Claflin University School of

Education
Reflective Lesson Plan
Name: Sierra M. Wald

Date: February 18, 2015

PART I: PLANNING
Title of Lesson
Source
Subject Area
Grade Level
Curriculum Standards

Arms Race and Space Race

Is this lesson original idea? If not, from what source did I borrow this lesson?

I created this lesson. I used various online resources to supplement the lesson
including teachertube.com and teacherspayteachers.com
Social Studies
7th
7-5.4-Analyze the political and technological competition between the Soviet
Union and the United States for global influence.

Description and Background Describe the lessons activities and content to provide a clear overview of the lesson.
This lesson uses six of Marzanos Instructional Strategies. While teaching, I
Information
ask students to identify differences between the Arms Race and the Space
Race. After teaching critical information, I ask the students to summarize the
information in their own words then give specific objective criteria for their
notes. I ask a few students to share and provide feedback for those students. I
further question students to think of reasons why certain events happened and
share their reasons. The lesson concludes with a graphic organizer that
answers the essential question. The students then take a short open-book
quiz.
Previously in the class, we have been covering the Cold War, specifically in
Latin America. The day before this lesson, we covered the Cuban Missile
Crisis. The students prior knowledge of the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis
helps understand the position of the US in the Arms Race and Space Race.

Lesson Objectives

What will students be able to do at the conclusion of this lesson? Make sure that your
objective(s) are measurable.

TLWBAT: Analyze the political and technological competition between the

Soviet Union and the United States for global influence through writing and
illustrating.

Varying Objectives for

Individuals Needs

How will I vary these objectives for students who do not understand the material?
How will I vary these objectives for students who have already mastered the concept?
How will I vary these objectives for students who are presently learning English?

For students who do not understand the material, I will review and repeat the
information. I will also ask mastery questions during the lesson and utilize
formative assessment to make sure each student is reached.
For students who have already mastered the concept, I will answer extended
questions from these students and add details that will enhance their
understanding.
For students who are presently learning English, I will explain vocabulary
words in depth and provide sufficient wait time when asking questions.

Statement of Purpose
Materials and Resources

Why is it important for the students to learn this content?

The purpose is for students to understand how some people (countries) will
not stop until they have what they want.
What materials and supplies are needed to help your students achieve the stated
objectives? What will the teacher need? What will the students need? What other

resources are needed?

The teacher will need the lesson Power Point, laptop, projector, screen, and
the student name sticks. Students will need a pencil, paper, Social Studies
textbook, and a PASS Coach book. Students are issued textbooks, and PASS
Coach books are located underneath each students desk. If a student does
not have paper or pencil, some is provided for them with no penalty.

Anticipatory Set

What will you do to motivate the students and get their attention? What is the hook
that will serve as a focus for the lessons activities?

The hook of the lesson is the Daily Starter. Answer the following question:
Have you ever competed in competitions because you knew you were going
to win? Explain.

Part II: IMPLEMENTATION

How will I find out what students already know about this topic?

Pre-assessment

Teacher Modeling or
Demonstration

Guided Practice

The Cuban Missile Crisis will be reviewed to refresh the students prior
knowledge about events. Then I will ask the students to define Arms Race
and Space Race in their own words. This will help me identify what students
already know about the topic.
What will I do to show students what is expected?

I am prepared for class every day. This shows my students that I expect them
to be as well. I listen to students when they are speaking so that they
understand they should listen when I am speaking. I also summarize what the
students say after they speak so they can see that I want them to listen to what
I say and summarize it in their own words as well.
What will we do together as they learn how to succeed at the new task?

The students and I will show the location of the countries involved.
The students and I will explain the following topics:
Cold War conflicts continues
Africa
Latin America
Political competition
Technological competition
Arms race
Space race
Graphic organizers, note taking, and comprehension questions will be used.
I will check for comprehension, move around the room assisting students, and
identify struggling learners for intervention. Intervention strategies will include
peer teaching, re-teaching, vocabulary review, and extended guided practice.

