ELM210
Instructional Planning and Assessments for Elementary Teacher Candidates
Week 1 Assignment
Standards and Learning Objectives
This assignment is part of the larger benchmark assignment
that will be due in Topic 6. In this topic you will complete the “Unwrapping
the Standards” Template which contains some of the planning elements within a
lesson plan.
Complete the "Unwrapping the Standards” template by
including:
A grade level (1-8) of students based on the strengths and
diverse backgrounds of the students in the "Class Profile."
A standard from the Reading Standards for Informational Text
strand from the Arizona English Language Arts (ELA) Standards, Common Core, or
the ELA equivalent from your state.
Your learning objective (refer to your textbook for guidance
on writing objectives).
An informational text from Appendix B: Text Exemplars and
Sample Performance Tasks. Check the table of contents for suggested informational
texts for the grade level of your choice. Choose an informational text that you
have access to or can obtain from your local library.
A few sentences that briefly summarize your lesson and its
central focus.
A list of instructional materials, equipment, and technology
to be utilized for this lesson.
GCU format is not required, but solid academic writing is
expected.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to
beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful
completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.
ELM210
Instructional Planning and Assessments for Elementary Teacher Candidates
Week 2 Assignment
Assessing Informally with DOK Questions
In a 250-300 word essay, describe the characteristics of
effective formal formative assessments. Provide examples from outside sources
or your required readings. What makes formative assessments high-level or
low-level?
Include at least three sources from the required readings or
the GCU Library that support your ideas. You may use the textbook as one of
your sources.
Prepare this part of the assignment according to the
guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
Part 2: Informal
Based on the Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Levelschart, create
three open-ended questions for each of the four DOK levels (12 total) that
could be utilized as informal formative assessments for the lesson plan that
you began in Topic 1.
Use your 12 questions to complete the "Formative Assessment
Template."
Submit your template with your essay as one deliverable.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to
beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for
successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.
ELM210
Instructional Planning and Assessments for Elementary Teacher Candidates
Week 3 Assignment
Formal Summative Assessment
Part 1: Summative Assessment
Create a formal summative assessment to be used within the
lesson that you began in Topic 1. Think about ways to assess a learning
activity that aligns with your reading standard and learning objective.
Provide clear instructions for your students to complete
this summative assessment. Include an answer key or rubric with your
assessment.
Part 2: Rationale
In a 250-500 word rationale, describe the alignment between
your informational text, reading informational standard, and your learning
objective. Address the following questions for your rationale:
What knowledge and skills are you trying to measure?
Does your assessment effectively measure what you are
looking for?
Why did you choose this type of assessment?
How is this assessment appropriate for the students in the
“Class Profile”?
Submit your assessment, answer key or rubric, and rationale
to your instructor for feedback.
GCU format is not required, but solid academic writing is
expected.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to
beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful
completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.
ELM210
Instructional Planning and Assessments for Elementary Teacher Candidates
Week 3 Assignment
Clinical Field Experience A: Observation – Assessment
Allocate at least 2.5 hours in the field to support this
assignment.
At your field experience site, observe at least one lesson
taught by a certified grade 1-8 teacher. Look for examples of formative
assessment techniques and strategies used during the lesson. Make note of the questions
that the teacher asks during the lesson. Note student behavior and body
language before, during, and after the teacher asks questions.
Ask your mentor teacher to provide you with examples of
summative assessments used within the classroom that you are observing. Discuss
with your mentor teacher the considerations and criteria utilized to create
summative assessments. Use this field experience to gather ideas for a
summative assessment that you will create.
Based on what you have learned from your observations,
address the following questions in a 250-500 word reflection.
Describe some of formative assessment techniques or
strategies that your mentor used during the lesson.
What types of questions did the teacher ask during the
lesson?
How did the students respond to the questions?
What types of things are taken into account when creating
summative assessments?
GCU format is not required, but solid academic writing is
expected.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to
beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for
successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.
Document the hours and locations that you spend in the field
on your Clinical Field Experience Verification Form.
Submit the Clinical Field Experience Verification Form to
LoudCloud in the last topic. Directions for submitting can be found on the
College of Education site in the Student Success Center.
ELM210
Instructional Planning and Assessments for Elementary Teacher Candidates
Week 4 Assignment
Academic Language Functions
From the informational text that you have chosen, select 3-4
vocabulary words to be focused on within the lesson plan that you began in
Topic 1. You may use this lesson for your mini-unit that will be due in Topic
6.
Add your vocabulary words under “Key Vocabulary” on the
“Academic Language” template.
From the 12 academic language functions in your required
reading, select one function that would be appropriate for the teaching of your
vocabulary words in this lesson. Include this information in the “Function”
section of the lesson plan template along with brief descriptions regarding how
students will demonstrate their understanding.
In the “Form” section on the lesson plan template, describe
how you would teach the vocabulary words to your students. Include in this
section a brief description of the kinds of structures you will implement so
that your students can demonstrate their depth of understanding.
Submit this template to your instructor for feedback.
GCU format is not required, but solid academic writing is
expected.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to
beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for
successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.
