Plot of a Story TPE 1: Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning

 Introduction:

This year we will be reading a novel as a class, but before we begin to read I want my students to know the different elements of a story which will help them better comprehend, engage, and relate to what they are reading. One of the lessons we will be doing before beginning our novel is called Plot of a Story. I will be providing my students with the option to complete the assignment either on google classroom or on paper. We will learn, define, and identify the different elements of a story plot. We will then read a story together and plot it on a plot graph, lastly, the students will complete a short assessment of what they have read on their own.

1.1 Apply knowledge of students, including their prior experiences, interests, and social-emotional learning needs, as well as their funds of knowledge and cultural, language, and socioeconomic backgrounds, to engage them in learning.

In order to plot the story we first have to learn the definitions of each point in the plot. When I go over the name of each point plot I associate to something the students can relate to. In this case I used movies. An example is when we went over climax, I talked about a popular movie series The Avengers. I asked the students if they knew when the peak of the story or the halfway point was. I let them take a guess and made sure they understood that the climax was surrounded in the main battle and they all gave me examples of those events. We did that with each plot point.

1.2 Maintain ongoing communication with students and families, including the use of technology to communicate with and support students and families, and to communicate achievement expectations and student progress.

1.8 Monitor student learning and adjust instruction while teaching so that students continue to be actively engaged in learning.

Some of my students struggle to complete work on paper and others excel at completing work digitally. In order to accommodate all student I posted this assignment on google classroom with specific instructions. However, I handed out packets to students if they preferred to hand write their assignment. Posting it on Google Classroom and providing worksheets provides options and supports the accommodations of all my students. When I post on google classroom parents are also able to see what assignment their child is working on and from there they are free to contact me via phone or email with any questions or concerns they have.

1.3 Connect subject matter to real-life contexts and provide active learning experiences to engage student interest, support student motivation, and allow students to extend their learning.

When reading the story as a class about the girl who felt her birthday was ruined because it was raining, I would pause and ask questions such as, "have any of you ever felt like this", "was there ever a time you felt disappointed", "what do you think about how she is feeling about her party?" We also talked about the resolution in the story and what type of message the author was trying to send and how it related to their personal life.

1.4 Use a variety of developmentally and ability-appropriate instructional strategies, resources, and assistive technology, including principles of Universal Design of Learning (UDL) and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to support access to the curriculum for a wide range of learners within the general education classroom and environment.

1.7 Provide students with opportunities to access the curriculum by incorporating the visual and performing arts, as appropriate to the content and context of learning.

All of my students have IEP's and have special accommodations as well as special ways of learning. To accommodate and help them, I taught this lesson by providing a packet to students who wanted to write and a digital version for students who wanted to complete it online. I also displayed the lesson on my overhead projector and we went through each part of the lesson as a class. When it came to taking the reading comprehension quiz, I read the questions and possible answers out loud for them to answer independently. While they were writing/typing the different elements of the story in their plot diagram, I walked around and offered help to those students who were struggling more. I also had them discuss certain questions in mini groups before discussing them  as a class.

1.5 Promote students' critical and creative thinking and analysis through activities that provide opportunities for inquiry, problem solving, responding to and framing meaningful questions, and reflection.

While reading the story and after asking questions to students I had them plot the story as a class. When they would put pieces of the story in the wrong place, I would refer back to the description of each plot point and have them think about where they think certain pieces of the story should go.

1.6 Provide a supportive learning environment for students' first and/or second language acquisition by using research based instructional approaches, including focused English Language Development, Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE), scaffolding across content areas, and structured English immersion, and demonstrate an understanding of the difference among students whose only instructional need is to acquire Standard English proficiency, students who may have an identified disability affecting their ability to acquire Standard English proficiency, and students who may have both a need to acquire Standard English proficiency and an identified disability.

This section was satisfied when I read the story aloud to students, they each had a physical copy of the story and followed along as I read. This was also satisfied when I read each question along with the multiple choice options during the reading comprehension component of the quiz. I have some students that are ELD and the rest are considered EL students due to their IEP. By providing visuals, reading, and explaining what we have read I provide opportunities for students to learn and process information effectively.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2 

Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3 

Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6 

Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2  

Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.3  

Analyze how particular lines of dialogue of incidents in a story or drama propel the action, revel aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.6 

Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.

ELD.PII.7.1.Em

Apply understanding of how different text types are organized to express ideas (e.g., how narratives are organized sequentially) to comprehending texts and to writing brief arguments, informative/explanatory texts and narratives.

ELD.PI.7.2.Em 

Engage in short written exchanges with peers and collaborate on simple written texts on familiar topics, using technology when appropriate.

ELD.PI.7.3.Em

Negotiate with or persuade others in conversations (e.g., to gain and hold the floor or ask for clarification) using learned phrases (e.g., I think . . . , Would you please repeat that?) and open responses.

ELD.PII.8.1.Em

Apply understanding of how different text types are organized to express ideas (e.g., how narratives are organized sequentially) to comprehending texts and to writing brief arguments, informative/explanatory texts and narratives.

ELD.PI.8.2.Em Part 2: Learning About How English Works

Engage in short written exchanges with peers and collaborate on simple written texts on familiar topics, using technology when appropriate.

ELD.PI.8.3.Em Part 1: Interacting in Meaningful Ways

Negotiate with or persuade others in conversations (e.g., to gain and hold the floor or ask for clarification) using learned phrases (e.g., I think . . . , Would you please repeat that?) and open responses.

Reflection/Area of Growth

While I feel that my students were engaged and following along with the lesson, I would have liked to provide more opportunity for them to work independently. Most of the lesson was done as a class or in little groups. Unfortunately because most of my students struggle with reading, writing, and comprehension I felt they needed a lot of support. In my next lesson I will provide more opportunities for them to complete sections independently.