Robin Harmon
EDUC
November 17, 2009
Lesson: Meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance/ Dictionary Practice
Length: 45 minutes
Grade Level: 3rd
Academic Standards:
Social Studies 3.2.6 Discuss and explain the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Explain other ways citizens can affirm their citizenship.
English/Language Arts 3.1.7 Use the dictionary to find the meaning and pronunciation of
unknown words.
Performance Objective:
After receiving their word from the Pledge of Allegiance, students will use the dictionary
to find the definition of their word used in the same context as meant in the Pledge of Allegiance.
After all the posters of the words from the Pledge of Allegiance have been presented,
students will have a class discussion of what the Pledge of Allegiance means to them with each
student contributing at least one remark.
Assessment:
Teacher will use a checklist to mark if each student was able to find the meaning of their
word in the dictionary. This information can be gathered from the poster or their poster
presentation.
Teacher will use a checklist to mark that each student contributed to the discussion about
the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Advanced Preparation:
Teacher will gather enough dictionaries so there is one for each student. Teacher will
pair the students and assign each pair a word from the Pledge of Allegiance (words can include:
I, pledge, allegiance, flag, United States of America, republic, stands, nation, under, God,
indivisible, liberty, justice, all). These pairings and the word will be written on an index card.
Teacher will ensure that each word and proper definition assigned can be found in the student’s
dictionaries. If not the teacher will find a dictionary for those students assigned that word to use.
Teacher will get enough large pieces of paper so that there is one piece of paper for each group
and a few extras in case mistakes are made. Teacher will gather enough magnets so that each
group has one magnet plus a few extras.
Procedure:
Introduction: What is this (hold up a dictionary)? (Bloom’s- Knowledge) How do we use
it? (Bloom’s – Application) Why is it important for us to know how to use it? (Bloom’sAnalysis)
Step-by-Step:
1. Teacher explains to the students that to use a dictionary, one the first things to
do before even opening the book, is to know the context of the word. Ask
students what context means (how the word is used). This is important
because one word can mean many things. You have to decide which meaning
in the dictionary will work for the meaning you need.
2. A dictionary is organized alphabetically. To find a word you start with the
first letter. Then move to the second. And so on until you find the complete
word.
3. Teacher tells students they are going to be using dictionaries to find words and
their definitions from the Pledge of Allegiance. (Gardner’s- VerbalLinguistic) To demonstrate what they are going to do, you will do one of the
words they were not assigned. (I will use under in this lesson as an example).
4. Teacher models, thinking aloud, deciding on the context. *One nation, under
God. “I don’t think it really means that we are underneath God. Maybe
there’s another meaning I should look for.”
5. Teacher shows students how to find the word, going to the U’s and then UN
and so on.
6. Teacher finds the definition and then reads it aloud.
7. Teacher decides which the proper definition of the word is.
8. Teacher writes the word at the top of her paper and the definition at the
bottom. Teacher explains that when the students do this step they are making
posters that they will be discussing with their peers.
9. Teacher asks for questions about what the students will be doing.
10. Teacher will tell students that one student should go get the dictionary and the
other one should get the paper. The students should decide who has the better
handwriting. The one with better handwriting will write on the poster while
the other student reads the proper definition from the dictionary. Each team
has ten minutes to find their word and make their poster.
11. Teacher passes out the index cards to the appropriate pairs of students.
12. Students return to desks and begin to work (Gardener’s- Interpersonal).
13. Teacher will walk around the classroom checking in with groups to ensure
that students are on task.
14. At the end of the ten minutes, teacher will call all students back to the floor.
They should sit next to their partner and bring their poster.
15. The teacher will call on the groups in the order in which their word comes in
the Pledge of Allegiance. Students will present their word, give the definition
and then hang the word on the board in the proper order. (Gardner’s-VisualSpacial)
Closure: How would you explain what the Pledge of Allegiance means to you?
(Bloom’s- Evaluation) Write in the missing words between the posters. Have students say the
Pledge of Allegiance.
Adaptations/Enrichment:
For the students with reading difficulties, I will pair them with stronger readers. I will also check
with those groups more often than the other groups.
For the students with emotional disabilities, I will pair them with students who are able to stay
calm. I will check in with those groups more often.
For the students with English difficulties, I will pair them with a strong English reader and
writer. I will check on these groups more often.
For the advanced students, I will provide them with words that have multiple meanings.
Self-Reflection:
The students were able to use the dictionaries wonderfully! I did not have to help any
groups find their word which means that at least one person in each pair is able to use a
dictionary. The next step for dictionary skills would be to have them look up words individually.
About three or four groups had trouble deciding which definition they needed. Some
more time will have to be spent on choosing which definition works best.
The groups worked out wonderfully. They were very on task during the whole project.
There were no fights. In all but one group, the partners were working equally on the project.
After a reminder, the one group began to work together. It worked well pairing the students as a
lower student with a higher student.
It worked well having the students in pairs. They worked with people they usually don’t
work with. They also shared ideas on how to present their poster. Each student having their own
dictionary also worked very well. Even if a lower student was not able to find the word, the
higher ability student was able to show them how to find the word. They had a visual
reinforcement right in front of them. The presentations went very well. The students were very
respectful while listening to others present their posters. When we said the Pledge of Allegiance
at the end of the activity, all the students were enunciating their words and I did not hear the
wrong words used (all of this in comparison to the Pledge that we did that morning).
I felt a little rushed at the end. Maybe I should include a writing assignment next time
about what the Pledge of Allegiance means to me. That could even be a next day assignment. I
also need to work on surveying the class for misbehaviors while teaching to the whole group. I
found it hard to concentrate on everything while each group was presenting.