ELL Endorsement Portfolio By: Sydney Freel

Evidence & Rationale for Competency 6.10

6.10 Candidates apply effective practices and strategies for organizing and
managing a variety of supportive learning environments (e.g., cooperative
groups, independent learning, and individualized instruction).

Document Components Overview:

Rationale
Reading and Writing Grades 4-8: Freedom Quilt Lesson Plan

Rationale:
The evidence I provided for this competency is a lesson plan I
wrote as a part of a thematic unit on the Civil War. I chose this lesson
plan because it contains a variety of effective practices, strategies, and
supportive learning environments. For example, students are hooked
by a great book about a young slave who creates a map to the
Underground Railroad within a quilt. Art is a large component of this
lesson, which captures students interest and enhances engagement.
While each student is given the opportunity to create a piece of art
with a partner, once they are finished they put them together to create
a large collective piece of art that contains meaning based on a true
story of the Civil Rights movement. This builds a sense of community,
teamwork, and pride in their accomplishment. After these interactive,
collaborative, and engaging activities, the lesson is extended to give
students an opportunity for independent practice in a fun creative
writing activity. This activity allows students to develop their own
thoughts on the learned topic and use their imagination to write a

narrative based on this event in history. This lesson also outlines

individualized instruction for students with disabilities, struggling
readers, advanced readers, and ELL students.
This evidence demonstrates how my ability to apply effective
practices and strategies for organizing and managing a variety of
supportive learning environments has grown through the assignments
that prompted me to do so. I will have to opportunity to strengthen
these skills by learning from the hands-on experiences I will have
applying these skills once I am in the classroom.

 Reading and Writing Grades 4-8: Freedom Quilt Lesson Plan

Unit/Subject: Social Studies: History: Civil War

Instructional Plan Title/Focus: Picture Book: (Sweet Clara and the
Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson), Freedom Quilt Art
Activity
Section 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment
a. Instructional Plan Purpose:
The purpose of this lesson is for students to reflect on a reading
and create an artistic response in the form of a piece of a quilt. This
lesson forces students to dissect the story and place themselves in the
shoes of the main character. It provides them a different perspective of
the many views of slavery. Before this lesson students will have
learned about slavery and the Underground Railroad. After this lesson
they will begin learning about the Civil War.
1. State/National Learning Standards:
ELA:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3
o Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events using effective technique, descriptive details, and
clear event sequences.
Social Studies:
Component 4.2: Understands and analyzes causal factors that
have shaped major events in history.
o 4.2.1 Understands and analyzes how individuals caused
change in U.S. history.
Component 4.3: Understands that there are multiple
perspectives and interpretations of historical events.
o 4.3.1 Analyzes the multiple perspectives and
interpretations of historical events in U.S. history.
Art:
EALR 3: The student communicates through the arts (dance, music,
theatre, and visual
arts).
Component 3.1: Uses the arts to express feelings and present ideas.
1. Content Objectives (to be copied in Assessment Chart below)
and alignment to State Learning Standards:
1. SWBAT: Write a narrative about their piece of the quilt.
2. SWBAT: Analyze events that have shaped our history.
3. SWBAT: Analyze individuals who have changed our country.
4. SWBAT: Recognize different perspectives of historical events in U.S.
history.

5. SWBAT: Communicate their ideas through art.

1. Previous Learning Experiences: Teacher candidates should
explain what students know and have learned that is relevant to
the current lesson topic and process.
Prior to this experience, students will have learned about slavery and
about the Underground Railroad. More specifically, they have learned
why we had slaves, where they came from, the cost of slaves, what it
was like to be a slave, how it impacted our nation, and the creation of
the Underground Railroad. All of these aspects have led up to learning
about the different perspectives of the Underground Railroad because
students have learned why this was created and what it meant to the
people who created it. It contributes to the process of learning how we
came about to the Civil War.
1. Planning for Student Learning Needs (accommodations,
student experiences, prior learning and experiences):
Student with disabilities: Students with disabilities will have the
opportunity to work with a partner for the portion of making a piece of
the quilt. They will also be able to share ideas with this partner before
completing the individual work of answering the questions and giving
their own story for the artistic response. This allows the students to
collaborate with each other and build off each others ideas.
Struggling readers: Students who have a difficulty reading or with the
content will have the opportunity to get clarification about the story
after we finish reading as a class. We will have a group discussion
about the story and answer any remaining questions. We will also
identify the more difficult words in the story and clarify their meanings.
Advanced readers: Students who are advanced at reading will be able
to share insight to the group about the story when we finish reading.
They can provide answers to any unanswered questions and help the
students who need further clarification.
ELL: ELL students will be able to participate in the group discussion
about the story and will also be paired with another student who can
collaborate with them for the artistic response and share ideas for the
writing portion. They can also ask for any additional help from the
teacher throughout the lesson.
f. Assessment Strategies (Informal and formal)
Content/Language
Objectives

Assessment Strategies

1. SWBAT: Write a
narrative about their
piece of the quilt.

Informal: In their journal, students will be

asked to write a narrative about their
artistic response to the story. They will
have to explain what they created and
the story behind it.

2. SWBAT: Analyze events

that have shaped our
history.

Informal: In their journal, students will

also have to explain the reason the
Underground railroad was created and its
importance to the slaves.

3. SWBAT: Analyze
individuals who have
changed our country.

Informal: In their journal, the class will

recognize and reflect on the person who
created the quilt in the story and how it
impacted our country.

4. SWBAT: Recognize
different perspectives of
historical events in U.S.
history.

Informal: Students will also be asked to

recognize the different views of the
Underground Railroad. They will be
encouraged to put themselves in the
shoes of the slaves by doing this activity.

5. SWBAT: Communicate
their ideas through art.

Informal: Students will create a piece of

the quilt that represents the map of the
Underground Railroad. This will also
reflect their story.

Student Voice: Student voice is a term used to describe students

expressing their understanding of their own learning process. For
your lesson, respond to the three required components of
student voice and identify how students will reflect and/or
communicate on their learning or progress toward meeting the
goals. (Use the following table.)
K-12 students
will be able to:

1.

Explain

Student-based
evidence to be
collected (things
produced by
students: journals,
exit slips, selfassessments, work
samples, projects,
papers, etc.)
Journal entry

Description of how
students will reflect
on their learning.

Students will be

student learning
targets and what
is required to
meet them
(including why
they are
important to
learn).

asked to reflect on
the objectives and
why we should learn
about them.

2.
Monitor
their own learning
progress toward
the learning
targets using the
tools provided
(checklists,
rubrics, etc.).

Rubric, Journal
entry

Students will be able

to monitor their
learning progress
towards the learning
targets by referring
to the rubric for the
artistic response and
by answering the
questions in their
journal.

3.
Explain how
to access
resources and
additional support
when needed
(and how/why
those resources
will help them).

Journal entry

Students will explain

how they can extend
this lesson and the
resources they can
use to do so.

Grouping of Students for Instruction:

After reading the story Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by
Deborah Hopkinson the class will have a small discussion about
the events that occurred in the story. They will be asked to reflect
on what it would be like to create a quilt designed to be a map
but in a discrete way. After brainstorming ways to convey your
ideas in a creative way, they will asked to work in pairs on the
assignment of creating their piece of the blanket. If they need
extra assistance, they may ask me or collaborate with their
classmate. For any students will a disabilities, having a partner for
the task will allow them to have additional help. Students will be
allowed to work with another student of their choice so that they
will feel comfortable expressing their ideas through artwork. They
will be asked to answer the questions independently in their
journals to demonstrate their learning of the objectives.

Section 2: Instruction and Engaging Students in Learning

1. Introduction:
The hook for this lesson will be to read the story Sweet Clara and the
Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson as a class. After reading the
story, we will collectively reflect on the story and the importance of the
quilt.
1. Questions:
1. What was the importance of the quilt in the story?
(Knowledge)
2. If you were Clara, would you have done the same
thing? (Understanding)
3. How is a quilt usually made? (Understanding)
4. How accurate do you think this book was?
(Understanding)
5. What was dangerous about Clara making this quilt?
(Knowledge)
6. Why didnt she take the quilt with her to Canada?
(Knowledge)
7. What makes this story historical fiction?
(Understanding)
1. Learning Activities: Describe what the teacher will do and say
and students will do during the lesson. Write it as a procedural
set of steps in the left column of table below. On the right, refer
to a supporting learning theory or principle driving that activity
and/or your rationale for doing what you are doing.
This lesson will end with students completing the individual part of the
assignment in their journal and answering the exit slip questions in the
journal as well.
1. Independent Practice:
Students will individually answer questions about the learning
objectives in their journals after they complete their piece of the quilt.
They will also be encouraged to ask their families if they have any
quilts or meaningful possessions that are passed down through
generations.
1. Instructional Materials, Resources, and Technology:
Attach a copy of ALL materials the teacher and students will use
during the lesson; e.g., handouts, worksheets, multi-media tools,
and any assessment
Learning Steps and Activities

Supporting
Theories/Principles

(Why are you doing

what you are doing?)
1. Teacher Demonstration (I do, you
watch): The teacher will read the
book Sweet Clara and the
Freedom Quilt by Deborah
Hopkinson to the class. As we
read as a class, the teacher will
ask several questions to get
students thinking critically about
the story. They will be asked
many questions like: How is a
quilt made? What are quilts used
for? Based on the cover, what do
you think the story is about? Why
does the author use vocabulary
like this?

1. Class Example (I do, you help): As

a class, we will discuss the main
events of the book and the
importance of the Underground
Railroad. The teacher will explain
that the students will be creating
a quilt to recreate the story. The
class will outline the different
paths that Clara described in the
story. The teacher will then assign
pairs of students the different
pieces of the quilt to work on. The
teacher will explain that students
will need to answer the questions
on the board, along with writing a
description of their piece of the
quilt. The teacher will give an
example of the quilt by doing the
first piece of it. The teacher will
explain what part they are doing
and how they are going to
recreate the piece of the quilt.
Students will be asked to give
ideas of how to artistically

Piaget-schema
Teachers must know a
students prior
knowledge in order to
plan instruction
that builds on this
existing knowledge.
Piaget/Vygotskyconstructivism,
interactions
Teachers plan instruction that
allows students to pairs or
small groups when building
their schema or learning new
concepts.
Piaget/Vygotskyconstructivism,
learners construct their
own
knowledge
Teachers plan instruction that
allows students to actively
engage with new concepts and
information.

represent that part of the story.

1. Group Assignment (You do, I
help): Students will be released to
work in their pairs to create their
piece of the quilt. In pairs, the
students will need to create an
image of their part of the map. It
should meet the expectations of
the rubric. If students have any
questions, they may ask another
pair or ask the teacher. When
they are done they may move on
to the individual part of the
assignment.

Teachers plan instruction that

allows students to pairs or
small groups when building
their schema or learning new
concepts.

1. Independent work (You do, I

watch): Students will work
independently to write a narrative
that is based on the Underground
Railroad and the freedom quilt.

Piaget/Vygotsyconstructivism,
learners construct their
own
knowledge

Piaget/Vygotskyconstructivism, social
interactions

Teachers plan instruction that

allows students to actively
engage with new concepts and
information.
1. Materials utilized.
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
Journals
Paper
Colored pencils, crayons, markers
Assignment Questions:
1.
Write a detailed description of your piece of the quilt. Be sure to
include an explanation of your artwork, why you created it, and what it
represents.
2.
What was the purpose of this lesson?
3.
Why was this lesson important?
4.
What would you like to learn more about?
5.
What resources could you use to learn more about this lesson?
Assigned pieces of the quilt:
little hill
cabins
cow pond near cabins
Big House

fields east of Big House

nearby plantations
swap near plantation
old tree struck by lightning
winding road by the creek
hunting path by the swamp
nothern star
farms, towns, woods
Ohio river
canada