Joe Burke

TE-408-002 (Lab)
February 20, 2014
Understanding Special Education Annotated Lesson
Jack needs frequent positive feedback, a caring classroom environment, and to be
called on when [he] knows the answer (Kent ISD, 3). Furthermore, as he is rather disinterested
in most of the course work, Jack needs to be able to relate the lesson to his own life,
establishing relevancy and a purpose for learning by relating to previous experiences (9). As
this is not always possible, the teacher must fall back on consistent positive reinforcement. This
type of accommodation doesnt necessitate many changes in an actual lesson plan, but requires
teacher attention on the individual student, perhaps with changes in instructional methods.
Below is a three-day lesson plan I created for a short text, The Tell Tale Heart, by Edgar
Allan Poe. The lesson plan was originally designed for a ninth grade classroom, and instead of
aging Jack by a year, I chose to rejuvenate (or make younger) the lesson by a year. Using track
changes, also known as Microsoft Words comment/review capability, I have accommodated the
lesson to suit a mainstream eighth grade classroom with Jack in it, a classroom just like the one
described in the portfolio description (part 1) section of this assignment. A bibliography for all of
the resources I used in both the portfolio description and the annotated lesson can be found on
the final page of this document.

DATE
September 1-3, 2015
The very first unit of
9th
8th grade English, day
1 through day 3.

Lesson topic(s) and/or Essential Question(s)/Essential

Understandings
Exploring aesthetic appeal, practicing active reading, and
learning about simple literary devices, featuring The Tell Tale
Heart, by Edgar Allan Poe.

Standard
(overview & application)
Day 1: developing a basic
understanding of a text.
It is important to be able to
provide an objective summary of
a fictional text, which the students
will do.
Day 1: participating in basic
discussion about a text.
To meet the needs of this
standard, students will discuss

What standards will be addressed by this lesson?

(standards addressed, directly from the CCSS)

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.2
Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its
development over the course of the text, including how it
emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details;
provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1

Initiate and participate effectively in a range of

collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and

patterns in The Tell Tale Heart,

both in class and in a written or
online journal where I will be able
to respond..

teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 910 topics,

texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing
their own clearly and persuasively.

Day 2: predicting elements of The

Tell Tale Heart and considering
authorial intent. Students will
predict or reinvent the end of the
story, and write an essay about it.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.5

Day 2: understanding narrative

structure and point of view.
Students will discuss the
credibility of the narrator in The
Tell Tale Heart.

Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to

structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots),
and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such
effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.6

Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires

distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is
really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or
Day 3: developing a sense of the
understatement).

variety of ways in which a text

can be received. Students will
continue to discuss the credibility
of the narrator, and brainstorm
ways to parody Poe and The Tell
Tale Heart.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.3

Analyze the impact of the authors choices regarding how

to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g.,
where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the
Day 3: understanding the use characters are introduced and developed).

of literary devices such as

metaphor, onomatopoeia, and
alliteration. Students will write
a one paragraph story,
mimicking Poes style, or a
series of sentences that typify
the major literary elements of
Poes writing..

Objectives

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.3

Apply knowledge of language to understand how language

functions in different contexts, to make effective choices
for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when
reading or listening.

What will your students know and be able to do as a

result of this lesson?
Day 1: Students will understand what a text is and how texts
operate in students lives. Students will be able to articulate
what makes certain texts aesthetically appealing for themselves.
Students will be able to demonstrate engagement with a text
through discussion and individual journals. Students will be able
to discuss or journal about patterns found in a text. Students will
be able to describe the advancement of character and plot
development in story-based texts.
Day 2: Students will be able to articulate the possible
intentions of an author. Students will be able to identify themes
in any given text, and articulate how those themes operate in the
text to produce meaning and provoke thought. Students will be
able to discuss point of view and narrative structure.

