Native Americans in the Western Hemisphere

Subject:  Social Studies

Activity Length:  30 minutes, over 3-5 days

Materials Needed:  Library Books, Scott Foresman Social Studies pages 108-113, Bookmarks for Research. 

Objectives:  Students will be able to identify and compare Native American groups in Texas and the Western Hemisphere before European exploration and describe the regions in which they lived. 

Focus Activity:  Students brainstorm for a few minutes on how their lives are different than a Native American’s life. 

Instruction / Guided Practice:  Teacher will model an example of the double bubble map comparing their live to that of a Native American’s.  (Compare food, government, house, location, occupation) 

Sample Questions, students will help decide what questions to ask...

• Where did the civilization exist?

• What year did the civilization “begin”? “End”?

• Why did the civilization end?

• What were the religious customs?

• What types of buildings did they have?

• How did the people eat? Did they farm? Hunt? Fish? Use a combination?

• What clothing and adornments did they wear?

• What did they do for fun?

• What jobs did the people have?

• What was the family unit like?

Check for Mastery / Understanding:  Students will contribute to the class double bubble. 

Independent Activity:  Students will split into 4 groups where they will research 1 tribe either from the US, or the Incas, Mayas, or Aztecs.  They will then compare it to another one of these tribes.  Info that should be researched: where they lived, form of government, the types of homes they lived in, how they lived, how their lived changed.  They will create a double bubble map where they write information on the bubbles, and draw a picture on the outside of the bubbles. 

Evaluation / Assessment:  Check to see that the information and pictures accurately portray the lifestyle of the tribe that was researched.  The group gets a grade. 

Enrichment:  Students who finish early may utilize BrainPOP or the District's Bookmarks for Research for further learning.   

Inferencing with The Wall

Lesson Title: Inferencing

Materials Needed:

-a copy of The Wall, written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Ronald Himler

-paper for 3-2-1 activity (can be in journal)                

-Internet access (optional)

Content Objectives:  Students will learn about the Vietnam War by responding to the words, illustrations, and symbolism in Eve Bunting's The Wall.  Make inferences based on the book's illustrations.

Language Objectives:  Identify and discuss how the book illustrates themes.  3-2-1 Activity.

SIOP Component:  KWL Chart

Focus Activity:  Ask the students if they have ever been to Washington DC, show the students pictures of the Vietnam Wall Memorial. 

Instruction:  Questioning with "Infer with text clues" pgs. 24-25 from the toolkit

Guided Practice/Check for Mastery:  Start with the KWL chart, make the chart together.  (Modeling) Teacher puts 1 item in each row.  Students discuss as small groups, adding 1 more item to each row, students share. 

Check for Understanding:  Call on 5 students/groups to add to the chart 

Independent Activity:

Closure: Teacher will re-display the pictures and have the students write in their journals.

3-2-1 Activity.  Students will write 3 things they learned, 2 things they found interesting, and 1 thing they still have a question about. 

Evaluation/Assessment:  The 3-2-1 activity in their journals. 

Enrichment: students may visit websites about the memorial. 

Resources:  http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/03/lp313-03.shtml

3-2-1 Activity for Inferencing

1.  Write 3 things you learned about the Vietnam War Memorial.

2.  Write about 2 things you found interesting about the Vietnam War Memorial.

3.  Write 1 thing you have a question about the Vietnam War Memorial.

Science Lesson Plan - Water Cohesion

Lesson Title: Drops on a Penny

Lesson Length:  3 days, 45 minutes each 

Materials Needed:  Pennies, water dropper, liquid soap, cups, plates, tweezers, water, small counting cubes

Objectives:  Students will be able to understand the science process by observing and recording data from their investigation. 

Vocabulary:  Water cohesion, surface tension

Focus:  Class discussion: Teacher has a clear cup with water, filled to the top of the cup.  Teacher has about 50 small counting cubes.  “How many cubes do you think I can put in this cup before it overflows?”  Class offers answers, discusses, teacher places cubes into the cup one at a time as the students observe. 

Instruction:  Teacher reads the worksheet labeled Drops on a Penny Lab. "Will someone in the class tell me how many drops of water you think will fit on this penny?"

Guided Practice:  Teacher explains the lab set-up and procedures to the students.  Instructions are on each table.  Students make their predictions. 

Check for Mastery:  Teacher asks the students to verbalize what they saw during the experiment. 

Independent Practice:  Students explain in their science journals what they observed during the lab and draw a picture labeling the appropriate parts. 

Closure:  Class comes back together and discusses what each group observed. Follow with higher-level questioning.  

Enrichment:  Water cohesion video   http://www1.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=167366

Evaluation / Assessment:  Teacher will engage in discussion with the students and evaluate their journal entries. 

Schedule of Lesson:  Day 1:  Open the lesson with the students observing the first experiment.  Class will complete and discuss water cohesion and surface tension worksheet. 

Day 2:  Teacher will review with students the experiment from Monday, review vocabulary.  Begin the Drops on a Penny lab. 

Day 3:  Teacher will lead a discussion with students about what they observed during the lab.  Students will write in their science journals what they observed during the lab, and draw a picture, and label the picture appropriately.