ED 618: Diversity & the 100-Acre Wood

Lesson #2
Courtney Beckham

Lesson Design Template: MAT/Certification Elementary

Candidate Name: Courtney Beckham Host Teacher Name: Casey Harmon

School: Chugach Optional Grade Level: 5/6 # of Students: 24
Date & Time of Lesson: Week of 3/21 Length of Lesson: 45 min
Topic of Lesson: The Importance and Value of Diversity Content Area: SEL/Diversity/Social Studies

Materials: Include all materials including types of technology used:

- Printed pages of character quotations
- Each student should have their WTP script on-hand
- Projector to display GoogleSlideshow:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KkW1pckQV05MqFBjWafjgdsSeNdP9-pMUfglWsvjC0k/edit?usp=sharing
- Printout to organize their ideas (10 copies, at least one for each group):
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18r-l5mkCi_rLSBzDza98pq5ihpJQzqLyoyZh50kY8JE/edit?usp=sharing

ALASKA CONTENT STANDARD

History
B) A student should understand historical themes through factual knowledge of time, places, ideas, institutions, cultures,
people, and events.

1. (e) Major developments in societies as well as changing patterns related to class, ethnicity, race, and gender;

2. Understand the people and the political, geographic, economic, cultural, social, and environmental events that have
shaped the history of the state, the United States, and the world;

Alaska Cultural Standard for Educators

E (5) Recognize the need for all people to understand the importance of learning about other cultures and appreciating
what each has to offer.

TRANSFER GOAL(S) (transferability)

Students will be able to independently use their learning to understand that…

Diversity in each social grouping/community/country makes them stronger and adds value as a society

Received 1/9/2019
STAGE ONE – Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings (meaning)
Enduring Understanding(s): What Essential Questions will be Considered?
Students will understand that….
How might diversity benefit a society?
In each setting, there are many different perspectives that
come from peoples’ lived experiences and cultural How might differences promote a connection?
backgrounds.

STAGE ONE: Objectives STAGE TWO: Assessments

Evidence of Learning/Accountability -
Formative/Summative/Performance

Knowledge - What students should know…. Assessment(s)/Other Evidence:

You need to approach others’ differences with respect. Students can list reasons that differences and diversities
can add value to a scenario
Differences can create a more cohesive
group/society/classroom/country/state

Learning about others’ class, ethnicity, race, and gender

can deepen relationships

Skills - What students should be able to do……. Assessment(s)/Other Evidence:

- Through discussion, students will be able to - Name their personal values of diversity, and why as
recognize the importance of diversity and how it a class, it benefits them, their classroom, their
can be beneficial school, society (shoulder partner share with teacher
weaving through classroom to listen)
- Students can find commonalities with others while
respecting differences

STAGE THREE: Opportunities to Learn (Acquisition)

Introduction/Hook

First, I am going to explain the activity: we are going to add differences that we may see in the classroom, school,
borough, state, country, & world.

I am then going to add my own to the projected scale: hair color (small), religion (medium), & language (big).
Discuss that this is all subjective (everyone’s answers might be different… it’s about how big those differences are to
you).

Pass out sticky notes to all of the students (~3-5 each) and give them 3-5 minutes to write what they think are
“differences” on a scale from small to big. As they finish, they walk up and add them to the board on the scale.

We discuss subjectivity, look for similarities, differences, give students an opportunity to explain their answers (or
not). Discuss how differences may be bigger or small depending on location, resources, etc.
Ex: Language may be not as big of a deal if we have a common friend who speaks both, or maybe it wouldn’t matter
if we were in a third country where neither of us spoke the language. Hair color may be small unless we need a hair
product for our hair that they don’t have. Religion may be a big deal if we want to plan a meal during someone’s
fasting… but a small deal if we just plan on a different day.
Processes and products for Learning Opportunities Strategies for Differentiation/ Multimodal
Instruction/Universal Design for Learning

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- Follow along with GoogleSlides: - Point out character list in script so
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/ students have a near-point example of
1KkW1pckQV05MqFBjWafjgdsSeNdP9-pMUfglWsvjC0k/edit? the characters, and their general
character traits for quick reference
usp=sharing - Students choose their preferred role in
- Explain: You’re going to be broken up into small groups, where the group (spokesperson, scribe,
you’re going to read through some quotes of Winnie-the-Pooh researcher)
characters, and I want you to create a list of reasons convincing - Informal presentations allow for smaller
others why your character is the best character, based off their group discussions and confidence
quotes and what you know about them from your script building for public speaking (for the
experiences. Be specific in your descriptions. Each team will have spokesperson)
a worksheet to add their ideas to - Students can always choose to pass
- Break up classroom into groups of 3-4 (teacher’s when called on
discretion/preference for types of groups, aka random, specific, - Students choose each other between
etc.). There should be 5 groups (and beyond that are doubles) ideas (instead of me calling on them)
- Give students lists of quotes for their character, and assign 8-10 - Directions on the board & directions on
minutes to the task. Pass out worksheet for students to log quotes their papers
& traits. Have students keep their scripts on-hand to reference - All requests are broad (1-3 sticky notes,
character lists if wanted/needed. Make sure each group has a 1-2 minutes, etc.) so students can
“spokesperson/speaker” who is going to share the best traits of comfortably challenge themselves at
their character, a scribe, and someone dedicated to pulling at least their own level
one example from the script/one quote
- Have spokespeople present to the class from their groups
(informal).
- Spokesperson students do informal 2 minute presentations to the
class
- Discuss/point out similarities and differences of all of the
characters. Once all have presented, have students “think-pair-
share” why this cast of characters is so diverse, and what that
might bring to the story, and what might be lost if all were super
similar/the same (what would the play be like? Would people want
to watch it?)
- Have groups verbally share their findings with the group
- Pop up second set of questions:
Do these same concepts apply to our society?
Our classroom?
Our school? Our district?
Our state? Our country?
- Have groups verbally share their findings with the group
- Read script quote (have students assigned to that character read it)
- Quick Write (see below)

Closure:

Discuss think-pair-share topic… If this is true of the classroom? The school? The borough? The community? The state?
The country? The world?

Have students take 3 minutes to do a quick write on what the importance of diversity is to them. Why?

Received 1/9/2019
Reflection:

Parts of this lesson were originally included with my first lesson, but after careful re-evaluation, it felt like it
needed its own full plan for the students to truly understand the meaning and depth of the subject. I am quite
pleased with how it turned out! This lesson was taught in two sessions, as it took much longer than anticipated –
which was a lovely surprise (the students were so engaged in some of the parts that I took extra time to really
delve in). At this point in the year, my students are working a lot on social emotional learning leading up to
their end-of-year play, so many of their goals fall under Cultural and Skills for a healthy life. I tied these in with
the social sciences, referencing their individual and collective experiences and perspectives.
In the first session, I was shocked with the students’ can-do attitude on the diversity and differences scale,
my hook. This group can be quite “silly”, so I had prepared myself to do some prodding to get started… but it
was unnecessary. I used my host teacher’s advice from the first lesson and had the students sit in family group
(where they sit in a semi-circle around the front of the classroom) and it was a hit. They all jumped in with two
feet, and completely shocked me with their answers. I included a photo of the finished scale. Students shared
their personal experiences, and were respectful of others’ sharing theirs. Most students were both insightful and
intentional about what they chose, and where the placed it on the scale. The students were so excited and eager
that we took about ten minutes just discussing their contributions sticky-by-sticky.
The main portion of the lesson, the celebration of five of the Winnie-the-Pooh characters and their
differences, went smoothly as well. The assignment of the roles worked (to my surprise) smoothly, and creating
my own worksheet was incredibly helpful. After trying out my notecard design last lesson, my host teacher
suggested creating my own worksheet beforehand to save time… it worked great. If I was to reteach this portion
of the lesson, I would have allowed students to self-select their own characters, as opposed to assigning them.
This was my host teacher’s suggestion, and I agree with her that it would have likely created a higher buy-in.
Some groups were hesitant on the character I had assigned them to.
If I was managing my own classroom, I think I would have paused the lesson after the students researched
and presented their own characters. Instead, I had high hopes to “fit the rest in” and changed the lesson to be a
group discussion of my original think-pair-share topics. Though this worked fine, I had really hoped to hear the
student-to-student discourse on the topic. At this point, I was able to check in with the teacher, and we decided
to push the rest for another day.
When presenting the last portion of the lesson, I wished I had taught the last part of the lesson within a day
or two. I ended up having to wait a week, and the students struggled a bit to re-connect. The students had also
had Star testing all morning, so I think they were struggling to stay focused/on task. During the wrap up,
students were very chatty and seemingly unfocused, but their responses resonated with the objectives – I was
happy to have something I could review to see that most of them did understand and connect with the content.
Received 1/9/2019
Overall, I greatly enjoyed the lesson, and felt that it helped me see a side of the students that I wouldn’t have
otherwise, which was invaluable!

Examples of Student Work: (Uploaded Separately)

Host Teacher Observation Form: (Uploaded Separately)

Received 1/9/2019