Reflecting on How to Improve Our Work: Feedback and Empathy | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G2:M3:U3:L5

Reflecting on How to Improve Our Work: Feedback and Empathy

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • W.2.5: With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.
  • SL.2.4: Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.
  • SL.2.6: Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.
  • L.2.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • L.2.1f: Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences (e.g., The boy watched the movie; The little boy watched the movie; The action movie was watched by the little boy).
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can describe how peer feedback helped improve my work. (W.2.5, SL.2.4, L.2.1f)
  • I can describe others' emotions by observing their facial expression and body language. (SL.2.6)

Ongoing Assessment

  • After the lesson, review student work from Work Time A and the Entrance Ticket: Capture the Caption to assess progress toward W.2.5 and L.2.1f. 
  • During Work Time B, observe as students briefly discuss emotions related to displayed facial expressions and body language to gauge their understanding of empathy

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Developing Language: Capture the Caption (10 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Engaging the Presenter: Reflecting on Feedback (25 minutes)

B. Introducing Habits of Character: Empathy (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards: 

  • During the Opening, students complete an entrance ticket to assess their progress toward L.2.1f from playing Capture the Caption. Students apply knowledge of this standard at the end of Work Time A (L.2.1f).
  • During Work Time B, students are introduced to the habit of character that is a particular focus for this unit: empathy. In this lesson, students learn the definition of empathy and play a game of charades to practice observing nonverbal clues about others' feelings. Providing students with an opportunity to discuss their observations supports the development of the thinking and language needed to develop their understanding of empathy. Throughout the unit, students will have opportunities to reflect on how they and their classmates show empathy (see Unit 3 Overview).

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Lesson 4, students received peer feedback on their scientific drawings and captions and had an opportunity to revise their work. In this lesson, Work Time A provides students the opportunity to reflect on the value of feedback and its role in helping them improve the quality of their work.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • During Work Time A, students who have difficulty reflecting on how they improved their work based on feedback may benefit from working in a teacher-supported group or from questioning about their specific piece of work.
  • During Work Time B, some students may benefit from assistance connecting appropriate facial expressions or body language to the emotions during the game of Empathy Charades. Consider allowing students to work in pairs or small groups to decide on their nonverbal representations of emotions.

Down the road:

  • During Lesson 6, students will watch and analyze the video "Thomas Suarez: A 12-Year-Old App Developer." To prepare students for their work with this video in Lesson 6, consider previewing it for them beforehand and answering any questions they may have.
  • In Lessons 6-10, students will practice giving empathic feedback to peers.
  • During Work Time A, students complete their oral presentation notecards, which they will use as they practice their oral presentations in Lessons 7-12.

In Advance

Preview:

    • How Feedback and Revision Help reflection sheet in preparation for modeling during Work Time A.
    • Empathy Charades cards to consider the need for strategic partnering of students by reading ability to better access the scenarios and emotions described.
  • Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

Consider using an interactive white board or document camera to display lesson Materials.

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1 and 2 to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 2.I.C.9, 2.II.B.4, and 2.II.B.5 

Important points in the lesson itself 

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to strengthen their metacognitive skills as they reflect on the feedback they received in Lesson 4.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to pace themselves during the independent writing work in Opening A and Work Time A. Consider offering periodic time reminders and providing additional time for the activities. Some students may feel more confident if they are guiding through each activity more gradually (see Meeting Students' Needs column).

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • During Work Time B, invite students to create Empathy Charades cards of their own for other students to act out.

For heavier support:

  • During Work Time A, consider working closely with a small group of students who need heavier support to help them complete their How Feedback and Revision Help reflection sheet. Read each question at a time and coach students to plan and write their answers.
  • During Work Time B, provide a chart or sketches of different labeled emoticons corresponding to the Empathy Charades cards. Students can draw from the visuals and labels as they participate in the game.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Continue to support comprehension by providing options for perception, such as visual supports for information presented orally. As students encounter unfamiliar Vocabulary, offer an opportunity to draw or sketch definitions, act them out, or list synonyms for key terms.
  • Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): Continue to support students in setting appropriate goals for their effort and the level of difficulty expected.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to be aware that while holding high expectations is important, sometimes these expectations can raise student anxiety. Continue to emphasize the importance of process and effort by discussing how even when you try your best, you can sometimes make a mistake, and that is okay.

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

New 

  • empathy/empathic (L)

Review

  • expand, rearrange, critique, feedback (L)

Materials

  • "Capture the Caption!" song (from Lesson 2; one to display)
  • Entrance Ticket: Capture the Caption (one per student and one to display)
  • Entrance Ticket: Capture the Caption (example, for teacher reference)
  • What Does Feedback Look and Sound Like? anchor chart (begun in Lesson 4)
  • How Feedback and Revision Help recording form (one per student and one for teacher modeling)
  • How Feedback and Revision Help recording form (example, for teacher reference)
  • Oral Presentation Notecards: Bee Model (from Lesson 2; one set to display)
  • Oral presentation notecards (from Lesson 2; one set per student)
  • Sandwich bag (from Lesson 2; one per student)
  • Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Empathy Charades cards (class set)

Assessment

Each unit in the K-2 Language Arts Curriculum has one standards-based assessment built in. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Developing Language: Capture the Caption (10 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group.
  • Lead students in a favorite class greeting, reminding them that this is an opportunity to practice using an audible voice and confident eye contact.
  • Display the "Capture the Caption!" song and invite students to sing chorally.
  • Remind students that in the last three lessons, they have been working to create, expand, and rearrange sentences by playing Capture the Caption. Tell them that this morning they have an opportunity for some individual practice of these sentence-writing skills.
  • Distribute the Entrance Ticket: Capture the Caption.
  • Read aloud the directions and guide students through completing it.
  • Circulate to support students as they complete the entrance ticket. Refer to the Entrance Ticket: Capture the Caption (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Collect entrance tickets and refocus whole group.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with visual perception: (Rereading Instructions) Reread the instructions of the Entrance Ticket: Capture the Caption as necessary for students who have trouble reading. (MMR)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with activating prior knowledge: (Reviewing Prior Work) Briefly display and review the captions that students created and the work they did expanding and rearranging them. (MMR)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with strategy development: (Modeling and Thinking Aloud: Capture the Caption) Consider modeling and thinking aloud a few sample items based on the items on the entrance ticket. (MMAE)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Engaging the Presenter: Reflecting on Feedback (25 minutes) 

  • Tell students that they have already completed oral presentation notecards #1-4, and that there is only one more to complete! Explain that oral presentation notecard #5 is about how feedback helped them improve their work.
  • Remind students that in yesterday's lesson, they had their first opportunity to receive feedback from a classmate about their scientific drawings and captions, and that they worked to revise based on that feedback.
  • Direct students' attention to the What Does Feedback Look and Sound Like? anchor chart and review the ways students worked to make their feedback useful to their peers in the previous lesson.
  • Tell students that before completing oral presentation notecard #5, they will pause to reflect on how feedback and revision helped improve their work.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"Why would it be important to reflect on the feedback you received and how you revised your work?" (Responses will vary, but may include: It helps me to see how feedback helps me grow; it helps me be metacognitive.)

  • Display the How Feedback and Revision Help recording form. Review the directions and share that in addition to helping them be metacognitive, this reflection will help them be thoughtful about what they choose to write for oral presentation notecard #5.
    • Model and think aloud to complete the recording form, referring to the What Does Feedback Look and Sound Like? anchor chart for ideas. Refer to the How Feedback and Revision Help recording form (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
    • Distribute the recording forms and invite students to complete theirs.
    • Circulate to support students as they write.
    • When 10 minutes remain, refocus whole group.
  • Redirect students' attention to the How Feedback and Revision Help recording form and choose one feedback idea to use on oral presentation notecard #5. Say:
    • "Since I've already reflected on how feedback and revision help improve my work on my How Feedback and Revision Help reflection sheet, I can use one of these ideas for oral presentation notecard #5."
  • Follow the same routine from Work Time A of Lesson 2 to guide students through understanding the content and purpose of notecard #5 on the Oral Presentation Notecards: Bee Model and what makes it high-quality work, as well as creating their own new oral presentation notecard.
  • When 1 minute remains, invite students to clean up and move like their favorite pollinator to the whole group area with their oral presentation notecards in their sandwich bag.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with planning for written expression: Consider guiding students through the How Feedback and Revision Help reflection sheet by introducing the questions one at a time. Provide students time to plan and orally process each answer before writing. (MMAE)

B. Introducing Habits of Character: Empathy (20 minutes) 

  • Refocus whole group and collect students' oral presentation notecards.
  • Give students specific, positive feedback on their attention and effort in completing their oral presentation notecards and invite them to high-five an elbow partner!
  • Tell students that they will have more opportunities to practice their presentations in the coming week. Tell them that they will have more opportunities to give and receive feedback from their classmates. ?]
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group: \

"What are some different ways our classmates might feel about presenting and about receiving feedback?" (excited, nervous, happy, scared)

  • Tell students that people have many different feelings about sharing their work, and that it is important to be sensitive to their feelings when we offer feedback.
  • Direct students' attention to the Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart and read aloud the first sentence about empathy:
    • "I show empathy: This means I try to understand how others feel."
  • Say:

"Some of you may have learned about empathy in first grade when you studied birds and practiced giving feedback to classmates about their work, and some of you may have learned about empathy at home. To show empathy, or be empathic, means to understand how someone else is feeling."

  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"Why is it important to show empathy when someone shares their ideas or work?" (to show respect; to avoid hurting their feelings; to be a good friend)
"What are some clues we can observe that help us know how others are feeling?"(facial expression; body language)

  • If productive, cue students to listen carefully:

"Who can repeat what your classmate said?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Tell students that you are going to show some emotions by using only your face and body, and invite them to think about what emotion you are feeling.
  • Dropping your chin to your chest and with a frown on your face, ask students how they think you are feeling (sad).
  • Turn and Talk:

"What did you observe that shows I am feeling sad?" (frown, lowered head)

  • Repeat this process by briefly modeling two more recognizable emotions with only facial expressions and body language (e.g., happy, surprised), and inviting students to turn and talk about the observable clues that showed your emotion.
  • Refocus whole group and tell students that they will now play a game of charades to practice understanding how others feel!
  • Share that students will take turns drawing cards and acting out the emotions with only facial expressions and body language, and that the group will try to guess the emotion.
  • Invite a student volunteer to choose one of the Empathy Charades cards.
    • Tell the student volunteer to show the emotion using only facial expression and body language.
    • Invite students to turn and talk about the nonverbal clues and the possible emotions being displayed.
    • Take two to three guesses from classmates before revealing the emotion.
    • Invite the class to show the same emotion on their faces before calling another volunteer.
    • Repeat the process with the remaining Empathy Charades cards as time allows, inviting the whole class to show each emotion as it is revealed
  • Preview that moving forward, students will work to apply empathy in giving feedback. They will think about the feelings of others and choose their words with kindness and empathy in mind.
  • For ELLs: (Body Language) Point out that being empathic and paying attention to a speaker's body language and facial expressions can provide clues about what they are saying if they are speaking an unfamiliar language.
  • For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Invite students to recall one way they recently showed empathy outside of the classroom. (MMR)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes) 

  • Refocus whole group.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud:

"I can describe how peer feedback helped improve my work."

  • Turn and Talk:

"Share your How Feedback and Revision Help recording form."

  • Preview tomorrow's work by telling students that they will view a presentation to create criteria for high-quality oral presentations!
  • For students who may need additional support with engagement: Invite students to discuss how they worked toward the learning target in previous lessons. (MMR, MME)

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