Exploring Social Studies Lesson Plans on the Internet

A WebQuest for Students Learning Elementary Teaching Social Studies Methods

(TLEE 342 Students at Northern Illinois University)

Designed by

Dr. Mary Beth Henning
mhenning@niu.edu

 

Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits | Teacher Page


Introduction

Some pre-service teachers say, “There are so many great lesson plans on the internet, why should I ever write one of my own?”

This WebQuest will give you the opportunity to look at some of those lesson plans on the world wide web, and consider their benefit for your own students in your future classroom.

Does the internet provide such great lesson plans that you would never have to write one of your own?  Or how might you modify these lesson plans to be more appropriate to your own students, teaching style, and objectives?

 


The Task  

After you have completed this WebQuest, you will have reviewed a variety of lesson plans.  The final product you will turn in will be a lesson plan that is based on one of the lessons from the internet, but that you have “made your own.”  Along with your modified lesson plan, you will also turn in a short reflection about why you liked the lesson plan and how you improved it.

 


The Process

  1. You may work on this WebQuest individually or with a partner/team
  2. Review each of the lesson plans (or units) found at the links below:

·        Death of King Tut

·        World Peace

·        Pioneers of Canada

·        Chinese Inventions

·        Friendship Unit

 

  1. Take notes on each of the lesson plans that would categorize how each of the lessons exemplifies any of the following methods of instruction.  Save these notes to turn in with your final lesson and reflection.
  • Concept Guided Discovery
  • Cooperative Learning
  • Case Study
  • Inquiry
  • Role play

  1. Choose a lesson plan that you would most like to use in your own classroom.
  2. Print out the lesson plan and make changes to it that reflect principles you have learned in TLEE 342 or TLEE 530, your other Teaching and Learning classes, and your perceived needs of the students.
  3. Be sure you consider how each lesson might be enhanced according to the ways we have discussed the bulleted topics above.
  4. Classify your lesson as inquiry, concept guided discovery, geography, etc.  Label this clearly on your lesson plan.
  5. Type up the lesson plan with the changes you want to make and turn it in with the original lesson plan from the internet.
  6. Be sure that you have cited the original lesson plan correctly when you created the modified lesson.
  1. Individually, write a one page reflection explaining why you liked this lesson plan the best (of the ones you reviewed from the internet), and why you needed to make changes to it. 

 


Evaluation

You will be graded on the lesson plan that you create and the brief reflection you write.  If you worked with a team to modify the lesson plan, you will share the lesson plan points.  Everyone will be graded individually on the reflection.

 

Beginning

0/1

Developing

2

Accomplished

3

Exemplary

4

Score

Lesson Plan that you created exemplifies method(s) listed in process section

Inappropriate method is cited or incorrectly developed

Development of method is perfunctory

Method of social studies instruction is well-developed according to principles learned in class

Method of social studies instruction is well-developed according to principles learned in class and reflects personality of author and students

 
 

Lesson Plan that you created cites original source correctly

 

No citation is present

Citation present, but does not follow APA format

Citation of original lesson plan follows APA format

Multiple references are cited according to APA style

 
 

Notes on each lesson plan is turned in with final modified lesson plan

 

 

Notes are missing or incomplete

Notes correctly identify the teaching methods/topics that were learned in class

Notes correctly identify the teaching methods/topics that were learned in class and make notes of content in each site

Notes correctly identify the teaching methods/topics that were learned in class, make notes of content in each site, notes improvements needed or favorites

 
 

Reflection 

Missing or incomplete/over two pages

Reflection begins to make an argument

Succinct and well-organized argument

Succinct and well-organized argument cites multiple pieces of evidence/data to support your conclusions

 


Conclusion

There are some wonderful lesson plans on the internet.  But what makes a lesson plan really special is how it relates to the teacher who created it and the students who learn from it. Do you think it will be a compliment if one day another teacher modifies the lesson plans you post to the web?

If you would like to browse more on-line lesson plans for elementary social studies, here are some of my favorite links:

http://www.usask.ca/education/ideas/tplan/sslp/sslp.htm

http://members.aol.com/DonnandLee/index.html

http://www.neferchichi.com/lessonplans.html

http://jeffcoweb.jeffco.k12.co.us/passport/lessonplan/lessonindex.htm

http://lessonplanz.com/Lesson_Plans/Social_Studies/

 


Credits & References

Special thanks to the following individuals:

Mr. Don Butler, NIU Media Services, Photographer for the photos accompanying the introduction, task, and process

Ms. Portia Downey, NIU Teacher-in-Residence for her technical assistance in teaching my students to create WebQuests and helping me to overcome technical difficulties in creating a WebQuest

Mr. Mifta Bari, Department of Teaching and Learning Graduate Assistant for assistance in uploading this WebQuest to the College server

Students in TLEE 342 (Sections 1 &3) in the Spring of 2003 for learning about WebQuests with me and allowing their photos to be included in this WebQuest

Image borrowed with thanks from:

http://www.ala.org/alonline/ news/10reasons.html(Cartoon image in process)

Excellent resources to improve your knowledge of social studies methods, materials, and lesson planning are:

Kagan, S. (1994). Cooperative Learning.  San Clemente, CA: Kagan Cooperative Learning.

Lindquist, T. (2002). Seeing the whole through social studies.  Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH.

Nelson, M. (1998). Children and social studies: Creative teaching in the elementary classroom. Harcourt Brace: Fort Worth, TX.

Last updated on April 7, 2003. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page