Secondary English Language Arts: Revised ed:TPA Lesson Plan Template

Name: Audrey Hutchings

Lesson Title: The Things They Carried AfterReading Lesson

Grade Level: 10th

Lesson Goals
Central Focus: Describe the central focus (of the unit) and explain how this lesson reflects the central focus.
To explore what we carry with us, synthesizing narrative strategies from mentor texts and creating personal narratives and
thematic elements that reflect individual growth experiences.
List the title, author, and write a short description of the text(s) used in this lesson.
The Things They Carried, Tim OBrien
Set in the dual theatres of VC occupied Vietnam and the American life back home, The Things They Carried offers a deeply moving
account of a small unit of men that must learn to endure both the unfamiliarities of war in an unaccustomed country as well as the
hardships that it brings. Each character is affected by the death of Ted Lavender, the first one in the Alpha Chapter to die, and they try
to cope with and justify it. As they share their narratives of the brutalities and grief that they face, the characters cope by
using humor and alternate versions of the truth. Between the guilt and the terror that the war conditions and experiences, they carry
much more than their supplies and mementos from back home. The protagonist and main narrator, Tim OBrien, also speaks to the
audience during several chapters about the power of stories and what makes a true versus effective narrative about the war.
Ultimately, he says that the difference between a true story and a good story is sometimes minimal, as many details are blurred,
ignored, and supplemented in order to capture the moment.

Conceptual/Theoretical Framework (draw from research and readings in CI and English courswork:
As a whole, this lesson is built upon Jim Burkes discussions of language development and practical teaching
strategies presented in his text The English Teachers Companion. In referencing the importance of speaking
and listening, Burke notes that Oral language development isimportant because it facilitates English literacy
development[and] to be academically literate, students must be able to engage in the oral discourse of the
classroom as well as the reading and writing activities in the lessons. Therefore teachers should integrate all four
language skills in their lessons (competence, integrity, likability, and forcefulness), and oral language practice
should not be sacrificed for more time on reading and writing (Burke 207). Therefore, this lesson addresses
crucial aspects of oral discussion through both informal and formal assessment in order to facilitate

collaboration, even in a summative assessment. In addition, this lesson also draws from Burkes suggestion of
having students write their own assessment questions in order to increase student engagement in both learning
and assessment. Burke writes that incorporating test question stems (questions) can be very useful to have
students create their own test questions or writing prompts. This trains them to look for the type of content one
would include on such exams; moreover, it acclimates them to the language of tests as they use that language to
frame their own questions. It also has the added benefit of increasing engagement and buy-in to what is going on
in class (Burke 302). Therefore, especially as these students are have finished the rest of The Things They
Carried during the week of Spring Break, it is crucial for them to have a holistic, all-encompassing assessment in
order that they may partake in a form of both formal and selfa-assessment to foster an accurate, meaningful
interpretation of the novel.
Standard(s) Addressed (use examples from both the Common Core State Standards and the Illinois Professional Teaching
Standards):
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it
emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
IPTS Standard 4 - Learning Environment The competent teacher structures a safe and healthy learning environment that
facilitates cultural and linguistic responsiveness, emotional well-being, self-efficacy, positive social interaction, mutual
respect, active engagement, academic risk-taking, self-motivation, and personal goal-setting.

Recall your central focus and explain how the standards (above) and learning objectives (below), that you have identified, support
students learning:
The learning objective of students being able to identify the main ideas of a text in summarizing Chapters 1-17 of the novel
The Things They Carried directly relates to the Common Core standard that asks students to Determine a theme or central

idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text. It also relates to the central focus in that it
asks students to reflect and analyze different forms of narrative structures in a personalized manner. In addition, the
learning objective of students being able to synthesize situational and symbolic/thematic elements of the novel The Things
They Carried also relates to the previously mentioned Common Core standard about determining and analyzing central
themes in a text. In addition, this learning objective and its related assessment gives students an opportunity to write over
extended time frames in a summative format (different than previous lesson activities in this curriculum unit), related to
another Literacy Common Core standard listed above.
Materials/ Instructional Resources:

SmartBoard
White Board
Projector
Chromebooks/Laptops
Microphones/Speakers
*Learning Objectives (Add additional objective boxes as
needed):

*Assessment (both formal and informal)- Evidence of Student

Understanding:

Objective 1:

Related Assessment:

Students will able to identify the main ideas of a text in

summarizing Chapters 1-17 of the novel The Things They
Carried.

Students will individually write a one-sentence summary of

The novel, based on chapters 1-17.

Explain the Assessments Alignment with the Objective:

This exercise will challenge students to synthesize their
Understanding of the plot and thematic/symbolic elements
Of the novel thus far, and challenge them to reflect on
The work.

Describe the form of Student feedback that accompanies

the assessment:
Students will submit a short, written response.
Objective 2:

Related Assessment:

Students will write individual test questions, based on

Students will be able to synthesize situational and symbolic/ Chapters 1-17 of The Things They Carried, then answer
Thematic elements of the novel The Things They Carried.
Questions in small groups.

