Culturally Relevant Lesson Plan
By: Cassie Cooper
Amanda Moore
ESOL 4242
Culture and Education
Summer 2009
Description of Sy
Our focus student is Sy Savang. This student is a refugee from Laos. He is the
youngest of nine children. He is 14 years old and in the 7th grade. Sy is very quiet in
the classroom. He usually sits in the corner near a window. He seems to like people
and wants to interact with other students, but he may not know how. Sy also is very
disciplined in the classroom. He works from the time the bell rings to start class, until
the time the bell rings to end of class. He has much respect for his authority figures.
He does not initiate conversation with his peers, however if they talk to him, he will
talk back. This student seems to like the English language, but does not like to read
or write. This student does like to write and tell stories. This student is also
particularly strong in both science and social studies. This student will not question the
teacher about his grades or ask for clarification.
This student knows that learning his English is very important. He is very
business-like in the classroom. He does not goof-off in class or talk out to others
while the teacher is teaching. This student is shy in class. He is very timid, and when
called upon, will hardly say a word. If someone he does not like comes near him while
working, he keeps his head down and does not say a word. However, if someone he
does like walks by, he gives them a high five and greets them. He is well-liked by his
peers.
By this student’s behavior in middle school, we assume that he could have the
same characteristics in the fourth grade (which our lesson is designed for). We are
assuming that he would be quiet and hard working. We are also assuming that he is
well-liked by his peers and that he likes to talk to certain students. We assume that
this child is behind in both reading and writing due to his dislike for these subjects in
high school
Narrative
The lesson plan we chose already had a few accommodations that would work
for Sy. One aspect of this lesson is the use of bodily movements to demonstrate
different verbs and adverbs. We feel that this activity is good for Sy because he likes
to play sports. Usually people who like sports learn better by doing the action or using
manipulatives. We also have the students write their own sentences that use adverbs
and verbs. This allows Sy to be creative with his sentence and use his own adverbs
and verbs. Another aspect of the lesson plan that is that we have the students watch
a video about adverbs and verbs. Sy really likes television and video games, so this
incorporation of technology will make him more engaged into the content once seeing
the information on television.
Adaptations
Adaptations to Materials:
The materials that we originally used in our lesson plan were just pencils, paper,
and chart paper. We decided that Sy would probably have problems learning how to
use and identify verbs and adverbs with using only these materials. Therefore, we
decided to use color coding to help him differentiate between verbs and adverbs.
These colors will coincide with a chart placed on the wall that describes the parts of
speech.
Another use of materials that we added to our plan was to give a list of
common verbs and adverbs to help Sy learn each category. These will be use later in
a story for his independent practice activity.
Adaptations to Procedures:
One adaptation to our procedures was the use of a chart placed on the wall.
The chart will contain the four parts of speech. Each word will have a color in the
column next to it. There will also be a sentence next to the word so the students can
see the word used in a sentence. This chart will help Sy identify and associate words
that he is looking for in sentences or stories. Also during the procedure, the students
will use colored markers to circle the verbs and adverbs in a fictional story/fairytale
instead of sentences. This adaptation uses the words in context that the students are
familiar with, fairytales. Sy can relate to the fairytale because this genre is known all
over the world. This color coding system will make it easier for Sy to recognize the
verbs and adverbs. We think that this will benefit him by helping him memorize these
words by association. The students will also be paired with another student. They will
then create a sentence together and act out their sentence like they acted out the
verbs and adverbs in the introduction. We thought this could help Sy use social
context and comprehensible input and output while working with his partner. It will also
work on his listening skills.
Adaptations to Independent Practice:
Since Sy likes to tell and write stories, we decided to adapt this part for him
specifically. We want the students to write a fictional story using verbs and adverbs.
The students will be given a list of verbs and adverbs to use for their stories. This will
allow the students to participate in creative writing, while using verbs and adverbs
learned in the lesson. The second part of this practice will be adapted to coincide with
the color coding system. Once the students have finished their stories, they will find
and circle ten verbs and ten adverbs using the correct colored marker. We think that
Sy will learn the concept of adverbs and verbs if he is able to physically write a story
himself and use the verbs and adverbs that he wants. We think that the more freedom
Sy has with writing and using words, the better he will learn the language.
Adaptations to Assessment:
Our assessment will be based on the independent practice activity. We are using
this activity to tell whether or not the students have a good grasp on the concept of
verbs and adverbs. We did not adapt anything to our assessment.
Reflection of Standards
Amanda Moore
This lesson plan has shown that I have met ESOL Standard IV in that I am
knowledgeable in the ways to develop a socially rich learning environment that can be
very beneficial to ELL learners. It is important that a teacher provides students with the
opportunity to share ideas with each others during lessons. It is also important to
provide a chance for students to work in pairs or groups, which will allow these
students to build on both comprehensible input and output. I am also aware that the
affective factors, such as self-esteem and motivation can be beneficial for ELL students
learning a second language. I can build on their self-esteem by using creative writing
activities.
This lesson plan shows that I have met ESOL Standard VII in that I am
knowledgeable of the different characteristics of linguistic/minority groups. I know that
these groups have different customs and ways of learning that may not be the same
as the mainstream culture. These differences can affect the way that ELL students
learn our grammar system. These groups often have different sounds and phonic
structures in their words which could inhibit their learning of the new language. I am
also aware that minority students often seem quiet and withdrawn due to their cultural
belief that students should not interrupt a teacher. They also have the belief that you
do not question authority. I know that there are many ways to teach students how to
do both of these tasks without disrespecting their cultural beliefs.
Works Cited
Fu, D. (1995). My Trouble is My English. pp. 58-66; 168-194. Portsmouth, New
Hampshire: Boynton/Cook Publishers.