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Date


A Thanksgiving Feast With Miss Dees
TopicQuest

Name: Catherine Dees
School/Mentor Teacher:  North Brooks Elementary School/Patrice Griffin
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Subject Areas: Social Studies, Language Arts, Technology Integration & Art
Date Taught:
Total Duration of Lesson: About 45 minutes

Title of Lesson:
A Thanksgiving Feast With Miss Dees

Primary Learning Outcome (PLO):
 The primary learning outcomes to be achieved with this lesson include:
A. With teacher guidance students will be able to use the computer to research information on the Internet.
 

Assessed QCC:
A. Grade: K
Subject Area: Technology Integration
Strand: Research
10 Topic: Research
Standard: Uses basic research techniques with teacher guidance.

Materials and Equipment:
1. Computer with Internet access
2. Paper prepared ahead of time in the form of an invitation for students' artwork
3. Crayons
4. Scissors
5. Scotch Tape
6. Pencil & paper (to make notes for lesson plan assessment and reflections)
7. Modification of a  lesson developed by Dr. Diane L. Judd

Technology Connection:

Technologies that will be used in this lesson include:


Procedures:
Step One: Introduction
Have a small group of students go to a computer.  Explain to students that you are going to use the computer to find out information about the first Thanksgiving.  List 2 or more questions that introduce students to topic of the first Thanksgiving and establish a connection to students' prior knowledge.  "Have you ever studied or read a book about Thanksgiving?"  "Can you tell me something that you know about Thanksgiving?"   Today we are going to learn about the history of Thanksgiving by visiting websites on the Internet and we will do a fun activity to learn more about Thanksgiving.  I have made a special Thanksgiving page for your class.  (During discussion have students turn around away from the computer to interact.)

Estimated Time for Step One:
5 minutes

Step Two Teaching the Primary Learning Outcomes:
(Have students sit at the computer where they can control the mouse and computer.  Explain to students the process of the lesson.)  After we visit several websites about Thanksgiving, then you will pretend that you are planning a Thanksgiving Feast just like the First Thanksgiving and create an invitation to invite some friends to come to the party. 

Check for understanding
Have students explore and discuss the information in each of the 3 pre-selected websites (The First Thanksgiving; Bethany Roberts' Thanksgiving Fun For Kids; Not Just for Kids! Thanksgiving Fun).  Ask students guiding questions about the important concepts in each of the visited websites.  (Save "A Thanksgiving Feast With Miss Dees" website to use in Mission Project.)  List three or more questions.
1. What is the name of the boat the Pilgrims rode in to America? 
2. Who were the people the Pilgrims met when they got to America?
3. What food did the Indians teach the Pilgrims to grow?

Practice and feedback related to the PLO
Read mission project to students.  Explain to students that they are going to be Thanksgiving Feast planners.  Discuss what kinds of clothes the Pilgrims and Indians wore, why we celebrate Thanksgiving, and what foods we eat at Thanksgiving. Tell the students that the information that they will need to complete their mission project is listed and connected in the  mission activity.  Visit website for information for mission project, "A Thanksgiving Feast With Miss Dees."  Discuss the information in the linked website in the mission activity with the students to emphasize interesting and important information students will need to complete mission project.


[Students will write (or dictate to teacher) information to be included in the invitation for the mission project.  While students are completing mission project, teacher will observe students and give assistance when needed.]

Mission Activity

Go with me now to a time over 300 years ago.  We are Pilgrims who traveled over to the New Land on the Mayflower.  After a long hard journey, we are very hungry and it is almost time to have our first Thanksgiving feast. You and your partner have been asked to create invitations to send to some of your friends back home in England to invite them to join us for this delicious feast. You will need to draw pictures on this invitation to show your friends what to wear, who will be at the feast, and what foods will be eaten. 

Mission Steps
  • Explore the websites above.  Focus on The First Thanksgiving and look closely at the pictures of Pilgrims.  Then visit Not Just for Kids! Thanksgiving Fun and go on a fun turkey hunt and you will get a special prize.
  • Also look at Bethany Roberts' Thanksgiving Fun For Kids.  Discuss the meaning of Thanksgiving (being thankful for all the good things in our life).
  • We will discuss and review the content of the websites, focusing on the foods the Pilgrims and Indians ate, as well as who was at the first Thanksgiving feast.
  • Now begin your invitation.  Draw the following pictures on your paper:  a Pilgrim and an Indian, how the Pilgrims traveled to America, and some of the foods we eat at Thanksgiving. Draw another picture on your invitation of something you are thankful for. Color all your other pictures.  Also color and cut out your prize turkey and paste it on the cover of your invitation.
  • When you have finished your invitation, we will discuss your drawings and how they relate to the pictures and topics we looked at online.
  • Below are some ideas for your pictures.

