Clinical Social Studies Lesson Plan Template

You need to use this lesson plan template for your social studies lesson. IMPORTANT:
You will need to make a copy of this template first! Here are the directions for doing so:
Click on the File tab. Select: Make a copy of this template as a Google Doc. Save your copy
with your first name and last name in the file. Use this template to plan your social studies
lesson plan and reflection. Make sure to share your template and give Dr. Byker
(ebyker@uncc.edu) editing rights. Make sure that before you turn in the lesson plan you have
completed the Reflection part of the lesson plan template.

Direct Instruction Social Studies Lesson Plan Template

Name: Kirsten Snyder Central Focus/Big Idea of the Lesson:
European explorers had many effects on
Grade Level/Subject: 5th, Social Studies land and American Indians.

Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:

5.H.1.1 Evaluate the relationships between European explorers (French, Spanish
and English) and American Indian groups, based on accuracy of historical information
(beliefs, fears and leadership)

Daily Lesson Objective: Independently, students will be able to evaluate European

explorers with 75% accuracy.

21st Century Skills: Highlight which of the Academic Language Demand

following skills are part of this lesson:
Language Function: Evaluate
Collaboration
Communication Vocabulary: Evaluate, explorers,
Creativity missionaries, conquerors, navigation,
Critical Thinking expedition
Problem Solving
Discourse: Students are collaboratively
working together when reading the
explorers text and discussing any questions
or activities including the map.

Syntax: Students are expected to write

complete sentences containing 5th grade
vocabulary and grammar as they complete
their writing journals. Students can trade
journals for feedback.
Prior Knowledge of students: What do the students already know (ask your mentor teacher
if you are unsure)? Students already know diverse people made contributions to the United
States history. They know regions of the world and compass areas such as North, East,
South, West.

Activity Description of Activities and Setting

Time

1. Focus & Review Students will look at pictures of Henry Hudson, 5-10
Marco Polo, and Christopher Columbus. min
The teacher will ask “Do you know who this is?” How
do you know?
What do you think this person did?
What time period do you think he is from? How do
you know?
What countries did they explored?
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SDa4fP2HA
Bi8V6zooE9GMajJIrOjhDD11A10gFsnTdQ/edit?usp
=sharing

2. Kid-friendly I can identify and describe European explorers. I can 1 min

Objective Statement explain which countries and regions explorers went
and why.

3. Teacher Input The teacher will discuss why countries and people 5-10
(Include a line of 4 wanted to explore new land through the powerpoint min
questions; 2 of the used above.
4 questions -What are explorers?
should be deeper -Why did countries and people want to explore?
level thinking -What did countries gain from exploring new land?
questions) - Do you think some countries wanted different
things compared to other countries?

4. Guided Practice Students will get into groups of 2-3 and read Unit 2 10-15
of Explorations pages 59-64. As they are reading min
through the book the students must look at the
“textwork” boxes on the sides of the texts and
discuss any of the information or questions that
arise. The teacher will walk around to check for
understanding and elicit student thinking.
 What are you reading?
Could you compare any of the explorers? Why?
Why were they exploring new land?
Can you show me on the map where the explorers
went?

5. Independent Students will write in their social studies journal

Practice imagining they are traveling with one of the explorers
talked about today. They will include descriptions of
the places they have been and why. As students are
writing the teacher will walk around and complete
short writing conferences with the students.
What are you writing about?
Why did you choose that explorer?
Where are you going?
How will the reader be able to visualize where you
are?
What are some descriptive words that you are
using?

6. Assessment Students will complete a 4 question Kahoot on 5 min

Methods of all explorers.
objectives/skills: Students who must receive ¾ correct to master
objective.
https://create.kahoot.it/creator/cacafa6c-1ad3-4c37-
8fda-aaf6535b7106

M P D
e ar o
et ti e
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7. Closure (make “Today we learned about some explorers of North America,

this an activity Canada, and Mexico. These explorers were looking for land for
based closure like their country to conquer. As we learn more about these explorers
an Exit Tickets) and American Indian Groups, I want you to keep in mind why
they were looking for land and how both groups of people felt.”
8. Assessment https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hOhnujl2LMbGUXLeBJb-
Results of all LhDLOAN5Er2v/view?usp=sharing
objectives/skills: Individual results of students for each question are shown in the
google sheets above.

Targeted Students Student/Small Group Modifications/

Modifications/Accommodations: Accommodations:

Hard of hearing: A voice recording of Early Finishers: students can help those who
the lesson can be provided for are still working, students can trade writing
headphone use, directions and journals and give feedback, can revise writing
explanations can be given on paper, and edit it
allow students to work in groups in a
quiet place while reading Struggling Readers: students can be given
vocabulary ahead of time, can be given
Visual impairment: access to sentence starters for writing journal, students
presentation on own computer, can be paired with higher level readers when
enlarged text, text can be given on reading texts
laptop and be used with a voice
recording

Materials/Technology:
(Include any instructional materials (e.g., worksheets, assessments PowerPoint/SmartBoard slides, etc.) needed to implement the
lesson at the end of the lesson plan.)
kahoot, google slides, social studies text 59-64, writing journals, pencils, computers
References: https://avirtualexplorationoftheamericas.weebly.com/christopher-newport.html

Reflection on lesson: (Write several paragraphs about what you learned from this lesson.
What were the strengths? What were the weaknesses? What did you learn about teaching
and student learning? How would you teach this lesson differently in the future?

Throughout making this lesson, I had to learn the information of certain explorers such as
who they are, where they explored, which country sent them, and why they were exploring.
This lesson required communication with my CE on what they students already know and
what she wanted me to concentrate on. My CE gave me a chapter of the textbook to read
and complete the questions at the end of it. I know reading the textbook was not entirely
engaging, so I was sure to include other engaging parts at the beginning and turning the
questions into a fun kahoot game.
Some strengths of this lesson included the kahoot game and the focus and review where
the students were able to tell me some information about three explorers they have already
learned about. I learned a lot of information about Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, and
Henry Hudson during the focus and review. Students were very engaged during the turn
and talks throughout the textbook allowing me to see their understanding of the text as I
walked around.
Some weaknesses were reading straight out of the textbook. I would have loved to turn it
into an engaging group work activity with QR codes or making posters about explorers.
The school requires that reading instruction is 90 minutes so I was only left with 30 minutes
to teach my lesson. My CE discussed how she usually has to teach the lesson within a
couple days with the time limit given. Unfortunately, I was unable to do this because we still
had our classes.
Teaching comes with a lot of management, rules, and directions. The class I taught were
very well behaved and listened to my directions very well. They were active throughout the
lesson and discussed the content well. Student learning is different for each child. The
What Are They Thinking assignment helped me learn the way students like to learn. It is
important to understand students individually when creating lessons. As the year goes on,
the teacher is able to create a habit of including activities of students interest.
I would teach this lesson differently by not reading out of the textbook. When I was in
school, I disliked reading out of the textbook and the information never stayed. Reading out
of the text may be important for some topics, but it can easily be changed to a more
engaging way. The text can be copied and distributed to students so they can work in
groups to read a page and discuss the information to teach the class about. There would
be specific guidelines for students to follow to ensure their classmates and learning the
important information. I would also expand this lesson to two days because it felt like I was
rushed and cramming information into 30 minutes.