Emily Sullivan
Lesson Plan Template:
Directed Reading and Thinking Activities (DRTA) Lesson
EDIS 5400: English Education
Lesson Components
What teacher and student behaviors are planned and expected
Context: Course name; grade level; length of lesson; description of setting, students,
and curriculum and any other important contextual characteristics
Course name: English 8, Standard Level
Grade level: 8th grade
Lesson length: It will span two 90-minute class periods
Setting description: Middle-class, suburban middle school that holds grades 6th through 8th
Students: 20 students, 3 ELL students and 2 who struggle with reading
Curriculum: This lesson is part of an author-study unit on Ray Bradbury. As a class, we
will read several short stories written by Bradbury. Then, at the end of the unit, we will
read Fahrenheit 451 together as a class and students will complete a poster project
depicting a common theme in Bradbury’s work. At this point in the unit, students will
have already learned biographical information about Bradbury. “The Flying Machine” is
the first work by Bradbury that the students will read. They will be familiar with reading
stories and will know the steps of a basic story structure as well as how to examine
characters closely.
Virginia SOL(s):
Comments/Notes/
Reflections
I chose an 8th grade
class because I want
to try and use this
lesson in my 8th grade
practicum class.
Also, because the
intent of this exercise
is to help students
learn how to read
critically, this
strategy may be too
basic for upper level
high schoolers. I
think it fits well at an
8th grade level.
Bradbury has a
particular fascination
with the role of
technology in our
culture and how
technology will look
in future societies.
This story, and
several other
Bradbury stories, will
examine particular
aspects of our world
and contemplate
how these
characteristics may
impact the future of
our planet. As a
whole, I want
students to learn
how to read
authorially by
engaging/communica
ting with authors and
their ideas.
Though I worry that
8.5: The student will read and analyze a variety of fictional texts, narrative nonfiction, and
poetry.
b) Make inferences and draw conclusions based on explicit and implied
information using evidence from text as support.
c) Explain how authors use characters, conflict, point of view, voice, and tone to
create meaning.
h) Identify the main idea.
l) Use prior and background knowledge as a context for new learning.
m) Use reading strategies to monitor comprehension throughout the reading
process.
Common Core State Standard(s):
I’m using too many
standards for this
lesson, 8.5b, c, and h
are certainly the
most important. 8.5l
is used mainly to help
students connect
their new knowledge
to what they’re
learning and 8.5m
refers to the DRTA
process.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.1: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis
of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the 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.
Objectives (KUD format):
FROM DRTA: Before Teaching: Setting Goals.
Students will understand:
1. That technology can be used for good and evil. (8.5h, CCSS.8.2) (priority
objective)
2. That authors often use formal elements to create larger meaning in their
works. (8.5c, CCSS.8.2) (unit objective)
3. That close-reading of literature reveals depth within written pieces. (8.5b,
8.5c, CCSS.8.1, CCSS.8.2) (unit objective)
Students will know:
4. That “The Flying Machine” explores the complexities of technology within
society. (8.5h, CCSS.8.2) (priority objective)
5. That big ideas and enhanced meaning can be extracted from small amounts
of text. (8.5b, 8.5c, 8.5h, CCSS.8.1, CCSS.8.2) (unit objective)
6. How “The Flying Machine” develops setting, characters, and a structured
story to give meaning to the text. (8.5c, CCSS.8.2) (priority objective)
7. How to apply their knowledge of story structure and character development
to this text. (priority objective)
Students will know how to:
8. Use the DRTA protocol to assist in their reading of “The Flying Machine.”
(8.5m) (priority objective)
9. Engage with the reading through summarizing, asking questions, expressing
emotions, and other ways of interacting with the text. (8.5m) (priority
objective)
10. Identify the main idea(s) of the text. (8.5h, CCSS.8.2) (priority objective)
11. Connect the big ideas from the story to their own lives. (8.5h, 8.5l) (priority
I edited my standards
to make them better
aligned and add
clarity. I’m still not
sure if my Know
objectives work well
with the Wilhelm
text, but I think
they’re better
developed.
objective)
Assessments: Methods for evaluating each of the specific objectives listed above.
Diagnostic: Students will demonstrate what they already know by…
Completing a quick-write frontloading exercise in which they analyze an invention in their
own life and in the world. This will be a major theme in “The Flying Machine,” so this
exercise will help me measure how well students can think critically about the tools they
use. It will also serve as a bridge to connect students’ prior knowledge to the text.
(Standard 1, Standard 4, Standard 10, Standard 11)
Formative: Students will show their progress toward today's objectives by…
Creating a DRTA protocol for “The Flying Machine” and metacognitively looking at their
notes with a partner. This step is a difficult one, so I will stop them at various points to
make sure they understand the process well enough to move forward. ( Standard 3,
Standard 8, Standard 9)
Discussing specific questions at each point in the process either with a partner, with a
small group, or with a class. Using collaboration, they will converse about the text. Their
conversations will help me see how well they analyzed Bradbury’s story. I will look closely
to see if they are applying their knowledge of story structure and character development
to this assignment. ( Standard 1, Standard 2, Standard 3, Standard 4, Standard 5, Standard
6, Standard 7, Standard 10)
At the end of class, students will form small groups and will be assigned a scenario in
which they are a leader of some sort of place and a piece of technology, though
beneficial, also holds the potential for disaster. They must decide how to act. ( Standard
1, Standard 9, Standard 11)
I struggled with
creating assessments
because I feel as if
they’re not as clear
cut as many other
assessments that I’ve
designed. However,
in general, I plan to
use assessments to
measure how well
students are
following along in the
DRTA process. If they
get stuck, I need to
make sure to assist
them before moving
on. Also, because
DRTA is so focused
on engaging with the
work, many of my
assessments
encourage building
connections between
the reader and the
story.
