Teacher Work Sample

PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY
TEACHER WORK SAMPLE
Your first and last name: Jessi Headrick
Date submitted: March 26, 2018
District where you completed

Verdigris Public Schools (Verdigris, OK)
the TWS:
Name of school building

where you completed the Verdigris High School
TWS:
Content area of your TWS: English
TWS unit topic: Argumentative Writing & The Great Gatsby
Grade level of the

classroom/students in which 11th
the TWS unit was completed:
Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 1

I. Contextual Information and Learning Environment Factors
A. Narrative: General Contextual Information for Community, District, and School

Community:
Verdigris, Oklahoma is an incorporated town in Rogers County, Oklahoma that straddles Route 66 (now State Highway 66) between Catoosa,
Oklahoma and Claremore, Oklahoma. The town of Verdigris had a population of 3,993 at the 2010 census, an increase of 92.9% from 2,070 at the
2000 census. Residential and business growth has continued well into 2018. Currently, the population of the town of Verdigris is estimated to be
4,203, and the population of the 74019 zip code that contains the town of Verdigris is estimated to be 19,100.
Verdigris was named after the nearby Verdigris River, so named by French traders that settled in the area around the late 1700s. Verdigris is part
of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area but very much maintains a populated but rural feel to the community. Both Verdigris water and electric are
provided by rural utility services, and most homes sit on lots ranging from 0.5 to 10 acres. Despite the rural feel, the town of Verdigris has a strong
sense of community with most activities revolving around the local school, churches, and community sports leagues.
District/School:
Perhaps the most surprising piece of demographic information about the students of Verdigris Public Schools is their socioeconomic status. Only
28% of students in the district and 19% of students in the high school qualify for free/reduced lunch. When compared to the state average of 62%,
those numbers are shockingly low. Similarly, the average property valuation per student in the district is $93,960, compared to $49,623 in the
state; the poverty rate is 5% in the district, compared to an average of 17% in the state; and the average household income is $82,097 in the district,
compared to $63,890 in the state.
Another interesting piece of demographic information about the students of Verdigris Public Schools is their ethnic makeup. While an
overwhelming percentage of the students are Caucasian (72% in the district and 69% in the high school), there is also a large percentage of
students who are Native American (22% in the district and 25% in the high school). On average, there are only about 58% Caucasian students and
14% Native American students in other schools across the state. As for the percentage of Hispanic, Asian, and Black students, those numbers also
differ between district/high school and state. Only 4% of students in the district and high school are Hispanic, compared to an average of 16% in
the state; only 1% of students in the district and high school are Asian, compared to an average of 2% in the state; and 0% of students in the district
and high school are Black, compared to an average of 9% in the state.
Two additional pieces of demographic information to be considered are the percentages of English language learners (ELLs) and students in
special education. Only 1.2% of students in the district and 0.7% of students in the high school are English language learners, while 17.2% of
students in the district and 17.6% of students in the high school are served in special education. On average, 3.5% of students in other high schools
across the state are English language learners, and 16% of students in other high schools across the state are in special education.

Table 1.1 Class Contextual Information
Grade level ___11___ Content area (e.g., mathematics) ______English______ Topic (e.g., geometry) ____American literature____
Age range of students _______16-17________ Number of male students _____6_____
Total number of students ______10______ Number of female students _____4_____
Percentage of students receiving free lunch _____20%_____ Percentage of students receiving reduced lunch_______10%_______
[if free/reduced lunch information not available for class, provide school percentages]
Area in which students live (check all that apply) Urban _____ Suburban ______ Rural ___X___
Ethnicity of students (give numbers) ______ African American or Black ______ Hispanic or Latino
___3___ Native American/Alaskan Native ___7___ White
______ Asian or Pacific Islander ______ Other (specify) __________
Language proficiency of students (give ___10___ Fluent English Proficient ______ English Language Learners
numbers)
Identified special needs categories _______ Specific Learning Disability _______ Speech/Language Impaired
represented (give numbers) _______ Hard of Hearing _______ Visually Impaired
_______ Deaf _______ Orthopedically Impaired
_______ Deaf-Blind _______ Emotionally Disturbed
_______ Other Health Impaired _______ Autism
_______ Multiple Disabilities _______ Mental Retardation
_______ Brain Injury ___1___ Gifted
_______ Established Medical Disability (0-5 yrs) _______ Developmentally Delayed
_______ At risk for developmental disabilities ___2___ Other (Specify): ADD and ADHD
Subgroup Selected (describe the group): The subgroups I selected for my teacher work sample include the students in the class who have been
identified with special needs. Subgroup 1 consists of two seventeen-year-old males (Student A and Student B) who have been identified with high
incidence disabilities (ADD and ADHD), and Subgroup 2 consists of one seventeen-year-old female (Student C) who has been identified as
gifted/talented.
Rationale for Selection: I selected these students as subgroups for my teacher work sample because I wanted to analyze my ability to meet their
individual needs. With effective teaching (i.e., differentiated instruction), I believe the general education classroom can be a setting where students
with special needs are able to reach their potential.
Provide appropriate charts/graphs to display demographic data for district, school, and classroom in Appendix A.

Table 1.2 Student Characteristics for Whole Class
Student Characteristics Specific Descriptions
Intellectual Characteristics The students in this class are at varying readiness levels for the content I will be teaching. Although my experience
- Including readiness, working with them thus far is limited, I have had the chance to read some of their writing. There are two students
cognitive abilities, learning whose writing skills seem advanced compared to that of their classmates, there are four students whose writing
needs, developmental levels, skills I consider “average” (for the class), and there are four students whose writing skills seem below “average.”
etc.
Previously demonstrated According to the previous semester grades for this class, 4 students completed first semester with an A, 3 students
academic performance/ completed first semester with a B, 2 students completed first semester with a C, and 1 student completed first
ability: semester with a D.
% Above standard __40%__
% Meets standard __50%__
% Below standard __10%__
Social Characteristics For the most part, this class is very social. Most of the students have grown up going to school together, so they
- Including emotional, know each other well and seem comfortable together. In fact, sometimes the students in this class act more like
attitudinal, motivational, etc. siblings than classmates. This dynamic is particularly noticeable when the male and female students are asked to
work together. Separately, the male students work well with each other, and the female students work well with
each other, but putting the two groups together results in a lot of sibling-like bickering. It’s playful, but it can also
be a distraction.
There are two students in the class that aren’t as social as the other eight. One is a male student, and the other is a
female student. Currently, these two students are assigned seats next to each other in the same row. The male
student sometimes talks to another male student who sits in front of him, but he rarely talks to anyone else. The
female student, on the other hand, only talks to her classmates in group activities.
Personal Characteristics As is typical of high school students, the students in this class have a lot going on in their lives outside the
- Including physical, social, classroom. About half are involved in athletics (football, basketball, and soccer), at least one is concurrently
individual experiences, enrolled in college, and several work part-time jobs after school (at restaurants, hospitals, etc.).
talents, language, culture,
family and community
values, etc.

B. Narrative: Implications for Whole-Class Instruction Based on Information from Table 1.2
After determining that the students in this class are at varying readiness levels for the content I will be teaching, it is obvious that I will need to
differentiate my instruction during this unit. Grouping and discussion are two strategies I will use to differentiate instruction.
In a peer-reviewed article from the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), researchers Saiying Steenbergen-Hu, Matthew C. Makel, and
Paula Olszewski-Kubilius examine what one hundred years of research suggests about the effects of ability grouping on k-12 students’ academic
achievement. According to their findings, “Outcomes of 13 ability grouping meta-analyses showed that students benefited from within-class
grouping.” During this unit, students will occasionally be grouped by same/similar ability to allow me to tackle the same subject with all of the
students while discreetly providing them the different tools they need.
On the other hand, according to a BBC article on differentiated instruction, “Small, mixed-ability groups allow lower achievers to take advantage
of peer support whilst higher achievers gain the opportunity to organise and voice their thoughts for the benefit of the whole group (known as peer
modelling).” Due to the advantages of mixed-ability grouping, students will also be grouped by mixed ability during this unit.
As for discussion, a Scholastic article on differentiated instruction suggests, “it provides a powerful way to build on every student's understandings
and knowledge of facts. It also provides them with opportunities to clarify meaning and to build comprehension. By asking students to move
beyond memorizing the facts to applying those facts to issues and problems through discussion, students deepen their understanding and recall. In-
depth discussions among small groups, and with the entire class, can show students how their peers think and reason, can build background
knowledge, and can make the facts relevant to their own lives.” Regardless of readiness levels, I believe all students can learn from each other, and
discussion throughout this unit will provide, as the article suggests, “a powerful way” for that to happen.
In addition to varying in readiness levels, the students in this class also vary socially. While most of the students are extroverts, there are a few
introverts in the class. In order to meet the needs of both students, this unit will feature several opportunities for collaborative learning. Although
collaborative learning is often associated with extroverts, it can also enable introverts to participate more confidently in class. As an introvert
myself, I know this to be true. For example, I’m much more likely to participate in a group setting as a student than I am to participate in a whole-
class setting.
Despite the varying readiness and social levels of the students in this class, there’s one thing they all have in common: they’re all busy with what
they have going on outside the classroom. In fact, my cooperating teacher rarely assigns homework to her students for this reason. As I try to
follow what my cooperating teacher already has in place, I will need to maximize the learning time we have in class to avoid assigning homework
for outside of class. Perhaps the most obvious way to maximize learning time is to eliminate dead time. I have provided several strategies for
eliminating dead time in the “Student Interaction and Engagement” section of this teacher work sample.

C. Subgroup/Focus Student Information
Describe this
subgroup/focus Why was this
student using subgroup/focus What was learned about this subgroup/focus student?
information from student selected?
Table 1.1.
Subgroup 1 consists of I selected these Intellectual
two seventeen-year-old students as a subgroup
males (Student A and for my teacher work As was previously mentioned on the topic of readiness levels in table 1.2,
Student B) who have sample because they there are four students in this class whose writing skills seem below
been identified with both qualify for “average.” Two of those students are Student A and Student B. However, I
high incidence federally mandated consider their writing skills to be below “average” for different reasons.
disabilities. Student A accommodations. Student A seems to struggle with quantity in writing, whereas Student B
has been diagnosed with Student A qualifies for seems to struggle with quality.
attention deficit disorder accommodations
(ADD), and Student B under the Individuals A similarity between Student A and Student B is that they both do better with
has been diagnosed with with Disabilities student-centered instruction than teacher-centered instruction. Student-
attention deficit Education Act centered instruction seems to keep their attention, while teacher-centered
hyperactivity disorder (IDEA), while Student instruction has a tendency to lose their interest.
(ADHD). B qualifies for
SUBGROUP
accommodations Another similarity between Student A and Student B is that they’re both
or
under Section 504 of allowed extended time to complete assignments and/or assessments, but they
FOCUS
the Rehabilitation Act. rarely take advantage of it. Instead, they often overestimate how well they
STUDENT
The accommodations understand certain topics, so they rush through their assignments.
listed in Student A’s
IEP include extended Social
time for assessments
(up to double time), Socially, Student A and Student B are opposites. Student A tends to be
assistance available in extroverted, usually participating in both whole-class and group settings.
the resource room Student B, on the other hand, tends to be introverted, usually keeping to
after instruction is himself in both whole-class and group settings. There are times, however,
given, and when both students break from their norm. I’ve witnessed whole-class
paraprofessionals, as discussions where Student A remained quiet, and I’ve witnessed group
available, to help discussions where Student B opened up.
Student A stay
organized. The A sad similarity between Student A and Student B is how they’re treated by
accommodations listed some of their classmates. Unaware that Student A has an IEP and that Student

on Student B’s 504 B is on a 504, some of the students in this class have complained to my
include a seat close to cooperating teacher that the modifications these two students receive are
the teacher (if unfair. I’ve also heard some of the students in this class make jokes about the
possible), notes or intellectual abilities of Student A and Student B.
written information for
Personal
assignments and due
dates, and extended
Just like their classmates, Student A and Student B have busy lives outside the
time to complete
classroom. Student A is on the high school soccer team, and Student B works
assignments and tests
at a restaurant. As for Student A, I see his involvement on the soccer team as a
(up to one additional
benefit to his academic performance. He is motivated to keep up with his work
day) if requested prior
and to maintain a good grade in the class because he wants to stay eligible for
to the due date.
soccer. On the other hand, I see Student B’s part-time job as a hindrance to his
academic performance. There have been several times that I’ve caught Student
B sleeping in class, and when I’ve asked him why he’s tired, he’s told me that
he worked until midnight the night before.
Subgroup 2 consists of I selected this student Intellectual

one seventeen-year-old as a subgroup for my
female (Student C) who teacher work sample As was previously mentioned on the topic of readiness levels in table 1.2,
has been identified as because I know that there are two students in this class whose writing skills seem advanced
gifted/talented. students with compared to that of their classmates. One of those students is Student C, and,
gifts/talents are an in fact, I would say she’s the better writer of the two.
under- (and often
SUBGROUP inappropriately) Unlike Student A and Student B, Student C often underestimates how well she
or served population of understands certain topics, so she frequently answers questions with
FOCUS students with special uncertainty even if she knows the correct answer, and she takes her time
STUDENT needs. Nevertheless, completing assignments in order to avoid mistakes.
with effective teaching
(i.e., differentiated Social
instruction), I believe
the general education Although Student C is an active participant in both whole-class and group
classroom can be a settings, I would still characterize her as an introvert. Most of the time, she
setting where students only speaks when spoken to or when a question has been asked.
with gifts/talents are

able to reach their Personal
potential.
Just like her classmates, Student C has a busy life outside the classroom. At
school, she’s actively involved in student council, which requires her to miss
quite a bit of class. Just this semester alone, she has missed class to set up for a
pep assembly, to attend a conference, to help run a blood drive, etc. Although
these absences were excused, Student C has shown that even good students
may struggle when they miss class frequently. For example, once when
Student C returned from being absent, she admitted to reading the SparkNotes
for a book instead of reading the book itself while she was gone. On another
occasion, when Student C returned from being absent, she completed half the
instructions for an assignment she had missed and simply wrote “absent” at
the top before turning it in.
In addition to being involved in student council, Student C is also busy taking

college classes concurrently. Most of the other high school students won’t take
college classes until their senior year, so Student C is well ahead of her peers.
D. Narrative: Implications for Subgroups’/Focus Students’ Instruction

Student A, Student B, and Student C are prime examples of the varying readiness levels in this class. While the writing skills of Student A and
Student B are below “average,” Student C’s writing skills seem advanced. To address these varying readiness levels, I will need to differentiate
instruction, as was previously discussed in the implications for whole-class instruction. The grouping and discussion strategies already mentioned,
as well as any other strategies that arise in response to unforeseen circumstances, will be used to differentiate instruction for Student A, Student B,
and Student C.
In addition to varying in readiness levels, Student A, Student B, and Student C also vary socially. Student A tends to be extroverted, whereas
Student B and Student C tend to be introverted. As was previously mentioned in the implications for whole-class instruction, this unit will feature
several opportunities for collaborative learning in order to meet the needs of both extroverts and introverts. I believe collaborative learning will
provide an outlet for Student A’s extroversion, but I also believe it will provide Student B and Student C the opportunity to participate more
confidently in class. After all, Student B and Student C have both been known to participate in group settings.
Another way that Student A, Student B, and Student C differ is in the effects their lives outside the classroom have on their performance inside the
classroom. For Student A, his involvement with the high school soccer team seems to motivate him to do well in class. For Student B and Student
C, on the other hand, their obligations to work part time and to be involved in student council seem to detract from their academic success. While I
see Student A’s desire to do well in class as a good thing, I also want him to recognize that he can do well throughout the entire school year, not
just during soccer season. To get him to see that, I would like to create a portfolio of some of his assignments prior to soccer season and during
soccer season, so he can observe the improvement for himself. I think it’s important for Student A to see that he is capable of more than the effort
he has given in the past. As for Student B, I may need to call his parents if sleeping in class becomes a regular occurrence. I may not be able to
stop him from working until midnight, but I can at least voice concern on his behalf. As for Student C, I think the reason why she blows off so
many of the assignments she misses is because she has been allowed to do so in the past. My cooperating teacher often excuses “good” students
from work that is assigned while they are absent. For Student C, I think it will be important for me to encourage a culture of high expectations and
to hold her accountable for work missed.
One last way that Student A, Student B, and Student C differ is in their perception of how well they understand certain topics. Student A and
Student B often overestimate how well they understand certain topics, whereas Student C often underestimates how well she understands certain
topics. According to an Edutopia article on metacognition by Youki Terada, metacognition can help students recognize the gap between being
familiar with a topic and understanding it deeply. To promote students’ metacognition, one of the strategies Terada suggests is to promote a growth
mindset. For Student A and Student B, particularly, I want to help them understand that learning isn’t fixed. Even if they think they fully
understand a topic, there’s always room for improvement. Another strategy Terada suggests for promoting students’ metacognition is using low-
stakes formative assessments to identify gaps in knowledge and guide future lessons. Throughout this unit, I will give informal and formal quizzes
to help Student A, Student B, and Student C recognize how well or how little they understand certain topics. For example, before I formally assess
them with weekly quizzes, I will informally assess them with verbal quizzes. These verbal quizzes will allow the students to see how prepared or
unprepared they are to take the weekly quizzes.
As for Student A and Student B’s tendency to lose interest during teacher-centered instruction, my goal will be to limit teacher-centered instruction
to shorter periods of time and to devote longer periods of time to student-centered instruction. Overall, I feel like this will benefit not only Student
A and Student B, but the entire class.
One last similarity between Student A and Student B is how they’re treated by some of their classmates. In an effort to prevent the complaints and
jokes against Student A and Student B, I would like to have a one-on-one conversation with the students who have previously made such remarks.
Of course, I can’t tell the students that Student A has an IEP and Student B is on a 504, but I can let them know what I expect of them, and that is
to create a positive classroom atmosphere for everyone. If the complaints and jokes continue, I will arrange a meeting with the student(s) and the
high school principal.

II. Instructional Design
A. Narrative: Description of Range of Objectives and Rationale for Selection

Although the activities and tasks in this unit span multiple learning domains (i.e., cognitive, affective, and psychomotor), the objectives below
focus on the cognitive domain because cognitive learning is dominant to affective and psychomotor learning in this unit. For example, the
culminating task of this unit is to write an argumentative essay about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby.
Performing this task will require aspects from all three learning domains (e.g., The cognitive domain will be addressed as students use their
knowledge of the American Dream and The Great Gatsby to produce an original piece of writing; the affective domain will be addressed as
students express their attitudes, feelings, and emotions regarding the American Dream; and the psychomotor domain will be addressed as students
manipulate a keyboard to type their essays on a computer.); however, the corresponding objective below focuses on the cognitive domain because
knowledge of the American Dream and The Great Gatsby is dominant to the expression of one’s attitudes, feelings, and emotions and the
manipulation of a keyboard.
Within the cognitive learning domain, the objectives below range from the lowest level of Bloom’s Taxonomy (i.e., remember) to the highest (i.e.,
create), addressing every level in between (i.e., understand, apply, analyze, and evaluate). My goal in using Bloom’s Taxonomy is to encourage
higher-level learning; however, learning at the lower levels must be achieved in order to master learning at the higher levels. For example, before a
student can write a unified, coherent essay about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby, they must first be
able to define the American Dream.
B. State Objectives Here: Focus should be on student performance—not activities. What will students know or be able to do?
Level(s)
Obj.
Unit Objectives (e.g., Bloom’s
No.
Taxonomy)
1 Students will be able to define the American Dream. Remember
Students will be able to identify basic information about the ACT writing test, such as the time allowed to take
2 Remember
the test and the number of prompts given.
3 Students will be able to identify tips for taking the ACT writing test. Remember
4 Students will be able to identify the criteria by which the ACT writing test is evaluated. Remember
Students will be able to use the ACT writing test scoring rubric to score a sample essay that was written for the
5 Apply, Evaluate
ACT.

6 Students will be able to explain their evaluations of the sample essay. Understand
Students will be able to define or describe hook, background, claim, reasons, evidence, commentary,
7 Remember, Understand
counterclaim, and rebuttal.
8 Students will be able to identify how an argumentative essay should be organized. Remember
Students will be able to use the ACT writing test scoring rubric to score a classmate’s essay that was written for
9 Apply, Evaluate
the pre-assessment.
Students will be able to identify the following elements in their classmate’s essay: hook, background, claim,
10 reasons, evidence, commentary, counterclaim, rebuttal, restatement of claim, summary of argument, strong Remember
closing, transition words, specific nouns, third-person pronouns, and strong action verbs.
11 Students will be able to explain their evaluations of their classmate’s essay. Understand
Students will be able to use the ACT writing test scoring rubric to score their own essays that were written for
12 Apply, Evaluate
the pre-assessment.
Students will be able to identify the following elements in their own essays: hook, background, claim, reasons,
13 evidence, commentary, counterclaim, rebuttal, restatement of claim, summary of argument, strong closing, Remember
transition words, specific nouns, third-person pronouns, and strong action verbs.
14 Students will be able to explain their evaluations of their own essays. Understand
15 Students will be able to identify the symbolic significance of the green light in The Great Gatsby. Remember
Students will be able to identify the symbolic significance of New York City, East Egg, West Egg, and the
16 Remember
Valley of Ashes in The Great Gatsby.
Understand, Analyze,
17 Students will be able to comment on and analyze quotes from The Great Gatsby.
Evaluate
Students will be able to identify important aspects of The Great Gatsby, develop questions for their literature Remember, Analyze,
18
circle groups to discuss, and facilitate their group discussions. Create
Students will be able to find passages from The Great Gatsby that their literature circle groups would like
to/should hear read aloud; include the quotations, why they chose the quotations, and what they want to say
19 Remember, Understand
about the quotations in their literature circles notes; and read the passages aloud or ask members of their groups
to read roles.
Students will be able to draw what they read, explain how their drawings relate to The Great Gatsby, and label Remember,
20
their drawings so the other students in their literature circle groups know who the characters are. Understand, Apply
Students will be able to connect The Great Gatsby with what they are studying, the world outside of school,
21 Analyze
events in their own lives, news events, political events, popular trends, or books they’ve already read.

Students will be able to locate words worth knowing in The Great Gatsby; include the words, why they chose
22 the words, and the definition of the words in their literature circle notes; and indicate the specific location of the Remember, Understand
words so their literature circle groups can discuss the words in context.
23 Students will be able to prepare a brief summary of The Great Gatsby. Remember, Understand
24 Students will be able to ask relevant and focused questions to clarify understanding. Analyze
25 Students will be able to respond to questions and discussion with relevant and focused comments. Understand
26 Students will be able to evaluate their preparation for and participation in literature circles. Evaluate
27 Students will be able to answer comprehension questions about The Great Gatsby. Remember, Understand
Students will be able to write an introduction for an argumentative essay that includes a hook, background
28 Apply, Create
information, and a claim.
Students will be able to write two body paragraphs for an argumentative essay that include reasons, evidence,
29 Apply, Create
and commentary.
Students will be able to write one body paragraph for an argumentative essay that includes a counterclaim and a
30 Apply, Create
rebuttal.
Students will be able to write a conclusion for an argumentative essay that includes a restatement of the claim, a
31 Apply, Create
summary of the argument, and a strong closing.
32 Students will be able to use transition words in their writing. Apply
33 Students will be able to use specific nouns in their writing. Apply
34 Students will be able to identify pronouns as first-person, second-person, or third-person pronouns. Remember
35 Students will be able to use third-person pronouns in their writing. Apply
36 Students will be able to use strong action verbs in their writing. Apply
Remember,
Students will be able to write a unified, coherent essay about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the American Understand, Apply,
37
Dream in The Great Gatsby. Analyze, Evaluate,
Create
Students will be able to clearly state their own perspective on the issue and analyze the relationship between
38 Analyze, Evaluate
their perspective and at least one other perspective.
39 Students will be able to develop and support their ideas with reasoning and examples. Evaluate, Create
40 Students will be able to organize their ideas clearly and logically. Analyze
41 Students will be able to communicate their ideas effectively in standard written English. Apply
C. Identify State Standards Addressed by Unit Objectives

Oklahoma Academic Standards for English Language Arts - 11th grade
Standard 1: Speaking and Listening
11.1.R.1 Students will actively listen and speak clearly using appropriate discussion rules with control of verbal and nonverbal cues.
11.1.R.2 Students will actively listen and evaluate, analyze, and synthesize a speaker’s messages (both verbal and nonverbal) and ask questions to
clarify the speaker’s purpose and perspective.
11.1.R.3 Students will engage in collaborative discussions about appropriate topics and texts, expressing their own ideas by contributing to,
building on, and questioning the ideas of others in pairs, diverse groups, and whole class settings.
11.1.W.1 Students will give formal and informal presentations in a group or individually, providing textual and visual evidence to support a main
idea.
11.1.W.2 Students will work effectively and respectfully within diverse groups, demonstrate willingness to make necessary compromises to
accomplish a goal, share responsibility for collaborative work, and value individual contributions made by each group member.
Standard 2: Reading and Writing Process
11.2.R.1 Students will summarize, paraphrase, and synthesize ideas, while maintaining meaning and a logical sequence of events, within and
between texts.
11.2.W.2 Students will plan (e.g., outline) and prewrite a first draft as necessary.
11.2.W.3 Students will develop drafts by choosing an organizational structure (e.g., description, compare/contrast, sequential, problem/solution,
cause/effect, etc.) and building on ideas in multi-paragraph essays.

Standard 3: Critical Reading and Writing
11.3.R.3 Students will analyze how authors use key literary elements (e.g., themes, archetypes) to contribute to meaning and interpret how themes
are connected across texts.
11.3.R.4 Students will evaluate literary devices (e.g., imagery, tone, symbolism, irony) to support interpretations of texts, including comparisons
across texts.
11.3.R.7: Students will make connections (e.g., thematic links, literary analysis, authors’ style) between and across multiple texts and provide
textual evidence to support their inferences.
11.3.W.4 Students will (1) introduce precise, informed claims, (2) distinguish them from alternate or opposing claims, (3) organize claims,
counterclaims, and evidence in a way that provides a logical sequence for the entire argument, and (4) provide the most relevant evidences to
develop balanced arguments, using credible sources.
11.3.W.5 Students will use words, phrases, clauses, and varied syntax to connect all parts of the argument and create cohesion and include a
conclusion that follows logically from the information presented and supports the argument.
11.3.W.6 Students will blend multiple modes of writing to produce effective argumentative essays.
Standard 4: Vocabulary
11.4.R.1 Students will increase knowledge of academic, domain-appropriate, grade-level vocabulary to infer meaning of grade-level text.
11.4.R.2 Students will use word parts (e.g., affixes, Greek and Latin roots, stems) to define and determine the meaning of increasingly complex
words.
11.4.R.3 Students will use context clues to determine or clarify the meaning of words or distinguish among multiple-meaning words.
11.4.R.4 Students will analyze and evaluate the relationships among words with multiple meanings and recognize the connotation and denotation
of words.
11.4.R.5 Students will use general and specialized dictionaries, thesauri, glossaries, histories of language, books of quotations, and other related
references (print and/or electronic) as needed.
11.4.W.1 Students will use domain-appropriate vocabulary to communicate complex ideas in writing clearly.

11.4.W.2 Students will select appropriate language to create a specific effect according to purpose in writing.
Standard 5: Language
11.5.W.1 Students will write using correct mechanics.
11.5.W.2 Students will compose single, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences and questions, including the use of phrases and
clauses, to signal differing relationships among ideas.
11.5.W.3 Students will demonstrate command of Standard American English, grammar, mechanics, and usage through writing, presentations,
and/or other modes of communication to convey specific meanings and interests.
Standard 6: Research
11.6.W.2 Students will integrate findings from sources using a well-developed thesis statement.
11.6.W.3 Students will integrate into their own writing quotes, paraphrases, and summaries of findings following an appropriate citation style (e.g.,
MLA, APA, etc.) and avoiding plagiarism.
Standard 7: Multimodal Literacies
11.7.W.1 Students will design and develop multimodal content for a variety of purposes.
Standard 8: Independent Reading and Writing
11.8.R Students will read independently for extended periods of time.
11.8.W Students will write independently over extended periods of time (e.g., time for research, reflection, and revision) and for shorter
timeframes (e.g., a single sitting or a day or two), vary their modes of expression to suit audience and task, and/or be able to apply new
understandings in an original way.

Pre-Assessment: mock ACT writing test
T Formative
Lesson Instructional Activities/ Describe Specific Adaptations/
Lesson Date R Assessment
Objective(s) Strategies Differentiation
I (Formal/Informal)
Multiple intelligences: Of the nine intelligences,
this lesson will address six: verbal/linguistic
(through reading slides on the Prezi, listening to the
student teacher’s presentation, speaking during
whole-class discussion, and writing in composition
book after the film) mathematical/logical (through
statistics featured in the film), musical (through
Jazz music, such as that of the 1920s, featured in
the film), visual/spatial (through images and graphs
presented in the Prezi and featured in the film),
interpersonal (through whole-class discussion
introduction to the during the Prezi and after the film), and
American Dream via intrapersonal (through self-reflection/writing in
Prezi presentation, composition book after the film).
formal assessment:
T YouTube film (Park
1 2/12/18 1 composition book
I Avenue: Money, Power Choice: After viewing clips from Park Avenue:
entry
and the American Money, Power and the American Dream, students
Dream), and whole-class will be asked to answer one of three questions about
discussion the film’s portrayal of the American Dream. By
offering students choice in this writing experience, I
hope to create a motivating assignment that meets
their diverse needs and varied interests.
Discussion: At the end of this lesson, students will

participate in a whole-class discussion about the
American Dream. They will be asked to share what
they found surprising about the film Park Avenue:
Money, Power and the American Dream or
something they had not considered before watching
it. They will also be asked to share their responses
to one of three questions about the film’s portrayal
of the American Dream. This discussion will
provide a powerful way to build on every student’s
understanding and knowledge of the American
Dream. It will also provide students with
opportunities to clarify meaning of the American
Dream and to build comprehension. By asking
students to move beyond memorizing the definition
of the American Dream to applying that definition
to issues and problems through discussion, students
will deepen their understanding and recall. This
whole-class discussion will show students how their
peers think and reason, build their background
knowledge of the American Dream before reading
The Great Gatsby, and make the American Dream
relevant to their lives.
Accommodations for Student A: The

accommodations listed in Student A’s IEP include
extended time for assessments (up to double time),
assistance available in the resource room after
instruction is given, and paraprofessionals, as
available, to help Student A stay organized.
Accommodations for Student B: The

accommodations listed on Student B’s 504 include
a seat close to the teacher (if possible), notes or
written information for assignments and due dates,
and extended time to complete assignments and
tests (up to one additional day) if requested prior to
the due date.

introduction to the ACT informal assessment:
this lesson will address four: verbal/linguistic
T writing test via Google group evaluation of
2 2/13/18 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (through reading slides on the Google Slides
I Slides presentation and ACT writing test
presentation, reading sample essays, listening to the
small-group discussion sample essays
student teacher’s presentation and other students

during group work, speaking to other students
during group work, and writing for the group
evaluation forms) mathematical/logical (through
quantifying evaluations into scores), interpersonal
(through group evaluation/discussion), and
intrapersonal (through self-reflection during student
teacher’s questioning of the group).
Grouping: During this lesson, students will be

partnered with a classmate to evaluate a sample
essay that was written for the ACT. After students
have completed the group evaluation sheet, each
group will independently discuss their evaluations
with the student teacher. Students will be grouped
by same/similar ability to allow lower achievers the
opportunity to learn from a sample essay that
received a perfect score, while higher achievers
gain the opportunity to organize and voice their
thoughts through evaluating a sample essay that
received a mid-range score.
Discussion: During this lesson, students will

participate in a small-group discussion after reading
a sample essay that was written for the ACT. They
will be asked to share what they noticed about the
essay. They will also be asked to score the essay
with the ACT writing test scoring rubric. This
discussion will provide a powerful way to build on
every student’s understanding and knowledge of the
four domains of the ACT writing test scoring rubric
(ideas and analysis, development and support,
organization, and language use). It will also provide
students with opportunities to clarify meaning of the
four domains and to build comprehension. By
asking students to move beyond memorizing the
criteria of the four domains to applying the criteria
to a sample essay through discussion, students will
deepen their understanding and recall. This small-
group discussion will show students how their peers
think and reason, build their background knowledge
of the requirements for the ACT writing test before
taking the summative assessment in March and the
actual ACT writing test in April, and make the four
domains relevant to their future success.


the due date.

this lesson will address five: verbal/linguistic
formal assessment: (through reading the “Build a Strong Argument”
composition book handout and essays from the pre-assessment,
entries listening to the student teacher’s mini lecture and
introduction to partners during group work, speaking to their
2/14/18 7, 8, 9, 10, argumentative writing informal partners during group work, writing for the self- and
T
3 - 11, 12, 13, via mini lecture, handout, assessments: peer- peer- evaluation forms, and writing in composition
I
2/15/18 14, 33, 34, 36 graphic organizer, and evaluation of pre- book) mathematical/logical (through quantifying
small-group discussion assessment essays evaluations into scores), visual/spatial (through
and self-evaluation argumentative essay graphic organizer presented
of pre-assessment during mini lecture), interpersonal (through peer-
essays evaluation and group discussion), and intrapersonal
(through self- evaluation).

Grouping: During this lesson, students will be
partnered with a classmate to evaluate their own
essay and their partner’s essay from the pre-
assessment. After students have completed the self-
and peer- evaluation sheets, they will discuss their
evaluations with each other. Students will be
grouped by mixed ability to allow lower achievers
to take advantage of peer support, while higher
achievers gain the opportunity to organize and voice
their thoughts through peer modeling.

participate in a small-group discussion about their
self- and peer- evaluations. They will be asked to
share what they noticed about their own and each
other’s essays from the pre-assessment. They will
also be asked to offer each other suggestions for
improvement. This discussion will provide a
powerful way to build on every student’s
understanding and knowledge of the four domains
of the ACT writing test scoring rubric (ideas and
analysis, development and support, organization,
and language use) and the elements of
argumentative writing. It will also provide students
with opportunities to clarify meaning of the four
domains and the elements of argumentative writing
and to build comprehension. By asking students to
move beyond memorizing the criteria of the four
domains and the elements of argumentative writing
to applying the criteria and elements to their own
and each other’s essays through discussion, students
will deepen their understanding and recall. This
small-group discussion will show students how
their peers think and reason, build their background
knowledge of the requirements for the ACT writing
test before taking the summative assessment in
March and the actual ACT writing test in April, and
make the four domains and elements of
argumentative writing relevant to their future
success.
Handout and graphic organizer for Student A

and Student B: Student A and Student B will be
provided with a handout with sentence starters and
a graphic organizer to help them construct meaning.


the due date.

1, 2, 3, 4, 7, formal assessment:
4 2/16/18 week 1 quiz
8, 34 weekly quiz Accommodations for Student B: The
the due date.

this lesson will address six: verbal/linguistic
(through reading chapters 1-3 of The Great Gatsby,
listening to the student teacher’s overview of the
literature circle roles, listening to the audio edition
of The Great Gatsby, listening to other students
during literature circles, speaking during literature
circles, writing notes for literature circles, and
writing in composition book), visual/spatial
(through the illustrators’ drawings for literature
circles and a YouTube clip from the 2013 film
adaptation of The Great Gatsby, featuring the
symbolic green light), interpersonal (through group
and whole-class discussion during literature
circles), intrapersonal (through independent note-
taking prior to literature circles and self-evaluations
literature circle roles
formal assessment: after literature circles), and existential (through the
assigned
15, 17, 18, composition book connectors’ notes for literature circles).
2/20/18 T
19, 20, 21, entries
5 - R read chapters 1-3 of The
22, 23, 24, Choice: At the beginning of this lesson, I will give
2/22/18 I Great Gatsby
25, 26, 27, 41 informal assessment: an overview of the six literature circle roles
literature circles (discussion director, illuminator, illustrator,
literature circles
connector, word watcher, summarizer), and students
will be allowed to choose which role they want for
the first round of literature circles. Furthermore,
students will also be allowed to choose how they
read chapters 1-3 of The Great Gatsby. For those
who wish to read at their own pace, they may read
independently. For those who wish to read with the
class, they will be given the choice of reading aloud
or listening to the audio book. By offering students
choice in the literature circle roles they fulfill and in
their reading experiences, I hope to create a
motivating assignment that meets their diverse
needs and varied interests.
Grouping: After students have been assigned

literature circle roles, they will be placed in groups
to prepare for the literature circles on Thursday.
Although they will work independently at the
beginning of the week to complete the notes for
their assigned roles, they will work collaboratively
on Thursday to discuss their notes and chapters 1-3
of The Great Gatsby. This grouping allows roles to
be allocated within the groups which cater to each
member’s skill set and learning needs. Students will
be grouped by mixed ability to allow those with
lower reading levels to take advantage of peer
support, while those with higher reading levels gain
the opportunity to organize and voice their thoughts
on the novel.

gather in groups (literature circles) to discuss
chapters 1-3 of The Great Gatsby and then report
out to the class for whole-class discussion. In their
groups, the students will rely on the literature circle
notes for their various roles (i.e., Discussion
Director, Illuminator, Illustrator, Connector, Word
Watcher, and Summarizer) to generate discussion.
When it is time for whole-class discussion, each
group will be asked to tell the class what they
learned about chapters 1-3 of The Great Gatsby
from their group’s discussion or to share with the
class the most intriguing part of their discussion.
These discussions will provide a powerful way to
build on every student’s understanding and
knowledge of The Great Gatsby. It will also provide
students with opportunities to clarify meaning and
to build comprehension of the novel. By asking
students to move beyond memorizing the plot,
characters, themes, motifs, symbols, etc. of the
novel to applying those to issues and problems
through discussion, students will deepen their
understanding and recall. These in-depth
discussions among groups, and with the entire class,
will show students how their peers think and reason,
build background knowledge of the novel, and
make the novel relevant to their own lives.


the due date.

formal assessment:
6 2/23/18 15, 17, 27, 41 week 2 quiz Accommodations for Student B: The
weekly quiz
the due date.
2/27/18 T literature circle roles formal assessment: Multiple intelligences: Of the nine intelligences,
15, 16, 17,
7 - R assigned composition book this lesson will address six: verbal/linguistic
18, 19, 20,
3/1/18 I entries (through reading chapters 4-6 of The Great Gatsby,

21, 22, 23, read chapters 4-6 of The reading a handout on the symbolic geography of
24, 25, 26, 27 Great Gatsby informal assessment: The Great Gatsby, listening to the audio edition of
literature circles The Great Gatsby, listening to the student teacher
literature circles and other students read The Great Gatsby, listening
to other students during literature circles, speaking
during literature circles, writing notes for literature
circles, and writing in composition book),
visual/spatial (through the illustrators’ drawings for
literature circles and YouTube clips from the 2013
film adaptation of The Great Gatsby), interpersonal
(through group and whole-class discussion during
literature circles), intrapersonal (through
independent note-taking prior to literature circles
and self-evaluations after literature circles), and
existential (through the connectors’ notes for
literature circles).
Choice: As with the first round of literature circles,

students will be allowed to choose which of the six
literature circle roles (discussion director,
illuminator, illustrator, connector, word watcher,
summarizer) they want for the second round of
literature circles. Furthermore, students will also be
allowed to choose how they read chapters 4-6 of
The Great Gatsby. For those who wish to read at
their own pace, they may read independently. For
those who wish to read with the class, they will be
given the choice of reading aloud or listening to the
audio book. By offering students choice in the
literature circle roles they fulfill and in their reading
experiences, I hope to create a motivating
assignment that meets their diverse needs and
varied interests.
Grouping: For the second round of literature

circles, students will work with the same groups
they were assigned to during the first round of
literature circles. Although they will work
independently at the beginning of the week to
complete the notes for their assigned roles, they will
work collaboratively on Thursday to discuss their
notes and chapters 4-6 of The Great Gatsby. This
grouping allows roles to be allocated within the
groups which cater to each member’s skill set and
learning needs. Students will be grouped by mixed
ability to allow those with lower reading levels to
take advantage of peer support, while those with
higher reading levels gain the opportunity to
organize and voice their thoughts on the novel.




the due date.

formal assessment:
8 3/2/18 15, 16, 17, 27 week 3 quiz Accommodations for Student B: The
weekly quiz
the due date.
17, 18, 19, formal assessment: Multiple intelligences: Of the nine intelligences,
3/5/18 T literature circle roles
20, 21, 22, composition book this lesson will address six: verbal/linguistic
9 - R assigned
23, 24, 25, entries (through reading chapters 7-9 of The Great Gatsby,
3/8/18 I
26, 27, 41 listening to the audio edition of The Great Gatsby,

read chapters 7-9 of The informal assessment: listening to the student teacher and other students
Great Gatsby literature circles read The Great Gatsby, listening to other students
during literature circles, speaking during literature
literature circles circles, writing notes for literature circles, and
writing in composition book), visual/spatial
(through the illustrators’ drawings for literature
circles and YouTube clips from the 2013 film
adaptation of The Great Gatsby), interpersonal
(through group and whole-class discussion during
literature circles), intrapersonal (through
independent note-taking prior to literature circles
and self-evaluations after literature circles), and
existential (through the connectors’ notes for
literature circles).
Choice: As with the first and second rounds of

literature circles, students will be allowed to choose
which of the six literature circle roles (discussion
director, illuminator, illustrator, connector, word
watcher, summarizer) they want for the third round
of literature circles. Furthermore, students will also
be allowed to choose how they read chapters 7-9 of
The Great Gatsby. For those who wish to read at
their own pace, they may read independently. For
those who wish to read with the class, they will be
given the choice of reading aloud or listening to the
audio book. By offering students choice in the
literature circle roles they fulfill and in their reading
experiences, I hope to create a motivating
assignment that meets their diverse needs and
varied interests.
Grouping: For the third round of literature circles,

students will work with the same groups they were
assigned to during the first round of literature
circles. Although they will work independently at
the beginning of the week to complete the notes for
their assigned roles, they will work collaboratively
on Thursday to discuss their notes and chapters 7-9
of The Great Gatsby. This grouping allows roles to
be allocated within the groups which cater to each
member’s skill set and learning needs. Students will
be grouped by mixed ability to allow those with
lower reading levels to take advantage of peer
support, while those with higher reading levels gain
the opportunity to organize and voice their thoughts
on the novel.


Extension activity for Student C: If Student C
finishes reading The Great Gatsby early, she will be
provided with advanced supplementary reading
material about the novel to extend her learning.


the due date.

formal assessments:
week 4 quiz and bonus
10 3/9/18 17, 27, 41 weekly quiz and Accommodations for Student B: The
quiz
bonus quiz accommodations listed on Student B’s 504 include
the due date.

this lesson will address four: verbal/linguistic
(through reading the writing prompt for the
summative assessment, listening to other students
during review and whole-class discussion/debate,
speaking during review and whole-class
discussion/debate, and writing in composition book)
mathematical/logical (through organizing ideas
clearly and logically to practice planning and
writing an argumentative essay), visual/spatial
(through graphic organizer used to practice
planning an argumentative essay), and interpersonal
(through whole-class discussion/debate).
Choice: Before students take the summative

assessment, they will be presented with the writing
prepare for summative prompt and asked to practice planning and writing
28, 29, 30, assessment via review, their argumentative essays. Although students will
3/12/18 formal assessment:
T 31, 32, 33, practice planning and not have a choice in the topic of their writing (all
11 - composition book
I 34, 35, 36, writing an argumentative students will write about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s
3/13/18 entries
38, 39, 40, 41 essay, and whole-class portrayal of the American Dream in The Great
discussion/debate Gatsby), they will have a choice in how they
respond to the prompt. They may argue that the
American Dream is portrayed as corrupt and
unreachable or revered and attainable. By offering
students choice in this writing experience, I hope to
create a motivating assignment that meets their
diverse needs and varied interests.
Discussion: During this lesson, students will

participate in a whole-class discussion/debate about
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the American
Dream in The Great Gatsby. The students will be
divided up according to the stance they choose to
take on the issue. The students who claim the
American Dream is portrayed as corrupt and
unreachable will be asked to move to one side of
the room, while the students who claim it is
portrayed as revered and attainable will be asked to
move to the other side of the room. As part of the
debate, each side will be asked to share reasoning
and evidence to support their claims. The students
will also be asked to respond to their opponents.
This discussion/debate will provide a powerful way
to build on every student’s understanding and
knowledge of argumentation. It will also provide
students with opportunities to clarify how the
American Dream is portrayed in the novel and to
build comprehension. By asking students to move
beyond memorizing the definition of the American
Dream to applying that definition to The Great
Gatsby through discussion/debate, students will
deepen their understanding and recall. This whole-
class discussion/debate will show students how
their peers think and reason, sharpen their
argumentative skills, and build their knowledge of
the American Dream after reading The Great
Gatsby.
Handout and graphic organizer for Student A

and Student B: Student A and Student B will be
provided with a handout with sentence starters and
a graphic organizer to help them construct meaning.


the due date.
Summative
mock ACT writing test
Assessment:
Table 2.1 Instructional Design

T - lesson integrates technology; R - lesson uses reading strategies; I - lesson demonstrates integration of content across and/or within content fields
Table 2.2 Narrative: Description of Pre-Assessment, Formative Assessments, and Summative Assessment
Which
objectives Identify how the assessment will
Describe the assessment to be Explain rationale for choosing
II. D, H, and K does this be scored and/or the criteria to be
used. this assessment.
assessment used for evaluation.
address?
As part of the new Oklahoma The essays students write for the
College and Career Ready pre-assessment and summative
Assessment (CCRA), each district assessment will be scored according
in the state of Oklahoma must to the ACT writing test scoring
choose to administer either the rubric. For the actual ACT writing
ACT or SAT, including the test, readers use this rubric to assign
writing section, to eleventh-grade each essay a score of 1 (low)
students. The Verdigris Public through 6 (high) in four writing
Schools district has chosen to domains (Ideas and Analysis,
administer the ACT, and the test Development and Support,
Pre-Assessment is scheduled for early April. In 37, 38, 39, Organization, and Language Use).
mock ACT writing test
(Diagnostic) addition to teaching The Great 40, 41 Because each domain receives its
Gatsby during this unit, my own score, the four scores assigned
cooperating teacher has asked that are not necessarily identical. For
I also teach argumentative writing example, readers may find that an
in order to prepare her students essay exhibits stronger skill in
for the argumentative essay they organization than in the
will write for the ACT writing development of ideas. In this case,
test. To accurately assess their readers may determine that the essay
argumentative writing skills, I should receive a higher score in
plan to give a mock ACT writing Organization than in Development
test as my pre-assessment. I found and Support. Once readers have

a sample ACT writing prompt determined a rubric score for each
online and modeled my prompt of the four domains, they multiply
after it. I also plan to have the each of those rubric scores by two to
students type their essays in the get four domain scores. The four
computer lab since they will be domain scores are then added
taking the ACT test online. together and divided by four to
Additionally, I will not allow determine the writing subject score.
talking/questions when I This same process will be used to
administer the mock ACT writing score the essays for the pre-
test. This may sound harsh, but assessment and summative
my goal is to create a testing assessment.
scenario that is nearly identical to
the testing the students will
encounter in April. The only
change I plan to make involves
the time limit. Students will only
have forty minutes to take the
ACT writing test in April, but I
plan to give them around ninety
minutes between two class
periods to complete the pre-
assessment. One of my goals
throughout this unit will be to
prepare the students to write their
essays in forty minutes, but I
don’t expect them to do that in
the beginning.
In addition to assessing the

students’ argumentative writing
skills, this pre-assessment will
also assess their knowledge of the
American Dream, which is a
major theme of The Great
Gatsby. The American Dream
will be our central focus in
reading the novel, so I need to

know how much the students
already know about it.
After I have introduced students

to the rubric by which their essays
will evaluated, they will be asked As students work in groups to score
to apply what they’ve learned the sample essays they’ve been
about the rubric’s four writing assigned, I will move from group to
domains (Ideas and Analysis, group, asking each to explain their
Development and Support, evaluation. I will compare each
Organization, and Language Use) group’s explanation to the scoring
in scoring one of six sample explanation offered by the official
Formative Assessment group evaluation of ACT
essays written for the ACT. I 5, 6 ACT writing test readers. The goal
- Informal writing test sample essays
believe it’s to the students’ is for the students’ scores to be the
advantages to learn to read same as or close to the official
writing critically, as doing so can scores. If they aren’t, I clearly need
help them grow as readers and to discuss the domains further with
writers. I also believe it’s that group or with the entire class
beneficial for students to before asking the students to
understand how their writing is to complete peer-evaluations.
be evaluated.
After students have worked in

groups to score one of six sample
As students work on their peer-
essays written for the ACT, they
evaluations, I will move from
will be asked to complete a
student to student, asking each to
similar evaluation of a peer’s
explain his/her evaluation. I will
essay that was written for the pre-
compare each student’s evaluation
assessment. Again, I believe it’s
Formative Assessment peer-evaluation of pre- to my own evaluation of the essay.
to the students’ advantages to 9, 10, 11
- Informal assessment essays The goal is for the student’s scores
learn to read writing critically, as
to be the same as or close to my
doing so can help them grow as
scores. If they aren’t, I clearly need
readers and writers. I also believe
to discuss the domains further with
it’s beneficial for students to
that student before asking him/her to
understand how their writing is to
complete the self-evaluation.
be evaluated.

