Portfolio showcase

The Showcase Portfolio for Student Teaching
Profile Student Teaching Classroom
Name: Vicki Judge School: Perry Meridian Middle
School
Hometown: Speedway, Indiana City: Indianapolis, Indiana
Major: English Education Average Class Size: 25
License: Secondary English Education Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Lesley
McDougal
School: Ball State University Ball State Supervisor: Mrs. Becky
Gentry
Location: Muncie Indiana
II. Introduction
Welcome to my Showcase Portfolio for Student Teaching. This portfolio
documents my competence and accomplishments in the teaching field. It is a
continuum of work that demonstrates my growth, displays my
accomplishments and showcases my achievements as an educator. During
my time at Perry Meridian Middle School I have had opportunities and
experiences that have enriched my learning. I have participated in weekly
professional development “clusters”, taught large group and small group
instruction, performed classroom and non-instructional duties, and observed
in classrooms throughout the school. By interacting with other teaching
professionals, I have established my own beliefs and understanding of how
to be the most successful teacher. Also, during my experience I have had
the chance to design individual lessons, a unit, and rubrics utilizing different
instructional strategies.

This experience has also opened my eyes to the real-world challenges
that teachers and students face everyday. Some problems, such as weather
conditions and environmental factors, are out of the teacher’s control. For
example, this year’s unusually harsh winter forced an unprecedented
amount of snow days onto Perry Meridian Middle’s academic calendar. The
never ending rounds of high-stakes testing, both on the national and state
level, left parents, teachers and students wondering how they would make
up for all the lost instruction. The solution to this problem, adopted by the
Metropolitan School District of Perry Township, included an additional 38-
minutes tacked onto the end of every school day. This seemingly small
addition reeked havoc on teacher and student’s schedules. It also
represented a larger issue in education – the little things truly matter. I
have experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows associated with the
student teaching experience. However through all the highs and lows, I am
appreciative to have been afforded this opportunity. Share in this experience
by reading through my Portfolio Showcase, and allow me to demonstrate my
growth and achievements as an educator.
III. School Demographics and Classes Taught
Perry Meridian Middle School is apart of the Metropolitan School
District of Perry Township, which serves the southern part of the city of
Indianapolis, Indiana. According to the Indiana Department Of Education,
the Perry Township School Corporation educates over 14,000 K-12 students

with two high schools, two middle schools, two 6th
grade academies, and 11
elementary schools.
Indianapolis, Indiana has a population of approximately 820,000
citizens. The city has many things to offer and it includes: The Children’s
Museum of Indianapolis; the Indianapolis Zoo; Indianapolis Motor
Speedway; White River State Park; Lucas Oil Stadium; Soldiers’ and Sailors’
Monument; Victory Field; the NCAA Hall of Champions; Indianapolis
International Airport; High-end Restaurants; Indiana World War Memorial
Park; Indiana Central Canal; Bankers Life Fieldhouse; and many more tourist
and residential attractions. Indianapolis boasts itself as the 13th
largest city
in the United States. Other School districts in the city of Indianapolis include
Indianapolis Public Schools, MSD Lawrence Township, MSD Pike Township,
MSD Decatur Township and MSD Wayne Township.
During the 2012-2013 school year, Perry Meridian Middle School’s
enrollment was at approximately 1,056 students. Included in that enrollment
are special education students, general ability students, high ability and
English language learner students. PMMS has a library, media center, fully
equipped lunchroom and kitchen, a clinic, a front office, a multipurpose room
and two gymnasiums.
The composition of the student population shows some variation in
ethnicity. 738 students, or approximately 69.9%, are Caucasian. The second
largest ethnicity is Hispanic, followed by Asian, African American, Multiracial,

and finally American Indian. Single and two parent homes are present in the
student population. The Free and Reduced Priced Meals are a reflection of
the socioeconomic levels of the students as well. 488 students qualify for
free meals, 82 receive reduced price meals, and the other 486 pay full price.
This indicates that although the school is slightly racially homogeneous, the
financial makeup of the students and their families varies greatly.
The staff of Perry Meridian Middle School includes one principle, one
assistant principle, an athletic director, two discipline advisors, multiple
guidance counselors, 56 general and special education teachers, a media
specialist, a resource officer, two librarians, three secretaries, instructional
assistants, interventionist assistants, custodians and cafeteria assistants.
The staff at PMMS is certified in CPR, AED, and Bloodborne Pathogens.
The PMMS learning community is one that is determined to give each
and every student the best educational experience possible. The staff,
administration, and aids that work there bring their best everyday, and the
student body rises to the high expectations set for them. It is an enjoyable
place to be employed, and to learn from.

Classes Taught
During the spring 2014 semester, my student teaching assignment
was at Perry Meridian Middle School working with grade 8 Advanced
Language Arts students. I taught a total of four advanced classes, one
advisory classroom and aided my cooperating teaching in two IDEA classes.
The average class size was 25 students. Students came from a variety of
backgrounds and experiences. Reading and analyzing literary and non-fiction
texts and writing were large focal points in all four Advanced Language Arts
classes.
The students in Advanced Language Arts are highly-capable learners.
This means they intrinsically have the capacity to perform the level of work
necessary for the advanced curriculum. However, the skill set varied widely
in their ability to read and analyze literary and non-fiction texts, ranging
from average to above average. Between all four classes, students
universally struggled in some degree with main idea identification,
vocabulary comprehension, and writing.
My duties included teaching four periods of Advanced Language Arts,
one advisory classroom, and aiding my cooperating teacher in two IDEA
classes. Along with instructional duties, I also participated in weekly
professional development “clusters”, hall monitoring and bus duty. Grading
assignments and assessments, attendance, and creating lesson plans were
also apart of my responsibilities as the classroom teacher.

IV. Philosophy of Education and Discipline
My desire to become an educator does not end with achieving the title;
in fact it just begins there. I aspire to be a facilitator of conversation, a
confidant to students, a cultivator of literate minds, and subsequently the
director to future literary discovery. I seek to demand the best out of all
students, and will provide the step to which they will place their foot upon;
therefore creating the foundation for future educational success. The
classroom provides me the opportunity to arm every student with the tools
to understand themselves as both learners, and empowered human beings.
Education is a continuum that begins and ends with the students, and I must
strive to diversify my approaches in order to best benefit their gain as the
learner. I will create an environment that will boost the confidence amongst
my students, but also create the stability for which great learning comes
from. Lastly I will always treat my students and coworkers with the same
professionalism that I would expect given to me. I am not only teaching my
students a content area, but also how to conduct themselves in a way that is
applicable to their real life.
To do all of these things above I must be an effective teacher.
Becoming a classroom teacher takes more than passion; it takes dedication
to perfect the craft of teaching. An effective educator utilizes the best
practices and strategies to create the best instruction; instruction based on
the interest and the needs of students. Also an effective educator does not

just create, but also provides the students with the tools to build the
learning environment they want to participate in. An environment where
every student has the resources and opportunities they need. An effective
educator incorporates many modes of formal and informal assessments.
These two types of assessments provide the effective educator with the
authentic data to accommodate future lessons.
Reading – literary and informational – texts, writing, speaking and
listening, and language are equally emphasized in the Language Arts
curriculum. The effective educator uses state and national standards to be
the format for which instruction is based. Standards-based education allows
the teacher to create an on-going learning cycle. This cycle ensures that all
students learn and master the grade-appropriate academic standards. An
effective educator frames the focus of instruction toward leading students to
engage in their learning and mastering grade-level expectations.

Philosophy of Discipline
Discipline and classroom management exist as an additional learning
experience for students. Good discipline should come from a desire to teach
students to self-assess and self-regulate their own learning and behavior. A
student who is well-disciplined in nature understands what is socially and
personally acceptable within their social community. Good discipline should
also be based upon mutual respect for the learning environment of those
around them. Students should feel responsible for creating and maintaining
a classroom environment conducive to learning. The well-disciplined student
understands that disruptions during learning is unfair and unproductive to
the classroom’s communal objectives. Effective classroom management
helps ensure student success in regulating their behavior by eliminating
many unnecessary problems within the classroom.
I find that for my philosophy of discipline and management to be
realized in the classroom, rules and guidelines must be made in collaboration
with the students for whom will be most affected. From an adolescent
standpoint, the secondary levels are a time of great personal discovery, as
well as dramatic physical and cognitive changes. Naturally curious and
rebellious, discipline and classroom management strategies for a secondary
classroom are best served with a helping of understanding to support their
presence. If students are able to realize why a certain action or reaction,
within the classroom, is inappropriate they are more likely to self-regulate

their behavior. If rules and guidelines are made in collaboration, students
are also more like to take ownership of themselves.
When a student misbehaves in the classroom, the reaction of the
teacher should match the behavior. Small problems, such as disruptive side
conversations or off-task behavior, can be dissolved by closing the proximity
between the teacher and student. More severe, or especially out-of-
character behavior, should be handled with care and consideration to
student and incident. It can be tempting to be placed in a situation where a
student misbehaves, verbally reprimand the student and move on. This
method of discipline lacks purpose and in fact does not fix the undesired
behavior. In fact, it tends to postpone the said behaviors’ inevitable return in
the future. If something severe enough occurs, the teacher should have a
private conversation with the student. In this conversation the teacher
should express interest in why the student behaved, and together the
student and teacher should come up with other possible reactions.
Ultimately rules and guidelines are for safety, ensuring all students
have a positive environment in which to learn from. Yelling, screaming,
force, and unnecessary tension do not need to occur for students to behave.
Students who are engaged in what they are learning are less likely to
engage in disruptive behavior. For those students who do misbehave, there
is a model for which teachers should approach discipline.

