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Department of Learning and Teaching
Lesson Plan
Date: 4/29/15
Teacher Candidate: Carissa Faulk
School: California Lutheran University
Cooperating Teacher: N/A Supervisor: Dr. Peplinski
Grade: 7th Subject: English/Language Arts
Class Description:
Describe this class in detail. Your description should include (but not limited to) total number of students; age range; gender breakdown; social
development; English Learners; special needs students; health considerations; cultural considerations; student interest; discipline; management
issues.
Our class consists of twenty graduate and undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds; however, my lesson is designed for an
average seventh grade class that, presumably, would consist of high-performing, low-performing, special needs, and EL students.
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Two Focus Students:
Select one English Language Learner and one special needs student and give reasons for why they were selected.
Focus student #1: English Language Learner
Why did you select this student: (hypothetical) This student is an English language learner of moderate
proficiency and would fit into the “expanding” category on the English Language Level Development Continuum.
They have been speaking English for three years and are able to participate in class discussion and compose fairly
complex sentences, though may struggle with certain grammatical norms or with more obscure or advanced
vocabulary. This student was selected because grammar lessons are especially important to them for expanding
their grasp of the norms of written English, which pose more of a challenge to this student than spoken English
does.
Focus student #2: Special Needs Student
Why did you select this student: (hypothetical) This student struggles with ADHD. They are not currently on any
medication to moderate the disorder. This student is fun and kind, but often becomes frustrated from sitting still for
too long and will cause distractions, talk to neighbors, tap their feet, wiggle in chair, etc.
Content Standards
(1) Identify the state-adopted content standard(s) that you will teach in this lesson:
(if this is a math lesson, please identify the Math Common Core Standard(s) that you will teach
Language Standards:
L7.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a. Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives (e.g., It was a fascinating, enjoyable movie)
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Rationale: Establishing good grammar skills is essential as a bridge to other Common Core skills such as essay
composition and written communication.
(2) Language Arts Common Core Standards: Which LA standard(s) are necessary for students to know in
order to understand the content of this lesson:
L6.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a. Use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive/ parenthetical elements.*
Rationale: In order for students to understand the new information that they are receiving about comma usage
with adjectives, students will need to have a general understanding of the functions of commas and of basic
sentence building in English.
(3) What ELD standard(s) are necessary for EL students to know in order meet the content standards:
Seventh Grade ELD Standards:
Part I:
A. Collaborative 1. Exchanging information and ideas with others through oral collaborative discussions on a range of social and
academic topics. 2. Interacting with others in written English in various communicative forms (print, communicative
technology and multimedia) 3. Offering and justifying opinions, negotiating with and persuading others in communicative
exchanges
B. Interpretive 5. Listening actively to spoken English in a range of social and academic contexts
Part II:
B. Expanding & Enriching Ideas 3. Using verbs and verb phrases 4. Using nouns and noun phrases 5. Modifying to add details
Rationale: In order to participate in the group activity, students must have sufficient verbal communication and
grammatical skills in English to be able to help their group develop a grammatically correct sentence that
incorporate adjectives.
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Learning Goals
Identify the specific student learning goal(s) that students are expected to learn that connects with the
content standard(s) of the lesson.
Learning Goals:
Students will be able to respond correctly when asked whether or not a specific sentence contains coordinate
adjectives and whether or not the sentence uses commas correctly to separate coordinate adjectives. Students will
be able to write original sentences that properly use commas to separate coordinate adjectives.
Rationale: By being able to identify coordinate adjectives and compose sentences that incorporate them properly
into the sentence, students will expand their understanding of proper comma usage and will therefore meet the
state standards for language for their grade level.
Assessments
Describe how you will assess student progress toward meeting the learning goals(s) identified for this lesson.
Assessments:
After explaining the concepts but before moving into the independent practice, I will ask students to show, by a
raise of hands, if anyone would like me to go over another example. I will also ask whether or not there anyone has
any questions.
At the end of the class, the students will work in groups to compose original sentences that contain coordinate
adjectives. By listening while students work in their groups and assessing their sentences that they present to the
class, I will be able to assess how well each student has understood the lesson.
The homework assignment will help solidify the content in a practical way and will give me a way to assess each
student’s individual understanding.
