LESSON 5: Who Was Edward Little and Why Does He Have a School: The

History of Edward Little High School

Teachers Name: Ms. Alyssa K. McLean
Grade Level: 11
School

Dates of Lesson: March 16 - April 1, 2016

Topic: The History of Edward Little High

Learning Objectives
Objective: Students will compare the history of Edward Little High School to what they know
about education reform at the national level.
Students will know: Edward Little High School, Lewiston Falls Academy, Edward Little,
Edward Little Institute, Community Little Theater, The Fire of 1943, accreditation, Auburns
Vision 2020, the current rating of the high school,
Students will be able to: Analyze the ways in which Edward Little High School has changed
throughout the years beginning in 1835 up to the present as well as consider how the more recent
education reforms have impacted the rating and accreditation of their high school. Through this
analysis, they will be able to create a strong proposal for how the school could be reformed if
they received state funding.
Assessments
Formative: Together as a class we will create a map of the schools in Auburn that explain the
history of each school so we can understand how Edward Little has changed since 1835.
Individually, you will reflect on the history of Edward Little through the lens of education
reform. Summative: Create a proposal for how Edward Little could be reformed based on your
knowledge of the history of Edward Little, the history of education reform in the United States,
and your own personal experience from attending the school.
STANDARDS (use Common Core, Maine Learning Results, Next Generation Science
Standards, Schools Standards, ISTE Standards Students or combination)
Understands the major US social, political, and economic reforms on a society during
specific time period. (SS.02.HSR.01.02)
Understand the impact of social, political, and economic reform on US history over time.
(SS.03.HSR.01.02)
Understands how social, political, and economic reforms of the past impact current
events in the US. (SS.04.HSR.01.02)

Rationale
This lesson connects to all of the learning targets used by Edward Little High School
because it addresses the reforms of their own high school in the current time period and makes
them consider how these reforms are politically, socially, and economically charged. This lesson
also addresses how Edward Little High School itself has been reformed throughout time based

on its own independent changes and on the national reforms. Through analyzing both of these
forms of reform, students will be able to understand the local current events going on within their
school and participate in the conversation through proposing their own reforms.
Integration of Other Content Areas
This lesson connects to geography and GIS because of the formative assessment where
we make a map of the history of schools in Auburn. This helps students understand the real
world use of GIS and geography to help us draw connections and correlations between data we
have collected. This lesson also has a strong focus on independent research so students know
how to go about researching an issue and proposing their thoughts and solutions to fix the issue.
Instructional Strategies to Differentiate Instruction
This lesson begins with students doing self-directed learning because we work together to
ask questions about the history of Edward Little that became our research questions for the rest
of the lesson. After having time to research independently, we brought this information together
through creating a map of all the schools of Auburn and combining our research in the
description section of each map point. Finally, students will use these skills they used in the first
half of the lesson to complete their full summative assessment where they use their
understanding of education reform to propose reforms to Edward Little High School. This
proposal will be entirely differentiated because each group can show their ideas in whatever
format they find easiest.
Modifications/Accommodations/Extensions
Absence: If students are absent during this lesson, they may go to my website under their
class tab and read the description of the lesson as well as the notes that were taken and any
electronic activities. For the activities that were not possible to post on the site, students should
seek out me, Mr. Latuscha, or Mr. Closson to find out what they missed. If they were absent for
the second half of the lesson in which the summative assessment was explained, students should
contact me as soon as possible to find out which group they will be in as well as what their topic
will be. If students miss any of the work days, they need to be in contact with their group
members to find out what they will have to do outside of class in order to be on track for the next
work day.
IEP Accommodations:
Student A: Since this student requires accommodations surrounding organization
I will make sure that all directions/expectations regarding activities in the classroom as well as
the summative assessment are clearly explained and available on my website so they may have
access to the directions at any time. This student also has difficulty staying on task so I will
observe them during the lesson and redirect them if I feel they are no longer paying attention or
if I have lost them in one way or another. While this student is working in the groups, I will
make sure they fully understand what their group is asking of them as well as that they are
staying on task so they are not hindering the progress of the group. I believe this student will
excel with the final project because they are very interested in creating change and using
technology in the classroom effectively.

Student B: This student needs help learning skills of self-control/monitoring in

regards to distraction. As always, I will make sure that they are not on their phone during class
and that they are sitting up and participating. Due to the various instructional strategies for this
lesson, this student should be provided with multiple opportunities for practice with the concepts
uncovered in this lesson. I will make sure that this student is always on task in their group as they
work on the summative assessment. Since they easily get distracted, I believe the roles, time
frames outlined on the day plans, and the graphic organizers will scaffold their work so it is not
empty work time but structured with daily goals that must be reached.
Student C: This student is autistic and therefore needs a very clear classroom
routine and plenty of processing time when answering questions. To help accommodate this
student, I will continue to put the daily agenda on the board at the beginning of each class period.
As always, the student can also see the agenda and expectations on my website. This will
hopefully help the student if he/she checks the website before class or after once they are home
so they can be refreshed on what we did that day. During the fishbowl conversation, I will make
sure they feel welcomed and encouraged to share their ideas, as this student may feel
apprehensive at first of joining a circle conversation. As always, I will allow this student extra
processing time as I ask questions throughout the lesson. Through scaffolding their research and
tasks for the summative assessment, this student should not feel overwhelmed with a huge task
because they will see the smaller pieces of it that can quickly be accomplished. I will be sure to
always support this student and let them know they are doing a good job and they should not feel
stressed.
Student D: This student needs assistance with keeping pace with the rest of the
class. Their accommodations explain that they need classroom notes to be provided for them a
clear understanding of expectations and directions given, and help breaking down large tasks into
smaller steps. Again, my website will help meet the accommodations this student requires
because it will allow them to have access to all of the class notes and materials that we will
discuss in class. As the students work together to complete the summative assessment, I will
keep a close eye on this student to make sure they are not getting distracted by working in
groups. My hope is that by having each person in the group have a specific role, this will help
them understand their individual tasks within the group.
Student E: This student needs assistance with staying attentive and on task as well
as with organization. As with other students that have similar needs, I will be sure to engage
them through questioning and incorporation. I will gently encourage them to engage in the
fishbowl conversation but not push too hard so they feel they are not being pressured. I want this
student to know that they have good ideas and they should feel safe to express these thoughts
with the class. This student will most likely thrive in the small group setting because one of their
accommodations from their IEP is that they work better in small groups. Also having a role in
the group will help them organize the information they want to share and understand their
individual expectations.
Materials, Resources and Technology
-Paper
-Pencils/pen
-iPads
-The History of Edward Little Scavenger Hunt Graphic Organizer
-The History of Edward Little Reflection

-Day 1-3 plan

-Summative Assessment Directions/Grading Outline
-Planning Chart
-Problem/Solution Chart
-T-Chart
-Reflection on Group Work Survey
-URL for my website ready for students to copy down (if they still need it although it
should be bookmarked by now)
Sources for Lesson Plan and Resources
-Teachers at Edward Little High School Including: John Daly, Craig Latuscha, Julie Latuscha,
Pat Gautier, and Jonathan Delorme.
Common Core Teaching Standards and Rationales

Standard #5 Innovative Applications of Content

5a. Develops and implements projects that guide learners in analyzing the complexities of
an issue or question using perspectives from varied disciplines and cross-disciplinary skills.
5d. Engages learners in questioning and challenging assumptions and approaches in order
to foster innovation and problem solving in local and global contexts.
Rationale: This lesson really makes students apply what they have learned throughout the
entire unit to an authentic issue that is actually happening in their community. Students have to
use their understanding of education reform to inform their opinions on the issue as well as
question the issue from different perspectives such as building quality, facilities, policies, and
curriculum.
Standard #6 Assessment
6f. Models and structures processes that guide learners in examining their own thinking
and learning as well as the performance of others.
Rationale: Through every step of the project and lesson, I will model what I am looking
for from them as well as provide them with a breakdown of the progress that I expect them to
make every day.
Standard #7 Planning for Instruction
7e. Plans collaboratively with professionals who have specialized expertise to design and
jointly deliver as appropriate learning experiences to meet unique learning needs.
Rationale: In order to create this lesson and this project, I collaborated with multiple
people both in and out of the social studies department. Each of these professionals had a
different perspective of the issues the school was being faced with and they broadened my
understanding of the issue because they all had different information to share with me. I will also
work closely with the special ed co teacher that is always in my classroom so that we can model
the different roles of the group and so he can help me scaffold each groups progress so no group
can fail.
Teaching and Learning Sequence:

What: Students will learn the history of Edward Little High School through the lens of
education reform which will help them understand the current political situation that the school is
currently facing regarding accreditation.
Why: Through understanding the history of the town and school, students will understand
how to get their voices heard in a constructively in the community. Students should create
informed opinions about what is going on in the world around them and through creating their
proposals they will have practices with appropriately voicing their opinions and suggesting
reasonable solutions.
How:
Day 1:
-Hook: How do all of these reforms affect you? Why do they matter enough for us to spend so
much time talking about them?
-Goal: Learn about the history of Edward Little but also start to build research skills.
-Long term goal: Get better at researching so you can develop your skills for final project (your
proposal for a new Edward Little High School)
-Develop research questions
-How are we going to answer these? - What are good resources and how can you find them?
-Scavenger Hunt
-Share what we have found.
Day 2:
-15 extra minutes to finish the scavenger hunt
-Historical Millinocket Map
-Create Historical Auburn Map
-Time to work on "The History of Edward Little Reflection"
Day 3:
-Introduce what the project is
-Figure out the groups based on how you think about what we should do to fix the school
-Talk to people next to you about what you would do to improve the school. (Everything:
Culture, Building, Curriculum, etc.?)
-Brainstorm how ideas of how to improve school
-Divide up into groups based on these solutions (so everyone agrees on the biggest solution to
the new EL.)
-Designate group roles
-Facilitator (leader)
-Scribe/record keeper
-Time keeper
-Researcher
-Facilitated work time.
-With Ms. McLean: As a group set up a google doc planning document. -**Share with me!!!
-As a group work to determine the problems you want to address in your proposal and your
solutions.

-What is the root of the problem?

-What is the cause?
-Who is it effecting?
-Is this really a problem that the school department should address?
-What can we do to solve it?
Day 4:
Goal: Back up all of your solutions and ideas for a new EL with historical evidence and
information you have gathered from talking to people who know the school well. **By the end
of this class you should be ready to put the research together for the presentation.
Step 1 -(5 minutes) Layout your solutions under the Solution section of the T-Chart.
Step 2-(10 minutes) Brainstorm: Are their questions you need answered by the faculty of EL?
-*Scribe Task: (Maximum 10-15 minutes) Email the questions you came up with in the
brainstorm to teachers that could provide you with answers. After you complete your task, join
your group members in working on step 3.
Step 3-(55 minutes) Look through past graphic organizers to find evidence to back up your
solutions. You may also look through Ms. McLeans website to refresh your memory of what we
learned throughout each lesson.
-Find:
-2 examples related to how schools have been evolving since the 1850s
-1 example of the way schools reflect the trends of society
-1 example of how schools influence society
-2 examples of how your design will impact the educational experiences of
present students and future generations.
-Compile your evidence on the Evidence side of the T-Chart
-As you find your evidence, document it on the graphic organizers.
Step 4 - (10 minutes) Decide how you are going to present the proposal so you are ready with an
idea for Wednesdays work day.
Day 5:
Goal: Finish the final product for your presentation. Put together your problems, solutions, and
evidence into an engaging presentation that will be ready for Class on Friday.
Step 1: (Maximum 15 minutes) Make an outline of the information you want to present. This
should include why you are doing the presentation (to explain your thoughts on how you can
reform Edward Little), the problems you are going to address, your solutions to the problems,
and the historical evidence to back up why you believe your solutions will be successful, and a
conclusion.
Example 1:
-Introduction
-Problem 1
-Solution 1
-Evidence for 1

Example 2:
-Introduction
-Problem 1
-Problem 2
-Problem 3

-Problem 2
-Solution 2
-Evidence for 2
-Problem 3
-Solution 3
-Evidence for 3
-Conclusion

-Solution 1
-Evidence for solution 1
-Solution 2
-Evidence for solution 2
-Solution 3
-Evidence for solution 3
-Conclusion

*Scribe Task - Put this outline on your planning doc on google drive that is shared with Ms.
McLean.
Step 2: (Maximum 5 minutes) Decide how you are going to present the information. It can be in
any format that you want. Ex. Podcast, Keynote, Website, Video, etc. Each presentation should
only be a maximum of 10 minutes.
*Check in with Ms. McLean - How are you going to present your proposal and what help do you
need from her?
Step 3: (40 minutes) Create the presentation. It will probably be helpful if you designate certain
tasks to different people in the group so the final product comes together quickly.
Step 4: (20 minutes) Practice your presentation.
*Check in with Ms. McLean - How did your presentation come out? Do you feel ready for
Friday?
Day 6:
-Present Projects
-Do Group Work Reflections
-Re-do pre-assessment
Reflection
I am very very very pleased with how this lesson went! My students loved getting the
chance to learn about their community and to teach me instead of the other way around. They all
participated equally and loved teaching me about their community as we created our historical
map of Auburn. This was very powerful for me because I got to see the amazing effects of
letting students guide their own learning and answer their own questions. I had been worried that
the lesson would flop because students would not be engaged but in hindsight this turned out to
be one of my best lessons and we did not miss any of the content that I had hoped to cover; if
anything the students took it even more in depth than I had expected and seemed to be more
engaged than ever!
I had also been concerned about how successful the final project would be because I was
asking so much of them. For this group of kids that needs a lot of scaffolding and are not often
trusted with large self directed projects like this, I had been concerned that they would be too
overwhelmed. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how effective scaffolding the progress of
each day was. This made this huge task into something that was absolutely manageable for every
student and reduced their stress because each day they realized they were making progress and
would be completely ready for the presentation by the end of the week. Each presentation went
very well and I felt that each group had very valid points about their school and offered
constructive and do-able suggestions to address the problems they see. I was very proud of my
students.

Only on group did not finish a presentation. This group did not communicate well and
therefore one student felt they were doing all of the work while the other two did nothing. While
this was not true, the student still had reason to feel this way because they would not
communicate the progress they had made. This group broke apart on the last work day and
refused to present together. Although their grade was affected because they did not present, I still
allowed them to pass in all of their prep work (since this is actually the most valuable part of my
assessment of what they have learned). I gave them the option to have a one on one interview
with me to tell me their ideas and get most of the credit for the project. Although this was a
stressful situation for me to handle, I feel that I handled it well and that their learning was not
affected negatively because the project was more about the process than the final presentation. It
was a valuable learning experience for the students as well because they were given the chance
to reflect on the issue in their post-project reflection survey.
I was impressed with how this project turned out but I felt that it was not enough of proof
that they had met all of the learning goals. Therefore I had students go back and redo my preassessment after all of the presentations were done. When I combined the way the projects turned
out with their new answers to the essential questions, I felt that I had sufficient proof that they
not only met the learning goals but also knew how to apply their understanding of change within
society to create their proposals.