Lesson Plan Format

Teacher Candidate: Zachary Reitnauer Date: 11/12/18 Time: 55 minutes

Cooperating Teacher: Miss Chamberlain Coop. Initials: VC
Group Size: 25 Students Grade Level: 6th
Subject or Topic: Characterization Section: 6-10

I. Objectives, Standards and Assessments

A. Standard(s)
1. Standard - CC.1.2.5.B Cite textual evidence by quoting accurately from
the text to explain what the text says explicitly and make inferences.

B. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes)

1. AROTL, SWBAT correctly define what a character trait is as well as
what is the difference between physical and emotional character traits.
2. AROTL, SWBAT accurately pull character traits from the story/text.

C. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
1. Formative Assessment
1. The graphic organizer will be done as a class to check for
understanding of the story and of character traits
2. The twitter exit slip will be used to check for understanding of
character traits
2. Summative Assessment
1. A paper pencil unit test will be used to check for understanding of
character traits at the end of the unit

II. Instructional Materials

A. Teacher Materials
1. Computer
2. Slideshow
3. Baseball in April (30 copies)
4. Twitter exit slip (30)
5. Traits graphic organizer (30)
6. PDN (30)
7. Whiteboard
B. Student Materials
1. Pencil

III. Subject Matter Explanation

A. Prerequisite Skills
1. Students will need to be able to fill out a graphic organizer
B. Key Vocabulary and Content
 1. Character traits- tell or show you how the characters in a story look, feel,
and act.
2. Emotional traits- describe what a character is thinking or feeling.
3. Physical traits- describe how a character looks

IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
1. Hook (15 minutes)
1. Show Pixar video: Birds on a Wire
2. Activation of Prior Knowledge
1. How would you describe the birds, how did they act, what did they
look like?
3. Setting Today’s Objective
1. “Today we are going to read 7th grade from Baseball in April and
Other Short Stories by Gary Soto and use character traits to fill out
a worksheet on the main character Victor”

B. Development (30 minutes)

1. Use the slideshow to give the students the definition of what character
traits mean
2. Ask the students to open up their copies of Baseball in April to the short
story 7th Grade
3. Explain “I am going to start reading the story aloud, I am going to stop
after the first page and ask if anyone would like to take a turn. If no one
wants to take a turn then I will just continue reading”
4. Finish the story
5. Ask for a volunteer to hand out the worksheet
6. Remind the students to put their name, date, and section number on the
top of the paper
7. Start with the first box and ask the students, “Who was the main
character?”
8. Write Victor on the white board
9. Move onto the other boxes, asking each time for student responses
(Example: “What did Victor do?” He signed up for a French class to
impress a girl, he made a fool of himself, he recovered and, in the end,
might have scored a date with Veronica.
10. Have the students choose one of the examples to fill in their boxes
11. Once the class has gotten through with the boxes ask, “Now using what
we pulled from the story already, how would you describe Victor? Be
sure to use both emotional and physical traits. Write down your ideas
and then we will share our ideas as a class”
12. Recollect the class and ask for volunteers to tell the class their ideas of
Victor’s character traits
13. Collect the graphic organizers for a participation grade

C. Closure (10 minutes)

 1. Ask for a volunteer to hand out the twitter exit slips
2. Explain, “Write down some hashtags using character traits to describe
Theresa. Focus on her emotional traits since we don’t know much about
how she looks. Then we will share answers. Please remember to be
appropriate”
3. Ask a few volunteers to share before the class leaves

D. Differentiation and Accommodation

1. Differentiation Plan
1. Accelerated: Students can use a character from their own book in
place of walking through the graphic organizer as a class
2. Striving: Students can use list of example character traits displayed
on the projector
2. Accommodations Plan
1. See attached list

V. Reflective Response:
A. Report of Students’ Success in Terms of States Objectives
- I think the lesson was a complete success in all sections. The students excelled at
characterizing the characters in 7th Grade as well as other popular characters. I
think that in tomorrow’s lesson they will be able to easily apply characterization
to themselves and further their vocabulary in order to characterize. If I had more
time in my own lesson, I would have created a poster with ideas for character
traits with my students.

B. Personal Reflection on Teaching Effectiveness

To what extent were my students able to understand the application of
characterization to the story?
- The students were able to understand characterization and demonstrated
through class discussion as well as on their exit slips.
How can I keep my students on task?
- Redirecting work okayish, but in the future I should look into hand
signals or something along those lines in order to have a system in place.
VI. Resources (in APA format):
1. Soto, G. (2009). Baseball in April. Los Angeles, CA: Braille Institute.