After students have completed the
peer-evaluation, they will be As students work on their self-
asked to complete an identical evaluations, I will move from
evaluation of their own essay that student to student, asking each to
was written for the pre- explain his/her evaluation. I will
assessment. Again, I believe it’s compare each student’s evaluation
Formative Assessment self-evaluation of pre- to the students’ advantages to to my own evaluation of the essay.
12, 13, 14
- Informal assessment essays learn to read writing critically, as The goal is for the student’s scores
doing so can help them grow as to be the same as or close to my
readers and writers. I also believe scores. If they aren’t, I clearly need
it’s beneficial for students to to discuss the domains further with
understand how their writing is to that student before moving on in the
be evaluated. unit.
For every three chapters students As students meet in their literature

read of The Great Gatsby, they circles, I will circulate among
will participate in literature groups, recording observations of
circles to discuss those three each student’s preparation and
chapters in small groups. participation. The following
Literature circles are a strong questions will be used to assess each
classroom strategy because of the student:
way that they couple
collaborative learning with Preparation
student-centered inquiry. As they  Did the student complete all
conclude their description of the the required reading?
18, 19, 20,
Formative Assessment literature circles use of literature circles in a
21, 22, 23,  Did the student prepare
- Informal bilingual classroom, Claudia
24, 25, 27 his/her notes in detail?
Peralta-Nash and Julie A. Dutch
explain the ways that the strategy
Participation
helped students become stronger
 Did the student fulfill his/her
readers:
assigned role in the literature
circle?
Students learned to take
responsibility for their own  Did the student have a turn
learning, and this was reflected in to speak?
how effectively they made  If the student did have a turn
choices and took ownership of to speak, did he/she stay on
literature circle groups. They took topic?
charge of their own discussions,  If the student did have a turn
held each other accountable for to speak, did he/she present
how much or how little reading to all the information from
do, and for the preparation for his/her notes?
each session. The positive peer  If the student did have a turn
pressure that the members of each to speak, did he/she present
group placed on each other his/her ideas clearly?
contributed to each student’s  If the student did have a turn
accountability to the rest of the to speak, did he/she use the
group. (36) text to support his/her ideas?
 Did the student let others
When students engage with texts have a turn to speak?
and one another in these ways,  Did the student listen
they take control of their literacy carefully when others were
in positive and rewarding ways. speaking?
At the beginning or end of nearly

every class period, students will
be asked to complete a short
activity in their composition
books. These activities will
Students will submit their
include responses to questions
composition books weekly for a
about the American Dream,
score out of one hundred possible
argumentative writing review,
points. The number of entries
grammar review, responses to 1, 15, 16,
assigned each week will determine
questions about The Great 17, 26, 28,
how many points each entry is
Formative Assessment composition book entries Gatsby, etc. Although these 29, 30, 31,
worth. For example, if there are five
- Formal activities could potentially take a 32, 33, 34,
entries assigned in a week, each
lot of time out of our short, fifty- 35, 36, 38,
entry will be worth twenty points.
minute class periods, I want to 39, 40, 41
Likewise, if there are only four
use the composition books during
entries assigned in a week, each
my unit because that’s the
entry will be worth twenty-five
procedure my cooperating teacher
points.
has established in her classroom,
and I also think the short
activities could be useful for
reviewing information as needed.

At the end of each week, students
will take a quiz over the material
covered in class. These weekly
quizzes will give students Each quiz will have roughly twenty
something to work on while I’m to thirty multiple choice, matching,
gone the first three Fridays of the 1, 2, 3, 4, or true/false items, which a Scantron
Formative Assessment unit for our campus sessions at 7, 8, 15, machine will be used to mark as
weekly quizzes
- Formal Pitt State, and they will also be 16, 17, 27, right or wrong. The Scantron
useful for determining how well I 34, 41 machine will also calculate a
covered each week’s material. If percentage score for each quiz.
there is any material I need to
review, I can use the composition
books to do so.
After this unit on argumentative The essays students write for the
writing and The Great Gatsby, I pre-assessment and summative
will use a mock ACT writing test assessment will be scored according
like the one described for the pre- to the ACT writing test scoring
assessment to assess what rubric. For the actual ACT writing
students have learned about test, readers use this rubric to assign
argumentative writing and the each essay a score of 1 (low)
American Dream as it relates to through 6 (high) in four writing
the novel. As with the pre- domains (Ideas and Analysis,
assessment, I have modeled my Development and Support,
prompt for the summative Organization, and Language Use).
Summative mock ACT writing test assessment after a sample ACT 37, 38, 39, Because each domain receives its
Assessment writing prompt I found online. 40, 41 own score, the four scores assigned
Also, like the pre-assessment, I are not necessarily identical. For
plan to have students type their example, readers may find that an
essays in the computer lab, and essay exhibits stronger skill in
they will not be allowed to organization than in the
talk/ask questions when I development of ideas. In this case,
administer the test. Again, I know readers may determine that the essay
this may sound harsh, but my should receive a higher score in
goal is to create a testing scenario Organization than in Development
that is nearly identical to the and Support. Once readers have
testing the students will encounter determined a rubric score for each
in April. Unlike the extended time of the four domains, they multiply
allowed for the pre-assessment, each of those rubric scores by two to
however, the students will only be get four domain scores. The four
given forty minutes to complete domain scores are then added
the summative assessment. As I together and divided by four to
said in describing my rationale determine the writing subject score.
for the pre-assessment, one of my This same process will be used to
goals throughout this unit will be score the essays for the pre-
to prepare the students to write assessment and summative
their essays in forty minutes. If assessment.
I’m successful, they should have
no trouble with the summative
assessment.
Narrative: Instructional Design

II. E.
The lessons in this unit are sequenced according to Bloom’s Taxonomy. Most of the earlier
lessons address the lower levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, whereas the later lessons address the
Why are the lessons sequenced in this higher levels. My goal in using Bloom’s Taxonomy is to encourage higher-level learning;
manner? however, learning at the lower levels must be achieved in order to master learning at the higher
levels.
II. F.
Active learning strategies: As explained by the Center for Educational Innovation at the
University of Minnesota, active learning is an approach to instruction in which students engage the
material they study through reading, writing, talking, listening, and reflecting. Active learning
stands in contrast to “standard” modes of instruction in which teachers do most of the talking and
students are passive.
What learning strategies were incorporated
Cooperative learning strategies: According to an article on the benefits of cooperative learning
into this unit?
by David W. Johnson, Roger T. Johnson, and Karl A. Smith, cooperative learning is the
instructional use of small groups so that students work together to maximize their own and each
other’s learning. Considerable research demonstrates that cooperative learning produces higher
achievement, more positive relationships among students, and healthier psychological adjustment
than do competitive or individualistic experiences.

Metacognitive learning strategies: In an Edutopia article about metacognition, Youki Terada
explains how strategies that target students’ metacognition—the ability to think about thinking—
can help students recognize the gap between being familiar with a topic and understanding it
deeply. Research shows that even children as young as three benefit from metacognitive activities,
which help them reflect on their own learning and develop higher-order thinking.
Retrieval practice: In an Edutopia article about evidence-based learning strategies, Blake Harvard
explains retrieval practice as the attempt to retrieve information from memory. This can take many
forms in the classroom—low-stakes multiple-choice formative assessment, group discussion,
open-ended essay prompts, etc.—and it can occur at the beginning of class, as a transition activity,
or to end class. According to Harvard, this is an efficient method for students to assess their own
learning. They’re either able to answer questions or not. If they cannot, this should drive further
review and practice of material.
Spaced practice: In that same article about evidence-based learning strategies, Harvard defines
spaced practice as “the opposite of cramming.” Just as it sounds, spaced practice is spacing out
practice over multiple days, weeks, months, etc. According to Harvard, the spacing of practice
results in more long-term retention of material.
Although there are many more learning strategies that may have been incorporated into this unit,
simply adding the strategies above significantly changed my teaching and the students’ learning.
Every instructional strategy/activity was designed to help students move from the lower levels of
Bloom’s Taxonomy to the higher levels, just as the objectives for this unit range from the lowest
How do the instructional strategies/activities
level of Bloom’s Taxonomy (i.e., remember) to the highest (i.e., create), addressing every level in
address the learning objectives for this unit?
between (i.e., understand, apply, analyze, and evaluate).
II. G.
Throughout this unit, students will apply critical thinking skills to reading and writing, as set forth
by the following Oklahoma Academic Standards for English Language Arts:
How will critical thinking and problem- 11.3.R.3 Students will analyze how authors use key literary elements (e.g., themes, archetypes) to
solving strategies be implemented? Give contribute to meaning and interpret how themes are connected across texts.
specific examples of use.
11.3.R.4 Students will evaluate literary devices (e.g., imagery, tone, symbolism, irony) to support
interpretations of texts, including comparisons across texts.

11.3.R.7: Students will make connections (e.g., thematic links, literary analysis, authors’ style)
between and across multiple texts and provide textual evidence to support their inferences.
11.3.W.4 Students will (1) introduce precise, informed claims, (2) distinguish them from alternate
or opposing claims, (3) organize claims, counterclaims, and evidence in a way that provides a
logical sequence for the entire argument, and (4) provide the most relevant evidences to develop
balanced arguments, using credible sources.
11.3.W.5 Students will use words, phrases, clauses, and varied syntax to connect all parts of the
argument and create cohesion and include a conclusion that follows logically from the information
presented and supports the argument.
II. I.
The following reading strategies were taken from The English Teacher’s Companion by Jim
Burke:
Notes and quotes: Draw a line down the middle of the page; on one side, write down important
quotes; on the other, comment on and analyze the quotes.
Read aloud: One student starts the reading and goes until they wish to pass; they call on
whomever they wish, and that person picks up and continues reading for as long as they wish.
Explain the reading strategies that will be
used throughout the unit. Give specific Quaker reading: Like a Quaker meeting, one person stands and reads, then sits, and whomever
examples. (Remember that using text is not a wishes to picks up and reads for as long as they wish…and so it goes.
reading strategy.)
Audio books: Audio editions of many books we teach are now available; some are even read by
famous stars who turn the book into its own studio performance. Recommend to students with
reading difficulties or play portions of them in class.
Narrate your own reading: Show students how you read a text by reading it aloud and
interrupting yourself to explain how you grapple with it as you go. Model your own thinking
process; kids often don’t know what it “looks like” to think.

Read recursively: On occasion, circle back around to the beginning of the chapter or text to keep
yourself oriented as to “the big picture.” This is especially important if you have questions to
answer based on reading.
Literature circles: Students gather in groups to discuss the text and then report out to the class for
full-class discussion.
Teacher use of technology will include the daily use of a computer and projector to present class
material and the daily use of Google Docs, Google Slides, Prezi, and/or YouTube to create and/or
present class material.
Student use of technology will include the use of desktop computers and Microsoft Word or
How will technology be integrated within the
Google Docs to type essays for the pre-assessment and summative assessment; the optional use of
unit? Explain both teacher use and student
an online edition of The Great Gatsby to read the novel, and the optional use of an audio edition of
use.
The Great Gatsby to listen to the novel.
***Note: There is a lack of technology available for students to use at this high school; therefore,
student use of technology during this unit will be limited.
Intradisciplinary integration: This unit demonstrates integration within the English content area
by developing students’ speaking, listening, reading, writing, and viewing skills.
Interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary integration: First, this unit demonstrates integration

between the content areas of English and math by featuring statistics about inequality in Park
Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream. Second, this unit demonstrates integration
between the content areas of English and music by featuring 1920s Jazz music in that same film.
How does the unit demonstrate integration of Third, this unit demonstrates integration between the content areas of English and social studies by
content across and within content fields? featuring political conversations about inequality in that same film and by presenting students with
historical context for the 1920s.
Transdisciplinary integration: This unit demonstrates integration beyond the English content
area by engaging students in learning experiences that aim to develop leadership, imagination and
creativity, collaborative skills, research skills, analysis and evaluation skills, and other knowledge
and skills that transcend the English content area.
II. J.

To accommodate individual learning needs for the whole class, I differentiated instruction in
response to student readiness, interest, and learning profile. Strategies for differentiation included
multiple intelligences, choice, discussion, and grouping.
Multiple intelligences: In “Differentiating for Multiple Intelligences,” a peer-reviewed article

from the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), teacher educators Courtney L. Crim,
Kimberley D. Kennedy, and Jenifer S. Thornton note, “The theory of multiple intelligences offers
support for instructional approaches that incorporate a variety of connections for teaching and
learning that validate the unique experiences, interests, and cultures of all students. Given that
individuals gravitate to the areas in which they have strengths and can incorporate these areas into
their learning, the concept of multiple intelligences is uniquely suited to support and enhance a
differentiated classroom.”
Choice: According to a Scholastic article on differentiated instruction, one key principle that
forms the foundation of differentiating instruction is choice: “Teachers offer students choice in
their reading and writing experiences and in the tasks and projects they complete. By negotiating
with students, teachers can create motivating assignments that meet students’ diverse needs and
varied interests.”
What specific adaptations or differentiated
activities were used to accommodate
Discussion: According to a Scholastic article on differentiated instruction, “Discussion is
individual learning needs for the whole class?
especially important in a differentiated classroom because it provides a powerful way to build on
every student's understandings and knowledge of facts. It also provides them with opportunities to
clarify meaning and to build comprehension. By asking students to move beyond memorizing the
facts to applying those facts to issues and problems through discussion, students deepen their
understanding and recall. In-depth discussions among small groups, and with the entire class, can
show students how their peers think and reason, can build background knowledge, and can make
the facts relevant to their own lives.”
Grouping: In a peer-reviewed article from the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC),
researchers Saiying Steenbergen-Hu, Matthew C. Makel, and Paula Olszewski-Kubilius examine
what one hundred years of research suggests about the effects of ability grouping on k-12 students’
academic achievement. According to their findings, “Outcomes of 13 ability grouping meta-
analyses showed that students benefited from within-class grouping.”
According to a BBC article on differentiated instruction, “Collaborative learning has many well-
documented benefits such as enabling shy students to participate more confidently in class, but it’s
also a useful differentiation method. Small, mixed-ability groups allow lower achievers to take
advantage of peer support whilst higher achievers gain the opportunity to organise and voice their
thoughts for the benefit of the whole group (known as peer modelling). Grouping also allows roles
to be allocated within the team which cater for each member’s skill set and learning needs.”
To accommodate individual learning needs for the identified students/subgroups (Student A and
Student B of Subgroup 1 and Student C of Subgroup 2), I used the same differentiation strategies
used to accommodate individual learning needs for the entire class; however, I also designed a
handout and a graphic organizer for Student A and Student B and found advanced supplementary
reading material for Student C. The handout, graphic organizer, and reading material were used by
other students in the class as well, but they were originally intended for Student A, Student B, and
Student C.
Handout and graphic organizer for Student A and Student B: According to an Edutopia article
on differentiated instruction, one way to differentiate instruction for struggling students is to
provide a handout with sentence starters or a graphic organizer to help them construct meaning.
Extension activity for Student C: When gifted and talented students finish early, follow-up or
What specific adaptations or differentiated
extension activities may be suitable ways for them to get the challenge and depth of understanding
activities were used to accommodate
they require. One way to extend students’ learning is through advanced supplementary reading
individual learning needs for the identified
materials.
subgroups/focus students?
Additionally, I was required to provide the following accommodations to Student A and Student
B:
Accommodations for Student A: The accommodations listed in Student A’s IEP include
extended time for assessments (up to double time), assistance available in the resource room after
instruction is given, and paraprofessionals, as available, to help Student A stay organized.
Accommodations for Student B: The accommodations listed on Student B’s 504 include a seat
close to the teacher (if possible), notes or written information for assignments and due dates, and
extended time to complete assignments and tests (up to one additional day) if requested prior to
the due date.
Provide a copy of two complete detailed lesson plans in Appendix B.

III. Teaching and Learning
A. Narrative: Daily Teaching Reflections

Day 1: Today I gave the students their pre-assessment. Because the assessment was a writing test, I had the students meet me in the library to type
their essays on the computers. At the beginning of class, I briefly explained that we were starting a new unit on The Great Gatsby and that we
would be focusing on argumentative writing as well in order to prepare for the ACT writing test. I also explained that I would be giving them a
pre-test to see what they already knew about the American Dream (a theme of The Great Gatsby) and writing argumentatively. As I distributed the
test, several students began asking questions about the prompt. Although it was difficult not to answer their questions, I replied, “I want to see what
you guys can do without my help. When you take the ACT writing test in April, you won’t be able to ask questions about the prompt. You’ll be
expected to read the prompt on your own and start writing. If you don’t know anything about the American Dream right now, that’s okay. I just
need to know that. It will help me prepare for the rest of the unit.” The students began working on their essays, and I began walking around the
room to catch a glimpse of their writing in progress. Walking from student to student, I noticed a few patterns: (1) None of the students created
outlines or jotted down ideas before they started writing; (2) Many students wrote about their opinions, which is not the purpose for argumentative
writing; (3) The students seemed to have some understanding of the American Dream but not a good understanding of it; and, (4) Several students
touched on the subject of immigrants/immigration in their essays, which I found interesting. Although the writing test was an informative pre-
assessment, there were a few things I thought could be improved: (1) In the library, I allowed the students to sit at any computer they wanted, so
some students ended up sitting next to their friends and whispering during the test. In the future, I would create a seating chart before going to the
library; (2) Because the students were typing their essays on the computer, they had access to the internet, and I caught two students googling “the
American Dream” before they started writing their essays. In the future, I would have students write their essays on paper to eliminate internet
access; (3) While I was walking around the room from student to student, I noticed one student stopped writing after his introduction. When I
walked over to him, he said, “I’m stuck.” I asked, “Do you know much about the American Dream?” When he replied, “no,” I recognized a major
oversight in designing my pre-assessment. The writing test was designed to measure what the students already knew about the American Dream
and writing argumentatively, but I had failed to consider that I would not be able to accurately assess their ability to write argumentatively if they
did not first understand the American Dream. In the future, I would create a writing test with a prompt that was more generic and assess students’
knowledge of the American Dream separately.
Day 2: Today I introduced the students to the concept of the American Dream. I thought it was necessary to spend an entire class period on this
introduction, considering the results of the pre-assessment. After the students took the pre-assessment last week, I read their essays, and I quickly
discovered that none of them have a good understanding of the American Dream. This is problematic because most of my instruction on The Great
Gatsby will focus on that theme. In order to prepare the students for reading the novel, I defined the American Dream in class today as I took them
through a Prezi. Most of the class period was spent watching clips from a film called Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream. After
the film, I asked the students to respond to one of three questions about it in their composition books. At the end of class, students volunteered to
read their responses. There were two major successes of this lesson: (1) The students were intrigued by the film. As they watched it, they
whispered about and gasped at things that surprised them. When it was over, I asked the students to tell me what they thought or something the
film showed that they had not considered before, and they began blurting out answers. Some of them even began arguing about their opinions and
political views; and, (2) I learned a lot about the students through their responses to the three questions I had them answer after the film. For

