Lesson Plan Template

EDIS 5882: English Education

Name: Amy Zhang
Context:

a.

Date and time for which lesson will be taught: Monday, 11/14 and Tuesday, 11/15
Course name: 11AA
Grade level: 11th grade
Length of lesson: 89 minutes and 88 minutes
Description of setting, students, and curriculum and any other important contextual characteristics:
Needing a reset in class from Thurs/Friday; need to finish the introduction of Outliers that we started reading two
classes ago.

Objectives:

a.

Number each objective to reference in the Assessment section

SWBAT:
Cognitive (know/understand):
1. Students will be able to understand that an individuals success is cultivated by more than just hard work.
Students will be able to understand the metaphor of comparing Roseto to health as the book Outliers is to success.

Affective (feel/value) and/or Non-Cognitive:

3. Students will be able to feel comfortable sharing their ideas.

a.

Performance (do):
4. Students will be able to evaluate an authors purpose.
Students will be able to read and analyze how context and language structures convey an authors viewpoint.

SOLs: [List with numbers portrayed in the SOL document]

VSOL 11.4 The student will read, comprehend, and analyze relationships among American literature, history, and
culture. e) Analyze how context and language structures convey an authors intent and viewpoint.

CCSs: [List with numbers portrayed in the CCS document]

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.6
Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective,
analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text.

Assessments: Methods for evaluating each of the specific objectives listed above.

o
o

Please use the sentence stems to describe your assessments. In brackets after each assessment note the number of the
objective(s) from above being assessed
Diagnostic: Students will demonstrate what they already know aboutthe introductions main ideas by
completing a Do Now review of last class main takeaways (a question on the reading guide). (4a)
Formative:
Students will show their progress towards ...understanding the introductions main ideas by ...completing the reading
guide and sharing out their ideas when prompted. (3, 4a, VSOL 11.4 e, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.6)
Students will show their progress towards understanding the metaphor of comparing Roseto to health as the book
Outliers is to success by completing and sharing out their ideas from the graphic organizer. (1a, 3, VSOL 11.4e,
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.6)
Summative: Students will ultimately be assessed (today or in a future lesson) onunderstanding the main ideas of
the book and the authors purpose byparticipating in a small group discussion. (1a, 3, 4, VSOL 11.4e,
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.6)

Materials Needed:
This is just a list of the materials you will need for this lesson to occur. In the Materials Appendix below,
you will include the actual materials or links to what you will be using.
Powerpoint with Agenda and Directions
Outliers Introduction
Graphic organizer
Reading Guide for rest of chapter
Student Cs independent reading and writing assignment
Sticky notes
Instructional Steps (Procedures): Detail student and teacher actions, discourse, and behaviors.
[Note: Any words that represent what you will say directly to students appear in italics. When students
are speaking, indicate your target response as well as any possible student misconceptions and/or offthe-target responses and how you will respond to them.]

1. [3 mins.] Daily Greetings & Agenda

I will introduce the agenda for today.

Looking Forward:
Workshop draft due on 11/16 (red day) & 11/17 (blue day)
Vocab quiz on 11/18 & discussion on a future date, TBD (red day)
Vocab quiz on 11/21 & discussion on on future date, TBD (blue day)

Today
Workshop
Revisiting Norms
Finish Intro to Outliers
Success Anecdotes & Golden Lines

2. [25 mins.] Writing Workshop with Google Documents

I will set the tone of workshop as being quiet and productive. Students will continue reading (and
annotating) their success article. Students should all be working on their drafts in their workshop
documents. I will put up Todays Workshop Goals up on the board with the timer.
In writing workshop, students use their computers to log onto Google Drive, where we have
distributed workshop drafting templates (using Doctopus because we dont have Google
Classroom) to all the students individually. Students use this document to keep all of their prewriting, outlining, and drafting work in one place over the course of the quarter. This allows
students and the teacher (me) to hold more efficient writing conferences; the feedback loop that
we engage in can be recorded on a comment thread in the Google Doc, allowing both student and
teacher to refer back to it as necessary. Because we record the writing process of three final pieces
in the same document (over the course of the second quarter), we are able to look back to see how
far and in which areas of writing that students have grown, as well as where and how we can keep
challenging students to develop their writing skills.
Lets keep the quiet and productive focus for workshop today. Today were finishing writing
conferences. Im looking to sit down with [list of six students]. For each person, Ill ask if theyre
ready. If theyre not ready, Ill conference with whomevers ready--any of todays people or
anyone who missed a conference before today and is ready to make it up today--and then touch
base with those people who were not ready today to see where they are.

Students who are missing conferences who could potentially be ready today: [list of 11 students].
Emphasize: There are only 5 classes left in November. Your final draft of our first Cycle of
Workshop, is due at the end of workshop next class, Wednesday (11/16), which means you ONLY
have today and Wednesday to finish writing, sitting down with me to conference, and revising it.
The people who have missed their conferences over the last two weeks, you need to make up your
writing conferences as soon as possible. Stick around after class to schedule a conference with
me.
What youll need to bring to our writing conference: annotated article, computer, and draft.

Conference Checklist:
(I need a copy of the writing conference rubric)
Looking at article annotations and pre-writing steps
Asking how it was for the students to write this draft (5 paragraph essay)
Giving positive feedback
Giving feedback on things to improve on (max 3 things; usuals: thesis, incorporating the quotes,
organization of ideas, grammar/mechanics)

3. [10 mins.] Class Norms RESET

I will pass out two sticky notes for each student and have written out Pros and Cons of Last Class
(Friday) and Respect Looks Like on the board.
I will lead the class in revisiting our classroom norms that we set at the beginning of the year.
Students will take a few minutes to identify what went well/what didnt go well last class (either for
them individually or as a whole class), and moving forward, what showing respect to each other in
class looks like, especially in full class moments.
Last class, we had some stumbling blocks. Class just wasnt working, and I think its time for us to
revisit the class norms that we created at the beginning of the year. Now that we know each other a
little bit better, we can make norms that are better tailored to our needs as a class. Let us to reflect on
how were doing as a class so we can figure out how to move forward.
Take a few minutes now and, on your first sticky note, identify two things: what went well and what
didnt go well last class for you, either individually or as a whole class. On your second sticky note,
identify how we can show respect to each other in full class moments, like when were trying to read
together. When youre done, put your sticky note up on the board under the category for your sticky
note. Well go over the responses as a class, but itll be anonymous. Dont put your names on these
sticky notes.
As students are putting their sticky notes on the board, I will alternate between scanning the room and
sorting student responses on the board into similar groups to make it easier to share out.
After about 5-6 minutes, I will bring class attention to the board and read out the most common things
that students have said, as well as note any concerns that a student might have brought up (if
appropriate). There are a few things that I will bring up if students dont: putting away
headphones/computers/phones completely during those full class moments or presentation moments,

giving full attention to peers when they are volunteering in class, etc. I will have students vote on the
norms that we want as a class, and compile them for next class (to be put onto the Homecourt board).
Transition: Weve just spent about 10 minutes building these new norms (or tweaked the old ones).
Now lets put them into practice today. When I pass back your reading guide, turn to the second page
and look at the number 4 which asks you to cross words off. Its been a few days since Friday, so lets
take a moment to review what we read about last class.
4. [5 mins.] BRIDGE: Cross and Talk
To recall what happened in the three paragraph chunk that we read on Friday, students will
partner up to determine the factors that were revealed to be false. I will give students the
following instructions:
With a partner, look at the following list (displayed on the board):
Diet
Roseto itself
Exercise
Genes
Location
1) Cross out the factors that do not explain the mystery of Rosetos excellent health. 2) Explain
why the factors you crossed out dont work. 3) Make a prediction about how Roseto itself can be
the reason why Rosetan health is so good.
After 2-3 minutes, I will bring the class back together and have students share out their answers.
We will identify the correct answers (for the cross out false factors part) and transition from
students predictions to reading the chapters.
5. [20 mins.] Finish Outliers Intro with Reading Guide (see below)
Students will take turns reading aloud each chapter.
On p.9, I will stop to ask students, What does Wolf mean by his statement, It had to be Roseto
itself? What makes Roseto so special? I will direct students to reread the paragraph and identify
the reason(s). Looking for: Roseto is a tight-knit community, lots of relationships that make the
people feel connected, etc.
From that same paragraph, I will also do a vocab check of egalitarian and ethos.
On p. 9 in the next paragraph, I will also revisit the concept of the paesani culture of southern
Italy and Rosets isolation. I will ask the question, Lets make an inference. What effects did
Rosetos self-imposed isolation have on their paesani culture? Looking for: it insulated them from
the stresses that other people might have faced. Vocab check on insulate. I will ask, Do you
have a similar place that insulates you from the pressures of the modern world? Take a
moment to write that down for the question in the reading guide, and then well hear from people
in the room.
On p. 10 in the first paragraph, I will have students do a vote for yes/no on whether or not they
agree with Bruhs statement that Roseto was magical, and ask a few of them to articulate why.
Students should write down their opinion.

On p. 10 in the second paragraph, I I will do a vocab check of skepticism and ask students,
Have you ever been in a situation where other people have reacted with skepticism towards
something you said? Students will take a few minutes to write down the situation and then well
share out a few scenarios.
We will also do, as a class, the comparison chart for reasons that people attribute for living a long
life and having good health. Students will identify conventional vs new reasons. Looking for:
individual genetics and choices such as diet and exercise vs health depending on community. I
can check for conventional here as well.
For the last two paragraphs, I will ask students to read those paragraphs to themselves and fill in
the blanks for question 8 on the reading guide. For question 9, students will brainstorm aloud
with a partner on how this introduction about Rosetos health will help us think about success,
and then well share out.
6. [10 mins.] Graphic Organizer (Roseto Web)
Transition: Now that we have a full understanding of the introduction through the reading guide,
lets turn back to the graphic organizer/Roseto Web. Take a few moments to consider what we
discussed and fill out the rest of the graphic organizer. Well share out answers in a minute to
make sure were all on the same page.
Students will fill out the graphic organizer and then write down a prediction about how they think
Gladwell is going to discuss the idea of success in the rest of the book (based on their partner
discussion just a few minutes ago).
We will go over the graphic organizer. I will ask a few students to share their predictions out.
Building off of students predictions, I will suggest the idea of the introduction being a metaphor
comparing Rosetos health with success. Gladwell writes this introduction to his book to set us up
to think about success in a certain way, but he never actually mentions success in the introduction
until the very end. Hmm. Lets reread that last line: In Outliers, I want to do for our
understanding of success what Wolf did for our understanding of health. Unpack this line. What
did Wolf do for our understanding of health? Rosetan health is astoundingly strong, not because
of individual actions ( diet, exercise)--the ways that we usually define as the reason for health-but because of the closeness of their community. So, based on that, how do we think Gladwell will
talk about success? Yeah, so in a way, Roseto and health work as a metaphor for Outliers and
success.
Weve made the prediction that the Outliers is going to keep talking about success in a different
way than we typically think about it. Lets flesh out how we usually think about it.
Transition: I will pass out the free writes that students did from last week. Last week, you did a
free write on what success means to you, and we got some good stuff in there--though mostly, I
think they can be categorized as still being a definition. Now lets make our personal definitions
of success come alive, like how Gladwell made Rosetos health to success story come alive in a
story.
7. [26 mins.] Success Anecdotes
[1 mins.] Giving context/purpose to students: Take up your pen/pencil and write an anecdote
that illustrates a moment of success for you.

[12 mins.] Students Writing

Students will take 5 minutes to jot down a few ideas for moments of success in their life or
someone in their familys life and to pick one.
Students will flesh out, in story form, their/their family members moment of success for 7
minutes.
[3 min] I will tell students that we will continue with our Success Anecdotes next class, and then
remind students to come schedule a conference with me before they walk out.
Next Class, finish up:
[7 mins.] Partner Share & Identify Golden Line(s)
Students will exchange papers with someone they dont usually talk to to read and highlight a
Golden Line.
[5 mins.] Whole Class Share
Students will take a few minutes to share out a Golden Line that they read from someone elses
anecdote.

Attention to Individual Student Needs: (Differentiation):

Detail specific actions/materials you will use to differentiate instruction in this lesson. Use specific student names
when appropriate

Student C--At his request, my MT and I have created an independent reading and writing assignment for
him that aligns with the goals and work that the rest of the class will be doing. This is not the first time
that he has asked to work independently, and with the nonfiction book that we are reading now (versus a
play last quarter), it seems more appropriate to differentiate and try this method of learning for him. To
demonstrate his deep reading, he will answer the discussion questions in complete sentences and correctly
cite textual evidence in MLA format. Last Friday was his first opportunity to work independently, and
looking at his work thus far, he has not met those expectations so I need to have a conversation with him
about how the assignment is going for him and what those written work expectations are.
Workshop--I have differentiated according to student interest for the workshop articles this quarter. This
quarter, workshop is set up slightly differently, where I find three articles, each that can be tied to a
question about success. One article is about the successful operation of a baby being born with the DNA
of three parents (science), the dangers vs. rewards of playing football (sports), and the drive for success
causing sickness in students (education). I have created a writing prompt (based on the SOL writing
prompt format) for each article, and students choose the article they are most interested in to read,
annotate, and write in response to, in the form of a 5-paragraph persuasive essay.

Technology Use:
Detail specific technology being used in the lesson with explanation for why it is being used.

Online timer--to show students how much time they have left in workshop and so they can, over time,
develop time management skills.
Powerpoint--to display the daily agenda, future due dates for major assignments and quizzes, and any
directions for instructional activities.

Materials Appendix:
Include the actual materials or links to what you will be using. If you are using a handout or a PowerPoint, or giving
a quiz, etc., these documents (or links to them) must be included. (see the list above)

Powerpoint with Agenda and Directions (attached on Chalk & Wire)

Outliers Introduction (students have them)

Graphic organizer (students have them)

Reading Guide for rest of chapter (seen below)
Student Cs independent reading and writing assignment
Sticky notes

Name:
Reading Guide for Outliers, Introduction: The Roseto Mystery
1. Piece Together Roseto So Far
A.With a friend named Bruhn, Wolf interviews the Rosetan people and finds out that none of the people
suffer from suicides, alcoholism, or drug addiction, either.
B. The paesani of Roseto live in Italy, sail to New York for better opportunities, and then venture west to
Pennsylvania, where they establish the town of Roseto.
C. Roseto is a town where only Rosetans live and where they only speak one specific dialect of Italian.
D. Stewart Wolf investigates the Roseto Mystery, doing an experiment and drawing blood from all the
people in Roseto.
E. The Roseto Mystery remains unanswered. Why are these Rosetans not dying of heart disease?
F. A doctor named Stewart Wolf discovers that nobody in Roseto is dying of heart disease?! No one
knows why.
These events are jumbled up together. Put these events in chronological order using the letters. Write
below:

2. Compare and contrast the habits of Rosetans in the US and Rosetans in Italy.
Rosetans in the U.S.

Rosetans in Italy

3. What are two things that people usually believe is key to having a healthy lifestyle? Hint: Do you
consider yourself to be physically fit? What are some things you do to stay healthy?

4. Put on your detective/good reader hat. Cross out the factors that Wolf has ruled out for being key to
Rosetos excellent health.
Diet
Roseto Itself
Exercise
Genes
Location
3. The secret of Roseto...had to be Roseto itself. What is so special about Roseto? Hint: Reread the
paragraph on page 9 again with that question in mind.

4. Do you have a similar place that insulates you from the pressures of the modern world? In other
words, name a place that offers you sanctuary or stress relief.

5. Bruhn describes his first time visiting Roseto on the top of page 10. Do you agree with his account that
it was magical?

6. When Bruhn and Wolf present their discovery, they faced a lot of skepticism, or doubt, from people
everywhere. Have you ever been in a situation where other people have reacted with skepticism towards
something you said? Describe the situation.

7. Fill out the comparison chart for reasons for good health/living a long life.
Conventional Reasons for Good Health (as in the
rest of the US)

New Reasons for Good Health (as in Roseto)

8. Fill in the blanks.

In short, the key to understanding Rosetos amazingly good health was not to just think about
___________________________________________, but also to think about
__________________________ that the person comes from, their friends and families, and the towns of
their families.
9. In Outliers, I want to do for our understanding of success what Stewart Wolf did for our understanding
of health. According to Gladwell, how will this introduction about Rosetos health help us better
understand the idea of success?