Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Grade Level/Subject: 4th

Central Focus: Vocabulary
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.3
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when
writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
Daily Lesson Objective:

Date submitted: April 3rd, 2015

Date taught: March 15, 2015

Performance- Students will know the meaning and the spelling of the words plunge, vigilant, and
dense. They will be able to use them in a sentence and draw a picture to show their
understanding.
Conditions- Students will take notes in their journals during the instruction and discuss with their
peers about vocabulary. They will not be allowed to use their notes during the assessment.

Criteria- Students must use two out of the three words correctly to pass. If they are unable to do
this teacher will review with the student on the meanings of the words. Students must draw a
picture illustrating one of the words correctly.

21st Century Skills:

Communicate Clearly
Collaborate with others
Think Creatively

Academic Language Demand (Language Function and

Vocabulary):
Plunge
Vigilant
Dense
Prior Knowledge: Students have a weekly routine of learning vocabulary words and students
know what it asked of them. They have had a read aloud using the book Flight by Robert
Burleigh.
Activity

1. Focus and Review

2. Statement of
Objective
for Student
3. Teacher Input

Description of Activities and Setting

Say: Students today we have previously read the book Flight
by Robert Burleigh. Can someone tell me what the book was
a about? There were a few words in this story that we will be
learning about today and they are plunge, vigilant, and dense.
Give me a thumbs up if you are ready to learn?
Student will know the meaning of the words plunge, vigilant,
and dense. They will be able to use them in sentences and
draw a picture to show their understanding.
Show pages 8-9 of Flight
Emphasize on the word plunge in the first two
sentences.
Say: Students plunge is the first word we will be learning

Time

1-3mins

15mins

4. Guided Practice

today. Plunge means to dive or fall suddenly. Students

plunge, dive, and fall are all synonyms for each other.
Explain that, if Lindberghs plane touched the wire
stretched across the field, it would plunge, or dive or
fall suddenly, to the ground.
Have students say the word plunge and write it in their
notebooks.
Say: Once again the word plunge means to dive or fall
suddenly. For an example, at a swimming pool you might see
someone plunge, or dive, from a diving board into the water.
Someone might accidently plunge, or fall, from a ladder. A
kite might become entangled in a telephone wire and plunge
to the ground.
Review the word once more and have students say it
out loud.
Show pages 12-13 and review that Lindbergh left North
America being and started a long flight across the
ocean.
Say: Students the next word we will be learning is vigilant.
Vigilant means watchful and alert: especially for possible
harm or danger.
Explain to students that when he was over the water
Lindbergh no longer had the shoreline to guide him, so
he needed to be vigilant, or watchful and alert, to avoid
becoming lost. Explain that Lindbergh was vigilant
when he carefully charted his course and followed two
compasses to navigate.
Have students say the word and write it in their
notebook.
Show pages 14-15 and review that it was (:00 at night
and Lindbergh had completed one-third of the flight.
Read the first sentence on page 14 aloud.
Say: Students the next word we will be learning about is
dense. Dense means thick or crowed. The words thick and
crowed are also synonyms of dense.
Point to the illustrations on pages 14-15 and show the
students that Lindbergh was flying through dense, or
very thick, fog.
Have students write the word dense in their notebooks.
Say: Students today we have learned the words plunge,
vigilant, and dense. Can you say those words with me?
Ask students to turn and talk to their partner about a
time they saw something plunge.

10min

Give students a prompt and say I remember a time I

plunged to the ground because my shoelaces were
untied.
Say: Students for the next word vigilant we are going to play
game called Is Milton Vigilant? Vigilant means to be
watchful or careful. I am going to describe something Milton
does and you are going to talk to your partner about whether
Milton is being vigilant or not and why you think so.
Milton love tomatoes from his garden. To ensure that his
tomato plants thrive, each day he checks to see if they need
water and pulls, off any bugs that might harm them. Is Milton
being vigilant? GO! (Get students attention) At a picnic,
Milton is in charge of his baby sitter. He watches her
constantly to see that she doesnt fall, put something in her
mouth that she shouldnt, or wander off. Is Milton being
vigilant? GO!
Remind students of the word dense. Explain that
Lindbergh went through dense fog to cross the Atlantic
once more.
Say: Students sometimes we use this word when we describe
plants in a rainforest or jungle. What does a dense rainforest
look like? (Discuss as a class) Where might you see a dense
crowd of people? Turn and talk to your partner.

5. Independent
Practice

6. Assessment
Methods of
all
objectives/skills:
7. Closure

Have students go back to their seat and write a

sentence with each of the words. Tell student to draw a
picture with at least one of the words to show that they
understand the meaning.
15min
Students will NOT be able to use their notes.
After students finish have them share with their
partners their sentences and drawings.
Students will turn in their work for a grade.
Students must use two out of the three words correctly to pass. If
they are unable to do this teacher will review with the student on
the meanings of the words.
Students must draw a picture illustrating one of the words
correctly.
2mins
Bring students back together.
Say: Today students we learned the words plunge, vigilant,
and dense. Can someone tell me what the word plunge
means? Can someone tell me what the word vigilant means?
Can someone tell me what the word dense means?
If time is allowed have 3 students share one sentence

each that they wrote to the class.

8. Assessment
All students completed their work in the given time. All but three
Results of
students used all words correctly in sentences. All students drew a
all
correct picture using one of the words.
objectives/skills:
Targeted Students
Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations:
Modifications/Accommodations:
Make sure prompt questions are
Have ELL students share some of their
understanding to struggling students.
answers to confirm understanding. If they
Change or reword if needed.
are struggling with the words refer to the
Have struggling students sit at the
pictures in the book to help understanding.
front of the class to make sure they
are focused and ready to learn.
Materials/Technology:
Flight by Robert Burleigh, Vocabulary notebooks, paper, crayons, white board with words written on it.

Reflection on lesson:
I found this lesson very easy to teach. My cooperating teacher gave me the words that they
would be learning and I created this lesson from watching her teach the vocabulary lesson the
previous week. She also gave me the book that I would be reading them so I could create my
lesson. They go by the same format every week. The students are read a book relating to the
vocabulary the Friday before they learn the words. On the following Monday, the students
review the book and then learn 3 vocabulary words. Tuesday they review these words.
Wednesday they learn three more words and review those words on Thursday. Friday they are
given their vocabulary test. Since this is a weekly routine my teacher let me teach all of the
words that week and create the test for Friday. (See attachment) The planning I thought was
very easy. I like teaching vocabulary and when I am able to incorporate a book with it make it
easier for me.

I had some issues with a few students not paying attention but tried my best to get them back
on task as quickly as possible. I made sure the students took the proper notes down so they
would have them to study. The turn and talk part of the lesson worked great for me because I
was able to check for understanding when I called on them. All of the students did well on the
assessment afterwards. I wanted to add that there were 4 students pulled out for ESL during the
lesson. I was sure to pull them into a small group when they returned to catch them up on the
words we learned.
This was the first lesson I taught during my clinical experience and it really built my confidence
for the week. I was very nervous about teaching it but the outcome was great. I thought they
students were engaged and understood the lesson. As a future educator, I am excited to teach

vocabulary and to integrate reading into the lesson. I feel that using a book to model the
vocabulary is better for the students. It teaches them that we are learning vocabulary through
reading every day. It also helps them understand the book a little bit better.

Name__________________ #_____________

Vocabulary Quiz March 20th, 2015

Word Bank
dense

vigilant

plunge

uniform

alternative

dazed

Cassie woke up this morning _____________ after a night of dreaming. She got dressed and
put her ________________ on, because that is what every student has to wear. She ate her
breakfast like she is supposed to. She also helped her baby sister get ready for school.
While driving to school she drove through some ___________ fog. Cassie had a great day at
school. She did well on her vocabulary test because she studied hard. Her teacher asked
her to be ______________ when driving home because of the fog. On her way home she had
to find a _______________ way because of the car wreck on the interstate. Cassie was always
watchful when driving home because her mom taught her to be that way. When Cassie
finally made it home it was windy enough to fly her kite. She had to be careful because if
the kite hits the telephone wires it will _______________ to the ground.

1. What does a dense rainforest look like?

2. If a friend says that you look dazed what do they mean? Explain your answer.

3.

What does the word uniform mean?

4.

What is an alternative for having a cookie as a snack?

5. Draw me a picture using the word plunge.