In a real classroom, further assessment would occur when students do any in-class writing, enabling me to see
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whether or not I ought to revisit the content at any point during the semester.
Rationale: By asking if anyone would like to see another example rather than asking if anyone doesn’t get it, I
place the emphasis on furthering their understanding rather than placing the emphasis on someone’s lack of
understanding, and will hopefully remove some of the awkwardness that might prevent a struggling student from
seeking help. Group work enables me to assess the students’ progress while further learning is still happening. By
working in groups during the final assessment, students who are still struggling with the concepts can get help
from their peers and continue to learn and practice the new concepts.
Describe the key vocabulary terms and the necessary background knowledge students must know and
explain how this lesson connects to the preceding lesson.
Description:
Students will need to understand what adjectives and commas are and have a general understanding of basic
sentence structures in English writing, particularly in regards to how adjectives function in a sentence. Students do
not necessarily have to be able to articulate this knowledge, but they should have an understanding of when
something doesn’t sound right.
Rationale: If students do not have a good grasp of what an adjective is and how it normally functions in a
sentence, they will have difficulty understanding whether or not a sentence still works when adjectives are flipped,
making it difficult for them to identify coordinate adjectives.
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Instructional Design
Describe how you plan to use the following strategies; methods and activities in your lesson plan design.
Anticipatory Set:
I will ask the class if someone can remind us of what an adjective is (descriptive word that modifies or describes a
noun). I will then tell the class that we are going to be learning about how to properly punctuate a series of
adjectives in a sentence.
Grouping strategies:
For the anticipatory set, directed instruction, and guided practice the class will remain in one group. For the
independent practice, students will work in two groups and will be divided by their seating arrangement, working
with those nearest to them.
Directed Instruction:
I will present a Prezi and will engage the students in discussion about comma and adjective use. I will introduce the
concept of coordinate adjectives and will explain how to test to see whether or not a set of adjectives is coordinate.
I will then lead a discussion in which the students will practice using the tests on some sample sentences.
Guided practice:
As a class, we will build a “human sentence” that contains several adjectives. I will select students to represent
various parts of the sentence (e.g., subject, verb, articles, adjectives, etc). Then, I will have a student representing
“and” stand in between the adjectives, and ask the class to deliberate on whether or not the sentence still makes
sense. Next, I will have “and” step away, and I will ask the two adjectives to switch place. I will again have the
class deliberate on whether or not the sentence still makes sense. Finally, I will have a student volunteer to be the
comma and ask them to stand in the appropriate place. We will do this activity for two sample sentences.
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Independent practice:
After practicing as a class, the students will be divided into three groups and will be asked to come up with a new
sentence that includes at least two consecutive adjectives. They will then form a “human sentence” for the class
and demonstrate whether or not they believe their adjectives should have a comma, and why.
Closure:
I will recap what we have learned, reminding them of the definition of coordinate adjectives, and remind them of
the rules to identify coordinate adjectives. I will then tell them that next class we will be working on essay
compositions, and that I will expect to see proper punctuation of adjectives in those compositions.
For homework, the students would be asked to compose a short story based on a photo prompt, and would be
required to include at least two sentences that incorporate coordinate adjectives.
Rationale for the above: By introducing the topics in a brief visual Prezi presentation, I will engage both auditory
and visual learners. By giving the class opportunities to physically form the sentences, I will engage tactile and
visual learners. Thus, all three learning styles will have an opportunity to interact with the information and the
information will be reinforced in three different ways.
Universal Access
How will you adapt your lesson plan in so that your focus students will achieve the learning goals?
Adaptation(s) for Focus Student 1: English Language Learner
For this student, I will be sure to emphasis certain definition before beginning the lecture, such as adjective and
comma. I will do so by asking the class for a few volunteers to remind us of what these words mean. I will also be
intentional about putting this student in a group with other students whom I know will be intentional about
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including this student and helping him/her to succeed. I will also listen in during this group discussion and provide
any additional help that the student may require. If the student still appears to be struggling, I will provide the
student with a few practice sentences to work on at home in order to solidify the lesson.
