Lesson+Plan

=Title: //My Brother’s Keeper//: A short unit on the Civil War = =Subject: Social Studies & Language Arts = =Author: Stacy Watkins = =Grade Level: 3rd = =Audience: =  Learners should have some basic knowledge of the Civil War before this lesson plan can be implemented. They should know what the Civil War was, why it was fought. They should also understand terms such as “Union,” “Confederate,” “Rebels,” and “Rebs.” Students would need a general understanding of “character traits” as well as how to use Inspiration9 and Microsoft Office Word 2007 before completing the activity for day one. Students should have a basic understanding of who President Lincoln was. Students will need a flash drive to save their assignments.
 * Lesson Plan **

=Objectives: =  The student will compare two accounts of the Battle of Gettysburg when given a secondary account online and the account in //My Brother’s Keeper// by listing three similarities with 100% accuracy. This objective is at the Analysis level of Bloom’s Taxonomy because it asks students to analyze the two accounts in order to find similarities.

Given specific questions, the student will locate all answers within a single website provided by the teacher in 30 minutes or less with 80% accuracy. This objective is at the Comprehension level of Bloom’s Taxonomy because it asks students to display their understanding of the information on the website by answering questions.

Given the first 22 pages of //My Brother’s// Keeper, the student will create and label a graphic organizer with traits of three characters, labeling at least eight character traits in all with 90% accuracy. This objective is at the Comprehension level of Bloom’s Taxonomy because it asks students to display their understanding of the characters after reading the book.

The student will apply their understanding of certain character traits in order to write a paragraph-long journal entry from the perspective of that character with 80% accuracy. This objective is at the Application level of Bloom’s Taxonomy because it asks students to apply their understanding of character traits in order to write from that character’s perspective.

Given an appropriate website to use for research, along with instructions on creating a wiki page, the student will generate a wiki page with information about an assigned Civil War leader in 50 minutes or less with 75% accuracy. This objective is at both the Application and Synthesis levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy because it asks students to apply instructions in creating a wiki page and put pieces of information together in that wiki page.

The student will draw conclusions about quotes from //My Brother’s Keeper// when given related-questions and additional thought-provoking information with 70% accuracy. This objective is at the Evaluation level of Bloom’s Taxonomy because it asks students to make judgments about quotes from the book.

Given a copy of the Gettysburg Address, the student will summarize the Gettysburg Address with 75% accuracy. This objective is at the Comprehension level of Bloom’s Taxonomy because it asks students to summarize information.

With no outside help, the student will be able to recall five facts about the Civil War with 80% accuracy. This objective is at the Knowledge level of Bloom’s Taxonomy because it asks students to recall information.

=Materials Needed: =
 * Copies of //My Brother’s Keeper// by Mary Pope Osborne
 * Computers with internet access
 * Inspiration9 software
 * Microsoft Office Word 2007 software
 * Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 software
 * Projector & Screen
 * <span style="color: #32189a; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Paper Abraham Lincoln Hat
 * <span style="color: #32189a; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Paper
 * <span style="color: #32189a; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Pencils

=<span style="color: #32189a; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Activities and Procedures: = <span style="color: #32189a; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> Day One: Students will have read pages 1-22 of //My Brother’s Keeper// as homework by the time they come in to class. I will take students to the computer lab for today’s activity. Students will need to bring their copy of //My Brother’s Keeper// to refer to during the activity. They will use Inspiration9 software to create a character map, listing at least eight character traits in total, describing three different characters other than the main character Virginia. Students will then use Microsoft Office Word 2007 to create a paragraph-long journal entry from the perspective of one of the characters they mapped out.

Day Two: I will read pages 23-46 of //My Brother’s Keeper// aloud to the class. I will then place students in groups of 3 or 4 and assign them to computers to complete the student activity. For the activity they will visit a website with an interactive map in order to answer questions. Some students will navigate through the map while other students will write down answers to the questions. Students will collaborate to find the necessary information on the website. Students will need to refer back to their own copy of //My Brother’s Keeper// for the last question.

Day Three: Students will have read pages 47-61 of //My Brother’s Keeper// as homework by the time they come in to class. I will read pages 100-105 and page 108 of //My Brother’s Keeper// aloud to the class. I will explain to the students that we are not reading President Lincoln’s speech today, because we will talk more about it on Friday. I will then place students into five groups. Each group will be assigned a specific Civil War leader that is mentioned in //My Brother’s Keeper//. They will research this figure on a website I will provide for them. They will then publish their findings on our class wiki. I will leave 10 minutes at the end of class for all of the groups to save their own wiki page and view each other’s pages.

Day Four: I will read pages 61-80 of //My Brother’s Keeper// aloud to the class. I will then display a PowerPoint presentation with thought-provoking quotes from the book, facts, and questions for discussion. As I progress through each slide I will pause for students to think about and write answers on their own paper. When it seems like everyone is ready I will ask students to share their thoughts. If there is time left over after all students have shared what they want to share, I will ask students to write another journal entry from their character’s point of view on a piece of paper. I will tell them that they can use our discussion topics or anything we read in //My Brother’s Keeper// as inspiration if they wish.

Day Five: I will read pages 81-99 of //My Brother’s Keeper// aloud to the class. Then I will ask closing questions about the book as a whole. I will show the history channel video found on the Library of Congress website (up through 1:12) to introduce the Gettysburg Address. Then I will have one volunteer come up, put on an Abraham Lincoln hat (made out of paper) and read the full Gettysburg Address out of the book. Afterward I will ask students if they understood what the speech was about. I will then put the paraphrased version of the Gettysburg Address up on the projector screen, using PowerPoint. I will ask students if they understand the speech better now. Then I will turn the projector off and ask students to summarize the speech, using the real speech from their books. I will point out that the original speech is a primary source, while the paraphrase is a secondary source because it is based off of the primary source. I will ask the students to reflect back on what we’ve learned throughout the week. Then I will ask students, on their own sheet of paper, to list five things they learned about the Civil War that they did not know before and to write a short reflection telling me about their favorite activity and their least favorite activity.

=<span style="color: #32189a; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Assessment: = <span style="color: #32189a; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> Open the file for rubrics for each measurable activity listed above.

=<span style="color: #32189a; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Standards: = <span style="color: #32189a; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> SS.3.A.1.2 Utilize technology resources to gather information from primary and secondary sources.

SS.3.G.1.2 Review basic map elements (coordinate grid, cardinal and intermediate directions, title, compass rose, scale, key/legend with symbols).

LA.3.2.1.1 The student will understand the distinguishing features among the common forms of literature (e.g., poetry, prose, fiction, drama).

LA.3.2.1.2 The student will identify and explain the elements of story structure, including character/character development, setting, plot, and problem/resolution in a variety of fiction.

LA.3.4.1.1 The student will write narratives based on real or imagined events or observations that include characters, setting, plot, sensory details, and a logical sequence of events.

LA.3.5.2.2 The student will plan, organize, and give an oral presentation and use appropriate voice, eye, and body movements for the topic, audience, and occasion.

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