Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Grade Level/Subject: 4th Grade

Central Focus: Students should be able to identify the
Literacy
setting of a time period and to put themselves in the
characters shoes.
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective: CCSS.ELALiteracy.RL.4.3 Describe an in depth character, setting, or
Date submitted: 3/16/15
event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the
Date taught: 3/18/15
text (e.g., a characters thoughts, words, or actions).
Daily Lesson Objective: Students should be able to put themselves in the characters shoes based
on a given text.
21st Century Skills: Critical thinking Academic Language Demand (Language Function and
and reasoning.
Vocabulary): Recall, analyze, and infer.
Prior Knowledge: Students should know how to identify setting and main idea of a text. They
should also know how to do a character analysis based on what the character is seeing, feeling
or acting.
Activity

1. Focus and Review

2. Statement of
Objective
for Student

3. Teacher Input

Description of Activities and Setting

First, I will tell students that we are going to read a story
called Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles. I will inform them
that the book is about two best friends that tend to have a lot
in common and do everything together, but there are also a
few things that are getting in between them. But before we
read the story I will ask a couple of questions that would guide
their reading based on their historical fiction story. I will first
ask students: Do you have a best friend? Whats their name?
What is something that you and your best friend do together?
How would you feel if your friend could do things and you
werent allowed to do it because you were different in some
way? Ex: What if your best friend could eat ice cream but
you couldnt?
Students will be able to put themselves in the characters
shoes by analyzing their actions, feelings and thoughts.
Students will then write a paragraph on this information. This
will be graded for length, focus of ideas, and completeness.
Next, I will start to read the following story: Freedom Summer;
which is about two best friends that face issues because they
are a different race. They have so much in common and love
to do the same activities, but John Henry is black while Joe is
white, so John Henry cant do anything because hes black.
For example he cant go into the ice cream store in which he
walks into at the end of the story. I will read the first couple of
pages (1-4) and then stop. Then the next 4 and the next 4 and
stop.

Time

5-8
mins

3 mins

20 mins

4. Guided Practice

5. Independent
Practice

6. Assessment
Methods of
all
objectives/skills:

7. Closure

Then while doing the reading I will ask students questions

throughout the story to check for comprehension. They will
consist of: What are some things that you are starting to
notice as the story is starting to unfold? (Pages 1-4) What do
you think will happen next in the story? (Pages 4-8) Why do
you think they closed the pool down?(Page 10) Each time I
ask these questions I will have them turn and talk to the
20 mins
person beside them while on the carpet. I will make them talk
to somebody different each time as well. Then I would have
them reflect with me after they have communicated with their
partners to talk as a whole group. I want to expand the
students thinking so I will ask them follow up questions like:
How do you know, so they can follow up on their answers
and relate it to the text.
After I have read the story students will go back to their desk
and write a paragraph about how they would feel if they were
in the character John Henrys shoes. They must analyze the
characters actions, thoughts and feelings. They would be
focusing on the scene where the two friends walk into the
15 mins
store for the first time (last page). I want students to express
how they would be feeling, thinking, acting, etc. What would
be going through your mind? Are you nervous? Excited? They
must answer this prompt in a paragraph of 5 sentences.
I will assess how well students paid attention by letting them write a
paragraph on being in the characters shoes. This will show me if
students understood the concept of playing the role of a character or
not. I will grade this part for the number of sentences, the thoughts of
each sentence and how well the paragraph was developed.
I will close with telling students about the Civil Rights Act of
1964 and how they wanted equality. The civil Rights Act of
1964 is what ended segregation in public places and banned
employment discrimination on the basis of race, color,
religion, or national origin is considered one of the crowning
5 mins
legislative achievements of the civil rights movement. I will
also tell students that it doesnt matter what color you are
everybody is the same in one way shape or form. Its not color
that defines us, its our personality and how we carry
ourselves as young adults.
Students did a great job with this assessment. Everybody wrote well
over a paragraph and stated that if they were John Henry they would
have felt honored and excited to walk into the store for the first time.

8. Assessment
Results of
all
objectives/skills:
Targeted Students
Modifications/Accommodations: I will make

Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations: Students that

sure that all students are aimed towards

understanding concepts and how to identify
the setting of a time period and how to put
themselves in other peoples shoes.

have trouble with their vision I would have them

sit in front of me as I read. I will also let them see
the book once I finish so they can get an even
closer look at the pictures. Students that may be
hearing impaired I will have them use headphones
on the computer and have the story be read to
them.
Materials/Technology: The story: Freedom Summer, paper, and pencil.
References: None

Reflection on lesson: This lesson went extremely well for me. I felt that I was very well prepared
for this lesson because I already had guided questions prepared as I read certain pages. This
helped the students be engaged and also helped them realize that they must refer back to the
text to support their thinking or understanding. I think this also helped me as the teacher
because it kept me on track on where I wanted to go with my lesson. It felt more as if I was
taking steps during the reading which was a good thing. I think my voice could have been a lot
more animated/loud while I was reading. I felt like sometimes my voice was there, but not 100%.
When I do this lesson in the future there isnt anything I would change because I think it went
great! My students were happy and enjoyed talking about the story so that was definitely a
positive thing. I just have to remember to be loud and proud while reading.