Teacher Pre-Observation/Planning Form

Teacher: Christie Curran

Site: Masuda Middle School

Date of Observation: Thursday, March 5, 2015

Grade Level/Curriculum Area Observed: 7th Grade Social Studies
Standard of Lesson Taught:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an
accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
7.6.7. Map the spread of the bubonic plague from Central Asia to China, the Middle East,
and Europe and describe its impact on global population.
Objective of the Lesson Taught: Review the spread, causes, and impact of the
Bubonic Plague on Medieval society. Examine cures attempted for the Bubonic
Plauge and hypothesize what the Medieval reasoning behind them was. Hypothesize
meaning for the lyrics in the song Ring Around the Rosie as they relate to the plague.
1. Briefly describe the students in class.
Student population consists of 13 female and 13 male 7th Grade students. They come
from diverse cultural backgrounds and vary in terms of ability. The class also includes 2
students with I.E.P.s.
2. According to Blooms Taxonomy, what is the highest level of thinking in which students
will engage in during this lesson? How will you achieve this? How will this be observed?
After analyzing the symptoms of the disease students will work in small groups to
analyze these symptoms and hypothesize the reasoning behind the cures that people
from the medieval era attempted. This will be observed as students work on a graphic
organizer in small groups. They will also analyze the lyrics of Ring Around the Rosie
and use what they have learned about the Black Plague to hypothesize their meaning
behind the lyrics of the song Ring Around the Rosie. Students will continue to document
answers on a graphic organizer with a partner. Finally, they will compare the effects of
the Black Plague to a disease today and evaluate the impact of disease can have on a
population. This will take the form of a Bell Ringer opening activity.
3. What instructional strategies do you plan to use to engage students in the content?

The PowerPoint and opening bell ringer activity both tie material on the Black Plague to
events that are occurring today making content more relevant to students and inciting
engagement. The lesson also includes visuals of the symptoms of the Black Plague on a
PowerPoint to foster student engagement and provide support in terms of explaining the
content. In addition, working in small groups to hypothesize what cures mean will allow
them to discuss the content and problem solve with their peers. This will provide
support to students that need it, and can provide a teaching opportunity for higher
achieving learners. Working in partner groups to decipher the meaning of the Ring
Around the Rosie will also provide them with the support they need and will provide
scaffolding, as most students are familiar with the song. Finally, the lesson will end with
students engaging in think-pair-share to review the most important points of the lesson.
4. What instructional materials or other resources will you use?
Instructional materials include document camera, PowerPoint slides containing warm-up,
and agenda, and other instructions, a PowerPoint containing information on The Black
Plague, You Tube video explaining the meaning behind Ring Around the Rosie, and a
graphic organizer to document student responses.
5. What difficulties with the lesson do you anticipate that students might have?
Students may have a little difficulty hypothesizing the lyrics to the Ring Around the
Rosie, as they can be a little vague. I have placed them in mixed ability small groups or
partners to help with this.
6. How do you plan to assess student achievement (primary learning objective)? What
procedure will you use? What products will the students produce? (Attach any tests or
performance tasks, and include scoring guides)
Student achievement will be assessed through responses given in class. Each individual
student will also turn in their graphic organizer documenting the responses they came up
with in their groups.

7. What are the most important classroom routines, procedures, rules and expectations
for student behavior that will be in place during the observed lesson.

Regarding classroom routines and procedures, students come in each day and look at
the PowerPoint slide that serves as an agenda posted on the projector. This lets them
know what handouts or supplies to take out, which they should retrieve within the first
few minutes of class. After we discuss the Today in History (a historical fact from any
point in history that happened on that particular day). Following this, students take out
their agendas, and copy any homework that is due from the PowerPoint agenda into their
agendas. Homework is posted on the left side of the white board as well. Next, students
answer a Bell Ringer question. Students have a handout that they keep over a two-week
time period where they write their bell ringer question each day. A bell ringer is a warmup question that may check for understanding from previous lessons, could introduce a
new topic, or could incite critical thinking regarding the days lesson. While students
work on their bell ringer question individually, I may collect homework or check to see
that assignments are completed. Following this, activities will vary, depending on the
lessons content.
Students are expected to be respectful and listen during instructions every day. Further
rules and expectations for student behavior may vary depending on the activity. For this
lesson, they will be working in small groups and with partners; so small group protocol is
appropriate. Each group member is expected to be on task and actively participating.