Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Grade Level/Subject: 3/Social

Central Focus: The purpose for teaching this lesson is
Studies
for students to be more informed about Vietnam for
the schools International Fair.
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:
Date taught: 3/20/15
3.C.1: Understand how diverse cultures are
visible in local and regional communities
Daily Lesson Objective: Students will learn about the cultural differences between
northern and southern Vietnam. Students will also have practice for the EOG by reading
a text and answering questions about what they read.
21st Century Skills: Working with Academic Language Demand (Language Function and
partners, filling out a Venn
Vocabulary): Compare/Contrast: In this lesson
Diagram, problem solving
students will find the similarities and differences
between the US and Vietnam, and more importantly,
northern and southern Vietnam.
Prior Knowledge: Basic concepts of Venn Diagrams, reading through a text, concept of
turn and talk with a neighbor, knowing how to make a prediction
Activity

1. Focus and
Review

2. Statement of
Objective
for Student

3. Teacher Input

4. Guided Practice

Description of Activities and Setting

The teacher will read The Lotus Flower to the class.
Before reading ask students to pay attention between
the culture of the US and the culture there. What are the
similarities and differences between the two? The
teacher has also made post it notes placed throughout
the book to point out turn and talk opportunities.
Today we are going to learn about Vietnam. We will
learn how the cultures can be very different in their
country, even though it is one country.
Together as a class make a Venn Diagram comparing the
US and Vietnam based off of what we just saw in the
story. After we fill out the diagram explain how every
country in the world can be very different from one
another, but can also have many similarities.
As a class pass out and read the worksheet Vietnam.
Each student will receive a copy, before we begin
reading students will make a prediction about what they
think the similarities and differences are in northern and
southern Vietnam. We will read through the worksheet
together and stop throughout to underline key items.

Time

5 mins.

10
mins.

10
mins.

Students will work with the people around them to

5. Independent
complete the worksheet based off the reading. After
10
Practice
students have completed it we will go over the answers
mins.
together.
Formative Assessment: Students will participate in turn and talk
opportunities in the Focus and Review. They will also be able to
6. Assessment
participate in answering questions about the Venn Diagram in
Methods of all
Teacher Input and annotate their Vietnam text in Guided Practice.
objectives/skills:
Summative Assessment: The students will complete the worksheet
on Vietnam and turn it in to the teacher for her to review to make
sure students were paying attention and on task.
Talk about the similarities and differences between
northern and southern Vietnam. Have students quickly
7. Closure
5 mins.
shout out the differences between the two to wrap up
the lesson.
8. Assessment
The class only had fourteen students, and they all participated and
Results of
filled out the worksheet that was turned in. All students also
all
participated in the turn and talk opportunities, but only about eight
objectives/skills:
students raised their hands to answer questions out loud.
Targeted Students
Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations: When
Modifications/Accommodations: The teacher
students are working with a partner,
will walk around and help groups that are
group them in pairs where the students
struggling while they are working on the
can work together and help each other if worksheet in partners.
help is needed.
Materials/Technology:
(Include any instructional materials (e.g., worksheets, assessments PowerPoint/Smart
Board slides, etc.) needed to implement the lesson at the end of the lesson plan.)
The Lotus Flower book, worksheets, pencils, white board for Venn Diagram
References:
Reflection on lesson:
I thought this lesson went the best out of all of the lessons that I taught during my
IMB experience. The school was doing an International Fair and each class was assigned
a country, and the country that my class was focusing on was Vietnam. All of the Social
Studies I saw while I was there involved Vietnam. When I was planning my lesson I tried
to go along with what the teacher of my class had been doing with the students. The
teachers had the students do a lot of EOG test preparation to prepare them for the end
of the year test, so I tried to incorporate that into my lesson. I thought that the students
reading through a text and answering questions on the text that they just read would be
a good practice for the EOG. I also chose to read a book to them at the beginning of the

lesson because I had seen many mini lessons started this way and thought it was very
effective. Even though I did not teach a mini lesson it still worked out very well opening
the lesson with a book because it got students interested in what we were about to
learn.
Something that I struggled with while planning this lesson was finding resources that
were appropriate using with third graders. It took me a very long time to come up with
ideas for what I was going to do during the lesson because I did not have any resources
to look through or get ideas from. Luckily, I found a book on Vietnam in the UNCC library
that helped me get things started and I worked off of that book. I also had a hard time
finding a text that the students could read, so I had to make my own worksheets and had
the students use that.
The students were very involved and engaged throughout the lesson. They were
very interested to continue to learn about Vietnam because they had been learning
about this country over the last couple of weeks. This was the last lesson that I taught to
the class during the two week experience so I felt very comfortable with the class and
teaching in front of my CT. When I first began teaching my lessons I rushed through
them because I was nervous, but since this was my last one I was very aware of the
clock and more relaxed. Overall I thought the lesson went well and the feedback that the
teacher provided me with was very helpful and encouraging.