Muskingum University

Teacher Education Programs

Lesson Plan Format revised 6/20/14

Teacher: Katrena Grantham Subject: Social Studies

School Building: Caldwell Elementary Grade: 7th

I. Learning Goals
Identify the new Ohio Learning Standard(s)
OR Common Core Standard(s) addressed in this lesson:
The civilizations that developed in Greece and Rome had an enduring impact
on later civilizations. This legacy includes governance and law, engineering
and technology, art and architecture, as well as literature and history. The
Roman Empire also played an instrumental role in the spread of Christianity.

Describe the interconnections among the

components of the content within the discipline and the relationship of the
content to at least two other content areas. Specifically describe how the
content taught in your lesson relates to at least two other content areas.
Health: students will discuss what a plague is and how it is affected by
bacteria, how it spreads amidst a population, and what the health risks are of
being exposed to it

English: Students read a piece of Pericless Funeral Oration as a primary

source and discussed its meaning and what Pericles was trying to say

What will your students know and be able to

do at the end of this lesson? (Include the student learning target I
can/am able to )
Students will be able describe the circumstances that led to the Peloponnesian
War
I can tell what led up to the Peloponnesian War

Students can put the events of the Peloponnesian War in order

I can describe the Peloponnesian War in chronological order

Students can understand why the plague that broke out led to the defeat of
Athens
I can understand why the plague broke out and how it led to Athenss
defeat in the Peloponnesian War

II. Student Background Knowledge and Experience

What prior knowledge and skills do students need

in order to be successful in reaching the goals of this lesson?
Students need to understand the history of ancient Greece that led up to the
Peloponnesian War

Students need to know what form of government Athens had and now that
affected their efforts and outcome in the War

Students need to have a basic geographical understanding of Greece and the

surrounding area
 What are preconceptions, common errors, and
misunderstandings related to the content of this lesson?
Students struggle with the different forms of government, the geographical
locations of the different city-states, and the difference between Greece and the
Greek city-states

How do you know if students have the

knowledge and skills they need in order to be successful?
Students have already previously learned about what led up to the
Peloponnesian War and have been formally assessed throughout
their learning to test for understanding and to catch students who are
confused on the material.

How will you use or accommodate the

diverse experiences that your students bring to class (gender,
race/ethnicity, English language proficiency, economic status,
exceptionalities, skill level, learning styles)?
Students of each three learning styles will be addressed. Visual learners will
have the PowerPoint and the video to watch. Auditory learners will be involved
in a classroom discussion where we will discuss the material being learned and
will be able to listen to the video. Kinesthetic learners will be typing the notes
throughout the class period.

All students are provided with textbooks at the beginning of the year, which
will be used to allow students to research any previously discussed material
in which they struggle with and students without internet access at home can
use to go over the material.

All students are treated equally in my classroom and will be given the same
treatment and discipline for their behavior. Studies show that girls and
minorities are treated more harshly by teachers and have stronger
expectations placed on them in society and so I will be conscious of this truth
and judge my behaviors constantly to monitor for unfair treatment.

III. Instructional Procedures

Content summary, including concepts and essential
understandings:
Students will be learning about the Peloponnesian War including the causes
and effects. They will need to know how Pericless golden age for Athens
would ultimately lead to the Peloponnesian War, the events that occurred
during the war, and how the Athenian plague would effectively make Athens
lose the war.

Teaching methods:
Students will be primarily taught about this material through the use of note
taking as it allows students a physical, verbal, and visual method of learning.
There will also be a video that students will watch that will also discuss the
material
 Academic Language (content vocabulary AND
general academic vocabulary used across the discipline e.g. Blooms
Taxonomy, key words, phrases, and symbols: Note: address each of these
specifically listing the academic language students are expected to learn and
use.)
Peloponnesian League
Peloponnesus peninsula
Oration
Plague
Truce

IV. Classroom Environment

Identify the components of the classroom environment (room arrangement, grouping
patterns, learning resources, and materials) needed for teaching the entire planned lesson.
Provide a strong rationale for each of the environmental decisions made.

Room arrangement (with rationale provided):

Students will be arranged in their assigned seats in order to allow for an easy
classroom discussion and classroom note-taking

Grouping patterns (with rationale provided):

No grouping patterns will be required as students will be working
independently on their notes and will be involved as a an entire class in the
discussion

Learning resources, including technology (with rationale

provided):
SmartBoard will be needed for students to see what I am typing along with
them as we complete the flowchart as a review

Students will need their notes and/or textbooks to determine what the next step
of the flowchart will be

V. Instructional Activities
Lesson sequence (include important questions to ask students). Time Allotted Provide a
thorough description of each:

Opening:
The teacher will begin by asking students what the three goals were that Pericles had for Athens and
what a golden age is
These are questions off of the pop quiz and allows the students to review what has already previously
discussed in class
As the lesson goes on, the teacher will also add what was one of the three factors that led to the
Peloponnesian War and what happened in Athens that cost them the war?

Main Activities:
Students will be instructed to pull out their chromebooks or a piece of
paper (depending on their preference for taking notes) and the teacher will remind
students of the events involving the Delian League
The students will take the first set of notes, watch the
video, and then continue with the notes
 This might take multiple class periods
and the teacher should review the material each day at the beginning of
the day

Closing:
At the end of the notes, students will take a pop quiz that will
demonstrate their understanding on the key points of the material (questions asked at
the beginning of each class)

VI. Assessment/Evaluation
How will you know if each student has met the learning goals? Attach
assessments and assessment criteria.

At the end of the PowerPoint, students will be given a pop quiz that
will ask them four questions based on the previous two sections discussed.

Students will also answer these questions at the beginning of class

each day (the questions specifically look at the major events and concepts
of the material)

VII. Adaptations (e.g. IEP, 504 plans, WEP)

Modifications: If lesson objective and/or significant content learning goals need to be
changed to alter the expectations for a student (e.g. reduced number of problems, or lower
level Blooms or for gifted student(s) extensions to advance progress).
Accommodations: If other components such as method, activity or materials of lesson are
changed to help students meet the learning goal (e.g. extended time, scribe, reader, spell
checker, electronic device, or guided notes).

Student Name e.g. Gifted e.g. Special e.g. Special e.g. e.g. Other
(samples e.g.) Needs Needs Special Needs (vision,
(physical) (intellectual) Needs hearing)
(attention
issues)
What needs are Student Student has Students with Student
you addressing becomes easily severe Downs intense learning struggles to
for this student bored and syndrome and a disabilities being stay focused on
in this lesson? distracted fine motor skill unable to follow the material
because of ease disability along with the
class
Learning Student will be Student is in the Learning goals
Goals given more gen-ed class for will be simplified
(modification as to complex inclusion for students
what student will questions purposes
be expected to
know or do) during
discussion
Teaching Student will be Student will be Teacher will Teacher
Methods invited to attempting to reiterate material remains patient
answer other copy the words in a simplified and helps
students from the master manner to increase student redirect
questions copy understanding their attention
back to the
lesson
Teaching Extra master
Materials copy will need
 to be printed
Academic Academic Academic Academic Academic
Language language will language will language needs to language needs
(identify variation be expanded to need to be remain clear and to be clear and
based upon further their simplified to a simplified to its precise to avoid
student needs) knowledge 1st grade level basics misunderstandi
ngs
Student Student will be
Activities practicing their
copy-ing skills
Student Student will
Materials need a blank and
filled in copy of
the guided notes
Assessment/ Student will not
Evaluation be expected to
(allows for student complete the
demonstration of assessments for
learning)
accuracy

VIII. Reflection (if lesson is taught):

This lesson, overall was mostly note-taking and classroom discussion. The video was
included to give students a break from the notes and something interesting to wake them up and get
them interested in the material. Students, overall, resist note-taking and so they were resistant to the
classroom discussion I was trying to instigate.
While looking back over my notes, I came up with an idea that I would like to try in the
future if I am able to teach this material again. Students be split into Athenians and Spartans. Spartans
are given cardboard to construct a phalanx and shield while Athens are given cardboard to build ships
and supplies to create a wall from their city to the teachers desk (port city). From my desk students
can then leave on their ships to attack sparta. After students play fight for a little while and Spartans
see how hopeless their fighting is, the teacher will introduce the plague to Athens (every few minutes
a student will die). Pericles will die during this plague (teacher is Pericles and will no longer aid
students) and students must figure out what to do.
I feel that this activity, although insanely difficult to organize and set-up, would be an
incredibly interesting activity for the students and would help them to better retain the material later
on throughout the unit.
6/20/2014