PoliticsLp2

Lesson Plan #2
 Date: Thursday, March 26, 2009 12:40-1:30

Housekeeping Stuff: (2 minutes) Ms. Keacher
 * Take attendance
 * Each teacher asks student, "What page did you read up to?"
 * If a student had access to the book but did less than half of the assigned reading, the student will sit out of the activities and read the assigned pages. Once the student is done reading the assigned pages, the student can participate in the rest of the activities.

Student/Classroom Description: Five students. 8th grade Language Arts class. Four boys, one girl. 12:30 in the afternoon. All Caucasian. No known exceptionalities.

Lesson Description/Rationale: This lesson is important because it allows the students to see the similarities and differences between the five presidents. They are also able to offer insight into the life of their assigned president to create a better understanding of their president's life.

Materials & Equipment: Assigned books that students are reading Five Alike, but Different Worksheets Foldable students made last teaching session Five bookmarks Extra Activities Materials: Seek a Word copies for each student Index cards (x10) with each word for charade game 
 * Katelin- Theodore Roosevelt: Champion of the American Spirit
 * Matt- FDR
 * Karen- Dwight D. Eisenhower
 * Laura- John F. Kennedy
 * Kaitie- Bill Clinton

Lesson Objectives: The students will be able to compare and contrast their assigned president's life to other group members' presidents' lives. The students will be able to generate additional during-reading questions to be used while finishng the biography. The students will be able to write at least three questions about their president that the biography did not answer.

Illinois Learning Standards Reading: 1.B.3b Identify text structure and create a visual representation (e.g., graphic organizer, outline, drawing) to use while reading. Reading: 1.B.3a Preview reading materials, make predictions and relate reading to information from other sources. Reading: 1.B.3c Continuously check and clarify for understanding (e.g., in addition to previous skills, draw comparisons to other readings). Reading: 2.B.3c Analyze how characters in literature deal with conflict, solve problems and relate to real-life situations.

=Lesson Content=

Set Induction (7 minutes) Individual Comprehension Check
Each teacher will sit with his/her student and individually go over the answers to the questions he/she did for homework. Teacher: “Read me the questions and answers that you have found so far.” If the student has answered any questions incorrectly or has not answered a question that should have been found in the assigned reading pages, the teacher will direct the student to the general area in the book that the answers are located and have the student fill in the correct answer. Teacher: Will share a few questions and answers that he or she had about the president that the biography answered. Transition: After students come back together as a whole group, Ms. Hicks will say, "Even though each of your presidents led very different lives, they all share some common qualities. We will be working together to fill out a worksheet to see these similarities and each president's unique characteristic."

Content & Activities:
1. Mr. Nickels: Teacher will pass out the Alike, but Different worksheet (a PDF of the worksheet is available at the top of the page). 2. Ms. Glendon: Will call on each student to tell the rest of the group the name of each president. As each student names his/her president, I (Karen) will write that president's name in one of the five boxes on the worksheet (purpose of this is to visually guide the 8th graders so they know how to fill-in the worksheet). Each student then fills-in, one box at a time, the first five boxes of the worksheet as I just demonstrated. Here is a list of the five presidents being covered: 3. Ms. Glendon: "Now I want each one of you to think about one thing that all or most presidents have in common. For example, all five of your presidents lived in the White House in Washington, D.C. Can each of you think of one thing most presidents have in common?" If students get stuck, some more examples could be:  4. Ms. Glendon: Will go around the circle and ask each student to say one thing that all or most presidents have in common. After each student speaks, I (Karen) will write down, in the appropriate boxes, what he/she said. Each student will fill-in the appropriate boxes as I do. 5. Step 4 will continue until each student has contributed something that all or most presidents have in common. Other teachers will add to the discussion, if needed, by helping narrowing ideas if they are too vague or expanding them if they do not apply to all or most presidents. 6. Ms. Hicks: "Now that we have five things written down that all or most presidents have in common, I would like for each one of you to talk about your own president's experience in each one of these categories. 7. Ms. Hicks: Will go around the circle again and for each common characteristic between the presidents, will have each student give a brief description for his or her own president. For example: 8. Ms. Glendon: "Now that we know about how each of your presidents' had many common characteristics, let's think of some characteristics that sets your president apart from the others." 9. Ms. Glendon: Can each of you think of one thing that makes your president unique?" For example: 10. Ms. Glendon: Will go around the circle and have each student say one thing that makes their president unique. After each student speaks, I (Karen) will write down, in the appropriate boxes, what he/she said. Each student will fill-in the appropriate boxes as I do. 11. Ms. Glendon: Will go around the circle again and have each student say one thing that makes their president unique (for a total of two unique things about each president). After each student speaks, I (Karen) will write down, in the appropriate boxes, what he/she said. Each student will fill-in the appropriate boxes as I do. Transition: Once students have finished filling-in the worksheet, Ms. Glendon will say, "From completing the worksheet, we all get a sense of just how much these presidents have in common with one another. as well as, how much they differ. Now, as you all have been reading your assigned book this past week you may have come across some difficulties, such as not understanding certain terminology or feeling like you aren't comprehending everything because there is so much information. We want you to be getting the most out of your readings, so let's go over a few reading strategies.
 * Whole Group Discussion and Cooperative Learning (15 minutes)**
 * Teddy Roosevelt
 * Franklin D. Roosevelt
 * John F. Kennedy
 * Dwight D. Eisenhower
 * Bill Clinton
 * Each one encountered a crisis.
 * Each one gave an Inauguration Address.
 * Bill Clinton's crisis as President could be all about the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
 * Teddy Roosevelt loved hunting and nature. He was also part of a group known as the Rough Riders.
 * Bill Clinton was one of 32 college students awarded the Rhodes Scholarship in 1968.
 * Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first SACEUR (Supreme Allied Commander, Europe) leading the NATO armed forces.

** 1. Teachers: Will ask the students if they know of any reading strategies. If they do know some, ask them to describe the strategy(s) with the rest of the group. 2. Teachers: Will give some examples (explain examples) of during reading strategies that the students have not named. Here are some during reading strategies: 3. Teachers: Ask students if they can think of anymore strategies that help with reading comprehension. 4. Ms. Leisch: Will pass out one bookmark per student. 5. Ms. Leisch: Will read aloud each question that is already printed on the bookmark: 6. Ms. Leisch: Will encourage students to periodically look at the questions on the bookmarks to check their reading comprehension. Transition: Ms. Leisch: "These bookmarks will definitely be useful for your next reading assignment, which I am sure you are anxious to find out what that is." All teachers: Tell your student how much you are assigning him/her to read for next time. Each student's reading assignment:  1. Ms. Leisch: Short activity:(1-5 minutes) "Politics Are Cool" (wordsearch with hidden message) Individual seat work Each students will be given a wordsearch puzzle that contains the names of the 5 presidents targeted for this lesson. For motivational reasons, the Metcalf students' names are also included in the wordsearch. Students will locate and circle the word. This will build awareness of the correct spelling of the presidents' names. Upon completion, students' will read the hidden message to confirm their accuracy ("Enjoy reading your book"). 2. Ms. Leisch: Concept Charades Game (3-8 minutes: can adapt to fit required time) The following words will be on 10 index cards: Student 1: take a card from the pile Student 1: stand up and gesture to elicit correct word(s) from group Student 2-5: yell out answer to get a point DISCUSSION: The student whose president is related to this word will provide information recalled about the concept Alternate students to repeat above procedures until all cards are completed
 * Bookmark activity (7 minutes) Lecture
 * If you don't understand a word look at the words/sentences around it to try and figure out what the unclear word is about/means.
 * Read the chapter titles and/or headings (if there are any) because they will tell you what the topic of that section of reading will focus on. As you read, keep reminding yourself what the topic of that section of reading is about.
 * Momentarily stop yourself every few pages and summarize what you've just read. Also, ask yourself how what you've just read relates to the topic.
 * Do I understand what I'm reading?
 * If not, what can I do to help myself?
 * What do I already know? What can I connect this information to?
 * Do I need to change my page?
 * What are important ideas?
 * Homework (2 minutes)**
 * Katelin- Finish the book by reading pages 85-163 (through chapter 24) Also look at the time line on page 171. Answer any questions that you have not yet answered on your foldable. Come up with at least three questions you still have that the biography did not answer.
 * Matt- Finish reading the book (Chapters 8-12, pages 68-119). Finish answering any questions that have not been answered on your foldable. If any new questions come up, write them on the back of your foldable. Also, think of at least three more questions that you have about FDR that the biography did not answer.
 * Karen- Finish reading the book (Chapters 6-10, pages 77-140) and the Milestones on pages 148-149. Answer any questions that you have not yet answered on your foldable. Once you've read the entire book, write down on the back of your foldable three more questions you have about President Eisenhower that the book did not answer.
 * Laura- Please finish the book by reading pages 61-118. Answer any questions that you have not yet answered on your foldable and make notes on the back of your foldable about unknown words/phrases/concepts. Come up with at least three questions you still have that the biography did not answer. Please write down any questions you would like to ask me about what you have read.
 * Kaitie- Finish the book by reading pages 59-99 (Chapters 6-9). Finish answering any questions that have not been answered on your foldable. If any new questions come up, write them on the back of your foldable. Also, think of at least three more questions that pertain to Bill Clinton that were not answered by this biography.
 * Extra Activities (if needed)**
 * New Deal || Great Depression ||
 * Scandal || Oxford University ||
 * Vietnam War || Space Race ||
 * Assassination || Peace Corps ||
 * Rough Riders || Hunter ||

**Closure: (2 minutes) Lecture**
1. Ms. Hicks: (Transition) "Great job completing your Alike But Different charts and the bookmarks!!" 2. Ms. Hicks: "Now that we have those completed and have discussed the similarities between the presidents and what makes each one unique, I want each of you to tell me one thing you have learned about your president and another president." 3. Ms. Hicks will call on each student to answer. 4. Ms. Hicks: "Remember to finish the book you are reading for the next time we meet!"

Literacy Techniques Used:
Large Vocabulary Book Foldable Concept Ladder Alike But Different