Unit Topic: United States Presidents
Grade: 5th
Lesson Topic: George Washington through James Monroe
Lesson Objectives:
- Acquire basic information on the actions taken in office by the first five presidents.
- Learn to take notes on important information in web articles.
- Learn to self-correct using information provided on the subject at hand.
Instructional Technique: Students will be exposed to lecture, group discussion, peer discussion, internet research, and open response to lessons.
Instructional Materials: Online Quiz and Resources, White Board, Markers, Unit Journals. Online Resources Listed Below.
Theoretical Perspective: This
lesson is taught with the intention of allowing the students to learn
more about the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. The
first five presidents were the only presidents to be considered
Founding Fathers of the Nation and therefore must be paid close
attention to while studying the history of the United States. Basic
information will be gleaned, given that this is an introductory lesson,
and questions about these presidents will be generated to guide future
learning.
Procedure:
- Students will be asked if they can name, in order, the first five
presidents of the United States. The teacher will call on students as
they raise their hands and outline on the white board the correct list
of these five men. (George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson,
James Madison, James Monroe)
- Students will be asked to state facts they know about any of
these men, while the teacher takes notes on the white board and
students copy these notes into their journals for this unit.
- The teacher will then give general biographic information
(birthplace, lifespan, home state, etc) while the students take notes
on the information provided. Important information will be written on
the white board.
- Students will be given the opportunity to ask any questions they
may have about the first five presidents with open response from the
teacher. Any information that the teacher cannot provide students will
be asked to research and bring to class the next day.
- For homework students will be asked to open their internet browser to:
- http://www.westfield.ma.edu/personalpages/draker/edcom/final/webprojects/fa11/sectiona/earlyusprez/index.html
and complete the instructions listed on the home page. This website
will lead them through the introduction and instructions. The page will
then lead the students to articles which provide information on the
first five presidents, which the students are expected to take notes
on, and lead the students into the quiz itself. The quiz consists of
seven questions based on major accomplishments of each of the
presidents. Students will take the quiz and, if they respond
incorrectly, will read different articles outlining the life and
accomplishments of each of the presidents. Once the quiz is completed,
the site will guide the students to the homework section where they
will receive instructions as to what to complete for homework and what
they need to bring to class the following day.
- As a part of the homework, students will write responses to the
quiz in their Unit Journals. Any questions, responses, or additional
information should be recorded in the journals and brought to class the
following day. Journal responses should be a minimum of a full page
(front and back) in length.
- Students are also responsible for, as part of the homework,
finding additional information on each of the five presidents in the
unit. The students should use reputable sources on the internet to find
at least five additional facts on each of the presidents. These facts
should be written down and brought to class the following day for group
discussion.
- Students will then be guided to the “Student Resources” section
of the website, which will provide games and songs for them to learn
the order of the presidents. Students should explore these links and
take note of what they find.
- The following day, students will be asked to pass in their
response journals, and this is what they will be assessed on for the
assignment. There will be a particular focus on their ability to take
notes on the internet resources provided.
- Students will then be asked to separate into small groups and
discuss the quiz and the additional information they gathered on each
of the presidents. The groups (3-4 students each) will then make a
communal list and the groups will gather as a class. Each group will
share two facts on each president, while the teacher lists the facts on
the white board. Each student will copy new information in their notes.
- Individual lists of five new facts and the resources used to gain
them will be passed in as a part of the evaluation process. As an
introductory lesson, this is meant to be an overview, not an in-depth
analysis of each presidency.
Adaptations: Students with
special needs should be able to complete this lesson with little
additional aide, with the exception of paraprofessionals. If any
additional information or resources is required there will be proper
communication between paraprofessionals and the teacher to allow the
student to take the quiz and provide insight as to what was learned
from the resources. This may include taking notes on a computer, having
an aid take notes, or providing an oral presentation to the teacher
about the resources provided.
Evaluation: Students will be
evaluated based on the notes that are passed in, their written
responses to the quiz, and their input during group discussion.
Resources:
- http://www.westfield.ma.edu/personalpages/draker/edcom/final/webprojects/fa11/sectiona/earlyusprez/index.html
- http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/georgewashington
- http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/johnadams
- http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/thomasjefferson
- http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/jamesmadison
- http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/jamesmonroe
- http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/intolerable.htm