Abbreviated Lesson Plan

Topic: Introducing the LDC Performance Task

Grades: 4th

Date: September 6th, 2016

Standard(s): LAFS.4.RI.1.1- Refer to details and examples in a

text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when
drawing conclusions.

Time: 75 minutes

LAFS.4.RI.1.4- Determine the meaning of general academic and

domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4
topic or subject area.
LAFS.4.RI.2.3- Describe the overall structure of events, ideas,
concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
LAFS.4.FL.2.2- Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with
diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others
ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Essential Question: What will I need to know and be able to
do in order the successfully complete the performance task at
the end of the unit?
Objective: Students will be able to understand and explain the
performance task through an examination of informational text,
as well as understand and explain the scoring elements on the
performance task rubric.
Vocabulary: motion: when an object changes position,
position: location of an object, direction: the path an object
travels from one position to another, energy: the ability to do
work, rubric.
Materials: Performance Task directions, Know/Do anchor chart,
3+ colored markers (red, purple, blue), Student LDC Activity
Guide booklet (provided), ELMO projector, marshmallows (2x the
number of students in the room, 38 for my class), Follow
Directions test copies.
Opening (Engage)
Time

Task

2 min.s

The Marshmallow Challenge I will place 1

marshmallow on a napkin on each students desk
(prior to student arrival). Students will be told that
if they can wait the duration of the lesson to eat
the marshmallow, they will receive an additional
marshmallow. If not, they will only receive the 1.
This challenge is adapted from the Stanford
marshmallow experiment.
The Follow Directions test will be face down on

HOT Questions:
1. Do I have the self-control
to stifle my desires and
focus on learning in order
to receive more valuable
delayed gratification?

5 min.s

2 min.s

students desks. They will be told to carefully read

their instructions and they will have 5 minutes to
take the test. Do not answer any student questions
during this time.
After five minutes, ask the students to raise their
hands if they completed the assessment. Explain
that if they read all directions first, they would
have been done after completing question 2. Help
students recognize the importance of
understanding and reading directions before
starting a task.

2. How does following

directions help me in life?
3. What do I already know
about force and motion
from prior understanding?

Building Understanding (Whole Group Exploration /

Core):
Time

Task

20 min.s

The American Marshmallow company has a task

for you! They want a new way of sending
marshmallows across great distances. You will be
working on this task in our classroom and in your
Science class next door. In Language Arts, we will
be learning about motion and energy by exploring
a marshmallow flyer and reading informational
text. You will be writing a scientific report for the
American Marshmallow Company on our findings.
This is the task the Company has provided us with:
(place Performance Task directions on Elmo.
Students can follow along in their booklets.)
Have students popcorn read the instructions
sentence by sentence (4 students). Define
unfamiliar vocabulary on vocabulary sheet
including:
motion: when an object changes position
position: location of an object
direction: the path an object travels from one
position to another
energy: the ability to do work. We need energy to
force an object to movie.
Inform students we will now examine the directions
for any Reading requirements and underline them
with a red marker. Draw colored/studentdesignated chips to ask for student responses.
-

Scaffold students to underline: after

reading informational text, give several

4. Why would I need energy

to propel the
marshmallow?
5. How can I analyze this text
to determine what will be
required of me in various
subject areas?

examples from the text, data and

notebook reflections to support your
discussions.
Next, we will use a purple marker to underline any
Writing requirements. Draw colored/studentdesignated chips to ask for student responses.
-

Scaffold students to underline: write a

scientific report in which you answer the
question and explain, give several
examples.

Now, we will use a blue marker to underline any

Science requirements. Draw colored/studentdesignated chips to ask for student responses.
-

20 min.s

Scaffold students to underline: how does

motion affect an objects position and
direction?, experimenting with the
marshmallow flyer, scientific report,
energy has the ability to cause motion,
process you used to explore motion,
labeled diagram, several examples from
the data.

Redirect students attention to the t-chart created

prior to the lesson (What we need to know,
What we need to do,). Ask students to turn and
talk about what they think they will need to learn
and know to do the performance task. Students will
then share and the teacher will copy their
responses on the need to know side of the tchart. Students copy responses on their own chart
in their Activity booklet.
-

7. What will I need to be able

to do to complete this
task?

(Guide student responses to consider: how

energy causes motion, how motion affects
an objects position and direction, what
position is, what motion is, what direction is,
what a scientific report is, what a
marshmallow flyer is, how a marshmallow
flyer shows that energy has the ability to
cause motion.)

Ask the students to turn and talk about what they

think they will need to be able to do in order to
successfully complete the task. Discuss student
responses as a class while completing the do
side of the t-chart in their own booklet and the
anchor chart.
-

6. What will I need to learn

and understand to
complete this task?

(Guide student responses to consider: read

and understand informational text,

8. What is expected of me to
accomplish this task?

15 min.s

determine important information, create a

marshmallow flyer, design a labeled
diagram, cite evidence from the text, data
and reflections, collect data and reflect, plan
for writing, write a scientific report, apply
the concepts of energy and motion to the
marshmallow flyer, write about the design
and exploration process.)
Place the scoring rubric on the Elmo. Ask students
what a rubric is. Explain that a rubric will tell them
all the expectations the American Marshmallow
Company expects them to meet as researchers.
Explain the elements of their project (on the left
side) and the levels of expectations students
should meet (top columns). Emphasize what is
necessary to Meet Expectations. For students
who struggle with academic language, rephrase to
more social language when necessary.

Lesson Closure
Time

Task

2 min.s

Marshmallow Challenge The students will now

be given their additional marshmallow (if earned). I
will explain to students the importance of selfcontrol and will power, involving short term
sacrifice to achieve something of greater value
later.

10 min.s

Students will be instructed to answer the question

on their ELA Day 1 Student Response Sheet in their
booklets independently (while they eat their
marshmallows). Based on the performance task
and rubric, what needs to be included in your final
scientific report?

Differentiation:
The teacher will differentiate support based on:
Students content area knowledge of specific vocabulary.
For ELLs and students with low vocabulary understanding, the
rubric will be rephrased to more social and common language.
Students writing skills.
and provide support in the following ways:
Reteach (Greatest Support): A small group will convene with
another teacher or professional to review the instructions and
rubric and plan for their writing together, with a focus on writing
in response to information text and the rubric components.

Assessment:
An independently written
response to the question:
Based on the performance
task and rubric, what needs to
be included in your final
scientific report?
How will this assessment
show you that students have
mastered the objective?
Students ability to synthesize
the information from the
rubric and instructions,
relayed in their own words,
will indicate if they understand
what they will need to know
and be able to do in order to
complete the performance
task while meeting
expectations.

Exit Question:
What will I need to learn and
be able to do to in order to
meet expectations for the
performance task?

Core low: Students will be guided to creating a plan for their

written response based on the information gathered in the
charts.
Core high: These students will be encouraged to include higher
level vocabulary and potential ideas for their performance
assessment, based in scientific knowledge of key vocabulary.
Enrich (Least Support): These students will begin designing a
diagram that could act as a model for their marshmallow flyer.
Goal:
Students will feel prepared to begin their performance task with the end in mind.

Notes for Teaching:

The class is accustomed to answering to their table color and seat number, which is on a chip
and drawn from a cup.