Spooky Stories

Elements of the Lesson

I. Standard
Common Core State Standards
Or Essential Elements

Evidence that Documents the Elements

EE.RL.M.7.3: The student can identify which story
element is associated with a given story element.

II. Objectives/Targets and I can statements

What am I going to teach?
What will the students be able to do at the end of
the lesson?
What formative assessments are used to inform
instruction?
What challenges might students encounter?

I can
I can identify characters, settings, problems,
and solutions in a story.

III. Lesson Management: Focus and Organization

What positive strategies, techniques and tools will
you see?
What ideas for on task, active and focused student
behavior?
IV. Introduction: Creating Excitement and Focus for
the Lesson Target
What will you do to generate interest?
How will you access prior knowledge?
What will you practice/review?

Making predictions
Call on students at random
On task behavior will be awarded with a piece
of candy

Remember how weve been reading spooky stories?

Today we are going to read one thats really good!
After that, we are going to start working on our scary
stories that weve been brainstorming about!

V. Input: Setting up the Lesson for Student Success

Task analysis:
What information does the learner need? If
needed, how will it be provided?
Webbs Depth of Knowledge

Tell the students we are going to read a ghost

story and write our own mini story
Introduce the I can statement (Remember
how weve been practicing the elements of the
story? We have character and settingwho
can tell me the others?)
Begin reading book aloud, call on random

Recall/Reproduction
Skills/Concept
Strategic Thinking
Extended Thinking

Accommodations: Differentiating to meet students

needs
Remediation/Intervention
Extension/enrichment
Methods, Materials and Integrated Technology
Instructional techniques
Engagement strategies
Materials and Integrated Technology list

students to read (do noticings/predictions as

we readWhat do you think will happen next?
Who is/are the character(s)? Where does the
story take place, Etc)
Model for the students taking out an element
from the basket and filling it in on my sheet (I
can)
Have the students pull elements from the
basket and fill out their sheet. Brainstorm
together the first sentence of their story (we
do). Can use the dice.
Brainstorm the problem of the story, attempt 1
and 2. Can use problem dice. (we do)
Brainstorm the solution. (we do/ you do for
those who can)
Have students complete their story (you do)
[Day 2]
Check with highlighter for all the elements
within the story. [Day 2]
DOK Level 1: Recall elements and details of story
structure, such as sequence of events, character, plot
and setting.
DOK Level 2: Organize story on graphic organizer
for character, setting, problem, and solution.

Peer helper, extra time, scribe/white board,

modified paper for those working on
handwriting

4 In a Dark, Dark Room books

Story element basket and brainstormed slips

VI. Modeling: I Do
SHOW/TELL (Visual/Verbal Input)
HOW/WHAT (Questioning and Redirecting)

VII. Checking for Understanding

Samples of questions to be asked
Ways in which students will respond and be engaged
Formative assessment strategies to be implemented

VII. Guided Practice: We Do

What do the teacher and student do together?
How will a gradual release of responsibility be
accomplished?

Paper and pencils

Elements of a story graphic organizers
Story Starter and Problem dice

So, you remember how weve been brainstorming

spooky characters and settings this week for our
story? This is where you get to make your first choice
as an author. You can choose to have 2 of your
spooky characters, or you can be in the story and
have 1 spooky character. Im going to be in my story
so Im going to pull a character element from each
basket and Im going to put it in the character box on
my sheet. (Pull from the basket.) We are going to
do the same thing for the setting of our story. (Pull
from the basket and write it in the setting box.)
Call on student- What do I do when I pull out all of
my slips from the bucket?

We will start brainstorming the beginning of the

students stories together and from there they will
plot out the problem and solution of their story.
So now we have our character and setting, we will
think of a way to start our story. I have a story starter
dice for each of you to roll and help give you ideas for
your first sentence. Everyone roll the dice and write

IX. Collaborative (You Do Together) and/or

Independent Practice (You Do)
What practices will be demonstrated/modeled?
X. Closure
How will the I can statement(s) be reviewed?
How will students be involved?
What connections to future learning will occur?
XI. Assessment
What evidence supports that the objective(s) were
met?
What do my students know, understand and are able
to do?
What formative assessments will be used to inform
instruction?
Reflection
How do you know that the objective(s)/target(s) was
met? What is your
evidence?
Based on the data gathered, what will you do next?
How well did the students perform/respond? How did
students show they
were engaged?
What evidence do you have?

your sentence in the box that says Story Starter on

your chart. Now we have to think about the
problem of our story. Our sheet is going to give us
two attempts to solve our problem. We can either
think of a problem on our own or if you have writers
block- which means you cant think of an idea- then
that means that you can use this Problem dice for
some help! (Roll the dice if needed; brainstorm
problem and think of attempt 1 and 2.)
Now you need to think of how we will solve the
problem and end your story. (You do together/
Independent depending on the student.)
Whip Around or Pass of the elements of a story

Using the students stories, I and the peer helper will

go through with a highlighter and check for all of the
elements of a story.

ANSWER ON A SEPARATE DOCUMENT

What aspect of the lesson was particularly

challenging for students? What
will you do to help the student(s) who struggled?
What will you do to extend the learning for those
students who met
target?
Were there any surprises? What would you do if you
taught this lesson
again?

(Edited by Elementary Team, 2014)

Revised July 2016

Lesson Plan Reflection

I will know that the objectives were met by reading the students final writing and seeing if they included
all four elements of a story. Based on that, I will know that they are ready to move on to higher level
writing. I thought the students did well in this lesson and I knew they were engaged because they were
working really hard to brainstorm great ideas for their stories. They stayed on task really well and we got
through everything I was hoping to on the first day of this lesson. Brainstorming was probably the hardest
part of the lesson. Some students do not have confidence in themselves to come up with ideas or maybe

just struggle with thinking of something. I addressed this by brainstorming characters and settings earlier
in the week as we read scary stories together. Next, I used story starter and problem idea dice to help the
students when we got to those parts of the lesson. I wanted the students to come up with their own
solution and ending but those students who needed help we brainstormed ideas together.
To extend this lesson for those who met this target, I would move them into learning higher concepts of
writing. Now that they know the sequence of a story with the elements of character, setting, problem, and
solution, the students can move on to developing their writing with details and focusing on mechanics. If I
taught this lesson again I dont think I would really change anything because it went really well except for
making time to do a closure and trying to model better (I DO), which were some things to work on
mentioned by my UFC. My students really enjoyed this lesson and I know it because they were very
engaged and on task- more so than they have been in language arts!