UNLV/Department of Teaching & Learning

Elementary Lesson Plan Template

Lesson Plan
Title:
Date:

Presidents
Research Unit
2/1/16-2/5/16

Grade Level:

Lesson Plan
Topic:
Estimated
Time:
School Site:

Reading
45 min/lesson
Vegas Verdes ES

1. State Standard(s):
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.7
Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps,
photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate
understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key
events occur).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiplemeaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
2. Teaching Model(s):
Co-teaching
Direct Modeling
3. Objective(s):
Students will use texts and other resources to gather information
and take notes on a specific president.
Students will recognize and define unknown words from George
Washington by Mike Venezia
4. Materials and Technology Resources:
Monday
George Washington by Mike Venezia
Graphic Organizer anchor chart
Student Graphic Organizer sheet
Pencil
Tuesday
Vocabulary word list
Notebooks
Pencil
Elmo
Books about presidents

 Graphic Organizer sheet

Wednesday/Thursday
Books about presidents
Computers
Ipads
Graphic Organizer sheet
Pencil
Friday
Graphic Organizer Sheet
Poster
Poster checklist
Pencil
Elmo
5. Instructional Procedures:
MONDAY
a. Motivation/Engagement:
Students will be called over to the reading carpet by groups
Teacher will ask students, Do we know what holiday is falls
on February 15th? (DOK 1)
Students will be called to answer question: Presidents Day
Teacher will then ask, Why do you think we celebrate
Presidents Day? Does anybody know? (DOK 1)
Students will talk to their EEKK partner about the answer
Teacher will explain what Presidents Day is and why we
celebrate it
Teacher will say, This week, you all will get the chance to
read about and research on a president of your choice!
b. Developmental Activities/Learning Experiences:
Teacher will say, Today, we will be reading a biography about
George Washington.
Teacher will then ask, What is a biography? (DOK 1)
Students will talk to their EEKK partner about what they think
a biography is
Teacher will explain that a biography is a book written about
another persons life.
Teacher will pull out George Washington Graphic Organizer
Anchor Chart and tell students that we will be filling out the
chart after we learn more about George Washington from the
biography.
Students and teacher will read the headings included in the
anchor chart

Teacher will tell students to put their thumbs up every time

they hear a fact that can be included in the anchor chart while
reading
Teacher will read George Washington by Mike Venezia
Students will put their thumbs up when they hear an anchor
chart fact and teacher will write it in.
After reading, teacher and students will discuss the
information that was added so far on the chart. Teacher will
ask, What did we learn about George Washington? (DOK 2)
Teacher will send students back to their seats, hand out
graphic organizer sheets, and have students copy from the
chart.
Once students are finished copying the chart, they will work in
partners to complete the rest of the information on their
sheets.
c. Closure:
Students will use Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up (Kagan
Structure) to share added events from their graphic organizer.
Teacher will call on students to help complete the anchor
chart in front of the class.
d. Extension:
If time permits, students will use the computers to search
more information about George Washington and add it to their
graphic organizer.
TUESDAY
a. Motivation/Engagement:
Teacher will review with the students what they learned about
George Washington referring back to the graphic organizer
anchor chart.
Teacher will then have students close their eyes and think
about a president that they know about or have heard of.
Teacher will ask, What do you know about different
presidents? (DOK 1)
Students will open their eyes and raise their hands to share
what president they had in mind
Teacher will then explain to students that they will be reading
biographies and researching on a president of their choice.
b. Developmental Activities/Learning Experiences:
Before students begin reading president biographies, teacher
will go over six vocabulary terms that reoccur in several of the
biography books (oath, elect, debate, democracy, politics,
accomplishment) on the Elmo.
Teacher will ask for each word, What do you think this
means? (DOK 3)

Teacher will take a few students answers

Teacher will write down definition
Students will copy definitions
Teacher will give a sentence for each word, then ask, Who
can give me a sentence with the word in it? (DOK 2)
Students will share their sentences
Teacher will display different biographies on presidents in the
front of the class.
Students will work in partners and choose a book that they
would like to use for their research
Teacher will have students read their books and take notes in
their notebook about what they have learned
While partners are taking turns reading, they will hold up a
number two with their fingers that symbolizes a V every
time they hear a vocabulary term while reading.
Once students are finished reading their biographies, teacher
will pass out graphic organizer for them to fill out.
Teacher will ask, What do you know about your president so
far? (DOK 2)
Teacher will also ask, What were some of his
accomplishments during his time of presidency? (DOK 1)
Students will answer questions referring back to their
biographies and graphic organizer.
c. Closure:
Teacher will have each pair in the classroom share one new
fact that they learned about their president.
d. Extension:
Students will quiz their partners on their vocabulary terms
using Quiz, Quiz, Trade (Kagan Structure).
WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY
a. Motivation/Engagement:
Teacher will remind students that they are working on their
research about their president
Teacher will ask students what vocabulary words have they
heard so far in their own biographies about the presidents.
Students will answer
Teacher will project a list of vocab terms and students will
review their definitions
Students will play charades to review the terms
b. Developmental Activities/Learning Experiences:
Once students are finished with charades, teacher will have
students continue working on their research about their
president

Teacher will hand out computers and have students use it to

search more information about their president and write down
in their graphic organizers
Teacher will ask, Why do you think it would be beneficial to
use more than one tool to find information? (DOK 2)
Students will talk in groups about their answers
Students will then use the rest of the time to gather more
information on the computer, Ipad, or continue in their books.
Teacher will remind students to be looking out for vocabulary
words as they are researching and reading.
c. Closure:
Teacher will have students compare and contrast their
experiences with researching with a computer and
researching using a book. (DOK 4)
Teacher will ask, How was using a computer different from
using a book to find information? (DOK 2)
Teacher will then ask, Which tool did you find more useful
when doing your research? (DOK 2)
Students will share their ideas using Timed Pair Share (Kagan
Structure)
d. Extension:
Students will choose another biography about the same
president to read and take notes on.
FRIDAY
a. Motivation/Engagement:
Teacher will remind students that they have been working on
reading biographies and using technology to research on a
president of their choice.
As a review, teacher will ask, Who can remind me what a
biography is? (DOK 1)
Students will be called on to answer
Teacher will ask, What would a book be called if a person is
writing about their own life? (DOK 1)
Students will answer: Autobiography
Teacher will say, we have been collecting information on our
graphic organizers!
Teacher will then say, Today you will be creating a poster to
present your information to the class! (DOK 4)
Teacher will act as if she is presenting information on George
Washington
Students will be asked to identify proper presentation
etiquette.
b. Developmental Activities/Learning Experiences:

Teacher will model how the layout of the poster should be

Teacher will also go over poster checklist to make sure that
the students know the expectations of the project
Students will organize their notes to that format
Students will work in their same partners to create a
campaign poster that is a reflection of their own president
that they have chosen.
Students will refer back to poster example when needed
c. Closure:
Students will present their posters to the class
Audience will write one fact that they learned during each
presentation and turn into the teacher.
d. Extension:
Students will do a gallery walk of the posters that were made
and take notes on what they have learned.
6. Assessment and Evaluation of Learning:
a. Formative:
Teacher will activate prior knowledge by asking students to
identify what a biography and autobiography is
Teacher will circulate the room to check students research
notes and comprehension of the text
Students will put up a V during their research time when
they recognize vocabulary terms in their biographies
b. Summative:
Students will use facts that they gathered using biographies
and technology to create a poster that includes all of the
information.
7. Homework Assignment: Students will choose one biography book from
the library to read and take notes on.
8. Reflection:
a. Strengths:
b. Concerns:
c. Insights: