ED 345 Calvin College Lesson Plan

Teacher: Kristina Wicks

Date: 10/17, 10/18
Subject/Topic/ Theme: Social Studies/Writing Paragraphs (Topic Sentences/Supporting Sentences/Thesis
Statements)/Essay Prep
I. Objectives
What is the main focus of this lesson?
The main focus of this lesson is provide students with foundation knowledge on how to write good
paragraphs for their Native American essays.
How does this lesson tie in to a unit plan?
This lesson gives students direction in how to start their essays which answers the Native American units
main question: How does your Native American Groups geography effect their culture?
Objectives:
Standards:
Assessments (formative and
Indicate connections to
summative):
applicable national or state
standards. If an objective
1.
applies to only certain students
write the name(s) of the
student(s) to whom it applies.
Students will:
Social Studies Michigan State
1. Students will analyze,
Standards:
explain, and compare
1. Analyze, explain, and
characteristics of a good
compare characteristics of Reading and Comprehension:
or bad paragraph by
a good and bad essay.
P1.3Express social science
reading an example of
2. Identify important parts of ideas clearly in written, spoken
each and then
an essay: topic sentence,
and graphic forms including
participating in a class
supporting sentence,
tables, line graphs, bar graphs,
discussion.
thesis sentence, and
pie charts, maps, and images.
2. Students will identify
conclusion.
important parts of an
3. Research Native American P1.4Provide an argument
essay through class
group.
supported with evidence.
discussion.
3. Students will research
P2.3Know how to find, organize,
their Native American
and interpret information from a
group with the books
variety of sources.
provided in classroom.
_________________________________
5U1.1.1 5 Use maps to locate
peoples in the desert Southwest,
the Pacific Northwest, the
nomadic nations of the Great
Plains, and the woodland peoples
east of the Mississippi River
(Eastern Woodland). (G)
5U1.1.2 5 Compare how
American Indians in the desert
Southwest and the Pacific
Northwest adapted to or modified
the environment. (G)
5U1.1.3 Describe Eastern
Woodland American Indian life
with respect to governmental and
family structures, trade, and
views on property ownership and
land use. (G, C, E)

II. Before you start

Knowledge:
- Basic knowledge of how to write essays (thesis statement,
Prerequisite knowledge
introduction, body, conclusion)
and skills.
- Basic knowledge of how to write individual paragraphs (topic
sentence, supporting sentences)
Skills:
- Read independently
Universal Design for Learning Networks/Domains (see UDL Guidelines)

Options for Perception (through senses)

STRATEGIC
Multiple Means of Expression
(Action)
Options for action/interaction

AFFECTIVE
Multiple Means of
Engagement
Options for recruiting interest

Hear: Students will listen to teacher

during direct instruction and other
students during class discussion.
See: Students will look at notes on board
and examples of good and bad essay.
Options for Language/Symbols

Students interact with essay

instruction by writing down what
is good or bad about the
paragraphs and then discussing
these things they noticed.
Options for Expression

Relevance of assignment is
optimized by reading both a good
and bad paragraph. This way
students become more aware of
their own writing.
Options for Sustaining Effort &
Persistence

Teacher clarifies vocabulary, such as,

thesis statement, topic sentence, body
paragraph.

Teacher will write down notes on

board, give students written
example, and discuss essay
requirements with students.

RECOGNITION
Multiple Means of Representation

Students analyze structure of good and

bad essay.
Options for Comprehension
Teacher will highlight big ideas and details
of how to write a good essay. For example,
the teacher will review the three parts of
an essay, the introduction, body
paragraphs, and conclusion. Then, there
will be an explanation of what body
paragraphs should include in more detail.

Differentiation
Materials-what materials
(books, handouts, etc) do
you need for this lesson
and do you have them?
Do you need to set up
your classroom in any
special way for this
lesson? If so, describe it.

Options for Executive Function

(Cognitive Controls including
attention, memory, inhibitory,
language motor/sensory, problem
solving, planning/organization,
spatial/sequential, social,
emotional)

Students can research more

about their tribe from the internet
at home or at the library.
Options for Self Regulation (ability
to monitor and control own
behavior, emotions, or thoughts)
Students will self-assess
themselves at the end of the
project.

There is a list of dates the student

will use as a guide to completing
the Native American Essay and
Project.

Students will turn in a rough draft

in about two weeks to
ArsemaGive her appropriate level book to read on own. Teacher can help
her take a few notes on each cultural area: food, shelter, transportation,
region, tools, and beliefs. Arsema will be asked to write short essay with
introduction, a couple body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
26 new copies of the Native American Project Requirements (dates had to
be changed)
26 copies of the BAD and GOOD Intro, Body, and Conclusion sheet
2 rows of 6-7 desks when the teacher is explaining the details of an essay
3-4 desks will be pushed together in Native American groups when they
research.

