Social Studies Lesson Plan

Teacher: Samantha VanInwegen

Subject: Social Studies

Grade: 5th Grade

Title of Lesson or Activity: Civil War Leaders Project

Learning Objectives:
Understand What are the
broad generalizations the
students should begin to
develop?
U1
The student will
understand what roles
these civil war leaders
played in the Civil War.

Know What are the facts,

rules, specific data the
students will gain through
this lesson?
K1
The student will know who
Abraham Lincoln was and
his role in the Civil War.

Do What are the specific

thinking behaviors students
will be able to do through
this lesson?
D1
The student will identify
Civil War leaders.

K2
The student will know who
Jefferson Davis was and his
role in the Civil War.
K3
The student will know who
Ulysses S. Grant was and
his role in the Civil War.
K4
The student will know who
Robert E. Lee was and his
role in the Civil War.
K5
The student will know who
Thomas Stonewall
Jackson was and his role in
the Civil War.
K6
The student will know who
Frederick Douglass was and
his role in the Civil War.

D2
The student will create art
by brainstorming, planning,
refining, and reflecting.
D3
The student will give an
effective oral presentation.

Standards of Learning:
Social Studies
SOL USI.9: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the causes, major events,
and effects of the
Civil War by
d) describing the roles of Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant,
Robert E. Lee,
Thomas Stonewall Jackson, and Frederick Douglass in
events leading to and during the
war.
English
SOL 5.2: The student will use effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills
to deliver planned oral presentations.

a)
d)
e)
g)

Maintain eye contact with listeners.

Use posture appropriate for communication setting.
Determine appropriate content for audience.
Summarize main points as they relate to main idea or supporting details.

SOL 5.6: The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts.
c) Skim materials to develop a general overview of content and to locate
specific information.
g) Locate information to support opinions, predictions, and conclusions.
SOL 5.9: The student will find, evaluate, and select appropriate resources for a
research product.
a) Construct questions about a topic.
b) Collect information from multiple resources including online, print, and
media.
Fine Arts
SOL 5.1: The student will use steps of the art-making process, including
brainstorming,
preliminary sketching, planning, reflecting, and refining, to
synthesize ideas for and create works
of art.
Materials:
Day 1
PowerPoint about Civil War Leaders
Civil War leader cards
Planning Sheet
Information sheets about Civil War leaders
Books about Civil War leaders
Day 2
Craft Supplies (construction paper, markers, crayons, colored pencils, watercolor
paints, etc.)
Books about Civil War leaders
Day 3
Rubric
Graphic Organizers
Sticky Notes
Procedure:
Day 1
1. On the first day, I will show the students a brief PowerPoint about Civil War leaders
to give them an idea of who each of the leaders are.
2. Then, I will explain what they will be doing for their project. For this project, the
students will work with a partner and pick a Civil War leader. They will read about
their Civil War leader and create whatever they want to present to the class. Their
project must include two important facts about that leader during the Civil War and
one thing that they thought was interesting. The students have free choice in
deciding what to do. They can make a collage, draw a picture, create a model, etc.

I will help guide the students who do not have an idea of what to do and make sure
that by the end of the lesson, they have an idea.
3. I will then let the students pick their partner, making sure that everyone has a
partner. I will remind the students that they should pick a partner that is a good
choice for them. There may need to be some groups of three. If a student is absent
that day, I will assign that student a partner/group with people he/she would have
chosen to be with. After everyone has a partner, I will have them pick a card that
will tell them what leader they are doing their project on. Then, I will give them a
planning sheet and tell them to start making a plan. I will emphasize the fact that
they will only have one day to complete this project, so they cannot make
something too elaborate or plan for too long. They will have to use their time
wisely.
4. After they have decided which leader to do, they will get an information sheet
about their leader.
5. Then, the students will begin planning and researching their leaders.
Day 2
1. On the second day, the students will have the entire class period to work on their
projects. We will go to the maker space lab in the school so that they have access
to materials to use and I will also bring in various craft materials that may not be
provided in the maker space lab.
Day 3
1. On the last day, I will give the students five minutes to meet with their partner and
make any last touches on their presentation.
2. Then, each partnership will present their project. While the students are
presenting, the others will be filling in a graphic organizer about each leader. The
students will therefore need to pay attention to each presentation. During
presentations, I will be grading the students based on the rubric.
3. At the end, the students will complete an exit ticket (Who was the most
interesting leader to you and why?).
Differentiation Strategies:
Interest: The students will be given choice in what they do, so that they are more
likely to be interested and active in their learning. Students will also have choice in
who they work with.
Learning Preferences: The students will be able to choose what they make so they
can choose something that is better suited to them.
English Language Proficiency: The two students who are ELLs will have help from
the ESL teacher during this project.
Early Finishers: Early finishers will be encouraged to reflect on their work and refine
what they think needs to be refined. If they have done that, they can make a
choice. They can either pick another leader and read about him or they can write
about the person they picked.
Struggling Learners: I will look out for students who are struggling to meet
objectives and I will help scaffold. I will also have an information sheet for each
leader that has important facts underlined to help guide the student.
Assessment:
Observations

Graphic Organizers
Project
Presentation Exit Ticket

Instructional Strategies:
Grouping Techniques

Partners
Whole Group

Blooms Taxonomy

Remembering
Understanding
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Creating

21st Century Skills

Collaboration
Communication
Creativity and Innovation

Other

Cross-Curricular (Social Studies, English, and Fine Arts)