Blauwkamp MTP

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Model Teaching Project Ashley Blauwkamp

Professor Voss ED 260

Introduction

Rationale: Environmental awareness is the key to sustainability. It is important

that students realize the implications of their interactions with the environment. This unit plan centers on how humans should interact with their Earth as well as how they can acknowledge, address, and attempt to fix environmental problems

when they arise in their communities. This unit plan could be become cross-curricular, covering other content areas such as science. The plan could address

content expectations about global warming or other environmental issues.

Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCE)

G5.0.1: Suggest ways people can responsibly interact with the environment in the local community.

G5.0.2: Describe positive and negative consequences of changing the physical environment of the local community.

H2.0.5: Identify a problem in a community‘s past and describe how it was

resolved. P4.2.1: Develop and implement an action plan to address or inform others

about a public issue.

Grade Level: 2nd Grade

Time Span for Entire Unit Plan: 4 ½ hours over 1 week (5 days) Lesson #1: 75 minutes (2-day lesson) (Cycle #1: 35 min.; Cycle #2: 40 min.)

Lesson #2: 45 minutes (1-day lesson) Lesson #3: 2 ½ hours in (2-day lesson)

Instructional Strategies to Look For: Lesson #1: Task-Based Learning (TBL) with Trade Books

Lesson #2: K-W-L Strategy with Authentic Texts Lesson #3: Cooperative Learning

Vocabulary Strategies to Look For: Sorted word walls (Lesson #1)

Vocabulary journals (Lessons #1, #2, #3)

Assessments to Look For:

Formative: o Anecdotal Notes (Lessons #1, #2,) o Collected Student Written Work (Lessons #1, #2, #3)

o Exit Slips (Lesson #2) Summative:

o Final Project (Lesson #3)

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KUDs for the GLCEs

GLCE – code

and exact

wording.

Verb(s)

Know –

What will

students

know upon

learning

this?

Understand –

What will

students

understand?

Do – What will

students do to

show they

understand?

Vocabulary I Can

2 – G5.0.1

Suggest ways

people can

responsibly

interact with

the

environment

in the local

community.

Suggest

Interact

Students will

know that

there are both

(ir)responsible

ways to treat

our local

environment.

Responsible

interactions with

the environment

(e.g. reduce,

reuse, &

recycle) protect

our Earth and

keep our

community

clean.

Students will

write a letter to

―Mother Earth,‖

explaining how

they will

responsibly

interact with

their

environment.

Responsible

Environment

Community

I can tell

someone how

they can

responsibly

treat the

environment

in our

community.

2 – G5.0.2

Describe

positive and

negative

consequences

of changing

the physical

environment

of the local

community.

Describe

Change

Students will

know that

changing the

Earth in our

community

can have

good and bad

effects on it.

Bad (e.g. fewer

trees mean less

oxygen) and

good effects

(e.g. fewer

factories means

cleaner air)

result from how

we use the

Earth in our

community.

Students will

match pictures

of environment

changes with

consequences

and classify the

pairings as being

positive or

negative

changes.

Positive

Negative

Consequence

Physical

Environment

Local

Community

I can tell

someone how

changes to

the Earth in

my

community

can affect it

in positive

and negative

ways.

2 – H2.0.5

Identify a

problem in a

community‘s

past and

describe how

it was

resolved.

Identify

Describe

Resolve

Students will

know that

communities

work together

to resolve

problems that

come up.

In the past, as

they do in the

present, people

have worked

together to fix

problems in

their

communities.

Students will

complete a KWL

chart and an exit

slip about

problem solving

in a community,

identifying what

they learn.

Problem

Community

Past

I can give an

example of

how a

problem was

solved in the

past by a

community.

2 – P4.2.1

Develop and

implement an

action plan to

address or

inform others

about a

public issue.

Develop

Implement

Address

Inform

Students will

know that

public issues

affect all

members of a

community

and can be

addressed by

action plans.

People in a

community can

address a public

issue, in hopes

of fixing it, by

first informing

the community

about the issue.

Students will

create a product

(commercial,

flyer, letter,

etc.) to inform

their community

about a problem

they notice.

(See below)

Action Plan

Public Issue

If I find an

issue in my

community, I

can tell others

about the

problem and

give ideas for

how to fix it.

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Interacting with Our Earth

Method of Instruction: Task-Based Learning (TBL) with Trade Books

Audience: I will be teaching this lesson to a class of second grade students, roughly evenly

divided amongst male and female. There is racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity within the classroom, particularly

linguistic. Several students come from primarily Spanish-speaking homes. In terms of special needs, three students have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

Disorder (ADHD), one has a slight hearing impairment, and one has Autism

spectrum disorder. In terms of modifications, for small group and partner work, the students with

ADHD will be specifically paired with other students who consistently demonstrate focus and leadership and will have the ability to keep their group members on task. During whole-group work (e.g. watching the introductory

video, learning new vocabulary, reporting student results, giving instructions, etc.), the student with a slight hearing impairment will be seated near the front

of the room to better hear the audio emitted by me and the video. If I feel the student‘s peers are speaking too quietly, I will be sure to repeat what they said in a clear voice. Finally, for the student with Autism spectrum disorder, I will be

sure to clearly state when transitions will be occurring, so the student is not taken by surprise. During partner and small group work, the students will be

paired up via a predetermined, well-used system, so that this student can see a routine in the activity and not feel too overwhelmed by change.

Throughout this lesson, I am assuming that students will pay attention while I

speak and that they will be cooperative and productive when working in groups. Students will enter this lesson with varying degrees of prior knowledge about

environmentalism. The kindergarten and first grade GLCEs mention how humans interact with the Earth and vice versa, so if students‘ previous teachers covered those GLCEs well, those students will be well prepared to tackle this lesson.

