Elementary Literacy

Task 1: Planning Commentary

TASK 1: PLANNING COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (​no more than 9 single-spaced pages, including prompts​) by typing your responses within the
brackets. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Pages exceeding the maximum will not be scored.

1. Central Focus
a. Describe the ​central focus​ and the essential literacy strategy for comprehending ​OR
composing text you will teach in the learning segment.
[The central focus of these five lessons is to create various forms of poetry about their
families. Students will also edit their work to prepare it for publication. The types of
poems we are using include bio poems, acrostic poems, haikus, and free verse poems.
Students will already be learning about all of the poetry forms during their reading lesson
time. This prior knowledge will help enhance their ability when creating and editing their
own family focused poems. They will have the ability to generate, gather, and organize
ideas and information. Students will be able to recall the information they learned during
the reading lesson and implement it during these writing lessons.]
b. Given the central focus, describe how the ​standards and learning objectives​ within your
learning segment address
◼ the essential literacy strategy
◼ related skills that support use of the strategy
◼ reading/writing connections
[The standards addressed throughout this five-day lesson all align with the central focus
of creating poetry; throughout the lessons, students are identifying and utilizing the
structural components of four poetry form to create poems about their families. This will
also help deepen their understanding of poetry components such as rhyming words and
syllables. Students will do this by working with a partner to produce a list of thoughts and
ideas through peer-to-peer collaboration. They will use the knowledge they previously
learned in prior reading lessons and apply it when creating their own poetry. The
students will also be reading samples of each poem throughout the five lessons. After
reading, the class and teacher will discuss the structure of the poems and how they were
created. Students will apply the concept reviewed that day to create a poem of their own.
Students will edit one of the poems they have created and prepare it for publication.
Through this five-day lesson students will be exposed to several forms of poetry and
their structural elements to create poems of their own.]
c. Explain how your plans build on each other​ to help students ​make connections
between the essential literacy strategy to comprehend ​OR​ compose text and related skills
that support use of the strategy in meaningful contexts.
[The five lessons build on one another because students are utilizing their knowledge of
new poetry formats and strategies and applying it to creating their own during these
individual lessons. In the first lesson, students are expanding their knowledge of how to
create a bio poem by creating a poem that tells the story of themselves. In the second
lesson, students will be using their prior knowledge of acrostic poems to develop a poem
using a family title such as mother, father, sister, brother, etc.; or the word family. To
introduce this concept students will be using their prior knowledge of acrostic poems to

Copyright © 2016 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.​ 1 of 7 | 9 pages maximum
All rights reserved. V5_0916
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.
 Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

help the teacher create a poem using the class name or grade level. In the third lesson,
students will utilize their prior knowledge of syllables and haikus to create a haiku that
focuses on their families. Listening to and tapping out syllables will allow students to
create a poem using the five/seven/five haiku format. In the fourth lesson, students will
be incorporating their prior knowledge of free verse poetry in creating a poem about their
family. Students will use the concepts and ideas that they learned in a previous lesson to
create a free verse poem about their family. In lesson five, students will be choosing one
of the four poems that they created to edit/revise. Students will help the teacher edit a
poem that he/she has created and already presented to the class. Within these five
lessons, students will practice and implement the structural elements of the four types of
poetry (bio, acrostic, haiku, and free verse).
2. Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching
For each of the prompts below (2a–b), describe what you know about ​your​ students ​with
respect to the central focus ​of the learning segment.

Consider the​ ​variety of learners in your class who may require different strategies/support (e.g.,
students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, struggling readers,
underperforming students or those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted
students).
a. Prior academic learning and prerequisite skills related to the central focus—​Cite
evidence of what students know, what they can do, and what they are still learning
to do.
[Students have already started a family unit where they are investigating their own
personal history. They are also writing a personal narrative about themselves and their
families that they will be editing, revising, and publishing in the near future. Students will
be presenting their personal narrative to their classmates and family members during
their Expo. The writing lessons being taught are linked to the other literary lessons
through a focus on family. Students are reading books about different families,
conducting interviews, creating and sharing personal timelines, and bringing in an artifact
to share with their class. The class visited an art museum where they learned about
other cultures and how they preserved their history. Students have already learned
about various types of writing and have gone through the writing process at least once
already.]
b. Personal, cultural, and community assets related to the central focus—​What do you
know about your students’ everyday experiences, cultural and language
backgrounds and practices, and interests?
[Students are taking information from their own lives/history to create a personal story
that they will present through various forms of writing including poetry. Students have
already conducted family interviews where they asked their grandparents and parents
specific questions so they could compare and contrast life events/experiences from each
generation. Students also compared/contrasted the answers that they gave to the same
questions with the answers given by their grandparents and parents. Through the
personal interview, students are learning about their own personal culture and the
cultures of others through personal exploration and sharing. Members of the community

Copyright © 2016 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.​ 2 of 7 | 9 pages maximum
All rights reserved. V5_0916
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.
 Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

have been invited to come into the classroom and talk to students about their own family
history and how their family preserved it.

The students come from a variety of families and cultures that add additional learning
opportunities and knowledge to the classroom. A surprising amount of the students in
this classroom are children of educators as well. This creates a classroom where the
parents are very involved in their student’s academic experience. This shows in the
students learning and evaluation scores; as well as how they communicate verbally, and
through writing, with one another and the teacher.

Through classroom conversations between and with the students, one can see that this
class is very competitive academically and with sports. Nearly all the students are very
involved in some kind of sport whether it be soccor, basketball, swimming, gymnastics,
and other after-school athletic programs. It was also discovered that students come from
backgrounds that are very family oriented. Several of the reading passages/stories that
are presented to students are also geared more towards family because of this. Students
are able to learn about and connect with a variety of different families through reading.]
3. Supporting Students’ Literacy Learning
Respond to prompts 3a–c below. To support your justifications, refer to the instructional
materials and lesson plans you have included as part of Planning Task 1. ​In addition,​ ​use
principles from research and/or theory to support your justifications.
a. Justify how your understanding of your students’ prior academic learning and personal,
cultural, and community assets (from prompts 2a–b above) guided your choice or
adaptation of learning tasks and materials. Be explicit about the connections between
the learning tasks and students’ prior academic learning, their assets, and
research/theory.
[Over winter break students conducted their own research with their families. Students
are now expanding on what they have already learned about their own families by
learning about the families of their classmates. This is done through the sharing of their
personal timelines and family interviews with their classmates. The teacher will help
students make the connection between their prior knowledge during the minds-on (hook)
portion of the lessons. The beginning of each lesson will be used as a poetry writing
practice for students; and poetry review as needed. Reintroducing these concepts that
are already familiar to the students, will help the students become more confident and
comfortable with the new writing concept being taught.

The materials that have been chosen for each lesson will also be used to engage and
guide students throughout the writing process. Throughout each lesson, students will be
reintroduced to each type of poem that focuses on the interests of the students as well
as family. Students will be able to choose the family-oriented focus of the poems that
they are creating on their own.

The primary planning focus of this lesson is the successful scaffolding that consists of
activities to support the students as they are led through the zone of proximal
development developed by Lev Vygotsky. Vygotsky believed that the role of education
was to provide students with experiences that are connected to their own personal zone

Copyright © 2016 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.​ 3 of 7 | 9 pages maximum
All rights reserved. V5_0916
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.
 Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

of proximal development by encouraging and advancing their individual learning. In the

teacher’s lesson planning it can be seen that she is using this type of modeling,
conversation, and independent practice to scaffold the students through the zone of
proximal development process.]
b. Describe and justify why your instructional strategies and planned supports are appropriate
for ​the whole class, individuals, and/or groups of students with specific learning
needs​.

Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different strategies/support (e.g.,
students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, struggling readers,
underperforming students or those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted
students).
[The whole class and individual/pairs group settings and accommodations that the
teacher uses within the five lessons are appropriate for the whole class. The whole class
grouping will allow students who are more advanced and might already know what each
type of poetry a quick refresh and allow them to ask questions. The individual/pair group
setting will give students the opportunity to collaborate with their peers and receive
immediate feedback. It will also give the independent students a chance to work on their
own and share their knowledge with they partner who may be struggling. There is one
student that is an English Language Learner (ELL) who primarily speaks Japanese.
During the lesson, the teacher will provide some one-on-one assistance as well as a
simplified topic list, word banks, scaffolding of writing, and Cloze writing. There is
another student in the classroom who speaks Japanese as well but is not considered to
be an English Language Learner who is comfortable assisting their classmate. Pairing
these two students together might also be beneficial. There is one student who works
with a teacher consultant (Response to Intervention Specialist) who pulls them out for
daily reading and mathematics at least three times a week. Three students all receive
reading intervention and work with a reading intervention specialist outside the
classroom for thirty minutes on a daily basis. There are a few students who require
reminders to keep working and stay on task. The teacher will check in on these students
throughout their individual work time.]
c. Describe common developmental approximations or common misconceptions within your
literacy central focus and how you will address them.
[The common misunderstandings and misconceptions within the central literacy focus
throughout the five lessons is using the prior knowledge that the students have of poetry.
This is evident when students are identifying the various forms of poetry that we will be
using. The misconceptions will be addressed through verbally addressing each type of
poetry and what the students already know about each. The teacher will then read a
poem that she has previously created and the students will identify the components that
make up each type of poetry. Then the students will help the teacher create a poem
using the components that they have previously used. Another way that the students will
be accommodated is having a partner that they can work with and bounce ideas off of.
Some students will struggle with putting their thoughts and ideas together into their
poem. By pairing them up with another student they can have the option to ask another
classmate questions and get immediate feedback.]

Copyright © 2016 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.​ 4 of 7 | 9 pages maximum
All rights reserved. V5_0916
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.
 Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

4. Supporting Literacy Development Through Language

As you respond to prompts 4a–d, consider the range of students’ language assets and
needs—what do students already know, what are they struggling with, and/or what is new to
them?
a. Language Function. ​Using information about your students’ language assets and needs,
identify ​one​ language function essential for students to develop and practice the literacy
strategy within your central focus. Listed below are some sample language functions. You
may choose one of these or another more appropriate for your learning segment.
Analyze Argue Categorize Compare/contrast Describe Explain
Interpret Predict Question Retell Summarize
[Students will use the language functions of seeking information, inform, analyzing, and
synthesizing throughout the poetry writing lesson. Students use the seek information
function when they are acquiring information about their family history through
exploration and observation prior to the beginning of the lesson. They will then use the
inform language function to describe and report what they discovered about their
families. The analyze language function will be used when students identify relationships
and patterns they see between the different generations of their families. Finally,
students will use the synthesize language function by the information that they gathered
about their families and integrating it into their poetry writing. The synthesize language
function will be the language function that the students will use the most throughout this
writing lesson. For this lesson, the teacher will first introduce the concept of synthesizing
to the students and then model how to identify the concept. Then the teacher will have
the students practice the language function by creating a poem of their own.]
b. Identify a key learning task from your plans that provides students with opportunities to
practice using the language function in ways that support the essential literacy strategy.
Identify the lesson in which the learning task occurs. (Give lesson day/number.)
[Within lessons one through four, students will have the opportunity to first identify the
type of poem they are creating and synthesize what they already know about the type of
poetry into a poem of their own. The teacher will first read some examples of each poem
to the students; one of which she has created herself. Then the teacher will guide the
students in creating each poem as a class. This will show the teacher if the students fully
understand the skill of creating each poem. Once the students have completed their
poems on their own, the teacher will check the students written first draft by checking for
correct structure, spacing, capitalization, and the correct spelling of word wall words.
Throughout the lesson, students will be able to ask their partner (and teacher) questions
when they are struggling with an idea or concept.

In the fifth and final lesson, students will have the opportunity to first pick one of the four
poems that they have already drafted and edited by the students. The students will once
again use the synthesizing language function to revise the poem that they chose to
present as their final product. For the revising process, students will check that they have
included all parts of how to write each piece, that their writing makes sense, and that
their writing includes detail.]