Students will write an exit slip at the end of class that asks them to take the invention they
had written about during the frontloading exercise and make a prediction as to how that
particular invention will affect the future. This formative assessment will demonstrate
how well they understand Bradbury’s main idea in the text and whether or not they can
For my revision, I
apply it to their lives. ( Standard 1, Standard 9, Standard 11)
adjusted my
assessments to make
Summative: Students will ultimately be assessed (today or in a future lesson) on these
them better aligned
standards by...
with my standards
At the end of the Ray Bradbury unit, students will create a thematic presentation
and my students’
depicting a common theme used in Bradbury’s writing. Students will choose a large
progress. I decided
theme explored throughout Bradbury’s plethora of works and will create a poster
to scrap the SRI idea
representing that theme. Students should include different pieces of the stories to help
and replace it with a
boost their chosen theme. They must choose a character that struggles with, is associated more thematic
with, or simply embodies this theme, a piece of the setting that demonstrates the theme, approach to a unit on
and a symbol of this theme. They should also use dialogue, description, pictures, and can
Bradbury. I think this
even boost their piece with interviews with Bradbury where he discusses his reason for
will help students to
writing stories. I want this final assessment to help students see how pieces fit together
look at themselves as
to create a thematic unit. (Standard 1, Standard 2, Standard 3, Standard 5, Standard 10)
existing in
communication with
Bradbury and see
common links within
his various pieces.
Also, this will help
students engage with
the pieces on a
formal level because I
want them to give
examples of this
theme’s
development in
specific pieces.
Instructional Steps (Procedures): Detail student and teacher behavior. Identify possible
student misconceptions. Include:
I.
Welcome/greeting/announcements
Yesterday, students completed a webquest online to learn more about Ray Bradbury’s
life. Today, I plan on moving students into looking at Bradbury’s texts.
“Good morning, everyone! Today we’re going to start reading about our friend, Ray
Bradbury. I want you to remember the information we learned about his background
yesterday. Looking at the biographical information of the authors we read can be helpful
as we try to understand his or her perspective, and Ray Bradbury is no exception.
Remember that there is a timeline of his major accomplishments on page 300 of your
textbook. Feel free to refer to that during our lesson if you forget what happened in his
life. You can also look back at the webquest worksheet that we filled out yesterday if you
need to. Today, though, we’re going to jump into reading some of Ray’s stories. “
II.
FROM DRTA: Before reading: Frontloading Activities.
For my frontloading activity, I chose to have students complete a quick-write. “Before we
begin reading, though, we’re going to start out with a little bit of journaling. I want you to
answer these questions: What is a piece of technology that you use on a daily basis?
What are some good qualities about this invention? What are some bad qualities?” To
cut down on possible student misconceptions, I will give a definition of technology. The
word has an association with computers so students may limit their answers to
computerized technology, but I will explain that a piece of technology is any kind of tool
that can be used to benefit people. I will also give some examples of inventions that I use
every day that they may not have considered, like a fork or stairs in my apartment, so
students understand the concept better. Hopefully this will prevent everyone from
writing about an iPhone or a laptop. I will give them about five to seven minutes to
complete this. “After you finish writing, you will be sharing your ideas with a partner,
okay? So start writing. I’ll stop you in about five minutes.” NOTE: because this is a piece
of personal writing that will only be used to direct students’ thoughts, I will let my ELL
students write it in their native language if they wish. That way, they will hopefully be
I chose the initial
quick-write question
because I felt it
would connect well
to students’ prior
knowledge.
Everyone uses tools
and technology in
their lives, so they
will definitely be able
to answer the
question and find its
applicability in their
own life. Also, I think
it’s important to
clarify what
technology means. If
I were teaching this
lesson in a low
income class, lower
SES students who
able to group their thoughts in a way that will be beneficial during the think-pair-share
activity that follows. This follows Fu’s idea that ELL students should engage in meaningful
writing even if they cannot yet express themselves fully in English.
“Everyone finish up, then turn to your partner and discuss what you wrote about for a few
minutes. Discuss what you selected as your piece of technology and find out what your
partner has to say. Maybe they have never used your invention before, so this is a great
opportunity for you to explain what it is and how you use it to them. Or, if they are
familiar with what you chose, they may have other advantages or disadvantages that you
didn’t consider. Converse with them for a few minutes, then we’re going to come back
together as a class.” After roughly 5 minutes of sharing with a partner, we will come back
together as a small group, and I will have several students name their chosen inventions
and the advantages and disadvantages that they came up with. After we have named
about five inventions, I will say, “Great job, guys! These are all excellent examples of
everyday technology. As you can see, technology definitely helps us out a lot in our lives,
but it has some limitations too. I want to open this idea up to a broader question, though.
