ELA Lesson Plan and afternoon Schedule, Tuesday 12:40-2:30

Name: Michele Morelli

Date: 11/17/15
Audience: Mrs. Roses 4th grade classroom, 25 students
PA Standards:
CC.1: PA Core: English Language Arts
CC.1.2.4.A: Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key
details; summarize the text
Psychological principles considered: This lesson reflects part of Bruners Constructivist
Theory. Bruner theorized that children learn by constructing new ideas/concepts based on their
current knowledge of the subject. Children rely on their current schemas or cognitive structures
to help them understand new topics and to build upon others. This lesson encourages students to
use what they generally know about determining the theme of a text to assist them in applying
this concept to songs and lyrics theyve never heard before.
Objectives:
1. Students will determine the theme or moral of common Disney movies, and
the story Turk and Runt by Lisa Wheeler, and explain how it is supported by
key details. Students will also work collaboratively to determine theme in
songs, supporting their ideas with key details.

Materials:

Turk and Runt by Lisa Wheeler

Sticky notes
Computer/YouTube/Projector for songs- Song list: Cats in the Cradle by Harry
Chapin, Stressed Out by 21 Pilots, Graduation by Vitamin C
25 copies of lyrics/questions skill sheet

Introduction/Motivation: To introduce todays ELA period, I will tell the students that today we
are going to explore the concept of theme in both text and music. We will begin by discussing the
concept of theme by watching clips of well-known Disney movies. We will highlight details that
help to support the theme. Next, we will read the story Turk and Runt, and discuss possible
themes of the story. After we complete these activities, we will listen to some songs and work
together to determine the theme of each.
Procedure: ****NOTE- snack from 1:30-1:40 (Take break after Turk and Runt activity)
1. As students enter the classroom, I will ask that they sit down quietly and
focus their attention to me at the front white board. I will start the class by
writing the word Theme in capital letters on the board. Ill ask the students
to raise their hands to define theme.
2. After Ive taken 2-3 hands, I will add onto the word theme, so that it cleverly
defines the word: THE MEssage. Theme is the main message, big idea,
moral or lesson of a text, song, movie, etc. Many times it is a message that
can be applied to your own life, such as honesty, courage or acceptance of

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4.

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others differences. In order for a story to be deep, meaningful and lasting, it

needs to have an underlying theme.
Next, I will ask students to raise their hands: How do you think an author
develops a theme for a story, poem, narrative? How does a
musician/songwriter develop a message to a song? I am looking for
something along these lines: It usually comes down to what the
author/writer believes about life. If a writer feels strongly about certain
things, as most people do, those strong life views will be reflected in their
writing.
Discuss the movie, Snow White with the students. I want you to watch this
clip from the movie, Snow White https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=pMTWmqFBWBo (Type in: Snow White and The Apple, by Schoolers) Snow
White is a young, nave girl- what does nave mean? A crazy looking witch
shows up to her home with a shiny, red apple and entices her to take a bite.
All the signs are there- that this is a bad idea- the birds go crazy, the animals
are spooked, the witch is acting strange, rubbing her hands together and
smiling deviously. What could a possible theme to this clip be? Discuss in
groups. Call on a few groups to explain their reasoning- have them support
with details- ask why?? (If something seems suspicious, it most likely is: trust
your instincts-do not look past the red flags).
How about the little mermaid- In order for Ariels prince charming to fall in
love with her, she needs to become a human. If she becomes a human, she
will never be able to see her family again. Watch this clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0fWYtwvrww (Type in: The Little
Mermaid- Please Make Me Human Magic Spell. Only watch until 1:10) Notice
what Ursula just said- Life is full of tough choices, isnt it? Discuss in your
groups a possible theme for this clip. (Obviously, life is full of tough choices,
sometimes you need to make sacrifices to get what you ultimately want.) Call
on a few groups to explain the possible theme and support their claim.
Now, we are going to read a story called, Turk and Runt. I will ask students
to grab a pencil and a piece of paper, and join me in the front of the room for
a story circle. As I read, I want them to take notes about a possible theme of
the story- make note of supporting details, etc. After we finish the story, I will
ask: What are some differences between Turk and Runt? Why do you think
no one listened to Runt? Students will return to their seats.
I will count off by 12 , making 11 pairs and 1 group of 3. I will walk around
and give each pair a sticky note, and ask them to discuss the possible themes
of the story. Remember, sometimes there is more than one theme in a story.
Write your ideas on the sticky note, and when youre done, come stick them
to the front board. (Students will get 5-7 mins). We will discuss these when
they finish. (Possible theme, Dont judge a book by its cover- Runt may seem
puny, silly, dumb, especially in comparison to Turkbut he was right all
along. He is smarter than he looks/seems.) (SNACK TIME 10 mins read
quietly)

8. Following the sticky note activity, I will pass out a sheet of lyrics to each
student, and pair them off by pulling names out of a hat/cup. I will tell the
students that we are going to listen to a few songs, and they will follow along
by reading the lyrics. After we listen to each song, you and your partner will
discuss the possible theme of the song. You will support your theme with
details from the lyrics. We will discuss the entire skill sheet after weve
listened to all songs and written down ideas for each)
9. Following this activity, if we have time (we should have about 15-20 mins), I
will assign each group a common theme (Courage, acceptance, compassion,
honesty, cooperation, kindness). Students will independently write a short
story using their assigned theme. We will most likely need to finish this
tomorrow.
10.
**EXIT SLIP: Define theme

***SONGS AND THEMES

1: Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin. Themes to discuss: The apple doesnt fall far from
the tree, the importance of family, the regret of opportunities taken for granted, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OqwKfgLaeA
2: Graduation by Vitamin C. Themes to discuss: Growing up and moving on with life,
Holding on to friendships and memories from your youth, People change as time goes on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMPRh_ly6JM
3: Stressed out by 21 Pilots. Themes to discuss: Life is easier when youre young, so many
more responsibilities as you grow up, and there arent many things to worry about as a
child.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8esYwLKnIaY
Assessment: The skill sheet that corresponds to the song lyrics could be used as a formal
assessment of theme analysis and ability to connect supporting details to theme. In regard to
informal assessment, I plan to listen to the pairings as they discuss the meanings behind each
song- I will be looking to see their process in dissecting the songs to determine meaning, and
their reasoning behind it. These are higher-order thinking skills that they will need as they
continue in their schooling.
Closure: In the last two minutes of class, as the students are putting away their short stories, I
will ask students to write down the definition of theme and hand it to me on their way out the
door (exit slip).
Differentiation: There are numerous differentiation techniques used in this lesson. Incorporating
technology into a lesson has the potential to reach students of all skill/ability levels. Using
videos, text and music can reach both auditory and visual learners. Also, collaborative learning is
an excellent differentiation strategy. Random pairings allow the lower achievers of the class to
take advantage of peer support, while the higher achievers gain the opportunity to organize and
voice their thoughts for the benefit of the pairing as a whole.