Planning Commentary Directions no more than 9 single ...

Elementary Literacy
edTPA Planning Commentary

Planning Commentary Directions: Respond to the prompts below (no more than 9 single-spaced pages,
including prompts) by typing your responses within the brackets following each prompt. Do not delete or
alter the prompts; both the prompts and your responses are included in the total page count allowed. Refer
to the evidence chart in the handbook to ensure that this document complies with all format specification.
Pages exceeding the maximum will not be scored.

1. Central Focus
a. Describe the central focus and purpose for the content you will teach in this learning
segment.
The central focus for the content that I will teach during this learning segment is about

comparing and contrasting important points and key details presented in two informational texts
about the same topic. The purpose for the content I’ll be teaching is that research has indicated
-- students who are able to identify key similarities and differences among texts show that they
have a greater ability to understand the knowledge presented within the texts (Marzano,
Pickering, Pollock, 2001). Over the course of the learning segment, students will be presented
scaffolded instruction to ensure that I am meeting them where they are at with their
understanding about comparing and contrasting and then building on that understanding, until
students are able to show that they can compare and contrast informational texts independently.

b. Given the central focus, describe how the standards and learning objectives within
your learning segment address
 An essential literacy strategy
 Requisite skills
 Reading/writing connections

The central focus of this lesson derives from the requirements set forth by the Third Grade
English Language Arts Common Core Georgia Performance Standards. In order for students to
be able to show that they are able to compare and contrast key details from two informational
texts, they will be expected to create written products, such as 2-Ring Venn Diagrams, T-charts,
and paragraph writing initially with the support of the teacher, and then independently, without
teacher support. Requisite skills include reading on a third grade level and understanding key
features of informational text writing. Students who do not yet show mastery in these requisite
skills will be given additional language supports to aid their comprehension. Students who have
supports, like graphic organizers or text structure supports, tend to show higher gains in
cognitive abilities (Gajria et al., 2007). Once students have had opportunities to identify
comparing and contrasting information throughout the first two lessons, they will then create
their own written informational text, comparing two of the animals that we have been discussing
in our habitat unit in science, using the key features that we have previously identified. This
allows students to make the connection between content areas, as well as how both reading
and writing are closely tied together.

Created by Jennifer L. Pepin, M. Ed. © Thomas University 2014
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Elementary Literacy
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c. Explain how your plans build on each other to help students make connections
between skills and the essential strategy to comprehend OR compose text in
meaningful contexts.

These lessons build connections from students’ ability to access prior knowledge and build new
knowledge constructs through the scaffolding process, also known as the gradual release of
responsibility model. This model says that teachers are responsible for explicit teaching and
modeling of a concept and then allowing the students to practice the concept with teacher
support, until they can complete it on their own (Gambrell et al., 2007). During the first lesson, I
will model how to identify key details about two animals from two texts that we have already
read in our science discussions about habitats. “Identification” is a lower-level cognitive skill
that I will build later lessons on. I will then show a video comparing and contrasting the same
two animals and pull out the same/similar key details. This will begin to show students what a
“key detail” for an informational text looks like, regardless if it is presented in video or text
format. I will model how to chart various key details of informational text, with examples from
both the video and the texts. This way students will know what a “key detail” is and some
examples of them. They will also have this reference as a language support to use in the later
lessons. During the second lesson, students will be expected to look through several
informational texts regarding animals that we have discussed during our habitats unit and pull
out key details about two different animals that are both similar in comparison and different in
contrast. Students will use the aids of the language supports and peer collaboration, with the
teacher monitoring the students’ understanding. During this lesson, students will begin to gain
confidence on how to compare and contrast key details with my support. Finally, in the third
lesson, the students will work independently to show what they know about how to create a non-
fiction text, using the key details, to compare and contrast two different animals of their choice.
A rubric and instruction outline will be given to them to use as a guide as they work
independently. These two supports help the students to self-regulate, by directing themselves
without the aid of the teacher.

2. Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching
For each of the prompts below (2a – b), describe what you know about your students with
respect to the central focus of the learning segment.

Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different strategies/support (e.g., students
with IEPs, English language learners, struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in
academic knowledge, and /or gifted students).

a. Prior academic learning and prerequisite skills related to the central focus – What do
students know, what can they do, and what are they learning to do?

Students’ prior academic learning has been assessed through charting previous grades’
academic scores in literacy skills, creating student demographic information (including
personal areas of academic weaknesses/strengths), observations, meetings with mentor
teacher (specifically focusing on student data), and prior teaching experience in this class.
Initially, before the first lesson, I gave my students a pre-assessment to see what they

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already knew about comparing and contrasting information. Based on their results, they
were able to identify key details among fiction texts, but struggled to identify key details
within non-fiction, or informational, texts. A part of my own personal reflection, I am
wondering if that is due to the text complexity or because they cannot identify those key
details in an informational work. I plan to explore that by offering informational texts that are
varied in reading levels during the second lesson.

