Molloy College

Division of Education

Lesson Plan

Emma Kaiser Professor Esposito

Course EDU 521 April 11th, 2017
Grade 4 Topic Native Americans Content Area Social
Studies/ELA

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES (s)

After reading a short story about Pocahontas students will be asked to
answer three document based questions and write a paragraph on how
they would feel if they had to leave their homes to live in a new
country.

NYS-CCLS / +NYS STANDARDS AND INDICATORS

English as a new language:

Common Core Anchor Standard (RI.4): Interpret words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical,
connotative and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word
choices shape meaning or tone.

ELA/SS Common Core:

Common Core Grade 4 Standard (RI.4.4): Determine the meaning of
general academic and
domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic
or subject area.

Indicator: This will be evident when the students read a text

and answer questions throughout the lesson on the life of Pocahontas.

Social Studies Standard 1: Students will use a variety of intellectual

skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes,
developments, and turning points in the history of the United States
and New York
 Indicator: This will be evident when the students read and
analyze about Native Americans in America and how they used
their environment to survive.

INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
Rubrics, Graphic Organizer, Pens/ markers, Smart Board, Text
Book, Indians: Stories of Native Americans.

MOTIVATION
Teacher will play a 1 mintue clip from Pocahontas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHL6297IoqM

After watching the short video clip, students will analyze the
picture handed out to them. They will write a sentence about
what they think is about to happen in the photo. Students will
also fill in the blanks in a worksheet given to them. They will try
and fill out the answers the best they can before reading the
passage about Pocahontas. After they read the passage they will
be able to go over and check their answers.

DEVELOPMENTAL PROCEDURES
1. As a Do Now, students will write up two of their own questions
that they could ask classmates after they have read the passage.
2. Students will popcorn read the passage with the class. The
teacher will pause after two paragraphs and discuss with the
class what the important information is to highlight and
annotate. This will help students hone in on important
information in a wordy document.
3. Students will answer four document based questions with a
buddy and volunteer to write their response on the Smartboard.
4. To close the lesson, students will be asked to take a walk in
Pocahontas moccasins and write a paragraph on how they
would feel if they had to leave your home to live in a new
country.

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
Cooperative Learning:
Indicator: This will be evident when students work in partners to
answer the four document based questions.

Direct Instruction
Indicator: This will be evident when students discuss the lives of
early Native Americans.
Discussion
Indicator: This will be evident when the teacher is reviewing the
passage with the students to assist in reading and
comprehension.

Scaffolding
Indicator: This will be evident when the teacher helps students
understand important information in text while reading the
passage moving students toward greater independence.

ADAPTATIONS
The student who is an emerging English learner will be provided
with a bilingual glossary or word-to-word translation device.

The student who is an English learner will be provided with an

auditory version of the reading passage.

The student with dyslexia will be given a Chromebook to type the

answers

The student who profiles with grapho-motor challenges will be

provided with pencil grips during small writing assignments

DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION

The struggling student will be given the passage as an easier

read with larger font and additional pictures. After reading the
passage and answering document based questions with a buddy
the student will be asked to write three complete sentences on
what they think life was like for a Native American.

After reading the passage and answering document based

questions with a buddy the student will be asked to write a
paragraph (five-seven sentences) on what they think life was like
for a Native American.

After reading the passage and answering document based

questions with a buddy the student will be asked to write a page
with all complete sentences on what they think life was like for a
Native American.
 ASSESSMENT
Students will answer the 4 document based questions, 3 out of 4
correct.
Students will write their paragraph to walk a mile in Pocahontas
moccasins with little grammatical and spelling errors and at
least three complete sentences.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

Students will use the text they read to answer the crossword
puzzle questions.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES: DIRECT TEACHER INTERVENTION AND

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT
Direct Teacher Intervention:
The teacher and student will, together, work on a Popplet
displaying important information about the passage.

Follow up Enrichment:
Students will create a comic life recreating the story they read of
Pocahontas.

Resources

Kravitz, A., & Dramer, D. (1990). Indians: Stories of Native Americans.

Roslyn, NY: Berrent.

Gabriel, M., & Goldberg, E. (Directors). (n.d.). Pocahontas [Video file].

Retreived from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHL6297IoqM
West,F.J.(2003).Mcgrawhillsocialstudies.GlencoeMcgrawHillSchool.