Lesson Plan: Teaching Internship

Carlin Wetzel
September 27th, 2018

1920s Investigation Lesson

Context:
Course name: AP Language and Composition
Grade level: 11th
Length of lesson: 40 minutes
Description of setting, students, and curriculum—and any other important contextual
characteristics

Monticello High School is located in Albemarle County. At Monticello there are several “levels”
of English for students to take. We have Standard Collaborative, Academic, Academic
Advanced, Honors, Dual Enrollment, and Advanced Placement. Dual Enrollment and Advanced
Placement are specifically for upperclassmen students. The students in this class are majority
white. There is one Asian student, one Egyptian student, one Ethiopian student, and three
Hispanic students. These students are all reading above grade level. Ten students qualify for
gifted education services. Five students are bilingual, but all of these students are proficient in
English.

Objectives (KUD format)

Students will know…

1. The student will know basic facts about the 1920s regarding culture, gender relations,
economy of the United States, music, and fashion.

Students will understand…

2. The student will understand how to conduct research specified on a single topic.
3. The student will understand how to narrow research results without straying from the
topic of research.

Students will do…

4. The student will conduct research on the 1920s.
5. The student will use collaborative skills to research the 1920s era with (a) partner(s).
6. The student will create an artifact that creatively represents a key point from their
research.

SOLs:
VSOL 11.8 The student will analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and organize information from a
variety of sources to produce a research product.
b) Narrow a topic and develop a plan for research.
Methods of Assessment:
Formative
Title of assessment tool:
Research Documentation
Students will show their
progress towards
researching effectively and
with focus by documenting
and citing their research
notes in a shared document.
Criteria:
Students must have at least
5 different sources with
citations. They may only
use Wikipedia once.
How data will be used:
This will inform how I
proceed with citation and
research lesson in the
future.
How students will receive
feedback:
Students will receive
feedback via comments
from me on their submitted
document.
(U2, U2, D4, VSOL 11.8)
Formative
Title of assessment tool:
Encyclopedia Entry
Students will show their progress
toward understanding the 1920s
and summative writing by
creating a concise paragraph on
their research points.
Criteria:
I am looking to see that students
have captured multiple details
concisely and have learned
something specific about the
1920s decade.
How data will be used:
I will use this data to inform how
familiar students are with the
decade before diving into
reading The Great Gatsby.
How students will receive
feedback:
Students will receive feedback
from me as we read the book.
(U1, D5)
Formative
Title of Assessment Tool:
Gallery Walk Artifact
Students will show their
progress toward representing
information creatively and
effectively by choosing or
creating an artifact that
represents the research on
their 1920s research for a
Gallery Walk.
Criteria: Students will
create/choose an artifact and
write a 2-3 sentence rationale
connecting it to their research.
How data will be used: I will
use this data to inform further
instruction on creative
representations of research
and how much scaffolding
students need to produce such
representations.
How students will receive
feedback: I will make
comments and ask questions
during the Gallery Walk.
(D6)
Differentiated Instruction to accommodate one or more of my students:

Student Name Readiness Interest Learning Environment

Nader Nader is gifted and

likes to work ahead.
This assignment gives
him the freedom to
work at his own pace
and put as much effort
and research into his
artifact and paragraph
as he would like. I
allow him to choose his
partner and work at his
own pace for an
extended period of
time.

Stormy Stormy does not know

many of the students in
class and has a hard time
working in groups,
because she often chooses
to work alone. Because I
have required students to
work with a partner in a
collaborative way to
create something, this
lesson is designed to
challenge Stormy to work
with her peers while also
providing her with the
comfort and sense of
power she needs by
giving her choice over her
partner. (Students are still
in assigned seats, and I
 think she is mostly stifled
because her table mates
are extroverted and quick
to speak.)

Jack Jack has not yet

shown interest in
anything we have
learned in class, so
the specific inclusion
of World Series
baseball and WWI as
topics are catered
toward his interest.
Jack is interested in
the military, and he’s
a three-sport athlete.

Procedures/Instructional Strategies

Beginning Room Arrangement: The students will come in to their normal rectangular table
arrangement. The students are in assigned alphabetical seats (by last name). The students sit in
“pods”, and often work with the people at their table or with an elbow partner when we do turn
and talks. Today, they will have the freedom to work with a partner anywhere in the room, and
even go out into the Glass Red pod or high top tables in the hallway common area for their group
work.