Day 3: Students will understand how point of view and

narrative structure can affect the way a text is received. Students
will understand the use of literary devices such as metaphor,
onomatopoeia, and alliteration, and explain how they are used to
enhance different elements of a text.
Instructional
Materials and
Resources

What materials, texts, manipulatives, visuals, etc. will

you need for this lesson?
What technological resources (if any) will you need?
graphic organizer (## of copies)
The Tell Tale Heart (## of copies)
white board or chalk board
students will need writing utensils and paper
a computer with internet access to participate in online
conversations with the teacher

Learner Factors

How does this lesson accommodate different development levels

of students? How does this lesson accommodate individual
differences in approaches to learning, create connections
between the subject matter and student experiences, and/or
include provisions for students with particular learning
differences or needs?
The lesson is based on (and dependent on) student opinion. It
does not require any specific fund of knowledge to approach,
as most of the text will be read out loud in class, and the topic of
the text is virtually context-less, related entirely to basic human
emotion. Before even examining the text, itself, students will
discuss how texts, in general, play a role in their own lives. This
will connect the lesson to the students realities, and hopefully
engage them in broadening their opinions about aesthetic
appeal. This conversation will continue after class online
between individual students and the teacher. This will be a
requirement for all students.
We will approach the text very loosely, as the lesson will take
place at the very beginning of the year. Students will explore the
text based on their own interests, discussing what is important to
them. Even in the event that the text is uninteresting for
students, the lesson can be transformed into a discussion of why,
exploring concepts such as context, relatability, and, once again,

aesthetic appeal. The purpose of this lesson is to encourage

students to approach texts in novel ways, and to develop
opinions, whether or not they can be supported. Reducing
apathy is my primary goal.

Environmental
Factors

What student grouping will be used? What changes will you

need to make in the classroom due to instruction, materials,
safety, etc., if any?
The lesson will involve large group discussion and individual
work. I will facilitate the large group discussion, encouraging
students to share their opinions and anecdotes. In the event that
students are unwilling to participate, I will cold call.The large
group discussions will all be centered around personal
experiences, real life, and unstructured opinions, so there is no
preparation required. Thus, I have no problem putting students
on the spot. I will ask specific questions, such as do you prefer
to watch a television show or read a novel?, why do you like
graphic novels?, and why do you like/dislike
comedies/dramas more than the other?. These questions do not
have right answers, and they do not require lengthy
explanations, so they should not make any student feel isolated
or unprepared. Still, some students are very hesitant to share in
class no matter the subject matter, therefore I will have online
conversations to assess their progress.
I would like the classroom to be arranged in a U shape. This
allows students to see each other, and it puts me on the same
level as them (as I will sit in the U with them). I like the U
shape because it works well for large group discussion, there is
no back of the room or front, and nobody has their back to
anyone.

Instructional
Activities and Tasks

What activities will you and your students do and how are they
connected to the objectives?
We will discuss what kinds of texts the students like to read in
their spare time. We will discuss why they like these kinds of
texts, and what makes a text enjoyable. Through this, students
will enhance their ability to discuss and analyze a text.
We will discuss the concept of genre, mystery, and suspense.
We will complete the graphic organizer to examine the basic

structure of a narrative, and of a thematic story. Through this,

students will enhance their ability to summarize and analyze
story-based fiction texts.
We will discuss authorial intent and reader response. We will
also brainstorm ways of mirroring Poes writing style. Through
this, students will learn about the use of literary devices, and
will enhance their ability to analyze a text from multiple
viewpoints.
Assessment
Activities

How will you determine what the students know and are able to
do during and as a result of the lesson?
Students will complete a basic graphic organizer. On this
worksheet, they will predict or reinvent the end of the The Tell
Tale Heart. When they finish reading the story, students will
write a summary of the text, and students will compare their
predictions/reinventions to the actual text. I will be able to
check for completion of the graphic organizer, and grade the
content of their short essays.
Students will participate in discussion about authorial intent,
the credibility of the narrator in the story, and the major
elements of the story that stood out to them. I will simply judge
whether or not the students are engaging in discussion, either
through speaking or active listening. I will also assess students
by their engagement in the online discussions I will have with
them.
Students will compose a short parody of The Tell Tale Heart,
mimicking specific stylistic elements of it. I will be able to
grade the content of their parodies. list stylistic elements of
Poes story, and craft standalone sentences that typify each
element. For extra credit, compose a short parody of The Tell
Tale Heart, mimicking specific stylistic elements of it. I will be
able to grade the content of their parodies/sentences.

Instructional tasks and

What activities will you and your students do and how are they connected to the objectives?
activities
(Make sure to include timeframes)
What will you be doing?
What will the students be doing?
GREY text is for extra time, may be pushed to the next day.

September 1, 2015
8:00am 8:15am:
Ninth grade English, day 1. Introduce myself. Good morning, I
am Mr. Burke. As this is an English class, I thought we should
start by introducing ourselves and learning a little bit about what
each of us likes to read in our spare time. As I said, Im Mr.
Burke, and I like to read (or watch) television comedies, and
mystery novels. My two favorite TV shows are Lost and Friends,
and my favorite author is Stephen King.
8:15am 8:17am:
Discuss patterns among the students comments.
8:17am 8:21am:
Write on the board what makes a good text? Model some
examples for the students: I like mystery novels. I like longrunning TV shows. Well-developed and relatable characters.
8:21am 8:23am:
Well come back to this list.
With any text you read, whether it enthralls you, it is boring, it is
simple, or it is complicated, taking notes is the best way to
organize your thoughts.
Hand out graphic organizer. Sometimes it is helpful to take notes
while reading. As I read this text, please fill out the first three or
four boxes of the graphic organizer, drawing pictures or writing
words in each box to mark the progression of the story.
8:23am 8:28am:
I will read The Tell Tale Heart out loud. (pass out story, with a
break where I will stop reading).
I will stop after the first two paragraphs of the text to model a way

Students will sit in a U shape.

They will introduce themselves to the class, providing one detail
about what they like to read in their spare time, or what they have
enjoyed reading for school in the past.

Students will discuss common responses.

Students will discuss what makes a good text.
Students will generate a list of qualities in a good text.
Students will write this list on a sheet of paperin their journals.
Students should only include attributes that they associate with a
good text, not necessarily all of the attributes that the class
generates.
Teacher will ensure that students are keeping their lists specific to
themselves, and will watch to make sure that students are writing.

of filling out the very first box in the graphic organizer. Is

everyone following along? This is probably a good time to fill
out the first box of the graphic organizer. Who is the narrator, and
what does he want?
8:28am 8:35am:
What has happened so far in the story?
Who are the characters? Discussion.
Something to think about during our next activity: The narrator
says that people often think he is mad. Do you think he is insane?
Why/why not? I will write this question on the board. No
discussion yet, just move on to the next part.
8:35am 8:37am:
Now we will finish the first page of the graphic organizer.
Predict what will happen. If you are familiar with the story
already, create a new ending. Ill give you a couple minutes to
draw/write this prediction/reinvention in the remaining boxes.
8:37am 8:48am:
Discussion of the narrator: is he mad? How does that play out
in your predictions/reinventions?
We will compare the story (including our predictions) with the list
of good qualities that we previously generated. What fits with
our good qualities?
8:48am 8:50am:
For homework, you will finish the story, and complete the other
page of the graphic organizer.
September 2, 2015
8:00am 8:05am
Take out paper, pen, your graphic organizer, and your paragraph.
Would someone please summarize what happened in the
remainder of the story? Please share your graphic organizer. If
nobody wants to summarize the remainder of the story or share
their graphic organizer, I will simply summarize it myself, going
through my own graphic organizer, stopping after each box to poll

Students will fill out the first three or four boxes of the graphic
organizer while the teacher reads the first half of the story out
loud. Students may wait to fill out the first couple of boxes until
after teacher finishes reading, during class discussion, feeding off
of other students.
Students will discuss what they wrote/drew in the graphic
organizer. Students will discuss who the characters are, and what
they want.

Students will predict the ending of the story, and finish filling out
the first page of the graphic organizer. TW circulate through the
class, making sure to give assistance to those who are struggling.
Students will discuss their predictions. Then students will discuss
how the story and their predictions compare to the list of good
qualities in a text that we previously generated.
For homework, students will finish reading the story. Students
will also be provided with an audio of the story. They should
listen to the audio, and read along with it. They will draw/write
the actual progression of the story. Then they will write a
paragraph comparing their prediction/reinvention to the actual
plot, which should include a short summary of the actual plot.

the class if they had similar responses.

8:05am 8:11am
I will ask students to volunteer to share their predictions and how
they compared with the actual plot. If students do not want to
share with the whole class,Then I will ask them to discuss in
pairs.
8:11am 8:18am20am
Students will be provided with laptops from the laptop cart at this
point in the day. As/after they discuss in pairs, I will ask students
to create a google doc and share it with me. They have already
written a short essay for homework comparing their predictions to
the real story, so I will give them the option of continuing to
journal about that comparison, or simply discussing what they
think of the story.
Okay, read through the story a second time and circle or
underline words/phrases that stand out to you.
8:18am 8:20am
I will ask students to share what they circled/underlined. If
students do not want to volunteer, I will cold call. I will ask
What is your favorite part? Did you like the story at all? Or
did you not like it? Explain.
8:20am 8:38am
Is the narrator mad? (Continue discussion from the previous
day (the grey stuff), and be sure to bring in the ideas about what
makes a good text) Students will still have their laptops, and as
we discuss, I will take periodic two-minute breaks so that they
can write down their thoughts about our discussion.
8:38am 8:5047am
Why might Poe have made the narrator unreliable?
What are some other things Poe does in the story to make it
suspenseful?
On your google doc, wWrite down some ideas for a Poe
storythings that Poe does that you dont often see in other
narratives. What does he do in his writing that makes it

Students will explain the rest of the story.

