Lesson plan Template

Name: _Autumn Helton________________

Date: _October 22, 2015_______

Lesson Title: _Celebrity Scandals___________

Discipline: _Secondary English_______

School: __J.O. Johnson High School___

Grade: _10th General___

Context for Learning (EdTPA):

1. The Celebrity Scandals lesson was taught at an urban Title 1 high school.
2. Collaborative teachers are sometimes present, but not during this lesson. The cooperative teacher is filming the lesson and
there are points in the video where students ask her questions out of habit.
3. The lesson was given in a regular classroom with desks arranged in groups of four. Each student has a computer. The teacher
has a computer that is hooked up to a projector, so that PowerPoints, worksheets, etc. can be displayed on the screen
positioned in the front of the classroom. There is a white board on the left side (when facing the front) where the agenda and
essential questions are written daily. The chalkboard on the right side is covered with paper and displays summer reading
projects. In the back of the room, there are bookcases filled with books that represent all reading levels. Art supplies are
available in both the front and back of the room. The teachers desk is in the back left corner and is normally not used during
class. Lastly, the room is decorated with posters and pennants which advertise different colleges and universities.
LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE- DR. ANGELA WILLIAMS

4. All public school teachers are to follow the Common Core guidelines (referred to in Alabama as College and Career
Readiness), which will be address in the next section. Huntsville City Schools requires that teachers begin each block with a
Do Now activity, in efforts to improve reading comprehension scores. I created my own Do Now and worked on it with
the class, but it is not included in the video. It did, however, take about 15 minutes to complete. The last limitation came
from my collaborative teacher, as she wanted me to focus specifically on The Scarlet Letter.
Common Core State Standard(s):
Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with
other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. [RL.9-10.3]
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a
problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; and synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating
understanding of the subject under investigation. [W.9-10.7]
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. [W.9-10.9]
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of
reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task. [SL.9-10.4]

LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE- DR. ANGELA WILLIAMS

Instructional Objective: After reading the appropriate portions of the text and conducting online research, students will create a
poster or presentation in which they identify similarities and differences between a celebritys shaming experience and Hester
Prynnes public shaming in The Scarlet Letter.
Student-friendly Objective(s): I can compare the shaming experiences of modern-day celebrities to the public shaming Hester
Prynne endured in The Scarlet Letter.
Prerequisite Concept(s) or Skill(s): The students must have first read and comprehended up to chapter six of The Scarlet Letter. In
order to make connections between modern-day celebrities and Hester Prynne, they must understand what Hesters crime or sin
was and how she was punished. The students must understand the abstract thought of the scarlet letter (in Hesters case, A) as a
shameful representation of the sin that was committed. It is also beneficial that they have their own thoughts on whether or not
public shaming is a reasonable punishment.
Language Demand: In order to complete the assignment, the students must have an understanding of what is expected when they
are prompted to compare Hester and the celebrity. They must be able to identify similarities and differences. It is also
important that they understand the concepts of controversies, scandals, shaming, punishments, sins, and what it means
to be infamous. As the students researched their celebrities, they had to comprehend the texts of different news stories, online
biographies, and encyclopedias.
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Key Vocabulary: Infamous, scandal, controversy, public shaming, media, sin, punishment
Model of Delivery: The lesson plan most closely follows the Gradual Release of Responsibility model, otherwise known as I Do, We
Do, You Do. Several different models and strategies are used throughout the lesson including presentation, interactive learning,
discussions, groupwork, and some characteristics of the guided discovery model.
Accommodations/Grouping: The students were allowed to work alone or choose their own groups. They were also given the option
to give a presentation, make a poster to display around the room, or a combination of the two. These decisions were
accommodations for specific students who have expressed that they are uncomfortable working in groups and/or speaking in front
of the class. I also provided more individual instruction for students with learning or attention disabilities, as well as an EL student.
Materials, Equipment and Resources:
Teacher
Equipment:
Laptop Computer
Projector
Movie Editing and Viewing Software
Clipboard
Materials:
Worksheet
Rubric

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Students
Equipment:
Laptop Computer
I-Pad
Materials:
Worksheet
Poster Paper
Markers
Colored Pencils

Lesson Procedures & Activities:

