Introduction to Content Area

I decided to do my Instructional Plan in ELA. This is where I’ve spent a majority of my time
throughout the semester and where I feel most confident in this placement. I am happy that I
have had ample opportunity to teach ELA this semester, because it is something I have not had
the chance to do in an upper elementary setting. With math being my subject area, I feel that
having experience in these two subject-areas will help me to teach science and social studies in
my own classroom one day. My unit plan is focusing on writing short narrative pieces. We have
focused on short stories and their elements, and now are moving to descriptive paragraphs. My
instructional plan will focus on paragraph structure, sensory details, planning, drafting, and
revising. I will use my students short story piece and a pre-assessment tool. I will analyze their
writing to see what they know about structure and organization within their writing. It will also
help me to observe their differences in detailed and descriptive writing.

Standards Addressed
Lesson 1
W.5.3B - Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop
experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
W.5.3D - Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and
events precisely.

Lesson 2
W.5.5 - With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as
needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

Lesson 3
W.5.4 - Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Inclusion of Key Components

Technology
In each lesson I will use the Document Camera, Overhead Projector, and SmartBoard. These
serve as important tools to model for students. It allows for every student in the room to be able
to see what I am doing and to be engaged in the lesson. These tools aid in the gradual release
model (I do, we do, you do). The technology also helps me to complete the lessons in a timely
manner.

Critical Thinking
Students use critical thinking when choosing a topic to write about. They need to choose a topic
based on the prompt that is relatable to them and their lives. Students use critical thinking
during the brainstorming process by coming up with multiple ideas and choosing the idea they
are most knowledgeable/comfortable with. They also use critical thinking when using sensory
detail in their writing. They must be able to convey what their senses are experiencing in words
in a sensible way for the reader to understand.

Communication
The students are always communicating in the classroom. They are communicating with each
other, with the material, and with the teacher. Throughout these lessons, students often
contribute their ideas by raising their hand. They also work with their tablemates to brainstorm
ideas. The “Think, Pair, Share” method is used in ELA instruction on a regular basis to allow
students to think independently, discuss in small group, and share out full class.

Collaboration
We collaborate as a class when filling out the graphic organizer together and brainstorming
supporting ideas through the planning process we did together. We also collaborate when
discussing sensory detail. We created possible alternatives to everyday words and phrases in
order to ‘spice’ up our writing and ‘dig deeper’.

Creativity
Creativity goes hand-in-hand with the aspects used in collaboration above. However, it also
expands into the student’s personal writing. Students are encouraged to use creativity when
writing with detail. In order to write with detail, students need to imagine they are in a given
situation and thoroughly explain how they're feeling, what they see, hear, taste, touch and so on
so that the reader can visualize what is happening. This descriptive writing stems from the
students creativity and attention to detail.

High Leverage Practices

Designing Single Lessons and Sequences of Lessons - I used this teaching practice when
creating my instructional plan. I planned three sequential lessons that each built off of one
another and led to a an ultimate learning goal of writing a paragraph using sensory detail.
Writing is a process that takes multiple steps over a given amount of time. By pacing this lesson
appropriately, students should have ample opportunity to learn about paragraphs and
descriptive writing, practice using sensory detail, create a plan to write a paragraph, apply their
knowledge and use their tools to write a complete paragraph, and revise their work. Writing is a
core topic that is used in everyday life, it is an essential skill to learn and practice.
Interpreting the Results of Student Work - Throughout the instructional plan, I used the
results of student work to drive future instruction. Using the data I collected form the students
helps me, as an educator, to see where students are and what support they need. It helps me to
see what we should cover next and if any reteaching or further explanation needs to be done.
Getting student feedback is also very helpful in this process, because most of the time, students
are very honest about themselves and their learning.
Explaining and Modeling Content, Practices, and Strategies - I am a firm believer in the
gradual release practice. I think students benefit from the structure of being shown, practicing
together, and then applying the strategy on their own. I use this strategy as my main means of
delivering instruction.
Grouping Strategies
When grouping students, I typically decide how they are grouped based on what the students
are working on and the purpose of the lesson. Sometimes students are grouped by ability, and
other times students work with their table groups. Other times, students are allowed to choose
their own groups. Throughout this instructional plan, students will mainly work whole group.
They will have some opportunities to work with people at their tables to brainstorm and bounce
ideas off one another. They will also have time to share their writing with a friend of their choice.
I will choose to meet with students about their writing based on scores from the pre-
assessment, so those who were below the anticipated level.
ELL and Special Populations Support
I do not have any EL students in my current placement. However, I do have one hearing
impaired student. This student sits in a location in which they can see my face at all times,
reading lips is a strategy used to help him stay on task. I will also wear the provided microphone
so that he will be able to follow along at all times. When students have free work time, I will
make an effort to check in with this student on their writing and offer additional support. As
stated above, I will also meet one-on-one with students who were below expected level on their
pre-assessment and those who scored below the twenty-fifth percentile on their fall NWEA.

Connection to Real-World Problems and/or Global Issues

Writing is a lifelong skill that will benefit students in the real world. It is used on almost a daily
basis in any field. Being able to clearly express your ideas, beliefs, and concerns will help you to
be a successful member of society. Learning how to write clear, organized, and descriptive
paragraphs is a tool students can use as a way to begin expressing their emotions in writing.
This is something that is often difficult for students and takes a lot of practice to thoroughly
develop.

Differentiation
The students are at a variety of levels in regards to their academics. In ELA, most of the
students are ‘Meeting the Standards’ which means they are at appropriate grade level. We have
a group of students that are special education students and they receive different ELA
instruction which is gauged toward their specific needs as a learner. At the beginning of the
year, students also took and ELA NWEA assessment. These scores showed us which
percentile each student scored in. If students scored below the twenty-fifth percentile, they were
placed into an intervention program called Successmaker. These students are pulled for
additional ELA support four times per week for a half hour session. Certain students have
accommodations based on their individual needs and they are listed in a folder that is easily
accessible in our classroom. These accommodations are always honored to support student
achievement. Throughout ELA instruction we meet in small groups which are based on learning
needs to help fill in those gaps and add additional support. We also meet with students to
review work one-on-one. Students are always welcome to come to us with any questions or
concerns they might have or if they need additional support completing an assignment.
Formative Assessments
The formative assessments I chose to use throughout this plan are located in my Assessment
Plan. There are explanations and reflections of each in the document.