Shannon Creedon

Introduction to Elementary Teaching

Susan Redditt

Social Justice Curriculum

LESSON PLAN 4

Step 1:
Learning Objectives
Common Core Standards

 W.4.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and

organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

 W.4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen

writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.

 SL.4.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in

groups, and teacher led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts,

building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Massachusetts Frameworks

 HIS.4.1 Use map and globe skills to determine absolute locations (latitude and

longitude) of places studied.

Students Will:

 Students will be able to explain what is wrong in the book and what they are

concerned with the content in the text.

 Students will discuss in groups how the text book relays false information and

how they are going to take action.

describes and shows and the information that is true.

Step 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence

lesson?

 Informal Check-ins

o Thumbs up and thumbs down; Put your thumb up if you understand what

is being discussed, put your thumb down if you do not understand what is

being discussed.

o Small group discussions about what is being discussed in class.

Essential Question

 Why do you think that text books provide false information?

 How can you take action to battle injustices like this?

Asses Students Prior Knowledge of the Subject, Skill, or Concept

 Discuss the student’s prior knowledge through guiding questions:

o What is something that you remember learning about in history class?

o Did anything you learned in history class really interest you?

o Did you enjoy reading the textbooks that the class provided for you?

o Do you feel like you learned important information from this textbook?
Step 3: Plan Instructional Approach for Learning

Experiences
What is your HOOK?

 Show a video on history comparing text books and factual information.

Chart on Multiple Intelligences:

Verbal / Linguistic Students are discussing in small groups what

is being explored in class which will lead to

students talking to each other.

the content that they are learning and how

they can express it in a letter.

Intrapersonal Students will work individually to express

their concerns with text books and their

content using facts and information they have

learned in class.
Visual / Spatial Students will be reading and looking through

their text book to find information and the

text book includes many pictures and visual

content that students can learn from and

compare to information they are learning.

Material List:

 Paper
  Pencils

 Envelops

 Stamps

 Computer

 Projector

 Sticky Notes

What students will be doing:

1. The class will start with discussing the prior knowledge questions. They will answer

these questions on sticky notes and go stick their answers under the questions that will be

written on the board. Those questions included:

a. What is something you remember about learning in history class?

b. Did you learn anything in history class that really interested you? If so, what was

it?

c. Did you enjoy reading the textbooks that the class provided for you?

d. Do you feel like you learned important information from this textbook?

2. The next activity we will do is show the HOOK video that will make students interested

in learning more about the subject.

3. Next we will get in small groups and discuss what the video talked about and our feelings

on it. As they are doing this I will walk around the room and observe and record who is

talking as well as what the groups are talking about. I will do this so I will know where to

direct the conversation once the group comes back together as a class.
4. I will then ask the students if any of the groups would like to share what they learned and

what they talked about in their groups.

5. We will then have a class discussion about how textbooks are misleading with their

content and students will be asked to explain how they feel about the misleading

information.

6. The students will then split up and write a rough draft of their letter to the publishers on

how the content of their textbook is false and how they can fix it.

7. After the student’s finish writing, they will switch with a partner so their partner can

proof read their letter and then they will come back together and explain what they fixed

and what they liked about each other’s letters.

8. The students will then take their letters with corrections and write their final draft that

they will send to the publishers.

9. After they finish their letters, I will give them an envelope and have then write the

address of the publisher’s office and their return address as the school and our classroom.

10. Once the letters are finished and being sent out, the class will come back together to

discuss why we sent those letters. This will be a good discussion about how students can

act on what they believe in to make inequality right.

 W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of

different aspects of a topic.

 W.4.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,

and research.

 SL.4.3 Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular point.

 SL.4.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized

manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or

themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

Massachusetts Frameworks

 VA.1.1 Use a variety of materials and media, for example, crayons, chalk, paint, clay,

various kinds of papers, textiles, and yarns, and understand how to use them to produce

different visual effects.

 VA.2.6 For space and composition, explore composition by creating artwork with a

center of interest, repetition, and/or balance Demonstrate an understanding of foreground,

middle ground, and background

Students Will:

 Students will be able to research and find reliable sources that state facts about

Christopher Columbus and what the textbooks they receive say and what is true.

 Students will be able to describe their research and discuss the research with their peers.
  Students will be able to express how they believe their home would look in an art piece if

they were living during the time of Christopher Columbus.

Step 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence

lesson?

Informal Check-ins:

 Survey on what they have learned so far in the lesson.

 Five-minute discussion with peers around them on their feelings about what they have

learned so far.

Essential Questions

 Who is Christopher Columbus and what is he known for?

 Why don’t you think textbooks and curriculums want to teach the truth?

Asses Students Prior Knowledge of the Subject, Skill, or Concept

 Give the students a survey on Christopher Columbus.

o Ask questions like;

o Who is Christopher Columbus?

o What did he do?

o When did you learn about him?

o Who taught you about what he did?

Step 3: Plan Instructional Approach for Learning

Experiences
What is your HOOK?

 Discuss what home is to students.

 Describe why students home is home.

 Pre-assessment survey.

What Students will be doing:

1. The class will start with discussing the student’s prior knowledge through a survey. The

survey will include the questions:

a. Who is Christopher Columbus?

b. What did he do?

c. When did you learn about him?

d. Who taught you about what he did?

The students will write their answers and turn to a partner to discuss what they wrote.

2. The next activity will be the HOOK activity. The activity includes coming together as a

class and having an open discussion on what home is. We will write the questions “What

is home to you?” and “Why is what you described home?”. The students will raise their

hands and I will paraphrase what they said underneath the question that they answered.

They can agree and disagree with other students but only if they explain why.

3. Next I will have them do individual work and have them find research on Christopher

Columbus both on the internet and in books that are available on the internet.

4. After they have found their research they will come back together as a class and discuss

their findings.
 5. Next, I will discuss their findings with them as well and show my research that I did. We

will do a venn-diagram on the board of what is different than the textbook they have read,

what is the same, and what the text book says.

6. After the venn-diagram is complete, I will have them brainstorm on a piece of paper

writing what they believe their house would look like if they grew up in the time of

Christopher Columbus.

7. Once they are done brainstorming, they will grab a large piece of construction paper and

use the rest of the time that they have to draw out their home using foreground, middle

ground, and background.

8. When they feel as though they have done their best work, they will gather their artwork

and we will put their art on the walls around the classroom in the hallway.

9. The students will then individually stand by their art wherever it is posted on the wall and

present it. They student will discuss why they think their home would look like this, how

they decided to use certain materials, and how this home is different than their home

today.

Material List:

 White Board

 Markers

 Crayons

 Paper

 Construction Paper

 Pencils

 Tape
 Paint

 Paintbrushes

 Water bowls

 Paper towels

 Computers

 Books
 LESSON PLAN 6

Step 1: Learning Objectives

 SL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,

and teacher led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’

ideas and expressing their own clearly.

a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly

draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas

under discussion.

b. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.

c. Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information, and

make comments that contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others.

d. Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and understanding in light

of the discussion.

 W.4.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons

and information. a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an

organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s

purpose. b. Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details. c. Link opinion and

reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition). d. Provide a

concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented

 W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of

different aspects of a topic.

Massachusetts Frameworks
  W.4.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are

appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

 SL.4.2 Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media

and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

Students Will:

 Students will be able to recall the information that was taught in the curriculum

throughout the week and write about their opinions as well as support them with research.

 Students will be able to present to the school their findings throughout the week as well

as justify the work that they did.

 Students will reflect on the curriculum and discuss what they learned.

Step 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence

lesson?

Informal Check-ins:

 Have the students write a one-page journal on what they learned over the past week.

 Students can describe what they wrote in small groups.

Essential Questions:

 Throughout the curriculum, what is the most important thing you think you have learned?

 How will you spread the information you learned?

Assess Students Prior Knowledge of the Subject, Skill, or Concept

 Take a quiz on the knowledge that was taught throughout the week and grade it in

groups.
Step 3: Plan Instructional Approach for Learning

Experiences
What is your HOOK?

 Have students say one thing that they learned over the past week.

 Students can come up to the board and write what they said.

 Pre-assessment quiz.

What Students will be doing:

1. Students will come to the class and start by taking the pre-assessment quiz.

2. After the students have finished the quiz, they will grade it in small groups and discuss

their answers.

3. Once they are done grading, they will continue with the HOOK activity. The students

will be asked to say one thing that they learned over the past week. They will raise their

hands and say what they learned and then will go up to the board and paraphrase what

they said to fit on the board.

4. When the discussion is done, the students will write a one-page journal about what they

have learned throughout the past week as well as what they would still like to know.

5. When they have finished their journal, they will gather all of their supplies and set up for

the school presentation.

6. They will take all of the materials that they did and prepare for the presentation.

7. They will have invited all of the classrooms to come to the presentation.
 8. They can work individually or in groups but they will prepare to present something that

they did in the curriculum, whether it is the journal they just wrote or the art work that

they did the day before.

9. The students will then do the presentation to the school and will meet the speaking and

learning standards that are stated above.

10. Once the presentation is over, the class will go back to the classroom and discuss how

they think the presentation went as well as what they could have done better.

Materials List:

 Pencil

 Paper

 Prior Work

 A large space to hold the presentation

 Microphone

 White Board

 Markers