What about the advantages and disadvantages of technology on a broader scale? More
specifically, can you think of some inventions that were originally intended for good but
are also used for evil? I can think of a few examples. How many of you have used
Sparknotes before?” Students will raise their hands. “And… be honest… how many of you
have ever used Sparknotes because you didn’t want to read the whole book?” Students
will giggle and many will keep their hands raised. “Exactly. Sparknotes was invented to
help students better understand what they were reading, but it’s so often used for evil –
too many people use it as a supplement rather than an assistant, and they lose a lot of the
importance behind the original story. Can anyone else name an invention that was meant
to be good but is or was actually used for evil?”
I will have students raise their hands and give any answers they think of. They may talk
about how medicine is intended to heal but is frequently abused or how planes were
created for traveling but is often used in violent warfare.
“Good job, guys. These are all some great examples of the ways technology impacts our
lives and our world… both positively and negatively.”
III.
FROM DRTA: Beginning to Read: Set a Purpose.
“As we get into the story we’re about to read, I want you to continue thinking about these
ideas. This story by Ray Bradbury is called ‘The Flying Machine.’ It has a lot to say about
the role that technology plays in our lives, and how inventions can be used within
society.”
“To start off this story, we’re going to read the first few paragraphs of “The Flying
Machine” together, but I’m going to do something different. I’m going to project the
story on the overhead and talk through what I’m reading. I’m going to make note of my
aren’t familiar with
computerized
technology may feel
disconnected from
those who own
iPhones and tablets
and other expensive
equipment. By
explaining to
students that
technology is allencompassing, it
makes the question
universal instead of
limited.
In asking the second
frontloading
question, I want to
prepare students to
read and consider the
text on a social and
global level instead
of merely personal.
Of course, technology
is essential in our
everyday lives, but it
can have an even
greater impact on the
world. I chose the
Sparknote example
because it’s both
relevant and
humorous.
observations, my questions, my emotions, my summaries, my predictions. Basically, I’m
going to try to show you what’s inside my brain while I’m going through this passage. I
want to show you all how I have a conversation with the reading, and it’s what I want you
all to do in your reading too.”
I will project a written protocol of the first few paragraphs of the story on the overhead
using a projector or an ELMO device. Then, I will model my reading process. I will
comment aloud about each paragraph, stopping after particular phrases or words to
address questions as they materialize. I will also write down my thoughts in the margins
of the story. Here is an attached chart of the first few parts of the story and what I will
say to my students.
Story
In the year A.D. 400, the Emperor
Yuan held his throne by the Great
Wall of China, and the land was
green with rain, readying itself
toward the harvest, at peace, the
people in his dominion neither
too happy nor too sad.
Early on the morning of the first
My think-aloud comments
“So, this first paragraph tells us a
lot about the story already,
doesn’t it? We’ve already been
introduced to a character:
Emperor Yuan. We also know
some summary information: it’s
400 AD, he’s the ruler of China,
and his land is ripe and peaceful.
That’s a lot of information. Let’s
write this down: Character –
Emperor Yuan, ruler of China.
Setting – AD 400, China, near the
Great Wall, ripe and peaceful
land. I’m sure these factors of
the story will be helpful to us
later on.
“I get a little stuck at the end of
this paragraph, though, with the
word ‘dominion.’ I know I’ve
heard that word before, but I’m
not completely sure what it
means, so I’m going to circle it.
Let’s see, though, maybe I can
use context clues to figure it out.
I know that Yuan is an emperor
of China. Because he’s the ruler
of China, he probably has a lot of
land and people in his kingdom.
The narrator talks about his land
and people that make up his
‘dominion,’ so maybe dominion
means something like kingdom or
territory. ”
“We’re getting a lot of
In my modeling, I
tried to cover as
many reading
processes as possible.
I summarized here by
writing down pieces
of the plot. I also
circled unfamiliar
words and tried to
think through how to
define them in
context.
day of the first week of the
second month of the new year,
the Emperor Yuan was sipping
tea and fanning himself against a
warm breeze when a servant ran
across the scarlet and blue
garden tiles, calling, "Oh,
Emperor, Emperor, a miracle!"
"Yes," said the Emperor, "the air
is sweet this morning."
"No, no, a miracle!" said the
servant, bowing quickly.
"And this tea is good in my
mouth, surely that is a miracle."
"No, no, Your Excellency."
"Let me guess then - the sun has
risen and a new day is upon us.
Or the sea is blue. That now is
the finest of all miracles."
"Excellency, a man is flying!"
"What?" The Emperor stopped
his fan.
"I saw him in the air, a man flying
with wings. I heard a voice call
out of the sky, and when I looked
up, there he was, a dragon in the
heavens with a man in its mouth,
a dragon of paper and bamboo,
coloured like the sun and the
grass."
"It is early," said the Emperor,
"and you have just wakened from
a dream."
information about setting from
these first few paragraphs, aren’t
we? I’m going to write down
what we know so far: this story
takes place in 400 AD in China,
near the Great Wall. This next
paragraph tells us a specific time
in the year 400 AD – it’s the first
day of the second month of the
New Year. It gets even more
specific, than that, doesn’t it?
Not only is it early in the year and
early in the month, it’s also
morning, so it’s early in the day.”
“The emperor doesn’t seem to be
listening to the servant. That’s a
good question to write down:
why won’t the Emperor let the
servant explain what the miracle
is? I feel kind of bad for the
servant because Yuan won’t let
him talk.”
Here, I showed an
emotional
connection to a
character in the story
and asked a followup question.