V. Weekly Goals and Reflections
January 13- 17, 2014
#3 Understand how my students differ in their approaches to learning.
#9 Establish a professional relationship with my colleagues at PMMS.
#10 Begin to foster a relationship with my students and their parents.
January 20-24, 2014
#6 Focus on activating prior knowledge in students by relating their previous
experiences to ones within a pre-reading text.
#9 Observe outside of my cooperating classroom and reflect on the educational
strategies and methods being utilized by the cooperating teacher.
#8 Incorporate some different formal/informal assessment strategies beginning
this week.
January 27-31, 2014
#6 Continue to utilize the assessment date collected from last weeks’ home
learning assignments. Use when differentiating future lesson plans.
#4 Diversify my approach to student learning this week in a variety of activities.
#7 Create purposeful learning activities based on the MOST attributes that
students must address this week. Take into consideration factors outside of my
control, such as weather conditions and environmental factors, when planning this
weeks’ instruction.
February 3-7, 2014
#5A Manage my transitions with more command and purpose.
#5B Call on volunteers and non-volunteers this week during classroom
discussions.
#8 Work in some different forms of informal/formal assessments.
February 10-14, 2014
#2 “Chunk” material in the pre-reading stage and better frontload complex
texts.
#4 Use better modeling technique when introducing, reviewing and instructing.
#8 Use a rubric as a formal assessment model.
#5A Learn to pace each day’s lessons correctly to maximize instruction time.
#4 Allow students to apply their knowledge on a modeled reading
comprehension strategy from last week -- “Story Notes”.
#5A Utilize better transition techniques.

#3 Select resources to meet a range of individual needs.
#5A Gauge as to when to cut one activity off and to begin another by improving
my pacing.
#7 Integrate purposeful learning activities into short and long-term instructional
plans
March 3-7, 2014#5A Preform all non-instructional duties with vigor and
enthusiasm.
#9 Be highly-reflective on the professional feedback I have been given.
#7 Observe the administration of the ISTEP test.
March 10-14, 2014
#9 Continue to be reflective on critiques and feedback I receive during the
remainder of my placement. This only stands to make me a better teacher, inside
and outside of the classroom.
#7 Think critically about the activities used for the end of the novel unit.
#9 Dedicate time and effort over the intermission break to completing my
Portfolio and LAMP requirements.
March 17-21; March 31-April 4, 2014
(Intersession Break)
#9 Professional Growth (includes student teaching requirements and portfolio).
Complete my LAMP Project, complete my suicide prevention training and pass the
PEARSON Pedagogy test.
#3 Review materials, strategies, and activities to bring back to the classroom
after Intersession Break.
April 7-11, 2014
#1 Demonstrate my knowledge of content during this week’s grammar
review
#4 Clearly explain the reflective writing exercise
#5B Review appropriate behaviors for the IMC
April 21-25
#9 Complete my final Video Analysis
#9 Finish my student teaching showcase portfolio
#9 Reflect on these last 16 weeks

VI. Observations
Date - February 12, 2014
Mrs. Dever, 7th grade, IDEA Language Arts
INTASC Standards serving the purpose of the observation:
#2 The student teacher understands how students differ in their
approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are
adapted to diverse learners.
#5 The student teacher uses an understanding of individual and group
motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that
encourages positive social interaction in the classroom.
On Wednesday, February 12,
2014, I was able to sneak away from my advanced
8th
graders to observe some advanced 7th
graders. Mrs. Dever, the Advanced and
IDEA teacher, allowed me to sit in with her 7th
grade IDEA class. One of the
immediate challenges coming into my student teaching placement was learning
how to curve instruction to advanced learners. Too easy and they’ll pass without
much effort. Too hard and I take the risk of turning them off from something they
are naturally talented at. Therefore Mrs. McDougal thought it best to gain some
exposure with advanced students at a different point in their education.
Mrs. Dever was very receptive to having me come into her classroom and I was
interested to see how this small peppy woman could command a classroom of 25+
rowdy adolescents. I also went into this observation with two things in mind: how
does she use purposeful classroom management strategies to create the most
productive learning environment and what sort of differentiation does she use to
make the curriculum most useful to her students. As I walked in I observed the
classroom’s SmartBoard and saw the agenda for the class period. First, students
would work on their SAT word vocabulary sheet. Second, Mrs. Dever was going to
talk to the students about their participation in an on-going journaling project.
Lastly, students would be provided work time for their “Article of the Week”.
For these reasons, I chose to observe how Mrs. Dever demonstrates INTASC
principles #2 and #5, which explains how she differentiates approaches to learning
and understands both individual and group motivations towards learning.
Middle school has become a setting that I can see myself teaching in for a long
while. Therefore it is my responsibility to know all that I can in order to be the best
teacher to my students. Observing Mrs. Dever seemed like a good fit, and a smart
choice. She has the natural ability to draw anyone into a conversation, student or

adult. What I first observed was how easily she took command of the room. I have
learned the hard way is that it is no small thing to be able to do that. It takes a
mixture of time, skill and purposeful thinking.
Once the bell ceased, Mrs. Dever called the student’s attention. The small numbers
of students still chattering were gathered by a simple nod from Mrs. Dever and
they were off. Per the agenda, students pulled out their vocabulary sheets and
began copying the SAT words to their running list. I was immediately impressed
that students knew exactly what to do as soon as she said, “Go”. Mrs. Dever
allowed a small amount of chatter to continue throughout the SmartStart, but
never above a low roar. As the students copied, Mrs. Dever walked around to each
cluster and talked to, what seemed like, a select group of students. This type of
purposeful circulation is something I can take with me. This also demonstrates
Mrs. Dever’s use of directions and procedures. Students knew exactly what to do
and how to do it.
The physical layout of Mrs. Dever’s classroom also speaks to her purposeful use of
classroom management. Speaking in terms of classroom size, hers is relatively
small. However, Mrs. Dever makes up for it in the way she lays out the 25+ desks
into horseshoe clusters. These clusters, all numbered above off the ceiling tiles,
are arranged in horseshoes of 8. This allows for Mrs. Dever to walk into any cluster
and be faced to face with any student. It also keeps any student from ever having
their back to the SmartBoard. I thought this was both clever, and a great use of
space. I planned to take this with me into the future.
Where I saw differentiation of curriculum was in the second part of the class
period. From what I could tell, this was a catch-up day. Students had the option of
completing their “Article of the Week” or choose to do corrections on an earlier
assignment Mrs. Dever passed out earlier in the week. This struck me as a great
way to allow students to work at their own pace, and use their own critical
thinking to correct work. Also, 7th
grade students are fitted with personal 1:1
laptop devices. Mrs. Dever allowed them to work independently to find the
resources they needed to complete their assignments. This demonstrated her
setting gifted-level expectations out of her students, and allowing them to achieve
this through independent study.
Many of the students however still needed direction on how to reword or correct
their existing answers. The skill of revision can be very difficult for students. And
even though these students are naturally gifted, this skill is complex and requires
a large amount of critical thinking. As I continued to observe Mrs. Dever, I noticed
that she spent time in each cluster to check the progress of each student. This
demonstrated to me Mrs. Dever’s ability to provide individualized instructional
opportunities.

This independent study also reaffirmed something I had previously noticed in my
8th
grade classes. Advanced and gifted learners are actually excellent teachers.
During work time, if Mrs. Dever was already occupied or otherwise unavailable, I
observed several students able to turn to their neighbor and ask for help. In
return, the neighbor was usually able to explain the question or concept in a way
that was helpful. This demonstrated to me a classroom that was conducive to all
types of learning.
Date - February 17, 2014
Ms. Peyton, 7th and 8th grade, English Language Learners
INTASC Standards serving the purpose of the observation:
#3 The student teacher understands how students differ in their
approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are
adapted to diverse learners
#5 The student teacher uses an understanding of individual and group
motivations and behavior to create a learning environment that
encourages positive social interaction in the classroom.
On Monday, February 17, 2014, I was given the opportunity to take a break from
advanced learners in order to see how the other half live. Ms. Peyton allowed me
to observed ½ of her 90-minute block of English Language Learners. This
particular group of students featured ELL students on the lower end of the English
Language spectrum. Ms. Peyton however is not just an ELL teacher; in fact the
rest of her day is spent teaching general 7th
and 8th
Language Arts learners.
I was immediately greeted by a wave of smiles and questions from these students,
“Who are you?”
“Where are you from?”
And my personal favorite, “Are you our new teacher?”
Unlike my own students who are used to my presence in the classroom, it takes
other students a few moments to adjust to me being in their space. Ms. Peyton
seemed to allow their curiosity to flourish until the second bell rang, and class was
signaled to begin. At the front of the room, the SmartBoard was pulled up to their
Smart Start. On this day, students were exploring the use of Idioms in the English
Language Vocabulary. It is not surprising that students on the lowest end of the
English Language spectrum would struggle with idioms, and their place within out
language.
Ms. Peyton began class with directions to pull out their Writing Journals and begin

