MercyhurstCollegeLessonPlan

School/GradeFourthGrade
LessonSubjectSocialStudies

TeachingTime34LessonPeriods

LessonConcept:WomeninFlight
Standards:
CC.1.4.4.X:Writeroutinelyoverextendedtimeframes(timeforresearch,reflection,andrevision)
andshortertimeframes(asinglesittingoradayortwo)forarangeofdisciplinespecifictasks,
purposesandaudiences.
CC.1.4.4.V:Conductshortresearchprojectsthatbuildknowledgethroughinvestigationofdifferent
aspectsofatopic.
CC.1.4.4.C:Developthetopicwithfacts,definitions,concretedetails,quotations,orother
informationandexamplesrelatedtothetopic;includeillustrationsandmultimediawhenusefulto
aidingcomprehension.
8.1.5.C:Locateprimaryandsecondarysourcesfortheresearchtopicandsummarizeinwritingthe
findings.

Objectives

Assessments

1.Studentswillbeabletousebooks,websites,andotherresearch 1.Teacherwillobserveresearchprocessandcoll
materialstoanswerquestionsandcollectfacts.
organizer.
2.Studentswillbeabletoidentifyandexplaintheimpactoftheir
chosenfiguresonwomenshistoryandaviationhistory.
3.Studentswillbeabletoworkcollaborativelytodevelopa
writtennewsarticleabouttheirfindingswithillustrations.

Materials:
WomenWhoFlybook
Graphicorganizer
Newsarticletemplate
Bookandonlineresources
Posterpaper
Marker
Paper,pencils,coloredpencils

2.Teacherwillcollectandgradenewsarticle.

3.Teacherwillobservewritingprocessandcollec
newarticle.

AnticipatorySet
TeacherwillreadWomenWhoFlybyLynnHomanandThomasReillytotheclass.
ActivatingPriorKnowledge:
Teacherwillleadtheclassinreviewingtheresearchandwritingskillsthathavebeenpreviously
learnedsuchasfindingsourcesonlineandinthelibrary,makingdecisionsaboutwhetherasourceis
goodorbad,brainstormingquestions,andfindinganswers.Theteacherwillwritethesestepsona
pieceoflargepapertohangupforthedurationoftheprojectasareviewandexplainthatstudents
willusetheseskillsfortheirproject.
Procedure:
1. Teacher:Likewelearnedfromourbook,womenpilotshavehadalargeimpactonhistoryandhave
beensomeofthemostfamousaviatorsintheworld.Eachofthewomenthatwelearnedaboutwere
verybraveanddeterminednottoletanyonestopthemfromachievingtheirdreams.Theywereable
tofindaplaceinacareerthatmostpeoplethoughtwasonlyformen.Becauseoftheirstrength,there
aremanyfemalepilotsintheworld.Eachofthesewomenalsomadehistoryduringtheirowntime.
Tolearnmoreaboutthem,wearegoingtopretendthatwearereportersthatarefollowingtheir
careersandcoveringtheimportanteventsintheirlifetowriteanarticle.Thenasaclass,wewillhave
anentirenewspapertopublishaboutwomenpilotsandastronautstosharewiththerestofthe
school.
2. Teacherwilldividestudentsintogroupsofthreeandassigneachgroupawomenaviatorsuchas:
HarrietQuimbly,BessieColeman,AmeliaEarhart,EmilyWarner,MarieMarvingt,Valentina
Tereshkova,SallyRide,andEileenCollins,orotherfemaleaviatorsthatareapplicable.
3. Teacherwillprovidestudentswithagraphicorganizertoguidetheirresearchandinitialresourcesto
beginlearningabouttheirtopic.Studentswillusetheremainderofthelessonconductingresearch
withtheirteam,onlineandinbooks,andrecordingtheirfindings.
4. Intheirteams,thestudentswillchooseanimportanteventinthefigureslifeandmakealistabout
relevantdetailstoincludeintheirnewsarticle.Duringthistime,theteacherwillcirculatethroughout
theroomtoprovidedirection,askguidingquestions,andobservetheproperuseofgradelevel
researchskills.
5. Givenatemplateprovidedbytheteacher,studentswillworkwiththeirteamstodesignandwrite
theirnewsarticleasiftheywerelivinginthesametimeperiodastheirpilotorastronautand
coveringabreakingnewsstoryforthepublicabouttheirchosenevent.Thearticlewillincludea
headline,theauthorinformation,23pictures(handdrawnortakenfromtheweb),background
informationonthefigure,detailsabouttheireventandatleastonesentenceonhowitwillimpact
aviationorwomenshistory.
Closure:
Theteacherwillorganizeamocknewsbroadcastinwhicheachgroupwillreadtheirarticletothe
class.Theteacherwillthencollectthearticlesandformatthemintoanewspapertemplatetodisplay
andforstudentstokeep.

AdditionalConceptRelatedActivity:
Tofurtherenhancethediscussionofwomeninaviationhistory,theteachermaycontactlocalflight
companies,airlines,oraviationclubstoinviteafemalepilotintotheclassroomtodiscussher
experiencesandreflectonthecontributionsoftheaviatorsthestudentslearnedabout.

PossibleResources
Books:
AlmostAstronauts:13WomenWhoDaredtoDreambyTonyaLeeStone
WomenWhoFlybyLynnHomanandThomasReilly
BraveHarrietbyMarrissaMoss
AmeliaEarhart:TheLegendoftheLostAviatorbyShellyTanaka
AmeliaLost:TheLifeandDisappearanceofAmeliaEarhartbyCandaceFleming
WhowasSallyRide?ByMeganStine
Talkin'AboutBessie:TheStoryofAviatorElizabethColemanbyNikkiGrimes
WomenAviators:26StoriesofPioneerFlights,DaringMissions,andRecordSettingJourneysbyKaren
BushGibson
WingsandRockets:TheStoryofWomeninAirandSpacebyJeaninneAtkins
CoolWomen:FlyGirlsbyAmyInouye
Websites:
http://airandspace.si.edu/exploreandlearn/topics/womeninaviation/FemalePilotBiographies
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k4/stories/nasaknows/whowassallyridek4.htmlSallyRide
http://teacher.scholastic.com/space/mae_jemison/index.htmDr.MaeJamison
http://teacher.scholastic.com/space/sts7/interview.htmSallyRide
http://teacher.scholastic.com/earhart/timeline/timeline.htmAmeliaEarhart
http://www.ninetynines.org/womeninaviationhistory.htmInternationalOrganizationofWomenPilots

Name:

WomeninFlightResearch
ChosenEvent:

PersonsName:
EarlyLife:

FamilyLife:

MajorAccomplishments:

3InterestingFacts:

WomeninAviationRubric

Grammarand
Punctuation

Headline

Pictures

BackgroundInformation

EventDetails

InformationAccuracy

Excellent
(3pts)
Gradelevelappropriate
grammarand
punctuationis
maintainedthroughout
thearticle
Theheadlineisattention
grabbingandhighly
relevanttothestory
covered
Thearticleincludestwo
ormorepicturesthatare
highlyrelevanttothe
contentandhelpconvey
meaning
Thearticleincludes
manydetailsaboutthe
personsbirth,family,
education,andprevious
events
Thedescriptionincludes
detailsonwho,what,
when,where,why,and
thehistorical
significance
Allinformationincluded
inthearticleisaccurate

Good
(2pts)
Gradelevelappropriate
grammarand
punctuationispresent
withonlyafewmistakes

NeedsImprovement
(1pt)
Theprojectlacks
grammarand
punctuationthatisgrade
levelappropriate

Theheadlineisrelevant
tothestorycovered

Theheadlinehaslittleor
norelevancetothestory
covered.

Thearticleincludedone
ormorepicturesthatare
relevanttothecontent

Thearticlehasno
picturesortheyarenot
relevanttothecontent

Thearticleincludessome Thearticleincludesfew
detailsaboutthepersons detailsaboutthepersons
birth,family,education,
birth,family,education,
andpreviousevents
andpreviousevents
Thedescriptionincludes
detailsonwho,what,
when,where,andwhy

Thedescriptionincludes
detailsononlysomeof
the5ws

Themajorityofthe
informationinthearticle
isaccurate

Therearemany
inaccuraciesincludedin
thearticle

Total:____/18