Inquiry Lesson

Mini Lesson Format
Name: Kathryn Woon
Social Studies Grade Level Content Standard:
4.2 Students describe the major social, political, cultural and
economic life and interactions among the people of
California from the pre-Columbian societies to the Spanish
mission and Mexican rancho periods in terms of:
3. Describe the daily lives of the people, native and
nonnative, who occupied the presidios, missions, ranchos,
and
pueblos.
ELA Language Objective: Students in Grade 4 will use their
research skills to identify information about Spanish Missions.
Students will collaborate orally with peers and will use a variety of
resources to gather information.
ELA Content Objective: During this lesson, students in grade 4 will
practice the English language during oral and written
communication in a group of his/her peers. Students will engage
with various texts, pictures, and multimedia during their inquiry.
Cog. Taxonomy/DOK Levels
• Remembering: Students will review Social Studies
journal to ignite background knowledge.
• Understanding: Students will respond to directed review
questions.
• Apply: Using their Social Studies Journals, students will
collectively write out facts and draw conclusions.
• Evaluate: Students will be evaluated by their drawings
and accuracy of their written responses on the poster
board. Students will also be individually be evaluated
through writing an essay.
• Create: Students will work together to create a poster
board to be placed on the bulletin board.
Grade Level: 4
ELD Standards:
Collaborative:
1. Exchanging information and ideas with others through oral
collaborative discussions on a range of social and academic
topics
2. Interacting with others in written English in various
communicative forms (print, communicative, techonology, multi-
media)
Interpretive:
7. Evaluating how well writers and speakers use language to
support ideas and opinions with details or reasons depending on
modality, text type, purpose, audience, topic, and content area
Productive:
9. Expressing information and ideas in formal oral presentations
on academic topics
10. Writing literary and informational texts to present, describe,
and explain ideas and information, using
appropriate technology
ELD Language Objective for Grade Level
RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when
explaining what the text says explicitly and when and when
drawing inferences from the text.
RI.4.2: Determine the main idea of a text and explain how
it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
RI.4.9: Integrate information from two texts on the same
topic in order to write or speak about the subject
knowledgeably.
RI.4.10: By the end of year, read and comprehend
informational texts, including history/social studies,
science, and technical texts, in the grades 4–5 text
complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at
the high end of the range.
W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge
through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
W.4.8. Recall relevant information from experiences or gather
relevant information from print and digital sources;
take notes, paraphrase, and categorize information, and provide a
list of sources.

Materials
• Social Studies Journal
• Essay Writing Worksheet (Hamburger)
• Graphic Organizer Worksheet
• Books
• Articles with info about Spanish
Missions
• Posterboards
• Markers
• Rulers
Pre-Assessment: How will you determine
prior knowledge?
Prior knowledge will be assessed using a K-
W-L Chart. Students will participate in a
class discussion where we will talk about
Spanish Missions and their uses. We will
discuss any questions that they still have
regarding Spanish Missions. We will also
discuss the connection of Spanish Missions
and the development of California.
Misconceptions: Identify common
misconceptions regarding concepts addressed in
this lesson.
We will dispel common thoughts regarding
Spanish Missions by extracting the treatment of
Native Americans.
Learning Focus
Planned Supports:
-Connecting Intentions to Prior
Knowledge- Allowing students to review
their work from previous classes will allow
students more time to process information
individually before working together.
-Pre-assessment - Students who are at a
lower levels of learning will be able to
determine what they should know when
class is over.
-Post-assessment- Students who are ELs
will be able to track the information that
they did not understand. After a time of
engagement with the class, EL students will
be given an opportunity to ask questions
based on their post-assessments.
Motivation Strategy: How will you catch
attention of students and focus their minds
and attention on the learning goals?
Students have previously researched the a
Spanish Mission of their choice. Students
will be given an opportunity to work
together in a group to represent their
Mission. They will be allowed to build their
town around the Mission and observe the
affects of their Mission on the Native
Americans. After group research, students
will gather together to share their
conclusion.
Research Based Learning Strategies:
-Connecting Intentions to Prior
Knowledge (Teaching Literacy in the
Visible Classroom, Chapter 2): Students
will be given time to review their Social
Studies and research material (books,
articles etc) before the lesson begins in
order to gain class engagement and focus.
-Pre-assessment (Visible Learning for
Literacy, Chapter 4): We will review the
lesson by having students answer a list of
questions before proceeding to the next
part of the lesson.
-Post-assessment (Visible Learning for
Literacy, Chapter 4): The post-
assessment for this lesson will be reflected
in the poster board created by each group.
At the end of the unit, students will have a
completed essay with facts and
generalizations.
Personal/Cultural/Community Assets:
What assets will be utilized to support
learning these standards with these
students?
Students will learn how Spanish Missions
shaped the world they live in now.
Students will learn how Spanish Missions
worked and how they affected those who
lived in them. Students will see that the
past affects the present.
 List/explain lesson steps/strategies clearly so a substitute teacher could teach your lesson.

