LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE

Your Name: Irene Quintero

Title of Lesson: The sun, a bright star.
Grade: 4th
STANDARDS
CCSS ELA- Reading Informational Text
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the
text. (4.RI.2)
CCSS ELA- Speaking and Listening
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing
their own clearly. (4.SL.1)
LESSON SUMMARY/OVERVIEW
Day four of the fourth grade unit plan will focus on solar energy. The tittle of the lesson is The
sun, a bright star. By the end of the lesson students will be able to summary a text titled Solar
Energy by reading and participating in discussions. To meet the objective students will
participate in various activities such as: one-on-one, group, and teacher led discussions. They
will use text features to thoroughly understand the text Solar Energy and will use #, line #,
and page # to support main ideas and key details in a student made summary. The teacher will tie
this lesson to futures thinking by using questioning and group discussions. By the end of the
lesson students will be able to understand the basics of solar energy and will hopefully think
about a world powered by renewable and sustainable energy.
OBJECTIVES
Objective (Explicit):
Students will be able to summarize the text Solar Energy by reading and collaborating in oneon-one, group, and teacher-led discussions.
Student Friendly Objective:
Today I will be able to summary the text Solar Energy by reading and participating in
discussions.
ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
Measurement criteria:
Exceeds
Meets
Students will be able to write a detailed
Students will be able to write a detailed
paragraph summarizing the text Solar
paragraph summarizing the text Solar
Energy.
Energy.
Students will include seven supporting
Students will include five supporting
key details from the text and use #, line
key details from the text and use #,
#, and page # to support their summaries
line #, and page # to support their
main idea and key details.
summaries main idea and key details.
Sentence structure flows naturally.
Sentence structure flows naturally.
Punctuation and capitalization is
Punctuation and capitalization is well
properly used.
used.
Approaches
Falls far below
Students wrote a semi structured
Students wrote an incomplete

paragraph summarizing the text Solar

Energy.
Students included 3 supporting key
details from the text, and use #, line #,
and page # to refer to the text.
Sentence structure flows but needs
additional revision.
Punctuation and capitalization is present
but needs improvement.

paragraph summarizing the text Solar

Energy.
Students wrote one supporting key
detail from the text. There was no use
of #, line #, and page # to support
their summaries main idea and key
detail.
There is no visible sentence structure.
No sense of punctuation and
capitalization use is present.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE
Students will be able to determine the main idea of a text.
Students will be able to make connections to previously learned vocabulary words.
Students will be able to apply their knowledge of text features as the teacher reads Solar
Energy.
Students will be able to label #, line #, and page # as a reference for supporting key
details in a text.

MATERIALS
Doc cam
Pencils
College ruled paper
Timer
Solar Energy text (attached at the end of lesson)
Sticky notes
Cooperative group role cards (attached at the end of lesson)
Text features poster (attached at the end of lesson)
VOCABULARY/KEY WORDS
Fossil Fuels: Fossil fuels are any combustible organic material, as oil, coal, or natural gas,
resulting from the remains of former life
Renewable Energy: Renewable energy comes from a source that is not depleted when used,
such as wind or solar power.
Solar Energy: energy derived from the sun in the form of solar radiation.
Photovoltaic: photo = light, voltaic = electrical potential.
TEACHING PROCEDURES
Procedural Steps (Step by step instructions for teaching the lesson):
1. Opening:
Good morning students! Today you will learn about another renewable resource
people around our world use. This source is round, bright, thousands of miles
away and sustainable. What am I talking about? The teacher will instruct
students to think-pair-share and share their response in complete sentences with
their shoulder partner within 15 seconds. After creating anticipation the teacher

will state today you will learn about solar energy; lets review our objective 1, 2,
3 read! Today I will be able to summary the text Solar Energy by reading and
participating in discussions. The teacher will instruct students to turn to their
shoulder partner and share what they will be learning for the days lesson.
2. Instructional Input:
The teacher will review vocabulary words by pointing to and explaining each
word (Fossil Fuels, Renewable Energy, Solar Energy, and Photovoltaic). The
teacher will encourage students to repeat the word and the meaning of each word.

