Lesson Plan 1: Types of Curriculum

Due: October 6, 2023

Carson Taylor

Grade 1 Social Studies Lesson Plan:

7 KEY ELEMENTS:
1) Contextual Information

- This lesson plan is designed specifically for a grade one social studies class to help
navigate through the general outcome, “Moving Forward with the Past: My Family, My
History, and My Community”. This would be a good lesson plan for a substitute teacher
to come in and do (if needed), because it doesn’t matter where we are relative to other
course content. That is, students can reflect upon each others’ and their own identities at
any time. The only potential roadblock in regard to timing relative to the school year, is
that students might not know what some key words are such as “traditions” or “identity”.
If that is the case, a simple fix is to have the substitute take a little bit longer in the
introduction and have them introduce these terms.
- Information regarding curriculum content are extracted from the Alberta K-12 curriculum
and can be referenced at the following URL:
https://education.alberta.ca/media/3273004/social-studies-k-6-pos.pdf
- This lesson plan addresses some of the general outcomes across grades such as “culture
and community”, “identity”, and “time, continuity, and change”. These general outcomes
are part of a larger picture wherein these outcomes persist throughout K-6. Simply, these
non-grade-specific skills deepen the understanding of these concepts which are
transferable to future years of learning.
- Prior to this specific lesson, students might have done family heritage inquiry. It is
important for the students to know what their family’s heritage looks like. This can be
explored in prior classes whether that’s constructing a poster of the students’ family trees,
or sending home a survey/worksheet to unveil the families’ historical/cultural
backgrounds. From here, the “I do, we do, you do” technique shall be implemented
wherein I can share some of my family’s traditions, celebrations, and stories. It is also
important that students have learned about what communities are and know what
communities they belong to. Beyond that, it’s a simple reflection on what
celebrations/traditions the students pursue today.
- Putting the individual students’ backgrounds into context is important in future units that
explore other cultures. That is so the students have a foundation to which they can
compare and contrast some similarities between themselves and other groups. This is also
important in establishing a foundation of respect and the acknowledgement for the
practices of some other communities and families, other than their own. An example of
 this might be relevant in a unit where multiculturalism is discussed and students ought to
compare their ways of lives and perspectives with respect to their backgrounds.

2) Goals

- This lesson plan explicitly refers to the curriculum wherein students will demonstrate
their knowledge and understanding of key outcomes such as “culture and community”,
“identity”, and “time, continuity, and change”. This will be done through a historical,
geographical, and sociological approach as students reflect on the impacts of historical
events to which they impact their families.
- The intent of this lesson plan will also work to equip students with implicit
skills/understandings. That is, after students participate in this lesson, there ought to be an
increase in cultural and historical empathy, respect, and acknowledgement of the
differences (between one another). This will also contribute to the individual’s sense of
pride regarding their heritage and identity.

3) Materials and Resources

- This lesson plan requires minimal materials and resources. Simply, the teacher will need
to provide one piece of blank paper to every student (set it on their desks/tables) before
starting. Also, have a bucket of assorted color crayons or markers that students can
pick from to complete their murals. Also ensure that students have pencils for the second
part of the activity where they write their comparisons on the back of their murals. Other
than that, the only resources required is the teacher having a whiteboard with an
erasable marker to demonstrate the activity in front of the class.

4) Instructional Strategies

- This lesson plan uses the “I do, we do, you do” instructional strategy. “I do” and “we do”
will be done in a group gathering wherein the teacher is at the front of the class with
students seated around the teacher. Following this, students return back to their tables and
engage in the “you do” part of the lesson. This is when students individually work to
draw their own murals. Then, we do a collaborative activity afterwards where students
move around the class and interact with one another at random to identify three
similarities and 3 differences between their murals.

5) Timing, Sequencing, and Transitions

- To see how long each phase of this lesson plan will take, please refer to the detailed
lesson plan designed for a 45-minute class. The lesson plan provided in this document
 goes into detail as to how long the class should take on certain activities and when the
teacher should intervene. My example was modeled off a class starting at 9:00am.
- For the specific order of each component of this lesson plan, please refer to the detailed
lesson plan attached in this document. The order of which these components take place is
not flexible as the steps are prerequisites to one another. That said, the teacher can use
their own discretion as to how much time they feel like is needed in each stage of the
lesson plan. That is, if they feel like they need to elaborate more in a specific stage to
ensure greater understanding amongst the class, they will just have to be more quick and
precise in the following stage(s) (to make up for that time). The timing is flexible as long
as students are given sufficient time to finish their murals.
- In regards to transitioning, the teacher should be precise in their communication to the
students. That is, inform the students that they will be given X amount of minutes on a
certain task. As they complete it, remind them when they are getting close to needing to
move on. If desired, the teacher can even supplement their lesson with a visual timer on
the smartboard so students can refer to it as they work. When it’s time to switch, the
teacher might use ques such as “clap 1 time if you can hear me” to divert the class’
attention to the teacher. This is when the teacher gives the following instructions and
changes gears.
- As mentioned above, it's important to consider possible variables regarding
timing/transitioning. Consider the learning abilities of your students. How easily do they
digest instructions? How fast or slow do they complete given tasks? These are important
questions that one must ask themself before going through with this plan. If a teacher’s
judgment suggests that students are very good with instructions, they can get an early
start on the following phase. This is effective because it can give the students extra time
to work, or put the teacher ahead of the schedule in the event of any other unforeseen
circumstances arising.