Learning Learning Strategies and Activities

Stages
Lesson Activate and build on background knowledge -Strategies/steps
Introduction: • State objective/provide purpose for learning
OBJECTIVE: Students will research the affects that Spanish Missions had on Native Americans by listing facts about
Before their assigned Spanish Mission. (Identify Spanish Missions and their uses and be able to discuss the affects of the
Teaching - Spanish Mission on Native Americans.)
Setting the
stage. BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE: Students will be allowed to peruse through their Social Studies Journals in order to
remember some of the facts we learned about Spanish Missions and their inhabitants. After giving students a minute to
review, I will ask guided questions to assess their learning from previous lessons.

MOTIVATION: Students will be given “randomized” groups to complete group work in order to represent a Mission.
Students will be given a poster board to complete and decorate with their group, including a “Who, What, Where,
Why, and When” format.
Lesson Body: Explain Strategies/Lesson steps:
Input Lesson Steps:
During/active 1. Before the lesson starts, students will be told to take out their Social Studies Journals to review their Social Studies
engagement Journals.
in learning 2. Students will be called together for another “Top Secret Mission.” During the “debrief,” we will check each secret
agent for their understanding of their previous assignments.
3. Students will be given another minute to review their Social Studies Journals in order to recall some of the facts
about Spanish Missions. After review, students will be lead in directed questions to help them recall background
knowledge.
4. After review, students will be grouped together and given a poster board to fill out as a group.
5. As an entire class, we will discuss the “Who, What, Where, Why, When, How” format of the poster board as I
model an example of the poster board they will be completing. Each group will be given a Mission to research and to
represent as a group. They will discuss the main ideas of the articles and books they are given.
6. Students will be assessed on the accuracy of the information presented, details written in complete sentences, and
details in drawing.
7. Throughout the group work, I will monitor their learning by walking around the classroom.
8. After the presentation of the poster board, students will be directed to begin working on their essays using the
information in their Social Studies Journals, the poster boards, and extra resources in the library and online.
9. While students work independently, I will take a small group of EL students and students with IEPs to discuss the
essay and further assess their learning.

Closure/After Strategy for restating key points, extend ideas, check for understanding/other
Teaching Explain:
• At the end of class, I will ask the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How questions to check for understanding.
We will discuss some of the main points that we observed while researching Spanish Missions.
Monitoring Student Learning - Review and Assessment: What Monitoring Student Learning - Student Voice: How will you
specific assessment tools are being used for at least two types of provide for student voice during instruction on their learning
assessment? (strategies, skills, knowledge) relative to learning target?

Informal: Students will be monitored by walking around the room After students complete their group posters, I will give group
as they are completing their collaborative poster board. members a chance to present one part of their poster. They will be
allowed to read their posters followed up with directed questions
Formal: The completed poster board will be the formal to assess their understanding.
assessment. Before starting, students will be given a rubric with
expectations for the poster board.

Feedback: Explain how you will provide feedback to 2 students

needing intervention. It must be in writing and using assessment
tool (i.e., list, rubric/ other) and within 24 hours of instruction.

edTPA Lesson Plan Reflection and Commentary Section


Be sure to follow your edTPA instructions for all parts of your work. This is only a brief format to get you started on your commentary.

Using Assessment to Inform Instruction: Based on your analysis of student learning describe the next steps for instruction to impact
student learning:

For the whole class

I will notify my students at the beginning of class that they will be gathering information to write an essay as an assessment of their
learning. As part of a unit project, students will be given multiple opportunities to work on their 3 paragraph essay. I will give each
student an essay “burger” to fill out that will help them to organize and outline their concrete facts and opinions.

For the three focus students and other individuals/groups with specific needs.

1. EL Student- While students are working independently on their essays, I will work with EL Students to organize their facts and
generalizations. While we are organizing information, I will informally assess their learning by asking them to discuss different facts
about Spanish Missions.

2. Gate Student - Gate Students will be challenged to write a 4 paragraph essay including the generalizations we had developed in a
previous class. They will be given a rubric which will also emphasize an organized, cohesive essay requirement.

