Name: Mae C. Roquemore
Mentor Teacher's Signature & Date
Mini-Research eBook Lesson Plan 1
Real-World Activity
Title of Mini-Research eBook Lesson: Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence
Primary Learning Outcome (PLO):
The primary learning outcomes to be achieved with this lesson include:
PLO:
Students will identify
Thomas Jefferson, the threats Great Britain posed to the rights of
American colonists, and the main points of the Declaration of
Independence.
Assessed Standards
Georgia Performance Standard (GPS)
Social Studies Performance
Standard
Grade: 3
Standard: SS3H2- The
student will discuss the lives of Americans who expanded people's
rights and freedoms in a democracy.
a) Identify various leaders with their rights
movements.
b) Explain obstacles,
restrictions, and social barriers that these historical figures had to
overcome and describe how they overcame them.
Materials and Equipment:
1. Have an example of Mini-Research eBook activity to show students
(one on ebook activity page)
2. Computers with Microsoft Paint program
3. Pencil & paper (to make notes for lesson plan assessment and
reflections)
4. 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 read an
Mini-Research eBook
about Thomas Jefferson and why
he wrote the Declaration of Independence.
List 2 or more
questions that introduce students
to your Mini-Research eBook that will establish a
connection to students' prior knowledge by asking them:
1. "Have you ever heard or read about a
document called the Declaration of Independence?"
2. "If you have, did you know it was
written by a man named Thomas Jefferson?"
Today we are going
to read an eBook
on the Internet.
I have made a special Mini-Research eBook on the Internet 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:
(Students will sit at the computer where they can control the mouse
and computer.) (Explain to students the process of the
lesson.) We are going to read my Mini-Research eBook and visit
several websites.
Check for understanding
Students with teacher assistance will read the Mini-Research eBook,
explore, and
discuss
the information in the four linking websites that go with the
Mini-Research eBook. Ask
students guiding
questions about the important concepts in the Mini-Research eBook and
the linking
websites. List four or more questions from each of your
linking websites that will guide your students to gain information for
your PLO.
1. What were some of
Thomas Jefferson's accomplishments?
2. Name some things
that Great Britain did to limit the colonists' freedom.
3. What were some of the things
Thomas Jefferson said in the Declaration of Independence?
4. What were some of the things
that happened as a result of the Declaration of Independence being
written and adopted by America?
Practice and feedback related to the
PLO
Read the Mini-Research eBook project to students. Explain to
students that
they
are going to take an imaginary field trip back to
1776.
Tell
the
students that the information that they will need to complete
their Mini-Research eBook project is listed and connected in
the Mini-Research eBook
activity. Review the
information in the linked website in
the Mini-Research eBook activity with the students to emphasize
interesting and important information students will need to complete
mission
project.
| Imaginary
Field Trip |
|
|
|
|
[Students will write (or dictate to teacher) information to be included
in
their Mini-Research eBook
project.
While
students are completing Mini-Research eBook project, teacher
will observe students and give assistance when needed.]
Step Three
Closure:
Have students discuss their Mini-Research eBook activity and
information they found on the Internet.
Tell students that your Mini-Research eBook Website is on the Internet
and
they can
visit the website at school or home. Explain to students
that you are going to put their pictures and information
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
*********
To here for lesson
plan
evaluation. Information below will be entered after teaching
your lesson.
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Accommodation:
This will be turned in as an in-class activity.
Comments & Reflections:
Assessment for the
Primary Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Student will be assessed through
observation, oral discussion, and developed product to
evaluate if student: identifies
Thomas Jefferson, the threats Great Britain posed to the rights of
American colonists, and the main points of the Declaration of
Independence.
| Level 3 | Level 2 | Level 1 | |
| PLO: Students will identify Thomas Jefferson, the threats Great Britain posed to the rights of American colonists, and the main points of the Declaration of Independence. | Student is able to independently identify Thomas Jefferson as the writer of The Declaration of Independence, some of its main points, and some of the threats posed by Great Britian. | Student with teacher guidance is able to name only a few for each of the above listed items. | Student is not able with teacher guidance to identify any points of the Declaration of Independence, any of Britain's restrictions on American liberty, or any of Jefferson's accomplishments. |
| Student | Performance
Level |
Descriptions
of Students' Evidence that Illustrate the Achieved Performance Level of
the PLO (* To receive full credit description must include minimum of two sentences and a detailed example of the students' evidence.) |
| 1 |
3 |
I taught this ebook and activity to
this student twice. Upon the second teaching, he could correctly
identify Thomas Jefferson as the writer of the Declaration of
Independence and identify one offense by Great Britain without reading
them off the screen, and in his activity assignment, stated what he
believed to be Britain's worst offense in his own words. |
| 2 |
2 |
I taught this lesson to this student
only once. He could describe the Boston Tea Party from a previous
lesson and quickly connected that to present content. He was
able, with some teacher prompting, to correctly identify three threats
posed by Britain and could, with some teacher guidance, describe the
overall meaning of the Declaration of Independence, without reading it
off the computer screen. He read and wrote slowly, so I don't think his
example shows his knowledge of the subject, but his answer in the
activity did not cover enough to give him full credit. However, he was
interested, enthusiastic, and followed
directions. |
1.
Comment
on your
teaching of how your
Mini-Research eBook
Lesson created learning experiences and activities that
implemented the use a variety of resources and technologies. (*
To receive full credit description must include a minimum of two
sentences and a detailed example.) Students
used their classroom computers to read an eBook of my design and
construction. It included links to educational internet sites that they
were able to visit and read, including Shmoop, Kidspast, and Kidport.
They were given opportunities to use the computer paint program to
design a
picture that demonstrated their knowledge gained from the lesson in
Lesson Plan Activity 1.
2. State evidence to show that
your students gained knowledge during your Mini-Research eBook
Lesson. (*
To receive full credit description must include a minimum of two
sentences and a detailed example.) Students
in this group were able to correctly perform some of the objectives
independently and some with teacher guidance. For instance, Student 2
above could list " they couldn't have representatives, they had to pay
taxes, and they could be jailed or killed for not obeying Great
Britain" upon being asked a second time about some of the reasons
Americans wanted to be free from Great Britain. This same student said
that he did not know, prior to reading about the Declaration of
Independence in the eBook and the subsequent discussion, why America
celebrated July 4th or called it Independence Day.
3. Give at least one suggestion that
would lead to improving your teaching practices and student
achievement. (*
To receive full credit description must include a minimum of two
sentences and a detailed example.) Although
I am loath to do so, on the grounds that children will never learn what
they do not hear, I believe the lesson could be expedited if nearly all
words over two syllables were exchanged or removed altogether.
Seriously. They did not recognize addition, accomplishment, architect,
philosopher, religious, independence, declaration, obey, or as I said,
virtually any other words containing more than two syllables. It blew
my mind that they didn't even recognize most of these words when
spoken.
Even my willing students did not recognize a lot of "big words", and
all the students who participated in the second teaching of the eBook
read at or considerably above grade level. This was, by the way, after I had already taught it once and tried
to "dumb it down" in betwen times, so apparently my simplification
efforts did not go far enough.
| Link to your Home Page |
Link to your
Email mcroquem@valdosta.edu |
Title &
Link of your Mini-Research eBook Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence |