Ciara Drexler
Cooperative Learning Lesson
Interviews with the Pilgrims and the Indians
Grades 3-5
(2-Day Lesson)
Concept /Essential Questions:The Story of the Pilgrims tells of both the triumphs and challenges that the pilgrims experienced and provides students with the opportunity to analyzesome of the good and bad things that resulted from them.
-Who were the people involved in the story of the Mayflower and why are they important?
-What are some of the good and bad things that the Pilgrims and Indians experienced?
-When can hardship can be good?
Overall Objective:Students will demonstrate their understanding of the characters in The Story of the Pilgrims and their individual struggles by participating in role playing skits. They will relate this to the times of hardship that they experience in their own lives throughout the activity and discussions. Students will also learn how to cooperate and work together as they build their knowledge of what happened during the time of the Mayflower.
Standards Addressed:
US HISTORY GRADES K-3
A. Family Life Today and in the past: The student will understand how families live today and in earlier times, recognizing that some aspects change over time while others stay the same.
B. Famous People and Events in U.S. History: The student will recognize people and events that made significant contributions to U.S. History.
C. Many Peoples and Cultures Meet in the Making of North America: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the people who settled in North America
US HISTORY GRADES 4-8
A. Pre-history through 1607: understand that large and diverse American Indian nations were the original inhabitants of North America.
B. Pre-history through 1607: The student will demonstrate knowledge of European exploration of the North American continent and the resulting interaction with American Indian nations.
C. Colonization and Conflict, 1607-1780s: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the colonies and the factors that shaped colonial North America.
Estimate of Student’s Prior Knowledge:The teacher will assess student’s prior knowledge before beginning the assignment by asking probing questions about what they have learned so far about the Mayflower and the different people involved in the story. The teacher will be closely watching and listening to measure student’s current level of understanding and will either do a review of the story or jump right into the activity based on their answers.
Differentiation/ Modification:Keep track of main points and write directions on the board for the entire class to see. Use multiple intelligences such as interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, and spatial intelligence (as described in Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences) and appeal to various learning styles through discussion (auditory), writing (visual), and presenting (kinesthetic) by speaking clearly, providing visual examples and keeping track of main points on the board, and integrating hands on experiences and presentations. Encourage student involvement and appreciation of multiple perspectives by drawing examples that can be understood from various backgrounds, encouraging students to develop and defend their own ideas and participate, and providing an equal treatment and inclusion of all students. Place students in groups of varying abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs, and encourage value for others’ differences amidst entire class time but especially during times of discussion and group work.
Materials:
Cue cards
Costume materials for Pilgrims/Indians (if available)
Procedures:
1. Establish Set:
-Welcome students to class.
-Begin discussion by assessing student’s knowledge and asking probing questions “Who were the main people involved in the Mayflower?” and “What are some of the good and bad things that they experienced?”, and responding to answers.
-Depending on the student’s responses, the teacher will either review the main points and characters of the story of the Mayflower, or introduce instructions for the assignment.
2. Introduce Assignment:
-The teacher will explain to students that they will be putting on a skit by dressing up and acting as different characters of The Mayflower. The teacher will explain that the purpose of the assignment is to understand who was involved in the story of the Mayflower, what they accomplished, and what each of them personally went through. The teacher will inform the students that they will discuss how in learning about the different people from the story they can imagine what it would be like to be them. The teacher will encourage them to relate to some of the good and bad things that they experienced on their journey.
-The teacher will explain that within their groups, students are to work together to prepare a presentation in which they will act out an interview with a character from the story, as if they were on television. The teacher will explain to students that they will work in groups of four and two students will be assigned a character to be in the interview. The teacher will explain that within groups, each student will have to write on a piece of paper at least two specific qualities about the character/s their group is representing based on the book. The students will use this to gather information their actor will need for their interview. One student will also bea interviewer, while one to two otherstudents will be in charge of preparing additional notes based on the book for a discussion with the rest of the class following the interview. They will have to prepare questions for the audience based on what the book says about their character and they will have to give answers to students from other groups who ask them questions about their character/s. They will also have to prepare questions from their group to ask other groups during their discussion time as well.
3. Beginning of assignment:
-The teacher will instruct students to move into their groups of three or four based on prearranged group plans by the teacher.
-The teacher will instruct students that their first job is for each of them to write down two specific aspects of the character/s in their interview that they think are important. The teacher will notify the students that they must save these papers to be submitted at the end of their presentations.
-The teacher will instruct students to then combine the ideas they wrote down and use this to work together in writing a script that includes a question and answer series between the character they are representing and an interviewer.
-The teacher will encourage students to take time to practice the script once it has been written.
-The teacher will hand out cue cards to use (optional) and rubrics for the assignment.
-The teacher will encourage those who are not “acting” to continue working on developing the questions that they will use in their discussions as well as the questions they will ask other groups after their presentations. The teacher will use this time to also encourage students to take notes during other group’s presentation as they will be asked to write about this later.
-The students will work on the assignment for the rest of class time as the teacher walks around observing and providing guided practice for students with any questions or problems they may have.
5. End of assignment:
-The next day the teacher will welcome the class and instruct students to finish up their assignment within 10 minutes and to be ready to present their work. After ten minutes, the teacher will begin calling on groups to present. The teacher will encourage students to take notes on other group’s presentations as they will be asked questions about them later. The teacher will also remind students that they will have to evaluate each other’s group work and give them a grade based on their overall effort, content knowledge, and presentation and write their answers on a rubric sheet that was provided.
-After each presentation, the students will submit the papers that they used to write two significant things about their character and their group evaluations and the teacher will close with a discussion by asking the students what they learned. The teacher will ask students to describe some of the events that was discussed, and how they think the Pilgrims/Indians felt after going through these experiences. The teacher will summarize how the Pilgrims went through both good and bad things, and then will point out how some of the bad things ended up turning out good in the end. The teacher will then close the lesson.
Closure: The teacher will ask the students to answer the question: when is hardship good? The teacher will ask the students to relate this to their own lives and write the main points on the board.
Assignment/Practice: (For older grades only) After the closure discussion the teacher will ask the students to write a one page summary based on what they learned about each of the characters. The teacher will inform students that they must include at least two significant things they know about each character as well as two significant events that were described based on the presentations that were given and the book. The teacher will also ask the students to write a paragraph relating what they know about this story to their own lives. The teacher will inform the students that they must return this piece of paper the next day.(For younger grades only) The teacher will give an oral quiz to the students the following day based on the presentations and the book. The teacher will have discussions based around the answers that were provided and will ask the students to summarize what they learned about each of the characters in a journal.
Informal Assessment: The teacher will observe students through group work, discussions, and participation. The teacher will ask questions and have conversations with students throughout the class time.
Formal Assessment: The teacher will formally assess students with final group presentations, group evaluations submitted by peers, and the take home assignment (for older grades) or the oral quiz and journal (for younger grades).
References:
Ross, K. (1995). The Story of the Pilgrims. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.
RUBRIC FOR PEER GRADING
DIRECTIONS: Choose a number 1-5 that best represents your grade for each group, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest.
Group 1:
Presentation 1 2 3 4 5
Effort 1 2 3 4 5
Content Knowledge 1 2 3 4 5
Discussion/Questions1 2 3 4 5
Group 2:
Presentation 1 2 3 4 5
Effort 1 2 3 4 5
Content Knowledge 1 2 3 4 5
Discussion /Questions 1 2 3 4 5
Group 3:
Presentation 1 2 3 4 5
Effort 1 2 3 4 5
Content Knowledge 1 2 3 4 5
Discussion /Questions 1 2 3 4 5
Group 4:
Presentation 1 2 3 4 5
Effort 1 2 3 4 5
Content Knowledge 1 2 3 4 5
Discussion /Questions 1 2 3 4 5