Direct Instruction Whole Group Lesson Plan

Subject: 1st grade Literacy Central Focus: Understanding the character’s

lesson
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3 Date taught: February 5, 2018
Describe characters, settings, and major
events in a story, using key details.
Daily Lesson Objective:
Students will be able to describe the character’s lesson in the story using key details. Students will
work with a partner to complete this task and are expected to earn 4 out of 5 points to show mastery.
21st Century Skills: Academic Language Demand (Language Function
Collaboration, social skills. and Vocabulary):
Describe, identify, details, lesson.

Prior Knowledge:
Students should be able to identify characteristics and feelings about characters in a story.

Activity Description

“What is the importance of having characters in a story?”

1. Focus and Review
2. Statement of Objective
for Student
*allow 1-2 students to share with the class*
“That’s right, we can learn and relate to their experiences and
life lessons.”
“Today I will read Ish by Peter Reynolds to you. Later you will
describe the character’s lesson learned in the story using
details from the story to support your answers.”

“A life lesson is something you are taught that isn’t planned

most of the time and there’s usually something that has caused
this lesson to be taught. For example, something that I was
taught in life is to always leave my house ten minutes early
because I have been late to many important events before and I
want to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
Who can tell me about a lesson they learned in life?”
3. Teacher Input
*allow 2-3 students to share with the class*
“I’m going to read Ish by Peter Reynolds and as I’m reading it, I
want you to think about the character’s lesson learned in the
story. Think about it in your minds but don’t say a word until we
finish the book!”
*Teacher reads the story to the class under the document
camera, so all the students are able to see the illustrations and
read along with the text*
“I want you to turn and talk with a partner and describe what
4. Guided Practice
you think the life lesson Ramon learned in the story.” *give 1
min*
 “Now turn and talk with a different partner and describe what
you think the life lesson Ramon learned in the story.” *give 1
min*
*teacher walks around and monitors students’ discussions*
“I love what ____ said he/she thinks the lesson Ramon learned
is. Do you want to share with the class?”
*allow 2-3 students to share*
“I agree that Ramon learned that someone will appreciate his
artwork and think it’s beautiful even if he doesn’t think it’s
perfect.”
“Now you will work with a partner of my choice. Your job is to
write a description of Ramon’s life lesson using evidence from
the story. You will write, ‘Ramon learned _______. I know this
because ________.’ We just talked about some of Ramon’s
lessons he learned from the story but now I want you to tell me
his lesson using evidence from the story to prove it. I will write
these sentence starters on the board so all you and your
5. Independent Practice
partner have to do is fill in the blanks. I will play the read aloud
version on YouTube for you guys to listen to the story one more
time as you are writing. When you are done, hand it into me.”
*Teacher assigns partners based on ability levels. Students that
may be struggling with the instructions or with writing will work
with a student that is stronger in this area. Students that
struggle with comprehension will be placed with a student that
can help explain the story and what a lesson is*
Students will work with a partner to complete the independent
practice of writing two sentences. Students will earn 2 points for
describing the life lesson in the story. Students will earn 3
points for using evidence from the text to prove it. Students are
6. Assessment Methods of
expected to earn 4 out of 5 points.
all objectives/skills:
I will do formative assessments when monitoring students turn
and talk discussions during guided practice to check for
comprehension.

“You all seemed to understand how to describe the character’s

lesson learned from the story and being able to use evidence
from the story to support your answer. Now we are going to add
7. Closure
to our anchor chart ‘Good Readers…’ Who can tell me what
should go on here next? As good readers what will we be able
to do? That’s right, describe the character’s lesson learned in
the story and be able to prove it with evidence.”

15/19 students received 5/5 because they were able to correctly

describe Ramon’s life lesson and use evidence from the story
8. Assessment Results of
to support their answers.
all objectives/skills:
4/19 students received 0/5 because they didn’t correctly
describe Ramon’s life lesson nor used evidence from the story
to support their answers. These students said they were
 confused with the directions and didn’t understand what a life
lesson was and how to find it in the story.
Targeted Students Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations Modifications/Accommodations
Students turn and talk twice to accommodate for For students that seem to be struggling during
ELLs and other struggling students. This independent practice, I will pull them in a small
strategy allows for these students to hear their group and work with them to further explain the
partner share an idea the first round, then the instructions and figure out where the confusion
student will be able to share an idea with a is coming from and other ways I can assist in
different partner the second round to make the their learning.
student feel involved and connected with
classmates.

Materials/Technology: document camera, Ish by Peter Reynolds, paper, pencil, YouTube.