Unit Plan: How Nevada Has Changed

Lesson Plan for MondayGrade: 4thSocial Studies Strand: History

Submitted By: Taylor Fitzgerald

EDEL 453: Teaching Elementary School Social ScienceNevada State College – Spring 2014Instructor: Karen Powell

Lesson Plan for Monday Strand: History submitted by: Taylor Fitzgerald

B. Summary of the Lesson Plan : This social studies lesson is designed to teach student the importance of day-to-day life of people who lived in the past. The students will learn how first hand the physical work involved with making butter. This lesson uses the Integrating Language Arts and Social Studies textbook (p.112-117)

C. Basic Information: Grade Level: 4th grade Time to Complete this Lesson: approximately 50 minutes Groupings: whole group discussion, partner activity,

D. Materials: Small, clear plastic jars. 1 per pair of studentsHeavy whipping creamData sheets (attached below)Pencil and paper

E. Objectives: o NV State Social Studies Standards

H3.4.1 Compare and contrast their daily lives with children in Nevada’s past.

o Student-Friendly Standards H3.4.1 I can explain how daily life was different for children in the

past.

F. Vocabulary Reenactment – The repetition of an earlier event. Agitation – The act of causing something to move around.

G. Procedure: Refer to “Procedures” section on p.114 1. Whole class discussion beginning with the guiding question, “What are some ways

society has improved technology to lighten our workload?” Identify and Discuss examples given and inform students that we are going to be reenacted the process of making butter today.

2. Introduce vocabulary words (Reenactment, Agitation) 3. Pass out materials and instruct the students to find a partner to work with. Explain

the procedure of how to make the butter from the whipping cream. Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 2

Lesson Plan for Monday Strand: History submitted by: Taylor Fitzgerald

4. Students need to record their findings on the data sheets after they finish the activity.

H. Assessment: What will you use to measure student understanding?

The data sheet created will be what I use to assess understanding. All the sections must be completed with detail.

Explain how you will know students understand the concepts from the lesson. Students must “compare and contrast their daily lives with children in Nevada’s past” by having them see how much effort is actually put into creating a small amount of butter, they can see how we as a culture have advanced so much from the past.

I. Closure: A quick whole class discussion reinstating what we learned to today about how

the butter making process is different from the way students’ access butter today.

J. Reflection: 1. Which part of the lesson do you think will be the easiest for you to teach?

I think having the students complete the activity of making the butter will be the easiest. Children at this age seem to really enjoy hands-on activities and they will be excited to make their own butter.

2. Which part will be most challenging for you to teach? I believe that having the students realize the purpose behind making the butter will be the most difficult. I will have to really try to make sure they are understand WHY we are doing the reenactment and it is not just something for fun.

3. How will you follow up or extend this lesson?To extend the lesson, I would have the students create a bulletin board of 3 more life ways of the past that are different our modern day life.

4. What can you do for students who don’t grasp the concepts?For students who do not grasp the concept, I will work with them in to complete their data sheet and hopefully I could have a parent volunteer in for the day to assist as well.

5. Which part of the lesson, if any, do you think might need to change?I think the lesson does not require any change. I do believe that parents need to be asked if it is ok if they taste the butter.

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 3

Lesson Plan for Monday Strand: History submitted by: Taylor Fitzgerald

6. When you were writing this lesson plan, what was the most difficult part?The most difficult part for me was finding a standard that I thought fit the best. I choose a different one at first, but then I changed it.

7. Explain the strategy from “Integrating Language Arts & Social Studies” that you included in this lesson plan.

The strategy I included was Strategy 16 Incorporating Historical Reenactment. This strategy is helpful in learning about the past by reconstructing events or situations. The students can gain insight that goes past just straight content. Going through the actual experience of something is more meaningful then just to hear about it.

Data sheet for students to complete.

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 4

Lesson Plan for Monday Strand: History submitted by: Taylor Fitzgerald

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 5