3. IEP - IEP Students will be given options to draw some of the concepts they learned and create their own posters.

What theory or theorists would most strongly support use of this strategy?
The Constructivist (Vygotsky) support the inquiry strategy/lesson. In this lesson students are asked to “research/inquire” about a
specific topic and research information to find out more about it. Students then need to organize the information, write about it, and
then present it to the class.

Strategies for your next lessons based on data and assessment results

Resources Used Based on data/evidence, what are the next steps for future lessons? Provide evidence for your answer and
select research based strategies from the course resources.

Wright Text Describe strategy and provide Explain how strategy is helpful Rationale for selecting & links to
research base. for whole group or specific student/standards
student(s).

1. Main Idea Graphic Students are given a worksheet to fill
Organizer (p.33-34) out that will help them understand
how the ideas of a passage work
together to support the main idea.
2. Prior Knowledge: Students are given a passage to
Activating the Known (p.40) review with guided questions to
answer independently.
General ed students will learn
how the different facts and
generalizations fit into an essay
they will be completing at the
end of the unit.
Activating the Known will help
students first work
independently on what they
know prior to working
collaboratively.
Showing students early on how
ideas fit in books we are
reading essay will help them
understand how to write an
essay on their own.
If they take individual
ownership for what they learn,
they may contribute more
during collaborative work.

50 Literacy Strategies

1. Clusters Students will collaboratively create a
type of cluster on a poster board. On
the poster board, they will draw a
Spanish Mission given to them, and
create areas to address: Who, What,
Where, When, Why, and How.
2. Rubrics A rubric is a scoring guide that will
help a teacher assess students’
achievement and will explicitly state
the teacher’s expectations for an
assignment.
Technology Resources Studens will be given their
chromebooks to find more
information regarding Spanish
Missions.
The visual representation on the Students will be able identify
poster board will help students key details from a text and
brainstorm and organize ideas draw inferences from the text
for their essays. (Standard RL.4.1 -4.2)
The visual rubric will help Students will be evaluated on
students to understand how they their ability to conduct a short
will be graded research project that involves
building knowledge through
investigation and research.
Students will be able to gather
relevant resources digitally and
from print(W.4.7-4.8)
All students can be involved in Access to technology will help
their learning when given all learners to have access to
access to information online. more information to complete
their essays at the end of the
unit.

Evidence and Formative Assessment of Student Learning: How will you know whether students are making progress
toward your learning goal(s) and/or how will you assess the extent to which they have met your goal(s)? Use the chart
below to describe and justify at least 2 formal or informal assessment strategies that occur in your detailed plan above.
Assessment Strategy #1: Alignment with Objectives:
RI.4.2: Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported
by key details; summarize the text.

Each group will have a completed poster board RI.4.9: Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to
with details about Spanish Missions written in write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
full sentences.
The poster board will require integrated information on the texts given to
them in previous classes. They will compile the main ideas from these
texts and draw inferences as exercised in previous classes.
 Evidence of Student Understanding:
Using poster boards and the graphic organizers, students display their
ability to compile and organize information cohesively. Building these
poster boards will help students organize information for their essays.

Assessment Strategy #2:
I will assign an essay at the end of the unit in
order to assess my students understanding of
Spanish Missions.
Student Feedback:
After the poster board is presented to the class, the students will be asked
directed questions and given verbal feedback regarding the Mission they
had researched.
Alignment with Objectives:
Students will be evaluated on their ability to conduct a short research
project that involves building knowledge through investigation and
research. Students will be able to gather relevant resources digitally and
from print(W.4.7-4.8) Students will be assessed on their ability to
complete an essay in accordance to the rubric given to them.
Evidence of Student Understanding:
Students will be able to understand the expectations of what they will
need to learn in order to write their essays. Students must research the
topic in order to complete a fully completed essay. If they are unable to
write a sufficient amount of facts, they can visibly see where they stand in
accordance to the rubric.

Student Feedback:
Students will be given feedback written on the rubric and on their essays.
They will be graded according to the rubric with feedback regarding
concepts rather than strictly grammar and punctuation.
Note: Add more assessment strategy boxes here if needed. Also, add rubric or assessment tool.

Utilizing Knowledge about Students to Plan and Implement Effective Instruction

Building on Personal/Cultural/Community Assets:

The poster board will introduce one new factor to Spanish Missions: “How?” Students will explore how the Spanish
Missions affected Native Americans. They will be given an opportunity to share their opinion on whether the Native
Americans were treated fairly and describe why or why not they thought so. Asking ‘how” will cause students to consider
what is fair and what is not fair.

Grouping Strategies:
Students will be divided socially. I will attempt to create groups based on different learning levels. I will inclusively
incorporate students with IEPs and English Learners into each group.

Planned Supports: