SEC 352: Lesson Plan # 4 “The Blue People”
Subject:
Grades:
Time:
English 1
9th grade
Three Days—Each class lasts 90 minutes
Number of students: 24
Diversity of students: 12 females: 5 African Americans, 5 Caucasian, 2 Hispanic
12 males: 5 Caucasian, 6 African Americans, 1 Hispanic
Diversity of Classroom/Special needs focus: The class needs to learn about other nationalities
and ethnic groups outside of their neighborhoods. The students need to realize that diversity can
be found in any shape, form, or color.
Content:
Core Content Used: RD-H-2.0.8 Use text features (illustrations, charts etc.) to enhance
understanding of a passage. RD-H-2.0.13 Analyze the content as it applies to students’ lives
and/or real world issues. RD-H-x0.6 Paraphrase important parts of a passage. SS-H-2.1.1
Philosophy, religion, values, technology, and behavior patterns help define culture. SS-H-2.3.1
Various human needs are met through interaction in social institutions (family, religion,
education, government, economy).
Learning Goals and Academic Expectations: 6.3 Students expand their understanding of existing
knowledge by making connections with new knowledge, skills, and experiences. 4.2 Students use
productive team membership skills. 2.37 Students display skills and work habits that lead to
success in future schooling and work. 2.6 Students understand how living and nonliving things
change over time and the factors that influence changes. 1.12 Students speak using appropriate
form, conventions, and styles to communicate ideas and information to different audiences for
different purposes.
New Teacher Standards: 2.1 Communicated with and challenges students in a positive and
support manner. 9.9 Designs lessons that use technology to address diverse student needs. 9.14
Uses computers and other technology for individual, small group, and large group learning
activities.
Objectives:
1. Students will develop leadership skills through working in small groups.
2. Students will exhibit respect for each other through participating in group work including
homework and visual aids.
3. Students will learn to navigate using the Internet to find information crucial to their group
assignments.
4. Students will discover an interesting group of people living in the Appalachian
Mountains.
5. Students will practice learn about geographic locations, what makes people blue, cultures,
and genealogy of blue people.
6. Students will communicate their research to peers through visual aids and good public
speaking techniques.
7. Students will display their responsibility through staying on task while working with their
group and making sure the presentation is a success.
8. Students will value class time to work on project.
9. Students will gain respect for different cultures.
10. Students will understand why people can be blue by listening or researching the rare
disease that causes the discoloration.
11. Students will learn about the geographic location of Troublesome Creek and Breathitt
County, KY.
12. Students will understand the importance of genealogy as a method of medical research
and family history.
13. Students will analyze the Blue People and use their critical thinking skills to tell the class
why culture was and is important to the people. (Inbreeding, hermits, etc).
14. Students will relate to the hardships people endure because they are different.
15. Students will connect the lesson with other ethnic groups struggling with their race.
Rationale: This lesson is designed to encourage students to learn about diverse people. There
are many in the world, even in the same state. Through cooperative learning, students will
advance their technological skills through researching using the Internet to find out everything
they can about the Blue People of Troublesome Creek. Then, the groups will present research on
the topic they have been assigned by using visual aides and good speaking techniques.
Activity:
1. Students will be divided into groups by drawing a color out of a hat. The blue team will
research the Blue people and their culture. The red team will research the disease that
made them blue and the solution to the problem. The green team will research Breathitt
County and the Troublesome Creek area. The yellow team will research the genealogy of
the Blue people and share interesting stories and pictures involving the people they have
researched.
2. Students will be given a rubric for their activities.
3. Students will be instructed to use classroom computers during the class time for research;
however, it is encouraged each student do extra research on their own time.
4. Groups should make colorful copies of any pictures they print off the Internet unless the
picture is intended to be black and white. Black and white pictures will be found when
researching genealogy.
5. Students should use display boards or poster boards to display information. Any form of
visual aids will be sufficient as long as they benefit the class.
6. Students will be encouraged to use www.google.com or www.yahoo.com because they
contain the most material on the blue people.
7. Students will gather information for 2 days. The third day will be used to present the
information to the class.
Strategies:
1. The teacher will make color-coded teams by allowing students to draw colors for group
assignments.
2. The teacher will monitor all activity on the Internet while students research their topics.
3. The teacher will facilitate the groups, making sure everyone is on task.
4. The teacher will offer help in finding certain information involving group projects.
5. The teacher will provide students will poster board to display their pictures and research.
6. The teacher will allow students to use or borrow any art supplies needed to improve the
quality of the presentation.
7. The teacher will challenge students to find all information possible on the Blue People of
Troublesome Creek.
8. The teacher will encourage students to discuss what they are going to present with other
groups to make sure there is not a repetition of information.
9. The teacher will encourage students to be creative by using original ideas for their visual
aids and their presentations.
10. The teacher will share any additional information with the class that they might have
missed or could not find.
Resources and materials:
Art Supplies
Poster Board
Fully functioning Computers and printers
Colorful Cards for students to draw their groups
Anything the class needs to use visual aids (i.e. Overheads, projectors, etc).
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on the respect and responsibility they display for their group by staying
on task or doing homework.
Students will be assessed on their ability to navigate the Internet and find information to present
to the class.
Students will be assessed on their use of visual aids.
Students will be assessed on their communication skills.
Groups will be assessed according to the members’ awareness of cultural norms/expectations and
is able to communicate effectively according to the topics.
Groups will be assessing according to their ability to judge the appropriateness/in
appropriateness of their communication with different people in their lives.
Groups will be assessed on their ability to use appropriate conversation for the people and
situation involved.
Group Activity on The Blue People
Name: ________________________
Date : ___________________
Multiply each score by 5
Criteria
1
2
Points
3
4
Students displayed
Students displayed
respect for their
Most members of respect most of the
Students within the
peers through
the group did not
time.
group did not display
sharing their
respect their peers
Occasionally,
respect for each other
research, doing
by not participating students forgot to
RESPECT
by doing homework,
group
in group work,
help to do their
attending class, or
assignments,
doing homework, homework, stay
staying on task.
attending class,
or staying on task. on task, or did not
and staying on
attend class.
task.
Group did not use Group used the
Students found
the internet for internet effectively
relevant
Students did not use research most of the most of the time,
information to
appropriate or relevant
time. More
asked questions
share with the
information. Students information could about assignment, class. Students
did not use the Internet have been found on and found relevant stated the Website
INTERNET
properly, seek help, or the group's topic. information to the and search engine
RESEARCH
ask questions about the The material found topic given. More they used to find
assignment. Websites was relevant most information could information. The
were not cited.
of the time;
have been found. information gave
however, not
Cited only a few great detail about
websites were cited. websites used.
the topic given.
Students presented
Students used a Students presented a visual aid that
Students did not use a poor visual aid that a visual aid with was effective for
visual aid. No smooth did not show the
beneficial
the class. All
transitions between
creativity of the
information.
members of the
parts. Four of more group. Few smooth Transitions were
group share
members of the group transitions. Two or smooth most of information with
more students did the time. Some
the class. Group
PRESENTATION did not speak. Poor
body language, eye
not participate in students used body
had smooth
contact or diction. All presentation. Body language, eye
transitions
members did not
language, eye
contact, and
between parts.
participate in
contact, and diction appropriate diction Excellent body
presentation.
could have been
while others did
language, eye
better.
not.
contact, and
diction.
____
____
____
____
____
60 pts. possible
Teacher Comments:
60-54: A
53-48: B
47-42: C
Grading Scale
41-36: D
Below 35: F
Total---->
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