Interdisciplinary Lesson Plan Teacher Candidates: Maggie Monaco, Jess Pickett, Alysa Robinson, Rachael Witrick Date: 10/15/12

Unit Title: Alaska Subject: English, Social Studies, Mathematics Grade Level: 5th

Lesson Title/Number Common Core Standards

Winter in Alaska

Standard 3, Key Idea 1:

1. Geography can be divided into six essential elements which can be used to analyze important historic, geographic, economic, and environmental questions and issues. These six elements include: the world in spatial terms, places and regions, physical settings (including natural resources), human systems, environment and society, and the use of geography. study about how people live, work, and utilize natural resources draw maps and diagrams that serve as representations of places, physical features, and objects investigate how people depend on and modify the physical environment

Reading: Informational Text Key Ideas and Details 5.RIT.2

2. Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details: summarize the text.

Measurement and Data 5.MD

Convert like measurement units within a given measurement system. 1. Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems.

Writing Standards: Text Types and Purposes 3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. a. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

21st Century Skills

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Lesson Objectives 1. Students will be able to find and/or label Alaska's capital, large cities, and surrounding oceans on a map. 2. Students will be able to pull out key information or facts from an article about the specific subject. 3. Students will be able to calculate the heights of snow in each cylinder by using rulers. 4. Students will be able to write a letter containing information relating to a typical day in Alaska and important facts pertaining to Alaska.

Acceptable Evidence

1. Evidence that students have achieved objective #1 will be the map that is collected which the students have independently labeled. 2. Evidence that students have achieved objective #2 will be the results of the "do now" that is based off of the article students previously read. 3. Evidence that students have achieved objective #3 will be the reports written related to the math centers containing answered questions. 4. Evidence that students have achieved objective #4 will be the final copy of the letters that the students wrote and hand in.

Procedure

Social Studies * 1. Teacher will explain that the new topic they will be focusing on is Alaska. While students are likely aware that Alaska is a part of the United States, they may not be aware of much else. 2. Teacher will pass out a short article from Scholastics for the students to read independently. The article contains information about background history of Alaska. 3. As the students read quietly the teacher will pass out a "do now" for the students to complete after reading the article. (The "do now" being a true/false questions sheet that correlates with the article.) 4. Once all the students have had time to finish the "do now" the teacher will do a formative assessment by going over each question and having the

students write their answers on their own white board and holding them up for a quick check. 5. After the teacher has gone through each question thoroughly by stating the correct answer and where the answer is found in the article, the teacher will then begin to discuss additional information about Alaska such as its geological settings. 6. The teacher will bring up a world map on the Smart Board and ask the children to point out where Alaska is located, where Alaska's major cities are located, what countries surround it, and what oceans border it. 7. After the students identify the areas on the big map, the teacher will then begin a group discussion on how these areas contribute to what Alaska is today. For example, Anchorage is one of Alaska's largest cities because it is located on the water which is a main source of transportation and economic goods. 8. To conclude the social studies component of the lesson, the students will be given a blank map of Alaska that will ask them to identify major cities, oceans and bordering countries to check for understanding. Mathematics * 1. For the math portion of the lesson, the teacher will have prepared a Winter Walk around the classroom for the students to participate while being in groups of four. To start off the lesson, the teacher will go around to the three centers that were created to explain what the students must do at each center. While doing this, the students will listen carefully and receive the worksheets needed to complete the Winter Walk. 2. For the Winter Walk, the students will already be assigned into groups because of the prior part of the lesson, reading the article. Each student will already be put into a group of four; therefore there will be two different groups of four at each center. 3. At center one, the students will have to use the Alaskas Winter Woes worksheet to answer a question and then they will each get the opportunity to measure themselves using a tape measure. For the last question at this center, the student will have to find the difference between the amounts of snowfall in the article compared to their own height. 4. At center two, the students will sit down in front and see two four different cylinders lined up with four different amounts of fake snow inside each. At this station, the students will be instructed to measure each cylinder with a ruler and write down the amount of snow in inches.

5. At the last center, there will be three different cylinders placed in front of the students with a big tin of fake snow. For each equation, the students will have to use the fake snow to fill up the cylinders and solve the equations. They will use cylinder one and two to fill up the components and cylinder three for the answer. 6. During the Winter Walk, the teacher will be walking around to each different group to help them complete the worksheet and be available to all students if needed. 7. When all students have completed the Winter Walk, all students will go back to their seats and the teacher will go over each answer one by one. This process will help the students realize if they got the answer wrong or right. 8. After all of the "Winter Walk" has been thoroughly reviewed, the worksheets completed by students will be collected for even further review by the teacher. English * 1.

Formative Assessment: Assessment/ Evaluation "Do Now" Quick Checks on White Board Labeled Maps Math Center Activities

Summative Assessment: Technology Students Letters

SMART Board Computers o For Typing o For Extra Internet Research

The final product of the letters should ideally reflect an overall

Closure

understanding of Alaska and all of the accompanying work the students completed that tied into their Alaska mini unit. The creative nature of the final assignment should also give students the opportunity to express what they have learned in the best way possible, in their own words.

Accommodations The extra help provided by any Teachers Aide, Co-Teacher, Teachers and/or Interactions Assistant, Special Education Teacher, AIS Teacher and so on will be with Co-Teachers appreciated and welcomed at any point during this lesson. If students need and/or Support to be taken out of the room to receive services or extra help on any portion they will of course be allowed to do so. Staff

Resources/ Materials

Scholastic Articles White Boards True/False Worksheet SMART Board Handout of a Map of Alaska Math Worksheets for each of the 3 Centers Tape Measurers and Rulers 14 Cylinders and some type of Synthetic Snow

This lesson plan was designed to have the bulk of the information and activities completed in a day. However, there will be a homework assignment that is expected to be completed and brought in the next day. Then students will finalize their work at school that next day. Overall, two days should be a sufficient enough amount of time to complete the lesson. Reflection (Use APPR guiding questions): Time Required ______________________________________

Goals and/or Professional Development Needs/Interests: _______________________________________