I. Traditional Lesson Plan

Beacon Lesson Plan Library

United States All the Way

Renee Benefield

Description

Students will love to learn about their country's patriotic symbols and will have a book that will show their pride at the conclusion of the lesson.

Standards

Florida Sunshine State Standards
SS.A.5.1.2.1.1
The student knows selected important buildings, statues, and monuments associated with state and national history (for example, Capitol, White House, Lincoln Memorial, Statue of Liberty).

Florida Process Standards
Multiculturally Sensitive Citizens
10 Florida students appreciate their own culture and the cultures of others, understand the concerns and perspectives of members of other ethnic and gender groups, reject the stereotyping of themselves and others, and seek out and utilize the views of persons from diverse ethnic, social, and educational backgrounds while completing individually and group projects.

Materials

- Pictures of patriotic symbols from posters or books such as the Statue of Liberty, United States Flag, White House, etc.
- Pencils, crayons, markers for student use
- Patriotic music, ("National Anthem," "God Bless America," etc.)
- Blindfold
- Map of world and the United States.
- Copies of file, mini-book for each student

Preparations

1. Gather pictures of national symbols.
2. Download file and print copies of little books. You may wish to pre-assemble for the students.

Procedures

1. Begin this lesson with some music that the students will recognize as patriotic music. Tell the students that today the lesson will be about a country that is known all over the world by just a few special symbols.

2. Demonstrate that if you close your eyes you could tell who was speaking just by the sound of the voice. Ask a student to come up and pick another student to talk to you (the teacher) out loud. Show that with your eyes covered you could tell who was speaking. Blindfold yourself and demonstrate your ability to recognize a student just by their voice. Ask for more students to volunteer to see if they can pick out voices of their classmates while being blindfolded.

3. Explain to the students that just as people have special characteristics that set them apart from other people, our country has a lot of special things that set it apart from any other country in the whole world.

4. Show the pictures that you have to the students and ask them if they recognize them and can name them. As you talk about each picture discuss some historical information about each picture.

5. Show the students where the United States capitol is on the map. Show them where the Statue of Liberty is on the map as well as any other symbols.

6. Explain to the students that these are some things that we can see and visit that are symbols of the United States. Explain that people all over the world know when they see these symbols that they stand for the United States of America. Ask the students why they think our country is so special when we think of other countries in the world. You will want to mention that our country has many freedoms and rights given to all Americans that some people will never have in other places in the world. The students will find it interesting that in some countries students have to work like grown ups and do not get to go to school.

7. Explain that in our country we get to vote for things that we chose to vote for. Tell the students they will have a secret vote to practice one of our American freedoms. Tell them they will vote for their favorite food and explain to them that you will be limiting the choices to 3 things: hot dogs, hamburgers or pizza. Tell them this will be a secret vote with their heads down. Tell them that everyone will be voting because everyone has a choice. The food item that gets the most votes is the winner of the favorite food of the class. Have the students start voting. You should use numbers or tally marks to show the number of votes.

8. After the vote, have the students pick up their heads. Explain that the one that got the most votes is the winner. This is called majority rules and this is voting works in the United States. Explain that what you voted for might not win, but this is one fair way to decide things.

9. Review with the students some of the important symbols of the United States. Explain that our country is based on many special freedoms and ask them if they can remember two that were discussed in the lesson.

10. Tell the students they will be making a book that will tell about the United States and some of its special symbols.

11. Pass out the papers and go over the sentences. You may have to demonstrate some simple drawings for them to help with their illustrations.

12. Allow time for the students to complete the book. Collect the books.

Assessments

After participating in a lesson on identifying national symbols and freedoms we as Americans enjoy, the students will produce simple illustrations of specific symbols. The students will read about each symbol and then be assessed by the illustration that should correlate with the specific term contained in a small book.

Extensions

Students could expand their knowledge base by doing a report on one of the national symbols as a home assignment. Then they could share it with the class

Source: http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/Lessons/1737.htm

Google Earth Tour

Google Earth Tour!
https://www.box.com/s/51ifncv9d48sm8tqbqnc

I hope this is as much fun to watch as it was to make!

-Mandy

Virtual Field Trip

The Hershey’s Company!

This virtual field trip, we thought, was awesome. It is perfect for grades 3 and 4 especially because they are at the age where they’re learning where things come from and how they’re made. And who doesn’t love Hershey kisses! This would be a great assignment for science class because it breaks down ingredients in a simple and interesting way.

http://www.thehersheycompany.com/about-hershey/our-story/making-our-chocolate.aspx

Some things that could been improved:

The video took a while to load

Maybe a kids section with games for learning

Things that were great:

It had a detailed history of how the company was started and by who

The “Field Trip”  also includes a nutrition section where students can learn about the importance and science behind the nutritional value and ingredients of chocolate.

Janelle and I feel that this would be a great starter field trip for a class. It will draw the students in when they see it’s about chocolate and make looking and learning about information.

Fun Tip: You could hand out Hershey kisses to the class after they finish their virtual field trip and have answered all the questions and information.

Implementing and Applying Technology in the Classroom

Through the course of this class, I have been able to add a multitude of tools into my bag of tricks. The top thing that I will pull away from this  is the Webquest. I have never seen anything like it and will want to use it in the future. It will help students get acquainted with using a computer, being independent about their own studies, and learning things online that they may have never gotten the chance to learn. The other thing that I cannot wait for, is to have a smartboard in my classroom one day. While I have been observing a classroom all semester I have noticed that my observing teacher does not use her smartboard to it's full advantage at all.  If I had one I would use it throughout the day. For example, I could put everyone's names on the smartboard and when they get to class they walk up and circle their name, or check it, etc. This would let me know who is and isn't here. That is just a small example of it's uses. The possibilities are endless. It's important to remember that technology is a resource that we can use as a tool and that we have control over how we use it. I've learned this through the textbook, that it's uses are endless but there is a slippery slope with letting students use it. This is where good classroom management would come in handy. Have a great weekend!

Amanda Payne

Happy Spring!

Google Forms and Web Quests!

Google Forms and Web Quests:

On the topic of Web Quests I can confidently say that I think they are a truly enhancing and useful tool for teachers everywhere. They provide independent study and the opportunity to expand one's knowledge on the use of the internet, educational sites, articles, and crucial information to a childs learning. There is no doubt that I will be using a Web Quest in my classroom one day.

As far as Google Forms go, I think they are a great tool. I have not had the chance to use as many as there are. I have used Google docs, blogger, and email. And so far, I have had no problems with any of them. The nice thing about them is that they can all be connected to your email and be sent to anyone at any time. There is no need to save it to your desktop then upload it, and then send it.

As a daughter of a technology crazed father, I can appreciate the many uses of technology.

TGISP (thank-god-its-spring-break!)

Web Quest

Exploring the World

Personal Tale

This is my life in Montana. My experience at Camp Mak-A-Dream, learning to fly fish, spending time at Flathead Lake, and making new friends at the University. Loving life and it only gets better!

A little How-To

Here's a quick trick to get your students attention! They'll never see it coming!

Short & Sweet

Hello! 

I hope this blog can serve as a way for teachers and parents to share learning activities, or even just-for-fun activities.

In this course, I hope to learn about new programs and gadgets that can help me to be a more effective teacher in the future.  I'd also love for this blog to kind of "take-off" in a sense. Even as a teacher, I think a blog that parents and families can follow would be an easy fun way for everyone to be able to communicate effectively.

Amanda Payne