Lesson Plan Teacher: Cristina Giansante Grade: 4

Common Core Standards Addressed:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events
using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text
says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific
words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with
diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning
words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

NYS Scope:
Standard 1: History of the United States and New York
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, areas,
themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.
Key Idea 1.1: The study of New York State and United States history requires an analysis of the
development of American culture, its diversity and multicultural context, and the ways people are
unified by many values, practices, and traditions.
Key Idea 1.2: Important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions from New
York State and United States history illustrate the connections and interactions of people and
events across time and from a variety of perspectives
Standard 2: World History
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras,
themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from
a variety of perspectives.
Key Idea 2.1: The study of world history requires an understanding of world cultures and civilizations,
including an analysis of important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions. This study
also examines the human condition and the connections and interactions of people across time and
space and the ways different people view the same event or issue from a variety of perspectives.
Key Idea 2.2: Establishing timeframes, exploring different periodizations, examining themes
across time and within cultures, and focusing on important turning points in world history help
organize the study of world cultures and civilizations.

Unit Goals: Students will be able to discuss how the Native Americans influenced the
development of New York State.
Content Learning Objectives: Students will be able to discuss and understand an overview
of the Northeast Native Americans through reading and writing.
Language Learning Objectives: Students will use content appropriate vocabulary and proper
tenses when discussing or writing about the Northeast Native Americans.
Learning Intentions: My intentions for this lesson are to provide students with an overview
of Northeast Native Americans, primarily focusing on the introduction of New York State
Indians. The students will be provided with differentiation in order for them to have their best
chance at success.
Students will engage in:
Independent practice
Small group work
Project work
Other:_____________
_

Partner work
Whole group
Centers
_______________
Time What the Teacher will do What will the students do Please write in narrative form (rich details) Vocabulary Materials






5
minutes
Connections to Prior Knowledge and Review:

Teacher will put up a picture of Native Americans on the SMARTBoard with the following prompt underneath,
When I see the words Native Americans I think . . . The students will be asked to complete a brainstorm, or fast
write, in their social studies notebooks on everything, and anything appropriate that they think of when they see the
words Native Americans. This will provide a way to see what the students know, and their level of language
towards this topic.

Teacher will orally ask the students further prompting questions while they are working: What comes to mind when
you hear someone talk about Native Americans? What do you know about them? If you do not know anything about
Native Americans, try and tell me what you think native and Americans mean.


After about five minutes the teacher will ask students to share what they know and together the class will compile a
list on chart paper that will be hung up for the rest of the unit for students to reflect on (informal assessment).
Native
Americans

SMARTBoard
Computer
Chart Paper
Markers

15
minutes
Procedure/Mini-lesson:

Students will come to the rug to watch a very short BrainPop clip on Native Americans (caption will be on to help
students make connections to language)

While the students are still on the rug teacher will discuss that the class will be working on a unit on Native
Americans that lived here in New York State. Teacher will bring up picture vocabulary bank on the board and as a
class we will go over the words before reading the passage. This will be the prereading strategy used to assess the
students knowledge on the content vocabulary that will be used. Teacher will make as many connections and
comparisons to the word as possible in English.

All students will receive this Picture Vocabulary Bank for their Social Studies binder. Students who are not as
advanced in English will receive the Picture Vocabulary Bank in English with translations in their native language
on the back. Students will be encouraged on free time to add any additional connections to their bank that will be
helpful to them.

After vocabulary is done students will receive a copy of the Northeast passage from The Encyclopedia of Native
America by Trudy Griffin-Pierce. Students will follow along while the teacher does a read aloud. This text focuses
mainly on the New York Native Americans and introduces the tribes. Students will be asked to underline or
highlight any unfamiliar words. During the read aloud the teacher will pause to do think-alouds such as making
predictions, connections, visualizing, and questioning with the class.

After the reading students will turn and talk with the person to their left about the most interesting thing they
learned, any questions they have, visualizations they made, or unknown vocabulary they saw. Teacher will circulate
and observe conversation (informal assessment).

Northeast
Settlers
Explorers
Inhabitants
Tribes
Computer
BrainPop
Picture
Vocabulary
Bank (for board
and print outs)
The
Encyclopedia
of Native
America by
Trudy Griffin-
Pierce (book
and class print
outs)












7 Guided Practice: Northeast SMARTboard
minutes
The teacher will demonstrate how to use the connect and apply strategy to the class. The teacher will ask the
students for some examples from the text that could be connected to our daily lives. Using the think aloud strategy
the teacher will generate ideas with the class on what in the text would be appropriate to write a connection piece
with. The teacher will take a student idea and begin to demonstrate out loud how to begin writing this piece. During
this time the teacher will model the proper tenses and language that should be used in this piece:
When we are talking about the Native Americans from the early 1400s remember we are using the past
tense. I need to remember when Im writing to change my tense to past.
When I am connecting this reading to a past event in my life what tense should I be using? Will I ever be
using the present or future in this writing piece?

As a class we will generate ideas on what should be included in our writing.
Settlers
Explorers
Inhabitants
Tribes

25
minutes
Independent Practice (Individual/Group):

Students will connect and apply their reading on Native Americans to themselves by using the proper language
structures I can compare the Native Americans of the Northeast to my life because The teacher will put two
writing prompts on the SMARTBoard for students to pick from, When I first came to ___________ I felt _______
Why? Connect how the Native Americans welcomed the newcomers in the reading with how you felt when you
came to this school, or country. Or When my friend _________ was new to this ____________ I helped him/her
adapt by _________ Explain how you helped a new student or friend fit in. Make sure you are connecting it to the
text.

For example if I was writing this I would write about the time I moved to a new school. When I first came to
Mamaroneck Avenue Elementary School in fifth grade I felt very nervous and afraid because I had no friends. I met
some of my classmates the first day that showed me where everything was and told me the rules of the school. I was
very lucky to find them because they not only became my friends but they helped me with all my questions in a very
unfamiliar place. This is very similar to the Native Americans because they helped the newcomers adapt, get used to,
this new unfamiliar land they landed on. They also told the newcomers the rules of the land. I would include a lot
more detail to my response, like names and some memories but for now I want you to get started.

Students will have the choice to pick from either prompt to ensure they make their best connections. Teacher to hand
out Connect and Apply direction sheet (Please read out loud the directions).
Students will write short narratives to connect their personal experiences to experiences Native Americans faced.
Teacher will hand out rubric. Teacher will go over rubric with class (please read out loud).
Students will complete this assignment on loose leaf and will hand in at the end.

Northeast
Settlers
Explorers
Inhabitants
Tribes
SMARTboard
Loose leaf for
class
Connect and
Apply direction
sheets
Rubric for
prompts

5
minutes
Closure/Summary/Sharing:
Questions and Differentiation/adaptations

Teacher will hand out picture vocabulary word sort (northeast, settlers, explorers, inhabitants, tribes). Students will
take vocabulary words from lesson (also on picture vocabulary activity sheet) and they must match them to the
correct picture. In addition they must tell me one connection they made to the word that helps them remember it.

Northeast
Settlers
Explorers
Inhabitants
Tribes
Picture Word
Sort Activity
(class set)

SMARTBoard
with picture
word match
Teacher will circulate room to check for understanding. At the end of the five minutes the class as a whole will
quickly match the pictures.

Homework Assigned/Extension Activities

Students will use their vocabulary words from the text today and create 5 sentences
Students will create a journal entry in their social studies notebook pretending to be a Native American in the
1400s. They will discuss how they felt with new explorers and settlers coming to their land.
Northeast
Settlers
Explorers
Inhabitants
Tribes
List of
Vocabulary
words





















PICTURE VOCABULARY BANK





















NORTHEAST
EXPLORERS
INHABITANTS





PICTURE VOCABULARY WORD SORT

Directions: Match the words with the pictures, then share a connection you made!















TRIBE
SETTLERS
Explorers Northeast

Tribes Settlers

Inhabitants









Connect and Apply

Directions: Choose a prompt from the two options below and use your knowledge, and details, from the
text to connect the Native Americans experience welcoming new people, to your own life! You can look
back in the reading if you need.

Please begin your writing with the following: I can compare the Native Americans of the Northeast to my
life because

Option 1:

When I first came to ___________ I felt _______ Why?
Connect how the Native Americans welcomed the newcomers in the reading with how you felt when you came
to this school, or country.


Option 2:

When my friend _________ was new to this ____________ I helped him/her adapt by _________
Explain how you helped a new student or friend fit in. Make sure you are connecting it to the text.









Na
me
:_________________________________________________________________________



Prompt 1 rubric



CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Your Story
Student shares a
detailed story about
when they came to
this school or country.
The student includes
Student shares a
story, with some
detail, about when
they came to this
school or country.
Student shares a
story, with some
detail, about when
they came to this
school or country.
Student shares a few
sentences, with some
detail, about when
they came to this
school or country.

Remember

If an action has taken place already we use the past tense.
Verb+ED

Example: When my friend came to this school I showed him where the gym was.



















Name:_________________________________________________________________________



Prompt 2 rubric
connections to the
text and compares
their life to the
Northeast Native
Americans.
The student includes
connections to the
text and compares
their life to the
Northeast Native
Americans.
The student includes
some connections to
the text and
compares some of
their life to the
Northeast Native
Americans.
The student includes
little to no
connections to the
text and does not
compare their life to
the Northeast Native
Americans.
Grammar and
Punctuation
There are no
grammar or
punctuation errors
Character and place
names are
capitalized.
There are one or two
grammar or
punctuation errors
Character and place
names are
capitalized.
There are 3-4
grammar or
punctuation errors.
There are more than
4 grammar or
punctuation errors.


CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Your Story
Student shares a
detailed story about
when a friend or
family member came
to this country. The
student includes
connections to the
text and compares
their life to the
Northeast Native
Americans.
Student shares a
story, with some
detail, about when a
friend or family
member came to this
country. The student
includes connections
to the text and
compares their life to
the Northeast Native
Americans.
Student shares a
story about when a
friend or family
member came to this
country. The student
includes some
connections to the
text and compares
some of their life to
the Northeast Native
Americans.
Student shares a few
sentences about
when a friend or
family member came
to this country. The
student includes little
to no connections to
the text and does not
compare their life to
the Northeast Native
Americans.
Grammar and
Punctuation
There are no
grammar or
punctuation errors
Character and place
names are
capitalized.
There are one or two
grammar or
punctuation errors
Character and place
names are
capitalized.
There are 3-4
grammar or
punctuation errors.
There are more than
4 grammar or
punctuation errors.