Unit Plan

1 Grade- Character Traits

st

Melissa Quidor & Samantha Tunnell

Dr. Giannola & Professor McConville
SPE 304

Objective/Introduction
What are you going to teach?
The unit that will be taught is based on the topic of recognizing internal and external
character traits of people as well as things, such as shapes. Throughout the unit we will read
multiple different books to the children to demonstrate how as well as practice how to describe
characters in a book, shapes, and historical figures in terms of internal and external character
traits. Students will have the opportunity to practice this with in a whole group setting, small
group setting, and individually to give them different experiences with this concept. Throughout
the lesson students will be given various different graphic organizers to help make the concept
more concrete when students are separating internal and external character traits on an organizer.
Students will have the opportunity to practice skills need to be successful in the final assessment
throughout the final lessons in a low risk environment before they need to put the skills into
place for the final project. The final assessment for this unit will be opinion writing pieces where
students will name who their hero is and the internal and external character traits the person
possess to make this person the students hero.
Overall Objective: Through participating in this unit on character traits students will be able to
demonstrate their knowledge of character traits though describing characters, shapes, historical
figures, and their heroes after being given the materials and knowledge throughout the unit.
Describe the class for which your unit was designed.
The classroom that this particular unit was designed for is a first grade, general education
classroom. There are twenty three students in this classroom. Each of the different students in
the class comes from various different backgrounds, nationalities, and socioeconomic groups.
All of the students in the class are on varying levels of ability in terms of the different classroom
contents. There are a couple students who are on a 2nd grade reading level already with great
comprehension and fluency, and there are others who are still on a low 1st grade reading level and
struggle with these skills. There are 5 students who are currently in the ESL program, although
even these students are on various levels within the program. One of these students who take
part in ESL classes will be graduating out of the program this year. Overall, there are not any
students who have I.E.P.s, but there are many varying levels within this classroom.

Rationale
Why are you going to teach this lesson?
The purpose of this lesson is to teach students how to describe different people as well as
things using internal and external character traits. Being able to identify and describe characters
based on their characteristics, such as their internal and external character traits, is a skill that is
stressed in 1st grade and important for students to be able to successfully do. Gaining this skill
will aid students as they move through other various portions of their academics. This is an
important skill that students will need in the academic lives in order to accurately describe
characters in a book, historical figures, as well as people in their own lives. This is also relevant
in their everyday lives in order to describe what someone means to them and why someone is so
important in their lives.

How will this unit unfold?

This unit will begin with an interactive read aloud, where students will be introduced to
the topic of character traits. During this lesson co-teachers will demonstrate how to describe a
main character in a text using character traits that are supported by details in the text. Students
will also be given the opportunity to begin working with character traits in describing the main
character of the story using characteristics of the character and supporting details from the story
with a partner. The unit will continue with students participating in a readers workshop where
they will continue to develop the concept of describing main characters in a book using internal
and external character traits. With this lesson students will be given the opportunity to work
independently with the concept for the first time. In the third lesson of the unit students will turn
away from using internal and external character traits to characters in a book and start using
these traits to describe other topics such as shapes. The students will continue to develop these
skills by then taking what they know about character traits and using their skills to describe
historical figures such as Albert Einstein, Jackie Robinson, and Amelia Earhart with internal and
external character traits. In these two lessons students will take their skills a step further in they
will not just list different character traits but they will incorporate describing historical figures
using internal and external character traits in an informational writing piece. The unit will
conclude with students taking everything that they have learned about internal and external
character traits and applying it in a real life situation. To wrap up the unit students will have to
write an opinion piece about the internal and external character traits that their hero possess.

Unit Break Down

Lesson 1: Introduction to the skill

Charlie Goes Camping written by Carrie Weston and illustrated by Tim Warner

Lesson 2: Practicing the skill with our just right books

Bedhead written by Margie Palatini and illustrated by Jack E. Davis

Lesson 3: Incorporating the skill into other content areas

Greedy Triangle written by Marilyn Burns and illustrated by Gordon Silveria

Lesson 4 & 5: Introducing skills that will be needed to complete the final assessment

I Am Albert Einstein written by Brad Meltzer and illustrated by Christopher Eliopouos

I Am Amelia Earhart written by Brad Meltzer and illustrated by Christopher Eliopouos
I Am Jackie Robinson written by Brad Meltzer and illustrated by Christopher
Eliopouos

Lesson 6: Introduction to final assessment

Standards:
Lesson 1:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.1-Ask and answer questions about key details in a
text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY. RL.1.3-Describe characters, setting, and major events in a
story, using key details.
Lesson 2:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its
characters, setting, or events.
Lesson 3:
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.1 Distinguish between defining attributes (e.g.,
triangles are closed and three-sided) versus non-defining attributes (e.g., color,
orientation, overall size); build and draw shapes to possess defining attributes.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its
characters, setting, or events.
Lesson 4:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.2- Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name
a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.
West Windsor-Plainsboro 1st grade Social Studies Curriculum guidelines - Essential
Understandings for All About Me subtopic- People are alike in many ways and different
in many other ways.
Lesson 5:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.2- Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name
a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.
West Windsor-Plainsboro 1st grade Social Studies Curriculum guidelines - Essential
Understandings for All About Me subtopic- People are alike in many ways and different
in many other ways.
Lesson 6:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.1
o Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are
writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some
sense of closure.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1
o Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and
usage when writing or speaking.

