Highly Qualified Teacher ELA
Gayle Wall
Balanced Literary Lesson Plan: Grade 5 ELA
RULES—By: Cynthia Lord.
Length of time 5 school days for all lesson components.
Materials: (real) Rules book by Cynthia Lord, modified version of Rules (copy for
each student), Big Mac Switch, IPAD with characters programmed into
communication AP, smart board, laminated picture symbols for characters and
other relevant picture cues from first 2 chapters. Alpha-Smart and Dry Erase
board and markers. Fish bowl with water and plastic toy. Rule card written with
“No toys in the fish tank.” Vocabulary cards for the 4 targeted vocabulary
words from the first pages (see below).
**Content Standard: Grade 5 Literature 3,
Extended standard- RL.35.3a,b,c
Identify the similarities or differences between two or more
characters, settings or events in a story.
**Content Standard: Grade 5 Literature 9,
Extended standard- RL.35.9a,b,c
Participate in supported grade level age appropriate adapted
literature materials.
1. Read Aloud / Modeled Reading: Read modified version of Rules.
*Read an excerpt from page 13 in Rules book that describes Catherine*
-assist students in following text that is read aloud with his/her finger.
-verbal prompts for student to turn the pages as it is read aloud.
Discuss what ‘Character” means (people in a story. Character means
“who” is important in the story (show “who” question graphic that shows
you answer a who question with a person.)
Discuss main characters Catherine and David.
Students will have picture symbols of Catherine and David in front of
them, that they can touch, hold, manipulate. The printed names
“Catherine” and “David” will be on each picture symbol so the words and
letters in the names are visible and present.
**(Content Standard: Grade 5 Foundational Skills 4,
Extended Standard- RF.35.2a,b,c
Participate in supported grade level-age appropriate shared reading to
support comprehension.
Guided Reading / Interactive Reading - incorporate students “reading”
by programming Catherine and David (names) into 2 different big mac
switches and the students will read along with the teacher using the
switch to say the correct name as the teacher reads.
**Content Standard: Grade 5 Writing 6,
Extended standard-W.35.6a,b,c
With guidance and support use technology to compose a simple
sentence (2).
2. Shared Writing: Teacher models and teaches writing strategies:
Using the Smart board list and draw 2 main characters from the first
chapters on the board. Write a sentence for each character to
describe his/her personality. Model writing strategies by pointing out
capital letter at beginning, and period at the end of the sentence.
Point out sight words in each sentence to students as you are writing.
Show them the common sight words on the word wall in the classroom.
2 sentences:
Catherine is a girl who gets frustrated with her brother.
David is a boy who has autism and needs to follow rules.
**Content standard Grade 5 Writing 9,
Extended Standard- W.35.9a,b,c
Gather information from adapted grade level age appropriate
literary materials to support understanding.
Structured Writing / Interactive Writing-child and teacher compose
together.
Student will write/type/select from picture symbol the correct word to
insert into the sentence above, when they are read. Student will
“write” the character name that is missing in the above 2 sentences.
Talk about 1 letter of the character’s name and the sound it makes to
incorporate phonics. *Use Smart Board, dry erase board, or Alpha –
Smart depending on student needs while writing the word in each
sentence.
______________is a girl who gets frustrated with her brother.
_____________is a boy who has autism and needs to follow rules.
Content Standard Grade 5 Language 4,
Extended Standard-L.35.4a,b,c
Use sentence level context to determine the meaning of unknown
words or phrases, select a picture or object that matches the meaning
of a word.
3. Vocabulary (Working with words)Teacher will have key vocabulary words from the two sentences about
the characters:
Vocabulary: frustrated, brother, autism, rules
Each word printed on a vocabulary card on one side and the
vocabulary word with a corresponding picture symbol on the back.
*relate brother to students who have brothers for relevance and
connectivity.
*For frustrated make frustrated faces and talk about what is frustrating
to the students. Use internet to show funny frustrated face pictures on
the computer for the students to see.
*Visually demonstrate a rule from the first 2 chapters of the book: No
toys in the fish tank. Fish bowl with water allow the kids to drop a toy in
the fish tank and talk about following rules and why it is important to
follow classroom rules etc. This will be fun and allow the students to act
out a funny rule from the book.
*match words and simple definitions in a game format, using hand
over hand and errorless choices at first and then fade prompts and
errorless choices as the unit progresses.
*Ask comprehension questions about vocabulary words : What face
shows frustration? What is Don’t scream inside the house? (rule).
Picture choices for answers available.
4. Assessment Methods:
Students will be assessed using teacher generated checklists in the
areas of Read Aloud/Modeled Reading/Interactive Reading.
-Checklist to include:
1. Student follows along with eyes or finger as teacher reads
2. Student turns the page of text when prompted or independently
3. Student will identify the 2 main characters by pointing to pictures
in modified text and/or handing the picture symbol to teacher when
asked.
4. Students will answer that character means “who” in a story
through an appropriate output method.
5. Students will participate in reading text by using voice output
communication device (switch or IPAD) by reading the character name
when appropriate as student and teacher read together.
Structured Writing / Interactive Writing Assessment to include:
Observation, work sample, and teacher made checklist: Teacher will
record when the student write/types/ or selects and writes hand over
hand the correct name of the character to that matches the familiar
written sentence. This will demonstrate comprehension as will which
name goes with which description.
Vocabulary / Working with Words Assessment:
Teacher generated checklist and task analysis for all four
vocabulary words;
Can the student :
Identify the word with symbol
Identify the word without symbol
Match the word to the symbol
Match the definition to the word/symbol
Point to the word within modified text when asked
Checklist for comprehension questions to measure student
understanding of 4 vocabulary words.