Kim's+Lesson+Plan

=Problem-Based Learning Unit Plan=


 * Title:** American Symbols
 * Grade Level:** First Grade
 * Social Studies Unit**


 * Objectives:**
 * Students will be able to identify American Symbols
 * Students will be able to work as a group to find and record facts about American Symbols
 * Students will be able to demonstrate their understandings of these symbols by presenting their groups facts to the class as a poster

Our school has a therapy dog named Dixie, I will use her as the "person" needing information on each American Symbol. Students will be told that Dixie wants to visit the most important American Symbol. She needs their help to discover facts about each symbol so she can make the right choice.
 * The Problem:**

Teacher will read a book about the Washington Monument in place of the center recordings (Garage Band) that they will use later. The teacher will demonstrate the jobs of each participant in the groups: reader- points to words as they listen to the iTouch recording, writer- will write the facts onto the poster after the group picks the fact of choice (the book will previously be marked with highlighter tape for ease in finding facts), materials handler- gets headphones passed out/put away, turns on iTouch and hands book to reader, presenter-presents poster information. The teacher will model all these jobs with the Washington Monument book. After the students have seen the sequence and understand their responsibilities, jobs will be passed out along with baskets of materials. Centers will be placed around the room. As each group listens to their book (5-Liberty Bell, Bald Eagle, Statue of Liberty, Flag, White House) they will use their marker and add facts to their poster. This way when they present, there will be five posters and they will present their group's information to the class and Dixie. Dixie will make a decision and write them a letter about her choice of symbol. She will send them a post card from each destination (clip art and card stock) that she visits and tell them they made it hard for her to choose just one symbol to visit.
 * Lesson:**

American symbol books, iTouches, headphones for each child, headphone splitters, markers, basket for each group, highlighter tape, Garage Band recording, pointer for presentation.
 * Materials/Resources:**


 * Assessment:**

Students will be assessed on knowledge they present on American Symbols. They will also be assessed on teamwork and participation. I will use an observation clipboard to make notes as I watch groups work and give presentations.

Christine's Response to Kim: I think that this is a great lesson! I like how you incorporated a charater (Dixie) that they knew and could relate to versus a fictional character. You have incorporated a lot of technology which is also great and I this that the students will be very engaged in this lesson! Will students be creating some sort of VoiceThread or recording to go along with thier symbols?

Jennifer's Response to Kim: I just realized that we are doing the exact same title, American Symbols. The students have to learn the symbols in Kindergarten in Georgia. I really like your lesson. I am shocked at the amount of technology that is available to your students. That's amazing. I like the idea of creating a poster. That is nice because you can hang them up in the classroom for display.

To Jennifer from Kim: Our kindergartners also learn about symbols in kindergarten, in first grade we add a little more information. We have a lot of technology because we write grants for them all the time. I am actually awaiting a response for a class set of iTouches and a SMARTtable. Once you write one, you just cut and paste and start tweeking the needs. :)

** Online Collaboration Lesson **

** Title: ** American Symbols ** Grade Level: ** First Grade ** Social Studies Unit **

** Objectives: ** • Students will be able to identify American Symbols • Students will be able to work as a group to find and record facts about American Symbols • Students will be able to demonstrate their understandings of these symbols by presenting their groups facts to the class as a poster • Students will be able to add comments to a blog/respond to Dixie’s vacation pictures

** The Problem: ** Our school has a therapy dog named Dixie, I will use her as the "person" needing information on each American Symbol. Students will be told that Dixie wants to visit the most important American Symbol. She needs their help to discover facts about each symbol so she can make the right choice.

** Lesson: ** Students will present their posters to Dixie after completing their center rotations and creating their group posters. Dixie will choose all of the symbols as a location to visit because they all did such a great job providing information.

The following day, students will log on to http://kbalko.edu.glogster.com/ and comment on Dixie’s pictures of her vacation to each symbol destination. This will give them the opportunity to see the symbols again and reiterate any information they learned.

Assessment: · O Observation on group work and facts they add to their poster. · Entries on blog site to show understanding. Jennifer's response to Kim: I love to read your lessons because we chose such similar topics :) I love the idea of "Dixie" and think that it not only incorporates technology, but also creativity. The students are so young and we really have to allow them to use their imagination at this age. Are your students able to log on to the blog and do the assignment by themselves?   C Christine's Response to Kim  Again, I love the idea of using Dixie as a figure in your lessons that is a recognizable character for the students to relate to throughout the unit. I also like that you have her choose all of the symbols to visit (so that sudents can feel very proud of their posters!). Using the blog and comments is a great way for the students to get used to the idea of using this type of technology and interacting with an online blog and with each other. Great lesson! Re Response to Jennifer from Kim My students are able to log on to the computer themselves with a username and password. I am hoping that by being able to do this, they will easily be able to log into a blog with some help. Our school has a laptop cart. So I will use my laptop to demonstrate on the SMARTboard and they can follow along. I may ask a parent helper to come in that day...if I have one this year. :)  **Social Studies Unit Plan with Digital Story Telling**

**Lesson Title:** American Symbols

**Grade Level:** First Grade

**Length of Lesson**: Prior knowledge from the week of unit plans and a day to record the Digital Story

**Lesson Description:** Students will sing Grand Ole’ Flag while I record them with a Flip Camera. Students will also learn the proper way to lower or raise a flag. Likewise, they will learn how to fold a flag when not in use. After the recording of them singing and the flag ceremony pictures and videos are complete, I will upload the movies into iMovie along with pictures from the day of them learning how to fold a flag from our school custodian (veteran). This movie then will be shown in class to the students as well as linked on my class website for parents to see what we are up to in the classroom.

**Objective:** Students will be able to sing a song about an American symbol. Students will be able to link an American song with a Social Studies Unit on American Symbols.

**Prior Knowledge:** Students will have been learning about American Symbols during the week and be able to connect a prior activity with the custodian to a song from history.

**Assessment:** Students will be able to tell parents what they learned and why this song was important to what we have been studying.