to decode the idiom within this sentence, “My car cost an arm and a leg”. The
directions on the board told students to a) Determine what the idiom “an arm and
a leg” meant and b) What it meant within the sentence.
Several students, still riled up from my presence in the back of the room, found it
hard to focus. It seemed to that it was a combination of factors, but regardless Ms.
Peyton did not allow the behavior to go for long. She sent one student to the
hallway to calm down, and with directions to not return until she came out to get
him. This demonstrated to me her ability to respond immediately to student
misbehavior.
Even when students were instructed to work independently, I observed several
who continued to talk during and after instructions. Ms. Peyton came back to
speak with me and when she did she was able to clarify the “constant stream of
translation”. Ms. Peyton explained that a handful of students in the classroom
know a very limited amount of English, and those other more advanced students
in the classroom work as translators. During large group discussions, there is
always a low roar of students translating back and forth.
Stations were next up for the day’s agenda. There were three stations set up
throughout the room for students to participate in. One station used a 1:1
vocabulary based activity to work on vocabulary comprehension. The second
station was a place for students to sit and read the Article of the Week. The last
station was a ”popcorn” read aloud of Number the Stars led by Ms. Peyton.
Through the first cycle, I sat and listened as Ms. Peyton and the students read
through Number the Stars. Ms. Peyton led the reading by modeling fluency for the
students. She then passed the reading to the left. One by one, each student read
a page or so of the novel. Most started off quietly, apprehensive to make a
mistake in front of Ms. Peyton or their classmates. However, by the end of their
turn, each student seemed to gain more and more confidence in their abilities.
I was able to witness Ms. Peyton’s ability to create instructional and learning
opportunities for diverse learners. Ms. Peyton’s choice of book was age and level
appropriate to her student’s needs. Also, even when reading along with her
station, she was still able to maintain the behavior of every single student in the
room. With early intervention, she stopped any small disruption.

VII. Videotape Analysis
Date – April 14, 2014
On Monday, April 14, 2014, I taped myself during first period. Monday’s
overall goal was to continue to practice grammar, punctuation and convention
skills, introduce the poetry portfolio, reflect on poetry, and visit the IMC (library).
The INTASC principles I planned to demonstrate in this video were principles 1, 4,
and 5B. More specifically, I planned to demonstrate my knowledge of content, a
variety of instructional strategies, and establishment of behavior expectations. My
first goal was to review and model the location and explanation of a
pronoun/antecedent relationship. My second goal was to clearly explain the
reflective writing exercise, and to establish appropriate behavior expectations for
the IMC. A secondary goal to this lesson was to also monitor student behavior
through the use of formal and informal modifications.
In this short video clip, I began instruction with the daily Smart Start. Over
the last four weeks, the entire Perry Meridian Middle School has been explicitly
preparing students for the second round of ISTEP. This day’s Smart Start focused
on the identification and relationship between pronouns and antecedents. Per the
procedure established by my cooperating teacher, I too begin the day’s instruction
at the front of the room. However at the beginning of the video, I am out of view
having a quick conversation with a student who was absent the previous day.
Students can be seen sitting in their clusters and talking quietly. The lesson begins
with an informal introduction, “Okay guys so before we do our Smart Start we are
going to talk about antecedents. Does anyone know what an antecedent is,
without looking on the white board”? I then called on a volunteer who raised their
hand. The volunteer did read the definition on the white board, which I half
expected given my choice of introduction. Next, I review the definition of an
antecedent and the example written on the adjacent whiteboard.
My next sets of instructions were to read through the pronoun/antecedent
handout and determine the two’s relationship. I gave students a very small
window of review, and allowed them to work independently. During the
independent work time, I can be seen on and off-camera checking student work
for accuracy. After the four minutes were up, I gathered student attention by
going back to the front of the room. I modeled reading the first sentence aloud
and gave students their three answer choices: antecedent, no antecedent or not
clear. First, when I looked up, off-camera a student raised her hand and shook her
head “no”. I chose to build off her recognition by calling on her. Second, I tried to
encourage all learners to volunteer answers; whether they were unsure or not.
Also, I used affirmative phrases such as “Perfect”, “YES!” “Good” and personal
affirmations. Third, I modeled the thinking necessary to identify antecedents by
referencing them within the sentence. For example, “The audience clapped its

hands. Who’s the its? The audience.”
At the end of the exercise, I transition to the next activity. Students put
their Smart Start away and pulled out their poetry from Friday. Students are
instructed to take out their poetry and a writing utensil. As students are transiting,
I walk around the classroom and assess how many students have their poems.
Then as I go on to explain the assignment, I acknowledge those students who
failed to bring in their poetry. I read the two reflective questions aloud and expand
on what exactly I am asking students to do. I give them their two reflective
questions, and a time limit. You can see me walking around, on and off-camera,
monitoring student behavior and participation in the activity. In the video, you see
one young student pass a pencil to another student. As I am off-camera, I notice
this misbehavior. I then relocate myself for a moment to speak with the student
quickly, and then place myself again at the front of the room. Then I take myself
next to the second offending student. The video cuts out shortly before I collected
the poetry and assigned the home learning assignment.
The degree to which I accomplished my goals was varied. First, I do believe
I was able to explain the pronoun and antecedent relationship. Therefore
demonstrating my competency of INTASC principle number one and my knowledge
of content. However, what I believe I can improve on is my fluency of instruction.
I witnessed possibly my world habit, “um”, “so” and “guys”. I wonder if I was
nervous to the camera, or unprepared for student ability level. This was the first
time they students and I had actually practiced pronoun/antecedent relationships,
although I was assured they had practiced them before. Nonetheless I do thing
that I accomplished my goal of demonstrating my knowledge of a content
objective.
The degree to which I accomplished the second and third goals was not fully
captured on film. My recording device stopped a few minutes shy of the IMC
instruction. However, the focal point of INTASC principle 4 is the use of a variety
of instructional strategies. I was able to demonstrate a variety of instructional
strategies such questioning strategies, modeling, use of technology, instructional
handouts and visuals. The questioning strategy I used was the calling on volunteer
and non-volunteers. I can improve on my use of this strategy by calling on a wider
variety of students. The second instructional strategy, modeling the answer, can
be seen throughout the short video clip. After calling on student volunteers and
non-volunteers, I modeled the technique for identifying the antecedent’s
relationship to a pronoun. The example I used earlier was, “The audience clapped
its hands. Who’s the its? The audience.” This demonstrates my ability as an
educator to model the metacoginitive processes needed to answer this question.
Lastly, had it been included in the video, I would have shown my ability to
design behavior expectations for the IMC. However, the video does preview my

ability to demonstrate transition expectations. In transition from the Smart Start
to the poetry reflections, students knew exactly what was expected, “What I want
you to get out right now is your poem from this weekend … All you need on your
desk, right now, is your poem and a writing utensil.” These purposeful and specific
directions gave students expectations, in preparation for the next activity.
An example of personal idiosyncrasy includes holding tangible products of
work or instructional aids. In my video, and upon further reflection, I notice that
instructional aids can often been found in my hands. These aids can either hinder
or enhance instruction time. In this particular video clip, the instructional aid
hindered the fluency of my speech. I notice that I often check back for accuracy in
my answers and to provide feedback. Another idiosyncrasy of mine is the use of
my hands during expression. I use my hands to express emotion and importance.
My voice is another idiosyncrasy. During the early morning classes especially, I
tend to influx my voice to the progression of the activity.
If I could do anything differently to set the mood or climate for learning I
would establish a more authoritative attitude from the beginning. The introduction
to the Smart Start would have gone along smoother with a more established
script. If I would have had more time to prepare, I believe I could have narrated a
more instructionally sound introduction. My questions were pre-determined with
the instructional handout. However, I believe I was able to rephrase questions to
alleviate confusion for students.
One weakness I observed during my video analysis is my use of non-
essential “uhms”, “guys”, and “okay”. An effective teacher does not need to use
vocabulary fillers in their instruction. The use of the vocabulary filler “guys” is
something that I have struggled with. These non-essential vocabulary fillers
impede the clarity of my instruction and distract from my professional presence. In
the future, I hope to be more conscious of vocabulary fillers, and be even more
conscious on correctly this speech pattern. A strength I observed during my video
analysis is my ability to transition between multiple learning activities. Today’s
instruction had three major components: grammar and conventions practice,
poetry reflection, and an IMC assignment. On IMC days, time in the classroom is
cut short. Therefore instruction time in the classroom is precious. Effective
transitions, and quick but purposeful pacing, allowed students to get through their
entire daily agenda.
Going forward I hope to use this observation as a reflective learning
experience. The take away message is to continue to steer away from vocabulary
fillers, and demonstrate more of a command during instruction time. Maintaining
pace was an advantage, while I still struggle with calling on a wider variety of
students during question/answer time. Overall, this was a learning experience that
I can take with me into the future.

