Lesson Planning Form for Accessible Instruction Calvin College Education Program

Teacher

Nick DeVries

Date

Subject/ Topic/ Theme U.S. History/ Constitution

Grade __8th______________

I. Objectives
How does this lesson connect to the unit plan?
This lesson concludes the unit about the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution. It has students evaluating how they feel the U.S Constitution, and for that
matter the U.S. government, compares to the government of other countries.
cognitiveR U Ap An E C*

Learners will be able to:

Write a compare and contrast paper comparing the United States Constitution to another countries constitution. This
will be accomplished by the paper, or slideshow the students will make.
Look up information online about another countries government and assess how they feel successful it is.
Analyze primary documents such as countries Constitution. The paper the students will have to write will do this.

physical
development

socioemotional

An,, E

U, An, E
U, An, Ev

*
*

Common Core standards (or GLCEs if not available in Common Core) addressed:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1,CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2,CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.9
(Note: Write as many as needed. Indicate taxonomy levels and connections to applicable national or state standards. If an objective applies to particular learners
write the name(s) of the learner(s) to whom it applies.)
*remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create

II. Before you start

Identify prerequisite
knowledge and skills.

Students have had experience writing longer, and described information using primary sources in a
previous assessment. Students also have had plenty of information about the structure of the United
States government outlined by the Constitution.
Pre-assessment (for learning): Begin class by review last lesson. Having students recap what their checks and
balance scenarios were.
Formative (for learning): Ask students if they have any questions over how checks and balances work.

Outline assessment
activities
(applicable to this lesson)

Formative (as learning): Students will learn more about another countries structure of government based of said
countries constitution. Students will have to evaluate the structure and compare and contrast, and either they
believe is better or worse than the United States government.
Summative (of learning): Students compare and contrast paper will be graded based off a rubric for the

paper (attached at the end of the lesson plan).

What barriers might this
lesson present?
What will it take
neurodevelopmentally,
experientially,
emotionally, etc., for your
students to do this lesson?

Provide Multiple Means of

Representation
Provide options for perceptionmaking information perceptible

Provide Multiple Means of Action

and Expression
Provide options for physical actionincrease options for interaction

Students will have a rubric in front

of them while they are researching
and writing/creating their project.
The rubric will be an exact copy of
how the teacher will be grading the
project on.
Provide options for language,
mathematical expressions, and
symbols- clarify & connect
language

Students will be able to move

around the media center so others
do not distract them.
Students also will be able to use
their own device to read
information off of.
Provide options for expression and
communication- increase medium
of expression

Students will be able to either

write their paper or create a
slide show that compares and
contrast another countries
government to the United
States.

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Provide Multiple Means of

Engagement
Provide options for recruiting
interest- choice, relevance, value,
authenticity, minimize threats
Students will be looking at other
countries constitutions. This
activity is both authentic and
relevant by using real constitution
and examining them.
Provide options for sustaining effort
and persistence- optimize
challenge, collaboration, masteryoriented feedback

Students will be challenged to

work alone on a graded project.
They will get feedback from the
teacher when they present their
idea to the teacher before
starting their projects.

Provide options for comprehensionactivate, apply & highlight

Materials-what materials
(books, handouts, etc) do
you need for this lesson
and are they ready to
use?

How will your classroom

be set up for this lesson?

Provide options for executive

functions- coordinate short & long
term goals, monitor progress, and
modify strategies

Provide options for self-regulationexpectations, personal skills and

strategies, self-assessment &
reflection

Teacher will be able to monitor

progress and modify strategies
when students come to teacher
for approval of their idea before
writing. Teacher will also be
walking around the classroom
seeing how students are doing
on the project and taking any
questions that they may have.
Teacher will need 31 copies of the rubric to pass out to the students, and one for the teacher.
Students will need their devices to look up the information, and write their paper or create a
slideshow.
Teacher will need a projector to show an example of the project along with the website
students need to use to find a countries constitution.
Students will begin class in their assigned seats
Students will go upstairs to the media center where they are allowed to sit wherever they wish
on the far side of the media center. Teacher will tell students if students cant handle sitting
next to someone, meaning students arent making progress, teacher will move students to a
different section.

III. The Plan

Time

Components

10
mins

Motivation
(opening/
introduction/
engagement)

48
mins

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Development
(the largest
component or
main body of
the lesson)

Describe teacher activities

AND
student activities
for each component of the lesson. Include important higher order thinking questions and/or
prompts.
Great students
Ask a few students to share what their
Students will listen to the teachers and
scenarios were from last lesson. Ask if the
respond by raising their hand to the
students have any questions about how
teachers questions.
checks and balance works in the
government. If student questions get too
advance explain to them they will learn
lots more on it when they take government
class.

Tell students that today we will be

working on a project in the media center
comparing the U.S Constitution and the
structure of government to another
country.
Explain to the students that many
countries have a similar government
structure as the United States but a lot of
them look very different. Ask students if
they know the government structure of
another country?

Explain that the students can either write a

paper, or make a slideshow comparing the
U.S government to another country. Show
a slideshow example of the U.S compared
to Argentine (attached at the end of the
plan).

Students will look at the teachers example

and ask any questions that they may.

2
mins

Closure
(conclusion,
culmination,
wrap-up)

Hand out the rubric to the students. Tell

the students the rubric is also on their
Google Classroom page. Stop and ask if
the students have any questions.
Tell students to use this website to find a
constitution from a country to use
http://confinder.richmond.edu/
Before dismissing students, tell them that
before they begin writing, that they should
research and have an outline of what they
want to write/create a slideshow on and
get it approved by the teacher.
Teacher will walk around the media center
checking on students and monitoring
progress.
Teacher will sign off on students
proposals and allow them to continue
working.

Teacher will tell students that if they

finished, they may either print of their
project, or share it with the teacher on
Google Classroom.
If students are not finished, it will be due
on Monday and they will have the
weekend to finish the project.
Dismiss students.

Students will receive a physical copy of

the rubric, and a digital copy, students can
raise their hands and ask the teacher any
questions they may before starting.

Students are dismissed up to the media

center were they may begin working on
their project.

Students will take their proposals to the

teacher after researching and before
writing/creating a slideshow.

Students will submit their projects if they

are finished.

Students pick up their devices and are

dismissed.

Your reflection about the lesson, including evidence(s) of student learning and engagement, as well as ideas for improvement
for next time. (Write this after teaching the lesson, if you had a chance to teach it. If you did not teach this lesson, focus on the
process of preparing the lesson.)
This lesson was my one big assessment that I gave my students. I wanted them to take what they learned in class and use that
information and apply it to the outside world. The students didnt seem to thrilled about writing a longer paper or project
but I think they started to get more excited about it once they started researching. It was really cool to have students come up
to me and sharing new information they had been learning. The one problem I think I had with this lesson was clarity. My
example I created wasnt quite as effective as I wanted it to be. I had to explain the lesson a few times to the class and even
more to a handful of students. Overall I think this lesson and project as a whole is good but it needs some refining, like
clearer direction, before being used again.

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