ELM210
Instructional Planning and Assessments for Elementary Teacher Candidates
Week 4 Assignment
Six Instructional Strategies
Create a graphic organizer or table that briefly describes
each of the six main instructional strategies listed below. Provide an example
of how it is utilized in a classroom.
Direct instruction
Indirect instruction
Collaborative learning
Experiential learning
Independent study
Interactive instruction
Include 2-3 sources from your reading to support this
assignment.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in
the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to
beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for
successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.
ELM210
Instructional Planning and Assessments for Elementary Teacher Candidates
Week 5 Assignment
Instructional Strategies
Based on the students in the “Class Profile” grade levels
and the informational text you chose, select two of the six main instructional
strategies to be utilized within the lesson plan that you began in Topic 1.
Utilize strategies that facilitate the development of critical thinking and
problem solving.
Provide opportunities for active inquiry, collaboration, and
supportive interaction among your students within each of your lessons. Include
a grouping strategy on the “Instruction” template.
With the instructional strategies included in the “I Do”
section, provide a bulleted script (100-250 words) for each instructional
strategy that explains what you will say and do during the lesson. The script
should include 4-5 DOK questions based on your selected informational text. These
questions should align with your learning objective. You may use any of the DOK
questions that you have already created.
Each “I Do” entry should have corresponding “Students Do”
and “Differentiation” entries. Use specific examples from the “Class Profile”
to describe how the activities in the lesson would be differentiated.
Submit this template to your instructor for feedback.
GCU format is not required, but solid academic writing is
expected.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning
the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful
completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.
ELM210
Instructional Planning and Assessments for Elementary Teacher Candidates
Week 5 Assignment
Clinical Field Experience B: Observation – Strategies and
Differentiation
Allocate at least 2.5 hours in the field to support this
assignment.
At your field experience site, observe at least one lesson
taught by a certified grade 1-8 teacher. Look at the learning strategies and
activities utilized during the lesson. Make note of how students are grouped
during various learning activities.
Speak with your mentor teacher about differentiation. What
considerations are taken into account when learning activities are
differentiated for the students in the classroom? Use this field experience to
gather ideas for your lessons in Topic 6.
Based on what you have learned from your observations,
address the following questions in a 250-500 word reflection.
What were some of the learning strategies and activities
utilized during the lesson?
How were the students grouped during the learning
activities?
What types of things are taken into account when
differentiating learning activities?
GCU format is not required, but solid academic writing is
expected.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to
beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for
successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.
Document the hours and locations that you spend in the field
on your Clinical Field Experience Verification Form.
Submit the Clinical Field Experience Verification Form with
the last assignment by the assignment due date. Directions for submitting can
be found on the College of Education site in the Student Success Center.
ELM210
Instructional Planning and Assessments for Elementary Teacher Candidates
Week 6 Assignment
Benchmark - Children’s Informational Text Mini-Unit and
Assessment Plan
For this benchmark, you will complete a mini-unit of three
informational text-based lesson plans and a corresponding assessment plan. You
should utilize the lesson plan and other materials that you have created
throughout this course.
Complete three informational text-based lesson plans that
will be taught as a unit for a grade level that you specify based on the “Class
Profile.” Complete Parts I, II, and III of the “COE Lesson Plan Template” for
three lessons. You will elaborate on Part III of the “COE Lesson Plan
Template,” which includes examples of summative assessment, within your
assessment plan.
Each lesson plan should share a theme around your previously
chosen informational text. Be sure to mention the materials and technology
utilized within each lesson.
Utilize research-based strategies and technology that
facilitate critical thinking and problem solving. Provide opportunities for
questioning, collaboration, and supportive interaction among your students
within your lessons. Include at least two of the following strategies within
each of your three lessons:
Direct instruction
Indirect instruction
Collaborative learning
Experiential learning
Independent study
Interactive instruction
Describe how your activities would be differentiated for
your students in the “Class Profile.” Create an assessment plan for your
mini-unit that includes demonstrating alignment between formal and informal
assessment strategies and techniques. Your assessment plan will consist of the
following two parts:
Part I - Introduction
In a 100-250 word introduction, include the following:
A brief summary of your mini-unit for context.
A description that demonstrates alignment between the
standards, learning targets/objectives, learning activities, and formative and
summative assessments.
Identify other content areas in which your theme could be
utilized. Provide examples.
Part II – Summative Assessment
Three summative assessments (one for each lesson) with
answer keys or rubrics.
GCU format is not required, but solid academic writing is
expected.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to
beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for
successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.
ELM210
Instructional Planning and Assessments for Elementary Teacher Candidates
Week 7 Assignment
Evaluating Lesson Plans
Locate and provide a lesson plan that is aligned to a
national or state English language arts standard. Using the “COE Lesson Plan
Template” for reference, evaluate this lesson plan in 500-750 words based on
the following criteria:
Thoroughness of the lesson plan components.
Alignment between the standard, learning objectives,
learning and teaching activities, and the assessment.
Real-world relevance of the learning and teaching
activities.
Regarding evidence or artifacts of learning, how would the
teacher know that the students have mastered the learning objectives?
Regarding the expected engagement level, would the students
find the activities interesting and engaging?
Be sure to include the URL for the lesson plan within your
submission.
GCU format is not required, but solid academic writing is
expected.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to
beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for
successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.
