Edu 155 Social Studies Lesson
Edu 155 Social Studies Lesson
Edu 155 Social Studies Lesson
Role:
You are a valued member of an elementary school faculty and the lead teacher for your
grade level.
Audience:
Your target audience is your colleagues that teach at this grade level.
Situation:
You have been asked to develop and demonstrate a model unit for social studies content
integrating the arts. These two lessons will be representative of the type of learning experiences
you have planned for students in this unit of study.
Product:
You will create a lesson that addresses History/Social Science and a second lesson that
addresses Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards of the California Department of
Education for your selected grade level. The lessons must include all elements of the Mount St.
Mary’s College Lesson Plan format.
As an expanding English learner, the student should be able to write short compositions using
be able to justify his or her opinions using prior knowledge or proof from a textbook (California
The instructional materials must provide comprehensible input to elucidate new content
vocabulary for the expanding English learner (California Department of Education, 2014).
Standards:
Standard 5.1 : “ Students describe the major pre-Columbian settlements, including…the
American Indians of the Pacific Northwest....” (California Department of Education, 2000, p. 16)
Unit/Theme:
This lesson is a component of a unit that discusses the pre-colonial culture of Native Americans,
specifically belonging to the Shasta, Yurok, and Hupa tribes of northern California. Most
recently, students were informed of the sex-differentiated roles within the aforementioned tribes.
This class will serve as the first in a series of lessons pertaining to Shasta, Yurok, and Hupa
spiritual practices and beliefs. It will focus on another vital component of the three tribes’
culture: mythology and folktales. Following a series of activities and instruction associated with
religion, the culminating unit topic, basketry, will be presented. Subsequently, students will be
given the opportunity to apply their knowledge to a performance task, which will require them to
incorporate Hupa, Yurok, and Shasta designs into the creation of an abstract art piece on
Lesson Topic:
How are differences between the Shasta, Yurok, and Hupa tribes made apparent through their
compositions?
Objectives:
Content: Fifth-grade students will distinguish folktales/myths from the Shasta, Yurok,
Language: Fifth-grade students will write compositions that reflect elements of Shasta,
Assessment:
Student learning of both content and language objectives will be assessed through informal and
formal methods. The informal, formative assessment will serve as a check for comprehension
(Wiggins & McTighe, 2005) and will be presented in the form of teacher observations (Wiggins
& McTighe, 2005) of students as they read aloud to each other in pairs. Comprehension will be
determined through the presence of fluency (a.k.a. the ability to read with prosody, accuracy, and
little struggle). An additional informal, formative assessment, will be offered in the form of a
reflective “one-minute essay” (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005, p. 216), which students will be asked
to complete at the end of the lesson. The formal, summative assessment will be presented in the
form of a written response to an academic prompt, which students will turn in for a grade. When
grading the written response, the instructor will look for evidence that the student has knowledge
pertaining to the distinguishing literary features of each of the three tribes under study. In
addition, the academic prompt will determine whether students possess the appropriate writing
skills necessary to complete the performance task (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005).
Supplementary Materials:
.Sorting Cards
.Three documents that each contain a myth/folktale from the Shasta, Yurok, or Hupa tribe:
www.sacred-texts.com/nam/ca/hut/hut06.htm
www.indigenouspeople.net/yurok.htm
https://www.jstor.org/stable/536831
Anticipated Misunderstandings/Difficulties:
Students may find it difficult to differentiate the terminology and stories that correspond to
each tribe. Explicit clarification of the specific vocabulary pertaining to each tribe will occur
during the instructional phase. In addition, the tribal origins of each myth/folktale read in today’s
Element Rationale
Describe what will happen. Why did you choose to do it this way?
Introduce the Lesson: The objectives will be presented in the
The instructor will have the language and manner described in order to contribute
content objectives written on the board before to a safe environment by recognizing and
students enter the classroom. Upon their arrival, addressing the needs of students with
two students will be called upon to come up to the different modalities (Colmenares &
board and point to the words of the objectives as Schwenzfeier, 2018). According to
Subsequently, the instructor will ask students to personalized instructional method that
raise their hands if they have ever heard of “The adapts the “process and goal to style
Turtoise and the Hare” or any other traditional interest, [and] need” (2005, p. 197) is an
stories/legends found within Aesop’s Fables. After essential aspect of a quality design for
having students lower their hands, the teacher will learning. The written objectives should
inform students that the Native American tribes cater to pupils with visual learning
that they have recently been studying have similar modalities. The read aloud of the
traditional stories and legends, known as myths or objectives will address the learning
folktales, that they will be learning about today. requirements of students with auditory
The instructor will then pass out cards, each modalities. Finally, the two students who
containing a few sentences from the are called upon to point to and read the
myths/folktales that will be read in other portions objectives will have kinesthetic learning
of the lesson, and ask students to sort them on the modalities, which will be satisfied by the
basis of similarity. Pupils will perform the activity movement required to arrive at the board,
in groups of three or four. Before commencement point to the words, and return to their
students of a word wall, in the form of a large The discussion before the sorting
poster, which will list (Echevarría et al, 2014) and activity is meant to link the information
200).
Develop Understandings (Instruction): The instructor read aloud will serve the
The instructor will again draw students’ attention purpose of modeling fluent reading.
to the aforementioned word wall and clarify its Modeling is a type of procedural scaffold
terminology in relation to the Shasta, Yurok, or (Echevarría et al, 2014). Similarly ,the
Hupa tribes. Subsequently, the teacher will read manner in which the instructor speaks
aloud a myth pertaining to the Shasta tribe. The serves as a verbal scaffold (Echevarría et
instructor’s speech should be slow and filled with al, 2014) as well as a form of input for
pauses. The word wall poster will remain in a making speech comprehensible
prominent position for students to refer to as they (Rothenberg & Fisher, 2007).
are listening to the story. The read aloud will also serve the
After the read aloud, the instructor will pair purpose of equipping students with a
students, based on mixed-ability, and have them cognitive learning strategy for
each read a pre-selected story from the Yurok or clarification (Echevarría et al, 2014) that
Hupa tribe. All student partners will receive the they will need to utilize when reading
weaker level of fluency reads, his or her partner The clarification of the word wall
will provide assistance with word identification. terminology will aid students in
As students are reading, the instructor will visit accomplishing the content objective by
each group and observe its progress. identifying words that are unique to
as an informal evaluation of
Students will be required to individually generate a some of the requirements of the first
Write a narrative that is reflective of the Shasta, students can choose what to write or
Yurok, and/or Hupa myths/folktales that were read illustrate and; thus, how they
and discussed in class. Your narrative may include demonstrate their understanding of tribal
Prior to commencing their compositions, students writing task is reflective of the explain
will be provided with an analytic rubric of criteria. facet of understanding in that it requires
McTighe, 2005).
2005).
The instructor will call two students, different will be read in the described manner in
from those of the lesson introduction, to re-read order to support the needs of students
the language and content objectives, which have with different learning modalities, as
remained on the board throughout class, while described in the rationale of the lesson’s
Subsequently, the students will be required to purposely call upon two kinesthetic
complete a “one-minute essay…in which [they] students, who have not previously read
summarize the two or three main points [of the and pointed to the objectives, in order to
lesson] and the questions that still remain for give as many students with this type of
them” (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005, p. 216). modality the opportunity to learn in the
comfortable.
WHERETO strategy.
The lesson on Hupa, Yurok, and Shasta Hupa, Shasta, and Yurok mythology and
class that addresses the second component of the students will be able to discern which
fifth-grade standard 5.3: “Describe the cooperation elements/themes were added as a result
that existed between the colonists and of their interactions with the colonizers.
aforementioned tribes.
Differentiating Instruction for EL focus student: The purpose of the writing model is to
The expanding English learner will be provide the expanding English learner
challenged in creating the somewhat lengthy with a framework in which he or she may
narrative that is required of the assessment structure his or her ideas (Rothenberg &
instructor will provide the student with a writing The chart of signal words will help the
model and a chart of signal words that he or she student in his or her construction of
should use in the construction of his or her complex sentences (Rothenberg &
composition. The writing model will take the Fisher, 2007). Furthermore, it will help
This is the story about… [He or she] was a being words to utilize in his or her writing
who lived…[character’s name] believed…+ 2 when alerting the reader to certain types
felt…So,…+ 2 sentences.
3 sentences.
form:
multi-step past…”
directions” (Rothenberg
2007 p, 153)
something” of
(Rothenberg Below”
2007, p. 153)
instruction.
Differentiating Instruction for a focus student with The latter student will read each story
assistance in reading the text, due to his or her reading of each story will help with the
tendency to scramble, omit, insert, or move letters special needs’ student’s reading
Students who already “get it” and need to be The additional writing requirement for
challenged in different ways will be asked to students who already “get it” will
incorporate other elements of Shasta, Yurok, and challenge them to recall and apply their
lessons of the unit (e.g. sex-differentiated roles). new situation. The application of prior
Engagement The story Although the Overall, the The story is able
neither hooks story initially story is able to to “hook and hold
nor holds the hooks the “hook and hold [the reader’s]
reader’s interest reader’s interest [the reader’s] interest through a
due to an through a interest through [highly] effective
ineffective somewhat a [generally] combination of
combination of effective effective plot and
plot and introduction of combination of character.
character. the plot and plot and (Wiggins &
character, it character. McTighe, 2005,
struggles to hold (Wiggins & p. 173)
the attention of McTighe, 2005,
the reader. p. 173)
Craftsmanshi The writer uses The writer uses The writer uses “The writer
p ineffective somewhat generally shows a good
conventions effective effective grasp of standard
that make conventions to conventions…t writing
readability enhance o enhance conventions…an
difficult. There readability, with readability, d uses [highly
are a plethora of occasional with minor effective]
errors (i.e. 7 or errors (i.e. 5-6). errors (i.e. 3-4). conventions… to
more). “The words “The words enhance
“The words readability.
[sometimes] [frequently]
Errors tend to be
[rarely] convey
convey the convey the
so few that just
the intended intended intended minor touch-ups
would get this
meaning in a message in a message in a
piece read to
precise, precise, precise,
publish”
interesting, and interesting, and interesting, and (Wiggins &
McTighe, 2005,
natural way. natural way. natural way.
p. 174).
The words are [However], [t]he The words are
“The words
[neither] words are powerful”
[consistently]
powerful…[nor [neither] (Wiggins &
convey the
] engaging” powerful…[nor] McTighe, 2005,
intended message
(Wiggins & engaging” p. 174) ;
in a precise,
McTighe, 2005, (Wiggins & however, they
interesting, and
p. 174). McTighe, 2005, may not be
natural way. The
p. 174). engaging, or
words are
vice versa.
powerful and
engaging”
(Wiggins &
McTighe, 2005,
p. 174).
Character The writer does The writer The writer The writer
development not explain the introduces the introduces the explains the
central central central central
character’s character’s character’s character’s
beliefs and beliefs and beliefs and beliefs and
environment or environment; environment; environment in
its relation to however, he or however, he or great depth.
tribal she fails to she fails to Furthermore, on
mythology and develop or develop or the basis of the
folklore. further elaborate further aforementioned
upon them. The elaborate upon details, it is
character them. It is evident that the
embodies evident that the character
inaccurate traits character embodies
of the tribal embodies completely
mythology and generally accurate traits of
folklore accurate traits the tribal
discussed in of the tribal mythology and
class. mythology and folklore
folklore discussed in
discussed in class.
class.
Ideas The paper is The paper lacks “The paper is “The paper is
unclear and clarity and [generally] [exceptionally]
unfocused. focus. Although clear and clear and
There is a relevant focused. It focused. It holds
dearth of details/anecdote holds the the reader’s
relevant details/ s are used, it is reader’s attention.
anecdotes and it difficult for the attention. Relevant
is difficult for reader to sustain Relevant anecdotes and
the reader to his or her anecdotes and details enrich the
sustain his or attention on the details enrich central theme”
her attention on composition. the central (Wiggins &
the theme” McTighe, 2005,
composition. (Wiggins & p. 174).
McTighe, 2005,
p. 174).
References
Colmenares, E., & Schwenzfeier, D. (2018, April 5). Introduction to Stage 3: Learning Plan
Creating Meaningful Learning Experiences. Lecture presented at Social Studies and the
Echevarriá , J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. (2014). Making content comprehensible for elementary
English learners: the SIOP model (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
from https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/documents/eldstndspublication14.pdf
Gillies, R. M. (2007). Cooperative learning: Integrating theory and practice. Los Angeles: Sage
Publications.
Jensen, E. (2010). Different brains, different learners: how to reach the hard to reach (2nd ed.).
Rothenberg, C., & Fisher, D. (2007). Teaching English language learners: A differentiated
Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: