Indiana Wesleyan University

Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template

Social Studies--2018
Veterans Day Lesson Plan

Student: Emily Gingrich School: Westview Elementary School

IWU Supervisor: Dr.Gloria Earl Co-op Teacher: Ms.Francis
Teaching Date: November 6th Grade Level: Kindergarten
Audit Trail:
 Talked with Ms. Francis about teaching date on 9.25.19 and confirmed the teaching date on 10.4.19
 At our first meeting on 10.4.19, Dr. Earl and I discussed the dates for social studies lessons and confirmed those on the
same day that they were made (10.4.19)
 On 10.18.19 I called the VA Norther Indiana Healthcare system to talk to the planners of the Grant County Veterans
Day Parade and ask about sending encouraging letters/pictures to some of the veterans.
 On 10.21.19 I got a call back from the director, Charlie who confirmed that I could send pictures to veterans and
received an address on where to send the letters.
 On 10.23.19 I spoke to Dr. Karr about a meeting time to talk about my lesson plan ideas and on that day through an
email we decided to meet the next day.
 On 10.24.19 Dr. Karr and I met up to discuss my lesson plan idea and made a few changes to the layout of the lesson.
 Turned in the lesson plan to Dr. Karr for assessment on 10/25/19
 Lesson plan approved by Dr. Karr on 10/29/19

LESSON RATIONALE
This lesson will begin to give students an understanding of why we have November 11 th set aside to celebrate the brave men
and women who fight for our freedom. War is a very confusing and hard concept to talk about, especially with younger learners. But,
if students understand that soldiers can be friends and family members in a warm and safe setting, they will begin to learn an
appreciation for people who work in the Military and see that these celebrations are events that help define our culture.

READINESS
I. Goals/Objectives/Standard(s)
 Goal:
o Students will be able to recognize the impact that veterans have on our lives.
 Objective:
o Through creating thank you cards, students will be able to identify why veterans are so important to the growth of
the United States.
 Standards:
o Standard 5: Individuals, Groups, And Institutions (NCSS)
o K.1.2 Identify people, celebrations, commemorations, and holidays as a way of honoring people, heritage, and
events. (IAS)
o ISTE: N/A
II. Management Plan
a. Materials:
Anticipatory Set Mini-Lesson Activity Closing
Large space to sit. Large piece of paper Crayons Four pictures of different
Slide about service Markers Coloring pages holidays
Cut-outs of the military logos TV to play music Whiteboard
Whiteboard markers

b. Time:
Plan for Instruction Total time: 30 minutes
Anticipatory Set 5 minutes
Mini-lesson 10 minutes
Activity 10 minutes
Closing 5 minutes

c. Space: For the anticipatory set I will have the students standing on our carpet space. This space will give students
enough room to move around and feel comfortable during this activity. The mini-lesson will also take place on the
carpet so that students are near the calendar that they use every day. After this, the students will be moved to their
tables for the activity portion. After they have finished the activity, students will stay in their seats for the closing
assessment.
 Indiana Wesleyan University
Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Social Studies--2018
d. Behavior: Students will be expected to work well together, manage time and explore with the materials in a safe and
structured way. The class is managed by a hat clip chart. Each child has their name on a hat. There are 4 different
levels that the hats can be on. The first level that everyone begins on is “outstanding” the second is “good choices”
third is “think about it” and fourth is “Parent contact” if a student is unable to keep their bodies to themselves, or stay
on task, they will be asked to move their hat down.

III. Adaptation to Individual Differences and Diverse Learners—

Sight Impaired: There is one student in the class who has a glass eye. It is sometimes hard for him to see the board or what he is
coloring. I am going to have him sit at the front of the carpet during the mini lesson so that he is able to see. I will also be giving him
papers with larger print so he is able to see better.

ADD/ADHD: Some of the students have a hard time getting their work completed when their friends are around, I have set up some
small “flexible seating” options for those students so that if they are unable to focus during the activity in their seats, they can sit in
these other seating arrangements.

Whole class adaptation: There is a big group of the students who have a lot of struggles with sitting down of long periods of time.
Because of this, I will have all of the students do little stretches in between each activity and have them turn on their listening ears.

IV. Technology- TV to present the music of the different parts of the military.

PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION (CAEP K-6 1.b)

V. Anticipatory Set
 Students will come and stand on the carpet. We will do our stretches to get out the wiggles and then I will invite the students
to sit down on the carpet. “So today I wanted to start off our time together by asking you guys a question. Raise your hand if
you think you have an answer. My question to you guys is what does it mean to serve someone else?” Give students time to
answer. If they do not answer phrase the question in a different way such as “What are ways that you can show someone that
you care about them?” Wait for students to answer. “Where have you seen service in your life?” Wait for students to answer
and show a slide of different pictures that depict service.

