Lesson Plan Template

Teacher: Ali Bentley

Subject & Grade: AP Environmental Science, 11th-12th grade
Lesson Date: 10/22/19

Context:

Student voice is missing from our district and as a result our instructional and
socioemotional practices are falling short of impacting students. According to Adam
Fletch in his article student voice has been stifled through traditional roles, he claims
that “Youth voice is a starting point for any organization that wants to serve its
stakeholders effectively. Youth voice is a great method for changing young lives”
(Fletcher, 2015). As a district centered on reaching ALL students in college and career
readiness, we need to better understand student needs and student voice and
advocacy can help us grow in this need. Using the cycle of engagement, I plan on
having students use this model during the lesson and proposing it to my school
leadership as a way of engaging in richer advocacy conversations with our students
(Fletcher, 2018).

OBJECTIVE(S)/STANDARD(S) CONNECTION TO ACHIEVEMENT

What will your students be able to do?
Reference Common Core or your state’s
standards, as applicable.
According to the Next Generation
Science Standards (NGSS) require
students to demonstrate abilities in the 8
scientific practices to master the
standards. Teachers teach the content
standards through specific skills and
cross-cutting concepts.
This lesson will focus on student’s ability
to demonstrate the NGSS skill of
communicating information.
“Practice 8 Obtaining, Evaluating, and
Communicating Information- Education in
science needs to grow students’ skills in
reading and producing domain-specific
text. …”(Appendix F, 2013)
GOAL(S)
How does the objective connect to the
goal(s) you have for your students this
year?
Some of the goals I have set forth for
students this year are quantitative and
others are more qualitative. This lesson
will focus on the qualitative goals for
students.
Students will develop soft skills to enable
them to become positive global citizens.
Soft skills include: communication,
advocating, data analysis, organization,
study habits, self-confidence, and self-
efficacy.
This lesson plan will help students to
increase in the goal of teaching students
to advocate, communicate, and grow in
self-efficacy. Additionally, if students are
advocating for their needs, I project
growth in their quantitative goals as well.

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 Students will be able to communicate the
idea of advocacy and develop a plan for
implementation in their own lives.

PREREQUISITE SKILLS DIAGNOSTIC

What will your students need to know to How will you assess students’ mastery of
master the grade-level objective? these foundational skills?
Students will have to understand the Pre-test: Students will be asked to do a
vocabulary centered around advocacy: quick write (3 minutes) on what advocacy
• Advocacy is and how it can affect their lives.
• Voice Students will then engage in discussion
with their peers for 3 minutes using hand
Students will also have to have a general up, stand up, pair up. (The students will
understanding of movements/ initiatives rotate partners twice; each partner will be
that they are in support or against (ex: the given 1.5 minutes to share their
lack of recycling plant in the county). thoughts). This will gauge their
understanding of the vocabulary and the
needs around them.

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 ASSESSMENT
How will you know whether your students have made progress toward the objective?
How and when will you assess mastery?
Students will be asked to write an advocacy plan for something scientific in the world
around them. It can be the science of learning and their own education, recycling,
biology, etc.

A rubric for the diagnostic is attached below.

There will be weekly check in’s with students to measure progress with students and
to edit their advocacy plan drafts for competency and success. Students will be given
two weeks to develop their plans.

Students will also have to integrate their advocacy plans into their year-long projects
at the end of the year.

KEY POINTS
Key points are student-facing statements that include important content students’
needs to know to be successful in the lesson. What three to five key points will you
emphasize?
• Define advocacy, voice, and identify some areas of need/ impact in the
community.
• Students will understand the impact their individual actions can have on a
movement/ change.
• How do you see advocacy in your life? How can you change something that
you don’t agree with or how can you support something you do agree with?

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 OPENING/HOOK (_15_ min.) MATERIALS
How will you communicate what is about to happen?
How will you communicate how it will happen?
How will you communicate its importance?
How will you communicate connections to previous lessons?
How will you engage students and capture their interest?
Students will begin by watching the TedxSIT video by Sam Stevens TedxSIT
where he explains the impact that motivating youth towards activism video
can have on the world (TedxSIT,2011).
Quick write
Students will reflect for one minute after the video on the prompt: prompt: What
is advocacy?
How do you think you could follow Sam’s call to action to become How could
involved in changing something around you? advocating
for something
I will then give examples of things to advocate for: to change in
• Recycling plant our
• Different grading practices community
• Change in school lunch line system (school or
• Better water quality in the county county) have
an effect on
I will communicate that we are about to take a deeper look as your life?
scientists at advocating for the world around us. The students in my
class are very passionate about nature and the environment and as a Hand up,
result they will be invested in advocacy and involvement. Part of the stand up, pair
introduction conversation will be centered around the importance of up Kagan
speaking up for things you believe in and pushing for positive change strategy.
in the community. I will talk about this with the idea of voting and the
impact that one person can have on political decisions. The
conversation should then move to how this principal also applies to
other movements and action like Sam talked about.

I will prime students for the assessment by tying this into our year-
long projects on environmental science impact.

INTRODUCTION OF NEW MATERIAL (_10_ min.) MATERIALS

What key points will you emphasize and reiterate?
How will you ensure that students actively take in information?
Which potential misunderstandings will you anticipate?
Why will students be engaged/interested?

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 I will first introduce students to the term’s advocacy and voice: PowerPoint

Advocacy: “The act of supporting a cause of proposal” (Advocacy,

n.d.)

Voice: “The values, beliefs, opinions, and lens, specifically cultural

context, the individuals in the district, school, and community,
specifically students, teachers, parents and citizens. Also, the degree
to which the above values are considered, included, and acted upon
when important decisions are being made about the district or school.
We hear this talked about as teacher voice, parent voice, and student
voice” (The glossary of education reform ,2014)

Students will then be prompted to talk in their groups to answer the

following questions:
• What is something you have advocated for before?
• What is something you wish you had more voice in?
• How are advocacy and voice related?

I anticipate that students will approach this conversation with

frustration and anger towards our school system. The students have
stated before they feel they have no voice and that the school is
broken. I hope to turn this conversation to a positive force of action
towards advocacy and healthy change. Students feel as though there
is a lot wrong with the school so they will be invested in being a
changemaker in the community.

GUIDED PRACTICE (_10_ min.) MATERIALS

How will you ensure that all students have multiple opportunities to
practice?
How will you scaffold practice exercises from easy to hard?
Why will students be engaged/interested?
How will you monitor and correct student performance?
How will you clearly state and model behavioral expectations?

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 Students will work in collaborative groups of 3 to use the Brainstorming
brainstorming map to develop processes, causes, or proposals they map model
would like to see changed or advocate for. Each group will be asked
to come up with 3 big items they want to advocate for. The students
will start with the big idea of Menifee County and have to narrow it
down from there. Students will use the model mind map to see how to
spark ideas from the main idea.

Student progress will be monitored through walking around the room

and using prompting questions to dive student thinking deeper. I will
ask the 5 why’s to encourage students to reach the root of the issues
they are interested in.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (10__ min.) MATERIALS

In what ways will students attempt to demonstrate independent
mastery of the objective?
Why will students be engaged/interested?
How will you provide opportunities for extension?
How will you clearly state and model behavioral expectations?
Students will then be given the rubric for the advocacy plan and will Students will
be asked to create a plan to advocate and become active in an issue be given the
or policy they are passionate about. rubric for the
advocacy
Restrictions: plan and the
• Has to be related to science in some way full
• Can be related to year-long project but does not have to be expectations
• Must meet the requirements of the rubric. and success
criteria.
Students will be given prompting questions to help guide the process.
• What are you passionate about?
• What bothers you about the school, district, or community?
• What are some actions steps you can take to begin changing
this?
• Who are the major stakeholders in this process/ item?
• How does this connect to your life?
• The 5 why’s
• Who, what, when, where, why
Students may use the mind map from their groups to begin their plans
(the intention of having each group come up with 3 ides would be that
each student can take one idea and develop their plan from there).

This relates back to the act aspect of Feltchers cycle of youth

engagement (Fletcher, 2018)
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 CLOSING (_5_ min.) MATERIALS
How will students summarize what they learned?
How will students be asked to state the significance of what they
learned?
How will you provide all students with opportunities to demonstrate
mastery of (or progress toward) the objective?
Why will students be engaged/interested?
Students will be asked to complete a 3-2-1 reflection sheet. 3-2-1
3 things they learned from class, 2 ah-has or things that clicked or reflection on
stuck with them, 1 question they still have from the lesson. advocacy

As students wrap up and with check ins, they will be asked how
advocacy is important to them and their lives. Each student reflection
will be given feedback and returned.

By having students reflect I am ending Fletcher’s cycle of youth

engagement and giving students a place to continue to build from
(Fletcher, 2018).

