Crystal Perez Planning Commentary

The central focus of this lesson is that students will be able to identify High Quality simile and metaphor as well as create them based on the criteria students created for High Quality Art-----Imagery, emotion, etc. Students will also buil upon their existing schema of High Quality when it comes to word choice and the authors meaning,
8.RL.4 (figurative language) Determin the meaning of words and Phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

Success Criteria for Content Focus: See the Danielson Framework- Domain 1a 2. Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching For each of the categories listed below (a-d), describe what you know about your students prior learning and experiences with respect to the central focus of the learning segment. What do they know, what can they do and what are they are learning to do? Be very specific about how you have gained knowledge about your students. What sources of data have informed you? What teaching experiences have informed you?

a) Academic development- In terms of academic development my students are performing on an 8th grade level. Last year they went over basic similes and metaphors to where we will no take word choice into account and create that High Quality Piece. The students prior knowledge of knowing how to identify a standard simile/ metaphor will now be scaffold to really take into account the quality of word choice. No special education accommodations need to be made. b) Academic Language development When it comes to the Academic Language students are developing their skills by collaborating with classmates in our think pair share portion of our lesson where they have to come up with the criteria for a High Quality similes and metaphors.

c) Family/community/cultural assets -All examples of metaphors and similes are taken from hip hop lyrics and the poetry of Langston Hughes. This cultural relevant piece was used to make that connection to urban students. Not to mention that the lyrics I chose as examples are all taken from the radio that they listen to everyday. It really gives an example of how those literary devices are important to

convey they message of the author. d) Social and emotional development It is detrimental to student learning to have that interaction within a Think Pair Share. This particular lesson also allows them to collaboratively determine what constitutes a High Quality Metaphor/simile. I believe with my students that that interaction really makes them push each other. Its almost like they are competing for to prove they have that High Quality component. e) Learning strategies My students are definitely note takers and need those anchor charts. I dont believe they rely on them, but they have grown to always utilize them interchangeable. Ive noticed the use especially when it comes to that inquiry component. I see their eyes brushing the walls of the classroom. When they notice that I purposely took them down they get annoyed! I have been extremely blunt with them when it comes to notes taking as a skill they must master for College. They need to be able to properly refer to their notes and annotate. My students need the I Do, We Do, You Do. They need scaffolding because they want to know how to get to the desired product. They some times panic when it comes to inquiry. Success criteria for Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching:

See Danielson Framework Domain 1b 3. Supporting Student Learning Respond to prompts a-e below to explain how your plans support your students learning related to the central focus of the learning segment. As needed, refer to the instructional materials you have included to support your explanations. Cite research and theory to support your explanations. a) Explain how your understanding of your students prior learning, experiences and development guided your choice or adaptation of learning tasks and materials, to develop students' abilities to successfully meet lesson segment outcomes. Over the past few weeks I have been able to see how my students learn and how I need to differentiate for them. For example I know that to be successful I need to continuously scaffold my kids. While they are performing well I know that they tend to panic if I through to much at them. I knew that the engagement of the lesson has to be extreme so I chose those lyrics that I thought they would be intrigued to know were High Quality. I also knew that when In doubt they would immediately refer to their anchor charts for a refresher. Since the students already had a lesson on High Quality

criteria and already created their own definitions I knew that the students would be great judges when deciding what simile and metaphors had that criteria. b) How are the plans for instruction sequenced in the learning segment to build connections between students prior learning and experiences and new content skills and strategies? Not only is the lesson set up I do, We Do, You Do, I continuously check for understanding throughout my lesson. I scaffold the student in by showing them exactly what it is that I want to see with their word choice and ask them to Think, Create, Pair, Share, Collaborate! Students are continuously pushed to draw from there previous knowledge throughout the entire lesson. We even touch on new learning when they are actually creating their High Quality piece.

c) Explain how, throughout the learning segment, you will help students make connections between skills and strategies in ways that support their abilities to deepen their content learning. In our lesson students will be able to make connections between identifying similes /metaphor because the examples

are comparisons between issues and topics they deal with everyday. They can also make a connection with the examples because they are fro popular songs they hear everyday. I continuously use modeling, allow them to create their own examples to share and make that connection as well as having them transform their own word choices in the short stories they are writing as a assessment. d) Describe common developmental approximations and misunderstandings within your content focus and how you will address them. The leading common misunderstanding that I will address in my lesson is that there are other signal words for a simile not just like. I will intro these signal words quickly as we refresh and refresh and tap into our existing schemas. e) Describe any instructional strategies planned to support students with specific learning needs.Some of the instructional strategies that I will use for some of my struggling students will be that think, pair, share. We will also tap in to students exiting schema by talking out our KWL. I also know that I will have to be partners with 3 of my students make sure they are successful in the lesson. The three students will be sat at the front pickle table.

Success criteria for Supporting Student Learning: See Danielson Framework Domain 1e

4. Supporting Student Understanding and Use of Academic Language Respond to the prompts below to explain how your plans support your students academic language development. a) Identify the key academic language demand and explain why it is integral to the central focus for the segment and appropriate to students academic language development. Consider language functions and language forms, essential vocabulary, and/or phrases for the concepts and skills being taught, and instructional language necessary for students to understand or produce oral and/or written language within learning tasks and activities. The academic language is always supported throughout the lesson. Not only are students tapping into their existing schemas of what they already know about figurative language they are taking their knowledge to the next step by really connecting the criteria of High quality word choice in their creations of simile and metaphor, but also holding it to their own interpretation of what makes it High Quality(inquiry) .All communications of vocabulary and key written points are housed in the students Reading Notebooks. Working vocabulary is always on our word

wall, easily accessible to the students. Directions and tasks are always posted on the marker board.

b) Explain how planned instructional supports will assist students to understand academic language related to the key language demand to express and develop their content learning. Describe how planned supports vary for students at different levels of academic language development. Instructional supports seem to be built into a way of everyday happenings. With the Daily Double Lesson Plan format there is constant, explicit modeling. There is collaborative conversation with peers during hands on work, discussion amongst teacher and student about our activity, Teacher models the text, teacher and students co construct written text and students write independently. All of these aspects are being used to foster the academic language that crosses all levels of development. Success criteria for Supporting Use of Academic Language: See Danielson Framework Domain 1e

5. Monitoring Student Learning a) Explain how the informal and formal assessments you select and/or designed will provide evidence you will use to

monitor student progress toward the standards/objectives. Consider how the assessments will provide evidence of students use of content specific skills and strategies to promote rigorous learning. Some of the informal assessments that my lesson includes are collaborative work. I am able to walk around the room an see them actively discussing and creating their own High Quality products based on the criteria they students came up with. I am able to cold call and check for understanding as well. These informal assessments help me instantly see if I have to quickly reteach, remodel or even redirect and give another example. This allows me to make sure they are tapping into their existing schema and build upon the concept of High Quality word choices. My formal assessments are more direct and clear in the data. With the use of daily exit tickets, a write long that includes examples of High Quality uses of simile and metaphor and other literary devices throughout the week, I am able to concretely see where students need help and whose getting it ad whose not. I am able to not only see if students are really applying High Quality word choice the way we have molded or if they need more supports or extra practice/reteach. The paper has a specific rubric that students are familiar with and the rubric allows me to see specific areas where students might be struggling. At the

end of the week we will have a study island test on all a few different literary devices and that will allow me to see if students are can 1) identify the device, 2) determine the meaning of the device, 3) determine the theme/tone of word choices. This type of formal assessment allows the teacher to see if the overall lesson needs work. Both forms of assessment push students both in content and in conclusions. I am able to have data driven evidence of where my students need to be and what they can apply and synthesize in producing something. Both are keeping me, the teacher, with my eye on my objective. b) Describe any modifications or accommodations to the planned assessment tools or procedures that allow students with specific needs to demonstrate their learning. The modification that I make for my three students are copies of the hand out/ reading notebook notes. I do this because they are so concerned with getting the notes down that they cant be 100% engaged in the learning, so to fix that I they dont have t rush writing notes anymore. I also situate them in a group with me for small group work. When it comes to assessments they have extended time, but the same test. These students dont have IEPs, but they do need lots of support. I give them the tools they need to be successful.

Success criteria for Monitoring Student Learning: See Danielson Framework Domain 1f