example, I learned that one student is from New Zealand, and I learned that another student plans to join the Marines after high school. However,
there were also a couple of things about this lesson that I thought could be improved: (1) Although most of the students were intrigued by the film,
one kept falling asleep. Maybe it’s because it was Monday or because it was in the morning, but I also think it could have been because I showed
about thirty minutes worth of clips from the film. In the future, I would try to prevent sleeping by spreading this lesson out over the course of a few
days. I could show one clip from the film each day instead of cramming all three clips into one day; and, (2) I was ecstatic that the students were so
intrigued by the film, but they got a little out of hand when they started arguing about their opinions and political views. In the future, I would
change the activity at the end of the film from writing a response to one of three questions about the film to a formal debate about some of its
topics. After all, this is a unit on argumentative writing, and practicing those argumentative skills could enhance learning.
Day 3: Today I introduced the students to information about the ACT writing test. As part of the new Oklahoma College and Career Ready
Assessment (CCRA), each school district in the state must choose to administer either the ACT or SAT, including the writing section, to eleventh-
grade students. Although my cooperating teacher has worked with her students on ACT prep. throughout the school year, the results of my pre-
assessment, which was designed as a mock ACT writing test, suggest they could still use help preparing for the writing component. In my Google
Slides presentation today, I briefly talked about the time allotted for the writing test, the number of prompts given, and some tips for taking it, but
most of the class period was spent discussing the rubric used to score the writing test. In particular, I discussed the rubric’s four domains: ideas and
analysis, development and support, organization, and language use. After the presentation, students were grouped into pairs, assigned one of six
sample essays (each received a different score on a scale of 1 to 6 from the judges), and asked to evaluate the essay for each of the four domains.
After a group was finished evaluating their essay, I visited the group and asked them to tell me how they scored it and why. Once this step was
complete, I gave them a copy of the judge’s evaluation sheet and asked them to read it and compare it to their own. Specifically, I asked them to
discuss anything the judge picked up on that they did not or to identify something they need to work on in their own writing. I revisited each group
after giving them some time to discuss. There were three major successes of this lesson: (1) Each sample essay provided a model of “good” or
“bad” writing for the ACT, and the judges’ evaluations identified what made those essays “good” or “bad.” Hopefully, the students will take what
they learned from the sample essays and the judges’ evaluations to improve their own writing; (2) I got valuable feedback from the students about
what they need to work on or need help with. The two most common answers were transitions and organization. This feedback will be useful as I
prepare future lessons; and, (3) By assigning the students a partner to work with, this lesson allowed me to see which students work well together
and which ones do not. This brings me to the ways in which this lesson could be improved: (1) There was only one group that did not seem to work
well together, and I think it’s because the two students are both quiet. I noticed they did more independent work than group work within their
group. In the future, I would probably split these two students up and group them with students who are more social. As an introvert myself, I
know it can be intimidating to work with someone who is an extrovert, but I also know extroverts tend to be good at pulling me out of my “shell”;
and, (2) Although the sample essays provided a model for the students, each group only looked at one sample essay, thus they only got to see one
sample score from the judges. In the future, I would extend this lesson and allow each group to look at each of the six essays/scores. Some of the
students were curious to see the sample essay that received a score of 6; and, in fact, some even asked the group who had sample essay 6 to borrow
it after they were done.
Day 4: Today I introduced the students to elements of argumentative writing (i.e., hook, background, claim, reasons, evidence, commentary,
counterclaim, rebuttal, restatement of claim, summary of argument, strong closing, transitions, specific nouns, third-person pronouns, and strong
action verbs). To kick the lesson off, I began with two activities in the composition book. Although nouns and pronouns are nothing new to these
students, I noticed many of them used vague nouns and wrote in first- or second- person in their essays for the pre-assessment, so I decided to use
the comp. book as an opportunity to review the use of specific nouns and third-person pronouns in argumentative writing. After the review, I
passed out a handout on the elements of argumentative writing that defined and/or explained each element. I also placed a graphic organizer for an
argumentative essay on the projector, so students could visualize the organization. By the time we got through the comp. book activities, the
handout, and the graphic organizer, there wasn’t much time left in class. I passed the students’ essays from the pre-assessment back, grouped the
students into pairs, and asked them to evaluate their partners’ essays for each of the four domains discussed in the previous class period and each of
the argumentative writing elements discussed in today’s class. After the students were finished with the peer-evaluations, they were to complete
the self-evaluations for their own essays and then discuss both their self- and peer- evaluations with their partners. Unfortunately, the students only
worked on the peer-evaluations for a few minutes before the bell rang. I told them we would pick back up tomorrow. Although we didn’t have time
to get through as much as I had planned, I still considered this lesson successful because I took the time necessary to discuss organization and other
elements of argumentative writing, such as transitions, that the students told me last class period they needed help with. When I passed out the
handout, one student even said, “It would have been nice to have something like this before we started writing our essays.” To improve time
management for this lesson in the future, I would move one of the comp. book activities to another day. We still wouldn’t have time to get through
everything, but the students would have more time to work on their evaluations.
Day 5: Today I started class with another activity in the comp. book. As with nouns and pronouns, verbs are nothing new to these students, but I
wanted to review the use of strong action verbs before they write an argumentative essay again. The activity didn’t take long, and the rest of the
class period was spent working on the self- and peer- evaluations from yesterday. There were two major successes of this lesson: (1) After
completing the group evaluations of the sample essays on Tuesday and completing the peer-evaluations of each other’s essays for this lesson, most
of the students were quickly able to identify areas for improvement in their own writing by the time they started working on the self-evaluations;
and, (2) I gave the students a talk about improvement after one said his essay was perfect, and another said he knew he was going to fail the ACT. I
told the class that everyone has room for improvement, and it’s my goal to help them improve before they take the ACT in April. The only real
problem with this lesson was that there was unnecessary talking between and within certain groups. I think part of the problem was that the
students kept getting distracted by groups other than their own. The students all sit at the front of the room, so the groups were close together, and
the conversations in one group could easily be overheard by another group. To eliminate distractions in the future, I would spread the groups out
around the classroom.
Day 6: Today I started class with another activity in the comp. book. The students were supposed to read chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby over the
three-day weekend, so I used a quote from that chapter in this activity. I removed the commas from the quote and asked students to punctuate it
using three comma rules I put up on the projector. Additionally, I asked the students to write how the quote was related to the American Dream.
After this activity, I gave the students an overview of the six roles (discussion director, illuminator, illustrator, connector, word watcher,
summarizer) for literature circles on Thursday. Since there are ten students in the class, I asked for one or two volunteers for each role. As the
students volunteered, I also organized them into groups by mixed ability. After the roles and groups had been assigned, students had the rest of the
class period to read The Great Gatsby and to start working on their literature circle notes. There were three major successes of this lesson: (1)
Since administering the pre-assessment, I’ve only discussed the American Dream during one class period, and that was to introduce it; yet, today
the students surprised me by accurately applying the American Dream to the quote in the comp. book activity; (2) After reviewing the literature
circle roles, the students willingly volunteered for the roles they wanted. They even seemed excited about their choices; and, (3) The students had
half the class period to read and work on their literature circle notes. Despite these successes, there were also a few things I thought could be
improved: (1) When I asked the students to punctuate the quote from chapter 1 with commas, I read the three comma rules from the projector, but I
did not ask the students if they understood the rules before I had them start punctuating the quote. I just assumed they knew what each meant. It
wasn’t until we started going over the answers that I realized the students knew where to put the commas, but they didn’t understand the comma
rules themselves. For example, one rule said to use a comma and a coordinating conjunction to separate two independent clauses. The coordinating
conjunctions were listed on the projector, so the students were able to locate the coordinating conjunctions in the quote and place commas before
them, but only one student actually knew what independent clauses were. In the future, I would make sure students had the prior knowledge
necessary to complete this task; (2) Although the students were supposed to read chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby over the long weekend, only one
did. In the future, I would not assign outside reading homework (even if it was only one chapter) because I’d rather take the time to read everything
in class than have students who don’t read outside of class; and, (3) I allowed the students to read independently since one of them had finished
chapter 1, and the others preferred reading independently to reading as a class. I quickly learned that this was a mistake. Although some students
read, there was one student who fell asleep, and another student decided he didn’t need to read the novel since he’s already seen the film. In the
future, I would require the students to read as a class. It may be difficult to implement that change this week since some students are ahead and
others are behind, but I plan to have the students start reading as a class on Monday, when everyone should be finished with chapter 3 and ready to
begin chapter 4.
Day 7: Today I started class with another activity in the comp. book. Like yesterday, I chose a quote from chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby for
students to comment on and analyze. This quote introduced the symbolic green light, and I asked students to predict what the green light
represents. Before they started writing their predictions in their comp. books, I played a YouTube clip from the 2013 film adaptation of The Great
Gatsby, which featured the symbolic green light. After the clip, the students wrote their predictions, we discussed those predictions as a class, and
the students had the rest of the class period to continue reading and working on their literature circle notes. There were three major successes of
this lesson: (1) By showing the film clip of the green light, the students were able to make surprisingly accurate predictions of the green light’s
significance. The clip shows the location of the green light at the end of the Buchanans’ East Egg dock, so the students predicted that Gatsby
reaches out to it because of Daisy Buchanan. This is correct, but their predictions will not be confirmed until later in the book; (2) Although the
film clip was short, it was enough to pique the students’ interest. They asked if we could watch the film in class. I told them we didn’t have time,
but I started thinking it might be cool to show the film during lunch after the students are finished reading the book; and, (3) Like yesterday, the
students had plenty of time to read and work on their literature circle notes during class. The only real problem with this lesson was the
independent reading. Again, I felt like independent reading was necessary because the students were not on the same page, but the negative results
were the same as yesterday’s: the same student fell asleep, and the same student felt like he didn’t need to read because he’s already watched the
film. This further proved that I need to have the students start reading as a class on Monday, when everyone should be finished with chapter 3 and
ready to begin chapter 4.
Day 8: Today was finally the day for literature circles, and I was bursting with excitement. Knowing how talkative these students are, I couldn’t
wait to hear their discussions about and initial impressions of The Great Gatsby. As they walked into class, I pointed them to the literature circle
instructions on the projector. Before class, they were to take a seat with their groups, make sure there were enough copies of The Great Gatsby for
everyone in their groups, get their literature circle notes out, and wait quietly for class to begin. During class, they would have thirty-five minutes
for group discussion, five minutes to report out to the class for whole-class discussion, and ten minutes to complete self-evaluations of their
preparation for and participation in today’s literature circles. Once the bell rang for class to begin, I noticed that four students were absent, so I
decided to have the students that were present combine into one literature circle. Then I reviewed the instructions, asked if anyone had questions,
and turned the students loose to begin. I took out my informal assessment sheet with each of the students’ names on it, which I planned to use to jot
down observations of their preparation and participation throughout the hour. However, this usually talkative group of students grew unusually
quiet, and I quickly saw the problem. Only one of the six students present had completed her notes before class, like I asked the students to do on
Tuesday when I assigned the literature circle roles and groups. The other five had partially completed their notes or had not written anything at all.
This lack of preparation was unusual for this class, so I asked what the deal was. After listening to their responses, it became apparent that some
students had not completed their notes because they thought part of the notes were supposed to be written during discussion, and the other students
had not completed their notes because they had started but not finished reading chapters 1-3 of The Great Gatsby. I was shocked, but I improvised.
I asked the student who had completed her notes to share them, and I spent most of the class time remaining asking the students various discussion
questions about chapters 1-3. In the last ten minutes of class, I stuck to my original plan: I had the students complete self-evaluations of their
preparation and participation in the day’s discussion. Although this lesson did not go according to plan, there were still two major successes: (1)
We still had a great discussion of chapters 1-3. The original plan was for the discussion to be student-led, but, because the students didn’t have
their notes prepared, they didn’t have questions to ask. However, once I started asking questions, the discussion took off. It was evident that they
had read most or all of the required reading; they just hadn’t started and/or finished writing their notes; and (2) I truly believe the students learned
from this experience. They kept telling me they would do better next week, and they were completely honest about their lack of preparation in their
self-evaluations. Nevertheless, I can’t deny the ways in which this lesson could and should be improved: (1) My instructions from Tuesday were
obviously not clear enough. Although I did repeat the instructions several times on Tuesday and Wednesday, I think I could improve the
instructions in the future by modeling examples of good notes. Between the students in the other classes who completed their notes and the student
in this class who completed her notes, I have plenty of good examples I could show for each of the literature circle roles. I would like to show these
examples before I assign new roles next week; (2) Two of the students present today had read most of the required reading but not all. I know I’ve
already said this the past two days, but I need to and will start having the students read as a class on Monday; and, (3) Two of the students present
today didn’t participate much in the discussion because the other four students dominated it. I told the class when I was giving instructions that
everyone needed a turn to speak, and no one should dominate the discussion, but I clearly need to reiterate that and closely monitor the discussions
next week.
Day 10: Today I started class with an activity in the comp. book. Since the American Dream is our central focus in this unit, I had students read a
short, three-paragraph handout on the symbolic geography of the The Great Gatsby, which F. Scott Fitzgerald uses to explore the nature of the
American Dream. In addition to reading the handout, students were asked to highlight or underline key words, phrases, vocabulary, and/or ideas
from the handout that they thought were essential to understanding the symbolic significance of New York City, East Egg, West Egg, and the
Valley of Ashes in the novel. Once we finished reading and highlighting together as a class, I asked the students to staple the handout into their
comp. books. After the comp. book activity, I took a few minutes to assign new literature circle roles for Thursday. I called the two groups up to
my desk one at a time, reminded each group of the descriptions and responsibilities for the six literature circle roles, asked each student to select a
new role, and gave each student the literature circle notes to complete by Thursday. Once the roles had been assigned, students had the rest of the
class period to begin reading chapters 4-6 of The Great Gatsby and to start working on their literature circle notes. I offered to play the audio
edition of the book, starting at chapter 4, but some students complained that they were past chapter 4. I told those students they could read
independently, and I decided to play the audiobook for the other students who wanted/needed to follow along. However, due to issues with the
internet, I was unable to access the audiobook online, so I decided to read chapter 4 with those students myself. As the students read, I passed
around a few examples of good literature circle notes I received from students in other classes last Thursday. These examples provided a model of
the sort of detailed notes I’m looking for and expect to see this Thursday. There were three major successes of this lesson: (1) I learned that
modeling is an effective instructional strategy to use with Students A and B. These two students tend to struggle following instructions during
comp. book activities, but when I modeled the key words, phrases, vocabulary, and ideas I highlighted on my own copy of the handout today, they
seemed to have no trouble following my example. My hope is that they also benefitted from seeing the model literature circle notes I passed
around during class; (2) Although the literature circles last Thursday did not go according to plan, many of the students were calling dibs today on
literature circle roles for this Thursday. Overall, this class seems intrigued by The Great Gatsby and excited to discuss it, which is every English
teacher’s dream; and (3) Reading was a huge success. After last week’s horrible experience with independent reading, I decided to have the entire
class read together starting today, but when some of the students started complaining that they weren’t all on the same page, I realized that plan
wasn’t feasible. The students who wanted to read independently are students that have taken an interest in The Great Gatsby, and I didn’t want to
punish them by requiring them to read with the class when I knew they could be trusted to read alone. On the other hand, I think it was beneficial
for the other students that I read along with them. During independent reading last week, two of the students (Students A and B) would only read
for a few minutes before putting the book down, and one of the students kept falling asleep; today, however, those three students read the entire
time I worked with them. I frequently stopped our reading to ask comprehension questions, and I think that helped keep the students on-task. They
needed to follow along and pay attention in order to know the answers to my questions. The only real problem with this lesson was the seating
arrangement. All the students sat in their usual assigned seats, and I stood at the front of the room to read aloud, which meant that the students who
I read with sometimes couldn’t hear each other, I had to be loud when I read, and we ended up distracting some of the other students who were
reading independently. In the future, I would ask the students who wanted to read with me to make a circle at the back of the room. Then we
wouldn’t have to strain our ears or voices or cause a distraction for others.
Day 11: Today our class schedule worked in reverse. The students read and worked on literature circle notes for the first thirty-five minutes of
class, and I went over the day’s comp. book activity during the last fifteen minutes of class. I decided to switch things up because some students
weren’t finished reading chapter 4, and today’s comp. book activity pertained to that chapter. The students who read independently yesterday
wanted to do so again today, and they were all past chapter 4, so I allowed them to. The other students, who I read aloud with yesterday, were in
the middle of chapter 4, so I decided to play the audiobook for them in order to quickly finish the chapter before moving on to comp. books. For
the comp. book activity, I chose a quote from chapter 4 for students to comment on and analyze. This quote revisited the symbolic green light,
which was discussed in class last week. After asking the students to summarize what they learned about Gatsby and Daisy in chapter 4, I asked
them to use that new knowledge of Gatsby and Daisy to explain what the green light represents. We discussed their answers as a class, and then I
showed them my answer. There were two major successes of this lesson: (1) After thirty-five minutes of reading, every student got to at least the
beginning of chapter 5. There were a few students last week who didn’t read during independent reading, so the progress they’ve made this week
has been encouraging. It’s good to know what reading strategies work for students and which ones don’t; and (2) The students were able to
summarize chapter 4 and answer comprehension questions about it. This may sound like a minor accomplishment for eleventh-grade students, but
some students struggled last week to understand what was going on in chapters 1-3. I told them then that the book gets easier to understand after
the first few chapters, so I was pleased that they seemed to understand chapter 4 today. Now that they’ve been introduced to the book’s major
characters and settings, I think it’s becoming easier for them to follow. The only real problem with this lesson was my decision to play the
audiobook for the students I read with in class yesterday. Instead of playing the audiobook, I could have read with them again today, but I thought
they might prefer the speaker’s voice on the audiobook to mine. I also thought if I played the audiobook without pausing it to ask questions like I
paused to ask questions when I read yesterday, they would be able to get more reading done. They did end up finishing chapter 4 before we started
on comp. books; however, the audiobook didn’t maintain their attention. I caught two students looking at their phones, which was a problem I
didn’t have yesterday. In the future, I will go back to reading with the students myself and calling on them to read and answer questions. It was the
anticipation of being called on yesterday that I think helped keep their attention.
Day 12: Today was the day for literature circle redemption. After the students came to class unprepared for literature circles last week, they
promised that they would be better prepared for today’s literature circles, and I was eager to see if they fulfilled that promise. Just like last week, as
the students walked into class, I pointed them to the literature circle instructions on the projector. Before class, they were to take a seat with their
groups, make sure there were enough copies of The Great Gatsby for everyone in their groups, get their literature circle notes out, and wait quietly
for class to begin. During class, they would have thirty-five minutes for group discussion, five minutes to report out to the class for whole-class
discussion, and ten minutes to complete self-evaluations of their preparation for and participation in today’s literature circles. Once the bell rang
for class to begin, I reviewed the instructions, asked if anyone had questions, and turned the students loose to begin. I took out my informal
assessment sheet with each of the students’ names on it, which I used to jot down observations of their preparation and participation throughout the
hour. There were three major successes of this lesson: (1) The students fulfilled their promise. Unlike last week, when only one student came to
class with completed notes, today, all but one student came to class with completed notes. Some of the students’ notes weren’t as detailed as I
would like for them to have been, but we can talk about that before our last round of literature circles next week; (2) After the students were done
discussing their notes, we had enough time left in class to watch a short clip from the 2013 film version of The Great Gatsby. During literature
circles, the students expressed confusion about one particular scene of The Great Gatsby, so I thought it might help if they could watch it rather
than just read it. After I played the clip, the students all agreed that the visual helped them understand the scene better; and, (3) We also had
enough time at the end of class to review some of the information that will be on the quiz tomorrow. I even asked the students a few questions that
were directly from the quiz. I didn’t tell them which questions were from the quiz, but if there was a question they didn’t know the answer to, I told
them they might want to review chapters 4-6. They got frustrated at times because I wouldn’t give them the answers, but their frustration didn’t
stop them from looking in their books to find the answers themselves. Despite these successes, there were also a couple of things I thought could
be improved about this lesson: (1) There were three students who didn’t talk much during group discussions. These three students are typically
quiet anyway, but I was surprised at how little they spoke today. At one point, I asked one of the students to share his notes with his group. He was
assigned the illustrator role for literature circles this week, and he told me his drawing was not good enough to share with the group. I joked with
him about not being an artist myself, and I told him the group wouldn’t judge his artistic ability. He reluctantly shared his drawing, which was
actually quite good, but remained quiet for the rest of the class period. After I had time to think about his and the other two students’ behavior, I
began to wonder if part of the problem might have been that I grouped the students by mixed ability. I originally thought mixed-ability grouping
would be ideal for literature circles because it would allow those with lower reading levels to take advantage of peer support, while those with
higher reading levels would gain the opportunity to organize and voice their thoughts on the novel; however, after today’s literature circles, I’m
beginning to think that those three students, who are all of lower ability, did not speak out today for fear of embarrassment because they were
grouped with students of higher ability. In the future, I would try to eliminate that fear by grouping students by same or similar ability; and (2)
Although the students were better prepared for today’s literature circles, they quickly ran out of things to discuss. Part of the issue may have been
that their notes were not quite detailed enough, but, nevertheless, there should have been plenty to discuss about three chapters in thirty-five
minutes. Literature circles are supposed to be student-centered and collaborative, so I would be hesitant to provide students with discussion
questions in the future, but I might need to do that if the students can’t generate enough discussion questions on their own.
Day 13: Today I started class by re-teaching some material covered in class a couple of weeks ago. During the second week of this unit, I
discussed a few comma rules as part of a comp. book activity, and the students were later quizzed about those comma rules at the end of the week.
When I got the results back from those quizzes, I noticed that several students missed the questions about two of the three comma rules we had
discussed. I decided to review those two comma rules and introduce two new comma rules in today’s comp. book activity. As with the previous
activity on comma rules, I included a quote from The Great Gatsby, removed the commas from it, and asked the students to punctuate it using the
comma rules I put up on the projector. Additionally, also like the previous activity on comma rules, I asked the students to write how the quote was
related to the American Dream. After the comp. book activity, I took a few minutes to assign new literature circle roles for Thursday. I called the
two groups up to my desk one at a time, reminded each group of the descriptions and responsibilities for the six literature circle roles, asked each
student to select a new role, and gave each student the literature circle notes to complete by Thursday. Once the roles had been assigned, students
had the rest of the class period to begin reading chapters 7-9 of The Great Gatsby and to start working on their literature circle notes. There were
three major successes of this lesson: (1) By re-teaching the two comma rules, I was able to help the students gain a better understanding of those
rules. Today I spent time explaining the rules in greater detail than I originally did, and I provided the students with helpful hints for remembering
the rules. For example, when I told the students that I personally remember one of the rules as “extra information equals extra commas,” one
student smiled and said, “Ohhh… I get it now.” I didn’t think to share that tip with the students the first time I taught the rule, but re-teaching the
material gave me the opportunity to share it today; (2) Before I asked the students to write how the quote we were working with was related to the
American Dream, I played a short clip from the 2013 film version of The Great Gatsby that went along with the quote. Not only were the students
intrigued by the clip, as they have been with other clips I’ve shown in class, but they also learned from it. Apparently, the students didn’t
understand the full extent of Dan Cody’s influence on Gatsby just by reading the book, but when Dan Cody called Gatsby “old sport” in the film,
the students had an “ah-ha” moment. They realized that Gatsby calls people “old sport” because of Dan Cody’s influence; and, (3) Reading was a
huge success today. After experimenting with different reading strategies the past two weeks, I finally discovered last week what works best with
this class. While some students prefer to read independently and can be trusted to do so, other students prefer to read together and are more likely
to stay on-task if they actively participate in the reading process by taking turns reading aloud rather than if they passively listen to the audiobook.
It took several days to make these discoveries, but I reaped the reward for my persistence today. There were no distractions, disruptions, or
misbehavior (e.g., sleeping or looking at phones) as the students read today. It’s the best class we’ve had for reading so far. Nevertheless, despite
these successes, there were a couple of things about this lesson that I thought could be improved: (1) I should have differentiated the comp. book
activity. Although several students did not understand the two comma rules discussed in class a couple of weeks ago, Student C obviously did.
During today’s review of the material, she finished the comp. book activity before I even had time to re-teach the comma rules. In the future, I
would differentiate this activity by asking students like Student C to write their own sentences or paragraphs using the comma rules instead of
asking them to punctuate a quote from The Great Gatsby using the comma rules. According to Bloom’s Taxonomy, creation requires higher order
thinking skills than application; and (2) I spent so much time re-teaching the two comma rules and discussing the quote from today’s comp. book
activity that we didn’t have as much time to read in class as I would have liked to. In the future, I would revise the comp. book activity in order to
save time. I would choose a shorter quote from The Great Gatsby to discuss, and I would only focus on two comma rules instead of four. These are
just small adjustments that could be made to allow for more reading time in class.
Day 14: Today I started class with another comp. book activity on grammar. When I read the students’ essays from the pre-assessment, I noticed
that several students struggled with using commas and quotation marks correctly, so I’m using the comp. book to introduce rules for each before
the students take the summative assessment next week. We’ve already discussed comma rules in two previous class periods, so today’s comp. book
activity focused on quotation marks. Like the previous activities on comma rules, I included a quote from The Great Gatsby, removed the
quotation marks from it, and asked the students to punctuate it using the quotation mark rules I put up on the projector. Additionally, also like the
previous activities on comma rules, I asked the students to write how the quote was related to the American Dream. After the comp. book activity,
students had the rest of the class period to read and to work on their literature circle notes. As the students read, I passed around a few examples of
good literature circle notes I received last Thursday. I passed examples around last week, but I decided to use new examples from the most recent
round of literature circles this week to further demonstrate the sort of detailed notes I’m looking for. I saw a drastic improvement in the students’
literature circle notes after they had the chance to see some examples last week, so I’m hoping that their notes continue to improve after seeing new
examples this week. There were two major successes of this lesson: (1) Chapter 7 of The Great Gatsby is full of surprises, and as some of the
students read it together in class today, I was reminded of how powerful the reading process can be when students share in it together. With each of
chapter 7’s surprises, the students’ eyes grew wide, they looked at each other with mouths wide open, and began talking incessantly about the
book. It’s rewarding to see students, including some who typically don’t “like” to read, so enthralled by a book. On the other hand, it’s also
powerful and rewarding to see students devour a book on their own. I had two students finish reading The Great Gatsby today, and they were eager
to talk about the ending with me; and (2) I was prepared for those students who finished reading early. We recently got five desktop computers in
my cooperating teacher’s classroom, so I asked the students to look up information about the theme of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby
online. I think they were surprised that I had something else for them to do because they asked me why I was giving them an additional
assignment. I told them that the information they found would be useful for their group discussions in literature circles on Thursday and for next
week’s assignments. Surprisingly, they didn’t protest. Despite these successes, the lesson was not without need of improvement. Although today’s
comp. book activity was similar to past comp. book activities, the students were overwhelmed by it. I introduced nine quotation mark rules and
expected the students to use each of those in rewriting the quote from the book. I quickly learned that this was too much information in one sitting.
In the future, I would try to improve the comp. book activity by reducing the number of rules introduced and the number of changes needed to
rewrite the quote correctly.
Day 15: Today I started class with another comp. book activity on quotation marks. Yesterday I overwhelmed the students by introducing too
many quotation mark rules at one time, so I decided to review a few of the most important rules in class today. Like yesterday’s activity, I included
a quote from The Great Gatsby, removed the quotation marks from it, and asked the students to punctuate it using the quotation mark rules I put up
on the projector. Additionally, also like yesterday’s activity, I asked the students to write how the quote was related to the American Dream. The
only changes I made between yesterday’s activity and today’s activity were reducing the number of rules discussed and reducing the number of
changes needed to rewrite the quote correctly. The students all agreed that they were more successful and less overwhelmed with today’s activity
than yesterday’s. After the comp. book activity, students had the rest of the class period to read and work on their literature circle notes. Despite
the success of the comp. book activity, today’s lesson could still be improved. When I asked the students to start reading today, either
independently or with the class, Student A and Student B both said they were done reading the book. In the past two weeks, Student A and Student
B have been reading with the class, and since we were only on chapter 7 yesterday, I knew they would’ve had to have finished reading the book at
home. I’ve never known Student A or Student B to work on assignments at home, so I was hesitant to believe that they were done with the book.
To test this claim, I asked them a couple of questions about the last chapter, and, as I suspected, they didn’t know the answers. Instead of calling
them out, I simply told them they might want to follow along as their classmates continued reading in order to review for Friday’s quiz. Although
my response to Student A and Student B was appropriate, I think I could improve my response in the future by having questions prepared in
advance for students who claim to be finished reading early. This would prevent me from being put on the spot again to think of good questions to
ask.
Day 16: Today was the last day for literature circles. Just like the past two weeks, as the students walked into class, I pointed them to the literature
circle instructions on the projector. Before class, they were to take a seat with their groups, make sure there were enough copies of The Great
Gatsby for everyone in their groups, get their literature circle notes out, and wait quietly for class to begin. During class, they would have thirty-
five minutes for group discussion, five minutes to report out to the class for whole-class discussion, and ten minutes to complete self-evaluations of
their preparation for and participation in today’s literature circles. Once the bell rang for class to begin, I reviewed the instructions, asked if anyone
had questions, and turned the students loose to begin. I took out my informal assessment sheet with each of the students’ names on it, which I used
to jot down observations of their preparation and participation throughout the hour. There were three major successes of this lesson: (1) Every
student came to class with their notes prepared for literature circles. During the first round of literature circles a couple of weeks ago, only one
student came to class with her notes prepared, and during the second round of literature circles last week, all but one student came to class with
notes prepared. It was exciting to see that every student was prepared for class today, but it was even more exciting to hear the in-depth discussions
they were able to have as a result of their preparation; (2) In addition to showing improvement in the area of preparation, the students also showed
improvement in the area of participation. During the first two round of literature circles, there were a few students who did not speak or present
their notes in their group discussions; today, however, every student shared his or her notes. I had to prompt a few of the students to share, but I
was happy that they all participated; and, (3) Like last week, we had time at the end of class to review the information that will be on the quiz
tomorrow. I asked the students questions directly from the quiz, without telling them that the questions were quiz questions. For questions the
students didn’t know the answers to, I told them they might want to review chapters 7-9, but I didn’t give them the answers. Although this lesson
was largely a success, there was one thing I thought could be improved: Of the two literature circle groups, one finished discussing their notes
much sooner than the other. I think the difference between the two groups was that the students in the group that finished early simply read their
notes to each other, while the students in the other group took the time to ask each other questions from their notes and to discuss possible answers.
To help students better understand how literature circles are supposed to function, in the future, I would model literature circles in class with
student volunteers for each of the six literature circle roles (Discussion Director, Illuminator, Illustrator, Connector, Word Watcher, Summarizer).
Afterward, I would ask the entire class to practice the strategies. This process would demonstrate the different roles and allow students to practice
the techniques before they were responsible for completing the tasks on their own. After this introduction, students would be ready to use the
literature circle strategy independently.
Day 17: Today the students took two quizzes. One quiz covered the comma rules and the quote we discussed in class on Monday, the quotation
mark rules and the quotes we discussed in class on Tuesday and Wednesday, and chapters 7-9 of The Great Gatsby, while the other quiz was a
bonus quiz that covered the entire book. Although I did not teach today, there were three major successes of the quizzes: (1) Students were re-
tested on the comma rules we originally discussed in class a couple of weeks ago. When I first quizzed the students on the comma rules, they
missed several questions, so I decided to re-teach the rules this week. The students did much better answering the questions about the comma rules
on today’s quiz, so I would consider the re-teaching a success; (2) The bonus quiz allowed students to make up those points missed on previous
quizzes, and it allowed me to assess student comprehension of the entire novel; and, (3) Overall, the students did really well on the quizzes. Even
students that scored low on previous quizzes did well on today’s quizzes. I would like to think that yesterday’s literature circles and review played
a part in their success. The only real problem with today’s class was the seating arrangement. I haven’t been present the past three Fridays while
students have taken my quizzes because I’ve been gone to Pitt State for Friday seminars, so I had no idea that seating would be an issue. The
students sat in their normal assigned seats today, but this created a problem when some students finished their quizzes before others. The students
who were finished wanted to talk, but there were still other students testing. In the future, I would try to prevent this issue by spreading the students
out across the room. There are only ten students in this class, so it would be relatively easy to make this change. It may be a small adjustment, but
it could potentially prevent students from talking to each other before every student was finished taking the quizzes.
Day 18: Today marked the beginning of the end of my unit on argumentative writing and The Great Gatsby. The students will be taking the
summative assessment on Thursday before they go on spring break, so today we began reviewing and preparing for it. At the beginning of class, I
presented the students with the writing prompt for the test. We read over it together as a class, and then I gave the students a chance to ask
questions about it. Before I asked the students to write an introduction in response to the prompt, we reviewed information about argumentative
writing from the first week of the unit. First, we reviewed organization. As the students recalled the five-paragraph organization for an
argumentative essay, I passed out graphic organizers for the students to use in organizing their essays. Second, we reviewed the
definition/description of hook, background, and claim, which should all be included in the introduction to an argumentative essay. Third, we
reviewed the importance of planning, and I gave the students several minutes to plan their introductions for the summative assessment, using the
graphic organizer. Fourth, we reviewed the types of nouns, pronouns, and verbs to be used in argumentative writing. After our review, I put a timer
on the projector for eight minutes and started it as the students began writing their introductions in their composition books. When the time was up,
I asked the students to highlight their hooks in orange, highlight their background information in green, highlight their claims in pink, circle
specific nouns, draw a square around third-person pronouns, and underline strong action verbs. During the last few minutes of class, we talked
about the students’ feelings regarding timed writing. There were three major successes of this lesson: (1) All of the students used the graphic
organizer to plan their introductions. Before I taught this lesson, I wasn’t sure if the students would find the graphic organizer useful or not, so I
was excited to see them using it today. I’ve noticed that a lot of high school students try to write essays without planning their writing first, so I
designed the graphic organizer to help students in the planning process; (2) All of the students wrote during the timed writing. This may sound like
a minor accomplishment, but I know that timed writing can be a challenge for students, and I was worried that the students might feel “stuck,” as
many students do, when given the writing prompt. They proved me wrong, that’s for sure; and, (3) The students were confident about their writing.
When I asked them how they felt after being timed, they acted like it was no big deal. This was reassuring to me because I want them to feel
confident when they take the summative assessment and the actual ACT writing test. Despite these successes, there were two things I thought
could be improved: (1) There was too much talking by students who finished writing their introductions in less than eight minutes, which was a
distraction for those who were still writing. In the future, I would try to eliminate talking by having another activity for students to work on if they
finished writing their introductions early; and (2) Although I was glad that the students were confident about their writing, I don’t want them to
think they have no room for improvement. In the future, I would try to improve this lesson by including time for peer review. It might not be
feasible for me to read every student’s introduction, but the students should still have a source of feedback, even if that feedback is from their
peers.
Day 19: Today we continued reviewing and preparing for the summative assessment. However, at the beginning of class, the students had a
surprising announcement for me: Due to a schoolwide fundraising event on Thursday, none of my third-hour students will be in class that day,
which means they will have to take the summative assessment tomorrow. My original plan was to have the students practice planning and writing
the first two body paragraphs of their essays today and the third body paragraph tomorrow, but this announcement left me no other choice but to
condense everything into one class period. After the initial surprise, I proceeded with class as originally planned. Overall, this class tends to work
faster than my other classes, so I thought we might have time to review what I had planned for tomorrow at the end of class today. Before I asked
the students to write their first and second body paragraphs in response to the writing prompt, we reviewed information about argumentative
writing from the first week of the unit, just like yesterday. First, we reviewed the definition/description of hook, background, and claim. Second,
we reviewed organization. As the students recalled the five-paragraph organization for an argumentative essay, they also got out their graphic
organizers from yesterday to use in organizing their essays today. Third, we reviewed the definition/description of reasons, evidence, and
commentary, which should all be included in the first two body paragraphs of an argumentative essay. Fourth, we reviewed the importance of
planning, and I gave the students several minutes to plan their first two body paragraphs for the summative assessment, using the graphic
organizer. Fifth, we reviewed the types of transitions, nouns, pronouns, and verbs to be used in argumentative writing. Although a lot of the
information we reviewed today was a repeat from yesterday, I wanted to keep it fresh in the students’ minds. After our review, I put a timer on the
projector for sixteen minutes and started it as the students began writing their first two body paragraphs in their composition books. When the time
was up, I asked the students to highlight their reasons in blue, highlight their evidence in yellow, highlight their commentary in orange, circle
specific nouns, draw a square around third-person pronouns, underline strong action verbs, and lightly shade transition words. During the last few
minutes of class, we had just enough time to briefly review what was supposed to be reviewed in class tomorrow, and we talked about the students’
feelings regarding the summative assessment. There were two major successes of this lesson: (1) When things did not go according to plan, I
quickly adjusted. Although I originally only planned to have the students practice planning and writing the first two body paragraphs of their
essays today, I went ahead and had them plan the third body paragraph as soon as they were done planning the first two. This was a quick
adjustment I made to make up for what the students will miss tomorrow; and (2) There were three students who finished writing their first two
body paragraphs about five minutes before the sixteen-minute timer was up, so I asked them to proofread their writing for errors in punctuation,
capitalization, etc. When I first gave the pre-assessment, I noticed that several students turned in their essays without ever going back to proofread.
Throughout this unit, I have tried to remind the students that simple mistakes can be avoided just by taking the time to look over their work.
Despite these successes, there were also two things I thought could be improved: (1) Although I made adjustments to accommodate changes in the
schedule, it would have been nice to have had more time to practice planning and writing essays for the summative assessment. In the future, I
would try to plan for the unexpected by building a couple extra days into the schedule for this unit; and (2) After class, I started grading the
students’ composition books, and I realized that the students who finished writing early today either made mistakes in their writing or skipped
some of the highlighting, circling, etc. In the future, I would try to eliminate this problem by giving immediate feedback to students. As the
students finished writing, I would take a quick look at their writing to give them immediate feedback. In the time remaining, they could work on
the improvements I suggested.
Day 20: Today I gave the students their summative assessment. Because the assessment was a writing test, I had the students meet me in the
library to type their essays on the computers. At the beginning of class, we briefly reviewed the organization for an argumentative essay, and I
reminded the students that they would have forty minutes to complete their essays, as they will when they take the ACT writing test. I then asked
the students if they had any questions before distributing the test. Once the test had been distributed, I started the forty-minute timer. I gave the
students an update on time every ten minutes until the timer was up. Although I did not teach today, there were three major successes of the
summative assessment: (1) Some of the students planned their essays before they started writing. Back when I gave the pre-assessment, none of the
students planned, so this showed definite improvement; (2) All of the students wrote five paragraphs or more. This also showed improvement.
Back when I gave the pre-assessment, most of the students wrote four paragraphs or less; and, (3) All of the students finished their essays within
the forty-minute timeframe. Again, this showed improvement. When I gave the pre-assessment, the students had around ninety minutes to write
their essays, and several of them needed it. Despite these successes, there were a couple of things I thought could be improved: (1) The students
were easily distracted in the library. There was the usual traffic in and out of the library, but there were also junior high students who were loud in
the hallway as they walked by the library on their way to lunch. In the future, I would try to eliminate these distractions by scheduling the
computer lab for testing instead of the library; and (2) Although I was happy that the students all finished their essays within the forty-minute
timeframe, some of the students finished too early. Before they printed their essays, I asked them to proofread, but I think I could improve my
response to such students in the future by having a rubric or some sort of checklist for them to look over.

B. Classroom Management Plan (rules, procedures, preventative strategies, supportive strategies)
Rules and Expectations
In addition to the rules stated in the student handbook, my cooperating teacher expects her students to:
 Be on time for class. When students are late, they may miss something important and may also cause a distraction for the teacher and other
students. Students who are late to class are responsible for any information they miss.
 Be prepared for class. Students should always be prepared for class with materials and assignments. Paper, pencils, pens, and/or textbooks
will be used every day, and, without them, students will be unequipped to participate.
 Turn assignments in on time. As in the real world, it is important for students to keep up with deadlines. For every day an assignment is
late, the teacher will deduct ten percent from the student’s final grade on that assignment.
 Keep food, drinks, cell phones, and other electronic devices put away. All of these things may cause a distraction to both the teacher and
students. It’s best to keep the classroom a clean and enjoyable learning environment for everyone.
 Be respectful at all times. Rude, inappropriate, or negative comments or actions; sleeping; and/or remaining off-task are unacceptable.
Students who behave disrespectfully will be given a warning before disciplinary action is taken.
 Go to the restroom in between classes. As with students who are late to class, students who go to the restroom during class may miss
something important and may also cause a distraction for the teacher and other students. Students who feel it is necessary to go to the
restroom during class must use one of three hall passes provided to them at the beginning of the semester and are responsible for any
information they miss. Students who have all three of their hall passes at the end of the semester will be given a special reward.
Procedures
 Before class begins, students will get their composition books from their class bin at the back of the room.
 During the first or last few minutes of class (depending on the day), students will copy the latest entry from the table of contents in the
teacher composition book (model) into their own composition books while I take attendance.
 After students have completed an activity in their composition books, they will close their composition books. This will allow me to
monitor who has finished the activity and who has not.
 When all students are finished with their composition books, they will pass their composition books to the student at the back of their row.
This student will then place the composition books in the class bin at the back of the room.
 When I ask for assignments to be turned in, the students will pass their assignments to the student at the front of their row. This student will
collect all of the assignments before handing them to me.
Preventive Strategies
As stated by C. M. Charles, in Building Classroom Discipline, preventing misbehavior is obviously preferable to dealing with it after it has
occurred. Most experts contend that the best way to prevent classroom misbehavior is to provide a stimulating curriculum that involves students so

successfully that they spend little time thinking of misbehaving. As part of my discipline system, I will emphasize preventive discipline by giving
strong attention to the following suggestions from Charles:
 Make your curriculum as worthwhile and enjoyable as possible.

 Remember that students crave fun, belonging, freedom, power, and dignity.
 Be pleasant and helpful.
 Involve and empower your students by asking them for input and help.
 Reach clear understandings with your students about appropriate class conduct.
 Discuss and practice behaviors to which you have jointly agreed.
 Continually emphasize good manners, self-respect, and respect for others.
 Be a role model.
Supportive Strategies
Also according to C. M. Charles, in Building Classroom Discipline, all students may become restive and subject to temptation at times. When
signs of incipient misbehavior appear, I will bring supportive discipline into play. According to Charles, this facet of discipline assists students
with self-control by helping them get back on task. Often only the student involved knows it has been used. The following tactics are suggested by
Charles for supportive discipline:
 Use signals directed to a student needing support.

 Learn to catch students' eyes and use head shakes, frowns, and hand signals.
 Use physical proximity when signals are ineffective.
 Show interest in student work. Ask cheerful questions or make favorable comments.
 Sometimes provide a light challenge: "Can you complete five more before we stop?"
 Restructure difficult work by changing the activity or providing help.
 Give hints, clues, or suggestions to help students progress.
 Inject humor into lessons that have become tiring. Students appreciate it.
 Remove distractive objects such as toys, comics, notes, and the like. Return them later.
 Acknowledge good behavior in appropriate ways and at appropriate times.
 Use hints and suggestions as students begin to drift toward misbehavior.
 Show that you recognize students' discomfort: ask for a few minutes more of focused work.
Corrective Strategies
Again, according to C. M. Charles, in Building Classroom Discipline, even the best efforts in preventive and supportive discipline cannot eliminate

all misbehavior. When students violate rules, I will deal with the misbehavior expeditiously. As Charles states, corrective discipline should neither
intimidate students nor prompt power struggles; but rather should proceed as follows:
 Stop disruptive misbehavior. It is usually best not to ignore it.

 Talk with the offending student or invoke a consequence appropriate to the misbehavior in accordance with class rules.
 Remain calm and speak in a matter-of-fact manner.
 Follow through consistently on promised consequences.
 Redirect misbehavior in positive directions.
 If necessary, talk with students privately about misbehavior. Ask how you can help.
 Be ready to invoke an insubordination rule for students who refuse to stop misbehaving.
C. Student Interaction and Engagement (strategies for gaining student interest and facilitating positive student motivation)
Eliminate dead time. As explained by Tristan de Frondeville, in an Edutopia article titled “How to Keep Kids Engaged in Class,” dead time in the
classroom interferes with students’ learning and is a surefire way to lose their interest. I have come to feel that dead time is so detrimental that I
will do everything I can to prevent it. In order to eliminate dead time and maximize learning time during this unit, one method I will use is to post
an agenda for students. When students come into class, they will know what the day’s objectives are, what activities they are going to be working
on in class, what needs to be turned in, and what materials they need. Another method I will use is a brief activity in the students’ composition
books at the beginning or end of every class period. These brief activities will benefit students by engaging them and focusing their thinking, but
they will also benefit me by giving me time to take attendance at the beginning of the class period or to scan the room to make sure all materials
are put away at the end of the class period. Other class routines will also be used as a method for maximizing learning time. For example, as stated
in the classroom management plan above, the students will have routines for passing in their composition books and turning in finished
assignments. One last method I will use to maximize learning time is to reduce interruptions and distractions. Again, as stated in the classroom
management plan above, students are expected to be on time for class; to keep food, drinks, cell phones, and other electronic devices put away; and
to go to the restroom in between classes. All three of these rules/expectations are in place to prevent interruptions and distractions that can become
obstacles to bell-to-bell learning.
Use a fairness cup to keep students thinking. Before I begin teaching this unit, I will write each student’s name on a piece of paper and put those
pieces of paper in a cup. To keep students on their toes throughout the unit, I will use the fairness cup (see Tristan de Frondeville’s Edutopia article
titled “How to Keep Kids Engaged in Class”) to select students at random to speak or answer questions.
Mix up teaching styles. Another way I will try to keep students involved and on their toes throughout this unit is to move from teacher-centered
learning to student-centered learning, and vice versa, as suggested by Tristan de Frondeville in an Edutopia article titled “How to Keep Kids
Engaged in Class.”

Use questioning strategies that make all students think and answer. During my various field experiences as a student-teacher, I’ve noticed a
familiar scene in many classrooms: The teacher asks questions, and, always, the same reliable hands raise up. According to Tristan de Frondeville,
in an Edutopia article titled “Ten Steps to Better Student Engagement,” this pattern lends itself to student inattention. To keep students engaged as
I teach, I will include questions that I require every student to answer. I know this will be intimidating for some students, so my plan is to find
questions that I know everyone can answer successfully. This will allow students to get involved and answer questions without feeling that I am
setting them up for failure.
Provide choices to students. Research has shown that providing choices to students of all age levels often increases their intrinsic motivation.
Choice in the classroom has also been linked to increases in student effort, task performance, and subsequent learning. However, to reap these
benefits, Dr. Robert J. Marzano, in his book The Highly Engaged Classroom, says teachers should create choices that are robust enough for
students to feel that their decision has an impact on their learning. In order to incorporate choice into the classroom, Marzano recommends teachers
provide choice to students in four ways: (1) choice of tasks, (2) choice of reporting formats, (3) choice of learning goals, and (4) choice of
behaviors. As I teach this unit, I will provide choice to students in choice of tasks. Students will get to choose how they complete certain reading
and writing tasks and also what roles they fulfill in their literature circle groups.
Use movie clips to demonstrate intensity and enthusiasm. According to Dr. Robert J. Marzano, in his book The Highly Engaged Classroom,
one strategy teachers can employ to purposefully and methodically maintain a lively atmosphere in their classrooms is to demonstrate intensity and
enthusiasm. When a teacher indirectly communicates, “This is fun!” or “This is exciting!” it is contagious for students. One way Marzano suggests
communicating this message is to show movie clips. While it may be too time consuming to show an entire movie, a movie clip to illustrate a point
in class can energize students. During this unit, I will show clips from Alex Gibney’s Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream
(2012) and Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby (2013) in an attempt to gain student interest.
D. Student Communication (detailed description of appropriate strategies to encourage student-to-student communication)

Arrange the classroom to facilitate peer interaction. According to George M. Jacobs et al., in Simple, Powerful Strategies for Student Centered
Learning, something as simple as the furniture arrangement can impact the success of group activities. Students need to be seated near each other
in order to converse in quiet voices and to be able to see what group members are doing. Because my cooperating teacher prefers for the desks in
her classroom to be arranged in rows, I will frequently need to rearrange the desks to accommodate for group work. During this unit, students will
work in groups of two and six. On the days that students work in groups of two, they will be asked to rearrange the desks themselves. On the days
that students work in groups of six, I will rearrange the desks before the students come to class. After all, it’s much easier for two people to sit
close together than for a group of six to do so.
Vary the size of student groups. According to George M. Jacobs et al., in Simple, Powerful Strategies for Student Centered Learning, small
groups and large groups both have their advantages. Groups of two, for example, require the least amount of collaborative skills because only two
people need to be managed. Also, each student’s activity level reaches its peak in groups of two. Large groups, on the other hand, such as groups
of six, mean fewer groups for the teacher to monitor and more group members to do tasks and contribute ideas and information. Additionally, large
groups provide a way to extend the student-to-student interaction. For example, after students have worked in pairs, instead of one pair or one

member of a pair sharing with the whole class, Jacobs et al. suggest pairs can combine into larger groups to exchange information. Due to the
advantages of both small and large groups, I will vary the size of student groups during this unit. Students will work in groups of two and six.
Encourage cooperative learning. According to George M. Jacobs et al., in Simple, Powerful Strategies for Student Centered Learning,
cooperative learning is built on principles designed to promote effective group functioning and thereby enrich the learning experience by building
academic and social skills. The principle of equal opportunity to participate encourages groups to allow all group members space to play important
roles in the group, whereas the principle of individual accountability encourages each group member to do their fair share in the group. These two
principles go hand in hand and, as such, will both be encouraged during this unit. The principle of individual accountability will be encouraged as
students are asked to do their fair share in preparing for literature circles by completing their literature circle notes individually. The principle of
equal opportunity to participate will be encouraged as no two students will be assigned the same role in their literature circle groups and as the
students are reminded to allow everyone in their group a chance to speak when they meet in their literature circles to discuss The Great Gatsby.
Teach collaborative skills. According to George M. Jacobs et al., in Simple, Powerful Strategies for Student Centered Learning, students’ lack of
collaborative skills or unwillingness to use such skills is one reason why group activities may not achieve the promise they seem to offer. Even
teenage students who know collaborative skills may fail to use them. By spending just a few minutes to emphasize collaborative skills during this
unit, I hope to enhance the probability that student-to-student interaction is pleasant and that group activities succeed. A collaborative skill that I
would like to focus on with this class of students is making sure that every member of a group has a chance to speak during group discussion.
Before students split into their literature circle groups to discuss The Great Gatsby, we will discuss the importance of this skill as a class. After the
students have met in their literature circles, they will also be required to complete a self-evaluation that asks if they had a turn to speak and if they
allowed others to speak.
Ask early finishers to help others. According to George M. Jacobs et al., in Simple, Powerful Strategies for Student Centered Learning, one issue
that arises when groups are used is what to do when one group finishes before others. Instead of students doing “busy work” until the other groups
finish, Jacobs et al. suggest group members can do what are known as “sponge activities.” They are called sponge activities because they usefully
soak up time, just as sponges soak up water. According to Jacobs et al., one sponge activity that is especially useful to encourage student-to-
student interaction is to have a group who has finished before others divide up and circulate to other groups to provide assistance. As students
work in groups throughout this unit, groups who finish discussion tasks early will be asked to combine with other groups who are still participating
in discussion, and groups who finish assignments (e.g., group evaluations of a sample essay that was written for the ACT writing test) early will be
asked to assist other groups who are still working on those assignments.

Narrative: Analysis of Assessment
E. Pre-Assessment
The essays students wrote for the pre-assessment were scored according to the ACT writing test scoring
rubric. Each essay was assigned a score of 1 (low) through 6 (high) in four writing domains (Ideas and
Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use).
For Ideas and Analysis, the whole-class average was 2.7. Student A and Student B both scored below the
class average, as Student A received a score of 2, and Student B received a score of 1. Student C, on the
other hand, scored above the class average, as she received a score of 4.
For Development and Support, the whole-class average was 2.5. Student A and Student B both scored
below the class average, as they both received a score of 1. Student C, on the other hand, scored above the
class average, as she received a score of 5.
For Organization, the whole-class average was 2.6. Student A and Student B both scored below the class
average, as Student A received a score of 2, and Student B received a score of 1. Student C, on the other
Overall analysis of results
hand, scored above the class average, as she received a score of 5.
For Language Use, the whole-class average was 3. Student A scored right at the class average, as he also
received a score of 3. Student B scored below the class average, as he received a score of 1. Student C, on
the other hand, scored above the class average, as she received a score of 5.
Once rubric scores had been determined for each of the four domains, I multiplied each of those rubric
scores by two to get four domain scores. The four domain scores were then added together and divided by
four to determine the writing subject scores.
The whole-class average writing subject score was 5.4. Student A and Student B both scored below the
other hand, scored above the class average, as she received a score of 9.5.

For the pre-assessment, the students were supposed to write a unified, coherent essay about the American
Dream. The objectives were as follows:
 Students will be able to clearly state their own perspective on the issue and analyze the relationship
between their perspective and at least one other perspective.
 Students will be able to develop and support their ideas with reasoning and examples.
 Students will be able to organize their ideas clearly and logically.
 Students will be able to communicate their ideas effectively in standard written English.
For the first, the class as a whole demonstrated developing skill, Student A demonstrated weak or
inconsistent skill, Student B demonstrated little or no skill, and Student C demonstrated adequate skill in
Discuss the results in reference to writing an argumentative essay.
the learning objectives.
For the second, the class as a whole demonstrated developing skill, Student A and Student B demonstrated
little or no skill, and Student C demonstrated well-developed skill in writing an argumentative essay.
For the third, the class as a whole demonstrated developing skill, Student A demonstrated weak or
inconsistent skill, Student B demonstrated little or no skill, and Student C demonstrated well-developed
skill in writing an argumentative essay.
For the fourth, the class as a whole demonstrated developing skill, Student A demonstrated developing skill,
Student B demonstrated little or no skill, and Student C demonstrated well-developed skill in writing an
argumentative essay.
After analyzing the results of the pre-assessment, it was clear that I needed to provide instruction in each of
Describe how pre-assessment data the four writing domains (Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use).
was used to proceed with instruction To receive a score of 6 (the highest score) in a domain, students must demonstrate effective skill in writing
for all students. an argumentative essay, which none of the students did when they took the pre-assessment.

Based on the results of the pre-assessment, my plan is to differentiate instruction in response to the varying
readiness levels of the students in this class. Grouping and discussion are two strategies I will use to
differentiate instruction.
Discussion:
According to a Scholastic article on differentiated instruction, “Discussion is especially important in a

differentiated classroom because it provides a powerful way to build on every student's understandings and
knowledge of facts. It also provides them with opportunities to clarify meaning and to build comprehension.
By asking students to move beyond memorizing the facts to applying those facts to issues and problems
through discussion, students deepen their understanding and recall. In-depth discussions among small
groups, and with the entire class, can show students how their peers think and reason, can build background
knowledge, and can make the facts relevant to their own lives.”
What is the plan to differentiate for
Grouping:
all learners?
In a peer-reviewed article from the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), researchers Saiying
Steenbergen-Hu, Matthew C. Makel, and Paula Olszewski-Kubilius examine what one hundred years of
research suggests about the effects of ability grouping on k-12 students’ academic achievement. According
to their findings, “Outcomes of 13 ability grouping meta-analyses showed that students benefited from
within-class grouping.”
According to a BBC article on differentiated instruction, “Collaborative learning has many well-
documented benefits such as enabling shy students to participate more confidently in class, but it’s also a
useful differentiation method. Small, mixed-ability groups allow lower achievers to take advantage of peer
support whilst higher achievers gain the opportunity to organise and voice their thoughts for the benefit of
the whole group (known as peer modelling). Grouping also allows roles to be allocated within the team
which cater for each member’s skill set and learning needs.”
F. Formative Assessment

Group evaluation of ACT writing test sample essays:
As students worked in groups to score the sample essays they were assigned, I moved from group to group,
asking each to explain their evaluation. I compared each group’s explanation to the scoring explanation
offered by the official ACT writing test readers. The goal was for the students’ scores to be the same as or
close to the official scores, and, overall, that goal was successfully met by the whole class, Student A,
Student B, and Student C.
Peer-evaluation of pre-assessment essays:
As students worked on their peer-evaluations, I moved from student to student, asking each to explain
his/her evaluation. I compared each student’s evaluation to my own evaluation of the essay. The goal was
for the student’s scores to be the same as or close to my scores, and, overall, that goal was successfully met
by the whole class, Student A, Student B, and Student C.
Self-evaluation of pre-assessment essays:
As students worked on their self-evaluations, I moved from student to student, asking each to explain
his/her evaluation. I compared each student’s evaluation to my own evaluation of the essay. The goal was
for the student’s scores to be the same as or close to my scores, and, overall, that goal was successfully met
by the whole class, Student A, Student B, and Student C.
Literature circles:
As students met in their literature circles each week, I circulated among groups, recording observations of
each student’s preparation and participation.
For the first round of literature circles during the second week of the unit, the class as a whole—including
Student B (Student A and Student C were both absent)—was unprepared. Only one student came to class
with her literature circle notes completed, and quite a few of the students—including Student B—hadn’t
finished reading chapters 1-3 of The Great Gatsby. Nevertheless, most of the students participated in
discussion. Only two students—Student B and one other student—had to be encouraged to participate.
For the second round of literature circles during the third week of the unit, the class as a whole—including
Student B and Student C—was prepared. Only one student—Student A—did not come to class with his
literature circle notes completed. However, all the students seemed to have finished reading chapters 4-6 of
The Great Gatsby. Additionally, most of the students—including Student C—participated in discussion.
Only three students—Student A, Student B, and one other student—had to be encouraged to participate.
For the third round of literature circles during the fourth week of the unit, the class as a whole—including
Student A, Student B, and Student C—was prepared. All the students came to class with their literature
circle notes completed, and all the students seemed to have finished reading chapters 7-9 of The Great
Gatsby. Additionally, most of the students—including Student A and Student C—participated in discussion.
Only two students—Student B and one other student—had to be encouraged to participate.
Composition book entries:
For the first week of the unit, the whole-class average for composition books was 73%. Student A and
Student B both scored below the class average, as Student A received a score of 65%, and Student B
received a score of 60%. Student C, on the other hand, scored above the class average, as she received a
score of 90%.
For the second week of the unit, the whole-class average for composition books was 88%. Student A and
score of 100%.
For the third week of the unit, the whole-class average for composition books was 90%. Student A and
score of 100%.
For the fourth week of the unit, the whole-class average for composition books was 77%. Student A and
score of 96%.
For the fifth week of the unit, the whole-class average for composition books was 81%. Student A, Student
B, and Student C all scored below the class average, as Student A received a score of 71%, Student B
received a score of 69%, and Student C, surprisingly, received a score of 72%.
Weekly quizzes:
For the first week of the unit, the whole-class average for the weekly quiz was 85%. Student A and Student
C both scored above the class average, as Student A received a score of 93%, and Student C received a
score of 90%. Student B, on the other hand, scored below the class average, as he received a score of 70%.
For the second week of the unit, the whole-class average for the weekly quiz was 80%. Student A and
score of 83%.
For the third week of the unit, the whole-class average for the weekly quiz was 85%. Student A, Student B,
and Student C all scored above the class average, as Student A received a score of 92%, and Student B and
Student C both received a score of 88%.
For the fourth week of the unit, the whole-class average for the weekly quiz was 89%. Student B and
Student C both scored above the class average, as Student B received a score of 93%, and Student C
received a score of 100%. Student A, on the other hand, scored below the class average, as he received a
score of 84%.

Group evaluation of ACT writing test sample essays:
For the group evaluation, the objectives were as follows:
 Students will be able to use the ACT writing test scoring rubric to score a sample essay that was
written for the ACT.
 Students will be able to explain their evaluations of the sample essay.
Both of these objectives were met.
Peer-evaluation of pre-assessment essays:
For the peer-evaluation, the objectives were as follows:
 Students will be able to use the ACT writing test scoring rubric to score a classmate’s essay that was
written for the pre-assessment.
Discuss the results in reference to  Students will be able to identify the following elements in their classmate’s essay: hook,
the learning objectives. background, claim, reasons, evidence, commentary, counterclaim, rebuttal, restatement of claim,
summary of argument, strong closing, transition words, specific nouns, third-person pronouns, and
Are students learning what was strong action verbs.
intended they learn?  Students will be able to explain their evaluations of their classmate’s essay.
All three of these objectives were met.
Self-evaluation of pre-assessment essays:
For the self-evaluation, the objectives were as follows:
 Students will be able to use the ACT writing test scoring rubric to score their own essays that were
written for the pre-assessment.
 Students will be able to identify the following elements in their own essays: hook, background,
claim, reasons, evidence, commentary, counterclaim, rebuttal, restatement of claim, summary of
argument, strong closing, transition words, specific nouns, third-person pronouns, and strong action
verbs.
 Students will be able to explain their evaluations of their own essays.
All three of these objectives were met.

Literature circles:
For the literature circles, the objectives were as follows:
 Students will be able to identify important aspects of The Great Gatsby, develop questions for their
literature circle groups to discuss, and facilitate their group discussions.
 Students will be able to find passages from The Great Gatsby that their literature circle groups
would like to/should hear read aloud; include the quotations, why they chose the quotations, and
what they want to say about the quotations in their literature circles notes; and read the passages
aloud or ask members of their groups to read roles.
 Students will be able to draw what they read, explain how their drawings relate to The Great
Gatsby, and label their drawings so the other students in their literature circle groups know who the
characters are.
 Students will be able to connect The Great Gatsby with what they are studying, the world outside of
school, events in their own lives, news events, political events, popular trends, or books they’ve
already read.
 Students will be able to locate words worth knowing in The Great Gatsby; include the words, why
they chose the words, and the definition of the words in their literature circle notes; and indicate the
specific location of the words so their literature circle groups can discuss the words in context.
 Students will be able to prepare a brief summary of The Great Gatsby.
 Students will be able to ask relevant and focused questions to clarify understanding.
 Students will be able to respond to questions and discussion with relevant and focused comments.
 Students will be able to answer comprehension questions about The Great Gatsby.
During the first round of literature circles, only two of these objectives were met: (1) Students will be able
to ask relevant and focused questions to clarify understanding; and (2) Students will respond to questions
and discussion with relevant and focused comments. However, after the second and third rounds of
literature circles, all nine of these objectives were met.
Composition books:
For the composition book entries, the objectives were as follows:
 Students will be able to define the American Dream.

 Students will be able to identify the symbolic significance of the green light in The Great Gatsby.

 Students will be able to identify the symbolic significance of New York City, East Egg, West Egg,
and the Valley of Ashes in The Great Gatsby.
 Students will be able to comment on and analyze quotes from The Great Gatsby.
 Students will be able to evaluate their preparation for and participation in literature circles.
 Students will be able to write an introduction for an argumentative essay that includes a hook,
background information, and a claim.
 Students will be able to write two body paragraphs for an argumentative essay that include reasons,
evidence, and commentary.
 Students will be able to write one body paragraph for an argumentative essay that includes a
counterclaim and a rebuttal.
 Students will be able to write a conclusion for an argumentative essay that includes a restatement of
the claim, a summary of the argument, and a strong closing.
 Students will be able to use transition words in their writing.
 Students will be able to use specific nouns in their writing.
 Students will be able to identify pronouns as first-person, second-person, or third-person pronouns.
 Students will be able to use third-person pronouns in their writing.
 Students will be able to use strong action verbs in their writing.
Over the five weeks that students wrote in their composition books, all but one of these objectives were
met: Students will be able to communicate their ideas effectively in standard written English.
Weekly quizzes:
For the weekly quizzes, the objectives were as follows:
 Students will be able to define the American Dream.

 Students will be able to identify basic information about the ACT writing test, such as the time
allowed to take the test and the number of prompts given.
 Students will be able to identify tips for taking the ACT writing test.
 Students will be able to identify the criteria by which the ACT writing test is evaluated.

 Students will be able to define or describe hook, background, claim, reasons, evidence, commentary,
counterclaim, and rebuttal.
 Students will be able to identify how an argumentative essay should be organized.
 Students will be able to identify the symbolic significance of the green light in The Great Gatsby.
 Students will be able to identify the symbolic significance of New York City, East Egg, West Egg,
and the Valley of Ashes in The Great Gatsby.
 Students will be able to comment on and analyze quotes from The Great Gatsby.
 Students will be able to answer comprehension questions about The Great Gatsby.
 Students will be able to identify pronouns as first-person, second-person, or third-person pronouns.
Between the four weekly quizzes the students took, all twelve of these objectives were met; however, the
students occasionally struggled with one: Students will be able to answer comprehension questions about
The Great Gatsby.

Modeling:
Based on the results of the first round of literature circles, I decided to provide the students with models of
“good” literature circle notes I received from students in other classes. This helped the students in this class
better prepare for the second and third rounds of literature circles.
Based on the results of the first week’s composition books, I decided to start modeling more of the activities
we did in the composition books. There were still some low scores in the following weeks, but, overall, the
scores improved.
Guided reading:
Based on the results of the first round of literature circles, I decided to provide additional reading support to
those students who clearly did not read chapters 1-3 of The Great Gatsby when given time to read
independently in class. Starting with chapter 4, I began reading the novel out loud with these students,
playing the audio edition of the novel, pausing frequently during reading to ask reading comprehension
questions, etc. This helped me to ensure that all students were completing the assigned reading.
Discuss any adaptations based on the
Reteaching/retesting of class material:
results of formative assessments.
Based on the results of the second weekly quiz, I decided to reteach and retest the comma rules I had
discussed in class that week. On the quiz, most of the students missed the answers to the questions about the
comma rules, so I knew I needed to reteach the material. The students were retested on the material when
they took the fourth weekly quiz and achieved much better results.
Retrieval practice and spaced practice:
Based on the results of the second weekly quiz, I decided to start informally assessing the students’
comprehension and retention of the assigned reading by giving verbal quizzes that I spaced out over
multiple days. This encouraged the students to retrieve information about The Great Gatsby from memory
and to “study” for the weekly quizzes without cramming. Overall, I believe these informal, verbal quizzes
resulted in more long-term retention of material.
Additional opportunities to demonstrate mastery of course content:
Based on the results of the second and third weekly quizzes, I decided to give a bonus quiz that covered the
entire novel. This allowed the students another opportunity to prove that they had read and comprehended

the novel, and it also allowed them an opportunity to redeem some of the points they lost in taking the other
quizzes.
To help all students meet the goals and objectives of this unit, differentiation was provided through
Identify differentiation needed to
modeling, guided reading, reteaching/retesting of class material, retrieval practice and spaced practice, and
help all students meet the goals and
additional opportunities to demonstrate mastery of course content.
objectives of this unit.
G. Summative Assessment
The essays students wrote for the summative assessment were scored according to the ACT writing test
scoring rubric. Each essay was assigned a score of 1 (low) through 6 (high) in four writing domains (Ideas
and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use).
For Ideas and Analysis, the whole-class average was 3.6. Student A and Student B both scored below the
other hand, scored above the class average, as she received a score of 6.
For Development and Support, the whole-class average was 3.5. Student A and Student B both scored
below the class average, as Student A received a score of 3, and Student B received a score of 1. Student C,
on the other hand, scored above the class average, as she received a score of 6.
For Organization, the whole-class average was 4.3. Student A and Student C both scored above the class
average, as Student A received a score of 5, and Student C received a score of 6. Student B, on the other
hand, scored below the class average, as he received a score of 2.
For Language Use, the whole-class average was 4. Student A scored right at the class average, as he also
received a score of 4. Student B scored below the class average, as he received a score of 1. Student C, on
the other hand, scored above the class average, as she received a score of 5.
Once rubric scores had been determined for each of the four domains, I multiplied each of those rubric
scores by two to get four domain scores. The four domain scores were then added together and divided by
four to determine the writing subject scores.
The whole-class average writing subject score was 7.7. Student A and Student B both scored below the
class average, as Student A received a score of 7.5, and Student B received a score of 2.5. Student C, on the
other hand, scored above the class average, as she received a score of 11.5.

For the summative assessment, the students were supposed to write a unified, coherent essay about F. Scott
Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby. The objectives were as follows:
For the first, the class as a whole demonstrated adequate skill, Student A demonstrated developing skill,
Student B demonstrated little or no skill, and Student C demonstrated effective skill in writing an
Discuss the results in reference to argumentative essay.
the learning objectives.
For the second, the class as a whole demonstrated adequate skill, Student A demonstrated developing skill,
Student B demonstrated little or no skill, and Student C demonstrated effective skill in writing an
For the third, the class as a whole demonstrated adequate skill, Student A demonstrated well-developed
skill, Student B demonstrated weak or inconsistent skill, and Student C demonstrated effective skill in
writing an argumentative essay.
For the fourth, the class as a whole demonstrated adequate skill, Student A demonstrated adequate skill,
Student B demonstrated little or no skill, and Student C demonstrated well-developed skill in writing an

After comparing the results of the summative assessment with the results of the pre-assessment, it is clear
that the class as a whole and the identified students/subgroups improved their argumentative writing skills
over the course of this unit.
For Ideas and Analysis, the whole-class average score increased by 0.9, Student A’s score increased by 1,
and Student C’s score increased by 2. Only Student B’s score remained the same.
For Development and Support, the whole-class average score increased by 1, Student A’s score increased
by 2, and Student C’s score increased by 1. Only Student B’s score remained the same.
What did the disaggregated data of For Organization, the whole-class average score increased by 1.7, Student A’s score increased by 3, Student
the assessment reveal? B’s score increased by 1, and Student C’s score increased by 1.
For Language Use, the whole-class average score increased by 1, and Student A’s score increased by 1.
Student B’s and Student C’s scores remained the same.
In addition to the rubric scores for each of the four domains, the students’ writing subject scores also
showed improvement.
The whole-class average score increased by 2.3, Student A’s score increased by 3.5, Student B’s score
increased by 0.5, and Student C’s score increased by 2.

For both the pre-assessment and summative assessment, the objectives were as follows:
When considering the class as a whole, the students clearly learned what I intended them to. In each of the
four areas above, the students’ argumentative writing skills improved from developing to adequate.
Did all students learn what was Student A also clearly learned what I intended him to. In the first area, his argumentative writing skills
intended they learn? Explain. improved from weak or inconsistent to developing. In the second area, his skills improved from little or
nonexistent to developing. In the third area, his skills improved from weak or inconsistent to well-
developed. Finally, in the fourth area, his skills improved from developing to adequate.
As for Student B, he only learned some of what I intended him to. In the first, second, and fourth areas, his
argumentative writing skills did not improve at all. It was only in the third area that his skills improved
from little or nonexistent to weak or inconsistent.
Student C, on the other hand, learned more than Student B but not all that I intended her to. In the first area,
her argumentative writing skills improved from adequate to effective. In the second and third areas, her
skills improved from well-developed to effective. However, in the fourth area, her skills did not improve at
all.
Provide a copy of the pre-assessment document and the corresponding scoring key/rubric in Appendix C.
Provide a copy of one formal formative assessment document and the corresponding scoring key/rubric in Appendix C.
Provide a copy of one informal formative assessment document and the corresponding scoring key/rubric in Appendix C.
Provide a copy of the summative assessment document and the corresponding scoring key/rubric in Appendix C.

H. Visual Representation of Disaggregated Data
Charts/tables/graphs of disaggregated data for the Pre-Assessment should be included in Appendix C.
Due to the varied nature of data collected by the teacher candidates, each candidate is asked to create a chart/table/graph that includes data for
the whole class, subgroups, and focus students. Title the chart/table/graph and use labels to accurately portray the data.
Charts/tables/graphs of disaggregated data for the Summative Assessment should be included in Appendix C.
Due to the varied nature of data collected by the teacher candidates, each candidate is asked to create a chart/table/graph that includes data for
the whole class, subgroups, and focus students. Title the chart/table/graph and use labels to accurately portray the data.

IV. Self-Evaluation and Reflection
A. Narrative: Description of Successful Activities and Future Implications

Based on the analysis of all the assessment
Give more than one reason for each of the successes identified.
results, identify TWO learning objectives
from the unit that were most successful.
Objective 38: Students will be able to clearly One reason why I think this objective was successful is because I simplified the language
state their own perspective on the issue and without simplifying the task. Instead of telling the students to “clearly state their own
analyze the relationship between their perspective on the issue,” I asked them, “What is the main point you will argue?” Similarly,
perspective and at least one other perspective. instead of telling them to “analyze the relationship between their perspective and at least one
other perspective,” I asked them, “What is the other side of the argument?” and “How is your
side of the argument stronger than the other side?”
Another reason why I think this objective was successful is because most students already know
how to argue well. Of course, writing an argumentative essay requires additional skills, but most
students know how to pick one side in an argument and how to prove the other side wrong. This
unit was just about teaching students how to translate those argumentative skills to writing.
Objective 40: Students will be able to organize One reason why I think this objective was successful is because I provided the students with a
their ideas clearly and logically. graphic organizer. I didn’t just tell them how their ideas should be grouped and sequenced—I
showed them. And, they didn’t have to come up with an organizational strategy on their own
because it was already done for them.
Another reason why I think this objective was successful is because I had the students practice
writing their essays, one paragraph at a time. They didn’t just plan how their ideas would be
grouped and sequenced—they also practiced.
Discuss at least TWO things to do differently in the future to extend these successes to continue students’ academic growth.
To extend the success of objective 38, one thing I would do differently in the future is teach students to engage with the other perspectives in an
argument instead of just responding to them. During this unit, I often told students that the rebuttal in an argument is just the writer’s response to
the counterclaim. However, the ACT writing test scoring rubric clearly differentiates between responding to other perspectives on an issue and
engaging with them.

