Lesson Plan Outline: A. Title/Type of Lesson
Lesson Plan Outline: A. Title/Type of Lesson
Lesson Plan Outline: A. Title/Type of Lesson
Alexandra Tocman
Mrs. Hiser- Cub Run Elementary School
October 19, 2016 at 12:15pm to 1:00pm
October 5, 2016
A. TITLE/TYPE OF LESSON
Integrated Arts Lesson Plan- Show Me Your Favorite Place!
B. CONTEXT OF LESSON
Students are currently in their mapping unit. The class is nearing the end of the unit so they have been
practicing and reviewing for their test in a few days. This is a good review lesson that helps tie in and
refresh their memories on some of the things they had been working on towards the beginning of this
unit. They have been focusing a lot on important landmarks in the United States, the oceans, and the
continents, and have strayed away from the beginning lessons on parts of a map and local maps (as
opposed to big scale maps of the world). They have had lessons and activities where they have been
able to identify and recognize different kinds of maps and talk about the different elements of a map.
There has been class discussion on why maps are important and why we need maps in general. The
students should be able to identify and explain things such as the title, compass, key, symbols, and
different landmarks. Doing a review of these terms before I begin my lesson to remind students that
these things should be found on every map will help assure me that students are ready for my activity.
Based on this class, the age of the students, and the integrated arts nature of this lesson, the students
would enjoy and prefer a more hands on and interactive activity. Part of the curriculum framework
states that students should be able to draw maps of familiar areas. Having students create a map of
their favorite place fits into this framework while also helping to create a deeper level of meaning for
the students. If students can see and understand how a map could be relevant and useful to them, even
as second graders, they are going to be much more likely to grasp the meaning and concepts that a
map has to offer. Students are using their own personal perspective on their special space to
incorporate what they think is important. What they think is important about this place may differ
from what their neighbor thinks is important. Seeing and talking about these differences is important
so students can see and be aware of what other people think and why they think this way. The
majority of this lesson is students drawing and creating; allowing them the time and freedom to be
engaged artistically. Giving them freedom but directions, yet not too much instruction, allows the
students to experience as much or as little positive risk while constructing their maps, as they want.
C. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand Know Do
Why we have maps and Getting and using directions. Think about what they are drawing
what different things they Talking about location in general. and why they are putting it where
can be used for. The use of a map to show they are. What makes something
something with relative position to important enough to put it on a
other things. map and showing it.
Map- a view from above. The These things should be shown and
All of the parts of the map. title- the name of a map. A included in their drawing of a map
Compass Rose- shows you to show me that they know that
directions. The cardinal directions they need to be seen and included
are north, south, east, and west. on any kind of map.
Map legend- explains what the
symbols on the map stand for.
Symbols- pictures that has
meaning.
How to use and read maps. Being able to show and explain Be able to talk about it and explain
their map to someone else and the parts on their map and why its
having them be able to follow it. important.
D. ASSESSING LEARNING
During the introduction of my lesson I will be able to walk around and hear students conversations as
well as see what they are brainstorming for their favorite place and the things they might find there.
This will help give me a good idea if they understand and are able to pick out important and
significant things from a place. This will also give me a good idea about the direction of the rest of
my lesson and if it will be meaningful to the students. I will be walking around and observing my
students when they are working independently on their creations. I will go around and make sure they
are including all of the parts of map as well as at least the 5 objects they wrote down and said they
were going to include on their map. I will also stop and look at students work and ask them questions
about their places. I would like to hear about why they picked the place they did, what it actually
looks like compared to their map (is there drawing accurate), and how they would tell people to get
from one place on their map to another. Having these conversations and hearing my students answers
will give me a good understanding of if they understand why its important to use maps, how to create
maps, and how to read and locate things on a map. Their final product will also give me a final
assessment of all of this knowledge.
F. MATERIALS NEEDED
White construction paper (in the classroom)
Scrap paper (in the classroom)
Pencils, crayons, colored pencils, markers, etc. (students have)
Rulers (if wanted- in the classroom)
G. PROCEDURE
Preparation of the learning environment
o Gather and have all materials set up and ready to pass out before the lesson begins.
o Pass out lined-paper at students seats.
