INSTRUCTIONAL TASK are the teacher actions, a list of the chronological instructional steps that the teacher takes in the lesson and the ...
LEARNING TASKS (student activities) are the chronological steps that the students take in the lesson.
edTPA requires these to be written side by side to articulate what teacher and students do at each step.
SAMPLE LESSON SEQUENCE
Lessons are like stories, there is a beginning, a middle and an end.
The beginning part is called the: INTO - Getting the students ready to learn. The Into consists of:
1. Anticipatory Set - where the teacher grabs the students attention with some instructional hook.
2. State Objective - directly tell the students the purpose of the lesson and how it relates to their lives (Enduring Understanding)
The middle part is called the: THROUGH - Instruction. The Through consists of:
3. Input-Modeling - content is provided for the learners (Some lesson models make these two steps: Input & Modeling)
4. Check for Understanding - teacher monitors students for understanding and progress, a formative assessment
5. Guided Practice - students to engage with the content, but with some guidance or feedback from teacher
6. Independent Practice - students work on their own
The end of the lesson is called the: BEYOND- Closure and Transfer. The Beyond consists of :
7. Closure - review of what is important from the lesson
8. Transfer - transfer learning to life & transition to the next learning activities
The above lesson format is based on Madeline Hunter's 7 Classic Step Lesson Plan Model.
Read this explanation of her process at
https://thesecondprinciple.com/teaching-essentials/models-of-teaching/madeline-hunter-lesson-plan-model/
Read Leslie Owen Wilson's article to see how it can be adapted to meet the needs of any students.
http://thesecondprinciple.com/teaching-essentials/models-teaching/madeline-hunter-lesson-plan-model/
Many of the lessons you will find (online or in textbooks) address these components. The TPA requires that you differentiate between what the teacher does as the instructional tasks (activities or steps) and what the students do as the learning tasks (student activities). We have designed the Single Subject Lesson Plan to follow the TPA format, with the instructional tasks side by side of the learning tasks to help you think about what you and the students will be doing at each stage of the lesson. Also add time expectations for each step, so that it is clear to the reviewers that you are planning for the provided class time.
When writing your lessons keep in mind the effectiveness of the Learning Pyramid.
Lectures are the least effective with 5% retention & the most effective with 90% retention is when students teach others.
The first four instructional tasks: lecture, reading, audiovisual and demonstration are passive, but the bottom three instructional tasks: discussion, practice doing and teaching others are the most effective because they actively engage the learner.
Lectures are the least effective with 5% retention & the most effective with 90% retention is when students teach others.
The first four instructional tasks: lecture, reading, audiovisual and demonstration are passive, but the bottom three instructional tasks: discussion, practice doing and teaching others are the most effective because they actively engage the learner.
STRATEGIES FOR ACTIVE AND COOPERATIVE STRUCTURED LEARNING
Active Involvement Learning Techniques
Lectures are the most difficult strategies for progress monitoring. When lecturing remember the 10:2 Rule: At minimum stop every 10 minutes and allow students 2 minutes to process information and to allow you the opportunity to monitor students understanding. Here are some techniques:
Guided Notes Students use guidelines to summarize information throughout the lecture to note facts/implications. This can be a handout the teacher distributes at the beginning of the lecture or can be structured note taking such as Cornel Notes.
Pass the Question & Answer A question & the answer is given to one student who repeats both the question and the answer to a classmate – the info is passed until the whole class has had a chance to repeat it. (This is a great memorization strategy.)
Ex) Q: What is the 14th amendment? A: It guarantees equal protection and due process under the law.
Write/Speak Provide occasional pauses for Students to write personal reactions, a summary, questions, or anything else they choose. Share with the entire class. (Or can be followed by Sharing Partners.)
Ex) Write/draw your ideas about topic. (Diagnostic Assessment)
What do you think now? (Formative Assessment)
Sharing Partners Students partner up with 1 or more Students and share, compare thoughts & to clear up confusions.
Think-Pair-Share Students Think or write about a prompt, pair up with a partner and share their thoughts.
Quick Write Students write a quick response to a prompt. Can be collected or used as a self-assessment.
Outcome Sentences At key points stop lecture & ask Students to finish a phrase to create meaningful learning.
Ex) I was surprised to learn… I’m beginning to wonder … I learned …
All Write/Share Students write a response to a prompt & hold up answer for teacher to see.
Turn & Talk Similar to Think-Pair-Share without a specific prompt. Students respond to the lecture provided.
Reaction Diagrams Teacher passes out overheads to key students to construct a visual representation of:
1. Emotional responses to the information presented.
2. An illustration (in pictures, symbols & words) that chronicles the information presented.
3. A diagram/visual representation of key players in the information presented.
As a closure for the lesson, the instructor shares the Students’ overheads.
Billboard Students create a billboard representation of a concept, word, event… The billboard can include words and images to portray the idea. Suggest using a 8 ½ X 11 sheet of paper.
Graphic Organizers Visual representations that reinforce meaning by the organization of the information.
Ex) Venn Diagram: Two overlapping circles to draw connections between events, concepts & issues.
Flow Charts: Arrows connecting multiple boxes to reveal the sequence of events.
Story Boards: Series of boxes to display in sequence illustrations or images of an event.
Fishbone: Fishbone shape with arrows to show the causes of certain events.
Concept Map: Cluster of linked circles to show the relationship of Concepts.
KWL Chart: Three column chart to show what Students Know, Want to Know & Learned.
Cooperative Structures for Processing
Cooperative learning is a powerful instructional tool to help students process new information and allow you to monitor student understanding. Here are some cooperative structures for supporting cooperative learning.
Number Heads Together Students are clustered in small groups & asked to count off in each group. The teacher asks a question, Students consult to make sure everyone knows the answer, then one number is called on to share the answer.
Say & Switch Students are called upon randomly to answer a question or relate key info. The Student is stopped at the end of a sentence or mid-sentence & another student is asked to “pick up” where that Student left off.
Round Robin Each Student in turn writes 1 answer/idea as a paper is passed around the group.
Round Table Similar to Round Robin, but more than 1 paper & pencil are used at once.
Toss-A-Question Students write a question on a piece of paper, wad up their paper into a ball and toss it to another Student, who then must answer the question before returning the paper to its originator.
Poster Students collaborate to create a poster with words & images that reflect their learning.
Jigsaw Each Student in a cooperative group is assigned a specific set of material to become an expert on - to teach the others. To provide more support you can have all Students studying the same material - meet to review key information & share ideas as to how the material may best be taught. Students return to their cooperative groups (the other experts) and teach their info.
Graffiti Students are clustered & assigned a topic to write/draw about. After a given amount of time, Students rotate their papers. Students are provided time to add to their new paper before rotating again. Rotation continues until all groups have added to the graffiti sheets & the original returns to the home group. One variation is to have student rotate & papers remain stationary.
Gallery Walk Students create a visual representation (art) of a topic and post it to the wall. Students walk around the room and look at the other groups posted art.
Graffiti Walk Students Participate in the Gallery Walk, but can also add their own ideas in the form of graffiti.
Walk Around Students rotate through questions/prompts posted around the room. Students record their answers on their individual paper and turn in for review.
Walk & Talk Students pair up and take a walk in an assigned area and discuss the prompt with their partner. By the end of their Students complete their discussion.
Travelers & Tellers Students in a cooperative group learn about a specified topic, then half or less of the group stays to tell what they learned while the others travel to other groups to earn other material. When the travelers return they share with the tellers what they learned on their travels.
Group Investigation Students are grouped heterogeneously & select a subject to investigate. Students plan as a group their subtopics for investigation, goals for learning, & how they will investigate the subject. Students gather information, analyze and evaluate the data and reach conclusions. The investigation culminates in a report, event, or summary. Students decide on the content & format of presentation, determine roles for the presentation & present their findings to the class.
Inside/Outside Circle Divide class in half (inside/outside group). Assign both groups a set of material (vocabulary, concepts, events…) to become an expert on. Each group jigsaws that material and creates a visual representation of their material. (Suggest Billboard Representation.) Have students stand in two circles, inside facing out, outside facing in – so that each person is paired with a person in the other circle. Students share their material, inside partner first. Once both partners have shared the Students in the outside circle rotate to left (clockwise) until all students have rotated thru the whole group and learned all the material.
Active Involvement Learning Techniques
Lectures are the most difficult strategies for progress monitoring. When lecturing remember the 10:2 Rule: At minimum stop every 10 minutes and allow students 2 minutes to process information and to allow you the opportunity to monitor students understanding. Here are some techniques:
Guided Notes Students use guidelines to summarize information throughout the lecture to note facts/implications. This can be a handout the teacher distributes at the beginning of the lecture or can be structured note taking such as Cornel Notes.
Pass the Question & Answer A question & the answer is given to one student who repeats both the question and the answer to a classmate – the info is passed until the whole class has had a chance to repeat it. (This is a great memorization strategy.)
Ex) Q: What is the 14th amendment? A: It guarantees equal protection and due process under the law.
Write/Speak Provide occasional pauses for Students to write personal reactions, a summary, questions, or anything else they choose. Share with the entire class. (Or can be followed by Sharing Partners.)
Ex) Write/draw your ideas about topic. (Diagnostic Assessment)
What do you think now? (Formative Assessment)
Sharing Partners Students partner up with 1 or more Students and share, compare thoughts & to clear up confusions.
Think-Pair-Share Students Think or write about a prompt, pair up with a partner and share their thoughts.
Quick Write Students write a quick response to a prompt. Can be collected or used as a self-assessment.
Outcome Sentences At key points stop lecture & ask Students to finish a phrase to create meaningful learning.
Ex) I was surprised to learn… I’m beginning to wonder … I learned …
All Write/Share Students write a response to a prompt & hold up answer for teacher to see.
Turn & Talk Similar to Think-Pair-Share without a specific prompt. Students respond to the lecture provided.
Reaction Diagrams Teacher passes out overheads to key students to construct a visual representation of:
1. Emotional responses to the information presented.
2. An illustration (in pictures, symbols & words) that chronicles the information presented.
3. A diagram/visual representation of key players in the information presented.
As a closure for the lesson, the instructor shares the Students’ overheads.
Billboard Students create a billboard representation of a concept, word, event… The billboard can include words and images to portray the idea. Suggest using a 8 ½ X 11 sheet of paper.
Graphic Organizers Visual representations that reinforce meaning by the organization of the information.
Ex) Venn Diagram: Two overlapping circles to draw connections between events, concepts & issues.
Flow Charts: Arrows connecting multiple boxes to reveal the sequence of events.
Story Boards: Series of boxes to display in sequence illustrations or images of an event.
Fishbone: Fishbone shape with arrows to show the causes of certain events.
Concept Map: Cluster of linked circles to show the relationship of Concepts.
KWL Chart: Three column chart to show what Students Know, Want to Know & Learned.
Cooperative Structures for Processing
Cooperative learning is a powerful instructional tool to help students process new information and allow you to monitor student understanding. Here are some cooperative structures for supporting cooperative learning.
Number Heads Together Students are clustered in small groups & asked to count off in each group. The teacher asks a question, Students consult to make sure everyone knows the answer, then one number is called on to share the answer.
Say & Switch Students are called upon randomly to answer a question or relate key info. The Student is stopped at the end of a sentence or mid-sentence & another student is asked to “pick up” where that Student left off.
Round Robin Each Student in turn writes 1 answer/idea as a paper is passed around the group.
Round Table Similar to Round Robin, but more than 1 paper & pencil are used at once.
Toss-A-Question Students write a question on a piece of paper, wad up their paper into a ball and toss it to another Student, who then must answer the question before returning the paper to its originator.
Poster Students collaborate to create a poster with words & images that reflect their learning.
Jigsaw Each Student in a cooperative group is assigned a specific set of material to become an expert on - to teach the others. To provide more support you can have all Students studying the same material - meet to review key information & share ideas as to how the material may best be taught. Students return to their cooperative groups (the other experts) and teach their info.
Graffiti Students are clustered & assigned a topic to write/draw about. After a given amount of time, Students rotate their papers. Students are provided time to add to their new paper before rotating again. Rotation continues until all groups have added to the graffiti sheets & the original returns to the home group. One variation is to have student rotate & papers remain stationary.
Gallery Walk Students create a visual representation (art) of a topic and post it to the wall. Students walk around the room and look at the other groups posted art.
Graffiti Walk Students Participate in the Gallery Walk, but can also add their own ideas in the form of graffiti.
Walk Around Students rotate through questions/prompts posted around the room. Students record their answers on their individual paper and turn in for review.
Walk & Talk Students pair up and take a walk in an assigned area and discuss the prompt with their partner. By the end of their Students complete their discussion.
Travelers & Tellers Students in a cooperative group learn about a specified topic, then half or less of the group stays to tell what they learned while the others travel to other groups to earn other material. When the travelers return they share with the tellers what they learned on their travels.
Group Investigation Students are grouped heterogeneously & select a subject to investigate. Students plan as a group their subtopics for investigation, goals for learning, & how they will investigate the subject. Students gather information, analyze and evaluate the data and reach conclusions. The investigation culminates in a report, event, or summary. Students decide on the content & format of presentation, determine roles for the presentation & present their findings to the class.
Inside/Outside Circle Divide class in half (inside/outside group). Assign both groups a set of material (vocabulary, concepts, events…) to become an expert on. Each group jigsaws that material and creates a visual representation of their material. (Suggest Billboard Representation.) Have students stand in two circles, inside facing out, outside facing in – so that each person is paired with a person in the other circle. Students share their material, inside partner first. Once both partners have shared the Students in the outside circle rotate to left (clockwise) until all students have rotated thru the whole group and learned all the material.