Here, I noticed a
formal aspect of the
piece and wrote it
down.
“I understand now why the
servant seems so flustered! I
would be too if I saw a man with
wings flying through the sky. I
can definitely relate to this.
When something crazy happens
to me, I want to run and tell
someone too! I also really like
the description the servant uses
to depict the man flying. I’m
going to write ‘vivid imagery.’”
Here, I tried to
predict what
happened through
reasoning.
“This seems like a pretty natural
response from the emperor. We
know it’s early in the morning, so
maybe the servant did just wake
up from a dream. After all, it’s
Here, I tried to enter
into the characters’
"It is early, but I have seen what I
have seen! Come, and you will
see it too."
"Sit down with me here," said the
Emperor. "Drink some tea. It
must be a strange thing, if it is
true, to see a man fly. You must
have time to think of it, even as I
must have time to prepare
myself for the sight." They drank
tea.
"Please," said the servant at last,
"or he will be gone." The
Emperor rose thoughtfully. "Now
you may show me what you have
seen."
unlikely that a man is actually
flying, right? I’m going to write
down this question: Did the
servant actually see this or was
he dreaming?”
“Hmmm, so first the emperor
refused to let the servant explain
what the miracle is, and now he
won’t let the servant take him to
the flying man. Why won’t he
take the servant’s story
seriously?”
“I’m going to write down: Finally!
Poor guy!”
I expect that this reading process will take about ten minutes. After this process, we will
deconstruct it. Students will ask questions about the technique and we will talk about the
kinds of things that I wrote down.
I will ask them several questions in a whole-group setting to ensure they are critically
thinking about the story, but also to measure how much they’ve retained from the
process and whether we can move on. My first question will focus on character
development. I will ask a question to encourage student contemplation about the
Emperor’s motivations: “Why do you think the Emperor refused to listen to the servant?”
After discussing the Emperor’s potential motivations, I will ask, “So, looking at what we’ve
seen so far, how are the servant and the Emperor different? What’s different about their
behavior?” Finally, I will ask students to make a prediction: “What do you think will
happen next? Do you think the servant actually saw a man flying?” If students seem to
understand how the story is working so far, I will encourage them to expand on their ideas
and begin looking at the story in a specific lens: “I told you that the story would be about
technology. What part do you think technology will play later in the story? ” Because the
story is called “The Flying Machine,” I anticipate several students recognizing that there is
probably technology behind the man’s flying. This discussion will take about 10 minutes.
If students are not quite ready to move onto practicing this reading on their own, I will
read several more paragraphs and do the same process or have them read several
motivations.
I think this
deconstructing part
of the process is
important – it allows
us to look at the
reading model
metacognitively
This wasn’t
something done in
the Wilhelm book,
but I think it’s
important to ensure
students understand
this technique before
asking them to do it
on their own.
Reading critically is
difficult and takes
practice, so I want to
adequately scaffold
the process.
I believe the main
idea (technology can
be used for good and
evil) is represented in
the contrast between
the emperor and the
flying man, the way
that they view the
flying machine, and
the grand and
paragraphs in groups and practice the process before moving onto individual work.
IV.
FROM DRTA: Guide Students’ Reading.
After students have discussed my questions, I will have them read the rest of the story
using a DRTA written protocol. I will encourage them to do what I just did, writing down
their thoughts, feelings, observations, questions, and predictions as they move through
the story. I will also tell them to pay close attention to the setting, the overall problem,
and the characters’ thoughts and actions in regard to this problem. I want them to wear
the shoes of the characters – how would they feel if they were the emperor? The flying
man? The servant? I will give them about 20 minutes to read the story all the way
through and make comments. Because I don’t want to overwhelm them, I will tell them
to make at least two comments per page. They can make more if they wish, but this will
give them a baseline so that students actually write and fill out the margins.
To assist students in the process, I have attached a worksheet that gives examples of
several types of comments that students could make in their reading (see appendix).
As they read, I will ask them to think about these questions (which I will write on the
board):
What are the positives and negatives about the man’s invention? How did the
characters in the story feel about the invention? What does this story say about
the development of technology?
Because I have three ELL students and two struggling readers in this classroom, I have
differentiated this assignment to assist them in this reading strategy. I discussed this
differentiation in the “Attention to Individual Student Needs” section.
V.
FROM DRTA: After Reading.
First, I will ask students if they have any specific clarification questions or confusion in
case specific aspects of the text prevented student understanding. I will remind my
students that our purpose is to understand the text deeply and that it’s okay if there are
some road blocks. Some example clarification questions could be, “What does the word
‘apparatus’ mean?” or “Is the thing flying around a dragon or a man?” I expect
clarification to take about 5 minutes.
Next, I will have my students discuss their reading with a partner. Together, they will go
through their comments and try to describe their methods of reading. What stood out to
them? Did they relate to the individual characters? Did they have a lot of questions
about the work? I will have them discuss their comments with their partners and try to
identify the way they connected best to their reading. Once they have done that for
otherwise
impermeable setting
of China, I want
students to focus on
these specific
elements as they
read.
I also provided the
worksheet so
students can see
more examples of
different ways to
interact with the
text. Hopefully that
will assist them in
their critical reading.
Finally, the bolded
questions are
purpose questions
that I want students
to have in their
minds during the
reading. Even if
they’re not sure how
to answer them,
they’re an important
end goal.