Teacher Activities
Play Hook/Intro Video
Engage students emotionally
Encourage discussion by asking guiding questions
I Do
Model Expectations through M.M. slides
Connect to Prior Knowledge (Hester Prynne)
Instructions
Differentiated assignment give students choices
Explain aspects of assignment
Explain the grading process
Classroom management: let students choose celebrities
only by raising their hands
We Do
Answer student questions
Provide guidance
Ask questions that promote higher-thinking
Provide extra support for students with IEPs
Note good and bad behaviors for grading process
Keep and remind students of time
Give positive feedback
You Do/ Do It Together
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Students Activities
Watch Hook/Intro Video
Columbine and Marilyn Manson News Reports
Open Discussion: Response to Columbine and Marilyn
Manson Did he deserve this punishment?
Watch Demonstration/Instruction
Note the Modeled Expectations
Focus: Compare celebrities to Hester
Understand Instructions and Rubric
Group and Celebrity Selections
Group or Independent Work
25 minutes: Research and Worksheet
25 minutes: Prepare Presentation and/or Poster
We do Asks teacher questions
Verbally explain thought-process
Higher-order thinking asked to make comparisons, give
personal opinions, and explain reasoning through writing
Active Participation/Respect Peers
Produce Creative and Quality Work
Presentations
Only for those who wanted to present
Show Poster, PowerPoint, etc.
Include Important Worksheet Questions
Explain Thought Process
Listen Respectfully
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Model appropriate behavior during presentations

Take notes on student behavior
Take notes for presentation feedback
Congratulate students on their work
Closure and Reflection
Guided Discussion
Review The Scarlet Letter
Reiterate Essential Question

Closure and Reflection

Open Discussion
Answer The Scarlet Letter review questions
Then review findings from research and presentations
Make connections between the two to answer the
essential question: How is celebrity punishment by the
media similar to Hesters punishment in The Scarlet
Letter?

Assessment and Evaluation: Students were given a 40 point classwork grade. They were all evaluated individually on their
participation and effort (15 points) and respectfulness (5 points). The second half of their grades came from a completed and
accurate worksheet (10 points) and a creative poster and/or presentation (10 points). If the student was part of a group, the whole
group received the same grade for the last 20 points.
Extension: None. I ideally would have extended this lesson to two block periods, so that the students could finish up and give
presentations on the second day then finish with reflections, however, I did not want to take time away time from the lesson plans
my cooperative teacher had already planned.

LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE- DR. ANGELA WILLIAMS

Reflection: Complete after the lesson has been taught. (use a separate sheet)
1. How does the candidate use knowledge of students to inform teaching and learning?
My previous classroom observations and interactions with students at J.O. Johnson High School influenced every decision I
made when planning this lesson. From these experiences, I gathered that many of the students are bored with their classes, possibly
because they cannot relate to material. The Scarlet Letter is especially uninteresting to the tenth graders, as Hesters situation seems
unlikely and dated. Hawthornes language also makes comprehension difficult.
The lesson my collaborative teacher had originally planned involved relating regulations put on big businesses to shame Hester
endured in The Scarlet Letter. While this is an important topic, I did not feel it would engage the students. Instead, I decided to choose
a topic that was already interesting and familiar to the students. A week before the lesson, I passed around a clipboard and asked
students to write down a favorite celebrity. From this list, I was able to determine which celebrities they would be interested in
researching. I complied a final list for each class with the goal that at least one of the celebrities would motivate each student to do
quality research and stay invested in the assignment.
The learning process was also tailored to the students. While I might have normally assigned only a presentation, I realized
that the worksheet was a necessary step for most of this group so that they could first arrive at the important information. The
worksheet was essentially a step-by-step process, building off of the celebritys basic background information all the way up to the
controversies and punishments as they relate to Hesters experiences. If I had told the class that they would be making a presentation
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where they compare and contrast a celebrity to Hester, they would have likely been overwhelmed. However, by breaking down the
process, I was able to make the assignment seem more achievable and fun.
2. How does the candidate use knowledge of his/her students to target support for students learning of the objective(s)?
In my instructions and on my worksheets, I had to be as clear as possible with my language choices, so as to prevent confusion.
As previously mentioned, by splitting the tasks and even the research into smaller sections, I was able to create an assignment that was
less threatening and required less guidance.
Guidance was still necessary, of course, especially for those with learning disabilities or language barriers. I spent extra time
with these students, making sure they understood what was being asked in each question. I also talked them through the process more,
so that I could ensure there was an understanding of expectations as well as clear ideas of where the assignment was headed and what
was considered important information.
All of the groups needed some form of guidance, which is to be expected with the I Do, We Do, You Do approach. I tried
mostly to steer their thinking towards what I would consider to be appropriate answers. I also worked to draw upon their previous
experiences, by asking for their insight and making connections to previous lessons (for example, using infamous from the day
before, or comparing the letter assignment to the time they chose their own letters).

LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE- DR. ANGELA WILLIAMS

Also, in an attempt to avoid any affective barriers that might cause the student to become disengaged, I provided them with as
many decisions as possible. I feel that when a student has choices, they are more in-charge of their learning and this boosts their egos
in a way that promotes quality work. So, providing students with a choice of celebrity, a choice of whether to work in groups or
independently, and a choice of presentation style leads to greater interest and encourages the students to learn the material.
3. How are the informal and/or formal assessments used to monitor student learning?
I chose an informal assessment because I feel that performance-based grades take some pressure off of the students so that they
can actually take the time to explore the topic, have meaningful conversations, and produce quality work. With a data-based formal
assessment, the environment would have likely been more competitive and stressful.
The assessment was a forty point classroom grade, divided into four sections: worksheet, presentation, participation, and
respectfulness. Participation was fifteen of the forty points, because I wanted the students to take an active role in their learning, rather
than passively receiving the material. Respectfulness was also important because I wanted the students to learn from each other. I
assessed these two qualities by observing the groups throughout the block and keeping notes on their behaviors.
The informal assessment also allows me to differentiate my grading. My expectations for the worksheet and PowerPoint were
rather broad in the fact that I only mentioned creativity and meaningful, accurate information. Most of the students are at middle
school reading levels or below, so I had to be lenient with grammar. I provided constructive feedback on what could have been done

LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE- DR. ANGELA WILLIAMS

better, but the majority of their worksheet and presentation grade was decided on whether or not they made proper connections
between their celebrities and Hester Prynne.
4. How does the candidate demonstrate a positive learning environment that supports students engagement in learning?
My first task was the I Do or modeling expectations. I tried to choose a celebrity controversy that would shock the students and
get them thinking about issue of public shaming. While giving the presentation, I provided information that I considered clear,
thorough, and interesting. I also gave my own thoughts on the situation and explained why the material was valuable to learn.
After the video, I asked questions that guided students towards the learning objective. I wanted the students to be passionate
enough about what they saw in the video to feel comfortable explaining their views in front of the class. As they worked in groups,
my hope was that they would continue this conversation. I wanted them to learn from me, from their group members, and finally
from the other groups. My plan was to have a final class discussion where we could connect all of the dots, but there was not
enough time.
A positive learning environment was also somewhat mandated by twenty points of their final grade. As previously mentioned, I
included a participation grade because I thought it was essential for this assignment that they take time to explore the topic and
have discussions so that they could learn from each other. Respectfulness is an important aspect of the positive learning

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environment, as students are going to feel unappreciated if others are talking while they are trying to present their findings, or if
group members are dominating conversation or not accepting unique ideas.
Lastly, I promoted a positive learning environment by being as approachable and friendly as possible. I walked around and
checked on each groups progress because I wanted the students to ask questions when needed. I also provided only positive
feedback. When something was not done properly, I would explain any misconceptions and give ideas on how to improve, instead
of pointing out that something was wrong.
5. How does the candidate actively engage students in integrating strategies and skills to understand the learning objective(s)?
I feel the main way I engaged students was by encouraging conversation, first for the whole class then for individual groups.
My goal for this lesson was to have the students get closer to understanding the similarities between celebrity shaming and The
Scarlet Letter as they progressed through each stage of the I Do, We Do, You Do.
The goal of the I Do was to get students to see the connections between Marilyn Mansons scandal and Hesters public
shaming. During the We Do, after conducting some research and answering the worksheet questions, the students will see
that their celebritys scandal is also relevant to the book. Finally, during the I Do, the student will listen to the other
presentations and notice that there are some similarities between all of the celebrities and Hester. These similarities would then
be identified in the reflection.

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The whole process requires listening and conversation skills. During the We Do, they must be able to interpret what each
question is looking for and how to find the appropriate answers online. They must then formulate their own opinions based on
what they had just read, so that they can create the comparison.
6. How does the candidate use evidence to evaluate and change teaching practice to meet students varied learning needs?
There were four students who wanted to work in a group of four and I had originally offered to make an exception because one
of the boys had an IEP. When the boy expressed that he would like to work alone, I realized that I would have to provide him
with extra scaffolding. Throughout the lesson, I made sure that he understood each question. I asked him questions and had
short conversations with him that would guide him towards the answers. I also regularly checked to make sure he was
completing the work in a timely manner.
One group had an EL student and a dyslexic student. This group also required more scaffolding than the others. When giving
instructions and explanations, I had to be careful with my language choices, so as not to talk over the EL student. I also had
to be understanding of their situations when grading their worksheets, as it would have been insensitive to take-off points for
backwards letters and grammatical errors. I still made suggestions on how to make their points more clear, but I was sure to
grade them based on their ideas, rather than how they expressed them.
The time limit was originally set at 25 minutes for the research and worksheet then 25 additional minutes for preparing the
presentation. Almost every group was not finished by the end of the second 25 minute interval, so I provided a few more
minutes for them to finish up. Some students also moved more quickly than others. I directed those students to begin working
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on their presentations when finished with their worksheets and to add more creative detail to their presentations if they had
finished those.

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