MWSU Lesson Plan Template • 2019 Revision

MWSU Department of Teacher Education

Departmental Lesson Plan Format
Step #1 • Lesson Introduction
What pre-assessment and/or pre-observations have you completed to establish the need for this lesson?

The lesson is standards based.

Step #2 • Academic Standard & Objective

STANDARD • Write the standard number and the standard itself verbatim in the box below.

1.H.3.B Compare and contrast our community in the past and present (e.g., schools, land
usage, communication).

OBJECTIVE • Below, translate the standard into an “I can” statement that ALL students will be able to complete at
the lesson’s end.

I can compare the community I live in now to how the community was in history.

Step #3 • Assessment • Match to Standard

1. What formative assessments will occur throughout the lesson to assist you in adapting the lesson during its
delivery for improved student learning?
Formative assessments will include class discussion, teacher observation, and drawing exit tickets and journaling
(written or drawing).

2. What summative assessment will occur at this lesson’s end to ensure that all students have mastered this
content?
Summative assessment will be the acting out/developing of a skit that shows part of how the community functioned
differently in the past. Also, a picture drawn comparing today to history.

Step #4 • Anticipatory Set • Getting Student Attention

What creative, student-centered activity will you provide to entice students into the content, to motivate them to be
interested in the objective?
I will bring in artifacts from the area from history, such as postcards, lamps, and old communication devices from
different periods of history. Students can observe these artifacts and compare them with things we have today (ex.
Typewriter vs. computer). There can be class discussion oriented around this experience. Teacher can observe
student thinking as they explore and compare/contrast.

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Step #5 • Materials Identification and Technology Application

MATERIALS • Other than regularly expected lesson materials (books, papers, etc.), list below all supplementary
materials necessary to maximize student learning in this lesson.

Typewriter
Postcards
Kerosene lamp
Rotary dial phone
Pocket watch
Compass
Map
Old doll
Pictures of wagons
Pictures of old homes throughout history
Pictures of Ortonville today and pictures of Ortonville 100 years ago and 50 years ago and 10
years ago
Old camera
Drawing supplies
Decorations of game/stations
Parent volunteers to lead stations
Cue cards/prompts for the game

TECHNOLOGY • List below the technology resources that are organically required to maximize student learning
in this lesson — OR — If no technology is being used, defend that decision in the box below.

The only use of technology considered in this lesson would be projecting images onto a board
to make viewing better if images as resources are hard for students to see well enough. I
would also be willing to look at technology if a student wanted to make a comparison, for
example typing on the computer and typing on a typewriter to compare. Otherwise, I do not
feel that technology is necessary in the lesson, especially since this is set for first graders. I
think that technology could take away from the hands on experiences and social experiences I
want students to have with this lesson.

Step #6 • Instructional Strategies with Rationale • Refer to Appendix  as needed.

Instructional Strategy or Student Activity
Student Artifact Exploration
Class discussion and chart
Rationale
This will grab their attention and begin to give them an
understanding of how much things have changed
throughout history in the area. It will also prompt them to
make comparisons and can be an introduction to
discussing compare and contrast of the community.
This will allow the class to ask questions and discuss
what they noticed about the artifacts. The teacher can

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also suggest some other objects that students are

Community game- cards with cues/prompts at the Old
Mill Downtown Ortonville with VFW guest speakers
Visit the Greenfield Village
familiar with that they can compare/contrast to the
artifacts. We can make suggestions for why these
artifacts were useful in history and now/ why they may
not be as useful anymore. We can organize our thoughts
as a class to reference later.
This can teach student about different historic behaviors
or trends. For example, trading/bartering, influx of
people moving to the area, introduction of technology
and industrialization. Cards tell students which stations
to attend and they pick a new card when they finish their
station.
Discuss what is different from today and what is similar.
Notice the changes and affect that the automotive
industry had on Michigan. Look into the old houses as
well as the automotive history sections. Also visit
technology advancement exhibit.

Step #7 • Procedures/Activities

Step ○
A What will you say? I will introduce to children that the artifacts are from different parts of history and were
used in their community in the past and sometimes present. I will then tell them to explore and try to see why they
think each artifact would be useful and what it can be compared to that we use today. How is it similar or different to
what the kids do and know today?

What will you/students do?

Students will explore the artifacts. They will sketch artifacts in a notebook and make notes about what they notice
and how it is different/ similar to today and what they think it did in the past.

What critical thinking questions will you be asking?

What do you think this did? In what ways would that be helpful in… community? Would that still be very helpful
today? Could you use this if…?

How will this be scaffolded?

The teacher will prompt with critical thinking questions to promote student thinking and comparing/contrasting. It will
also be scaffolded so that students can ask questions and talk with peers if they are confused or unsure about
something. The communication will allow the teacher to help move students into a thoughtful direction if they are
struggling to compare/contrast items.

Step ○
B What will you say?
I will ask students prompting questions about what they noticed about the artifacts. I will also ask them to compare
and contrast with today. I will also ask them what questions they have and what they would like to know more
about. This will be written/ illustrated on a large piece of paper to be a poster for reference later.

What will you/students do?

Students will discuss their findings, thoughts, and questions. The teacher will prompt and make sure it stays on
task, but it will be mainly directed by student input and interest.

What critical thinking questions will you be asking?

What is that like that you use today? What if Ortonville had that many of… in town today? What would happen do
you think?

How will this be scaffolded?

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Students will be able to ask questions and the teacher can try to help them make sense of what they wonder. The
questions will also be scaffolded as they are asked in parts. For example, asking what students notice first. Then
prompting how does that compare to today? Then prompting what would happen if today did/ used… like it did in
history?

Step ○
C What will you say?
I will introduce the game and how to play. I explain that you take a card at each station that tells you where to go
next. Each card will have a task on it. The parent volunteers at each station will help the students use the skill from
history (trading and bartering, making a corn stalk doll, etc.)

What will you/students do?

Students will move through the stations, learning from parent volunteers and VFW members (who can tell of what it
was like during some parts of history as a primary source), the teacher and applying what they learn/ explore and
asking questions. Students will ask VFW volunteers about questions they have about what it was like for them in
the past?

What critical thinking questions will you be asking?

How would this be helpful in history? How would it be helpful today? Why was it difficult? Why was it easy? What
could you do differently? What can it be compared to? Did anything you saw at the Mill compare to the artifacts we
saw in class, how so?

How will this be scaffolded?

Depending on how quickly students can understand the games and activities and mini lessons at stations, more or
less time can be spent on each topic/task. Being in small groups at stations helps us to work more individually and
at different paces and the teacher can add additional support if needed as she roams the room to make sure it is all
going smoothly. Unfamiliar/ new tools and concepts can be labeled and words that may be frequently used at each
station can be put on the board and images of them can be there as well for if students need to reference them
during the station.

Step ○
D What will you say?
I won’t say much at the Greenfield Village. I will ask some critical questions, but I will mainly be wanting students to
explore and draw/journal some of their findings. After each section of the museum we will talk in our groups about
what we notice and why they are useful. I want the discovery to be mainly student led.

What will you/students do?

I will observe student interaction and prompt with critical thinking questions. Students will look at and try out
exhibits. Students will make some sketches about their favorite things they saw, they could write instead small
notes if they want to.

What critical thinking questions will you be asking?

What could this be used for? How is this similar/ different to what we do/use today? What do you like about this?

How will this be scaffolded?

There are signs at the exhibits that can be read to students for further understanding. The teacher/ group leader
can also explain it additionally to students. The teacher can also have more discussion and debriefing at each new
item in exhibits before moving on to make sure students don’t get too overwhelmed or confused.

Step ○
E What will you say?
I will not say much except as questions if needed. Mostly I will just watch students work on their skits and then
watch them perform and give reinforcement.
What will you/students do?

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Students will develop an idea and make a quick skit about something they learned about from history at the mill or
at Green Field Village. They will practice it and come up with an idea before sharing it with the class.

What critical thinking questions will you be asking?

I will ask them they chose what they chose. I will also ask them why what they chose is important in history and
why it could be important today. I will ask how it could change in the future they think, ask them to make
predictions. Why?

How will this be scaffolded?

I can help students pick by helping them ask questions to pick their skit topic. For example, what was your favorite
thing at the mill or Green Field Village? Why? How could it be used in history? This would hopefully help them with
deciding and coming up with a skit. I can also offer a list of suggestions of topics that they could do.

Step #8 • Differentiated Instruction • Refer to Appendix  as needed.

1. How will you enhance or extend the lesson for students who show early mastery?
I will allow students to draw a picture of a way that they think the community, or part of the community may
change in the future. They can make a prediction about the future and even explain why they think as they do if
needed.

2. How will you adapt or modify the lesson for students who are struggling?
There can be more focused focus and more examples given of how to use critical thinking and answer critical
thinking questions. I also would want to emphasis having students ask questions if they are struggling more with
comparing/contrasting and answering critical questions. Asking them what they wonder about and what they want
to know can be a good way to orient their thinking and clear up confusion.

3. What additional strategies will you use to assist the process of differentiation?
Some students can write small notes about the Mill, Green Field Village, and the artifact exploration if they feel
comfortable. Students can also sort drawings/ words into a graphic organizer about what is very different from
what we use today and what is like stuff today. We can also have cards for them to hold up, for example green
card means compare/ similarity and red means contrast/ difference. Students could hold up the cue cards when
having a discussion and also it can help as formative assessment for the teacher to understand student
thinking and understanding. I will also use think-pair-share at different stations so students can exchange ideas
and questions. Students who don’t like to act or speak in front of others can help plan the skit but then submit a
drawing example instead, so they don’t have to be terribly uncomfortable presenting. Students who do not do
as well with writing can draw their journaling, and students who prefer writing can chose to write in journals.
Tactile learners can spend more time exploring while at the museum whereas students who prefer listening to
new information can read and listen to information as teachers/volunteers read the informational description by
exhibits. Students will write questions in their journals as well as put descriptions or drawings of their favorite
museum pieces, this allows the teacher to come and do some conferencing as students explore to make sure
they are understanding.

Step #9 • Anticipated Problems/Procedures/Management Plan

An anticipated problem is that students may focus more on the things they see and how they
are cool rather than their historical uses and relevance to today. The way that I will manage this
and focus their engagement is by having them notebook/draw observations and also by having

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informal questioning and discussion as I roam around and observe students. I will also try to
relate what they observe to the standards more heavily during class discussion and in our small
group stations at the Mill.

Step #10 • Follow-Up Reflection/Next Steps

I think that a next step would be relating this lesson to other subjects. For example, doing
reading associated with history in the area. I also think that this could be supported by an
additional covering of how to be a good citizen and how being a good citizen influences the
community. I think that this is a concept that can be revisited often in other subjects as well as in
future social studies content.

APPENDIX  • Lesson Strategies & Activities Ideas

 Learning Centers  Word wall

 Lecture & Discussion  Jigsaw
 Multiple Intelligences  Learning Centers
 Mastery Learning  Task Cards
 Close Reading  Multiple Intelligences
 Music and Songs  Think-Pair-Share
 Conferencing  Journaling
 Nonlinguistic Representations  Literature Circles
 Cooperative Learning  Learning Styles Grouping
 Journaling  Student Presentation
 Debate  Open-Ended Project
 Project-based Learning  Educational Technology
 Direct instruction  Sensory Engagement
 Read-aloud  Environmental Cues
 Discovery/Inquiry-based  Task Analysis
 Document-based questions  Chaining & Successive Approximations
 Realia  Scaffolding
 Effective questioning  Guided Practice and Repetition
 Role play/simulations  Invitations
 Generating & testing hypotheses  Behavior Reflections
 Socratic seminar  Paraphrase Reflections
 Graphic organizers  Modeling and Demonstrating
 Guest speakers  Effective Praise
 Student goal setting  Telling, Explaining, and Informing
 Hands-on learning  Do-It Signals
 Homework and practice  Challenges
 Summarizing/note taking  Questions
 Similarities & differences  Other