Artifact #1

Artifact: Good Endings Lesson

Standard: Content Knowledge

Standard in my own words: The teacher understands the main concepts,

tools, and structures he/she teaches and creates
learning experiences that make these accessible
and meaningful for students.

Indicator: (a) Effectively uses multiple representations

and explanations that capture key ideas
in the discipline, guide learners through
learning progressions, and promotes
each learners achievement of content
standards.

Description of Artifact:
The goal for this lesson was to get students to
provide a conclusion that follows from the
narrated experiences or events. After reading
students pre-assessments it was evident that
they had never been taught how to write a
conclusion before. This lesson taught students
how to write an ending that went with their story
and provided closure. Students learned about
techniques that authors use to write conclusions
and were then tasked with using those
techniques in their stories. Students completed
worksheets that forced them to analyze endings
that were fully elaborated and they completed
another worksheet requiring them to extend an
ending that was not fully elaborated. Before
students were able to work on their stories, a
Good Ending Menu was handed out so
students could ensure they included all elements
of a good ending.

Rationale: Knowing that there were many elements that

went into writing a good ending I decided that I
really needed to represent the material in several
ways. The main goal for the lesson was to write a
conclusion that went along with their story and
used the good ending techniques. To do this I
created a menu that not only stated each of
the ingredients in a good ending but also had
examples to go along with each one. The tools
that I was trying to provide the students with
would be each element on the checklist. By
reviewing the checklist together, having students
complete worksheets, and then giving direct
feedback on each students ending, I used several
representations and explanations to guide
students to the content goal of providing a
conclusion that follows from the narrated
experiences or events. I think the most effective
tool in this lesson was the ability to provide
individual feedback on their conclusions by
commenting on the Google document they were
writing their story on.
 Example of Artifact #1 for Standard #4
UMF Unit-Wide Lesson Plan Template

Name: Program: Elementary Course:

Ethan Gouin Education EDU 450

Lesson Topic / Title: Endings

Lesson Date: 10/30 Lesson Length:45 minutes Grade/Age: Grade 5

Learning Objectives & Content Standard Alignment - Selects, creates, and sequences
learning experiences and performance tasks that support learners in reaching rigorous curriculum
goals based on content standards.

Learning Objective(s) Instructional Decisions

Students will be able to: / Reasoning
Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated
experiences or events.

Content Standard(s) Instructional Decisions

W.5.3 / Reasoning
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear
event sequences.
Assessment - Uses assessment flexibly to expand and deepen understanding of learner
performance and determines best supports for continued learner growth.

Assessment Instructional Decisions

Students will be formally assessed on their understanding of / Reasoning
good ending techniques while sharing answers from worksheets.
Students will be formally assessed again when the teacher reads
the students answers after they are handed in. Students are to
be assessed again when the teacher is reading the students
essays.

Instructional Materials and Resources - Stays current in content knowledge and expands
expertise in reviewing instructional materials from the perspectives of both the discipline and individual
learner needs.

Materials, Resources, and/or Technology Instructional Decisions

Five handouts: Their ending menu, analyzing ending / Reasoning
worksheets, extending the ending worksheets.
Laptops for every student
Colored pencils

Instructional Methods: Selects, creates, and sequences learning experiences and performance
tasks by using a variety of instructional approaches, strategies, and technologies that make learning
accessible to all learners and support learners in reaching rigorous curriculum goals.
Teaching and Learning Sequence Instructional Decisions
Part One: Launch (20minutes) / Reasoning
1. The teacher will share with the class that the lesson
objective will be to make a good ending to their spooky
stories.
2. The teacher will provide every student with a good ending
menu (after asking/stating before going over menu
questions/comments) and review it with the class.

Questions/comments to ask/say during part one:

Before going over menu
Your ending should reveal what the story was about and how the
main character has grown or changed. How is the main character
better, wiser, or smarter? If you have an it was only just a
dream ending, you must change it. There needs to be a clear
resolution without ripping the towel out from underneath your
reader. Saying THE END is not needed. If you make a strong
ending your story will naturally end.
After going over menu
Who already has a few of these in their conclusion? You need
to include all of these in your ending. In your ending, every
sentence needs to end with an (m) for memory, (f) for feelings
(w/h) for wish or hope, (d) for decision, or (da) for deciding action
so that I can see that youve used them.
Part Two: Explore (25 minutes)
1. Students will complete an Analyze this Ending worksheet
and an Extend this Ending worksheet in pairs.
2. Following the activity, have a few students share what
they have written.
3. Have answer sheets ready to guide or provide examples.
Questions/comments for part two: How did using these
ingredients or techniques make the ending better? How did the
ending change from where it was before to what it is now? Did
any of you think of any changes you need to make in your
stories?

Part three:
This will be time for students to work on their essay.

Meeting students needs (differentiation, extensions, Instructional Decisions

modifications, accommodations) / Reasoning
Having a handout, going over the handout with them,
having them work on the worksheets to practice, and
sharing the answers offers multiple opportunities for
students to learn effective story ending techniques.
One student will need the teacher to wear a microphone.
 Field Course Only Post lesson

Reflection
While reading through students stories after the lesson to see that they
had an ending that follows from the narrated experiences or events and
used the ingredients for a good ending, I found that 16 out of 22
students had effectively applied the strategies. Many of the students
had used the strategies but did so in a list. For these students, I
commented on their stories and requested that they provide more
details such as how their character grew from the experience or to
provide more information so that someone could only read their ending
and figure out what the whole story was about. There were still three
students who need more instruction. For these students I will continue
to comment on their stories with more suggestions.
 Teaching Standards and Rationale
Standard #2: Learning Differences 2(a)- I decided that rather than
give a presentation covering good ending strategies I would create a
menu that included examples and go through each ingredient with
the class. This allowed students to ask clarifying questions. The two
worksheets that students completed gave them an opportunity to
demonstrate their learning and so did their stories.
Standard #4: Content knowledge 4(a)- By providing students with a
good ending menu, giving feedback on their worksheets, and giving
suggestions on students stories is why this standard is addressed in
this lesson.
Standard #6: Assessment 6(d)- Because the menu had examples of
each ending technique and so did the worksheets, students had
several examples of what a quality ending looks like. Following the in
class instruction, I gave students direct feedback on their stories.
Standard #11: ISTE standard 11.2 (a)- By using my own computer to
create the lesson and give feedback and students using their Google
Chrome books, I was able to evaluate the effectiveness of this lesson
based on the student's story endings. This process helped students
develop their writing skills.

Name______________
Good Ending Menu
Ingredient Example
A Memory Ill always remember that November day when a man chased us
What did you through the Oak Dale Cemetery. His tall, crooked stature will forever be
remember most? imprinted in my mind. As we sprinted as fast as we could to get away I
remember thinking that we had no chance of getting away.

Feelings I got home that night thankful that the psychotic man had tripped
How did you feel as he got within arms reach of Danny. If he hadnt, Danny may not have
about what made it out. That night was the most terrified that I have ever been.
happened?

Wish or Hope I hope people can learn from our experience and know to never
What you wish or cut through a cemetery late at night.
hope?
 Decision I have come to an unalterable conclusion that cutting a few
What did you minutes off of your walk home by going through a cemetery is not worth
decide? the dangers you may encounter. You never know who could be lurking
around in a dark cemetery. I

Defining This is why I vow to raise awareness on why kids should not be
allowed out alone late at night.
Action
What did you do?
 Artifact #2
Artifact: Elaboration on Character Lesson

Standard: Content Knowledge

Standard in my own words: The teacher understands the main concepts,

tools, and structures he/she teaches and creates
learning experiences that make these accessible
and meaningful for students.

Indicator: (a) Effectively uses multiple representations

and explanations that capture key ideas
in the discipline, guide learners through
learning progressions, and promotes
each learners achievement of content
standards.

Description of Artifact:
The goal of this lesson was to describe the main
characters using elaborative detail and sensory
description. Students were really struggling with
showing and not telling. They would tell you a
persons name but not show you what they
looked like using strong adjectives. Students
learned how to do this through a fun interactive
activity where they got put into groups and had
to create character descriptions based on the
image their group was given. I then brought the
class together in front of the board and hung the
pictures up on the board. Students then listened
to each groups character description and had to
pair the description with the character that was
being described.

Rationale: I really wanted to change things up for this lesson

by doing something creative and fun but would
also teach the students the skills they needed. I
decided that by allowing students to work in
groups to write their character descriptions they
were learning from each other. This also gave me
the opportunity to provide clear instruction to
several students at once while they were in their
groups on how to improve their character
description. Seeing an image and then describing
it teaches students the skill of creating a mental
image and describing it the same way. I did my
 best to separate the strong writers into different
groups so that they could help their group in
providing a strong character description. Having
students try to match character descriptions to
the images that were being described showed
students just how important it is to be
descriptive. Students were quickly able to identify
the image that was being described because of
the very obvious features of the character in the
image. However, as obvious as it may have been
in the activity, students certainly were struggling
with their character descriptions prior to this
lesson. By creating an experience where students
could learn from each other and from me
(through small group instruction and individual
instructions through comments on their stories) I
included multiple representations and provided
students with the tools they needed, which is
why this artifact demonstrates my understanding
of standard #4.

Example of Artifact #2 for Standard #4

Name: Program: Elementary Course: EDU
Ethan Gouin Education 450

Lesson Topic / Title: Spooky Story Narrative- Elaborating on the main characters and using
sensory description

Lesson Date: 10/19 Lesson Length:35 minutes Grade/Age: Grade 5

Learning Objectives & Content Standard Alignment - Selects, creates, and sequences
learning experiences and performance tasks that support learners in reaching rigorous curriculum
goals based on content standards.
Learning Objective(s) Instructional Decisions /
Students will be able to: Reasoning
Describe the main characters using elaborative detail
and sensory description.

Content Standard(s) Instructional Decisions /

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3 Reasoning
Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique,
descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Assessment - Uses assessment flexibly to expand and deepen understanding of learner

performance and determines best supports for continued learner growth.
Assessment Instructional Decisions /
Students will be formally assessed while working in groups to Reasoning
come up with strong adjectives to describe their groups
image. Students will be formally assessed while matching
descriptions to pictures. Students will be formally assessed
again while they work on their character descriptions in their
story.

Instructional Materials and Resources - Stays current in content knowledge and expands
expertise in reviewing instructional materials from the perspectives of both the discipline and individual
learner needs.

Materials, Resources, and/or Technology Instructional Decisions /

Smart board Reasoning
Students will need laptops
One paper for each group of four
Six characters for students to describe

Instructional Methods: Selects, creates, and sequences learning experiences and performance
tasks by using a variety of instructional approaches, strategies, and technologies that make learning
accessible to all learners and support learners in reaching rigorous curriculum goals.
Teaching and Learning Sequence Instructional Decisions /
Part One: Launch (15 minutes) Reasoning
1. Students will be put in groups of four.
2. Students will be asked to work together to describe the
character that their group was assigned.
3. After students have had time to describe their
characters, each of the pictures will be placed on the
wall. Students will have to use other groups
descriptions to decide which character they were
describing.

Questions to ask students in part one: Who can tell

me what the five senses descriptions are? (sight, touch,
hear, smell, taste) What words might we avoid while
describing this character? How tall does he look? What
might he smell like? What might he sound like? What
might he feel like?

Part Two: Explore (20 minutes)

Part two will be time for students to work on their story.

Meeting students needs (differentiation, extensions, Instructional Decisions /

modifications, accommodations) Reasoning
One student requires the teacher to wear a
microphone so they can hear.

Field Course Only Post lesson

Reflection
After reading the students stories, 20 out of 22 students in the class have
a good understanding of how to elaborate on their main characters. While
doing the lesson I realized that I should have been more specific with my
instruction. My goal was for the students to use the picture for their group
to write a paragraph describing the character. This is not what every group
did. Some groups just made a list of adjectives that described their
character. If I were to teach this lesson again I would make sure to state
that they need to develop a well written paragraph to describe their
characters. For the few students who seem to be struggling with their
character description, I have either commented on their google document
with suggestions for improvement. If additional help is needed with these
students an individual meeting will be needed to provide further guidance.

Teaching Standards and Rationale

Standard #1: Learner Development 1(a)- Assessment was done while
students were in their groups working on describing their characters and
when students were matching character descriptions with characters. I
assessed students ability to elaborate on a character in their stories as
well. This showed me which students needed further instruction and which
students were able to apply the lesson material.
Standard #2: Learning Differences 2(b)- Communicating on their stories
through comments on their Google Documents allowed me to give timely
feedback and suggestions was able to assess how strong their main event
was while doing this as well.
Standard #10: Collaboration 10 (b)- Through collaboration with my
mentor, I was able to come up with this lesson. Originally I planned to have
the students describe one character as a class but my mentor suggested
grouping the students and having each group describe a different
character. This allowed not only my mentor and me to collaborate but it
also gave students the opportunity to collaborate.