VI. Purpose: Today we are going to talk about another kind of service, service in the military.

VII. Lesson Presentation (Input/Output)

 “One way that some adults serve their country is by working in the military. Does anyone know how people in the military
serve our country?” Give students time to answer. People in the military do all sorts of things like help out in areas of the
world when storms come and hurt peoples’ homes. They help protect our country so we can have opportunities like going to
school and learning. There are many different ways that people can serve through the military.
 I will pull out a large sheet of paper that is titled “branches of the military” I will also have cut outs of the logos from the
different branches of the military. Students who are sitting and listening to what I am saying will be allowed to put the
pictures up onto the large paper. After all five branches are on the paper we will talk a little bit about what each branch does.
There are so many parts that make up our military! How cool is it to see that the Army is the first people we call when there
is a problem. The Coast guard takes care of the sides of the United States while the Navy and Marine Corpes keep the oceans
safe. We also have people keeping us safe in the sky with the Air Force.
 “Because people in the military are so great at serving us, I want us to serve them.”
 Did you guys know that there is a whole day where we get to serve and celebrate people in the military? Did you guys know
that the day to celebrate is this month?
 The name of this celebration is called Veterans day. Can you guys say Veterans day? Give students time to say Veterans day.
 November 11th is Veterans day. This is a time where we get to thank people and serve those who have fought in wars to keep
us safe. Some of the ways we could serve Veterans is through putting on parades or things like taking the time to thank them.
 I am so excited to share this opportunity with you guys. There is going to be a parade in Grant County celebrating Veterans
and I have been in contact with some people who are setting up this parade. I think it would be really cool if we could draw
some pictures and send those to the veterans to thank them for everything they do for us. So, when I call the color of your
shoes, I would like you to stand up and walk over to the cabinet with your box in them. After you get the box, go ahead and sit
down in your seat and wait until I give more directions. Send the students to the next activity.
(CAEP K-6 3.d)
 Indiana Wesleyan University
Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Social Studies--2018

VIII. Check for understanding.

 After students have gotten their craft boxes out of the cabinet and sat down in their seats, I will have the two helpers of
the day pass out the coloring pages. Now, because these are getting sent out to people I want you to do your absolute
best work. That means no scribbling on your paper and you need to write your name so that the veterans know who sent
them the nice picture. While you guys are coloring, I am going to turn on some music for us to listen to. These songs are
called the armed service songs. They are kind of like the theme songs of each branch of the military. Each song is unique
just like each branch in the military is unique. When you are all done with your picture you are going to put it up on the
drying rack, put your box away and then come back to the carpet so we can listen to the music and march along to the
beat.
IX. Review learning outcomes / Closure –
After all of the students are done with their picture, I will draw two lines on the white board to make four lines with the
markers. After this, I will number each section with a 1,2,3, and 4. I will place pictures in each of the sections. The pictures will
represent different holidays that students are familiar with such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Saint Patrick’s Day, and Veterans
day. “I want you guys to look at these pictures and think in your head which picture you see that represents Veterans day. I’m
going to give you a few seconds to look at it by yourself. When I say go, I want you to raise a number on your fingers for which
picture you think is the picture that represents Veterans day. Ready? Wait time. “Okay, hold up your guesses. Awesome job you
guys! I am so incredibly proud of you for working so hard on today. I will be sending these to the people who are helping with the
Grant County Parade and soon they will be going to real veterans. I am so excited to hear about how your cards brightened
peoples’ day.

PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT

Formative Assessments: Most of my formative assessments will consist of me asking questions while students are working together in
the mini lesson as well as working on their cards for the veterans. Another place where formative assessment will be used is when I
ask students to share ideas about what a veteran is. My final assessment will be at the closure when I have the students do a hand-
signal assessment. This will be when the students hold up the number that they think is the correct answer.

Summative Assessments: The summative assessment will be the picture that the students draw.

REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS

1. How many students achieved the lesson objective(s)? For those who did not, why not?
a. I believed all students achieved the lesson objective. All students understood the importance of veterans and why
we should show our appreciation for all they do to serve us.
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
a. I think my lesson was very well adjusted for students at the kindergarten age. They all seemed to understand the
concepts and found ways to relate to the lesson. I feel I could have done better with calming my nerves. I was told
that my filler word is “okay” and as much as kindergarteners don’t notice filler words, I need to learn how to be
confident in myself and my lesson.
3. How should I alter this lesson?
a. I would love to have students write something to the veterans thanking them. I think I need to start believing that
these students can begin to accomplish writing assignments.
4. How would I pace it differently?
a. I think I would give the students more time to discuss their personal relationships with veterans and how they can
better serve people in their community.
5. Were all students actively participating? If not, why not?
a. All students did an excellent job with participation. They all seemed very excited and ready to learn and share
with the group when we were doing our small circle discussion.
6. What adjustments did I make to reach varied learning styles and ability levels?
a. I tried asking questions in different ways if students were unable to comprehend how I asked a question before.
For example, I asked students what it meant to serve one another. Some of the students were confused as to what
serve meant, so I asked them how they help one another.
7. Were students able to follow directions well?
a. The students did such a great job at following directions! I tried to break them down and have the students relay
the directions back to me in their own words.
8. Is there a way I could have better incorporated technology into the lesson?
a. I wish I had remembered to bring up the slide show that I had made for the mini lesson.
9. How could I expand on this lesson plan into creating a unit plan/where would this lesson be placed if I could’ve created a unit
plan for it?
 Indiana Wesleyan University
Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Social Studies--2018
a. I would love to have students watch a video or read books about veterans to expand their knowledge more than
what I was able to do during this one lesson. I want them to see pictures of different types of veterans and maybe
spend some time just listening to the music and hear stories about veterans. I would love to have a student bring in
a veteran and let them ask questions and be inquisitive without me prompting it.

Student: Emily Gingrich School: Westview Elementary

IWU Supervisor: Dr.Gloria Earl Co-op Teacher: Ms.Francis
Teaching Date: November 6th Grade Level: Kindergarten
Audit Trail:
 Talked with Ms.Francis about teaching date on 9.25.19 and confirmed the teaching date on 10.4.19
 At our first meeting on 10.4.19, Dr.Earl and I discussed the dates for social studies lessons and confirmed those on the
same day that they were made (10.4.19)
 On 10.18.19 I called the VA Norther Indiana Healthcare system to talk to the planners of the Grant County Veterans
Day Parade and ask about sending encouraging letters/pictures to some of the veterans.
 On 10.21.19 I got a call back from the director, Charlie who confirmed that I could send pictures to veterans and
received an address to send those pictures to.
 On 10.23.19 I spoke to Dr. Karr about a meeting time to talk about my lesson plan ideas and on that day through an
email we decided to meet the next day.
 On 10.24.19 Dr. Karr and I met up to discuss my lesson plan idea and made a few changes to the layout of the lesson.
 Turned in the lesson plan to Dr. Karr for assessment on 10/26/19
 Lesson plan approved by Dr. Karr on 10/29/19

Materials for Lesson

Anticipatory Set slide examples about service:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1oH_1Ru91Q2D6UpQSFHeOlhiBqOB0mN99-
CrPw42UwSQ/edit#slide=id.p

Pictures of the branches of the military: Four pictures for the different holidays:

Military medley (Instrumental): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I098yLf5LHw

Thank You Cards for Veterans

 Indiana Wesleyan University
Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Social Studies--2018

OPPORTUNITY FOR Format COMPETENT OUTSTANDING

IMPROVEMENT

Heading Student uses the provided template

for Social Studies content.
Template Student includes all of the
information in the template heading.
Audit Trail Student includes a list of dates and
methods for communicating with
cooperating teacher.
Rationale Statement of rationale for the
learning experience and environment
in this lesson.

Goals The lesson plan contains objectives

that connect goals and standards with
Objectives lesson activities and assessments.

Standards Each objective should include the

following: Conditions; Desired
learning; Observable behavior; and
Accuracy (as necessary)

NCSS:

IAS:
Management A. Materials:
Plan B. Time:
C. Space:
D. Behavior:
E. Technology: (as appropriate)
 Indiana Wesleyan University
Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Social Studies--2018
Anticipatory Set The anticipatory set is clear and
direct and focuses students’ attention
on the lesson.

Purpose The statement of purpose is clearly

connected to the content of the lesson
and is presented in terms that are
easily understood by students.

Plan For
Instruction

Adaptation to Instructional opportunities are

Individual provided in this lesson. The
Differences and opportunities are developmentally
Diverse Learners appropriate and/or are adapted to
diverse students.

Early Finishers
Reteaching-
ELL –
Exceptional Needs-
Lesson Candidates demonstrate
Presentation for understandings, capabilities and
Social Studies practices associated with the central
concepts and tools in Civics,
Economics, Geography, and /or
History within a framework of
inquiry.

Lesson The candidate’s lesson demonstrates

Presentation an understanding of developmentally
appropriate practice.

The candidate’s lesson includes both

modeling and guided practice.

The lesson presentation includes

relevant activities that encourage
student participation and critical
thinking.

Check for The lesson plan includes a plan and

Understanding the means to check for student
understanding of the lesson. A
[CFU] provision is included to reteach all or
part of the lesson to all or part of the
class.

Review Learning Lesson closure relates directly to the

Outcomes and/ or lesson purpose and/or objective.
Closure
 Indiana Wesleyan University
Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Social Studies--2018
Plan for
Competent 3
Assessment

Formal and A plan for formal and informal

Informal assessment [ mainly
Assessment formative]throughout the lesson is
included. The assessment strategies
are uniquely designed for the
students.

Reflection and The lesson plan includes all required

Post-Lesson self-answer questions.
Analysis

SCORING

A lesson plan with elements that do to meet the A competent lesson plan earns a An outstanding lesson plan earns
competent level will receive a score of 33 /40 or score of 34-37/40. a score of 38/40-40/40
lower

Additional Comments: