LEARNING-FOCUSED Lesson Plan

Plan for the concept, topic, or skill Not for the class period

Name
:

Huffman Academy

Topic:

Reading

Learning Goals for this Lesson

Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.2; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3; CCSS.ELALITERACY.RF.4.4.A

Students Will Know:

Students Will Be Able To:

How to determine a theme of a

story, drama, or poem from details in
the text; summarize the text.
How to determine the main idea
of a text and explain how it is
supported by key details; summarize
the text.
How to define and determine
story elements of a given story.

Lesson Essential Question:

Activating Strategy:

Key vocabulary to preview and vocabulary strategy:

theme, character, plot, setting, conflict, resolution,

Lesson Instruction

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Describe in depth a
character, setting, or event
in a story or drama, drawing
on specific details in the text
(e.g., a character's thoughts,
words, or actions).
Detect and describe six
main story elements of any
story: theme, character, plot,
setting, conflict, and
resolution

Learning Activity 1:
After the teacher asks students the Activating Strategy question, the
teacher will elaborate on it by asking students the following, creating
a small concept web for each follow-up question which students
should copy in a new section of the READING JOURNAL titled
STORY ELEMENTS - CONCEPT WEB:
Who was the story about? (Write WHO in center of
web.)
What happened in the story? (Write WHAT in center
of web.)
Where did the story taske place? (Write WHERE &
WHEN in center of web.)
What did you learn from the story? (Write WHY in
center of web.)
How did the story end? (Write END in center of
web.)

The teacher will then explain the following, which students will list,
along with their definitions, in a new section of the READING
JOURNAL titled STORY ELEMENTS - TERMS:
Character - a person in a story
Theme - the main idea of a story
Setting - the time and place of a story
Plot - events that make up a story
Conflict - struggle between two forces: two
characters, a character and nature, a character and the
supernatural, a character and society, or the character and
him/herself
Resolution - the end of the story when the problems
are solved

The students should then look at the concept webs and connect the
TERMS to the WEB. EX: CHARACTERS = WHO; PLOT = WHAT;
SETTING = WHERE & WHEN; CONFLICT = WHAT; THEME =
WHY; RESOLUTION = END.

Assessment Prompt for LA 1:

Students will listen to a story and write down what they think are the
story elements from that story in the STORY ELEMENTS handout.

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Graphic Organizer

The teacher will display a reading of the storybook Ish by Peter H.

Reynolds from YouTube on the Promethean board; URL:
https://youtu.be/ApvQWsgS9NM?t=8s. The teacher will mute the
video and read the story to the students.

Students will have about ten minutes after the story is finished to
determine the six story elements of Ish, and complete the STORY
ELEMENTS handout.

The teacher will take up the STORY ELEMENTS handout and

compare to the teachers key to determine how successfully the
students determined story elements of the book.
Learning Activity 2:
This activity should be documented in a new section of the
READING JOURNAL titled TOPIC vs. THEME.

The teacher will elaborate on the concept of themes. First, the

teacher will ask students what they remember of the story Ish that
we viewed/read previously. What is one thing Ramon needed in
order to continue drawing? The teacher will allow students to
respond with cold calling. As students provide responses, the
teacher will write these (hopefully one word) responses on the board.
The teacher will then ask students if they think these are all themes?
No. Actually, these are topics. The teacher will then explain that the
theme of any story is what the author wants us to take away, or
learn and remember, from the story.

To further explore this, the teacher will select one of the topics on the
board. [EX: Self-Confidence]. The teacher will circle that word, and
write the following on the board: The author
believes_________________. Then, the teacher will complete the
sentence as a model for the students. [EX: The author believes that
a person needs to believe in his or her own abilities in order to
create art.

The teacher will then elaborate on this idea in detail. [EX: Believing
in yourself, in the talents and abilities that you have, helps you enjoy

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your art. Art is all about perspective. One person may see just
scribbles and lines, but if you see art, or if it is just art-ish, then you
have created art! Be self-confident, and you will succeed!

The teacher will then select a second topic from the board, and ask
the students to provide suggestions to finish the sentence The
author believes________________.

Assessment Prompt for LA 2:

-The teacher will pass out the theme assessment sheet.
-Students will read the stories on page 1, then complete the work on
page 2. Page 2 asks the students to circle which of three items they
believe is the theme of the story, and then the student has to explain
what happened in the story that led them to believe that was the
theme. Students will need to write in complete sentences.

Assignment

Students will complete Bud,

Not Buddy Story Elements
Test. The test requires critical
thinking and complete
sentences.

Learning Activity 3:
Students will create a new section in their READING JOURNALS
titled BUD, NOT BUDDY STORY MAP, CHAPTER 1. The teacher
will advise students that we will fill this in together after we read the
chapter.

Together, the teacher and students will take turns reading chapter 1.

At the conclusion of the chapter, the teacher will ask the students
what they think the story elements are of the first chapter. If there
isnt a particular story element (I.E. an ending/resolution) in the
chapter, the students should leave it blank.

Every time there is a new entry in Buds Bud Caldwells Rules and
Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of
Yourself, the students should document it in a new section of the
READING JOURNAL titled BUD CALDWELLS RULES AND
THINGS.

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The following questions are

listed:
1. Name three
characters who helped
Bud throughout the
story, explain, in one to
two sentences, how
they helped Bud.
2. Name three
settings we
encountered in the
novel, and explain one
event that occurred in
that time and place.
3. What is the
main conflict of Bud,
Not Buddy? Who is
involved in this
conflict? What was the
resolution of this
conflict?
4. What is one
theme that you think
the author believes we
will take away from this
novel? What happened
in the novel to make

Assessment Prompt for LA 3:

-The teacher will project four comprehension questions on the
Promethean board -OR- pass out a printed copy of the
comprehension questions.
-Students should answer the questions on a headed sheet of looseleaf paper.

The teacher will take these up and grade based on correctness of

details. (Students should answer in complete sentences.)

Teacher and students will complete this activity, in the same order,
with every chapter, modifying the title of the READING JOURNAL
page as necessary each time.

Summarizing Strategy:

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you believe this is the

theme?
5. CREATIVE
WRITING: Think about
Buds character--his
wants, needs, feelings,
thoughts, and actions.
Now that Bud knows
who Herman E.
Calloway is and is
about to start the next
chapter of his life, what
do you think Bud will
do next? Write a
paragraph to explain
what you think Bud will
do after the end of the
novel.