SETON HILL UNIVERSITY

Lesson Plan Template

TOPIC
Name
Subject
Grade Level
Date/Duration
Big Ideas

Essential
Questions
PA/Common
Core/Standards

Objective

DETAILS
CK
Meaghan Sherer
Social Studies
4th
One class period (prerequisite knowledge-already learned
about Aborigines of Australia in a previous lesson; this is a
day two lesson)
Facts are supported by evidence; defined and proved as
true.
Opinions are statements that express beliefs, values, or
feelings.
o Opinions cannot be proved as true or false.
Can we have different answers for the same question?
Do some questions require a specific answer, where
there is only one right answer?
8.4.4.D.- Distinguish between conflict and cooperation
among groups and organization that impacted
development of the history of the world. (1)
8.1.4.B.- Distinguish between fact and opinion from
multiple points of view, and primary sources as
related to historical events. (2)

CC.1.4.4.H- Introduce the topic and state an opinion on

the topic. (3)

CC.1.4.4.I- Provide reasons that are supported by facts

and details. (4)

CC.1.4.4.S- Draw evidence from literary or

informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research, applying grade-level reading standards for
literature and informational texts. (5)

Students will recall information about the Aborigines

and use their previously acquired knowledge to be able
to distinguish if a statement is a fact or an opinion in
both group and individual lessons. (1)
In a group activity, students will have to decide whether
the given statement about the Aborigines is a fact or an
opinion by holding up Fact or Opinion paddles
correctly 8 out of 10 times. (2)
After stating whether a statement was a fact or opinion,
a couple of students will be called on and share with
the class the justification of their answer. (3, 4)
In an individual activity, students will complete a
graphic organizer separating facts from opinions about
Aboriginal people correctly 10 out of 12 times. (1, 2)

Bloom's
Taxonomy
Webb's Depth of
Knowledge
(DOK)

Formative &
Summative
Assessment
Evidence

ISTE Standards
for Students
Framework for
21st Century
Learning

While individually working on their graphic organizers,

stations will be set up with previously viewed materials
about the Aboriginal people so that students can recall
evidence to aid in proving their facts to ensure 100%
accuracy. (2, 4, 5)
Students will be assessed informally by raising the
Fact or Opinion paddles.
Students will be assessed formally on their ability to
correctly fill out the graphic organizer using information
about the Aborigines.
ELLs will have a modified graphic organizer
Creativity and Innovation
o Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas,
products or processes.
Research and information fluency
o Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize,
and ethically use information from a variety of
sources and media.
Communication and collaboration
o Contribute to project teams to produce original
works or solve problems
o Develop cultural understanding
Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making

Global awareness
Critical thinking
Information literacy

Accommodation
s, Modifications

***I believe that all of the above ISTE Standards and

Framework pertain to both general ed. students and ELL
students***
ELL Modificationso Listening: Student(s) will be listening to the
facts being read aloud along with teacher
instruction and modeling. Student(s) will have a
chance to listen to the recording of the facts and
opinions while completing the graphic organizer
as many times as needed. TPR will be
implemented in the administering of instructions.
SEI-by having a recording of the teacher
reading the statements, the student can
repeat it as many times as he or she needs
to fully comprehend the statement
o Speaking: (teacher)-listening for correct
pronunciation of words; Student(s) picking a fact
or opinion from the jar and reading it aloud;
discussing which fact they want to choose to
write down with their (row) group. Any questions
asked of the ELL will be a one-word response:

fact or opinion. TPR will be implemented in

the administering of instructions.
o Writing: modified graphic organizer- their G.O.
will be an interactive flip book where the same
statements on the regular education students will
be on a paper flap and they will have a recording
of me speaking the statement. After reading
along to the statement they will write next to the
flap if they think it is fact or opinion then flip the
statement flap up to view the answer. The
student(s) will highlight the signal word in the
statement that tells them whether it is a fact or
and opinion before writing down their guess and
checking their work.
o Reading: Student(s) will be told/given their fact
beforehand to practice reading so that they are
comfortable; will practice reading it to a peer
buddy. Modified graphic organizer- their G.O. will
be an interactive flip page where the same
statements on the regular education students will
be on a paper flap. They will have a recording of
me speaking each statement; in doing this they
can listen to it as many times as they need or
want. After reading along to the statement they
will write next to the flap if they think it is fact or
opinion then flip the statement flap up to view
the correct answer.
Culture: (for homework) coming up with the facts and
opinions about him or her and his or her family.

