SETON HILL UNIVERSITY

Lesson Plan Template

TOPIC
Name
Subject
Grade Level
Date/Duration
Big Ideas
Essential
Questions
PA/Common
Core/Standards
Objectives

DETAILS
Maria Campbell
Social Studies- Introduction Lesson
Grade 4
1 hour
Pennsylvania has unique characteristics that make it a
popular tourist attraction, especially for its history.
What is special about Pennsylvania?
Why would someone want to visit Pennsylvania?
8.2.4.B: Locate and analyze historical documents,
artifacts, and places critical to Pennsylvania history.

The students will conduct research and will be able to

identify popular Pennsylvanian attractions and places to
visit, historical facts of Pennsylvania, interesting facts
about Pennsylvania, and its major landforms, by
creating a brochure, with a group of 4, with 90%
accuracy (18/20 on rubric).

Students will create a KWL chart that will document

their prior knowledge, desired knowledge, and new
knowledge that will be developed throughout the lesson
about Pennsylvania.
Students will explore non-fiction literature, as well as
Internet sources, in a group, to create a travel brochure
for Pennsylvania.
Standards:
Creativity and Innovation
Communication and Collaboration
Research and Information Fluency
Technology Operations and Concepts

Bloom's
Taxonomy
Webb's Depth of
Knowledge
(DOK)
Formative &
Summative
Assessment
Evidence

ISTE Standards
for Students
Framework for
21st Century
Learning

ISTE

Framework for 21st Century Learning

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Information Literacy
Social Skills
Leadership and Responsibility
Technology
For approved internet sources: http://wwwma.beth.k12.pa.us/aamadoro/pennsylvania.htm
Students will use the sites on this website to create
their travel brochures with a group of four. (Website by
Amy Amadoro)
Students will use the iPads to view/search these sites

CK

for information about their assigned topic

Accommodation
s, Modifications

Student with Emotional/Behavioral Disorder

Student will be provided with a space in the
classroom that is the least distractive for him/her
Student will be placed in a group with a good
behavior model for the group activity
Both verbal and nonverbal cues will be used to
remind the student to stay on-task and of rule
violations (looking at student,
reminders/announcements for all students, tapping
desk)
Behaviors that are not seriously disruptive will be
ignored
Student will be supported by the teacher, in which he
or she will spend more time with the students
group throughout the lesson
Student will use a token economy system of
reinforcement
Student will be provided with a Brochure Planning
Sheet, prior to completing the final copy of the
Brochure with group
Student will be provided with Books with Sticky
Notes- clues to find information about assigned
section

SUPERVISING
TEACHERS
SIGNATURE

Seton Hill University Lesson Plan Template Step-by-Step

Procedures
RATIONALE for
the Learning
Plan
Introduction

Explicit
Instructions

CK
Activating Prior Knowledge
The students will answer several introductory questions
provided by the teacher
Does anyone know what a travel agency is? A
company that makes arrangements for visitors to a new
place
What do you think some of the specific roles of a travel
agent would be? To arrange for tours and to create a
travel brochure for the state
Hook/Lead-In/Anticipatory Set
Big Idea Statement
The students will listen and follow along as the teacher

chooses a student to read the Big Idea that is listed on

the front board:
Pennsylvania has unique characteristics and history
that make it a popular tourist attraction.

Essential Questions Statement

The students will listen and follow along as the teacher
chooses students to read the Essential Question that is
listed on the front board:
What is special about Pennsylvania?
Why would someone want to visit Pennsylvania?
Objective Statement
Students will create a KWL chart for Pennsylvania, prior
to the start of the lesson. Then, students will pretend to
be travel agents, exploring our classroom unit librarys
books to search for information from an assigned
category about Pennsylvania. The group will next use
the information to create a travel brochure for
Pennsylvania.
Key

Lesson
Procedure
Must include
adaptations &
accommodation
s for students
with special
needs

Vocabulary
Pennsylvania
Landforms
Travel Agency

PreAssessment of Students
Individually, students will complete the first two sections
of a KWL chart on information about Pennsylvania. They
will list information that they Know and Want to
Know at this time.
Transition
Students will watch the Two Minute Tour of
Pennsylvania video on YouTube, paying close attention
to the places, which can be incorporated into their
Pennsylvania brochures.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-AXjouXvu0
Modeling of the Concept
Guiding the Practice
Students will be placed into groups of four, in which they
will each be assigned to one of the following categories:
Pennsylvania attractions and places to visit
Historical facts of Pennsylvania,
Interesting facts about Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania major landforms
Students will explore the non-fiction unit library to gain

information about their assigned category

Students will take notes from the sources, completing
the Pennsylvania Note-Taking WS
Students will also have the opportunity to explore
approved websites for information, using the iPad
Students will use the information they gained from these
sources to work together to create a travel brochure for
Pennsylvania (examples of real travel brochures will be
provided for reference)
Students will be reminded that the goal is to attract
visitors to Pennsylvania and the brochure should be eyecatching, yet very informational.
Students will submit their completed brochure at the end
of the lesson

Providing the Independent Practice

Once students have completed the brochures with their
classmates, they will individually complete the last
column of their KWL Chart, or what they have Learned
by the end of this lesson.
Students will submit this KWL Chart by the end of the
class period.
Transition
Adaptations/Accommodations for Students with Special
Needs
Preferential seating: Student with Emotional/Behavioral
Disorder will be seated in a space in the classroom that
most meets his/her needs (near front board, near door)
See previous Accommodations section for more
adaptations
Evaluation of
Formal Evaluation
the
Students brochures will be evaluated based on the
Learning/Master
created rubric for this assignment. Elements of the
y of the
rubric include content, organization, pictures, spelling,
Concept
and cooperation. Students will also present their
brochure to the class on another day.
Students KWL Charts will also be viewed, to determine
whether each student completed a chart and to be sure
that each student learned and could explain their new
knowledge on this chart
Informal Evaluation
Students social development will be observed during
the group work to determine if they are collaborating
well with others and following the directions of the
assignment (checklist).

Closure

Reading
Materials
Technology
Equipment
Supplies

Teacher
Self-reflection

Summary & Review of the Learning

At the end of the lesson, students will be asked to share,
with the class, interesting facts that they learned
through their research.
Due to time constraints, presentation of these brochures
will occur on a different day
Homework/Assignments
None
KWL Chart Templates
Two-Minute Tour of Pennsylvania Video on YouTube
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-AXjouXvu0)
Pennsylvania Unit Library (book titles available on
http://mcampbellsocialstudies.weebly.com/unitlibrary.html)- some with Sticky Notes as clues)
Printer paper
Markers, crayons, colored pencils to design
List of approved websites and rubric for Brochure
(available on http://wwwma.beth.k12.pa.us/aamadoro/pennsylvania.htm)
iPads (one per group and for student with
Emotional/Behavioral Disorder)
Pennsylvania Note-Taking WS
Student Brochure Planning Sheet (Accommodation)