Running Head: LESSON PLAN
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Lesson Plan
Lauren Coleman
National University
In partial fulfillment for the requirements for TED 635
Professor Cathy Lauer
March 17, 2015
Lesson Plan 2
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Abstract
This paper will detail a lesson plan based on the History-Social Science
Framework for California public schools for a 6th grade classroom of 35 students. The
lesson plan will be drafted, edited, and executed. The teaching candidate will work
closely with the master teacher to develop the lesson plan outcomes and most effective
methods of delivering content. Upon concluding the teaching experience, the candidate
will reflect upon the master teachers feedback as well as possible modifications to the
lesson plan that will improve students chances for a successful learning experience.
Lesson Plan 2
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11255 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037-1011 Phone (858) 642-8320 Fax (858) 642-8724 [Link]
LESSON PLAN
Lesson Plan Design
Subject: History/Social Science Grade: 6 Lesson Topic: New Egyptian Kingdom
Candidates Name: Lauren Coleman
ID # 022983605
Site Supervisor: Mrs. Colleen Botts
NU Supervisor: Professor Cathy Lauer
Date: March 17, 2015
1. Introduction: (Identify Grade Level K12 Academic Content Standard(s),
rationale, focus learner, create bridges from past learning, behavior expectations)
History-Social Science Content Standards for
Rationale:
California Public Schools:
Students learn about the ancient Egyptian
6.2 Students analyze the geographic, political,
civilization through exploring the lives and
economic, religious, and social structures of the reign of Queen Hatshepsut and Ramses II.
early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and
Both were pharaohs, but presented very
Kush.
different political agendas during their term
7. Understand the significance of Queen
as leader of the Egyptian kingdoms. The
Hatshepsut and Ramses the Great.
contrast between each provides the
backbone for argumentative discussion.
Prior Learning:
Students have been introduced to temples
constructed by Hatshepsut and Ramses II during
Day 1 of this 7-Day unit. Emphasis has been
placed on temple architecture.
Focus Learner and Behavioral Expectations:
Students in Mrs. Botts class thrive on interaction.
Partner discussions and small groups give students
a chance to participate and socialize with their
peers while sharing ideas and challenging each
others thinking.
Lesson Plan 2
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2. Learner Outcome(s)/Objective(s): (What will students learn from this lesson?
How will you measure mastery of the outcome?)
Learner Objectives:
Rationale:
The learner objectives satisfy the
Students will annotate CLOSE read about
California History-Social Science Content
Hatshepsut and identify two words or phrases
Standard for public schools. It also
that need clarification.
incorporates the use of visual arts as well
Students will identify each pharaoh in
photographs and provide a piece of evidence to provides cross-content educational
opportunities.
support their conclusion.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of
In this lesson, students engage in partner
the contributions each pharaoh made to the
and group discussion as well as a friendly
Egyptian society during their reign by
debate to create an effective social
providing at least 5 bullet points each on the
learning environment. This is the first
Socratic Seminar Notes handout.
time Mrs. Botts will be utilizing the
Students will participate in Socratic discussion
Socratic Seminar and anticipates the
at least once.
students enjoying this activity.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed through observation and
given oral feedback during discussions. The
worksheets completed individually will also
indicate if students were participating and learning
relevant details about each pharaoh.
Students bullet information learned from
individual readings, discuss findings with
partners and groups who receive different
readings based on skill level and debate
based on the knowledge theyve gained
through readings and earlier discussions.
3. Pre-assessment Activity: (Determine students abilities to achieve the Learner
Outcome and prescribe instruction accordingly. Consider: linguistic background,
academic language abilities, content knowledge, cultural and health considerations,
interests and aspirations, physical development, social development, emotional
development. )
Rationale:
Mrs. Botts class is primarily English speaking and As this lesson is occurring past the
only one student presents with a mild learning
midway point in the school year, students
disability and receives RSP assistance.
are well aware of the teachers
expectations for participation and
Linguistic Background:
appropriate behavior.
85% of students speak English
10% of students speak Chinese & Korean
Students have previously participated in
5% of students speak Spanish
close reads and partner/group discussions
so little direction is needed to facilitate
Academic Language Abilities:
these activities.
According to Mrs. Botts, 75% of her classroom is
at grade level.
As it is the first time using a Socratic
seminar, more time will be allotted for
Lesson Plan 2
Physical, Social, Emotional:
Students very active and social and come from
socioeconomically affluent families. Majority of
students are involved in after school activities.
Socioeconomic Considerations:
Students are from a middle-high class
socioeconomic neighborhood.
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explanation and clarification prior to and
during the activity. The quality of
responses is still expected to reflect the
meaningful conversations outlined in
previous lessons. Students indicate, I
agree with NAME because or I disagree
with NAME because, Id like to
piggyback NAMEs idea
Cultural Considerations:
Students engage in religious and sports activities
outside of school. Classroom make up is
predominantly Caucasian with some Hispanic,
Asian, and Arab.
Health Considerations & Attendance
No known health concerns. Very good attendance
by students.