Next, the teacher will once again review the vocabulary word, solar energy. Solar
energy: energy derived from the sun in the form of solar radiation. The teacher
will ask the class a question: What do you understand from this definition,
student? Students will raise their hand if they desire to participate. The teacher
will build on students responses or direct their thinking if the answer is unclear.
The goal is to help students understand the vocabulary word.

After reviewing the vocabulary word the teacher will distribute the text Solar
Energy. Once students have the text Solar Energy the teacher will instruct
them to use their knowledge of close reading as she reads the text. Prior to reading
the text the teacher will briefly review close reading strategies with a teacher
made poster (attached at the end of lesson).

After reviewing close reading strategies and checking students understanding the
teacher will once again reiterate what students will be doing while she reads the
text Solar Energy. This will be done to assure all students are on task and
following directions. Teacher: All students will use close reading strategies to
understand what the text is about, circle words they are not sure about or familiar
with, annotate, mark questions, underline key details or information, and gather
evidence from the text.

The teacher will read the text Solar Energy with a firm voice.

After reading the text, Miss. Quintero will instruct students to think-pair-share
with a different shoulder partner and discuss any circled, underlined, annotated
paragraphs and unfamiliar words within 3 minutes. The teacher will use a timer to
track her time. Partner 1 will share for 1m50s, after the timer beeps, partner 2 will
share for 1m50s for an equivalent total of 3 minutes. After students share their
meaningful responses with their shoulder partner the teacher will answer any
questions students might have regarding the text. After answering questions the
teacher will model what students will be doing for guided practice. Students will
use the cooperative group role cards for the activity. NOTE: students are familiar
with the role cards and each has an assigned task (attached at the end of lesson).

The teacher will distribute one sticky note per student. The sticky note will be
used by students to copy the teachers modelteacher will use the doc cam.

Miss. Quintero will read the first paragraph from the text Solar Energy once
again. She will think aloud and model finding the main idea and supporting key
details of the first paragraph by using text features (see the example below).
NOTE: students will copy the teachers model on their texts. Using a sticky note,
the teacher will summarize the first paragraph and explain how it is supported by
key details. Miss. Quintero will use #, Line #, and page# to prove her supporting
details in her summary. Note: students will copy her model.
Teacher example displayed on doc cam

#1
The main idea in paragraph one is
the sun (L.1). The paragraph clarifies
how the sun is a star that has been
burning for millions of years (L.2).
The text also helps me understand
that the sun is a renewable source.
(L.5-6). Page.1

The note above is Miss. Quinteros sticky note. REMINDER: students will copy
the teachers model.

After the teacher models the expected outcome of the activity she will formally
present her sticky note to the class. The teacher will express: you will be doing
the same thing I did during my model with your group tables.

After presenting, the teacher will assign a paragraph from the text Solar Energy
to each group tableNOTE: students will do the same thing the teacher modeled.
Table 1 will be assigned to #2. Table 2 will be assigned to #3. Table 3 will be
assigned to #4. Table 4 will be assigned to #5. Five paragraphs in total.

The teacher will reiterate what students will do during the activity. This will be
done to prevent having any students off task.

1. Use your group role cards to do the activity. NOTE: students already know their
role. e.g. leader, recorder, time keeper, errand monitor, presenter.
2. Read your groups assigned paragraph.
3. Use text features to find the main idea and key details in the paragraph.
4. Summarize your paragraph.
5. Use #, line #, and page # to support your summaries main idea and key details.
The teacher will check students understanding before moving to guided practice.
3. Guided Practice:
During guided practice students will read their assigned paragraph and imitate the
teachers guided model during Instructional Input. NOTE: students will have 6
minutes to accomplish the task. Students will undertake their assigned role as
leader, recorder, time keeper, errand monitor, or presenter. They will collaborate
in group discussions to verbally summarize the text Solar Energy. Once
students collaborate in the group discussion, the recorder will write the groups
summary in the sticky note.

