Unit Plan: Civil Rights

Lesson Plan for: Monday

Grade: 1st
Social Studies Strand: History
Submitted By: Deavon Hinebauch


EDEL 453: Teaching Elementary School Social Science
Nevada State College Spring 2014
Instructor: Karen Powell
Lesson Plan for Monday Strand: History submitted by: Deavon Hinebauch

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 2
B. Summary of the Lesson Plan: This social studies lesson is designed for 1
st
grade students to
learn about Martin Luther King Jr; it is the first lesson in a five-day unit on civil rights. This
lesson incorporates two literature books, Martins Big Words & My Brother Martin.
C. Basic Information:
Grade Level: 1
st
Grade
Time to Complete this Lesson: 50 minutes
Groupings: Whole group for readings and KWL discussion, small groups with fish bowl
sharing, individual for filling out KWL, white boards, and journal entry
D. Materials:
Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport
My Brother Martin by Christine King Farris
Blank KWL chart for each student
http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/kwl.pdf
White boards and dry erase marker for each student
Student Journals

E. Objectives:
o NV State Social Studies Standards
H.1.1.1 Describe life long ago, including jobs, school, communication,
transportation, and recreation.
o Student-Friendly Standards
I can describe life before the civil rights movement, including school,
communication, transportation, and recreation.
F. Vocabulary
Segregation: to separate or set apart from a group, usually by force
Unfair: not acting to an agreed standard, such as honesty, justice, ethics
Injustice: violation of the rights of others
Transportation: to carry, move, or convey from one place to another.
G. Procedure:
1. Introduction: Teacher will open the lesson by putting up an image of Martin Luther King
on the Smart Board. Each students will receive a KWL chart and be asked what they
already know about Martin Luther King Jr., as well as what they wish to learn. Allow
Lesson Plan for Monday Strand: History submitted by: Deavon Hinebauch

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 3
students to share some of their ideas with a partner when finished. Next, go over the
vocabulary with students, which should be written on the board.
2. Inform students that they will be learning about one of the major influences of the civil
rights movement, Martin Luther King. Call students to the carpet for the whole-group
reading of My Brother Martin. Ask students to bring their white boards and dry erase
markers with them. Students should draw a compare/contrast chart (T-graph) in which
students write the word Same in the left column and Different on the right. Ask
students to listen for and list ways in which they are similar to Martin Luther King under
the Same Column and different in the Different column, at least two should be
listed in each column during the reading. Students should also list any unfamiliar words
toward the bottom so the teacher can discuss them after the reading. Examples for
same may include playing baseball, reading, etc. and different relating to school,
segregation, etc.
3. Following the reading, students should use fishbowl strategy to have students share with
at least three other classmates about ways in which they are similar and different from
MLK. Teacher should walk around and share with students as well (observational
assessment).
4. Next, ask students to return to the carpet for the reading of Martins Big Words. Before
reading, tell students to listen for what MLK did when faced with a problem.
5. After the reading, students should return to their seats and finish filling out the KWL chart
for L. Tell students you want to see at least one comment about Martin L. Kings life,
and one about how his life is different from their own (write this on the board). The
teacher should provide at least one or two examples about topics discussed and
learned, and encourage examples that include communication, school,
transportation, and recreation among white/black people.
H. Assessment:
What will you use to measure student understanding?
Write a Journal Entry: How does it make you feel that Martin Luther King Jr. had to
struggle for his rights? Students can illustrate their writing.
Explain how you will know students understand the concepts from the lesson.
I will know if students can describe life before the civil rights movement through
observational assessment and through the assessment of the KWL, and in looking over
the journal entries, each of which will be collected.
I. Closure:
Quick discussion of some differences between the childhood of MLK and our
childhood.
J. Reflection:
1. Which part of the lesson do you think will be the easiest for you to teach?
Lesson Plan for Monday Strand: History submitted by: Deavon Hinebauch

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 4
I believe the easiest to teach will be the white board activity in which students will
find similarities and differences.
2. Which part will be most challenging for you to teach?
I think the most difficult to teach will be the KWL, not knowing if students will be at all
familiar with MLK, or if the responses under the learned column will relate to
concepts of the lesson.
3. How will you follow up or extend this lesson?
I want to extend the ideas of the lesson with more real world scenarios and
engaging activities, so students are not just listening to reading, but instead
applying the concepts in an engaging manner, such as in acting out scenarios or
putting students in the shoes of MLK as a child as much as possible; the stories lay a
great foundation for the unit though.
4. What can you do for students who do not grasp the concepts?
The teacher should have the opportunity to share with each student individually at
some point, which will provide opportunity to guide students thinking and using
effective questioning in order for students to grasp concepts. This is why I like the
fishbowl activity, so the teacher can actively assess if students understand the
reading or need more assistance in finding similarities and differences and learning
some details about MLK. Teacher should be constantly walking around to work with
students individually to help them establish or further ideas as needed.
5. Which part of the lesson, if any, do you think might need to change?
This lesson may require more time in discussion and application of ideas, in which I
would omit the second reading to ensure students recognize some similarities and
differences first and foremost. Students will still be able to complete the KWL chart
with the one story, but both stories are very meaningful.
6. When you were writing this lesson plan, what was the most difficult part?
It was difficult to decide ways to relate concepts from the civil rights movement to
first grade students in this generation. I think it is difficult for students to really
understand what it was like in previous times, and I think it will be difficult for
students to understand the perspective of a child like Martin Luther King who lived
in a very different time. This is why I like the compare/contrast ideas: so students
can see how he was a child with regular likes/dislikes as they have, but also was
raised differently in a number of ways. The overall difficult part was how to help
students make a personal connection.