Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Format

Date: 10/1/14

Grade Level: 10

Target Students: Entire Class

Theme/Topic:
Evaluate the United States 1960 Presidential Election
Rationale:
Essential for students to understand and acknowledge the significance of this particular
election, as well as the substantial consequences it bestowed on the United States.
Understanding this election will extend students general knowledge about the American
electoral system. Additionally, the class will recognize the influence, this specific election,
presented to political campaigns, which essentially revolutionized party campaigns
approach to winning votes that are presently used today. Ultimately, through studying this
election, students will have a greater understanding towards the current American political
system.
Common Core State and/or NC Essential Standards:
American History II
AH2.H.2 Analyze key political, economic and social turning points in American History
using historical thinking
AH2.H.2.1-Analyze key political, economic, and social turning points since the
end of reconstruction in terms of causes and effects
AH2.H.2.1-Evaluate key turning points since the end of Reconstruction in
terms of their lasting impact
ISTE.NETS.S Standards:
2. b: Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety
of media and formats
5. b: Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration,
learning, and productivity
6. b: Select and use applications effectively and productively
Lesson Objectives (Behavioral and/or Performance Objective):
Students will
Students will recognize both major political partys stances and opinions
able to:
at the time. Furthermore, students will learn the significant impact
What, How,
modern media methods during the 1960s, such as colored TV,
and to What
impacted campaign strategies and voter beliefs. Students will complete
Extent?
online polling during initial activity. Additionally, after students
grasped concept will make campaign ads for 1960 presidential
candidates, using modern media means in todays world, such as multimedia, podcasts, blogs and other methods.
Student Friendly Objective:
Students will break into small groups and investigate American culture and popular
political parties in the early 1960s. Students will then informally report results to class.
Following a short poll and lecture, students will then elaborate the significance policies
and trends at the time. Once students have displayed strong understanding of material, they
will break into groups and develop campaign ads for 1960 presidential candidates.

Essential Question:
Who were the two candidates for the election and which party did they represent? What
were the policies of both parties? How did media, at the time, effect the election?
Materials:
SmartBoard
Internet
Podcasts
Blogger
Youtube
Polling
Blendspace
Ipad, tablet or Laptop
Smartphone
Time:
Lesson Activities
Introduction to the Lesson:
10 min
(Hook/Review/Intro.)
Class agenda listed on wall. Instruct students anything not completed
on list will be assigned as homework.
Begin by asking students: Anyone have any general knowledge of America
during the 1960s? Allow students to respond. Have students take out tablets
or smartphones and have them poll and reply to slides shown on the
smartboard.

5 min

Teacher Input/Modeling:
Short video, demonstrates American culture in the late 1950s early 1960s.
Students reflect on video, simple discussion, about key points they
acknowledged from video.

15 min

Guided Practice:
Students will take out tablet or note taking material and follow along with
smartboard lecture, covering 1960 American culture, significant figures,
political parties, policies of the time. Lecture will contain visual methods
such as images and short video clips, particularly of candidates.

15 min

Independent Practice:
Break students into small groups, 3-4 members, have them develop
campaign ads for assigned candidate, using modern media means such as
blogger, blendspace, podcasts containing music, social media if permitted at
school. Each student will be responsible for one ad, which they will
contribute to the group. (Remind students how much time is left for their
presentation throughout the time they are developing the campaign ads)

Closure of the Lesson:

15 min
Students will then come before the class as a group and present one of their
campaign ads to class, highlighting significant portions of the ad they feel
important. Following presentation, have students take out blank sheet of
paper for exit slip, consisting of responses from these questions about the
lesson.
1. Name Candidate of Dem. Party
2. Policy you like
3. Policy you dont like
4. Name Candidate of Rep. Party
5. Policy you like
6. Policy you dont like
7. Which Candidate would you vote for?
Once exit slips are completed have students, pass slips right to left by row,
then back to front in last column. If time permits answer any question about
material covered in lesson.
Evaluation/Assessment of Student Learning
(Evidence Included)
Formative:
Throughout the instruction I will ask students questions about the material. Furthermore,
particularly while they are in groups working on their campaign ads, I will walk around
the classroom and ask them questions about their ads, such as key issues they think
important and why. At the end of the lesson students will present their ads to the class,
which will demonstrate their knowledge in material. Additionally, the exit slips will
provide insight on how the class grasped the concept of the lesson and whether further
explanation of this material is required for next instruction.

Summative:
There is no formal assessment in this lesson. Students will be evaluated on this material
later in the unit on an exam.

Extension of Lesson:
For students interested in material I will post several video clips and documents pertaining
to the candidates, on my blog site for the class.

Plans for Individual Differences

Early Finishers:
Students who finish early, while making their campaign ads will assist other members in their
group, until the allotted time for presentation preparation is completed. Furthermore, I will ask
those students to explain their campaign ads.
Late Finishers:
Late finishers will have to complete their campaign ads for homework and email their completed
work , before next class meets.
Exceptionalities:
I will evaluate students IEPs or 504s to decide, which approach would best suit their needs.
Students who tend to be late finishers will be assigned to groups who contain students who tend to
be earlier finishers, which will require communication and teamwork to complete their
presentations. Additionally, any late finishers, who do not complete their work will complete their
assignment for homework.

English Language Learners:

This lesson plan will consist of several visual aspects, throughout the introduction as well as the
smartboard lecture. Furthermore, if there are any students who are bilingual in the class, I can
assign those students to the same group as students who are English language learners, so they can
communicate together to complete the assignment. Additionally, I would ask those students to
express in their own words, how their assigned candidate may appeal to members of their culture
or community. However, this lesson plan consists of various visual effects, which should appeal

to several diverse audiences.

21st Century Skills:
This lesson plans requires students to participate utilizing various means of technology, through
the use of tablets, laptops, ipads, smartphones and internet access. Initially, within the lesson
students will express their responses through polling. Additionally, the lesson contain smartboard
lecture, which will contain video clips and images found of the internet. Furthermore, during their
group work students, will create campaign ads through current media methods, such as blogs,
podcasts, blendspace, social media if permitted and other present day means. Also students, who
are interested in further information about this topic can find links and images posted on my blog
site for the class.
Discuss how you address at least two of these learning styles in your lesson: Visual (spatial),
Verbal (linguistic), Physical (kinesthetic/tactile), Aural (auditory-musical), Logical (mathematical), Social
(interpersonal), Solitary (intrapersonal):

-Spatial: Visual learners will appreciate this lesson through the images and video clips throughout
the lesson, particularly during the lecture.
-Aural: Auditory learners will benefit from listening to the speeches of the candidates, as well as
listening to popular music during the time period.
-Solitary: Intrapersonal learners will appeal towards creating their campaign ads for their assigned
candidate. (As each student must create one ad for the group)
-Social: Interpersonal learners will value the group work portion of the lesson, being able to
communicate with other students and present their groups campaign ad to the class.

Supervising Teacher Signature

Student Teacher Signature