5th Grade Language Arts Lesson Plan

Teachers: 5^th Grade Social Studies Teacher

Subject Area: Social Studies, American Revolution and Language Arts

Grade Level: 5^th

Unit Title: The American Revolution

Lesson Title: Persuasive Writing

Overview: Students will examine the different sides of The American Revolution and select one viewpoint to write a persuasive essay about.

Connection to the Curriculum: In fifth grade, students study the American Revolution and focus on writing skills, specifically, persuasive writing.

Connection to Standards: English Language Arts Content Standards for California, Grade Five, Standard 2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics): Students write narrative, expository, persuasive, and descriptive texts of at least 500 to 700 words in each genre. Student writing demonstrates a command of standard American English and the research, organizational, and drafting strategies outlined in Writing Standard 1.0. 2.4 Write persuasive letters or compositions:

State a clear position in support of a proposal.

Support a position with relevant evidence.

Follow a simple organizational pattern.

Address reader concerns.

Materials/Equipment Required: Students will use a laptop from the school laptop cart to write their essays in class.

Objectives: Students will practice the art of persuasive writing, as well as learn more about the American Revolution.

Suggested Procedure: Students will select either the American or British vantage point in terms of the American Revolution, make a list of convincing points to support that viewpoint, prepare a sentence outline and then write a persuasive essay.

Opening: Teacher will introduce the lesson by sharing the book George vs. George: The American Revolution as Seen From Both Sides (book review available at http://picturebooksforbigkids.blogspot.com/2011/06/george-vs-george-american-revolution-as.html) by Rosalyn Schanzer. Teacher will use a whiteboard or document camera and paper and pen to display a list of causes for the American Revolution. Teacher will add two columns, one labeled George Washington and one labeled King George. A class discussion can be used to generate each George’s point of view on the different causes of the war.

Development: Students will be asked to consider the class commentary on George and George, as well as information about the colonists and British viewpoints about the war presented in the class social studies textbook. Students will then select a side to write about in a persuasive essay.

Closing: Teacher will review format of persuasive writing. Students will first prepare a list of items to convey “their’ point of view, then write a sentence outline and finally, a persuasive essay with the goal of convincing readers that either the British or the colonists were right about the American Revolution.

Student Assessment: Student essays will be graded by the teacher based on inclusion of various elements of persuasive writing and demonstration of knowledge appropriate for grade five about the American revolution.

Extending the Lesson: Students can hold mini debates, verbally sparring with a classmate who has chosen the opposing viewpoint.

6th Grade Information Skills Lesson Plan

Teachers: Teacher Librarian / 6^th Grade Social Studies Teacher

Subject Area: Library and Information Skills

Grade Level: 6^th

Unit Title: Egypt

Lesson Title: Egypt Research Skills

Overview: Students will use print source materials related to Ancient Egypt to learn source evaluation.

Connection to the Curriculum: In sixth grade, students study world history and geography, specifically ancient civilizations. Sixth graders also learn information skills applicable to research.

Connection to Standards:

History Social-Science Content Standards for California:

Grade Six, Standard 6.2: Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Kush, 7. Understand the significance of Queen Hatshepsut and Ramses the Great.

California Model Library Standards:

Standard 2: Students evaluate information

Time: Approximately 1 hour. Students will spend a 1-hour period in the library media center.

Materials/Equipment Required: Students will use print sources available in the school library.

Objectives: Students will gain experience evaluating print sources of information.

Suggested Procedure: Students will spend the first half of the 1-hour lesson in the library media center listening to a presentation and asking questions about source evaluation. The second half of the lesson will be spent trying out new evaluation skills introduced by the library media teacher.

Opening: Teacher librarian will introduce the lesson by sharing the book Hatshepsut, His Majesty, Herself (book review available at http://picturebooksforbigkids.blogspot.com/2011/07/hatshepsut-his-majesty-herself.html) by Catherine M. Andronik. Teacher librarian will share the steps for evaluating this book to determine whether or not it is a good source for a project that the students will soon be working on in their social science class.

Development: Students will be divided into groups and given several books on a single topic related to Ancient Egypt. The groups will use their newly learned process for evaluating print sources to determine the quality and appropriateness of the materials.

Closing: Each group will elect a spokesperson to present to the class the best print source as determined by their group for the upcoming Egypt project. The spokesperson will explain the results of examining their recommended source (i.e., the publication date, text content and age appropriateness, appendix content, index quality, ease of use, etc.) as outlined in the presentation on source evaluation.

Student Assessment: Students will listen to feedback from the teacher librarian after their group presentation. Other students may also comment and ask questions.

Extending the Lesson: Students might apply print source evaluation criteria with additional criteria to evaluate digital sources. Students could learn to create a citation for book evaluated. Students might learn note-taking skills as part of learning to gather information from a source.

5th Grade Language Arts Lesson Plan

Teachers: Teacher Librarian / 5^th Grade Language Arts Teacher

Subject Area: Language Arts, Writing

Grade Level: 5th

Unit Title: Writing

Lesson Title: Women’s History Month: News Article

Overview: Students will write a news style article about an event featuring a famous American woman during March, Women’s History Month, after reading a biography about a famous American woman.

Connection to the Curriculum: In fifth grade, students study the roles of American women during the American Revolution and come to understand the role that women have played in their history. Fifth graders also work on their writing skills. This lesson will allow students to extend their learning about the role of women during the American Revolution to other time periods and provide an opportunity to practice writing about an important event.

Connection to Standards: English Language Arts Content Standards for California, Grade Five, Standard 2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics): Students write narrative, expository, persuasive, and descriptive texts of at least 500 to 700 words in each genre. Student writing demonstrates a command of standard American English and the research, organizational, and drafting strategies outlined in Writing Standard 1.0. Standard 2.3: Write research reports about important ideas, issues, or events by using the following guidelines:

Frame questions that direct the investigation.

Develop the topic with simple facts, details, examples, and explanations.

Establish a controlling idea or topic.

Time: Approximately 4 hours.

Materials/Equipment Required: Students will need access to iWork Pages or Microsoft Word for word processing (both programs are available at school). Students will also need 1 bibliography about a famous American woman.

Objectives: Students will learn how read for information and how to structure a news article using their research data. Students will learn to identify the importance of a particular historical event.

Suggested Procedure: Students should spend about 2 hours reading a short biography, gathering information, and identifying a single event involving their subject. Students will then write a news style article about the event featuring the famous American woman of their choice using their research data.

Opening: Teacher will introduce the assignment by sharing the book The Daring Nellie Bly, America’s Star Reporter (book review available at http://picturebooksforbigkids.blogspot.com/2011/06/daring-nellie-bly-americas-star.html) by Bonnie Christensen.

Development: Teacher will lead a discussion about the most significant contributions of Bly, asking students to consider what they learned about Bly from this story that would be newsworthy for a reporter during Bly’s time. Which one of Bly’s achievements would make a good news story? Teacher will introduce assignment to write a news story about something newsworthy accomplished by a famous American woman. Other examples might include suggesting a story about Amelia Earhart’s solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, a story about Elizabeth Blackwell becoming the first female U.S. doctor, etc.

Closing: Students will write a news style article featuring a famous American woman and can use a template in Microsoft Word or Pages to create a newspaper style format.

Student Assessment: Students will submit drafts of their news articles to the teacher for editing, then make revisions and turn in a final “story” to the teacher for “publication.”

Extending the Lesson: Teacher arranges for a local career woman to visit the class and share how other women have influenced her career decisions.

6th Grade Ancient Greece Lesson Plan

Teachers: Teacher Librarian / 6^th Grade Social Studies Teacher

Subject Area: Social Studies, Ancient Greece

Grade Level: 6^th

Unit Title: Greece

Lesson Title: The Gods of Olympia

Overview: Students will research one God from the Greek Olympians. Students will utilize source location, source evaluation and note taking skills. Students will work in group to synthesize information about the modern legacy of the Olympian God of their choice.

Connection to the Curriculum: In sixth grade, students study world history and geography, specifically ancient civilizations.

Connection to Standards: History Social-Science Content Standards for California, Grade Six, Standard 6.4.4: Explain the significance of Greek mythology to the everyday life of people in the region and how Greek literature continues to permeate our literature and language today, drawing from Greek mythology and epics, such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and from Aesop's Fables.

California Model Library Standards:

Standard 1: Students access information

Standard 2: Students evaluate information

Standard 3: Students use information

Time: Approximately 3 hours.

Materials/Equipment Required: Students will need access to iWork Pages or Microsoft Word for word processing (both programs are available at school). Students will also need at least 2 sources of print or digital information about Greek mythology. Print sources are available in the school library and the teacher and librarian will suggest web sources.

Objectives: Students will learn how the ancient Greeks used mythology to explain the world around them. Students will also gain experience locating, accessing, evaluating and using multiple sources of information. Students will learn to correctly cite source information.

Suggested Procedure: Students should spend about 1 hour gathering information, citing information and taking notes. Students will then meet in groups to compare and share information about their Olympian God. Each group will write a blog entry about their group’s specific God. Students will wrap up the lesson by reading each other’s blog entries.

Opening: Teacher will introduce the assignment by sharing the book Zeus: King of the Gods (book review available at http://picturebooksforbigkids.blogspot.com/2011/07/zeus-king-of-gods.html) by George O’Connor. Teacher will use a document camera to project the graphic illustrations on a large screen for the students to see. Teacher will share the portion of the story where Zeus receives his birthright from his grandmother, Gaea (p.46). Teacher will explain how the King of the Gods “hurling a thunderbolt,” (p. 68) is how the Greeks explained the reason for lightning storms.

Development: Teacher librarian will teach students how to cite sources, as well as introduce print and digital source recommendations. Students will select the Olympian God of their choice and conduct research to find out that God’s Greek and Roman names, the meaning of the name, any special attributes and details about how that particular God or Goddess helped the ancient Greeks understand their world.

Closing: Students form groups based on Gods and Goddesses (the Zeus group, the Poseidon group, the Hera group, etc.). Students share their research notes and together, write a blog entry about their Olympian in which they include examples of any modern day legacies from their Olympian. Teacher will share examples at the time groups form. Example: today, we have the Olympic Games every four years, which began in ancient Greece and were held every four years to honor Zeus.

Student Assessment: Group blogs will be read by all students and the teacher will use the blogs to assess student learning, specifically looking at research findings and students’ ability to synthesize information and apply concept of historical legacy, as well as understanding of origins of Greek mythology.

Extending the Lesson: Students might hold a Greek banquet or their own Olympics.

Additional Resources:

Aliki. (2008). The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus. Paw Prints.

D'Aulaire, I., & D'Aulaire, E. P. (2003). Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire's book of Greek myths. New York: Delacorte.

Smith, C. R., & Russell, P. C. (2009). The mighty 12: Superheroes of Greek myth. New York: Little, Brown.

Vinge, J. D., & Sherman, O. (1999). The Random House book of Greek myths. New York: Random House.