Universal Design for Learning Lesson Plan

Name: Mary Forgione Subject: Social Studies (Natural and Human Resources)
Course: ED602 Grade: First Grade

Description
In this lesson, students will be identifying and
describing both human and natural resources by
watching a video on how a good/product of their
choice is created. After identifying how human
and natural resources are used to create goods,
students will show their knowledge by creating a
poster, song, skit, or new set of instructions to
explain to the class how the specific human and
natural resources work together to create the
product.
Prerequisites
- Students need to know what a good is and have some
understanding that products/goods are made or processed
by people.
- Students will have signed up on a chart for which
product (Playdoh, ice cream, wool, paint, hot chocolate)
they would like to explore. The teacher will make groups
based on students' interests.
- ESOL students in my class are provided a vocabulary
front-load from the ESOL teacher the day before to
ensure they fully understand the key terms.

Estimated Time Purpose

2 hours Small Group, Classroom Social Studies Instruction

Common Core Anchor Standards

Writing
Production and Distribution of Writing
 W.4- Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
 W.7- Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
 SL.2- Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually,
quantitatively, and orally.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
 SL.4- Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of
reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Language
Conventions of Standard English
 L.1- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
 L.4- Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using
context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference
materials, as appropriate.

Instructional Goals Objectives

-Students will understand how products are created.
-Students will identify and describe human resources
used to create a good/product of their choice.
-Students will identify and describe natural resources
used to create a good/product of their choice.
-Students will observe and describe how products are
created.
-Students will complete “Frayer Models” for the
human and natural resources present in their
good/product.
 -Students will create a poster, song, skit, or new set of
instructions to explain to the class how their product
is created.

Variability
This lesson can support learner variability because it allows for student choice. Students have chosen the good
that they would like to explore, so interest is ensured. Students have control of playing, pausing, and
rewinding their videos whenever they need to so that they are understanding what they are watching. A hard
copy of instructions (with pictures) allows for multiple means of representation for these varied learners. The
are encouraged to highlight and interact with this resource. The summative assessment for students also
provides for student choice. Students gets to choose the best way that they wish to show their new
understanding. Since students are working in groups of 2-3 students, they are collaborating throughout the
learning process with students at varying ability levels.

Materials and Supplies

 Chart paper
 Markers
 Highlighters for each student
 Access to the internet
 Student laptops- one for every 2-3 students
 Frayer Model graphic organizer papers
 Access to the following videos:
 Human resources: https://youtu.be/R74yKQ0UiV4
 Natural resources: https://youtu.be/ue9jPH31lVo
 Making Butter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68o3jaohJS
 Making Ice Cream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TiMhu7nDdU
 Making Play Doh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys9Qmm6FfkM
 Making Hot Chocolate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiMjr3Rwdjs
 Making Paint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNNjj1PzseM
 Making Wool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1x8z7ew26k
 Printed instructions for the creation of each good/product
 Poster paper

Assessments

Formative Assessments
- Students will be formatively assessed on their ability to place one of their labeled picture cards onto the class
T-chart.
- Students will be formatively assessed on the completion of their Frayer Models.
- Students will be formatively assessed through the discussions of human and natural resources with their
group members.

Summative Assessment
- Students will create a poster, song, skit, or new set of instructions that show their understanding of how
human and natural resources are used together to create their good/product.

Instructional Methods
(Opening/Hook)
1) The teacher will draw a picture of a cake on the front board. The teacher will ask students how this product
was created. While students share their responses, the teacher will write down students' ideas. The ideas will
be recorded on a T-chart and color-coded to separate the human resources from the natural resources. (The
teacher will not inform the students that this is being done.)
2) Students will be asked to turn a talk to a partner to discuss/predict how the class' ideas have been recorded
into the two different categories.
(Introduction)
3) Students will break into partners to sort labeled picture cards of varying human and natural resources.
Guiding questions will be asked while students are sorting such as, "What do these cards have in common?",
"How are these cards different from the other cards?". Possible scaffolding may include, "I notice that some of
the resources are made by nature. Can you find those? What's left?" The groups will share out how they sorted
their cards.
(Introduce New Knowledge)
4) The definition of human and natural will be given through picture cards with the definition of each key
term. Students will then re-sort their cards to match the provide categories. The definition cards will be placed
on the appropriate sides of the "cake T-chart". Each group will bring one of their cards up to tape to this T-
chart.
5) Students will watch two quick videos reviewing the definitions and examples of human and natural
resources:
- human resources: https://youtu.be/R74yKQ0UiV4
- natural resources: https://youtu.be/ue9jPH31lVo
6) The teacher will explain the format of the "Frayer Model" by projecting a copy of one using the document
camera. Students will be informed that they will be filling out a Frayer Model for both the human and natural
resources in their product's video.
(Guided Practice)
7) The teacher will play the following video on how butter is created:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68o3jaohJSw. Students will be given a hard copy of the instructions from
the video and a highlighter. The teacher will ask the students to help write the definition for "natural resource"
and add it to the class Frayer Model.
8) The teacher will play the video again and ask students to think about what comes from nature in the video
by remembering them or highlighting them on the paper. The teacher will guide students to understand that
heavy cream comes from cows/nature and salt comes from nature since it cannot be made by humans. The
teacher will model adding these words to the Frayer Model using the "examples" and "pictures" sections.
9) The class will watch the video again and repeat step 8 for the "human resources".
10) The "Collaborative Conversation Rules" will be reviewed as a class.
11) Students will split into their groups to watch their chosen video and complete their Frayer Models. Written
instructions (with pictures) will be provided to each of the groups as well.
(Closing)
12) Students will be asked to work independently, with a partner from their group, or with their whole group
to create a poster, song, skit, or new set of instructions for how their product was created. This product will
serve as a summative assessment and will be presented to the class.

Reflection
This first grade lesson regarding human and natural resources encompasses the guiding principles of
UDL. In designing this lesson, motivation was a large factor. To provide multiple means of engagement, interest
was recruited through the optimization of individual choice in several ways. Students were given the opportunity
to chose the good/product that they were most interested in researching. This choice motivated students to learn
because their product was one that they chose for themselves. For the summative assessment, students were
again provided choice in how they wished to show their new knowledge. Students were given the choice to
create a poster, song, skit, or new set of instructions to explain to the class how the specific human and natural
resources work together to create their product. The fostering of collaboration and community was also included
in this lesson by having students work with the peers that share a common interest in the chosen product.
Expectations for this group work were also reviewed before splitting into groups. Reviewing these previously
class-created expectations, known as “Collaborative Conversation Rules”, helped students to meet their learning
goal through persistence and working together.
Multiple means of representation was also taken into account through this lesson. Background
knowledge of vocabulary was clarified and activated in several ways. ESOL students were provided a guided
front-load of key terms with the ESOL teacher to monitor any student misconceptions due to language. Students
were also actively engaged in exploring the terms “human resource” and “natural resource” through a whole
group T-chart and again through a labeled picture card sort. This exploration allowed students to create their
own ideas about these terms before simply being told a definition of them. Vocabulary was also clarified through
definition cards that provided an accompanying visual along with the key term. These cards were strategically
placed on the T-chart to build connections from the “T-chart cake” conversation to their own exploration of their
product. Illustration through multiple media is apparent in this lesson through the use of videos accompanied by
a hard copy of instructions. Students were able to see human and natural resources working together in real time
through a video and also refer to what they were viewing in a written form with guiding pictures. Each interaction
with a key term included a visual of some sort to help students build connections.
The “Strategic Network” is activated in this lesson through the management of information and
resources. Student’s use of their Frayer Model was not a graded portion of this lesson because it was used for
note-taking. Full completion of the Frayer Models was not necessary. This graphic organizer allowed students
to take notes in the ways that worked best for them. Since this information needed to be remembered for their
summative assessment, they were able to recall their knowledge through the definition or examples they wrote
or through the pictures of the resources they drew. Also, goal setting was guided through the teacher modeling
the process of the learning activities.
Technology inclusion was appropriate to this lesson because students were able to see real and authentic
natural and human resources working together to create a product. Reading about production is very different
(and much less engaging) than being able to see it with your own eyes. Videos were a natural implementation
for this lesson. Technology also lends itself to learner needs because students were able to play, pause, and
rewind to check and ensure their understanding of the process. This simple action puts the learning entirely in
students’ hands.
My new knowledge of UDL will continue to guide my instruction as a first grade teacher. I know that
technology is not something to be forced into a lesson in an attempt to meet UDL guidelines. UDL is so much
more. Now that I know the UDL principles, guidelines, and checkpoints I will continue to ensure that I am
providing more options and choices for my students throughout lessons and units. The smallest implementations
make the biggest differences. As I continue to learn about my students, I will know the best ways to meet their
learning needs. I look forward to experimenting with new technologies, optimizing student choice, making goal
setting more meaningful/ personalized, and building life-long learners through my hard work.