Laura Fredericks

September 17, 2014

Fern Hill Elementary

Grade: 5
Title: Constitution Day: Readers Theater, Kidsblog, and Classroom
constitution signing
1.1 Integration of Objectives
SWBAT read aloud readers theater: The People Choose as a further
understanding of the United States Constitution.
SWBAT Respond to prompted questions on Kidsblog.
SWBAT sign their classroom constitution.
1.2 Standards
1.3 Anticipatory Set
Show students short, inspiring video about the United States
constitution. Ask before playing the video for the students to recall what they
already may know about the constitution and what it stands for. Have
students turn and talk to their peers around them to discuss their ideas. After
video pass out readers theater booklets to whom you choose to read the
parts first. Introduce the short play to the students. The parts do not have to
be limited by gender. Have those students read to a certain point and switch
to another students if you wish. Pose questions about the reading to direct
the students thinking before listening and/or reading (see attached paper for
questions or refer to directors guide). Have a short discussion about the
students thoughts after reading/listening to the play. Then have students
clear desks and prepare to log onto student computers. Once logged in open
up Kidsblog and direct their attention to the questions that are prompted for
them.
1.4 Procedures
Provide students with an appropriate amount of time to complete the
prompted questions and look over others answers.
Discuss students responses. These responses should be in front of the
students and visible on the Smartboard.
Conclude with discussion about why students wrote what they did.
Log off and put away class laptops.

Pass out individual copies of the classroom Constitution.

1.5 Differentiation
Learning support students Meghan and Ismael will be joining us during social
studies. They will be assisted by their aid for following along with the
readers theater and logging on to laptops and Kidsblog. They have basic
typing skills but will also need the assistance of aide and teachers to
efficiently write responses.
Second Language students will also need assistance in logging on to laptops
and writing responses,
1.6 Closure
View Constitution Rap. Conclude lesson with the swearing of the classroom
constitution. Allow students to sign their personal copies of the constitution
after the swearing. Lastly, one by one allow students to sign the classroom
copy, as our first fathers did on September 17th,
1.7 Assessment
Formative- Base students prior knowledge and current learning
knowledge with prompted questions before the constitution video, after the
video, and after the readers theater. Base pace and questions off these
responses to measure their understanding.
Summative- Record students who have responded to Kidsblog
response and the construction of their response. No grade will be given for
this lesson, however they will get a check for participation. kkkj
1.8 Materials
Constitution YouTube video
Constitution Rap video
Readers theater books
Classroom Constitution
Individual student copies of Classroom Constitution
1.9 Technology
Doc Camera with speakers

Smartboard
Student Laptop carts
2.1 Reflection before instruction
Part of the first week of school was about establishing rules with our
students. To start our students thinking about what a great fifth grade
classroom should look like we posted questions on Postit posters and had
them respond to these questions on postits and attach these to the posters.
From there, we establish one whole document that reflected the common
answers we got to these questions. We decided to call this document our
classroom constitution. Knowing September 17th was constitution day we
thought it appropriate that we leave the signing of our constitution until
then. I wanted to refresh their memory about the constitution and how it
makes our country a whole. I wanted to tie this common theme of one
whole or We the People to our constitution and how the creation of our
document was similar to the one our founding fathers created. Knowing my
students I know they want or need to be stimulated by using multiple forms
or media such as laptops, videos, acting out, etc. I believed my introduction
video sparks their thinking, readers theater gives them point of views during
that time period, the constitution rap to reinforce what our constitution
stands for and our classroom constitution to give them the experience of
what its like to establish appropriate and effective rules to make a good
classroom, town, or even nation run.
2.2 Reflection after instruction
Activity went great but there are a few points of reference to take into account for
next time:
Pay attention to anticipatory set and procedures
Always include check points
Practice projection and standing up for readers theater
Show or give students an agenda