Students will be familiar with the instructional component of ―popcorn reading‖ (i.e., taking turns while reading, each student reading one sentence at a time),

from frequent use in our classroom, so they will be well-prepared to use it during the TBL Cycle #1 Practice/TBL Cycle #2 Pre-Task component.

Length of Lesson: This two-part lesson is expected to take 75 minutes (1 hour

and 15 minutes). It will be completed over the course of two days. The lesson will include the following components:

1. TBL Cycle #1 35 minutes 2. TBL Cycle #2 40 minutes

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Materials Needed: My lessons will require the following materials:

TBL Cycle #1

Teacher Materials Student Materials Advanced Preparation

Computer and projector Vocabulary journals Technology ready to use

Introductory video Cause & effect pictures Note cards handy

Note cards (for word wall) Consequence headings Pictures printed/grouped

Classroom word wall Headings printed/grouped

Set of cause & effect pictures

TBL Cycle #2

Teacher Materials Student Materials Advanced Preparation

Note cards (for word wall) Vocabulary journals Note cards ready

Classroom word wall Tradebooks Trade books gathered

Classroom whiteboard T-charts and pencils T-charts & pledges printed

Whiteboard markers ―Pledge‖ templates T-chart drawn on board

Lesson Objectives:

The learner will know that there are responsible and irresponsible ways to treat

our environment. The learner will know that changing the Earth in our community can have both

positive and negative effects on it.

The learner will cooperate with his/her partner(s) during group work. The learner will employ good listening skills.

2nd Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCE) that apply to this lesson:

Geography – Environment and Society

Understand the effects of human-environment interactions.

1. G5.0.1: Suggest ways people can responsibly interact with the environment in the local community.

2. G5.0.2: Describe positive and negative consequences of changing the

physical environment of the local community.

Formative Assessments: I will assess students‘ learning in two ways:

1. Anecdotal Notes – During each cycle‘s pre-tasks and tasks, I will transition between groups and partners to provide feedback, clarification, and additional instruction when needed. During the ―Analysis‖ component of each TBL cycle, I

will take anecdotal notes on the accuracy and relevancy of student responses.

2. Student Written Work – At the end of the second TBL cycle, the students

will write an individual ―pledge,‖ using what they learned during the day‘s lesson, to state how they will continue to positively interact with their

environment. These pledges will be collected and hung on the ―classroom tree;‖ the teacher can then evaluate the responses for accuracy and relevancy.

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Lesson Outline Day 1: TBL Cycle #1 (35 min total)

Pre-Tasks (10 min) Introductory Video

The whole class will watch video introducing the concept of environmentalism and keeping the Earth clean. The video depicts a dog – Bolt – taking action to keep his home environment clean.

Video Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx-N186dwro Lesson Rationale/Objective

I will mention to students that Earth Day is just a few weeks away. I will also explain to them my rationale for the upcoming unit and its

connections to Earth Day. Finally, I will tell them the ―I Can...‖ statement I hope they will be able to

achieve by the end of today‘s lesson.

Vocabulary Work As a class, we will discuss words that will be important to the upcoming task:

cause, effect, consequence, positive, and negative. After students write the definition and give an example or draw a picture of

each of the words in their vocabulary journals, I will put them on the

classroom word wall for use during the upcoming task. Note: the Word Wall will be organized based on part of speech (e.g. “action

word” [verb], “describer” [adjective], “thing” [noun], etc.) without using the technical names for each part of speech.

*Scripting/Possible Expected Student Response (ESR)

- Student: What is Earth Day? (Teacher: A day to think about how we can keep our

Earth healthy and safe for everyone.)

- Student: What is the difference between effect and consequence? (Teacher: They can

mean the same thing. Consequence often means something bad.)

- Teacher (to clarify for students): Positive means good. Negative means bad.

Task (15 min)

Transition/Instructions I will take a couple of minutes to transition from the vocabulary work into

instructions for our next class activity. Matching Activity

Students will work with partners. Each pair of students will be given an

envelope containing pictures of various causes (10) and effects (10). The students will match each cause with the corresponding effect.

o Examples of cause-effect pairs include ―Leaving the bathtub faucet on. – Bathtub overflowing with water;‖ ―Forgetting to tie your shoelaces. –

Tripping over your shoelaces;‖ etc. (See last page for examples.) As pairs finish the first component of the activity, they will be given two

headings: ―Positive Consequence‖ and ―Negative Consequence.‖ They will

decide whether each pairing‘s effect has a positive or negative consequence and will place the pair of pictures under the appropriate heading.

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o Formative Assessment: While monitoring this activity, I will give feedback, clarification, or further instruction to students who need it. Also,

before obtaining the ―Positive Consequence‖ and ―Negative Consequence‖ headings, the partner group must confirm with me that their pairings are

correct. *Scripting/Possible ESR

- Teacher: Remember, causes lead to effects. Causes are before. Effects after.

- Teacher: Remember, positive means good. Negative means bad.

Report (5 min)

Class Report I will have a copy of the cause-effect pictures that students used during the

previous task.

I will select a cause or an effect and then prompt a pair of students to share with the class which effect or cause (respectively) they selected and why.

o If disagreements arise about a certain matchup, we will problem solve as class, through discussion, to figure out which is the correct matchup.

*Scripting/Possible ESR

- Student: That’s not the answer I came up with. (Teacher: Let’s take a closer look at

this. So our effect is _______. Would it be possible for _______ to cause _______?)

Analysis (5 min) After completing the ―Report‖ section as a class and transitioning students to

their next classroom activity, I will jot down a few notes (as a type of informal, formative assessment) on whether or not the student pairs were able to properly connect cause and effect.

*Scripting/Possible ESR: N/A

Practice/Pre-Tasks for TBL Cycle #2

See beginning of TBL Cycle #2 below for this cycle’s practice activity. This component will take place during TBL Cycle #2 on Day 2.

Day 2: TBL Cycle #2 (40 min total) Practice/Pre-Tasks for TBL Cycle #2 (20 min)

Vocabulary Review Before beginning this cycle, I will ask the students to explain ―cause‖ and

―effect‖ to me, as a review of the previous day‘s lesson. Lesson Objective

I will tell students the ―I Can...‖ statement I hope they will be able to achieve

by the end of today‘s lesson. Additional Vocabulary Work

As a class, we will discuss a few more words that will be important to the next task: responsible, community, and environment.

After students write the definition and give an example or draw a picture of each of the words in their vocabulary journals, I will put them on the classroom word wall for use during the upcoming task.

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Transition/Instructions I will take a couple of minutes to transition from the vocabulary work into

instructions for our next class activity. Bookwork

In small groups (previously determined by me), students will popcorn read a book about Earth conservation and other environmental topics.

Sample books could include:

o I Can Save the Earth! by Alison Inches o The Earth Book by Todd Parr

o Fancy Nancy: Every Day is Earth Day by Jane O‘Connor o Earth Day—Hooray! by Stuart Murphy o Why Should I Recycle/Protect Nature/Save Energy/Save Water books by

Jen Green o It‘s Earth Day by Mercer Mayer

o Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals o Michael Recycle by Ellie Bethel o What Does It Mean to be Green? by Rana DiOrio

*Scripting/Possible ESR

- Teacher: Let’s review what we talked about yesterday. Can someone explain to me the

word “cause”? How about the word “effect”? (Student: A cause produces an effect. An

effect is what happens because of the cause.)

- Teacher: Now, our communities can be small, or they can be very big. What are some

of our communities? (Students: School, home, neighborhood, school district, town,

state, country)

- Teacher: While you’re reading in your groups, watch for ways in which people or things

in your story are treating their environment positively, or in a good way, and ways

they’re treating it negatively, or in a bad way.

Task (10 min)

Transition/Instructions

I will instruct students that, once a group has finished reading, it will come to me for further instructions for our next activity.

Earthly Interactions Activity After reading their books, the students will each receive a T-chart labeled

―Positive (Good)‖ on the left and ―Negative (Bad)‖ on the right. To start, students will independently write (or draw) examples of how the characters in their book treated the Earth in positive and/or negative ways.

After working independently, the students will rejoin their peers to compare ideas and add to one another‘s charts.

If a group completes their chart before their peers, they can take the activity one step further by turning their papers over, drawing a T-chart like that on the front (column labels and all) and then writing down (or drawing) more

examples of how people might treat the Earth positively or negatively, examples beyond the scope of their book. Examples could be things they

have seen or heard about, or even better, things they have done themselves. Go to http://www.klrn.org/planetpatrol/docs/Become_a_member.pdf or

http://www.dnr.mo.gov/earthday/edayproj.htm for examples of “positives.”

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*Scripting/Possible ESR

Teacher: On the T-chart I give you, label the left column “Positive” and the right

column “Negative.” So, what are we labeling the left side? How about the right side?

Teacher: Is your group finished with the examples from your book? Okay, now all of

you turn your papers over and draw a T-chart just like the one on the front of the

page. Again, label the columns “Positive” and “Negative.” Now I want you to think

about ways you have seen people in your community treat the environment positively

or negatively.

Report (5 min) Class Report

Each group will share with the class the positive and negative interactions

they encountered in their book. I will record students‘ responses on a class T-chart (a larger version of the students‘ T-chart) on the whiteboard.

o Again, if disagreements arise about whether an action is positive or negative, we will problem solve via discussion to choose a final answer.

*Scripting/Possible ESR

- Student: I don’t think that’s a positive/negative. (Teacher: Let’s take a closer look at

this. If we saw someone at school/on the playground doing ______, would it be a good

or a bad thing? Why?)

Analysis (5 min – during the next Practice/Pre-Task)

As students work on the next ―Practice/Pre-Task,‖ I will take notes (an informal,

formative assessment) on how each group understood the concept of positive and negative interactions and what interactions still haven‘t been covered.

*Scripting/Possible ESR: N/A

Practice/Pre-Task for TBL Cycle #2 (5 min)

Individual Pledges Using the template from Dr. Seuss‘ website, students will write an individual

pledge, using what they learned during the day‘s lesson, saying how they will positively interact with the Earth around them.

The pledges will be hung on the ―classroom tree‖ so that the students can

take time to read one another‘s pledges. Template Source: http://www.seussville.com/Educators/lorax_classroom/

assets/downloads/SLM_Lorax_WebUpdates_PlgTreeSlip.pdf *Scripting/Possible ESR

- Teacher: Using all of what we have learned the past couple of days, I want each of you

to fill out a personal pledge. Who can tell me what a pledge is? (Student: A promise

you make.) Teacher: Exactly, a promise written on paper. Please write on your pledge

one thing you plan to do this Earth Day to make the Earth a happier and healthier

place. Once you’re finished, bring your pledge to me, and I will hang it on our

classroom tree.

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Sample Cause-Effect Picture Matchups Ten total cause-effect matchups like those displayed below would be given to each

pair of students during the “Task” component of the first TBL cycle. Image Source: Google Images

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Solving Community Problems: How Do Others Do It? Method of Instruction: K-W-L Strategy (using an Authentic Text)

Texts: Two texts will be used in this KWL lesson. The first is an article from

Scholastic News: Kids Press Corps titled ―Caring for Their Community.‖ This article describes the efforts of a high school life skills class to create and carry out a recycling program for their school and local community. I chose this text because it

showed one way to better one‘s local environment (i.e., recycling) while at the same time showcasing how students can better their communities.

The second text is an article from National Geographic Kids titled ―International

Coastal Cleanup.‖ This article discusses how 150+ individuals volunteered to help clean up Washington, D.C.‘s Anacostia River and inform the public about the need to keep waterways like rivers and oceans clean. I chose this text because it

showcased another way to better one‘s environment (i.e., cleanup and advocacy). First Article Source: http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3749399

Second Article Source: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/peopleplaces/coastal-cleanup/

Audience:

I will be teaching this lesson to a class of second grade students, roughly evenly divided amongst male and female.

There is racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity within the classroom, particularly

linguistic. Several students come from primarily Spanish-speaking homes. In terms of special needs, three students have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

Disorder (ADHD), one has a slight hearing impairment, and one has Autism spectrum disorder.

In terms of modifications, when completing their KWL charts, the students with

ADHD will be seated near me so that I can use proximity control to help them stay focused. At the same time, the student with a slight hearing impairment

will be seated near the front of the room to better hear the audio emitted by me and the video. If I feel the student‘s peers are speaking too quietly, I will repeat what they said in a clear voice. Finally, for the student with Autism spectrum

disorder, I will be sure to clearly state when transitions will occur, so he is not taken by surprise. The student will also be allowed a sensory break if needed.

Throughout this lesson, I am assuming that students will pay attention while I speak and that they will be active participants and good listeners while completing the KWL chart.

Students will enter this lesson with varying degrees of prior knowledge about problem solving and community/environment improvement. The first grade

social studies GLCEs cover learning to identify and express an opinion about a public issue in the community, so if students‘ previous teachers covered those GLCEs sufficiently, those students will be well prepared to tackle this lesson.

This will be the first time students are introduced to the KWL learning strategy, so I will take time at the beginning of the lesson to discuss the strategy and how

we will fill out the KWL chart as a class.

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Length of Lesson: This lesson is expected to take 45 minutes and will include the following steps:

3. Orientation 5 minutes

4. Completing the ―K‖ Column 5 minutes 5. Completing the ―W‖ Column 5 minutes 6. Reading First Text Selection 5 minutes

7. Completing the ―L‖ Column 5 minutes 8. Reading Second Text Selection 5 minutes

9. Completing the ―L‖ Column 5 minutes 10.Response/Assessment 7 minutes 11.Transition 3 minutes

Materials Needed: My lesson will require the following materials:

Teacher Materials Student Materials Advanced Preparation Doc camera and projector KWL charts (student version) KWL charts printed

Video link Vocabulary journals Technology ready to use

KWL chart (teacher version) Laminated ―ticket‖ exit slips Exit slips laminated

Printed copy of each article Thin whiteboard markers

Lesson Objectives:

The learner will know that community members work together to resolve problems that come up in their communities.

The learner will cooperate with his/her partner(s) during group work.

The learner will employ good listening skills.

2nd Grade Level Content Expectation (GLCE) that applies to this lesson:

History – Living and Working Together in Communities Use historical thinking to understand the past.

3. H2.0.5: Identify a problem in a community‘s past and describe how it was

resolved.

Formative Assessments: I will assess students‘ learning in the following way:

3. Exit Slips – At the end of the lesson, students will complete an exit slip, on

which they write one thing they learned from the day‘s lesson and one thing about which they still have a question.

4. KWL Charts – At the end of the lesson, I will collect students‘ KWL charts and

evaluate them for completion and accuracy.

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Lesson Outline

What is Happening in the Lesson

What is Being Said in the Lesson

Classroom Management:

For the reading of the article, I

want the students sitting on the rug at the front of the room so

that, while I read, I can better monitor their behavior and attention. While they complete the

KWL chart, however, they will be sitting in their usual desk groups.

To prevent confusion and disruption during transitions between seating arrangements, I

will tell students exactly where and how I want them to move

(e.g. ―I want each of you to quietly walk over to the rug and

take a seat. Sit criss-cross, please.‖)

My students will know that my

classroom behavior expectations – respect, responsibility, readiness

– will also apply to this lesson. I will monitor time during the

lesson using the watch I wear.

I will begin by stating that I need students to be good listeners

during the lesson. I will pass out the KWL charts

while explaining the KWL activity

to allow for a smooth transition. To get students attention, I will

hold up three fingers on my right hand (which stand for stop, look, and listen) and hold my left index

finger in front of my mouth. Students will know, per usual

classroom procedure, to follow me and do the same.

When asking for students‘ input, I

will call on only those students who quietly raise their hands.

(At the start of the lesson, students

will be in their assigned table seats.)

Me – Second graders, can you please come join me on the rug. Come and quietly take a seat; sit criss-cross,

please.

Me – Now, before we start today, I need to remind you that I need you all to be good listeners and good

participators today. What are the three R‘s that we all must follow?

Students – Be respectful. Be

responsible. Be ready. Me – Excellent. Let‘s get started.

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Orientation (5 min)

The anticipatory activity I will use to hook my students‘ attention is

playing a short music video for a song called ―Recycle It,‖ which urges

students to recycle their items, instead of just throwing them away. Video source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= heskCH-YADQ

After viewing the video, I will activate students‘ prior knowledge by

referring back to the previous days‘ lessons, in which we learned about human and environment interactions.

I will then supply some necessary

background knowledge by reviewing the difference between ―past‖ and

―present‖ events. We will also discuss the concept of a problem: what it is, and what the difference is between a

‗community/group problem‘ and an ‗individual/personal problem.‘ We will

add the vocabulary words ―problem‖ and ―community‖ to our vocabulary journals and word wall. Finally, we

will discuss the terms ―problem‖ and ―solution‖ and connect them to our

previous words ―cause‖ and ―effect.‖ We will also add these words to our vocabulary journals and word wall.

Then, I will pass out the KWL charts

while explaining how to complete the KWL chart. I will state that the goal of the lesson (the ―I can‖ statement)

is for the students to know ways that people can work together and solve a

problem in order to improve their community‘s environment. The articles that we will read will show us

two examples of just that. I will motivate students by telling them

that they will need to pay attention because they will be following in these students‘ footsteps very soon!