Objectives
Lesson 1:
The students will answer who, what, when, where, and why questions with accuracy
based on different events in the text Charlie Goes Camping, after having read the book.
The students will identify and discuss character traits with 100% accuracy in Charlie
Goes Camping after reading it.
Lesson 2:
After reading the text Bedhead and discussing the main characters internal and external
traits, students will be able to understand and better connect to the characters in their just
right books by being able to identify internal and external character traits while reading
on their own with 100% accuracy.
Lesson 3:
After reading the text The Greedy Triangle, students will be able to discuss the different
shapes introduced in the book with 80% accuracy.
After reading the book and discussing the shapes, students will be able to understand and
describe characteristics of different shapes with 100% accuracy and create a class book of
shapes and their characteristics.
Lesson 4:
After reading "I Am Albert Einstein," students will be able to understand and describe
characteristics of different historical people with 100% accuracy.
After reading I Am Albert Einstein, students will be able to create a group list of
characteristics with 100% accuracy.
Lesson 5:
After reading the texts I am Jackie Robinson or I Am Amelia Earhart students will be
able to accurately describe the historical characters with 100% accuracy.
After reading the texts I am Jackie Robinson or I Am Amelia Earhart students will be
able to accurately write about the historical character and his or her traits with 80%
accuracy.
Lesson 6:
The students will be able to write an opinion piece on their hero, including internal and
external traits with 90% accuracy after having participated in the character trait unit.
Students will demonstrate proper punctuation and capitalization throughout the pieces
that they write after being given ample time to write, revise, and edit their pieces.

Adaptations
Describe students with special needs in the classroom
The twenty three students in this first grade classroom all have various educational
abilities and needs. While there are various students both above and below grade level, none of
the students in this classroom are currently classified and therefore, none have and Individualized
Education Plans. There are 5 students who are currently in the English as a Second Language
program in the district. These students would be considered to be under the Lower-Ability
group. There are also 2 students in the class who are very bright and above grade level which
puts them into the Higher-Ability group.
Lower-Ability
Sara- This is a student whose second language is English. She gets pulled out of class on a daily
basis to go to a period of outside ESL. She also participates in a small group with other ESL
students who are worked with on literacy skills within the classroom a few times a week. Sara is
always very eager to learn and will give all assignments her all before asking for help.
Anna- This is a student whose second language is English. She gets pulled out of class on a daily
basis to go to a period of outside ESL. She also participates in a small group with other ESL
students who are worked with on literacy skills within the classroom a few times a week. Anna
is a student who has just moved to the United States, so she has a low experiential base of
American culture. This impacts her learning within the classroom as she has some difficulty
with vocabulary and terms.
Paula- This is a student whose second language is English. She gets pulled out of class on a
daily basis to go to a period of outside ESL. She is very headstrong and independent. She does
not let and language barriers she runs into get in her way in terms of her academics or
relationships within and outside of the classroom while at school.
Samuel- This is a student whose second language is English. He gets pulled out of class on a
daily basis to go to a period of outside ESL. He is the type of student who gets frustrated easily
and will often get frustrated with his work in the classroom.
Carrie- This is a student whose second language is English. She gets pulled out of class on a
daily basis to go to a period of outside ESL. Carrie will be graduating out of the ESL program at
the end of the year. She has become very confident in her abilities in the classroom and,
although she is technically still an ESL student, you cannot tell based on her speaking, reading,
and writing. Carrie loves school and is always very excited to be in the classroom and learning.
Higher-Ability
David- David is a higher leveled student. He is very bright and inquisitive. Due to these
qualities he possesses, David is above average in most of his different content areas of study.
David is on a 2nd grade reading level, has great reading comprehension, and is able to read
fluently. He is also very advanced in math. While David is a strong student when it comes to

academics, this level leads for him to become distracted often when he is able to complete his
work quickly.
Arianna- Arianna is another higher leveled student in this classroom. She is also a bright and
inquisitive student. Although Arianna is so bright and thrives in school, she has learned the trait
of learned helplessness. Arianna can accomplish all needed tasks easily in the classroom, but
because of this she craves attention and looks for it by asking for assistance with work.

Overall Class
Overall, this class thrives when they are given visual elements in a lesson. Due to the fact they
are in first grade, and therefore 6- and 7-years old, the students work best when they are given
visuals to aid in their understanding of a certain concept. Knowing this, we have built in a lot of
visual aids into our unit on character traits. We are using books in almost all of the lessons
throughout this unit. This will help students to understand concepts by seeing characters in
books and being able to connect the concept to those visuals. We have also incorporated many
graphic organizers and plan to use the whiteboard a lot in the classroom. These things will
enable the students in this classroom to be successful during this unit.

Explain how this unit will meet the needs of students with special needs.
This unit was designed in order to meet the various needs of those students in this
classroom. Those students with special needs in this classroom were kept in mind while we were
creating this unit. For those students who are English as Second Language students, special care
will be taken throughout the unit to define and breakdown different terms and words as needed in
order to help the students understand and enable their vocabulary to grow accordingly. For those
higher leveled students in the classroom, support will be given as needed. This aid will be in the
form of more difficult work or adaptions to take the lesson further for the student, of more aid if
needed to give the student confidence in her work. The co-teachers will be aware of all the
students in the classroom in order to ensure that all students are successful throughout the unit.

What adaptations and/or activities have you planned to meet their specific needs?
Lower-AbilityLesson 1 Terms will be defined for students and a list of possible characteristics will be
given as an aid.
Lesson 2 Terms will be defined for students and a list of possible characteristics will be
given as an aid.
Lesson 3 Terms will be defined for students.

Lesson 4 & 5 Terms defined or broken down for students.

