A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim

Annotation
The "A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim" lesson could be used with children in Pre-K through third grade.  This lesson is designed for Pre-Kindergarten level students.  The students will begin with a hands-on technology research activity.  The students will research the topic of Thanksgiving through connecting Internet links on the topic page that I developed for my field class students.  This is a cross-curricular lesson integrating social studies, language arts, technology, and art.

Primary Learning Outcome:
With teacher guidance students will be able to research the Internet and use the computer to explore to find information for writing and drawing  the scenario activity.  Did you find information on the Internet about Thanksgiving?  If so, what did you find out?
 

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

Grade: K
Subject Area: Language Arts
Strand: Written Communication
# 41
Topic: Reference/Study
Standard: Explores the uses of the media center, picture books, audiovisual recources, and available technology for reading and writing.
 

Total Duration:
45 minutes

Materials and Equipment:
1. paper
2. crayons
3. pencil
 

Technology Connection:
Topic page, "A Day of Thanks," and scenario activity developed for field class students.
"Daily Life in 1621," information website, for scenario activity
1. computer with Internet connection

Lesson Materials to be Attached:
Attached is a copy of my topic website with scenario activity used in lesson.

Web Links:
Topic Page at:  http://www.valdosta.edu/~tdbennet/topic.html
"Daily Life in 1621" at: http://teacher.scholastic.com/thanksgiving/plimoth/daily.htm

Procedures:

Step One
Introduce students to topic by asking them: "Have you ever studied or talked about Thanksgiving?"  "Can you tell me something about Thanksgiving?"  Today we are going to learn about Thanksgiving by visiting websites on the Internet.  I have made a special page for your class about Thanksgivng.

Estimated Time:
5 minutes
 

Step Two
Introduce topic page to students and visit several websites.  Discuss the information in each website with students.

Estimated time:
15 minutes

Step Three
Read scenario to students.  Tell them they are going to draw pictures dealing with the Pilgrims and write about the pictures.  Tell the students that the information that they will need to draw their pictures and write about them is listed and connected in the scenario.

Estimated Time:
5 minutes

Step Four
Visit website for information for scenario activity, "Daily Life in 1621."  Discuss the web pages with the students to emphasize interesting and important information for scenario activity.

Estimated Time:
5 minutes

Step Five
Students write (or dictate to teacher to write) articles and draws pictrues for the scenario activity.

Estimated Time:
10 minutes

Step Six
Closure: Discuss scenario activities and what they have learned about Thanksgiving with students.  Tell students that you are going to publish their pictures and writings on the Internet to share with everyone.

Estimated Time:
5 minutes
 

Assessment:
Student will be assessed through the use of the computer with teacher guidance to find information for the scenario activity.
Satisfactory: Student is able to use the computer with teacher guidance to find information for the scenario activity.
Unsatisfactory: Student is not able to use the computer with teacher guidance to find information for the scenario activity.

Student will be assessed for exploring the uses of technology for writing.
Satisfactory: Student is able to write or dictate information for scenario activity that was obtained while exploring the Internet.
Unsatisfactory: Student is not able to write or dictate information for scenario activity that was obtained while exploring the Internet.
 

Accommodation:
Significant Developmental Delay:  Make sure monitor is at student's eye level.
 

Reflections:
1.  Describe and give examples of how the students were engaged in learning during your lesson.
Students appeared to be interested in the lesson because they were paying attention and answering questions.  The students answered questions that I asked during the lesson about what kinds of food are served for a traditional Thanksgiving meal.  They also told me what they do for Thanksgiving.

2.  Describe and give the examples of how the students responded to your lesson.
The students really enjoyed giving me examples of foods served for the Thanksgiving meal.  The students loved it when they clicked on the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade link and saw all of the inflatable balloons.  They did not want me to go to another website.

3. Describe and give examples of how the students achieved the assessment of your lesson.
Both students were satisfactory in using the computer with teacher guidance to find information for the scenario activity. They learned about the Pilgrims' clothing and houses and the Mayflower from the "Daily Life in 1621" website.  Both students satisfactorily dictated information for scenario activity that was obtained while exploring the Internet.  At the end of the lesson, they knew that the Pilgrims lived in houses made out of  wood while they (the students) lived in houses of brick or block.
 
 

Carmen dressed in red, yellow. blue, and black for Thanksgiving.  She is thankful for her dad and mom.	This is Charles dressed in Pilgrim's clothing.  He is happy because he went to sleep and woke up and it was still night time.  He is thankful for his mommy, daddy, granddaddy, and brother.