Ferris State School of Education

Name of Lesson: The Seven Natural Wonders Date: April 15th, 2021
Course: ELA Grade level: 4th grade
Materials:
Informational Text: The Seven Natural Wonders by
Lisa Freund
Time/Period: 10 AM Dry erase markers
Paper
Pencil

Standards:
(List the state standards that you are using in this lesson.)
1. Michigan Academic Standards,
2. Social-Emotional Learning Standards
Specific Standard(s):

R1.4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively and explain how the information
contributed to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

Objectives: (“I can” statements):

(Write the objectives in the ABCD format but instead of using the “The student will ….“ use the “I can….”
statement to start your lesson.)
Resource 1: Resource 2

I can interpret information from photographs, captions, and text to support my understanding of the text in a
small group.

Formative Assessment:
(Examples: thumbs up/down, exit ticket, one-minute papers, show of hands, etc. a formative assessment is a
quick assessment that happens during the lesson. Attach supportive material if any)
Resource 1: Resource 2
Students will verbally respond to the questions asked during small group.

Summative Assessment:
(Examples: unit exams, portfolios, projects, speeches, - an assessment conducted at the very end of the lesson
to assess students – this should be directly related to the lesson objectives. Attach or insert supporting
documentation)
Resource 1: Resource 2
Anticipatory Set:
(Describe how you plan to conduct a warm-up, review of previous day’s lesson, check for understanding of
previous knowledge, or questions you will ask. What are you going to do to get students interested and
connected to the lesson?)
Resource 1: Resource 2 Resource 3

Students were given the information text “The Seven Natural Wonders” the day before to read during
independent reading. All four students completed the reading before small group.

Ask: After reading “The Seven Natural Wonder”, what was your favorite Wonder and why?

Students: Various Answers

Ask: Were you surprised by any of the wonders? Is there another wonder that you know about that you think
should be on the list?

Students: Various Answers

Steps in the Lesson:

(This should be written to a degree in which a substitute teacher could read and follow the instructions.
Attach or insert supporting documentation. Include critical thinking questions into the lesson.)
Resources to help design critical thinking questions in lessons: Resource 1: Resource 2

Say: Today we are going to spend some time discussing “The Seven Natural Wonders.” We are going to look
closely at the photographs and captions to deepen our understanding of the topic of “The Seven Natural
Wonders”

Here is our close reading question: (write on a white board)

“How do photographs and captions give evidence that these are natural wonders?”

Before we start looking at the photographs, we need to know what makes a natural formation a natural
wonder. When you read the text yesterday, did you find evidence that stated what makes a formation a
natural wonder?
Ask: What three criteria are necessary to label a place a “natural wonder?” Where did you find that
information?

Students: Beauty, size, and power. Back cover, Pg 2.

Use the dry erase markers and write on the table the three criteria on the table so you can easily reference
what you are looking for.

Turn to page 15. Look at picture on page 15 shows that the falls are very beautiful. The caption points out how
big the falls are compared to the road next to it. The text uses the term thundering sound to describe the
waterfall. So Victoria Falls fits the description of a natural wonder.
We are going to create a graphic organizer to arrange our information. Take a piece of paper and fold it
lengthwise into thirds. Hot dog style. (demonstrate how to fold a piece of paper into thirds)

At the top write evidence that photographs and captions demonstrate that these are natural wonders.
At the top of column one write photographs, at the top of column two write captions, at the top of column
three write text.

Let’s organize the information from the picture of Victoria Falls. Under column one- photographs, what would
you write?

Students: The photographs shows that the falls are beautiful. (pg. 15)
Great. Write that down. Which criteria does that relate to? Look at your note on the table.

What would you write under caption?

Students: How big the falls are compared to the road next to it.

Say: I would put something similar, How does this relate to your criteria?

Students: That it is big, so size.

Next, we look at text. What text supports your understanding of the Victoria Falls being a natural wonder?

Students: that it is thundering. This means that it is powerful.

Say: By looking at the photograph, caption, and text we can see how it fits the criteria of a natural wonder.

Turn to page 17 and let us look at the Great Barrier Reef and see how it helps our understanding of what is
considered a natural wonder. I want you to work with the person next to you and fill out your organizer for
the Great Barrier Reef. Look for evidence to help you understand how it meets the criteria for a natural
wonder. We will come together in a few minutes to see how we used the evidence.

Give the students a few minutes to analyze the photograph, caption, and text.

Say: What did you decide the photographic evidence helped you?

Students: It is the largest coral reef in the world. This is related to size. The photograph show that the reef is
beautiful (Beauty)

Great, I think you have a good understanding of how to use the photographs and captions that contribute to
your understanding of natural wonders and the text.

Turn to page 20 to look at the picture of the Northern lights. You will work individually for a few minutes. Look
at the picture and see if you can figure out what it is a natural wonder. How does the picture contribute to
your understanding of the text.

Give the students a few minutes to work.

What do you guys think? Is the Northern lights a natural wonder? Why?
Students: Well, it is big. It takes up the whole sky.
It is beautiful- lots of colors. It is powerful, it says in the text that it is made of solar energy. Solar energy can
be used to power things. So it is powerful.
Ask: How does looking at the pictures and the captions help your understanding of these natural wonders?

Students: Various answers

Closure/Wrap up:
(This may be an explicit restatement of the goals of the lesson, a form of independent practice, a chance to
share and talk about what the students learned.)
Resource 1: Resource 2
Ask: How does looking at the pictures and the captions help your understanding of these natural wonders?

Students: Various answers

If you did not have the pictures, what do you think the Northern lights would look like?

Extension Activities:
(These are activities that students can be engaged in that could be homework or address a student(s) that
have an extensive interest in the topic. Attach or insert supporting documentation)
Resource 1

Students can write a paragraph describing how a graphic feature (photograph) contributes to their
understanding of a natural wonder. They will use evidence from the photograph, caption, and text to support
their answer.

Assessment /Modifications or Alternative Ways to Assess Learning for this Lesson.

(This is different from the summative assessment.)
Resource 1: Resource 2
Students can create a poster that shows how the photograph contributed to their understanding of natural
wonders. They can choose a photograph from the text, and label all the different criteria of a natural wonder.

Differentiation:
How will you differentiate instruction based on the lesson content, processes, product or environment? Use the
resources below to create one way to differentiate instruction based on the lesson plan.)
Resource 1: Resource 2: Resource 3

Differentiation by Content:
(Develop one way to differentiate the content of the lesson. Use the resources to locate options.)
Resource 1: Resource 2

Differentiation by Process:
(Develop one way to differentiate the process in the lesson. Use the resources to locate options.)
Resource 1: Resource 2
Provide the students with a pre-made graphic organizer with some of the information already filled in.

Differentiation by Product:
(Develop one way to differentiate the product of the lesson. Use the resources to locate options.)
Resource 1: Resource 2

Differentiation by Environment:
(Develop one way to differentiate the environment of the lesson. Use the resources to locate options.)
Resource 1: Resource 2

Technology:
How do plan to use technology in the lesson?
Resource 1

No technology was used in this lesson.

Reflection/Teacher Notes:
If you conducted the same lesson again – what would you do differently? To be completed after the lesson is
delivered.
Resource 1: Resource 2

Rev. 9/19/2020