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50 min
Student Lesson
Lesson 45: Reflective Narrative, Presentation and Reflection
Content
Students will apply their presentation skills to present their finished narratives.
Language
Students will present their narratives clearly, using appropriate pacing, volume, and reflection language.
How do relationships and communities shape a person's sense of belonging and identity?
What helps people navigate social differences and see from one another’s perspectives?
Knowledge-Building:
Synthesize themes from The Outsiders through original narrative writing.
Enduring Understanding:
Storytelling helps us understand identity and belonging.
Unit Performance Task:
Students present their completed reflective narrative about a time they felt like an outsider or a moment when empathy helped them connect across a divide, including their author's note connecting their experience to The Outsiders.
Future Lessons:
Students will begin the next unit investigation.
| Lesson Flow | Purpose of Learning Experience |
|---|---|
Launch5 Minutes | Students will discuss how they feel about the performance task they will present today with a partner. |
Literacy Lab10 Minutes | Students will practice their presentations using the Active Listening checklist. |
Learning in Action30 Minutes | Learning in Action: Presenting (SL.7.4 & SL.7.6) Students will present their narratives to a small group of peers. |
Material List
Unit 1, Lesson 45 Student Edition
Active Listening Checklist
Presentation Rubric
Completed Student Narratives
Self-Reflection Graphic Organizer
Routines
Think-Pair-Share
Quick Write
Inform students that most of today’s class will be used to present their narrative Showcase. Students then use a Think-Pair-Share routine to prepare for their presentations.
Say these Directions: Take a moment to think about and answer the following prompt, then discuss your response with a partner. Be prepared to share your response with the class:
Ask: What do you like most about the narrative you created?
I really like the dialogue I chose between the characters. I think it helps my narrative explain the theme well.
Invite students to share their responses with the class. Ask students to draw connections, such as similarities and differences between individual responses.
Ask: What do you notice about our responses as a class? Do we like the same parts of our narratives, or are our responses different?
Many of us are proud of our dialogue and characters, but some of us are most proud of the ending or the theme. That shows that we used different writing choices to express ideas about identity and belonging.
Provide students with reduced-text cue cards or brief notes so they can rehearse key parts of the presentation without reading the full draft word-for-word. Students who need an alternate rehearsal pathway may first practice with the teacher, rehearse with a single partner, or make a short audio recording before presenting live.
Say these Directions: Use the next few minutes to practice your presentation using the Active Listening checklist, independently or with a partner. Rehearse your presentation in three chunks: opening, key story moment, and closing reflection.
Arrange students in small groups. Have each student present their narrative to the group. Invite students who are ready for an extension to respond to a follow-up question connecting their narrative to the unit theme of identity and belonging.
Say these Directions: Now you will present and listen to your classmate’s personal narrative. Make sure that you follow the guidelines in the Active Listening Checklist, and wait until the end of the presentation to ask questions.
Checklist (SL.7.4, SL.7.6) |
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Active Listening Checklist:
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Circulate and evaluate students’ presentation and listening skills using the Presentation Rubric. Provide the Presentation Rubric in an accessible, editable, and tagged digital table as well as a print version with clear spacing and readable text. After presentations are over, collect students’ final narratives.
Presentation Rubric | ||
|---|---|---|
Level | Presenting | Listening |
3 – Proficient | Student speaks clearly with appropriate pacing, volume, and pronunciation. Student presents the narrative in a clear sequence, highlights important details, and shares their author's note, explaining how their personal experience connects to The Outsiders. Student uses eye contact, posture, and expression to emphasize key ideas and engage the audience. | Student follows discussion rules respectfully. Student actively listens to peers, asks or answers relevant questions with details, and builds on others’ ideas. Student accurately paraphrases or reflects on a speaker’s main idea or theme. |
2 – Developing | Speaking is understandable but may be too quiet, rushed, or uneven. Student presents most of the narrative in order, but some details or the theme connection may be unclear. Student uses some eye contact or expression, but audience awareness is inconsistent. | Student generally follows discussion rules. Student listens, but responses may be brief, repetitive, or loosely connected to the discussion. Student shows partial understanding of others’ ideas. |
1 – Beginning | Speaking is difficult to hear or follow. The narrative lacks a clear sequence, important details are vague or missing, and the theme connection is unclear. Student shows little eye contact, expression, or awareness of the audience. | Student has difficulty following discussion rules or staying engaged. Student rarely responds to others or responses are off-topic. Student shows little understanding of peers’ ideas or perspectives. |
Students reflect on the presentation of their personal narratives, using the Self-Reflection Graphic Organizer. Praise them for their accomplishment!
Say these Directions: Take a few minutes to think about writing and presenting your personal narratives. Use the graphic organizer to record your thoughts. You can use the following reflection stems, or write your own.
Optional Reflection Stems
A presentation strength I showed was ___.
A rubric goal I still have is ___.
During this project, I learned ___ about myself as a writer and speaker.
Teacher Tip |
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As students complete the Self-Reflection Graphic Organizer, conference briefly with English learner students to support self-assessment of language proficiency growth, not just content. For emerging-level students, allow responses in their primary language. For students with IEPs or 504 plans, use this reflection moment to encourage them to name which accommodations helped them most during this performance task and advocate for those same supports going forward. Use organizer responses alongside universal screener data to inform tier placement and instructional planning for Unit 2. |
Self-Reflection | |
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Explain the project/activity you just completed. I wrote, edited, and published a narrative that reflects one central theme of The Outsiders. | What did you not like about this project/activity? I did not like the planning stage because I found it difficult to envision my final product. |
What did you like about this project/activity? I liked inventing characters and imagining what they would say. | What’s something you would like to do differently in the future? I would like to come up with a couple of plot ideas before settling on one to develop. |
What is something you would like to keep doing in the future? I would like to keep editing and revising my work to find the best words that make my writing come alive. | What’s something you learned about yourself during this project/activity? I learned that I enjoy writing narratives and I like to take my time developing the story. |
How would you rate your work? (5 being the highest): 1 2 3 [4] 5 Explanation: I scored high on the rubric and I think I developed an interesting narrative that included good dialogue and a connection to the theme of the difficulties of staying loyal to friends. | |
In addition to the questions on the Self-Reflection graphic organizer, you could specifically ask students to reflect on their language development:
Ask: How did your language skills grow during this project? What is one thing you got better at as a speaker or writer?
I felt more confident speaking in front of people than I thought I would. My goal is to stop rushing when I present, so next time I'll practice pausing after important moments.
Ask: What is one language or content goal you want to work on in the next unit? Write one specific next step you will take.
Next unit I want to work on using stronger vocabulary, so I'm going to write down interesting words I find while reading and try to use them in my writing.