Explorers arrive

Lesson Plan #2: Collaboration

Grade: 3 Social Studies Strand: History
Submitted By: Patty Medeiros Partner: Rebecca Waltz
EDEL 453: Teaching Elementary School Social Science Nevada State College Spring 2014 Instructor: Karen Powell

Lesson Plan #2 History and Geography

submitted by: Patty Medeiros & Rebecca Waltz

A. Summary of the Lesson Plan: This social studies lesson is designed for 3rd grade students to learn about the first European explores to come to North America. This lesson uses the Houghton Mifflin Social Studies textbook Communities (p. 110-113). B. Basic Information: Grade Level: 3rd grade Time to Complete this Lesson: 50 minutes Groupings: o o o o Partner Groups (Think-Pair-Share, Rally Robin) Table Groups (Talking Chips) Individual Whole Class

C. Materials: T-Chart Worksheet for each student (Sample at end of Lesson plan or top of TE pg. 110) Study Guide/Homework (Unit Resources p. 32) for each student (sample at the bottom of TE pg.113) Paper and Pencils D. Objectives: o NV State Social Studies Standards H1.3.3 Learn about individuals around the world and discuss their contributions.

Student-Friendly Standards I can explain why the first explorers came from around the world and summarize their impact.

E. Vocabulary Trade route a road or waterway that people travel to buy, sell, or exchange goods Explorer a person who travels to unknown or little-known places

F. Procedure: 1. Building Background - Refer to notes on TE 110 - Get Set to Read. o Using Think-Pair-Share (face partners), have student A and B alternate reading the headings and boldface words on pages 111-113 and then their partner will predict what the lesson will be about. Introduce vocabulary (trade route, explorer).
Nevada State College

Expand vocabulary introduction (if time allows.)

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 2

Lesson Plan #2 History and Geography

submitted by: Patty Medeiros & Rebecca Waltz

In table grouping, have students try to find alternate words to describe the vocabulary word. For example, business road instead of trade route. Explain to students that the suffix er means one who, so an explorer is one who explores.

o o

Using Think-Pair-Share (shoulder partners), ask the students to think about what the explorers were looking for. Call one or two groups to share their answers. Using Talking Chips within their table groupings, have students identify and discuss places theyd like to visit, but have never been before. Explain that European explorers didnt know what they would find. Explain the T-Chart that students would complete to chart details they learn about explorers from Spain and France into two categories as they read.

2. Read pages 110-111 and clarify understanding using questions provided in Teach section on page 111 after reading is completed. o o o In partner grouping (any), have students use Read & Retell strategy to read pages 110-111. Either with their partners or individually, have students write details in their TChart. Ask students to clarify what they learned by answering questions from the margins of page 111. Students should share their answers using the Rally Robin strategy.

3. Read pages 112-113 and clarify understanding using questions provided in the TE margin on pg. 112 after reading is completed. o o o Again in the same partner groups, have students use Read & Retell strategy to read pages 112-113. Either with their partners or individually, have students write more details in the TChart. Ask students to clarify what they learned by answering questions from the margin in the TE pg. 112: o o Why did Cabrillo explore the Pacific Coast north of Mexico? What did the French explorer Samuel de Champlain do? Do you think the French government was pleased with Champlain? Review: Why did Spain and France send explorers to North America?

4. Explain the Study Guide/Homework (Unit Resources pg. 32). Working in partner groups, have students complete the Study Guide/Homework worksheet. If time allows, check student understanding by discussing responses aloud as a whole group.

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 3

Lesson Plan #2 History and Geography

G. Assessment:

submitted by: Patty Medeiros & Rebecca Waltz

a. What will you use to measure student understanding? Write a Journal Entry: Why was it important that the explorers came to North America? Discuss some of the explorers discoveries. b. Explain how you will know students understand the concepts from the lesson. Students should demonstrate their understanding of the lesson by including information in their journal entries such as: o o o H. Closure: Quick whole group review and discussion of the first European explorers to come to North America. explorers saw and learned about new places explorers found rich resources such as fish and beaver explorers met American Indians

I.

Reflection: 1. Which part of the lesson do you think will be the easiest for you to teach? I think it will be easiest to teach the building background warm up activities in this lesson. Its meant to engage them and get them excited about this lesson and often times I find that elementary students are eager to share. Also, I think it will be easy to teach, because it really engages them through dynamic partner groups. When students feel like they are discussing and teaching, they are more willing to participate than if they are being lectured to. 2. Which part will be most challenging for you to teach? I think the worksheet assigned in step four will be hardest. I struggle with just watching students fill out worksheets even as a sub, because I would rather them be engaged and demonstrating their knowledge. I think I might change that to a Quiz-Quiz-Trade exercise and perhaps have this worksheet ready for early finishers or a take home review packet (not for grade, but as test prep). 3. How will you follow up or extend this lesson? This is the first lesson in the unit, so it follows by discussing additional explorers and colonization. However, to specifically extend this lesson I would l use the follow up activity that accompanies this lesson which specifically discusses the maps of Champlain. However, to extend this lesson overall I would like focus on supporting the unit as a whole. First, the students and I would build a visual wall to support this content. For example, I would like to have a time line that marks when specific explores came to North America and add to that time line as students go further into this unit. Id also like there to be a word wall that collects the vocabulary they learn with this unit, so that students may easily refer to it for writing and reading.

