Mini Lesson Plan

Poe Lesson Plan

1. Teacher Candidate	Justin Mitchell	Date Taught	3/01/17
Mentor Teacher	Stephanie Agnew	School/District	West Valley City School
2. Subject	English	Field Supervisor	Patricia Garrard
3. Lesson Title/Focus	Plot of Amontillado	5. Length of Lesson	30
4. Grade Level	5-8

6. Academic & Content Standards (Common Core/National)	CCSS RL.6.3 Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
7. Learning Objective(s)	I understand the plot diagram and the different parts of a plot that make up a story, as well as how the characters respond to the plot development. This connects to CCSS in that students are asked to examine the story’s plot and how the characters respond as the lot unfolds.
8. Academic Language demands (vocabulary, function, syntax, discourse)	Vocabulary- Exposition, Conflict, Rising action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution Function- Students, after seeing the examples of the story’s exposition and conflict, will work together in groups to find the story’s rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Syntax- Discourse-

9. Assessment

Students will work in groups on a handout, examining a specific plot component of the story, which connects to the standard and CSSS in that it will demonstrate their understanding of the plot diagram and the different parts of a plot. Students will also write and turn in an exit slip where they will write two to three sentences examining a specific part in the plot where character change occurs. This  exit slip connects to the learning objective and CCSS in that it demonstrates their understanding of how the character responds to the plot development.

10. Lesson Connections

This builds off of previous literature lessons, as wells as a lesson about plot, and connects to a work of fiction. Students have already seen the plot diagram, but have not connected it to character response. This lesson connects to a unit on romanticism, more specifically in the sub-category of dark romanticism.

11. Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks to Support Learning
Teacher’s role (0:00) Welcome class and introduce todays lesson on plot in The Cask of Amontillado. Pass out the handout to the class. (1:00) Show the learning objective on the projector. Ask student to write it down on the back of their handout. Then ask for a student to reiterate the learning objective. Ask students to rate their understanding of the learning objective (1-5 fingers). (2:00) Introduce the YouTube clip they are about to watch and how it is a significant scene in the story. Play the clip. Then ask students to find the section in the books. Ask for a volunteer to read it outload. Instruct students to follow along. Then ask the students what is happening here, what feeling does the clip and the text evoke. (8:00) Then ask, “this is significant developing moment for the characters here, what change occurs in the characters?” (9:00) Explain how this fits into a specific section of the plot. Draw the plot diagram. Explain that we’ve talked on these before so I want you to now, in groups (four total), work on an assigned part of the plot. (12:00) Assign one part of the plot to each group. Show example from handout and instruct that students are to do the same with their plot section. (14:00) Give 10 minutes to do so, then refocus as a whole class and have each group share, while the other groups write it down on their papers. (24:00) Regroup the class and explain how, like in the video, the characters respond and change as the plot moves towards resolution. (25:00) Instruct that as an exit slip they are to write on their paper a moment, besides the video scene, where character change occurs and in what part of the plot that happens. Ask students to rate their understanding of the instructions (1-5 fingers). (29:00) Collect handout and dismiss class.	Students’ Role Collect handout. Write down learning objective. Read learning objective out loud. Discuss the clip and the text and the feeling that it represents. Consider and discuss  the character change represented in the clip and discuss that. Get into groups, four in total, ready to work on handout. Listen closely to instructions and observe the two examples. Work together with partners, still on individual handouts, to develop their plot part and what it signifies. Then share with the class what they found. Individually, write down a moment where a character develops in some significant way and the plot part that it takes place in. Turn in handout to be dismissed.
Student Voice to Gather Teacher will assess student understanding periodically via the finger test (1-5 fingers). Students will also share their thoughts and work from the handout with the whole class.

12. Differentiated Instruction

The handout has a visual for each section to give an idea of each plot component. There are verying ability levels among the students when it comes to literary analysis and understanding of plot components, shown from the previous lesson on plot. To help encourage every students success, students will work together in groups to foster mutual development of today’s topic.

13. Resources and Materials

I am using a comic type supplement that I discovered here: http://www.storyboardthat.com/storyboards/rebeccaray/plot---cask-of-amontillado I am using a video from youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoUPJId_AWk (11:00-13:00)

14. Management and Safety Issues

The comic could be distracting so I intend to keep the class focused by directing the attention to group work and class discussion. During whole class time I will focus on whole class management to keep the lesson focused. During group work I will anticipate group autonomy to keep on task, but I will work around the room checking in on groups to encourage productivity.

15. Parent & Community Connections

This lesson connects to a series culturally relevant works designed to give students a sense of the America 19th century to present. Parents are informed of the works in the unit via newsletter.