Cameron George 1

LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE

Lesson Day October 3, 2018

(Include: Date, Subject, Duration, Grouping/# of students) English Language Arts
23 students
1:15PM-1:45PM

This lesson supports the learning goal because it helps students to identify character
How will this lesson support the learning goal? empathy through characters’ words and actions, and demonstrates how students can
(1c: Setting Instructional Outcomes) comprehend the text through empathizing with characters.

Objective(s) 1. With a partner, students will be able to identify evidence of empathy in a

(1c: Setting Instructional Outcomes)
Taking into consideration the learning goal what is the
objective(s) of this lesson that will support the progress
toward the learning goal?
The statement should be directly observable (use verbs that
can be measured).
picture book with evidence from the text, as well as identify a character
they empathized with in the picture book in order to better understand the
text.
2. Student will be able to write about how they can empathize with characters
in order to better comprehend the book, as well as write or draw how they
can show empathy towards others.

PA Standards FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS

www.Pdesas.org/Standard/view
https://www.pdesas.org/Page?pageId=11
or • CC.1.1.5.E Read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. •
Read on-level text with purpose and understanding. • Read on-level text
orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive
readings. • Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and
understanding, rereading as necessary.
READING LITERATURE
• CC.1.3.5.K Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading
independently and proficiently.
WRITING
• CC.1.4.5.I Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details; draw
from credible sources.
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N/A

ISTE Standards (if applicable)

• Character Empathy Worksheet

Technology Materials/ Resources • Sticky Notes
(1d: Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources) • Writing Utensil
What texts, digital resources, & materials will be used in this • Smart Board
lesson? How do the materials align with the learning • Index Card
objective/outcomes? If appropriate, what educational • Journal Prompt Worksheet
technology will be used to support the learning outcomes of • Partner Worksheet
this lesson? How do the resources support the learning
• Power Point Slides
objectives?
• The following grade-level picture books will be used
Cite publications and any web resources.
o NOTE: These books were hand-selected based on student interest,
level, and background. The teacher should refer to his/her specific
classroom context in order to choose the right books for their class.
Bunting, Eve. Fly Away Home. Illustrated by Ronald Himler, New York, Clarion Books,

1991.

Daywalt, Drew. The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Illustrated by Adam Rex, New York,

Harper Collins, 2017.

Mochizuki, Ken. Baseball Saved Us. Illustrated by Dom Lee, New York, Scholastic, 1996.

Nolen, Jerdine. Thunder Rose. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson, San Diego, Harcourt, 2003.

Otoshi, Kathryn. One. San Rafael, Ko Kids Books, 2008.

Palacio, R.J. "The Performance Space." Wonder, Alfed A. Knopf, 2012, pp. 27-30.

Perkins, Lynne Rae. Pictures From Our Vacation. Harper Collins, 2007.

Polacco, Patricia. The Lemonade Club. New York, Philomel Books, 2007.
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---. Thank you, Mr. Falker. New York, Philomel Books, 1998.

Shannon, David. A Bad Case of Stripes. The Blue Sky Press, 1998.

Stewart, Sarah. The Gardner. Illustrated by David Small, New York, Farrar Straus Giroux,

1995.

Yolen, Jane. The Stranded Whale. Illustrated by Melanie Cataldo, Somerville, Candlewick

Press, 2015.

MATERIALS RATIONALE

The journal prompt worksheet was created in order to aid students in

comprehending how empathy can be used to better understand a piece of text.
Sticky notes are used to assist in the anticipatory set, so that students are able to
reflect upon a time when they showed empathy towards another person. A writing
utensil is needed to complete the worksheet, and the Smart Board is used to display
the power point. The character empathy worksheet was created for students to be
able to identify evidence of empathy, and be able to pull evidence from the text in
order to support their response. It is also used for students to help make personal
connections with the text, as well as to empathize with characters. The power point
slides are used to aid the teacher in his/her instruction. The grade level picture
books were selected based on the individual classroom context in which this lesson
was taught. Books should be chosen based on teacher knowledge of each individual
student.
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• The goal and importance of the lesson should be written on the smart board.
Anticipatory Set o GOAL: Our goal is to learn about how characters show empathy to
(1a: Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and one another in the books we read, and how this can help us better
Pedagogy) understand the book.
o WHY DOES THIS MATTER? (IMPORTANCE): It is important
7 minutes that we recognize what showing empathy towards someone is, and
How will you set the purpose and help students learn why for us to show empathy to all people.
today’s lesson is important to them as learners? • I want us to think back to the Second Step Lesson we learned on Empathy.
How will you pique the interest or curiosity regarding the Can anyone help me refresh my mind about some of things we learned?
lesson topic? • Great! So we learned about who we can have empathy for (everybody,
How will you build on students’ prior knowledge? friends, teachers, parents). We learned about how having empathy for
How will you introduce and explain the strategy/concept or another person can help you respectfully respond to any situation. Why is it
skill? important to respond in a respectful manor?
• T should pass out sticky notes
Provide detailed steps. • Can we think back to a time when we showed empathy toward someone? I
want you to write it down on this sticky note.
• Now I want you to really think back to a time in your own, personal life you
showed empathy towards someone. I know you all put in some awesome
effort when we wrote about how to be a good citizen, so use that as a way to
activate your background knowledge.
• T should take up to 3 student responses
• So bridging off of our own personal experiences, I now want us to think
about something called character empathy. What immediately comes to
mind when I say the phrase “character empathy?”
• Excellent! So today, the goal of our lesson is to learn about how characters
show empathy to one another, and how we can use this to understand the
book.
• The importance of our lesson is so that WE can learn not only about how
characters show empathy in the books we read, but also that we can show
empathy in our own lives.

