Thematic Unit

Grace Karney and Sheridan Blair

April 28, 2017
T&L 322
Dr. Barbara Ward
Unit Plan: Mental Disorders and Empathy
Grade Level: Sixth

Rationale: One out of every five children has a mental disorder of some sort. Mental illnesses
can be difficult for some students to understand, which may lead to prejudices and bias towards
the students with disorders. There are so many misconceptions about mental illnesses. These
misconceptions cause the people with them to feel isolated. This is why want to tie the lessons to
empathy. Empathy, in the simplest form, is putting yourself in someone elses shoes. Empathy
leads to understanding, which is essential for modern day life. Our goal for this unit is to have
students use empathy to look at different mental disorders. We have planned a wide range of
lessons, from having students analyze where the negative stigma towards mental disorders stems
from, to having them watch the film Inside Out and discuss emotions. We are using the book
Waiting for Normal as our main mentor text because it ties so well into both empathy and
struggling with a mental disorder. We designed questions throughout the unit that will help our
students become critical thinkers. The unit as a whole will teach through inquiry. Students will
look at how their actions affect others and will complete activities that break down stereotypes
society as a whole has towards individuals with mental illnesses. Our hope is that our students
will come out of this unit with caring hearts towards people that have to cope with a mental
disorder on a daily basis and have a better understanding of overall mental health and what this
entails.

Objectives:
SWBAT display knowledge of what it means to be empathetic
SWBAT recognize that mental illnesses are topics that need to be addressed more in society and
analyze why they are not
SWBAT analyze why mental illnesses are negatively stigmatized
SWBAT reflect on their journey of understanding using an anticipation guide that will be given
at the beginning and end of the unit
SWBAT reflect in their journals on different prompts given related to mental illnesses and
empathy
SWBAT participate in class discussions on various topics throughout the unit
SWBAT create a mathematical representation to given statistics
SWBAT problem solve a given situation
SWBAT navigate resources given to them that will help them understand mental health
SWBAT develop an open atmosphere of communication and sharing.
SWBAT compare and contrast different characters in stories
SWBAT identify the point of view of poetry and how it contributes to the development of a story
SWBAT Determine how a particular sentence/stanza contributes to the development of theme
SWBAT Explain the importance of point of view in a story
SWBAT Explore different poetry to determine the point of view and how it fits into the bigger
theme of writing.
SWBAT create a narrative from a specific characters point of view
SWBAT compare and contrast narratives with descriptive language and narratives without
descriptive language
SWBAT successfully select and be able to cite textual evidence of significant events from a story
that will will add to their understanding of their analysis of said story
SWBAT use description to elaborate on an event in their writing
SWBAT describe why pacing and description are important to develop narrative writing
SWBAT investigate and conclude at least 2 effects of a specific mental health topic.
SWBAT identify the importance of empathy through reading and researching a specific mental
health topic.
SWBAT write their own informative essay about a mental health topic using five paragraphs
SWBAT explain in written form why empathy is important with mental illnesses.

Content Standards:

English Language Arts Standards

RL.6.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
RL.6.3: Describe how a particular storys or dramas plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well
as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
RL.6.5: Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall
structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.
RL.6.6: Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
RL.6.9: Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems;
historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.
RL.6.10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and
poems, in the grades 68 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the
high end of the range.
RI.6.6: Determine an authors point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed
in the text.
RI.6.7: Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
W.6.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
W.6.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
W.6.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and
refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
W.6.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility
of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding
plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources.
W.6.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research.
W.6.10 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 discipline-specific tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
SL.6.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas
and expressing their own clearly.
SL.6.2 Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
L.6.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or
listening.

Art Standards:
Anchor Standard 1 Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Performance Standard (VA:Cr1.1.6) a. Combine concepts collaboratively to generate
innovative ideas for creating art.
Anchor Standard 2 Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
Performance Standard (VA:Cr2.1.6) a. Demonstrate openness in trying new ideas, materials,
methods, and approaches in making works of art and design.
Anchor Standard 3 Refine and complete artistic work.
Performance Standard (VA:Cr3.1.6) a. Reflect on whether personal artwork conveys the
intended meaning and revise accordingly.

Health & Fitness Standards

H1.So4.6a
Explain importance of understanding other perspectives when resolving interpersonal conflicts.
H1.So4.6b
Summarize characteristics of empathy and compassion.

Next Generation Science Standards:

MS-LS1-8 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Gather and synthesize information that sensory receptors respond to stimuli by sending messages
to the brain for immediate behavior or storage as memories.
Washington State EALRS Grade 6 Educational Technology Standards:
1.1 Innovate: Demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge and develop innovative
products and processes using technology.
1.2: Collaborate: Use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively
to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
2.1: Practice Safety: Practice safe, legal and ethical behavior in the use of information and
technology.
2.2: Operate Systems: Understand technology systems and use hardware and networks to support
learning.
2.3: Select and Use Applications: Use productivity tools and common applications effectively
and constructively.

Accommodations:
Accommodations will be made for students whenever necessary. We designed each task keeping
in mind that we have a variety of learners in the classroom. Because of this, we tried to present
information to students using different structures every day. Examples of this are whole group
discussions, partner work, individual work, group reading, independent reading, group projects,
using picture books, projects looking at different resources such as newspapers and websites,
We tried to use a range of cognitive thinking questions this way gifted students will be
challenged. If a student is struggling with any activity or question set they will be given
assistance by the teacher.
We grouped our ELL students with a partner/partners that are more proficient in the English
language. Our special education students needs will be met according to their IEPs and 504
plans.

Student Voice:
We tried to incorporate student voice wherever possible. It is the most prevalent in the many exit
slips that students complete. There are multiple questions that ask them how they felt about the
days lesson, what they are unclear on, what they think they still need to learn, where to access
resources, what their favorite and least favorite part of a lesson was, etc. Students are asked to
discuss their own emotions in relation to empathy. Students are constantly asked to reflect on
their learning and where they think they are at. It is important to encourage reflection such as this
even at a young age because reflection is such a crucial part of the learning and understanding
process.

Resources Used Throughout:

Caring Hearts and Critical Minds
Wolk, S. (2013). Caring hearts & critical minds : Literature, inquiry, and social
responsibility (1st ed.]. ed.). Portland, Me.: Stenhouse.
 This resource was the biggest help throughout the unit. We often found ourselves looking
through the different thematic units looking for examples of worksheets, discussions, etc
that we could draw from. We looked at the general structure of the lesson days and used
those as a resource for how many activities to include, when to dive into certain
activities, and how to go about setting up a unit in general. The idea for the anticipation
guide was taken from page 62.
TED Talk:
https://www.ted.com/talks/ruby_wax_what_s_so_funny_about_mental_illness#t-311207
This TED Talk serves as a great introduction to mental illnesses. Ruby Wax asks why
diseases of the body get sympathy but diseases of the brain do not. This is a great video
to show to children the first day we discuss mental disorders because many people have
negative attitudes towards the people that have them and we want our students to be more
aware.
Waiting for Normal
Connor, L. (2008). Waiting for normal (1st ed.). New York: Katherine Tegen Books.
This is the book that will be used as the main mentor text throughout the unit. The book
tells the story of a young girl whose mother has what the reader thinks is bipolar disorder.
We thought this would be a great resource to use to tie in empathy. We want to examine
empathy both for the mother and for the young girl, and explore what it would be like to
have a parent with a mental disorder.
Stop the Stigma: The Mental Health Series Project Youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAUo_-0J3-s
The Stand Up Kid- Time to Change Youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE5Ip60_HJk
Mental Health Statistics: https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-
Numbers
These numbers will help showing the huge number of people that have mental illnesses.
This will help the students realize that mental health is a real issue that needs to be talked
about and will be used during the math activity.
Inside Out movie:
This lighthearted movie depicts a fascinating way to display emotions. An eleven year
old girl is forced to move with her family, and we what happens as her world turns upside
down, the emotion of happiness is lost, and anger, fear, and disgust take over. We are
going to use this to open up a discussion about emotions
Brain Website:
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072486/)
Students will be directed to this website to discover how the brain works and processes
information. It gives a brief description on what each part of the brain does.
Brain Documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRNgURu8jEQ
 This documentary goes in depth on mental disorders and how the brain works differently
with one. Students will watch this and hopefully understand that a mental disorder does
not make a person weird, their brain just works a little differently.
Amusement Ride Newspaper Article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/26/opinion/mental-illness-is-not-a-horror-show.html
Knotts Berry Farm has an amusement park ride that shows a very negative depiction of
psychiatric hospitals. We plan on using this on analyzing where the negative stigma
associated with mental illnesses comes from.
Newspaper on Mental Illnesses Portrayed in Media:
(https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brick-brick/201405/the-stigma-mental-illness-
is-making-us-sicker)
This article examines how mental illnesses are portrayed in the media and the negative
stigma behind them.
Demi Lovato Interview:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnbt8Cam6xg)
Demi Lovato discusses her struggle with mental health and her journey with bipolar
disorder. We want to use this to show anyone can have a mental disorder, even famous
people.
Heads Together Website:
(https://www.headstogether.org.uk/)
This is a website started by the royal family to tackle the mental health issue the world is
currently having. We will use this by having students explore the website and look at
different peoples stories.
Marvelous Minilessons for Teaching Intermediate Writing Grades 4-6
Jamison, L. (2011). Marvelous minilessons for teaching intermediate writing, grades 4-6.
Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
We used this resource quite a bit for our narrative lesson to help students expand and add
to their writing.
Picture slideshow Photos from:
- https://stephversusworld.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/img_0366.jpg
- https://fthmb.tqn.com/5_kGheV9m0cLG8T_TonIXSc6vKc=/735x0/about/child_cu
stody-56a86ff25f9b58b7d0f29a64.jpg
- http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2013/August/cancer-treatment.jpg
- http://news.unl.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large_aspect/public/symphonicbands
maller.jpg?itok=G9teRKWg
KWL Chart:
- Inspiredelementary.com
Brochure Folding Instructions found at
http://styleguide.library.virginia.edu/templates/brochure/
Compliment Cards found at https://www.pinterest.com/pin/465911523929917439/
Newspaper article:
 https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/26/opinion/mental-illness-is-not-a-horror-show.html
Picture books:
- Wrong Way by Mark MacLeod
Summary from Goodreads: Sometimes a day out doesn't go according to plan. But when
one little duck wants to make a big splash all by himself, the wrong way to do things
turns out to be just right! Sometimes a day out doesn't go according to plan. But when
one little duck wants to make a big splash all by himself, the wrong way to do things
turns out to be just right! A charming book about spreading your wings and finding your
own way in the world.
- Whats Wrong with Timmy? By Maria Shriver
Summary from Amazon: What is the response when a child points out that a disabled
child or adult looks 'different'? Shriver tells the story of Kate, who finds that making
friends with a mentally retarded boy helps her learn that the two of them have a lot in
common.
- The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
Summary from Amazon: Meet Brian, the invisible boy. Nobody ever seems to notice
him or to include him in their group, game, or birthday party . . . until, that is, a new kid
comes to class. When Justin, the new boy, arrives, Brian is the first to make him feel
welcome. And when Brian and Justin team up to work on a class project together, Brian
finds a way to shine.From esteemed author and speaker Trudy Ludwig and acclaimed
illustrator Patrice Barton, this gentle story shows how small acts of kindness can help
children feel included and allow them to flourish. Any parent, teacher, or counselor
looking for material that sensitively addresses the needs of quieter children will find The
Invisible Boy a valuable and important resource.
- Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Summary from Scholastic.com: Grace loves stories, whether they're from books,
movies, or the kind her grandmother tells. When her school decides to perform Peter Pan,
Grace longs to play the lead, but her classmates point out that Peter was a boy. Besides,
he wasn't black. With the support of her family, Grace learns that she can be anything she
wants to be, and the results are amazing! Remarkable watercolor illustrations give full
expression to Grace's high-flying imagination.
- Through Grandpas Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan
Summary from elementaryliterature.wikispaces.com: John is a young boy who loves to
visit his Nana and his Grandpa, who is blind. When he visits, he spends his days
experiencing the world in the way that his Grandpa does: through his other four senses. In
doing this, he tries to be like his Grandpa and experience the world around him in the
way that his Grandpa does, learning how to listen, feel, and sense the world around him.
- Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
Summary from scholastic.com: Chrysanthemum loves her name until she starts
kindergarten, which is an unfamiliar world full of short names like Sue, Bill, Max, Sam,
 and Joe. But it's Victoria who really makes Chrysanthemum wilt, offering that she was
named after her grandmother, which is much more important than being named after a
flower. Though Chrysanthemum's parents try to soothe her wounded soul with "hugs,
kisses, and Parcheesi," it's not easy to find solace (and regain lost self-esteem) with all the
girls on the playground threatening to "pluck" and "smell" you. Then the children meet
their music teacher, charismatic Mrs. Twinkle. Mrs. Delphinium Twinkle, that is. When
Mrs. Twinkle announces that she wants to name her baby the prettiest name she has ever
heard, and that that name is Chrysanthemum, all the kids wish they had flower names,
too. For her part, Chrysanthemum blooms once again.
- Hey, Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose
Summary from Goodreads: What would you do if the ant you were about to step on
looked up and started talking? Would you stop and listen? What if your friends saw you
hesitate? Thats what happens in this funny, thought-provoking book. Originally a song
by a father-daughter team, this conversation between two creatures, large and small, is
bound to inspire important discussions. It might even answer that classic childhood
question: To squish or not to squish?
- The Wall by Eve Bunting
Summary from Google Books: "The poignant journey of a boy and his father to locate
the boys grandfathers name on the Vietnam War Memorial. Totally within a young
childs intellectual and emotional ken, this is a powerful yet gentle tribute to those who
have lost their lives in war, and to their families.--School Library Journal, Best Books of
the Year.
- One by Kathryn Otoshi
Summary from Goodreads: Blue is a quiet color. Reds a hothead who likes to pick on
Blue. Yellow, Orange, Green, and Purple dont like what they see, but what can they do?
When no one speaks up, things get out of hand until One comes along and shows all
the colors how to stand up, stand together, and count. As budding young readers learn
about numbers, counting, and primary and secondary colors, they also learn about
accepting each other's differences and how it sometimes just takes one voice to make
everyone count.
- Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena
Summary from Goodreads: Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus
across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why
doesnt he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off
in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from
grandma, who helps him see the beautyand funin their routine and the world around
them.
- Stand in My Shoes by Bob Sornson
Summary from Goodreads: When Emily asks her big sister what the word empathy
means, Emily has no idea that knowing the answer will change how she looks at people.
 But does it really matter to others if Emily notices how theyre feeling? Standing in My
Shoes shows kids how easy it is to develop empathy toward those around them. Empathy
is the ability to notice what other people feel. Empathy leads to the social skills and
personal relationships which make our lives rich and beautiful, and it is something we
can help our children learn. This book teaches young children the value of noticing how
other people feel.
- Sumis First Day of School Ever by Joung Un Kim and Soyung Pak
Summary from Goodreads: The first day of school can be lonely and scary, especially
when you don't speak the same language as everyone else. Sumi only knows one phrase
in English, "Hello, my name is Sumi." This doesn't seem nearly enough to prepare her for
a big school with wide stairs, noisy children, and a mean classmate. From the author of
the Ezra Jack Keats Award winner Dear Juno comes this thoughtful picture book about a
young Korean girl on her first day of school. Beautiful, expressive illustrations show how
a considerate teacher and even a new friend help Sumi discover that school might not be
so lonely after all.
- Tight Times by Barbara Shook Hazen
Summary from Goodreads: A small boy, not allowed to have a dog because times are
tight, finds a starving kitten in a trash can on the same day his father loses his job.
- Justification for using these picture books: These picture books offer an arrangement
of different scales of empathy, allowing students to interpret empathy in the events that
happen in everyday life. These picture books are also different reading levels which
allows different readers from within the class to read them. The different empathy books
will allow students to create their own artistic representation during one of the days of
our unit plan.
-
Cross Cutting Concepts:

Math:
Math was incorporated into the thematic unit the first week. We wanted to show the real
numbers for the amount of people that have mental disorders and stress just how high that
number is. For this activity, we showed a chart with different statistics in regards to mental
illnesses. They will be asked to graph one of their findings in their math journals.

Science:
Science was incorporated into the unit the second week. The thought process behind this was that
the brain is fascinating, and we thought students would really enjoy if we got to do a lesson on it.
We begin the day by researching general information about the brain, different areas, and how it
processes/ works. Next, we show a documentary on the brain for people that have mental
illnesses. It details how the brain works differently with one. It talks about the different parts of
the brain and what they are each responsible for. It then talks about how these sections function
differently when a person is dealing with a mental disorder. After all of this we wanted students
to do a hands on activity so we gave them the assignment of building a brain and labeling the
different parts, then writing a summary of how the different parts function differently when a
person has a mental illness.

Health and Fitness:

Health and fitness was easily able to be incorporated into this unit due to the fact that we are
teaching a unit regarding personal and mental health. During the first week students will watch a
Youtube video about mental health stigmas and theyll reflect on what they think about the
video. During the very last week students will be conducting their own research project on a
mental health topic. Its important to expose students to these kinds of topics because they are so
prevalent and common in our society today, yet they are not alked about enough.

Fine Arts:
Fine arts will be incorporated a few different times throughout these three weeks. We think that
using the fine arts for a thematic unit about empathy is a great idea because it gives students the
opportunity to express themselves in their own creative way. Students will be given the
opportunity to create their own artistic representation of an event of their choice that made them
feel empathy during Waiting for Normal. Students will also be creating their own artistic
representation on day 3 of the first week based off of a picture book they have read in class. They
will also be decorating their own Resource Help Sheet and Mental Health Brochures during
the third week. Incorporating fine arts into this unit is a great way for students to be more hands-
on and expressive with their learning.

Quick Outline/ Overview

Week 1
Day1: Introduction to empathy- empathy prewrite: what does empathy mean to you?
KWL chart
Day2: Anticipation guide- mental disorders, ted talk on mental disorder and what it is
Day3: Picture Books/ class discussion about picture books with questions, stop the
stigma mental health youtube video, focus questions
Day 4:Introduce Waiting for Normal, math activity- graph of students with mental
disorders
Day 5: Students watch Inside Out, group discussion, feelings journal, stress balls

Week 2
Day 1: Science and technology day- videos of brain and how it can process information
differently, final art activity where students build brain
 Day 2: of the way done with book- set of questions to think about, Empathy Handout
Day 3: Stigma behind mental disorders- where does it come from? Newspaper articles
Day 4: Poetry day and point of view day- write favorite quote about Waiting for Normal
and place them all outside on the floor- students write poems, write poems about empathy
and mental health
Day 5: Well known people with mental disorders and how they cope, why can listening
to these experiences make you more empathetic?, website browsing (Heads Together)
Week 3
Day 1: Done reading Waiting for Normal
Picture slideshow/ focus questions
Venn diagram comparing
Day 2: Journal- what they thought
Day 3: Art Project/ justifications
Day4: Youtube video The Stand Up Kid Mental Health Research Lesson Plan ,
informative essay, decorative resource help sheet
Day 5: Research Presentation, mental health brochure, comment cards, anticipation guide
 Week One

Day 1:
Goal: Before we begin diving straight into our unit about empathy and mental disorders we want
to start by first introducing the concept of empathy so that students will be entering this unit
comfortably. The main goal is to figure out what they already know and what exactly empathy
means for each of our students.

Overview: We will begin by telling students that we are getting ready to start a new unit about
empathy. We will tell them that it is okay if they do not know anything about empathy because
we are going to have a whole unit on it, and that by the end of the unit they should know more.
The first thing that we will prompt students to do is an empathy prewrite where they will freely
write down anything that they know about empathy, whether that be a definition or an example
they have witnessed at some point in their life. After their prewrite, we will also pass out a KWL
chart (Know, Want to know, Learned) that students will keep with them throughout the whole
unit. Again, we will tell students that it is okay if they dont have that much to write down
because our goal is for them to learn more. After collecting both of these things we will look
over them to get some insight about what our students already know, then we will hand them
back so that students can keep these papers with them until the end of the unit. Students will also
be given a portfolio where they will be able to keep all of their worksheets from this unit.

Materials:
- Pencils
- Paper for prewrite
- KWL chart
- Unit portfolio
Day 2:
Goal: The goal for this day is to begin introducing mental illnesses. We want to provoke thought
on what it means to have a mental illness.

Overview:
Anticipation guide: This will be used at the beginning and end of the unit to see how thoughts
have changed regarding mental illness. Anticipation guides can serve as a great way to introduce
a topic. Students will rank the statements on a 1-10 scale on how much they agree with the
statement. The goal is to begin a dialogue on what it means to have a mental disability.
(Attachment A).

Students Journal: The teacher will choose three statements and students will write about one in
their journals. Students will be asked to explain their reasoning for why they gave the score that
they did.

Students Share Journals: Students will sit on the rug in a circle with their journals and volunteers
will read what they have written. The teacher would open it up for discussion and everyone
would be free to comment on what people wrote. The students will do most of the talking and the
teacher will be there to ask probing questions, clarify a point, ensure everyone is being
respectful, etc.

TED Talk: Next a TED Talk will be shown that asks the question why diseases of the body
garner sympathy but diseases of the brain do not. Ruby Wax talks about the different kinds of
mental illnesses and what it is like to have them. She urges the public to end the negative stigma
behind mental illnesses. This is a great introduction video to show the class to get them thinking
what it means to have a mental illness and why they are portrayed so negatively.
(https://www.ted.com/talks/ruby_wax_what_s_so_funny_about_mental_illness#t-311207)

TED Talk Discussion: The quote,All they did was tell me to perk up I didnt think of that
(said in a really sarcastic voice) will be written on the board. Students will turn and talk to their
neighbor about their reaction to the quote and the video as a whole. Volunteers will then share
out their thoughts to the class.

Attachments:
Anticipation guide:
Anticipation Guide
Name:__________________

Before You Read After You Read

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-1 Lack of understanding of 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

0 mental illnesses can lead to
people that have them feeling
hopeless

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 There are many people that 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

 have a mental illness

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Mental health is just as 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

important as physical health

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 There is a negative stigma 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

surrounding mental illnesses

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 People that are depressed just 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

need to think more positively

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Telling someone to cheer 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

up is a good way to help
someone with a mental illness
if they are sad

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Less educated people are 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

more likely to suffer from a
mental illness

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Depression is just typical 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

adolescent behavior and is
something people will grow
out of

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 People that have anxiety often 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

just overreact to problems

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Mental illness has nothing to 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

do with how smart you are

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Talking about your mental 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

health challenges is a waste of
time. Its better to just take
medicine.

3 statements students can choose to journal about:

1. Lack of understanding of mental illnesses can lead to people that have them feeling
hopeless
2. People that are depressed just need to think more positively
3. Mental health is just as important as physical health

Day 3:
Goal: The goal for today is for students to discover their own meanings of empathy through the
books that they will be reading in class as well as a Youtube video that we will show. Its one
thing for students to be told what empathy is, but its another thing for them to actually be
exposed to what empathy is so they can create their own meaning.

Overview: Students will be ready a variety of different picture books that are about empathy in
some shape or form. They will be reading each book with a partner so that there is enough for
everyone. Some of the books are at different reading levels but our justification is that the
content is more important.They will choose their favorite book to draw a picture of so that we
can put everyones drawing out in the hallway for everyone to see.They will glue their drawing
onto a colored piece of construction paper so that it looks like their drawing has a nice border.
Students will also have the chance to discuss in groups what they learned from the book or even
what they liked and disliked. After drawing pictures, we will come together as a class and talk
about how reading the empathy books went for everyone. Next, we will show the Youtube video
called Stop the Stigma: The Mental Health Series Project. This video is meant to enable
different feelings from students, and for them to reflect how the video made them feel. After
watching the video students will fill out a worksheet about I noticed/ I thought/ I felt/ I
wondered

Materials:
- Plain white construction paper for drawing
- Markers
- Colored Pencils
- Crayons
- Colored construction paper for border
- Stick Glue
- Wrong Way by Mark MacLeod
- Whats Wrong with Timmy? By Maria Shriver
- The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
- Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
- Through Grandpas Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan
- Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
- Hey Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose
- The Wall by Eve Bunting
- One by Kathryn Otoshi
- Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena
- Stand in My Shoes by Bob Sornson
- Sumis First Day of School Ever by Joung Un Kim and Soyung Pak
- Tight Times by Barbara Shook Hazen

Stop the Stigma: The Mental Health Series Project Youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAUo_-0J3-s
Worksheet to fill out during video:

I Noticed... I Thought...

I Wondered... I Felt...

Day 4:
Goal: The book Waiting for Normal, which will serve as the mentor text this unit, will be
introduced to the class. This book will be used to explore mental disorders through empathy. A
math activity that will have students thinking about how many people mental disorders impact
will occur as well.

Overview:

Introduction to Waiting for Normal: Students will be introduced to the book Waiting for Normal.
The teacher will tell the class that we will be reading the book over the course of the next few
weeks and having multiple discussions on it. Students will complete the reading log every day.
The teacher will read aloud the first few pages then ask students to turn and discuss what they
think of the characters in the story so far as well as what stood out to them.

Math Activity: Students will look at the mental health statistics from the Mental Health America
site that will be displayed using the document camera. They will be asked to graph their findings
in their math journals, then respond to the prompt on the board.

Exit Slip: Students will be handed an exit slip at the end of the day that they will turn in tying
empathy into todays lesson.