Me – I am going to play a song for you. You need to listen carefully to

what the song says. I‘m going to ask you what the song was about after

we listen to it. (Play song.)

Me – Now, what was this song all

about? Students – Recycling!

Me – Exactly. So the past few days

we have been learning about how to take care of our Earth, right? Well, today, we are going to learn how

people in the past have fixed a problem in their community to make

the Earth a better place. Who can tell me the difference between the words ―past‖ and ―present‖?

Students – The past is yesterday,

and the present is today.

Me – Good. The past has already happened. The present is what is happening right now. Today.

(Continue similar coverage of new

vocabulary words...) Me – Okay, boys and girls, I need

you all to quietly return to your seats. Return to your tables and sit

down quietly. I am passing out what is called a KWL chart. It is going to help us keep track of what we

already know, what we want to know, and what we learn after we do

some reading today. After today I want each of you to tell how people can work together to solve a problem

in their community and help the environment. Let‘s get started.

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#1. Post a KWL chart

I will be using the same KWL chart (without the number limitations; see

pages after lesson for both types) that I will be passing out to students.

I will use a Document Camera to display my chart on the board.

(No script necessary.)

#2. Complete the K column (5 min)

I will ask students to raise their

hands and supply their ideas for what they already know about problems that can happen in a community‘s

environment and how to solve them. I will call on students one at a time

and will write down each student‘s responses in the ―K‖ column. I will tell students that they need to write

down five things (though they may write more) in their ―K‖ column –

they do not need to write down all of the ideas I write on my chart. If there are no responses, I will provide

questions to help prompt answers.

Me – As we come up with ideas

today, you need to write some down. You‘ll see there are 5 numbers in each of the three vertical columns.

Please write down 5 things we talk about today for each category. So,

what do we know about solving problems in our community? How do we find a problem, first of all?

Student – You notice something

when you‘re playing outside. Me – Yes, good idea. What kind of

problems could we find in the community?

Students – Dirty water, trash in the road, lots of paper thrown away, etc.

Me – And how could we fix _____?

#3. Complete the W column (5 min)

I will ask students to raise their hands and supply the questions that

they have about the problems that can happen in a community‘s

environment and how to solve them. I will call on students one at a time and will write down each student‘s

responses in the ―W‖ column. Again, students will only need to write down

five things (though they may write

Me – What do we want to know about solving problems? What questions do

you have? What don‘t you know?

Students – Where do people get the money to fix the community? Can kids help the community? Why do

people leave trash on the ground?

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more) in their ―W‖ column – they do

not need to write down all of the ideas I write on my chart. If there are no responses, I will provide questions

to help prompt answers.

Me – Great questions. Thank you.

Let‘s see if we can get some of them answered.

#4 Read the first article (5 min)

I will read select portions of the first article using the document camera. I will stop occasionally during the text

to ask questions to clarify meaning (e.g., to provide word definitions).

While I am reading, students will open their vocabulary journals and

listen to hear some of their newest vocabulary words. If they hear a

word, they will put a star by it. First article source: http://www.scholastic.com/ browse/article.jsp?id=3749399

Me – Boys and girls, please look up here at the board. I will be putting the article we‘re going to read on the

document camera. Okay, here we go.

(I proceed to read the text, clarifying word definitions where necessary.)

Me – Did anybody hear any of our new vocabulary words as I was

reading aloud? Students – Community/environment/

positive/negative...

Me – Yes, we heard negatively, which is very close to negative. Good ears.

#5 Complete the L column (5 min)

I will ask students to raise their

hands and supply the knowledge that they learn about the community environment problems and how to

solve them from the article. I will call on students one at a time and will

write down each student‘s responses in the ―L‖ column. Again, students

will only need to write down five things (though they may write more) in their ―L‖ column – they do not

need to write down all of the ideas I write on my chart. If there are no

responses, I will provide questions to help prompt answers.

Me – After reading that article, let‘s

see if we can write down some of the things we learned. What did you learn from this article?

Student – That kids can make their

school a better place. They were in high school.

Student – You can recycle paper and cardboard.

Me – How did they discover the

problem? Student – From learning about

landfills.

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#6 Read the second article (5

min) I will read select portions of the

second article using the document camera. I will stop occasionally

during the text to ask questions to clarify meaning (for example, giving word definitions).

While I am reading, students will

open their vocabulary journals and listen to hear some of their newest vocabulary words. If they hear a

word, they will put a star by it. Second article source: http://kids.nationalgeograph ic.com/kids/stories/peopleplaces/coastal-cleanup/

Me – Okay, boys and girls, please

look up here at the board again. I will be putting the second article we‘re

going to read on the document camera. Listen for your vocabulary words again. Even if there is already

a star by the word, put another one if you hear me say the word. Okay,

here we go. (I proceed to read the text, clarifying

word definitions where necessary.)

Me – Did anybody hear any of our new vocabulary words this time?

Students – No...

Me – You‘re right, no new words this time. There were a lot of tricky words, though.

#7 Complete the L column (5 min)

I will ask students to raise their

hands and supply the knowledge that they learn about the community environment problems and how to

solve them from the article. I will call on students one at a time and will

write down each student‘s responses in the ―L‖ column. Again, students

will only need to write down five things (though they may write more) in their ―L‖ column – they do not

need to write down all of the ideas I write on my chart. If there are no

responses, I will provide questions to help prompt answers.

Me – Okay, just like before, let‘s see

if we can write down some of the things we learned. What did you learn from this article?

Student – You should make sure your

trash makes it in the trash can.

Student – That beaches need to be clean too.

Me – How did they help clean up?

Student – By picking up trash.

Assessment (4 min)

As a formative assessment, each student will fill out an exit slip. On

the exit slip, s/he will write one thing

Me – Great work, boys and girls. Thank you for listening and giving me

your great ideas. Now, it is almost

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17

s/he learned from the day‘s lesson

and one thing about which s/he still has a question.

