Early Childhood Special Education Lesson Plan
Teacher Candidate: Daliza Cabrera
Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Lesson: U.S. Symbols
Unit of Study: Social Studies
Goal of Lesson (Common Core State Standards/Division of Early Childhood where appropriate)
Students will learn about (according to Standard 5, Key 3):
1. Their community on the map
2. Symbols of U.S. citizenship
3. The significance of the U.S. flag
Objectives:
Students will be able to (according to Standard 5, Key 3):
1. Demonstrate understanding that the they are a part of a bigger community
2. State at least three different U.S. symbols
3. Explain the significance of the U.S. flag
4. Create a symbol to represent their classroom community
Pre-Assessment:
During the lesson, students will be asked what they already know about U.S. symbols. This information will be recorded on a
KWL chart.
Post-Assessment:
Assessment will be taken place throughout the lesson using a checklist through informal questioning/observation. Data
recorded in independent practice, along with information shared at the end of the lesson will also be used to assess student’s
understanding of the concept and what they have learned.
Materials:
For the teacher:
Easel
Dry Erase Marker
Smartboard
Projector
Computer
Resources:
“Our Country” by Cathy Torrise
“The Pledge of Allegiance” by Marc Tyler Nobleman (pgs. 6 & 18)
“The American Flag” by Debbie T. Yaruck (pg. 6)
Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhrrGu2rcZ4
Per student (16 total):
Index cards
Pencils
Use of Technology:
A timer will be used for transitions during independent practice to let the classroom know when it is time to transition.
Individual timers will be available for use for additional prompting if necessary. The Smartboard and projector will be used to
display a video from the computer during the lesson presentation.
Differentiation:
Individual specific:
-Damian, Maxwell, Elliot, and Maryn- The teachers will rotate between tables during independent practice and provide 1:1
attention to students mentioned to encourage on task behaviors (ASD, ADHD)
-Shaima and Valentina- will be paired with a highly verbal peer during independent practice for support (ELL)
According to learning ability:
Lower level:
-Students will be able to state two U.S. symbols they have learned
-Students will be able to draw a picture of a symbol that they feel represents their classroom community and will be able to
describe their symbol and why it best represents their classroom in at least 2-3 sentences, with prompting if needed.
Higher level:
Students will be able to draw a picture of a symbol to represent their classroom community and will be able to fluently write a
description and verbally share about what they drew and why it best represents their classroom.
Seating Configuration/Use of Physical Space:
For whole group instruction, the children will sit in the Smartboard area.
For independent practice, the students will sit at assigned seats at their table arranged in mixed learning level seating (High
and low group seating).
For the share, the students will meet in the Meeting area.
Teaching roles and collaboration:
Ms. Cabrera will be leading the lesson, guiding the whole group instruction. During independent practice, the teachers will
rotate from table to table to monitor the activity and assess students through informal questioning and observations. The
teachers will provide assistance and/or prompting if necessary.
Classroom Management:
-Praise will be given throughout the lesson to students demonstrating appropriate behavior and fulfillment of directions given.
-A star will be given to students displaying exemplary behavior on a “Caught Being Good Chart”.
-Visual behavioral supports will be used to aide students having difficulty using whole body listening or difficulty following
directions to encourage on-task behavior.
-A timer will be used to aide in classroom transitions during small group activities.
-The teachers will inform students when they have two minutes left in their small group.
Engagement of students/anticipatory set/Motivation:
In order to engage the students, the teacher will ask the students about the mayoral election that took place the day before,
which they have been learning about prior to this lesson. The classroom will share in a brief discussion on the results of the
election.
Connection to Previous lesson/Prior Knowledge:
The teacher will make reference to the mayoral election and explain that part of becoming mayor is being sworn in to the
position of being mayor and that being sworn in is a tradition that every mayor of every state has to go through in the United
Stated of America to make the process official. The teacher will then make the connection, stating that “just like there is a
tradition for the mayors in the United States of America, as American citizens there are things that unite us as part of a bigger
community.”