Instructional Activities
(1a: Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and
Pedagogy; 1e: Designing Coherent Instruction)
minutes
MODEL: 15 Minutes
• T will ask students to take out their copies of “Wonder.”
• Now I know we already read this section of the book, but it provides us with
a perfect example of character empathy that I want us to go back and re-
analyze it.
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45 Minutes Total
Exploration (Model): How will students explore the new
concepts? How will you model or provide explicit
instruction?
Guided Practice: How will you provide support to students
as they apply the new concept? How will you allow them to
practice (with teacher support)?
Independent practice: How will students review and solidify
these concepts to be able to use this new knowledge? How
will you monitor and provide feedback?
Provide detailed steps.
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• Please turn to page 27, “The Performance Space.” I am going to start
reading from the very bottom of page 27.”
• T will read from the bottom of page 27, starting with, “While she was
talking…” and finish on page 30, ending with “And he smiled back…”
• During the read-aloud, T should stop at the following points to model
his/her thinking regarding which characters are showing empathy and which
are not.
o STOP 1: Finish at page 28, “Yeah I nodded…”
▪ So I can see here that Julian is clearly not showing empathy
towards August because of the rude jokes he is making
regrading August’s interest in the science elective.
▪ I also notice how Charlotte is showing empathy towards
August because of the way she is encouraging him to become
involved in different electives. Through her encouragement,
she is helping August to feel welcome in a new school.
o STOP 2: Finish on page 30, “And he smiled back…”
▪ So if I look back on what I just read, I understand that Jack
Will was showing empathy towards August by smiling at him
after Julian made a rude comment.
▪ Through a character’s actions and words, I am able to tell
whether or not they are showing empathy towards the other
characters.
▪ Julian’s comment about August looking like he was burned
in a fire shows me that Julian is not being empathetic with
August.
▪ I also want us to keep in mind that when we think about why
characters are not empathetic toward one another, we are
not making excuses for them, we are simply trying to put
ourselves in that characters’ position. We are using
empathy to help us understand the book.
▪ I also want to take some time for us to empathize with
August.
• So if I were to empathize with August, I would think
about a time that I was new to something or when I
felt uncomfortable in a situation. None of us know
what it is like to be born with a deformity, but we can
empathize with August and understand where his
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feelings are coming from. From this, we can be like
Jack Will and Charlotte who are showing empathy
towards him. And we definitely do not want to be like
Julian who is showing us an example of how to not
show empathy.

GUIDED PRACTICE: 20 MINUTES

• T will group students ahead of time in order to differentiate instruction

• T will choose which picture book each group will read.
• T will have set up books around the room
o Sticky note with partner names on it
o One worksheet
• So now we are going to put what we have just learned about into action. I
have partnered you all, and selected a picture book that I think you both
will enjoy reading. They are around the room. After I am finished giving the
directions, you are going to search around the classroom for your book,
and begin working together.
• Here are the directions
• T will post the directions on the board and guiding questions
• With your partner, I want you to assign one person as the reader and one
person as the recorder. One of you will read the book aloud, and the other
will write down your responses as you discuss while reading.

