University of West Alabama
ED508
Teacher: E. Cook
Date: February 2015
Subject area/course/grade level: Social Studies/2nd Grade
Materials: Laptops, Student notes
Standards:
State: Identify national historic figures such as our countries founding fathers including George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, John Adams, John Hancock, and James Madison.
NETS-S: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using
technology.
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
Objectives:
The students will be able to identify historic figures such as our countries founding fathers including George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, John Adams, John Hancock, and James Madison, and important
information about them.
The students will be able to demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and
processes using technology by developing an online poster.
Differentiation Strategies: Open Ended Tasks, Independent Projects
--Important to note: This lesson is a follow up lesson taught after students have completed a group project on the same social
studies standard and have presented the project to the class.
ENGAGEMENT:
The teacher will play a “guess who” game with the students. The teacher will give some key facts about founding
fathers and students will guess which founding father the teacher is referencing. The teacher will discuss how facts
about people are how we remember them (such as John Hancock’s Declaration of Independence signature).
The teacher will ask students questions regarding why they believe these founding fathers were so important.
Assessment: The teacher will use observation to ensure all students are engaged and participating in the activities and
discussion.
EXPLORATION:
The teacher will give students the opportunity to work in small groups (different groups from their group project) to share and
compare the notes they took on others group project presentation. Students will highlight important information about our
founding fathers and add to their notes if a classmate has something they feel they may have forgotten to jot down. This will
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help refresh their memory on the founding fathers, facts about them, and the contributions they made to our country. Their
notes will be used later on in the lesson.
Assessment: The teacher will check their notes to ensure quality information was exchanged and students have the necessary
information to continue on with the lesson.
EXPLANATION:
The teacher will explain to students that they are going to continue learning about our countries founding fathers. The teacher
will discuss with students what they think are important character traits about these people and how they could better
themselves to be like the countries founding fathers and make a difference in our country. Students will ask the teacher any
questions they have about their notes, such as unfamiliar things they do not have a concept of (like what was the revolutionary
war, etc.). The teacher will then read a list of items she put together from the students presentations regarding facts about
the founding fathers.
Assessment: Student engagement by observation
ELABORATION:
The teacher will explain to students that they will be taking the information they have learned about the founding fathers and
creating an online poster based on the founding father they found the most interesting. Students will work independently and
will use the information and notes they have from the group presentations.
The teacher will explain in depth the website postermywall.com and explore the website with the students so they will know
how to create their poster.
Students may use any fonts, colors, or pictures they would like to help depict the founding father they chose. The teacher will
explain to students that their poster must include the founding fathers name and the three facts they found most interesting
about the founding father they chose.
Individual Assignment: Students will create a poster using the website www.postermywall.com . Students will choose one
founding father and include the three most interesting facts they feel helped made their founding father a person we are still
talking about today.
EVALUATION:
The rubric used to grade the poster can be found below.
References:
Bybee, R.W. et al. (1989). Science and technology education for the elementary years: Frameworks for curriculum and instruction. Washington,
D.C.: The National Center for Improving Instruction.
Bybee, R. W. (1997). Achieving Scientific Literacy: From Purposes to Practices. Oxford: Heinemann.
National Research Council. (1999). Inquiry and the national science education standards: A guide for teaching and learning. Washington, D.C.:
National Academy Press.
Polman, J.L. (2000). Designing project-based silence: Connecting learners through guided inquiry. New York: Teachers College Press.
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Category
Content
Content
Attractiveness
4 Distinguished
3 Proficient
2 Apprentice
1 Novice
Student clearly
states the founding
father being
discussed by
including name and
picture(s),
Student clearly
states the founding
father by including
name and picture,
but not a picture of
the founding father
himself.
Student describes
three facts about the
chosen founding
father.
Student states the
founding father
being discussed but
only by text.
The student does not
include the founding
father’s name or a
picture.
Student only
discusses two facts
about the chosen
founding father.
Less than two facts
are discussed about
the chosen founding
father.
Poster is colorful
and pleasing to the
eye.
Little creativity is
evident in the
creation of the
poster.
No colors or
creativity are
evident in the
poster.
Student accurately
describes three
interesting fact
about the chosen
founding father.
Poster is colorful,
creative, and
pleasing to the eye.
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