Student Teaching edTPA Lesson Plan Template

Subject: English Language Arts - Central Focus: Students will be able to explain
Reading Comprehension the relationship between two or more events in an
informational text.

Essential Standard/Common Core Date submitted: April 10, 2018

Objective:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.3 Date taught: March 20, 2018
Explain the relationships or interactions
between two or more individuals, events,
ideas, or concepts in a historical,
scientific, or technical text based on
specific information in the text.

Daily Lesson Objective:

Given a graphic organizer, students will be able to analyze an informational text and explain
the cause and effect between two or more events with 80% mastery according to a student
rubric.

21st Century Skills: Academic Language Demand (Language

Critical Thinking and Problem
Solving- Students are critically thinking
about the relationship between events in
an informational text and finding textual
evidence to support their statements.
Information Literacy- Students are
accessing and evaluating information by
using the informational text to obtain
information on events in order to explain
their relationship.
Collaboration and Communication -
Students are working effectively and
respectfully with others from diverse
backgrounds to complete a common
goal. Students work together to create
thoughts and ideas using oral, written,
and written skills for a multiple purposes
and contexts.
Function and Vocabulary):
Learning Target: I can explain relationships
between two or more events by analyzing an
informational text.
Language Function: Analyze
Language Demand:
● Analyze written text
● Identify and explain relationships between
events
● Fill in graphic organizer (Cause-And-Effect)
● Provide evidence to support answer and
ideas
Language Support:
● Teacher will model thinking
● Give students feedback
● Graphic organizer with a set frame (Cause-
And-Effect)
● Small group support
 Syntax: Graphic Organizer

Discourse: Relationship between events using

cause-and-effect in an informational text.

Prior Knowledge:
Students should have background knowledge of quoting textual evidence from a text when
connecting ideas and/or understandings. Students should also have knowledge based on
determining the theme of the text based on detailed evidence by analyzing the characters.
Students should be aware of how to communicate and work collaboratively together in small-
groups or as a whole group. Students should also have common background knowledge of
graphic organizers and the procedures of completing activities.

Activity Description of Activities and Setting

Time

1. Focus and To introduce the concept of this lesson, the teacher will think aloud 5
Review about relationships between events throughout reading and their Minutes
connection to cause-and-effect. The teacher will use a quick example
by slamming a book on the ground to help build prior knowledge and
connect learning. The teacher will discuss how slamming the book on
the ground caused some of the students to become frightened. The
teacher will ask the students to turn and talk to a peer and discuss
prior knowledge of cause and effects and share briefly with the class.
The teacher will then share an example by using the following video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=36&v=PP8C2xSsngo.

The teacher will then ask the following questions to better understand
the concept:

“What was the cause(s) in this video?”

“How did you know?”

“What was the effect(s) in the video?”

“How did you know?”

“What is the relationship you noticed that caused the event in
the end of the video?”

2. Statement of I can explain the relationship between two or more events from an 1
Objective for informational reading based on cause-and-effect. I will create a Minute
Student graphic organizer to write an explanation in my own words and make
 connections based on ideas.

3. Teacher Input The teacher will begin to discuss the reading strategy and content. 10
Minutes
“When we analyze an informational text, it is important to identify
events that occur based on cause and effect relationships. This
improves our reading comprehension of the text because it allows us
to determine and make connections between two important elements,
which includes events that is the reason something happened (cause)
and the result of what happened (effect). When analyzing an
informational text, the author’s purpose is to make the content
interesting by discussing what happened and why it happened during
a certain time period, with specific people, and etc. To identify cause
and effect relationships based on events one must use graphic
organizers to help readers understand and think about complex cause
and effect relationships and recognize specific language (signal words
or phrases) that the author uses to provide their readers with an
understanding of order. Some signal words or phrases that you may
see is the following: if, then, but, so that, due to, because, as a result,
since, therefore, for this/that reason, for, that’s why, this led to, then,
so, consequently, however, accordingly, thus, nevertheless, and etc.”

“Writing these cause and effect relationships based on events on a

graphic organizer helps us understand the what happened and why it
happened in an informational text. We can better understand that
specific event and/or individuals that were involved better also. For
example, if I wanted to analyze an informational text based on Lewis
and Clark and identify a cause and effect I would have to
recognize/highlight cause and effect key words that the author may
use and a graphic organizer.”

Teacher will use a virtual graphic organizer to model their thinking for
students in how to analyze an informational text and identify cause
and effect relationships based on events in the following reading
passage “Westward Expansion - The California Gold Rush.” The
reading passage can be located at the following link:
https://www.readworks.org/article/Westward-Expansion---The-
California-Gold-Rush/a8a823b2-2654-4e4e-a503-
add1513802f2#!articleTab:content/.

The students will read the passage individually to prepare for the
teacher modeling.
“To begin analyzing the informational text for cause and effect
relationships based on events, we can either look for signal words or
ask ourselves two guiding questions “Why did that happen? And What
happened due to that event occurring?”. In the first paragraph I
recognized the signal word ‘then’ is used, which I think the author
used for the readers to make connections based on cause and effect
relationships. I also recognized the signal word ‘but,’ which the author
also used to make those connections. Now, I think we should use a
graphic organizer to help us use the signal words or phrases make
those connections based on what happened and why.”