• During reading, I want you to talk with your partner about how the
characters were showing empathy towards one another, and one way that
you empathized with one of the characters in the book. Talk about if you
did not think the characters were showing empathy. I want each of your
statements to be backed up with evidence from the book.”
• It is important that we are also empathizing with the characters ourselves in
order for us to practice showing empathy AND to understand the book.
• I want you to use these guiding questions to help you think about
empathizing in order to understand what is happening in the book and to
connect with it on a different level.
• All of the directions are posted on the smart board so before asking me or
Mr._____, please try to work with your partner to answer the question.
Remember to be a problem solver!
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• T should be walking around listening into student conversation and taking
notes on sticky notes.
• T should provide ten and five minute warnings to students
• T should bring the group back together and ask that one group member
come up and hand in their response sheet and another hand in their book.
• If group members finish early, they can participate in Sustained Silent
Reading, Sudoku, or any other assignment they need to finish.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: 10 Minutes

• T will instruct students to return back to their seats

• Everyone did an excellent job! I want to touch on some points of
conversation that I heard:
• T will read what he/she recorded on the sticky note
o Will vary depending on classroom context
• So for our final activity, we are going to be doing some writing.
• This is going to be a journal prompt and we are going to be using what we
learned about empathizing with characters to complete our prompt.
• T will pass out journal prompt sheet.
• I want you to read the prompt and answer both questions as best you can. I
want to see evidence of your thinking. Please work on this quietly.

Closure • T will collect journal prompts from students.

(1e: Designing Coherent Instruction)
8 minutes
How will students share or show what they have learned in
this lesson?
How will you restate the teaching point and clarify key
concepts?
How will you provide opportunities to extend ideas and
check for understanding?
How will this lesson lead to the next lesson?
• T will flip back to the slide that highlights the goal and importance of the
lesson
• Through today’s activities, we can see how we accomplished our goal and
why this is relevant to our own personal lives.
• Today, tomorrow, and always empathizing with characters AND people in
our own lives will matter. Showing respect and compassion counts.
• Now I am going to pass out an index card. On the Smart Board, you will
notice a key.
• On the index card, I want you to choose one of the following
o !: Something that excited me or that I found interesting
o ?: Something I am still confused about
o *: Something I learned that I did not know before
• Please be sure to put your name on it.
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Differentiation
(1e: Designing Coherent Instruction)
What differentiated support will you provide for students
whose academic development is below or above the current
grade level?
What specific differentiation of content, process, products,
and/or learning environment do you plan to employ to meet
the needs of all of your students?
How does your lesson support student differences with
regard to linguistic, academic, and cultural diversity?
How will your lesson actively build upon the resources that
linguistically and culturally diverse students bring to the
experience?
How will your lesson will be supportive for all students,
including English Language Learners, and build upon the
linguistic, cultural, and experiential resources that they
bring to their learning?
How will your lesson is designed to promote creative and
critical thinking and inventiveness?
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• T will ask if any student would like to share his or her index card
• When you are done, hand the index card to me
• Thank you for your cooperation and listening during the lesson!
Above: Students will be partnered with someone who is below level, and who will
motivate them to stay on task. Through my knowledge of each of the students, I
selected partners based on who I thought would be able to motivate as well as assist
their partner. Students who are above level are provided with a more challenging
book, and they can assist their partner in comprehending the book, as well as
motivating them to complete the assignment.
Below: Students will be partnered with someone who is above level, and who will
challenge them during reading. Through my knowledge of each of the students, I
selected partners based on student interest, and students who I knew would help
each other stay on task.
All partners were based on interest, different levels, as well as to combat certain
behaviors to assist in motivation, engagement, and ensuring the work is completed
with neatness and pride.
ELL: Students who are ELLs will have the assistance of the power point to have all
directions written for them. They are also able to rely on their partner to read the
story and take the role of recorder in order to practice their writing skills. They will
be able to follow along with book, as well as hear it being read a-loud to them. If
they choose to be the reader, they will gain practice reading in English in a low
stakes setting.
The books chosen represent a variety of themes, cultures, and interests of each
student. The lesson provides an opportunity to bridge home and school culture
through a variety of literacy based activities.
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Accommodations
(1e: Designing Coherent Instruction)
What classroom accommodations do you plan to employ to
increase curriculum access for students identified with
special education needs or 504?
Describe how these accommodations align with the current
Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for each student as
applicable (avoid using actual names of students).
Modifications
(1e: Designing Coherent Instruction)
What curricular modifications and/or changes in
performance standards, if any, do you plan to employ to
facilitate the participation of students identified with special
education needs?
Assessment (Formal or Informal).
(1f: Assessing Student Learning)
How will you and the students assess where the learning
objectives, listed above, were met?
Each formal or informal assessment should describe how it
is aligned to the above objective(s).
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For a student who has a hearing aid, I will the necessary equipment in order for the
student to hear me clearly. All directions will be posted so that if the student does