SEI- Integrate listening, speaking, reading and writing skills

into each lesson.

Connections:
Family/Culture- Tell the teacher, or the class if they
are comfortable enough to speak in front of the class,
what some interesting facts are about their homeland
Sensory:
o Hearing- Student(s) will be listening to the facts
being read aloud along with teacher instruction
and modeling. Student(s) will have a chance to
listen to the recording of the facts and opinions
while completing the graphic organizer as many
times as needed. TPR will be implemented in the
administering of instructions.
o Touching- Flipping the modified graphic
organizer to reveal the correct answer after
guessing what it could be
o Tasting- N/A
o Smelling- N/A

o Seeing- The use of TPR; the completed graphic

organizer; the modifications to the graphic
organizer where the student(s) able to see the
correct answer right away so that him or her does
not learn the wrong thing (it is harder to unlearn
something that was presented as true)
***all students will have to do the above accommodations
because they benefit all students (differentiated
instruction)***
SUPERVISING
TEACHERS
SIGNATURE

Seton Hill University Lesson Plan Template Step-by-Step

Procedures
RATIONALE for
the Learning
Plan
Introduction

CK
Activating Prior Knowledge/Hook/Lead-In/Anticipatory
Set
On the board there will be a T-chart with Fact on the
left and Opinion on the right. Below fact will be signal
words such as: numbers, statistics, verified,
document(s), eyewitness, record, collaborate, prove,
history, places, names, etc. On the right underneath
Opinion there will be words such as: agree/disagree,
like, believe, best/worst, favorite, pretty/ugly, other
adjectives.
o Visual presented throughout the entirety of the
lesson
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6xlUg7i1gs
this is a video refreshing their minds about their already
acquired knowledge about the Aborigines of Australia for
the upcoming activity.
While watching the video, students will write down any
facts they can pull from the video
o I will pause (SEI) the video when necessary for the
students when there is important information they
should be taking down. In this way ELLs do not
have to worry about copying what they hear; they
will have the correct spelling of the words as well.
After viewing the video, students will get in groups (their
rows) and agree on one fact that they found they most
fascinating. They will discuss why that this is a fact
taking into consideration certain words that are used.
They will write it down and this fact will be added to the
jar of facts and opinions that will be read later on.
o I will make sure that the peer buddy is the same
row as the ELL so that he or she is comfortable

Explicit
Instructions

Lesson
Procedure

when discussing which fact to include.

Big Idea Statement
Facts are supported by evidence; defined and proved as
true.
Opinions are statements that express beliefs, values, or
feelings.
o Opinions cannot be proved as true or false.
Ask students to repeat it after I say it from the board.
SIOP- Students will repeat each objective after I say it
so they know what is being asked of them and so I know
they are not zoning out.
Essential Questions Statement
Can we have different answers for the same question?
Do some questions require a specific answer, where
there is only one right answer?
o Will review answers and have examples on the
board (T-chart)
Objective Statement
Students will recall information about the Aborigines and
use their previously acquired knowledge to be able to
distinguish if a statement is a fact or an opinion in both
group and individual lessons. (1)
In a group activity, students will have to decide whether
the given statement about the Aborigines is a fact or an
opinion by holding up Fact or Opinion paddles
correctly 8 out of 10 times. (2)
After stating whether a statement was a fact or opinion,
a couple of students will be called on and share with the
class the justification of their answer. (3, 4)
In an individual activity, students will complete a graphic
organizer separating facts from opinions about
Aboriginal people correctly 10 out of 12 times. (1, 2)
While individually working on their graphic organizers,
stations will be set up with previously viewed materials
about the Aboriginal people so that students can recall
evidence to aid in proving their facts to ensure 100%
accuracy. (2, 4, 5)
Transition
Students will recite the vocabulary words and definitions
before we begin the activity. (Definitions will be written
on the board)
Key Vocabulary
Fact
Opinion
Aborigines/Aboriginal/Indigenous
Pre-Assessment of Students
Review what we learned yesterday about Aboriginal
Australians:
o Can anyone remind me what we learned