The exit slips will be laminated (so as to be reused). The students will write

their responses using whiteboard markers. I will later review the students‘ exit slips to evaluate their

comprehension of the material.

Once done with their exit slips, students will turn them into the bin. Those who finish early can continue

their Daily Fives work from the previous day.

time for lunch. Before you go,

however, you need to fill out your ticket to go. On your ticket, please write one thing you learned today.

Then write one question you still have. Got it? What two things do I

need you to write? Students – One thing we learned and

one question we have.

Me – Good. If you finish early, please put your ticket in the ticket box. Then you may do Daily Fives until it is time

for lunch.

Transition (1 min)

Students will transition to lunch following this activity. During the last

few minutes of the activity, I will let students know how much time they

have left, so the end will not come abruptly. I will instruct them to grab either their cold lunch box or their

hot lunch card and (quietly!) wait in line at the door, ready to go to lunch.

Me – For those of you working, you have about 2 minutes to finish up.

Me – Okay, time‘s up. Please turn

your tickets in to the ticket box. Those doing Daily Fives, please close your work. Everyone, please grab

your lunch box or your lunch card and line up quietly by the door.

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Solving Community Problems: How Can We Do It?

Method of Instruction: Cooperative Learning

Audience: I will be teaching this lesson to a class of second grade students, roughly evenly

divided amongst male and female. There is racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity within the classroom, particularly

linguistic. Several students come from primarily Spanish-speaking homes. Three students have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), one has a

slight hearing impairment, and one has Autism spectrum disorder. In terms of modifications, when brainstorming or receiving instruction as a

whole class, the students with ADHD will be seated near me so that I can use

proximity control to help them stay focused. At the same time, the student with a slight hearing impairment will be seated near the front of the room to better

hear the audio emitted by me and the video. If I feel the student‘s peers are speaking too quietly, I will repeat what they said in a clear voice. Finally, for the student with Autism spectrum disorder, I will be sure to clearly state when

transitions will occur, so he is not taken by surprise. The student will also be allowed a sensory break if needed. During group work, those students with

ADHD will be strategically grouped with peers that can keep them on task. Throughout this lesson, I am assuming that students will pay attention while I

speak and will be active participants and good listeners while we work as a

class. I expect that they will be respectful and responsible group members. Students will enter this lesson with varying degrees of prior knowledge about

problem solving and community/environment improvement. The first grade social studies GLCEs cover learning to identify and express an opinion about a public issue in the community, so if students‘ previous teachers covered those

GLCEs sufficiently, those students will be well prepared to tackle this lesson. Students will have used cooperative learning before, so they will be familiar with

the roles they may be assigned and the process of working in small groups.

Length of Lesson: The lesson is expected to take 2 ½ hours total and will include the following components and subcomponents:

Day 1 (1 ½ hours total)

12.Classroom Management 1 minute

13.Orientation 4 minutes 14.Background Knowledge 15 minutes

15.Sample ―Action Plan‖ 10 minutes 16.Explanation of Project 15 minutes

17.Beginning Work 35 minutes 18.Group Evaluation 6 minutes 19.Closing/Transition 4 minutes

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19

Day 2 (1 hour total) 1. Classroom Management 1 minute

2. Orientation 2 minutes 3. Project Work Time 45 minutes

4. Group Evaluation 5 minutes 5. Self-Evaluation 5 minutes 6. Closing/Transition 2 minutes

Materials Needed: My lesson will require the following materials:

Teacher Materials Student Materials Advanced Preparation Computer and projector ―Action Plan‖ worksheets All documents printed

Video link T-chart worksheets Technology ready to use

Whiteboard markers Task cards (Days 1 and 2) Task cards laminated

Popsicle sticks (to pick roles) Group/self-evaluation sheets Small groups selected

Vocabulary journals Popsicle sticks prepared

Lesson Objectives:

The learner will know that public issues affect all members of a community and

can be addressed by action plans. The learner will work with classmates to identify a problem in their school

community and create a product to inform their community about the problem. The learner will cooperate with his/her group members during group work. The learner will employ good listening skills.

2nd Grade Level Content Expectation (GLCE) that applies to this lesson:

Public Discourse, Decision Making, & Citizen Involvement – Citizen Involvement

Act constructively to further the public good. 4. P4.2.1: Develop and implement an action plan to address or inform others

about a public issue.

Formative Assessment: I will assess students‘ learning in the following way:

5. Student Written Work – During Day 1, I will collect students‘ T-charts about

positive group work, as well as the groups‘ action plans. I will receive the

documents for student participation and understanding.

Summative Assessment: I will assess students‘ overall learning as follows:

1. Final Project – Each group of students will be creating a product that informs

their school community about a public issue they have found. This product will

incorporate content that was learned throughout the entire week of the unit.

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Lesson Outline

DAY 1

What is Happening in the Lesson

What is Being Said in the Lesson

Classroom Management (1 min)

For all group work, students will be sitting at tables in their groups,

which I will have chosen. To prevent confusion and disruption

during transitions between seating

arrangements, I will tell students exactly where and how I want them

to move. My students will know that my

classroom behavior expectations –

respect, responsibility, readiness – will also apply to this lesson.

I will monitor time during the lesson using the watch I wear.

I will begin by stating that I need

students to be good listeners and good workers during the lesson.

To get students attention, I will hold up three fingers on my right hand (which stand for stop, look, and

listen) and hold my left index finger in front of my mouth. Students will

know, per usual classroom procedure, to mirror me.

When asking for students‘ input or

answering questions, I will call on only those students who quietly raise

their hands.

(At the start of the lesson, students will be in their assigned table seats.)

Me – Second graders, listen up please. Before we start our next activity, I need

to remind you that I need you all to be good listeners and good participators

today. What are the three R‘s that we all must follow?

