Lesson Plan Template
Lesson Plan Template
Grade/Content
Area
Lesson Title
GLEs/GSEs
Grade 6/English language arts
Imagine
R-6-2.1 Students identify the meaning of unfamiliar
vocabulary by ... Using strategies to unlock meaning
(e.g., knowledge of word structure, including
prefixes/suffixes and base words; or context clues; or
other resources, such as dictionaries, glossaries,
thesauruses; or prior knowledge) (State)
R-6-13 Uses comprehension strategies (flexibly and
as needed) before, during, and after reading literary
and informational text. (Local) EXAMPLES of
reading comprehension strategies might include: using
prior knowledge; sampling a page for readability;
summarizing; predicting and making text based
inferences; determining importance; generating literal,
clarifying, and inferential questions; constructing
sensory images (e.g., making pictures in one’s mind);
making connections (text to self, text to text, and text to
world); taking notes; locating, using, and analyzing text
features (e.g. transition words, subheadings,
bold/italicized print, parts of the book); or using text
structure clues (e.g. chronological, cause/effect,
compare/contrast, proposition and support, description,
classification, logical/sequential) (Local)
Context of the
Lesson
Opportunities to
Learn
Diane Kern, Imagine
In this suburban 6th grade classroom, students come to school
with a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and
experiences. Three students have IEPs for word processing
and reading difficulties. For these students, and any others
who need it, the vocabulary words will be posted on a chart in
the classroom and multiple copies of the book John’s Secret
Dream: The Life of John Lennon will be available in the
classroom, the resource classroom and for home use. This
lesson incorporates opportunities to learn in all three
modalities: visual, auditory and kinesthetic. Students will
make sensory images in their minds (visual), will listen to the
song Imagine by John Lennon (auditory) and will create a
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Lesson Plan Template
graphic organizer (kinesthetic). For any students with
organizational or attention difficulties, the teacher will ask for
the directions to be restated orally and write the steps on the
whiteboard to be sure students understand the task. Teacher
will also provide additional check-ins with students with IEPs
and attention difficulties.
Materials:
Rappaport, D. John’s Secret Dream: The Life of John
Lennon. New York: Hyperion Books, 2004.
Lennon, John. Imagine, 1971.
Technology:
Students will listen to the song Imagine by John Lennon. In
addition, students will use Inspiration software to show
concept map of the key vocabulary word Imagine.
Objectives
The student will activate background knowledge and develop
knowledge of key concept vocabulary word IMAGINE and
relate at least 5 vocabulary terms while listening to the song
Imagine.
The student will accurately and vividly visualize the meaning
of the text John’s Secret Dream: The Life of John Lennon for
at least one passage from the text.
Instructional
Procedures
Diane Kern, Imagine
Opening:
Today’s opening free write idea comes from John Lennon, a
member of the famous band The Beatles. He wrote, “I like to
write about me, because I know about me.” Listen to his song
Imagine and then take a few minutes to write about you,
because you know about you or instead what you think John
Lennon meant by this statement. As you do, try to get a
picture in your mind so that you can add vivid details, like a
mind movie.
Students write and then share ideas with a partner. What did
you imagine…what other words can you think of that mean
imagine or are related to imagine. Use the LCD computer
projection and Inspiration software to show students’ ideas
visually. Be sure to include words such as: envision, picture,
pretend, visualize, fantasize if students do not.
In this lesson, we are going to practice making movies in our
mind as we read, or visualize, and we’re going to concentrate
on the concept of imagine to build more vocabulary words to
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Lesson Plan Template
our own word banks.
Engagement:
John Lennon wrote many songs with the Beatles that helped
listening envision his life growing up, having a son, marrying
his wife Yoko Ono and dreaming for a world of peace. The
book we’ll read together today is great for practicing
visualizing, a key strategy expert readers use when they read
challenging texts. Listen as I read aloud and then share what
I visualize about John’s life at age 5.
Read first page of text and show illustrations.
I can picture 5 year old John, small and dark-haired, leaving
his home in England, holding his mom’s hand tightly, never
wanting to let go as she left him with his Aunt Mimi and Uncle
George in a strange and scary new place. I can also hear a
song by the Beatles Penny Lane playing…Penny Lane is in my
ears and eyes, there beneath the blue suburban skies.
Read second and third pages of text, model for students, but
invite students to add to teacher’s thinking aloud/visualizing.
Highlight the changing green text that is lyrics from one of
Lennon’s songs. Be sure students try to visualize the meaning
of the lyrics as well as the expository text. Use the think sheet
to share visualizations and text cites.
For the 4th, 5th and 6th pages of text, ask students to work with
a partner to complete the think sheet and to collaboratively
visualize both the expository text and the lyrics. Share work
with class to monitor comprehension strategy. Reteach, if
needed.
Ask students to independently read the remainder of the text
and to choose one passage and lyric to visualize/provide text
citations.
Closure:
Let’s return to work whole class and share your thinking
while you read the rest of John’s Secret Dreams. What
strategy were we using to more deeply comprehend the text
today? How does a reader visualize? Why visualize when
you read? When might you use visualizing again? What kind
of text would this strategy work with? What types of text
might this not as well with?
Let’s return to our concept map of Imagine vocabulary. What
other words can you think of that relate to imagining? For
Diane Kern, Imagine
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Lesson Plan Template
homework tonight, be sure you know at least 5 vocabulary
words that are related to the meaning of IMAGINE. We’ll
have an admit activity tomorrow to build your word bank!
Assessment
Reflections
(no work submitted
to date)
1. Collect think sheet to informally assess individual
student’s ability to visualize as they read and to cite
the text to provide support for their visualizations.
2. At the start of next class, provide graphic organizer
with the word imagine in the center and ask students
to provide at least five other words related to the
meaning of imagine and their own definitions for these
terms.
Student Work Sample 1 – Approaching Proficiency:
Student Work Sample 2 – Proficient:
Student Work Sample 3 – Exceeds Proficiency:
Lesson Implementation:
Diane Kern, Imagine
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Lesson Plan Template
In my mind
In the text
Drawing (optional)
Diane Kern, Imagine
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