STEPP Lesson Plan Form

Teacher: Miriam Gueck

Date: October 25, 2016

School: FCHS

Content Area: English Language Arts

Grade Level: 11

Title: Catcher in the Rye Introduction

Lesson #: 1 of 1

Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson:

2.1.a.i. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining
where the text leaves matters uncertain. (CCSS: RL.11-12.1)

2.1.a.ii. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on
one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the
text. (CCSS: RL.11-12.2)

Understandings:
Setting up the context for a new class novel will equip students to better comprehend the
text

Inquiry Questions:
What should students be aware of before they begin reading The Catcher in the Rye?

Evidence Outcomes:
Every student will be able to:
1. Have understandings about the author, main character, some of the controversy that
has surrounded the book, a frame story, its symbols, and themes.
I can:
Learn from an introductory lesson about our new novel
This means:
I can take Cornell Notes to show/record my thinking

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List of Assessments:
I will assess their Cornell Notes while introducing the novel, walking around periodically as
I teach. I will hold them accountable by asking them to recap the elements of the
introduction to me based on their notes.
The types of questions and/or comments asked/voiced in the end, if any, will indicate the
level of understanding of those who speak up.

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Planned Lesson Activities

Name and Purpose of Lesson The Catcher in the Rye Introduction
Should be a creative title for you
and the students to associate
with the activity. Think of the
purpose as the mini-rationale for
what you are trying to accomplish
through this lesson.
Approx. Time and Materials 8:25-9:15
How long do you expect the
Copy of novel for each student
activity to last and what materials Google slides
will you need?
Anticipatory Set
Begin by setting up Cornell Notes.
The hook to grab students
attention. These are actions and Once CN are thoroughly set up, students will go to the
statements by the teacher to
library to pick up their copies of the novel.
relate the experiences of the
students to the objectives of the I will ask if any students had heard of/read the book
lesson, To put students into a
before, and will share that I read it for the first time
receptive frame of mind.
when I was 13. I was living in the Philippines at the time.
To focus student attention My cousin had just read it, she was 21, and she loved it.
on the lesson.
She went on and on about how cool it was. So I
To create an organizing
thought I should read it too.
framework for the ideas,
principles, or information I absolutely hated it.
that is to follow (advanced I could not stand Holden Caulfield. I loathed and
organizers)
despised him.
An anticipatory set is used any
time a different activity or new
Ive reread it since, and I have to admit Ive had a
concept is to be introduced.
different experience with the text the second time.
What Ive found, is that there are important pieces of
the story that I wasnt even aware of at all the first time
I was reading CITR.
And since I get to introduce you to this novel, I am
going to make sure that I do a good job of explaining to
you the things that I wish someone had explained to me
back when I was 13. Because if someone had, I
wouldve appreciated the story more. And I want you
to, so here we go. Have your Cornell Notes ready.
Teacher Actions
Student Actions

Procedures
(Include a play-by-play account
of what students and teacher will
do from the minute they arrive to
the minute they leave your
classroom. Indicate the length of
each segment of the lesson. List
actual minutes.)
Indicate whether each is:
-teacher input
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Procedures
(Include a play-by-play account
of what students and teacher will
do from the minute they arrive to
the minute they leave your
classroom. Indicate the length of
each segment of the lesson. List
actual minutes.)
Indicate whether each is:
-teacher input
-modeling
-questioning strategies
-guided/unguided:
-whole-class practice
-group practice
-individual practice
-check for understanding
-other

Welcome students
(See Anticipatory Set)
Cornell Notes set-up
Illustrate on white board
List the following in left column for
Students will set up their Cornell
students to copy in their left columns: Notes
AUTHOR, MAIN CHARACTER,
CONTROVERSY, FRAME STORY,
SYMBOLS, THEMES
When you have completed setting up
your Cornell Notes, stand your paper
up like this. If I see your paper up Ill
come by and check to see if you set
up your Cornell Notes thoroughly and
once you have, you may get in line at
the back.
(8:25-8:35)
Students will go to the library to pick
up their copy
Once all students have set up their
Cornell Notes they will be sent to the
library to pick up their copy of the
novel, The Catcher in the Rye
(-8:50)
Welcome students back.
Inform students that I will call on them
randomly to tell me about each of the
CN topics at the end of the lesson.
Students will need to rely on their
notes as their source of information,
so theyll need to take good notes.
Using Google Slides as a guide, I will
introduce the novel, beginning with
author, then main character, then
some of the controversy, then the
setting within the setting, the
symbolism of certain objects and
themes.
If time allows, read passage from pp.
77-78 when discussing Main
Character
(-9:10)

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Closure
Answer any questions, welcome any comments
Those actions or statements by a If there is time left we will begin reading the book in
teacher that are designed to
class; selecting students randomly to take turns reading
bring a lesson presentation to an outloud
appropriate conclusion. Used to (9:10-9:15)
help students bring things
together in their own minds, to
make sense out of what has just
been taught. Any Questions?
No. OK, lets move on is not
closure. Closure is used:
To cue students to the
fact that they have arrived
at an important point in
the lesson or the end of a
lesson.
To help organize student
learning
To help form a coherent picture
and to consolidate.
Differentiation
While I teach, I will present the information orally as
To modify: If the activity is too
well as visually, using the white/smart board
advanced for a child, how will you Cornell note-taking during instruction allows students
modify it so that they can be
to record whats important in a way that best makes
successful?
sense to them
To extend: If the activity is too
If theres time to read, students may read outloud or
easy for a child, how will you
silently
extend it to develop their
emerging skills?

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STEPP Lesson Plan Form

Assessment
The thoroughness of how students set up their CN will
How will you know if students be checked (I will see if Mr. Crosby and/or Mr. Curran
met the learning targets? Write a can assist with checking their work so we can send
description of what you were them to get in line for the library faster. I feel this step
looking for in each assessment. is impt with this class because I know there are
many who would just get in line without setting up
their CN properly. Setting up the CN before they go
to the library allows us to jump into instruction when
they get back from the library. It would also be
significantly more time-consuming to get them to set
up their CN after having just returned from the library.)
I will assess their Cornell Notes while introducing the
novel, walking around periodically as I teach. I will hold
them accountable by asking them to recap the
elements of the introduction to me based on their
notes.
The types of questions and/or comments asked/voiced
in the end, if any, will indicate the level of
understanding of those who speak up.

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Post Lesson Reflection

1. To what extent were lesson objectives achieved?
Students were very well engaged. Before we went to the library to pick up their copies
of the new novel, every student set up their Cornell Notes right away. Because their level of
participation was high and they exceeded my behavior expectations, I decided to omit my plan
for checking their work before letting them get in line. I still walked around and checked their
work, but because I could see that they were all doing it, I felt it would be insulting to them to
say, When you have completed your CN, stand your paper up like this. If I see your paper up
Ill come by and check to see if you set up your CN thoroughly and once you have, you may get
in line at the back. Because they were behaving maturely I treated them accordingly.
!
I made a significant omission that led to me not being able to assess their learning from
my presentation as I had planned. When we got back from the library, I forgot to tell them that I
would ask them at the end to tell me about each of the topics on their CN, so to be sure and
take good notes. And anyway, at the end, I also forgot that I wanted to do that. However,
looking back, I feel as if asking them that would make them indignant, because I do believe their
engagement was high. There were no behavior issues while I was teaching, every student
seemed fully engaged, and I could see that many of them were taking notes.
!
The purpose of the notes wasnt just so they could tell me about the topics themselves
after I taught; I also wanted to purposefully give them an opportunity for writing in class, I
wanted them to record their understanding of our main topics in a way that made sense to them,
and because writing well and reading well go hand in hand.
k12reader.com states Basically put: reading affects writing and writing affects reading.
According to recommendations from the major English/Language Arts professional
organizations, reading instruction is most effective when intertwined with writing instruction and
vice versa. Research has found that when children read extensively they become better writers.
Reading a variety of genres helps children learn text structures and language that they can then
transfer to their own writing. In addition, reading provides young people with prior knowledge
that they can use in their stories. One of the primary reasons that we read is to learn. Especially
while we are still in school, a major portion of what we know comes from the texts we read.
Since writing is the act of transmitting knowledge in print, we must have information to share
before we can write it. Therefore reading plays a major role in writing.
!
When we write down our thinking of what were learning, our understanding of the
material becomes more developed. My main purpose for the CN was for the students to have
greater comprehension while I was teaching. And I was also thinking of behavior management,
in terms of giving them something meaningful to do so they wouldnt just be sitting there
listening.

2. What changes, omissions, or additions to the lesson would you make if

you were to teach again?
Before asking them to read outloud, I wished I had addressed their discomfort with
reading outloud. In my previous lesson, I invited the students to read the poem, Worst Day
Ever? outloud but none of them wanted to, and one student even said, We dont read outloud.
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We dont like reading outloud. In that lesson I read the poem myself. I really wish I had said at
that point as well, something along the lines of: We know were working on reading. We know
youre reading isnt perfect, and thats okay, and this is where were working on it, because you
will become better readers, but we need to practice so that it can get better. You are capable,
and its okay to not be there yet, but you will get there.

3. What do you envision for the next lesson?

Given the opportunity, upon completion of the novel I would review CITR with the
following activity. This lesson idea came from readwritethink.org, and it was contributed by
Scott Filkins.
Students imagine the possibilities afforded by text messaging technology in The Catcher in the
Rye in this lesson that serves as a review of the novel, an exploration of Holden Caulfield's
character and narrative voice, and a study of a now everyday form of communication. Students
first compare and contrast several forms of communication: telephone, text message, and letter
or email. They then select five moments in the novel in which Holden may have sent a text
message had the technology been available. The lesson concludes with students sharing their
text messages and a discussion of the rationales behind their choices.
!
I really like this lesson because it involves analyzing different forms of communication,
and students will be writing. This will be viewed as fun which will make the students more
excited to engage with their review of the text as they closely examine the novel to see where it
would make sense for Holden to send a text message.

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