UNIT PLAN

Name: Katelyn Scott, Laura Dodson, and Josh Goodpaster Date: 4/22/19-4/30/19

Subject/Content: Multicultural Unit (ELA/writing, geography, and music) Grade Level: 3

Curriculum Standards Unit Goals

Social Studies: 3.46 Interpret different texts Lesson 1

and primary sources to describe the major
components of history and culture including
language, clothing, food, art, beliefs,
customs, and music.
3.48 Identify major countries of the
continent (Egypt, Kenya, Libya, and South
Africa). (G)
3.49 Identify major physical features of the
continent (G):
● Rivers – Congo, Niger, Nile
● Mountains – Kilimanjaro, Mt.
Kenya, Atlas Mountains
● Desert – Sahara
● Bodies of Water – Indian Ocean,
Lake Victoria, Southern Ocean
● Landforms – Cape of Good Hope
ELA: RL.3.2 Recount stories, including
fables, folktales, and myths from diverse
cultures; determine the central message,
lesson, or moral and explain how it is
conveyed through key details in the text.
Music: 3.GM.R2.A Demonstrate and describe
how music concepts are used by performers to
reflect intent (such as describing the mood of a
piece of music using descriptive adjectives or
demonstrating an understanding of how
dynamics and tempo affect the mood of a piece
through drawing, writing, or discussing).
3.GM.P3.B Using body percussion or
instruments, perform instrumentally
● Where are the major countries in
Africa?
● What kind of physical features can
you find on the continent of Africa?
Lesson 2
● How is Africa physically different
from America?
● Label a map of Africa with its main
physical features.
Lesson 3
● What is a fable?
● What are the elements of a fable?
Lesson 4
● How do we find the moral of a
fable?
Lesson 5
● How do changes in dynamics
enhance a performance?
● What are some differences in
“qualities” of music?
Lesson 6
● How/why do musical instruments
differ in the way that they sound?
● How can we use different kinds of
instruments to bring diversity to
musical styles and genres?
(pitched/unpitched), alone and with others, Lesson 7
with expression and skill*. ● What can we learn about the
3.GM.Cr1.B Use parameters such as African culture through folktales
improvising/composing a 2-4 measure and music?
musical idea, a pentatonic melody, or a
rhythm pattern using limited note values to
generate musical ideas.
3.GM.R1.C Describe a listening example by
using teacher-given characteristics, and
describe stylistic characteristics of selected
regional, national, or global styles or genres
of music through teacher-given parameters
(such as by guided questioning, using an
element of music, or music vocabulary).
3.GM.Cn2.A Demonstrate understanding of
relationships between music and the other
arts, other disciplines, varied contexts,
and/or daily life (such as understanding the
science of sound).

Activities Planned

Lesson 1
● In each student’s Africa workbook, there are three different passages on the
Sahara Desert. One about the people, one about the plants, and one about the
animals. The teacher will instruct that each group will read a different passage. As
they read, they are to highlight three main details. Then, students will pick one
person from their group to share what their 3 main details were with the class.
● Students will complete the “My Trip to Africa” prompt. The teacher will explain
to the students to write what they think they would see if they were going on a trip
to Africa. Students must write at least three complete sentences. Students can
draw a picture in the space provided as well.
Lesson 2
● The students will create their own labeled and color coded map of Africa. They
will do this activity as a class. The teacher will leave this on display in the
classroom for students to refer back to it whenever needed.
● Students will write a journal entry comparing and contrasting Africa and America.
The students should write at least two paragraphs, and they should include at least
two comparisons and two contrasts.
Lesson 3
 ● The students will play the telephone game to introduce the concept of oral
tradition
● The teacher will present a PowerPoint presentation about folktales and,
specifically, Aesop. The students will write down important facts about Aesop in
their ELA notebooks.
● The class will read a type of folktale, a fable, entitled “The Tortoise and the Hare”
● The class read an African fable called “Why Anansi has Eight Thin Legs” and
complete a graphic organizer

Lesson 4
● Students will review the structure of a fable using yesterday’s anchor chart.
● The class will read another African fable “Lion and the Mouse” and, afterwards,
will give a retelling of the story along with identifying its moral and will fill out a
graphic organizer by themselves.
● Students will write a letter as either the lion or the mouse to the other character.

Lesson 5
● The students will create a thunderstorm in class and discuss it with their teacher.
● The students will compose a piece of music in their groups and perform them for
the class. Afterward they will assess each other’s work.
● The students will write down different qualities of music in their favorite songs.

Lesson 6
● The students will participate in matching instruments to their respective
categories.
● The students will compose a piece of music in their groups and perform them for
the class. Afterward they will assess each other’s work.
● The students will write down instruments to be discussed with their shoulder
buddies.

Lesson 7
● The students will sort pictures of African instruments with their corresponding
names
● The teacher will go over the different types of instruments and how in Africa they
are used to help tell stories
● The students will read Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears with the help/use of
musical instruments
● Students will write and discuss with a partner how their musical instrument added
to the story
Assessment

Lesson 1
Informal:The teacher will ask students for a thumbs up/thumbs down throughout the
lesson to see if students are understanding the content. The teacher will also look through
the students’ African workbooks to see how they are doing.
Formal:There will be a formal test over Africa at the end of our unit.

Lesson 2
Informal: The teacher will ask students for a thumbs up/thumbs down throughout the
lesson to see if students are understanding the content.
Formal: The teacher will take up the students’ workbooks at the end of the lesson and
grade them for completion. The teacher will also grade the students’ writing journal entry.

Lesson 3
Informal: The teacher will observe the students as she completes the anchor chart and as
students complete their graphic organizers. She will also use questioning to check for
student understanding.
Formal: The students will complete a letter assignment in the second lesson that will
taken as a grade.

Lesson 4
Informal: The teacher will observe the students throughout the direct instruction and the
independent work. She will also use questioning to check for student understanding.
Formal: The students will complete a letter assignment that will taken as a grade.

Lesson 5
Informal: The teacher will assess how the students respond to directions given while
performing their repertoire.
Formal: There will be a formal test at the end of the unit which will cover the elements
of music defined, practiced, and demonstrated in this lesson.

Lesson 6
Informal:The teacher will observe student’s conversation as they compose their pieces,
as well as observe student’s answers as they guess which category the instruments are
from.
Formal: There will be a formal test at the end of the unit which will cover the elements
of music defined, practiced, and demonstrated in this lesson.

Lesson 7
Informal:The teachers will be monitoring the room during instruction to make sure
students are understanding the material. The students will also complete an exit slip.
Formal: There will be a formal unit test when this unit is complete.

LESSON PLAN 1
Name: Laura Dodson Date: 4/22/19

Lesson Title: A Trip to Africa Grade/Level: 3rd

Curriculum Standards Focus Question/Big Idea/Goal

3.48 Identify major countries of the continent ● Where are the major countries in
(Egypt, Libya, and Kenya). (G) Africa?
3.49 Identify major physical features of the ● What kind of physical features can
continent (G): you find on the continent of Africa?
● Mountains – Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya,
Atlas Mountains
● Desert – Sahara

Lesson Objective(s)

● Students will be able to identify Egypt, Kenya, and Libya.

● Students will be able to describe the major physical features of Africa.
● Students will be able to differentiate the African culture and the American culture.

Vocabulary/ Academic Language

 ● Continent
● Country
● Africa
● Egypt
● Kenya
● Libya
● Sahara Desert
● Kilimanjaro Mountain
● Mt. Kenya
● Atlas Mountains
● Oasis

Questions for higher order thinking and assessment

● How is the temperature in Africa compared to the temperature in America?

● What land features does Africa have that we do not have in America?
● What are some similarities between Africa and America?

Assessment/Evaluation

Informal: The teacher will ask students for a thumbs up/thumbs down throughout the lesson to
see if students are understanding the content. The teacher will also look through the students’
African workbooks to see how they are doing. Also, the teacher will look at what the students
wrote for their closing activity to see what they are learning.
Formal: There will be a formal test over Africa at the end of our unit.

Materials
 ● Writing journals
● Africa and USA pictures in baggies (enough for 3 groups)
● Africa Workbook
● Moja Means One book
● Africa Eyewitness book
● Computer
● Projector
● PowerPoint slides

Bell Ringer

Students will come into the classroom and grab their writing journals. There will be a writing
prompt on the board that says “Marvelous Monday! In 3-5 sentences, tell me how you are
going to make today marvelous.” Students will have 5 minutes to complete this activity.

Anticipatory Set

The teacher will put students into 3 even groups. The teacher will have printed pictures in
baggies for the students. (The same pictures will be in each bag.) The pictures will have
different physical features of Africa and of the USA. The teacher will have the students work
within their groups to sort the pictures into two categories: Africa or USA. The students will
have two minutes to do this activity. The teacher will put a timer on the board. After the time is
up, the teacher will ask the students what they have in each of their groups and how they
determined what goes where. This is requiring students to use Classification Skills. All of the
pictures with a star on the back of it should belong to the USA category.

Instruction
The teacher will line the students’ desks up four in a row with an aisle down the middle (like
an airplane.) Each student will receive an airplane ticket where they can fill out their name,
date, and time. The teacher will walk the students through the “A Trip to Africa” PowerPoint.

Each student will have an Africa Workbook. In this workbook, the students will have a
handout that they can fill out as the teacher goes through the PowerPoint. It will be the first
page in the book.

The teacher will start by talking about Africa in general. The teacher will show the students
where Africa is located on the world map. The teacher will tell the students that Africa has 54
countries. Then, she will move on to looking at the different parts of Africa by using the
PowerPoint. After each slide, the teacher will ask students to a thumbs up/thumbs down so the
teacher can know if the students are tracking with the lesson.

North Africa
The teacher will tell the students that North Africa is represented by the blue countries on the
map. These countries are the most northern countries in Africa. The teacher will explain that
the weather in North Africa is REALLY hot, dry, and windy. Now, the teacher will go into
more detail about what we see in North Africa:
● Egyptian pyramids are all throughout Egypt. This is where the Egyptians would bury
their pharaohs and queens (their rulers). These Pyramids are really big.
● The Great Sphinx Giza is the largest monument that the Egyptians built for one of their
pharaohs. A sphinx is a mythical creature that has a human face but the body of a lion.
● The Atlas Mountains crossover 3 North African countries: Morocco, Algeria, and
Tunisia. This is a really big mountain range.
● The Sahara Desert is located across North Africa. It is really big and stretches across
300 miles of North Africa. It is one of the hottest, driest, and windiest places on earth.
The highest recorded temperature there was 136 degrees Fahrenheit. The highest
temperature in Dayton, TN is 107 degrees Fahrenheit, so the Sahara Desert has been a
lot hotter than it is in the summer time here at home.
● Libya is mostly desert and barren land. Libya has lots of oil production which America
has imported oil from Libya for several years now.

Now the class will do an activity on North Africa. This will be the first activity explained in
the Guided and Independent Practice portion of this lesson plan.

After the class has completed that activity, we will move on to study East Africa.
East Africa
The teacher will tell the students that East Africa is represented by the countries in orange.
There are 10 total countries that make up East Africa. The most popular country to visit is
Kenya. The teacher will explain that the weather there is typically mild range from 30-70
degrees Fahrenheit. Now, the teacher will go into more detail about the physical features we
see in East Africa:
● Mt. Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest mountain. The very top of the mountain is 19,000
feet above ground level. It could take anywhere from 5 to 9 days to climb to the top of
this mountain. This mountain is located in the country of Tanzania.
○ In the Africa Eyewitness book, the say that Mt. Kilimanjaro is SO high that it
often has snow on its peaks. That sounds kind of crazy for Africa to have snow,
right? The book also said that because the mountain is so high, clouds typically
form around the mountain which cause a mist to occur. This makes the ground
around the mountain very fertile. Therefore, many people grow crops on the
slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
● Mt. Kenya is the tallest mountain in Kenya and the second tallest mountain in Africa.
The scenery is very pretty around this mountain. There are caves located in the
mountain which attracts many tourists.

The teacher will now read the Moja Means One book on East Africa. Then, students will do an
activity on East Africa. This will be the second activity listed in the Guided and Independent
Practice portion of this lesson plan.
Guided and Independent Practice

Activity #1 (Guided)
Students will get back into the same groups that they were in for the Anticipatory Set. In each
student’s workbook, there are three different passages on the Sahara Desert. One about the
people, one about the plants, and one about the animals. The teacher will instruct that each
group will read a different passage. As they read, they are to highlight three main details. The
teacher will give them 5 minutes to read through the passage with their group and discuss it.
The teacher will be a timer on the board. The teacher will walk around and monitor students
and be available to answer students’ questions as needed. Once the time is up, the students will
pick one person from their group to share what their 3 main details were with the class.

Activity #2 (Independent)
Students will complete the “My Trip to Africa” prompt. The teacher will explain to the
students to write what they think they would see if they were going on a trip to Africa. The
teacher will remind the students to think about the things we talked about during the lesson,
and they can use some examples from our class discussions. Students must write at least three
complete sentences. Students can draw a picture in the space provided as well. The students
will have 5 minutes to complete this activity.

Closure

The teacher will briefly review the places the students traveled to and what they saw while
they were there.

The teacher will hand out a sticky note to each student and have them write their name on it.
The teacher will tell the students to summarize the lesson using 5 words or less. When the
students are finished, they will turn it in to the teacher.

The teacher will end the lesson by saying that tomorrow, we will continue studying about
Africa. We will specifically study Libya and South Africa, the different bodies of water in
Africa, and landforms in Africa.

Adaptations to Meet Individual Needs

Visual: This lesson accommodates visual learners from the beginning by using the pictures in
the anticipatory set. Also, the lesson uses PowerPoint presentation as well as the booklet with
more visuals. With the writing assignment, students can also draw a picture to go with their
writing.
Auditory: Students will listen to the teacher explain the various aspects of Africa.
Reading/Writing: The students will read the words on the PowerPoint as well as the words in
their booklet. We will also be reading some books as a class. Also, students will be writing in
their booklets.
Kinesthetic: The anticipatory set will allow the kinesthetic learners to use their motor skills as
they sort through their pictures.

Cross-curricular connections

Math: This lesson will tie in some math skills from the counting book Moja Means One.
Writing: Students will be writing in their Africa booklets which will help enhance their
writing skills.

LESSON PLAN 2
Name: Laura Dodson Date: 4/23/19

Lesson Title: Grade/Level: 3rd

Curriculum Standards Focus Question/Big Idea/Goal

3.48 Identify major countries of the continent ● How is Africa physically different
(South Africa). (G) from America?
3.49 Identify major physical features of the ● Label a map of Africa with its main
continent (G): physical features.
● Rivers – Congo, Niger, Nile
● Bodies of Water – Indian Ocean, Lake
Victoria, Southern Ocean
● Landforms – Cape of Good Hope

Lesson Objective(s)

● Students will be able to describe characteristics of South Africa.

● Students will be able to locate the 3 major African rivers on a map.
● Students will be able to locate the 3 major bodies of water in/around Africa.
● Students will be able to describe the Cape of Good Hope

Vocabulary/ Academic Language

 ● Africa
● Countries
● South Africa
● Rivers
● Congo
● Niger
● Nile
● Indian Ocean
● Lake Victoria
● Southern Ocean
● Cape of Good Hope
● Landforms

Questions for higher order thinking and assessment

● How does South Africa differ from the other parts of Africa? How is it the same?
● Where are the major rivers of Africa located?
● What is the Cape of Good Hope?
●

Assessment/Evaluation

Informal: The teacher will ask students for a thumbs up/thumbs down throughout the lesson to
see if students are understanding the content.
Formal: The teacher will take up the students’ workbooks at the end of the lesson and grade
them for completion. The teacher will also grade the students’ writing journal entry.

Materials
 ● Morning worksheet
● Computer
● PowerPoint presentation
● The Village of Round and Square Houses book
● Pre-made sweet potato cookies
● Giant post-it note with the continent of Africa drawn on it
● Writing journal

Bell Ringer

Students will come in the classroom and grab their morning worksheet which is a brief review
of what we learned about Africa yesterday. They will then have five minutes to complete their
morning work.

Anticipatory Set

To begin, the teacher will pass out the pre-made African sweet potato cookies. The teacher will
explain that this is a common food in Africa. The teacher will tell the students that they will
continue learning some more about the different physical features of Africa. The teacher will
do a picture walk through of the book The Village of Round and Square Houses. The teacher
will ask the students what stands out to them that looks different than what they typically see
on a daily basis. The teacher will make points about their houses, floors, and dinner style. The
teacher will read just a small portion of the book to the students.

Instruction
The teacher will ask the students to pull out their Africa workbooks that they used yesterday in
class. The teacher will instruct the students to fill out their workbook as we go through our
PowerPoint presentation. After each slide, the teacher will ask students to a thumbs up/thumbs
down so the teacher can know if the students are tracking with the lesson.

South Africa
The teacher will begin the lesson by going over the South Africa portion of the PowerPoint.
The teacher will explain that South Africa is the green portion on the map, and that the weather
there is typically mild. They usually experience all four seasons in South Africa. The teacher
will then talk about the following characteristics about Africa:
● Food: South Africa has the most diverse style of food on the whole continent. The
teacher will explain that the people here mainly eat milk, meat, and corn.
● The teacher will talk about Kruger National Park which is the most popular places to
visit in South America.
● The teacher will then teach the students about the various types of animals you can see
here.

Rivers
The teacher will then move into talking about the rivers in Africa. More specifically, the
teacher will teach on the Congo, Niger, and Nile Rivers. The teacher will teach these rivers
through the PowerPoint presentation. There will be pictures of the rivers on a map of Africa,
and there will also be pictures of the actual rivers.

Bodies of Water
The teacher will continue teaching through the PowerPoint. There will be a slide with a map of
Africa that has the Indian Ocean, Lake Victoria, and the Southern Ocean labeled. The teacher
will explain where each body of water is located and explain the features of that body of water.

Landforms
The teacher will introduce the Cape of Good Hope and explain that it is located in South
Africa. The teacher will show the students pictures of this landform, and she will explain that it
is typically stormy and has rough seas around the Cape of Good Hope.

Guided and Independent Practice

Guided
The teacher will have a picture of Africa drawn on a giant post it note with nothing labeled.
The last slide of the PowerPoint will have a list of all the physical features of Africa that the
class has talked about over the past two lessons days. As a class, students will label the map of
Africa with the features labeled in the correct place. Students will take turns coming up to label
the map. Once that is complete, students will color coded the map with the different sections of
the continent (North, South, East, West, and Middle). The teacher will leave this on display in
the classroom for students to refer back to it whenever needed.

Independent
Students will write a journal entry comparing and contrasting Africa and America. Students
can refer back to their Africa workbooks to refresh their memories on the things we have
covered over the past two days. The students should write at least two paragraphs, and they
should include at least two comparisons and two contrasts. This will be taken up for a grade
when they are finished. Students have approximately fifteen minutes to complete this activity.

Closure

Students will need to get into groups of three for the closure activity. In their groups, students
will discuss what they learned over the past two lessons. Students will have two minutes to
discuss their thoughts, and then the teacher will ask for a few students to share what they have
learned.

Adaptations to Meet Individual Needs

Visual: Students will have the visual PowerPoint to refer to as well as their workbook. The
class will be doing a picture walkthrough of a book as well. Also, the map of Africa that the
students create will accommodate visual learners.
Auditory: Students will listen to the teacher explain the various aspects of Africa.
Reading/Writing: Students will be able to read the book and the PowerPoint slides. Also,
students will have a writing activity at the end of the lesson.
Kinesthetic: The students get to create their own map of Africa which will get the students up
and moving.

Cross-curricular connections
Writing: The students will be writing as a part of this lesson.
ELA: The students will be working on their comparing and contrasting skills.

Lesson Plan #3
Name: Katelyn Scott Date: 4/24/19

Lesson Title: Introduction to Folktales Grade/Level: 3

Curriculum Standards Focus Question/Big Idea/Goal

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.2 Recount stories,
including fables, folktales, and myths from
diverse cultures; determine the central
message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is
conveyed through key details in the text.
What question(s), big idea(s), and/or goals
drive your instruction?
Central Focus: What is a fable, and what are
the elements of a fable?

Lesson Objective(s)

Students will be able to define what a folktale is

Students will be able to define what a fable is
Students will be able to identify the distinctive elements of a fable
Students will be able to summarize a fable
Students will be able to organize the elements of a fable in a graphic organizer

Vocabulary/ Academic Language

· Folktale
· Fable
· Aseop’s Fables
· Oral Tradition
· Personification
· Moral

Questions for higher order thinking and assessment

· What is a folktale?
· What is a fable?
· What is a moral?
· What are ways that we can we identify the moral of the story?

Assessment/Evaluation
Informal: The teacher will observe the students as she completes the anchor chart and as
students complete their graphic organizers. She will also use questioning to check for student
understanding.

Formal: The students will complete a letter assignment in the second lesson that will taken as a
grade.

Materials

· Chart paper (for anchor chart)

· Markers
· Computer for Aseop PowerPoint
· Pencils
· ELA notebooks
· “Tortoise and the Hare” printout for teacher
· Copies of “Why Anansi has Eight Thin Legs” for every student
· 2 copies of the graphic organizer for each student

Bell Ringer

The students will come in and respond to a writing prompt that will be written on the board.
The prompt for today will be, “Write about a time when a relative or guardian told you a story
about something that had happened to them. What story did they tell you? How did the story
make you feel?” After about 5 minutes into class, the teacher should have the students share
their writing with a partner. Once both partners have shared, the teacher will ask the students if
any students would like to share their writing with the class.

Anticipatory Set

After the bell ringer, the teacher will start the day off by playing the game “telephone.” With
pre-trimmed sentences in a baggie, the teacher will explain to the students that when she tells
them to get up, the students need to get in a straight line and that she will draw a sentence from
the baggie and whisper the sentence in the first person’s ear (no repeating sentences). The
students will then pass the sentence along (based on what they’ve heard) until it reaches the
last person, who will then say what he heard aloud to the rest of the students. The point of this
activity is to show the students that when you tell a story to people, the story will soon change.
This gets the lesson started with talking about oral tradition.
Instruction

The teacher should have the students sit as she talks about what oral tradition is and how this
form of communication was used when people couldn’t easily read or write. The teacher
should give a definition of oral tradition and folktales for students to write in their ELA
notebooks. Then, the teacher should transition to talking specifically about fables. The teacher
will use the PowerPoint presentation about Aseop and his Fables
(https://www.slideserve.com/umeko/aesop). After the teacher finished going through the
PowerPoint, the students should write down at least three important facts about Aesop (which
the class will then go over together) in their ELA notebooks and discuss what they wrote with
their shoulder partner.
After the PowerPoint presentation, the teacher will read a fable entitled “The Tortoise and the
Hare” to the students and tell them that this is an example of a fable. The teacher will then
complete a an anchor chart with the students, going over the elements of a fable.

Guided and Independent Practice

We do –
After reading the fable to them, the teacher will complete a fables anchor chart with the
students, describing the origins of fables (written anonymously, found in all cultures, and could
take place anywhere at anytime) as well as the distinctive elements of a fable (personification,
usually one problem using trickery, ends with a moral or lesson being taught). The teacher
should be observing students for understanding.
The teacher will then introduce the graphic organizer that the students will be using when they
read a new fable. The teacher will complete this graphic organizer with the students based off
“The Tortoise and the Hare.”

You do –
After completing the graphic organizer with the students, the teacher will pass out copies of
“Why Anansi has Eight Thin Legs” and allow the students to do a paired reading with their
partners. When the students have finished reading the story, they will work with their partner
to fill out the graphic organizer for the fable. Both of their graphic organizers will go in their
ELA notebooks. The teacher should go over the graphic organizer with the students at the end
of class.

Closure

After the teacher has gone over the graphic organizer with the students, she should ask
different students (using the popsicle stick method) questions in order to not only review the
material learned in class but also to informally assess what the students gained from the lesson.
These questions should be ones like, “who can tell me what a fable is?” and “who is famous
for his fables?”

Adaptations to Meet Individual Needs

For the auditory students, the teacher read aloud “The Tortoise and the Hare.” For the visual
and kinesthetic students, the class completed the anchor chart to “anchor” the information they
have learned during the lesson.
For students who are struggling readers, the reading was planned as a paired reading with a
more fluent reader so the struggling student can have help from the fluent reader.
For ELL students, the fable was provided to them in a copy of their own language along with
an English copy.

Cross-curricular connections
Fables are cross-cultural. This goes along with their unit in culture in social studies. It would
be helpful for students to be familiar with Africa before or while learning about African fables.

Lesson Plan #4
Name: Katelyn Scott Date: 4/25/19

Lesson Title: The Lion and the Mouse Grade/Level: 3

Curriculum Standards Focus Question/Big Idea/Goal

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.2 Recount stories, What question(s), big idea(s), and/or goals

including fables, folktales, and myths from drive your instruction?
diverse cultures; determine the central message,
lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed Central Focus: How do we find the moral of
through key details in the text. a fable?
3.W.PDW.4 With guidance and support,
produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Lesson Objective(s)

● Students will recount fables and determine the moral being taught.
● Students will refer to specific parts of a fable which helped them determine the moral.
● Students will write a letter as either the lion or the mouse to the other character

Vocabulary/ Academic Language

· Fable
· Aesop (Aesop’s Fables)
· Moral

Questions for higher order thinking and assessment

· What are ways to determine the moral or lesson of a fable?

· What is a fable?
· Are fables still relevant to us today? How might you apply some of these moral lessons in
your own life?

Assessment/Evaluation

Informal: The teacher will observe the students throughout the direct instruction and the
independent work

Formal: The teacher will collect the students’ letters and grade according to a rubric.

Materials
· Copies of “The Lion and the Mouse” for every student
· Computer
· Access to YouTube to play “The Lion and the Mouse” read aloud
· Graphic organizer for every student
· Loose-Leaf wide-ruled paper for every student
· Pencils
· Anchor chart from previous lesson
· Letter-Writing anchor chart from previous lesson

Bell Ringer

Students will enter the room and complete their response to the daily writing prompt
that will be given on the board, writing at least one paragraph that contains five sentences.
Today’s prompt will be “Write about a trip that you would like to take anywhere around the
world. Where would you go? What would you see on your trip? What would you need for your
trip? The students’ responses will go in their ELA notebooks. The teacher should allow
students to discuss their responses first with their shoulder partner and then allow the
opportunity for a class discussion about the students’ responses.

Anticipatory Set

After the teacher goes over the students’ responses from the bell ringer, the teacher will
pull out yesterday’s anchor chart that explains the structure of fables and will review what the
students did the day before (played the telephone game and talked about oral traditions –
Everybody say “Oral Tradition” – and about this guy named Aesop – a Greek storyteller - and
how people recorded a bunch of his fables, and the anchor chart from yesterday. The teacher
will then explain that today the class will be reading another one of Aesop’s Fables entitled
“The Lion and the Mouse” and will work on identifying the moral of the story and will later
work on a letter-writing activity.

Instruction
 The teacher will start by passing out copies of “Lion and the Mouse” to every student.
The teacher will then ask the students what predictions the students may have based on the title
and the pictures on the page. The teacher should emphasize that independent readers make
predictions when they read. After listening to a few responses from the students, the teacher
will then tell the students that she will play a story read aloud from YouTube and tell the
students that at the end they should be listening and reading along on the page in front of them
because she is going to ask someone to give her a retelling of the story and another person is
going to need to identify the moral of the fable.
The teacher will then play the reading of the fable that uses good inflection and pacing.
After reading the story, the teacher will then ask the students to get into groups of 3 to discuss
the moral of the fable and practice retellings of the fable. After letting the students discuss for
3 minutes, the teacher will ask a student, using the popsicle stick method, to give her a retelling
of the story. After the student retells the story, the teacher will pick another student to identify
what the moral of the story is. The teacher may then open it up for other students to chime in
on other lessons they may have learned from the story. The teacher should make sure to
highlight the importance of kindness and keeping your promises.
The teacher will then pass out the graphic organizer to the students.

Guided and Independent Practice

We do –
The teacher will complete the graphic organizer with the students which highlight and
reinforce the structure and elements of a fable.
The teacher will then introduce the writing activity for the day (and probably the next
day as well) which will include taking on the identity of either the lion or the mouse and have
them write a letter to the other character. The teacher should pull out the anchor chart from
their letter-writing lesson from previous weeks and remind them of the structure of a letter. To
provide appropriate scaffolding for students, the teacher should provide an example of a letter
for this activity.
You do –
The students will then use their loose-leaf sheets of paper to correctly format and write
a letter as either the lion or the mouse to the other character. The students will work
independently and should reference the provided resources before asking for help. If students
finish in a timely manner, then they may get to share their letters in pairs and to the class if
they wish.

Closure
 Once time has finished, the teacher will have the students put their papers away and will call
on a student to tell her what the moral of the story was. She will then remind the students that
they will have time tomorrow to finish their letters. She will also tell them that it will be good
for them to practice their letter writing skills because she is working on setting up a pen pal
system with a class from another country!

Adaptations to Meet Individual Needs

This lesson appeals to students’ various learning styles such as auditory (when the story
is read aloud), visual (the story, with pictures, is provided to the students to follow along), and
kinesthetic (students use graphic organizer to organize the elements of the fable).
For students who need extra support in writing, the teacher will provide a sample letter for the
class to look at and refer to.
For ELL students, a copy of the fable will be provided to them in their own language.

Cross-curricular connections

Material in this ELA lesson is connected to the overarching thematic unit of

multiculturalism. This includes social studies (fables from different countries), reading and
writing (using strategies to analyze text), and (in other lessons) music.

Lesson Plan #5
Name: Josh Goodpaster Date: 4/26/19

Lesson Title: Different Qualities of Music Grade/Level: 3

Curriculum Standards Focus Question/Big Idea/Goal

3.GM.R2.A Demonstrate and describe how music
concepts are used by performers to reflect intent
(such as describing the mood of a piece of music
using descriptive adjectives or demonstrating an
understanding of how dynamics and tempo affect
the mood of a piece through drawing, writing, or
discussing).
What question(s), big idea(s), and/or goals
drive your instruction?
- How do changes in dynamics enhance a
performance?
- How do performers use different changes
in dynamics/tempo to convey meaning or
mood in a song?
- What are some differences in “qualities” of
music?
- How do the different qualities of music
affect the mood of a piece?

Lesson Objective(s)

● Students will be able to distinguish between various tempos and dynamic qualities
within a piece of music.
● Students will be able to recognize and distinguish between different pitch qualities
● Students will be able to recognize dynamic differences and perform bodily percussion
as instructed

Vocabulary/ Academic Language

- Piano
- Forte
- Crescendo
- Decrescendo
- Ritardando
- Accelerando
- Pitch

Questions for higher order thinking and assessment

- How is Piano different from Forte?

- What is the difference between accelerando and ritardando?
- What is the mood of a piece when the tempo is going fast/slow?
- What is or isn’t being conveyed with a fast/slow tempo?
Assessment/Evaluation

Informal: The teacher will assess how the students respond to directions given while
performing their repertoire.
Formal: There will be a formal test at the end of the unit which will cover the elements of
music defined, practiced, and demonstrated in this lesson.

Materials

- Access to a computer/speaker system to play audio files from.

- Audio files of “Everything is Awesome” (slow version, fast version, loud version, quiet
version, high version, and low version)
- Audio file of “Wilderness Rainstorm”
- Orff instruments

Bell Ringer

The Teacher will have already written the following on the board before students enter the
room:
- “Take out a pencil and a piece of paper and write down your favorite song and why it is
your favorite. “
- “What is the funniest sound you’ve ever heard in a song? Why was it funny/weird?”
- “If you had to tell someone a message using a song, could you do it?”
The students will have 5 minutes to complete the questions. The teacher will instruct the
students to write their name on their slips of paper and pass them to the front for collecting.
The teacher will cue the students with the lights if necessary to quiet them down for the
Anticipatory Set.

Anticipatory Set
The teacher will have the audio files pulled up on the computer ready to play for the students.
The teacher will tell the students that he/she will play the same song 7 times and instruct the
students to listen as hard as they can to the following songs to see if they all sound the same.
The teacher will play the normal version of “Everything is Awesome” and talk about how neat
the song is (to get the kids excited about it.) The Teacher will then play the variations of the
tracks (slow version, fast version, loud version, quiet version, high version, and low version)
each time stopping to ask the students what is different about each one. The teacher will
instruct the students to discuss among themselves those differences.

Instruction

Transitioning out of the anticipatory set, the teacher will explain each of the different qualities
that the audio samples represented while giving definitions of the qualities. The teacher should
be prepared to define the following vocabulary as they are relevant to the audio samples
played. The teacher will define: Piano, Forte, Crescendo, Decrescendo, Ritardando,
Accelerando, and Pitch.
The Teacher will transition into the next activity and as the students to listen as he/she plays
the Wilderness Rainstorm. The teacher will ask the class creative questions so as to peak their
interest in the topic so they can discuss the qualities of the associated sounds. Questions such
as “are rainstorms loud or quiet, scary or neat? Etc.” The teacher will instruct students to get in
a circle, facing the teacher. The teacher will explain that they are going to try and create their
own rainstorm in the classroom. The teacher will instruct the students to create the
thunderstorm in the following steps: a) rub their hands together, b) clap your hands with just
one finger (not your palms/whole hand), increase adding fingers until clapping, c) pat hands on
legs, d) stomp feet on ground. The teacher will have the students reverse the steps so as to
make the “storm” fade out. The teacher will discuss with the students the dynamic qualities of
the thunderstorm and have students volunteer which dynamic differences or tempo changes
they noticed and where those incidents occurred within the storm. The teacher will then
instruct the students to calmly grab their Orff instruments and (at the teacher’s discretion)
divide into four groups for this next class project. The teacher will instruct the students to (as a
group) come up with a piece that demonstrates each characteristic we talked about today at
least once in their piece. The students may create any melody they wish but must use every
quality at least once. The students are given 5-7 minutes to each come up with their piece, and
once complete, each group will demonstrate for the rest of the class. As each group is
demonstrating, the teacher will have the other students write down the order of musical
qualities proposed in the songs.

Guided and Independent Practice

We do –
The teacher will demonstrate the audio tracks for the students as they listen for
differences. The teacher will assist the students in creating the “thunderstorm” as well as foster
conversation after the activity. The teacher will provide instruction from the independent
practice activity and foster a listening environment once they are done composing.
You do –
The students will listen as the teacher plays the audio samples while noting differences
in musical quality based on the vocabulary and concepts covered. (After the teacher explains
the vocabulary.) The students will work in groups to compose their own pieces of music based
on the instructions given by the teacher.

Closure

Once each group has demonstrated, for closure, the teacher will have students do an exit slip
where they will try and come up with at least 2 qualities that they recognize from their favorite
songs. (see bell ringer)

Adaptations to Meet Individual Needs

This lesson plan appeals to auditory and kinesthetic learners in that the students will use
critical thinking as they listen to audio files and the compositions, and also gives the students
the opportunity to use body percussion to make a “thunderstorm.”

Cross-curricular connections
 - Natural sciences
- Reading
- P.E.
- Science

Lesson Plan #6
Name: Josh Goodpaster Date: 4/27/19

Lesson Title: Different Qualities of Musical Grade/Level: 3

Instruments

Curriculum Standards Focus Question/Big Idea/Goal

3.GM.Cr1.B Use parameters such as What question(s), big idea(s), and/or goals
improvising/composing a 2-4 measure musical drive your instruction?
idea, a pentatonic melody, or a rhythm pattern ● How/why do musical instruments
using limited note values to generate musical differ in the way that they sound?
ideas. ● How can we use different kinds of
3.GM.R1.C Describe a listening example by instruments to bring diversity to
using teacher-given characteristics, and musical styles and genres?
describe stylistic characteristics of selected
regional, national, or global styles or genres of
music through teacher-given parameters (such
as by guided questioning, using an element of
music, or music vocabulary).
3.GM.Cn2.A Demonstrate understanding of
relationships between music and the other arts,
other disciplines, varied contexts, and/or daily
life (such as understanding the science of
sound).

Lesson Objective(s)

● The students will be able to differentiate between different classifications of

instruments
 ● Students will be able to define the characteristics of Idiophones, Membranophones,
Chordophones, and Aerophones.

Vocabulary/ Academic Language

- Timbre
- Idiophone
- Membranophone
- Chordophone
- Aerophone
- Sound waves

Questions for higher order thinking and assessment

- How is sound produced/created?

- How does the build of an instrument affect the sound output?

Assessment/Evaluation

Informal: The teacher will observe student’s conversation as they compose their pieces, as well
as observe student’s answers as they guess which category the instruments are from.
Formal: There will be a formal test at the end of the unit which will cover the elements of
music defined, practiced, and demonstrated in this lesson.

Materials

- Orff Instruments
- Assorted elementary instruments

Bell Ringer
The teacher will have the following written on the board for the students to answer before they
arrive:
- “What is the weirdest instrument you’ve ever heard?”
- “Write down as many instruments as you can think of.”
- “Write down the first letters of your first and last name, can you think of any
instruments that begin with those letters?”

Anticipatory Set

The teacher will give the students 5 minutes. The Teacher will instruct students to take all of
the assorted instruments and within the time given, demonstrate the instruments on their own
and then try and sort/organize/group the instruments into different categories. This is done
without the teacher providing any insight on classification yet.

Instruction

The teacher will then instruct the students to return to their seats, but will instruct the students
to take one instrument with them. The teacher will introduce the following four terms:
Idiophones, Membranophones, Chordophones, and Aerophones. The teacher will give the
respective definitions for each of the instrument types, as well as calling on students who have
the corresponding instrument for each category to demonstrate for the class what they sound
like. The teacher will also compare the different qualities of sound produced by the
instruments for the class, and the teacher will note that the difference in overall sound quality
is deemed “timbre.” The teacher will instruct the students to note that the different makeup and
anatomy of each individual instrument contributes to the way that the sound waves are shaped
or resonate as they proceed to interact with the instrument. The teacher will then instruct the
students to get into 4 different groups just like yesterday, only the youngest and oldest student
from each group must go to a new group. The teacher will instruct the students to use the
assorted instruments to compose a piece of music which uses 3 of the 4 different types of
instruments, as well as a minimum of 3 characteristics from yesterday’s lesson. The students
should be instructed to use their new knowledge of the classification system to determine
whether or not they have 3 different classifications of instruments in their piece. The students
will be given 10 minutes this time to compose their pieces, and then they will (in turn, at the
teacher’s discretion) play their compositions for the rest of the class. While each respective
group is playing, the teacher will instruct the students to write down the classification types
they hear demonstrated in order in their classmates pieces. The results will be compared with
each group’s intention to check for accuracy against one another.
Guided and Independent Practice

We do –
The teacher will call upon students to demonstrate their respective instruments (in
correspondence with the category introduced). The teacher will foster the conversation with
the listening students as the other students are playing their compositions for the rest of their
classmates.
You do –
The students will assemble into groups, the instruments provided for them. The
students will compose a piece of music in each of their groups, following the criteria layed out
by the teacher.

Closure

The teacher will instruct the students to do an exit slip using the snowball method. The teacher
will instruct the students to write down 2 instruments (not used in class today) on a sheet of
paper and crumple it into a snowball and throw them to the front of the class. The teacher will
then instruct the students to get in groups of two with their shoulder buddies and each come
grab a snowball and discuss what category and timbre the instruments might have or belong to
with their shoulder buddy.

Adaptations to Meet Individual Needs

This lesson appeals to both readers and auditory learners in that the students will be writing
down criteria and their own assessment of the categories in their classmate’s compositions, and
they will be listening to many different music and sound qualities.

Cross-curricular connections

- Reading
- Writing
- Science
 Co-Teaching Lesson Plan
Names: Katey Scott, Laura Dodson, Josh Date: 4/28/19
Goodpaster

Lesson Title: The Music and Stories of Africa Grade/Level: 3

Curriculum Standards Focus Question/Big Idea/Goal

Social Studies: 3.46 Interpret different texts Central Focus:

and primary sources to describe the major
components of history and culture including What can we learn about the African culture
language, clothing, food, art, beliefs, customs, through folktales and music?
and music.

ELA: RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables,

folktales, and myths from diverse cultures;
determine the central message, lesson, or moral
and explain how it is conveyed through key
details in the text.

3.GM.R2.A Demonstrate and explain how

music concepts are used by performers to
reflect intent (such as comparing how tempo
could be used in different arrangements to
create a different mood).

Lesson Objective(s)

● Students will be able to identify origin stories.

● Students will be able to identify the different types of African instruments.
● Students will be able to recognize the African style music.
● Students will be able to explain the differences between American and African cultures
through music.
Vocabulary/ Academic Language

● Africa
● Folktale
● Mbira
● Kora
● Talking Drum
● Djembe
● Marimba
● Rainstick
● Origin Story
● Moral lessons
● Fable

Questions for higher order thinking and assessment

● What significance do instruments have in storytelling? Do they have a significance?

● How are origin stories different from fables? How are they alike?

Assessment/Evaluation

Informal: The teachers will be monitoring the room during instruction to make sure students
are understanding the material. The students will also complete an exit slip

Formal: There will be a formal test at the end of this unit.

Materials

● Copy of Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears

● Cut outs of the names and pictures of the different African instruments (enough for
pairs)
● Classroom versions of the following instruments (enough for each student to use one of
the instruments)
 ○ Mbira
○ Kora
○ Talking Drum
○ Djembe
○ Marimba
○ Rainstick
● Post-it notes (one for each student)
● Pencils (one for each student)
● Paper (one for each student)
● Projector
● Computer
● Google Slides

Bell Ringer

On the board, there will be a prompt (Have you ever wondered why animals look the way they
do? Why do tigers have stripes? How come hyenas don’t have tails? Why do platypuses have a
duck bill and a beaver tail? Write 4-6 sentences about one of these particular animal features
and how these animals acquired those features) that students will respond to in their writing
journals. Students will have 5 minutes to complete this bell ringer.

Co-teaching Time Teacher 1; T1 Teacher 2; T2 Teacher 3; T3

Approach (Josh) (Katey) (Laura)
(can select
more than
one)
Anticipatory One Teach, 5 Teacher 1 will Teacher 2 will Teacher 3 will
Set min explain the walk around the walk around the
One/T anticipatory set classroom and classroom and
wo activity. support teacher support teacher
Teacher one 1 and students 1 and students
Suppo will instruct the as needed. as needed.
rt students to get
together in
Parallel groups of 2
with their
Team shoulder
partner for the
Alternative activity. As
teacher 2 and 3
Teach pass out the
ing materials, T1
Station should pull up
the slide with
the instrument
Teach names/links
ing and then
explain the
following: ask
the students to
lay out
materials in
front of them,
and (within
their groups)
establish which
instrument
name belongs
to each picture.
Instruction One Teach, 15 To begin T2 will support T3 will maintain
min instruction, T1 T1 as he a supportive role
One/T will talk instructs while T1 and T2
wo through the 6 students about teach. She will
different the 6 different be circulating
Suppo instruments instruments. the room
rt that the After T1 helping the
students used in explains the teachers and
Parallel the anticipatory different students as
set. T1 will instruments, T2 needed. When
Team play a piece of will then T2 instructs the
music from explain that students to go to
Alternative each of the they have been the carpet, T3
instruments for talking about will explain that
Teach students to hear folktales, when Africans
ing what they specifically tell stories and
Station sound like. T1 fables, the past folktales, they
will explain couple days, but often use
that we will be today they will instruments. T3
Teach using be talking about will explain that
ing instruments a different kind they do this
similar to these of folk tale, because it adds
later on in our origin stories. entertainment
lesson, and he Origin stories and clarity to
will explain are stories that the story. T3
that we will use explain why will explain that
instruments in something is the each student
our way it is, for will get their
storytellings example why a own instrument.
like how they snake has no Each student
use instruments legs, or why a will be assigned
in Africa in tiger has stripes. to one specific
storytelling. T1 T2 will then tell animal from the
will now the students that story. T3 will
transition into today they will explain that
more of a be reading Why when a certain
supportive role. Mosquitoes student’s animal
Buzz in name is read,
People’s Ears they will play
and instruct their instrument
 them to get up just TWO times.
from their desks T3 will see if
and sit quietly students have
on the carpet any questions.
around T3
chair.

Guided/ 10 Teacher 1 will Teacher 2 will T3 will then

Independent One Teach, min sit with the sit with the proceed with
Practice students and students and reading the story
One/T support teacher support teacher Why Mosquitoes
wo 3 and students 3 and students Buzz in People’s
as needed. as needed. Ears while the
Suppo students use
rt their
instruments.
Parallel

Team

Alternative

Teach
ing
Station

Teach
ing
Closure One Teach, 2 min T1 will help T2 will tell the T3 will help
pass out sticky students to look pass out sticky
One/T notes to the at their shoulder notes to the
wo class to fill out partner and class to fill out
their exit slip. tell/remind their exit slip.
Suppo each other what
rt instrument they
had. The
Parallel student will
write 2
Team sentences in
which they
Alternative describe what
instrument their
Teach partner had and
ing how it added to
Station the story.

Teach
ing

Adaptations to Meet Individual Needs

Visual: There will be pictures of the instruments, and they will follow along with the pictures
in the story.
Auditory: There will be audio samples of the instruments via youtube that the teacher will
play and ask the students to listen to. The students will be asked to listen to the other students
play their respective instruments with the corresponding cue words assigned to them.
Reading: Students can read the PowerPoint slides as well as the text.
Kinesthetic: Students will be doing the instrument sorting activity. They will also be playing
instruments throughout the reading.

For a struggling student, they may have one of the teachers help them as they play their
instrument and/or may choose themselves for the closing activity.
Cross-curricular connections

ELA/Writing: Students will write to explain their thoughts and ideas based on origin stories
as they learn about another type of folktale, origin stories.
Music:
Social Studies: Students will be exposed to African style music and folktales. This will help
students to better understand the difference between American culture and African culture.