Another thing I would like to do to extend the success of objective 38 is teach students to establish an insightful context for analysis of an issue and
its perspectives. I did encourage the students to provide background information for their arguments in their introductions, but I think this could
have been explained in greater detail.
One last thing I would like to do to extend the success of objective 38 is teach students to examine the implications of their arguments. I didn’t
address this at all during my unit; yet, just like engaging with multiple perspectives on a given issue and establishing an insightful context for
analysis of the issue, examining the implications of an argument is necessary to receive a score of 6 (the highest score) on the ACT writing test.
To extend the success of objective 39, one thing I would do differently in the future is spend more time teaching students to use transitions within
their paragraphs. I’m happy to say that the students did an excellent job using transitions between paragraphs, like I taught them to, but both kinds
of transitions are needed to strengthen the relationship among ideas.
B. Narrative: Description of Least Successful Activities and Future Implications

Based on the analysis of all the assessment
Give more than one reason for each of the least successful objectives identified.
results, identify TWO learning objectives
from the unit that were least successful.
Objective 39: Students will be able to develop One reason why I think this objective was unsuccessful is because the students relied heavily on
and support their ideas with reasoning and the graphic organizer, and the graphic organizer really only had enough space for one piece of
examples. evidence and one piece of commentary for each reason. That wasn’t enough room for the
students to develop and support their ideas.
Another reason why I think this objective was unsuccessful is because the students were timed
in writing their argumentative essays. It’s difficult to develop and support your ideas when you
know the clock is ticking. Even I struggle with timed writing.
Objective 41: Students will be able to One reason why I think this objective was unsuccessful is because the primary focus of my
communicate their ideas effectively in standard writing instruction was on ideas, not grammar, usage, and mechanics. I was more concerned
written English. with making sure the students knew what they were going to write than I was with making sure
they knew where to put the commas.
Another reason why I think this objective was unsuccessful is because it is too “big.”
Communicating one’s ideas effectively in standard written English is not something that can be
learned in five weeks—it takes years.
Discuss at least TWO things to do differently in the future to improve students’ performance.

To improve the likelihood of success of objective 39, one thing I would do differently in the future is provide more space for students to develop
and support their ideas on the graphic organizer. I don’t want to limit the students to one piece of evidence and one piece of commentary for each
reason again.
Another thing I would like to do to improve the likelihood of success of objective 39 is give students more time to write. It was my cooperating
teacher’s idea to time the students during the pre-assessment and summative assessment, but I was never a fan. I know the students will be timed
when they take the ACT writing test in April, but I think that’s something they need to build up to.
To improve the likelihood of success of objective 41, one thing I would do differently in the future is integrate more instruction on grammar,
mechanics, and usage into the unit. Although I’m more concerned with students having good ideas to write about, I recognize that grammar,
mechanics, and usage are important aspects of writing that can’t be overlooked.
Another thing I would like to do to improve the likelihood of success of objective 41 is identify certain aspects of grammar, mechanics, and usage
to focus on during this unit. Like I said, communicating one’s ideas effectively in standard written English is not something that can be learned in
five weeks, but it can be learned over time.
Table 4.1 Communication Log

Result or Impact on Follow Up
Date Person Contacted Method of Contact Reason for Contact Instruction (If Necessary)
Twenty percent of students in
the class are receiving free
lunch, and ten percent of
class contextual information
students in the class are
high school (percentage of students
2/7/18 face-to-face receiving reduced lunch. Three unnecessary
secretary receiving free/reduced lunch
students in the class are Native
and ethnicity of students)
American, and seven students
in the class are White.
Although Student A and

Student B are both allowed
extended time for Student A extended time to complete
high school
2/8/18 face-to-face and Student B on the ACT assessments, according to unnecessary
counselor
writing test Student A’s IEP and Student
B’s 504, the counselor said it’s
highly unlikely that either of
Result or Impact on Follow Up
Date Person Contacted Method of Contact Reason for Contact Instruction (If Necessary)
them will receive additional
time when they take the ACT
writing test in April.
When I told Student A he

could have additional time to
write his essay for the
summative assessment, he said
additional time for summative “okay,” but he finished it in
3/14/18 Student A face-to-face unnecessary
assessment twenty-seven minutes. When
he turned it in, I asked if he
was sure he didn’t need more
time, and he said “yes.”
When I told Student B he

could have additional time to
write his essay for the
summative assessment, he said
additional time for summative “okay,” but he finished it in
3/14/18 Student B face-to-face 3/26/18
assessment twenty-nine minutes. When he
turned it in, I asked if he was
sure he didn’t need more time,
and he said “yes.”
C. Narrative: Reflection on Impact of Communications

During my communication with the high school secretary, she was unable to provide me with the names of students receiving free or reduced
lunch because that information is confidential. She did provide me with the number of students receiving free or reduced lunch, which had very
little impact on my unit. However, I spoke extensively about social inequality in reference to the American Dream throughout this unit, and such
discussions elicited a strong response from Student A in particular. He was very vocal about social inequality, and he was by far the most sensitive
about the issue. This led me to wonder if Student A might be one of the three students in this class who receive free or reduced lunch.

My communication with the high school counselor was quite surprising to me. My initial question to her was this: “How much additional time will
Student A and Student B get when they take the ACT writing test?” My plan was to allow them that same amount of time in taking the summative
assessment for this unit. I hadn’t considered that I might need to ask if they would get additional time. That hadn’t crossed my mind. After learning
that neither Student A nor Student B would receive additional time to complete the ACT writing test, my plans changed entirely. I decided to still
give them additional time to take the summative assessment, but, in the days leading up to the summative assessment, I timed them just as I timed
everyone else as they practiced writing their argumentative essays.
When the time finally came for the summative assessment, I told Student A and Student B that I would give them additional time to write their
essays. However, neither Student A nor Student B took advantage of the extended time. When I graded Student A’s essay, I was surprised to find
that his writing had significantly improved since taking the pre-assessment. Even though he could have written more and was given the time to do
so, I was so pleased with his progress that I decided to enter the grade for his essay “as is.” Student B’s essay, on the other hand, was an entirely
different story. Unlike Student A’s essay, Student B’s essay showed very little improvement from the pre-assessment. Organization was the only
area in which he improved, and that improvement was slight. Instead of entering his grade “as is,” I decided to have him rewrite the essay with my
help and additional time.
D. Narrative: Reflection on Future Professional Development

Identify at least TWO aspects of instruction that could be improved. What specific professional development opportunities/activities
Explain reasoning. will help to acquire that knowledge or skill?
Aspect 1: Differentiated Instruction The amount of information and research that has been published about
differentiated instruction is extensive; therefore, I don’t think I’ll have
Reasoning: Between the pre-assessment and the summative assessment, to look any further than my own computer to find books, articles,
Student B’s argumentative writing skills showed no improvement in websites, videos, etc. on the topic of differentiated instruction. I have a
three of the four writing domains, and I can’t help but feel like I’m to bad habit of trying to develop strategies on my own, and it’s important
blame. Differentiated instruction is about each student getting what he or for me to remember that I don’t need to “reinvent the wheel.” Other
she needs, and I clearly should have done more to ensure Student B’s teachers, with a lot more experience than me, have already gone
success with this unit. through the struggles I’m going through now, and there’s no reason
why I shouldn’t learn from them.

Aspect 2: Writing Instruction and Assessment Just like with differentiated instruction, I can learn a lot about writing
instruction and assessment from teachers who have more experience
Reasoning: Although I am confident in my knowledge of writing and in than me. When I took ENGL-479: Techniques for Teaching English in
my own ability to write, I lack confidence in my ability to teach and Middle and Secondary Schools last semester, I learned about Jim
assess writing. Even as I taught this unit on argumentative writing, I Burke, Penny Kittle, and Tom Romano, three such teachers who have
sometimes found it difficult to explain certain aspects of writing that also published books about teaching writing. Although I read bits and
seem second-nature (to me) to the students, and grading their essays was pieces of their work in ENGL-479, I think I would benefit from
a challenge in and of itself. reading more from all three of them.
In addition to reading professional literature about writing instruction

and assessment, I would also like to attend writing workshops. The
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) offers a variety of
conferences all year round that feature workshops on writing, and I
would love to attend one someday.

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Mountain Alchemy, Jan. 2004.
“What Is Active Learning?” Center for Educational Innovation, The University of Minnesota,
cei.umn.edu/support-services/tutorials/what-active-learning.
APPENDIX A
Class Ethnicity
Native
American,
30%
Caucasian,
70%
Caucasian Black Asian Hispanic Native American
School Ethnicity
Native
American,
25%
Hispanic, 4%
Caucasian,
Asian, 1% 69%
District Ethnicity
Native
American,
22%
Hispanic, 4%
Asian, 1%
Caucasian,
72%

Class Free/Reduced Lunch
Receiving Free
Lunch, 20%
Receiving
Reduced Lunch,
10%
Not Receiving
Free/Reduced
Lunch, 70%
Receiving Free Lunch Receiving Reduced Lunch

Not Receiving Free/Reduced Lunch
School Free/Reduced Lunch

Students Eligible
for Free/Reduced
Lunch, 19%
Students
Uneligible for
Free/Reduced Students Eligible for Free/Reduced Lunch
Lunch, 81%
Students Uneligible for Free/Reduced Lunch
District Free/Reduced Lunch

Students Eligible
for Free/Reduced
Lunch, 28%
Students
Uneligible for
Free/Reduced
Lunch, 72%
Students Eligible for Free/Reduced Lunch
Students Uneligible for Free/Reduced Lunch

Class Language Proficiency
Fluent English
Proficient, 100%
English Language Learners Fluent English Proficient
English Language School Language Proficiency

Learners, 0.70%
Fluent English
Proficient,
99.30%
English
District Language Proficiency Language
Learners,
1.20%
Fluent English
Proficient,
98.80%

APPENDIX B
Literature Circles: The Great Gatsby
Subject: English Language Arts

Grade: 11
Estimated time: one 50-minute session
Lesson author: Jessi Headrick
Lesson date: 2/22/18
***Note: This lesson was loosely adapted from a lesson by Lisa Storm Fink, which
was published by the National Council of Teachers of English on
ReadWriteThink.org.
Preview
OVERVIEW
During this lesson, students gather in groups (literature circles) to discuss F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, report
out to the class for whole-class discussion, and complete self-evaluations of their preparation for and participation in the
literature circles.
FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE
Literature circles are a strong classroom strategy because of the way that they couple collaborative learning with
student-centered inquiry. As they conclude their description of the use of literature circles in a bilingual classroom,
Claudia Peralta-Nash and Julie A. Dutch explain the ways that the strategy helped students become stronger readers:
Students learned to take responsibility for their own learning, and this was reflected in how effectively
they made choices and took ownership of literature circle groups. They took charge of their own
discussions, held each other accountable for how much or how little reading to do, and for the
preparation for each session. The positive peer pressure that the members of each group placed on each
other contributed to each student's accountability to the rest of the group. (36)
When students engage with texts and one another in these ways, they take control of their literacy in positive and
rewarding ways.
Standards
OKLAHOMA ACADEMIC STANDARDS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS (11TH GRADE)
Standard 1: Speaking and Listening
11.1.R.1 Students will actively listen and speak clearly using appropriate discussion rules with control of verbal and
nonverbal cues.
11.1.R.2 Students will actively listen and evaluate, analyze, and synthesize a speaker’s messages (both verbal and
nonverbal) and ask questions to clarify the speaker’s purpose and perspective.
11.1.R.3 Students will engage in collaborative discussions about appropriate topics and texts, expressing their own ideas
by contributing to, building on, and questioning the ideas of others in pairs, diverse groups, and whole class settings.
11.1.W.1 Students will give formal and informal presentations in a group or individually, providing textual and visual
evidence to support a main idea.
11.1.W.2 Students will work effectively and respectfully within diverse groups, demonstrate willingness to make
necessary compromises to accomplish a goal, share responsibility for collaborative work, and value individual
contributions made by each group member.
11.2.R.1 Students will summarize, paraphrase, and synthesize ideas, while maintaining meaning and a logical sequence
of events, within and between texts.
11.3.R.3 Students will analyze how authors use key literary elements (e.g., themes, archetypes) to contribute to meaning
and interpret how themes are connected across texts.
11.3.R.4 Students will evaluate literary devices (e.g., imagery, tone, symbolism, irony) to support interpretations of texts,
including comparisons across texts.
11.3.R.7: Students will make connections (e.g., thematic links, literary analysis, authors’ style) between and across
multiple texts and provide textual evidence to support their inferences.
11.4.R.1 Students will increase knowledge of academic, domain-appropriate, grade-level vocabulary to infer meaning of
grade-level text.
11.4.R.2 Students will use word parts (e.g., affixes, Greek and Latin roots, stems) to define and determine the meaning
of increasingly complex words.
11.4.R.3 Students will use context clues to determine or clarify the meaning of words or distinguish among multiple-
meaning words.
11.4.R.4 Students will analyze and evaluate the relationships among words with multiple meanings and recognize the
connotation and denotation of words.
11.4.R.5 Students will use general and specialized dictionaries, thesauri, glossaries, histories of language, books of
quotations, and other related references (print and/or electronic) as needed.
Standard 7: Multimodal Literacies
11.7.W.1 Students will design and develop multimodal content for a variety of purposes.
Resources and Preparation
MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY
 Classroom set of The Great Gatsby

 Pencils
 Student composition books
 Computer
 Projector
PRINTOUTS
 Literature Circle Informal Assessment (double-click the following link)
Literature Circle
Informal Assessment.docx
 Literature Circle Instructions (double-click the following link)
Literature Circle
Instructions.docx
 Literature Circle Notes: Overview of the Roles (p. 149 of Tools for Thought: Helping All Students Read, Write,
Speak, and Think by Jim Burke)
 Literature Circle Notes: Discussion Director (p. 150 of Tools for Thought: Helping All Students Read, Write, Speak,
and Think by Jim Burke)
 Literature Circle Notes: Illuminator (p. 151 of Tools for Thought: Helping All Students Read, Write, Speak, and
Think by Jim Burke)
 Literature Circle Notes: Illustrator (p. 152 of Tools for Thought: Helping All Students Read, Write, Speak, and
Think by Jim Burke)
 Literature Circle Notes: Connector (p. 153 of Tools for Thought: Helping All Students Read, Write, Speak, and
Think by Jim Burke)
 Literature Circle Notes: Word Watcher (p. 154 of Tools for Thought: Helping All Students Read, Write, Speak, and
Think by Jim Burke)
 Literature Circle Notes: Summarizer (p. 155 of Tools for Thought: Helping All Students Read, Write, Speak, and
Think by Jim Burke)
 Literature Circle Self-Evaluation (double-click the following link)
Literature Circle
Self-Evaluation.docx
WEBSITES
 “(Almost) Paperless Literature Circles” (https://www.edutopia.org/blog/almost-paperless-literature-circles-ross-

cooper)
 “Classroom Literature Circles Expand Thought” (https://www.edutopia.org/literature-circles-class-book-
discussion)
 “How to Create a Classroom Literature Circle” (https://www.edutopia.org/literature-circles-classroom-book-
discussion-how-to)
 “Literature Circles Build Excitement for Books!” (http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr259.shtml)
 “The Nuts and Bolts of Setting up Literature Circles” (https://www.edutopia.org/blog/literature-circles-setting-
up-getting-started-elena-aguilar)
 “The Power of Literature Circles in the Classroom” (https://www.edutopia.org/blog/literature-circles-how-to-
and-reasons-why-elena-aguilar)
 Tools for Thought: Helping All Students Read, Write, Speak, and Think
(https://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/e00464/appendix.pdf)
 “Training Students for Literature Circles” (https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-
content/training-students-literature-circles/)

PREPARATION
1) Review the basic literature circle strategy, using the websites linked in the Resources and Preparation section.
Before you begin the lesson, you should have a strong working knowledge of how the strategy works.
2) Preview and read The Great Gatsby so that you are familiar with the plot and literary elements. Gather copies of
the novel for students.
3) Introduce literature circles to students by explaining that literature circles are “groups of people reading the
same book and meeting together to discuss what they have read” (Peralta-Nash and Dutch 30).
4) Emphasize the student-centered collaborative nature of the reading strategy by discussing how the strategy
places students “in charge of leading their own discussions as well as making decisions for themselves” (Peralta-
Nash and Dutch 30). Share some of the ways that students will work independently (e.g., deciding on the
questions that the group will discuss about The Great Gatsby).
5) Make copies of the Literature Circle Notes: Overview of the Roles, introduce students to the requirements of
each role, and answer any questions they have.
6) Make copies of the Literature Circle Notes (Discussion Director, Illuminator, Illustrator, Connector, Word
Watcher, Summarizer); allow students to volunteer for Discussion Director, Illuminator, Illustrator, Connector,
Word Watcher, or Summarizer; then organize students into groups of six so that each group has one person for
each role.
7) Allow time in class for students to read chapters 1-3 of The Great Gatsby and to work on their Literature Circle
Notes before the literature circles take place.
8) Make copies of the Literature Circle Self-Evaluation.
9) Display the Literature Circle Instructions on a projector for students to see as they enter class. Alternately, you
might make copies for students to refer to.
10) Arrange desks into groups of six.
Instructional Plan
STUDENT OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:

 Identify important aspects of The Great Gatsby, develop questions for their literature circle groups to discuss,
and facilitate their group discussions. (Discussion Directors)
 Find passages from The Great Gatsby that their literature circle groups would like to/should hear read aloud;
include the quotations, why they chose the quotations, and what they want to say about the quotations in their
Literature Circles Notes; and read the passages aloud or ask members of their groups to read roles.
(Illuminators)
 Draw what they read, explain how their drawings relate to The Great Gatsby, and label their drawings so the
other students in their literature circle groups know who the characters are. (Illustrators)
 Connect The Great Gatsby with what they are studying, the world outside of school, events in their own lives,
news events, political events, popular trends, or books they’ve already read. (Connectors)
 Locate words worth knowing in The Great Gatsby; include the words, why they chose the words, and the
definition of the words in their Literature Circle Notes; and indicate the specific location of the words so their
literature circle groups can discuss the words in context. (Word Watchers)
 Prepare a brief summary of The Great Gatsby. (Summarizers)
 Ask relevant and focused questions to clarify understanding.
 Respond to questions and discussion with relevant and focused comments.
 Evaluate their preparation for and participation in literature circles.

SESSION
1) As students enter class, point them to the Literature Circle Instructions on the projector. Before class begins,
they should be seated with the groups they were assigned to on Tuesday, check to make sure they have a copy
of The Great Gatsby, get their Literature Circle Notes out, and wait quietly for class to begin.
2) After the bell rings for class to begin, draw students’ attention back to the Literature Circle Instructions on the
projector. Review the instructions with them, answering any questions.
3) For the first thirty-five minutes of class, have students meet in their literature circles to discuss chapters 1-3 of
The Great Gatsby. During this meeting, students should rely on the Literature Circle Notes for their various roles
(i.e., Discussion Director, Illuminator, Illustrator, Connector, Word Watcher, and Summarizer) to generate group
discussion. Each student in the group should have a turn to speak and to present the information from his/her
notes. As the groups meet, act as a facilitator, not a group member or instructor. Using the Literature Circle
Informal Assessment sheet, circulate among groups, recording observations of students’ work. Assess each
student’s preparation for and participation in the literature circles.
4) For the next five minutes of class, have each group report out to the class for whole-class discussion. Ask them
to tell the class what they learned about chapters 1-3 of The Great Gatsby from their group’s discussion or to
share with the class the most intriguing part of their discussion.
5) During the last ten minutes of class, have students complete the Literature Circle Self-Evaluation to evaluate
their own preparation for and participation in the literature circles. After they have completed this evaluation,
have them staple it into their composition books on page 27. Remind them to put their MLA heading and page
number at the top of the page and to label the entry as “Literature Circle Self-Evaluation” in their table of
contents. As the students work on their evaluations, collect the Literature Circle Notes from each group.
6) Finally, remind students to study for tomorrow’s quiz. The quiz will cover the comma rules and the quote
discussed in class on Tuesday, the symbolism and the quote discussed in class on Wednesday, and chapters 1-3
of The Great Gatsby.
ASSESSMENT
 As students work in their literature circles, use the Literature Circle Informal Assessment sheet to take notes on
their preparation and participation. Remember that discussion topics should grow naturally from students’
interests and connections to the text. Their group discussions should be open, natural conversations about The
Great Gatsby. Personal connections, digressions, and open-ended questions are welcome.
 Provide feedback to individual students by writing notes on their Literature Circle Self-Evaluation. Base feedback
on your own observations from class. Suggest ways that students can improve their preparation for or
participation in the groups, pointing to their Literature Circle Notes and relying on your anecdotal notes. Make
connections to the students’ evaluations of themselves. Encourage students to brainstorm strategies they can
try for future literature circles to improve their preparation and/or participation.
DIFFERENTIATION
Multiple intelligences
In “Differentiating for Multiple Intelligences,” a peer-reviewed article from the Education Resources Information Center
(ERIC), teacher educators Courtney L. Crim, Kimberley D. Kennedy, and Jenifer S. Thornton note, “The theory of multiple
intelligences offers support for instructional approaches that incorporate a variety of connections for teaching and
learning that validate the unique experiences, interests, and cultures of all students. Given that individuals gravitate to
the areas in which they have strengths and can incorporate these areas into their learning, the concept of multiple
intelligences is uniquely suited to support and enhance a differentiated classroom.”
Of the nine intelligences, this lesson will address six: verbal/linguistic (through reading chapters 1-3 of The Great Gatsby,
listening to the teacher’s overview of the literature circle roles, listening to other students during literature circles,
speaking during literature circles, and writing Literature Circle Notes), visual/spatial (through the Illustrators’ Literature
Circle Notes), interpersonal (through group and whole-class discussion during literature circles), intrapersonal (through
independent note-taking prior to literature circles), and existential (through the Connectors’ Literature Circle Notes).
Choice
According to a Scholastic article on differentiated instruction, one key principle that forms the foundation of
differentiating instruction is choice: “Teachers offer students choice in their reading and writing experiences and in the
tasks and projects they complete. By negotiating with students, teachers can create motivating assignments that meet
students’ diverse needs and varied interests.”
Before students participate in literature circles, provide an overview of the six literature circle roles (Discussion Director,
Illuminator, Illustrator, Connector, Word Watcher, Summarizer) and allow students to choose which roles they want for
the first round of literature circles. Furthermore, allow students to choose how they read chapters 1-3 of The Great
Gatsby. For those who wish to read at their own pace, allow them to read independently. For those who wish to read
with the class, give them the choice of reading aloud or listening to the audio book. By offering students choice in the
literature circle roles they fulfill and in their reading experiences, teachers can create a motivating assignment that
meets students’ diverse needs and varied interests.
Grouping
According to a BBC article on differentiated instruction, “Collaborative learning has many well-documented benefits
such as enabling shy students to participate more confidently in class, but it’s also a useful differentiation method. Small,
mixed-ability groups allow lower achievers to take advantage of peer support whilst higher achievers gain the
opportunity to organise and voice their thoughts for the benefit of the whole group (known as peer modelling).
Grouping also allows roles to be allocated within the team which cater for each member’s skill set and learning needs.”
After students have been assigned literature circle roles, place them in groups to prepare for literature circles. Although
students will work independently at the beginning of the week to complete the Literature Circle Notes for their assigned
roles, they will work collaboratively on Thursday to discuss their Literature Circle Notes and chapters 1-3 of The Great
Gatsby. This grouping allows roles to be allocated within the groups which cater to each member’s skill set and learning
needs. Students should be grouped by mixed ability to allow those with lower reading levels to take advantage of peer
support, while those with higher reading levels gain the opportunity to organize and voice their thoughts on the novel.
Discussion
According to a Scholastic article on differentiated instruction, “Discussion is especially important in a differentiated

classroom because it provides a powerful way to build on every student's understandings and knowledge of facts. It also
provides them with opportunities to clarify meaning and to build comprehension. By asking students to move beyond
memorizing the facts to applying those facts to issues and problems through discussion, students deepen their
understanding and recall. In-depth discussions among small groups, and with the entire class, can show students how
their peers think and reason, can build background knowledge, and can make the facts relevant to their own lives.”
On the day of literature circles, students will gather in groups (literature circles) to discuss chapters 1-3 of The Great
Gatsby and then report out to the class for whole-class discussion. In their groups, the students should rely on the
Literature Circle Notes for their various roles (i.e., Discussion Director, Illuminator, Illustrator, Connector, Word Watcher,
and Summarizer) to generate discussion. When it is time for whole-class discussion, ask each group to tell the class what
they learned about chapters 1-3 of The Great Gatsby from their group’s discussion or to share with the class the most
intriguing part of their discussion. These discussions will provide a powerful way to build on every student’s
understanding and knowledge of The Great Gatsby. It will also provide students with opportunities to clarify meaning
and to build comprehension of the novel. By asking students to move beyond memorizing the plot, characters, themes,
motifs, symbols, etc. of the novel to applying those to issues and problems through discussion, students will deepen
their understanding and recall. These in-depth discussions among groups, and with the entire class, will show students
how their peers think and reason, build background knowledge of the novel, and make the novel relevant to their own
lives.
Planning and Writing an Introduction for an Argumentative Essay
Subject: English Language Arts

Grade: 11
Estimated time: one 50-minute session
Lesson author: Jessi Headrick
Lesson date: 3/12/18
Preview
OVERVIEW
During this lesson, students practice planning and writing introductions for the ACT writing test. As part of the new
Oklahoma College and Career Ready Assessment (CCRA), each district in the state of Oklahoma must choose to
administer either the ACT or SAT, including the writing section, to eleventh-grade students. The Verdigris Public Schools
district has chosen to administer the ACT, and the test is scheduled for early April. In addition to preparing students for
the ACT, this lesson will also prepare students to take the Mock ACT Writing Test (Summative Assessment) at the end of
this unit.
Standards
OKLAHOMA ACADEMIC STANDARDS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS (11TH GRADE)
11.2.W.2 Students will plan (e.g., outline) and prewrite a first draft as necessary.
11.2.W.3 Students will develop drafts by choosing an organizational structure (e.g., description, compare/contrast,
sequential, problem/solution, cause/effect, etc.) and building on ideas in multi-paragraph essays.
11.3.R.3 Students will analyze how authors use key literary elements (e.g., themes, archetypes) to contribute to meaning
and interpret how themes are connected across texts.
11.3.W.4 Students will (1) introduce precise, informed claims, (2) distinguish them from alternate or opposing claims, (3)
organize claims, counterclaims, and evidence in a way that provides a logical sequence for the entire argument, and (4)
provide the most relevant evidences to develop balanced arguments, using credible sources.
11.3.W.5 Students will use words, phrases, clauses, and varied syntax to connect all parts of the argument and create
cohesion and include a conclusion that follows logically from the information presented and supports the argument.

