Daily Lesson Vision
Lesson Objective & Additional Relevant Context
SWBAT discuss how the author of Jeremiah’s Song uses 1st person point-of-view (POV) to characterize the
narrator as a wide-eyed, curious adolescent and how this narration impacts our understanding of the story’s
other characters.
SWBAT describe Ellie’s character and how she has changed according to the narrator’s POV, using textual
evidence to support their claims.
These objectives cover the 1st day of a 4-day series of lessons using Walter Dean Myers’ short story Jeremiah’s Song.
The teacher built out this sequence of lessons with the central purpose of striving to achieve deep, thematic
understanding with her students. Her first steps were to identify the theme/implicit meaning within a text that she wanted
her students to unlock, and then determine how the author uses literary elements and devices to convey that
theme/implicit meaning. Only then did she flesh out her final objectives and daily lesson visions. Now, as she and her
students work through the text over a 4-day period, they will stop and analyze the right devices at the right point in time so
that students are supported to eventually grasp the theme/implicit meaning. In this way, they are not only working toward
mastery of important and discrete daily objectives (such as understanding POV, describing character development, using
textual evidence, etc.), but also toward an important bigger-picture vision of what it means to be a strong reader and
critical thinker.
Although the daily lesson assessment for these objectives is outlined below, it is important to note that this entire
sequence of 4 lessons is working toward developing students’ ability to respond to these culminating focus questions
about the story:
 In Jeremiah’s Song, the narrator learns that Grandpa Jeremiah’s songs and stories aren’t just silly words. Instead, the
narrator learns that these songs and stories can help people stay tied to their past and culture and can give them
strength when life feels challenging. In a paragraph that uses evidence from the text (character’s thoughts, words, and
actions), please explain:
o How the narrator learns this lesson by watching Macon (who appreciates the songs) and Ellie (who does not
appreciate them) deal with Grandpa Jeremiah’s Death.
o What learning this lesson means for the narrator’s own choice about how he will use Grandpa Jeremiah’s
stories and songs in his life.
o Use evidence from the text (characters’ thoughts, words, and actions) to support your answer.
As you execute the introduction to content from this lesson, consider how this lesson drives toward these overarching
questions.

Key Points
In a story, the point of view depends on the person who tells it.
o Sometimes stories are told from the perspective of one character. This is called a first person point of view.
o If a story is written in first person point of view, the story uses words like “I” and “we.”
o Other times, stories are told from the perspective of a narrator who relates all action in the third person, using
third person pronouns such as "he" or "she."

Different points of view give readers different types of information. For example, if a story is written in first person, we
get the voice and thoughts of that one character. In contrast, if a story is written in third person, we’ll hear how a
narrator thinks about all of the characters in the story.

Authors use characterization to help us learn about the characters in a story – both the narrator and the other
characters. To determine characterization:
o We need to take note of characters’ thoughts, words, actions, and interactions with other people.
o We can ask: How do other people talk to this character? What does this character say or think about other
people? How does this character talk or think?
o Then, we can make an inference about what a character is like. An inference is an opinion or judgment about
what a set of details in a text can tell you.
Lesson Assessment
1) Describe the narrator’s characterization in Jeremiah’s Song. Based on how he talks, what do we know about
this character? How do other people describe him?
Exemplar Student Response
The narrator in “Jeremiah’s Song” is a nine-year-old boy. We know this because his cousin refers to him as nine years
old, because he says he gets too scared from Grandpa Jeremiah’s stories to sleep alone, and because he describes his
height as up to Macon’s shirt pocket. We also know this because the author chose to write like he was nine years old, and
doesn’t always use proper English because he wants the story to sound like a little kid talking.
The narrator is characterized as curious in a few ways: listening to his Grandpa Jeremiah’s stories, listening to peoples’
conversations, and making observations about the world around him. He pays a lot of attention to how other people grow
and change.
2) How does the narrator feel about Ellie going to college? How does he think Ellie has changed since she went
away? Use specific details from the text in your answer.
Exemplar Student Response
The narrator thinks that Ellie no longer is as connected to her family and her community since she went away to college.
The narrator has noticed a few things about Ellie since she went to college. The first is that she no longer goes to church
or wants to; the second is that Grandpa Jeremiah has seen a huge change in Ellie since she started learning at
Greensboro; the third is that she no longer will sleep with him; the fourth is that she uses a different lotion now; the fifth is
that Ellie no longer trusts the doctors at home to make a correct diagnosis. (Students will need at least two of these pieces
of evidence, and will need to be able to make these connections.)
Introduction to Content: Pre-Reading
The Pre-Reading portion of this introduction to content has 3 sections:
 Introduce the Text (3 to 4 min.)
 Introduce the Key Point about POV (3 to 5 min.)
 Introduce the Key Point about Characterization (2 to 4 min.)
Teacher Says & Does (italics = what the teacher says)
Introduce the Text – 3 to 4 minutes
Access Prior Knowledge
 Give students this quotation: “There are three sides to every story. There’s what you
think happened, what I think happened, and what REALLY happened.”
 Do a 90-second quick-write where you sketch out 1 or more examples – from your life
or from a book, movie, or TV show – about what you think this means.