III. The Plan

Tim
Parts
e

Teacher Activities

Student Activities

Motivatio
n
(Opening/
Introducti
on/
Engageme
nt)

Here a few more details students should write down

on their writing assignment sheet:
- You will turn in a rough draft on. The teacher
will hand it back to you on
- The paper will be due the day of. For A
group, the due date is. For B group, the due
date is... This means you have two full weeks
to write this paper.
- Your paper must be written in third person. It
cannot be written in first person or second
person. The teacher will give the following
examples to explain the different between
each because students may not even realize
they do it.
First (I, me, my): I think the Anasazi are
interesting because
Second (you, your): You would think the
Anasazi people are interesting
because
Third (he, she, they, Tribe Name): The
Anasazi tribe is interesting because
You will be writing an essay that answers the
questions: how does geography effect your Native
American Groups culture?
What does culture mean? All the topics you are
researching about your tribe, like their homes, food,
region, tools, and beliefs are culture. For each of your
tribes, the answers to these questions are different
based on where they live.
There is a difference between writing a paragraph
and an essay. What were some of the characteristics
of paragraph we talked about in literacy workshop?
Student ideas will be written on the white board.
- Topic sentenceexpresses the main idea of
the paragraph
- Supporting sentencesprovide details about
the topic
- Closing sentencesummarizes the
paragraph (since this is the first essay they
are writing this year, they will not have to
write closing sentences)
- 4-5 sentences per paragraph (minimum)
- Correct grammar and punctuation
How is writing an essay different than writing a
paragraph? What are characteristics of an essay?
- Thesis statementthe topic sentence of your
whole paper, this expresses the main idea of
your essay
What is the topic of your whole essay?
What is the question you are
answering? (How does geography
effect your Native American Groups
culture.)
- Introductionthis is where you let your
audience know what your topic is, why it is
important, and what kinds of information you
will be covering in the rest of the essay, this

should be interesting so that people want to

read your paper
Body Paragraphs
What are the topics of some of your
body paragraphs? (Shelter, food,
transportation, region)
Conclusionthis is similar to your
introduction, you should restate your thesis
statement and summarize the MAIN points of
evidence from your article

We can think about writing a paper like making a

hamburger. In a hamburger, you have a bun and the
meat. The top bun is the introduction/thesis
statement, the meat is the body paragraphs, and the
bottom bun is the conclusion.
Without the meat, a hamburger is not a hamburger,
but rather just bread. No one wants to read your
paper if it doesnt have any meat just like how you
would not want to eat a hamburger without the
meat.

Developm
ent

Project the following bad essay on the whiteboard.

Teacher will tell student to read the bad essay
example and then circle and write down a few
reasons why it is bad. Then the teacher will call
students to attention for a discussion about what
makes it a bad paragraph.
I am writing an essay about the Anasazi tribe and how
their geography effected their culture. their homes,
food, transportation, and beliefs were effected by
their culture.
the Anasazi lived in the Four Corners and they lived in
cliff sides that looked like palaces and the there were
rooms undergrownd. They ate squash, corn, beans,
and pumpkins. I think they grew them because of the
climate. It it hot and dry in the four corners.
Those are the reasons why the Ansazi tribe are the
best tribe and why their geography effects their
environment.
Reasons why this is a bad essay:
- Letters not capitalized at the beginning of a
sentence
- Words spelled wrong
- Run on sentences
- Using first person
- Introduction and conclusion do not give
enough information and they are boring
- Words repeated
- No indents in paragraphs
- Does not explain what Four Corners are
- Does not explain what their homes were like
- Topic sentences are not clear and do not
reflect what will be talked about in the rest of
the paragraph
Project the following good essay on the whiteboard.
The teacher will give time for students to read the
good essay example and then call them to attention
to talk about why it is a good example.
Good Intro, Body, and Conclusion
The Anasazi tribes culture, such as, their
shelter, food, transportation, and beliefs were
determined by their geography. For example, they
lived in a hot and dry climate, so they had to find
ways to farm food. Since there was not an abundant
supply of wood, they built their homes mostly from
cliff side stone. The reason for these cultural
differences is because of the region they lived in.
The Anasiz lived in the region of known today
as The Four Corners. The Four Corners includes the
states Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. The
Four Corners area is known for its hot and dry climate.
Food, shelter, transportation, and tool choices were
limited because of the climate too.
Due to the hot and dry climate in the Four
Corners, the Anasazi relied on irrigation. The way the
Anasazi irrigated was by digging ditches in between

each row of plants. Theses ditches were filled with

water so the plants could grow even when it was hot
and dry. The Anasazi grew crops like squash,
pumpkins, beans, and corn. Since they farmed they
did not have to hunt and gather like other Native
American tribes. Therefore, they could stay
comfortably in one place.
Geography most certainly determined the
culture of the Anasazi people. Since they lived in a
hot and dry climate, they used the cliffs to build
houses in to stay safe and cool. They did not move
from place to place because they used irrigation to
grow crops much of the year. These Native people
have contributed much to how we live today.
Reasons for why this is a good essay example:
- No run on sentences
- Words spelled correctly
- Rich details, writing to someone who may not
know what certain words mean
- The introduction and conclusion included a
strong/clear thesis sentence
- Introduction gave audience a snip it of what
would be talked about for the rest of the paper
- Conclusion summarized some of the main
points
- Topic sentences

Closure

I am looking for a clear thesis statement. Your

introduction should be interesting and tell about what
the rest of the paper will be about. Your body
paragraphs should include rich detail, like why you
tribe is a farmer or a hunter, what materials your
houses are built from, and what some of the
important stories or religious ideas are. You cannot
have a hamburger without the meat, which are all of
those topic sentences and rich details. Finally, your
conclusion will summarize what you talked about in
the rest of the essay and restate your thesis.
The rest of the class period will be for students to
continue researching their Native American Group.
This is the last day they will be able to research
during class.

Next class period you will be making your poster

boards for your presentation. Come ready with ideas
of how to make your poster informative and
interesting for your peers to look at.
Your reflection on the lesson including ideas for improvement for next time:

Refer to Bad and Good Anasazi Essay Document