Student – Be respectful.

Student – Be responsible.

Student – Be ready. Me – Excellent. Let‘s get started.

Orientation (4 min) The anticipatory activity I will use to

hook my students‘ attention is a video of an elementary classroom in

Australia trying to make a change in their school and their environment. Video source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur e=player_embedded&v=oROsbaxWH0M#! (till 1:14)

Me – So the past few days we have

been talking about the Earth – how we can be active in protecting and taking

care of it. Let‘s see what some students in Australia have done to help keep the Earth healthy and safe.

Me – How did the students in this short

clip help their school community?

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21

After viewing the video, I will activate

students‘ prior knowledge by referring back to the previous days‘ lessons, in which we learned about human and

environment interactions and how some students, like those in the video,

have found ways to make their environments a better place.

Then I will state that the goal of the lesson (the ―I can‖ statement) is for

the students to know that public issues affect all members of a community and can be addressed by action plans

and to work in groups to create a product that will tell others about a

problem in the community.

Student – They took old cell phones. Me – Exactly. They call them ―mobiles,‖

just like we call them cell phones or mobile phones. And what were they

going to do with all of them? Student – Recycle them.

Me – Yes. Recycle them. So here, the

students noticed a problem, came up with a plan, and carried out that plan. By the end of this week, you and a

group will find an issue in the school, come up with a plan to fix it, and carry

out that plan.

Background Knowledge (15 min) As a class, we will do an ―ABC

Brainstorm‖ to come up with a lengthy list of possible problems that we might

find in the community (school, home, neighborhood, city, etc.). For each letter of the alphabet, we will list a

potential problem. Here I will introduce a new vocabulary term: public issue. I

will ask students to distinguish between public and personal issues.

After brainstorming, I will transition by asking students what they think

should be the first step in solving a community problem.

Me – Before we get into groups and

start working, I want us to think about some of the problems we might find in

our community. At school. At home. In our neighborhoods. In our cities. Now there‘s a difference here between public

issues – which affect big communities – and personal issues – which only affect

us. A personal issue might be you lost your homework. I want us to think about a public issue for each letter of

the alphabet. Who can give me an example of a public issue?

Students – The park has no trees, the

playground is dirty, etc.

Sample “Action Plan” (10 min) I will put a blank ―Action Plan‖

template on the document camera for all to see. As a class, we will construct

an action plan for a problem I select. During this component, I will

continually use the words ―public issue‖ and ―action plan,‖ stressing the

relationship between the two, so that

Me – Excellent job brainstorming ideas.

Let‘s look specifically at (pick public issue from list). I want you to look up

here at the board. This worksheet will help us write an action plan to come up with a plan to fix our public issue.

(Proceed to complete action plan

worksheet as a class.)

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the connection is made. These two

words will be vocabulary words that the students record in their vocabulary journals.

Explanation of Project (15 min)

At this point, I will explain the basics of the impending group project.

Students will work in small groups (groups previously decided by me) to choose a public issue (within the

school community), write an action plan, and then make a product to

carry out the ―first step‖ of their action plan. Their product will tell the school community what the public issue is,

why it is a problem (according to our previous lessons), and how they can

help solve it. I will then review the five roles that

students may be assigned for this activity. They will have used

cooperative learning before, so they will be familiar with the roles.

Finally, the students and I will work together to brainstorm, in a T-chart

format, the good and bad interactions that students can have with one

another during group work.

Me – We just made a sample action plan to fix a public issue. This is exactly

what you are going to be doing in small groups today. We are going to look at problems we find within our school.

Problems that might be harming the environment. Eventually, you‘ll be

coming up with an idea to tell the rest of the school about the problem and how they can help fix it.

Me – We will be working in cooperative

groups today, so just like before, there will be five people per group. Each person will have a role. We‘ll have an

Organizer, a Messenger, a Reader, a Scribe, and a Checker in each group. Sources: http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/de/pd/instr/strats/coop/ template.pdf; http://www.readwritethink.org/files/reso urces/lesson_images/lesson277/cooperative.pdf

Me – Before we pick our roles and get in

groups, I want us to think about good and bad ways we might work with our group members. (Fill out T-chart.)

Beginning Work (35 min)

After explaining the projects, I will tell

students their groups (groups of five) and where each group should sit.

Then, students will pick roles by randomly picking a labeled popsicle stick from a cup. The students will

gather in their groups and begin ―Task Card #1,‖ the task card for Day 1 of

the project. (See task cards at the end of

the lesson for more information). While completing their tasks as a group,

each student is responsible for carrying out his/her role.

Me – Okay, let‘s get started. Listen as I

tell you what group you are in and where you need to sit. (List groups.)

Me – To pick our roles, each of you will pick a popsicle stick from this cup It will

tell you what role you have.

Me – Good. Now that you‘re in your groups, have your Messenger come get your task card from me, and then you

can get to work. Remember your roles.

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Group Evaluation (6 min)

Using the ―Group Evaluation‖ sheet I provide, each student will evaluate

his/her group‘s overall performance for the day.

As before, during completion of the evaluation, the reader will read the

tasks and the scribe will write the responses on the ―Group Evaluation‖

worksheet.

Me – Alright boys and girls – Messengers, please put away all of your

group‘s supplies and come get a ―Group Evaluation‖ sheet from me.

Me – Organizers, please lead your team in completing this sheet. You must

evaluate how well your team did today.

Closing/Transition (4 minute) I will give closure to this lesson by

having each group of students share with the class (1) what their public

issue is; and (2) how they plan to tell the rest of the school about the issue.

Students will transition to lunch after this activity. After the class share, I

will instruct the students to grab either their cold lunch box or their hot lunch card and (quietly!) wait in line at the

door, ready to go to lunch.

Me – Okay, second graders, let‘s recap

what we‘ve accomplished today. I want the Checker from each group to tell the

class what your group‘s public issue is and how you plan to tell the rest of the school about it.