Date – April 15, 2014
On Tuesday, April 15, 2014, I taped myself again during first period.
Tuesday’s overall goal was to continue with this idea of identify within poetry and
reflect on its relevance to our lives. The INTASC principles I planned to
demonstrate in this video were principles 1, 3, and 5A. More specifically, I planned
to demonstrate my knowledge of content, my understanding of expectations for
learning and achievement, and my management of pacing and transitions. My first
goal was to demonstrate my ability to lead students in selecting the best
grammatical option for a sentence. My second goal was to clearly state my
expectations for learning and participation in the day’s activities, and lastly
maintain a steady pace and rhythm during transitions. A secondary goal was to
improve upon the things I wrote about in my previous observation.
In this short video clip, I began instruction with the daily Smart Start. Like
the previous day’s Smart Start, the last four weeks have been in preparation for
the second round of ISTEP testing. The coordinated effort by Perry Meridian Middle
School has been to explicitly prepare students for both the grammar and multiple-
choice assessment model found on the test. Today’s Smart Start focused on
identifying the best correction to five grammatically incorrect sentences. Per the
procedure established by my cooperating teacher, I too begin the day’s instruction
at the front of the room. Today I am in view of the camera and begin the day’s
instruction by corralling student attention immediately after the bell rings. I tell
students that today’s Smart Start is connected with the previous days and review
the steps for completing it. After students are done, they are given the expectation
to read their IMC book.
After several minutes, and three passes around the room, I notice that most
people are finished with their Smart Start and reading their IMC books. I do the
“class clap” in order to gain student attention. But first, I mention in a soft voice,
“Okay take one more minute to finish up the page of your book and get ready to
review your answers to the Smart Start.” After that moment had passed, I do the
clap and we begin reviewing the material. Students struggle with one question in
particular, but I am able to clear up confusion with little problem.
After the Smart Start, we transition towards the discussion of the poem
“Identity”. We only spend a few moments reading the poem aloud and analyzing
the two questions at the bottom of the handout. I then collect the poem by using a
transition technique I have picked up from my cooperating teacher. I stand in the
corner of a room and say, “Okay, the person with the longest hair please bring me
your entire cluster’s handouts from last night.” Once all of the poems are
collected we move towards the “The Little Boy” poem.

With this poem, I front load with the same questions we have been using for
all of the poems we have previously looked at,
“What do you know about this poem?”
“Does anything stand out about it?”
Students volunteer a variety of answers, but I focus on the person who says it is
“long like a story”. I piggyback off this comment and tell students it is in fact a
narrative poem because it tells a story about the character. I then read the poem
aloud and as a series of four pre-determined questions by Mrs. M. The students
and I move quickly towards the final activity, however my video shuts off.
The degree to which I accomplish my goals are varied. First, I do believe I
was able to explain the relationship between the correct multiple-choice answer
and its reason why. However, I still struggled today with the effectiveness of my
communication. Those vocabulary-fillers still interrupted my speech every once in
a while. I believe that I may be sensitive to this behavior because my previous
observation was only last week, but it is something I will continue to watch out
for.
The degree to which I accomplished by second and third goal was more
positive. I believe I clearly maintained expectations for student learning and
achievement through the use of the guided Smart Start and clear instructions for
what students were to do when they finished. My last goal was my biggest success
by far. Despite a packed agenda, I was able to maintain a steady pace and the
class was able to complete all of the planned activities.
An example of personal idiosyncrasy in this video analysis includes relying
on the wall clock to often to check my time. Effective pacing comes with an
awareness of how long each activity needs to last before moving on to the next
thing. I noticed myself several times breaking eye contact with students to look up
at the clock behind me. This not only broke my concentration, but distracted from
the learning environment. Granted it was first period and I was not the one
planning instruction, but a better strategy for keeping track of time may be in
order to curve this tendency.
If I could do anything different to the mood and climate for learning I would
maintain a better sense of order between the time students enter the room and
the tardy bell rings. The video in the back of the room caught some students off
guard, and I was able to witness some of the little things they do when a teacher
is not looking. Things such as poke another student walking by or taking their
books off the desks can lead to a bad start to the instructional period.
Going forward I would like to continue to record and track my progress on all
of the INTASC principles. By recording and critiquing my performance in the
classroom I am performing my own evaluation of my professional development.

INTASC One: Understands Content
The student teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and
structures of the discipline(s) he or she teachers and can create learning
experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful to students.

INTASC Principle One
Artifact #1: LAMP Resources List
During my LAMP unit, I made a list of resources that were used in the
classroom to help students better understand the content. All of the handouts that
I made were ones that I created, or were made in reference to handouts created
and cited on this resource list. I used books, Web sites, images and blogs to help
students better understand the content.
By creating a list filled with educational and interest-based texts and
resources, I learned a lot about what it means to build an entire unit. The
resources labeled for the teacher were all textbooks, websites, and blogs
dedicated to perfecting writing and vocabulary instruction. These resources not
only helped build this unit, but I can use these resources when crafting future
units. The resources labeled for students were short stories, articles and even a
movie trailer used to build student understanding of upcoming content. I learned
that students needs a variety of opportunities to apply their understanding, and to
activate their prior knowledge.
This artifact demonstrates my competence on the INTASC Principle because
it demonstrates my ability to seek out resources and materials that make for a
meaningful learning experience. The “Teacher Resources” offered me the tools of
inquiry to create the lesson plans, handouts and activities used within the
classroom. I was able to take these tools of inquiry and apply them to the student
resources. During my LAMP unit, students were going to read an article about the

site of a massive volcanic eruption and be asked to answer a series of short
answer questions about the article. As a pre-reading activity, my students and I
could have jumped right into a discussion about volcanoes and easily completed
the “K” of a “KWL” chart based on that information. Instead we watched a movie
trailer from the soon-to-be released movie “Pompeii” and used that to spark our
discussion about volcanoes and how much they know about the city of Pompeii.
The movie trailer peaked the interest of my students, activated their prior
knowledge and sparked a lively conversation about volcanoes. By understanding
the content of the article, I was able to reach out to alternate resources to
introduce the topic.

Teacher Resources
501 Writing Prompts. 1st. New York: Learning Express, Web. 2 Apr. 2014.
Burke, Jim. Tools for Thought: Graphic Organizers for Your Classroom.
Heinmann Education Books, 2002. Print.
“Circles of Knowledge.” Smeckens Education Solutions, INC. 2014: n. page.
Web. 2 April 2014.
Puckett, D. A to Z Literacy Strategies: 70 Best Practice Strategies for
Teaching Reading and Writing Across Middle Grades Content Areas.
2008. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.
Writing Prompts. Tumblr, 12 2 2014. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.
Student Resources
Bastille. Pompeii. Bad Blood. Virgin Records, 2013.
Forsyth, Pamela. “From Pompeii to Yellowstone, There’s a Volcano in
Everybody’s Future.”. Newsworks. Feb 3 2014: n. page. Web. 2 Apr.
2014.
Obama, Barack. Dreams From My Father. 2nd. New York: Three Rivers
Press, 2004. Print.
Robb, Alice. "Why Are We Afraid Of Spiders? There Are Two Competing
Theories." New Republic. Jan 14 2014: n. page. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.
Skelton, Renee. "Over The Top." National Geographic, 2008. Print.
Sony Pictures. “Pompeii – Official Trailer – Coming February 2014.” Online
video clip. Youtube, 4 Dec 2013. Web. 2 April 2014.
Trivedi, Bijal. "The Spider Man Behind Spider-Man." National Geographic
Online. 2 May 2002: n. page. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.

INTASC Principle One
Artifact #2: “The Monkey’s Paw” Research
One of the first lessons I solo-taught was over “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W.
Jacobs. It is a short story written in 1902, and was recommended by the
cooperating teacher as a “big hit” with the students. I had never previously read
or analyzed the story and so over the weekend I conducted research in
preparation for instruction. The piece was written over 100 years ago, and so I
knew there would be language and content that would be foreign to students. I
read the piece several times, and each time identified vocabulary words and
phrases that I knew would be confusing for students. These words and phrases are
circled in pink. Other notes and references I found are made in black. I also did
research on the author, W.W. Jacobs, and looked for any biographical significance
that would compliment my student’s understanding of the short story. Lastly, as
an after-reading activity students were going to complete a handout to identify the
most important events from within the text. I completed this handout before
leading instruction.
Conducting research on any text I plan to introduce and teach in class has to
be thorough and done well in advance. With the recommendation from my
cooperating teacher, I felt confident that this piece was safe for students to read.
However, in the future I must be the utmost authority on any piece I teach.
Therefore thorough research must be conducted to ensure that all aspects of the
piece are appropriate for students. Also, I must be well-versed on a piece before I

introduce it to students in order to catch points of confusion, vocabulary outside of
student’s lexile levels and to create purposeful questions for discussion.
The artifact demonstrates my competence on the INTASC principle by
demonstrating my willingness to put in time outside of the classroom to build
instruction. The evidence features my handwritten notes on the teacher’s copy of
the text and the after-reading handout students were going to complete in class.
These elements demonstrate my ability and willingness to put in the time
necessary before instruction. I knew the content of the story, established pre-
determined stopping points to clear up confusion, and completed the supplemental
handout beforehand.

INTASC Two: Understanding Development
The student teacher understands how children learn and develop and can
provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social, and
personal development.

INTASC Principle Two
Artifact #1: Get to Know You Survey
On my first day of student teaching I presented my students with a
Prezi all about my life. In this Prezi I showed aspects of myself that were
meaningful to me, such as my family, my favorite book, my friends etc.
Then I turned the tables on my students and asked them to share five things
about their lives. On a half-slip of paper, students wrote down 5 things
based on a list of questions at the end of my Prezi. I asked students to tell
me 1) what they did last Saturday night, 2) one thing they did over Winter
Break, 3) if they could listen to only one artist for the rest of their life who
would it be, 4) their favorite book, and 5) one thing they cannot live without.
These five things represented aspects of my student’s lives that could be
important when planning opportunities to build their whole development as
learners.
Using a diagnostic survey to begin my placement told me a lot about
my students. The survey showed me some individual character and learning
traits. I learned about their interests outside of the classroom, such as their
afterschool activities. I learned about their musical and artistic tastes. The
surveys gave me a gauge as to which genres of books interest them, and
which students had avoidance to reading all together. I learned about their
extrinsic motivations, such as using technology and socializing. Also, I
noticed distinct differences in reading preferences between boys and girls,
and even individual classes. Some surveys were more telling than others,

but overall this diagnostic tool gave me an abundance of information to pull
from when designing learning opportunities.
This artifact demonstrates my competence on the INTASC principle
because it shows my ability to document student intellectual, social and
personal development as learners, and use it to shape future instruction.
This survey worked two-fold - as an icebreaker activity and as a personality
diagnostic tool. Working as a diagnostic tool, this survey showed me aspects
of each student’s individual personality and preferences. It also helped build
a basis of communication and familiarity between my students and I. Lastly,
it demonstrates my ability to use information to shape future instruction and
discussion topics. With this information I was able to tap into their interest
and reference situations and texts they were already familiar with.

