Artifact #1

Artifact: Varying Sentence Beginnings

Standard: Instructional Strategies

Standard in my own words: The teacher uses a variety of instructional

strategies to deepen students understanding of
content and to build skills and apply information.

Indicator: (b) Continuously monitors student

learning, engages learners in assessing
their progress, and adjusts instruction
in response to student learning needs.
Description of Artifact: This lesson was created because I noticed that
many students had lists when describing
people/places/things in their stories. Using
examples of lists from students actual stories
(with permission) I demonstrated how to turn a
list into a well written paragraph. Students then
did this as a class with another example of a list.
Lastly, students did this on their own with a list
and were able to share how the changed it.
Rationale: This artifact shows my understanding of standard
#8 because I varied instruction and monitored
their progress and adjusted in response to their
needs. By choosing examples of listing from
students stories, it allowed students to see what
they needed to work on and how they could
correct it. I varied my instruction by doing one by
myself first and showing the class, then doing one
as a class, and finally having students do it on their
own. Because I was monitoring their progress, I
realized the need for this lesson. I also was able to
continue monitoring their progress when they
applied their learning within their own story.

Examples of Artifact #1 on Standard #8

UMF Unit-Wide Lesson Plan Template

Name: Program: Elementary Course: EDU

Ethan Gouin Education 450
Lesson Topic / Title: Spooky Story Narrative- Varying Transitions

Lesson Date: 10/26 Lesson Length:30 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
Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and
clauses to manage the sequence of events.

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 contributing to Reasoning
our examples of lists. Students will be formally assessed
again when the teacher reads the students stories.

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
Lists from students stories (with permission)

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 /
Launch (30 minutes) Reasoning
1. The teacher will inform the students that the target
of the lesson will be to eliminate lists using good
sentence beginnings.
2. The teacher will put the students examples of lists
on the board (with student permission).
3. The teacher will demonstrate an effective way of
getting rid of a list with the first example.
4. The next example will be done as a class.
5. The next example will be done in groups.
6. The lesson will conclude with students working on
their stories.

Meeting students needs (differentiation, extensions, Instructional Decisions /

modifications, accommodations) Reasoning
One student requires the teacher to wear a
microphone so they can hear.
One student will most likely need further
instruction. For this student going over the
slideshow independently will be needed. This
student may also need guidance while writing the
story.

Field Course Only Post lesson

Reflection
Before the lesson, a large majority of the class had many lists within their
stories. These lists primarily took place when describing a setting,
character, or event. My goal was to get students using better transition
words (or sentence beginnings) when describing a setting, character, or
event. After reading through the students stories, 17-22 of them have
transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of
events. For the remaining 5 students I highlighted in their story where there
was still a list. I wrote a comment regarding the list asking the students to
think of some better sentence beginnings and I provided a few examples
for some of the students who really struggle with writing. If I were to teach
this lesson again I would have targeted some of the lower writers to use as
an example up on the board. The reason for this is because if I did that,
these students then would have been able to use the examples that we did
as a class and would not have needed further instruction.

Teaching Standards and Rationale

Standard #1: Learner Development 1(a)- This lesson was created after
reading through the students stories and seeing that many students were
having trouble with good sentence beginnings. Because I found this
through assessment and designed a lesson to address this need, this
standard was addressed.
Standard #7: Planning for Instruction 7(d)- This standard is addressed
because I created the lesson based on the lists I saw in the students
stories (formative assessment).
Standard #8: Instructional Strategies 8(b)- This lesson addresses this
standard because I monitored their stories after each lesson and found that
students were struggling with sentence beginnings. I went through their
stories and highlighted where there were lists and asked students to read
through it again and come up with better sentence beginnings.
Standard # 1: Collaboration 10(b)- Collaborating with my mentor about
how to effectively instruct students on their sentence beginnings created a
joint effort to facilitate learning on how to meet the diverse learning needs
of our classroom.
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 sentence beginnings. This process helped students
develop their writing skills.
 Artifact #2
Artifact: Good Endings

Standard: Instructional Strategies

Standard in my own words: The teacher uses a variety of instructional

strategies to deepen students understanding of
content and to build skills and apply information.

Indicator: (b) Continuously monitors student

Description of Artifact:
learning, engages learners in assessing
their progress, and adjusts instruction
in response to student learning needs.
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: This artifact demonstrates my understanding of

standard # 8 because I varied instruction and
continuously monitored students progress and
adjusted accordingly. I varied instruction by using
a checklist with examples that we discussed as a
class, students then completed worksheets that
we once again discussed and went over answers,
comments on their stories were then provided if a
need for further instruction was apparent. I
decided to do a lesson on this after monitoring
their pre-assessments and seeing a lot of very
short endings. I was able to monitor students
understanding while they were completing the
 worksheets, in class discussion, and when they
applied it to their own story.

Example of Artifact #2 for standard #8

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?