Ashley Donegan

EDU 434
Dr. Muzeta
Fall 2021
SIOP Lesson Plan
Grade 4 Level 2 Emerging
Reading
Social Studies: The Declaration of Independence

Preparation:

Class Size: 24
Lesson Time: 70 minutes

Objectives:
Language:
The fourth-grade emerging level 2 students will be able to:
Read a section of the Declaration of Independence out loud with a partner.
Highlight key information from the document.
Write down or circle key words to summarize the document.
Share about their section with the rest of the class.
Content: The fourth-grade emerging level 2 students will be able to:
Identifying the complaints that were included in the Declaration of Independence
Retell how the Declaration of Independence effected history
Tell how it was a form of protest after reading the material.

WIDA Can Do Descriptors:

Key Uses of Argue:

 Identifying language indicative of points of view

 Organizing evidence based on sequential language in texts

 Differentiating between claims and evidence

Key Uses of Recount:

 Classifying time- related language in text as present or past

  Identifying the “who,” “what,” “where,” and “when” in narrative text with a
partner

Standard - 5.1.4.D

Identify key ideas about government found in significant documents:

 Declaration of Independence 
 United States Constitution 
 Bill of Rights 
 Pennsylvania Constitution

Materials:
 Printed out copies of the Declaration of Independence (24)
 Highlighters (24)
 Declaration of Independence Video (song):
o https://youtu.be/vrSeCYSnj5Y
 Computer
 Smart board and projector
 PowerPoint presentation
o Virtual (1)
o Printed (24)
 Vocabulary Word Wall (Reference)
 Student Notebooks (24)
 Pens and Pencils (24)
 Anchor Chart
o Drawn Out- see Resources
 Word wall cards
o Laminated
o Blank definition cards
Differentiation:
Advanced:
Students that are advanced and students that need extra support will be paired
together during the time that they are reading and breaking apart the Declaration of
Independence. This, will therefore help both students with their comprehension,
reading abilities, and fluency. The students who are advanced with content will be
prompted further by their teacher in a way that encourages deeper thinking about
the passage and the students who are advanced linguistically will be encouraged
further to communicate using English to advance their literacy skills.
Extra Support:
Students that are advanced and students that need extra support will be paired
together during the time that they are reading and breaking apart the Declaration of
Independence. This, will therefore help both students with their comprehension,
reading abilities, and fluency. The students who require extra support both in
content and linguistics will have support from the leading teacher, the
paraprofessionals in the room, have access to a translator whether that be virtual or
a person.

Other:
Students will be broken up into small groups (4) at their tables.
Staff in the room: Lead teacher, paraprofessional, and translator.

Building Background:

Hook:
Teacher: Asks students if they have ever been upset or angry with a friend or a
sibling because they felt like they were too bossy? Ask the students what they
would do, say, or ask their friend in in a scenario where they think their friend is
being too controlling. Have students turn and talk with their peers for 2 minutes.

Prerequisites:
Before this lesson, the students will have learned about past presidents and other
important historical figures, representing the “who” in history. The students will
have also already studied the colonies, the history behind the British coming to
America, and Indigenous People. They will now dive deeper into the how and
why, while connecting to this important document. The students will already
understand important governance vocabulary terms such as: government,
president, term, politics, and veto. The students will know how to work in their
assigned groups at their tables dividing work equally and using their speaking
skills to discover new ideas through discussion.

Key Content and Vocabulary:

 Document: A written item, as a book, article, or letter, especially of a factual
or informative nature.
 Delegate: A person designated to act for or represent another or others;
deputy; representative, as in a political convention.
  Declaration: the act of declaring; an announcement
 Signature: A person’s name, or a mark representing it, as signed personally
or by deputy, as in subscribing a letter or other document. The act of signing
a document.
 Preamble: An introductory statement.
 Independence: Freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like,
of others.
 Separation: An act or instance of separating or the state of being separated.
 Freedom: The state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or
under physical restraint.

Comprehensible Input:
The teacher will use language in terms that students are already familiar with.
When referring to a word they used that they have recently learned and therefore
have on the word wall (which includes images chosen by the students next to each
word), the teacher will walk back and point to that word so the student can make
the connection.
The teacher will use lots of imagery, expression, and body language, such as
hand gestures, to make the content clear to the students.
The task, essential question, and objectives will all be written on the board for
the students to refer to if needed. They will also be read aloud before the lesson
begins. The teacher is very intentional when reviewing vocabulary and introducing
new information. Sharing the PowerPoint in packets for the students to follow
along.
The teacher will constantly check in with the students as they work (Activity
1) to ensure the reading is going well and the students are comprehending the
material and not getting caught up on foreign words. For the students who are
stuck, the teacher will help them work through those words finding a definition
that makes sense using context clues.
The teacher will also allow lots of time for turn and talk for one on one or small
group peer discussion, as well as time for whole group discussion (Activity 2). The
teacher will encourage students to “Think back” during instruction and remember
past lessons that they have worked on that could relate to the document.
Students are welcome to write and discuss in their home language but are
encouraged to read orally in English. If the student is understanding the content,
the mode of explanation is not as important.

Strategies:
 The instruction of vocabulary is the first step in the lesson and where the
students’ input is strongly encouraged by the teacher. The students, with the
teachers help, will break down the words and make educated guesses about the
definitions based on other words or even cognates that the students know. They
will share these connections and cognates with the rest of the class as a means of
understanding for everyone.
During Activity 1 and 2, the students are encouraged to talk to their peers
and come to conclusions about what they are reading.

Activity 1: Breaking apart the document and sharing an understanding (Close

Reading) (30 minutes)
Every student will receive a Declaration of Independence packet, as well as
a section that they will share the key information from with the class. The students
will feel a sense of responsibility because they are overseeing and presenting this
information to their peers. This part is also open to discussion based on what the
other students have read and interpreted.
The students will use their highlighters and pencils to find key information. The
students are also working with a partner during this section, meaning they can
work together to interpret the document after reading it through. They will
highlight and write down what they both felt was important based on their
comprehension of the document.
As a class, the teacher and students will go through each section of the
document analyzing the information that was written and why it may have been
important to America’s ideals and their separation from Britain. The students may
also point out the vocabulary words that they learned that were also in the passage.
The students will highlight materials that their peers did and taking those
key notes as well. As a class, they will work through this information guiding them
to come to conclusions that they feel are important to the Declaration of
Independence and its creation.

Activity 2: Anchor Chart (10 minutes)

While this activity is not directly an opening for discussion, it encourages the
students to wonder about different things. Often during anchor charts the teacher
has time to prompt open ended questions for the students to answer or think about
to share with their peers during turn and talk or a later discussion. This section also
allows for a summarization of all the important facts that they have learned from
the Mini Lesson and the Breaking apart the reading (Activity 1).

Interaction:
The students will use the English language to build upon their literacy skills during
reading. The students will also have the opportunity to orally discuss
comprehension and materials with their peers and as a whole group.
During the vocabulary introduction the students will get to discuss using context
clues and breaking the words apart using the skills and strategies they had
previously been taught. This will happen as a whole group so the student’s literacy
skills as well as their speaking, listening, and deeper thinking skills will be
challenged.
The students will have lots of time for discussion throughout the mini lesson, and
the anchor chart activity. The teacher will prompt multiple turn and talks so they
can discuss with their peers therefore listening and understanding the information
their peers had that could be relevant to what they may not had thought about in
the context of the reading.
During Activity 1 where the students are breaking apart and discussing the
information, they read throughout the document they are first reading the
document to one another. The students will have been grouped intentionally by the
teacher in a way that supports the students in their current reading and English
proficiency levels. This encourages a buildup of literary skills amongst the
students, knowing that when they do not know a word they should keep reading, to
later go back and use context clues or a dictionary to further their vocabulary
knowledge and comprehension of what they have read.
Finally, the teacher will prompt the students to further elaborate on their responses
encouraging deeper thinking.

Application/ Practice:

Hook:
Teacher: Asks students if they have ever been upset or angry with a friend or a
sibling because they felt like they were too bossy? Ask the students what they
would do, say, or ask their friend in in a scenario where they think their friend is
being too controlling. Have students turn and talk with their peers for 2 minutes.

The teacher will write read the written objectives that are on the board.

Mini Lesson: (20 minutes)

The students will sit on the carpet at the back wall, where the word wall is located.
We will begin a review of the terms from the previous social studies lesson
(government, president, term, politics, and veto). The students will be allowed time
to turn and talk to discuss what they know about these words and what they think
we might be learning about next.
The teacher will then direct the student’s attention back up to the front so they can
introduce the new words. The teacher will pull out the word wall cards with the
word on the front and a blank card to write the definition out with the students.
These words include Document: A written item, as a book, article, or letter,
especially of a factual or informative nature. Delegate: A person designated to act
for or represent another or others; deputy; representative, as in a political
convention. Declaration: the act of declaring; an announcement Signature: A
person’s name, or a mark representing it, as signed personally or by deputy, as in
subscribing a letter or other document. The act of signing a document. Preamble:
An introductory statement. Independence: Freedom from the control, influence,
support, aid, or the like, of others. Separation: An act or instance of separating or
the state of being separated. Freedom: The state of being free or at liberty rather
than in confinement or under physical restraint.

Once the definitions are written out the teacher will hang them on the board
(laminating them to hang them permanently on the word wall later). The students
will now be introduced to the declaration of independence which will be hanging
off the anchor chart that is already set up near where they are sitting. They will talk
about the connection to the historical figures.
The students will then move back to their seats and teacher will open the
PowerPoint (see resources) and begin to make those connections between the
fourth of July, Indigenous Peoples Day, and colonization in the US. They will also
get to watch the Fireworks School House Rock song (2:56 minutes)
https://youtu.be/vrSeCYSnj5Y . The PowerPoint transitions into Activity 2.

Activity 1: Breaking apart the document and sharing an understanding (Close

Reading) (30 minutes)
On the last slide of the PowerPoint during the Mini Lesson, it talks about taking a
deeper look into the document itself. The class will begin a close reading in groups
of 2 that were pre-selected by the teacher. Every student will receive a Declaration
of Independence packet, as well as a section that they will share the key
information from with the class.
Since the students have just previewed the document, now they will be able to
predict what the document will entail specifically.
In the groups of two, the students will take turn reading the section out loud in
complete first, then moving on to going back through the passage, circling words
that were difficult to understand, and marking key information. The students will
use their highlighters and pencils to find key information.
The students will then transition back to the back carpet with all their materials.
As a class, the teacher and students will go through each section of the document
analyzing the information that was written and why it may have been important to
America’s ideals and their separation from Britain. The students may also point out
the vocabulary words that they learned that were also in the passage.
The students will highlight materials that their peers did and taking those key notes
as well.

Activity 2: Anchor Chart (10 minutes)

The teacher will then take out a marker and begin to fill in the anchor chart with
the students.
The teacher will ask who wrote the document? (Thomas Jefferson)
The teacher will ask when the documents was signed and adopted? (July 4, 1776)
The teacher will ask what that day is called? (Independence Day)
The teacher will ask where the document was signed? (Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania)
The teacher will ask what the document includes? (A list of complaints
encouraging equality, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness)
The teacher will ask why the document was created? (Separation from Great
Britain, freedom)
The anchor chart will then hang in the back of the room as a referral for basic
information on the Declaration of Independence.

Lesson Delivery:

Before the students enter the classroom and the lesson begins, the teacher will be
prepared with the lesson objectives written on the board as so:

Language:
Read a section of the Declaration of Independence out loud with your partner.
Highlight important information from the Declaration of Independence.
Write down or circle key words to summarize the document.
Share about their section with the rest of the class.
Content:
Identifying the complaints that were included in the Declaration of Independence.
Retell how the Declaration of Independence effected history.
Discuss how the Declaration of Independence was a form of protest.

The teacher will have the students read this objective when they come in, asking 7
students to choose a line, and read it out loud.
The materials for the day will already be set out before the students enter the
classroom allowing smooth transitions and for the teacher’s focus to be on the
linguistic and academic success of their students. The students will have a folder
for the day on their desks that allows them quick access without the teacher having
to pass the papers to them throughout the lesson.

The teacher will then give their two-minute-long hook to engage the students into
the topic of the lesson: Asks students if they have ever been upset or angry with a
friend or a sibling because they felt like they were too bossy? Discuss.

The students will then move into discussing about the vocab words from the
previous lesson. They will then move on to their new vocab words making
connections as they go.

When it is time to transition to the mini lesson, the students will be engaged by
making constant connections to the hook from the beginning of class, things that
sound familiar to them (such as the fourth of July or similar holidays they may
have at home such as Cinco De Mayo, Afghan Victory Day, Dita e Flamurit, etc.
which could be further related if the demographics of the students were known)
engaging in interactions such as turn and talk and whole group discussions, and
connections to previous lessons.

The students will have to engage with the Declaration of Independence with a
partner, reading it orally, and then pulling out key information. These expectations
will have been set out for students by telling them what is expected of them during
this time, again referring to the objectives written on the board.

Review and Assessment:

Review: (5 minutes)
The teacher will begin by once more going through the vocabulary for the day, and
now asking what picture they would like to see next to each word that will help
them remember when they refer to it later. This picture along with a laminated
definition will have a more permanent spot on the wall the next day.

Assessment: Posters and Gallery Walk (10 minutes)

Individually, the student will get to make their own poster reflecting what they
have learned about the Declaration of Independence. They can use the classroom
materials (markers, glue, pipe cleaners, glitter, etc.) as well as a sheet of poster
paper to create a poster reflecting their knowledge from the day. The students will
then get to hang their posters along the walls showing off their work.
The entire class will then get to do a gallery walk with friends talking about what
they see.
The teacher will also take part in the gallery walk, listening in on conversations
and taking notes about what is being said amongst the students. At the end of the
day, the teacher will take a closer look at the student work and decide what needs
to be reviewed the next day.

Resources:

 Dictionary.com: for all of the vocabulary definitions

 Declaration of independence Slide show (in submission box)
 Anchor chart: Pinterest

o
 School House Rock: Fireworks Song
 o https://youtu.be/vrSeCYSnj5Y
 A guide for my lesson plan writing:
o https://www.tupeloschools.com/uploaded/Departments/SIOP_8_Com
ponents_for_Teachers.pdf
 Gallery Walk student posters: could look like any of the following

o Ex. 1

o Ex. 2

o Ex. 3