Instructional Lesson Plan
English Language Arts
Grade: 3
Unit Title: Creating a Community of Learners
Lesson Overview
This is day five of a five-day lesson focused on “Why communities need rules?” In this lesson, students will learn about empathy. They
will do a close reading of “Nine Gold Medals” lyrics by David Roth. This song/poem will provide the class with a view of community and
the importance of empathy within a school community. The teacher will organize the students so they will orally be reading a section of
the lyrics/poem “Nine Gold Medals” by David Roth. Students will use “Close Reading” bookmark to guide their thinking and note-taking
template to write down their ideas. Teacher will give students in each group time to dialogue about what they wrote down. Then the
teacher will put the lyrics/poem up on the LCD projector or document camera to do a close reading of the lyrics/poem. The students will
orally read their section of the Nine Gold Medals”. Next, the teacher will have students orally reread their section and then share out the
ideas they wrote down on their “Close Reading” template. The teacher will lead a discussion about their ideas and reactions. Students
will be placed in groups to create a poster depicting one of the focus themes they learned this week. The teacher will take pictures of the
students as they are working to display with their posters around the classroom.
Teacher Planning and Preparation
 Silent reading of “Nine Gold Medals” by David Roth
Apply appropriate elements of UDL:
Options for Perception: 1.1 Customize the display of information, 1.2 Provide alternatives for auditory
information 1.3 Provide alternatives for visual information
Options for Expression: 5.1 Allow choices of media for communication, 5.2 Provide appropriate tools for
composition and problem solving, 5.3 Provide ways to scaffold practice and performance
Options for Comprehension: 3.1 Provide or activate background knowledge , 3.2 Highlight critical features, big
ideas, and relationships , 3.3 Guide information processing, 3.4 Support memory and transfer
Options for Sustaining Effort: 8.3 Foster collaboration and communication
The following websites provide alternate strategies and information for differentiation of lesson.
English Language Learners
http://www.wida.us/standards/CAN_DOs/
Gifted Children
National Association for Gifted Children
http://www.nagc.org/
Special Education and 504 LD Online
http://www.ldonline.org/educators
http://marylandlearninglinks.org
**Prepare for small group/guided reading instruction by selecting leveled text on Empathy and other topics related to this theme
Essential Question: What is a responsible community?
Focus question: Why do communities need rules?
Unit Standards Applicable to This Lesson
RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
SL.3.2 Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats,
including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
SL.3.3 Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.
Student Outcomes
 Students will partner read portion of “Nine Gold Medals” and complete a close reading template.
 Students will record words/phrases/ideas on “Close Reading” note-taking sheet.
 Students will collaborate with a partner sharing answers and providing justification for their ideas.
Materials
 Sentence stripes with the word empathy and respect written on them.
R/ELA.MSDE.3/9/2016
1
Instructional Lesson Plan
English Language Arts
 Discovery Education video clip ~ Empathy, Ant ~ Unity in the Community”. Click on the Empathy clip. Clip is about 1.4 minutes.
 Empathy
 Nine Gold Medals video clip (Clip is about 1.4 minutes)
 Close reading story - “Nine Gold Medals” by David Roth
 LCD projector or document camera
 Flip Camera
 “Close Reading” template for each student
 Collaborative Conversation Starter (Teacher will need to cut out.)
 Close Reading Bookmarks (Teacher will need to cut papers in half.)
 “Text Evidence Sticks” (Teacher will need to cut out and tape to tongue depressors)
 Word Cards (teamwork, diversity, unity, cooperation, trust, respect, and empathy)
 8.5 X 14 white poster board paper
Pre-Assessment
Teacher introduces the word empathy and provides a kid friendly definition. Students will turn and talk about the question~ What does
empathy mean to you? Then teacher will go to Discovery Education and type in “Empathy, Ant ~Unity in the Community”. Click on the
Empathy clip. Clip is about 1.4 minutes.
Lesson Procedure
1. Teacher will display sentence strips with the word empathy and respect written on them. Teacher will introduce the word and
give a kid friendly definition. Have students turn and talk with a partner about how empathy and respect can be seen in our
school community?
2. Teacher will go to Discovery Education and type in “Empathy, Ant ~ Unity in the Community”. Click on the Empathy clip. Clip is
about 1.4 minutes. Empathy
3. The teacher will organize the students so they will orally be reading a section of the lyrics/poem “Nine Gold Medals” by David
Roth.
4. Students will use “Close Reading” bookmark to guide their thinking as they complete “Close Reading” template.
5. Teacher will give students in each group time to dialogue about what they wrote down.
6. Then the teacher will put the lyrics/poem up on the LCD projector or document camera to do a close reading of the lyrics/poem.
The students will orally read their section of the “ Nine Gold Medals”.
7. Next the teacher will have students orally reread their section and then share out the ideas they wrote down on their “Close
Reading” template.
8. The teacher will lead a discussion about their ideas and reactions to “Nine Gold Medals”.
9. The teacher will show the students a Nine Gold Medals video clip.
Lesson Closure






The teacher will review with students what they learned today about the importance of empathy within a classroom community.
Teacher will also discuss how today’s activities relate to our theme of building a community of learners.
Students will be placed in groups to create a poster depicting one of the focus themes they learned this week.
One student from each group will pick one word out of a bag and that will be the group’s word to design a poster on.
The teacher will take pictures of the students as they are working to display with their posters around the classroom.
Teacher will use a flip camera to videotape groups as they share out their posters.
Teacher will make this into an i-movie to share with parents during parent/teacher conference time.
R/ELA.MSDE.3/9/2016
2