Mount Aloysius College

Education Department
Lesson Plan Format

I. Heading

Lesson Title: Sources in American History

Teacher Name: Miss Waite
Date Lesson is Taught: TBD
Subject/Discipline: American History since 1877
Grade Level: 9th
Number of Students: Any
Allocated Instructional Time: 30 minutes
Multiple Intelligences Addressed:
● Visual-spatial, linguistic, interpersonal, musical
Pennsylvania Common Core Standards or Early Learning Standards:
● CC 8.5.9-10A: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary
sources, attending to such features as the data and origin of the information.
● CC 8.5.9-10B: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source;
provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
● CC.8.6.9-10E: Use technology, including the Internet to produce, publish, and update indi vidual
or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information
and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
● CC.8.6.9-10G: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources,
using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the
research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas,
avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

II. Rationale and Background (Danielson 1b: Demonstrating Knowledge of Students)

1. The students are familiar with basic foundations of American history. The students are able
to identify the American Revolution, Civil War, and World War II. The students are also
familiar with American culture and famous movies and events. In history, it is important to
use primary and secondary sources for research, which this lesson will do.

2. The purpose of this lesson is to engage students and spike their interest in American
history. By exploring a section of American history, students can learn about different races,

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 different genders, and other topics they may be interested in. Students are able to find what
interests them and relate American history to their lives today.

III. Lesson Objectives (Danielson 1c: Setting Instructional Objectives)

● The learner will be able to assess historical resources while learning about American
history. (CC 8.5.9-10B, CC.8.6.9-10E)

● The learner will be able to construct an argument analyzing how an American history
event influenced another. (CC 8.5.9-10A, CC.8.6.9-10G)

IV. Materials (Danielson 1d: Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources)

Teacher Materials:
● Artifact: World War II American Bugle
● Home: National Museum of American History. National Museum of American History.
https://americanhistory.si.edu/.
● Computer
● Powerpoint:
https://www.canva.com/design/DAF0HSbjDqI/HGYe5kjSKr58-hZDkj7jow/view?utm_cont
ent=DAF0HSbjDqI&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=edito
r

Student Materials:
● Computer
● Google Slides
● Home: National Museum of American History. National Museum of American History.
https://americanhistory.si.edu/.

V. Procedures (Danielson 1a: Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy) (Danielson

1e: Designing Coherent Instruction) (Danielson 3a: Communicating with Students) (3b Using
Questioning and Discussion Techniques) (Danielson 3c Engaging Students in Learning)

A. Introduction, Motivation, and Setting the Stage

To begin the lesson the teacher will present an old bugle used in World War II. The
bugle will be a physical thing that students can touch and look at. This will activate their
senses and begin a conversation about “old” things the students may have at home and
what they know about history because of those things. This will lead into a class
discussion brainstorming what people can learn about history from artifacts.

B. Lesson Body

After the class discussion, the teacher will bring up the powerpoint related to this lesson.
The teacher will use the powerpoint to discuss museums and how they use exhibits to
explain certain events in history. It is important to note the difference between primary
and secondary sources and have students answer questions about which is which. The
teacher will then explain how even if a person cannot physically be at a museum, they
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 can visit the website of one and learn from an online exhibition. After the guided lesson
on primary and secondary sources, the teacher will introduce the student’s independent
practice.

The teacher will demonstrate online in front of the class how to navigate the museum
website and find the information students will need. Then, the teacher will go over the
project with the students. The students will be expected to explore and pick two exhibits
on the museum website that relate to American history. They will pick exhibits that are
related to each other. They will find information about what the exhibit represents and
why it is significant in American history. Then, the students will make a powerpoint about
their findings and at the end explain how one event influenced the other and how it is
related to today’s world.