Checking for Understanding

What questions will you ask to determine if students understand so far? What techniques
or strategies will be used to determine if students understand so far?

I will use formative assessment while teaching in order to check for

understanding. Questions such as who, what, when, where, and why? will be
used to assess comprehension. If I see students are struggling with the
content, then I will adjust to help them by reducing the amount of reading,
allowing extra time, using visual aids, step by step instructions, and/or a
dictionary, and possibly assigning reading buddies.

Independent Practice

What will students do by themselves to show that they have internalized the knowledge?

The students will show the location of the countries involved.

The students will explain the following topics:
Cold War conflicts continues
Africa

 Latin America
Political competition
Technological competition
Arms race
Space race
Students will create a graphic organizer that highlights the positive and
negative aspects of both the Arms Race and the Space Race. They will
answer the essential question, In what ways did the United States and the
Soviet Union compete for global influence?

Closure

How will I conclude the lesson and relate it to future experiences? How will you wrap up
the lesson to reinforce concepts taught during the lesson?

The students will either write a short poem about the Space Race or write two
things that they learned that day on a sticky note. As they exit, they will hand
me the sticky note so that I can review what they have learned.

Assessment
(attach to lesson plan)

Extension Activities

What will students do to demonstrate what they have learned?

Students will take a brief 4-question quiz to demonstrate what they have
learned.
Quiz
Answer the questions on p 137 of the PASS Coach book.

Raise your hand when you are finished.

What can students do at home or in the classroom to apply the knowledge or skills? How
could you use your colleagues or community agencies to improve student performance?

As a way to extend activities home, I encourage students to do research at

home. When a student asks a question in class that I do not completely or
surely know the answer, I ask them to look up the answer for homework and
bring it back the next day. Depending on the number of questions from the
previous day, I usually ask the students to share the answer at the beginning
of the lesson for the day. If the answer is something that a family or community
member may know, I encourage the students to ask them before looking
online.

Technology

How will you use technology to assist students with learning the concepts? What
technology will you use to enhance the delivery and comprehension of your content?

I ask the students to use technology available to them at home or in the library
when performing extension activities. I also use the internet if there are videos
to show. In this lesson, I found the video of President Kennedy addressing the
US in 1962, urging them to move forward in the Space Race.

Connection Across the

Curriculum

How will you connect this lesson with other content areas across the curriculum?

I connect this lesson with ELA by having the students write summaries of what
they read and also by allowing students to write a short poem. This helps the
students prepare for the ACT Aspire test that is approaching that asks students
to answer constructed response questions.

PART III: REFLECTION

Strengths

Describe the strengths of your instructional techniques, strategies and classroom

management.
Describe the strengths of student engagement.

My strengths include giving good feedback to students that answer or share,

providing sufficient wait time when asking questions, and being enthusiastic
about the topic. The students remain engaged throughout the class and
constantly ask questions as new parts are covered. This shows that the
students are interested in the lesson as well as engaged in learning.

Weaknesses

Describe the weaknesses of your instructional techniques, strategies and classroom

management. Describe the weaknesses of student engagement.

My weaknesses include having a lot of quiet moments while students are

taking notes, also spending too much time on guided practice and not giving
students enough time to fully complete the independent practice. The students
are typically very engaged, however, I believe having the camera in the
classroom made them somewhat anxious about asking questions or sharing
thoughts.

Suggestions for
Improvement

What would you change when teaching this lesson again?

If I taught this lesson again, I would allow more time for independent practice. I
would also change the way I taught the previous lesson. For instance, I might
introduce the Arms Race, teach the Cuban Missile Crisis, and then continue to
the Space Race. In that way, students can understand the implications and
seriousness of the CMC more thoroughly. I also would have liked to go more in
depth with the Space Race and how the push from the US to increase
weapons spending caused the Soviet Union to bankrupt its economy.
Revised 6-2013
THE CLAFLIN IMPERATIVE
PREPARING STDUENTS FOR LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE IN A
MULTICULTURAL, GLOBAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY