Miss Kelsey Empfield

11
th
Grade English
Instructional Planning Worksheet
Topic: Day of the Dead Dia De Los Muertos
Purpose for teaching topic:
Multicultural celebration, raising awareness of Mexican holidays, expanding view of
American holidays
Objectives for student learning:
Students will be able to interpret the overall impact of text by analyzing word choice with
75% accuracy.
Students will be able to create poetry using diverse vocabulary with 90% accuracy.
Students will be able to articulate the significance of cultural celebrations with 95%
accuracy.
Planning Assessment Questions:
What do you know about the students you are planning to teach?
Some students may not know anything about Dia De Los Muertos or Mexican culture.
They may not know any Spanish words or other languages. Other students may not
celebrate Halloween or be comfortable with writing poetry.
What are your characteristics as a teacher that impact teaching the proposed unit?
I must be culturally sensitive and get to know what my students are comfortable writing
about.
What resources do you have available for teaching this unit?
I have Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes and Yuyi Morales.


Lesson Plan
Date: 10/31/14
Grade: 11
th

SUBJECT: English
OBJECTIVES:
Students will be able to interpret the overall impact of text by analyzing word choice with
75% accuracy.
Students will be able to create poetry using diverse vocabulary with 90% accuracy.
Students will be able to articulate the significance of cultural celebrations with 95%
accuracy.
MOTIVATION:
By celebrating Halloween on Halloween Day, students will be able to explore the
significance of Halloween across cultures. They also have the opportunity to be creative
and innovative with the Day of the Dead poems.
VOCABULARY
From Los Gatos Black on Halloween
Las brujas The witches
Las calabazas The pumpkins
Casa House
Dedos Fingers
Escobas Brooms
Los esqueletos The skeletons
Los fantasmas The phantoms
Los gatos The cats
Luna Moon
Medianoche Midnight
La momia The mummy
Los monstruos The monsters
Los muertos The dead
La msica The music
Nios Boys
Noche Night
Ojos Eyes
Los perros The dogs
La puerta The door
Tres Three
Las tumbas The tombs

BODY OF LESSON:
Agenda & Book Talk 5 min.
Minilesson 10 min.
o Read Aloud: Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes & Yuyi Morales
I read the picture book aloud while students take notes and listen.
o Classroom discussion
What did you enjoy about the book?
How did the illustrations contribute to the overall feeling of the book?
How did you feel about the Spanish words?
What do you know about The Day of the Dead?
o Dia De Los Muertos
Facts
Mexican holiday
Family and friends gather to pray for deceased
Celebrated from Oct. 31- Nov. 2
Honor graves with sugar skulls, marigolds (traced back to
Aztecs), favorite foods of deceased
Writing Workshop 30 min
o Day of the Dead poems
Cooperative learning groups of 4-5 students
Create a poem about Halloween or Day of the Dead
Use diverse vocabulary
Illustrate the poem on easel paper, using color
o Share time
Each group gets an opportunity on the authors stage, showcasing their
work.
Closing 5 min.
o Poem of the day: Day After Day of the Dead by Nathaniel Mackey
o Homework: 20 pages of independent reading
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS:
After the shared reading, students may review the picture book on their own, taking more
time to view the diverse vocabulary. The Day of the Dead poems will let students be
creative and bring their different areas of expertise to the classroom.
EVALUATION OF LESSON:
From the poems created, I will be able to evaluate how well students have covered the
objectives for the day. How students used diverse vocabulary in their poems will allow
me to know if students need to further practice.
MATERIALS:
Los Gatos Black on Halloween, easel paper, colored pencils, markers
STANDARDS ADDRESSED:
Nebraska State Standards
Reading

LA 12.1.2

Phonological Awareness: Students will demonstrate
phonological awareness through oral activities.
LA 12.1.5.a Apply word analysis strategies to determine the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words across content areas
to aid in comprehension and improve writing.
LA 12.1.5.d Use semantic relationships (e.g., figurative language,
connotations, technical and multiple-meaning words, and
key terms or phrases) to analyze the impact of specific word
choices on meaning and tone, aid in comprehension, and
improve writing.
Writing

LA 12.2.1.g

Adjust writing processes to persevere in short and long-term
writing tasks of increasing length and complexity.
LA 12.2.2 Writing Modes: Student will write in multiple modes for a
variety of purposes and audiences across disciplines.
LA 12.2.2.e Analyze various mentor texts and/or exemplars in order to
create a similar piece.
Speaking &
Listening
LA 12.3.2.a

Select and utilize active and attentive listening skills (e.g.,
eye contact, nonverbal cues, questioning, summarizing) for
multiple situations and modalities (e.g., small/large group,
presentation, one-to-one, digital).

Supervising Teacher