Rationale: This student is fairly proficient in conversation, but may need some help with certain vocabulary words,
hence I will emphasis the frontloading of these words before the lecture begins. This student might have difficulty
identifying when a sentence sounds incorrect (for instance, “a pink wool sweater” versus “a wool pink sweater”)
and thus might require some additional practice. These practice sentences will also give me a chance to discuss
with this student the difference between adjectives that are more important in describing the noun and those that
are less important.
Adaptation(s) for Focus Student 2: Special Needs Student
Because this lesson involves a physical activity (the human sentence), my primary goal is to keep this student
engaged until we can get to the activity, which the student will most likely enjoy. In order to keep the student
engaged in the meantime, I am using a dynamic presentation method (Prezi) with visual aids to help keep this
student interested. I am also keeping the presentation fairly short and am putting the majority of the lesson time
into the interactive activities. I might also bring in something like a stress ball or kneading eraser that the student
can use to keep his/her hand occupied during the presentation.
Rationale: Keeping the lecture part of the class shorter and putting the emphasis more on interactive learning and
learning-by-doing will enable the ADHD student to learn in a way that feels natural to them.
Instructional Materials for this Lesson
Materials:
• Prezi presentation that I created
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• Paper and pens for students to write out their own sentences
Rationale: The majority of the lesson will occur through discussion and acting, so few materials are needed.
TPE(s) Focus
Select one or more TPE’s that is a focus of this lesson.
C. ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN LEARNING
• TPE 4: Making Content Accessible
Candidates for a Teaching Credentials incorporate specific strategies, teaching/instructional activities, procedures and
experiences that address state-adopted academic content standards for students in order to provide a balanced and
comprehensive curriculum. They use instructional materials to reinforce state-adopted academic content standards for students
and they prioritize and sequence essential skills and strategies in a logical, coherent manner relative to students’ current level
of achievement. They vary instructional strategies according to purpose and lesson content. To meet student academic learning
needs, candidates explain content clearly and reinforce content in multiple ways, such as the use of written and oral
presentation, manipulatives, physical models, visual and performing arts, diagrams, non-verbal communication, and computer
technology. They provide opportunities and adequate time for students to practice and apply what they have learned. They
distinguish between conversational and academic language, and develop student skills in using and understanding academic
language. They teach students strategies to read and comprehend a variety of texts and a variety of information sources, in the
subject(s) taught. They model active listening in the classroom. Candidates encourage student creativity and imagination. They
motivate students and encourage student effort. When students do not understand content, they take additional steps to foster
access and comprehension for all learners. Candidates balance instruction by adjusting lesson designs relative to students’
current level of achievement.
• TPE 5: Student Engagement
Candidates for a Teaching Credential clearly communicate instructional objectives to students. They ensure the active and
equitable participation of all students. They ensure that students understand what they are to do during instruction and monitor
student progress toward academic goals. If students are struggling and off-task, candidates examine why and use strategies to
re-engage them. Candidates encourage students to share and examine points of view during lessons. They use community
resources, student experiences and applied learning activities to make instruction relevant. They extend the intellectual quality
of student thinking by asking stimulating questions and challenging student ideas. Candidates teach students to respond to and
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frame meaningful questions.
Reflection(s) After the Lesson
What did you learn about your students from teaching this lesson? What did you learn about your teaching from this lesson? What would
you do the same in teaching this lesson again? What would you do differently in teaching this lesson again?
I felt that this lesson went fairly well, though I certainly would have done a few things differently. I completely forgot about
frontloading certain concepts, which might have helped everything to go smoother, and I think that I ought to have encouraged
students from the beginning that they might not understand it at first, but that they would get there. I also would have taken a little
more time at the beginning with the explanation of what a coordinate adjective is and how to tell if adjectives are of equal or unequal
importance. Finally, I should have emphasized that the students representing words must maintain their pose throughout the activity,
and that their pose is meant to assist the other students in remembering which word they each represent. I would, however, keep the
activity the same for the most part, as I think that it was fun and engaging. I would like to find a way to make the lecture part of the
lesson a little more interactive, perhaps by integrating the activity into the lecture from the beginning. I learnt, through this lesson, that
I have a tendency to just assume that students are tracking with me, and I realized very quickly how important it is to constantly be
checking for understanding.
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