Teacher Candidate Tori Mekash

Name:
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Subject: Language Arts
Date:

Title: A Letter to the Author

Millicent Atkins School of Education: Common
Lesson Plan Template

PLANNING
List the Common Core/State Standard(s) to be addressed in this lesson:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view
with reasons and information.
1b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression

List the Learning Objective(s) to be addressed in this lesson. Use the

following format: Students will be able to

Students will be able to write an opinion letter to the author of the book
they are reading using supporting details from the text, and they will post
their letter to the class blog.
Describe how the objective is relevant to students lives.

Students must be able to form opinions, put their opinions into writing,
and use supporting details in order to build on their writing skills. Their
writing skills will be essential in moving on with their education, as well as
crucial in their jobs and adult life one day.

List the words relevant to the content area that you will either introduce
and/or review during your lesson.

Introduction, body, conclusion, opinion, supporting details.

List the materials you will need to teach the lesson.

Paper, pencils, iPads, and the SmartBoard.

 ASSESSMENT
Pre-Assessment: Describe the instrument or process you will use to
measure students level of understanding toward the learning objective(s)
prior to teaching the lesson.

APPENDIX: Include a blank copy of the lesson pre-assessment. (if

applicable)

Is your pre-assessment included at the end of this lesson plan?

Describe the timeline as to when you plan to administer the pre-

assessment?
(Recommended timeline is a minimum of two days prior to teaching your
lesson).

Create and insert a table/chart/graph that shows the pre-assessment data

results. (if applicable)

Insert an image of your table/chart/graph here.

Describe how the results of the pre-assessment (what the students have
demonstrated they know) will be used to design the lesson objectives,
instruction, and post-assessment.

Post-Assessment: APPENDIX: Include a blank copy of the lesson post-assessment

you will use to measure students level of understanding toward the learning objectives after
teaching the lesson.

Is your post-assessment included at the end of this lesson plan? Rubric

for grading Kidblog post attached.

APPENDIX: Include a copy of a Key/Product (completed by you, the teacher) which

provides a model of the desired outcome.

Is your key included at the end of this lesson plan?

TECHNOLOGY
Describe the instructional and/or assistive technology that you plan to
incorporate into the lesson to enhance instruction and student learning.

I will use the SmartBoard to show examples during the lesson, and then the
students will use their iPads and the website Kidblog to write and post
their letter to the author. The students will log into Kidblog with their
google email and I will have a class code for them to use to access our
class blog page. Using Kidblog allows for students to view other students
post, as well as their own and my example.

ACCOMMODATIONS
Describe the accommodations/differentiation/modifications you will use to
meet the needs of all learners and accommodate differences in students
learning, culture, language, etc. * Be sure that these accommodations are
based on what you identified/described in your contextual information
(Task I).

I will follow the students IEP.

 MANAGEMENT
Identify the management and motivational strategies you will use to meet student
behavioral/developmental needs in order to keep students on task and actively engaged
throughout the lesson.

I will walk around the room as the students are working on the assignment
to make sure that they are staying on task or to help with any questions
they may have.

LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
I Do
(Teacher introduces lesson and models expected outcome of
learning objectives)
Describe how you will activate student interest and present the learning
objective in an engaging way (this is your lesson opening).
I will activate student interest by asking them if they had the chance to
meet the author of the book they are currently reading, what would they
tell them about their book? I will then tell the students that we are going to
write a letter to the author of the book they are reading about their
thoughts on the book through an opinion based letter. I will then talk about
the components of an opinion piece; the introduction needs to state their
opinion clearly, the body needs to include supporting details from the text,
and the conclusion needs to wrap up and support the opinion as well. I will
have these details on the components of an opinion piece on in a power
point on the smart board.

Describe how you will communicate (to students) how the objective is
relevant to their lives.
I will tell the students how it is important to communicate our opinions
through writing and to use supporting details to back up our opinions.

Describe what instructional strategies you will use to

model/explain/demonstrate the knowledge and skills required of the
objective. (cite theories/theorists)
Explicit instruction (Dr. Archer), Student-centered learning, think-pair-share,
and choral response.

Describe how you will check for students understanding before moving on
to guided practice.
I will check for students understanding by asking them what should be
included when writing an opinion piece by choral response.

We Do
(Teacher engages students in guided practice)
Describe the learning activities you will use to provide students multiple opportunities to
practice the skills and content needed to meet the learning objective(s).
On the smart board, I will have an activity that has 5 blanks and a word
bank that includes Dear (Author), Introduction, Body, Conclusion, and
Sincerely. I will call on students to come and drag one thing out of the word
bank and put the steps of an opinion piece in the right order. As each step
is put in the right order I will ask the class what should be included in that
part of the writing (example, the body should include three supporting
details from the story backing up their opinion). Next, I will pull up an
example that I started writing to the author of a book we just read together
in class. The example will be incomplete and through choral response we
will finish adding supporting detail to my letter and check to make sure all
the components of my opinion piece are there. Then I will post it to Kidblog
just like the students will do soon on their own.

Describe how you will check for students understanding before moving on to independent
practice.
Before moving on I will ask students to think-pair-share at their tables; I will
ask them to discuss examples of supporting details, and to describe what is
included in the introduction, body, and conclusion. After giving them time
to discuss I will ask if some students would share what their group
discussed.

You Do
(Students engage in independent practice)
Describe what the students will do to independently practice the knowledge and skills
required by the lesson objectives? (this is the post-assessment)
The students will write an opinion letter to the author of the book (of their
own choice) that they have currently been reading on their own for class.
The students will get to decide the topic of their letter; they can tell the
author who their favorite character is and why, what their favorite chapter
is and why, what event was their favorite and why, etc. The students will
need to have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The body must
contain three supporting details from the text to back up their opinion.
They will have to start the letter with Dear (authors name) and end the
letter with Sincerely, (student name). The students will post their letter on
Kidblog using the class code I will provide them with.

APPENDIX: Include a blank copy of your post-assessment.

Is your BLANK COPY of the post-assessment included at the end of this
lesson plan?

Lesson Closing
Describe how you will reemphasize the lesson objective and any
skills/content that were taught in an interactive manner (whole/small
group, etc.).
I will reemphasize the importance of being able to write an opinion piece
by telling the students that they will use their writing skills throughout the
rest of their education and as well in life.

ANALYZE
(This portion may only be done after the post assessment is
collected/scored.)
Describe the results of the Post-Assessment and be sure to address the following:
Students progress from pre-to-post assessment. (if applicable)
Factors that may have influenced the post assessment results.
How the results of the post assessment highlight what areas of the
lesson will require re-teaching (if any).
If applicable, insert a table/chart/graph (below) that shows the post-assessment data
results. If you used the same document for both the pre and post assessments, it is strongly
encouraged that you show the comparison.

Insert an image of your table/chart/graph here.

Description:
 REFLECT
List and describe two things you feel you did well to plan, implement, or assess instruction
(successes).

List and describe two things you feel were challenges during the planning, implementation
and/or assessment of the lesson.

List and describe two ideas for redesign you would make if you were to teach this lesson
again.

Introduction opinion is clearly 10/10

stated.

Body With three supporting details 15/15

of students opinion.
Conclusion 10/10

Dear Author and Sincerely Student 5/5

No spelling or grammar mistakes. 5/5

Posted to Kidblog 5/5