Lesson 6 Definitions will be provided and assistance with picking a hero will also be
provided
Higher-AbilityLesson 1 No specific adaptations needed
Lesson 2 Students will be reading from their just right books which are on their own
levels
Lesson 3 Students will be given different shapes to work with based on their
individuals based on their levels.
Lesson 4/5/6 Topics being read/written about will changed based on the students
different levels.
Visual Learners

Throughout every lesson in this unit, visual elements are incorporated as much as
possible in order to aid the students in this classroom who benefit from the visual aids.

Unit Plan Lesson: Read Aloud Charlie Goes Camping (1st grade)
Rationale:
This lesson will be an introductory lesson to a unit on character traits. The students will
be able to understand what character traits are and be able to connect character traits to

the main character in the text. After this lesson students will be able to apply what they
know about character traits to other texts and content areas.
Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.1-Ask and answer questions about key details in a
text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY. RL.1.3-Describe characters, setting, and major events in a
story, using key details.
Objectives:
The students will answer who, what, when, where, and why questions with accuracy
based on different events in the text Charlie Goes Camping, after having read the book.
The students will identify and discuss character traits with 100% accuracy in Charlie
Goes Camping after reading it.

Procedure:
Introduction/ Anticipatory Set:
o Call students to the carpet for a read aloud.
o Discuss the topic of character traits and what we already know about character
traits based on students prior knowledge.
o Introduce the book Charlie Goes Camping and give the students a mission to be
on the lookout for different characters traits of the main character in our book and
why he possess these character traits.
Mentor:
o Stop at different points of the story and pick out a character trait and ask students
why the main character is described as having this particular character trait based
on different events in the story.
Guided Practice:
o At the end of the story have students turn and talk to their reading partners to start
discussing some character traits that Charlie possess in the story.
o As a class we will make a visual on the board of the main character and all of the
character traits he possesses with at least one supporting detail explaining why he
possess that trait.
o We encourage all students to participate so we can gather an understanding on
who is able to pick out different traits and give supporting details and who may
need more help with the topic.
Closure:
o After finishing the list of all of the character traits that Chalice poses and the
supporting details we will close the lesson
o Tell the students that as the week goes on and we continue to look at different
character traits by talking about character traits in many different areas of our
classroom.
Materials:

Charlie Goes Camping

White board for directions and visual

Assessment:
Students will be assessed on the conversations they have during the time they spend
talking with their reading partners.
Students will be assessed on their ability to list the character traits discussed during the
read aloud and the support details they come up with.
Accommodations:
We will have the mission that the students are going to go on written on the board as well
as have a visual for all other directions that will be given throughout the lesson for
learners that need to have a visual to understand.
We will also use a map to list out all of the character traits and supporting details for the
students to see visually.
For the ESL students in the classroom, we will give them a list of possible character traits
so they have a guide about things they are looking at throughout the lesson
We will also pull out students into a small group for extra assistance if needed.
Co-teaching models:
Team Teaching: We will use this co-teaching model to give different perspectives on the
character and show students that they might see Charlie in different ways and that is
okay. Also to give students different descriptions and explanations throughout the lesson.
Teacher roles:
General education teacher leading the read aloud, circulating during the portion of the
lesson where students are working with reading partners during the turn and talk.
Special education teacher observing during read aloud, leading the discussion portion
of the lesson and making the visual of the different character traits that Charlie poses. Coleading closure portion of the lesson.

Unit Plan: Readers Workshop Bedhead:

Rationale:

This lesson will be taught during a character unit. By taking part in this lesson, students
will be able to better understand the characters in their just right books and therefore
become stronger readers.

Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its
characters, setting, or events.
Objective: After reading the text Bedhead and discussing the main characters internal and
external traits, students will be able to understand and better connect to the characters in their
just right books by being able to identify internal and external character traits while reading on
their own with 100% accuracy.
Procedures:
- Engagement/Anticipatory Set
o Define the terms internal character traits and external character traits on the board
o Ask students if they know the difference between internal and external character
traits
o Discuss internal/external character traits and make a list on the board of some
examples of possible traits for each for students to reference
- Mentor
o Show students the book Bedhead and have them look at the picture of the main
character on the cover (maybe go through the other pages if needed) and talk
about his external character traits. Make a list on the whiteboard.
o Read mentor text, Beadhead, to students
o As we read and stop to discuss the books main character throughout, we will
create a list of the characters internal traits and add to our list of Oliver;s external
traits
Read page 1 stop and ask students how they would describe Olivers
personality based on this page.
Read page 2 ask students if they have anything to add about Olivers
external traits based on the story
Read pages 3-6 ask students if they can think of any other internal traits
Oliver has based on these pages.
Read pages 7-8 ask students about any internal or external traits they
have gathered about Oliver from these pages.
Read pages 9-12- ask students about any internal or external traits they
have gathered about Oliver from these pages.
Read page 13 Ask students to turn-and-talk to their partner and talk about what
they think is going to happen next. Have students think about how
this prediction will affect Olivers internal and external traits.
Have a few students share their predictions.
Read pages 14-end discuss how Olivers internal and external traits
changed throughout the book.

Guided Practice
o Have students find a spot in the classroom with their reading partner to partner
read with their just right books.
o Co teachers will model what good reading partners look and sound like to
students while they are still sitting together on the carpet.
o Tell students to think about the internal and external character traits of the
characters in their books while they are reading.
o After 10-15 minutes reading with their reading partners, students will come back
to the carpet and share some of their internal/external character traits of characters
from their just right books.
Independent Application
o Worksheet on internal/external character traits of a character in their just right
books.
Closure
o After giving students time to read with their reading partners and discussing what
they found about their characters internal and external traits, explain how looking
at traits of characters can help us to learn more about them and help add to the
story, therefore making us better readers.
Homework Application:
o Tell students while doing their twenty minutes of reading to be on the lookout for
internal and external character traits of the characters in their books.

Materials:
Mentor text - Beadhead by Margie Palatini
Whiteboard and markers
Students just right books
Worksheet
Assessment:
Students answers when discussing what internal/external mean
Asking questions throughout the story to make sure students are actively listening
Students answers when discussing the internal and external traits of the character from
the mentor text
Listening to student discussions when they are reading their just right books to ensure
they are thinking about the characters internal and external character traits
Students answers when filling out their worksheet about internal/external character traits
from a character from their just right books
Accommodations:
For the ESL students in the classroom, the terms internal and external character traits may
need to be broken down and put in simpler terms so that the students are able to
understand.
The definitions can be written on the board so they are able to reference them throughout
the lesson.

Giving students some examples of internal and external character traits will also help
those with language barriers to further understand the concept of internal and external
character traits.
The small group will be differentiation for those students who are struggling with the
concept to give them more support.

Co teaching Model:
Team teaching - to offer alternative views on the character traits based on what each
teacher picks up on while reading the story.
Alternative teaching to provide extra assistance to those who are struggling with the
terms or characteristics of characters while completing their worksheet.
Teacher Roles:
While on carpet Team Teaching where the general education teacher is reading the book
and the special education teacher is leading discussion and listing character traits on the
board.
While students are reading with their reading partners Team teaching where both
teachers are circulating and assisting as needed.
While students are completing worksheet Alternative teaching where the General
Education teacher will be circulating the room, while the special education teacher will
pull a small group of students to another area of the room to provide extra assistance
completing the worksheet on a need be basis.

Unit Plan: Math The Greedy Triangle

Rationale:

This lesson will be taught during

a character unit. By taking part
in this lesson, students will be
able to better understand the
characteristics of shapes.
Standards:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.
1 Distinguish between defining
attributes (e.g., triangles are
closed and three-sided) versus non-defining attributes (e.g., color, orientation, overall
size); build and draw shapes to possess defining attributes.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its

characters, setting, or events.

Objective:

After reading the text The Greedy Triangle and looking specifically at the illustrations,
students will be able to discuss the different shapes introduced in the book with 80%
accuracy.
After reading the book and discussing the shapes, students will be able to describe
characteristics of different shapes with 100% accuracy and create a class book of shapes
and their characteristics.

Procedures:
-

Engagement/Anticipatory Set
o Ask students what topic we have been focusing on in our reading and writing
lately.
o When students answer characteristics or character traits, tell them that characters
in books are not the only things that have characteristics that describe them and
that shapes have characteristics too.
Mentor
o Show students the book The Greedy Triangle have them identify different shapes
depicted on the cover.
o Read mentor text, The Greedy Triangle, to students
o As we read and stop to discuss the books main character throughout and the
different shapes he turns into
Read pages 1-5 stop and discuss the characteristics of triangles with
students. Ask where they see triangles in their everyday life.
Read pages 6-11 stop and discuss the characteristics of quadrilaterals
with students. Ask where they see triangles in their everyday life.
Read pages 12-15 stop and discuss the characteristics of pentagons with
students. Ask where they see pentagons in their everyday life.
Read pages 16-18 stop and discuss the characteristics of hexagons with
students. Ask where they see hexagons in their everyday life.
Read pages 19-end
Guided Practice
o Ask students about the different shapes we saw in the book and what their
different characteristics were.
o Make a list of all the different shapes (names and draw them) and characteristics
on the board.
Independent Application
o Have students go back to their seats. Giving them paper to create their book
pages (assigning each student a certain shape to create a page on)
o Let students create their pages for their assigned shape writing the name of the
shape, drawing the shape, and writing a list of its traits.

o For those students who may need extra assistance completing their book page, the
special education teacher will pull them to the back table to assist them in
working on their pages.
Closure
o After giving students time to complete their book pages, have each group put their
shape book together.
o Gather students back on the carpet and review the shapes we discussed and their
character traits.
o Show students that characters in a book are not the only thing that have traits and
knowing traits of different things can help us to be more knowledgeable about
them.
Homework Application
o Have students look for different shapes in their everyday environment and tell
them to be prepared with at least five shapes that they saw to share with their
peers.

Materials:

Mentor text The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns

Whiteboard and markers
Writing paper
Markers/crayons and pencils

Assessment:

Students answers when discussing shapes and their traits.

Asking questions throughout the story to make sure students are actively listening
Students book pages.

Accommodations:

For the ESL students in the classroom, the terms of the shapes and traits may need to be
broken down and put in simpler terms so that the students are able to understand.
The definitions can be written on the board so they are able to reference them throughout
the lesson.
Shapes can be drawn on the board so they can visualize the shapes.
The small group will be differentiation for those students who are struggling with the
concept to give them more support.

Co teaching Model:

Team teaching - to offer alternative views on the shapes and traits based on what each
teacher picks up on while reading the story.

Alternative teaching to provide extra assistance to those who are struggling with the
terms or characteristics of shapes while they are making the book pages.

Teacher Roles:

While on carpet Team Teaching where the general education teacher is reading the book
and the special education teaching is leading discussion and listing shapes and character
traits on the board.
While students are reading with their reading partners Team teaching where both
teachers are circulating and assisting as needed.
While students are completing their shape book pages Alternative teaching where the
General Education teacher will be circulating the room, while the special education
teacher will pull a small group of students to another area of the room to provide extra
assistance completing the worksheet on a need be basis.

Unit Plan Literacy and Social Studies: I Am Series:

Rationale:

This lesson will be taught during a character unit. By taking part in this lesson, students
will be able to better understand the characteristics of different historical people.

Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.2- Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name

a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.
West Windsor-Plainsboro 1st grade Social Studies Curriculum guidelines - Essential
Understandings for All About Me subtopic- People are alike in many ways and different
in many other ways.

Objectives:

After reading "I Am Albert Einstein," students will be able to understand and describe
characteristics of different historical people with 100% accuracy.
After reading I Am Albert Einstein, students will be able to create a group list of
characteristics with 100% accuracy.
Procedure:
-

Anticipatory Set:
o We will put a picture of Albert Einstein up on the projector and ask if any of the
students know who the man is.
o After some guesses, if no one has guessed correctly, we will tell the students his
name and then ask if anyone has heard about him before.
We will take a few minutes brainstorming on who Albert Einstein is and then
transition into reading the story, I am Albert Einstein to find out more about
the man.
Mentor:
o We will then tell the students that character traits can also describe real, historical
people and not just the characters in their books and to be on the lookout for various
character traits that describe Albert Einstein while we are reading the story in its
entirety.
We may stop briefly throughout the story to point out particular
characteristics of Einstein to the students as seen fit.
Guided Practice:
o After reading the book to the students, we will create a graphic organizer on the
board that will highlight different characteristics that Einstein possesses based on the
text as well as the supporting details that clued us in to these character traits.
Closure:
o After creating our list of characteristics for Albert Einstein we will explain to the
students that we will be returning to this topic later on during the week, where they
will work together in groups to come up with characteristics of another historical
figure.

Materials:

I Am Albert Einstein
Chart Paper

Markers
Picture of Albert Einstein.

Assessment:

Students will be assessed on questions/brainstorming time on Albert Einstein during the

Anticipatory Set
Students will be assessed on the characteristics and supporting details that they come up
with for Albert Einstein.

Accommodations:

Visual learners will be supported throughout this lesson through the use of discussion, the
graphic organizer, and the text.
ESL students in the classroom may need terms defined or broken down for them in order
for them to understand the traits we are talking about.

Co teaching Model:

Team teaching - to offer alternative views on the character of Albert Einstein based on
what each teacher picks up on while reading the story.

Teacher Roles:

While on carpet Team Teaching where the special education teacher is reading the book
and the general education teacher is leading discussion and listing character traits on the
board.

Unit Plan Literacy and Social Studies: I Am Series Lesson 2:

Rationale:

This lesson will be taught during a character unit. By taking part in this lesson, students
will be able to better understand and further their knowledge on the characteristics of
different historical people.
Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.2- Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name

a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.
West Windsor-Plainsboro 1st grade Social Studies Curriculum guidelines - Essential
Understandings for All About Me subtopic- People are alike in many ways and different
in many other ways.

Objectives:

After reading the texts I am Jackie Robinson or I Am Amelia Earhart students will be
able to accurately describe the historical characters with 100% accuracy.
After reading the texts I am Jackie Robinson or I Am Amelia Earhart students will be
able to accurately write about the historical character and his or her traits with 80%
accuracy.

Procedures

Anticipatory Set
o We will begin the lesson by reminding the students of the time we spent working
with Albert Einstein and the characteristics that he possess.
o We will then break the class into two separate groups where students will be
grouped based on the students performance during the group activity that took
place during the previous lesson.
One group will have students that the teachers feel need more assistance in
picking out characteristics from a story, where the other group will have
the students who the teachers felt grasped the concept well and do not
need as much guidance.
Mentor:
o After students are in the two separate groups, the teacher in each group will read
the designated story which for the higher group will be I am Jackie Robinson
and for the lower group it will be I Am Amelia Earhart.
The differentiation is based on content of the story and readiness of the
students with a lighter topic for the students who still need more assistance
grasping the literary strategy.
o Teachers will stop at different points throughout the story to point out relevant
information as they move through their particular story with their groups.
Guided Practice:
o After reading the book to the students, each group will create a graphic organizer
on the board that will highlight different characteristics that their groups

character possesses based on the text as well as the supporting details that clued
us in to these character traits.
o As the groups make a large graphic organizer students will also be coping the
information onto a piece of paper provided.
Independent Practice:
o Students will write a short informational piece on their specific character based on
the information that was put onto the graphic organizer in their groups.
o Teachers will be available in different areas of the room to assist those students
that feel they need assistance with the assignment.
Homework Application
o Have students finish the informational pieces for homework if they did not finish
during class time.

Materials:

I am Jackie Robinson and I am Amelia Earhart

Chart Paper and Markers
Paper and pencils for students in groups
Writing paper for independent practice

Assessment:

Students will be assessed on the characteristics of their specific characters as well as the
supporting details they provide.
Students will also be assessed on their ability to take the information from the graphic
organizer and turn it into a short informational writing piece.

Accommodations:

Visual learners will be supported throughout this lesson through the use of discussion, the
graphic organizer, and the text.
ESL students in the classroom may need terms defined or broken down for them in order
for them to understand the traits we are talking about.
The groupings based on academic level and student readiness for the topic.

Co-teaching Model:

Parallel teaching to individualize learning experience for different learners as well as

smaller group sizes for more personalized instruction based on the students needs.

Teacher Roles:

The General Education teacher will be working with the higher level students during
reading and creation of graphic organizer while the special education teacher will be
Social Studies and Literacy Rubric

Grammar

Content

Student did not use

any proper
punctuation (Period,
exclamation point,
question marks) and
Capitalization.
Student did not
include any internal
or external
characteristics of
their historical figure.

Student used some

proper punctuation
(Period, exclamation
point, question
marks) and
Capitalization.
Student included 1-2
internal and external
characteristics of
their historical figure.

Student used mostly

proper punctuation
(Period, exclamation
point, question
marks) and
Capitalization.
Student included 4-5
internal and external
characteristics of
their historical figure.

Social Studies Rubric

1 = 75%

4 = 90%

2 = 80%

5 = 95%

3 = 85%

6 = 100%

Unit Plan: Writers Workshop

Rationale:

The purpose of this lesson is to introduce and start preparing students for the final
assessment of the character trait unit.

Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.1
o Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are
writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide
some sense of closure.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1
o Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and
usage when writing or speaking.

Objectives:

The students will be able to write an opinion piece on their hero, including internal and
external traits with 90% accuracy after having participated in the character trait unit.
Students will demonstrate proper punctuation and capitalization throughout the pieces
that they write after being given ample time to write, revise, and edit their pieces.

Procedures:

Anticipatory Set:
o We will ask students to remind us what we have been focusing on in literacy as
well as the other content areas throughout the past few weeks. We will also,
discuss most of the activities that we have done during the last two weeks.
o After discussing what we have previously done with the unit, we will tell the
students that for the final assessment they will be writing about their heroes and
what character traits their heroes possess.
Mentor/Guided Practice:
o Each co-teacher will then talk about who their heroes are and what makes that
person their heroes.
They will pay special attention to their internal and external character
traits and why that affects the reason why that person is the teachers hero.
o They will use a graphic organizer to help brainstorm the character traits that their
hero possess before actually writing their story.
o After both teacher discuss their heroes the students will go to the writing spots
and begin brainstorming about their heroes and filing out the graphic organizer.
Independent Practice:

o Students will take the graphic organizers home to complete the writing
assessment for this unit.
There will be assigned due dates for rough drafts, and final copies.
Students will also have time to work on the project in class as well as at
home.
Homework Application:
o Students will work on and complete this final writing project at home.

Materials:

White board
Markers
Graphic organizer

Assessment:

Students will be assessed on their ability to recall prior activities and discussions that
have taken place throughout the unit.
Students will be assessed on the character traits that they use to describe their character,
as well as their writing in general. (See attached Rubric)

Accommodations:

For ESL students in the class, Accommodations such as providing definitions for
different character traits, and an explanation of who a hero is will be provided.

Co-teaching Model:

Team teaching to provide different perspectives and viewpoints on who heroes are and
can be and what makes different people heroes.
Teacher Roles:

Both teachers will equally participate in leading this lesson and discussing who their
heroes are and the internal and external character traits they possess.

Grammar

Content

Student did not use

any proper
punctuation (Periods,
exclamation points,
question marks) and
Capitalization.
Student may or may
have not include their
heros name and only
included 1 internal
and 1 external
character trait that
makes him or her
their hero.

Student used some

proper punctuation
(Periods, exclamation
points, question
marks) and
Capitalization.
Student included
their heros name and
2 internal and 2
external character
traits that makes him
or her their hero.

Student used mostly

proper punctuation
(Periods, exclamation
points, question
marks) and
Capitalization.
Student included
their heros name and
3 or more internal
and 3 or more
external character
traits that makes him
or her their hero.

1 = 75%

4 = 90%

2 = 80%

5 = 95%

3 = 85%

6 = 100%

Self-Revision Checklist Final Assessment

Name: _______________________
My Hero Writing Piece
Did you use Capital letters at the
beginning of all of your sentences and
for Proper nouns (Names and Places)?
I am in first grade.

Did you use punctuation? (.

! ?)

Did you include your heros name?

Did you include 3 or more internal

character traits about your hero?
(inside traits, feelings, thoughts)

Did you include 3 or more

external character traits about
your hero?
(outside traits, what they look like)

Can you read your own writing?

Short-term Assessments
Lesson 1:
Students will be assessed on the conversations they have during the time they spend
talking with their reading partners.
Students will be assessed on their ability to list the character traits discussed during the
read aloud and the support details they come up with.
Lesson 2:
Students answers when discussing what internal/external mean
Asking questions throughout the story to make sure students are actively listening
Students answers when discussing the internal and external traits of the character from
the mentor text
Listening to student discussions when they are reading their just right books to ensure
they are thinking about the characters internal and external character traits
Students answers when filling out their worksheet about internal/external character traits
from a character from their just right books
Lesson 3:
Students answers when discussing shapes and their traits.
Asking questions throughout the story to make sure students are actively listening
Students book pages.
Lesson 4:
Students will be assessed on questions/brainstorming time on Albert Einstein during the
Anticipatory Set
Students will be assessed on the characteristics and supporting details that they come up
with for Albert Einstein.
Lesson 5:
Students will be assessed on the characteristics of their specific characters as well as the
supporting details they provide.
Students will also be assessed on their ability to take the information from the graphic
organizer and turn it into a short informational writing piece.
Lesson 6:

Students will be assessed on their ability to recall prior activities and discussions that

Student did not use

Student used some
Student used mostly
any proper
proper punctuation
proper punctuation
punctuation (Period,
(Period, exclamation (Period, exclamation
exclamation point,
point, question
point, question
question marks) and
marks) and
marks) and
Capitalization.
Capitalization.
Capitalization.
Student
did
not
Student
included
1-2
Student included 4-5
Content
include any internal
internal and external
internal and external
or external
characteristics of
characteristics of
characteristics of
their historical figure. their historical figure.
their historical figure.
have taken place throughout the unit.
Students will be assessed on the character traits that they use to describe their character,
as well as their writing in general. (See attached Rubric)
Lesson 5 Rubric-Short Term Assessment

Grammar

1 = 75%

4 = 90%

2 = 80%

5 = 95%

3 = 85%

6 = 100%

Final Assessment
This Literacy unit on Internal and External Character traits will conclude with a final,
long term opinion writing piece that our first grade students will be taking part in. This final
assessment will be an opportunity for our students to show off their knowledge and
understanding of internal and external character traits by applying what they have learned and
practiced through various lessons across content areas into a real life scenario.
The students will begin this assessment in class during the last lesson of this character
trait unit. During this specific lesson plan, co-teachers will identify who each of their heroes are
by name and fill out the graphic organizer that the students will be using for their project as a
model. This modeling process in class together will act as a demonstration to ensure the students
will understand what is expected of them for this final assessment writing piece where they will
be responsible for identifying their hero and writing about his or her internal and external
characteristics which make them the childs hero.
After the introduction to and modeling of this final assessment in class, students will be
given brainstorming time in class to fill out their own graphic organizer about the person they
have chosen as their hero. Then the students will be responsible for writing their final opinion
piece on their hero both in school and at home given the self-revision checklist to ensure success.
For the English Language Learners in the classroom, depending on the progress they
make with the beginning aspects of the writing piece as they work in the classroom, they may be
given a prompt for the writing piece to help them to be able to get started writing the piece on
their own without much teacher assistance. The co-teachers may also meet with these students
during the brainstorming process of the final assessment in class to conference with the students
on who their hero is. Based on these conferences, they may also be given list of characteristics
and their definitions, or given access to dictionaries and dictionary applications on the iPad, in
order to help them to be able to articulate
After the students take part in this final assessment, they will be graded on a rubric which
will focus on their grammar usage as well as the content they include in the piece that shows
their knowledge and understanding of what internal and external character traits are. They will
be given a number grade that corresponds to their performance based on this rubric and a final
assessment will be considered successful if the student scores a grade of 4 out of 6 which would
be a 90%.
After participating in this final assessment students will be given the opportunity to share
with the rest of the class who their hero is and what internal and external character traits their
hero possesses. This will create classroom bonding and promote confidence in students ability
to share the work that they did.

Grammar

Content

Student did not use

any proper
punctuation (Periods,
exclamation points,
question marks) and
Capitalization.
Student may or may
have not include their
heros name and only
included 1 internal
and 1 external
character trait that
makes him or her
their hero.

Student used some

proper punctuation
(Periods, exclamation
points, question
marks) and
Capitalization.
Student included
their heros name and
2 internal and 2
external character
traits that makes him
or her their hero.

Student used mostly

proper punctuation
(Periods, exclamation
points, question
marks) and
Capitalization.
Student included
their heros name and
3 or more internal
and 3 or more
external character
traits that makes him
or her their hero.

1 = 75%

4 = 90%

2 = 80%

5 = 95%

3 = 85%

6 = 100%

Self-Revision Checklist Final Assessment

Name: _______________________
My Hero Writing Piece
Did you use Capital letters at the
beginning of all of your sentences and
for Proper nouns (Names and Places)?
I am in first grade.

Did you use punctuation? (.

! ?)

Did you include your heros name?

Did you include 3 or more internal

character traits about your hero?
(inside traits, feelings, thoughts)

Did you include 3 or more

external character traits about
your hero?
(outside traits, what they look like)

Can you read your own writing?

Melissas Reflection
Overall, the process that I went through in order to plan and create this unit plan was a
difficult, yet fulfilling experience to get to be involved in at this point in my professional career.
This unit plan project really put into perspective for me the amount of hard work that goes into
planning and preparing for one single unit of study in the classroom. The added aspect of
incorporating multiple contents together in one unit in order to create a richer unit of study was
one that encouraged me to think more deeply about the skills and objectives we were planning
for my students to meet and how we would have to plan so that the students would get as much
as possible out of each lesson we created.
The collaborative aspect of this unit project was something else that I believe helped me
to grow as a future teacher. The professional collaboration that it took to plan and complete this
unit plan was just a glimpse into my future and a taste of what it is going to be like to work in a
Co-teacher relationship in the classroom. I have learned that collaboration is crucial in order to
adequately plan for a classroom of diverse students with different abilities and learning needs
and that each teacher in the Co-teacher relationship should put in equal work in order to plan the
best instruction for our students.
There were many CEC Standards that drove my work while as I completed this unit plan
with Samantha. One that really stuck out to me was CEC Standard #7. This standard is one that
focuses on instructional planning and how teachers should plan for both short term and long term
goals as they are planning for the instruction of their students. While Samantha and I were
working on this unit plan together, the first thing we discussed was what our main, long term
goal was for our students that we wanted them to meet by then end of this unit. By planning this,
it was easier to decide where to go with the unit since we had a clear, end goal in mind form the
start. Something else that we really kept in mind a lot what were the short term goals we wanted
our students to be meeting by the end of each lesson in this unit. By having the framework in
place of what we wanted the overall goal of the unit to be, we were able to easily decide what the
short term goals should be for the students during each individual lesson which, in turn, helped
us to ensure that each lesson would be building on the previous one and moving toward the final
goal of the unit.
Another of the CEC Standards that help to drive the progression of our unit plan was
CEC Standard #2. This standards says, Special educators know and demonstrate respect for
their students first as unique human beings. This statement is one that drives me as an educator
and really influenced my work on this unit plan. I know that every student is different. They all
have different strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, and should all be seen as the
individuals that they are. When you walk into a classroom, every student in that classroom is a
different person, and in turn, a different learner. By understanding this, Samantha and I were
able to understand that every child in our classroom is different from the next child. This is so
important to remember as it is crucial to plan for the different learning styles and personalities
within your classroom. It was so important for Samantha and I to understand all of the students

in our classroom and to know them as both people and learners before being able to plan for the
best instruction for their individual learning needs.
The final CEC Standard that impacted my work on this unit plan was that of CEC
Standard #10. This is the standard on collaboration. As I have previously stated, the
collaborative aspect of this project was the portion of it that impacted so much of how I went
about working on this unit plan. I felt as if this was a true look into what it takes to be in a CoTeacher relationship. After learning all about the different Co-teaching models and what it takes
to be collaborative and be equals, it was so interesting to get to try out being in a Co-teaching
relationship for myself. By getting the opportunity to work with Samantha on all aspects of this
unit plan, I feel as if I truly understand now how to be an effective Co-teacher in terms of
planning. We made sure to keep lines of communication open in terms of this unit and hear each
others ideas and thoughts out without judgment. We were true equals while planning this unit,
we set aside ample amounts of time to meet together in person to talk things over and share the
work load, which is what we would be doing if we were Co-teachers within a classroom. This
open communication and equal distribution of the work it takes to plan the unit were what made
us a successful pair.
Overall, this unit plan was something that took a lot of preparation and time, but it was a
great test to give me a glimpse as to what my life will be like after graduation. From this time
spent planning the unit for our classroom, I see how important it is to plan together with my Coteacher and to really know our students in order to plan with their best interests in mind.
Keeping this in mind as I move forward will enable me to create better instruction for my
students and be the best Co-teacher that I can be in the future.

Samanthas Reflection
Through working on this unit plan I have learned a lot. By working on this unit I learned
how difficult it is to develop a unit plan that matches all different types of learners in a
classroom, while still providing chances for higher level thinkers to succeed and not be held back
throughout the unit. I also realized that it takes a lot of patience to create all of the lessons within
the unit because all of the lessons have to flow and be concise within each other. From working
on this unit plan it also put into perspective how much time and planning is put into lesson
planning and student considerations. It is not as simple as coming up with an idea and putting it
into action, but instead you have to think of how that idea will match your students and what
accommodations you would possibly have to make. It also put into perspective how much
collaboration and planning time with your co teacher is needed to complete a unit and get all of
the work done. The following paragraphs will discuss the CEC standards I feel were addressed
in the creation of this unit plan.
The first two CEC Standards that I feel were addressed in the creation of this unit plan
were the second and third standards. These standards are Development and Characteristics of
Learners and Individual Learning Differences respectively. Both of these standards were
addressed in the creation of this unit in that both of these standards talk about respecting students
for who they are as individuals and always individualizing instruction to meet the needs of the
students to ensure success. In the creation of this unit plan one of the major aspects of the plan
was accommodating the lessons and the unit as a whole to meet the needs of all of the students in
your classroom in order for them to reach success. It was also important for both teachers to
know the students in the class and what will work best for those students. In the creation of this
unit and specifically the lesson plans before we can come up with accommodations and how the
lessons will be adapted to meet the needs of all of the students in the class, Melissa and I first
needed to know everything about the students in our class and what works for them and what
does not work for them. These two standards were very important in the creation of the unit
because in order to actually complete the unit it was vital that we understand our students and
what each of their individual needs are.
Standard four, Instructional Strategies, also influenced the creation of this unit plan. In
creating this unit plan it was vital for us to have a repertoire of adaptations to make to the lessons
to ensure that all students can reach success as well as have self confidence in the work that they
produce. It is important to not only allow all students to succeed but also provide adaptations for
students to have confidence in their work and what they are capable of doing. Some of the
specific strategies that we implemented in our lessons to instill confidence in our students to
succeed are graphic organizers to lay out what they are thinking and organize their thoughts, as
well as giving assistance to students that need it as well as letting students decide when they need

more help and when they are okay to work on their own. This allows students to make decisions
on their own and have confidence to trust the decisions that they make.
CEC Standard seven Instructional Planning played a role in the creation of this unit plan
in the fact it is important to model what is expected from students. This was done in most of the
lessons in Melissa and I first modeled for the students what is expected of them throughout the
different activists. This standard is also seen throughout all of the lessons in Melissa and I
guiding the students in what they are supposed to be doing before sending them into small
groups or off to do work on their own.
Standard eight, Assessment, was another standard that played a major role in the creation
of this unit plan. It was important to create an assessment that would meet the needs of all of the
students in the class and allow success for all of them. Whether it is giving some students more
support in their final writing piece more than others, or giving some students writing prompts it
is important to ensure that all students are set up for a success final assessment and that NO
students are set up for failure. I feel it is my job as a teacher to make sure all of my students
have equal opportunities at success.
The last CEC Standard that played a HUGE role in the creation of this unit plan was
Standard 10, Collaboration. Collaboration was a big part of this unit plan. From beginning to
end it was important for Melissa and I to work together and communicate effectively. We were
constantly working together whether it be sitting right next to each other, over the phone, or via
email. If we were not communicating and working together there is no way that this unit plan
would have been completed and completed successfully. By creating this unit plan, it was an eye
opener to see how much communication and effort goes into to working with a co-teacher and
creating a unit with the students needs being the priority.
Overall this unit was a great learning experience. I was able to learn so much about the
actual creation of the unit as well as working with another teacher to create the lesson. Not only
did I learn so much from working on this unit but it also put into perspective how much time and
effort goes into creating a whole unit and working with another teacher. Not only did I have to
find the time to work on the unit plan but I had to find time to work with Melissa as well! All in
all I learned so much and really enjoyed working on this unit plan!!