1. Introduce Gatsby: Quick Poll (2 min.)

Welcome back everyone! I hope you’re all having a good week. We have an exciting class
ahead of us today, or at least I think so, because I have a big announcement about what’s next. If
you look at the screen, and you read this title, can someone raise their hand and guess what
novel we might be starting in about a week? (Point at 1920s on the screen, call on student to
answer. They should know because we’ve already briefly talked about it. The answer: The Great
Gatsby!) Now before we start with what we have planned for today, I’m going to take a quick
poll to pinpoint the “Gatsby” pulse in the room. Raise your hand if at any point in your
education you have learned about the 1920s or the “Roaring 20s”? (Pause and take in the
number of hands). Alright, now raise your hand if you are in U.S. History this year? (Almost
everyone, if not everyone, should raise their hand because this is a required course.) Okay, good
to know. It seems like not a lot of you have learned specifically about the 20s, but most of you are
in U.S. History. A little MHS birdie told me that you’ve just finished the Revolutionary War, so
you have a little while until you make it to the 1920s. This is great! Because after today, you will
all be so prepared for that section of your history course. Today we are going to become experts
on a topic of your choosing from within the 1920s in the USA!

2. Explanation of Assignment & Reminder of Expectations for Group Work

So let’s look at the assignment for today together. Everyone please take out your laptops and
find the assignment titled “1920s Investigation: Become an Expert” on Google Classroom. Once
you’re there look at me or sit up straight or do something to clearly indicate to me that you’re
ready to move on. [Wait while students quickly connect to the Classroom, circulate and help
anyone who’s having trouble.]

Good, now that we’re here, can I have a volunteer read the assignment description to start us
off? [I will call on a student to read through each aspect of the assignment. There are three parts.
After each student reads the explanation, I will give them a brief reason for why this part (there
are three) will contribute positively toward their preparation for TGG. Part one will help them
warm-up their research skills for papers we write in the future, and will get them in the habit of
looking up things they aren’t sure about or want more information on when we are reading the
novel. Part 2, which is a summarizing paragraph, will allow them to practice synthesizing large
amounts of information—which is a critical writing skill we are working on with an essay they
have due on Monday. This will also contribute to a giant class-wide 1920s Encyclopedia entry I
will build out of their paragraphs that they can have access to at all times on Google Classroom
while they read the novel. This will allow them to continually teach their classmates about what
they discover, even those in another block. Part 3 is an artifact. This will be a fun and creative
way for them to present something new from information they find. They have to take what
they’ve been given, and create an artifact that would provide a meaningful learning experience
for their classmates.] Now that we’ve read through all of that information, does anyone have any
questions? [Pause for questions.] You will have access to all of this information while you work
independently, and if you have any questions arise as we go along you can find me. But I’ll
encourage you to re-read the instructions on the document first before asking me. I will have
timers on the board for each “part” so you can pace yourselves to hopefully get all of this done
in class today!

Before we get into partners, let’s also take a minute to review what we do and don’t want in
partner group. [Direct student attention to the PowerPoint. I will remind them that we should
hear voices and see everyone working on a document. This is something we have talked about
multiple times, so it’s just quick review.]
3. Independent Student Work Time & Individual Conferences (the remainder of class)
(Differentiation for Nader, Stormy, and Jack—choice in partner and topic, specifics for
each student can be found above). In a moment, you may get up, find your partner, and come
to me with your choice topic which will be displayed on the screen. Come to me with a backup in
case yours is taken by the time you get up here! After you’ve been approved by me, you and your
partner can go into any of our approved workspaces and work for the rest of class. I’ll circulate
and give you time reminders, but remember to try to move on to your paragraph from your
research after about 30 minutes.

[Students will work with their partners for the rest of class. As students research I will circulate
and aim to spend at least 5 minutes with each group. With each group I will ask them how they
are splitting up the research (i.e., What is their plan for their research?), what they are finding
that is interesting, and if they’ve considered what artifact they might bring to represent their
research. I will give students a few minutes to work before I start circulating. I will also ask
student to note any intersectionalities they are finding and encourage them to pay a special visit
to groups they think they have intersect with in research during the Gallery Walk on Friday. If
student feel that they have not found any intersection between topics, I will ask them questions
that guide them toward the origin or root of whatever cultural aspect they are researching. What
are these roots related to? They didn’t just come out of thin air!, etc.]

[As students pack up after me asking the outside workers to move back in.] Alright everyone,
good work researching today. Remember, this document and your artifact are due at the
beginning of next class. Only one partner needs to submit your document. Email me as always if
you have any questions! Enjoy getting creative with your artifacts!

Materials Needed (list):

 Laptop & projector
Appendix A: PowerPoint (see attached Pdf)
Appendix B: “1920s Investigation: Become and Expert” Google Doc/Google Classroom
Assignment (see attached document)

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