(Students share their ideas.)

Me – Excellent. Thank you for your good work today. It is now lunch time,

so please go grab your hot lunch card or your lunch box and wait quietly in a

line by the door.

DAY 2

What is Happening in the Lesson

What is Being Said in the Lesson

Classroom Management (1 min) For all group work, students will be

sitting at tables in their groups, which I will have chosen.

To prevent confusion and disruption during transitions between seating arrangements, I

will tell students exactly where and how I want them to move.

My students will know that my classroom behavior expectations –

(At the start of the lesson, students

will be in their assigned table seats.)

Me – Second graders, listen up please. Before we start our next

activity, I need to remind you that, as always, I need you all to be good listeners and good participators

today. What are the three R‘s that we all must follow?

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24

respect, responsibility, readiness –

will also apply to this lesson. I will monitor time during the

lesson using the watch I wear.

I will begin by stating that I need students to be good listeners and

good workers during the lesson. To get students attention, I will

hold up three fingers on my right

hand (which stand for stop, look, and listen) and hold my left index

finger in front of my mouth. Students will know, per usual classroom procedure, to mirror me.

When asking for students‘ input or answering questions, I will call on

only those students who quietly raise their hands.

Student – Be respectful. Student – Be responsible.

Student – Be ready.

Me – Excellent.

Orientation (2 min)

I will reactivate students‘ background knowledge by asking them to tell me

what they remember about the lesson the day before, including vocabulary words and details about

the project.

Me – Yesterday we began our cooperative group projects. What did

each of our groups write yesterday? Student – An action plan.

Me – Exactly. An action plan to solve

a public issue in our school, right? Part of that worksheet asked how you would tell others in your school about

the problem. Today you are going to make your products.

Project Work Time (45 min)

The students will gather in their

groups once again and (if they have completely finished Task Card #1 already) begin ―Task Card #2,‖ the

task card for Day 2 of the project. (See task cards at the end of the lesson

for more details). While completing

their tasks as a group, all students are responsible for carrying out their

own roles.

Me – If you have finished Task Card

#1, please have your Messenger come tell me the product your group wants to make. If I approve of the

product, I will give him or her Task Card #2, and your group may start

making your product. Again, remember the role each of you has.

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25

Group Evaluation (5 min)

Using the ―Group Evaluation‖ sheet I provide, each student will evaluate

his/her group‘s overall performance for the day.

During completion of the evaluation, the reader will read the tasks and

the scribe will write the responses on the ―Action Plan‖ worksheet.

Me – Alright boys and girls – Messengers, please put away all of

your group‘s supplies and come get a ―Group Evaluation‖ sheet from me.

Me – Organizers, please lead your team in completing this sheet. You

must evaluate how well your team did today.

Self-Evaluation (5 min)

In addition to completing a group evaluation, at the end of the project

work period on Day 2, the students will fill out individual self-evaluations

in which they evaluate themselves based on their participation.

Me – After completing your group evaluation, your Messenger will turn

it in and grab 5 ―Self-Evaluation‖ sheets from me. Each of you needs

to tell me how you did during this project. What did you do well? What could you work on? Please be honest.

Closing/Transition (2 minute)

I will give closure to this lesson by

recapping the unit we covered this week. I will then tell that next week, we will pick one of the action plans to

carry out for the entire school.

Students will transition to lunch following this activity. After closing the unit, I will instruct them to grab

either their cold lunch box or their hot lunch card and (quietly!) wait in

line at the door, ready to go to lunch.

Me – Second graders, thank you very

much for your work today. You‘ve learned about how we should treat our Earth and how other people have

fixed problems in their communities You‘ve even made a plan to fix a

problem yourselves! Next week we will be voting on a plan we want to carry out. We will use your ideas to

make our school a better place!

Me – Excellent. Thank you for your good work this week. I‘m very proud

of you all! It is now lunch time, so please go grab your hot lunch card or your lunch box and wait quietly in a

line by the door.

Extension: After this lesson, the class would decide on one (possibly a few) project to focus on. It would carry out the action plan as written by the group to solve the public issue in the community. After executing their plan, the students would share their

success with ―Planet Patrol‖ online at http://www.klrn.org/planetpatrol/share.aspx.

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26

Task Cards

Task Card #1:

Fill out the answers for these tasks on your “Action Plan” worksheet.

1. Choose a public issue that affects your school community

2. List two reasons your group picked that issue

3. List one way your school community would be improved if the public issue

was solved

4. List two causes of the public issue

5. Decide how you could let others in the school know about the public issue in order to fix it.

Task Card #2:

1. Read your action plan

2. Re-read your first step

3. On the back of your action plan, write down all of the class supplies you will

need to make your product

4. Send the Messenger to gather your supplies

5. Create your product!

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Group Evaluation Names: ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________ Date: _________________________

Public Issue:________________________________________________________

How Did You Do? Circle YES or NO.

1. We finished everything on time. YES NO

2. We were nice to each other and used good teamwork. YES NO

3. We used quiet voices with each other. YES NO

4. We listened carefully to each others‘ ideas. YES NO

5. We did best at ____________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

6. Tomorrow, we need to ______________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20041211004609/http://www.potsdam.edu/EDUC/GLC/ike/group.html

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Self-Evaluation Name: _____________________________________ Date: __________________

Group Members:_____________________________________________________

Public Issue:________________________________________________________

How Did You Do?

Circle Yes (Y), Sometimes (S), or No (N).

1. I helped my group stay focused Y S N

2. I was nice to my group and used good teamwork. Y S N

3. I used quiet voices with my group. Y S N

4. I listened carefully to my group members‘ ideas. Y S N

5. My best moment was when I _________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

6. If I did this project again, I would _____________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20041211004609/http://www.potsdam.edu/EDUC/GLC/ike/group.html

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