MSMU Lesson Plan Format

Grade/Class/Subject: Social Studies Teacher: Jessica Ecung

Time/Duration of the lesson: 45-60 minutes

English Language Proficiency of Students: The English language proficiency of students ranges from
native English speakers to Expanding EL students.

California Content Standards:

2.1 Students differentiate between things that happened long ago and things that happened yesterday.

1. Trace the history of a family through the use of primary and secondary sources, including artifacts,
photographs, interviews, and documents.
2. Compare and contrast their daily lives with those of their parents, grandparents, and/or guardians.
3. Place important events in their lives in the order in which they occurred (e.g., on a time line or
storyboard).

Enduring Understandings:
Students will understand that all families are unique and do not look the same.

Essential Knowledge/Skills:
This lesson would introduce the big idea/ unit topic of Connecting the Past to the Present. In order to
better understand the big idea, we would use familial connections to understand time. Students would first
be introduced to the concept of diverse families. They would need to understand all families do not look
the same to reflect upon their own family and learn about their classmate’s family. During the following
lessons, we would then examine artifacts (family recipes, photographs, games, etc.) from the past and
compare them to the present and create a timeline.

Higher-Order Questions:
What makes your family unique?

Observable Outcomes Assessment/Checking for Understanding

What do you want students to learn? What evidence will you gather/look for?
Content Objectives:
-Students will be able to describe (drawn and/or -Each student will create a poster detailing what
written) what makes their family unique. makes their family unique.

Academic Language Objectives:

-Students will be able to identify family member’s -Listening to students’ language as they work on
title in relation to themself. (Mom, dad, cousin, their poster and when they present.
etc.) -Reading what students wrote on the poster.
-Students will use the sentence frame: My family is
unique because…
Key Vocabulary: Supplementary Materials:
-Family titles: mom, dad, auntie, uncle, cousin, -“My Family, Your Family” by Lisa Bullard
stepdad, stepmom, etc. -Construction/ Poster paper
-Marriage -Markers
-Divorce -Tape
-Adopted

Technology in Support of Teaching/Learning: Technology in Support of Learning:

N/A N/A

Anticipated Misunderstandings/Difficulties:
-Students might just draw anything on the poster and not remember to think about what makes their
family special. I would ask the student to refocus and remember they are drawing/writing about what
makes their family unique.
-Some students might get stuck and will not know what to draw. I would ask the student to think about
what they do on the weekends, does your family have a favorite team or does your family love board
games.

Element Rationale*
Describe what will happen-what will teacher and/or Describe why you chose to do it this way.
students do
Pre-Assessment of Students’ Knowledge or Ability:
-I would have students draw their family and to label -I would be able to learn about the family
each person (mom/stepmom/girlfriend, dynamic of my students before teaching and
dad/stepdad/boyfriend, sister, brother, cousin, etc.) talking about a sensitive topic.

LESSON SEQUENCE
Instruction to Support Learning:
-Students will be able to relate to the content because
most have a family or a support system.
-The vocabulary from this lesson and future lessons will -A graphic organizer will create a visual and
be displayed using a graphic organizer. can be used a reference for students.
-This is the introductory lesson which will help scaffold
content.
-The students are working individually during this
lesson.

Structured Student Learning Activities:

-Each student will create a poster detailing what makes
their family unique.

Instruction:
1. Students will be sitting on the carpet while I read -This would help support auditory and visual
aloud “My Family, Your Family” by Lisa Bullard to the learners.
class. I would also show the students the pictures on
each page as I read.
2- When finished reading ask students if any of the -Graphic organizer
words in the book confused them. Write the word down,
explain it and add it to the graphic organizer.
3-Ask students what they thought about the book.
Students might reply with: The girl went to different
houses or she saw different families.
4- Then say: After reading about different families, what -Writing a sentence frame on the board create
makes your family unique? Define unique if needed. a visual and helps EL students and the rest of
Give students about 30 seconds to really think about it. the class.
5- Write the sentence frame on the board: My family is
unique because…
6- Model it: My family is unique because we always -Modeling
cheer for the Los Angeles Lakers.
7- Call on a couple of students.
8- Explain they will each have a piece of paper and
markers. They will write what makes their family unique
on the paper using the sentence frame. Then they will
draw a picture of it.
9- Send students to their desk and give them about 20-30 -Giving students space yet support if they
minutes to complete the writing and drawing. Walk need it (ICA class)
around the room to monitor and answer questions.
10- When students are done, students will be encouraged
to share their work with the class using the sentence
frame.
11- Once the students have shared, we would discuss -Glaser: students learn 70% of what they
what is the same and different about their families. They discuss
might require some guidance to realize all of their
families are different.
12- Give each student a piece of tape to put their poster
on a wall.

DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION

Differentiating Instruction for an English learner:

- Depending on their proficiency they will be provided - Accommodations are available for the
with more visuals or the academic language can be student to participate with the class.
further explained to them.

Differentiating Instruction for a focus student with

Special Needs: - Accommodations are available for the
- Depending on their needs, the lesson can be modified student to participate with the class.
to best support them.
Differentiating Instruction for a focus student needing
social-emotional and academic support: - Accommodations are available for the
-Depending on the needs and student’s behavior, the student to participate with the class.
teacher will accommodate the student.

Differentiating Instruction
-For the student who “gets it”, I would challenge them - Accommodations are available for the
to expand upon the prompt: What makes their family student to participate with the class.
unique? They could write a couple of sentences or a
paragraph further explaining the topic.

Post-Assessment:
-The evidence will be the students’ posters containing
the sentence frame.
-The student’s presentation and class discussion will
also provide evidence of student understanding.

Extension:
This is just the introductory lesson. During the following
lessons, we would then examine artifacts (family
recipes, photographs, games, etc.) from the past and
compare them to the present and create a timeline.

*Theories that might be useful for rationales (Note: You may wish to refer to your “toolbox” for helpful
resources further explaining below):
Theories related to the work of Gardner, Vygotsky, Bloom, etc.
Universal Design for Learning: Multiple means of representation; Multiple means of action & expression;
Multiple means of engagement.(the what, how, and why of learning)
Five E’s: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate