would consider this a strength of the students.
Many students were finished quickly and did not struggle
nearly as much as I thought they would. If they finished
early, I instructed them to go back into their venn
diagram and try to find more differences or more
similarities. The students took this task in strides, and
made it a competition almost of who could find the most
things.
There were only three students who did not demonstrate
mastery. Not a single student completely failed the
activity with zero points, because every student was able
to come up with at least one similarity. The reason they
were not able to come up with two other similarities
came down to one of two problems: either the students
were too busy talking and were not attentive to their
work, resulting in running out of time (they were given
ample time to complete their work, roughly 15 minutes)
OR they simply were not capable of thinking critically
enough to compare the two stories.
Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations

For the English-Language Learners in the class,

the co-teacher will translate and assist them
during the lesson. The co-teacher will then pull
these students out during independent practice
so that she can accommodate further
instruction. For students who were absent
during the read aloud portion of the stories, a
copy of the stories and T-Chart summaries will
be provided.

Students that are struggling with this content will

be given additional attention and help from the
teacher. For students that are excelling and
mastering the lesson, they will be instructed to
see how many more comparisons and
differences they can find within the two texts.

Materials/Technology:
Story Text: The Tortoise and The Hare
Story Text: The Fox and The Snail
Smart board venn diagram
Venn Diagram worksheet for each student
Previously constructed T-Chart outlining each story
Lewis, B. (2010). Lesson Plan Step #7 - Required Materials and Equipment. Retrieved from
http://k6educators.about.com/od/lessonplanheadquarters/g/reqd_materials.htm
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