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 4

Lesson Plan #2 History and Geography

submitted by: Patty Medeiros & Rebecca Waltz

Again, as this is the beginning of the unit, I would like to update our class library to reflect fiction and non-fiction literature about European explorers and the early days of colonization. If possible, I would like to have laminated map of the world in my class as well to be either posted to the wall or available for a group activity. Id like to have envelops that describe the voyages and destinations of the explorers that students could use dry-erase markers to chart out. Another activity I would like is a guess-who game with silhouettes of explores with a description of what they did. Students would submit their guess as to who the picture and description match. Lastly, there was a challenge mentioned in the margins of page 111, which I opted out to conserve time. I would have liked to incorporate that to extend student learning of those who dont grasp the concepts. Ill explain further in question 4. 4. What can you do for students who dont grasp the concepts? The challenge listed on page 111 encourages the students to perform a play that depicts Columbus and his Crews first sight of America and first encounter with native people. I think that either letting children determine their own script or providing a script to ELL students or students will special needs could really extend this lesson. It would allow the children to convey concepts in their own language while utilizing new academic language. Also, it could extend concept comprehension as the students listen to their peers explain the concepts in a way that the textbook, our discussions, and our assessment did not. 5. Which part of the lesson, if any, do you think might need to change? Like I mentioned above on question four, I would change the worksheet part. I would also like to build in a more fun activity for this lesson unit. For example, I might have table groups name their table set after a ship during this unit. Teams would earn P.A.T. points or race across the Atlantic Ocean by doing extra projects like those I mentioned in extending the lesson and behaviors. I might also change class jobs to reflect more explore type language. 6. When you were writing this lesson plan, what was the most difficult part? The assessment is always the hardest part for me. I want to find a way that best illustrates the comprehension level of my students. Im becoming more found of subject journals as a way to do that. Luckily, my partner agreed and supported that decision. 7. Describe your experience collaborating on this lesson plan. Patty was an excellent partner. We began our discussion early on which made it possible for us to being work sooner and made decision easier. Patty selected several standards and I found several lessons that corresponded to those standards from which we decided our lesson.

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 5

Lesson Plan #2 History and Geography

submitted by: Patty Medeiros & Rebecca Waltz

Originally, we tried to split the lesson plan in sections, but I would not advise this route in the future. Patty offered to complete sections F-H, if I completed A-E. I ended up contributing to F by building the first part of the lesson and conveyed the ideas and thoughts I had for Pattys section, because I wanted the workload to be fair. In the end, we ended up splitting up the lesson pages where I designed 110-111 and she designed the lesson plan for 112-113. This worked out because my pages focused on building background, introducing vocabulary, and starting the reading which matched what I had started designing for sections A-E. It would also allow me to actually lesson plan part of F and make suggestions for G and H. It allowed me to view the lesson as whole and not just sections which I think ended up designing a stronger lesson. Patty and I had great communication through the WebCampus and kept each other in aware of the status of the lesson plan. I think it also helped that we offered to communicate by phone or meet with one another in person. This was a great relief to me to have that option even though we never had to utilize it. Its rarely something Ive had access to in online partnering. I also felt very accountable for our shared score. I went and reviews my Lesson Plan 1 and inquired on how to better address things I had missed points on from you. Its very evident now in my part of the design plan the group dynamics. In fact, because I was aware of needed to denote groupings better, I feel that I was more creative in dynamics this time. I felt that this made for a stronger lesson overall, because dynamic group can support scaffolding content to students struggling to understand the concepts. Finally, I learned a new technique for collaborating for online classes. As I completed something that I wanted Patty to read, I used the Review notes in Word to express my thoughts, concerns, and ideas for a section. I wish that I had known this technique in the past for group activities instead of hoping my partner would know why I did something. Im not sure if it helped Patty, but allowed me to feel as if I as contributing more than if we had just split the lesson down the middle.

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 6

Lesson Plan #2 History and Geography

submitted by: Patty Medeiros & Rebecca Waltz

European Explorers
Chart details you learn about explorers from Spain and France into two categories.

Spain

France

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 7