Miss. Quintero will monitor students behavior and check that all students are
performing their role.

When the 6 minute time period ends, presenters will present their summary to the
class. Miss. Quintero will encourage students to be attentive listeners while
presenters read and explain their paragraph summaries.

After presenters read and explain their summaries, Miss. Quintero will develop a
teacher-led discussion explaining the texts main idea. The texts main idea is
solar energy. Students will listen as she vividly expresses how the sun is a
renewable resource available for all people on Earth. The teacher will ask students
a question: Do you believe solar energy is a safe alternative to fossil fuels? The
teacher will instruct students refer back to their text and talk amongst their group
member for one minute. After the minute ends, Miss. Quintero will choose a
student who desires to participate. She will add to the students response or help
the student clarify his or her thinking if it is unclear.

After adding or clarifying to the students response Miss. Quintero will ask
another question: Do you believe solar energy will benefit present and future
generations? Why or why not? Use your text to answer the question. The teacher
will give students one minute to discuss the question with group members. After
the minute ends the teacher will once again choose a student who desires to
participate. She will add to the students response or help the student clarify his or
her thinking if it is unclear

Miss. Quintero will express: as a teacher and as young students you and I must
think about how the past and present influence the future. Lets imagine
renewable energy was the source that powered our planet. We would have clean
sustainable energy that helped the environment and people around our world.
However, if we think about the present, it is not entirely powered by renewable
energy, but we can make a difference. Just think about the renewable energy
sources you have learned about this week; hydropower, wind energy, and solar
energy. All of these renewable sources have the potential to create a future with
less carbon dioxide waste. As future leaders, innovators, veterinarians, doctors,
teachers, scientists, mothers, and fathers you and I must think about ways to solve
the problems of today to create a more sustainable tomorrow.

4. Independent Practice:
Miss. Quintero will transition and express: Now that we read, collaborated in
multiple group discussions, and talked about a future powered by renewable
energy it is time for you to work independently.

Using a college ruled paper students will write a paragraph summarizing the
text Solar Energy. The teacher will give the following expectations for the
summary. You will write a detailed paragraph summarizing the text Solar
Energy, include five supporting key details from the text, and use #, line #,
and page # to support your summaries main idea and key details.

Miss. Quintero will monitor students behavior and work.

5. Closure:

Miss. Quintero will encourage students to high-five their group partners and
restate the objective in past tense: Today I was able to summary the text
Solar Energy by reading and participating in discussions. Miss. Quintero
will congratulate students for doing a phenomenal job during the lesson. Note:
She will use an enthusiastic voice.
RESOURCES

Fossil Fuel [Def. 1]. (n.d). In Dictionary Online, Retrieved December 4, 2014, from
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fossil%20fuel?s=t
Fourth Grade Natural Resources for Energy- Renewable or Not? - LiveBinder. (n.d.). Retrieved
December 5, 2014, from http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=273108
Read-Write-Think. (2004). Cooperative Group Roles Cards. 1.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson277/cooperative.pdf
Solar Energy [Def. 1]. (n.d). In Dictionary Online, Retrieved December 4, 2014, from
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/solar+energy
WAYS OF THINKING CONNECTION

Through my sustainability course for teachers at Arizona State University I learned that futures
thinking means thinking about how the past and present influence the future. As a result, I
decided to implement this way of thinking into a Language Arts lesson from a unit focused on
renewable energy. I chose to implement futures thinking into my renewable energy unit because
I firmly believe our students are future world leaders and innovators. Through them we will be
able to have a better future if educators teach them about different ways of thinkingvalues,
systems, strategic, and futures thinking. The sun, a bright star, focuses on solar energy as a
renewable resource. In the guided practice section of the lesson I incorporated futures thinking
through questioning and discussion strategies. Students discussed the questions I expressed
during the guided section of the lesson. Students collaborated with their group members during
the discussion minute. After a minute of discussing, I chose students who were willing and eager
to explain their thinking. Hopefully, through the implementation of futures thinking into the
lesson students will be able to think about a present and future powered by renewable and
sustainable energy.