T&L Instructional Plan Template

(Updated 4/17/15)
(edTPA Aligned)

Overview
The information included in this document is to support faculty in teaching about and supporting students with the
T&L (and edTPA) Instructional Plan. While there are many variations of lesson plans, this format meets
departmental requirements and is aligned with the 2014 edTPA as well.

Background Information (When doing the actual edTPA, leave out identifiers)

Teacher Candidate: Hannah Willie Date: 4/22/18

Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Horn Grade: 1st
School District: Pullman School District School: Jefferson Elementary
University Supervisor: Lori White
Unit/Subject: Weather
Instructional Plan Title/Focus: Identifying your favorite type of weather

Section 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment

a. Instructional Plan Purpose: Teacher candidates explain how this instructional plan develops students’
conceptual understanding of overall content goals. This is sometimes also called a “rationale” and includes a
“what, why, how” general statement (see also Central Focus in edTPA)

For this lesson, I will be focusing on different types of weather and recalling past experiences to identify a
preference through complete sentences. This is an important skill because it allows students to use prior
knowledge to create an original piece of writing that has supporting details, correct grammar, and punctuation.
Students will be working on this skill through both class and small group discussion, class mind map, and
independent writing.

Additionally, explain where in a unit this lesson would be taught. What lesson topic came prior to this one
(yesterday) and what related lesson will come after this one (tomorrow)?

Prior to this lesson, students have been working on complete sentences and drawing from personal preference pieces
that are written in their weekly writing journals. Tomorrow, the class will reflect and further expand their writing.

b. State/National Learning Standards: Teacher candidates identify relevant grade level concepts/content and
align them to Content Standards—Common Core Standards or Washington State EALRs, or National.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.8
With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from
provided sources to answer a question.

c. Content Objectives (to be copied in Assessment Chart below) and alignment to State Learning
Standards:

1. SWBAT… identify their preferred weather from past experiences

2. SWBAT… independently write three strong sentences to express their favorite type of weather

Language Objectives:
1. SWBAT… communicate different types of weather
2. SWBAT… express their favorite type of weather verbally and in a written response
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d. Previous Learning Experiences: Teacher candidates should explain what students know and have learned
that is relevant to the current lesson topic and process.

Prior to this lesson, students have been working on complete sentences and drawing from personal preference
pieces that are written in their weekly writing journals.

e. Planning for Student Learning Needs (accommodations, student experiences, prior learning and
experiences):

For the students in the class that struggle with transitions, there will be a clear class timer as well as many
reminders.
For students who are advancing and showing mastery of the learning objectives, I will encourage them to write
more than three sentences with more describing words.
For students who are struggling with this assignment, I will help generate ideas and ask them for one strong
sentences that supports their favorite weather.
For the student with a visual impairment, I will supply a white board that has the class generated list of weather
written on it.

f. Assessment Strategies (Informal and formal)

Teacher candidates should attach questions, worksheets, tests or any additional documentation related to their
assessment strategies, including accommodations or modifications for students with disabilities as stated in
their IEPs. They may also attach appropriate marking rubrics, criteria lists, expectations, answer keys, etc.
Consideration for multiple means of expression should occur here. That is, how will teacher candidates allow
for K-12 students to express their learning in different ways? Will K-12 students be given some choice?

Content/Language Objectives Assessment Strategies

Content: SWBAT… identify their preferred Formative: I will be the understand the student’s
weather from past experiences justification through whole class discussions.

Content: SWBAT… independently write
three strong sentences to express their
favorite type of weather
Language: SWBAT… communicate different
types of weather
Language: SWBAT… express their favorite
type of weather verbally and in a written
response
Summative: Collect the produced sentences while they will
be reviewed/corrected.
Formative: I will be writing the communicated types of
weather on the class board.
Formative: Walking around the room, checking in with
students and looking at their progress.

(Add rows as needed)

*In the right column, describe whether the assessment you’ll collect is informal or formal. Note: most
assessment is considered formative when thinking about day-to-day lessons. Summative is related to mastery.
An exception might be having a “formal” quiz mid-way in a unit to assure that students are on track with a
certain degree of proficiency. Should the quiz indicate students are not progressing, and adjustment of timing in
the instructional “unit” will be required.

g. Student Voice: Student voice is a term used to describe students expressing their understanding of their own
learning process. For your lesson, respond to the three required components of student voice and identify how
students will reflect and/or communicate on their learning or progress toward meeting the goals. (Use the
following table.)
2

K-12 students will be able to:
1. Explain student learning targets
and what is required to meet
them (including why they are
important to learn).
Student-based evidence to be
collected (things produced by
students: journals, exit slips, self-
assessments, work samples,
projects, papers, etc.)
Collect the written responses
students produced
Description of how students
will reflect on their learning.
At the end of the lesson,
students will have the
opportunity to share their
produced sentences.