I added the
clarification question
at the beginning of
section 5 because I
know how easy it is
for students to get
frustrated if they
can’t get past a
particular part of a
work and simply give
up. By addressing
these roadblocks, I
want students to
know that it’s okay to
get hung up while
reading as long as
they make an effort
to push past them.
about 10 minutes, I will have them look back at the questions on the board and discuss
them.
Afterward, the students will discuss the text as a group. I want students to look at
technology in this work and see how new technology can have both positive and negative
effects on society. I will ask the group to discuss specific observations, emotions, and
questions about the text that they have. In particular, I will ask them to describe specific
components of the story (setting, conflict, characters). Why is the setting important? Do
you see any comparisons or contrasts between the characters in this story? Why do you
think Bradbury created these characters in this way? We will discuss these aspects for
about 15 minutes.
VI.
FROM DRTA: Follow-up.
Once I feel as if my students have started to understand Bradbury’s generalizations
through the comments made in our group discussion, I will revisit the earlier questions
that I posed.
I think the think-pairshare model works
well for section 5
because this process
will be
uncomfortable for
many students who
have never read
critically. Allowing
them to deconstruct
the process with a
partner before
sharing with the
whole class will add
comfort to the
assignment.
What are the positives and negatives about the man’s flying invention? How
did the characters in the story feel about this invention? What does this story
say about the development of technology?
To tackle these questions, we will make a chart on the board that unpacks the flying
invention created in the story. This exercise will use the same format as the frontloading
exercise, but will be a visual representation. I will make three columns, one for
description, one for advantages, and one for disadvantages.
BAMBOO WING INVENTION
How does the story
describe this invention?
Made of bamboo
What are some
advantages of this
invention? Who makes
this argument?
What are some
disadvantages of the
invention? Who makes
this argument?
Beautiful view of China
Could be a potential
threat to safety
Resembles a dragon
Etc.
Thrills the inventor,
surprises the servant
Etc.
Disdained by emperor,
burned by the guards
Etc.
This chart will lead into a discussion of summative plot questions:
The chart in Section 6
will be helpful for
students, as it
visually maps out
how to view this
invention. Also, it
connects the
frontloading activity
to the text because
we’re answering this
question for the
story’s invention just
as we did for our own
personal inventions.
Section 6 is when
-
Who wins this pro/con argument?
What about the emperor’s invention? What are the pros/cons of his technology,
and how does this differ from the flying invention?
What does this say about Ray Bradbury’s message? How does he feel about
technological advancements? What does he want us to get out of this story?
Do we agree with Bradbury’s statement or not?
This activity will take roughly 20-30 minutes.
For a final close-out activity, I will have students reenact the story from their own
perspective. Here’s what I will say:
“Now, we’ve learned about Bradbury’s view on technology and how his emperor handles
it. For the last few minutes of class, I want you all to imagine yourself in a leadership
position and a new piece of technology enters your society. Though it has definite
benefits, it could also pose a threat. What do you do? What is your role as leader? Form
small groups of four and have a group representative come get a potential scenario from
me. Then, work together as a group to plan out how you would act given this situation.” I
will give students about 30 minutes for this discussion.
I will have made several potential scenarios for the groups to discuss. Here are some
possible examples:
- It would be neat to have one group reenact the exact scene from the story, so this
will be one prompt: Imagine that you are Emperor Yuan. You have just learned of
this flying device and, though it offers freedom and beauty, it also exists as a
potential threat to your country’s safety. We know how Yuan acts in the story.
How would you act if you were him?
- You’re the President of the United States. The top medical researcher comes to
you and tells you that he has found the cure for cancer. It is 99% proven to treat
and cure cancer in infected patients. However, distribution of this cure also
releases a deadly toxin into the air. This toxin is fine in small doses, but it can be
lethal in large quantities. Do you let the procedure be released or do you destroy
the cure to protect your people?
- You’re a computer designer in 2057. You just designed a computer that has the
ability to learn on its own. Though the computer has the capacity to solve
problems that have stumped humans for centuries, you recognize that the
computer’s knowledge is growing at a rapid speed and will soon surpass your
own. You’re not sure how the computer is going to act next. What do you do?
IV. Closing
At the end of the class, I will have students revisit their initial workbook entry for their exit
slip. They will write for the last five minutes of class.
“Think back to the invention that you mentioned during your writing at the beginning of
class. Can you think of any ways that this invention may cause problems in the future?
Or, do you think this invention could help save future society? In your journals, make a
prediction on how you think your invention will affect the future.” Again, ELL students
students engage
Bradbury and his
ideas directly. I want
them to put
themselves in the
place of the Emperor
and see what
decision they would
make. I expect many
students would be
appalled at Yuan’s
decision to kill the
flying man, but I
think this roleplay
will help them to
examine the other
side and choose
whether or not they
accept it.
I like this particular
exit slip because it
connects back to the
frontloading exercise
and demonstrates
explicitly how their
ideas have changed
over the course of
the lesson.
will be given the option of writing this brief reflection in their native language if they wish.
Materials:
Textbook – Elements of Literature: Second Course by Holt. The book gives some great
background information on Ray Bradbury, as well as some specific questions for this
particular story and others. This book is well written and can be a great resource for
students.
Overhead projector or ELMO to project protocol sheets, pen to write on
Protocol sheets of “The Flying Machine” to distribute to individual students
Attention to Individual Student Needs: Detail specific actions/materials you will use to
meet individual needs in this lesson.
I tried to use as many different types of representation as possible in this lesson. I believe
that using visual representation through the column chart toward the end of the lesson
will help all students, including struggling readers, visually comprehend the main ideas.
Also, giving students a worksheet with types of comments they could make during the
protocol will assist all students in the process.
Also, I may create a difficult words list to help students who struggle with context clues.
Some words in the short story may pose a problem for these readers, so a basic
vocabulary sheet of definitions will help them as they move through the text. For ELL
students, I will give them the space to write a word or phrase that means the same thing
in their native language and they will use this to define the English word in English. This
will help them to connect their first language to the knowledge they are gaining in English.
After learning about ELL students, I recognize that an ELL student may have serious
difficulties with this lesson without extra support. This text can be challenging and
confusing for all ages, and students who may have lower reading levels or struggle with
English will also struggle with the deeper-reading techniques I am asking them to employ.
As one of our readings stated, students who are not as fluent in complicated texts may
benefit from having a brief summary of the work beforehand – that way they know the
general plot and can work through the difficult text with some level of prior
I got “The Flying
Machine” out of the
students’ textbook,
but I chose to
separate it from the
textbook for this
lesson. Wilhelm
states that most
students find
textbook reading to
be unpleasant (86).
Thus, for this
exercise, I think it’s a
good idea to put in
the extra effort and
look at this story
separately from the
book. However, the
book is still a great
resource and can be
used to extend the
topic and learn more
about Bradbury and
the text.
I see a lot of value in
UDL processes, so
included the column
chart and worksheet
to assist both
students who may
struggle as well as
other students.
I also edited this
lesson to better assist
ELL students.
understanding. I may provide them with this plot summary either in basic English or in
their native language, depending on the student and what I think would best help them.
I will also use a version of Margin Questions (Gibbons 94) as an enhancement to the
protocol form to guide students’ reading toward the meaning of the work if they need it.
To do this, I will insert key questions for students to answer as they complete the protocol
reading. For example, when the Emperor brings out his own invention, I may have
students answer the question, “How is the Emperor’s invention different from the
flyer’s?” This would assist students in the reading process and help them to know what
they should be looking for in the text. I could even have students take some (or all) of
their notes in their native language as an adaptation of Fu’s ideas of incorporating native
language writing. If students are uncertain how to express themselves or their ideas
about the texts in their English writing, they could take notes in their native language to
help them during small group discussion. Though they would have to translate their
writing into spoken English, this technique may help students get their thoughts down
more effectively and process their opinions before sharing it with others. It may also help
students feel more comfortable expressing their thoughts in the group setting.
It can be threatening for students to have sheets of paper with pure text on it, so for
students who would be helped by visuals, I may include relevant pictures (such as of the
Great Wall of China) to assist them in their reading. This will help them visualize the work
and connect key ideas to a visual piece.
It would also be neat, if possible, to connect students’ knowledge to the story’s setting. If
I have an ELL student from China, I could ask him or her to share any information they
have about China with the class that could help us understand the story better (but only if
he or she is willing, of course!). Does he or she know anything about the purpose of the
Great Wall? Has he or she ever been there? How important is this place to the country of
China? This would be a neat assignment to encourage the student to share about his or
her culture and would also help extend students’ knowledge of the story’s setting.
Finally, I employed Fu’s technique of having students write personal reflections in their
first language. Fu argues that it takes multiple years for ELL students to develop
communicative proficiency, and even longer for them to develop academic language
proficiency (15). Students must begin engaging with meaningful writing activities from
the beginning of their time in America even if they cannot express themselves completely
in English yet. Thus, I have allowed my ELL students to write their introductory reflection
and exit-slip in their native language if they choose to. This way, they will be able to
respond to the prompt fully and have well-developed thoughts, which will serve them
well as they transition into group time or as the class finishes up for the day.
Technology Use: Detail specific technology being used in the lesson with explanation
for why it is being used.
I felt as if excessive
technology use in this
lesson would be
Ironically, I use little technology in a lesson about technology. Other than using the
unnatural and
overhead to model the reading strategies, technology isn’t really needed to help students unnecessary. I’m not
effectively participate in the DRTA model. The overhead is helpful, though, as it allows me sure if I should add
to demonstrate the process for the student with better scaffolding.
more or not.
How this lesson incorporates specific insights from course readings and/or class discussion:
As a whole, I very much relied on Wilhelm’s ideas to create this lesson. I followed his model for teaching
“Old Horse” on page 79 because I liked the way he created the process. However, I did make a few changes. In
particular, I paused more frequently for scaffolding and assessing student progress before moving on. Also, I
gave students handouts of types of comments and vocabulary sheets to assist them in the difficult process. I
recognize that this may be the first time my students truly analyze a piece, so I want to give them as much
support as possible. Wilhelm’s model has a heavy focus on purpose, so I made sure there was a clear purpose to
each part of the process that I assigned.
For my frontloading exercise, I used a quick-write because it is fast, easy, and focused. Wilhelm writes,
“Topics that are purposeful and have relevance to your students’ lives will naturally support a more democratic
community.” I intentionally ensured that my question connected well to all students so that they can think
critically and have good discussions about their ideas.
