Running head: COMPREHENSIVE PACKET 1

Comprehensive Packet

Lauren Gurley

University of West Georgia

April 14, 2018

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Client Information

Client’s name: Taylor Nunez

Client’s Organization: Bethesda Elementary School

Client’s Email: Taylor_Nunez@gwinnett.k12.ga.us

Client’s Certification ID Number: 736663

Instructional Problem

Although in the lesson there is a brain pop video and the use of PowerPoint

presentation, the students are not creating any products along the way. The students

are sitting and getting information. There is a lack of visual media used throughout the

lesson. For this standard, students would benefit from seeing maps of the locations

identified in the standards. Students will also be able to understand what slavery is from

the first image. In the original lesson the teacher does not require any of the students to

interpret images. Students benefit greatly from analyzing images.

Instructional Model

For this assignment I chose to use the backwards design model to create my

lesson. I started out with looking at the standards and figuring out my desired results.

When considering this, I decided my desired result was students understanding the

issues that created tension. In order for students to understand the issues that created

tension they must fully interpret the severity of slavery and the issues that caused.

The next step I took was creating a way that I would like to assess the students.

In order to assess the students, because it was just one lesson, I decided to evaluate

the students’ responses to the essential question at the end. The essential question

drives the whole lesson. That’s why I have the essential question at the beginning of the
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lesson as well at the end. Students should be focused on the essential question during

the entire lesson.

After figuring out the big ideas and ways I will assess the students I began to

build the lesson. After evaluating the Visual and Literacy standards I realized it was

important to incorporate visuals throughout to support the standard. Since slavery is a

main issue that caused tension, I decided to use a picture depicting this. The instructor

will allow students to analyze the pictures and help guide them as well. The visuals

support their understanding. The second image of the country and the clear divide helps

explain the divide in the country. Students will close out with a video to deepen the

understandings they have already created throughout the lesson.

Redesigned Lesson

AKS 43: explain the causes, major events, and consequences of the Civil War

a: Identify Uncle Tom’s Cabin and John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry and explain how

each of these events was related to the Civil War.

b: Discuss how the issues of states’ rights and slavery increased tensions between the

North and South.

EQ: What are the issues that created tension between the North and the South?

Learning Target: I can identify differences in the North and the South during the mid-

1800s.

L: AKS 32 - Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (e.g. one-on-one,

in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics, building on others’
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ideas and expressing their own clearly: Students may be asked to turn and talk during

lesson and in closing

Activating: Begin by analyzing the following picture of the south as a class. As

prompting questions to the students such as:

What do you notice?

What do you think is the signfigance in this picture?

What are some adjectives that you would use to describe the people in this picture?

Teaching Activity: Based off of the picutre above, you described what you saw. So

today we’re going to talk about the issues that created tension between the north and
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south. The picture we looked at is of the south. We’re going to begin by talking about

slavery.

Slavery: a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them.

Red: south or confederate

Blue: north or union

Yello: border states

Students will glue the following map into their journals. This map should be printed in

color so that students are able to understand the key given as well.

The south felt that slavery was appropriate and the north disagreed. Explain that slavery

was not the only disagreement between the north and south. Another issue was the

issue of states’ rights. Tomorrow we will be discussing that.

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Summarizing Activity: Watch the following video. While the students are watching the

video pause it to have discussions throughout the video.

https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/civilwarcauses/

The students will answer the following question in their journal: What are the issues that

created tension between the North and the South?

Methods to Assess/Evaluate the Lesson

The teacher will use a rubric to evaluate how well the students mastered the information

delivered today.

4 points 3 points (proficient) 2 points 1 point (beginning)

(exemplary) (developing)

The student stated The student stated The student The student did not

how slavery was in how slavery was in explains that mention slavery as

the south and not in the south and not slavery was an an issue that

the north and the north. issue but does not created tension.

elaborates that specify who had

states’ rights were slavery.

also an issue.

The Right Solution

When I initially looked at the lesson created, I recognize that there were artifacts

of visual media. However, the visual media that was being used was not as effective as
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it could be. It is very common for teachers to use Powerpoint presentations in the

classroom for students. There is not necessarily a problem with Powerpoint but rather

how Powerpoint is used. Majority of the time, Powerpoint gives facts to students for

them to jot down in their notebook. Although the Powerpoint has pictures, the pictures

are not the main focus.

At my school, there is a high English Language Learner population. Many of the

students at my school, struggle with understanding literature. Mathews (2014) has her

students explore the text and explains, “as we explore this graphic text I emphasize

strategies for helping ELLs strengthen their vocabulary development, visual literacy

skills, and understanding of social studies concepts” (p.65).These students typically

have a hard time with new vocabulary as well. In this lesson, slavery is discussed as

being an issue. Although the students are familiar with slavery, I wanted to use an

image that would clearly display why slavery was so wrong. They understand that

slavery is wrong but I believe that lack the understanding of exactly why. The picture

that I provided in the lesson shows Caucasians standing around while African

Americans are doing hard labor.

This lesson is intended to ease students into the cruelties of slavery and why this

was such a big disagreement between the north and the south. I believe it is important

for students to understand why this angered the north so much and using a visual

allows them to gain a deeper understanding. Salisbury and Styles (2012) feel that many

wordless picture books make viewers work hard at filling in the gaps among images to

create meaning. With the image students are able to create meaning.
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The second image provided in this lesson is a map for students to glue into their

notebooks. This image of a map is so essential for their understanding of the separation

between the north and south during the civil war. The colors used in the image show the

clear divide between the states. This allows students to see the areas that had certain

beliefs. Part of the social studies standards require them to label specific geographical

locations so this integrates yet another standard.

After students have had time to interpret the images on their own then I felt it

would be appropriate to watch the brain pop video. The brain pop video was from the

original lesson. In the original lesson the brain pop video was used to activate the

students’ interest in the topic and give them an overview. I felt the video was more

appropriate to show them after because they already built a foundation off of the

teaching activities.

ACRL Visual and Literacy Competency Standards

Throughout this assignment it is evident that the teacher used visuals to

strengthen the original lesson. Standard one indicates that the visual literate student

determines the nature and extent of the visual materials needed. It is important that

teachers recognize the need for images, especially at a school with a high English

language learner population. Not only does this lesson provide images but also a multi-

media video. All images that I found for this lesson were aligned to the standard and

helped me receive the outcome I was wanting from the students.

As standard three states, visual literate students must interpret and analyze

images. In this lesson students are given images that they are required to find meaning

in. They use the interaction of the people as well as the colors provided in the pictures
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to construct meaning to understand slavery better. Requiring students to evaluate

images and recognize the sources they are from is essential in students’ learning as

well. The images allow them to understand the deeper meaning.

Reflection

This assignment brought forth many challenges along the way. When originally

receiving the lesson plan, it already had visual media embedded in the lesson. I think

that it is typical for teachers to use videos in lessons as well as Powerpoint

presentations but it is the way that they are used that really makes the impact. The

video provided in the original lesson was a great video that was aligned to the

curriculum. However, it was not used in a way that extended students’ knowledge. The

video was previously used to introduce the information so students were not able to

make a deep connection between the pictures and the issues in the north and south.

Before I began to change this lesson there were not any visuals that students

were required to analyze. I believe that adding the picture allowed for the students to

make a deeper connection between the issues that were in this time. Beginning by

having students understanding the severity of slavery and how the south wanted it and

the north did not. Students begin to make an emotional connection through the visual

provided.

When identifying the instructional problem in this lesson it was difficult to decide

what would be a necessary addition. I chose the two pictures I did because the one

focuses on the issue of slavery and the other one shows the split in the nation. Another

endeavor for this assignment was figuring out a way to assess the students. This was

an introductory lesson so there is not as much to assess as there would be for a further
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lesson. I chose to use a rubric that was very basic for the lesson. The rubric allows me

to reflect on my current lesson and move forward accordingly.

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References

Mathews, S. A. (2014). Reading without Words: Using The Arrival to teach visual

literacy with English language learners. Clearing House, 87(2), 64-68.

Salisbury, M., & Styles , M. ( 2012 ). Children’s picture books: The art of visual

storytelling. London, UK: Laurence King Publishing.