How do you apply the theme of a story to your own life?

In this lesson you will learn how to interpret the text by considering how the theme applies in the real world.

Let’s Review

We’ve finished reading “The Reformation of Jimmy Valentine-

Safe Cracker”

Jimmy Valentine Theme

A Common Mistake

What does this mean in my life?

Core LessonCore Lesson Theme: People can and do change for the better.

Jimmy Valentine:Beginning: End:

Sneaky bank robber who only cares about himself.

Honest businessman who cares more about his family than about Det. Price watching him crack a safe.

Core LessonCore Lesson

Theme: People can and do

change for the better.

Has this ever happened in my

real life?

In my real life, my best friend went from being

really unfriendly to REALLY kind. She is now

the person I count on bad days.

Core LessonCore Lesson

Theme: People can and do

change for the better.

What does this mean in my

life?

The theme that people can and do change applies in my real life. This is why O. Henry wrote “Jimmy Valentine.”

Core LessonCore Lesson

Review your character and theme notes.1

2 Ask how does this theme apply in the real world?

3 Jot down your reflections.

In this lesson you have learned to interpret the text by

considering how the theme applies in real life.

Guided Practice

Jimmy Valentine:Beginning: End:

Theme: Love conquers all.

Guided Practice

Theme: Love conquers all.

What does this mean in my

life?

The theme that love conquers all applies in my real life…

Guided Practice

1 Review your character and theme notes.

2 Ask how does this theme apply in the real world?

3 Jot down your reflections.

Extension Activities

Group Extension: Using a shared text that you have already discussed the theme of, have students use their post-it notes and reader’s notebooks to discuss and record how the theme relates to their real lives.

Extension Activities

Individual Extension: After you have developed your theme notes for your independent novel, use your post-it notes or reader’s notebook to reflect and record how the theme of your novel applies to your real life.

Extension Activities

Quick Quiz: What is one possible theme of “The Dream Opportunity for Redheads” and what is one way this can apply to real life?

Write a sticky note with a possible theme and one specific way in which it applies to your real life.

Quick QuizQuick Quiz

Fill in your text/images here or just delete this box…

Lesson Slides RubricUse this rubric to ensure your

lesson plan is great!

Reading Lesson Rubric  Criteria for Success Things to avoid

Storyline or Arc of the Lesson

There is a clear arc to the lesson.  One slide leads naturally to the next so that there is a flow and a building of meaning

All the components of the lesson are there but they seem disconnected, as if the author wrote each without thinking about how they fit into the whole. 

Hook Slide

The teacher poses a simple question that illicits the response, “yeah, I do wonder how that works…”  

The question is short A relevant example is included when it is short and 

further pulls the learner in  The question mirrors what the student will learn, 

then need to do later in the guided practice

The question seems formulaic, inauthentic, or overly “school-ish” (message: you have to learn this because you’re in school rather than, this is genuinely interesting)

The hook is overly-complicated and potentially confusing The question does not parallel the guided practice 

questions

Objective Slide

The objective follows the form (you will learn X by doing Y)

Is concise and follows the form provided in the examples

Does not follow the form Is overly vague in describing either the X or the Y Is too long Is written for teachers but not students

Let’s Review

Reminds the student of how this lesson fits with other lessons (the lesson, however, should still be able to stand on its own)

Reminds the student of the text this lesson focuses on

Reminds the student of important vocabulary Is as concise as possible

Is either too detailed or not detailed enough in connecting the lesson to other lessons

Leaves out important touch points Makes the lesson overly dependent on the other lessons 

(student will be confused or feel like they’ve made a mistake, if they watch this lesson alone)

Is too elaborate

Modeling

Is in “think aloud” format.  The teacher is opening up his/her thought process to the student and modeling the struggle; showing how he/she drafts and revises ideas in his/her mind

Engages the learner by asking questions along the way to build suspense

Examples are authentic  - they show empathy for the learner and his/her interests, concerns, problems without speaking down the learner

In context, points out one or more “common mistakes” that students make

Anticipates the 2-3 steps listed below so that they make sense as a summary of what the teacher did while modeling.

Fails to explain his/her thinking along the way.  The teacher effortlessly runs through the steps as if it’s all obvious and easy

Does not ask any questions along the way to pull the learner in

Uses examples which are unlikely to connect with the learner’s life

Misses opportunities to highlight “common mistakes” that students make when trying to do this

Does not anticipate the 2-3 strategy steps 

Steps

Clearly connects with the objective Includes 2-3 steps that a reader can take to achieve 

the objective Is student focused (the steps accurately imagine 

what a student who has never done this before will need to do)

Is logical and specific (you can visualize the act of doing the step.  There is no magic leap that happens between steps)

The connection with the objective is unclear Includes 4+ steps (and therefore should be split into two 

or more lessons) Involves a  magic leap that assumes a student can make a 

leap between steps that is natural to an adult

Objective Review

Reviews the objective in a way which shows how doing the steps accomplishes the objective

Serves as a “let’s pull this all together” moment that helps organize the lesson in the learner’s mind

Fails to show connection between steps and objective Creates abrupt feeling between the modeling and the 

reviewing (subtext: “we’re done modeling, let’s quickly bring this lesson to a close.”)

Guided Practice

Walks the learner through the same steps Uses examples (in the teaching points document) to 

demonstrate the teacher’s learning Is at the same difficulty level modeled in the lesson 

Seem unrelated to the hook question Is at a different difficulty level than that modeled in the 

lesson

Extension Activity Suggestions

Includes a suggestion for a struggling student who needs more opportunities for practice

Includes suggestions for students who get it and are ready to be challenged further

Suggestions should clearly build from the approach in the core lesson

Does not include differentiation Does not thoughtfully connect or flow from the lesson Does not clearly build from the approach in the core 

lesson Does not give a range of independent practice activities

Aesthetics

The slides use the correct colors (blue, green, red) in the correct sequence (add that sequence here)

The slides use the correct fonts The slides use handwriting and the handwriting 

appears as written in the right places The slides only use the headers/titles provided  The slides use the provided visuals or include 

visuals created by the author or LearnZillion The slides use animation, highlighting, and circling 

to scaffold the learning, keeping the eye focused on what the teacher is introducing/explaining

The slides clean and uncluttered.  The visuals and text do not exceed the maximum amount (see tutorial for example of maximum)

The slides use other colors or vary the order of the colors

The slides add new headers/titles that aren’t part of the template

The slides use clip art The slides are cluttered Animation is distracting and feels more like sizzle than 

part of the steak

Graphic and Image TemplatesCopy and Paste items from these slides to

make your presentation look great!

You can copy and paste these items into any slide

Green text box that appears letter by letterGreen text box that fades inBlue text box that appears letter by letter

Blue text box that fades inRed text box that appears letter by letterRed text box that fades in

You can copy and paste these items into any slide—make sure you copy both the bubble and

the text!Do I feel strongly about it?Do I have a

lot to say?

Do I feel strongly about

it?

Do I have a lot to say? Do I have a lot to

say?

You can copy and paste these items into any slide. You can resize them as

needed! Use black text when you write in me please! Also, keep my text left-justified rather than centered!

Use black text when you write in me please! Also, keep the text left-justified rather than centered!

All arrows can be recolored by changing the “shape fill.” You can also resize them or rotate

them!

[Write first step here…]1

2 [Write second step here…]

3 [Write third step here…]

You can use these when discussing main ideas or steps in a process…

You can resize any of these boxes and use them to highlight text or ideas.

Let’s Review

A Common Mistake

Guided Practice

Quick Quiz

Extension Activities

Core Lesson