Backward Design Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan Version 1.0
Section 1: Framing the Lesson
I imagine this lesson fitting into a unit that might be called: Reader’s Theatre
Subject/Course: Language and The Arts
Necessary time frame for this lesson: 60 - 90 minutes
Strand: Oral Communication, Reading, Drama
Grade(s): 3
Section 2: Desired Results
Lesson Objective(s): By the end of this lesson, students will…
- Practice oral communication and active listening within their group
- Negotiate with group members to choose which script they would like to use
- Learn about a script format as a piece of reading material
Ontario Curricular Overall Expectation(s) with which this lesson aligns:
- Listening to Understand (Language – Oral Communication))
- Reading for Meaning (Language - Reading)
- Creating and Presenting (The Arts – Drama)
Ontario Curricular Specific Expectation(s) with which this lesson aligns:
- Language – Oral Communication
- 1.1 Listen/understand/respond appropriately
- 1.2 Use speaking skills to communicate for a different purpose
- Language – Reading
- 1.1 Read and demonstrate and understanding of variety of texts
- The Arts – Drama
- B1.1 Engage in dramatic play and role play
Section 3: Gathering Acceptable Evidence
What Information will you collect during this lesson that will allow you to make claims about how your students are progressing toward the curricular expectations?
- Observe group participation
- One page from each group identifying the 5 parts of the story
- As a group choose a script to perform
- As a group perform the script
- Write out what they learned and enjoyed from Reader’s Theatre
Section 4: Plan
Sequence of Learning and Instructional Activities [including assessments for learning]
Use the table below to list the ordered sequence of learning, teaching and assessment activities that will take place. The sequence of activities should align with the stated objectives, and align with what you know about how learning happens.
1) Teacher will
2) Students will
1) Read a Reader’s Script as an example
2) Listen to the story
1) Ask students what are the five parts of the story read
2) Students will answer as a way to go over the group task expectation
1) Put students into three groups
2) Sit in those groups
1) Instruct students to read as a group
2) Read two short scripts
1) Instruct students to identify parts of the story, namely, characters, events, setting, problem, and solution
2) As a group choose one script based on the group preference of the parts of the story identified
1) Instruct each group to perform their script
2) Perform the script orally for the class
1) Instruct students to write down two stars and a wish about the performances
2) Students write down as a summative assessment two things they liked about each reader’s script and one thing they would want to see differently
Logistics and Materials
Student Groupings: based on a class of 15 – 20 students, three groups would provide an adequate amount of roles in a script (vary script choices based on class reading level and number of roles)
Materials Required: 6 copies of 2 script options
Rationale for this Lesson Design
(a) Based on what you have learned in this class so far, how does the design of your lesson plan address the official curriculum expectations that you have identified? Provide a justification for your design using your understanding of learning and methods that support student learning.
Reader’s Theatre is an activity I recently learned about. I had no idea there were brief scripts used at this level as a lesson plan activity. I have always had an interest in theatre and this would enable students to be creative in their portrayal of the role while not having the worry or anxiety of memorizing the lines. It is important to allow for students to develop social skills which group work does, as well as how to negotiate points-of-view with oral communication. Working together as a team for the same objective is a bonding experience for the students and will assist with even the most opposite of students to engage in helping each other work towards completing the task. They get to do so by engaging in fun and dramatic role playing through story telling.
(b) How does our lesson plan incorporate concepts from the “backward design” approach that is advocated by school boards in Ontario and as represented in the course materials?
The backward design of thinking of the end-game and working towards the specific tasks is a very efficient way of ensuring the goal is achieved. The students will be analyzing the scripts by outlining the parts of the stories which will allow them to decide why they would like to choose one script over the other as well as take into consideration everyone in the group. In the end students will be able to have learned about Reader’s Theatre, a different form of text, how to negotiate, communicate, socialize, pull out the parts of the story, perform, and then demonstrate their understanding by viewing others’ script portrayals and writing out their likes and possible improvements.