Ask 2-3 students to talk through their example.

A lot of times, the way you look at something will be really different from how someone
else you know sees it. By raising your hands, I’d like you all to tell me how many of you
have ever gotten into an argument with your parents about something? How about a
friend?”
People don’t always totally see eye-to-eye on things. We all have a different point of
view on the world, which we’ll be learning more about today.

Students Say & Do

Timed quick-write =
students write (without
pen/pencil) leaving the
paper for full time; focus
is not on grammar,
spelling, or coherent
sentences – focus is on
getting ideas on paper.

Share examples.

Access guided notes
sheet.

Read and listen to
paragraphs.
Link to Text
 Today, we’re going to start reading a story called Jeremiah’s Song. In this story, you’ll
hear a lot of people’s different perspectives on a man named Grandpa Jeremiah and the
songs he used to sing to his family. This story was written by an author named Walter
Dean Myers, who grew up in a small town in Virginia near where his ancestors were
slaves. The story we’re reading is also set in a small town in the South, a lot like where
Myers grew up!”
Introduce Key Points About POV – 3 to 5 minutes


We’re about to dive into the story! But before we do, it’s really important that you
understand how we’re going to read it. Walter Dean Myers used a few strategies in his
writing, and we need to understand those to really understand the meaning of his story.
These are the key points of our lesson—the really important skills you will use to take
apart the story. Follow along in your guided notes to make sure you know how to do
this.
Share the two examples paragraphs with students (either on chart paper or on a
separate handout from the notes sheet). Have two different volunteers read the example
paragraphs aloud. The first is written in the 3rd-person, and the second is written in the
1st-person (but don’t share this yet). It should be fairly obvious to students that these are
two different descriptions of the same person: one from an onlooker/objective narrator,
and one from the person himself.
Example Paragraph #1
The man stood in line, acting all kinds of grumpy. He got annoyed at the people in front of
him, and had a short temper with the cash register lady. He stuck out his hand really
demandingly to get his change back, then ran out the door really quickly. He made it pretty
clear that he didn't want to be at the store, and didn't like the people there.
Example Paragraph #2
Man, I have been having the craziest day of my life. This morning I woke up an hour late for
work, and my whole day has felt rushed ever since then. Later on, I went to the store to buy
some groceries, when I remembered that I made dinner reservations with my wife--and she
was waiting on me! So I was really rushing the people around me at the register, which I
kind of feel bad about, since they're very nice and they have always helped me out a lot.

What makes the first paragraph different from the second? (One is from an onlooker;
one is from the man.)

How are they written differently? (The first uses “he” and “him,” while the second uses
“I,” “me,” and “my.”)

And here’s the really big question: How is the information we get from each of these
different? (The second example tells us what was really going on in the guy’s mind and
why he was rushing around. It also tells us that he feels bad about it, which we wouldn’t
know from the onlooker’s description.)

Using the examples as a jumping-off point, introduce (and post) this key point:
o In a story, the point of view depends on the person who tells it.
o Sometimes stories are told from the perspective of one character. This is called
a first person point of view.
o If a story is written in first person point of view, the story uses words like “I” and
“we.”
o Other times, stories are told from the perspective of a narrator who tells us all
the action in third person, using third person pronouns such as "he" or "she."

Introduce (and post) this key point, stressing that this is what makes knowing about
point-of-view so important:
o Different points of view give readers different types of information. For example,
if a story is written in first person, we get the voice and thoughts of that one
character. In contrast, if a story is written in third person, we’ll hear how a
narrator thinks about all of the characters in the story.

Respond to teacher
questions. Build on
responses of peers as
appropriate.

Fill in notes on guided
notes sheet.

Fill in notes on guided
notes sheet.

Respond to questions.
Build on responses of
peers as appropriate.

Fill in notes on guided
notes sheet.
Introduce Key Points About Characterization – 2 to 4 minutes


It’s also really important for us to think about the characters themselves.
Introduce (and post) this key point:
o Authors use characterization to help us learn about the characters in a story –
both the narrator and the other characters.

Before breaking down the rest of the rest of this point, ask students the following two
questions. You’re asking to get kids thinking about the things they notice about people
in real life who they have never met:
o When you’ve just met someone in our own lives, how do you learn about those
people?
o What kind of things do you notice about them, and what do those things tell
you?

Afterward, continue with the key point (and also post):
o To determine characterization:




We need to take note of their thoughts, words, actions, and interactions
with other people.
We can ask: How do other people talk to this character? What does this
character say or think about other people? How does this character talk
or think?
Then, we can make an inference about what a character is like. An
inference is your opinion or judgment about what a set of details in the
text tell you.
As we now begin reading Jeremiah’s Song, we’ll practice determining point of view and
characterization starting with the very first paragraph!
Introduction to Content Portion of the Lesson Plan
Introduction to Content: During Reading
The During Reading portion of this introduction to content has 3 sections:
 Identifying POV (4 to 6 min.)
 Discerning Details & Making Inferences About the Narrator’s Character (8 to 12 min.)
Teacher Says & Does (italics = what the teacher says)
Identifying POV – 4 to 6 minutes
Read-Aloud
 I am now going to read the first part of the story aloud. As I read paragraphs one and
two, follow along in your own text. Carefully listen for what point-of-view is present in
this text. When you know the point-of-view, put your finger on your nose as you listen.
Students Say & Do

Listen and follow along –
should see fingers on
noses pretty immediately.

Respond to teacher
questions. Provide
specific textual evidence.
Build on responses of
peers as appropriate.

Might be a good idea to
have students do a “turnand-talk” with a partner
before discussing as a
whole-group.
(1) I knowed my cousin Ellie was gonna be mad when Macon Smith come around to the
house. She didn't have no use for Macon even when things was going right, and when
Grandpa Jeremiah was fixing to die I just knowed she wasn't gonna be liking him hanging
around. Grandpa Jeremiah raised Ellie after her folks died and they used to be real close.
Then she got to go on to college and when she come back the first year she was different.
She didn't want to hear all them stories he used to tell her anymore. Ellie said the stories
wasn't true, and that's why she didn't want to hear them.
(2) I didn't know if they was true or not. Tell the truth I didn't think much on it either way, but I
liked to hear them stories. Grandpa Jeremiah said they wasn't stories anyway, they was
songs.
Stop to Check, Process, & Debrief
 Okay! Those of you with your fingers on your nose – hold up ONE finger if you think this
is in first-person point of view, and THREE fingers if you think this is in third-person
point of view.

If any students said third person, use this as an opportunity to weed out
misunderstanding by asking on one of these students to explain their response.
Respectfully correct the misconception by using the key points of the lesson to identify
why this answer is wrong.


Ask the first person responders: Why did you say this is in first person? Good.
We know this story has a first-person point of view because it uses “I.” It’s also written
from the character’s unique voice.

Dig a little deeper: Does this character talk the way characters usually talk in stories you
have read? No? Well, what makes it different?
o Elicit some student responses – look for things like: this character talks the way
a normal person talks; he doesn’t always use proper grammar, etc.
o Students should pick this out as a clear contrast with other stories they read a
lot. Probing questions to ask include:
 What type of person do you think this is?
 Is this a boy or a girl?
 Does this character talk differently from a normal story?
 How do you know?

Before moving on, ask the following questions to ensure basic comprehension:
o Who does the narrator live with?
o What do you think the narrator’s relationship to Ellie is?
Discerning Details & Making Inferences About Narrator’s Character – 8 to 12 minutes
Frame This Section
 I am now going to read ten more paragraphs into the story. You will get a chance to
read over these paragraphs on your own soon, but for now I want you to listen and
follow along very carefully. This time, you are going to be listening for the
characterization of a main character – the narrator. That means that as I am reading,
you should be noticing his thoughts, words, and actions, and based upon these you
should be writing down clues in your notes that tell you something about the type of
person this is.
Read- Aloud
 I’m actually going to start by re-reading those first 2 paragraphs again. Remember – the
first time you were listening to figure out point-of-view. Now you’re listening to jot down
notes about characterization.

Follow along in text.

Respond to teacher
questions. Transfer notes
to their own graphic
organizer.

Jot down notes about
narrator character (may
pause once or twice to
give time for this).
(1) I knowed my cousin Ellie was gonna be mad when Macon Smith come around to the
house. She didn't have no use for Macon even when things was going right, and when
Grandpa Jeremiah was fixing to die I just knowed she wasn't gonna be liking him hanging
around. Grandpa Jeremiah raised Ellie after her folks died and they used to be real close.
Then she got to go on to college and when she come back the first year she was different.
She didn't want to hear all them stories he used to tell her anymore. Ellie said the stories
wasn't true, and that's why she didn't want to hear them.
(2) I didn't know if they was true or not. Tell the truth I didn't think much on it either way, but I
liked to hear them stories. Grandpa Jeremiah said they wasn't stories anyway, they was
songs.
Stop to Check, Process, & Debrief
 Pause and tell students something they should have written in their notes: As many of
you noticed a minute ago, this character talks in what way? Where in the text does he
sound that way? What does this tell us about him? How does he feel about his
Grandpa’s stories? What does this tell you about him? Why do you think so?
 As students answer, record the details (but not the inferences) on a large visual graphic
organizer that mimics the students’ notes:
Detail about character…

- Talks like someone who doesn’t know perfect
English
- Likes to listen to his Grandpa’s stories
Now that students have had explicit modeling about what is expected of the, continue
with the read-aloud.
Read-Aloud
 Continue reading – for this long stretch, really focus on fluidity and bringing this to life!
(3) “They the songs of my people,” he used to say.
(4) I didn't see how they was songs, not regular songs anyway. Every little thing we did
down in Curry seemed to matter to Ellie that first summer she come home from college. You
couldn't do nothin' that was gonna please her. She didn't even come to church much.
'Course she come on Sunday or everybody would have had a regular fit, but she didn't
come on Thursday nights and she didn't come on Saturday even though she used to sing in
the gospel choir.
(5) "I guess they teachin' her somethin' worthwhile up there at Greensboro," Grandpa
Jeremiah said to Sister Todd. "I sure don't see what it is, though.”
(6) "You ain't never had no book learning, Jeremiah," Sister Todd shot back. She wiped at
where a trickle of sweat made a little path through the white dusting powder she put on her
chest to keep cool. “Them old ways you got ain't got nothing for these young folks.”
(7) "I guess you right," Grandpa Jeremiah said.
(8) He said it but I could see he didn't like it none. He was a big man with a big head and
had most all his hair even if it was white. All that summer, instead of sitting on the porch
telling stories like he used to when I was real little, he would sit out there by himself while
Ellie stayed in the house and watched the television or read a book. Sometimes I would
think about asking him to tell me one of them stories he used to tell but they was too scary
now that I didn't have nobody to sleep with but myself. I asked Ellie to sleep with me but she
wouldn't.
(9) "You're nine years old," she said, sounding real proper. "You're old enough to sleep
alone.”
(10) I knew that. I just wanted her to sleep with me because I liked sleeping with her. Before
she went off to college she used to put cocoa butter on her arms and face and it would smell
real nice. When she come back from college she put something else on, but that smelled
nice too.
Stop to Check, Process, & Debrief
 With students, input more details about the narrator’s character into the graphic
organizer. Probing questions to ask:
o What is the narrator thinking about?
o What does he do? How does he interact with others?
o What might this tell us about him? (don’t input inferences into organizer yet)

Now that we’ve picked out some good characterization details, let’s see how we can use
them! We use characterization details to draw inferences about a character. These are
our judgments or opinions based on the evidence we found in the text. On your sheet, I
have listed three pairs of adjectives: Timid and courageous, young and old, and
careless and curious. What I want you to do is circle which one you think describes the
narrator. Then I want you to go back and explain what detail from the text made you
circle that choice. You will have 2-3 minutes to think this through.
I think the narrator is…
(CIRCLE the one you think it
is!)
1) TIMID /
COURAGEOUS


Respond to teacher
questions. Provide
specific textual evidence.
Build on responses of
peers as appropriate.
Input notes into their own
graphic organizers.

Students could work
independently or with a
partner – decide in-themoment what makes
sense.

Might be a good idea to
have students do a “turnand-talk” with a partner
before discussing as a
whole-group.

Share their responses.
Build on responses of
peers as appropriate.
Input notes into their own
graphic organizers.
BECAUSE the narrator says…

2) YOUNG / OLD

3) CARELESS /
CURIOUS

Discuss student responses. Take notes on large master visual that replicates students’
guided notes sheet. Look for students to have arrived at:
o TIMID because… he wants to share a bed with his sister after grandpa’s
stories; he thinks grandpa’s stories are scary; he doesn’t seem to push issue
after Ellie won’t sleep with him anymore)
o YOUNG because… he talks like a little kid; Ellie says he is 9 years old
o CURIOUS because… he makes a lot of observations about other people
Context for the Rest of the Lesson
The rest of the During Reading consists of student practice and looks like this:
 Paired Reading (6-8 min.): Students re-read the same 10 paragraphs to find details about Ellie’s character and to
make inferences about how she has changed.
 Independent Reading (8-12 min.): Students read paragraphs 11-13 to find details about Macon’s character and to
make inferences about how he has changed.
 Full-Group Read-Aloud (4-8 min.): Students and teacher read paragraphs 14-20 and discuss some basic
comprehension questions to ensure students have a firm enough grasp on the plot to move forward.
In the Post-Reading section of the plan, students will:
 (10 min.) Complete a RAFT writing assignment that focuses on the narrator.
o Role: Narrator
o Audience: Ellie
o Format: Letter
o Topic: You’ve gotten different since you went away to college!
 (5-8 min.) Respond to the Daily Focus Question lesson assessment.
Opening Handout
Focus Quote
“There are three sides to every story. There’s what you think happened, what I think happened, and what REALLY
happened.”
Quick-Write Prompt (Do this now!)
 Sketch out 1-2 examples about what you think this quote means.
 Examples can be from your life or from a book, movie, or TV show, etc.
My Examples
Example Paragraphs (We’ll get to this soon!)
Paragraph #1
The man stood in line, acting all kinds of grumpy. He got annoyed at the people in front of him, and had a short temper
with the cash register lady. He stuck out his hand really demandingly to get his change back, then ran out the door really
quickly. He made it pretty clear that he didn't want to be at the store, and didn't like the people there.
Paragraph #2
Man, I have been having the craziest day of my life. This morning I woke up an hour late for work, and my whole day has
felt rushed ever since then. Later on, I went to the store to buy some groceries, when I remembered that I made dinner
reservations with my wife--and she was waiting on me! So I was really rushing the people around me at the register,
which I kind of feel bad about, since they're very nice and they have always helped me out a lot.
Guided Notes Handout
Key Points: These are the skills you will be using while we read today’s story!
 In a story, the _______________________________________ depends on the person who tells it.

Sometimes stories are told from the perspective of one character. This is called a ______________________
person point of view.

If a story is written in first person point of view, the story uses words like “I” and “we.”

Other times, stories are told from the perspective which a narrator relates all action in third person, using third
person pronouns such as "________________" or "_________________."
 Different points of view give readers different types of information. For example, if a story is written in first person, we
get the voice and thoughts of that one character. In contrast, if a story is written in third person, we’ll hear how a narrator
thinks about all of the characters in the story.
 Authors use ________________________________________ to help us learn about the characters in a story – both
the narrator and the other characters. To determine the characterization of a character:

We need to take note of their thoughts, words, actions, and interactions with other people.

We can ask: How do other people talk to this character? What does this character say or think about other
people? How does this character talk or think?

Then, we can make an ___________________________________ about what a character is like. An inference is
an opinion or judgment about what a set of details in a text can tell you.
 Based on the teacher’s reading of the first few paragraphs, this story is in _______________ person.
Circle:
First
Third
As the teacher reads, pay close attention to details about the main character of the narrator. You will write them into
this box as you hear them. Remember, you are looking for his thoughts, words, and actions:
When we characterize someone, we make an inference about what the character is like based on their words,
thoughts, and actions. To practice, use the details you just found to decide whether the narrator is TIMID or
COURAGEOUS, YOUNG or OLD, and CARELESS or CURIOUS.
I think the narrator is…
(CIRCLE one)
BECAUSE the narrator says…
1) TIMID / COURAGEOUS

2) YOUNG / OLD

3) CARELESS / CURIOUS

If you want to see the rest of the guided notes (and the rest of this entire plan), refer to the Secondary ELA Reading plan
from Step One of your institute pre-work module titled Preparing to Write Your First Lessons.
Text Excerpt from Jeremiah’s Song (by Walter Dean Myers)
Text
(1) I knowed my cousin Ellie was gonna be mad when Macon Smith come around to the
house. She didn't have no use for Macon even when things was going right, and when
Grandpa Jeremiah was fixing to die I just knowed she wasn't gonna be liking him
hanging around. Grandpa Jeremiah raised Ellie after her folks died and they used to be
real close. Then she got to go on to college and when she come back the first year she
was different. She didn't want to hear all them stories he used to tell her anymore. Ellie
said the stories wasn't true, and that's why she didn't want to hear them.
(2) I didn't know if they was true or not. Tell the truth I didn't think much on it either way,
but I liked to hear them stories. Grandpa Jeremiah said they wasn't stories anyway, they
was songs.
(3) “They the songs of my people,” he used to say.
(4) I didn't see how they was songs, not regular songs anyway. Every little thing we did
down in Curry seemed to matter to Ellie that first summer she come home from college.
You couldn't do nothin' that was gonna please her. She didn't even come to church
much. 'Course she come on Sunday or everybody would have had a regular fit, but she
didn't come on Thursday nights and she didn't come on Saturday even though she used
to sing in the gospel choir.
(5) "I guess they teachin' her somethin' worthwhile up there at Greensboro," Grandpa
Jeremiah said to Sister Todd. "I sure don't see what it is, though.”
(6) "You ain't never had no book learning, Jeremiah," Sister Todd shot back. She wiped
at where a trickle of sweat made a little path through the white dusting powder she put
on her chest to keep cool. “Them old ways you got ain't got nothing for these young
folks.”
(7) "I guess you right," Grandpa Jeremiah said.
(8) He said it but I could see he didn't like it none. He was a big man with a big head and
had most all his hair even if it was white. All that summer, instead of sitting on the porch
telling stories like he used to when I was real little, he would sit out there by himself
while Ellie stayed in the house and watched the television or read a book. Sometimes I
would think about asking him to tell me one of them stories he used to tell but they was
too scary now that I didn't have nobody to sleep with but myself. I asked Ellie to sleep
with me but she wouldn't.
(9) "You're nine years old," she said, sounding real proper. "You're old enough to sleep
alone.”
(10) I knew that. I just wanted her to sleep with me because I liked sleeping with her.
Before she went off to college she used to put cocoa butter on her arms and face and it
would smell real nice. When she come back from college she put something else on,
but that smelled nice too.
Notes, Connections,
and Questions