Universal Lesson Plan Template – Curry Secondary Program

Lesson Topic/Lesson Length: Global Read-Aloud

Name: Elena Alba Reading Strategies Lesson— Americanah (70
minutes)
Content Area: English Language Arts Grade Level(s): 9-10
Class Context: 15 students. 2-3 students with specific learning disabilities in reading and writing. 2 students on
behavior improvement plans. None are English Language Learners. These students are all in a 9th grade
advisory class together. Many of them went to Community Middle School and knew one another before
coming to Murray High School. Each advisory group (divided by grade) is experiencing a read-aloud of a
popular book over the next few weeks to help them acquire reading and writing strategies.

We are reading Americanah with our high school students because it brings up important themes and issues
related to race, home, immigration, self-knowledge, national and international citizenship, and love, but is also
an engaging, relatable narrative about growing up in a certain place and moving to a new country where you
never quite feel like you can be yourself or know who you are.

Lesson Content
Background Information/ Relevance/ Context/ Rationale (Purpose) – Please be clear about how this particular
lesson is situated within the current instructional sequence (i.e., unit), why this content important for students to
learn, and how you will convey the relevance and significance of this lesson to students.

While students in the 9th grade are asked to devote 20 minutes of classroom time to silent reading each day
after lunch, they rarely hear stories read aloud to them. In order to facilitate some quiet learning time, and to
model reading strategies effectively as well as prompt important discussions about relevant cultural and
political issues, these students are now having books read aloud to them by their teachers each afternoon and
are then reading aloud to one another. This lesson is intended to be taught during that daily read-aloud time.
Almost all of the 9th grade students except for one or two are strong readers in the sense that they move
quickly from book to book. However, I (along with the teachers at MHS) have noticed that a high volume of
reading does not necessarily equate to equally advanced reading comprehension skills. The school-wide read-
aloud project is intended to help students develop these reading skills by watching them be modeled, but also
by trying them out themselves over time. Reading profusely is extremely important, but being able to
remember, synthesize, and reflect upon what is being read is equally vital. I want these students to know that
reading is not meant to be a purely passive experience, and that they will benefit greatly from engaging with
their texts in a proactive and consistent manner.

We are using Americanah as our read-aloud book because it touches on some really important topics about
inclusion, discrimination, prejudice, finding home, and class divisions, as well as providing an awesome story of
a Nigerian girl/woman navigating through some weighty issues in American and in Nigeria. Our focus for this
unit is the theme of home and how that can mean a million different things to a million different people, but
that a sense of home is still crucial for human flourishing.

Relevant VSOLs/CCSSs – Include only the standards addressed by this particular lesson
VSOLs
9.3 The student will read and analyze a variety of literature.
d) Explain the relationships between and among elements of literature: characters, plot, setting,
tone, point of view, and theme.
e) Explain the relationship between the author’s style and literary effect.
f) Describe the use of images and sounds to elicit the reader’s emotions.

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g) Explain the influence of historical context on the form, style, and point of view of a written
work
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text,
including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the
text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3
Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the
course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and
connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g.,
how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.5
Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel
plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.6
Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the
United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature

Learning Targets -- Please reference these learning targets throughout your lesson plan.
As a result of this lesson, students will…

Understand:
1. Students will understand that reading diverse books about sensitive issues requires careful thought
and engagement on the part of readers.
2. Students will understand that pre-reading, during reading, and post-reading activities can help them
get as much as possible out of the reading that they do.

Know:
3. Students will know at least one strategy for engaging a text before reading, during reading, and after
reading.
4. Students will know at least one strategy for reflecting upon a text in order to make inferences and
judgments about that text.
5. Students will know at least one method/strategy for talking or writing about a theme in a text and the
cultural context out of which the author develops or understands that theme.

Do:
6. Students will be able to complete an Anticipation Guide or other pre-reading strategy effectively and
thoughtfully.
7. Students will be able to reflect upon a text in the form of a Likert Scale or other post-reading strategy.
8. Students will be able to make inferences and judgments about a specific text.

Include the titles and a short description of all four texts in your Quad Text Set. Highlight the text(s) that this
lesson will address.

 Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

o Americanah is a story about a young Nigerian woman named Ifemelu. The book follows her
journey from Nigeria to America and back, and is written mostly from a first-person

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perspective. Ifemelu/Adichie weaves in a multitude of themes related to racism, natural hair,

prejudice, love, immigration, journeys, and home. I chose this book for its ability to resonate
with anyone who has felt out of place or searching for home, and for its vivid descriptive
imagery and details. It is an amazing example of narrative writing that deals with issues of
human suffering, belonging, and a desire to know how to be at home where you are—or to
leave if need be. Giselle and Jade have both had difficulty fitting in in the past, so this book
would possibly resonate and hold their interest. It also offers a variety of themes connected
across the book, and I think unraveling these themes would offer a great opportunity to model
reading comprehension strategies.
 “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury
o Ray Bradbury’s short story about a young girl and her schoolmates on Venus is a chilling, at
times heart-wrenching, tale about kids who live on another planet and never see the sun
except for once every six or seven years. Margot, the sort-of protagonist, is the only child with
distinct memories of what it feels like to be in the sunshine, since she came to Venus recently
from Earth with her parents. She longs for it, and hopes to go back to her home on Earth
someday. The other students, young enough to have never seen the sun or to not remember it
if they have, lock Margot in a closet during the one-hour window in which they can play
aboveground while the sun shines. With a shock, they realize that they locked Margot in the
closet and never let her out. She missed the sun. She will have to wait 7 more years or return
home to Earth. I chose this as my second story because it’s such a powerful, simple example of
the things that make a place feel like home. It is part smell, part people, and part space. If you
lack the sun in your new environment, will it ever really feel like home at all? This is also a story
that is extremely accessible for readers at most levels, since it’s written at a middle school
level, which should help Giselle and Jade feel comfortable delving deeper into the concepts.
 “Fortress ‘Black in America’: Closed to Africans?” by Mkawasi Micharo Hall
o Hall wrote this article about the experience of being shut out of a group that appears like it
would welcome you on the surface, but which has chosen to keep you out for one reason or
another. For African immigrants, the journey to the U.S. from their homes in Africa can be
rocky not only because starting over somewhere new is always difficult, but because African
Americans in the U.S. do not always welcome native Africans. Not only that, but African
immigrants do not always feel at home with African Americans. The cultures they have known
can be sometimes completely different and alien, and the only thing they have in common may
be their skin tone. It is an article that illustrates how people can both be at home in an
unfamiliar place or feel alienated based on where they go and who they are. Belonging and a
sense of home are built over time and sometimes despite the resistance of the other
inhabitants. This article also provides some needed background information on the experience
of some African immigrants in the U.S., which may be unfamiliar to certain students and which
is one of the central topics of Americanah. This extra information should help students like
Giselle and Jade make connections and understand some of the context of the primary text.
 Finding Nemo
o Besides the fact that Finding Nemo is one of my all-time favorite movies, I think it’s an excellent
example of the lengths people will go to in order to find their way back home—whatever that
home looks like. Nemo accidentally gets lost and taken far away from his very overprotective,
well-meaning father. Merlin, the father, then goes on an epic journey to find Nemo who
himself is trying desperately to get back home. Nemo has moments of sheer terror and
confusion when he realizes he is an unfamiliar place and knows no one. Then, he realizes that
the fish in the tank have made their own home together. They induct him into their group in a
sacred ceremony, and they help him find his way back to the ocean. Whether you are 13 or 83,
this movie resonates as a tale of separation and finding one’s way back home. It is appropriate
and accessible, as well as enjoyable. For those finding the readings to be a struggle, this type

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of movie might prove helpful in finding the words to navigate through the theme of home and
contribute to class discussions.

