LESSON 6: WHAT CAN WE DO?

OVERVIEW
Objectives
o K The students will know different ways individuals can stop racism.
o U The students will understand that they can help make a change in their own
community.
o D The students will be able to create inspirational monuments to empower their
community to take responsibility for our actions.

SOLS
Virginia Studies
VS.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and
responsible citizenship, including the ability to
a) identify and interpret artifacts and primary and secondary source documents to
understand events in history;
b) determine cause-and-effect relationships;
c) compare and contrast historical events;
d) draw conclusions and make generalizations;
e) make connections between past and present;
f) sequence events in Virginia history;
g) interpret ideas and events from different historical perspectives;
h) evaluate and discuss issues orally and in writing;
i) analyze and interpret maps to explain relationships among landforms, water
features, climatic characteristics, and historical events.
VS.9 The student will demonstrate knowledge of twentieth- and twenty-first-century
Virginia by
a) describing the economic and social transition from a rural, agricultural society
to a more urban, industrialized society, including the reasons people came to
Virginia from other states and countries;
b) identifying the impact of Virginians, such as Woodrow Wilson and George C.
Marshall, on international events;
c) identifying the social and political events in Virginia linked to desegregation
and Massive Resistance and their relationship to national history;
d) identifying the political, social, and/or economic contributions made by Maggie
L. Walker; Harry F. Byrd, Sr.; O
VS.10 The student will demonstrate knowledge of government, geography, and
economics by
a) identifying the three branches of Virginia government and the function of each;

b) describing the major products and industries of Virginias five geographic

regions;
c) explaining how advances in transportation, communications, and technology
have contributed to Virginias prosperity and role in the global economy.
Communication
4.1 The student will use effective oral communication skills in a variety of settings.
a) Present accurate directions to individuals and small groups.
b) Contribute to group discussions across content areas.
c) Seek ideas and opinions of others.
d) Use evidence to support opinions.
e) Use grammatically correct language and specific vocabulary to communicate
ideas.
f) Communicate new ideas to others.
g) Demonstrate the ability to collaborate with diverse teams.
h) Demonstrate the ability to work independently.
4.2 The student will make and listen to oral presentations and reports.
a) Use subject-related information and vocabulary.
b) Listen to and record information.
c) Organize information for clarity.
d) Use language and style appropriate to the audience, topic, and purpose.
Reading
4.4 The student will expand vocabulary when reading.
a) Use context to clarify meanings of unfamiliar words.
b) Use knowledge of roots, affixes, synonyms, antonyms, and homophones.
c) Use word-reference materials, including the glossary, dictionary, and thesaurus.
d) Develop vocabulary by listening to and reading a variety of texts.
e) Use vocabulary from other content areas.
4.6 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts.
a) Use text structures, such as type, headings, and graphics, to predict and
categorize information in both print and digital texts.
b) Formulate questions that might be answered in the selection.
c) Explain the authors purpose.
d) Identify the main idea.
e) Summarize supporting details.
f) Draw conclusions and make simple inferences using textual information as
support.
g) Distinguish between cause and effect.
h) Distinguish between fact and opinion.
i) Use prior knowledge and build additional background knowledge as context for
new learning.
j) Identify new information gained from reading.

k) Use reading strategies throughout the reading process to monitor

comprehension.
l) Read with fluency and accuracy.
Writing
4.7 The student will write cohesively for a variety of purposes.
a) Identify intended audience.
b) Focus on one aspect of a topic.
c) Use a variety of pre-writing strategies.
d) Organize writing to convey a central idea.
e) Recognize different modes of writing have different patterns of organization.
f) Write a clear topic sentence focusing on the main idea.
g) Write two or more related paragraphs on the same topic.
h) Use transition words for sentence variety.
i) Utilize elements of style, including word choice and sentence variation.
j) Revise writing for clarity of content using specific vocabulary and information.
k) Include supporting details that elaborate the main idea.
Research
4.9 The student will demonstrate comprehension of information resources to research a
topic.
a) Construct questions about a topic.
b) Collect information from multiple resources including online, print, and media.
c) Use technology as a tool to organize, evaluate, and communicate information.
d) Give credit to sources used in research.
e) Understand the difference between plagiarism and using own words.
Science
4.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the
nature of science by planning and conducting investigations in which
a) distinctions are made among observations, conclusions, inferences, and
predictions;
b) objects or events are classified and arranged according to characteristics or
properties;
c) appropriate instruments are selected and used to measure length, mass, volume,
and temperature in metric units;
d) appropriate instruments are selected and used to measure elapsed time;
e) predictions and inferences are made, and conclusions are drawn based on data
from a variety of sources;
f) independent and dependent variables are identified;
g) constants in an experimental situation are identified;
h) hypotheses are developed as cause and effect relationships;
i) data are collected, recorded, analyzed, and displayed using bar and basic line
graphs;
j) numerical data that are contradictory or unusual in experimental results are
recognized;

k) data are communicated with simple graphs, pictures, written statements, and
numbers;
l) models are constructed to clarify explanations, demonstrate relationships, and
solve needs; and
m) current applications are used to reinforce science concepts.
Fine Arts
Grade K-4 Music Standard 4

Students create and arrange music to accompany readings or dramatizations

Students create and arrange short songs and instrumental pieces within specified
guidelines (e.g., a particular style, form, instrumentation, compositional technique)

Students use a variety of sound sources when composing

Grade K-4 Visual Arts Standard 1

Students know the differences between materials, techniques, and processes

Students describe how different materials, techniques, and processes cause

different responses

Students use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas,

experiences, and stories

Students use art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner
Grade K-4 Visual Arts Standard 2

Students know the differences among visual characteristics and purposes of art in
order to convey ideas

Students describe how different expressive features and organizational principles

cause different responses

Students use visual structures and functions of art to communicate ideas

Grade K-4 Visual Arts Standard 5

Students understand there are various purposes for creating works of visual art

Students describe how people's experiences influence the development of specific

artworks

Students understand there are different responses to specific artworks

Materials
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Recycled Materials
Glue
String
Tape
Sticky notes
Worksheets
Styrofoam (to mount sculptures on)
Hot glue gun (to mount sculptures with teachers should be using this ONLY)

Technology
o Laptops

PLANNED INSTRUCTIONAL STATEGIES

Hook
o Pass out one sticky note to each student
o Snowball activity: Ask students, What are some things that we can do to prevent
racism and discrimination in our schools?
o Give the students several minutes to jot down their thoughts
o After the time is up, ask the students to crumple up their sticky note and throw it
across the room in any direction
o Tell students to now pick up a different sticky note then their own and read it with
their table group
o Discuss whether you agree or disagree with the different solutions their peers
came up with
o Would they add or change anything to that solution?

Tasks/Methods/Strategies
o Explain to the class that today they are going to take these ideas and further
expand them
o The field trip they just had was all about inspiring monuments
o Final Project In groups of 4, create a monument out of recycled materials that
could be displayed in DC. It could represent a person and their contributions that
your group was truly inspired by. Or it could depict an event that happened that
you feel the need for people to see.
o Along with your monument, create an explanation to go along with it. Your
explanation could be in the form of a
o Essay
o Song
o Video
o Poster
o The explanation must include what or who it is, the importance of this person or
event, the reason why the group chose it and what they hope others would feel or
do after seeing it.
o After explaining the final project to the students, brainstorm some ideas as a class
on what they could make their monuments out of.
o Spilt the class into pre-assigned groups of 4 with varying learning profiles.
o Have each group spilt up responsibilities with the jobs and responsibilities
worksheet.

o Next, give students time to plan out who they want to do their project on and why
o Students can now draft their monument but it must be looked over by the teacher
because they can start construction.
o After getting it approved, students can start on their monument and their
explanations.
o While students are working, make sure to walk around and check on their
progress.
o When all projects are finished, turn the classroom into a museum.
o Display their monuments along with their explanations on the side
o Invite parents, and other faculty members to visit the museum
o As attendees walk around to look at their monuments, students will be
there to explain their inspiration from what they learned throughout the
unit

Closure
o Call all students back onto the carpet
o Divide a piece of chart paper into a peace sign with three sections
o On one section draw a small eye, on the next section draw a small ear, and on the
third section draw a small hand
o On each section discuss with the class what a world without racism and
discrimination would look like (eye), sound like (ear), and feel like (hand).
o Display the poster in the class as a reminder

ASSESSMENTS
Pre-Assessment
o Snowball activity

Formal and/or Informal Assessments

o Students Monuments
o Guiding worksheets
o Closing discussion on what a world without racism would look like

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES
o Visual
o Planning the monument by drawing it out first can utilize this learners
skills.

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o Project Option: Poster

Kinesthetic
o Building the monument is a very hands on approach to the lesson
Musical
o Project Option: Song
Interpersonal
o Students are working in groups of 4, which allows for an abundance of
interaction.
Intrapersonal
o By dividing up roles, students who are these types of learner are able to
work on their role independently but also are given the chance to
collaborate.
Linguistic
o Project Option: Essay and Video
o Closing Discussion

DIFFRENTIATION
o Content Interests: Students are able to pick who they want to create their
monument on.
o Process Learning Profile: Students can either work on the monument if they
want a hands on experiment or work on the explanation.
Product Learning Profile: Students have a variety of choices to pick from to present
their explanation for their monument