“First, I will put my name and classify the shape as boxes, which I will
type the information in. I will also use these boxes to create a cause
and effect graphic organizer. Then I will click start webbing.”

“After I click start webbing, I will click add box to create my first box to
identify a cause and an effect from the informational text. Using the
first signal word that we highlighted from the text, which we should go
back to analyze to determine what happened and why.”

The teacher re-reads the section out loud, which is the following “In
January 1848, the chief builder of the sawmill found Sutter one rainy
afternoon. The chief made him lock all of the doors to his office. Then,
in a secret voice, the chief told Sutter about a discovery that would
change the entire West Coast of the United States. He had
discovered gold in the stream near the sawmill.”

“After reading and analyzing that section of the text, the chief builder
of a sawmill found Sutter and THEN he discovered gold in the stream.
I believe that the cause comes before the signal word and the effect
comes after. In the first box representing the cause, I will type “The
chief builder of the sawmill found Sutter” and in the second box I will
type “He discovered gold in the stream. Then, I should click connect
to create an arrow to represent the cause and effect relationship,
which is what happened and what caused it to happen. These two
boxes are connected by using the signal word of then.”

The teacher re-reads the section out loud, which is the following “Tens
of thousands of men traveled to the West Coast to seek their fortune.
These men were nicknamed “forty-niners.” Have you heard the song
“Oh My Darling, Clementine”? That folk song is about the miners who
came west. High in his hopes, one man called California “a land of
glittering dreams.” However, life was not always rosy for the miners.
Their day-to-day life was very difficult. Most miners never found the
slightest trace of gold, much less enough to strike it rich. Still, the vast
California countryside contained endless possibility. This sense of
possibility was the allure of the American West.”

“Another example is from analyzing the section of the text, thousands

of men traveled to the West Coast to seek fortune however most
miners never found gold. Now, I can ask myself those two-guiding
question, which are “What happened and what happened because
that event occurred?” I believe that the event that happened first was
a thousand men traveled to the West Coast to seek fortune, which
eventually caused most miners to travel to the area and never being
able to find gold. So, in the first box representing the cause, I will type
“Thousands of men traveled to the West Coast to seek fortune” and in
the second box I will type “most miners never found gold. Then, I
should click connect to create an arrow to represent the cause and
effect relationship, which is what happened and what caused it to
happen. These two boxes are connected by using the signal word of
however.”
 “Cause and effect relationships based on events allows us to
understand the informational text at a higher level. Do you feel like
you know more about events that occurred during the Westward
Expansion and why they occurred now? I want you to turn and talk
with a partner and see if you can identify one more cause and effect
relationships based on an event throughout the informational text that
we just read and discussed.”

Teacher gives students time to talk while circulating and listening in

on conversations to hear and misconceptions or exceptional thoughts.
The teacher will then allow some students to share some of their
ideas.

“Those were great cause and effect relationships. When you work in
your small groups today, I would like you to remember to look for
signal words that the author may have used or ask yourself those two
questions to create a graphic organizer to help make connections and
identify cause and effect relationships based on events, so you can
better comprehend the informational text of what happened and why.”

4. Guided Students will collaborate and communicate in small groups to create a 20

Practice cause-and-effect graphic organizer, which is used to analyze the Minutes
relationship between two or more of the events from the short reading
passage. The students will discuss the relationship between two or
more of the events and the result that occurred due to this relationship
by summarizing in their own words and/or making connections based
on textual evidence from the reading passage. The following link
provides access to the virtual graphic organizer and the reading
passage “Traveling West”: http://freeology.com/graphicorgs/cause-
and-effect/ and https://www.commonlit.org/texts/traveling-west.
 Students will only be asked to analyze the text and identify two or
three relationships of cause and effects events.

Some comprehension questions that the teacher may ask the

students to help identify the cause and effect events in the reading
passage is the following:

“What were some of the main ideas or events that occurred?”

“How did the events occur?”

“What connections did you analyze throughout the text? How did
you make those connections?”

5. Independent Students will create a foldable of a cause-and-effect graphic organizer 15

Practice focusing on relationships between the events that occurred during the Minutes
Westward Expansion. Students will use a short reading passage
called “Lewis and Clark: American Explorers,” which is found at the
following link
https://www.commonlit.org/texts/lewis-and-clark-american-explorers.

The following link provides access to the example of the foldable that
the students will be creating:
https://aroundthekampfire.com/2017/09/westward-expansion-

activities-for-literacy.html.
Students will be asked to complete all three sections, which includes
 three causes and three effects based on events. The students will
also be asked to draw a pictorial representation of one of their three
cause and effect relationships in the center of their foldable to support
their answers and thinking processes. Students will share one of their
examples to the class for a grade based on the rubric.

6. Assessment Students will choose one of their examples from the independent practice to
Methods of share and demonstrate their learning and thinking processes to the teacher and
all their peers. Students will be graded on using the following rubric:
objectives/skills:
Beginner Developing Mastery

Pictorial Student does not Student does Student includes

Representation include a pictorial somewhat a detailed
representation include a detailed pictorial
that represents pictorial representation
one of the three representation that represents
cause and effect that represents one of the three
relationships the one of the three cause and effect
student provided cause and effect relationships the
(0 Points) relationships the student provided
student provided (2 Points)
(1 Points)

Identification of Student does not Student identifies Student

Causes identify any 1 or 2 causes successfully
causes and/or and use of ideas identifies 3
use of ideas to to make causes and use
make connections (2 of ideas to make
connections (0 Points) connections (4
Points) Points)

Identification of Student does not Student identifies Student

Effects identify any 1 or 2 effects and successfully
effects and/or use of ideas to identifies 3
use of ideas to make effects and use of
make connections (2 ideas to make
connections (0 Points) connections (4
Points) Points)

7. Closure Teacher will use knowledge and skills that she/he observed during 5
workshop time, reminding students the importance of using those Minutes
strategies throughout reading. Teacher will discuss that cause and
effect relationships matters because it helps the reader determine the
two important elements of reading comprehension: what happens
 throughout the story and why it happened.

“Analyzing an informational text to determine the cause and effect

relationships is an important factor based on reading comprehension,
but it may also help you in everyday life. Cause and effect can
happen all around us, in our lives, through reading, writing, and etc.
To be the best student you can be, you need to be able to identify
relationships/connections and thinking critically through not only your
academic lives, but personal lives too. If you are unable to identify
relationships/connections, you may miss important information or be
at risk socially or academically. So, to understand at a deeper and
higher-order thinking level you must take action!”

Teacher will address any misconceptions that may have occurred

during the workshop.

If extra support is needed based on the concept, the teacher will use a
commercial to demonstrate cause-and-effect between events and the
reasoning for them to occur. Show the video, “Get Rid of Cable,”
connecting the reading strategies that was practiced. The teacher will
also challenge the students to practice the new strategies and skills in
future reading within the next week.

8. Assessment About nine out of the fifteen students met the objective and/or mastered the
Results of content due to active participation during the lesson and most of the students
all also had prior knowledge of similar concepts based on cause-and-effect. Also,
objectives/skills: the students asked questions about the content that allowed them to
comprehend the information better. About six out of fifteen students are still
either developing or beginners and/or did not meet the objective due to the
students being classified as an English as a Second Language (ESL),
absences, and behavioral issues. The students who are classified as ESL
struggled with reading the information text, which the students were provided
with modifications and accommodations.

Targeted Students Student/Small Group

Modifications/Accommodations: Modifications/Accommodations:

During Learning: English Language Learners-

● Peer Support ● Provided pictorial support of the text
● Visual Aids ● Provided oral reading support of the text
● Strategic Selection - give students passage
Assessment of Learning: with easily identifiable cause and effect
relationships based on events with limited use
Modifications: of unknown vocabulary.
 ● Highlight examples of cause and
effect relationships based on events.
● Limit the amount of possible cause
and effects.
● Give smaller page range and/or print
out specific passages.
● Small group support by facilitating to gather
background knowledge and thinking skills.
● Small Group Instruction with the guidance of
a teacher for the struggling readers.

Accommodations:
● Provide an appropriate setting for
students to work comfortably in.
● Provide extra time if needed.

Materials/Technology:
Computer and/or laptops
Smart Board
Pencils and/or Pens
Paper
Cause-and-Effect Worksheet

Lewis and Clark: American Explorers reading passage

Westward Expansion - The California Gold Rush reading passage
Traveling West reading passage
Cause-and-Effect foldable
 Online Resources:
https://www.commonlit.org/texts/lewis-and-clark-american-explorers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHs8OlXBFVs
https://aroundthekampfire.com/2017/09/westward-expansion-activities-for-literacy.html
http://freeology.com/graphicorgs/cause-and-effect/
https://www.readworks.org/article/Westward-Expansion---The-California-Gold-Rush/a8a823b2-
2654-4e4e-a503-add1513802f2#!articleTab:content/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/28358672633265459/

Reflection on lesson:
The overall lesson was prepared properly and went smoothly, which allowed me to transition
through the lesson plan more strategically. The students were eager to learn the material and
understood the concept(s) toward the end of the lesson. As I modeled the concept to the students,
they were giving examples of cause and effect relationships that they noticed throughout the reading
passage which was not required of them to do so. I believe that it went well because the students
had previous knowledge of the text structure known as cause and effect. The only problem or part
that I would change is to provide a shortened reading passage to model with because I lost some of
the student’s focus. I believe I should have shortened the modeling part of the lesson plan because
the students were wanting to identify cause and effect relationships for themselves or with their
peers. Also, by having a lengthy modeling part of the lesson plan the students have a shortened
amount of time to complete the group activity and the independent practice. Overall, the students
were able to apply the concept independently by using an informational reading passage. From this
experience, I learned that I need to practice having an open teaching style that includes more
student involvement and allow the student efficient time to practice the concept. Also, I learned that
you must be flexible as a teacher and changes within your lesson plan is acceptable.

CT signature: ________________________ Date: ______ US signature:

____________________________Date: ______