edTPA Lesson Plan

Name Katelyn Richer

Lesson #, Lesson Title Lesson #1, Character Traits
Date and Day of the Week Monday September 18, 2017
Grade Level and Class Grade 4 General Education
Period and Length 2:30-3:15pm; 45 minutes
Materials Needed SMART board
30 copies of “The Challenge” reading passage
30 copies of “Character Traits” graphic organizer
Character Trait-Flocabulary Video

Standards and Objectives

Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a
character's thoughts, words, or actions).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters
found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).

Learning Objectives:

After this lesson, students will be able to define the literary term 'character trait'.

Students will be able to distinguish between what qualifies as a character trait and what qualifies as a character emotion.

Students will be able to identify character traits within a reading passage and find textual evidence to justify why they
chose those traits.

Students will be able to relate character traits to individuals, such as themselves.

Central Focus:

Students apply their understanding of the definition of ‘character trait’ by identifying character traits within a reading
passage and selecting traits they feel best represent themselves.

Academic Language Demands:

Vocabulary: character trait, character emotion, compassionate, cruel, delighted, discouraged, clever, courageous, deceitful,
hysterical, outraged, petrified, appreciative, uncoordinated, energetic, bashful, communicative, responsible

Language Functions-define, distinguish, identify, justify, relate

Students will use vocabulary words to, orally, generate a list of character traits. Students will be required to read along
while the teacher reads a passage aloud. Students will need to write out traits they feel defines their own character as an
individual.

The class is made up of twenty-seven students with varying language abilities. Although no students in my class are
identified as ENL students, some may have tested out in earlier grades and many do no have language support at home;

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this leads to many students being below grade level in ELA subjects.
In order to support the students with the language demands of this lesson, I will provide definitions for all complex
terminology required for this lesson. I will also stop repeatedly to check whether any students require further instruction
before moving on to the next portion of the lesson.

Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks that Support Student Needs

Time Action Rationale

Launch (Motivation)

To help transition to next activity, the teacher will connect the characters Students connect their current
in the class’s current read aloud, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, to the reading unit to a new reading
traits those characters possess. The teacher will remind students of one comprehension strategy.
scenario in the book in particular, the day Fudge came home and Reminding students of passages
scribbled all over Peter’s poster board project about transportation? The they have previously read will help
teacher will ask guiding questions such as: How was Peter feeling in that to build on how they make
moment? What actions did Peter take? What did Peter say? To Fudge? connections to new ideas. Students
To his mother? What do you think about Peter in the situation?. also strengthen their understanding
of how to identify what traits the
characters in our mentor text
possess.

Instructional Procedure (Explore)

First, the teacher will define the word ‘character trait’ to the students. As students progress throughout
lesson, they acquire skills that
In order to enhance student understanding, the teacher will relate to the description of
differentiate between character traits (which are apart of the characters. They are given
character’s personality and remain apart of the character) and appropriate tools that they can use
character emotions (which are due to outside forces and change within their reading lessons and
throughout the story). homework daily.
The teacher will provide a helpful alliteration to strengthen the Mnemonic devices are helpful
memorization of what defines a character trait and what defines reminders for students they may
a character emotion. have difficulty differentiating
between traits and emotions.
Traits are Tried and True

Feelings are Fleeting

If students struggle with the definition of fleeting or the expression

“tried and true”, the teacher will define fleeting as “temporary” and
“tried and true” as permanent.

Next, the teacher will guide the students in generating a list of character
traits on the SMART board.

At this point, the teacher will join in by adding traits of their own that
students may not know the definition of. This is a good time to expand
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 student’s vocabulary or use vocabulary words that have been presented
to students in class.

[Assessment during Instructional Procedure] By having students contribute to

the list of traits, the teacher is able
The teacher will also be able to use student responses as an informal to recognize whether the students
assessment to determine whether or not students grasp the concept of understand the difference between
what constitutes a character trait. traits and emotions. The teacher is
also able to contribute to the list
with traits that will enhance
student vocabulary.

Structured Practice and Application Students listen to teacher modeling

how to describe a character within
“The Challenge” will be pulled up on the SMART board and copies will a reading passage. Students use
be given out to all students prior to the lesson. The teacher will read listening skills to observe what
aloud and students will be instructed to follow along while looking for approach to take when describing a
character traits within the reading passage. character. The teacher uses a
mnemonic device to help kids
recall what important information
The teacher will present the mnemonic device “think F.A.S.T.”, about a character is used to identify
which stands for Feelings, Actions, Sayings, and Thoughts. The that character’s traits. Students
teacher should explain that by writing out how a character is identify if the teacher followed
feeling, how a character behaves, what a character says, and steps to describe the character
what their own thoughts are about the character, a student show before identifying that character’s
be able to deduce what traits that character possess. traits, by recalling what the teacher
said.
As a class, the teacher and students will create an anchor chart of
one character’s feelings, actions, sayings, and thoughts, which
they will use to identify the character’s traits.

[Assessment during and/or after Structured Practice] Students independently follow the
steps of identifying character traits,
this time the character being
themselves, which they previously
The teacher should direct student’s attention back to the list that was
created as a class and have the students choose five words they best saw modeled by the teacher.
feel describe themselves, based on how they Feel, Act, Speak, and
Think. The students will use those five words to fill out the character
trait graphic organizer. Students should also draw cartoon caricatures,
based on the character traits they chose.

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 Closure Students recall what defines a
character trait and what important
To close this lesson, the teacher will go over the definition of “character details they must first collect about
trait” with the students once more and show a quick video entitled a character to identify a character
“Character video” by Flocabulary, while collecting the student’s filled in trait.
character trait graphic organizers.

A short musical video about

character traits is a fun way to
reinforce what was previously
taught within the lesson.

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