Interests, Motivations, & Extra Curricular
Developmentally appropriate interests. High
motivation to learn.
4. Differentiation, Adaptation & Accommodation Strategies: (Based on the preassessments, modify Learning Activities based on learner characteristics to meet the
needs of ELL & special needs students, highly achieving students and low achieving
students)
Rationale:
Modifications for ELLs:
Collaborative learning opportunities by
Students are provided appropriate text based on
way of metacognitive development aids
their reading abilities. Students are paired
ELL learning.
together with a higher-level reader. The use of
visuals is incorporated to aid in ELL learning as
Contextualization allows ELL students to
well.
create a parallel through pictures to make
the information more comprehensible and
Modifications for High Achieving Students:
available for mental processing.
Students are provided higher level Lexile readings
and paired with lower level student to assist with
Pairing high and low achieving students
understanding and provide additional details they
together allow each to reap benefits. The
absorbed from their own reading. Generally
higher-level student can impart additional
higher achieving students are called upon first to
information learned and gain gratification
initiate group and seminar discussions.
for helping a fellow student. The lowerlevel student can gain additional
Modifications for Low Achieving Students:
knowledge and learn to accept the help
Students are provided lower level Lexile readings from a peer. Neither students workload is
and paired with higher level readers to gain a more more or less than the other.
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in-depth understanding of the reading materials
and points for future discussions.
5. Resources: (Identify materials needed for this lesson accounting for varying
degrees of skill level)
Rationale:
Handout In Her Own Words by Queen
In order to appeal to multiple intelligences
Hatshepsut
and learning styles, resources offer visuals
Photographs of both Queen Hatshepsut and
and activities that appeal to interpersonal
Ramses II projected with an ELMO
and linguistic intelligences.
Handouts - Ramses II and Queen Hatshepsut
higher and lower level Lexile articles (4 total)
Handout Socratic Seminar Notes for Queen
Hatshepsut & Ramses II
Handout Socratic Seminar Observation
Checklist
6. Learning Activities: Explicit Teacher Instruction - (Explain, Model,
Demonstrate, Check for Understanding)
After pre-assessment, teacher introduces lesson
Rationale:
with a close read activity. The lessons objectives
will be stated later as this activity requires
Beginning the lesson with a close read
anonymity on the writers behalf (in this case
about one of the standards key
Hatshepsut).
components helps the students figure out
her identity through analyzing a difficult
Tell the students that they will be doing a close
text and discussing its meaning with their
read on the article the handout omits the title of
teacher and peers. It enables the students
In Her Own Word as this would give away the
to interpret the reading for deeper
identity of Hatshepsut.
understanding.
Students read silently and annotate.
To reinforce vocabulary, students are asked to
discuss with their partner (of the opposite Lexile
level but the same pharaoh) the setting of the
piece, citing evidence. They are also asked to
discuss with they know about ancient Egypt from
the reading.
Students are then asked what the tone (emotion) of
the piece is and directed to silently re-read as they
are looking for an answer to this question, then
discuss with their partner.
Students are then what a decree is and if they
would know the meaning of the piece as an
example of a decree? They are again directed to
Employing individual, partner, and whole
group instruction allows students time to
grow comfortable with the content and
prepare for the Socratic Seminar.
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silently re-read as they are looking for an answer
to this question, then discuss with their partner.
Finally students discuss:
1) Is the character male or female? Does it
matter?
2) Is the character weak or strong? Reminded
to find evidence to support their
statements.
3) Do they know who it is?
Check for Understanding:
Teacher observation.
7. Learning Activities: Guided Practice/ Collaborative Practice (Check for
understanding and provide feedback and re-teaching)
Rationale:
Show students three different photographs each of Appealing to different learning styles, and
Queen Hatshepsut and Ramses II. Ask who they
allowing the students to actively engage in
think each person is and remind them to provide
discussions makes the lesson appealing to
evidence based only on what they see in the
a group of active sixth grade students.
photographs. (photos are a cartoon image, statue
and mummy).
Stating the lessons objectives helps
students remain focused. The lessons
Establish that the characters in question are in fact objectives are revisited throughout the
Queen Hatshepsut and Ramses II. Then tell
remainder of the unit.
students the objectives of the lesson.
The teacher is able to roam the room and
Articles on each of the pharaohs are distributed
check students worksheets and
appropriately based on groupings and reading
participation while students read and
levels. Students are also given a double-sided
discuss with partners and 4 squares.
handout to complete. The teacher explains that
they will have 15 minutes to read the article. Once Using the pictures provides another visual
the timer goes off, they are to complete the
for ELL students.
Socratic seminar notes for the pharaoh their article
is written about.
Students then share with their partner how they
answered their questions and write down
additional knowledge gained from their partner.
The same exercise is repeated with their 4 square
groups.
Check for Understanding:
Teacher observation. Assessment of individual
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handout for Socratic Seminar.
8. Independent Practice: (Provide practice that supports the learning outcome.
Note: Independent activities are assigned assuming that students understand the
concept well enough to work on their own.)
Rationale:
Finally, introduce the Socratic Seminar.
Using the Socratic Seminar allows
[Link] student to learn methods for meaningful
in-middle-school/
conversations, explain their ideas, and
There will be three rotations based on the class size. support them with evidence.
During each rotation students will either be taking
notes on the pharaoh whose article they did not read Expectations are established prior to
to complete their Socratic Seminar Notes handout,
discussions being initiated so the
completing the Socratic Seminar Observation
students are aware of learning goals and
Checklist handout on an assigned peer who is in the
appropriate behavior during a friendly
discussion group, or discussing in the Socratic
debate about which pharaohs rule
Seminar.
theyd rather live under.
Have groups clearly indicated on the white board and
make sure students who are observing are facing the
student speaking so they can hear clearly and
observe body language, etc.
The only participate from the teacher is asking the
questions during the seminar.
Check for Understanding:
Teacher Observation. Teacher assesses completed
Socratic Seminar Notes Handout and Socratic
Observation Checklist.
9. Assessment and Evaluation: (Describe how you will assess and/or evaluate the
students learning. Describe differentiating assessment strategies you will use for
ELL, special needs students, highly achieving students and low achieving students.)
Rationale:
Formative Assessment teacher observation and
Students need to be assessed individually
evaluation of individual Socratic Seminar Notes
to account for the varying degrees of
handout and Socratic Seminar Observation
comprehension and learning style
Checklist
preferences among the students in the
classroom. Some students may be able to
complete their written worksheets better
than verbally participating in the seminar
debate.
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As this is the first experience in Mrs.
Botts class using the Socratic Seminar,
student feedback about their experience
will also be solicited.
10. Closure: (Describe how students will reflect on what they have learned.)
Rationale:
Remind students that no matter whose rule they
Reflecting on the two rulers as individuals
would live under, each had their own noteworthy
who had differences but ultimately both
characteristics that made them memorable.
successfully ruled their kingdoms cools
down the debate atmosphere and reminds
Praise students for their hard work.
students of everything they learned during
this lesson.
11. Lesson Reflection/Assessment: (Collect student learning data to determine:
What went well? What needs to be changed? Were learning outcomes met? What
activities will you add, change, modify in the future? What can be done to follow up
on the learning from this lesson? Who needs additional help? Who needs
enrichment or higher level work?)
Teaching this lesson with Mrs. Botts was the highlight of my in-class teaching
experience thus far. I was able to see first hand the amount of time, attention to detail,
and pre-planning needed for what was only a small portion of the teaching day.
Overall, the lesson went extremely well. The students were actively engaged in
discussions throughout each step of the lesson. Eby, Herrell and Jordan (2011) note,
Many reflective teachers use the revised Blooms taxonomy to think of discussion
questions that promote the use of higher-level thinking processes. Discussion questions
can be readily planned at every level of taxonomy, just as other learning experiences are
planned (p. 172). This level of planning was evident as Mrs. Botts and I planned
questions to go with the close read, pictures, Socratic seminar notes and the Socratic
seminar discussion. What was also evident was the pre-planning paid off. Students were
excited to answer the questions, waving their hands enthusiastically and disappointed
when they werent called upon.
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One of the biggest challenges with this lesson was time. Mrs. Botts indicated that
she would have like to assign the Lexile articles as homework but was fearful it would be
counter productive as many of the students were unlikely to do the reading outside of
class. Therefore, many of the students asked for additional time after the 15-minute timer
went off. I had to re-read the articles several times and can attest that the higher level
articles were information rich and it took time to sort through in order to answer the
questions on the Socratic seminar notes handout. As a result of students needing
additional time to read their articles, the Socratic Seminar felt hurried so we could get all
three rounds in before students headed off the lunch. In the future, I think I would
introduce the articles during a previous lesson. Students would have some familiarity
with the information in the articles, but would still need to re-read during this lesson in
order to complete the handout accurately. My hope would be that more time would be
allotted to the discussion at the end of the lesson.
Upon reviewing the students handouts and observing the discussions, I continue
to conclude the lesson was a success. Students annotated Hatshepsuts story beautifully
and it also offered further clarification for vocabulary words like ordain and titular.
Everyone found value in the Seminar format because the students needed information to
complete their handouts. I felt the observation checklist also helped students stay
engaged even if they werent writing notes or discussing.
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Mrs. Botts had the following critique of my experience: I was impressed with the
thoughtful way you presented the visuals of the pharaohs. Through your inquiry
techniques you allowed them to consider the question and by not responding to their
answers with a definite yes or no they had to continue to present evidence. You seemed
comfortable, and the students responded well to you. You are a natural. This means the
world to me coming from my favorite 6th grade teacher (who happened to be my teacher
27 years ago!). It validates once again my desire to teach and I hope to be back in the
classroom again with her soon!
Reference
California State Department of Education. (1997). History-Social Science Framework for
California Public Schools K-12. Retrieved from
[Link]
Eby, J., Herrell, A., Jordan, M. (2011). Teaching in K-12 schools: A reflective action
approach. (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
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