Shadows ACE Lesson Plan
Grade 6–8 ELA • Constructed Response
Lesson Plan: Introducing the ACE Formula
Text: “My Shadow” by R.L. Stevenson
Focus: ACEx2 Constructed Response (2 Pts)
Learning Objective (DOK 2–3)
SWBAT use the ACE formula (Answer, Cite 2 Details, Explain) to write a 2-point constructed response analyzing Robert Louis Stevenson's poem, “My Shadow.”
Learning Target
I can… craft a 2-point constructed response using the ACE formula with two relevant text details and clear explanations.
Key Vocabulary
- Claim: Direct answer/thesis
- Personification: Human traits
- Central Idea: Main message
- Poem terms: notion, arrant
Potential Struggles
- Restating prompt as claim
- Citing two distinct details
- Explaining vs. summarizing
- Interpreting poetic metaphors
Next Gen Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.1 / RL.7.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis.
RL.6.2 / RL.7.2: Determine a central idea and analyze its development.
Materials & Resources
• Projected poem & anchor chart
• Student 3-page response packet
• Highlighters (Yellow=A, Pink=C, Green=E)
Differentiation / Entry Points
• Sentence starters for Claims
• Paired text line annotations
• ACE self-assessment checklists
Do Now: Visual Observation & Sentence Stems 6 Minutes Total
2 min
Prompt: Project an image of playful child shadows stretched at sunset. “What do you see happening in this photo? Write down two noticings in complete sentences using the stems: 1. I see... 2. I notice...”
1 min
Turn and Talk: Have students turn to their elbow partner to share what they noticed. Tell students they will be asked to report what their partner shared.
3 min
Whole Class Share-Out: Call on 2–3 students: “What did your partner notice about the shadow? How can a shadow change its behavior or appearance?”
Mini-Lesson: The ACE x 2 Formula Framework 10–12 Minutes
Transition (~3 min): Volunteer reads the Learning Objective aloud. Teacher script: “Today we are learning the secret weapon for 2-point constructed response questions on state tests and literature tasks: the ACE formula! Today we are reading Robert Louis Stevenson's classic poem ‘My Shadow’ and using ACE x 2 to prove our claims.”
A • Answer with Claim
Directly answer all parts of the prompt in a complete sentence, turning prompt words into your claim.
C • Cite 2 Details
Quote 2 distinct, accurate details from the text using signal phrases (e.g., “In the text it states...”).
E • Explain Evidence
Explain in your own words why that evidence proves your claim (e.g., “This demonstrates that...”).
Lesson Plan: ACE Strategy • “My Shadow” Page 1 of 3
I Do / We Do • Guided Modeling
Teacher Modeling: Shadow's Personality (Prompt 1)
15 Minutes
Anchor Connection: Reviewing the Full ACEx2 Architecture
Remind students of our model from “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros (Rachel & the red sweater): Notice how we structured our paragraph: 1 Claim (A) + Detail #1 (C1) + Explanation #1 (E1) + Detail #2 (C2) + Explanation #2 (E2). Now let's apply this exact blueprint to our new poem, “My Shadow.”
Reading Step Poem Read-Aloud & Stanza Analysis (4 minutes)
Project “My Shadow” by Robert Louis Stevenson. Read aloud expressively with students tracking along. Direct students to underline where the speaker describes the shadow acting like a real living person (personification) and note the vocabulary callouts (india-rubber ball, notion, nursie, arrant).
Prompt 1 (Teacher Model / Guided Practice) 2-Credit Constructed Response
“What does the speaker show about the shadow’s personality? Include your claim and use two details from the poem to support your response.”
A Step 1: Answer with a Clear Claim (Turn Prompt into Statement) Teacher Think-Aloud & Model
Teacher Script: “I look at the prompt: ‘What does the speaker show about the shadow's personality?’ The speaker describes the shadow as silly, clinging, and cowardly. I will turn this into my claim sentence.”
Exemplar Claim: In the poem “My Shadow” by Robert Louis Stevenson, the speaker shows that the shadow has a playful yet cowardly and unpredictable personality, behaving like an energetic and clinging child.
C1 Step 2: Cite Detail #1 & Explain (E1) Focus: Playful / Erratic Nature
Cite #1: In stanza 2, the speaker describes how the shadow grows, stating, “For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball, / And he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all” (lines 7–8).
Explain #1: This detail demonstrates that the shadow has an unpredictable, playful personality because its rapid, dramatic shifting in size mimics a bouncing toy rather than behaving like a normal, steady child.
C2 Step 3: Cite Detail #2 & Explain (E2) Focus: Clinging / Cowardly Behavior
Cite #2: In addition, the speaker highlights the shadow’s timid nature in stanza 3, noting, “He stays so close beside me, he's a coward you can see; / I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!” (lines 11–12).
Explain #2: This proves the shadow's clingy and fearful persona because it refuses to leave the child's side during playtime, acting like a frightened toddler who cannot leave their nanny.
Student Action: Students copy the class modeled exemplar onto Page 2 of their student handout and mark off the A-C-E self-check criteria boxes.
Formative Check
Lesson Plan: ACE Strategy • “My Shadow” Page 2 of 3
You Do • Independent Practice & Assessment
Independent Practice: Central Idea (Prompt 2)
15 Minutes
Independent Practice Prompt (Student Handout Page 3) 2 Credits Possible
“What is a central idea of the poem ‘My Shadow’? Include your claim and use two details from the poem to support your response.”
Complete Teacher Exemplar (Full 2-Point Response) Score: 2/2
[A] A central idea of the poem “My Shadow” by Robert Louis Stevenson is that a child's imaginative perspective transforms an ordinary natural shadow into an entertaining, lively, and mysterious companion. [C1] In stanza 1, the speaker notes how the shadow mirrors him, stating, “He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; / And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed” (lines 3–4). [E1] This detail shows that the young child views everyday movements as a game between two friends rather than just an optical reflection. [C2] Furthermore, in stanza 4, the speaker observes what happens before sunrise, explaining that his “lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head, / Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed” (lines 15–16). [E2] This reveals how the child’s innocent wonder invents reasons for the shadow’s absence, personifying it as an exhausted partner asleep in bed.
| Score | Criteria (State Test & School Alignment) |
|---|
| 2 Points | Clear claim answering prompt; cites two relevant, accurate details; explains clearly how details support claim. |
| 1 Point | Presents valid claim but cites only one detail, or provides two details with weak/partial explanation. |
| 0 Points | Off-topic, incorrect claim, copied text without claim, or no textual evidence provided. |
Summary & Assessment (5 Min)
Students trade packets for peer audit: Highlight Claim in Yellow, Details in Pink, Explanation in Green. Call on 1 student to share an effective explanation sentence.
Discussion Question
“Why does Stevenson use personification (giving human traits to a shadow) to develop the poem's central idea?”
Check for Understanding & Homework
CFU: Thumbs up/down on ACE self-check checklist on page 3. Collect packets for score-level data entry.
Homework: Read the short stanza prompt on homework slip and identify the Claim and 2 supporting details using the ACE formula.
Lesson Plan Reflection & Next Steps
Today I...
- Stated objective & learning targets clearly
- Modeled ACE step-by-step with think-aloud
- Provided independent practice with rubric
Next Steps / Small Group:
Pull students scoring 1/2 for a 5-minute guided conferring group on connecting evidence back to the claim using transitional sentence starters.
Lesson Plan: ACE Strategy • “My Shadow” Page 3 of 3
Shadows ACE Student Handout
Name:
Date:
Read the poem. Then answer the questions that follow.
My Shadow
by Robert Louis Stevenson
1
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.
5
The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow—
Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;
For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball,
And he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all.
9
He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play,
And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.
He stays so close beside me, he's a coward you can see;
I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!
13
One morning, very early, before the sun was up,
I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.
“My Shadow” by Robert Louis Stevenson, from A Child’s Garden of Verses (1885). Public domain.
Words to know
• india-rubber ball (line 7): a bouncy rubber ball
• notion (line 9): an idea or understanding
• nursie (line 12): a nanny or babysitter
• arrant (line 15): total, complete
Page 1 of 3
Name:
Date:
1
What does the speaker show about the shadow’s personality? Include your claim and use two details from the poem to support your response.
As your teacher writes, copy the class answer here.
A • Answer I can find the claim.
C • Cite I can find two details.
E • Explain I can find the explaining.
Page 2 of 3
Name:
Date:
2
What is a central idea of the poem “My Shadow”? Include your claim and use two details from the poem to support your response.
Use ACE: Answer the question, Cite two details, Explain how they support your answer.
A • Answer I made a claim.
C • Cite I used two details.
E • Explain I explained each detail.