not hear something, they will have the written directions to refer to.
The student who has an IEP is not with us during our literacy block
PROCESS/PRODUCT: For students who have difficulty comprehending and/or
writing, they may participate in a picture sort instead of the final Journal Entry. The
teacher will set up a large T chart. On one side will be a column for “Showing
Empathy” on the other side, a column for “Not Showing Empathy.” The student (s)
will be given a variety of images of people who are performing empathetic and un-
empathetic actions. The students job will be to sort the image cards into the correct
column.
1. With a partner, students will be able to identify evidence of empathy in a
picture book with evidence from the text, as well as identify a character
they empathized with in the picture book in order to better understand the
text.
i. Formative Assessment: The teacher will use the partner
worksheet as a way to see if students grasped this objective.
The questions asked align directly with this objective.
2. Student will be able to write about how they can empathize with characters
in order to better comprehend the book, as well as write or draw how they
can show empathy towards others.
i. Formative Assessment: The journal entry prompt will assess
not only if students understand how empathy is used in a
story, but also will allow them to connect empathy to their
own personal lives. The teacher should center in on the
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Reflection on Instruction
At the conclusion of the lesson you should reflect on the
lesson. The reflection should go beyond simply answering
the question “Was this a good lesson?” Below are some
questions to assist you in your reflective process (Danielson,
2008):
• What evidence did you collect to demonstrate that
your students have met or are progressing towards
the learning outcomes/objectives?
• View student work samples. What do they reveal
about the students’ level of engagement and
comprehension?
• What changes, if any, would you make to the lesson
if you teach this lesson in the future? What
misconceptions, if any, do you need to clarify before
teaching the next lesson?
• Did you stray from your lesson plan? If so, how and
why?
• Comment on your classroom procedures, student
conduct, and your use of physical space. To what
extent did these contribute to student learning?
• Comment on different aspects of your instructional
delivery (e.g., activities, grouping of students,
materials/resources utilized). To what extent were
they effective?
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second prompt to see if students are able to successfully
write about how they show empathy towards others.
The evidence I collected stemmed from the worksheets I asked students to
complete. I also went around and was able to listen in on student conversation and
take notes. Looking back, I feel as if I should have made the empathizing to
understand question on the partner worksheet clearer. Some students were confused
and looking at their responses proves they did understand part of the question, but
when asked to write about how it helps them to understand the book better, many
struggled. Only a handful of students were able to complete the entire partner
worksheet. I believe this is due to the fact that the second question could have been
more straightforward or worded differently.
A few changes I would make to the lesson are allowing for turn and talk time
during the modeling section. As I was writing the lesson, I was not thinking about
this strategy, but it would have fit perfectly into the questions I asked during the
modeling section of the lesson. I did stray from my lesson plan. During the guided
practice, I was not able to circulate and take as many notes as I wanted to on
student conversations. Some students were out at band practice, leaving our new
student with no partner. I acted as her partner for the guided practice portion of the
lesson, so I only had about 3 minutes to circulate the classroom.
I think I did a good job controlling the classroom, student conduct, and using the
space. Since I have been in this classroom for a while, I am familiar with the
students and was able to handle any behavioral issues that arose. I remembered to
focus on wait time and not call on the first person who raised their hand to answer
the question. At the beginning of the lesson, I did not have every students’
attention, so I explained that I would wait until I had full body listening from
everyone. One of the students explained she was doing something else and I simply
said, “we are focusing on this lesson right now so please put what you are doing.”
She immediately put her things away.
I had made sure to set up the books and worksheets before beginning the lesson.
This was also a part of the movement aspect and excitement of the lesson. The
students had to “hunt” around the room for their book. Each book was labeled with
a sticky note of two students names and a worksheet was placed under the book.
This eliminated wasting time passing out papers and books, as well as added to the
overall engagement of the students. At one point I looked up and every single
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student was engaged. This is something I am extremely proud of. I really enjoyed
teaching this lesson, and will be tweaking the empathizing to understand question
on the partner worksheet in order for more students to complete it.

NEW EMPATHIZING TO UNDERSTAND QUESTION (From partner

worksheet):

Where in the book did you empathize with a character? Did this help you to better
understand the book? Why or why not?
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**Accommodations and Modifications

Students with disabilities may need accommodations or modifications to their educational program to participate in the general
curriculum. Both are essential to consider when planning an equitable educational experience for students with disabilities.
Accommodations refer to changes in how a student learns the material but they do not change knowledge content. With
accommodations, a student receives the SAME education as other children, but the student can access content or express knowledge
in different ways. Modifications refer to changes of what is taught or what students with disabilities are expected to learn. This may
include adaptations made to instruction and assessment that change or reduce learning expectations. (Please refer to the SLO User
Guide and SLO template for additional explanation.)

When completing these two sections, you need to describe, if appropriate, how you will ensure that students will access the material
based on the accommodations or modifications listed within the IEP or 504 plan. There should be a direct connection within the
Anticipatory Set, Instructional Activity, and Closure section of the lesson plan template.