I attempted to use Wilhelm’s Inquiry Square to craft my KUDs, though I’m not sure how effective that
was. Throughout my lesson, I tried to have students focus on formal elements and build meaning from these
pieces, but this is a lot harder than I thought! I think I need more practice in following this model.
When considering ELLs and struggling readers in my class, I used the Gibbons book. Many of the
strategies outlined by Gibbons, like Scaffolding a Detailed Reading and Pause and Predict, are encompassed in
the DRTA model (93-94). I may have to give students extra assistance, though. I think Margin Questions will
help students to read with a particular focus if they are struggling with commenting on the work themselves
(94). Also, I included the chart after reading as a type of graphic organizer to help students better understand
how to organize the information from the text (100). I will have students fill out the vocabulary sheet
beforehand, and ELL students will be able to write the equivalent of the word in their native language.
APPENDIX: “The Flying Machine” by Ray Bradbury, full text. I have bolded words that I think students may not
know. For readers who struggle with finding context clues, I will provide them with a vocabulary sheet of these
words beforehand.
In the year A.D. 400, the Emperor Yuan held his throne by the Great Wall of China, and the land was
green with rain, readying itself toward the harvest, at peace, the people in his dominion neither too happy nor
too sad.
Early on the morning of the first day of the first week of the second month of the new year, the Emperor
Yuan was sipping tea and fanning himself against a warm breeze when a servant ran across the scarlet and blue
garden tiles, calling, "Oh, Emperor, Emperor, a miracle!"
"Yes," said the Emperor, "the air is sweet this morning."
"No, no, a miracle!" said the servant, bowing quickly.
"And this tea is good in my mouth, surely that is a miracle."
"No, no, Your Excellency."
"Let me guess then - the sun has risen and a new day is upon us. Or the sea is blue. That now is the
finest of all miracles."
"Excellency, a man is flying!"
"What?" The Emperor stopped his fan.
"I saw him in the air, a man flying with wings. I heard a voice call out of the sky, and when I looked up,
there he was, a dragon in the heavens with a man in its mouth, a dragon of paper and bamboo, coloured like the
sun and the grass."
"It is early," said the Emperor, "and you have just wakened from a dream."
"It is early, but I have seen what I have seen! Come, and you will see it too."
"Sit down with me here," said the Emperor. "Drink some tea. It must be a strange thing, if it is true, to
see a man fly. You must have time to think of it, even as I must have time to prepare myself for the sight." They
drank tea.
"Please," said the servant at last, "or he will be gone." The Emperor rose thoughtfully. "Now you may
show me what you have seen."
They walked into a garden, across a meadow of grass, over a small bridge, through a grove of trees, and
up a tiny hill.
"There!" said the servant.
The Emperor looked into the sky.
And in the sky, laughing so high that you could hardly hear him laugh, was a man; and the man was
clothed in bright papers and reeds to make wings and a beautiful yellow tail, and he was soaring all about like
the largest bird in a universe of birds, like a new dragon in a land of ancient dragons.
The man called down to them from high in the cool winds of morning. "I fly, I fly!"
The servant waved to him. "Yes, yes!"
The Emperor Yuan did not move. Instead he looked at the Great Wall of China now taking shape out of
the farthest mist in the green hills, that splendid snake of stones which writhed with majesty across the entire
land. That wonderful wall which had protected them for a timeless time from enemy hordes and preserved
peace for years without number. He saw the town, nestled to itself by a river and a road and a hill, beginning to
waken.
"Tell me," he said to his servant, "has anyone else seen this flying man?"
"I am the only one, Excellency," said the servant, smiling at the sky, waving.
The Emperor watched the heavens another minute and then said, "Call him down to me."
"Ho, come down, come down! The Emperor wishes to see you!" called the servant, hands cupped to his
shouting mouth.
The Emperor glanced in all directions while the flying man soared down the morning wind. He saw a
farmer, early in his fields, watching the sky, and he noted where the farmer stood.
The flying man alit with a rustle of paper and a creak of bamboo reeds. He came proudly to the Emperor,
clumsy in his rig, at last bowing before the old man.
"What have you done?" demanded the Emperor.
"I have flown in the sky, Your Excellency," replied the man.
"What have you done?" said the Emperor again.
"I have just told you!" cried the flier.
"You have told me nothing at all." The Emperor reached out a thin hand to touch the pretty paper and
the birdlike keel of the apparatus. It smelled cool, of the wind.
"Is it not beautiful, Excellency?"
"Yes, too beautiful."
"It is the only one in the world!" smiled the man. "And I am the inventor."
"The only one in the world?" "I swear it!"
"Who else knows of this?"
"No one. Not even my wife, who would think me mad with the son. She thought I was making a kite. I
rose in the night and walked to the cliffs far away. And when the morning breezes blew and the sun rose, I
gathered my courage, Excellency, and leaped from the cliff. I flew! But my wife does not know of it."
"Well for her, then," said the Emperor. "Come along."
They walked back to the great house. The sun was full in the sky now, and the smell of the grass was
refreshing.
The Emperor, the servant, and the flier paused within the huge garden.
The Emperor clapped his hands. "Ho, guards!" The guards came running. "Hold this man." The guards
seized the flier. "Call the executioner," said the Emperor. "What's this!" cried the flier, bewildered. "What have I
done?" He began to weep, so that the beautiful paper apparatus rustled.
"Here is the man who has made a certain machine," said the Emperor, "and yet asks us what he has
created. He does not know himself. It is only necessary that he create, without knowing why he has done so, or
what this thing will do."
The executioner came running with a sharp silver ax. He stood with his naked, large-muscled arms
ready, his face covered with a serene white mask.
"One moment," said the Emperor. He turned to a nearby table upon which sat a machine that he himself
had created. The Emperor took a tiny golden key from his own neck. He fitted his key to the tiny, delicate
machine and wound it up. Then he set the machine going.
The machine was a garden of metal and jewels. Set in motion, the birds sang in tiny metal trees, wolves
walked through miniature forests, and tiny people ran in and out of sun and shadow, fanning themselves with
miniature fans, listening to tiny emerald birds, and standing by impossibly small but tinkling fountains.
"Is it not beautiful?" said the Emperor. "If you asked me what I have done here, I could answer you well.
I have made birds sing, I have made forests murmur, I have set people to walking in this woodland, enjoying the
leaves and shadows and songs. That is what I have done."
"But, oh, Emperor!" pleaded the flier, on his knees, the tears pouring down his face. "I have done a
similar thing! I have found beauty. I have flown on the morning wind. I have looked down on all the sleeping
houses and gardens. I have smelled the sea and even seen it, beyond the hills, from my high place. And I have
soared like a bird; oh, I cannot say how beautiful it is up there, in the sky, with the wind about me, the wind
blowing me here like a feather, there like a fan, the way the sky smells in the morning! And how free one feels!
That is beautiful, Emperor, that is beautiful too!"
"Yes," said the Emperor sadly, "I know it must be true. For I felt my heart move with you in the air and I
wondered: What is it like? How does it feel? How do the distant pools look from so high? And how my houses
and servants? Like ants? And how the distant towns not yet awake?"
"Then spare me!"
"But there are times," said the Emperor, more sadly still, "when one must lose a little beauty if one is to
keep what little beauty one already has. I do not fear you, yourself, but I fear another man."
"What man?"
"Some other man who, seeing you, will build a thing of bright papers and bamboo like this. But the other
man will have an evil face and an evil heart, and the beauty will be gone. It is this man I fear."
"Why? Why?"
"Who is to say that someday just such a man, in just such an apparatus of paper and reed, might not fly
in the sky and drop huge stones upon the Great Wall of China?" said the Emperor.
No one moved or said a word.
"Off with his head," said the Emperor.
The executioner whirled his silver ax.
"Burn the kite and the inventor's body and bury their ashes together," said the Emperor.
The servants retreated to obey.
The Emperor turned to his hand-servant, who had seen the man flying. "Hold your tongue. It was all a
dream, a most sorrowful and beautiful dream. And that farmer in the distant field who also saw, tell him it
would pay him to consider it only a vision. If ever the word passes around, you and the farmer die within the
hour."
"You are merciful, Emperor."
"No, not merciful," said the old man. Beyond the garden wall he saw the guards burning the beautiful
machine of paper and reeds that smelled of the morning wind. He saw he dark smoke climb into the sky. "No,
only very much bewildered and afraid." He saw the guards digging a tiny pit wherein to bury the ashes. "What is
the life of one man against those of a million others? I must take solace from that thought."
He took the key from its chain about his neck and once more wound up the beautiful miniature garden.
He stood looking out across the land at the Great Wall, the peaceful town, the green fields, the rivers and
streams. He sighed. The tiny garden whirred its hidden and delicate machinery and set itself in motion; tiny
people walked in forests, tiny faces loped through sun-speckled glades in beautiful shining pelts, and among the
tiny trees flew little bits of high song and bright blue and yellow colour, flying, flying, flying in that small sky.
"Oh," said the Emperor, closing his eyes, "look at the birds, look at the birds!"
Guiding worksheet to assist students in the protocol process:
As we learn how to engage with our reading, we’re going to have to examine our stories on a deep, personal
level. As you read, take notes in the margins of the story. These notes will look differently for every person, but
I want you to try to get into the text by writing down your thoughts and questions as you read.
Here are some examples of different ways you can engage with the reading. Remember that these are just
examples! They are not limiting, so if your comments don’t look like this, that’s okay. Also, if you notice you
tend to write more of one type of comment than others, that’s also okay. Everyone reads and processes reading
differently! Remember to make at least two comments on each page of the reading.
A question
“Why did Stephanie decide to tattle on Jenny when they’re supposed to be best friends?”
A summary
“Jenny dislikes the way Stephanie treats her, so she puts an angry note in her locker. When Stephanie
tells the teacher, Jenny gets into trouble.”
An observation
“Stephanie speaks in long, winding sentences, but Jenny’s words are short and choppy.”
A prediction
“I bet Jenny will get detention for what she did.”
An emotion
“I feel bad for Jenny. No one deserves to be treated the way that she’s being treated by Stephanie.”
A clarification
“I’m not sure I understand the word that Jenny just used. What does ‘castigate’ mean? It seems like a
not so nice word.”
Vocabulary list of difficult words:
Dominion – territory or place where a ruler has control
Writhe – to move in a twisting motion
Horde – a large group of people
Apparatus – a device used for a particular purpose
Bewilder – to confuse
Serene – calm, at peace
Merciful – full of mercy and compassion
Solace – finding comfort in sadness or difficulty
Lope – to run or ride steadily
Glade – an open space in a forest