353 Teaching Episode Grace Melo Lesson plan:

Wilson EDUC 353 Name: _Grace Melo________ Target Grade Level: __2nd grade Curriculum Topic: Social Studies UbD Lesson Plan Stage 1: Desired Results

Established Goals: 3.1d Communities can be characterized as urban, rural, or suburban. 3.1a, 3.1e, 3.2a Environmental factors influence the lifestyles of community residents (schools, buildings, sports and recreation facilities, extreme weather preparation). 3.1d Features of urban, rural, and suburban communities are different. 3.1a, 3.1c, 3.1d Rural communities are often far from each other, big towns or cities. 3.1a, 3.1c, 3.1d Suburban communities are residential towns on the outskirts of a city or large town. -2.1.a An urban community, or city, is characterized by dense population and land primarily occupied by buildings and structures used for residential and business purposes. Understandings: Students will understand... What an urban, suburban and rural community is and know the differences. The characteristics of each community. Essential Question(s): What is a community? What is an urban community? What is a suburban community? What is a rural

community?

Students will know. Community: a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. Urban: community, or city, is characterized by dense population and land primarily occupied by buildings and structures used for residential and business purposes. Rural: communities are often far from each other, big towns or cities. Suburban: communities are residential towns on the outskirts of a city or large town. Stage 2: Assessment Evidence

Students will be able to Identify what an urban, suburban, rural community are. Know which community he or she lives in.

Performance Task: Students will be given a 3-pocket organizer: (see itemized attachment 1) Students will write in each pocket the three communities and then the characteristics of each community on back of each pocket and draw pictures of each community on index cards and store it in the pocket. They will get crayons, color pencils and markers to draw their pictures. A model of the task will be shown to them first.

Other Evidence: Activate background knowledge in the beginning of the lesson by asking questions.

(Students will be handed a premade pocket organizer stapled together with blank index cards inside)

Stage 3: Learning Plan

Learning Activities: I will ask the students to come to the rug and introduce the purpose of the lesson today we are going to read a book, but first can anyone tell me what a community is? through this question, I will activate prior knowledge I will also ask if anyone knows what an urban community is? What a suburban community is and what a rural community is? Through these questions I will see what the students know and any misconceptions I can clear up. After this I will ask, By looking at the cover and title, what do you think this book will be about? I will then begin to read the book and throughout the read aloud, I will ask comprehension and connection questions such as: Have you ever been snowboarding down a hill like Ben? Or walking through the streets with snow boots like Jody? After we are done reading the book, I will have a grand conversation and ask questions like: what are some of the thing you noticed in the city? What are some of the things you noticed in the country? What do you think the author was trying to say with this book? After this discussion, I will write on the easel the different characteristics of each community. I will say We are now going to show our knowledge of the different characteristics of each community on this poster. (See itemized attachment 2) I will say I am going to start by taking a picture out of this bag and placing it under the community I think it belongs I will ask you to tell me where some of them belong and maybe you will get a chance to tape one under the community you think it belongs After this whole group activity, I will introduce the performance task by explaining it and showing them the one I made. After I explain and clear up any questions, I will ask each table to go back to their seats and begin.

Resources

Itemized Attachments:

References: Cummins, Julie, and Ted Rand. Country Kid, City Kid. New York: H. Holt, 2002. Print. "Social Studies Scope Sequence." N.p., n.d. Web. <http://schools.nycenet.edu/offices/teachlearn/ss/SocStudScop eSeq.pdf>. Tejeda, Stacey. "3 Pocket Organizer: Urban, Suburban, Rural Communities." Second Grade Two-Step. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://tejedatwostep.blogspot.com/p/foldable-fiesta.html>. "Suburban, Rural, and Urban Communities | Social Studies." Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.pinterest.com/pin/275141858454310218/>.

Observation Partners Report: Strengths: Introduced the lesson with a discussion. I think this is perfect because students were able to get a sense of what they would be learning that day. Kept students interest with a book. The book was right on point.

Reviewed the definitions before and after lesson and this helped the students learn what they meant. Had students do an activity that allowed them to move in order to keep them engaged. Student-Centered, the students did a lot of participating.

Weaknesses: Management; some students needed attention and it wasnt given to them. This involved students who were talking or who were raising their hand too much and held the class from learning. The book was great, but I think it was too long and students got distracted at some points of the story.

Self-reflection: I think my teaching was effective because I had clear and focused objectives. The students were very interested because I read them a book that had a lot of pictures and because I used a lot of visual aids for the first activity. They were very responsive when I asked background knowledge questions and throughout the read aloud. Students that never usually participate raised their hand and spoke. They were very engaged because some of them had a chance to share their own life experiences based on the book. My instruction linked students prior academic learning and personal, cultural, and community assets with new learning through giving students an opportunity to connect to the characters in the book and speaking about their own experience living in a urban, suburban or rural community. What I could improve on was my classroom management. I was able to manage them well overall, but throughout the read aloud, they kept interrupting and raising their hand about each page. One of the problems I encountered was students would call out and that would side track into another conversation, I struggled with telling them to be quiet. Although this was a bit difficult, I would describe my manner with the children very well. They interacted with me and demonstrated excitement with the topic I was teaching and I read to them with a strong sweet voice. They were so eager to participate with me because the topic of communities was very amusing. They wanted to speak about where they lived and the other communities they had visited. And when it came time to have the activity after the read aloud, they all wanted to have a chance to put up a picture in the correct community column. I demonstrated mutual respect for, rapport with, and responsiveness to students with varied needs and backgrounds, and challenge students to engage in learning by listening to them when they answered the questions I asked. Students that started to get distracted I challenged them by calling their attention and asking them questions and redirecting them towards the lesson. I did achieve my objectives; I feel like they did fully comprehend what urban, suburban and rural communities were. Especially since the book I read to them provided so many different examples. And I also cleared up any misconceptions. They were able to answer all of the comprehension questions that I asked. I also know that I achieved my objectives because they were able to see the differences of these communities throughout the whole lesson and they demonstrated it through the final individual activities where they had their own columns with pockets. Overall I had a great time teaching and reviewing with the students what communities are.

Identification of your learning: What I learned about planning a lesson is that you have to think creatively and put yourself in the shoes of the students you are going to teach. Which ones are below grade level? Which students are visual learners? Auditory? Hands on? I learned that I had to keep that in mind and implement it into my lesson. What I learned about teaching a lesson is that you have to expect the unexpected. It is very different to teach actual 2nd graders, they can get rowdy or totally ignore you. I learned that I have to know the right tools and the right way to deal with anything that may happen. There is a huge difference between presenting a lesson to my peers than teaching real children. I was challenged the most by their constant urge to speak. Towards the end of the lesson, it was hard to keep them focused. These experiences increase my desires to have my classroom already and to begin planning and teaching. This defiantly motivated me, especially with the positive reactions of the students. This experience has defiantly added to my development as a teacher. I continue to add to the list of what is effective to do and what is not effective. I have changed as a result of this teaching episode, in realizing that I have to reach all students and not exclude those that may behave badly, I have to find what can motivate them. I have to make sure that everything I do is correct on the board because that is how they will copy it and if it is incorrect, that is how they will learn it.