Katie NapierCI 350Harold Blanco29 September 2013

Day One: Introduction to the Colonies

I. Analyze the Learners: There are twenty-two students in my fourth grade class (three of

whom are African American). Overall, thirteen of my students are girls, and the other

nine are boys. In addition, all of my students are between the ages of eight and nine. In

order to accommodate for the learning styles of each of my students, I will incorporate a

variety of teaching methods (such as: cooperative group projects, visual aids, songs, role

play, etc.).

II. State Objectives: My fourth grade students will describe aspects of colonial life and will

compare and contrast specific cultural elements of the colonial time period through the

utilization of maps, Second Life, visual aids, and group projects by the end of the day

with 95% accuracy.

III. Selecting Methods, Material, and Media: In order to complement the different learning

styles of my students, I will utilize the following methods, media, and materials

throughout this lesson:

Smart Board: I will utilize the smartboard throughout this lesson to display

pictures, maps, and other visual aids

Second Life: The students will utilize the computer lab to access a colonial settlement

that I will create on Second Life.

Google Images: I will utilize Google Images to display maps of England and the

thirteen colonies to my class.

Pinterest: I will display images of colonial attire retrieved from my Pinterest

account.

Poster Materials (markers, poster board, glue scissors): The students will work

together to create a collage that depicts the aspects of colonial life.

Facebook: For homework, the students will access the class Facebook page to

leave a brief comment regarding their experience with Second Life.

IV. Utilizing Media and Materials: Before the lesson, I will check that all electronic devices

are working properly (such as the smart board, class computers, etc.). In addition, I will

also preview all websites that will be utilized (such as: my colonial settlement on Second

Life). Furthermore, I will place all of my visual aids in an area that is easily accessible, and

I will arrange the desks into pods so that the children will be able to work in cooperative

learning groups. In addition, I will also store the poster supplies on a table in the back of

the room (which should ultimately function to minimize distractions during the lesson).

Finally, I will reserve the computer lab so that each student will be able to participate in

the virtual tour of a colonial settlement on Second Life.

V. Require Learner Participation: In order to capture the interest of my students, I will

inform the children that the class will be traveling “back in time” to visit the thirteen

original colonies. At this point, I will provide my students with background information

regarding England and the thirteen colonies; thus, I will utilize Google Images to display

maps of these regions.

Once these maps have been presented to the class, I will inform the students

that the culture of the colonists greatly differ from our culture today. To illustrate this

fact, I will display pictures of colonial attire that I have achieved from my Pinterest

account. I will then engage my students in a class discussion regarding the differences

between colonial attire and modern-day apparel. Finally, in order to complete our

journey back in time, the class will utilize the computer lab so that each student can

access a colonial settlement that I will create on Second Life. Once the students have

explored this site, I will begin a class discussion concerning colonial life. (Possible

discussion questions could include the following: How did the colonists dress? Was their

attire similar to today’s clothing styles? What did the colonists eat? What were the

typical occupations of the colonists? Are these occupations still around today? What

was their typical mode of transportation?) Finally, I will divide the students into groups

so that the children can complete their “Then and Now” collages. For this assignment,

each group will be assigned a particular topic and will be required to create a collage

that compares and contrasts a specific aspect of colonial society with that of today’s

culture (by utilizing information gathered from class discussions, visual aids, and virtual

tours). Group topics may include: transportation differences, clothing differences,

occupational differences, and entertainment differences. Once the children have

successfully completed these group projects, each group will be asked to briefly

describe their findings to the class. For homework, the students will be instructed to

access the class Facebook page in order to post a brief comment regarding their

experience with Second Life. This will provide me with feedback concerning student

interest and involvement.

VI. Evaluate and Revise: In order to assess learner comprehension and achievement, I will:

Stimulate class discussion.

Walk around the room to ask questions regarding similarities and differences

between our culture and the culture of the colonies.

Check that all collages contain a minimum of 5-6 facts regarding the

similarities and differences of colonial culture and present-day life.

Require that all students within a group actively participate during group

presentations.