(Lesson PLAN: Part 1)
(FINAL Version)
Participating Students
This will be a small group lesson with six students participating. This was the first small-group lesson that I planned to carry out at my placement, since my science lesson took place with fifth grade students at a different school. I wanted to pick different students to participate in all of my Term III small group lessons. I did not want to use the same six children because I wanted to select groups based on their perceived strengths and interests as well as give more children an opportunity to engage in creative small-group activities. I created a list of all of the students in our class and I removed the students who did not return their waivers. I made a column for each lesson that I planned to carry out and I tried to place different students in each column. |
This was a book made by one of the students who participated in my Social Studies lesson.
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This was the writing folder of one of the students who participated in my Social Studies Lesson.
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While I was at my placement, I looked through each student’s writing folder and memoir journal. I looked for students who drew elaborate illustrations or who doodled on their folders. I noted the amount of illustrations as well as other observations in my notebook. I picked six students that a fair amount of illustrations in their work, but I wanted to have two of the students who had the most vivid and plentiful illustrations participate in my literacy lesson. I selected students that I have seen work together. Although I wanted to place my portrait of a learner student in this group, I knew that he had some difficulties with another student that I wanted to include in my social studies lesson. I ultimately decided to place the two students in different lessons. I also wanted to give one student who is frequently in trouble, an opportunity to show others his intelligence and creativity and demonstrate that he can be responsible and respectful in school. I have worked with him independently and he seems to be above grade level in many subject areas, but he gets in trouble and misses class time fairly regularly due to behavior issues. Unfortunately, I found out on Monday afternoon that he was going to be suspended for three days. As such, I believe this lesson will be carried out with five students instead of six. (It turns out that he was able to participate!!)
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Goals and Objectives
Ideally this lesson would be the first of a series of lessons. I wanted to begin by talking about the community that is most applicable to their lives as students- their classroom community. Students will be familiar with classroom roles because students were assigned classroom jobs at the beginning of the year. A few next steps would be to develop an understanding of the school community, University City community, West Philadelphia community, and larger Philadelphia community.
· Students will begin to understand that there are different types of communities that consist of people, their roles, and different places.
· Students will begin to develop their understanding of communities in general by identifying the people, roles, and places in their own classroom as a group.
· Students will use this information to individually create a map of their classroom community from memory using materials that they select.
· Students will be introduced to the idea that people may interpret things, in this instance their classroom layout, in different ways.
Another follow-up lesson would be to have the students make a second classroom map while they are in the classroom. This can help show students how their own perceptions change.
Ideally this lesson would be the first of a series of lessons. I wanted to begin by talking about the community that is most applicable to their lives as students- their classroom community. Students will be familiar with classroom roles because students were assigned classroom jobs at the beginning of the year. A few next steps would be to develop an understanding of the school community, University City community, West Philadelphia community, and larger Philadelphia community.
· Students will begin to understand that there are different types of communities that consist of people, their roles, and different places.
· Students will begin to develop their understanding of communities in general by identifying the people, roles, and places in their own classroom as a group.
· Students will use this information to individually create a map of their classroom community from memory using materials that they select.
· Students will be introduced to the idea that people may interpret things, in this instance their classroom layout, in different ways.
Another follow-up lesson would be to have the students make a second classroom map while they are in the classroom. This can help show students how their own perceptions change.
Materials and Preparation
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In terms of student preparation, on Monday, November 17th I took my small group of students to the library to do a read aloud. Before we left the classroom, we had a very brief conversation about how to transition from our classroom to the library. We talked about appropriate ways to behave in the hallways (i.e. walking with a “bubble” in our mouths). When we entered the library, I told the students to sit on the carpet. I explained that we would be doing a lesson in the library on Wednesday and that people would be observing us.
While we were sitting on the carpet, I read them a book called On the Town: A Community Adventure by Judith Caseley. Although I knew that the students had a previous conversation about communities, I wanted to do the read aloud for two reasons. I wanted to inform the students what would be happening on Wednesday, as well as ensure that they all had a shared experience about communities. I learned during my previous science lesson that it is difficult to assume prior knowledge based on a single lesson because some students are absent.
In terms of material preparation, I bought additional supplies so that there would be enough for each table to have the same materials. I prepared two bags of markers and crayons. I made sure that each bag had the same colors. I put the markers, crayons, fabric squares, glue, and papers into two separate bags. I also created two posters that will be used to record student answers during the two discussions.
While we were sitting on the carpet, I read them a book called On the Town: A Community Adventure by Judith Caseley. Although I knew that the students had a previous conversation about communities, I wanted to do the read aloud for two reasons. I wanted to inform the students what would be happening on Wednesday, as well as ensure that they all had a shared experience about communities. I learned during my previous science lesson that it is difficult to assume prior knowledge based on a single lesson because some students are absent.
In terms of material preparation, I bought additional supplies so that there would be enough for each table to have the same materials. I prepared two bags of markers and crayons. I made sure that each bag had the same colors. I put the markers, crayons, fabric squares, glue, and papers into two separate bags. I also created two posters that will be used to record student answers during the two discussions.
Classroom Arrangement and Management Issues
This lesson will take place in the library. I will set up two tables with the materials. I will bring the students into the library from their regular classroom. We will walk to the library in the same way that they do with my classroom mentor. We will walk with bubbles in our mouths to ensure that we are quiet and respectful in the hallways. We will pause at a few different checkpoints to make sure that we are all together. We will sit on the carpet with my laptop and the chart paper. Once we have finished the hook and group work, we will move to the tables with the materials. I did not want students getting distracted by the materials, so I thought that we should switch to the tables when we are ready for the materials. I will have the students sit at two tables to ensure that each student has enough space to work on their classroom maps. I will let students pick their seats. One table will have two seats and one table will have three seats. I will explain to the students that I will change seats if necessary.
This lesson will take place in the library. I will set up two tables with the materials. I will bring the students into the library from their regular classroom. We will walk to the library in the same way that they do with my classroom mentor. We will walk with bubbles in our mouths to ensure that we are quiet and respectful in the hallways. We will pause at a few different checkpoints to make sure that we are all together. We will sit on the carpet with my laptop and the chart paper. Once we have finished the hook and group work, we will move to the tables with the materials. I did not want students getting distracted by the materials, so I thought that we should switch to the tables when we are ready for the materials. I will have the students sit at two tables to ensure that each student has enough space to work on their classroom maps. I will let students pick their seats. One table will have two seats and one table will have three seats. I will explain to the students that I will change seats if necessary.