Unit Plan: How Nevada has Changed

Lesson Plan for Friday Grade: 4th Social Studies Strand: History

Submitted By: Taylor Fitzgerald

EDEL 453: Teaching Elementary School Social Science Nevada State College Spring 2014 Instructor: Karen Powell

Lesson Plan for Friday

Strand: History

submitted by: Taylor Fitzgerald

B. Summary of the Lesson Plan: This lesson will teach students about the Hoover Dam. The Hoover Dam changed Nevada and the country. Students will learn the impact this engineering marvel had on Nevada. C. Basic Information: Grade Level: 4th grade Time to Complete this Lesson: 50 minutes Groupings: whole group, pair collaboration

D. Materials: Pencils/paper Packet with information on it Worksheet for students to complete that goes along with the packet (shown below) Computers/ IPads Video E. Objectives: o NV State Social Studies Standards o F. Vocabulary Hydraulic engineering- the application of fluid mechanics principles to problems dealing with the collection, storage, control, transport, regulation, measurement, and use of water Marvel a wonderful or astonishing person or thing H.3.4.4 Explain how advances in technology have impacted Nevada H.3.4.4. I can explain ways technology has changed Nevada. Student-Friendly Standards http://www.history.com/topics/hoover-dam/videos

G. Procedure: 1. To being the lesson, I will have a whole group discussion to explain to the students that today will be learning about the Hoover Dam. We will start the lesson by showing the short video from the history channel. 2. Vocabulary words will be introduced before the movie so the students are familiar when they hear them. After the video, I will ask them to share any thoughts they have. 3. I will pass out the information packet and instruct the students that they need to work with their shoulder partner to complete the worksheet. I will allow them to use the
Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 2

Lesson Plan for Friday

Strand: History

submitted by: Taylor Fitzgerald

computers as well if they work quickly. Students will have 20 minutes to answer the questions, so we have 10 minutes to discuss their answers as a class. H. Assessment: What will you use to measure student understanding? The answers to the worksheet along with the whole group discussion will be how I measure understanding. Explain how you will know students understand the concepts from the lesson. The students need to explain how advances in technology have impacted Nevada by having them learn about the way the Hoover Dam was built and the way it changed Nevada they can see that this marvel impacted Nevada. I. Closure: To close the lesson, students will tell their face partner one thing they learned this week that they found the most interesting. I will call on a few to share what their partner said.

J. Reflection: 1. Which part of the lesson do you think will be the easiest for you to teach? I think showing the movie and discussing it will be the easiest. I feel students will find this short video very fascinating. 2. Which part will be most challenging for you to teach? The most difficult will be to have the students focus with their partner to answer the questions on the worksheet. I will have to keep my eyes on them and watch for partners who are just talking. 3. How will you follow up or extend this lesson? I would extend this lesson to include the students doing a presentation of their choice about the Dam, such as a poster board or a short report etc. 4. What can you do for students who dont grasp the concepts? For the students that I think will struggle with the concept, I will assist them in a small group to answer the questions. 5. Which part of the lesson, if any, do you think might need to change? I do not think this lesson will need to be changed. I do feel it is a large enough topic that it may need two class periods. 6. When you were writing this lesson plan, what was the most difficult part? This lesson was the easiest of the 5 for me to write, but creating the questions for the worksheet was the most difficult.
Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 3

Lesson Plan for Friday

Strand: History

submitted by: Taylor Fitzgerald

Work sheet questions: 1. What year was the hoover dam built?

2.

What was our country struggling through at the time the dam was built?

3. How long did construct take? ______________________________________________________________________________________ 4. How many men and women worked on the job?

5. What was the purpose of building the Dam?

6. How much did the Hoover Dam Project end up costing?

7. How has it made a difference for Nevada?

8. Two additional facts you found interesting about the Hoover Dam. ______________________________________________________________________________________

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 4

Lesson Plan for Friday

Strand: History

submitted by: Taylor Fitzgerald

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 5