LESSON PLAN

(Short Form)

Pre-Service Teacher Name: Teresa Lane Topic: An All American Thanksgiving-Technology

Enhanced Lesson Plan
Subject/Grade Level:8th Grade Length of Disciplines Covered: English/History/Art
English/History/Art Instructional
Period:75 minutes
GLEs/SPIs or Common Core State Standards (Literacy Standards, if applicable) directly from state website

8.L.CSE.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar
and usage. When writing or speaking, produce and use varied voice and mood of verbs.

1.2 Use media and tools safely and appropriately

(i.e. , show correct manipulation of materials and tools)
.
8.3 Explain the founding of the Plymouth Colony, including the Separatists, William Bradford, Mayflower,
Mayflower Compact, and Squanto.

Creative Commons License

ISTE Standard 5 for Educator

Designer
Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and environments that recognize and accommodate
learner variability.

ISTE Standard 1 for Educator

Learner
Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and with others and exploring proven and
promising practices that leverage technology to improve student learning.

ISTE Standards for Students #4

Empowered Learner
Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in
their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.

Measurable learning objective/s

Be able to answer questions about the Plymouth Colony and Pilgrims Thanksgiving.

Write a short (three paragraph) essay on their own Thanksgiving customs.

Use pencil, pen, or markers and paper, or electronic media such as Paint or Photoshop, to create their own
Thanksgiving themed art which shows a scene or an artifact from one of their own Thanksgivings.

The option of using electronic media to create art fulfills the technology requirement for this lesson.

Lesson Plan Ideas (Short Form)

 Freedom from Want, a painting by Norman Rockwell

Assessment:
Pre-assessment (used to plan for differentiation and provides data that is applicable to this lesson)

Take an online quiz on kahoot which contains ten questions about the Squanto, Plymouth Colony and the
Pilgrims Thanksgiving.

The pre-accessment uses an online link incorporating computer technology in this lesson.
Formative (informs instruction throughout the lesson)
Students will study a lesson about Pilgrims, and Plymouth Colony at History.com.
http://www.history.com/topics/plymouth
They will also view a series of Thanksgiving artifacts from the Smithsonian collection.
https://www.si.edu/spotlight/thanksgiving

Technology is used as students must follow online links to access the lessons.
Record of Formative Assessment (individual record of level of mastery)
Students will complete a three paragraph writing assignment about their own Thanksgiving customs.

At the bottom of this paper, they will be asked to draw a scene or artifact from one of their most
memorable Thanksgivings.

Summative Student generated evidence of mastery of lesson objective

Students will retake the kahoot quiz which contains ten questions about the Squanto, Plymouth Colony and
the Pilgrims Thanksgiving.

The quiz is online, this fulfills technology requirements.

They will also produce a short essay and a piece of Thanksgiving themed art.

Diverse Student Needs (including disabilities) (accommodations/adaptations)

Students who cannot view the Smithsonian Art Exhibits on Thanksgiving can listen to the Thanksgiving
playlist from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
https://folkways.si.edu/thanksgiving/music/playlist/smithsonian

This exhibit is online. This fulfills technology requirements.

The written essay portion, and also the art assignment may be adjusted to accommodate the special needs
learner. The essay can be modified to a shorter length, or if need be changed to spoken word poetry or
haiku,

Lesson Plan Ideas (Short Form)

 The art portion of the assignment may be modified to include collage, or finger painting, etc.

Notes & Schedule: (with estimated times for each section and activity)
I. Exploration or Discovery: (activity to establish a conceptual connection to the lesson)

o Enduring Understanding provokes thought, transferable, worth investigation

The Class will view a video clip of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, where Linus describes the first
Thanksgiving. After the clip the class will separate into small groups for discussions about the first
Thanksgiving and to brainstorm about what they are grateful for. 10 minutes

o Essential questions First must be related to the Enduring Understanding, others related to content

Where did we get the concept for Thanksgiving?

Who had the first Thanksgiving in the United States?

II. Accessing Prior Knowledge - Means used to connect todays lesson with previous learning and means used to
allow students to recall and show experiences relating to lessons topic.

This will be the short essay and art project. 30 minutes

III. Academic Language (terms to be used during instruction)

Colonial America, Reformation, Mayflower

IV. Lesson Development, Modeling, Guided Practice (also opportunities to use written and oral
language)

Students will complete a three paragraph writing assignment about their own Thanksgiving customs.

V. Group Activity / Independent Work : Critical Thinking/Problem Solving

Application/Analysis/Synthesis/Evaluation/Creating Enduring Understanding :

Students will break up into small groups for discussions about how our modern celebrations of Thanksgiving
are alike or dissimilar to that of the Pilgrims Thanksgiving.

VI. Closure: Final connection and evidence of mastery of GLE or lesson objective; Use or review of - Essential Questions; Big Idea/student reflection

Students are invited to show the class their art and share an observation about the Pilgrims Thanksgiving or
from their essay.

Materials & Resources:

(As listed are: challenging, induce curiosity, suspense, choice, multimedia, variety of thinking, reflection, collaboration)
Plymouth Colony Lesson at history.com, text and videos
http://www.history.com/topics/plymouth

Lesson Plan Ideas (Short Form)

 Smithsonian Museum-The Art of Thanksgiving
https://www.si.edu/spotlight/thanksgiving

Some resources listed go beyond the text : teacher-made, manipulatives, artifacts

Kahoot Thanksgiving quiz

https://www.si.edu/spotlight/thanksgiving

Lesson Plan Ideas (Short Form)