The teacher will explain that everyone is a part of a bigger picture and use a visual representation to show the development
from home to city to state to country and how we are each a part of this bigger community. The teacher will then introduce
U.S. symbols to the classroom.
Lesson Presentation:
1. The teacher will ask the classroom if there is anything they already know about U.S. symbols in the United States of
America, or things they already know that represent the U.S and its citizens. The teacher will record answers given on a
KWL chart.
2. The teacher will then introduce U.S. symbols by reading the story “Our Country” by Cathy Torrise, which discusses the
U.S. flag, white house, Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore and the bald eagle as U.S. symbols.
3. The teacher will then briefly zoom in to three different U.S. symbols to help students understand more. The first U.S.
symbol the teacher will discuss is the “Pledge of Allegiance”. The teacher will read “Pledge of Allegiance”, by Marc Tyler
Nobleman and share about the tradition of saying the pledge. The teacher will take this opportunity to point to the flag
in the classroom to show that it was a tradition done in their very own classroom.
4. The teacher will then mention that another symbol that represents the citizens of the U.S. is the national anthem and
that it is a song that is sung all around the country that unites us as a community. The teacher will then show a video
clip on the Smartboard of the national anthem being sung at a stadium and explain that it is a national tradition.
Students will be asked to share if they have had any similar experiences.
5. Finally, the teacher will introduce the American flag as a U.S. symbol and read from “The American Flag” by Debbie T.
Yaruck. The teacher will explain that the U.S. flag is a symbol that was created to represent the U.S. as a whole. The
teacher will explain that like all of the symbols, the American flag has an important meaning, but the American flag is a
visual representation of what the country is. “It is a way of showing what the country is and what it stands for just by
looking at it”.
6. The teacher will then ask the classroom why it is important to have such a symbol to represent the American
community. The teacher will then introduce the independent work the students will be doing at their tables, which is
creating their own symbol to represent class 2-311.
7. The teacher will model the independent activity on the easel as she thinks out loud of things she feels everyone in the
classroom has in common. She will draw as she thinks about symbols that come to her mind (Ex. the numbers 311 for
the room, a student with a heart and a book for love of learning). The teacher will then stop after adding a few things
and being clearly unfinished and ask the classroom if she has given the classroom a representation of the classroom as
a whole. The teacher will ask for suggestions to add to her picture and add it to her symbol.
8. The teacher will then emphasize on the details the students need to add to represent their classroom community. The
teacher will also inform the classroom that in a few days of working on their symbols, the classroom will decide the
symbols that best represent the classroom to create ONE official symbol and classroom name to represent class 2-311.
9. The teacher will then call students to their tables by table number.
Estimated Time: 15-20 minutes
Guided Practice/Active Involvement/Small group work/Independent Practice:
After whole group instruction, the students will go to their tables and work independently on their classroom symbols.
1. Each student will receive an index card and a pencil. The students will write their name on their index card.
2. The students will then turn to the blank side of the index card and begin to draw their symbol.
3. Once a student is finished drawing their symbol, the student may turn the index card and write about their symbol and
why they chose that symbol to represent the classroom.
4. If time permits, the students will be able to color in their symbols once they are finished writing.
Extra time activity: Students that finish early will be directed to the Smartboard area where the teacher will have
informational books on more U.S. symbols for students to read and learn more.
Estimated Time: 20-25 minutes
Final Summary/Closure:
Estimated Time: 5-7 minutes
At the end of the lesson, the students will volunteer to take turns sharing about their classroom symbols. Students will be able
to comment on their peer’s symbols, telling things that they liked about their symbols. Suggestions from the students can also
be made to help give ideas on what students could add to their symbols to make better representations.
The teacher will close by reviewing the U.S. symbols discussed and ask if there are any questions the students may still have
about U.S. symbols and add those questions to the KWL chart.
Extension:
To expand on what they’ve learned, students will work in small groups to share and discuss their symbols in further details
and will work to combine their ideas to create one class symbol per small group. From the small groups’ symbols, the
classroom as a whole will vote on the symbols they feel best represent their classroom community to create one official
classroom symbol.