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 the learning segment is sequencing a fiction story. The essential literacy
strategy for comprehending text is retelling the major events and details in a story and
identifying the central message or moral of a fiction story. In the learning segment, students will
learn how to retell a story by drawing and sequencing three major events on a graphic
organizer. Students will also be asked to create a new title and cover for Ferdinand that relates
to the central message or moral of the story. ]
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 essential literacy strategy is sequencing the events in a story. The Common Core State
Standard for my learning segment is CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.2: Recount stories, including
fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or
moral. The essential strategy aligns with this standard because the common core state standard
is to recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their
central message, lesson, or moral. Our learning segment has students retell a story based on
the sequence of main events that identify on their graphic organizer. A related skill for
sequencing events includes identifying main ideas. Students have been taught how to identify
main events and details in previous lessons, but we will remind students through class
discussions during our learning segment how to identify main events in a fiction story. Another
related skill of fiction, especially fables and folktales, is to be able to identify the central
message or moral of the story. Our lesson segment includes discussing what the central
message or moral of the story is and having our students create a title and design a new cover
for the book Ferdinand that relates to the central message of the book. Each lesson involves
reading and writing as well.
The learning objectives of each lesson address the essential literacy strategy and
related skills. Lesson 1’s objective is “Students will be able to identify major events and details
from The Story of Ferdinand by creating drawings of three major events that happen in the
story.” The objective addresses the related skill of identifying three main events in the story
Ferdinand. This lesson also involves students listening to a book being read to them. Lesson 2’s
objective is “students will be able to identify major events and details by creating a graphic
organizer using drawings from Lesson 1 to sequence events in The Story of Ferdinand.” This
objective addresses the essential strategy of sequencing a story because it asks students to
place their three main events from lesson 1 in order. This lesson also has writing involved
because students have to write a sentence about the event that they drew. Lesson 3’s objective
is “students will be able to use the main events of The Story of Ferdinand to determine the
central message by creating their own book cover and title.” This objective addresses the
related skill of identifying a story’s central message or moral because it asks students to create
a new title and illustration for the front cover based on the story Ferdiand. This lesson has

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 Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

writing in it because students have to write the new title of the book. This lesson also
incorporates speaking skills because students are asked to record a video explaining why they
chose the title and artwork they did. ]
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 plans build onto one another by providing the opportunity for practice to build on their
retelling a story by sequencing events through drawings and discussions. The activity in lesson
1 allows students to build on to their prior knowledge of identifying main events and to use them
and then the information given after having The Story of Ferdinand read to them. They then are
expected to identify three major events within the story by illustrating what they know. To
understand the importance of sequencing a story, we then have them sort them into graphic
organizers based on the order of the events in lesson 2. After visiting their illustrations from
lesson 1 and organizing them in lesson 2, the students will be able to comprehend what the
main event is in the story and then illustrate the main event by creating a new book cover for the
story. ]
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.
[ The central focus of this learning segment is sequencing main events of a fiction story. The
students have already had plenty of practice with comprehension and answering questions from
a story from their Collaborative Classroom curriculum. One of the goals of comprehension is to
summarize the main ideas from what they have read (Cecil and Gipe, p. 132). How these
students practice their comprehension in the classroom is by focusing on one book for multiple
lessons. Focusing on one book gives the students practice on comprehension and retelling with
books they read by themselves. The students are comfortable with this process of using one
book for 2-3 lessons from the Collaborative Classroom curriculum, so that is why these three
lessons are over The Story of Ferdinand. The students also have had practice drawing pictures
and explaining what is happening in their drawings. This process is a part of the writing portion
of the Collaborative Classroom curriculum. What the students need to work on more is
sequencing; that is why the essential literacy strategy is sequencing. Bringing in the familiarity of
focusing on one story, drawing pictures, and describing what is happening in those drawings will
ease them into the process of sequencing. ]
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?
[ As stated in part 2a, the students are familiar with using one story for multiple lessons like I am
doing here with The Story of Ferdinand. They also have experience with drawing their own
pictures and writing about what is occurring in the drawing. None of the students in this

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 Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

classroom are English language learners, so the lessons did not have to incorporate
differentiation for that. All of the students enjoy drawing, so incorporating that was important so
they would be interested and engaged. ]
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.
[Students’ prior academic learning guided the choice of learning tasks by the way the lesson
unit’s structure mirrors the school’s curriculum, Collaborative Classroom. The main way this
occurs is the repetitive use of the same book for different concept lessons. Both students’ prior
learning and this lesson series are reflective of the Directed Reading-Thinking Activity Strategy,
or DRTA (Cecil and Gipe, p. 145). This strategy allows for the I Do, We Do, You Do structure to
take place in a lesson where the teacher first models what is expected of students, then the
class performs the task together before students are asked to perform or practice on their own.
Practicing the skills together can instill more confidence in students because they know what is
expected of them, and have a little more support when they make mistakes while they are
learning. ]
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 instructional strategies and planned supports are appropriate for the whole class for a
number of reasons. The instructional strategy of having interactive oral reading (Cecil and Gipe,
p. 124) is appropriate for the whole class because it allows everyone to experience the story at
the same time. It is appropriate for the small group of students who have difficulties reading
because they will be able to comprehend better when the story is being read to them. The
instructional strategy of having students draw the major events as opposed to writing them is
appropriate for the whole class because it is a feasible task for all students. It is appropriate for
the small group of students who have difficulties reading because they will be able to transfer
their thoughts into pictures instead of into words. ]
c. Describe common developmental approximations or common misconceptions within
your literacy central focus and how you will address them.
[ The major common misconception of students in second grade is that the main idea is the
category or genre of the text, instead of what the author is wanting to convey to the reader. This
will be addressed by providing students examples of what is and is not a good example of a
main idea. ]
4. Supporting Literacy Development Through Language

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 Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

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 Summariz

e
[A language function essential for students to develop and practice the literacy strategy within
my central focus is “retell.”]
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.)
[ A key learning task that provides students with opportunities to practice using the language
function “retell” is Lesson 2 (Day 2). During the whole-group discussion, we will be talking about
the major events each student drew. I will have the students explain their drawings in the order
they happened in the story. I will then tell the students that what they just did was “retold” the
story. To further engrain this idea I will point out words that they can use when retelling like
“first, next, then, finally”. The students will then glue their drawings in order on a piece of paper,
documenting their retelling of the story. While students are working I will walk around the room
and provide assistance by prompting students with questions and having them explain.]
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
[ Given the language function and learning task, the vocabulary words students need to
understand are “major events” and “sequence.” When students practice the essential strategy in
Lesson 2, they must be able to sequence important events from the story in the correct order.
Therefore, students must understand the word “sequence.” Also, students must know what
“major events” means because they must draw three different pictures to represent three major
events in the story to retell the sequence of events in The Story of Ferdinand in Lesson 2. For
syntax, students will be encouraged to use four transition words (first, next, then, finally) to
verbally retell the sequence of events in The Story of Ferdinand. On the graphic organizer each
student will complete for the documentation of major events in sequential order in Lesson 2,
students are encouraged to begin the sentence for the first important event they are describing
verbally with the word “first.” Students will begin the verbal retelling for the second picture with

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 Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

the transition word “next”. Students will begin the verbal retelling for the third picture with the
transition word “finally.”]
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).
[To help students understand the vocabulary terms `”major events” I will refer to previous stories
that we have read. In retelling these stories I will model what a major event is in each story and
what a major event is not in each story. I will reinstate to the students that a major event in a
story is an event that made a big change and was important to the forming or solving of the
problem. To help students understand the vocabulary word “sequence,” I will model an incorrect
retelling of Shelia Rae,the Brave, a book from a previous lesson, by sequencing the story’s
events in the wrong order. The students will point out what was wrong. I will then define the
vocabulary word ,“sequence”, and engage students in a whole-class discussion in which we
discuss why it is important to sequence events in the correct order when retelling. Then, I will
model how to correctly retell Shelia Rae, the Brave by sequencing events in the correct order.]
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.
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.
[In Lesson 1, I will informally assess if students can use the related skills of identifying major
events by asking them questions after reading Ferdinand, listening to them turn and talk with
their partner and having them share their ideas about the major events in the story. In Lesson 2,
I will informally assess if students can sequence major events in the correct order by asking
students questions about the major events in Ferdinand and about the order they happened in.
In lesson 2, I will formally assess the students by having them fill out a graphic organizer with
their pictures from Lesson 1 and add a couple sentences to describe each major event in
Ferdinand. I will also check to make sure the major events in the story are sequenced correctly.
In Lesson 3, I will informally assess if my students can identify the central message or moral of
the book Ferdinand. I will do this by listening to their responses to my questions during whole-
group instruction. I will formally assess them by asking them to create a new title and design a
new front cover for the book Ferdinand that relates to the central message or moral. Students
will also have to record a video on SeeSaw explaining why they retitled the book what they did
and what the illustration on the front cover shows and means. ]
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).

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 Elementary Literacy
Task 1: Planning Commentary

[ Since there are students who struggle with reading, we made the decision to read the book to
the class to help those students. We will also made sure to assist the students who struggle with
reading as they are working on their drawings because sometimes they struggle with
comprehension as well. The discussions throughout the book should help with that though. For
our student with the hearing impairment, the teacher will wear a microphone while reading the
book and asking questions about it, so the student can hear her clearly. We will also remind
students to speak loudly when they are talking, so that the student with the hearing impairment
can hear them and participate in group discussions.

Since there are students who struggle with reading and we have one student that has a hearing
impairment we planned to differentiate the sequencing of major events through pictures instead
of writing. By having the students present the major events through pictures it helps the
students who would struggle with representing their ideas in writing. This also is a way for
students to work on their verbal presentation skills as they will have to explain what they drew in
a way that sequentially retells the story. This appeals to all our students as it only requires them
to have retained the story that was read to them and be creative with the pictures they draw. We
also provided a graphic organizer that has the words first, next and last already printed on it to
assist students with their sentence forming skills. ]

Works Cited

Cecil, Nancy Lee, et al. Literacy in Grades 4-8: Best Practices for a Comprehensive
Program. Routledge, 2017.

Leaf, M., Robinson, L. and Lawson, R., 1977. The Story Of Ferdinand. [Pine Plains,
N.Y.]: Live Oak Media.

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