Engage -Introduction of the lesson
o Tell students they are going to be constructing their very own map today.
o Remind students definition of a map
A view from above.
o Ask students what kinds of things they use maps for. Discuss
o Before we go ahead and review the things that should be included on a map we are
going to brainstorm what one of our favorite places is (be passing out lined scrap
paper as I am saying this). This place should be something that you are all very
familiar with. It could be your room, your favorite store, the baseball field,
anything Now think, have you ever seen a map of this place before? Think in your
head about places you could draw a map of and turn to your neighbors and talk about
these places, take a few minutes and write down your place that you want to draw a
map of at the top of the paper I just handed out. Walk around and monitor
o It looks like most of you have thought of a place that you want to make your map
on. Now, think about this place and what it might look like. What things would you
see at this place? What is important that you would want to be sure to include on a
map of this place? I want you all to think of 5 specific things that you would see and
write them down on the same piece of paper. This will help you in a few minutes
when you go to draw your map, so you can remember what you wanted to include on
it. Walk around and monitor and help
o About 15 minutes total, 12:30
o Quickly review the terms that should be included on a map and write/draw them on
the board so students can remember to include them (not definitions just the words
themselves).
Title: name or location of the map
Compass Rose: show directions of a map (N, S, E, W)
Cardinal directions: North, South, East, and West
Map legend: explains what the symbols on the map stand for
Symbols: pictures that has meaning.
o About 3-5 minutes total, 12:35
Implementation of the lesson (specific procedures and directions for teacher and
students)
o After this introduction is conducted remind them that they are going to be designing
their own maps of their favorite place, the one that they had just written down on their
paper and made a list of things they would see and want to include on a map of this
place.
o Make sure they know that they need to include all the elements of a map that we just
went over and that their maps should be neat and easy to read so that other people
would be able to use their maps to get around their favorite place.
o Give students the rest of the time to work on their maps as I walk around and ask them
questions about their maps and make sure they are including everything they should
be.
o About 20 minutes total, 12:55 sooner or later depending on how everyones maps
are coming long
Closure
o Have student volunteers stand up and share and talk about their map. Why they drew
a map of what they did, why they included what the included, how someone could get
around their place, etc.
o If students dont seem comfortable or confident with their maps and want to share
with the whole class have them turn to the same partner that they talked to at the
beginning of social studies and share their maps with each other.
o
Clean-up
o Go around and collect everyones maps
o Call groups of students up to throw out their scrap paper and anything else they may
need to throw out
o While this is going on all other students should be putting the rest of their supplies
away in the pencil cases/desks
H. DIFFERENTIATION
I have included visual, verbal, writing, and creative elements into this lesson in the hopes that all of
the needs of my students and their various leaning style and abilities will be met. I have a few English
language learners in my class but between reviewing terms at the beginning of the lesson, the minimal
requirement for writing and words in this lesson, and me being able to walk around a lot and offer
assistance to them, these students should be able to complete this activity just fine along with the rest
of the class. There are no other health or physical abilities that would get in the way of anyone
participating in this lesson. If I notice that students are starting to finish sooner than others there are a
few tings I can do to extend their learning. I can tell these students to add more than just the 5 things
they had originally wanted to include on their map which will allow them to think and brainstorm
more important or significant elements that can be found in their favorite place. A big focus in the
classroom right now is on students really starting to construct solid sentences and paragraphs.
Because of this foundation I can have the students who are finishing faster write me a few sentence
that could about the place they are drawing a map of, what they do at this place, or the tings they may
find at this place, etc. With students who are struggling with this activity I will be sure to do tings like
direct them to the board if they are forgetting elements of the map. If they are stuck on what to draw
or how to draw it I will be sure to encourage them there is no right or wrong and just to draw what the
think they would see. If they are having trouble in general I can sit with them and walk them through
a little bit until I can see they are starting to get a hold on it. If there are big or common questions and
concerns I will be sure to address them as a whole class so they dont keep coming up individually.
I. WHAT COULD GO WRONG WITH THIS LESSON AND WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT?
Students could not want to participate in my beginning discussion of the lesson. If this happens I will
call on students. Since I know they will have been working on this material for at least two weeks and
I know they are in the review stages of the unit I know they know the information. Because of this
calling on them wouldnt be something that would make them nervous or stressed (I know the students
who would feel this way when called on and I would avoid them). Students could struggle to come up
with ideas for a place that they would want to draw a map of. I plan to list out and possibly brainstorm
ideas of possible places they could draw as a class before they get working on the activity. If I see
they are still stuck I can create a list of more ideas or have students re-partner up and talk more about
and give each other ideas. Students could not take my assignment seriously or not want to participate
in the creating of a map. Hopefully this is one thing that will not happen, but if I see students
disinterested like this I can sit with them and encourage them to at least put some effort into the
assignment. I can explain to them that I am interested and want to see and learn about their favorite
place so they could at least draw something to show me!
Lesson Implementation Reflection
As soon as possible after teaching your lesson, think about the experience. Use the questions/prompts below to
guide your thinking. Be thorough in your reflection and use specific examples to support your insights.
I. How did your actual teaching of the lesson differ from your plans? Describe the changes and explain
why you made them.
For the most part I would say my teaching of this lesson didnt differ from my plans. My introduction pretty
much went as I had planned it, starting with a discussion on maps and then a review of the terms that the
students should have been including on their maps. One part of my introduction that was challenging for my
students and didnt really go as planned was when I was going to have them write down 5 specific things
they would see/draw on their actual map. They were confused about if they were drawing the map or just
writing about the map. Although it was too late for me to change how I went about giving the class this
direction I pretty much just skipped over it. The kids didnt understand what to do after I tried to explain it
to them so we moved on to the next direction, which was constructing their maps. The rest of the lesson
went smoothly and as planned. Students were really into it and excited about making these maps. As I
walked around I asked them questions about their maps, how they would direct me to places around their
map, I made sure they had at least 5 important elements included on their map, and I made sure they
included all of the terms they had been learning about that are necessary to be on a map on their drawings.
After this, all of the students were very eager to share their maps and show their classmates about what they
drew so I did this until we ran out of time.
II. Based on the assessment you created, what can you conclude about your impact on student
learning? Did they learn? Who learned? What did they learn? What evidence can you offer that
your conclusions are valid?
In the introduction of my lesson I was going to have my students write down 5 things they would see in the
place they are drawing the map of. I was then going to use their lists and compare them to their map to see
how successful they were. This didnt exactly happen like I wanted or had planned it to, but based of the
conversations my students were having with one another and the final products they produced, they
understood the point of why I was having them do that. This showed because everyone had at least 5
important or significant objects that related to the place they had drawn their map of. As I mentioned in my
assessing of learning section (Section D), I was going to make sure the students were including all 5 objects
that they had written down, but since this part of my introduction didnt go as planned as I was walking
around I had conversation with my students instead. We talked about why this place was important and what
things in this place were important to them and should be included on their maps. I then made sure that
these things were actually on their maps. My conversations with the students were my main form of
assessing my impact on my students learning. This lesson was much more a review than anything else, but
my students proved that they understood important parts of a map. They also showed their ability to draw
and accurate map and direct or explain someone around their map. They all created accurate drawings of
maps and were able to show me a final product that was creative and relevant to them and included all of the
important parts of map they needed to know.
III. Describe at least one way you could incorporate developmentally appropriate practice in a better or
more thorough way if you were to teach this lesson again.
If I were to teach this lesson I would incorporate developmentally appropriate practice in the introduction in
a better way. As I have mentioned, the introduction to my lesson didnt go as planned because I think the
directions were too much and too confusing for a group of second graders. I know that they were
developmentally able to think of 5 important things to include on the map of their favorite place, but the act
of first brainstorming these things and then trying to write them down was too much for them. After seeing
and experiencing this challenge, if I were to do it again I think I would take this part out of the directions
entirely. My direction would just be to have the students draw their favorite place or an important place to
them and tell them that they need to include at least 5 different objects on it. Since none of the students in
my class had a problem doing this, I know that that specific direction was appropriate for them; I just needed
to present it to them in a more simple way. By not complicating the direction and just telling them to include
these things when they are getting started is a better way to do so.
IV. Based on the assessment data you collected, what would you do/teach next if you were the classroom
teacher?
As the students were designing their maps I had conversations with almost everybody. I also collected and
examined all of my students finished products. One thing I noticed that was common throughout the class
because of both of these assessment tools was the students lack of understanding of what a map legend was.
Anyone in the class could give me the definition of what this was, but only a few people could accurately
draw it and apply it to their own map. Because of this, before moving on to the test, I would want to talk
about map legends more with these students. I think they need to see more examples of what different map
legends would look like and why they look different on different maps. I also think they need to have a
discussion on why they are important and why they are even included on maps at all, including some real
life examples of a map with and without a map legend and how it actually changes things. I think they then
need their own practice with this idea as well. Because my teacher was so focused on getting her students to
know the SOL definition of a map legend and getting it stuck in their brains, she forgot to actually have them
understand and apply what this might look like on different kinds of maps. Even though this might not be
something that is needed for any sort of tests, it is important that the students actually understand what a map
legend is and how it is used.
V. As a result of planning and teaching this lesson, what have you learned or had reinforced about
young children as learners?
Planning and teaching this lesson has reinforced many things about young children as learners. First of all, it
has reminded me to provide clear and concise directions. They need to know exactly what they are doing at
all times in order for things to run smoothly. It also has reinforced that you need to have good classroom
management in an elementary school classroom. As a future teacher I want to have fun and hands on
lessons, but if the students dont know the rules of the classroom or dont want to follow them, the lesson
isnt going to be successful and more than likely the students will not get anything out of it. In general, the
idea that lessons that are hands on and interactive, more than just a meaningless worksheet, actually does
excite students and catches their attention, making them want to participate was reinforced by doing this
lesson. From doing this lesson, I could see that my students were interested and excited to create something
that actually meant something to them. They enjoyed the opportunity to explore and apply ideas that they
had been learning to something that translated into their lives and then have the chance to share it with the
class.
VI. As a result of planning and teaching this lesson, what have you learned or had reinforced about
teaching?
Planning and teaching this lesson has reinforced many things about teaching. First of all, like I already
mentioned, it has reinforced the idea of directions. Students, especially at the younger elementary school
level, need directions that are simple and to the point. Adding in too much will just take away from the goal
or point of the activity. It has also reinforced something this class has been focused on, which is brining
creative elements into the classroom. One thing this class hardly sees is the opportunity for them to do
something other than worksheets. Planning and teaching this lesson has shown me that as a teacher
activities like this are necessary. Students need the opportunity to think about the ideas they have been
learning and apply them to things they know and be able to express them in their own ways. This activity
showed me what the students actually know and understand on a deeper level and what they just know
because it has been told to them and they know they need to know it for a test. Lastly, this lesson has really
shown me the importance of conversation and talking with students. As a teacher you should never give
students seatwork and then sit down yourself. You need to be constantly walking around the room and
monitoring your students and having those important conversations with them. If I hadnt done these things
I wouldnt have gotten half as much of the data for my assessment as I actually did.
VII. As a result of planning and teaching this lesson, what have you learned or had reinforced about
yourself?
Planning and teaching this lesson has reinforced many things about myself. For starters, I like to be a hands
on teacher. I want to create lessons that are hands on, that excite my students, and that also lets me be a big
part of each lesson. That doesnt mean I am talking and controlling the whole lesson, but instead I am
actively engaged with all of my students as they are completing my lessons. I also learned that I really want
to make lessons that help my students relate to the material they are learning. I got a clear indication while
teaching my lesson that students werent able to understand or relate to some of the terms they had been
learning about for weeks because my CT didnt put it into different terms or contexts for my students. If my
CT took the time to plan or do activities other than worksheets she would have seen that her students dont
actually know or understand some of the things that they are actually supposed to know. This lesson really
reinforced the kind of teacher I actually want to be and the kinds of things I will eventually put in my own
classroom.
After a lesson is taught, there are things that worked well and things that need adjustment. Look back at the
lesson and create a list of things you would do differently if you were to teach it again.
1. As I mentioned a lot in my reflection, I think if I were to teach this lesson again I would take out the
original paper and brainstorming work that I included in my introduction originally. When I asked the
students to think about and write down their favorite place and five things that they would find there
they didnt really understand what I wanted them to do. These directions just ended up confusing the
students more than anything, and it turned out that they were all still able to successfully create their
own maps, most of them without doing this part of the lesson anyway. Instead, when going over the
directions and expectations of the assignment with the class I would just be sure to tell them that they
should be drawing a place they like and are familiar with. Included on that map they need to include
at least five things they would find in that place. I would also write this as reminder on the board for
them to consult to if they get lost or confused and need direction.
2. After looking back at the lesson, my teaching, and how things went, I think I would add in a larger
element of review in the introduction of my lesson. I briefly talked about the parts of the map the
students should know and include on their map by discussing definitions that they were already
familiar with and had been practicing. Seeing how it went, if I were to do it again, I would spend
more time with each of the terms, maybe using the SMART board to show what titles could look like
on a map, what different kinds of symbols and map legends there could be, and how to use and design
these things when they are making their own maps. Doing this would help to eliminate some of the
questions and confusion I experienced from my students. This would also help give theme more
knowledge and a better idea of some of the terms I could tell they werent completely sure about.
3. I would consider changing the end product of this assignment. My thinking with this is that I could
make this more meaningful to my students by giving them an audience or a person to have actually use
their map at the end. I think by giving students someone other than myself to see and use their final
product makes this assignment more meaningful to them. Since they would know that someone would
actually be seeing and using their map first hand, they would know that they have to design an
accurate map that was neat, easy to read, and included all of the necessary parts on it. By changing the
end of this assignment it would also give students the opportunity and practice to read and use a map.
If I made this change I would probably have to expand this lesson into 2 days and add some more
direction and structure to what I would actually have my students do on that second day. Like I said, I
think adjusting the ending of the lesson would make it even more meaningful and useful to the
students.