Social Studies: Thematic Unit
Pioneers
EDTE 664C
California State University, Chico
Concept Map
Rationale
The context for learning will be described with an explanation of the students' previous
exposure to Social Studies as it is relevant to Pioneers. This two week Social Studies unit is
situated within a larger unit titled "Our Country and its People". The "Our Country and its
People" unit is from the Open Court curriculum used at the school site by 2nd grade (McGrawHill, 2002). The Open Court unit opens with a story about Native Americans. The students will
have gained a brief familiarity with the shape of the United States through a previous unit titled
"Courage" that highlighted American heroes. This, in combination with the "Our Country and its
People" unit story about Native Americans, should have given the 2nd grade students enough
exposure to maps to ensure that they have background knowledge with North America. The
Native American story will be done over a two week span to ensure that students gain adequate
knowledge of the tribes that would possibly be a part of the Pioneer unit I have written.
It is the goal of the 2nd grade Social Studies standards to ensure that students are able to
differentiate between things that happened long ago and things that happened yesterday. The
subtopics indicate that this may be done by tracing their own family history, comparing their
lives to that of their ancestors, and create timelines or story boards for their lives. I have taken
the Pioneer unit and made it so that this standard may be addressed within it. The students will
be placed in groups, which will become their family for the duration of the unit. Through the use
of a game, certain events will occur that change the course of their family history. They will
trace these events by creating their own artifacts rather than using those of people who existed in
the past. They will compare and contrast modern life to pioneer life in the same way that they
may have compared it to the lives of their grandfathers. They will create family timelines with
the events that have happened to their pioneer families. This will all allow them to make a
connection to the Pioneer unit that I do not believe they would have had otherwise. Another goal
of the Social Studies curriculum is to ensure that students can demonstrate map skills. One part
of this standard is regarding the countries, oceans, lakes, rivers and mountain ranges in North
America. Throughout this unit and others within the Open Court larger scheme unit, students will
have gained exposure to maps. It is a 2nd grade Science standard that students are able to
understand Earth's systems, including maps and how landforms come to exist. This multidiscipline unit ensures that students are writing about and exploring cross-curricular content.
This unit was written with the NCSS Powerful Social Studies Paradigm as a guideline.
This paradigm states that in order to make social studies powerful, content must be meaningful,
value-based, active, interpretive, and challenging (Chapin, 2009). The unit strives to be
meaningful by connecting students to the lives of the pioneers. The content becomes significant
as the students play it out in their minds as if it were relevant to their lives personally. The
science that is situated in this unit is inquiry based and challenges the students. Students are also
challenged throughout the unit by thought stimulating questions. Students are active within this
unit as they will be writing in a journal as if they were pioneers. The ethical issues and
controversies that occur as pioneers take lands that were previously part of Native American
hunting grounds speak to the Value-Based portion of the paradigm. This will be only explored
briefly as it comes up in the game and in read-alouds. This unit was written specifically to be a
cross-curricular unit, which inherently makes it interpretive. It is inexcusable to only allow time
for either social studies or science, but never both. My unit shows how ELA, social studies,
math, and science can all be intertwined within one short unit.
The relationship that this unit shares with the CA content standards for social studies and
science were briefly discussed earlier in this rationale. To summarize, the social studies
standards want students to obtain an enduring understanding of how time works. Students gain
an understanding of time as it relates to them, which is why exploring the history of their parents
and grandparents can be extremely valuable in helping them situate their own lives on the time
scale. By comparing their current lives with the ones of the pioneers, students begin to have an
understanding of the past so that in future learning, they can explore their own individual pasts.
The goal of the Earth's systems science standard is for students to gain an enduring
understanding of how landforms are created. The focus is primarily on wind and water changing
land, and a familiarity of mountain ranges. As the students, as pioneer families, begin to move
across the continent, they will gain a first person perspective on the landforms across North
America. They would consider the essential question provided in the unit regarding the types of
tools and equipment that would be needed to travel across the continent for over 5 months.
Each student in my classroom will be able to participate in each component of this unit.
Over half of my class speaks English as a second language. Spanish and Hmong are their first
languages. These lessons were designed with their needs in mind. The SIOP model is a research
based tool used by educators to ensure that language learners have access to the content provided
in their classrooms (Echevarria, Vogt & Short, 2013). This model features lesson preparation,
building background, comprehensible input, strategies, interaction and practice/application. Each
one of these was considered while writing this unit. Background is built across two days by
ensuring that students are familiar with the North American content and maps, as well as the
explorers who paved the way for pioneers. Comprehensible input will include the lesson delivery
and techniques used throughout the unit such as modeled think-alouds. Strategies are intended to
scaffold instruction for the language learners in this class. The students are provided with
multiple opportunities for interaction both with each other and the content. They will practice
their speech and then apply their knowledge when asked to participate in group discussions The
rehearsal time provided will help to ensure that they feel comfortable interacting in a larger
group setting.
The ELD standards are included in each lesson plan, and were considered when writing
this unit. As previously stated, half of my class speaks English as a second language. The
majority of my language learners can participate with the standards addressed for expanding
level of learners. There are two students who may need further scaffolding and may require the
standards for emerging, as well as a few who fall in the bridging category. Familiarity with these
ELD standards allows me to adjust my expectations for the way that students will be able to
participate and how much scaffolding they will need on an individual basis. For example, many
of the lessons in my unit require students to exchange information and ideas. I know that some
students may be able to participate by answering yes and no questions. Others will be able to
follow turn taking rules and contribute to the conversation to varying degrees. These students
will be accommodated for and encouraged to participate in any way that they are able and my
expectations of those students will reflect their abilities and the ELD standards.
Academic language demands will be scaffolded for all students, regardless of their first
language. This will be done through the creation of word banks as well as creation of graphic
organizers utilizing the terms that students will need to become familiar with in order to
participate in discussions and create the writing being asked of them. Exposure to and familiarity
with academic language will also be supported with teacher modeled think-alouds as well as
model writing pieces. Rehearsal time that is designed to help the language learners will also
support the academic language demands of those learners, as well as the rest of the class. When
it comes to academic terminology all 2nd graders are English learners and, in my opinion, should
be supported as such.
Block Plan
WEEK 1: Pioneers
Building
Background
Building
Background
New Hope
Wagon Trail
States of Matter
Lesson 1 : Landforms
Lesson 2 : Lewis and Clark
Lesson 3 : Challenge
Response
Lesson 4 : Wagon Trail
Lesson 5 : From Liquid to
Solid: Butter
Description:
Understanding landforms
is necessary for students
to understand the
challenges that both
Lewis & Clark and later
pioneers faced. Maps are
also a part of the New
Generation Science
Standards.
Description: Lewis &
Clark created maps which
paved the way for future
pioneer explorers.
Students must have a
familiarity with how
Pioneers knew where to
go and what types of
things they would need
to prepare for the
journey. Students will
watch a video of Lewis &
Clark and listen to a short
read-aloud. Students will
also engage in a
discussion surrounding
Westward Expansion
which will allow me to
pre-assess their existing
knowledge on pioneers.
Content Objective: After
watching Brainpop video
and examining a map and
the vocabulary related to
maps, students will be
able to correctly identify
mountain ranges, lakes,
and oceans on a
topographical map.
Language Objective:
Students write academic
terminology such as
mountain range, ocean,
topographical and
landform in a word bank
and use those terms to fill
in blanks on a map.
Assessment: Student
learning will be evaluated
formatively throughout
lesson. Students will
demonstrate knowledge
by identifying and
labeling major landforms
on an individual
topographical map.
Instructional Strategies:
-Video
-10 and 2 (10 minute
video 2 minute
discussion)
-Word Bank
-Fill in the blank
formatted worksheet
Content Objective: After
exploring the lives of
Lewis & Clark through
video and text, students
will be able to recall 3
important facts on a
graphic organizer.
Language Objective:
Students will use oral
English to communicate
in partners and groups to
rehearse oral language
skills needed to be able to
assist in filling in a graphic
organizer with facts on
Lewis and Clark.
Assessment: Student
learning will be evaluated
formatively throughout
lesson. Students will
demonstrate knowledge
through the use of a
graphic organizer.
Instructional Strategies:
-Video
-Read-aloud
-Group Discussion
-Graphic Organizer
Description: Students are
Description: New
Hope is a story in
which a grandfather
tells his grandson
about how their town
was settled. It
highlights the
challenge of having a
broken wagon part
and shows how the
characters respond by
settling.
Content Objective:
After listening to a
read-aloud of New
Hope, students will be
able to identify a
challenge the main
characters faced and
describe their
response to said
challenge.
Language Objective:
1.Students will
converse about
challenge and
response in the story.
.
2. Write (using
sentence stems) the
challenge and
response of the story.
Assessment:
1. Monitoring of
group conversations
using the Participation
rubric to evaluate.
2. Review of written
work on their
worksheets with
Challenge and
Character Response
Worksheet rubric to
evaluate.
Instructional
Strategies:
-Read-aloud
-Group Discussion
-Graphic Organizer
-Modeled Thinkaloud
-Picture Walk
in table groups of 4. Each
table group will pick a
"Family Name" which will
be written on their wagon.
Dice will be rolled to
determine if students will
pick a "health" or "event"
card. Some cards will
require the family to pay
money. They will do so
with manipulative money
and continue calculating
their family total. These
cards will also dictate the
events that occur to the
families as the paper
wagons travel across a
paper map. Students will
write about the events in a
journal format. Writing will
be guided and modeled.
Content Objective: After
engaging in the Wagon
Trail Game and exposure
to modeled writing
examples, students will
be able to record the
events of the game
accurately into writing.
Language Objective:
Students will
communicate events that
occurred during the
game into writing.
Assessment: Student
engagement and
participation will be
assessed through
ongoing observations.
Students will
demonstrate
understanding by
recording game/life
events through writing
on multiple occasions.
Instructional Strategies:
-Game
-Modeled Writing
-Writing Sample
-Journal Writing
Description: Students will
play a states of matter game
in which their bodies will
demonstrate molecules as
liquid, solid, and gas. They
will discuss this game as a
group before doing an
experiment on states of
matter. Students will be given
a jar with heavy cream and
will engage in a discussion
about pioneers and making
food. Students will shake the
cream into butter and, with
parent permission, may
sample the butter on bread.
Students will then explain the
experiment and their findings
in their Science journal.
Content Objective: After
demonstrating the properties
of matter, students will be
able to describe in writing the
reason that the liquid heavy
cream became solid butter.
Language Objective:
Students will use oral English
to discuss the properties of
matter demonstration game.
Students will use written
English to write their own
explanation of the Science
experiment.
Assessment: Student learning
will be evaluated through an
informal discussion of matter
after demonstration game.
Participation rubric will be
used. Students will
demonstrate knowledge of
matter concepts through an
explanatory writing response
in their Science journals.
Instructional Strategies:
-Demonstration
-Group Discussion
-Experiment
-Informational Free-write
WEEK 2: Pioneers
Pioneer Life/Modern Life
Family Stories
Timeline
Family Stories
Writing
Family Stories
Sharing
Lesson 6 : Process Grid
Lesson 7 : Timeline
Lesson 8 : "Our Story"
Lesson 9 : Campfire
Description: This lesson will span 2
days. As a group, students will
discuss modern conveniences and
the way that they live their lives.
Students will assist in filling in a
process grid on "Modern Kids":
Food, travel, games, homes,
clothes, and school. Students will
listen to a read-aloud of Long Ago
and Today. Each of the 6 Pioneer
Family teams will be given the task
to identify the answer to one
category on the process grid for
"Pioneer Kids": Food, travel,
games, homes, clothes, and school.
Teams will add the pioneer
categories to the process grids. The
class will discuss the findings and
compare Pioneer Kids and Modern
Kids categories through discussion.
Description: Students will look
at their writing produced
throughout playing the Wagon
Trail Game. They will discuss the
"family events" with each other
and decide on the 4 most
important events that occurred
to the family. They will have to
chronologically order them (by
day and order that they
occurred in the game) and
translate those events into a fillin timeline format. The lines
and boxes will be pre-done,
students will have to write in
the content.
Description: The timelines
that were produced in the
previous lesson will be
reviewed. The teacher will
model their own timeline
and how to translate that
into a narrative with an
opening topic sentence and
a concluding sentence.
Description: Students will use
the narratives created in the
"Our Story" lesson to engage
in a partnered read-aloud of
their family story with a
member of a different family.
This is to give them each
rehearsal time with their
written piece in a tea-party
strategy setting. Students will
then form a circle around a
fictional "fire" to mimic the
lifestyles of Pioneers on a
wagon trail. At least one
person from each family may
share their story. Additional
family members may share if
they wish.
Content Objective: After reading
Long Ago and Today, students will
be able to participate in a group
writing project to produce
information about an assigned
category using a post-it note for
later use in the process grid.
Language Objective: After reading
two texts about pioneer life,
students will be able to identify
and compare the lifestyle
similarities and differences by
participating in the creation of a
process grid.
Assessment: Student learning and
participation will be evaluated
formatively throughout lesson.
Students will demonstrate
knowledge by their ability to
contribute to their group's portion
of the grid. I will use both the
Participation and Group Writing
rubrics to evaluate.
Instructional Strategies:
-Excerpt Read-aloud
-Group Discussion
-Expert Group
-GLAD Process Grid
-Think-Pair-Share
Content Objective: After
reviewing the event writing
from the Wagon Trail game,
students will be able to
translate information in time
order onto a Pioneer Family
Timeline.
Language Objective: Students
will read their own past writing
individually, then use group
work communication to
translate the most important
events onto a written timeline.
Assessment: Students will
demonstrate understanding
through the creation of an
accurately chronological
timeline based on the events in
the Wagon Trail Game.
Instructional Strategies:
-Group Discussion
-Fill in the blank formatted
worksheet
-Timeline
Content Objective: After
reviewing the Pioneer
Family Timeline, students
will be able to write 6
sentences about the 4 major
events that occurred in a
narrative format.
Language Objective:
Students will read the group
Pioneer Family Timeline and
use this information to write
6 sentences about the 4
major events using written
English. Students will write a
topic and concluding
sentence with guidance
from the teacher.
Assessment: Students will
demonstrate knowledge
through the completion of a
short narrative story.
Instructional Strategies:
-Modeled Writing
-Writing Sample
-Individual writing
Content Objective: After
creating a life event
narrative, students will be
able to engage in listening
and speaking aspects of
sharing said stories aloud.
Language Objective:
Students will read their
individual narratives with a
partner to rehearse the oral
English needed to participate
in a group setting. Students
will read their individual
narratives on a volunteer
basis in a circle. All students
will be encouraged to
participate.
Assessment: Students will be
assessed on their ability to
participate in oral readalouds. Students will be
assessed on their ability to
remain active listeners as
others read-aloud.
Instructional Strategies:
Tea-Party
Read-Aloud
Group Share
Lesson Plan #1
States of Matter: Butter
CANDIDATE NAME:
DATE/TIME:
ESTIMATED LESSON LENGTH: 60 minutes
GRADE LEVEL: 2nd Grade
CO-TEACHING STRATEGY: One teach, one assist.
SETTING (general, special education, or RtI group):
PUPILS: [ X ] WHOLE CLASS
[ ] SMALL GROUP
[ ] INDIVIDUAL
LESSON TOPIC:
Molecules act differently depending on if they are in a state of gas, liquid, or solid. This lesson
will teach the students through a demonstration and experiment that the fat molecules in cream
stick together to make butter.
LESSON RATIONALE:
This lesson is related to the Next Generation Science Standards category of "Matter and Its
Interactions". 2-PS1 states that students who demonstrate an understanding can analyze data
obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that
are best suited for an intended purpose. In this lesson, students will use their bodies to create a
living model of molecules in different states of matter. They will then take this knowledge and
apply it to transforming liquid fat molecules in cream into solid butter. This knowledge will help
them understand that different states of matter serve different purposes. Butter serves different
purposes than cream, for example. They will have to use observations in order to differentiate
between the liquid and solid state on a continuous basis throughout the experimental process of
transforming the matter.
CONTENT AREA: Science
NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARD(S):
2-PS1: Students who demonstrate an understanding can analyze data obtained from
testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best
suited for an intended purpose
IEP Goals (if for special education students):
Speech Goal Student 1: Produce phonemes S-Z in complete sentences.
-Will monitor S and Z in writing and conversation, modeling
sounds and assisting in spelling of words containing these sounds.
Speech Goal Student 2: Produce past tense -ed verbs spontaneously.
-Will monitor past tense verbs in writing and conversation, asking
probing questions to guide the spelling of words in past tense.
ELD STANDARDS:
(Expanding EL Standards)
COLLABORATIVE
1. Exchanging information and ideas. Contribute to class, group, and partner discussions,
including sustained dialogue, by listening attentively, following turn-taking rules, asking relevant
questions, affirming others, and adding relevant information.
INTERPRETIVE
5. Listening actively. Demonstrate active listening to read-alouds and oral presentations by
asking and answering detailed questions with oral sentence frames and occasional prompting and
support.
6. Reading/viewing closely. Describe ideas, phenomena, and text elements in greater detail based
on an understanding of a variety of grade-level texts and viewing of multimedia with moderate
support.
PRODUCTIVE
10. Writing. Write short literary texts and informational texts collaboratively with an adult, with
peers, and with increasing independence.
ACADEMIC LANGUAGE DEMAND:
ACADEMIC LANGUAGE DEMAND
The majority of my English language learners are at an expanding level on the English
language development level continuum. To participate in this lesson, they will be asked
to be interpretative by listening actively to spoken English during the explanation of the
lesson, the discussion and during the review of Science content. Students will be
required to exchange information through oral conversation after the demonstration of
states of matter. They will collaborate using spoken and written English. Students will
produce a written explanation of the experiment and their findings.
CONTENT VOCABULARY
Molecule
Matter
Transform
Purpose
Liquid
Solid
Gas
LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS
Participate
Explain
Write
Experiment
LANGUAGE FORMS (GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURES
Students will use complete sentences in group conversations. They will complete
sentence frames through writing. For example, as students write they may be
provided with a stem to complete.
Example: When I shook the cream, the molecules ....
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT:
This lesson will begin with a game which will allow the students to become familiar with
academic terminology being used throughout the lesson. They will engage in a game that will
give them exposure to terms. They will engage in a conversation that will give them practice
with the terms. They will write a short informational piece in their science journal that will allow
them to apply their new knowledge of the academic language they acquire throughout the lesson.
LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE(S): Students will use oral English to discuss the properties of
matter demonstration game. Students will use written English to write their own explanation of
the Science experiment.
LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT(S): Student participation in group and partner discussions will be
evaluated using the Participation Rubric.
CONTENT OBJECTIVE(S):
After demonstrating the properties of matter, students will be able to describe in writing the
reason that the liquid heavy cream became solid butter using 4 or more sentences.
CONTENT ASSESSMENT(S):
Students will demonstrate knowledge of matter concepts through an explanatory writing
response in their Science journals. The Science journal rubric will be used to evaluate this
writing.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
-Demonstration
-Group Discussion
-Experiment
-Informational Free-Write
REQUIRED TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Teacher should become
familiar with the basic science concepts being explored in this lesson. The teacher should be
comfortable with students moving around safely in a classroom and should prepare expectations
to discuss with students. This will be required for both the demonstration and the experiment.
Teacher should review academic vocabulary terms. Teacher should become familiar with
frequently asked questions of states of matter, as the students often have several questions
relating to the content presented in Science.
TASK ANALYSIS:
In order to successfully participate in the demonstration of molecules in varying states of matter,
students must enter with an ability to effectively participate in a group setting.
In order to engage in a group conversation, students must enter with an ability to communicate
with peers and follow turn-taking rules and hand-raising procedure to contribute whole-class.
In order to be successful in writing, students must have the ability to write in English or be
scaffolded in such a way that they can find success in writing.
In order to be able to participate in the experiment, students must possess self-regulating skills so
that they may experiment with equipment independently.
PROCEDURES:
Introduction:
-Tell the students that they will be learning about states of matter
-Lead a discussion on what matter is
-Talk about the difference between gas, liquid, and solid. Use this discussion to preassess their
knowledge
-Ask for examples of gas, liquid, and solid. List on the board.
- Inform students that they will be participating in a demonstration of how molecules move in
different states of matter
-Discuss expectations for demonstration, such as "freeze" cues.
-Allow two students to demonstrate the way to move about the classroom as a molecule in a
gaseous state. Repeat for liquid and solid. (Gas - freely moving. Liquid - moving in restricted
space: carpet. Solid - stuck together but shaking/vibrating)
Lesson Sequence:
- Lead students in a discussion surrounding the states of matter and the observations of the way
the molecules moved
-Refer to the list created in the introduction. Draw what the molecules would look like for vapor,
water, and ice. (This taps into background knowledge on evaporation and water cycle from
previous lessons)
-Review evaporation, water vapor and clouds. (Gas)
-Discuss icebergs in the ocean. (Liquid and Solid)
-Inform students that Pioneers used states of matter to make food
-Allow students to predict what would happen to the liquid molecules if they were sticky and
shaken up. 3 students may demonstrate that they would "stick" together as soon as they touch.
-Inform students that they will get to turn liquid into solid the same way Pioneers did.
-Review experiment expectations
-Pass out materials (cream pre-poured into sealed jars)
-Allow students to predict how to turn the cream into butter
-Allow students to test their predictions
-If students become discouraged because of time, encourage them to continue
-Have crackers and sporks ready for students (who have permission slips returned) to sample
their product.
-Allow students to discuss experiment as they eat their cracker/butter.
Closure:
-Lead a discussion on what happened to the fat molecules in the cream.
-Guide students with questioning as necessary
-Clean up experiment
-Allow students 10 minutes to write about the molecules and experiment in their science journal
UNIVERSAL ACCESS: Language learners may be provided with additional sentence stems to
assist in their writing, depending on their individual needs. Students with vision impairments will
be seated close to the teacher during any period of time where writing on the board occurs.
CONTENT INTEGRATIONS/EXTENSIONS: Social Studies Extension - Pioneer Unit
May continue lesson with other products such as water. Would be a good lead-in activity for
testing different solutions and exploring the fact that some matter can return from solid to liquid
while others cannot.
RESOURCES/SOURCES:
MATERIALS/EQUIPMENT:
Heavy Cream
Mason Jars (Or other jars with lids - plastic preferred)
Sporks/Crackers (optional depending on permissions acquired)
Paper/Journals
Pencil
PERSONAL TEACHING OBJECTIVES:
During this lesson, I will be working on engaging students using inquiry-based Science.
ASSESSMENT OF PERSONAL TEACHING OBJECTIVES:
I will know if I am successful if I am able to restrain from over-helping students into finding the
known answers, and if I am able to encourage them to problem-solve together without
interjecting.
Lesson Plan #2
Process Grid: Modern Kids VS. Pioneer Kids
CANDIDATE NAME:
DATE/TIME:
ESTIMATED LESSON LENGTH:
GRADE LEVEL: 2nd Grade
CO-TEACHING STRATEGY: One teach, one assist.
SETTING (general, special education, or RtI group):
PUPILS: [ X ] WHOLE CLASS
[ ] SMALL GROUP
[ ] INDIVIDUAL
LESSON TOPIC:
Students will explore similarities and differences between their own lives and that of pioneer
children.
LESSON RATIONALE:
This lesson will allow students to explore the similarities and differences between modern life
and pioneer life by comparing their own experiences to that of pioneer children. The lesson will
begin with a discussion of the way they live their lives, and recording this discussion on a GLAD
process grid. Students will then begin to compare their lives with those of kids from the past.
This will be facilitated through previous exposure to pioneers as well as an addition read-aloud.
Students will have had previous exposure to stories that have children as characters. . They will
have had previous exposure to stories that have children as characters. To supplement this
previous knowledge, a small take-home book called "Life Now and Then" will be read.
Additional resources such as the internet Google image search may be used to help students
visualize things such as clothing. Students will listen actively to the read-aloud. Students will be
given team tasks. Each team will be responsible for recording information onto a post-it note that
represents one category of the process grid. Students may use group discussion and other
resources to fill in their post-it note information. Categories will be : "Food, travel, toys, homes,
and school". By comparing their own food to the food that pioneers ate, students will begin to
gain a deeper understanding for the differences and similarities between life now and life as a
pioneer
CONTENT AREA: Social Studies
CA Social Studies Standard: 2.1 Students differentiate between things that happened long ago
and things that happened yesterday
COMMON CORE STANDARD(S):
W.2.8 Writing. Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided
sources to answer a question.
RL.2.3 Reading: Literature. Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and
challenges.
IEP Goals (if for special education students):
Speech Goal Student 1: Produce phonemes S-Z in complete sentences.
-Will monitor S and Z in writing and conversation, modeling
sounds and assisting in spelling of words containing these sounds.
Speech Goal Student 2: Produce past tense -ed verbs spontaneously.
-Will monitor past tense verbs in writing and conversation, asking
probing questions to guide the spelling of words in past tense.
ELD STANDARDS:
(Expanding EL Standards)
COLLABORATIVE
1. Exchanging information and ideas. Contribute to class, group, and partner discussions,
including sustained dialogue, by listening attentively, following turn-taking rules, asking relevant
questions, affirming others, and adding relevant information.
INTERPRETIVE
5. Listening actively. Demonstrate active listening to read-alouds and oral presentations by
asking and answering detailed questions with oral sentence frames and occasional prompting and
support.
PRODUCTIVE
10. Writing. Write short literary texts and informational texts collaboratively with an adult, with
peers, and with increasing independence.
ACADEMIC LANGUAGE DEMAND:
ACADEMIC LANGUAGE DEMAND
The majority of my English language learners are at an expanding level on the English
language development level continuum. To participate in this lesson, they will be asked
to be interpretative by listening actively to spoken English during the explanation of the
lesson and the read-aloud of the book excerpts. Students will be required to exchange
information through oral conversation during the group discussions and to contribute to
the creation of the process grid. They will collaborate using spoken and written English.
Students will produce a short piece of writing as a group. It will be a shared writing
experience which requires them to be collaborative.
CONTENT VOCABULARY
Compare
Contrast
Similar
Different
Past
Lifestyle
Modern
Convenience
LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS
Participate
Interact
Collaborate
Write
LANGUAGE FORMS (GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURES
Students will use complete sentences in group conversations. They will complete
small group writing samples so that they may contribute to the process grid.
Example:
Pioneers had_____
Pioneers used_____
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT:
This lesson will be scaffolded to support academic language development. Students will be able
to understand the terms after the instructor orally rephrases terms and adds context. By allowing
the students time in a group to explore their topic and converse about it, students are receiving
rehearsal time with the oral English that they may need to be able to participate whole-class.
Splitting the tasks into groups helps to support academic language development as students are
not overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. Shared writing allows each student to collaborate
and agree on an answer to write on the post it note, and this allows the students to feel more
comfortable raising their hands to contribute orally. They will have a resource of their own
group's writing to rely on if their oral English skills become strained.
LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE(S):
After reading two texts about pioneer life, students will be able to identify and compare the
lifestyle similarities and differences by participating in the creation of a process grid.
LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT(S):
Student learning and participation will be evaluated formatively throughout lesson. Students will
demonstrate knowledge by their ability to contribute to their group's portion of the grid. I will
use both the Participation and Group Writing rubrics to evaluate.
CONTENT OBJECTIVE(S):
After reading Long Ago and Today, students will be able to participate in a group writing project
to produce information about an assigned category using a post-it note for later use in the process
grid.
CONTENT ASSESSMENT(S):
I will know that students are successful through monitoring of their group conversations as well
as evaluating their writing products. I will use both the Participation and Group Writing rubrics
to evaluate.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
-Excerpt Read-Aloud
-Group Discussion
-Expert Group
-GLAD Process Grid
REQUIRED TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Teacher must be familiar with
GLAD strategies, with particular attention given to the Process Grid. Teacher must be familiar
with the content, as well as have several resources and examples for each part of the process grid
should the students need support. Teacher should have access to multiple books on Pioneer life
for students to use as resources.
TASK ANALYSIS:
Students must be able to communicate using turn taking and collaboration in groups
Students must be able to write small writing samples
Students must be able to listen actively to instructions and read-alouds
PROCEDURES:
Introduction:
Day 1:
-Introduce the lesson with a discussion of modern life and conveniences.
-Guide student answers with probing questions about the way we live today and our lifestyles
-As the conversation allows it, pause to fill in categories on process grid. Guide empty categories
with discussion.
Lesson Sequence:
-Inform students that there are many differences between them and the kids they have been
learning about.
-Direct students to listen for differences and similarities in lifestyles as text is read.
-Read aloud excerpts
Day 2:
-Review process grid with modern categories filled in.
-Remind students of readings from yesterday and past experiences/exposure to texts.
-Read Long Ago and Today with the class.
-Ask students to read Long Ago and Today again with a partner at desk then return to carpet.
-Assign each group a category from the process grid
-Instruct students that they will be using memory and resources around the room to describe one
category of a pioneer kid's lifestyle on a sticky note.
-Review group writing expectations
-Allow students time to explore the texts and talk as a group.
-Early finishers can be given an additional post-it note to challenge them
-Regroup when each team has a contribution for the process grid
-Let students either read note aloud or post it to process grid
-Fill in process grid as students speak, or assist in reading the note
Closure:
-Review process grid after all categories are filled in
-Guide a conversation with students. Ask them to find similarities between themselves and
Pioneer kids using the process grid. Ask them to find differences and share aloud with a
neighbor. Allow some to share whole-class.
UNIVERSAL ACCESS: Groups are positioned in such a way that the mix of students per
group provides for optimal scaffolding without dominating all learners.
CONTENT INTEGRATIONS/EXTENSIONS: Lesson could be extended by asking students
to switch point of view into that of a pioneer child after making comparisons. Lesson could
extend to integrate CA Social Studies Standard 2.1 which asks students to differentiate between
things that happened long ago and things that happened yesterday. Students could create a Venn
Diagram.
RESOURCES/SOURCES:
"Children of the Wild West" and/or other books regarding pioneer children that could be used as
resources for students to search through.
MATERIALS/EQUIPMENT:
-Butcher Paper
-Markers
-Resource Books for students (misc books on Pioneers that include children and lifestyle
descriptions)
-Paper
-Pencils
PERSONAL TEACHING OBJECTIVES:
Group Work - I would like to work on the implementation of effectively shared group work
within my classroom.
ASSESSMENT OF PERSONAL TEACHING OBJECTIVES:
I'll know I am successful if I can monitor the interactions between groups and ensure that equal
participation is happening.
Lesson Plan #3
New Hope: 1st Read, Challenge & Response.
CANDIDATE NAME:
DATE/TIME: March 2014
ESTIMATED LESSON LENGTH: 40 minutes
GRADE LEVEL: 2nd Grade
CO-TEACHING STRATEGY: One teach, one assist.
SETTING (general, special education, or RtI group):
PUPILS: [ X ] WHOLE CLASS
[ ] SMALL GROUP [ ] INDIVIDUAL
LESSON TOPIC:
The characters in the story "New Hope" face challenges.
LESSON RATIONALE:
New Hope is a story in which a grandfather tells his grandson about how their town was
settled. It highlights the challenge of having a broken wagon part and shows how the characters
respond by settling in the location where their wagon broke. It then follows the small settlement
through time to show how it eventually evolved into the town it is today. This helps students
understand the social studies standard of differentiating between now and long ago. This story
also lends itself to the language arts content standard that requires students to analyze how
characters respond to challenges in a story. The lesson ties into the main theme of analyzing
characters. This story is read twice over two days. This allows students to be exposed to the story
twice. The first exposure will help students become familiar with the academic language as it is
used in the context of the story. The second exposure will allow the students to comprehend the
story.
The first read of this story will be done using a Narrative Input strategy from the GLAD
program. This strategy is similar to an active read-aloud. I chose to print the story on the back of
real pictures from the late 1800's that represent parts of the story. As the story is read from the
back of picture cards, students look at the pictures to make connections. The pictures become a
poster that remains in the classroom as a story-board. After the story is read initially, students
will identify the main challenge that the characters face in the story and fill in worksheet. They
will also be asked to identify how the characters responded.
CONTENT AREA: Language Arts
COMMON CORE STANDARD(S):
RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
IEP Goals (if for special education students):
Speech Goal Student 1: Produce phonemes S-Z in complete sentences.
-Will monitor S and Z in writing and conversation, modeling
sounds and assisting in spelling of words containing these sounds.
Speech Goal Student 2: Produce past tense -ed verbs spontaneously.
-Will monitor past tense verbs in writing and conversation, asking
probing questions to guide the spelling of words in past tense.
ELD STANDARDS:
(Expanding EL Standards)
COLLABORATIVE
1. Exchanging information and ideas. Contribute to class, group, and partner discussions,
including sustained dialogue, by listening attentively, following turn-taking rules, asking relevant
questions, affirming others, and adding relevant information.
INTERPRETIVE
5. Listening actively. Demonstrate active listening to read-alouds and oral presentations by
asking and answering detailed questions with oral sentence frames and occasional prompting and
support.
PRODUCTIVE
10. Writing. Write short literary texts and informational texts collaboratively with an adult, with
peers, and with increasing independence.
ACADEMIC LANGUAGE DEMAND:
ACADEMIC LANGUAGE DEMAND
The majority of my English language learners are at an expanding level on the English
language development level continuum. To participate in this lesson, they will be asked
to be interpretative by listening actively to spoken English during the explanation of the
lesson and the read-aloud of "New Hope". Students will produce an written response on a
worksheet in which they will describe the character's main challenge in the story.
Students will be required to exchange information through oral conversation during the
group participation piece of filling in the graphic organizer. They will collaborate using
spoken and written English.
CONTENT VOCABULARY
Character
Event
Challenge
Response
LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS
Participate
Listen
Discuss
Write
LANGUAGE FORMS (GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURES)
Students will use complete sentences in group conversations. Students will use the past tense of
verbs when they describe characters and challenges in the story. They will complete sentence
frames through writing. For example, as students write they may be provided with a stem to
complete.
Example:
The challenge in the story was _______
The character responded to this challenge by_________
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT:
Students will look at pictures as the story is being read aloud. The pictures being used will be
realistic pictures from the time period. Students will follow along as "New Hope" is read aloud.
This will help them hear the pronunciation of words that arise in the text. The read-aloud may
pause for a moment in order to explain the context or ask probing questions. The students will
engage in group conversations about the characters in the story, and the challenges that they face.
This group conversations will provide students with rehearsal time using the academic language
that they have now heard read aloud and practiced with themselves in a smaller setting. The
students will also write using the academic language on their worksheet. This will allow the
students to feel more comfortable contributing to the group graphic organizer.
LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE(S):
1. After listening to a read-aloud of New Hope, students will be able to have a conversation
using oral English surrounding the challenges in the story as well as how characters responded to
challenges.
2. After engaging in a group conversation, students will be able to write (using sentence stems)
the challenge and response of the story.
LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT(S):
1. I will know students are successful through the monitoring of group conversations. I will use
the Participation rubric to evaluate.
2. I will know students are successful through the review of written work on their worksheets. I
will use the Challenge and Character Response Worksheet rubric to evaluate.
CONTENT OBJECTIVE(S):
After listening to a read-aloud of New Hope, students will be able to identify a challenge the
main characters faced and describe their response to the challenge.
CONTENT ASSESSMENT(S):
Students will demonstrate knowledge through the participation of a group discussion of
challenge and response, written work on their worksheets and contribution to the class graphic
organizer. I will use both the Participation and Challenge and Character Response Worksheet
rubrics to evaluate.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
-Read-aloud
-Group Discussion
-Graphic Organizer
REQUIRED TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Teacher should be familiar with the story "New Hope" and have previously considered the parts
of the stories that would make for appropriate pauses, for check for understanding questions.
Teacher should have previously considered the graphic organizer and appropriate responses for
challenges/responses in the story.
TASK ANALYSIS:
In order to participate, students must be able to actively listen to read-alouds.
Students must be able to self-regulate during group conversations and find balance between
participation and dominating conversation.
Students must be able to write using sentence stems to complete the worksheet.
PROCEDURES:
Introduction:
-Direct students to the carpet area
-Inform students that they will be hearing a story about a family who leaves home to find a new
place to live.
-Allow students to tell a partner if they've ever had to move before, or know someone who has
moved.
-Tell students to listen to the story for the reason that the family chose to move, and listen for any
problems they might encounter on their way to their new home.
Lesson Sequence:
-Read "New Hope"
-Stop on occasion to elaborate, make an observation or prediction, or ask a question of the
students
-Pay particular attention to the part of the story that the wagon wheel breaks. Consider the scene
aloud, asking probing questions, using the phrasing "challenge".
-After the conclusion of the story, allow the students time to discuss the story. Ask "What
happened in this story? Tell your neighbor"
-Ask students to identify the big "challenge" or "tough thing that happened" in the story. Lead a
discussion.
-Lead a discussion on how the characters responded to this challenge.
-Pass out challenge response worksheet as students are discussing at the carpet.
-Allow students to return to their seats where they will find their worksheets.
-Provide a sentence stem for the challenge and response portions of the worksheet.
-Allow students to use sentence stems to articulate character challenge and response
independently.
-Travel the room, monitoring.
-Listen closely to discussions, regroup if necessary (if students have gotten on wrong track)
Closure:
-Draw on group sticks and numbers randomly to determine who will share the challenge and
response aloud. Do this multiple times
-Fill in large class graphic organizer to reflect the group's answers.
UNIVERSAL ACCESS:
Groups are positioned in such a way that the mix of students per group provides for optimal
scaffolding without dominating all learners.
Students with visual impairments are purposefully seated near the white board.
My student who is unable to write will be able to participate through the use of sentence stems
and assisted writing through our co-teaching model.
CONTENT INTEGRATIONS/EXTENSIONS:
Lesson could be extended by allowing students to identify challenge and response independently.
Lesson could extend by allowing students to take knowledge of challenge and response and
apply it to a new scenario. Extension lesson - Lesson #4
RESOURCES/SOURCES:
Open Court Anthology Books: "New Hope"
MATERIALS/EQUIPMENT:
Worksheet: Challenge & Response
Pencils
ELMO for displaying teacher worksheet with sentence stem
PERSONAL TEACHING OBJECTIVES:
Monitoring Engagement - I would like to practice monitoring student behavior on the carpet
during narrative input chart, responding appropriately to body language.
