Carlos Salazar

Henry Ford Community College

CIS 221-03
Group Lesson Plan

Detroit History Group Lesson Plan

Grade(s)

2nd

Subject(s)

English Language Arts

Length of Lesson

4 English Language Arts Blocks, as well as work time in centers

Lesson
Overview/Rationale

History is full of myths and hero making (cite Lies My Teacher told
me). The 2nd grade content standards for Social Studies focus on the
local level, but they frequently treat the creation of local government
and community as ahistorical. By allowing students a chance to think
about their local history, they can connect their real world community
to their lived experience. By making it into a news report, they will
also have a chance to answer who, what, where, why, and when.

Curriculum
Framework/Standard

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and
how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3
Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and
challenges.
From
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/2/

Learning Objectives

SWBAT do research using age appropriate websites and books to find

out about a Detroit historical figure.
SWBAT to compose a news story with video accompaniment to
answer the questions who, what, where, when, and why about one of
the historical figures main accomplishments.

Technology Uses

Computers: Use for research and to create their movie.

Video editing Software: Use the create the movie.
Projector : To show movie.
Cameras: (Optional) Use to take pictures if students want to visit a
location related to their person or site.

Carlos Salazar
Henry Ford Community College
CIS 221-03
Group Lesson Plan
Materials

Who, what, where, when, why handouts (2 copies)

Computers
Printed out outlines for the report
Writing journals

Group Roles

What/When/Captions 1: This student researches what and when for their

historical event and writes half the captions.
Who/Where Captions 2 : This student researches details about the
historical person and writes the other half of the captions.
How/Pictures: This student describes how the event happens and finds
appropriate pictures.
Why/Coordination/Editor: This student researches why and live
narrates while the movie goes. They also coordinate and check in with the
other students. They are the point person/group leader.

Procedure

Introduction
Ask the class what they know about Barack Obama. Give the class 30
seconds to come up with one fact about Barack Obama.
Pull the tables at random using popsicle sticks. Each group must orally
respond, and then the whole class must say their response back.
Repeat the procedure, above with the question, How do you know that
about Barack Obama?
If students say news, follow that up. If not explain that you know most of
the things you know about Barack Obama from watching the news.
Introduce a short kids news story on Barack Obama.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giHZx_W8ICI
Tell the students to focus on What information does the announcer
include. Instruct the students to sit next to their elbow partners. Remind
students that there is no talking, but if they want to tell their partner
something while they are watching, they can write it in their notebooks,
and show it to their partner.
Allow students 1 minute to write as much as they can to answer that
question.
Turn and talk for 30 seconds to their elbow partner, and then switch.
Draw three popsicle sticks. Ask those students to share what they
discussed.
Research
Inform the students that they will choose an event in Detroit history to do
a news report about from a list.
Assign each student's roles based on their seat color. They should be in
groups of four. Go through the who what why when how worksheet,
looking at a Needs Improvement through Exemplar worksheet.
Tell students they will do research on Brittanica Kids based on their roles
for each one.

Carlos Salazar
Henry Ford Community College
CIS 221-03
Group Lesson Plan
Allow students time today and next ELA block to complete their work and
fill in their worksheet.
Allow students coordination time so that they all have the same
information on their worksheets after their research.
Movie Making
Introduce the students to an exemplar movie based on Henry Ford.
Open the movie making software. Show kids how to add pictures and
write captions. Ask them to call and response as you do it.
Introduce an exemplar story board. Allow students time to coordinate and
storyboard their movie.
During computer time, allow students time to work on their portion of the
movie as they pass through centers.
At the end, when all students have completed their movies based on the
rubric, we will project the movies at a party with popcorn.
Assessment

Movie graded on the attached rubric.

Movie Rubric
Beginning
Students
Include the
answers to all
the Who,
When, What,
Where, Why
questions

Developing

Expanding

Exemplary

Students include Students

answers to 1-2
include
questions
answers to 3
questions

Students
Include
answers to 4
questions

Students include
answers to 1-2
questions

2 points

6 Points

8 points

4 Points

Score

Carlos Salazar
Henry Ford Community College
CIS 221-03
Group Lesson Plan
Movie
Includes
Captions

1 slide includes
captions
1 Point

Movie
Includes
Music
Organization

<50% slides
include
captions
2 Point

>50% slides
include
captions
3 Points

Movie contains
Inappropriate
sound
1 Point
Movie does not
tell a news story,
but only
answers
questions

4 Points
Movie Contains
Music
2 Points

Movie answers
questions, and
tells some of
them like a
story.
2 Point

1 Point

All slides
include captions

Movie is
mostly like a
news story, but
contains some
school like
vocabulary
3 Point

Movie imitates a
news story
throughout.

4 Points
Total

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