Students will discuss their comparisons of the prediction with the

real story.
Students will turn in their completed graphic organizer and their
short essay.
Students will read the story again and circle or underline things
that stand out.
Students will share with the class the things that stood out to
them, and explain their favorite part, or why they didnt like any
part.
Students will discuss how the story compares with their own
likes/dislikes for texts.
Students will discuss mystery and suspense.
Students will discuss, and write a list of, ways that Poe creates
suspense, citing examples from the text.
Students will write ideas for Poe parodies.
For homework, students will come up with one idea for a Poe
parody.

suspenseful or artistic? Tomorrow we will be crafting a short

parody. What is a parody? I will walk around the room and help
individual students with their list of ideas.
8:47am 8:50am
For homework I want you to come up with an idea for a
suspenseful story. Be ready to explain it in class tomorrow.
September 3, 2015
8:00am 8:10am
We will begin the class with an online journal in the students
google docs. I will have responded on their google docs from the
previous day. Students will reply to my comments. I will have
students share their ideas for a parody. If students do not want to
share their ideas with the class, I will share my own idea.
8:10am 8:22am
I will ask students if they know any literary devices. I will write
them on the board, and we will discuss how they are used. If
students do not mention metaphor, alliteration, and onomatopoeia,
I will bring them into the discussion. I will ask students to
identify if/when Poe uses these literary devices in The Tell Tale
Heart. (If we did not accomplish the grey stuff from yesterday, I
will bring it into this discussion.)
8:22am 8:42am32am
I will ask students to work individually to create the beginning
(first paragraph or two) of their Poe parody, utilizing at least one
literary device.find examples of how Poe uses each of the literary
devices they listed. During this time, I will circulate the room and
help students find examples.
Then I will ask students to share some of the examples they found
with the class.
8:42am 32am 8:5048am
I will have students volunteer to read the beginning of their
parodies out loud. If nobody wants to read aloud, I will have

Students will share their parody ideas. I will also share my own
idea.
Students will share what they know about simple literary devices
and how they are used to enhance the mystery or suspense of a
story.
Students will still have the laptops, and will write the list of
literary devices on their google doc.
Students will discuss how Poe uses literary devices, and we will
discuss the unreliability of the narrator.
Students will work individually on their google docs to quote an
example of how Poe uses literary devices in The Tell Tale Heart.
Students will write, with a pen and paper, the beginning of a
parodic story, mimicking Poes signature creepy style, and
utilizing literary devices to enhance the feeling of the story.
Students will work by themselves to craft standalone sentences
that mimic Poes signature style and utilize some of the literary
devices we have been talking about..
Students will share and discuss their stories.

Students will finish their parody assignment for homework.

students switch papers with a partner and discuss in pairs.I will

ask students to begin crafting their own sentences, each one
utilizing a different one of Poes literary devices.
8:48am 8:50am
For homework, students will type up their parodies (they can
finish their narrative if they choose, but I will only require a
paragraph or two to represent the beginning of a potentially
longer story) and include a sentence or two explaining how it
mimics Poes style.
Print this out and I will collect it. Tomorrow we will be moving
on to discuss music and poetry.This will be done on the google
doc, entirely during class time. I will assess students based on
their work here.
I will also introduce the extra credit assignment: to craft their own
narrative, a parody of Poes work. This will be a paragraph or two
as either a complete narrative, or representing the beginning of a
potentially longer story, and it will include a sentence or two
explaining how it mimics Poes style. If students wish, they may
do this extra credit assignment for homework.

Further Rationale
I know it gets a little messy toward the end of the lesson plan, and I blame Microsoft Word. I dont want to be redundant, but in
case the track changes were hard to follow, I will go over the general accommodations I made in the lesson right here. Most importantly,
I have implemented the use of less public forms of discussion, such as journaling, so that I might converse with Jack without the
scrutiny of his classmates. My goal would be to respond to all of his online journal entries within a day so that he is constantly reminded
of my engagement with him. Though I see great value in the ability to participate in verbal discussions with peers, I will assess Jacks
participation through the attention he exhibits in his writing. Beyond that, I have virtually eliminated all homework, and embedded the
work during class time. Jack has a difficult time motivating himself to accomplish assignments during class, and I can only imagine its
even more difficult when hes at home. Thus, I have given everybody ample class time to work on their assignments.
I would also like to add that, no matter how much lesson planning I do, it is my primary goal to adapt to the students. If students
begin to steer discussions toward something I hadnt planned, I will follow them there. The same goes for Jack. In his online
participation, I will respond based on what he has written, and let him take the conversation in whatever direction he chooses. After all,
labels rarely tell the teacher who can be taught in what way. One could put five or six labels on the same child and still not know what
to teach him or how (Heward et al, 336). Jacks IEP, stating that he has a specific learning disability, and difficulty in reading
comprehension and written expression, is useful, but the most important thing is for me to get to know him, and adapt.
Peer Review
Paige: I like the visual organizer for symbols
I like how youre trying to create a safe environment for students to participate in via the online space
however, I feel like it should be a mandatory thing-- the topic may be optional, but I think that the students should be required to
participate in it.
I think you should make it very clear in your lesson plan that you plan on rolling with what the students are bringing to the table, and
adjusting to what the students are learning and discussing that day.
I like the idea of having students watch the versions of ATTH
Cary: How to establish relevancy of Poe? I do like that you want to have/make a safe space for all students. Internet options journaling (how would requirements for participation work here?) assessment based on discussion/writing I like, but if he has difficulty
with written expression is this adequate? Listing stylistic elements (is this different? - I feel like it is) are students just going to choose

this option if they dont want to writ the whole story? Maybe making this the first step, or the final step for everyone. Taking home a
tape is good - or the link for the read aloud or video.
James: trying to introduce the assignment/activity by creating a safe environment is actually really cool. Make them comfortable.
This is especially relevant in the positive feedback aspect of your accommodations.
Graphic organizer is good.
journaling is not only a great way to measure comprehension, but also in creating some kind of connection with the student, and
understanding what makes them tick.
Response to Peer Review
I had originally thought the online journaling would be optional, but Paige convinced me otherwise. I made it a requirement
because I agreed that students might not take it seriously if it was optional. Paige also wanted me to be clear that I plan on rolling with
what the students are bringing to the table so I tried to make that clear. This is just my style in general, but it might make it seem like
my plans are too loose, so I think Paige was right in saying I should be clear about my adaptability. We also discussed having the
students watch different version of The Tell Tale Heart, and I thought it was an interesting idea, but decided not to incorporate it into my
lesson. It goes beyond the scope of what I want to accomplish in this lesson, and I believe there are better texts with which to explore
versions of interpretation.
Cary made a good point about establishing relevancy of The Tell Tale Heart. I agree that there isnt much in the plot or character
to which students can relate, but my goal is to establish relevancy in terms of aesthetic appeal. This is why the lesson begins with a
discussion of what makes a good text and flows into a discussion of how Poe might make use of aesthetic elements that students had
previously discussed. The relevancy or relatability here is not in the story, itself, but in the aesthetic appeal of texts, in general. Cary
also mentioned that, if Jack has difficulty with written expression, the online journaling might not be any better than in-class discussion.
Hes right about this, but I have seen Jacks writing, and I have observed him in class; he doesnt have a problem putting words on a
page. In the online journals I am not looking for well developed paragraphs of new ideas, I am just looking to see that Jack is thinking
and paying attention. Based on my observations, his difficulties are primarily in motivation and public speaking; in-class journaling with
daily feedback circumvents these issues.
During the time dedicated for peer feedback in lab, James generally reiterated Paiges and Carys points. He wrote mostly
positive feedback in the google doc (see above), but had the same constructive criticisms that I have already addressed.

Works Cited
"Classroom Adaptations." Kent ISD (n.d.): 0-27. Web. 21 Feb. 2014.
Durbin, Emily, PhD. "Child and Family Psychopathology." PSY-424-001. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. 2013. Lecture.
Heward, William L., Sara E. Bicard, and Rodney A. Cavanaugh. "Educational Equality for Students with Disabilities." (n.d.): n. pag.
Web.