Attachments:

Reading Log for Waiting for Normal:

Statistics for Math Activity: (From: https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-
Numbers)
Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S.43.8 million, or 18.5%experiences
mental illness in a given year.1
 Approximately 1 in 25 adults in the U.S.9.8 million, or 4.0%experiences a
serious mental illness in a given year that substantially interferes with or limits
one or more major life activities.2
Approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 1318 (21.4%) experiences a severe mental
disorder at some point during their life. For children aged 815, the estimate is
13%.3
1.1% of adults in the U.S. live with schizophrenia.4
2.6% of adults in the U.S. live with bipolar disorder.5
6.9% of adults in the U.S.16 millionhad at least one major depressive
episode in the past year.6
18.1% of adults in the U.S. experienced an anxiety disorder such as
posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and specific
phobias.7
Among the 20.2 million adults in the U.S. who experienced a substance use
disorder, 50.5%10.2 million adultshad a co-occurring mental illness.8

Social Stats
An estimated 26% of homeless adults staying in shelters live with serious mental
illness and an estimated 46% live with severe mental illness and/or substance
use disorders.9
Approximately 20% of state prisoners and 21% of local jail prisoners have a
recent history of a mental health condition.10
70% of youth in juvenile justice systems have at least one mental health
condition and at least 20% live with a serious mental illness.11
Only 41% of adults in the U.S. with a mental health condition received mental
health services in the past year. Among adults with a serious mental illness,
62.9% received mental health services in the past year.8
Just over half (50.6%) of children aged 8-15 received mental health services in
the previous year.12
African Americans and Hispanic Americans used mental health services at about
one-half the rate of Caucasian Americans in the past year and Asian Americans
at about one-third the rate.13
Half of all chronic mental illness begins by age 14; three-quarters by age 24.
Despite effective treatment, there are long delayssometimes decades
between the first appearance of symptoms and when people get help. 14

Consequences of Lack of Treatment

 Serious mental illness costs America $193.2 billion in lost earnings per year. 15
Mood disorders, including major depression, dysthymic disorder and bipolar
disorder, are the third most common cause of hospitalization in the U.S. for both
youth and adults aged 1844.16
Individuals living with serious mental illness face an increased risk of having
chronic medical conditions.17 Adults in the U.S. living with serious mental illness
die on average 25 years earlier than others, largely due to treatable medical
conditions.18
Over one-third (37%) of students with a mental health condition age 14-21 and
older who are served by special education drop outthe highest dropout rate of
any disability group.19
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S.,20 the 3rd leading cause of
death for people aged 102421 and the 2nd leading cause of death for people
aged 1524.22
More than 90% of children who die by suicide have a mental health condition. 23
Each day an estimated 18-22 veterans die by suicide

Prompt for math journals written on board:

Given the overwhelming statistics that show just how many
people have mental illnesses and the graphs you have just
created, why do you think treatment is so scarce? Do you think
America values mental health? Please explain. What else do you
think can be done?
Exit Slip:
1. What does empathy mean to you?

2. How does empathy make us better people?

3. How do you think empathy comes into play when studying mental illnesses?

4. Why do you think it is important to take a step back and put yourself into
someone elses shoes when looking at different mental illnesses?

5. Are you interested in this unit? Why or why not?

 6. What are you hoping to learn through this unit?

Day 5:
http://www.burdtherapy.com/inside-out-disney-pixar-study-guide/
Goal: Today students will be watching the movie Inside Out to look at emotions and depression.
The movie will be a lighthearted way to examine what happens when a person cannot feel
happiness and will hopefully get students thinking about how emotions are affected in people
with mental illnesses.

Overview: We will start the day off by introducing the movie Inside Out to students. We will tell
them that it is all about emotions, and showcases them in a way that makes it easier to
understand how different emotions come into play in different situations. We will tell students to
pay close attention to how Rileys emotions and actions correspond with each other.

During the movie questions: Students will be given a worksheet of questions we want them to
look over before the movie begins and keep in mind while it plays

Post Inside Out Discussion: The teacher will begin the discussion by asking students what they
thought of the movie and if they enjoyed it. The teacher will then steer the conversation towards
the concept of an 11 year old that has lost the ability to feel joy and how they think this relates to
mental health. If no one brings up the subject of depression, the teacher will bring it up and ask
what students thought of the possible depiction.

Journal Reflection: Students will reflect in their journals about the movie and the conversation
using the prompt written on the board.

As you watch this film keep in mind the questions below.

1. What are the emotions this movie depicts? Why do you think these specific emotions
were chosen?

2. How are the core memories made? What are some of your core memories?
 3. When Sadness touches one of the happy core memories, she colors it blue. What do you
think is going on then? Is it possible that our current moods can color our past memories?
Or how we define our personality?

4. When Rileys mother tells her that she is helping her parents by being their happy girl,
Riley feels pressure to only show them her joy. What do you think of this?

5. Do you think that our society values certain emotions over others? Which ones?

6. At the end of the movie, Joy learns that other emotions, especially Sadness, are also
important. Why?

7. Do you think it is easier for males or females, or for younger or older people, to express
different emotions? Which ones? Why?

Prompt for journals written on board:

Why do you think this movie was shown today in class? What
do you think it taught you about emotions and mental illnesses?
How has this made you more empathetic towards those with a
mental illness?
Add on Activities:
Students will be encouraged to keep a mood journal throughout the rest of the unit. We will try
to set this up in a way that gets kids excited about it and does not make them think it is for little
children. We will talk about the importance of keeping track of ones mood and the mental
health benefits.
http://www.bombshellbling.com/15-fun-inside-out-inspired-activities/

Students will have the opportunity to make their own inside out themed stress balls they will be
able to use in the classroom on a daily basis.

Materials Needed:
Red, green, blue, yellow and purple ballons, you need 3 or more of each colour

Scissors
Flour
Bottle
Funnel
Black Sharpie
Steps:
 1. Fill an empty bottle with flour using your funnel. Blow up a balloon and twist the end
three times.
2. Slip the end of the balloon over the flour filled bottle and then let it untwist. Turn your
bottle upside down and empty the flour into the balloon.Then let the excess air out of the
balloon very carefully and a little at a time
3. Once you have all the air out of the balloon cut the neck of the balloon off.
4. Now comes the time to draw the faces on the balloons of Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and
Sadness.
http://www.muminthemadhouse.com/pixars-inside-out-stress-balls/

Week Two

Day 1:
Goal: Students will be exploring how the brain is different when it comes to mental illnesses.
We want to stress the importance of realizing that having a mental illness does not mean you are
weird, it just means your brain works a little differently. The goal is to bring the science of the
brain into the lesson to interest students.

Overview:

Brain Website: Students will be directed to a website from Pubmed on the brain and given a
worksheet. They will be asked questions on how the brain functions. This will give them the
basic understanding of the brain, which will then allow them to go deeper for the following
sections of todays lesson.
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072486/)

Documentary: Students will watch a documentary that goes in depth on mental disorders and
how the brain works differently with one. It talks about the different parts of the brain and what
they are each responsible for. It then talks about how these sections function differently when a
person is dealing with a mental disorder.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRNgURu8jEQ)

Students build brain and address mental health: Students will be provided with clay, play dough,
construction paper, colored pencils, etc to build a model of the brain. They will be asked to label
the different parts, as well as write how certain sections work differently with a mental illness.
They will be permitted to use the internet for this activity.

Exit Slip: Students will be asked to reflect on what they have learned and the different activities
from the day.

Attachments:

Brain Worksheet:

How Does the Brain Work?

1. How many hemispheres does the brain have?

2. What does the cerebrum do?

3. What is the cerebral cortex responsible for?

4. What does the hypothalamus regulate?

5. What does the brain stem do?

6. What is the function of the cerebellum?

Checklist for brain building:

BUILD A BRAIN
Assignment: Jamie is a student that struggles with bipolar disorder. She has
unusual mood shifts all of the time and can sometimes have a hard time carrying
out day to day tasks because of her mood changes and energy level. She wants you
to help her understand how her brain works by building a model, labeling the model,
then give a two paragraph summary on how the different parts of the brain
function differently when a person has a mental illness, in this case bipolar
disorder.

Checklist for brain:

__: Frontal Lobe
__: Parietal Lobe:
__: Temporal Lobe:
__: Occipital Lobe
__: Cerebellum
__: Spinal Cord
__: Thalamus
__: Prefrontal Cortex
__: Amygdala
__: Hippocampus

Exit Slip:

EXIT TICKET

1. How does a persons brain work differently when they have a mental
disorder
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

2. After watching the documentary and researching the brain, why do you think
life is more difficult with a mental illness?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

3. Why do you think it is important to have empathy towards a person with a

mental illness?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

4. What was your favorite part about todays lesson?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

5. What was your least favorite part about todays lesson?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Day 2:
Goal: Today we want students to start thinking and reflecting about their thoughts towards
Waiting for Normal.

Overview: By now students should be approximately of the way done reading Waiting for
Normal so we are going to give them a set of questions to get them thinking and for them to
think about as they continue reading the book. We are also going to give them a worksheet from
KidsHealth that prompts them to write down actions that show empathy and actions that dont
show empathy. The worksheet is meant for watching a TV show, but we are going to use this
worksheet for the book.

Materials:
- Set of questions
- Pencils
- Empathy worksheet
- Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor

Set of questions:

Set of Questions for the beginning of Waiting for Normal

1. How do you think Addie feels not being able to see her sisters everyday?
2. Is there anything you have noticed so far about Addies moms behavior?
3. How do you think Addie feels about the divorce?
4. Do you think it bothers Addie at all that she has a different birth dad than
her sisters? Why or why not?
5. How do you think Addie feels about moving from a house to a trailer?
6. Describe the relationship between Dwight and Addie.
7. Why do you think Addies mom and Dwight might have gotten a divorce?
8. What do you think about Elliot and Soula?
9. How do you think you would feel if you were in Addies shoes?
10. Do you think you would be acting differently if you were Addies mother,
Denise?

Empathy Worksheet:
Day 3:
Goal: We will examine the stigma behind mental disorders and look at where it comes from.
Students will recognize that there different societal factors that contribute to how we see mental
illnesses.

Overview:

Newspaper Article: Students will be directed to a newspaper article from the New York Times
titled Mental Illness Is Not a Horror Show. It talks about an upcoming attraction at Knotts
Berry Farm called Fear VR 5150. This is significant because it is the California number used
for a psychiatric patient deemed a danger to themselves or others. When tourists arrive at the
attraction they enter a psychiatric hospital room that fits them with headphones and straps you
into a wheelchair, etc. You see bloody bodies on the floor and people whimpering in pain. It only
gets worse as you go on.
(https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/26/opinion/mental-illness-is-not-a-horror-show.html)

Students Journal: Students will respond to the prompts written on the board in their journals.
They will have ten minutes to do so.

Second Newspaper Article and Worksheet: Students will read a second newspaper article on the
social distancing of people with a mental illness and the negative attitudes and stereotypes
towards people with them. The psychology article suggests that a large part of this is due to the
negative portrayal of mental illnesses in the media.
(https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brick-brick/201405/the-stigma-mental-illness-is-
making-us-sicker)

Class Discussion: The class will come together and the teacher will ask volunteers on their
opinions on the two articles read. Students will share out their charts from the second newspaper
article they completed.

Exit Slip: Students will turn in an exit slip that ties empathy into the days lesson and asks
students what we as a society can do to combat the negative stereotypes as well as what they
personally can do.

Attachments:

First Newspaper Journal Article Prompt written on board:

What do you think about this article? What do you think about
the way people with mental health problems are treated? Where
do you think this negative stigma towards them originated from?
Second Newspaper Article Sheet:
I Noticed... I Thought...

I Wondered... I Felt...

Exit Slip:

Exit Slip
1.How do you think a person with a mental illness feels given the negative
stereotypes associated with them?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

2. After reading these two newspaper articles, where do you think these negative
portrayals come from? Can you think of any examples outside of the two articles
we read?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

3.What are some ways to combat this negative stigma associated with mental
illnesses? What can you as an individual do?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

4.What were your thoughts on todays lesson?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Day 4:
T&L Instructional Plan Template (edTPA Aligned)

Background Information

Teacher Candidate: Grace Karney and Sheridan Blair Date: 4/28/17

Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Kelly Grade: Sixth
School District: Pullman School: Lincoln Middle School
University Supervisor: Lori White
Unit/Subject: Poetry
Instructional Plan Title/Focus: Poppin Poetry!

Section 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment

a. Instructional Plan Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to examine poetry and point of
view in a fun way that will engage students. Students will be given the opportunity to
read different poetry as well as create their own poetic piece. Studying poetry is essential
because it allows us to understand how the human language and symbols work. It is a
different way to express emotion, which is something we are trying to stress during our
thematic unit. Understanding point of view is important to great writing because it is
what sets characters apart and lets us understand how someone views the world around
them.

This lesson is designed to act as the middle of the empathy unit between two lessons that
focus on mental disorders. The previous lesson dealt with the stigma behind mental
disorders, and the following lesson deals with well known people with mental disorders
and how they cope. This lesson will focus on using poetry to find point of view, while
tying in the book Waiting for Normal, which deals with a girl that has a mother with a
mental disorder.

b. State/National Learning Standards:

RL.6.5: Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall
structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.
W.6.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
RI.6.6: Determine an authors point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is
conveyed in the text.

c. Content Objectives and alignment to State Learning Standards:

1. SWBAT Identify the point of view of poetry and how it contributes to the development
of a story
2. SWBAT Create their own poem and justify why they used that point of view
3. SWBAT Determine how a particular sentence/stanza contributes to the development of
theme
 Aligned standard: (RL.6.5: Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza
fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme,
setting, or plot.)
Aligned standard: (W.6.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience)
Aligned standard: (RI.6.6: Determine an authors point of view or purpose in a text and
explain how it is conveyed in the text.)

Language Objectives:
1. SWBAT Explain the importance of point of view in a story
2. SWBAT Explore different poetry to determine the point of view and how it fits into the
bigger theme of writing.

Aligned standard: (RI.6.6: Determine an authors point of view or purpose in a text and
explain how it is conveyed in the text.)
Aligned Standard: (RL.6.5: Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza
fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme,
setting, or plot.)

d. Previous Learning Experiences: Students will have had previous experiences with
poetry and know the different types in earlier grades. Students will know the structure of
poetry and definitions (stanza, verse, etc.) They will also know all of the different points
of view. It is understood that not all students will have had as much exposure or gone as
in depth when studying poetry in the past. Students will be participating in writing
workshop towards the end of the lesson. They will have participated in writing workshop
before multiple times and will know the basic structure, the fact that they are allowed to
be social and share their work, and where to consult the teacher if needed.

e. Planning for Student Learning Needs

Accommodations: Accommodations for students will include student led conferences with
the teacher for struggling children. ELL students will be grouped with stronger readers and
writers. Additionally, ELL students may be provided content to read in a different language.
Directions will be read aloud as well as included on the whiteboard. Dictionaries and
thesauruses will be available. Students with learning disabilities will be accommodated as
per the requirements of their IEP.

Accommodations: Desks will be grouped this way students that work well together are
partners. Students that do not have the proper understanding of point of view will be given
extra assistance with understanding and identifying the point of a poem or story as well as
other sources. Students that are behind in previous learning experiences will be
accommodated with extra time to help them catch up to grade level expectations. Students
that are above grade level could be provided more advanced poetry to analyze or an alternate
assignment at the end to give them a reasonably challenging level of content in order to
maximize learning.

f. Assessment Strategies
 Content/Language Objectives
Content example: SWBAT Identify the
point of view of poetry and how it
contributes to the development of a story
Content example: SWBAT Create their
own poem and justify why they used that
point of view
Content example: SWBAT Determine how
a particular sentence/stanza contributes to
the development of theme
Language example: SWBAT Explain the
importance of point of view in a story
Language example: SWBAT Explore
different poetry to determine the point of
view and how it fits into the bigger theme
of writing.
Assessment Strategies
Formative: Students will complete a venn diagram that
will analyze different types of poetry and how the point
of view changes it. This is so we can assess if students
really understand the differences in point of view. If
students do well on this then we will move them onto the
next task. If they do not then we will further instruct
them on the different points of view in poetry and how it
contributes to the story development.
Summative: Students will turn in the poem that they
wrote in alignment with the point of view they chose as
well as their justification. Turing in these poems will
allow teachers to understand what the students are
understanding about point of view and the relationship to
the larger picture of a story and help alter the lesson as
needed. Students will be provided with the rubric at the
bottom to check their work. We will use the rubric to
grade the final poem that students turn in. This will be
used as a summative end of day assessment. We will use
the results to see if students were able to create a poem
and justify the point of view. If they were not able to then
we will go over different reasons for having a certain
point of view the next day.
Formative: Students will write their favorite quote from
Waiting for Normal on a piece of paper and we will put
all the papers in the hall. A class discussion will follow
on if this changed the perspective of the story and if it
still has the same message or not. They will also answer
and turn in the questions on the board related to the
development of theme through the use of the example
they chose. If their answers are sufficient then they will
move onto the next task.
Summative: Students will turn in the exit slip at the end
of class detailing why they think point of view is
important and how they will incorporate it into their
future writing. This will allow us to see where students
feel they are at. If they cannot answer the questions or do
not seem to know what they are talking about then we
will use these results to change out instructional plan. If
they understand then we will move on.
Formative: Students will look at the three different
poems I will show on the board. They will be asked to
identify the point of view of each. They will then
complete a venn diagram comparing and contrasting the
poems and respond to questions asking them to the pros
 and cons of the different points of view and how they
contribute to the overall theme. If they successfully
complete this activity then they will be able to write their
final poem.

g. Student Voice:
K-12 students will be able to:
students: journals, exit slips, self-
1. Explain student
learning targets and what is
required to meet them
(including why they are
important to learn).
2. Monitor their own
learning progress toward the
learning targets using the tools
provided (checklists, rubrics,
etc.).
3. Explain how to
access resources and
additional support when
needed (and how/why those
resources will help them).
Student-based evidence to be
collected (things produced by
assessments, work samples,
projects, papers, etc.)
Writing Activities
Rubric for Writing Workshop
Exit Slip
Description of how students
will reflect on their learning.
Students will be able to
show their understanding of
the material with the use of
the questions on the board
pertaining to the point of
view in Waiting for Normal.
Students will use the
attached rubric to be able to
keep track of their learning
through the course of the
activities. This will help
them understand their
expectations and think
critically of their own
progress and work in the
classroom.
The exit slip will ask
students how and where to
access resources when
needed

h. Grouping of Students for Instruction: Students will receive their instruction from their
normal class seats. These could be rows of desks, tables, grouped desks, or any other
seating chart format. Instruction from their desks can be helpful in the following ways:
i. a. Students will have desk space to work at to be able to organize their thoughts in a way
that helps them be successful.
j. b. Students will have space to work individually when needed.
k. c. Students will be seated near other classmates that they will be able to collaborate with
and communicate questions and ideas with one another.
Students will have the opportunity to work with a partner for the questions pertaining to Waiting
for Normal. This is because social interactions are important to the writing process, and insight
can be given that a student may not have seen before when working with others.
 There will be a group discussion as well to get everybodys feedback and allow the students to
see their peers perspectives.
Section 2: Instruction and Engaging Students in Learning

a. Introduction: Good morning students! Who here can tell me what the word perspective
means? *Student answers along the lines of an attitude or feeling towards something*
What is point of view? *Student answer something like it is how the story is told- then
bring up first second and third* Why would we want to talk about perspective when we
talk about point of view? *Answers range from wanting to know biases to affecting how
the story is told* I want you to think of a time that you have argued with your parents, or
have not seen eye to eye with them. *Examples will range from missing a curfew to not
letting their parents know where they are, etc.* I want you to think of one solid example.
Now it's time to write!

b. Questions:
1. Why is it important to examine other perspectives and points of view? (Higher level
thinking- students asked to analyze)
2. How can the narrators personal experiences shape the story? (Middle level thinking-
students asked to understand)
3. What point of view is Waiting for Normal written in? (Lower level thinking- students
asked to recall)
4. Who is the narrator and what does she contribute? (Lower level thinking- students asked
to remember)
5. Why is it important to this story that it is written from Allys point of view? How does
this contribute to the overall theme? (Higher level thinking- students asked to evaluate)
6. How would it be different if it was written from the mothers point of view? What if it
was written from Dwights? Would this change who we feel empathy for? (Higher level
thinking- students asked to analyze)
7. What does empathy have to do with the point of view? (Middle level thinking- students
asked to apply)
8. What can we tell by reading these different quotes about Allys point of view and her
take on her mothers mental disorder? (Higher level thinking- students analyze)
9. What did you learn in regards to point of view and the different ways it can be conveyed
today (at end of lesson) (Higher level thinking- students asked to reflect and evaluate)

c. Learning Activities:

Learning Steps and Activities Supporting Theories/Principles

1.*Second part of introduction with chart drawn on
board* I want you all to write two paragraphs.
Keep in mind the example that you just chose. I
am going to pretend that I have not cleaned my
room after my parents asked me to multiple times.
My first paragraph is going to be written from my
(Why are you doing what you are doing?)
Students are able to work as a whole class because
social interactions are important in the learning
process (Vygotsky)
Constructivism: Students will be allowed to
actively engage in their new information to help
perspective in first person. In the first paragraph I them better learn and absorb the new information.
am going to tell the story of how I do not have the
time and do not want to clean my room even after Bandura: Students learn by observations of the
my parents asked me to. I am going to detail the teacher and how they are setting up the chart
reasons why I think I am right. I will clearly
explain from my perspective: I have so much
homework to do these next few nights and I have
been busy practicing for lacrosse tryouts! I
honestly do not think it is that messy there are just
a few clothes on the floor! I am doing great in
school so my parents should cut me some slack!
This paragraph shows my ideas and opinions from
my own point of view and is in first person. It is
my own personal argument for why I should not
have to clean my room.
The second paragraph should be written from my
parents perspective in first person as well. This
will allow you to go inside of your parents head
and support their perspective. Think about how
this will change the story. My example would go
along the lines of I know that Grace is a great
student but it's unusual for her not to clean her
room. She has been acting out a little more lately
and I wonder if it's the stress of school. I wish she
would clean her room it would only take her 10
minutes!
*Students complete their own chart with the two
paragraphs*
Let's have a class discussion about the activity.
Why is it important to examine other perspectives
and points of view? How could the narrators
personal experiences shape the story?

2. I have some questions written on the board. I Students are able to work as a whole class because
want you to work with a partner and answer them social interactions are important in the learning
on a piece of paper. When you are done answering process (Vygotsky)
those we are going to come back as a whole class
and discuss your answers. Constructivism: Students will be allowed to
Questions on the board: actively engage in their new information to help
1. What point of view is Waiting for Normal them better learn and absorb the new
written in? information.
2. Who is the narrator and what does she
contribute?
3. Why is it important to this story that it is
written from Allys point of view? How
does this contribute to the overall theme?
 4. How would it be different if it was written
from the mothers point of view? What if it
was written from Dwights? Would this
change who we feel empathy for?
5. What does empathy have to do with the
point of view?
3. Part of your homework while reading the book Scaffolding such as this is a great way to introduce
Waiting for Normal was to choose your favorite students to a topic They are led by example then
quote. We are now going to complete an activity are able to apply what they have learned later in
with them. I am going to give all of you your own the lesson. They are learning through observation
large piece of butcher paper and a marker. I want and imitation later on (Bandura)
you to write down the quote you chose using a
large font and we will proceed from there. Bronfenbrenner: Students will bring their own
*Students all write down favorite quotes and I prior experiences and knowledge to the
write down mine ("She's kind of an all-or-nothing classroom which will affect those around them
person, I guess") in various ways. This will show when students
We are now going to bring these pieces of paper each read the quote that stood out to them the
out into the hall. I want you to lay your quote most.
down on the floor. As a class, we will arrange the
quotes into the order that we want
*Students put pieces down and read quotes, then
shift if they wish to rearrange*
Everyone stand by your quote and read it out
loud. We will all read the quotes so it forms its
own story.
*Everyone reads their quote*
Did this change the perspective of the story?
Does the story we have created still have the
same message? Why or why not? What can we tell
by reading these different quotes about Allys
point of view and her take on her mothers mental
disorder? *Students answer questions and give
answers along the lines of Ally has a distinct
voice. Her personality and situation cause us to
feel empathy for her, and the overall message does
not change.
4.Now we are going to read three different Constructivism: Students will be allowed to
poems. Look at what point of view each is written actively engage in their new information to help
in then compare and contrast them using the venn them better learn and absorb the new
diagram. As you work please keep in mind the information.
questions on the board.
*Show poems on docucam and students complete
work individually*
Questions on board: What are some of the pros
and cons of writing poetry in first person, second
person, and third person? How can the point of
view contribute to the theme of the writing?
5. Now it is time for writing workshop! Each of Constructivism: Students will be allowed to
you will write your own poem on mental illnesses actively engage in their new information to help
and/or the importance of mental health. I want you them better learn and absorb the new information.
to incorporate what you have learned so far in this
unit in regards to empathy. You will be asked to Vygotsky: Students will be given an environment
describe the point of view you used at the bottom in ZPD to maximize learning abilities in the
and why you chose it, as well as how it contributes classroom.
to the overall theme. The rubric for this assignment
will be displayed on the whiteboard. Remember
that this is a writing workshop so you are able to
share your ideas with others and consult with
myself if need be.

6. Now that you have completed all of these Students are able to a whole class discussion
activities please come back together as a group. I because social interactions are important in the
want you to share out what you have learned about learning process (Vygotsky)
point of view and the different ways it can be
conveyed today. What are you still unsure of and
what do you think you need to learn? Students
will also be asked what point of view means to
them in their own personal writing.
7. The final activity of the day will be an exit slip Students are evaluating their own learning
that I want everyone to fill out. It will serve as
your ticket out of the classroom today. I want you
to really reflect on what you have learned about
the importance of point of view. When you finish
the exit slip you may turn it into my basket.

b. Closure: Ten minutes before class lets out the teacher will ring the bell signaling to
students that it is time to end the last activity. Okay students, now I want the class to
have a group discussion on what you have learned. What does point of view mean to
you? *Students answer going off of activities they have done* Why do you think point
of view is important when it comes to a story? *More class discussion* It is time for
your exit slip. It will serve as your ticket out of the classroom today. I want you to really
reflect on what you have learned about the importance of point of view. When you finish
the exit slip you may turn it into my basket. Tomorrow we are going to expand on
empathy and look at people with different mental disorders and journal about what we
have found.

c. Independent Practice: Students will extend their experiences with the content by
applying what they have learned about point of view to their future writing. They also
may highlight passages they find in their daily reading that show examples of different
kinds of point of view and identify why it is used.
 d. Instructional Materials, Resources, and Technology:

Chart for first exercise:

My Perspective Different Perspective

I have so much homework to do these next
few nights and I have been busy practicing for
lacrosse tryouts! I honestly do not think it is
that messy there are just a few clothes on the
floor! I am doing great in school so my
parents should cut me some slack!
I know that Grace is a great student but it's
unusual for her not to clean her room. She has
been acting out a little more lately and I
wonder if it's the stress of school. I wish she
would clean her room it would only take her
10 minute!

Student writes own example Student writes own example

Poems from different points of view:

IT
I wear the mask of normal
while inside torn apart
I awake each day not knowing
in what mood I may start.
As I try hard not to let IT
take control of my head,
some days without warning
IT takes all of me instead.
Each time IT comes to visit
Im afraid it will show
the ugliness and hatefulness
IT always has in tow.
 Each time this feeling hits me,
inside my head I shout,
please stop, Im scared and go away
never come back, stay out!
I feel as though Im losing it,
falling off the edge.
But somehow, someway I manage to just teeter on that edge.
My heart starts pounding as my mind races,
my thoughts are out of control,
I feel as though Im someone else
and theyre trying to take my soul.
I know if I hang in there, myself will reappear
and just as quickly as IT started, IT just might disappear.
I do and say things I regret, and to myself thats such a threat.
I feel at times that no one truly understands,
because even I have questions,
and that its out of my hands.
But with my faith in God, my son
My friends, family and a little care,
I feel I have a chance at life,
and I know I have a lot to share.
God has blessed me in many ways,
and I owe my life to Him.
He was my rock and guider,
when I wanted to give up or in.
But that would be giving in to,
the IT I feel is sin.
Bipolar is a disorder that consumes your
every thought, and when in the
grasp of ITs strong control,
you say things, do things, act in ways
you never thought were possible.
The thought of IT having control,
is almost an unbearable thought.
People just dont understand,
that IT comes and IT goes,
when we least expect it.
And can cause an otherwise
normal, dare I say, person
to sin cause violence and literally
lose their mind.
But with the right care and medicine,
we as the holder of IT,
can live a life as close to normal,
as we will ever be allowed.
Never quit, and never give in or up.
 Point of View by Shel Silversteen
Thanksgiving dinner's sad and thankless
Christmas dinner's dark and blue
When you stop and try to see it
From the turkey's point of view.

Sunday dinner isn't sunny

Easter feasts are just bad luck
When you see it from the viewpoint
Of a chicken or a duck.

Oh how I once loved tuna salad

Pork and lobsters, lamb chops too
'Til I stopped and looked at dinner
From the dinner's point of view.

Second Person
A NEW POEM
by Rae Armantrout

Lemons, Lanterns
hang late
into the evening.

But you are known

for your voluptuous retreat,

For leaving
your absence
on the air,

Illicit, thin.
Venn Diagram Poetry Exercise:
Rubric for Student Poetry:

Needs Work Meets Expectations Extraordinary

Student showed some Student did not Student showcased Student demonstrated
aspect of empathy in showcase empathy some aspect of exceptional use of
poem empathy empathy and putting
themselves in
someone elses shoes

Student writes with The point of view is There is a clear point There is a clear point
clear point of view all over the place of view of view that adds to
the story

Student justified why Student did not Student justified why Student justified point
they chose their point justify their point of they chose their point of view and how it
of view view of view contributed to the
overall poem

Exit Slip:
 EXIT SLIP

1. Why do you think point of view is important in a story?

2. Reflect on today and tell me how you incorporated what you

learned into your poem.

3. What are some resources you can access to help you with point of
view and where can you find them?

4. What are you still unclear on in regards to todays lesson? What

can you do to improve?

5. What are your strong points in regards to todays lesson?

e. Acknowledgements:
Perspective Activity: https://www.weareteachers.com/perspective-people-ideas-on-
teaching-literature/
First Poem:
http://mhaok.org/the-poetry-of-battling-bipolar-disorder/#sthash.oowemTsH.dpbs
Third Poem:
http://www.believermag.com/issues/201001/?read=poem_armantrout

Day 5:
Goal: Students will look at well known people talking about mental disorders and how t
Overview:

Interview with Demi Lovato: Demi Lovato is well known for speaking up about her battle with
bipolar disorder. She acts as a spokesperson for the national initiative, Be Vocal: Speak up for
Mental Health. In the interview from MSNBC, the actress and anchor woman discuss the urgent
need for better mental health treatment in the country.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnbt8Cam6xg)

Discussion: Students will get into their table groups and chat about the questions on the board.
We will then come back as a whole class and have a discussion about the prompts.

Interview with Lady Gaga: Students will read the article from The Guardian and watch Lady
Gagas interview with Prince William in regards to her personal struggle with mental health.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/dec/06/lady-gaga-reveals-she-has-ptsd-i-suffer-from-
a-mental-illness
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/18/health/prince-william-lady-gaga-mental-health/

Students explore Heads Together website: Students will be directed to the Heads Together
website, a website started by the royal family to tackle the mental health issue the world is
currently having. They will be permitted to explore the website for a few minutes.

Journal Reflections: Students will be given the prompts below and asked to journal their
responses.

Attachments:

Questions on the board for the Demi Lovato interview:

1. React to the statement The whole conversation of mental health as it relates to
gun purchase, thats when it seems the national media and people talk about
mental health and where it fits in, not the day to day struggles that dont come
behind the headline of gun violence. What do you think about this?
2. What do you make of the fact that Demi Lovato, a very famous person, struggles
with bipolar disorder? What does this tell you about people that can develop
mental disorders?
3. What were some emotions Demi Lovato talked about pertaining to the way she
was feeling when she had no help? Why is it important to acknowledge this?
4. Why is it important that stars like this use their platform to bring issues like these
to life?
Reflection Sheet:
 REFLECTION SHEET

1. To be empathetic you need to understand other people. Why can

listening to these different experiences make you more aware
and empathetic?
2. What did you learn from exploring the Heads Together website?
3. Do you think the Heads Together website is an effective
resource for learning about mental disorders? Why or why not?
4. What was your main takeaway from todays lesson?
5. What else would you like to learn about mental health?

Week Three

Day 1:
Goal: The goal for today is for students to continue making connections between empathy as
well as mental disorders through their reading of Waiting for Normal.

Overview: By today students should have fully completed reading Waiting for Normal because
on this day we are going to provide them with more questions for group discussion, but we are
also going to have a slideshow consisting of images from the book. Students will be asked to
write down how these images make them feel. We will also be giving out a Venn Diagram sheet
for students to compare and contrast Addies mom with Dwight.

Materials:
- Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor
- Thinking questions list
- Unit portfolio
- Venn Diagram worksheet
 - Pencils
- Powerpoint slideshow

Venn Diagram for comparing and contrasting Addies mom with Dwight.

Images for Powerpoint slideshow:

Questions to be thinking about during Picture Slideshow for class
discussion afterwards:
 1. How do these images make you feel?
2. Which image truly stood out to you the most?
3. Are there any images you think we could have included during this
slideshow?
4. Do you think these images are powerful? Why or why not?

Day 2:
T&L Instructional Plan Template (edTPA Aligned)

Background Information

Teacher Candidate: Sheridan Blair and Grace Karney Date: April 28, 2017
Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Kelly Grade: 6th
School District: Pullman School: Lincoln Middle School
University Supervisor: Lori White
Unit/Subject: Narrative Writing
Instructional Plan Title/Focus: Nifty Narratives

Section 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment

a. Instructional Plan Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is so that students will be able to
write their own detailed narratives about a particular event and develop their
understanding as to why we use details in writing. We want students to be able to make
their writing stronger as well as develop an appreciation for being able to elaborate on
ideas and events. Prior to this lesson students have been learning about empathy and now
they will have the chance to write their own narratives about a character from the book
Waiting for Normal in which the whole class has been reading up to this point. After this
lesson students will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge even more by
conducting their own research about mental illnesses.

State/National Learning Standards:

Common Core Standards Grade 6 Writing:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.A
Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and introducing a narrator and/or
characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.B
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop
experiences, events, and/or characters.

Common Core Standards Grade 6 Reading:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.1
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.

Washington State EALRS Grade 6 English Language Arts

2.1.3: Apply comprehension monitoring strategies during and after reading: determine
importance using theme, main ideas, and supporting details in grade-level
informational/expository text and/or literary/narrative text.

b. Content Objectives (to be copied in Assessment Chart below) and alignment to State
Learning Standards:

1. SWBAT create a narrative from a specific characters point of view

Aligned Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3

2. SWBAT compare and contrast narratives with descriptive language and narratives
without descriptive language

Aligned Standard: Washington State EALRS Grade 6 English Language Arts 2.1.3

3. SWBAT successfully select and be able to cite textual evidence of significant events
from a story that will will add to their understanding of their analysis of said story

Aligned standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.1

Language Objectives:
1. SWBAT use description to elaborate on an event in their writing

Aligned Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.A, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.B

2. SWBAT describe why pacing and description are important to develop narrative writing

Aligned standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.1

 c. Previous Learning Experiences: Prior to our empathy unit students have written their
own narratives separately from using a mentor text. Students should already know how to
write their own narratives using details with a beginning, middle, and end. The difference
now is that students will be writing their own expansive narrative from a mentor text
which they have not done before. Students will also have had experience with the writing
workshop and will know the general setup.

d. Planning for Student Learning Needs (accommodations, student experiences, prior

learning and experiences): We plan on using Vygotskys Zone of Proximal Development
so that students will properly be able to use their prior knowledge to gain new and
relevant information. If there are to be any students who were missing on the days that
we learned about narratives then we will provide them with extra help and assistance. If
there are any ELL students we will allow them to work with a partner that we know they
work well with. Directions will be read aloud as well as included on the whiteboard.
Additionally, we will provide dictionaries and thesauruses if students wish. Students will
be able to conference and work with the teacher if they do not understand a concept or
need more assistance.

f. Assessment Strategies

Content/Language Objectives Assessment Strategies

Content example: SWBAT create a
narrative from a specific characters point
of view
Content example: SWBAT compare and
contrast narratives with descriptive
language and narratives without descriptive
language
Content example: SWBAT successfully
select and be able to cite textual evidence
of significant events from a story that will
will add to their understanding of their
analysis of said story
Language example: SWBAT use
description to elaborate on an event in their
writing
Summative: Students will use a rubric to write a narrative
on a specific event of their choosing from the book
Waiting for Normal. They will turn their narrative in at
the end of the lesson.
Formative: Students will be handed a worksheet with the
Show Dont Tell activity. They will have several
different examples of writing. On each side of the
worksheet one example will have a simple statement, and
the next example will add more details to the statement
to have students show and not tell. Students will be
asked to highlight the differences
Formative: Students will complete a venn diagram with a
partner comparing and contrasting the different examples
from the Show Dont Tell activity. The teacher will
walk around during this activity and look at the sheets.
Formative: Students will complete the five finger activity
where they trace their hand on a piece of paper then pull
five examples of topics they want to write about for their
narrative from the book Waiting for Normal. They will
need to cite the pages from the book that the events
occurred.
Formative: Students will complete the Tell it in Slow
Mo activity to practice adding description to further
elaborate on an event.
 Language example: SWBAT describe why
pacing and description are important to
develop narrative writing
g. Student Voice:
K-12 students will be able to:
students: journals, exit slips, self-
1. Explain student
learning targets and what is
required to meet them
(including why they are
important to learn).
2. Monitor their own
learning progress toward the
learning targets using the tools
provided (checklists, rubrics,
etc.).
3. Explain how to
access resources and
additional support when
needed (and how/why those
resources will help them).
Summative: Students will complete an exit slip that they
will turn in at the end of class. It will ask them to
describe the importance of pacing and description in
narrative writing.
Student-based evidence to be
collected (things produced by
assessments, work samples,
projects, papers, etc.)
Class Discussion and reflection
Rubric Provided for Narrative
Writing and portfolio
Class Discussion/ Exit Slip
Description of how students
will reflect on their learning.
Before beginning our lesson
we will have a class
discussion about what our
learning targets and
objectives are and why
students might think that
these are important. This
will give students the
opportunity to hear what
their peers have to say.
Then, students will write a
reflection about how they
think they will be able to
accomplish the goals and
learning targets we have set
for them.
Students will be given a
rubric that will help inform
them of everything that is to
be expected within their
narrative. They will also be
tracking their progress and
writing down learning notes
within their portfolio that
was handed to them at the
beginning of the unit.
Again, we will have a quick
class discussion about how
students think they might be
able to access additional
resources for creating their
narratives. We will also
explain to students that
before creating their
 expanded narratives we will
have a few different class
activities. The exit slip is
where students will be able
to write down any questions
or concerns they might be
having that they dont want
to share aloud with the class.
The exit slip helps us know
if there are any students who
need additional assistance
with their work.

h. Grouping of Students for Instruction: Students will receive instruction from their
normal seats. They will be seated near other classmates that they will be able to
collaborate with and communicate questions and ideas with one another. Students will be
in a whole group for the introduction. They will work with a partner for the Show Dont
Tell activity. They will work individually for other activities but will be permitted to
discuss their ideas with those around them during the writing workshop.

Section 2: Instruction and Engaging Students in Learning

a. Introduction: We will began by asking students if they remember when everyone wrote
their own narratives about themselves a few weeks ago, which was before our empathy
unit. We will address everyone as a class: Good morning students! Does everyone
remember when we wrote our own narratives about our weekend a few weeks ago in
class? Can anyone tell me what exactly we did? Go ahead and turn and discuss with a
partner what you remember doing before anyone wants to share with the class. We will
give students a few minutes to quickly discuss with a partner before allowing students to
raise their hands. We will continue addressing the class, Yes, a few weeks ago we
learned that a narrative is a spoken or written account of events, or in other words a story.
Well, this week we are going to expand on our knowledge of narratives except we are
going to make them even stronger. As you all know, we have been reading Waiting for
Normal so today we are going to write our own narrative about Addie based upon an
event of your choice from the book. Before we begin writing we are going to do a few
activities that will help us create stronger narratives!

b. Questions:
1. How do you think elaborating on a specific event within a story will add to the story?
(Application)
2. How can we make our narratives stronger using details? (Knowledge/ Application)
3. Why did you decide to select the events that you selected for your Five Finger Activity
piece? (Comprehension)
4. Do you think that your expanded narrative of Addie will help create empathy for the
reader as theyre reading? (Comprehension/ Application)
 5. Which writing piece was more appealing to you while you were reading the different
Show Dont Tell pieces, and why? (Comprehension)
6. How did the activity Tell it in Slow-Mo add to your understanding of the important of
details? (Application)

c. Learning Activities:
Learning Steps and Activities Supporting Theories/Principles
(Why are you doing what you are doing?)
1. Transition from introduction Bronfenbrenner: Students will bring their own
Todays lesson is all about working on our prior experiences and knowledge to the classroom
narrative writing. There are many important which will affect those around them in various
elements that go into writing a quality narrative ways.
piece, so we are going to practice some strategies
that will aid us with this. The first activity we will Scaffolding such as this is a great way to introduce
complete is called Show Dont Tell. It is all about students to a topic They are led by example then are
adding detail that shows instead of tells. Who able to apply what they have learned later in the
here can tell me the difference between the two? lesson. They are learning through observation and
*Student answer telling is summarizing. The imitation later on (Bandura)
reader gets bare facts with no explanation.
Showing is elaborating and illustrates a scene* Students are able to a whole class discussion
I am going to hand out a worksheet that has two because social interactions are important in the
columns on it. The first column has a simple learning process (Vygotsky)
statement. The column next to it will add more
details to the statement. Working with a partner,
highlight the differences that you see between the
examples.
*Students work on worksheet *
Now I want you to take your second handout that
has the venn diagram on it. Please compare and
contrast the different examples that you looked at.
What worked and what did not work? Why? You
may work with a partner on this as well.
*Teacher walks around the classroom looking at
each pairs venn diagram and what they wrote.

2. Our next activity is called Tell it in Slow Mo. Constructivism: Students will be allowed to
Who here has a hard time adding details when it actively engage in their new information to help
comes to their writing? them better learn and absorb the new information.
*Hands raise*
This is one of my personal favorite exercises
because it helps me with just that. I often have a
hard time thinking of relevant details to add to my
work, but Tell it in Slow Mo helps me out
tremendously. The idea of this is to take one of the
examples on the sheet. You will then slow down
your action as you write. Focus on the senses-
taste, touch, smell, etc. I will show you my
personal example this way you get an idea. I chose
the scenario eating a dripping ice cream cone on a
hot summer day.
*Show students my example on document camera.
Now it's your turn. Pick a scenario from the
worksheet and begin writing!

3. Now we are going to get into the beginning Constructivism: Students will be allowed to
part of writing our narratives. Get out a piece of actively engage in their new information to help
paper and trace your hand on it. This is called the them better learn and absorb the new information.
Five Finger Activity. Choose five different
scenarios from the book Waiting for Normal that Vygotsky: Students will be given an environment
you might like to expand on. Which events stood in ZPD to maximize learning abilities in the
out to you the most and caused empathy while you classroom.
read? These events do not necessarily have to be
when a character showed empathy. It could be an
event that caused you yourself to feel empathy.
Write each idea in each finger. Make sure you cite
the page numbers that you chose each example
from.
4. Now it is time for you to write your actual Students are asked to apply what they have learned
narrative. I want you to take everything you and are actively constructing their own
learned from todays lesson and apply it to your understanding (Constructivist theory).
writing. Your assignment is to pick one of the five
events that you just wrote about and cited. Add Vygotsky: Students will be given an
more insight into the characters thoughts and environment in ZPD to maximize learning
feelings to expand on the empathy you felt. Write abilities in the classroom.
from Addys point of view and add to the scenario.
Make sure you use description and pacing, and
work on showing instead of telling. The rubric for
these narratives will be displayed on the
whiteboard for you to look at.
*Students work on narratives and are permitted to
talk with other students as well as consult the
teacher if need be*
5. Now that you have completed all of these Students are able to a whole class discussion
activities it is time to come back together as a because social interactions are important in the
group. Please share out what you have learned learning process (Vygotsky)
about narrative writing today. What do you feel
that you need to improve on? In your opinion,
what can make or break narrative writing?
6. The last activity is the exit slip! Please fill Students are evaluating their own learning
everything out and then turn it into me on your
way out of class. Please be reflective on what you
have learned

b. Closure: *Teacher will clap hands to get students attention* Lets now come back as a
class to reflect on what we have learned today! What are some tips and tricks you learned
for writing your own narrative? What can make or break narrative writing? *Class has
discussion* Take this time to fill out your exit slip. It will ask you how you felt about
the lesson as well as what you learned. Hand it in to me as you walk out of the room.
Tomorrow we will be going over Waiting for Normal and creating an art piece based off
of the book.

c. Independent Practice: Students will extend today to future practice when they complete
writing workshop again. They will know strategies to brainstorm (five finger activity) as
well as different ways to add details and slow down or speed up their own personal
writing. They may look at other writing that they complete on a day to day basis and
evaluate if they think the author has done these strategies successfully.

d. Instructional Materials, Resources, and Technology:

Chart for Show Dont Tell

A big castle sits on a hill. The sun is shining. Glistening rays of sun sparkle in the river
Birds are flying. The castle waits. while seagulls swoop hungrily looking for a
snack. High above the river, looking high and
mighty, the majestic castle stands anxiously
awaiting the return of the gallant knights.

The house was run down and dirty. The flowers in the front garden were long
dead, the grass was knee high and paint was
flaking from the window frames. As Sarah
pushed open the door, a rotten smell hit her all
at once. There were patches of damp mould
creeping slowly up the walls. The floorboards
were uneven and creaky.

He was mad. His mouth clamped shut, lips drawn, in a

bloodless gash.

He was out of shape. He heaved and puffed climbing a single flight

of stairs. His face was covered with white
blossoms of oxygen deprived cells.

The door squeaked. The sound was at once familiar and

frightening; an un-oiled hinge that betrayed
those who entered. Someone else was in the
room with her.
Venn Diagram for Show Dont Tell

Example piece of writing for Tell it in Slow Mo

As I sat there on the sizzling sidewalk with the summer sun beating down on my bare shoulders,
I began to eat my ice cream cone. I had just purchased the decadent snack from Claytons, the
local diner on the corner of A street and Fourth. They were running their regular Tuesday
special: strawberry dipped vanilla. To say I had died and gone to heaven would be an
understatement. I had never experienced food quite as refreshing. San Diego was currently
experiencing a heat wave, one of the greatest in recorded history with temperatures up to 110
degrees. Eating my dripping ice cream cone was like taking a breath of fresh air.

SLOW DOWN! TELL IT IN SLOW-MO!

After hearing and discussing the examples of slow motion writing in class, try your hand at
slowing down a piece of action as you write. In order to do so, describe the action frame by
frame or even second by second. You might want to describe what the writer is seeing,
hearing, touching, tasting, or smelling. You can even tell how the writer is feeling or thinking
if you like. It might even be helpful to show facial expressions or describe what is going on
outside the character. Painting a detailed picture helps readers to feel as though they are a part
of the action. Use one of the scenarios below and describe it in slow-mo by slowing it down in
your writing. You may work with a partner.

Eating a dripping ice cream cone on a hot summer day

Scoring the winning touchdown
Falling off a ladder
Slipping on an icy sidewalk
Crossing the finish line
Driving somewhere unfamiliar
Waking in the dark
Finding the right piece of clothing
Breaking my arm
Going on vacation

Five Finger Activity:

Rubric for Narrative:

Needs Work Meets Expectations Extraordinary

Narrative techniques Narrative techniques Effective pacing, Effective pacing,

such as pacing, were not used description, and description, and
description, and effectively elaboration were all elaboration were all
elaboration were used used used and made the
effectively narrative stand out

Student picked one An example was not Student picked one Student picked one
specific example chosen or was not specific example specific example
from the story to from Addys point of from the story to from the story to
write about from view write about from write about from
Addys point of view Addys point of view Addys point of view

Insight was added to No insight was added Some insight was Insight was added
the characters added to the that clearly
thoughts and feelings characters thoughts demonstrated the
to demonstrate and feelings empathy student felt
empathy

Exit Slip:

EXIT SLIP
1. Please describe a strategy you learned about today and tell how
you will use it in your future writing as well as why you liked or
disliked it.

2. Reflect and tell me how you incorporated what you learned into
your narrative?

3. What are you still unclear on?

4. What do you need to improve on?

 5. What are some resources you can access to help you with your
narratives and where can you find them?

e. Acknowledgements:
Marvelous Minilessons
Jamison, L. (2011). Marvelous minilessons for teaching intermediate writing, grades 4-6.
Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
https://www.pinterest.com/mdurosssmit/teaching-narrative-writing/
https://www.google.com/search?q=show+don%27t+tell+examples&source=lnms&tbm=i
sch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiSr66Ly8PTAhXBlVQKHSOHCSAQ_AUIBigB&biw=1366
&bih=662#imgrc=rWVbsi0Zqytx5M:

Day 3:
Goal: The goal for today is for students to be able to artistically portray their understanding of
empathy within Waiting for Normal. Students should be able to express their emotions through
their art piece.

Overview: Students will select an event of their choice from Waiting for Normal where they felt
empathy towards one of the characters. The event doesnt need to reflect a character portraying
empathy, but rather should reflect a time where the reader felt empathy for the character. After
creating their art piece, students will write a justification as to why they chose the event that they
chose. At the end, students will present their art pieces to the class. These artistic representations
will also be going in their unit portfolio.

Materials:
- Construction paper
- Colored pencils
- Oil pastels
- Crayons
- Watercolor paints and paintbrushes
- Justification Worksheet

Justification:

Art Piece Justification

Name:________________________________
Date: ________________________________
Event and page # from story that you chose to create your art piece about:
____________________________________________________________________________
___
____________________________________________________________________________
___
____________________________________________________________________________
___
____________________________________________________________________________
___

Why did you choose this event to do your art piece about? Please include what made you
feel empathy within this event and how your art piece portrays this empathy in some
way.
____________________________________________________________________________
__
____________________________________________________________________________
__
____________________________________________________________________________
__
____________________________________________________________________________
__
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____
____________________________________________________________________________
__
____________________________________________________________________________
__
____________________________________________________________________________
__
____________________________________________________________________________
__

Day 4:
T&L Instructional Plan Template (Updated 4/17/15)

Background Information

Teacher Candidate: Sheridan Blair and Grace Karney______Date: April 28, 2017
Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Kelly Grade: 6th ________________
School District: Pullman School: Lincoln Middle School
University Supervisor: Lori White
Unit/Subject: Writing/ Informative Essays on Mental Health
Instructional Plan Title/Focus: The Importance of Learning about Mental Health

Section 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment

a. Instructional Plan Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is for students to develop
stronger researching and writing skills, as well as to increase their knowledge on a
particular mental health topic in regards to empathy.. Prior to this lesson students have
been learning about empathy and conducting their own narratives. Now they will have a
chance to research a topic on their own regarding mental health, and write their own
informative essay.

b. State/National Learning Standards:

Common Core Standards Grade 6 Reading
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular
details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

Common Core Standards Grade 6 Writing

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and
information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.8
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility
of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding
plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources.
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research.

Washington State EALRS Grade 6 English Language Arts

2.1.3: Apply comprehension monitoring strategies during and after reading: determine
importance using theme, main ideas, and supporting details in grade-level
informational/expository text and/or literary/narrative text.

c. Content Objectives

1. SWBAT identify at least 5 important and relevant details when conducting research
about a mental health topic.

Aligned standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.8, Washington State EALRS Grade 6

English Language Arts 2.1.3

2. SWBAT investigate and conclude at least 2 effects of a specific mental health topic.

Aligned Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.8

3. SWBAT identify the importance of empathy through reading and researching a

specific mental health topic.

Aligned Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2, Washington State EALRS Grade 6

English Language Arts 2.1.3

Language Objectives:

1. SWBAT write their own informative essay about a mental health topic using five
paragraphs

Aligned standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2

2. SWBAT explain in written form why empathy is important with mental illnesses.

Aligned Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.9

d. Previous Learning Experiences: Earlier this week students wrote their own expanded
narratives from Waiting for Normal. By now students should have a clear understanding
of using details to help make their writing stronger. Within the past few weeks students
have also been learning about mental health and empathy, so this should have properly
prepared them for this lesson. Now they will have the chance to write an informative
essay about mental health.
 e. Planning for Student Learning Needs
We plan on taking our students through a step-by-step process so that nobody is being
overwhelmed with too much information at once. If there is anyone who is unable to
write, we will talk to them so that they can present their thoughts to us orally and they
will also be able to use the class laptops. We plan on giving our students plenty of
opportunity for discussion so that we can have engaging and thought-provoking
conversations as a class.

Because researching topics regarding mental health and mental illness is a very serious
topic, we made sure to properly prepare our students throughout the past few weeks
before jumping into this lesson. Up until this point students have been exposed to various
different activities that teaches them about empathy and we have also talked a little bit
about mental illnesses because wanted to properly plan for our student learning needs.
We also plan on providing our students with resources for learning more about mental
health topics as well as information about getting help. Most importantly, we will ask all
students to be respectful during this lesson and to take it seriously because they never
know if one of their classmates might have their own personal experiences regarding
mental health.

f. Assessment Strategies

Content/Language Objectives Assessment Strategies

Content example:
1. SWBAT identify at least 5
important and relevant details when
conducting research about a mental
health topic.
Formative:
1. After students have selected which mental illness
they would like to conduct research on, they will
be using the schools computers in the schools
laboratory. They will find at least 2 articles that
talk about the mental health topic and they will
print these articles out. These articles need to be
approved by one of the teachers first so that we
may check to see if it is an accurate article. After
printing out their articles everyone will return to
class and be prompted to highlight the
information that they find to be important. After
highlighting, students will write down the
important information that they found within their
articles on the Research Notes Worksheet that
is given to them. This worksheet will even consist
of 5 different areas where they need to write
down important information so that they will
meet the requirements. We are requiring students
to use this type of assessment so that they are able
to organize their thoughts and information before
beginning their informative essay. Students will
freely be allowed to raise their hand to ask us if
they are properly writing down correct

2. SWBAT investigate and conclude
at least 2 effects of a specific
mental health topic.
3. SWBAT identify the importance of
empathy through reading and
researching a specific mental health
topic.
Language example:
1. SWBAT write their own
informative essay about a mental
disorder using five paragraphs
information in the spaces necessary. Before
beginning their informative essay later, students
will turn this worksheet in to inform us of
whether or not they are ready to continue the
lesson.
2. Students will also be given a separate worksheet
where they will be able to jot down the effects of
their mental health topics that they are doing
research on. This worksheet will also help
prepare them for the language objectives portion
of the lesson. For this content objective students
will also be allowed to raise their hand to receive
assistance from one of the teachers. This
worksheet will also inform us of whether or not
students are investigating and gathering the
correct information from their articles.
Informal:
3. After they have finished filling out both of their
worksheets, students will pair and share with a
partner about why they think empathy might be
important after reading their articles. The teachers
will come around and listen to what students are
saying to each other as well as join some of their
conversations. After allowing students to talk and
share with a partner we will come together as a
class and have multiple students share what they
think. We are doing this informal type of
assessment so that students will have the chance
to share with each other and hear what types of
things their peers are saying. Most importantly,
this type of assessment will also inform us of
whether or not students are making the
connections between empathy and mental
illnesses.
Summative:
1. After the teachers have finished quickly looking
through each students worksheet to check for
understanding, we will be handing the worksheets
back to them. Students will then use their
worksheets to help them write an informative 5
paragraph essay about the mental illness in which
they conducted research on. Students will be
given a checklist so that they know what is to be
expected of them. This form of assessment
 informs the teachers of whether or not students
know how to put all of their information together
into an informative essay. From here, we will be
able to tell if we need to recover anything about
how to write an informative essay.

2. SWBAT explain in written form Formative:

why empathy is important with
mental illnesses.
2. Students will write a paragraph connecting
mental illnesses with empathy.They will explain
why they think empathy is important when it
comes to mental illness and if there is a way they
think we can raise awareness. This formative
assessment will inform teachers if students have
made the connection between mental illness and
empathy.

g. Student Voice:
K-12 students will be able to:
1. Explain student
learning targets and what is
required to meet them
(including why they are
important to learn).
2. Monitor their own
learning progress toward the
learning targets using the tools
provided (checklists, rubrics,
etc.).
Student-based evidence to be
collected (things produced by
students: journals, exit slips, self-
assessments, work samples,
projects, papers, etc.)
Class Discussion/ Bulletin Board
Sticky Notes
Checklist and Worksheets
Description of how students
will reflect on their learning.
Before students begin
finding research articles, we
will have a class discussion
about our objectives and
learning goals. After the
introduction we will ask
students why they think its
important to learn about
mental health. Students will
write down why they think
our learning targets are
important and will place
them on the bulletin board
on the wall.
Students will use the
Research Notes Worksheets
and Checklist for the
Informative Essay to help
monitor their learning
progress. These items will

3. Explain how to
access resources and
additional support when
needed (and how/why those
resources will help them).
Decorative Resource Help Sheet
help keep students on track
because completing these
worksheets will help
students accomplish
everything they need to
accomplish for the lesson.
Each student will create their
own Resource Help Sheet
that they get to design on
their own. Using information
found on
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/in
dex.shtml and/ or
http://www.mentalhealthame
rica.net/, students will write
down important phone
numbers and resources for
mental health that can be
found on this website.

h. Grouping of Students for Instruction: Students will be allowed at any point during this
lesson to ask a classmate for help. However, they will be working individually while they
read their own articles and write down the information they have learned on their
worksheets. Upon completion of their worksheets they can get together in groups with
students who might have had the same research topic as them. We will be sure that every
student chooses a topic that is chosen by at least one other student. Students will also be
working in groups while they are having discussions about what they have learned.

Section 2: Instruction and Engaging Students in Learning

a. Introduction: We will introduce this lesson by showing a video of a student standing up

on his desk during class and voicing his struggle with depression, but first we will
connect the lesson to everything we have been learning during the time leading up to
now. We will address the class, Good morning students! As all of you are aware, we
have been learning about mental health and empathy these past few weeks. Before we
begin our lesson today we are going to show you a quick Youtube video. This video is
meant to set the mood for the class and get them in the mode of empathy.

After showing the Youtube video the teacher will address the class again, That was a
very powerful video, wasnt it? The video brings up the point that one of your classmates
may be affected by a mental illness without you even knowing it. Today you are all going
to be conducting research on a mental health topic of your choice from a list that I will
give you to select from. A few days ago you created your own narratives from Waiting
for Normal. Today, you will be taking the information you learn from your research and
 you will be writing your own informative essays about the mental health topic!

b. Questions:
1. Describe and discuss with a partner what you already know about mental illness based up
what weve talked about within the past few weeks. (Knowledge & Comprehension)
2. Why do you think we want you to conduct research on a mental health topic?
(Comprehension)
3. How do you think having a mental health problem might impact someones daily
activities? (Comprehension/Application)
4. Do you think we need to raise more awareness about mental health? Why or why not?
(Analysis)
5. How has learning about mental health and illnesses added to your understanding of
empathy? (Application)
6. Select the information from your articles that speaks to you the most. What about this
information seemed so important to you? (Knowledge & Comprehension)
7. Compare and contrast what you knew about mental illnesses a few weeks ago to what
you have learned today and within the past few weeks. How has your understanding
changed? (Analysis)

c. Learning Activities:

Learning Steps and Activities Supporting Theories/Principles

1. We will transition from the introduction by
explaining the student learning targets and
what is required to meet them. We will
have a class discussion about why we think
these learning targets are important and
why students think it is important to learn
about mental illnesses. We will have
students incorporate their student voice by
writing down why they think these learning
goals are important on a sticky note. Each
student will place their sticky note on the
class bulletin on the wall that is labeled
Learning Goals.
(Why are you doing what you are doing?)
This goes along with Piagets concept of
developmental stages and schemes. Teachers
should know their students prior knowledge
before building on their existing knowledge, so
we are asking our students what they think about
the learning targets ahead of time. This also sort
of goes along with Ausabel & Mayers advance
organizers because we are not only explaining
what is important in the coming material, but we
are also asking the students why they think its
important before we begin our lesson.

2. Next, we will pass out the Research Notes
Handout and begin explaining instruction
for the content goals. We will address the
class, In order for everyone to be able to
conduct research about a mental health
topic we will be going to the computer lab
today. I will put a list of mental health
topics on the document camera for
everyone to see and I want you to pick
Here were are still working with Piagets
concept of developmental stages as well as
Vygotskys Zone of Proximal Development. We
think that its important for us to explain all of
the directions to our students in appropriate
stages so that nobody becomes confused. We
believe that it is also important for students to
able to ask questions and clear up any confusion
they might be having before beginning the
 which one topic you would like to learn lesson.
more about. As you can see on the
worksheets, you will all be selecting at
least two articles that will be approved by
the teachers. On the worksheets you must
find at least 5 important facts or details
about your mental health topic and write
them down including the page number. On
the other worksheet it is also required that
you find a minimum of two effects of the
mental illness. It is up to you how you
choose to take notes. These worksheets will
be used to help you later today when you
create your own informative essay! Does
anybody have any questions? We will
clear up any confusions and answer
questions from students for the next few
moments. Then we will say, Alright
everyone, lineup in a single file line and we
will head over to the computer lab. Bring
your worksheets with you!
3. We will then head over the computer lab We are still working in developmental stages,
and give students time to select which but now we are giving students the chance to
mental health topic they would like to work on their own. We are giving students a
research. We will give students instructions little bit of freedom to decide which topic they
about going to would like to research which is important
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml so because that way we dont try to control all of
they can decide which topic they want to the learning. Constructivism allows learners to
research. As students find a seat and actively construct their own knowledge while
computer at the computer lab we will say, engaged in the learning process. Instead of flat
Okay students log into the computer and I out teaching everyone about each mental health
want all of you to go to topic, we are allowing them to construct their
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml so knowledge on their own by researching the topic
that you can read a little bit about the by themselves. This is very important because
mental health topics before deciding which this way students arent just passively absorbing
want you want to research. We will give information.
you about 7 minutes to finish deciding, and
once you have decided please raise your
hand and I will come over to you for you to
tell me which one and I will write your
name down. We will then allow students
to decide which topic they would like to
pick. After everyone has decided which
topic they want to research we will address
the class again, Okay now it is time for
you all to begin researching your topic. I
 want all of you to find two articles so that
you can print them out and then you will
highlight and takes notes about them. After
finding two articles please raise your hand
so that one of us can come around and
approve your article! We will then allow
students time to look for their article and
then everyone will print their articles out.
After students have found an article, we
will all return to the classroom so they can
begin filling out their worksheets.
4. We will address the students once again, We are still going through our lesson with a
Okay now it is time for each of you to fill step-by-step process so that nobody falls behind.
out both of your Research Worksheets. If Now that students have printed off their articles
you have any questions while you are they can start highlighting information and
filling them out please dont be afraid to determining which information they would like
ask one of the teachers! We will then give to write down on their worksheets. This still
students time to fill out their worksheets applies to the concept of constructivism because
and we will be walking around to observe students are still generating their own knowledge
the students and see how each of them are and determining which information they
doing. After about 45 minutes we will personally think is important. The teachers are
collect their worksheets to make sure they partially scaffolding because we are coming
are all filled out adequately and to monitor around to check and make sure that although
their understanding of the assignment. students are allowed to write down what they
After we have quickly reviewed each of the deem as important, the information is still
students worksheets we will pass them relevant and will be useful for their informative
back so that they can begin working on essay.
their informative essay.
5. We will address the class again, Okay now Its very important to allow students to talk to
we are going to hand your worksheets back each other and share their own thoughts and
to each of you and I want you to start ideas. Going along with constructivism, social
thinking about how empathy and mental interactions are extremely important when it
health topics go hand-in-hand. I want you comes to the knowledge construction process.
to pair and share with a partner about why This also goes along with Vygotskys concept of
you think empathy might be important the importance of language. Verbalizing their
when it comes to learning about mental thoughts also makes it easier for them to
health topics! Both of the teachers will be internalize and make deeper connections about
coming around because we are interested to everything they are learning.
hear what each of you has to say! We will
then allow students around 10 minutes to
pair and share and we will come together
again as a class for a class discussion. We
will address the class again, Alright
everyone now I would like a few people to
raise their hand and share what they
discussed with their partner! We will then
 have several more minutes of class
discussion before beginning the
informative essays.

