KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Teacher Candidate: Nicole Bowman
Date: Wednesday, September 17th, 2014
Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Kim May
Coop. Initials: K.M.
Group Size: Whole Class
Grade Level: Fourth
Subject or Topic: Social Studies: Pennsylvania History Introduction Allotted Time: 15 minutes

STANDARD(s): 8.2.4.B. Locate historical documents, artifacts, and places critical to

Pennsylvania history.
8.2.4.D.
Distinguish between conflict and cooperation among groups and organization that impacted the
history and development of Pennsylvania
Ethnicity and race
Working conditions
Immigration
Military conflict
Economic stability
8.3.4.B.
Locate historical documents, artifacts, and places critical to United States history.
I.

Performance Objectives

The fourth grade students will be able to

Recognize important people and monuments of Pennsylvania through reading of an informational fiction
text.
II. Instructional Materials

K is for Keystone: A Pennsylvania Alphabet

KWL chart
III. Subject Matter/ Content
Understanding of where Pennsylvania is on the map
Basic understanding of common Pennsylvania facts, such as important monuments and places
IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
Teacher will pass out a KWL chart and say, "Today we are going to talk some more about the
history of Pennsylvania. I want you to look at this chart and think about some things you already
know about Pennsylvania. For example, important cities, popular foods, animals that live in PA
etc. I want you to write at least 5 things that you know about Pennsylvania because you live here."
After about 5 minutes, teacher will say, "Now I want you to write down at least one thing you
want to know about Pennsylvania. This is important because I want to know what questions you
may have so I can answer them when I teach you the next couple of days about Pennsylvania.
Write down one thing you want to know about Pennsylvania."
After a few minutes, teacher will direct students to the carpet.
B. Development
Teacher will read K is for Keystone to the students, stopping frequently to ask questions along the
way.
Teacher will ask after "A", "Who has ever seen a horse and buggy? What town around here is
famous for the Amish people?"
o Lancaster County

Teacher will say after "B", "Bill Cosby is one of the important men in Pennsylvania that we will
be talking about. He made a big impact on many people's lives."
Teacher will ask after "C", "Who has ever been in a coal mine? Why was coaling so important?"
Teacher will read the caption on the side of "G".
Teacher will say after "H", "So, what is the capital of Pennsylvania?"
o Gettysburg
Teacher will read the caption on the side of "K".
Teacher will read the caption on the side of "L".
Teacher will read the caption on the side of "N".
Teacher will ask, "Who has ever heard of Groundhog's Day? Did you know that it all started in
Pennsylvania?"
Teacher will read the caption on the side of "Q".
Teacher will read the caption on the side of "V".
Teacher will read the caption on the side of "X".
Teacher will read the caption on the side of "Y".

C. Closure
Teacher will direct the students back to their seats.
Teacher will say, Now I want you to fill in 4 things you have learned from reading this book
under the section labeled Learned.
Teacher will allow students the remainder of the time to complete this section on the chart.
D. Accommodations / Differentiation
1. Teacher will allow students who have trouble hearing, seeing or staying on task to stay closer to
the teacher on the rug.
2. Teacher will prompt students who seem to be struggling filling in the chart.
E. Assessment/Evaluation plan
1. Formative:
a. KWL chart
b. Teacher will monitor classroom discussion
2. Summative:
a. Test at the end of the unit
V. Reflective Response
A. Report of Students Performance in Terms of States Objectives

Students really seemed to get a firmer grasp on PA and the important things about it. I asked a lot of questions
that were on the pretest after I read through certain sections of the books and most of them knew the answers
when they spoke out in choral response or raised their hands.

B. Personal Reflection
1. How did the lesson go?
a. The lesson all in all went pretty well. The graphic organizer seemed to help them out, but
most of them knew much more about Pennsylvania by making person connections. I also
asked a lot of questions, and repeated them to sort of drill the information into their
minds. There was a much better response to the material after reading this informational
text.
2. What did I do well?
a. As I was reading the book, I would stop frequently and ask the students if they have been
to a certain place, or heard of the people they were mentioning in the book. Students
would often raise their hands to answer the questions or make personal connections to the
story.
3. What could I have done differently?
a. I could have found an extension activity of sorts, but the time limit was very short and I

wanted to make sure that the main points of the lesson came across clearly. The most
important things for them to learn were the capital, state animals and plants, and
important people like William Penn and Benjamin Franklin.
VI. Resources
KWL Chart. (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2014.
o http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/KWL-Chart-1013384
Kane, K., & Knorr, L. (2003). K is for keystone: A Pennsylvania alphabet. Chelsea, Mich.: Sleeping Bear
Press.
Obenchain, K., & Morris, R. (2011). 50 social studies strategies for K-8 classrooms (3rd ed.). Boston:
Pearson.