COOPERATIVE LEARNING LESSON PLAN

I. Describe the Class

The class is a first grade class with 18 students. There is one student with a speech

impediment (they have a stutter, especially when they are presenting something to the

class), one gifted student who read at a third grade level, and ELL student.

II. Subject/Skill:

The subject is English and the skills the students have are their ability to read and write

and give oral presentations.

III. Objective(s)

The students will learn about animals of their choice, do research about their animals

both on the computer and through books and magazines provided in the classroom, and

develop their communication skills through the presentation of their books.

IV. Procedures

1. The objectives are for students to learn about animals of their choice, write facts about

their animals (at least three, no more than five) and be able to present their animals and

their facts to the class. We will be using the classroom books, books outside of the

classroom, and the computer to find out facts about their animals of choice.

2. Students need to know how to read and write, something I know they can do, even the

students with the learning disabilities. Before this lesson began, we read the book Hippos

Cant Swim as a class and discussed the animals that were in the book. We had a mini,

ungraded quiz so that I could ensure that the students understood what was read to them,

as well as prepare them for what students will ask during their presentations.

3. The modeling I will be using for this lesson will be through PowerPoint. I will make up

the assignment I expect from them: picture of an animal, a small paragraph about why I

chose this animal, 3-5 facts about the animal, and then asked the class questions about my

animal to see if they remembered the facts that I presented to them.

Day 1: Students will be divided into six groups of three, and together, they will pick three

animals of their choice to learn more about. Each member will pick one of the three

animals chosen to be the one to present the animal to the class. Together, they will make a

book of their pictures and their facts and present together.

Day 2: Students will be conducting research about websites that are appropriate and why

they are appropriate. They will also find websites that are inappropriate and tell me why,

i.e. Wikipedia.
 Day 3-5: Students will be doing research about their animals trying to find three facts

about each one. They will be using the computer, magazines, and books to conduct their

research. They will either print out their facts or write them down. They will also be

finding pictures of their animals to put into their books. Again, they will either be printed

or I will copy them from a magazine or book.

Day 6-8: As a group, students will be put their books together. They will make a title page

as well as an end page and each page in between will have an animals name, three facts

about that animal, and a picture of the animal. They will then take the five pieces of paper

and, using the binding material of their choice, organize their book and put it together.

Day 9-10: Children will present their books to the class as a group.

4. The students will be working as a group while we are reading the book, students work

together to find websites that are appropriate and why they are appropriate, which we will

then discuss together, and finally, they will work on their project as a group with my help,

as needed. I will have the students work on their projects in class as well as out of class,

so that I am able to help where needed. I will ask questions along the way (i.e. why did

you choose this animal, why did you choose the facts that you did, etc.) and help them

find the answer if they are unable to come up with it on their own.

5. The Independent Student Practice is shown through students working on finding the

information about the animals they decided to present to the class. The group will work

together to make sure that all appropriate websites have been used and when putting the

book together. Students will be graded on their presentation as a group as well as

independently. The whole group will receive the same grade, so they have to work

together to ensure that all the guidelines have been met. I will be monitoring all of this to
 make sure that all students are doing the same amount of work and that one student isnt

doing the work for everyone. I will monitor how the work is being equally spread out

while the students are working on their projects in the classroom. I will also ask them to

show me what they did outside of the classroom so that I can ensure that they are

working properly and staying on track. The cooperative learning elements that will be

used are group heterogeneity (groups are small and different backgrounds and ability

levels will be in each one), group goals/positive interdependence (the grade will be for

the group as a whole and will have to help each other along the way if someone gets

stuck on something), promotive interaction (students will encourage each other to

succeed and do well and, again, help when needed), and individual accountability

(students will be doing the same amount of work, one student will not do all the work for

everyone in the group, which will be teacher monitored). The strategies used are group

investigations (together they will find appropriate websites, check each others work, and

put together their group book about their animals), and learning together (they are

working in small groups, will be turning in one completed book for all of them, and will

receive praise and a grade on the group project).

V. Materials

Glue, paper, pens, pencils, colored pencils, markers, crayons, computers, magazines,

books, binding materials such as binder clips and ribbon, computer ink, and scissors.

VI. Grouping Structures

 All work will be conducted into six groups of three students. I will pair the gifted student

with the ESL student since her reading skills are so advanced and will be able to help the

ESL student put her thoughts into English in the book. I will have the student with the

stutter work with friends/students he is more comfortable with those he knows and trusts.

We will be working in the classroom as well as taking a trip to the library to find books.

VII. Modifications

As mentioned before, the ESL student will be with the gifted student. My hope is that

since this lesson might seem easy at first for my gifted student, I will change it up slightly

for her. She will have to do the maximum number of facts and tell me how many of these

animals are left on Earth and where we can predominate find them. She will present her

findings to the class with her group. Since this is a group project, the student with the

stutter will present with his group which will help with his disability since being around

those he knows and trusts helps with his stutter. Finally, the ESL student will be able to

use the computer for translation of her research. Even though she will have the gifted

student there to help her, I will not mark her down for not using perfect English, as long

as she completes the assignment in the proper way (3-5 facts, paragraph about the animal,

and why she chose it).

VIII. Assessment

6. I will be grading on a rubric scale that will be presented to the students so that they know

exactly how they will be graded. The objectives of the lesson will be on there to further

explain to my students what I hope they get from this project. Children should be able to
 talk about animals they learned about without having to read about them. Their creativity

should have improved by making their books. No two books should look exactly the

same. Their reading and writing skills should have improved through their research and

book organization.

7. Homework will be assigned and checked when the student comes to school the next day.

We will work on our assignments in class and help each other where needed. This project

with help students become familiar with using the computer for research for future

projects, will help them with their comprehension through the mini quizzes their fellow

students will be giving at the end of their presentation, and will learn organization skills

by putting their books together.