Focus Plan
Texarkana Independent School District
GRADING
PERIOD:
writer:
1st 6 Weeks
PLAN CODE:
Bates
Course/subject:
World History
Grade(s):
10
Time allotted
for instruction:
One class period
Title:
Talk like a Historian
Lesson TOPIC:
Using Social Studies terminology correctly
TAKS Objective:
Objective 3
The student will demonstrate an understanding of economic and social
influences on historical issues and events
TEKS.WH26 The student communicates in written, oral, and visual
forms. The student is expected to:
(A) use social studies terminology correctly
(B) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure and
punctuation.
FoCUS TEKS and
Student Expectation:
Supporting TEKS and
Student Expectations:
Concepts
Analyze
Proofreading
Punctuation
Enduring Understandings/Generalizations/Principles
The student will understand that
Critical thinking skills are essential in analyzing social studies terminology.
Effective writers examine their work for correct capitalization, punctuation,
and spelling.
Accuracy in mechanics helps the reader hear nuances and better
understand what the writer is trying to communicate.
Correct spelling is necessary for accurate meaning.
Spelling
 Division of Curriculum and Instruction  School Improvement Department  Texarkana Independent School District
I.
Sequence of Activities (Instructional Strategies)
A.
Focus/connections/anticipatory set
1. The teacher will instruct students to record the History Facts of the Day displayed on
the overhead screen in their spiral notebook. The questions/facts will be discussed
later in the class period (TAKS question).
B.
Instructional activities
(demonstrations, lectures, examples, hands-on experiences, role play, active
learning experience, art, music, modeling, discussion, reading, listening, viewing,
etc.)
1. Objectives: The main objective in this lesson is to demonstrate the need to communicate
correctly using verbal and written forms. The student is expected to transfer skills learned
in Language Arts using Social Studies terminology. Higher level skills are needed to
expand answers rather than merely use a few words.
2. Procedures: The teacher will use an overhead projector to display a transparency with the
following sentence:
Most historians eat agrarian salads.
The teacher will ask the students to silently read the sentence and determine if Social
Studies terminology is used correctly. After approximately two minutes the teacher will explain that
students must know the meaning of the words in a sentence in order to determine the correctness
of Social Studies terminology. Although the words “historians” and “agrarian” are Social Studies
terms the student cannot automatically assume that the terms are used correctly.
Agrarian has to do with farming or agriculture – not something you eat. Therefore, Social
Studies terminology (terms) is not used correctly.
**Critical Thinking** The teacher may anticipate a student’s response that vegetables are in
salads we eat and also grown on a farm. Therefore, agrarian (to the student) is correct
terminology. The teacher will explain the student has to use critical thinking to analyze sentence
and use the most appropriate choice. Substitute the word “agriculture” for agrarian. Most
historians eat agriculture salads.
The teacher will explain the correct terminology in core subjects enables them to “speak the
language” and have a better understanding of the content of the particular course of study:
Example: In Math class you talk about fractions, decimals, etc., In Literature class you talk about
the Author’s point of view, mood, setting, etc. So it will be this year in the student’s study of World
History.
2. Modeling: The teacher will use an overhead projector to display a transparency with the
following sentences:
Historians use artifacts to learn about ancient civilizations. Cave drawings indicated
Paleolithic people lived in permanent settlements.
The teacher will explain that six vocabulary terms were used, but not all were used correctly. Allow
students time to identify the terms used incorrectly and explain why.
Paleolithic is the Old Stone Age. Cave drawings were drawings of animals they hunted, indicating
they were nomadic people – moved from place to place following animal migration. Therefore,
these people did not live in permanent settlements.
C.
Guided activity or strategy
The teacher will distribute copies of the Early Civilization Terms to each student. The
teacher will instruct the students to read over the list and circle the terms they can identify. The teacher
will call on a student to read one term and give the definition. The student then calls on another student
to use the term in a sentence. The first student will tell the class if the term was used correctly.
 Division of Curriculum and Instruction  School Improvement Department  Texarkana Independent School District
II.
iii.
D.
Accommodations/modifications
The list of terms will be reduced for special needs students.
E.
Enrichment
STUDENT PERFORMANCE
A.
Description
1. Students will define all the terms and then compose a paragraph using Early
Civilization terms. Students will proofread their work for correct capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling. If time permits, allow students to share their paragraphs
with the class.
B.
Accommodations/modifications
Special needs students will define ten of the fifteen words.
C.
Enrichment
Assessment of Activities
A.
Description
An informal evaluation of student work will be performed by the teacher. An in-depth
assessment will be given at the end of the Unit of Study on Early Civilizations.
B.
Rubrics/grading criteria
C.
Accommodations/modifications
D.
Enrichment
E.
Sample discussion questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
IV.
What resources were used to define unfamiliar words?
Does your paragraph include a topic sentence?
Are at least two supporting details included in the paragraph?
Was all the terminology used correctly?
TAKS Preparation
A.
Transition to TAKS context
Communicate in written forms using social studies terminology correctly: The teacher will
select key vocabulary terms and discuss their meaning.
Example: subsistence farming - producing almost all the goods needed, usually
with a little extra for sale
farming (agriculture – crops does not include
animals)
 Division of Curriculum and Instruction  School Improvement Department  Texarkana Independent School District
B.
Sample TAKS questions
History Facts of the Day question (TAKS 2003,2006)
6. Mongolia is a landlocked country in north central Asia with a harsh climate and few resources.
Livestock outnumber people many times over. It can be inferred that Mongolia’s economic
system is a –
A
B
C
D
subsistence economy based on farming
subsistence economy based on herding
market economy based on agriculture
market economy based on light industry
Correct Answer: B
D
is incorrect: light industry is not discussed in the paragraph.
A – C are incorrect. Farming and agriculture have the same meaning
B
is correct. Livestock is not included in the answer choices., but students should know that
livestock refers to herding.
7. How Some Families Earn a Living
Family A – The entire family works for minimum wage on a pineapple plantation.
Family B – The family produces only enough food from its garden to live on.
Family C – The entire family weaves straw mats and sells them in a local market.
Family D – The family grows wheat commercially on 6,000 acres of land.
Which of the families described above is engaged in subsistence agriculture?
F Family A
G Family B
H Family C
J Family D
G – Family B is the correct answer. It defines subsistence agriculture.
V.
Key Vocabulary
Agrarian, nomad, domesticate, civilization, permanent, development,
food-gathering, settlement,
prehistoric, Neolithic, Paleolithic, cave drawings, subsistence
farming, artifacts, revolution
VI.
Resources
A.
Textbook
Prentice Hall World History Connection S to Today
C.
Supplementary materials
 Transparency: History Facts of the Day
 Transparency Sample Sentences Using Terms Correctly

B.
VII.
Transparency: Terms – Early Civilization
Technology
 Overhead projector
follow up activities
(reteaching, cross-curricular support, technology activities, next lesson in sequence, etc.)
 Division of Curriculum and Instruction  School Improvement Department  Texarkana Independent School District
The following day, students will review terms.
The teacher will introduce the study of Early Civilization using a
Power Point.
VIII.
Teacher Notes
 Division of Curriculum and Instruction  School Improvement Department  Texarkana Independent School District