Fourth Grade Social Studies Lesson Plan
Exploration Unit Overview
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While student teaching, I developed a unit on Exploration and Settlement. During this unit, I employed several teaching strategies. I began the unit with an interactive lesson centered on a trade book. Next, students worked independently to complete and label the 7 continents at their desks while I modeled the activity on the Promethean board. In other lessons, I addressed the content in various ways. I was a story teller of content during one class. During another class, the students became the "experts" on a given section of the text and they worked in collaborative groups to become knowledgeable. We also listened to two lessons on CD while following along in our texts for another chapter. This strategy allowed students to hear a fluent reading of the material, including proper Spanish pronunciations. Students examined photographs, in books and online, of the Spanish influence in Florida and Texas. The photograph above is of my students making a flip book. During this activity, students cut, matched and pasted key concepts into a flip book. Next, they illustrated each concept in a way that was meaningful to them. Using whip share, each student shared their favorite illustration and how it will help them remember the concept. We played a review game in preparation for the assessment. This unit was cross curricular in that students were able to extend the knowledge of exploration during the 1200's - 1400's to their reading selection story about Lewis and Clark.
INTASC Standard 2: The teacher intern understands how students learn and develop and can provide learning
opportunities that support a student's intellectual, social, and personal development. INTASC Standard 9: Reflective Practice: Professional Development: The teacher is considered as a reflective practitioner who can evaluate the effects of the choices and actions on others and prepares students to face the world professionally as well.
I varied the method in which students explored the content. In order to provide learning opportunities that
supported each student's intellectual, social, and personal development, I gave the class several opportunities to learn cooperatively. I believe that students learn best from one another and I saw an opportunity to develop the concept of working collaboratively. Students worked in a group to become "experts" on their given topic. Each member of the group had a defined role. I observed the group dynamics and reflected upon what I saw as well as what the students shared about the experience. On day two, we further discussed the roles within the group in order to highlight the roles and functions within a collaborative group. Following the group activity, we again reflected on how the group worked together. Not only did students become better at working collaboratively, but they also became teachers of the content and reflective of themselves.
INTASC Standard 2: The teacher intern understands how students learn and develop and can provide learning
opportunities that support a student's intellectual, social, and personal development. INTASC Standard 9: Reflective Practice: Professional Development: The teacher is considered as a reflective practitioner who can evaluate the effects of the choices and actions on others and prepares students to face the world professionally as well.
I varied the method in which students explored the content. In order to provide learning opportunities that
supported each student's intellectual, social, and personal development, I gave the class several opportunities to learn cooperatively. I believe that students learn best from one another and I saw an opportunity to develop the concept of working collaboratively. Students worked in a group to become "experts" on their given topic. Each member of the group had a defined role. I observed the group dynamics and reflected upon what I saw as well as what the students shared about the experience. On day two, we further discussed the roles within the group in order to highlight the roles and functions within a collaborative group. Following the group activity, we again reflected on how the group worked together. Not only did students become better at working collaboratively, but they also became teachers of the content and reflective of themselves.