11.4.W.1 Students will use domain-appropriate vocabulary to communicate complex ideas in writing clearly.
11.4.W.2 Students will select appropriate language to create a specific effect according to purpose in writing.
Standard 5: Language
11.5.W.1 Students will write using correct mechanics.
11.5.W.2 Students will compose single, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences and questions,
including the use of phrases and clauses, to signal differing relationships among ideas.
11.5.W.3 Students will demonstrate command of Standard American English, grammar, mechanics, and usage through
writing, presentations, and/or other modes of communication to convey specific meanings and interests.
Standard 6: Research
11.6.W.2 Students will integrate findings from sources using a well-developed thesis statement.
Standard 8: Independent Reading and Writing
11.8.W Students will write independently over extended periods of time (e.g., time for research, reflection, and revision)
and for shorter timeframes (e.g., a single sitting or a day or two), vary their modes of expression to suit audience and
task, and/or be able to apply new understandings in an original way.
Resources and Preparation
MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY
 Classroom set of The Great Gatsby

 Pencils
 Teacher composition book (model)
 Student composition books
 Computer
 Projector
PRINTOUTS
 Argumentative Writing Graphic Organizer (double-click the following link)
Argumentative
Writing Graphic Organizer.docx
 Build a Strong Argument (double-click the following link)
Build a Strong
Argument.docx

 Composition Book - Argumentative Introduction (double-click the following link)
Composition Book -
Argumentative Introduction.docx
 Mock ACT Writing Test (Summative Assessment) (double-click the following link)
Mock ACT Writing

Test (Summative Assessment).docx
WEBSITES
 ACT official website (https://www.act.org/)
PREPARATION
11) Review information about the ACT writing test, using the website linked in the Resources and Preparation
section. Before you begin the lesson, you should have a strong working knowledge of the test.
12) Preview and read The Great Gatsby so that you are familiar with its treatment of the theme of the American
Dream. Gather copies of the novel for students.
13) Make copies of the Build a Strong Argument handout and review its contents with students prior to this lesson,
preferably during the first week of the unit.
14) Make copies of the Argumentative Writing Graphic Organizer.
15) Make a copy of the Composition Book - Argumentative Introduction activity.
16) Make copies of the Mock ACT Writing Test (Summative Assessment). Place one copy on each desk for students
to see as they enter class. Additionally, write the essential question on a white board: In The Great Gatsby, does
F. Scott Fitzgerald portray the American Dream as corrupt and unreachable or revered and attainable?
17) Display the table of contents from the teacher composition book (model) on a projector for students to see as
they enter class.
Instructional Plan
STUDENT OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:

 Write an introduction for an argumentative essay that includes a hook, background information, and a claim.
 Use specific nouns in their writing.
 Use third-person pronouns in their writing.
 Use strong action verbs in their writing.
SESSION
1) As students enter class, they should get their composition books from the class bin at the back of the room and
begin copying the latest entry from the table of contents in the teacher composition book (model) into their
own composition books.
2) After the bell rings for class to begin, draw students’ attention to the Mock ACT Writing Test (Summative
Assessment) on their desks. They should recognize it as being similar to the Mock ACT Writing Test (Pre-
Assessment) they took at the beginning of the unit.
3) As a preview for the week, let the students know that they will be writing one or two paragraphs for the
argumentative essay each day, and, on Thursday, they will be timed in writing a full response. As with the actual

ACT writing test, they will only have forty minutes to complete the Mock ACT Writing Test (Summative
Assessment) on Thursday.
4) Next, ask for student volunteers to read the Mock ACT Writing Test (Summative Assessment). If there are no
volunteers, read the first paragraph of the writing prompt before drawing students’ names out of a cup to select
students at random.
5) After the entire prompt has been read, answer any questions the students have about it.
6) Next, ask the students if they can recall the preferred organization for an argumentative essay. This was covered
in class during the first week of the unit, when students first received the Build a Strong Argument handout.
7) As necessary, review the organization for an argumentative essay while passing out copies of the Argumentative
Writing Graphic Organizer.
8) After every student has received a copy of the Argumentative Writing Graphic Organizer, draw students’
attention to the introduction bubble. Ask the students to define or describe hook, background, and claim. Again,
this information should be a review from the first week of the unit, when students first received the Build a
Strong Argument handout.
9) Next, review the importance of planning. Planning should have been discussed during the first week of the unit
as well, but students may need to be reminded to plan before they write. To encourage planning, allow students
a few minutes to plan their introductions using the Argumentative Writing Graphic Organizer.
10) After the students have planned their introductions, ask if they can recall what kinds of nouns, pronouns, and
verbs they should use in argumentative writing. Again, this information should be a review from the first week
of the unit, when students first received the Build a Strong Argument handout.
11) After all information has been reviewed, display the Composition Book - Argumentative Introduction activity on
the projector. Review the instructions with the students, answering any questions.
12) When the students are ready to start writing, set a timer on the computer for eight minutes and display the
timer on the projector for students to see. As students begin writing their introductions, start the timer.
13) When the timer ends, ask the students to put down their pencils.
14) During the last few minutes of class, ask students to highlight the three parts of their introductions: The hook
should be highlighted in orange, the background information should be highlighted in green, and the claim
should be highlighted in pink. They should also circle specific nouns, draw a square around third-person
pronouns, and underline strong action verbs.
15) At the end of class, ask students to put their composition books in the class bin at the back of the room. As they
do so, remind them that they will start writing body paragraphs tomorrow.
ASSESSMENT
 At the end of the week, collect student composition books for grading. The students will write a total of four
paragraphs in their composition books this week, so each paragraph should be worth twenty-five points. For the
introductory paragraph, four points will be awarded in each of the following areas (for a total of twenty-four
points): (1) hook, (2) background information, (3) claim, (4) specific nouns, (5) third-person pronouns, and (6)
strong action verbs. One point will be awarded for correct MLA formatting.
 Provide feedback to individual students by writing notes in their composition books. Suggest ways that students
can improve their introductions, pointing to the Build a Strong Argument handout and relying on your
knowledge of the ACT writing test scoring rubric. Encourage students to brainstorm ways they can improve their
introductions in future writing.
DIFFERENTIATION
Multiple Intelligences
In “Differentiating for Multiple Intelligences,” a peer-reviewed article from the Education Resources Information Center
(ERIC), teacher educators Courtney L. Crim, Kimberley D. Kennedy, and Jenifer S. Thornton note, “The theory of multiple
intelligences offers support for instructional approaches that incorporate a variety of connections for teaching and
learning that validate the unique experiences, interests, and cultures of all students. Given that individuals gravitate to
the areas in which they have strengths and can incorporate these areas into their learning, the concept of multiple
intelligences is uniquely suited to support and enhance a differentiated classroom.”
Of the nine intelligences, this lesson will address three: verbal/linguistic (through reading the writing prompt for the
Mock ACT Writing Test (Summative Assessment), listening to other students during review, speaking during review, and
writing in composition book) mathematical/logical (through organizing ideas clearly and logically to practice planning
and writing an argumentative essay), and visual/spatial (through graphic organizer used to practice planning an
argumentative essay).
Choice
According to a Scholastic article on differentiated instruction, one key principle that forms the foundation of
differentiating instruction is choice: “Teachers offer students choice in their reading and writing experiences and in the
tasks and projects they complete. By negotiating with students, teachers can create motivating assignments that meet
students’ diverse needs and varied interests.”
Before students take the Mock ACT Writing Test (Summative Assessment), present them with the writing prompt and
ask them to practice planning and writing their argumentative essays. Although students will not have a choice in the
topic of their writing (all students will write about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the American Dream in The Great
Gatsby), allow them to choose how they respond to the prompt. They may argue that the American Dream is portrayed
as corrupt and unreachable or revered and attainable. By offering students choice in this writing experience, teachers
can create a motivating assignment that meets their diverse needs and varied interests.
Handout and graphic organizer for Student A and Student B
According to an Edutopia article on differentiated instruction, one way to differentiate instruction for struggling students
is to provide a handout with sentence starters or a graphic organizer to help them construct meaning.
During this lesson, Student A and Student B will be provided with a handout with sentence starters and a graphic
organizer to help them construct meaning.
Accommodations for Student A
The accommodations listed in Student A’s IEP include extended time for assessments (up to double time), assistance
available in the resource room after instruction is given, and paraprofessionals, as available, to help Student A stay
organized.
Accommodations for Student B
The accommodations listed on Student B’s 504 include a seat close to the teacher (if possible), notes or written
information for assignments and due dates, and extended time to complete assignments and tests (up to one additional
day) if requested prior to the due date.

APPENDIX C
Pre-Assessment Rubric Scores for Each Domain

6
5 5 5
5
Score (Range 1-6)
4
4
3 3
3 2.7 2.5 2.6
2 2
2
1 1 1 1 1
1
0
Ideas and Analysis Development and Organization Language Use
Support
Domain
Whole-Class Average Student A of Subgroup 1

Student B of Subgroup 1 Student C of Subgroup 2
Summative Assessment Rubric Scores for Each Domain

6 6 6
6
5 5
5 4.3
Score (Range 1-6)
4 4
4 3.6 3.5
3 3
3
2
2
1 1 1
1
0
Ideas and Analysis Development and Organization Language Use
Support
Domain


Pre-Assessment Writing Subject Scores
12
11
10 9.5
Score (Range 2-12) 9

8
7
6 5.4
5 4
4
3 2
2
1
0

Summative Assessment Writing Subject Scores

12 11.5
11
10
9
Score (Range 2-12)
7.7 7.5
8
7
6
5
4
3 2.5
2
1
0


The American Dream
James Truslow Adams, in his book The Epic of America, which was written in 1931, stated that the
American Dream is “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for
everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the
European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and
mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in
which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are
innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous
circumstances of birth or position.”
Eighty-seven years have passed since Adams first defined the American Dream, yet many Americans
today are still “weary and mistrustful” of it. Could it be that the American Dream is corrupt and
unreachable, or, on the other hand, is it revered and attainable?
Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each suggests a particular way of thinking about the
American Dream.
Perspective One Perspective Two Perspective Three
The American Dream is The American Dream may The American Dream is not
attainable for everyone. be attainable for some attainable for anyone.
America is the “land of people, but it is not Because the American
opportunity.” If you dream attainable for everyone. Dream is simply an ideal,
it, you can achieve it. Our culture contains too no one can or will ever
Consider the various “rags many roadblocks and attain it. It is impossible to
to riches” stories in our obstacles, such as achieve a “perfect” life.
society, as well as the prejudice, poverty, and
numerous individuals who social inequality.
have stumbled upon
success or have worked
hard to rise to the top.
Essay Task
Write a unified, coherent essay about the American Dream. In your essay,
be sure to:
• clearly state your own perspective on the issue and analyze the relationship
between your perspective and at least one other perspective
• develop and support your ideas with reasoning and examples
• organize your ideas clearly and logically
• communicate your ideas effectively in standard written English
Your perspective may be in full agreement with any of those given, in partial
agreement, or completely different.

Planning Your Essay
Your work on these prewriting pages will not be scored.
Use the space below to generate ideas and plan your essay. You may wish to consider the following
as you think critically about the task:
Strengths and weaknesses of different perspectives on the issue
• What insights do they offer, and what do they fail to consider?
• Why might they be persuasive to others, or why might they fail to persuade?
Your own knowledge, experience, and values
• What is your perspective on this issue, and what are its strengths and weaknesses?
• How will you support your perspective in your essay?

Literature Circle Informal Assessment
Group #___ Preparation Participation
Student
Name
Student
Name
Student
Name
Student
Name
Student
Name
Student
Name
Preparation
 Did the student complete all the required reading?
 Did the student prepare his/her notes in detail?
Participation
 Did the student fulfill his/her assigned role in the literature circle?
 Did the student have a turn to speak?
 If the student did have a turn to speak, did he/she stay on topic?
 If the student did have a turn to speak, did he/she present all the information from his/her notes?
 If the student did have a turn to speak, did he/she present his/her ideas clearly?
 If the student did have a turn to speak, did he/she use the text to support his/her ideas?
 Did the student let others have a turn to speak?
 Did the student listen carefully when others were speaking?

Quiz
Multiple Choice
1) Why doesn’t Nick judge Gatsby harshly?
a) Nick is in love with Gatsby.

b) Gatsby embodies everything that Nick admires about the human spirit.
c) Nick is attracted to Gatsby’s personality.
d) Gatsby has dirt on Nick.
2) Why does Nick move to New York?
a) To be with Jordan, his girlfriend

b) To become a Broadway actor
c) To escape his domineering mother
d) To learn the bond business
3) When do the events described in this novel take place?
a) During World War I

b) At the beginning of the Great Depression
c) In the early 1920s
d) At the turn of the 20 century
th
4) Where does Nick live?
a) Long Island’s West Egg

b) Long Island’s East Egg
c) Manhattan
d) Minneapolis
5) How does Nick differ from other people living in his neighborhood?
a) Nick doesn’t have sophisticated manners or connections.

b) Nick doesn’t wear stylish clothing.
c) Nick doesn’t come from a wealthy family.
d) Nick is well-connected and attended a prestigious school.
6) Where do Daisy and Tom live?
a) Long Island’s West Egg

b) Long Island’s East Egg
c) Manhattan
d) Chicago
7) Which of the following best describe Tom?
a) Charming and mysterious

b) Arrogant and bullying
c) Quiet and gentle
d) Loud and friendly
8) Whom does Jordan suggest Tom is talking to on the phone?
a) His mistress
b) His father
c) His butler
d) Gatsby
9) What is Gatsby doing the first time Nick sees him?
a) Looking out over the water

b) Playing golf
c) Hosting a party
d) Hitting on Daisy
10) Who lives at the garage that Tom and Nick visit?
a) Nick’s cousin
b) Gatsby
c) Tom’s mistress
d) Doctor T. J. Eckleburg
11) What sits in the valley between East Egg and West Egg?
a) Gatsby’s mansion
b) Nick’s office
c) An orphanage
d) An ash heap
12) How does Nick feel about the other partygoers at the apartment?
a) He finds them repulsive yet fascinating.

b) He is enchanted by them.
c) He thinks they are sophisticated and exotic.
d) He wishes they were friends.
13) Which of the following best describes Myrtle?
a) Quiet
b) Sophisticated
c) Desperate
d) Timid
14) Why does the party at the apartment break up?
a) Nick vomits on Myrtle.

b) Mr. McKee takes off his clothes.

c) Tom gets tired.
d) Tom hits Myrtle in the face.
15) What reason does Nick give for Gatsby’s popularity?
a) People like his dark and mysterious nature.

b) He regularly throws lavish parties.
c) He once saved a child from a burning building.
d) He frequently gives money to the poor.
16) Who is Owl Eyes?
a) Gatsby’s absentee father

b) An old man who reveals Gatsby’s secret to Nick
c) Nick’s friend and doctor
d) A man Nick runs across in Gatsby’s library
17) What do Gatsby and Nick discover at the party?
a) They served in the same division during the war.

b) Gatsby’s father was Nick’s family’s butler.
c) They went to grade school together.
d) Gatsby was once married to Nick’s sister.
18) What did Gatsby do before moving to Long Island?
a) He was a German spy during the war.

b) He was a graduate of Oxford.
c) He killed a man in cold blood.
d) It is unclear.
19) How does Nick characterize Jordan?
a) She’s a goody-goody.
b) She’s sullen.
c) She’s dishonest.
d) She’s loud.
20) What does the following quote suggest about Nick’s family?
“My family have been prominent, well-to-do people in this Middle Western city for three generations.
The Carraways are something of a clan, and we have a tradition that we’re descended from the Dukes
of Buccleuch, but the actual founder of my line was my grandfather’s brother, who came here in fifty-
one, sent a substitute to the Civil War, and started the wholesale hardware business that my father
carries on to-day.”
a) They are descended from nobility (the Dukes of Buccleuch).

b) They have achieved the American Dream of wealth and respectability through hard work.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

21) Who is “he” in the following quote?
“he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could
have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing except a
single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.”
a) Nick
b) Gatsby
c) Tom
d) George
22) One of the comma rules we discussed in class this week said to “Use a comma and a coordinating
conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) to join two independent clauses.” Which of the sentences in
the following paragraph does this rule apply to?
a) 1 and 5
b) 2 and 3
c) 1, 2, and 3
d) 1, 2, 3, and 5
23) Another comma rule we discussed in class this week said to “Use commas to separate three or more
items in a series.” Which of the sentences in the following paragraph does this rule apply to?
a) 1 and 2
b) 1 and 3
c) 1, 2, and 3
d) 1, 2, 3, and 4
24) The last comma rule we discussed in class this week said to “Use commas to indicate a nonessential
element in a sentence.” Which of the sentences in the following paragraph does this rule apply to?
a) 1 and 2
b) 2 and 4
c) 1, 2, and 3
d) 1, 2, and 4
1 F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1896, attended Princeton University, and published
his first novel, This Side of Paradise, in 1920. 2 That same year he married Zelda Sayre, and the couple
divided their time among New York, Paris, and the Riviera, becoming a part of the American expatriate
circle that included Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, and John Dos Passos. 3 Fitzgerald was a major new
literary voice, and his masterpieces include The Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby, and Tender Is the
Night. 4 He died of a heart attack in 1940 at the age of forty-four, while working on The Love of the Last
Tycoon. 5 For his sharp social insight and breathtaking lyricism, Fitzgerald stands out as one of the most
important American writers of the twentieth century.

The Great Gatsby and the American Dream
The Great Gatsby is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s triumph. It is, in fact, an American masterpiece. The story
of a poor boy who in pursuit of a dream transforms himself into the image of success, The Great
Gatsby captures in a work of conscious artistry all the yearning desire and anguished disappointment
of its hopelessly romantic hero. Gatsby’s story is, however, more than the story of an individual. It is,
in fact, the story of America. Though all of its action takes place over a few months during the
summer of 1922 and is confined to the geographical vicinity of Long Island, New York, The Great
Gatsby is a highly symbolic meditation on 1920s America as a whole. Gatsby’s dream is the
American Dream; his successes and failures are America’s successes and failures. And in this
correspondence, Fitzgerald creates his own version of national tragedy. The promise of a dream lies
at the heart of Fitzgerald’s American classic, but the question remains: Does F. Scott Fitzgerald
portray the American Dream as corrupt and unreachable or revered and attainable?
Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each suggests a particular way of thinking about F.
Scott Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby.
Perspective One Perspective Two
As Fitzgerald saw it, and as Nick explains in The rise of the stock market in the aftermath
chapter 9 of The Great Gatsby, the American of World War I led to a sudden, sustained
Dream was originally about discovery, increase in America’s national wealth and a
individualism, and the pursuit of happiness. newfound materialism, as people began to
In the 1920s depicted in the novel, however, spend and consume at unprecedented levels.
the unrestrained desire for money and A person from any social background could,
pleasure surpasses those more noble goals, potentially, make a fortune and attain the
resulting ultimately in the corruption of the American Dream. This is evident in the
American Dream. character of Gatsby, who rises from an
impoverished childhood in rural North
Dakota to become fabulously wealthy.
Essay Task
Write a unified, coherent essay about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the
American Dream in The Great Gatsby. In your essay, be sure to:
• clearly state your own perspective on the issue and analyze the relationship
between your perspective and at least one other perspective
• develop and support your ideas with reasoning and examples
• organize your ideas clearly and logically
• communicate your ideas effectively in standard written English
Your perspective may be in full agreement with any of those given, in partial
agreement, or completely different.

Planning Your Essay
Your work on these prewriting pages will not be scored.
Use the space below to generate ideas and plan your essay. You may wish to consider the following as you
think critically about the task:
Strengths and weaknesses of different perspectives on the issue
• What insights do they offer, and what do they fail to consider?
• Why might they be persuasive to others, or why might they fail to persuade?
Your own knowledge, experience, and values
• What is your perspective on this issue, and what are its strengths and weaknesses?
• How will you support your perspective in your essay?


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PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY

TEACHER WORK SAMPLE

Your first and last name: Jessi Headrick

Date submitted: March 26, 2018

District where you completed

Name of school building

Content area of your TWS: English

TWS unit topic: Argumentative Writing & The Great Gatsby

Grade level of the

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 1

A. Narrative: General Contextual Information for Community, District, and School

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 2

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 3

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 4

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 5

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 6

Subgroup 2 consists of I selected this student Intellectual

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 7

In addition to being involved in student council, Student C is also busy taking

D. Narrative: Implications for Subgroups’/Focus Students’ Instruction

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 9

A. Narrative: Description of Range of Objectives and Rationale for Selection

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 10

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 11

33 Students will be able to use specific nouns in their writing. Apply

35 Students will be able to use third-person pronouns in their writing. Apply

C. Identify State Standards Addressed by Unit Objectives

Standard 1: Speaking and Listening

Standard 2: Reading and Writing Process

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 13

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 14

11.5.W.1 Students will write using correct mechanics.

Standard 7: Multimodal Literacies

Standard 8: Independent Reading and Writing

11.8.R Students will read independently for extended periods of time.

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 15

Discussion: At the end of this lesson, students will

Accommodations for Student A: The

Accommodations for Student B: The

Multiple intelligences: Of the nine intelligences,

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 17

Grouping: During this lesson, students will be

Discussion: During this lesson, students will

Accommodations for Student A: The

Accommodations for Student B: The

Multiple intelligences: Of the nine intelligences,

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 19

Discussion: At the end of this lesson, students will

Handout and graphic organizer for Student A

Accommodations for Student A: The

Accommodations for Student B: The

Accommodations for Student A: The

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 21

Grouping: After students have been assigned

Discussion: At the end of this lesson, students will

Accommodations for Student A: The

Accommodations for Student B: The

Accommodations for Student A: The

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 24

Choice: As with the first round of literature circles,

Grouping: For the second round of literature

Discussion: At the end of this lesson, students will

Pittsburg State University Teacher Work Sample 26