Assessments: – How will you know if students have met/made progress towards the learning targets? Be sure
these assessments are integrated throughout the procedures and steps in the lesson outlined below.
Diagnostic Formative Summative
Method of Assessment: Method of assessment: 3-2-1 Exit **NOTE: Not included in this
Anticipation Guide Slip lesson plan, but would ultimately
be completed by students in an
Description of Assessment: Description of assessment: This ideal unit based on this book.
Students will complete the first assessment will prompt students
half of their Anticipation Guide to respond in three ways: to list Method of assessment: Student
before the read-aloud portion of three things that they remember Podcast (based on a personal
their lesson. Rather than have from the chapter that was read memoir inspired by the theme of
students complete the “After” aloud, to name two strategies for home)
portion of the Anticipation Guide being an effective reader, and to
immediately following the read- identify one thing they’re still Description of assessment: After
aloud, I will collect the Anticipation wondering about. reading and discussing
Guides, read through them, and Americanah, students would write
return them to students before Aligned with which Learning their own short memoir about
the next read-aloud lesson, so they Target(s): 2-6, 8 their personal connection to the
can see whether their opinions and idea of home, and then create a
predictions have changed over Criteria for assessment: podcast that uses mixed media,
time. Are students able to: including their memoir, to tell their
 Identify several different story. The podcast would be about
Aligned with which Learning reading strategies 10 minutes long and include a hook
Targets: 1-8  Reflect upon and ask and music, while the written
questions about a text memoir itself would be about 4-6
Criteria for Assessment: Students  Remember details from a pages long. Hopefully, this would
will be assessed based on whether particular text or about a provide students the chance to
they were able to put themselves particular character demonstrate their knowledge
in the shoes of one of the story’s about the theme of home, to
characters and make How data will be used: practice writing short narratives in
predictions/inferences about the I will use this data to inform my English, and to hone their speaking
book, or state opinions from the instruction for each student with skills via the podcast recording
POV of a character (or characters). regards to future read-aloud process.
Students will also be assessed lessons. Based on their reflection
based on whether they can come on the day’s lesson and text, I will
back during the following lesson, modify how I teach and frame
recall the text, and reflect upon reading strategies. Some students
whether their initial opinions and who struggle more than others to
predictions need to be changed. retain or use reading strategies
may require differentiated
How data will be used: I will use instruction, and these exit slips will
the data from the first half of the hopefully help me tailor my future
Anticipation Guide where students instruction to their individual
wrote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to certain needs.
statements and questions to help

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me tailor the initial lesson and the

follow-up lesson to the areas of
interest and confusion of my
particular students. Based on their
stated views, I can help create
guiding questions or focus my
modeling to help differentiate my
instruction for the read-aloud
lessons, since some students
might respond to instruction
better if it helps answer their
questions about the text or aligns
with their interests.

Materials/ Supplies/ Sources/ Digital and Interactive Instructional Technology (if appropriate): – Please list all
necessary instructional supplies, materials, and sources. Make sure that these are clearly labeled and referenced
throughout the lesson plan to enhance clarity.

 Appendix A: Anticipation Guide

 Appendix B: Likert Scale Handout
 Appendix C: 3-2-1 Exit Slip
 Appendix D: Partner Chart
 Appendix E: Excerpt from Americanah

Beginning Room Set Up: -How is the room set up when the students enter? Is there anything written on the
board or projected on the screen? Are their handouts, books, etc. that are laid out for students to pick up as they
enter?

The room will be set up with 15 chairs in a big circle. All the fold-up tables will be pushed to the edges of the
room to make space for the chair circle. As students come into the room, they will be asked to hang their
backpacks on the hooks along the walls. I will have a stack of Anticipation Guides (Appendix A) ready to hand
out to students as they come into the room. When they receive their papers, I will ask them to bring only a
pencil, their paper, and something solid to write on into the circle with them.

On the whiteboard behind me will be written the following agenda: “1) Anticipation Guide, 2) Think-Aloud, 4)
Non-stop Write, 3) Likert Scale, 4) Student Paired Interviews, 5) Exit Slips.”

Proactive Planning for Learning Differences: – What planned supports have you included to make the content
accessible for all learners (i.e., groups of students and/or specific students) and to build upon learners’ diversity?
Be sure any modifications are explicitly explained in the procedures/steps outlined below.

I will be pairing students with interview partners with whom they work well, including students with special
behavioral and academic needs. Students like Brandon, Callum, and Giselle will require more attention on my
part. Brandon has trouble concentrating on tasks that involve any form of writing or remembering texts, so I
foresee that he may have trouble with the lesson. Callum and Giselle are both very bright and mostly
attentive, but tend to go off-topic when it comes time to discuss something with a partner or with the whole
class. I will circulate in the room, stopping to speak with them and allay any worries or clear up any confusion
they may have. This lesson is designed to be accessible for all my students, since the activities require limited
writing, and primarily involve expressing opinions based on the text. There will also be an option to do the exit

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slip verbally with me in case students are having trouble getting their thoughts on paper in the time allotted.
Students would have the option to do the verbal exit slip during the break between classes or during
recess/lunch if more than one or two students were interested.

What key vocabulary will students need to know in order to understand the lesson and the texts?

 Immigration: the action of moving to live permanently in a foreign country or area

 Race relations: relations between members or communities of different races within one country
 Tribalism: the behavior and attitudes that come from strong loyalty to one tribe or social group
 Colonialism: acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers,
and taking advantage of it economically
 Post-colonialism: the study of the cultural legacy of colonialism and imperialism, particularly the
consequences of control and abuse of colonized people
 African-in-America: the experience of being an African immigrant in America (contemporary), rather
than someone who has African heritage but whose ancestors were likely slaves instead of coming to
America willingly
 Sanctum: a sacred or private place; sometimes a place in which other people are excluded
 Melanin: a dark brown or black pigment that occurs naturally in hair, skin, and irises of people and
animals
 Caste system: a class structure that is determined by birth; in some places, it means that if your
parents were poor, you’ll be poor, too, and if they were rich, you’ll be rich
 Neo-imperialism: a period of colonial expansion by European powers, the United States, and Japan
during the late 19th and 20th centuries
 Genocide: the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those in a particular ethnic group

Procedures/Steps in the Lesson: -- May follow a specific model (i.e., Direct Instruction, Jigsaw) or be more open-
ended. Be sure to think about what students will be doing during each step, in addition to what you are doing.
Scripting and/or estimated time frames may or may not be included, but the plan should be clear and explicit
enough that another person would be able to teach from it.

I. Welcome and Introduction/Reading of Word Wall (10-12 minutes):

“Alright, y’all, we’re going to begin reading our read-aloud book for this month, Americanah. Yesterday,
we read Ray Bradbury’s story, “All Summer in a Day.” Can anyone tell me what they remember from that
story? [Give students adequate wait time to try to remember what happened in the book previously.
Try to call on students who raised their hand and who don’t always offer their input.] That’s awesome,
thanks, guys. Today, we’re going to jump into Chapter 1 of Americanah, but before we do, I want us to
prime our brains a bit, using some of our pre-reading strategies. Do you remember how we discussed how
and why reading with purpose and using strategies can help us make sure we’re being good readers?
[Check for understanding here, looking for nods and engaged expressions. If students seem lost or
confused, give them a quick reminder about why reading strategies are important.] Y’all are all great
readers; I just want to make sure we’re all working toward better reading comprehension, including me.
We started our word wall for our unit on home and Americanah last week, but I want us to go over the
words I added for Chapter 1 this week because we have some doozies. Josh, can you please go to the word
wall and read what’s written under the word “Neo-imperialism?” [Have students take turns reading the
vocabulary definitions on the word wall on the note card underneath the vocabulary word and briefly
discuss concepts that seem particularly confusing, mentioning that more discussion will happen about
those concepts as book-reading continues]. Thank you for doing that, y’all. We’ll be encountering these
words in our reading today and in future chapters and texts related to Americanah and our theme of
home. If you come upon one of these words and can’t remember what it means or need some

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clarification, stop by the word wall first before coming to talk to me. Cool? Ok, next I want you to take a
look at the paper I handed you when you walked in. [Check to make sure everyone has their Anticipation
Guide and a pencil.]

II. Anticipation Guide (5-7 minutes):

“For the next 5-7 minutes, I want you to take a close look at the statements on your Anticipation Guides.
Henry, what is this pre-reading strategy called? An Anticipation Guide, right, thank you. These questions
are asking you to reflect on how much you agree or disagree with the statements on the page. Some of
the statements may be difficult to judge—but that’s part of the point. As we read, we want to make sure
that we’re thinking from multiple perspectives and using good judgment to think about complex ideas.
As you work, write a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’ in the “Before Reading” column. You won’t be completing the “After
Reading” portion until our next lesson on Thursday, so I can read through your responses, which will help
me make this time as interesting and useful for you as possible. Don’t worry if you have trouble deciding
‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ Our read-aloud today should help you get some more information that may help clear up any
confusion. Does anyone have any questions before we start? [Check to see if students understand how
the Anticipation Guide works. Double-check to make sure they all have a flat surface to write on and a
pencil with which to write. Set a timer for seven minutes.] Awesome, y’all have 7 minutes. I’ll let you
know when you have one minute left. I may add a few more minutes if it looks like y’all need a bit more
time. If you and an elbow partner finish early, you can compare Anticipation Guides. Ok, get started!

[Circulate around the room as students work, answering questions and clarifying instructions as
needed. If students seem frustrated, emphasize that it’s ok and even good to have trouble making
decisions about complex ideas. Give students a warning as their time is wrapping up.]

“Ok, finish up your last statement, and hand your papers in to me, please. Now, it’s time to see if your
predictions and judgments are right by actually reading our book! Let’s start Chapter 1. Are y’all ready to
read?

[Wait until everyone has turned in their papers and is settled back into their chairs. All students should
be quiet and listening patiently if possible. Remind students of the need for quiet so that all can hear
the story.]

III. Read-Aloud of Text (20 minutes):

[Read an excerpt of Chapter 1 from Americanah aloud and pause to model reading strategies. At
certain points in the chapter, make a point of thinking aloud, so that students can hear reading
strategies during reading. Say things such, as:
‘So, y’all, what I’m doing is called asking myself guiding questions while I read and making predictions
about the text as I go. Here I’m beginning to wonder whether Ifemelu feels like she fits in at Princeton
and why her whole family didn’t leave Nigeria like she did. I’m going to make a mental note of her
comment about not fitting in in her new context or at Princeton because I think that’ll be important
later.’ And, ‘Right now, I’m noticing that Ifemelu’s opinion of America compared to Nigeria is pretty
complicated. She doesn’t seem to have one single idea about whether she likes either of them or not.
I’m curious to see what she’s going to say next. Maybe the rest of the story will reveal some more
about why she’s so unsure.’

[Check for student comprehension and active listening throughout by asking comprehension
questions at various points in the chapter. If students seem distracted or lost, ask someone to
summarize what’s happened so far and remind students that they need to listen closely to remember
the story and to be able to complete the post-reading strategy later on.]

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“Ok, what did y’all think of this chapter? It’s a great story so far, right? I’m definitely interested to see
where Ifemelu takes us next. Please turn to your partner and take turns reading the rest of the chapter.
You should switch readers at the beginning of each page.”

[Wait for students to finish reading to one another.]

Now that we’ve done our pre-reading strategy using our Anticipation Guide and have listened to chapter 1
of Americanah, we’re going to do a short writing activity and then I’m going to give you another sheet of
paper for our post-reading strategy. It’s just as important to use strategies to think about what we’ve
read after we read as it is to think before we read. [Have students stand up and discuss some
predictions they’ve made so far with a different partner. Have them sit back down and then hand out
a blank notecard to each student. Make sure that they still have their writing utensils.]

IV. Non-Stop Write and Likert Scales — Partnered Work (15 minutes):

[Allow them to get a quick drink of water at this point if needed, but try to keep everyone settled.] Ok,
y’all, does everyone have their blank notecard? I’m going to set the timer for five minutes. I want you to
write for five minutes straight about your reactions to this chapter. I don’t care if it makes sense, or if it’s
in full sentences, or even if it’s a bit off-topic. You can do bullet points if you need to. I just want you to
keep writing for the full five minutes. How did this chapter make you feel? What do you think Ifemelu
should do about not feeling like she fits in? What experiences have you had that are connected to what
Ifemelu has experienced? How would you describe Ifemelu’s home in Nigeria or in America? I’m setting the
timer now, and will let you know when you have one minute left. Please do your very best to keep writing
the whole time. Does anyone have any last questions before we begin? [Wait for student responses and
questions; clear up any confusion.]

[Make sure students are writing for the full length of the exercise. Circulate and encourage as needed.
Remind students when one minute remains on the clock.]

“Ok, y’all, time’s up for the non-stop writing activity! Take a few seconds to shake out your wrists and
wiggle around. I’m going to hand out another sheet now. [Pass out the Likert Scale Post-Reading Sheet
(Appendix C) to all students.] The strategy we’re about to complete doesn’t involve as much writing as
the last one. This sheet will look pretty similar to the Anticipation Guide, except this time you’re going to
rate whether you agree with the statements on a scale of “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.” This is
called a Likert Scale and it’s a great post-reading strategy for helping us reflect on a book or a text. What
is this reading strategy called? [Wait for student responses and repeat the name of the strategy if
necessary. Write it up on the board with the other two reading strategies (Anticipation Guides and
guiding questions/think-aloud), so students can refer back to them later.]. Great, please circle how you
feel about each statement and make a note on your paper or a mental note about why you chose what
you chose because you’ll be comparing your scales with a partner in a few minutes. You’ll have 8-10
minutes to finish this sheet. I’ll give you a heads up when you have a minute left. Does anyone have any
questions? [Check that all students understand the instructions and clear up any confusion students
may have.] If you get confused about a statement, just raise your hand and I’ll come help you. Ok, get
started!

[As students work, walk among them and answer any questions while checking that students are
completing the sheet. If students need a bit more time, allow them a few more minutes to work
silently.]

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“Guys, thank you for working so diligently on your Likert scales. Jose, I really appreciate that you worked
so quietly, and Mary, I noticed that you were very thoughtful about rating your statements. Y’all are
awesome. Now, you’ve reflected on the texts yourselves, but talking to others about how they
interpreted a book can help open us up to new perspectives and ideas. You’re going to partner up and
share your Likert scales with one another. Please look up at the board to see who your partner will be for
this activity and find your partner. [Have the Appendix D partner chart up on the projector so that
students can view their assigned partner.]

V. Post-Likert Scale Peer-to-Peer Interviews (5-7 minutes):

“If you find that you and your partner disagree on something, go back to Chapter 1 and try to provide
evidence and a reason for your decision. Remember that we disagree with one another respectfully using
phrases like, ‘I understand what you’re saying, but I disagree because…,’ and, ‘Thank you for sharing your
perspective. I think that…’. Make sure that you and your partner are using respectful language and tone
of voice. Ok, everyone, stand up and begin comparing your sheets with your partner, please. You have 7
minutes to discuss. Your time starts now! [Make sure all students have a partner and help unpartnered
students find their partner based on the chart on the projector. Walk among students, making mental
notes about what students are saying about the text and their feelings about the statements on their
scales.]

“Ok, y’all, time’s up! Please return to your seats. You guys were super productive; thank you for being on-
task today. I would like you to keep your Likert Scales in your binders for now, because we’ll be referring
back to them as we move through the book to see how our opinions change as we learn more and more
about Ifemelu and her story. Guys, we’ve done some really important work practicing our pre-reading,
during reading, and post-reading strategies today. Can anyone tell me what our pre-reading and post-
reading strategies were? [Wait for students to respond. If students don’t know, remind them of the
Anticipation Guide and Likert scale activities.] Awesome, good memory. To make sure that we’ve done
our job today and that y’all can recall these strategies and the chapter from Americanah, the last thing I
want you to do is complete this exit slip quickly before you go to your electives. It shouldn’t take more
than five minutes to complete. [Hand out the 3-2-1 exit slips and make sure all students are working
productively. Answer any clarification questions students have. For students who struggle writing
quickly or who need extra help, approach them quietly and individually as you hand out the exit slips,
making sure they know they can complete theirs verbally during lunch or recess if they prefer to do
that instead.]

VI. Exit Slips and Wrap-Up (5 minutes):

“Start your exit slips, y’all. When you’re finished, please hand them in to me and then you can go take a
break before your electives. You guys were wonderful today. Thank you for your great listening and
awesome questions and ideas. I learned a lot from listening to you talk to one another today. Have a great
time in your electives!

Materials Appendix (if appropriate): Please include the slides, images, links to texts, handouts, etc. that are
used in this lesson. They should be “Student Ready”

Appendix A: See attached Word document titled, “Alba — Languages and Literacies Lesson Plan —
Anticipation Guide.”

Appendix B: See attached Word document titled, “Alba — Languages and Literacies Lesson Plan — Likert
Scale.”

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Appendix C: See attached Word document titled, “Alba — Languages and Literacies Lesson Plan — Exit Slip.”

Appendix D: Partner Chart

Likert Scale Partner Pairs (& one trio)

Giselle + Sarah Marla + John Justine + Mark + Ellie +

Callum Felix
Kayla + Anne Guilia + Mary Brandon +
Harry

Appendix E: Excerpt from Americanah

Answer the following questions:

1. In your lesson, how do you assess and build background knowledge necessary for understanding
texts?
a. I think my answer to this question actually partly involves the following one, as well. In this
phase of the hypothetical unit, students are actually reading through Americanah together as a
class. They are still in the beginning chapters and probably have a limited amount of
background knowledge about the context or content of the story. In order to help facilitate
acquiring that knowledge, I have built in an Anticipation Guide, which primes students to think
about the issues addressed in the chapter before and after reading, and which also functions
as kind of a diagnostic assessment to see how much they already know. The vocabulary on the
word wall, which we will briefly review before reading, will also help to build background
knowledge before reading, since much of the missing knowledge is likely tied to many of the
words and concepts in the chapter itself. Finally, while not directly included in this lesson, in
the unit, students would’ve already read the Ray Bradbury story and Hall article from the quad
text set mentioned above in order to get them acquainted with some of the central themes of
the book.
2. How do you teach key vocabulary during the lesson?
a. I’m utilizing a word wall in this lesson plan to help students acquire needed vocabulary for
optimal reading comprehension. Ideally, the word wall would grow over the course of the
book, as we would add words chapter by chapter, and I’d remind students to refer to the word
wall each time they come upon a word they don’t know before looking it up individually.
Underneath the actual word on the word wall would be its definition and a page number
where they might find it in the text to help students contextualize the information and refer
back to the citation if needed. We would review the words briefly together before reading (I
would have students read the words and definitions to the class before reading the book) the
assigned chapter.
3. What before, during, and after reading strategies from this course did you implement in this lesson?
Why? How do each of these promote comprehension?
a. Before: Anticipation Guide—I chose an Anticipation Guide as a before reading strategy for this
lesson because Americanah brings up a lot of new information but also some controversial
themes and ideas and I wanted students to have a chance to mull over those questions before
encountering them in the reading. By having them decide how they feel about certain ideas
and statements before reading, they would hopefully be more engaged and prepared to deal

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 Universal Lesson Plan Template – Curry Secondary Program

with the content than they would’ve been otherwise, and would likely have more to talk about
afterward, as well. Even if they’ve never encountered this particular story or content before,
they at least know they have something to contribute in the form of an opinion about an idea.
b. During: Think-Aloud—I chose the think-aloud strategy because I think younger teenagers
particularly need higher-level reading skills modeled for them. We assume that students
automatically know the questions they should be asking themselves while they read in order
to maximize comprehension, but they often don’t. By speaking the questions I ask myself
while reading aloud, students have the chance to absorb and normalize those habits
themselves, and hopefully they can replicate those kinds of questions in their own reading
later.
c. After: Likert Scale—The Likert Scale is somewhat similar to the Anticipation Guide but it takes
post-reading comprehension a step further. Students are not only asked to think about what
they read or heard in the chapter for the day, but are asked to take a stance on some
important ideas and issues based on what they know from the reading and their own
experiences. By stating where they fall on a continuum, they are staking a claim in the story,
and giving themselves an anchor from which to remember the content later. Using a Likert
Scale also helps prepare students who need extra language help build their comfort with the
content and have something to discuss with other students afterward.
4. How will you know if students understood the reading during this lesson?
a. I hope that I can assess whether students understood the reading in the lesson in four
different ways. First, I will collect students’ Anticipation Guides after students complete the
first column (the “Before” column) so I can see whether they engaged with the reading in a
productive, thoughtful way beforehand. Second, I would use the non-stop writing activity as a
way to gauge whether they actually retained and understood the chapter, since they’d have to
write their reactions to the text for five minutes straight and it would be difficult to do so
without having comprehended the reading at all. Third, I would collect and analyze the Likert
Scales to see how students’ opinions fell on the statements’ spectrums to see whether there
were any clear outliers who perhaps didn’t understand the instructions of the activity or didn’t
comprehend the content. This activity would also be paired with a student pair-share time
where I would circulate amongst students to hear their justifications for their Likert Scales,
which would help me gauge understanding as well. Finally, the 3-2-1 Exit Slip is designed
specifically to assess students’ comprehension of the text based on recall and responses, and
to see whether they can project that knowledge forward into additional questions about the
text.
5. What ideas do you have for how to use writing to teach this content, either in this lesson or in previous
or subsequent lessons? Describe in detail at least one strategy/activity that you would use in the
classroom, involving writing.
a. As I described just above, one of the activities in my lesson is a non-stop writing activity in
which students will write on a large notecard for five minutes straight about their reactions to
the chapter to help them retain and reflect on the reading and prime their brains to complete
their Likert Scales. This activity is also a really great opportunity for language learners and
students who struggle with writing to have practice writing in a sustained way in a low-stakes
setting. It’s also meant to help me assess how well students are comprehending the content
and whether I need to add in more supports before, during, and after reading.

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