6. After the class discussion we will begin Now students are being given the opportunity to
passing out the checklist for the take all of the information they just learned from
informative essay. Okay students, now it their own research and apply it to an informative
is time for everyone to begin writing their essay. Again, this goes along with the theory of
informative essay. Your teachers are going constructivism because students are generating
to hand each of you a checklist that will their own knowledge of the concept and writing
help you know what exactly is to be it down.
expected of you for this essay. Your essay
should include all of the information you
wrote down on your Research Worksheets
and you need to quote at least one quote
from one of your articles. You also need an
introduction paragraph and a conclusion.
Be sure to explain to the reader why they
should care about this topic. Feel free to
write in the first person as well. In addition,
do not be afraid to ask questions because
we are here to help you! Students will
then have around 45 minutes to finish
writing their informative essays.
7. After allowing students the proper amount We think that it is very important for students to
of time to complete their informative reflect about what they have just learned and to
essays, we want them to start reflecting on make connections to what was previously taught
what empathy means to them. We are throughout the past couple of weeks. We
going to address the class again, Okay prepared students to be able to make these
everyone, now you are going to write a connections so this goes along with Vygotskys
reflection about why you think empathy is zone of proximal development. It also goes
important when it comes to mental health. I along with the concept of constructivism because
want all of you to make the connection students are using their prior knowledge of
between what weve been learning these empathy to make connections about what they
past few weeks about empathy and what just learned today about their mental health
you just learned today through your topic.
research. You writing only needs to be one
paragraph and I want you to really focus on
what it means to you. We will then give
students time to write their paragraphs.
8. After students have finished writing their Now students are able to take everything they
paragraphs, we are going to pass around have just learned and make their own resource
copies of the teachers decorative resource help sheet. This goes along with the theory of
help sheet. We will explain what the cognitivism learns are processing the
students are doing next, Now we are information they just learned and will be able to
going to pass out copies of a decorative store it for later use!
 resource help sheet that we made because
we want all of you to make your own! On
your resource help sheet you can write
down important phone numbers or you can
write nice notes to someone who might be
struggling with their mental health in some
way. You can sign your name if you want.
You may also socialize while you are doing
this and share materials. Both of us will be
walking around to make sure that everyone
is staying on task and we will ask any
questions if you have any. The teachers
will then give students time to start making
their own decorative resource help sheets.

b. Closure:
After students have finished making their Decorative Resource Help Sheet, we will begin
wrapping up. We will grab students attention by turning off the lights so that everyone
will go silent. We will address the class, Okay students, I know that today you all
learned a lot and some of it was really hard to learn about. I want all of you to finish up
any last words on your Decorative Resource Help Sheet because for today this lesson is
coming to an end. Tomorrow we will be making brochures about everything we have
learned and we will be presenting to the class!

c. Independent Practice:
Our intent for all of the empathy unit plan over the past few weeks was for students to
become more aware of mental health and to learn more about the importance of empathy.
Hopefully students will be able to extend their kindness to each other and will be able to
independently practice being empathetic in their day-to-day to lives. It is likely that many
students have a friend or relative who experiences mental health problems so students
will be able to extend their love and care to the people in their personal lives.

Instructional Materials, Resources, and Technology:

- Highlighters
- Pencils
- Computer lab for doing research
- Printed out research articles
- List of available research topics
- Research Notes Handout
- Research Notes Empathy Handout
- Informative Essay Checklist
- Bulletin Board for Learning Targets
- Sticky Notes
- Construction Paper
 - Crayons, markers, colored pencils
- Youtube video The Stand Up Kid- Time to Change
- Copies of teachers decorative resource help sheet

List of available mental health topics for students to research:

List of Mental Health Topics to Research

- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Panic Disorder
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Bipolar Disorder
- Depression
- Anorexia
- Bulimia
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Schizophrenia

Bulletin Board for Student Voice and Learning Targets:

 Research Notes Handout:

Research Notes Handout

Name:___________________________
Date:____________________________
Mental Illness Being Researched: __________________________________________
Articles Used: _______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
___
Directions: While you are reading your articles you should be highlighting any important
information that you find. You should be looking for at least 5 different details. It is up to you
whether or not you write our complete sentences or write down bulleted information. Please be
sure to include the page number.
Important Detail #1:
___________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
Important Detail
#2:___________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
Important Detail
#3:___________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
Important Detail
#4:___________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
Important Detail
#5:___________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
Extra
Notes:____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______

Research Notes Handout: Effects

Research Notes Handout: Effects

Name: ____________________________
Date:______________________________

Mental Illness:__________________________________________________________

Directions: While you are reading through your articles, highlight any information that you
find about the effects of the mental illness you are conducting research on. Remember, you
must find at least two different effects. Please be sure to include the page number where you
found the information.

Effect #1:
_______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______
Effect #2:
_______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
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Effect #3 (Optional):
___________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________
______
____________________________________________________________________________
______

Checklist for Informative Essay:

Does your informative essay include.

5 paragraphs
 Introduction

Conclusion

At least 2 effects

At least 5 important details

A topic sentence

A sentence explaining to readers why they should care

Proper punctuation

No spelling errors

At least one properly cited sentence from an article

Decorative Resource Help Sheet Teacher Example (Students will be hand-made, not on a
computer). Teacher will have enough copies for everyone.

Important Resources for Mental Health

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/
http://teenmentalhealth.org/

BE KIND TO EVERYONE
We are here for you
~ peer support
~ support group
 ~ medication
~meditation
~ talk to someone!
~ therapy

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Treatment Referral Helpline 1-800-662-HELP

Acknowledgements:
- Mental health topics found at:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/child-and-adolescent-mental-health
- Mental health topics found at
- Worksheets created by teachers
- Checklist created by teachers
- Picture of bulletin board for learning targets found at Pinterest.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE5Ip60_HJk

Day 5:
Goal: The goal for today is for students to be able to wrap up everything they have learned from
these past few weeks and to present and share with each other what theyve learned. Ultimately,
we want our students to be able to take everything they have learned from these past few weeks
and be able to apply it to their everyday lives.

Overview: Today students will be creating decorative brochures regarding all of the information
they learned previously on the day before when they conducted their research on a mental health
topic. They will spend time working on their brochures and then they will be able to present
them to the class. It is optional for students to speak in front of the class, but we will be doing a
classroom walkaround for everyone to see each others brochures. We will also be having
students fill out another anticipation guide just like they did in the first week of the unit plan so
we can see how students thoughts and feelings have changed. Since students have been learning
so much about empathy and mental illness we are going to have them write down 3 compliments
for every single one of their classmates to help boost self-esteem and ultimately foster a loving
and caring classroom environment. The last activity we will have students do will be for them to
look at the anticipation guide they filled out at the beginning of the unit. They will answer the
after questions and have a class discussion on where they are now and how their thoughts have
changed.

Materials:
- Construction paper
- Printer paper
- pens/pencils
- Markers
- Crayons
- Colored pencils
- Instructions for how to fold brochure
- Instructions for what to put on brochure
- Anticipation guide
- Compliment cards

Instructions for how to fold brochure:

Instructions for what to put within Brochure:

Mental Health Brochure

Directions: Using markers, crayons, and colored pencils you will create a brochure based
on the information you learned yesterday about the mental health topic you researched.
It is up to you how you want to design it and what kind of information you will put in,
but there are still some minimal requirements. Overall, please have fun designing and
decorating this brochure. We will all be walking around the classroom to look at each
others brochures! :)

- You must create a title identifying what the mental health topic is

- You must include up to 5 different facts about the mental health topic

- You must explain at some point within the brochure why people should
care

- Have fun :)

Compliment Cards:
 Anticipation Guide:
Name:_______________

Before You Read After You Read

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-1 Lack of understanding of 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

0 mental illnesses can lead to
people that have them feeling
hopeless

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 There are many people that 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

have a mental illness

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Mental health is just as 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

important as physical health
 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 There is a negative stigma 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10
surrounding mental illnesses

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 People that are depressed just 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

need to think more positively

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Telling someone to cheer 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

up is a good way to help
someone with a mental illness
if they are sad

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Less educated people are 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

more likely to suffer from a
mental illness

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Depression is just typical 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

adolescent behavior and is
something people will grow
out of

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 People that have anxiety often 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

just overreact to problems

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Mental illness has nothing to 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

do with how smart you are

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Talking about your mental 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

health challenges is a waste of
time. Its better to just take
medicine.

Grace Karneys Reflection:

 Wow did I first underestimate this assignment when I first saw it. I can honestly say I

have never worked half as hard on an assignment as I did on this thematic unit. I believe all of

the hard work has paid off, as I have learned valuable information on designing a unit. I think

this is something that the main way one gains knowledge on the topic is by actually experiencing

it. This assignment allowed me to organize, plan, research, write, collaborate, strategize, and

reflect in a way that I never have before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This was by far my favorite assignment in the class because of what a rewarding

experience it was. I am beyond proud of the work that Sheridan and I have done. I greatly

appreciate the freedom this assignment came with. I was able to choose a topic that I am so

passionate about and that made all of the difference. Mental health has been a journey for myself

and is something that I have struggled with throughout my entire life. Building an entire unit

around something that is so crucial, yet the education on it is so lacking, was an incredible

experience. I found so many new resources that I will utilize in my future classroom. I had no

idea the Heads Together website even existed. I also had no idea there were so many interviews

attempting to shed light on mental disorders.

As incredible as this experience was, there were some downsides as well. It was

heartbreaking for me to see the statistics of the amount of people that suffer from mental

disorders, yet the conversation about it has barely changed. There were no interviews with

children with a mental disorders either. I wanted to have a day where my students would read/

watch interviews from a childs point of view on what it is like to experience a mental illness,

but there were none. The overall amount of research regarding children in this matter in general

was lacking. There was barely any research on mental health in schools. This was the most
disappointing of all, seeing how little the current school system does to help with the mental

health of their students.

I really appreciated the cross cutting concepts element of the unit. I think this really

reiterated the fact that we need to bring in all types of subjects into each and every lesson. This

inspired me to get creative and I really tried to think outside of the box when designing the

science portion. It is important to remember to do this for every unit you design.

My goal as a teacher is to make literacy enjoyable for my students. People often think of

literacy in a classroom setting as only reading mundane assigned books and writing essay after

essay regurgitating useless information from the internet. Sheridan and I really tried to design

this unit in a way that would do the exact opposite. I want my students to learn inquiry through

literacy. I want to use literacy to help them have open minds and to become genuine empathetic

students. It sounds like a lofty goal, but I believe anything is possible through literature. Literacy

is so much more than the act of reading a book. Literacy is truly engaging with what you read

and write. It is a continual process of reflection and learning, and if it is done right, literacy can

change lives.

The three most important lessons I learned from designing this thematic unit were time

management, how to access great resources, and organizational skills. I enjoyed putting this

assignment together, which was definitely not something that I was expecting. It was time

consuming and stressful at times, but worth every single second. Sheridan and I have created a

valuable resource that I am certain I will use in my future teaching endeavors multiple times. I

have learned more through putting this thematic unit together and this class overall than I have in

most of the education program and I am so proud of the work I have done.
Sheridan Blairs Reflection

From the very beginning we knew we wanted to do a unit plan relating to empathy in

some way. I think that the hardest part of trying to figure out exactly what we wanted to do was

trying to organize everything in the very beginning. After creating an outline the process

definitely got easier because I felt more in control of the lesson plan and knew what I needed to

do. Ultimately, I have learned that literacy is more than just reading a book; literacy can be

incorporated into the classroom and our everyday lives in so many different ways! Literacy

shouldnt just be about reading or writingstudents need to be given multiple opportunities to

grow and expand their learning with literacy. Making this thematic unit has helped prepare me

for understanding the types of literacy goals I would like in my own classroom in the future. I

want students to be able to explore literacy in different ways. I loved how this thematic unit

caused us to incorporate cross-cutting concepts such as science, math, fine arts, and health and

fitness. Fine arts is definitely one of my favorite subjects so its cool that it can go hand-in-hand

with literacy. I also appreciated the freedom that we were allotted on this thematic unit because

we were allowed to select our own topics. Mental health is something that Im very curious

about so I enjoyed being able to create lessons about it.

I now understand that the relationship between the needs of learners, content knowledge,

and pedagogy all sort of bounce off of each other and they are constantly changing. The

pedagogy needs to be responsive to the needs of learners, but in order to accomplish this the

teacher much first determine what the learners needs are in the first place. Also, the students

prior knowledge needs to be determined so that the teacher knows what exactly they can make

connections about. The teacher also needs to have their own in-depth understanding of the
content before trying to teach it to the students. I had to do some research about what kinds of

things I would like to include in the days that I worked on.

In order to make learning accessible to all students I need to know how all of my students

learn and operate. I also need to have extra resources available for them, such as extra laptops or

even language resources. Throughout the lesson there are several instances where I tell students

to please ask for help if there is something they are not understanding. I tried to use Vygotskys

Zone of Proximal Development as much as possible so that students are able to use their prior

knowledge to their advantage. Students are allowed to ask questions at any point during the

lesson because I dont want any of them to be confused. In each of my days that I worked on I

also made sure to use proper spacing. I think one of the most important things we did with

spacing was avoiding causing students to feel too overwhelmed with information about mental

health the first week. I think that it was a good idea that we had them read Waiting for Normal

before having them conduct research about a separate mental health topic.

From this thematic unit I have been able to gain a lot of insight about instructional

strategies for teaching and creating lesson plans. Before creating this thematic unit we have

always just made individual lesson plans so it was definitely a big jump having to create a three

week unit plan. I learned that lesson plans shouldnt just be randomthey need to be purposeful

and you really should be thinking about how to use your students prior learning and then think

about what steps you need to take next. I learned that its very helpful to have a plan of action

for the future because even though you might end up needing to change something completely

based on your students level of understanding, you will still have at least something to work

with. Its better to have some sort of plan than to have no plan at all, and your students will

always be able to give you feedback if you ask for it.

 I would be able to use this thematic unit in my own teaching in several different ways. I

wouldnt even have to necessarily use the whole thematic unit day-by-day. I could use individual

days from this thematic unit and see how my students respond to it. I definitely like the idea of

making artistic representations based off of what types of emotions different images or even

events from books give us. I think that that type of artistic activity could be used for all ages.

There are several other small activities throughout the thematic unit that I would love to

incorporate into my own classroom no matter what grade level I end up teaching. I think that its

very important to foster a classroom that encompasses a loving and caring environment for all

children. My hope would be for my students to feel comfortable enough coming to me about any

problems that they have. I think that theres a lot that goes on within an individuals life that is

completely separate from anything related to academics and school performance, and

unfortunately there really is no way for us to know. Overall, this assignment was stressful in

some ways but it was ultimately beneficial to my own learning and understanding of teaching.