Based on the assessment results, students currently know that the vocabulary word
“compares” means “ similar,” and that the word “contrast” means “different,” but could not
create their own definition or product of each. It is my goal that by the third lesson, they will
not only be able to define each word, but to demonstrate how it is used in context with their
learning of how to compare and contrast information from informational texts.

b. Personal/cultural/community assets related to the central focus – What do you know
about your students’ everyday experiences, cultural backgrounds and practices, and

interests?

The students in my class are predominately from the upper-middle class community. There
are 14 female students and 10 male students. About 84% of my students are white, 12%
are black, and 4% are considered “other.” There is a positive rapport that has been clearly
established between the classroom teacher, myself, the students, and their parents. It is not
uncommon to find parents volunteering 3 – 4 days out of the week. I plan to incorporate the
use of these parent volunteers throughout my lessons, providing them with the appropriate
support materials and resources on how to compare and contrast informational texts, and
asking them to assist any student(s) who may be struggling with a concept, but not
permitting them to “tell the students the answers.” I have also identified that this particular
group of students enjoys talking with their peers and tend to gain understanding through
personal discussion about a lesson topic. According to Courtney Cazden, the author of
“Classroom Discourse,” students achieve more through communication (Cazden, 1988).
Therefore, in addition to having additional support from parent volunteers, I have planned to
include collaborative pairs, or partnerships, throughout my lesson, so that students will be
able to explain their thinking about how they can compare and contrast information.

3. Supporting Students’ Literacy Learning
Respond to prompts 3a – c below. As needed, refer to the instructional materials and
lesson plans you have included to support your explanations. Use principles from
research and/or theory to support your explanations, where appropriate.

a. Explain how your understanding of your students’ prior academic learning and
personal/cultural/community assets (from prompts 2a – b above) guided your choice

or adaptation of learning tasks and materials.

After I learned that my students enjoy conversing with their peers and that it does in fact support

their ability to understand the content on a deeper level, I often modify my lessons to include
“brainstorming time,” where the students will work in partners to discuss the topic of the lesson.

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Elementary Literacy
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After my pre-assessment was given, I was able to identify four students who had a strong
understanding of how to identify and implement the ideas of compare and contrast. In my first
lesson, we identified the key details in both informational texts and video; as I was explicitly
pulling out those key details, we created a chart for the students to use in their later lessons.
Students were asked to complete a “mini-poster,” which reflected the same information as my
large poster. Then, at the close of that lesson, I used those four students as group leaders to
lead discussion on the content that was covered in the first lesson. Research has shown that
students who teach their mixed-ability peers achieve success in learning content (Kunsch,
Jitendra, & Sood, 2007), so I felt that this would be an appropriate culminating activity for this
lesson.

Then during my second and third lessons, I made sure to include informational text
materials that were on various reading levels, both above and below third grade level, to ensure
that students were able to identify the concepts of comparing and contrasting without having to
worry about the reading level. In addition to the texts I provided, I am allowing my students to
bring in their Kindles/iPads/other electronic readers with pre-loaded texts for the second
learning segment. Majority of my students had access to electronic readers at home. For those
who did not, they were able to pair up with students who selected the same two animals as their
peers. Before the second lesson, students were allowed to go home, look up and download
informational texts on two animals that we have previously discussed in our science unit on their
Kindles/iPads/other electronic readers. The students who did not have electronic readers were
allowed to come in early or during homeroom and print off some informational texts from our
classroom computers. They were free to choose any two animals from the list I provided; these
animals came from the habitats unit that we were discussing in science. According to a meta-
analysis conducted by Patall, Cooper, and Robinson, students who are given a choice about an
assignment show greater on-task performances and effort when it comes to the assignment
(Patall, Cooper, & Robinson, 2008).

b. Describe and justify why your instructional strategies and planned supports are
appropriate for the whole class and students with similar or specific learning
needs.

Consider students with IEPs, English language learners, struggling readers, underperforming students or
those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted students.

Currently, in this class, there are no students who are on IEPs or 504 plans. However, based
on my observations and DIBELS Next data, there are four students who are not reading on
grade level. There are also eight students who are reading above grade level, six of which are
considered gifted. Because there are four students who are reading below grade level, I made
sure to include informational texts that were below grade level, so that they could have access
to material on their level throughout the second and third lessons. Also, by allowing them to
download informational texts to their electronic readers before the final lesson, they can either
select material on their level or practice reading grade-level text at home with their parents the
night before. The same is true for the students who are above level readers. They can select
texts that meet them on their level.

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I also made sure to include language supports, like the informational key details chart, 2
-Ring Venn Diagram and T-chart visuals, so that students would have a reference to use when
they identified and created their own comparisons and contrasts between texts. This ensures
that the students who need the supports have it available to them if I am not able to assist them
immediately.

c. Describe common developmental approximations or common misconceptions within
your literacy central focus and how you will address them.

Pre-assessment data showed that while 93% of students were able to define the words
“compare” and “contrast,” they did not necessary know how to use it in context and create

concrete examples of their own. 7% of the students were able to show that they were not only

able to define the words, but that they could also create clear, concrete examples of their own.
That information gave me a base to begin my lessons. According to the Revised Bloom’s
Taxonomy (2001), “creating” is the highest form of cognition. By combining the use of peer

teaching with students who show the deepest understanding about comparing and contrasting,

the students who may struggle with the initial concept would receive more support from their

peers than just the teacher support. In addition to having the students teach each other, I have
implemented lessons that would focus students on using the language “compare and contrast”

versus just memorize a working definition.

4. Supporting Literacy Development Through Language

a. Language Demand: Language Function. Identify one language function essential

for students to learn the literacy strategy within your central focus. Listed below are

some sample language functions. You may choose one of these or another more

appropriate for your learning segment:

Analyze Argue Categorize Compare/contrast Describe Explain

Interpret Predict Question Retell Summarize Infer

4a. The language function for this lesson is compare/contrast. Not only do the students need to
learn it because of the CCGPS standards, but also because it is the overall purpose for this
lesson.

b. Identify a key learning task from your plans that provides students with opportunities
to practice using the language function. In which lesson does the learning task
occur?

While the students will have opportunities to practice the language function within the first two
lessons, they will be able to highlight what they know and how well they can use the language in
the third lesson. As the students work independently in the third lesson, they will use what they
have learned from the first two lessons to create their own informational product
comparing/contrasting two animals. Within that written product, students will be able to show
how they used the language of “compare and contrast” and “informational text” in their own
terms.

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Elementary Literacy
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c. Additional Language Demands. Given the language function and task identified
above, describe the following associated language demands (written or oral)
students need to understand and/or use.
 Vocabulary or key phrases
 Plus at least one of the following:
o Syntax
o Discourse

While students will have multiple opportunities to show how they use the language, they will
truly be able to highlight their comprehension of comparing and contrasting through creating
their own informational texts. These texts, or their written discourses, will show comparing and
contrasting characteristics between two animals and will incorporate the key characteristics of
informational writing. Within the structure of the informational writing, students will have to know
what defines an informational text and what key characteristics they need to include in their own
writing: bold print, headings, sub-titles, sidebars, factual information, photographs (versus
illustrations), diagrams, etc. These are all elements that make up the syntax of the informational
text.

d. Language Supports. Refer to your lesson plans and instructional materials as
needed in your response to the prompt.
 Describe the instructional supports (during and/or prior to the learning task)
that help students understand and successfully use the language function
and additional language identified in prompts 4a –c.

Before the lesson, I assessed whether or not students understood the terms “compare” and
“contrast.” Pre-assessment results indicated that majority of them could define the term, but
could not necessarily use the terms in the context of learn. This lead me to be explicit in my
teaching on what my expectations were for students being able to define and use the terms
correctly in the first lesson. Jenkins et al. (1989) indicated that vocabulary should be taught
throughout the lessons, both directly and indirectly. Therefore, I will explicitly define the
following terms: compare, contrast, informational text, key details, key characteristics, habitats.
Not only will these words be defined, but students will be shown how they will be used in
context, through my direct teaching, and through the teaching of those students who, according
to the pre-assessment data, showed comprehension of “how” to use the terms in context. While
we are going over the terms, the students will be given a graphic organizer, or “mini-poster,” on
informational text writing. The students and I will fill out this organizer together on what
informational text looks like (bold print, headings, sub-titles, sidebars, factual information,
photographs, diagrams, etc.). Then, we will look at how these features are being compared and
contrasted within two different texts on the same topic: animals that live in a specific habitat that
we have been discussing in our science class. By using this organizer, or language support, as
a reference, students will be able to see the key characteristics in “real world” texts.

Then, as the students progress to the second lesson, they will be filling in other support
structures, like a 2-Ring Venn Diagram and a T-chart. This will help them see how to lay out the

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information side-by-side, in a visual presentation of the information. By the third lesson where
students will have to create their own products, they will have both the “mini-poster” and their
own other language supports to use in creating their informational text writing.

5. Monitoring Student Learning
Refer to the assessments you will submit as part of the materials for Task 1.

a. Describe how your planned formal and informal assessments will provide direct
evidence that students can use the literacy strategy and requisite skills to
comprehend or compose text throughout the learning segment.

Throughout the learning segment, both formal and informal assessments will be used. Initially, I
will be using a pre-assessment to determine where students are in their understanding of
comparing and contrasting. Based on that informal pre-assessment, I will use that information
to guide my instruction. The results indicated that about four of my students had a strong
understanding of how to use the literacy skill, compare and contrast. Therefore, I will use them
to reiterate my instruction at the end of the first lesson. At that time, the students will have an
informal discussion about what is comparing and contrasting and where to locate those
characteristics in an informational text. While they are holding group discussions, I will
informally monitor their talks, giving corrective feedback where necessary, and redirecting them
to their “mini-poster.” At the same time, I will ask my students to complete an exit ticket on the
topic that was discussed that day. I will also informally use the students’ “mini-posters” to
determine where they are in their basic understanding. Using that information, I plan to modify
the second lesson as needed, providing additional support to those students who need it or
acceleration to those who need a challenge. Accelerated students may be partnered with those
students who need additional support during the second day; although, I will plan for “mixed-
ability” groups, incorporating both types of students in the group.

On the second lesson, as the students are working through their informational texts,
creating graphic organizers comparing two animals, I will monitor student work, offering
corrective feedback where necessary. I also plan on arranging the students to work in groups,
where they can collaborate their thoughts with each other, and use the “expert,” the student who
scored well on the pre-assessment as a reference.

Then, during the third lesson, the students will receive an outline with directions for the
product that they are going to create. On that outline, students will also have a checklist of each
item, so that they can monitor themselves on how they create that product. Research has
shown that students who are better able to self-regulate tend to perform better in school during
adolescence (Shoda, Mischel, & Peake, 1990). Students will also have a copy of the rubric with
which I will be grading them on their informational text project. The rubric itself will be a formal
assessment to determine whether or not the students were able to understand that concept of
comparing and contrasting. It will have the following indicators: exceeds the standard, meets
the standard, and does not meet the standard. It will also have descriptors of what I will be
looking for on their product. These descriptors help to outline what the students will need to be
successful at each indicator level.

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Elementary Literacy
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b. Explain how the design or adaptation of your planned assessments allows students
with specific needs to demonstrate their learning.

Consider all students, including students with IEPs, English language learners, struggling readers,
underperforming students or those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted students.

As previously stated, there are no students in this class with an IEP or 504 plan. However, with
those students who are below grade level in reading, I am planning on having the students
partner with the “expert” students to go over the outline with directions and expectations on the
product. As they are working through the outline and come up with questions about the content,
I will redirect them to the outline and rubric. This will help them see what the clear expectation
is without me “telling them the answer.”

For my students who are gifted, I plan on using the same rubric with them, but will draw
their attention to the exemplary category. I will challenge them to go for this column, and offer
them the opportunity to present their informational text to another classroom if they can meet
the “exceeds the standard” column in all categories. This particular set of gifted students likes
to be challenged and enjoy speaking in front of large groups. Therefore, I could see them using
this as extrinsic motivation to go beyond the standard and using those deeper cognitive skills.

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Elementary Literacy
edTPA Planning Commentary

References:

Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). taxonomy for learning, teaching and assessing: A
revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of educational objectives: Complete edition, New York: Longman.

Cazden, C. (2001). Classroom discourse: The language of teaching and learning. 2nd edition.
Portsmouth: Heinemann.

Gajria, M., Jitendra, A. K., Sood, S. & Sacks, G. (2007). Improving comprehension of expository
text in students with LD: A research synthesis. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 40, 210-225.

Gambrell, L. et al. (2007). Best practices in literacy instruction. 3rd edition. Guilford Press. New
York, New York.

Kunsch, C., Jitendra, A., & Sood, S. (2007). The effects of peer-mediated instruction in
mathematics for students with learning problems: A research synthesis. Learning Disabilities
Research & Practice, 22(1), 1-12.

Marzano, R., Pickering, D.,& Pollock, J. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: Research-
based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria: McREL.

Patall, E. A., Cooper, H., Robinson, J. C. (2008). The effects of choice on intrinsic motivation
and related outcomes: A meta-analysis of research findings. Psychological Bulletin, Vol 134(2),
Mar 2008, 270-300. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.134.2.270

Shoda, Yuichi; Mischel, Walter; Peake, Philip K. Predicting adolescent cognitive and self-
regulatory competencies from preschool delay of gratification: Identifying diagnostic conditions.
Developmental Psychology, Vol 26(6), Nov 1990, 978-986. doi: 10.1037/0012-1649.26.6.978

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