yesterday?
o Whom did we learn about?
o Where are they from?
o How long have they lived there?
o What are some things that sets them apart from
other Australians?
o ELL(s) will observe me writing the questions and
answers to these questions on the board
Modeling of the Concept
Today we will be taking the information that we learned
about the Aboriginal people of Australia and decide if
statements about them are facts or opinions. When
saying fact and opinion ELL(s) will observe the
teacher pointing to each word for word-sound
recognition. Now up on the board I have a T-chart with
some signal words. Signal words are words that, if you
see them, it is a red flag saying Im a fact! or Im an
opinion!. If you hear or see a word listed under facts,
the statement can be proven as true. If a word in a
statement is found under opinion, the statement
cannot be proven as true and is just a belief of
someone.
There are more than just these words that can be signal
words, these are just some common examples.
Provide a list of more signal words to the ELL(s)
Guiding the Practice
Students will have two paddles, one with Fact on it and
one with Opinion on it.
Students will take turns picking statements from a jar
and read it to the class. Students will decide based on
the wording of the statement, and their knowledge of
the subject, if the statement is a fact or an opinion.
Student(s) will be told/given their fact beforehand to
practice reading so that they are comfortable; will
practice reading it to a peer buddy.
o The fact the groups wrote down will be utilized
here.
If the majority of the class seems to think the answer is
opinion when it is actually fact (and vice versa) they
will be reminded of the certain signal words they should
be looking for. They will also be reminded of things that
we read the day before along with information from the
video we viewed today.
Providing the Independent Practice
Students will be given a graphic organizer set up in a Tchart format, like the one on the board (Facts on the
left and Opinions on the right) and will have to cut and
paste 6 facts and 6 opinions about Aboriginal people
under the correct columns. Modified graphic organizer
provided for ELL(s) along with listening component.

While completing this portion of the activity sources we

used to learn about the Aborigines, books, videos, etc.,
will be set up in stations around the room that the
students will be able to get up and reference.
Once the students have completed the T-chart, they will
fill out the bottom of the graphic organizer that asks
them to define fact and opinion in their own words
and to give an example not used above in their
completed T-chart.
o ELLs will be able to draw pictures demonstrating
this second task of the G.O.
Transition
Everyone will come back to their seats after turning in
their graphic organizer to review what we learned.
Adaptations/Accommodations for Students with Special
Needs
***See red writing for accommodations throughout***
SIOP- Students, especially ELLs, are engaged
throughout the whole lesson by always having some
activity to do; we cannot afford to loose valuable time
with these students. We will not just have them not
engaged in an activity because they do not understand;
it is our job to make them understand.
Reading
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6xlUg7i1gs
Materials
Fact and Opinion paddles
Technology
Jar
Equipment
Strips of paper
Supplies
Fact and opinion graphic organizer sheet (T-Chart)
Fact and opinion modified graphic organizer sheet (TChart)
Evaluation of
Formal Evaluation
the
Students will be assessed formally on their ability to
Learning/Master
correctly fill out the graphic organizer using information
y of the
about the Aborigines.
Concept
Informal Evaluation
Students will be assessed informally by raising the
Fact or Opinion paddles.
Closure
Summary & Review of the Learning
Once the class has come back together, a volunteer will
read and answer the first Essential Question on the
board, Can we have different answers for the same
question?
Another volunteer will read and answer the second
Essential Question on the board, Do some questions
require a specific answer, where there is only one right
answer?
They will be asked to provide examples using the
Aboriginal people as a prompt.

Teacher
Self-reflection

SIOP- I will ask my students to repeat the objectives

stated at the beginning of class and ask for correct
examples from each objective.
Homework/Assignments
Come up with five facts and five opinions about you and
your family in a T-chart graphic organizer.
***Some of the red portions for ELLs are not just strictly
for ELLs, they apply to everyone and in some cases all of
the students have to complete them. They are in red
because it is a tool particularly useful for ELLs but
beneficial for everyone.***