Copyright © 2016 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.​ 5 of 7 | 9 pages maximum
All rights reserved. V5_0916
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.
 Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

c. Additional Language Demands. ​Given the language function and learning task identified
above, describe the following associated language demands (written or oral) students need
to understand and/or use:
◼ Vocabulary or key phrases
◼ Plus​ at least one of the following:
◼ Syntax
◼ Discourse
[The five lessons being taught are the beginning of the unit on poetry. Therefore,
students will be introduced to a variety of vocabulary words that support the structural
elements of each type of poetry they are creating and the writing process. The
vocabulary words associated with the elements of a bio poem consist of bio poem,
adjectives, and descriptive words. The vocabulary words associated with the elements of
an acrostic poem consist of acrostic poem and vertically. The vocabulary words
associated with the elements of a haiku consist of haiku, syllable, similies, and
metaphors. The vocabulary words associated with the elements of a free verse poem
consist of free verse; as well as some of the vocabulary previously learned. The
vocabulary words associated with lesson five are the elements of pre-writing, drafting,
and revising. With the knowledge of these words, students should be able to identify the
poems and the structural elements that make up each poem they are learning about as
the teacher presents them. The students will be practicing syntax to demonstrate their
understanding of the elements that make up each individual poem; and the pre-writing,
editing, and revising process.]
d. Language Supports.​ Refer to your lesson plans and instructional materials as needed in
your response to the prompt.
◼ Identify and describe the planned instructional supports (during and/or prior to the
learning task) to help students understand, develop, and use the identified language
demands (function, vocabulary or key phrases, discourse, or syntax).
[Throughout each lesson, the teacher will begin by engaging the prior knowledge of the
students. This is shown through the teacher presenting examples of each type of poetry
that the teacher will demonstrate reading. It will also be shown by the teacher modeling
how to create each type of poetry and giving the students an opportunity to help in
creating each type of poetry. This will give the students the opportunity to begin the
lesson while feeling confident about what they already know about each type of poetry
and how they use what they know. It will also give students to ask any questions that
they might have prior to their independent/partner work. Through this, the teacher can
help guide student understanding as they complete each task in a whole class setting.
Lastly, the teacher can go around to individual/pairs while they are working to assist
them and deepen their understanding. Students will also have the opportunity to ask
questions they did not have earlier.]
5. Monitoring Student Learning
In response to the prompts below, refer to the assessments you will submit as part of the
materials for Planning Task 1.

Copyright © 2016 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.​ 6 of 7 | 9 pages maximum
All rights reserved. V5_0916
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.
 Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

a. Describe how your planned formal and informal assessments will provide direct evidence
that students can use the essential literacy strategy to comprehend ​OR​ compose text ​AND
related skills ​throughout ​the learning segment.
[The informal assessments that are being used during these lessons will allow the
teacher to see whether or not the students were able to apply the concepts and formats
associated with each type of poetry. There will be opportunities given throughout each
lesson for the students to apply the concepts independently and with a partner while
writing their poetry. What the students can complete on their own will give the teacher
adequate information about how deep the students understanding of as to how deep the
students’ understandings are for each poetry form. The teacher is also able to give
immediate feedback to students so that they know how they are doing in their
understanding of the objective. Throughout the lessons, students will be completing
informal assessments and the teacher will be looking for correct format and
understanding of each poem using the structural components of each type of poetry. As
the students complete their independent/partner work they will hand it into the teacher
for assessment. From this assessment, the teacher can reinforce any skills that the
student(s) might need to work more on and strengthen.]
b. Explain how the design or adaptation of your planned assessments allows students with
specific needs to demonstrate their learning.

Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different strategies/support
(e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, struggling readers,
underperforming students or those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted
students).
[The students with specific learning needs can also be successful through the informal
assessment of these lessons. Some of the students are not as confident in their writing
abilities, so they will be able to work with their partner in order to add words to their word
bank and have someone else look at their poem while they are working on it. While
these students are working independently/in pairs, the teacher will also have the
opportunity to go around and check on the students who could be struggling with their
writing and help guide them along. During this time the teacher will also be able to probe
for student understanding with additional instruction that they may need. While doing this
the teacher can orally assess the students on an individual basis.]

Copyright © 2016 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.​ 7 of 7 | 9 pages maximum
All rights reserved. V5_0916
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.