Having worked with 4th/5th graders for over a month now, we have observed certain common interests and disinterests of 10 and 11 year olds.They are generally a group of students, who enjoy outdoor activities like running, playing basketball.Thus, we wanted to plan a lesson, which will not only spark their interest, but also cultivate acquisition of basic knowledge in creating spreadsheets and graphs as well as ability to conduct scientific investigations. Seeing that 4th and 5th graders are at Piaget's concrete operational and formal operational stages, lessons and activities that encourage hypothesis testing and abstract thought are appropriate and fitting for them. Students are generally more interested in participating in activities and lessons that require them to use their analytic thinking skills, and not mere memorization of factoids. Conversely, they seem disinterested in lessons where they are situated in one location for hours doing one monotonous activity such as listening to the teacher lecture, reading a book, doing tomorrow's homework in advance, and other more prosaic activities. Considering our target grade and subject, we have designed a lesson plan that will creatively foster them to learn SOL objectives for this selected grade level.
Students will research a famous Virginian, approved by the teacher, and, by using accurate facts and data from reliable sources and correctly cite these sources, will make a power point and oral presentation sharing the information to the class.The information to be included is the following:three notable accomplishments from the person, a brief biographical history with three specific dates, the time period that the person lived in, a quote from the person, and a citations ãpageä (or slide).The students will be required to provide the requested topics on power point, and also include detail during an oral presentation during the power point presentation.The grade will be based on accuracy of facts, correct citations, reliable sources, and overall presentation neatness.
History and Social Science SOL 4.3:
The student will explain the economic, social, and political
life of the Virginia colony, with emphasis on its political and
economic relationship to England and other nations; characteristics
and contributions of various groups of people; the role of money,
banking, saving, and credit in colonial Virginia; reasons for,
and Virginia's role in, the American Revolution; the backgrounds,
motivations, and contributions of GeorgeWashington, George Wythe,
Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Patrick Henry,
and other prominent Virginians in the Revolutionary era; and the
significance of the Charters of the Virginia Company of London,
the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the Virginia Statute of Religious
Freedom, and the Declaration of Independence.
Students will be required to provide a six-slide presentation on power point, and an oral presentation that should last no more than 2 minutes.The criterion for grading includes four areas:accuracy of facts, correct citations, reliable sources and overall presentation neatness.
The facts should be accurate without inconsistencies.The dates should be correct and facts concerning the time period should be correct.The quote should be precisely what the individual said, and the accomplishments should be relevant of the personâs fame.
The correct citations should be given.The citations will be given MLA style (based on a handout given prior to the assignment) and will be included on the last slide of the power point production, and on a typed sheet of paper to be handed in to the teacher.
Each of these citations should be from reliable sources.Reliable sources include the encyclopedia, dictionary, books, or any legitimate internet site (to be determined by the teacher using such criteria as ãdoes the site have a reliable author,ä and ãdoes the site use citations or provide links,ä etc).
Finally, it is stressed once again that the objective is for students to do research on a famous Virginian, and to know how to correctly to research, not to be proficient on power point or to make an extremely articulate oral presentation.However, the overall neatness grade takes into account the time and effort put into both.
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Grade Lesson Plans