Higher Level Questions:

● How does history influence the world today? (Evaluate)
● Why are artifacts important indicators of history? (Analyze)
● What are implications for the future of an event of the students’ choosing that has
happened in the past three years? (Create)
● What is something physical that the student has that could represent this time period in
history fifty years from now, and what does it mean? (Apply, Evaluate)

C. Strategies for Differentiated Instruction (Danielson 3e: Demonstrating Flexibility and

Responsiveness)

1. For a gifted child, they will have to write a two page first person narrative putting
themselves in the shoes of someone who would have been alive and present during the
time of the event they chose. This will help them develop their writing skills as well as
provide enrichment for creativity and analysis.

2. For an exceptional student with a reading disability, a text-to-speech software program

will be available for them to use. If they also have a difficult time writing, a
speech-to-text software will be available. I will also sit with them and help them read the
information on the website while the other students are doing their work.

3. For an English Language Learner, a translation of the page they choose will be made
available for them. Also, they will be allowed to make predictions and analyze the image
of the exhibit online to determine how the thing observed relates to history. The ELL
student will have the chance to talk with the teacher one on one via a translate app if
necessary to check for comprehension.

D. Closure/Conclusion

The lesson will conclude with students presenting in front of the class their findings. They
will share the exhibitions they explored and how they relate to American history and
America at the present. They will also have to state whether their exhibit is a primary or
secondary source. Questions from students will be encouraged to facilitate meaningful
discussion and deeper comprehension. Students will be able to share their findings while
also gathering plenty examples of primary and secondary sources in history.
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 E. “If-Time Activity” (Danielson 3e: Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness)

1. If the lesson is finished early, I will explore with the students their favorite part of
American Culture. If they like Star Wars, we will research on our computers the details
about when star wars was created, and why. This can provide guidance and clarity
about the lesson while engaging students’ interests.

2. If students finish their independent work early, they may work on other work for my class
or other classes quietly. If they have no work, they may work on a one page first person
narrative about someone in American history as a bonus assignment.

VI. Communicating with Families/Homework Assignment/Independent Practice (Danielson 4c:

Communicating with Families)

● To communicate with families, I will post the links to the youtube video, the museum
website, and the powerpoint explaining the lesson on the classroom web page. Once
the presentations are completed, I will post some of them on the website to show
parents the great things their students are doing. If extra time is needed to research, a
reminder will go to the guardians through the Remind App so they are aware of what
their students should be working on.

VII. Evaluation

A. Student Assessment (Danielson 1f: Designing Student Assessment) (Danielson 3d: Using
Assessment in Instruction)

● To assess comprehension and performance, primary and secondary sources will be

presented to the students. They will have to write down what they think each one is.
After they have finished, they will discuss their answers with a peer to compare findings.
Students’ papers will be collected with their original answers. This will allow the teacher
to assess what areas need review and which students need more help. Students will
also have the opportunity to interact with their peers.

B. Reflective Practice/Self-Evaluation (To be completed after the lesson is taught) (Danielson

4a: Reflecting on Teaching)

Reflect on your teaching experience and answer these questions:

1. One strength of this lesson is the use of online exploration. It allows students to gain
self-agency. Another strength is short and simple direct instruction. It is short enough to
keep attention, while still providing important information.
2. One area this lesson needs improvement in is collecting another resource for students
to use. The museum website is great, but some exhibits do not have enough
information for the project. Another area that needs improvement is a structural rubric.
The outline in the presentation is good, but a firm rubric would be much better.

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3. If I were to reteach this lesson, I would be sure to take my time when explaining the
powerpoint in the direct instruction. I would make sure students know and are equipped
with the proper tools before starting their project.
4. What biases, if any, existed in the materials, activities, language, or interactions with
children?
5. Besides the exhibitions which are based on events of bias, no bias was observed in the
materials or interactions with students. It is hard to avoid bias when talking about
history, but it is addressed as to why it happened and why it is wrong.
6. The only thing that surprised me is the time. It did not take as long to get through direct
instruction as I thought, but I theorize individual instruction would take longer.