2. Monitor their own learning
progress toward the learning
targets using the tools provided
(checklists, rubrics, etc.).
3. Explain how to access
resources and additional
support when needed (and
how/why those resources will
help them).
A checklist will on the board that
outlines the requirements of the
written sentences which students
will reference before turning work
in
During the lesson, students can ask
me for additional
support/clarification.
When the student are turning
in there sentences, students
will share why they wrote
what they did.
N/A

h. Grouping of Students for Instruction: Describe why, how, and where in the lesson students will be divided
into groups, if applicable (e.g., "why" could be to support language learners, for reciprocal teaching, and/or to
use jigsaw, and "how" might include random, ability-based, interest, social purposes, etc.). Recognize that
some lessons or parts of a lesson may call for grouped work or individualized work or both.
Students will be working in groups during the discussion portion where they asked different types of weather
they have experienced or heard about. Students are in groups for this portion because it will provide more
opportunities to bounce off ideas from one another. This way students can question each others ideas about
and find out even more.
The rest of the lesson will rely on individualized work.

Section 2: Instruction and Engaging Students in Learning

a. Introduction: Teacher candidates identify how they are going to introduce the concept, skill or task in a way
that gains students’ attention and gets them involved (the lesson “hook”).

“Last week we worked on complete sentences and drawing from personal preferences. Today we will be
writing three strong 1st grade sentences about your favorite type of weather! Everyone has a personal
preference and you will be able to share why.

b. Questions: Questions teacher candidate will ask during the lesson that drive thinking and learning and
engagement (5 or more questions) and in parentheses, indicate Bloom level and/or question type to ensure
that you are posing questions that push critical thinking and engagement (e.g. Analysis/Divergent)
 What type of weather do you know about? (Level 1-remember)
 When do you experience that type of weather? (Level 2- understand)
 How could you write sentences about your favorite type of weather? (Level 3- apply)
 Why is that your favorite type of weather? (Level 4- analyze)

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c. Learning Activities: Describe what the teacher will do and say and students will do during the lesson.
Write it as a procedural set of steps in the left column of table below. On the right, refer to a supporting
learning theory or principle driving that activity and/or your rationale for doing what you are doing.

Prompts for right hand column—supporting theories/principles. In the right column, use references from
texts, research/peer reviewed journals, or other learning theories to support your choice of activities. You
might draw from your 301 and/or your methods courses here.
o Connections between students’ own lives, experiences, cultures, interests and the content.
o Active learning over passive learning (e.g. SCI Learning Experiences ladder—simulation over verbal)
o Theoretical support for learning activities (e.g. Culturally responsive strategy, or processing)
o Multiple means of representation for the K-12 students (UDL principle)
o Multiple means of engagement for the K-12 students (UDL principle)
o Multiple means of expression of learning by the K-12 students (UDL principle)
o Accommodations and modifications for students with diverse needs, including those with disabilities (as
stated in their IEPs)
o How the teacher candidate will assess the learning of the students (from table above)

Learning Steps and Activities Supporting Theories/Principles

Example: Transition from introduction by asking
students to look at “inputs” and in pairs, create a list
of additional community assets/contributions (inputs)
for social change diagram. Circulate around groups
to observe students’ progress.
1. Transition into introduce by asking students
to brainstorm different types of weather.
Encourage students to work in table groups
to establish class list of weather.
2. Transition from class discussion to
instruction on independent student work.
Make it clear that students choose their
favorite type of weather and further explain.
Circulate around the tables to observe
students’ progress.
3. Transition to conclusion. Reiterate what we
learned today and the important aspects.
(Why are you doing what you are doing?)
Supports multiple means of engagement, and
allowing students to generate their own inputs
from experience; is more culturally responsive than
teacher generated ideas only.
Paivio: Dual Coding. Discuss information and take
notes, making visual representations of ideas can
assist students with long term memory.
Concstructivism: Students have gone through the
learning process with the use of peers and us as
instructors, but they will be making their own
responses through the use of their own words.
Through the use of language, students can express
their thoughts.
Ausabel & Mayer: By highlighting relationships
between the main ideas present in the lesson,
students will be able to draw connections as to why
internal personality traits help identify the whole
picture of a character and how they compare to
others in the story

(Add rows as needed)

b. Closure: Closure is the signal to students that the lesson is now coming to an end. In closure, teachers
review the learning targets (what was taught) for the day and refocus on what is important.

“Alright 1st grade, now that you have had time to write about your favorite weather, does anyone want to raise
their hand and share what they wrote with the class?”
*Students share*

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“What thoughtful reflections! To recap what we took away today, at the beginning of the lesson we generated a
class list of different types of weather. From there we created strong 1 st grade sentences that express what type of
weather is your favorite. Good work today class. I loved learning more about what you enjoy!”

c. Independent Practice: Describe how students will extend their experiences with the content and
demonstrate understanding in a new and different context (perhaps even outside of the classroom). Include
possible family interaction (identify at least one way in which you might involve students’ families in this
instructional plan.)

The students will bring their sentences home.

d. Instructional Materials, Resources, and Technology: Attach a copy of ALL materials the teacher and
students will use during the lesson; e.g., handouts, worksheets, multi-media tools, and any assessment
materials utilized.

 Lined paper
 Pencils

e. Acknowledgements: Acknowledge your sources