Indiana Wesleyan University

Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template

Social Studies--2018

Student: Alexis Reichard School: Park Elementary

IWU Supervisor: Professor Alexandra Schuler Co-op Teacher: Mrs. Furnish
Teaching Date: November 28, 2018 Grade Level: Kindergarten

LESSON RATIONALE
Understanding similarities and differences can help students develop their own connections between the
world/other people and themselves.
READINESS
I. Goals/Objectives/Standard(s)
A. Goal: Students will describe similarities and differences between two given items.
B. Objective: Students will identify at least one similarity and one difference between two objects or
people.
C. Standards: NCSS: 1. Culture
K.3.6 Identify and compare similarities and differences in families, classmates, neighbors
and neighborhoods, and ethnic and cultural groups.
II. Management Plan
a. Materials:
- String or hula hoops to make venn diagram
- ‘Find the Differences’ pictures
- Blank papers
- Crayons
- My Favorites page
- Pictures of objects/animals for students to compare in venn diagram
b. Time 40 minutes
Anticipatory Set: 5 minutes
Mini Lesson: 5 minutes
Stations: 24 minutes (6 minutes at each station)
Closure: 5 minutes
c. Space: Students will start in their seats for anticipatory set and mini lesson. The students will
move to four different stations, for 6 minutes each. At the end of the lesson, the students will
return to their seats for the closure
Groups:
- Lela Layla Korbin Alli
- Gavin Skyla Zoey Alontae
- Emily Cole Eiven McKayla
- Liam Selah Caitlyn Vickie

d. Behavior: Set expectations for students at the beginning of the lesson. Give directions for stations
before starting to minimize disruptions and keep students on task. If whole group needs to
refocus or needs more direction, use clap and repeat. Use clip chart as necessary.
III. Anticipatory Set
I’m going to make a statement and if it applies to you then stand up. I’ll give you an example. If I say,
I wear glasses, then I want everyone who wears glasses to stand up. Then, I’ll say sit down and we’ll do
another one. After I say one, I want you to look around but we’re not going to talk a lot after I say each
one. Are you ready to try? Okay, here’s the first one: I am in kindergarten. Look around. Everyone should
 Indiana Wesleyan University
Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Social Studies--2018
be standing. Now sit down so we can do another. I am five years old. Good, sit down. I am six years old. A
lot of six-year-olds in our class! Sit down. I think art is the best special. Sit down. I have younger brothers
or sisters. Sit down. This is the last one. I have older brothers and sisters. Good job everyone! Sit down.
Good job sit down. Did we all stand up all of the time? You’re right because we are not all the same. We
all have some characteristics that are the same but we also have some that are different.
IV. Purpose:
We’re going to talk about similarities and differences to help us learn about ourselves and our
classmates.
PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION
V. Adaptation to Individual Differences and Diverse Learners--
For lower ability students, there is a lot of opportunity for drawing pictures to use as an aid when
discussing similarities and differences (station 3 and 4). In station 2 visuals are included to help students
that need a concrete representation of the two things they are comparing. In station 3, students need to
have a conversation about their pictures. There will be an adult at the table to help guide their
conversation through intentional questions. .Station 4 has picture and word indicators for what the
student needs to draw in each spot. For higher ability students, there is the opportunity to write words on
their ‘my favorites’ page to practice their writing on their own
VI. Lesson Presentation (Input/Output)
Mini Lesson
In the game we played, everyone that stood up at the same time had something in common or similar
between them. Similarities are things that are the same. Put the word “similarity” on the board. Something that
is a similarity with everyone in this class is that you’re all in kindergarten. I have a cat at home, raise your
hand if you have a cat. Having a cat is something similar with everyone that raised their hand. The other word
we are talking about today is differences. So, sometimes not everyone in the class stood up. Sometimes Vickie
was standing, and Lela was sitting. That means they had something different between them. A difference is
something that is not the same. Put the word differences on the board. Mention a student who did not raise their
hand when asked if anyone had a cat. They do not have a cat, but I do. That is a difference between us. Raise
your hand if you have brothers or sisters that are older than you. I do not have any older brothers or sisters. So
that is a difference between me and everyone who has their hand raised. I want to make sure we know what
these words mean before we move on. Who can tell me what the word similarity means? (CFU) call on student.
Yes! It means the same. What about differences, what does that mean? (CFU) call on student. Yes! It means not
the same.
We’re going to practice these new words in stations today. In the word work area, you’re going to get a
paper that has two pictures on it. They look like the same picture but there are 10 differences. I want you to find
the parts that are different and circle them in the pictures. I will be at the table where Mrs. Furnish usually
works with you. We’re going to look at something called a venn diagram. At the writing station, you’re going to
draw a picture of the people you live with at home then show the people in your group. I want you to see if you
have any similarities or differences in the people that live in your house. In the last station, you will get to tell
your group about all about some of your favorite things. And you can find out if anyone in your group has the
same favorites too!
Station 1
Students will be given two pictures and use their crayons to circle the parts that are different.
Station 2
I will lead this station.
I said we would be talking about a venn diagram. A venn diagram is something that can help us show
what is the same and what is different for two objects or people. If I put me on one side of the venn diagram
and Mrs. Furnish on the other side. The side where my picture is are things that are only about me. The side
where Mrs. Furnish’s picture is are only about her. The things that are different about us. There’s also this
part in the middle. This is where we put things that are the same about us. One thing I could put on my side
 Indiana Wesleyan University
Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Social Studies--2018
is that I wear glasses and I would put Mrs. Furnish does not wear glasses on her side. What is something
that is same about me and Mrs. Furnish that we could put in the middle? (CFU) Ask students for ideas.
They could say that we help them learn, we are both working in their classroom, we both teach them things.
We could add more to the differences and similarities too. Let’s try using something else. On this side I will
put a cat (use picture) and on this side a dog (use picture). What is something that’s different about them?
(CFU) students could say the color of their fur, their ears, one is small, one is big. Great observations! How
about something that is the same? (CFU) Students could say they are pets, they have four legs, they have fur
all over their body. If there is still time, repeat with a baseball and a soccer ball.
Station 3
Students will draw a picture of their family. After, or while they finish, they will try to find similarities
and differences with those in their group. I have created a list of questions that can be asked to them by one
of the adults in the room if the students struggle to converse on their own.
Ask one student a question while the group listens then ask the group if they have a similarity or
difference. (CFU)
o How many adults live with you?
o Who are the adults that live with you?
o Do you have siblings?/How many?
o Are there any cousins/grandparents/other relatives that live with you?
o Pets? How many? What kind?
o What are things you do with the people you live with?
Station 4
Students will receive a “My Favorites” sheet and draw/write some of their favorite things. They can look
at their group members papers to find out if they have any the same.

VII. Check for understanding (CFU noted in lesson presentation)

I will listen and take note of students who understand the concept, need more assistance
VIII. Review learning outcomes / Closure
When we started, we talked about two words. Who can tell me what this word is? Point to the
word ‘similarity’ at the front of the room. Call on student. Good job, and what is a similarity? Call
on student. Right! Similarity means the same. In station 4, you filled out a ‘my favorite things’ paper
and tried to find a similarity you had with someone in your group. How many of you had something
similar with someone in your group? Give time for students to raise hands. Tell your table group a
similarity you had with someone else. Give time to make sure all students share.
Point to the word ‘difference.’ Who can tell me what this word is? Call on student. Right, this
says difference, and what is a difference? Call on student. Yes, difference means something that is
not the same. In station 3, you talked about the people you lived with. How many of you had a
difference with someone in your group? Give time for students to raise hands. Tell your table group a
difference you had with someone else. Give time to make sure all students share.
You had the opportunity to learn about your friends today and I’m sure you learned about some
differences you have. You want to be kind to your friends because you already are friends, but we
can’t forget about how to be kind to new people we meet that might be different than us too. We need
to remember that not everyone is the same and we need to still be kind to each other.

PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT

Formative: questioning students and listening for responses during mini lesson about the words similarities and
differences, listening to students at closure share the similarities and differences they found between their group
members during station time
 Indiana Wesleyan University
Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Social Studies--2018
Summative: Notes taken from station 2 – do students understand how to find a difference between
people/animals/objects and can they use the words similarity and difference, find the differences page
completed during stations

REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS

(CAEP K-6 3.b)
1. How many students achieved the lesson objective(s)? For those who did not, why not?
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
3. How should I alter this lesson?
4. How would I pace it differently?
5. Were all students actively participating? If not, why not?
6. What adjustments did I make to reach varied learning styles and ability levels?
Include additional self-answer questions that specifically address unique lesson content, methodology, and
assessment.

Pictures for station 2:

Notes Page for Station 2

Lela Layla Korbin Alli
Similarity Similarity Similarity Similarity

Difference Difference Difference Difference

Gavin Skyla Zoey Alontae

Similarity Similarity Similarity Similarity

Difference Difference Difference Difference

Emily Cole Eiven McKayla

Similarity Similarity Similarity Similarity

Difference Difference Difference Difference

Liam Selah Caitlyn Vickie

Similarity Similarity Similarity Similarity

Difference Difference Difference Difference

 Indiana Wesleyan University
Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Social Studies--2018
 Indiana Wesleyan University
Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Social Studies--2018

____________’s Favorites

Animal