Instructional Software

Lesson Idea Name: American Indians

Content Area: Social Studies
Grade Level(s): 3rd Grade

Content Standard Addressed:

a. Locate the regions where American Indians settled in North America: Arctic,
Northwest Southwest, Plains, Northeast, and Southeast.

Technology Standard Addressed: 3- Knowledge Constructor

Selected Technology Tool:

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):

https://www.brainpop.com/games/missionusacheyenneodyssey/
https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/americanindians/
Type of Instructional Software:
☐ Drill and Practice ☐ Tutorial ☒ Simulation ☒ Instructional Game ☐ e-books/e-references

Features of this software (check all that apply):

☐ Assessment Monitoring/Reporting
☐ Allows teacher to create customized lessons for students
☐ Multi-user or collaborative functions with others in the class
☐ Multi-user or collaborative with others outside the class
☒ Accessible to students beyond the school day
☒ Accessible via mobile devices
☒ Multiple languages
☒ Safety, security and/or privacy features

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☐ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☐ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level): (Select the one best level)
☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☒ Level 4: Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Describe how you could address Universal Design for Learning principles
to extend and support the learning experiences for all students.
For ESL students, the video can be translated into their multiple languages, so we could give them
headphones and allow them to watch it via headphones, so that they can understand the dialogue. For
students who are hyperactive, the simulation game after the video allows students to work and collaborate
together to figure out how to help the Chief find his missing horses. Students who are hearing impaired can
choose to read the subtitles at the bottom of the video so that they know what is being said.

Lesson idea implementation: As you address the standards, what will students and teachers do? How will
the project be introduced? How long will it take to complete? How will student learning be assessed? How will
the final product be used to inform/differentiate learning? How will you extend the student learning to a

Spring 2018_SJB
 Instructional Software
higher learning level? How will you conclude the lesson? How will you provide feedback to students about
their work? MINIMUM 2 paragraph overview.
Students will watch the video about American Indians and take notes of important things they found in the
video, then the students will play a simulation game that helps to understand the culture and way of life of
the American Indians. While the video is playing, the teacher will stand in the back of the class making sure
students are on task. The video will be approximately 4 minutes, and it has the options to use closed captions.
The students will then be assessed with a short virtual matching game, that they will get to complete in
groups of three or four. This will be done on their laptops at their desks, and will serve as their summative
assessment. The objective of the game is to match the Indian Tribe with the region they primarily lived.

I will differentiate this instruction by allowing students the opportunity to do the virtual matching game, or
for my students who do not like that method, they will be given a graphic organizer they can complete over
the same content. I will extend this lesson for students at a high level by asking them to find the Indian Tribe
that lived the closest to where we live, and how might they have lived, knowing what we know about Georgia
climate, animals, and landmarks. I will conclude the lesson by checking the score on the virtual game of each
group or looking at the graphic organizer for correctness. I will provide feedback directly to each student as I
assess their work. I will end the activity and the lesson by bringing the students back together and asking
them what they learned during the activity.

Reflective Practice: After designing this lesson idea, how do you feel the activities you created could impact
student learning? You may have designed this idea as an introductory activity to a unit of study. With that in
mind, what could be done to further extend the lesson? Are there other technology tools that could further
enhance this project?
In order to further extend this lesson, I would ask the students to pick one tribe they want to know more
about. Assuming I would start this unit on Monday, I would give the students until Friday to bring in a poster
that they would use to tell the class about the tribe they picked. If the students don’t want to do their
research project on a tribe, they can do it over something they found was interesting about how a tribe lived
or what they know about American Indians as a group. Other technology tools I would use to enhance this
project is a virtual reality for students to get to walk around their chosen Indian settlement. This would shed
light on living conditions the students probably could not imagine, they would just have to see it to
understand. The virtual reality addition to the lesson would engage the students and be an innovative way to
perk the interest of all types of learners in the classroom.

Spring 2018_SJB