INTASC Principle Two:
Artifact #2: Dreams From My Father Prior Knowledge Activity
In order to prepare students for an upcoming reading assignment, I
created a pre-reading PowerPoint discussion activity about President Barack
Obama. For their home learning assignment, students were going to read an
excerpt from the President’s memoir Dreams From My Father. The
PowerPoint featured a picture of President Obama as a young boy growing
up in Hawaii and students were instructed to look at the image and try to
guess whom the little boy was. After identifying the young boy, I activated
their prior knowledge of President Obama before he was elected to the White
House through the use of images and facts.
Through this activity, I learned the value of building contexts before
releasing students to independently tackle a text. In each class, only three
or four students were able to raise their hands and correctly identify the little
boy in the PowerPoint. Even fewer were willing or able to elaborate on
aspects of President Obama’s life before moving into the White House. By
using a PowerPoint to visually show examples of President Obama before he
took office and to recall things they have heard in the media, I activated
their prior knowledge and laid a foundation for their reading.
This artifact demonstrates my competence on the INTASC principle by
demonstrating that I am always thinking about what challenges a text may
present to my students, and tackling it with pre-reading activities. Students
develop at a variety of different rates depending on their age and grade

level. By identifying the reference gap between my students and an
upcoming text, I was able to create an activity to bridge that gap and build
off of things they already knew. It demonstrates that I can pull from even
the smallest element of prior knowledge and create activities based on their
needs.

Class/Grade: McDougal – 8th
Date to be Taught: February 11, 2014
Student Name: Vicki Judge
Subject/Topic: Language Arts/ Vocabulary
Common Core Standards:
• Social Studies: CCSS RH 8.7 – Integrate visual information (e.g. charts, graphs,
photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print or digital texts.
• English Language Arts: CCSS RL 8.4 – Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze impact of specific words choices on meaning and tone, including
words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, and
beautiful.
• English Language Arts: CCSS W 8.10 – Write routinely over extended period time
frames and short time frames for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
Indiana Standards:
• Social Studies: SS. 8.3.3 – Identify and locate the major climate regions in the
United States and describe the characteristics of the region
• English Language Arts: EL 8.1.3 – Verify the meaning of a word in its context,
even if its meaning is not directly stated, through the use of definitions,
restatement, examples, comparison, or contrast.
• English Language Arts: EL 8.4.1 – Discusses ideas of writing, keep a list or
notebook of ideas, and use graphic organizers to plan writing.
Materials
K.I.M Strategy Handout
Writing Prompt Examples
Dreams From My Father PowerPoint
Dreams From My Father Excerpt
Technology
ELMO Projector
Smart Board
Photocopier
Objective
o Students will be able to define a word using context clues and
memory cues.
o Students will be able to categorize a writing prompt based on its
cue words and intended purpose.

o Students will be able to activate prior knowledge in preparation for
an upcoming text.
Motivation/Engagement
Students will create an appropriate titles based on an image featured
within the excerpt of Dream From My Father, which they will be
introduced to later in the lesson.
Goal for Learner
Today we are going to look at an example of literary non-fiction.
Literary non-fiction is a distinct genre of writing in that it describes
events as they actually happened, much like a dry biography, but uses
tone and mood to set the narrative up more like a story. We are also
going to look at a list of vocabulary works and create definitions and
memory cues so that we can use these words in our own writing.
Content and Procedure
1. Smart Start (8 minutes)
a. Generate possible titles for an image
2. Writing Prompt Practice (6 minutes)
a. Purpose: Persuasive, Expository, Narrative
b. Decode
i. Whole class  Individual  Group  Share
3. K.I.M (12 minutes)
a. Preview K.I.M words
b. Review K.I.M Procedure
i. Keyword
ii. Information
iii. Memory Clue
c. Complete K.I.M handout together on whiteboard
4. Introduce Dreams From My Father (12 minutes)
a. Show image of young Barack
i. Who can tell me who this young man is?
ii. Have you see this picture before? If so where?
b. President Barack Obama
i. Raised primarily by his mother and maternal grandparents
ii. Father is from Kenya; has several half-siblings all over the
world
1. Parents divorced when he was very young
iii. Born in Hawaii + lived in a variety of place (i.e.
Philippines).
iv. Studied at Harvard Law, became Junior Senator, elected
President of the United States in 2008
v. Cover of the memoirs features pictures of his collective
family

vi. Written before he was president; reflects on his heritage
and how it focused his future.
5. Home learning: Read and annotate the excerpt; Make 20 annotations

INTASC Three: Understands Differences
The student teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to
learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse
learners.

INTASC Principle Three
Artifact #1: Episodic Notes
In the days leading up to this lesson, students read Flowers for
Algernon by Daniel Keyes and completed a Flowers for Algernon packet as a
home learning assignment. The following school day, I collected their
packets and checked for understanding by reviewing their answers. Then we
focused our attention to the development of the main character, Charlie.
Students received an envelope with a celebrity or pop icon inside. They then
had to collaborate with their group and identify three points of character
development within this person and/or character. This activity activated their
prior knowledge and modeled the next activity they’d be completing. My
evidence for this INTASC principle is the episodic note activity. Using the
celebrity/pop icon activity to guide their focus, students worked in groups of
three to identify three sequential elements of character development in
Charlie. Each person had their own half-slip note with instructions to
determine the three most important stages of character development,
illustrate one of those moments into the provided box, and write a short
analysis of which stage shown.
By choosing to incorporate small group opportunities and elements of
illustration and art, I reinforced the idea that students benefit when given a
chance to show and discuss their learning. Although nervous that students
would focus more on the social element of this activity rather than the task,
I was impressed that when given the chance students could perform both. I

also learned that some students flourish when given the opportunity to
produce elements of art in their learning. The time in class given to complete
this activity was limited; this did not deter some students from getting right
to work and completing their elements of illustration and art.
This artifact demonstrates my ability to utilize a variety of learning and
instructional strategies to benefit all learners. The first part of the lesson was
a discussion led by me, and then students had a chance in the celebrity
activity to interact and rely on their partner’s knowledge. This shift from
whole to small group demonstrates my understanding of how students best
apply their knowledge. Students were given several opportunities to create
learning through an array of individual, small group and whole class
discussions. It also demonstrates my ability to pull from a variety of
resources to create a learning experience with real-life applicability. The
celebrity character development activity showed students that a literary skill,
such as character development, extends outside the pages of a book and
applies to the celebrities they gossip about in the hallways. Lastly, I
demonstrate that I understand the students need to practice and apply
content skills in a variety of formats, such as episodic notes.

Date to be Taught: January 29, 2014
Subject/Topic: Language Arts/Character Development
• English Language Arts: CCSS RL 8.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases
as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze
impact of specific words choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple
meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, and beautiful.
Materials
Flowers for Algernon text
Flowers for Algernon packet
Dry erase marker/ Whiteboard
Celebrity envelops
Episodic Notes
Technology
SmartBoard
Photocopier
Objective
o Students will be able to analyze a literary text for elements of
character development and main idea
o Students will be able to identify points of character development
o Students will be able to sequence main events
Students will participate in a small group activity with celebrity
examples and connect literary elements to their daily lives.
Goal for Learner
Today we will review Flowers for Algernon and identify elements of
character development within the main character, Charlie. But first,

we will identify character development in some of our favorite
celebrities and well-known Disney characters.
a. Multiple-choice practice
2. Collect Flowers for Algernon Packets
a. Make sure students have their names on their packets!
b. Collect annotated text as well
3. Review answers to questions on Flowers for Algernon Packets (10
minutes)
4. Character Development (5 minutes)
a. The change in characterization of a dynamic character,
who changes over the course of a narrative.
b. Reference Katniss Everdeen  How does Katniss change over
the course of “The Hunger Games”?
c. Name three examples of her changing over the book
i. Beginning: girl living in District 12; Smart, but has little
power to change her surroundings and those of her
friends/family; Loyal and firm in her convictions.
ii. Middle: Volunteers for the Games; Sent to the Capital;
questions the necessity of such much inequality between
the Districts; Goes into the Games; sees Rue die
iii. End: Defies the Capital to save Peeta and herself;
knowingly/unknowingly becomes a symbol for the
resistance.
5. Celebrity Activity (10 minutes)
a. Pass out sealed envelope with a “surprise” celebrity example
b. Students identify three elements of character development in
their celebrity example
i. Brainstorm a list; collaborate
c. Recite their list to the class
d. Class determine the three MOST important developments
6. Episodic Notes
a. Explain the use of episodic notes
b. Allow students to choose their own groups
i. No more than 3 per group
c. Review instructions:
i. Students have the rest of class to determine three points
of character development; sequence them chronologically;
assign one to each group member; complete the episodic
note
7. HL: Bring back completed episodic notes

Episodic Notes
Purpose: Identify most important moments; show cause-effect and organization (Sequence)
1. Determine the three most crucial stages, scenes, or moments in the story.
2. Draw in the box what happens and what you “see” in the text. Be as specific as possible.
3. Remember: These are notes not works of art: Try to capture the action and important
details of the moment.
4. Explain (in the notes section) what is happening and why it is important
INTASC Principle 3
Artifact #2: Differentiated Curriculum
Caption

Solely based on the nature of advanced learners, almost their entire
curriculum is differentiated to meet their unique needs. However just like
any general Language Arts classroom, there is a necessitate to
accommodate students at their various level of readiness, interest and
learning profiles. Characteristics of a differentiated curriculum include
instruction that is focused on providing an opportunity for every student to
explore their learning and to apply the key concepts of the subject being
studied. My evidence for INTASC principle three is a final text-feature
activity students completed with the aid of their shoulder partner. For
several days, students had been working towards identifying text features
within non-fiction articles. The final activity was more complex that the
previous two activities. It required them to identify text features and make
predictions based on their relevance to a newspaper article. This type of
readiness-based differentiation to student learning demonstrates my ability
to make accommodations based on student skill.
What I learned is that differentiation can take on many forms, and that
it is not a one-size-fit-all instructional strategy. Differentiation ranges from
providing accommodations for students with physical and cognitive
handicaps, to scaffolding student learning towards more and more complex
texts and activities. I learned that differentiation is an instructional strategy
that takes place over a period time. Data and observations of student
learning must be collected before implementing purposeful plans for

accommodation. I also learned that my students innately require plans that
have a capacity for their brightness.
This artifact demonstrates my competence of the INTASC principle by
showing my ability to increase the complexity of activities overtime. I am
able to identify the point where students can be slowly released from my
undivided instruction. It also demonstrates my ability to shape instruction
and accommodate for shifting needs within the classroom. My artifact was
originally not in my instruction plans, however I noticed that students could
use an activity that creates an opportunity them to explore their own
understanding.

Materials
Images for Smart Start
Text Features Part Two Handout
Newspaper Articles
Technology
Smart Board
ELMO Projector
Photocopier
Objective
o Students will be able to analyze tools for reading nonfiction articles (i.e. text features).
o Students will be able to identify text features and understand the importance real life
applicable texts.
o Students will be able to generate an appropriate title based on an image’s content.
Today is a day where we are going to apply all of the knowledge we have learned about text
features and non-fiction texts. We are going to look at newspaper clippings and by only the text
features you are going to begin to make predictions about the content of the article. You’ll be
Subject/Topic: Language Arts/ Text Features
Indiana Standards:
• English Language Arts: EL.8.2.3 – Find
similarities and differences between texts in
the treatment, amount of coverage, or
organization of ideas.
• English Language Arts: EL.8.2.9 – Make
reasonable statements and draw conclusions
about a text, supporting them with accurate
examples.
• English Language Arts: CCSS RI 8.1 – Cite the
textual evidence that most strongly supports an
analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
• English Language Arts: CCSS RI 8.4 – Determine
the meaning of words and phrases as they are
used in the text, including figurative and
connotative meanings; analyze impact of
specific words choices on meaning and tone,
including words with multiple meanings or
language that is particularly fresh, engaging, and
beautiful.
• Speaking and Listening: CCSS SL 8.1 – Engage
effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-
led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics,
texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.

able to test those predictions by reading the actual articles, and creating a summary. Today will
also primarily be a partner-work day. I will take a step back and you can collaborate with your
cluster mates. Before we begin we will do some review of pre-writing exercises and title
generation. Let’s get started!
Goal For Learner
We last left off on Tuesday with the “The Spider Man Behind Spider-Man” and a graphic
organizer to explore the usefulness of the text features. We are going to put your knowledge of
the different kinds of text features and their uses to the test using newspaper clippings. Today
we will make predictions, identify different text features, and read timely newspaper articles.
Content and Procedures
1. Smart Start: Generate titles (8 minutes)
a. Flash image on SmartBoard
b. Brainstorm possible titles
2. Transition into the newspaper modeling activity
a. Pass out “Identifying Text Features: Part Two” handouts
3. Model Newspaper Clipping activity (12 minutes)
a. Cover up everything BUT the main heading
i. Ask for student volunteer to read the title aloud
ii. Make a prediction about the article based on the title
b. Release the subheading and repeat
c. Release the main picture
i. Record these predictions along with students on their handout
d. Read the short article aloud; evaluate predictions for accuracy aloud with
students
4. Use the remaining class time to complete the backside of the handout
a. With their shoulder partner students should:
i. Record the title of the article
ii. Identify the text features used
iii. Generate a prediction BASED on the text features
iv. Read and write a summary of the article
v. Create a reflection; evaluating on the accuracy of their predictions
5. Turn in the handout at the bell
Practice/Application
• Model the steps to the text feature’s activity
• Explain to students their role in today’s activities, and how also to be an effective
partner-duo
• Monitor their engagement and ability to apply their knowledge to the task
Evaluation of Student Learning
• Collaborate with student’s to determine appropriate titles  Informally

• Monitor student behavior during partner-work time  Informally
• Collect their activity handout at the end of class  Formally
Closure
Hopefully, today’s activity showed you the applicability of text features to your everyday life.
Text features are not only included in non-fiction articles to look nice and draw your attention
to a story, but also to help a reader skim and pull out the story’s main idea. They are used so
frequently in almost every media format: from Facebook to the Indianapolis Star. Next week we
will look at two final non-fiction articles. Your task is to remember all that you have learned and
apply it without me explicitly pointing them out.

Name(s) Date Period
Identifying Text Features: Part Two
Standards: CCSS RI 8.1, 8.2, W 8.4, 8.4,8.9, SL 8.1
Directions:
• First, skim the text feature(s) of an article: Heading, subheadings, bullet points, sidebars,
and/or pictures.
• Secondly, predict what the article may be about based ONLY on the text features.
• Then, READ the article.
• Next, summarize the article into AT LEAST three sentences.
• Finally, INDEPENDENTLY reflect and expand on one of these four questions: Were your
predictions right? How do the text features used in the article help you know what the main
idea is? Where in this text could the author add a chart, graph, table, and/or diagram?
What text features does the author use most effectively?
Title of the Article
Text Feature(s) Used
Prediction Based on Text
Feature(s)
Summary
Reflection

INTASC Four: Designs Instructional Strategies
The student teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional
strategies to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem
solving, and performance skills.
INTASC Principle Four

Artifact #1: Evaluations from University Supervisor
My evidence for INTASC principle four is an evaluation done on February
6, 2014. My University Supervisor, Becky Gentry, did this evaluation of a
single teaching experience while visiting my classroom. On this day,
students and I were wrapping up our reading of “The Monkey’s Paw” by
W.W. Jacobs. My supervisor watched me lead the daily smart start, a small
group and large group discussion about superstitions, and a vocabulary
activity.
What I learned through this experience is that evaluations are a chance
to promote professional development. Teacher evaluations typically serve a
developmental purpose by solidifying a teacher’s commitment to
professional learning. My professional development came after reading the
marks and comments left by university supervisor. What I lacked in skillful
questioning techniques and invidual modifications, I made up for in my use
of several instruction strategies, such as small and large group discussions,
brainstorming and a vocabulary activity.
This artifact demonstrates the INTASC principle by documenting my first
evaluation as a success. My university supervisor gave me high marks for
including “nice classroom involvement” in the brain storming activity and my
“effective” and “respectful” manner for handing student comments and
opinions. I also received high marks for relating information to an authentic
and relatable topic for my students. Overall, this artifact demonstrates my

ability to incorporate and implement several best practices within
instruction.

INTASC Five: Manages and Motivates
The stud
ent teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and
behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social
interaction in the classroom.

INTASC Principle Five
Artifact #1: Seating Chart
Sometime during the 3rd
nine-week grading period, it became all too
clear that new seating arrangements were necessary. Frequently interrupted
by small chatter and off-task behavior, attention was becoming increasingly
difficult to maintain during instruction. In line with my philosophy of
discipline, I decided to make a change to the assigned seating arrangements
in hopes that it would make a major difference in appropriate classroom
behavior. My artifact is an example of the new seating chart created for my
1st
period. Normally my quietest and most well behaved class, 1st
period was
seeing an increase in out of turn answers, distracted conversations and lax
classroom procedures. In fact, students were eager to ask when their next
seating arrangement would be ready to use.
I learned something valuable in creating the new seating arrangements
for my four classes of Advanced Language Arts. One, it is no easy task to
arrange each individual student in a way that promotes the best possible
learning environment for all. I also took the approach to divide and conquer
several students who seemed to disrupt class together the most. Two,
sometimes it is best to place certain students in close proximity to someone
they feel most comfortable sharing ideas with. This makes for a more
productive and effective classroom environment for all, even those shy or
less likely to engage students. Lastly, I learned that seating arrangements
should be flexible. Making a seating chart on paper is only the first step.

Seeing how the actual layout of the classroom looks after students have
taken their new seats will determine how effective the new assignments will
be.
My artifact demonstrates my ability to monitor and respond to student
misbehavior. The new seating chart produced as evidence shows the new
seats arranged for students. I observed the disruptions occurring in the
classroom and developed a new seating arrangement as a result of these
minor, yet troublesome, episodes. Care was also given to special
circumstances, such as an influx of students from the IDEA Language Arts
classes into Advanced Language Arts. This influx of students dramatically
changed the entire atmosphere of certain classes’ overnight; especially my
fifth period, the class presented as my artifact. The addition of just three
students completely altered the dynamics and forced me to make decisions
in regards to seating and where these students would best fit the established
environment. It also demonstrates my ability to evaluate specific learners
needs and differentiate the classroom environment to create the best
learning environment for them. For example, two students were purposefully
seated next to each other after I observed their obvious friendship and the
need for one of them to be seated in close proximity to someone they could
freely open up to. This student in particular struggles to communicate in
whole group discussion, and yet completes assignments that demonstrate
that he is in fact learning. I was able to create an environment that was best

INTASC Principle Five
Artifact #2: Philosophy of Discipline
The artifact is my personal philosophy of discipline. The development of
this philosophy is in combination with four years working and learning at the
secondary level, and also with my previous six years working at a daycare
facility. Many would think that working with small children has no correlation
to working with young adolescents, but there is a significant advantage to
experiencing discipline and behavior management at the youngest level.
Children learn behavior modification and classroom procedures at a very
young age in a pre-school setting. My years spent teaching these simple, yet
effective, procedures to young children taught me a lot about what
behaviors warrant a specific response. My philosophy is based on mutual
respect between teacher and student, performing small modifications along
the way, and maintaining an environment where discipline is not to the
detriment of instruction.
I have learned that discipline is an on-going evolution of ideas and
reality. When put into certain situations I believe I succeeded to a moderate
degree to uphold all of the principles of my discipline philosophy. I learned
that it is harder that I anticipated catching every misbehaving incident in
class, but that it is important to respond consistently when I do.
Management is best served in advanced. By eliminating the opportunity for
students to misbehave, I will save myself instruction time later on down the
line. Most importantly I learned that students will do what I allow them to. If

I am firm on my convictions, and true to my word I am less likely to
encounter the same misbehavior twice.
The artifact demonstrates my ability to create an action plan for student
misbehavior. When I completed this philosophy I tried to imagine every possible
disruptive scenario I was likely to encounter. Of course, this was impossible, but I
believe this philosophy statement covers the major platforms for which I believe
in. Early intervention, quick and consistent response, and mutual respect cover
these essential platforms to discipline.

Philosophy of Discipline
Discipline and classroom management exist as an additional learning
experience for students. Good discipline should come from a desire to teach
students to self-assess and self-regulate their own learning and behavior. A
student who is well-disciplined in nature understands what is socially and
personally acceptable within their social community. Good discipline should
also be based upon mutual respect for the learning environment of those
around them. Students should feel responsible for creating and maintaining
a classroom environment conducive to learning. The well-disciplined student
understands that disruptions during learning is unfair and unproductive to
the classroom’s communal objectives. Effective classroom management
helps ensure student success in regulating their behavior by eliminating
many unnecessary problems within the classroom.
I find that for my philosophy of discipline and management to be
realized in the classroom, rules and guidelines must be made in collaboration
with the students for whom will be most affected. From an adolescent
standpoint, the secondary levels are a time of great personal discovery, as
well as dramatic physical and cognitive changes. Naturally curious and
rebellious, discipline and classroom management strategies for a secondary
classroom are best served with a helping of understanding to support their
presence. If students are able to realize why a certain action or reaction,

within the classroom, is inappropriate they are more likely to self-regulate
their behavior. If rules and guidelines are made in collaboration, students
are also more like to take ownership of themselves.
When a student misbehaves in the classroom, the reaction of the
teacher should match the behavior. Small problems, such as disruptive side
conversations or off-task behavior, can be dissolved by closing the proximity
between the teacher and student. More severe, or especially out-of-
character behavior, should be handled with care and consideration to
student and incident. It can be tempting to be placed in a situation where a
student misbehaves, verbally reprimand the student and move on. This
method of discipline lacks purpose and in fact does not fix the undesired
behavior. In fact, it tends to postpone the said behaviors’ inevitable return in
the future. If something severe enough occurs, the teacher should have a
private conversation with the student. In this conversation the teacher
should express interest in why the student behaved, and together the
student and teacher should come up with other possible reactions.
Ultimately rules and guidelines are for the safety of everyone, ensuring
all students have a positive environment in which to learn from. Yelling,
screaming, force, and unnecessary tension do not need to occur for students
to behave. Students who are engaged in what they are learning are less
likely to engage in disruptive behavior. For those students who do
misbehave, there is a model for which teachers should approach discipline.

INTASC Six: Communicates
The student teacher has knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and
media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and
supportive interaction in the classroom.

INTASC Principle Six
Artifact #1: Samples of Student-Generated Prediction Questions
Week 6 of cluster focused on the D-step Part 2. In D-step Part 2
teachers were supposed to begin to model the process of creating a
prediction question. I took this assignment from cluster and applied it to an
upcoming frontloading activity for the non-fiction article, “Over the Top”.
First, students previewed the cover photo and the article’s title. Then,
students were given a half-slip of paper and asked to make two predictions
about the article and one prediction question. The evidence provided for this
INTASC principle shows the prediction questions generated by students, as
well as the instruction plan from my LAMP unit in which this lesson was
taught.
In preparation for this frontloading activity, I generated my own
prediction questions with the anticipation for the level I thought students
would perform. Students far outreached my expectations, and genuinely
surprised me. The level of generated questions ranged from surface level to
abstract, with many students relying on their previous predictions to guide
their questioning. This is the result I wanted to occur. Using the idea from
cluster to build the foundation for this activity, I learned that my students
would often exceed each week’s goals and expectations. What I also learned
is that students benefit from collaborating their questions with their
classmates. When I had students turn to their neighbors and exchange their
questions I heard the collaborative enthusiasm that teachers look for.

This artifact demonstrates my competence on the INTASC principle
because it shows my ability to not only communicate strategies between
professional workshops to the classroom, but also to stimulate curiosity and
conversation through the use of a student-generated question. The
instruction plan accompanying the handout as evidence also shows my
ability to insight conversations and activate student prior knowledge.

Materials
“From Pompeii to Yellowstone” extended response HL assignment
Vocabulary in Context handouts
Prediction handouts
“Over the Top” article
Technology
SmartBoard
ELMO Projector
Photocopier
White Board
Objectives
o Students will be able to define vocabulary using context clues.
o Students will be able to make predictions based on text features.
o Students will be able to evaluate predictions using evidence presented
in the text.
If you were a volcanologist entering a live volcano, what kinds of things
would you want to know before your descent? What kinds of things do you
predict you would need to bring? Think of the danger! Write me a small
narrative telling me what you would do, what you would bring and how you
would feel.
Subject/Topic: Language Arts/ Prediction/ “Over the Top”
• English Language Arts: CCSS RI 8.4 – Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language, connotative, and
technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choice on meaning and
tone. Including analogies or allusions to other texts.
Indiana Standards:
• English Language Arts: EL.8.1.3 – Verify the meaning of a word in its context,
even when its meaning is not directly stated, through the use of definition,
restatement, example, comparison or contrast.
• English Language Arts: EL.8.2.9 – Make reasonable statements and draw
conclusions about a text, supporting them with accurate examples.

Goal for Learner
Yesterday we learned about a very famous and powerful volcanic eruption at
Pompeii. Today we are going to look at the people who dedicate their lives to
understanding volcanoes, and those who choose to interact with them on a
daily basis.
a. If you were a volcanologist entering a live volcano, what kinds of
things would you want to know before your descent? What
kinds of things do you predict you would need to bring? Think of
the danger! Write me a small narrative telling me what you
would do, what you would bring and how you would feel.
2. Review Smart Start (4 minutes)
a. Allow volunteers to share their short narratives
3. Turn in HL assignment from yesterday and REVIEW (10 minutes)
a. Review the answers
i. Call on volunteers and non-volunteers
4. Vocabulary in Context Practice (10 minutes)
a. Model example for the word “scale”
b. Release students to complete the handout in class
c. Advise students to keep the handout
5. Pass out a Prediction Handout (remainder)
a. Flash title
i. Students should make first prediction
b. Flash cover photo
i. Students should make second prediction
c. Generate ONE Prediction question
i. Model the example on the half-slip
ii. Allow students to collaborate their question with a shoulder
partner
6. Preview the night’s reading on the ELMO projector
7. HL: Read “Over the Top”

Name Date Period
Making Predictions
Based on the title, I can predict today’s reading will be about
. I came up with this prediction because
The photograph of Carsten Peter suggests that his job is to
. I came up with this prediction because
Generate ONE prediction question for tonight’s reading! (I.e. Why would
Goldilocks go into a house full of bears?)

INTASC Principle Six
Artifact #2: LAMP Technology Narrative + Images
The use of the available technology provided me with an
immense advantage in the classroom. It was essential to the running
of everyday instruction and my LAMP unit. My evidence for INTASC
principle 6 is the use of technology within my LAMP and documented
examples of technology being used to provide non-verbal interaction
within the classroom. The technology resources available in the
classroom include one SmartBoard, an ELMO Projector, a desktop
computer, and two white boards. These resources provided the
opportunity for engaging activities and meaningful learning
experiences to be shared with students. The two most heavily used
technology resources were the SmartBoard and desktop computer. An
up-to-date agenda was kept up on the SmartBoard for students to
view. The SmartBoard/desktop computer combination also provided
the resource for showing online images, Tumblr writing prompts,
YouTube videos and other supplementary learning resources. The front
white boards provided the space to display the daily learning
objectives referenced throughout instruction. The other white board
was used to foster active inquiry of a text, collaborate and brainstorm

ideas.
What I learned is that technology is not limited to the things that
can be plugged into the wall. Educational technology can refer to a
broad spectrum of tools and material objects that provide educational
opportunities to all learners. Whether it be the SmartBoard against the
wall or simple chalk, technology provides the communication tool
between teacher and student. Second, I realized the importance of
technology as a classroom management tool. The SmartBoard stands
in the middle of the room and I often used its proximity to focus
student attention. This type of non-verbal communication
demonstrates my ability to use technology as a supportive interactive
tool. The constant reliability of the agenda being projected up on the
SmartBoard also gave students a procedure when looking for what to
do next.
This artifact demonstrates my competence on the INTASC
principle by showing that I understand how to apply the available
technology to a variety of purposes. Shown above is my use of
technology as a procedural tool. Every day, students could count of the
agenda being up-to-date, the objectives being displayed and a quote
on the white board. Students could also count on technology to
provide a supportive interaction between themselves and their

learning. Videos, images and models were displayed on the
SmartBoard via the ELMO Projector and provided the visual example
that appealed to all learners. Lastly, my LAMP Technology narrative
explains how technology was implemented throughout the entirety of
my LAMP unit. Mostly notably, technology provided the tools for
learning in my LAMP unit to occur.

Technology
Technology is an essential component to any classroom. It provides engaging activities
and meaningful learning experiences when used correctly. For the purpose of my LAMP project
I chose to use technology in a way that students were already familiar with. The unit itself used
such resources so that they would not be distracted from their learning environment. This unit
required a photocopier, SmartBoard, ELMO Projector, desktop computer and the two large
white boards on the walls.
Photocopier – The PMMS photocopier was used to make copies of instructional handouts,
excerpts of novels and short stories, Smart Starts, and newspaper clippings.
SmartBoard - There is a SmartBoard within every classroom of the PMMS community, and it
was absolutely essential to the running of my LAMP project. The SmartBoard is an interactive,
wall-mounted white board that merges the desktop computer and its own application abilities
to make a technology friendly classroom environment. I used the SmartBoard to display the
daily agenda, embed multimedia resources into my lesson plans, corral student attention, and
differentiate instruction to spatial, auditory and kinesthetic learners.
ELMO Projector- The ELMO Projector served as a resource when I needed to model my thinking
onto paper. The ELMO also has the availability of color, which allowed me to use multi-colored
pens and paper, and display images for the entire class to see. I used the ELMO multiple times
to display new seating charts, images, and excerpts from the textbook.
Desktop Computer – The Windows Desktop computer was utilized as a resource for crowd
sourcing information to the SmartBoard, ELMO Projector, World Wide Web and students.

White Board- The two large white boards on either side of the classroom served as a display
board for the daily objectives, collaborative notes, Smart Starts and student-led learning.
INTASC Seven: Plans and Integrates
The student teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of the subject
matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.

INTASC Principle Seven
Artifact #1: LAMP Pre-Test
I gave my students a pre-test before beginning my LAMP unit. The pre-
test assessed for specific criteria and content mastery levels. As a part of the
LAMP unit requirements my pre-test featured a variety of questions including
multiple choice, fill in the blank and a short answer response. There were
seven questions assessing vocabulary comprehension, three questions
assessing main idea identification and one short answer writing assessment.
By completing a pre-test, I had the authentic data to perform
accommodations to future instructional plans. This pre-test also assessed
student knowledge of content. I did not want to cover material that students
already mastered previous to my LAMP unit. The pre-test would become
invaluable to the planning and implementation of the content to my LAMP
unit.
I learned many things by creating this pre-test. I learned that creating
authentic questions geared to students exact understanding is more difficult than
it appears. My pre-test results were skewed due to errors in the question
complexity level. However I did learn that it is important to know exactly where
students are at before beginning a new unit. Despite the skew of student results, I
found some useful information embedded in the pre-test’s raw data. I also found
this pre-test assessment useful when compare to the result of the LAMP post-test.

Adjustments were made to the LAMP unit plan after reviewing the pre-test results,
and it made for more engaging and challenging instructional plans.
My evidence demonstrates my competence on the INTASC principle by
displaying my ability to pre-assess student understanding of content and
knowledge, and apply it to future instructional plans. It shows that I can
evaluate raw data collected through a pre-test and determine the best
course of action based on the needs of my students. My evidence
demonstrates my understanding of my individual student’s needs as
advanced learners.

Pre-Test  Student Version
HELP MISS JUDGE OUT 
Name _____________________________ Date _________________________ Period ________________________
For each item below, underline the examples that suggest the meaning of the
italicized term. Then circle the letter of the meaning of that term.
1. Today I had to deal with one mishap after another. I couldn’t find my car keys, I dropped
a bowl of soup at lunchtime, and my computer crashed twice.
Mishap means
A. Unlucky accident B. Event C. Unexpected occurrence
2. Some mentally ill people have bizarre ideas. For instance, they may think the TV is
talking to them or that others can steal their thoughts.
Bizarre means
A. Funny B. Ordinary C. Odd
3. Some animals have remarkable longevity. For example, the giant land tortoise can live
several hundred years.
Longevity means
A. Appearances B. length of life C. Endurance
Using the context clues for help, select the definition for each italicized words from
the options provided. Then write the letter of the definition in the space provided.
Each definition will be used once.
4. I would not just be glad if I won the lottery; I’d be ecstatic.
Ecstatic means _______________________
A. Discouraged B. Overjoyed C. Provided

5. Nature has endowed hummingbirds with the ability to fly backward.
Endowed means _______________________
6. Opponents of the death penalty say it has never actually deterred anyone from
committing murder.
Deterred means ______________________
Use context clues to figure out the meaning of the italicized word in the following
textbook passage. Write your definition in the spaces provided.
1
Although mysteries and science fiction may seem like very different kinds of
writing, the two forms share some basic similarities. 2
First of all, both are action-
directed, emphasizing plot at the expense of character development. 3
Possibly for
this reason, both types of literature have been scorned by critics as being merely
“entertainment” rather than “literature.” 4
But this attack is unjustified, for both
mysteries and science fiction share a concern with moral issues. 5
Science fiction
often raises the question of whether or not scientific advances are of benefit to
humanity. 6
And a mystery story rarely ends without the culpable person being
brought to justice.
7. Scorned means __________________________________________________________.
Read this paragraph. Then answer questions 13-14 below.
Southern California is known for its tourist attractions and its theme parks. People
come from all over the world to get a look at Hollywood, and such things as the
"Walk of Fame" where many celebrities’ names are found on gold stars on
Hollywood Boulevard. Tourists are also attracted to the area with hopes of catching
sight of the movie stars who live in the hills surrounding Los Angeles. Many visitors
come to shop in the glamorous shops on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Among the
theme parks that attract visitors are Disneyland in Anaheim, Knott’s Berry Farm,
Magic Mountain Amusement Park, and Raging Waters park. Folks who want to
combine tourist attractions and theme parks can visit Universal Studios which offers
both.
8. Identify the sentence where the main idea is located.
A. In the first sentence
B. In the last sentence
C. In the middle of the paragraph
D. In two sentences of the paragraph
E. Not stated in the paragraph directly (implied)

9. Which of the following statements best states the main idea of this passage?
A. Disneyland is famous all over the world.
B. Have you ever been to Southern California?
C. Most tourists enjoy Southern California.
D. Southern California has both tourist attractions and theme parks for visitors.
E. Many movie starts live in the Southern California area.
10. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A. “Disneyland: Southern California’s Hottest Attraction”
B. “Southern California -- Paradise”
C. “Come Sail Away To California”
D. “Southern California: California’s Largest Tourist Attraction”
You have been chosen to give a talk to sixth grade students from the Perry Meridian 6th
Grade Academy. You have to explain how life at Perry Meridian Middle School is different
than the Academy. Write a short answer response explaining to sixth graders what you find
more fun. Explain what you find more difficult. What can they do to prepare themselves for
middle school. Before you begin, identify which genre of writing this prompt is
intending for you to write: persuasive, expository, or a narrative. Then, underline
the cue words. Finally, organize your short answer response based on the genre.
(Your response should be NO LESS than 6 sentences!)
Mastery  90% or better

Pre-Test  Teacher Version
Name ______________________ Date _________________________ Period ________________________
For each item below, underline the examples that suggest the meaning of
the italicized term. Then circle the letter of the meaning of that term.
1. Today I had to deal with one mishap after another. I couldn’t find my car keys, I dropped
a bowl of soup at lunchtime, and my computer crashed twice. (CCSS RI 8.4)
Mishap means
A. Unlucky accident B. Event C. Unexpected question
2. Some mentally ill people have bizarre ideas. For instance, they may think the TV is
talking to them or that others can steal their thoughts. (CCSS RI 8.4)
Bizarre means
A. Limited B. Ordinary C. Odd
3. Some animals have remarkable longevity. For example, the giant land tortoise can live
several hundred years. (CCSS RI 8.4)
Longevity means
A. Appearances B. length of life C. Habits
Using the context clues for help, writing the definition for each italicized
words. Then write the letter of the definition in the space provided.
Choose from the definitions in the box below. Each definition will be
used once.
4. I would not just be glad if I won the lottery; I’d be ecstatic. (CCSS RI 8.4)
Ecstatic means ________B_______________
A. Discouraged B. Overjoyed C. Provided

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