Lesson Plan Template

Complete each section using the template below. Consult the

USC Aiken Lesson Plan Guide for specific instructions for each
component. You will be assessed using the Lesson Plan Rubric.
Go to: https://www.usca.edu/education/current-students/forms-
and-resources/.
Candidate Name Jonathan Reid
Date of Lesson 10/20/20
Duration 20 mins
Number of Students 21
Subject Area(s) Social Studies
Grade Level(s) 4th Grade
Lesson Title Let’s Set Sail!
You will be assessed on the following components:
1. Standard & Indicator 4-1.3 I can Explain the political, economic, and technological factors that led
to the exploration of the new world by Spain, Portugal, France, the
Netherlands, and England, including the competition between nations, the
expansion of international trade, and the technological advances in
shipbuilding and navigation.
2. Learning Objective Students will be able to describe in a letter life as an explorer traveling in a
ship to the New World.
3. Assessments Pre Assessments Formative Summative Assessments
Students will Assessments In the chat box, have
participate in the Students will write a students tell one reason
Kahoot questions. letter to their parents explorers explored the new
describing how life is world.
like on a Viking ship
(or any explorer’s
ship).
4. Pedagogical Strategies 1. What are you going to do to achieve your learning objective? Suggested
strategies include (Check all that apply):

☐ Anticipation Guide ☒ Direct instruction/lecture ☐ Mnemonic device

☐ Brainstorming ☒ Demonstration ☐ Drawing/artwork
☐ Graphic organizer/concept map ☐ Hands-on manipulatives ☐ Movement
☐ Structured notetaking ☐ Small groups ☐ Music
☐ Analyze image, photo, or object ☐ Inquiry stations ☐ Video
☐ Annotate or highlight text ☐ Gallery Walk ☐ Roleplay
☐ Guided practice ☐ Turn & Talk ☒ Game
☐ Quick Writes ☐ Think-Pair-Share ☐ Project
☐ Inquiry Learning Cycle ☐ Other:
2. Please describe why you chose the strategies and how will the strategies
address the learning objective?
Direct instruction- I will review the questions on Kahoot throughout
my powerpoint to ensure student understanding.
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 Demonstration- I will demonstrate how the ship letter should be
written so that students have a model.
Game- I will use the Kahoot game at the beginning to examine how
much the students remember previously from class.

5. Diversity for Student Differentiation Accommodations Modifications

Learning Visual Learners:
Students will benefit Students who were
from associating not able to write their
images in letter exceptionally
powerpoint with well or did not finish,
knowledge on the will receive
topic. Also, they assistance after
will find the Kahoot virtual class.
activity engaging.
Auditory Learner:
Students will benefit
by listening as I
review the several
questions given in
the Kahoot game
and making
connections from
the answers they had
given.
Kinesthetic
Learners: Students
will benefit by
participating in the
letter activity
because they can
physically engage
writing their own
letters.
6. Grouping Students Online classroom setting
7. Lesson Structure: EXPLORE (2 mins): To kick off the lesson I will tell students that we will
a. Launch briefly review what was previously reviewed in class about the Age of
b. Direct Teaching Exploration by playing a Kahoot game. I will instruct students to to enter the
c. Student Exploration website in their browser and type in the pin to begin the game. Each question
and Practice will be timed twenty seconds. After going through all of the questions, I tell
d. Closure students that we will be going into review those questions within the
powerpoint.
EXPLORE (7 mins): Next I will open the powerpoint, “Why did Explorers
Explore?” I will tell students that we are going to review some key points
about why Explorers explore and some of the questions that we had on the
kahoot quiz. Firstly, I will go to slide 1 and discuss why God, Glory, and
Gold were the main reasons for exploration. God= spread of religion, Glory=
to have a great status and expand territory, Gold= Obtain wealth such as
silver/gold and other items of wealth. Then, I will review slide 3 and discuss
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 how the New World was accidently discovered because explorers were
trying to find a faster route to Asia.
Next, I will go to slide 10 and explain that it was Christopher Columbus who
was responsible for discovering the New World due (Remind kids-He didn’t
really discover because Native Americans were already here-He “stumbled”
upon North America because he thought sailing west would get him to Asia
faster) to Spain competing with Portugal. Next, I will go to slide 11 and that
caravels were made to support faster travel during this era of exploration.
Next, I will go to slide 13 and tell students about the various tools used by
explorers in order to navigate (astrolabe, compass, maps). Next, I will go to
slide 15 and describe how explorers used cartography to share their
knowledge with others.
EXPLAIN (5 mins): Next, I will wrap up that discussion about explorers
and tell students to take out their social studies notebooks as I pull up a video
about something we are going to be writing about today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkMVsNEwvX0. I will allow students
to view the entire video then I will explain how Draken and his ship crew
have experienced what many explorers have in the past when travelling far
from home. Next, I will go to slide 17 and read the instructions and show my
own personal example of the letter on slide 18. I will explain to students they
are to begin the letter with Dear mom and dad and start the first sentence
with “I am sailing to the new world to…” I will tell students this is the big
idea and they should consider God, glory, and gold. Also, I will tell them to
write two sentences by referring to b. on slide 18.
EVALUATE (12 mins): Students will be given 10 minutes to write their
letters to their parents. Afterwards I will allow 2-3 students to share what
they have written by raising their hands in the virtual classroom.
END: To wrap up the lesson I will briefly discuss what we reviewed today
and compliment students on their letters.

8. Follow Up I will allows students to briefly talk about Enrichment

their letters next class.
9. Questioning Knowledge and Application and Evaluation and creation
comprehension analysis Is exploring something you
The Kahoot What are three things would like to do?
questions given will you learned about
cover this area. exploring?

10. Materials/Resources and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkMVsNEwvX0

References
11. Educational Technology
12. Safety Considerations
13. Linking Theory to
Practice
Kahoot, Youtube, and Powerpoint
N/A
•Social cognitive theory: Learning occurs in a social context through
observation, imitation, and modeling (Bandura). Teachers focus on
demonstration and repetition

I support this theory throughout my lesson by demonstrating how the letter

should be written and emphasizing the specific ideas involved with it’s

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 creation.

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