Estimated Time for Step Two:
35 minutes

Step Three
Closure:
Have students discuss their mission project for their invitations and information they found on the Internet about Thanksgiving. Tell students that your TopicQuest page is on the Internet and they can visit the website at school or home to learn more about Thanksgiving.  Explain to students that you are going to put their invitations on the Internet and they will be able to share their mission projects with their friends and family.  (If possible teacher should take brief notes during the lesson and concluding discussions to be added later to the assessment and reflections in lesson plan.)

Estimated Time for Step Three:
5 minutes
 

Assessment:
A. Technology Integration 
Student will be assessed through observation while using the computer with teacher guidance to do research and find information for the mission project.
Satisfactory: Student is able to use the computer with teacher guidance to do research and find information for the mission project.
Unsatisfactory: Student is not able to use the computer with teacher guidance to do research and find information for the mission project.
 

Accommodation:
Links for Accommodations for Special Students
1. Select one of your students that has special needs from the conceptual factor information of your practicum class.  Describe the student in your class with special needs in two or more sentences.. (Do not use the student's real name.  You could refer to the student as "the special student.") 
This special needs student has difficulty pronouncing and sounding out words.  She tries very hard but often is unable to speak clearly or determine the letter that goes with a particular sound.  She also has great difficulty staying on task and sitting still.

2. Explain what you would add or change in this lesson plan to accommodate your special student? 
I would provide assistance with unfamiliar words and concepts that may be too difficult for the student to understand. I might also give the student a minute to stand up and stretch before moving on to the activity part of the lesson.



Reflections: (For Electronic Portfolio Standard #1 Knowledge of Subject Matter)
1. a. Describe and give examples of how your TopicQuest lesson created learning experiences and activities that made subject matter meaningful for your students.
The students related the lesson to their own Thanksgiving experiences. They discussed turkey and other foods eaten at Thanksgiving, as well as the type of transportation the Pilgrims used to travel to America. They also drew pictures to show the information they learned.
  
    b. Describe and give examples of how your TopicQuest lesson illustrated your understanding of content and tools of inquiry.
I had previously looked over the websites and reviewed the specific parts that I wanted to share with my students. I knew which websites I would show the students and where the information was located on each page.  I also knew it would benefit the students to get some experience using the mouse, so I let them scroll and click on the different pages.
      
    c. Describe and give examples of how students were engaged in learning and responded during your lesson.
The students enjoyed using the mouse and working on the computer.  They answered the questions I asked to the best of their ability.  It was obvious that they understood the information we discussed, because they had no difficulty drawing pictures to illustrate their invitations.

2. Describe and give examples of how the students achieved the assessment of your lesson. Give the achievement level (satisfactory or unsatisfactory) for each assessment for each of your students.
    A. Technology Integration:
Student assessed through observation while using the computer with teacher guidance to do research and find information for the mission project.  

Student One:
Satisfactory
The student used the mouse with proficiency and was able to click and scroll to visit the different websites. The student also responded to the pictures and information on each site.
Student Two:
The student was able to move the mouse around to click and scroll when instructed to do so.  She was able to discuss the information after we looked at the websites about Thanksgiving.
 

3. Describe what you would do differently if you taught this lesson again and why you would change it.

  If I taught this lesson again, I would visit the web pages in a different order so that students could gain a clearer understanding of the pilgrims' purpose, journey, and experience.  I would introduce the web pages more completely and give the students more freedom in navigating through the pages.  If the lesson was more organized, I would probably also expect the students to pick out important facts and require them to recall the information for their mission project individually.


TopicQuest Scanned Pictures & Comments
TopicQuest Lesson by Catherine Dees

Tiffany's picture
Kayla's picture
Inside her invitation, Tiffany drew and colored a picture of a blond-haired pilgrim girl as an example of who will be at our Thanksgiving feast.  It is probably a picture of Tiffany herself since she has blond hair.  She also drew a picture of the Mayflower sailing on the water and a picture of some turkey.  To illustrate something she is thankful for, Tiffany drew a picture of her mom.
Kayla used a lot of color in her invitation.  First, she drew a pilgrim boy with a black pilgrim hat to illustrate who attended the first Thanksgiving feast.  Then she drew the Mayflower as the means of transportation that was used by the Pilgrims.  She also drew a plump turkey that would likely be eaten at Thanksgiving.  Finally, she drew a picture of her Polly Pockets dolls as something she is thankful for.