DIFFERENTIATION MATERIALS
How will you vary your approach to make information accessible to all
students?
Students will have choice in their project concept

Students will be given the opportunity to collaborate with group

members

Students will have weekly check ins with me to ensure their success
and process is correct

Low students: Will receive prompting questions and guiding ideas to

encourage them to be explicit in their plans.

Medium students: Will follow the directions and rubric with minimal
additional supports

High students: Will be given more creativity within the project

guidelines and expected to produce higher level projects (thinking
about my gifted and talented students). They will also be prompted
with higher order thinking questions.

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 Handouts & Resources

Please include copies of any handouts, student worksheets, or other resources.

PowerPoint: Linked above in introduction of new material section

Brainstorming map model:

Rubric for advocacy plan:

2 (60-69%) 3 (70-79%) 4 (80-89%) 5 (90-100%)

Introduction to The introduction The student The student Student is clear
problem: only explains explains what gives a clear and explicit in
Student give a what they are they want to introduction to their issue and
clear and developing the advocate for but their issue and context around
accurate plan for. does not give the context the issue. May
introduction to any context. surrounding it. include
the problem Less than five Gives the reader examples of why
they wish to sentences. Five to seven a good this needs to be
advocate for sentences. understanding of changed.
and change. what the plan Incorporates
will entail. background
information
10 sentences.
2-3 paragraphs.
Evidence: How No evidence Some evidence Evidence Several pieces of
is your issue included to included but not provided, not evidence
supported? Are included on the
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 there other support claim for tied into the tied into the issue. Each piece
areas of change problem. claim of evidence is
Kentucky or tied back to the
the Country 0 evidence 1-2 pieces of 3-4 pieces of issue and how it
facing similar evidence evidence is impacting the
issues? What affected parties.
impact does this
have on the 5 or more pieces
environment? of evidence
How does this
affect you? Is
there evidence
to support this
has a negative
impact?
Plan for action: No plan included Vague plan that Some details Specific steps
How will you does not answer included but are listed
change your all guiding leaves room for including, who
issue? What do questions or questions and will be involved,
you expect to provide a deep pieces to be what will happen
happen? Who is understanding of missed. Not at the step, and
involved in the what it will take completed plan what the
change? How to advocate and or detailed. expected
will you get change the issue. outcome is.
others
involved?
Timeline: How Generic timeline Monthly Some details Weekly timeline
long will change guidelines included, some laid out for
take? What will action steps change. Tied
you do each Does not include included. Not into the plan for
day/week/ all actions steps completely action (ex:
month to incorporating all action steps
advocate for the aspects of the broken into
change? How plan or weekly goals)
will your plan conclusive in
for action steps advocacy.
get completed?
Conclusion: Not included/ Conclusion
Ties the very little restates the
introduction, summarization issue,
evidence, plan of plan summarizes the
and timeline evidence and
together. plan, and ends
Provides a call with a call to
to action to get action for
others involved. stakeholders.

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 Organization Many errors. Multiple errors, Minor errors, No errors,
and grammar: No/little organization organization is clearly
organization confusing strong organized
Could you give
this plan to
someone not in
the class and
have them
understand
your issue, the
context, and
what steps
would be
needed to make
the change
happen?
Length of plan 1 page or less 2 pages 3 pages 5 pages
(minimums)
Citations: APA No citations Sources included
format included in APA format.
*anything scored under 2 will be marked as incomplete as indicated in district grading practices*

3-2-1 reflection sheet:

3 things I learned...
1.

2.

3.

2 ah-ha’s I had...
1.

2.

1 questions I have...
1.

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 References:

Advocacy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/advocacy.

APPENDIX F Science and Engineering Practices in the NGSS. (2013, April). Retrieved

from https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/Appendix F Science and

Engineering Practices in the NGSS - FINAL 060513.pdf.

Fletcher, A. (2015, December 11). New roles for young people throughout society

[Blog post]. Retrieved from http://treasure.over-blog.com/2015/12/new-roles-for-

young-people-throughout-society.html

Fletcher, A. (2018, January 7). Cycle of youth engagement: Youth voice. Retrieved from

https://freechild.org/cycle-of-youth-voice/

The Glossary of Education Reform. (2014, December 1). Voice. Retrieved

from https://www.edglossary.org/voice/

TEDxSIT. (2011, May 19). Sam Stevens: Moving youth towards action and

activism [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/ALqzWs9gjGI

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