ASSESSMENT OF PERSONAL TEACHING OBJECTIVES:
I will know I am successful if students remain engaged for the duration of the time on the carpet,
and I can adjust time spend on carpet according to their body language.
Assessment Procedures Narrative
There are varied opportunities throughout this unit for students to demonstrate conceptual
understanding. Their skills are being measured against the standards and stated objectives. Each
assessment for each lesson was written to be a direct reflection of the content standard that was
written before it. By having clear and measurable content standards, my assessments can be
directly tied to the standards that the objective wishes to teach. The assessments support the
ongoing learning of each student. They do this through formal and informal assessments.
Informally, I can observe my students as they acquire the content that I am teaching to them and
adjust accordingly. This can also be referred to as formative assessments (Echevarria, Vogt &
Short, 2013). More formal or summative assessments will be done throughout the unit to provide
tangible evidence of student learning, such as through meaningful and well-timed worksheets.
The assessments are designed to provide each student with the opportunity for success. This
includes the population of diverse learners in my classroom such as students who speak English
as a second language and students with Speech disabilities. As discussed previously in the
rationale, I developed these lessons with the SIOP model in mind in order to ensure participation
among each of my students. I also considered the ELD standards to ensure that each student is
held to the highest of expectations possible for their current level on the continuum. This was
equally true as I wrote the assessments, as they are so closely tied to the content and language
objectives for each lesson. The assessments reflect an understanding that each student may
participate in a different way according to the ELD standards, but will be able to produce
assessable results with certain levels of scaffolding and rehearsal time. To assist in the
assessment of the students, several rubrics have been created.
Pre-assessment - Some level of pre-assessment will occur as a part of the "Our Country and its
People" Open Court unit opener. An exploration of Native American culture will occur the week
before the Pioneer unit, and some discussion may occur regarding Pioneers. These discussions
can be used as a pre-assessment for this unit. In addition to this, during the Lewis & Clark
lesson, students will engage in a discussion surrounding Westward Expansion. This discussion
will also serve as a pre-assessment as I will be listening for existing knowledge on the topics that
will be covered throughout the unit. As a part of the pre-assessment, I looked at the 1st grade
Social Studies standards. Unfortunately, it would be unwise to assume that they acquired any of
this knowledge last year. Still, it serves as a jumping point to know what may need review.
Formative Assessment - Formative assessments will be ongoing throughout all of the lessons in
this unit. The Wagon Trail game and writing will support ongoing learning as well as inform
instruction via written work in journals. Fisher and Frey (2009) support the feed up, feed back and
feed forward models of formatively assessing. They state that all three are necessary in order to be
successful in assessing. Feed up will be addressed when the purpose of the lessons are established
during the review of content objectives each morning. Feed back is responding to student work,
which will be done mostly through evaluation of student journals, worksheets, and responses to
group conversations. This assessment is done most often through the use of a rubric. The rubrics are
provided after this narrative. Feed forward, or modifying instruction, is the formative assessment
piece in which the instruction will need to be adjusted according to the needs of the students.
Summative Assessment - I consider my unit to have two summative assessments. The first
summative assessment is the process grid, and it is directly tied to the CA Content Standard for
social studies. The standard requires that students differentiate between things that occurred long
ago and things that occur today. By differentiating between modern kids and pioneer kids,
students will have to be able to analyze the difference between time now and the past. The
second summative assessment will come at the end of the unit and involves the portion of the
same standard that relies on family history. Students will create both a narrative and a timeline to
share their pioneer family story. Listening to the read-alouds of the family story as well as
reviewing them on paper will serve as the summative assessment for the entire unit.
Evaluative Criteria (RUBRICS)
Participation Rubric (Partner Work & Share-Outs)
LEVEL 1
Student did not engage in
partner or group conversations
when prompted and did not
contribute to the class
discussion.
LEVEL 2
Student engaged briefly in
partner or group conversations
when prompted and offered
some contributions to class
discussion.
LEVEL 3
Student engaged in meaningful
partner and group conversations
when prompted and offered
multiple contributions to class
discussion.
*This rubric is often combined with other rubrics as partner/group sharing is included in multiple
learning tasks.
Challenge and Character Response Worksheet
Category
Identified Challenge
LEVEL 1
Student did not
correctly identify the
challenge.
LEVEL 2
Student correctly
identified the challenge.
Identified Response
Student did not
correctly identify the
response.
Student correctly
identified the response.
LEVEL 3
Student correctly
identified the challenge
and provided
supporting details.
Student correctly
identified the response
and provided
supporting details.
Group Writing
LEVEL 1
Student did not contribute to the
group conversation or writing
product.
LEVEL 2
LEVEL 3
Student contributed to the group Student made multiple
conversation or writing product. contributions to the group
conversations or writing product.
References
BrainPOP Junior. BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies,
English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology. N.p., n.d. Web.
Chapin, J. R. (2009). Elementary social studies: A practical guide. In P. Boles (Ed.), Education:
Pedagogy and assessment engaging your students in authentic learning (pp. 385-389).
Boston, MA: Pearson.
Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. (2013). Making content comprehensible for English
learners. The SIOP model. New Jersey: Pearson.
Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2009). Feed up, back, forward. Multiple Measures, 67(3). 20-25
Freedman, R. (1983). Children of the wild west. New York: NY: Clarion Books.
McGraw-Hill (2002). Our country and its people. Open Court Reading: Level 2 Unit 6.
Columbus, OH: SRA.