Explain the Assessments Alignment with the Objective:

Students will have the opportunity to reflect on various
Forms of situational/symbolic information presented in
The novel The Things They Carried thus far in writing
And answering summative questions.
Describe the form of Student feedback that accompanies
the assessment:
Short-answer and essay (written) responses. Responses
Can be either handwritten or typed.
Lesson Considerations
Pre-Assessment:
Students will have read Chapters 18-22 of The Things They Carried.
Prior Academic Learning and Prerequisite Skills: (Cite evidence that describes what students know, what they can

do, and what they are still learning to do.)

Students will need to have a robust understanding of Chapters 1-17 of the novel The Things They Carried.

Personal, cultural, and community assets related to the central focusExplain what you know about your students
everyday experiences, cultural and language backgrounds and practices, and interests.
Some of these students may have grandparents and other family members who were directly involved in the Vietnam War.
Therefore, there should be a level of anticipated sensitivity in discusses events of violence and differing political ideologies
related to the war itself. In addition, in these students lifetimes, they have not experience a kind of large-scale, formal war
waged by the United States similar to the Vietnam War, the Cold War, etc. Therefore, it would be important to make
meaningful connects to present political and social tensions, and military aggressions that have happened in the past 20
years.
Misconceptions:
A variety of foundational misconceptions about the novel, such as confusion over the time structure of the novel,
characterization, the significance of a variety of symbols, etc.

Language Objectives and Demands

Identify a Language Function:

Language Function. Using information about your students language assets and needs, identify one language function essential
for students within your central focus. Listed below are some sample language functions. You may choose one of these or another
more appropriate language function for this lesson.
Analyze

Argue

Describe

Evaluate

Explain

Interpret

Justify

Synthesize

Students will synthesize situational and thematic elements of the novel The Things They Carried through individual writing
and collaborative, summative writing.

Learning and Linguistic Accommodations: Describe the instructional accommodations that you must make, as the classroom
teacher, in order to address the learning needs of students with special needs and students who are not English proficient or
students who use varieties of English.
Accommodations for students with Special Needs:

For the student with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, light and noise stimuli will be reduced in the classroom. Constant
monitoring will be used in order to make sure that the noise produced from collaborative work is not distracting and/or too
loud. In addition, this student will have the option to complete his portion of the small group assessment outside of the
classroom and/or on an electronic device.
Accommodations for students who are not proficient uses of Standard English:

For the native French speaker, questions presented to her small group for assessment will be quickly translated into
French. She will be provided both an English and French copy of the questions for group discussion.
Explain your instructional decision-making and the way you plan to support student learning when using whole class,
small groups, and individualized assignments. In addition, explain accommodations for students who have
special needs and students who are not proficient users of Standard English as part of whole class and small
group arrangements
Having students individually write 2 test questions will allow them to think critically about the most important concepts
and events in the novel The Things They Carried. Students will have the freedom to make creative, informed decisions
about what they would like to be test on. Small group work will allow for students of all reading and writing abilities/levels
to collaborate critically, creatively, and constructively in order to solidify major concepts presented in the novel.
Accommodations identified and explained above.

Time

1) 1-2
minute
s
1) 7-8
minute
s
2) 6-7
minute
s
3) 7-8
minute
s
4) 17-20
minute
s

*Lesson Plan Details

Lesson Introduction
1) Greet students. Students will sit in regularly-assigned seats.

Learning Activities 1) Have students individually write a one-sentence summary of Chapters 1-17. This sentence may include aspects of
characterization, thematic devices, and plot development.
2) Have each student share their one sentence summary. Interject and comment on sentences as needed for modeling,
positive/ constructive feedback, etc.
3) Introduce next activity. Students will compile questions that would be appropriate for a test over Chapters 1-17 of the
novel. Have students individually write 1 short answer question and 1 short essay (paragraph-long response) question.
4) Divide students into small groups of 3-4. Collect all individual questions and distribute an even number of questions to
each group to answer.

Describe how your planned formal and informal assessments, including a written product, will provide direct evidence of
students abilities to construct meaning from, interpret, OR respond to a complex text throughout the learning segment.
Each students formulated test questions will demonstrate that they have thoroughly read and comprehended the text in
temrs of plot, narrative structure, and thematic elements. By answering these questions in small groups, students will have
the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and analysis of the novel as a whole in providing answers to a wide range
of questions about plot, structure, literary devices, etc.

1) 1-2
minute
s

Closure
1) Ask students to reflect on these questions as they finish the novel over Spring Break. Note that these questions will
help them review the novel moving into the final unit project they will begin short after Spring Break.
Extension
Students will be expected to complete the in-class test before leaving class. Students will hand in a hard or
electronic copy of their group-generated answers. Either make copies of their answers (with your commentary)
or re-share a Google Doc with their answers so that they have something to review and refer to over Spring
Break.

Resources and References (use APA or MLA listing the information from the conceptual framework above as
well as from any other categories where cited a source):
Burke, Jim. The English Teacher's Companion: A Completely New Guide to Classroom, Curriculum, and the
Profession. Fourth ed. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2013. Print.