T&L Instructional Plan Template

(Updated 4/17/15)
(edTPA Aligned)

Overview
The information included in this document is to support faculty in teaching about and
supporting students with the T&L (and edTPA) Instructional Plan. While there are many
variations of lesson plans, this format meets departmental requirements and is aligned with
the 2014 edTPA as well.

Background Information (When doing the actual edTPA, leave out identifiers)

Teacher Candidate: Briony & Savanah B. Date: 3/23/18

Cooperating Teacher: Dr. Ward Grade: 4th
School District: Pullman Wa School: Washington State University
University Supervisor: Lori White
Unit/Subject: ELA
Instructional Plan Title/Focus: Reading Comprehension

Section 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment

a. Instructional Plan Purpose: Teacher candidates explain how this instructional plan
develops students’ conceptual understanding of overall content goals. This is sometimes
also called a “rationale” and includes a “what, why, how” general statement (see also
Central Focus in edTPA)

The purpose of this lesson is to gauge students’ reading comprehension of a text in relation
to being able to infer the theme of the text. This is important in order for students to meet
one of the CCSS standards for 4th grade ELA in reading.

Additionally, explain where in a unit this lesson would be taught. What lesson topic came
prior to this one (yesterday) and what related lesson will come after this one (tomorrow)?

This lesson would be taught after the students learn about what important details in a text
are and how to utilize them when explaining main details of a story or how to answer
questions including details from the text. This lesson would be taught near the end of a unit
that intends to give students tools on how to read a text and understand what the key
details are, how to use them to summarize the text, and understand major themes and plot
points. This unit is important for students moving forward on to higher grade levels as well
because they will continue to work with difficult texts and summarizing main ideas and
finding key details in a text is a great part of higher level education.

1. State/National Learning Standards: Teacher candidates identify relevant grade

level concepts/content and align them to Content Standards—Common Core
Standards or Washington State EALRs, or National.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says
explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text;
summarize the text.

1. Content Objectives (to be copied in Assessment Chart below) and alignment to

State Learning Standards:

1. SWBAT… Cite examples from the text in order to make an inference about what will
happen next.

Aligned standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1

2. SWBAT… Cite examples from the text to explain what the theme is.

Aligned Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2

3. SWBAT Summarize the story in at least one paragraph using key details from the text.

Aligned Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2

Language Objectives:

1. SWBAT describe the plot of a story

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly
and when drawing inferences from the text.

2. SWBAT identify the theme of a story

Aligned Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2

Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize
the text.

3. SWBAT describe the story using at least three key details from the text

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly
and when drawing inferences from the text.

1. Previous Learning Experiences: Teacher candidates should explain what students

know and have learned that is relevant to the current lesson topic and process.

Before this lesson, students should know how to write a summary of a story, how to look for
and accurately use details from a text to support their summaries and answers to questions,
use correct grammar, and they should also know what a theme of a story is.

1. Planning for Student Learning Needs (accommodations, student experiences,

prior learning and experiences):

Students should have experience with what the beginning, middle, and end of a story
consist of. They should also have experience with describing and summarizing a story. An
accommodation that can be made is that the teacher can spend more time talking to the
students who need a little bit more help than other students when he/she is walking around
during the student’s discussions and work time. The teacher can also hand pick the
groups/pairs that work and discuss during the lesson together so that kids are able to help
one another out and gain the best experience working with their peers.

f. Assessment Strategies (Informal or formal) (Formative or Summative)

Teacher candidates should attach questions, worksheets, tests or any additional
documentation related to their assessment strategies, including accommodations or
modifications for students with disabilities as stated in their IEPs. They may also
attach appropriate marking rubrics, criteria lists, expectations, answer keys, etc.
Consideration for multiple means of expression should occur here. That is, how will
teacher candidates allow for K-12 students to express their learning in different ways?
Will K-12 students be given some choice?

Content/Language Objectives Assessment Strategies

Content: SWBAT… Make an
inference about what the theme is
based on the text.
Content: SWBAT… Cite examples
from the text to explain what the
theme is.
Content: SWBAT Summarize the
theme of the story in at least one
paragraph using key details from the
text.
Language: SWBAT describe the
story using at least three key details
from the text.
Language: SWBAT identify the
theme of a story.
Language: SWBAT write a paper
identifying three themes they found
in their favorite chapter book, and
evidence for why they chose those
themes.
Formative: Students create a t-chart with
the columns “theme” and “evidence.” They
fill out the ‘theme’ side of the sheet based on
the picture book they were given.
Formative: Students provide evidence from
the story to back up why they chose each
particular theme on the “evidence” side of
the t-chart.
Formative: students will demonstrate that
they learned how to identify the theme of a
story as well as summarize it in a proper
paragraph.
Formative: Students will be showing their
understanding of how to identify if details in a
text are relevant or not for describing a story.
They are using details from the text so their
concrete evidence will help them to describe
the story.
Summative: Students will be demonstrating
understanding of a story and its central
theme and they will be able to do this
because of the previous activities that they
have done in the lesson (i.e. summarize the
story, finding key details, etc.)
Summative: This objective will show that the
students understand, or do not understand,
how to use what they have learned
throughout the unit and lesson about
identifying important parts of a story, such as
the key details and theme. They will need to
incorporate the skills that they have learned
in order to write this paper about a book and
the theme that they believe to be consistent
throughout the book.
 g. Student Voice: Student voice is a term used to describe students expressing their
understanding of their own learning process. For your lesson, respond to the three
required components of student voice and identify how students will reflect and/or
communicate on their learning or progress toward meeting the goals. (Use the
following table.)
Student-based evidence to Description of how
K-12 students will be be collected (things students will reflect on
able to: produced by students: their learning.
journals, exit slips, self-
assessments, work
samples, projects, papers,
etc.)

1. Explain student Exit Slip Before leaving for

learning targets and what lunch, students will
is required to meet them write down one new
(including why they are thing they learned
important to learn). about inferring a theme
using evidence from
the text based on the
lesson. They will also
write down one thing
they need to work on
to better understand
the topic, and the
resource they could
use to help them.

2. Monitor their own Self-Rubric After writing their

learning progress toward independent paper
the learning targets using about the themes and
the tools provided evidence for the
(checklists, rubrics, etc.). themes they found in
their chapter book,
students will complete
a self-check rubric
grading themselves on
how they did.
 3. Explain how to access
resources and additional
support when needed (and
how/why those resources
will help them).
Worksheet & Exit Slip On the exit slip,
students will specify a
resource they could
use to help them.

h. Grouping of Students for Instruction: Describe why, how, and where in

the lesson students will be divided into groups, if applicable (e.g., "why" could be to
support language learners, for reciprocal teaching, and/or to use jigsaw, and "how"
might include random, ability-based, interest, social purposes, etc.). Recognize that
some lessons or parts of a lesson may call for grouped work or individualized work or
both.
This lesson is primarily whole group instruction and individual work, so therefore it does not
call for any type of grouping other than the whole class sitting together during the beginning
of the lesson.

Section 2: Instruction and Engaging Students in Learning

1. Introduction: Teacher candidates identify how they are going to introduce the
concept, skill or task in a way that gains students’ attention and gets them involved
(the lesson “hook”).

“Good morning class! Today we are going to be learning about how we can infer a theme
from a story based on evidence the author gives us in the text. We are first going to
practice as a group, then you will practice on your own with a picture book. Finally, for
homework you will pick a chapter book and complete a paper due at the end of the week.
Lets get started!”

1. Questions: Questions teacher candidate will ask during the lesson that drive
thinking and learning and engagement (5 or more questions) and in parentheses,
indicate Bloom level and/or question type to ensure that you are posing questions
that push critical thinking and engagement (e.g. Analysis/Divergent)

1. What do you already know about themes? (1)

2. How do we infer something from a story? (2)
3. What is inferencing? (1)
 4. What is the main idea of the story? How do you know? (4)
5. Was there a certain part of the book that made you emotional? How did that help
you figure out the theme? (4)

1. Learning Activities: Describe what the teacher will do and say and students will
do during the lesson. Write it as a procedural set of steps in the left column of table
below. On the right, refer to a supporting learning theory or principle driving that
activity and/or your rationale for doing what you are doing.

Prompts for right hand column—supporting theories/principles. In the right column, use
references from texts, research/peer reviewed journals, or other learning theories to support
your choice of activities. You might draw from your 301 and/or your methods courses here.
o Connections between students’ own lives, experiences, cultures, interests and the
content.
o Active learning over passive learning (e.g. SCI Learning Experiences ladder—
simulation over verbal)
o Theoretical support for learning activities (e.g. Culturally responsive strategy, or
processing)
o Multiple means of representation for the K-12 students (UDL principle)
o Multiple means of engagement for the K-12 students (UDL principle)
o Multiple means of expression of learning by the K-12 students (UDL principle)
o Accommodations and modifications for students with diverse needs, including those
with disabilities (as stated in their IEPs)
o How the teacher candidate will assess the learning of the students (from table above)
Learning Steps and Activities Supporting Theories/Principles

Teacher asks “Who had seen the
movie or read the story “Cinderella”?
Teacher picks one of the students
who raises their hands to describe the
movie/story.
Piaget: teachers use students prior
knowledge in order to provide further
instructions. This theory fits this
activity because the teacher is
having students draw on on their
prior knowledge before fully
beginning the lesson.

Teacher says, “Wow! That was great! Zone of Proximal Development-

You know what _____ just did?
He/She explained the plot of the story
of Cinderella.” “The plot of a story is
the major events happening in the
Vygotsky:
The class is completing this together
with the teacher’s aid. Sothe
students are learning something new
and trying it out but the teacher is
beginning, middle, and end.”
Teachers says, “Today we are going to
learn how to describe the plot of the
story based on the theme. Now here is
the tricky part, stories can have more
than one theme so we are going to
start by just picking the one that we
think fits the story the most.”
Teacher says,” You can choose
whatever theme you think fits the story,
but remember, you are going to have
to use specific examples from the text
to support your idea.”
Teacher asks, “Before we start working
on our own, let’s brainstorm together
as a class some examples of themes
we remember from books we have
read.” Students raise hands and
contribute themes they know of.
Teacher models how to determine the
theme of the story “I am going to read
from “wonder” now, and we are going to
practice figuring out the theme based on
the text all together.
Teacher reads from the book “Wonder”
there to support them.
This learning theory fits the activity
because the teacher is leading the
activity, but the students are
engaged and participating to fuel
their own learning.
Constructivism- Vygotsky, Piaget,
Mahn, Wertsch, John-Steiner:
Students are creating their own
learning in a way because they can
pick any theme that they think fits
the story but have to support it with
details from the text.
Piaget: The students are thinking
back to books that they have
personally read and relating it to the
lesson. They are using prior
knowledge to think of how to connect
it to the lesson.
Zone of Proximal Development-
Vygotsky:
The class is completing this together
with the teacher’s aid. So the
students are learning something new
and trying it out but the teacher is
there to support them. This learning
theory fits the activity because the
teacher is leading the activity, but the
students are
Zone of Proximal Development-
 and stops at the quote, “If I found a magic Vygotsky:
lamp and I could have one wish, I would
wish that I had a normal face that no one
ever noticed at all.” Teacher then says,
“Wow, this quote really makes me stop
and think because it is so emotional.
Sometimes, when we have a strong
emotional response to a part of the book,
that can be a clue to what the theme is.”
The class is completing this
together with the teacher’s aid. So
the students are learning
something new and trying it out but
the teacher is there to support
them. This learning theory fits the
activity because the teacher is
leading the activity, but the
students are

*On butcher paper, teacher write on one Zone of Proximal Development-

side of the chart “Theme” and the other
side “Evidence”* Teacher then writes the
word “Appearances” on the Theme side
and on the Evidence side, writes the
quote. Teacher says, “Since this quote
really made me emotional, and it is about
August’s appearance, I can INFER it is
going to be a big theme in the book.”
Vygotsky:
The class is completing this
together with the teacher’s aid. So
the students are learning
something new and trying it out but
the teacher is there to support
them.

Teacher says, “Okay class, now that we Constructivism- Vygotsky, Piaget,

have practiced as a class and done an
example of how to infer themes, you are
going to practice on your own using the
picture books on your desks. *Students
go to seats and begin working.
Mahn, Wertsch, John-Steiner:
Students are creating their own
learning in a way because they can
pick any theme that they think fits
the story but have to support it with
details from the text.

1. Closure: Closure is the signal to students that the lesson is now coming to an end.
In closure, teachers review the learning targets (what was taught) for the day and
refocus on what is important.

“Okay class, let’s wrap it up! Can anyone raise their hand and give me an example
of a theme you found in your book and the evidence you used to prove it? *Student(s) raise
hands* Great! You all did so great today learning how to infer the theme of a story based on
evidence from the text! Before you leave for lunch, please fill out your exit slip telling me
one thing new you learned in this lesson.”

*scripted*
 1. Independent Practice: Describe how students will extend their experiences with
the content and demonstrate understanding in a new and different context (perhaps
even outside of the classroom). Include possible family interaction (identify at least
one way in which you might involve students’ families in this instructional plan.)

Students will choose a chapter book that they enjoy reading and either bring it home
or read it at home. Students will then write a paper about what they think the theme of their
book is and give specific examples as to why they think so.

“Okay class, I would like you to go home and think about the book you are currently
reading, or a book that you have previously read. I want you to apply all of the learning that
you just did to real life! Think about that book and what you believe to be the theme of the
book and why. Why do you think the author wrote this book? Do you think he/she wrote it so
they could talk about that specific theme? Do you think there are multiple themes? You can
even better your learning by writing about it and what you think the theme is.”

The teacher can also send home a handout with these questions on it.

1. Instructional Materials, Resources, and Technology: Attach a copy of ALL

materials the teacher and students will use during the lesson; e.g., handouts,
worksheets, multi-media tools, and any assessment materials utilized.

-A variety of picture books for each student in the class.

-Scrap paper for exit slips
-Butcher paper
 1. Acknowledgements: Acknowledge your sources

Lesson adapted from: https://betterlesson.com/lesson/594447/what-s-the-point-

inferring-themes