Instructional Lesson Plan

Intern Names
Ashley Alberti
Grade
4th
Class Size
26
Date / Time
25 March 2014
10:00
Subject
Language Arts: Cause-and-Effect
School
Elementary
Mentor Initials

I. Purpose of the Lesson
Standard (Use MD State Core Curriculum)
RI5 CCR Anchor Standard
Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g.,
a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole

RI5
Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas,
concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
Lesson Objective
SWBAT work backward from a given event to construct original cause chains to demonstrate their
understanding of the relationship between cause and effect.
Formative Assessment (planned for use in this lesson)
Students will create original cause chains that show a logical progression of plausible events leading to a given
event.

II. Instructional Decision-Making
Knowledge of Learners Instructional Decisions based on this knowledge
Knowledge of Age-Level Characteristics
(1) The desire to have status within a peer group
becomes more intense
(2) The age of teasing, nicknames, criticism and
increased verbal skills to vent anger.
(3) Individual differences distinct, abilities now
apparent.
(4) The child is beginning to realize there may be other
valid options. (S)He is becoming a reasoning person;
thinks more conceptually and has a high level of
creativity.
(1, 2, 3) We will attempt to minimize differences and
status within groups along with teasing and criticism
by placing the students in cooperative groups in
which each student's strengths rather than difficulties
may be highlighted.
(4) The concept of cause and effect stresses reasoning
and discovering multiple options. Additionally, the
cause chain activity allows the students to embrace
their creativity as they reason out possible causes to
the given event.
Knowledge of Academic Readiness (based on
[imaginary] pre-assessment)

It has been observed that 17/26 students have had
trouble isolating the relationship between cause and
effect.
In order to bridge this disparity, we have created a
lesson that allows students to actively engage in
hands on activities with the end goal of critically
thinking in cooperative groups to create cause chains
illustrating that more than one cause can lead to an
effect.
Knowledge of Subgroup or Individual Needs
Names changed
IEP:
Chris other (emotional & anger), severe reading
learning disability (last first grade reading level)

504s:
David ADHD, executive function
Chris, David, Matt: We will have differentiated
envelopes and during the group time, we will work
with our mentor teacher to place these boys in a
group that minimizes frustrations and plays on the
strengths these boys have to contribute.

Rory, Clara, River, Amy: We will have differentiated
envelopes that involve a few more challenging
Matt ADHD

G/Ts: Rory, Clara, River, Amy
matches. During group time, we will separate these
four and ensure that they are lending their strengths to
other members of their groups.
Knowledge of Interests and other Motivational
Factors
The students have high energy and require activities to
keep them moving and critically thinking.

To minimize off task behavior, we will engage the
students in interactive activities that allow discussion
and movement as well as creative thinking.

Multicultural Considerations / Equity Measures Implications for this Lesson
Students may not identify with or relate to the given
causes or effects.
The envelopes containing causes to be paired with
effects along the final effect given to groups for cause
chains will be varied and contain multiple perspectives
to ensure multiple view points are incorporated.

Academic Language Demands Scaffolds to support language development in this lesson
Cause
Effect
Logical
Illogical
After coming up with a class definition, the teachers will post
definitions for reference of cause and effect.
The teachers will use examples to model logical and
illogical as they relate to cause chains and effects.

III. Instructional Procedures
Instructional Materials and Technologies
Journals and Prompt
Envelopes with causes and effects for shoulder buddies
Goldieblox video to demonstrate cause chains (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIGyVa5Xftw)
Effects for teams to use to create cause chains
Promethean Board
Document Camera
Chart paper to create cause chains
Markers
Loose leaf for extension if needed
Sentence strips containing definitions of cause and effect.

Management Considerations (Procedures, Transitions, Materials, Behavior)
(1) Before the students arrive in class, each team will have envelopes filled with causes and effects to be
matched. The students understand they are not to be touched as they are familiar with this format.
(2) During the transition to Language Arts, the journal prompt will be projected and the teachers will circulate the
room to ensure students are pondering and writing their responses.
(3) After writing for approximately seven minutes, the teachers will alternate boy/girl for a handful of students to
share their journal entry and initiate a conversation on cause/effect.
(4) Severely misbehaving students during any portion of the lesson, after two verbal warnings will be asked to
move their clip.
(5) Students will be rewarded with tickets during the lesson for on task behavior and contributions to discussions
as well as group work.
(6) During the group work, the teachers will constantly move about the classroom to ensure that the students are
understanding the relationships and not just blindly following their partners or teammates.
(7) When the volume level exceeds appropriate levels, the teachers will utilize the quiet signal to bring the
students back.
(8) The teachers will collect the envelopes from students while the students are working on the next activity to
minimize disruptions.
(9) The second teacher will pass out the chart paper and markers while the other teacher is facilitating the
conversation on cause chains.
(10) If students require extra materials, they know where in their classroom to go without disrupting others.

Instructional
Sequence
Approximate
Time
Procedure


Planned
Beginning




15 minutes
1. The students will begin language arts time with their daily journal entry.
Teacher will have effect posted, students will theorize possible cause to the
effect. Using the timer in flipchart, the students will see the five minutes they
have to write. Additionally, the teacher will call out verbal warnings are the
one minute mark
2. Students will share their possible causes, teacher will facilitate discussion,
What is a cause? What is an effect? What do those words mean?
3. Students will turn in their journals if they have an orange sticker indicating
Tuesday is their day to turn them in.
4. Teachers will go over the objective and explain todays lesson cause and
effect and cause chains - multiple ways to achieve same effect













Development
of the New
Learning


























40 minutes
1. The teacher will call attention to the envelopes with the cause and effect
strips within that are already on the students desks.
2. Under the document camera, the teacher will model the activity while
thinking out loud to model expected thinking.
3. As teacher finish the model, the pairs of students will be directed to their
envelopes cautioning that the relationships are not always simple.
4. While students are connecting causes and effects, the teacher will circle the
room observing students thinking process and ensuring students are on task as
well as comprehending the relationships.
5. The teacher will pull the class back together when it appears that most
groups have completed their matching and have groups share out some of the
relationships found.
6. Together, the class will have a discussion on how the bridge between cause
and effect is not always easy to see.
7. Switching back to the flipchart, focus on comic: What is a Rube Goldberg
setup?
8. The teachers will direct the students attention to the Rube Goldburg video
of Goldieblox (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIGyVa5Xftw)
9. Before starting the short video, the teacher will set the purpose for watching
chain effects, to observe and try to catch some of the relationships between
the objects, sometimes more than one event can be the cause
10. After first cause / effect shown, pause the video to ensure that students
understand that that is what they are watching for.
11. After watching Why did we watch that? What were some specific
relationships that were found
12. Open Flipchart and have students list causes and the effects. Use the
handwriting recognizer so the writing is legible.
13. If needed, will watch the video a second time with pauses to isolate the
cause and effects within the video. Discuss the ultimate effect - what was the
final ending? Could there have been a simpler way to do it? Sometimes
simple is not as fun.







14. Call students up to try to correctly set the chain of events. must fall out of
tree to go to hospital During the modeling, the teachers will reinforce
what a cause chain is along with outrageous illogical steps and logical
steps.
15. After discussing chains of cause and effect, teacher will break students
into cooperative groups and give each group either an image or a phrase with
an ending effect along with chart paper and explain that students need work
backward and create logical steps that lead to the effect (A cause chain).
16. The students will, in their teams, work to create 4-6 events that ultimately
led to the given effect.
15. Groups who finish will be directed to the extenstion activity.


Enrichment
and
Remediation
Enrichment:
As students finish their cause chains, they will be directed to work in their
teams to think about the effects of the event that they were given. By turning
the end effect into a cause, what is the cause of their card. After
brainstorming possible implications of their given effect, students will turn
their cause chains and the continuation into a script, comic strip,
advertisement, newspaper article, or obituary. They will have creative
freedom to create a representation of their cause chain. If needed, the
students will have access to the class laptops to type the extension.
Remediation:
Students who appear to be struggling even with the aid of their groups will be
offered directed thinking. The teacher, upon noticing struggling students, will
offer two possible causes that might lead to the effect and ask the student to
cause the most likely. The isolated thinking will allow the project to be
broken down into manageable parts so it is not as overwhelming.

Planned
Ending


5 minutes
1. As the students approach the end of the lesson, they will be directed to
share parts of their cause chains as well as the final effects.
2. After materials are returned and students are in their seat with their snack,
the class will have a closing discussion rehashing cause and effect along with
the importance of identifying it in the various aspects of life.