Technology Focus Lesson

Lesson Title

Akiak: Building Background Knowledge

Subject

Reading/ Language Arts

Date

9/24/14

Objectives

Students will be able to acquire background

knowledge on the topic of the Iditarod.
Students will be able to identify new vocabulary
words needed for the story Akiak.
Students will be able to use technology correctly
and effectively to complete given assignments.

Standards
Addressed

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7
Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse
media and formats, including visually and
quantitatively, as well as in words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4
Determine the meaning of general academic and
domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant
to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.7
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or
quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams,
time lines, animations, or interactive elements on
Web pages) and explain how the information
contributes to an understanding of the text in which
it appears.
MTTS:
Standard II: Communication. B. Use technology to
communicate information in a variety of formats
Standard V: Integrating Technology into the
Curriculum and Instruction. Design, implement and
assess learning experiences that incorporate use of
technology in the curriculum-related instructional
activity to support understanding, inquiry, problemsolving, communication or collaboration.

Activity

1. Hand students out a small piece of paper and

2.
3.

4.
5.

6.

7.

ask them to write something, if anything, they

know about the Iditarod. The piece of paper
will have a sled dog on it that students will
write inside of. This is to give students a hint
about what the lesson is going to be about.
There will also be a map of Alaska displayed
on the Smart Board to direct students thinking
as well.
Have students share responses and then keep
the piece of paper with them to return to at
the end of the lesson.
Have students read silently to themselves
Running the Iditarod on anthology pages
26-27 of the Houghton Mifflin Grade 4
Reading textbook to build background and
introduce key vocabulary. (Students who
cannot read the text independently will go to
the back of the classroom with the
instructional aid, who will read aloud the text
to them).
Read the text aloud to students while
students track to make sure everyone
understands the information we just read.
Have students add one thing they learned
from reading that piece of text about the
Iditarod race to their small pieces of paper
they wrote on in the beginning of the lesson.
Split the class into three different groups.
I, Miss Knight, will take the students
who are capable of doing the coming
activities independently to the
computer lab.
Miss Robinson, my mentor teacher, will
take the students who may need some
extra assistance to the open space
computers.
Ms. Martinez, our instructional assistant
will keep the below grade level students
who need the most assistance in the
classroom and do the coming activities
on the Smart Board as a whole group.
Have students log in to computers if they are
using the computers. Students who are
staying in the classroom will gather to the
front of the classroom near the Smart Board.

8. Guide students to the Iditarod Glogster.

Explain to the students what the glog is and
how we will be using it today.
9. Explain to students that they are to follow the
steps on their activity sheet and complete the
questions that go along with each step. Each
step will include something for the students to
do on the glog.
10.
After the allotted time for the glog
activity, have all students come back together
as a whole class.
11.
Ask students to add something to their
small piece of paper that they learned about
the Iditarod.
Accommodatio
ns

Co-teaching
models utilized

During the reading of Running the Iditarod,

students
who
cannot
read
the
text
independently to themselves will go to the
back table in the classroom and follow along
as the instructional aid reads aloud the text.
I, Miss Knight, will take the students who are
capable of doing the coming activities
independently to the computer lab so that
they are able to work at their own pace.
Miss Robinson, my mentor teacher will take
the students who may need some extra
assistance to the open space computers
where she be more available to help guide
them through areas of struggle.
Ms. Martinez, our instructional assistant will
keep the below grade level students who
need the most assistance in the classroom
and do the coming activities on the Smart
Board as a whole group so she is able to read
to the students and they can listen and
complete activities together at the same
pace.

Parallel Teaching- all three teachers will be

facilitating smaller groups of students
simultaneously during the lesson.
Tiered Instruction- all three teachers will be
meeting the needs of different levels of learners in
their small groups.

Assessment

Formal Pre- Assessment: Students were given a

small piece of paper to write anything they already
know about the Iditarod.
Formal Post- Assessment: Students will be asked
to add to the small piece of paper something they
learned about the Iditarod at the end of the lesson.
Informal Post Assessment: Students activity
sheets will be collected and assessed for effort and
completion.