Bridgewater College Teacher Education Program Lesson Plan Name Janna Grandle

Date:
Lesson # 8
Title of Lesson:
Life Size Explorers
Subject Area(s):
Social Studies

Grade Level(s):
Third Grade
VA SOL:
3.3: The student will study the exploration of the Americas by
a) Describing the accomplishments of Christopher Columbus, Juan Ponce de Lon , Jacques Cartier, and Christopher Newport;
b) Identify the reasons for exploring, the information gained, the results of the travels, and the impact of the travels on
American Indians.
3.5: The student will develop map skills by
c) Locating the countries of Spain, England and France;
d) Locating the regions in the Americas explored by Christopher Columbus (San Salvador in the Bahamas), Juan Ponce de
Lon (near St. Augustine, Florida), Jacques Cartier (near Quebec, Canada), and Christopher Newport (Jamestown,
Virginia).

Content Objective(s):
TSWBAT:
Identify important information and accomplishments of an assigned European explorer


IEP Goal/Objective:
Accommodations/
Differentiation
Assessment (based on objectives):
Students will work in Collaborative groups to (4 groups of 5) to create life-size explorers!
Each group will be assigned one of the European explorers in which they will be responsible
for creating, dressing and explaining the importance of their explorer to the rest of the
class.



Materials:
Bulletin board paper
Roll Cards for collaborative learning
Markers
Construction Paper
Glue sticks
Completed Explorer chart for reference
Books about European explorers, giving information and showing how they dressed.


Integration of technology:
Random Group Sorter on the SMARTBoard

Alternative Plan:
If the SMARTBoard doesnt work, we will use cup with popsicle sticks and draw names from the
cup.




Accommodations/
Differentiation
Time
Planned
Anticipatory Set (Hook & Agenda):
The teacher will hold up a model of a herself as a teacher on a piece of paper the word teach will be
in herheart. She will draw herself holding a flag that says, Bridgewater College (where she
received her certification for teaching). She will tell the students, today boys and girls, we are
going to work in collaborative groups to create life size representations of the European Explorers
just as I made a model of myself, as a teacher! We will split up into 4 groups of 5 (groups will be
assigned using a random group sorter on the SMARTBoard), each group will be assigned one of
our explorers of whom you will create a life size model by tracing one of your group members on the
bulletin board paper. In your representation of your explorer you must include who they are, where
they are from the country that sponsored them, the reason for their exploration, their
accomplishments, and any other information you think is important. We have all of the class
today to work on our life-size explorer, then tomorrow, each group will share with the rest of the
class the important information of their assigned explorer. It is your responsibility to teach your
classmates about the explorer you are working on!! This will be a collaborative learning activity, so
each person in your group will need to draw a card to find out your role for this assignment we
will have: a leader, a time keeper, a scribe, a reporter and an organizer!




10
mins.
Access/Review Prior Knowledge:
Boys and girls, lets quickly do a refresher of each of our explorers. (using the cup of popsicle
sticks with students names on them) [teacher draws name] [student A] can you tell me what
year Christopher Columbus discovered a sea route to America? [ 1492]. [student B] can you tell
me what country sponsored Jacques Cartiers voyage? [France]. [student C] Which of the explorers
traveled in search of the Fountain of Youth? [Juan Ponce de Lon]. Which of the explorers landed in
what is now Jamestown, Virginia [Christopher Newport]. Great job! Sounds like we have a good
basis to start forming our life-size explorers.
If student who is
selected from
drawing their
name from the cup
doesnt know the
answer, them may
ask a friend for
help!


3 mins



Teaching Process & Modeling (Content is presented, accessed, or built):
Teacher will say, Boys and girls, please get out your completed Explorer Chart that will help give
you some information about each of the explorers to help get you started. There are books at the
front of the room that you may use, and I will be walking around to help you if you have
questions or cannot find some information for which you are looking.

Teacher will use SMART Board random group selector to create random groups there will be 4
groups of 5 students each.

Art Integration - One person from each group will need to lie on the bulletin board paper and be
traced, then each group will be responsible for creating a life-size explorer outlining the most
important information of that explorer. Each group will have to point out, who their explorer is,
what country they are from, what their reason was for exploring, and some of their most notable
accomplishments during their explorations.


Guided Practice & Checking for Understanding:
Teacher will circulate the room as students create Life Size explorer by tracing one of the group
members on the bulletin board paper and using the paper, markers and other craft supplies to create
a model of their assigned explorer. Teacher will remind students that materials are located all over
the room, and all members of the group should be up and moving around to retrieve materials.
Teacher will also make sure that materials that are not being used are being returned.





Independent Practice:
Exit Pass to be sure that all students participated in the activity, each student will be given an
exit pass in which they are asked to write down one interesting fact about the explorer their group
will be presenting the next class period.


Have
SMARTBoard
turned off when
groups are sorted, if
Talen and Josh are
in the same group
regroup the sort
then show on
screen.








Be sure to make
presence known to
all groups to keep
on track.











40
mins














Allow Chris and
Hailea to verbally
give answer, but
write one short
sentence about their
explorer.





3 mins
Closure:
These life-size explorers look great! I cant wait to hear what you all have to say about them
tomorrow! Now, before we go, I want each of you to turn over your exit pass on the back of your
pass, I want each of you to write the names of your group members. Beside each of your group
members names I want you to score them 0, 1, 2 or 3. 0= did not participate at all, 1= participated
a little, but didnt stay on track or offer ideas, 2= participated and stayed on track, but didnt
offer ideas, 3 = participated, stayed on track and offered ideas.


3 min
Declarative Statement Summary:
Great work today! We reviewed a little bit today about each of the explorers, and now you each
have become an expert about one of the explorers. Tomorrow it will be your job to teach the rest of us
about your explorer, so we can all be experts!


1 min

*Content for this lesson modified from VA Department of Education Enhanced Scope and Sequence