6) Key Prompts and Instructions

- To see when instruction and information is being presented to the class, please refer to the
detailed lesson plan. Briefly, instruction is given in the “I do” and “we do” stages of this
project wherein students encounter “scaffolding”. We slowly progress away from
instruction as the lesson plan continues. Basic instruction on how to complete this
assignment will be delivered at this time, as well as information regarding an elaboration
on key topics. Simply, elaborate on words such as “community”, “tradition”, “identity”,
and so on.
- Teachers are to use verbal questions to guide students’ work/learning various times
throughout the lesson. Refer to the detailed lesson plan to see when these are used. It is
also important to ask a series of questions that ensure students remain on task. An
example of this might just be as simple as asking the class to repeat what you want them
 to do back to you. This ensures that everyone is onboard and no one is unclear about the
expectations. Some examples of some ques/questions that’ll guide learning are:
- “What communities do you belong to?”
- “What are some examples of traditions that your family practices”
- “What is something different between your mural and your neighbor’s mural? The
same?”

- Students will know what to do at certain times as the teacher walks through each stage
with them until they are finally set free to work on their own. The teacher can also choose
to supplement the lesson with a visual timer for students to refer to as to how long they
get to work on a certain piece. That is, when students are given ten minutes to make their
own murals, there could be a timer on the board. Once the timer goes off, the teacher is to
divert the class's attention back to them and then explain the next set of instructions.

7) Assessment

- It is important to be clear on assessment strategies and be transparent with the students. In

this case, students and the teacher should understand the art itself isn’t necessarily what’s
being assessed. Rather, it should be noted that it’s the content on the page that is being
assessed. So as a teacher, one should be looking for accurate and historical “traditions”
and “celebrations” that ultimately shape one’s identity. Further, the comparison on the
back side of the page is important to the assessment too. The teacher ought to ask
themselves “is this student’s mural reflective of their sense of belonging in their
communities and family?”. Simply, we are looking for a reflection on oneselves
(historical) past and how tradition may influence them today. Sufficient scores are given
out when the student demonstrates the acknowledgment and representation of identity
shaping traditions or celebrations or (historical) stories that shapes who they are today.
Also, the contrasting and comparison piece must be included with 3
similarities/differences. Since it is a reflective project afterall, the assessor should ensure
it remains formative to get a grasp on how the classroom body is understanding some of
these key concepts.
- A teacher can ensure that all students are in a position to demonstrate their learning by
the use of scaffolding. That is, the “I do, we do, you do” method gives students some
insight on what their projects might look like. Going through a couple of examples
followed up with some thought-provoking and individualized questions, will encourage
students to reflect on their identity seamlessly. While some students may not get a hold of
the concept right away, the teacher is to go around the classroom during their work time.
This is important because the teacher can work one on one with some who may be
struggling to think of what to draw. The teacher can then follow up with struggling
students by asking guiding questions but not giving the answer straight up. Another
foreseeable accommodation that students may require is that they might request to write
out their components instead of drawing pictures. If they don’t like to draw, encourage
them to make a tiny/insignificant sketch, and then just have them write out what it is
below the sketch. This is because we as teachers are ultimately looking for a
demonstration of learning instead of artwork in particular (although ideal).
 DETAILED LESSON PLAN:

● This lesson plan will have students analyze how their families and communities in the
present are influenced by events or people of the past by exploring and reflecting upon
the following question for inquiry:

• What are some examples of traditions, celebrations and stories that started in the past
and continue today in their families and communities?

9:00am
Introduction to the theme. Start by gathering students in front of the whiteboard, sitting on the
floor together. Have students consider the question “what are some examples of traditions,
celebrations, and stories that started in the past and continue today in your families and
communities?”. Describe what the assignment will be. That is, explain that students will work
individually on creating their own “mural” to which they will draw images or symbolic
representations of traditions/celebrations/stories that they attend in their families and
communities.

9:05am
First stage: I will ask the class to take a moment to consider some of their family practices and
stories. After about a minute, the following prompt will be to consider what communities the
students belong to. Then, consider some of those practices. Relate this to the formation of
identity within an individual.

9:10am
Start to implement the “I do, we do, you do” by beginning with “I do”. The teacher shares a few
celebrations/traditions/stories by explaining them to the class then drawing sketches on the
whiteboard to represent each one. Explain how this is significant to an individual’s identity and
what impacts a historical event has had on the formation of this celebration or story. For
example, I would draw a picture of a Christmas tree and explain to my class the importance of
Christmas in my family and how we celebrate it while touching on its historical importance.

9:15am
This is when we transition into the “we do” stage. The teacher prompts the class with the
question, “what are some of your family's stories or traditions?”. Collect 3-4 examples from the
students. When the students provide an answer, follow up with a question asking how we could
maybe represent this tradition or story in a drawing. When the class comes up with an idea,
quickly sketch this onto the board. For example, if a student says “my family does indigenous
chicken dances”, create an illustration on the board of people dancing to music in their
colorful/traditional outfits.
9:25am
Now that we have done a couple of examples on the board together, have the students return to
their desks where they have a piece of paper to create their “mural” on. Explain to the students
that you will give them 10 minutes to use crayons and the blank paper provided to draw what
they think forms their identity while considering the historical development of celebrations,
traditions, and stories. Have students start promptly at 9:25 and have them work on their murals
until 9:35. While the students start to draw their pictures, it is important to monitor their work
and walk around the room. Feel free to roam and stop in to check on certain students and ask
questions. Also, take note of any students who are struggling and provide them scaffolding via
thought-provoking questions.

9:35am
Ensure that the students stop drawing their murals at 9:35. At this time, deliver the following
instructions. These instructions are to “now compare your murals with your classmates’. I want
you all to walk around the room and find 3 celebrations/traditions/stories that you have in
common with your classmates and record your responses. Also, find 3 that are different from that
of your own and record your responses. Write these similarities and differences on the back side
of the page you drew your murals on. This is a good way to compare and contrast your
representations of identity.” This part of the activity is important to the implicit curriculum of
building pride for one’s identity whilst gaining empathy, respect, and acknowledging the
differences of students’ backgrounds. It is expected that students will be able to identify many
similarities and differences. A multicultural classroom will present a wide range of differences
especially depending on backgrounds. This should take the students right up until the end of
class at 9:45. At 9:40 it is important to reiterate that students need to be recording the similarities
with their classmates. Also, students will likely come up to the teacher asking for help with
spelling/writing, so be ready to help them as they gather their similarities and differences.

9:45am
As class comes to a close, collect all of the students’ murals with their lists of similarities and
differences (written on the back side of the page).
 LESSON PLAN OVERVIEW (FOR CLASSROOM USE):
*This is a shortened version of the lesson plan above that teachers might carry around the
classroom to work as a guide. Please refer to the detailed lesson plan for more.*

9:00am - Introduction

What are “traditions, celebrations, and stories”? Introduce mural project.

9:05am - Questioning

Consider identity formation from family and communities.

9:10am - “I do”

I do a sample “mural” about my identity on the whiteboard.

9:15am - “We do”

Survey students about their traditions, then illustrate on the whiteboard.

9:25am - “You do”

Students go to their tables and work on their murals. Roam classroom.

9:35am - “Compare & contrast”

Students find 3 similarities and 3 differences amongst each other.

9:45am - Class ends

Collect everyone’s murals (with comparisons on the back).

 WRITTEN STATEMENT:

Starting with how this lesson plan addresses explicit curricular outcomes, students will
represent their values and attitudes regarding past stories and events connected to their present
life. That is, they acknowledge and respect symbols of their heritage by demonstrating their
knowledge and understanding through providing personal examples. Directly, this relates to the
general outcomes across all grades wherein students address those of, “Culture and Community”,
“Identity”, and “Time, Continuity, and Change”. Students will also interact with specific areas of
social studies to help construct their mural. While everyone will be able to interact with the
historical category, it is likely that students will also relate their traditions/identity formation to
sociology and geography (especially, but not exclusively, for immigrant or refugee students).
These explicit outcomes are shown through direct representation of knowledge via “mural”
making. In the process of making their murals, students ought to reflect on their heritage in order
to further draw them.

As the class transitions into the second part of the class where they find three similarities
and three differences amongst classmates, students will cover implicit curricula. Not only will
this activity encourage students to meet the outcomes of implicit curricula such as internal
acceptance of diversity, but it will also teach children about pride. This lesson is an opportunity
for kids to discover their heritage to which they should proudly represent themselves and how
their history has impacted their identity today. In comparing murals, I think that a sense of pride
can be extracted from this too as we can be proud to foster such a multicultural environment here
in Canada where we celebrate differences. This is an extension of already stated implicit
curricula such as historical/cultural respect and empathy, as we unite as “Canadians” upon these
differences.

In regard to null curricula, we as teachers should try to keep anything

historically/politically driven to a minimum. Students who might have some insight on one’s
family’s migration patterns as a result of wars and conflicts might be keen to start expanding on
their heritage. While important to the individual, students from other backgrounds might start to
“take sides” and feel resentment toward one another, or simply not be ready to discuss sensitive
topics as such at a young age. These topics are null because they are likely too touchy for an
appropriate degree of empathy and understanding at a young age. One can imagine how an
interaction might escalate between an indigenous student and a european (settler) student if they
start talking about historical impacts of culture/tradition/identity. While this might seem
conflicting to the purpose of the assignment (to explore your own heritage and that of others), try
to keep it surface level for this age group. Simply have students state what they celebrate and
that’s it. Students can elaborate in future years with increased sensitivity and understanding.
 Together, this lesson plan is effective in meeting both explicit and implicit outcomes
whilst maintaining the absence of null curricula.