Jordan Vrhovac

RU El Ed Work Sample Unit Checkpoint 5 Fall 2014

Checkpoint 5 - Lesson Plan Format

Name: Jordan Vrhovac

Date: Monday, November 17

Lesson Title/Topic: Everyday Life in

Colonial Virginia

Grade Level: 4

Related SOLs: VS.4 The student will demonstrate knowledge of life in the Virginia colony by
b) describing how the culture of colonial Virginia reflected the origins of European
(English, Scots-Irish, German) immigrants, Africans, and American Indians
Specific Observable Objective(s): The student will locate and label the regions of Virginia where
American Indians settled prior to colonization, and the regions of Virginia where the English and
Africans primarily settled.
Essential Vocabulary:
Cultural Landscape- buildings that show a persons beliefs or cultural background
Prior- before
Assessment: I know that my students will have mastered my objectives by formally assessing their
answers to the exit slip given at the end of class. Informal assessment will include noting students oral
responses to the warm up activity and introductory discussion at the beginning of the class period, and
appropriate representations and placements on the map during the class period.
Learner Considerations: The information will be represented in multiple different formats in order to
meet the various learning preferences for each student. These formats include multiple means of
engagement, representation, and expression. Additionally, in order to manage time, the students will
be provided with previously cut squares to create their representations, and a timer to provide a clear
visual aid to keep them on track.
UDL Solutions
Engagement
Representation
Expression
(Engaging and sustaining student interest) (Presenting content)
(Demonstrating learning)
Activation of prior knowledge
Teacher modeling
Writing in interactive
notebooks
Integration of technology with
Student model
Prezi
Oral responses
Use of maps
Individual work
Graphic organizer
Lecture with Prezi
Incorporation of drawing
Picture
representations
Display of student work within the
Picture placements
classroom
Timer
Exit slip
1

Materials, Resources, Technology:

-Interactive map of Virginia (bulletin board)
-Labels of regions and immigrants
-Velcro
-Cut squares
-Colored pencils
-Interactive notebooks
-Graphic organizer
-Pencils
-Overhead projector
-Computer
-Elmo
-Exit Slip
PROCEDURES:
The Beginning (15 min.)
I am excited to have the opportunity to teach our Virginia Studies unit this week. I have a lot of fun
things planned that I hope you will all enjoy, but I will need your full participation and cooperation in
order for us to get through everything. For now, I need everyone to have their Virginia Studies notebook
on their desk. Everything else should be cleared off and only your notebook should be out. In order to
make sure I hear everyones voices equally, I have brought in this can filled with popsicle sticks. Each
person in the class has one popsicle stick with their name on it. There will be times during the lesson
that I will ask you to raise your hands to answer questions and there will be times that I will just pick a
popsicle stick out of the can and call on the name that was drawn. Once I have called your name, I will
flip your stick over until everyone has been called on. Once everyone has received a turn, I will flip all of
the sticks back over and we will start again. Now, you may have noticed something different about our
classroom this morning when you came in. One of our bulletin boards has been changed and it now has
an enormous map of Virginia covering it. Throughout this week, all of you will be helping label this map
using the information you learn each day. Today, I would like for us to begin by labeling the regions of
Virginia. I want you all to think back to our first couple weeks of fourth grade this year when we learned
about the different regions of Virginia.
TTW individually point to each region of Virginia and pull a popsicle stick for the student to come up
and label it with pre-made labels.
Wow fourth grade thank you all for staying focused and helping me begin to label our map. Now, in
your Virginia Studies notebooks, I want you to take three minutes to write what you notice about our
map. Include your thoughts about its shape and location. I am going to start the timer on the computer
and when our time runs out, we will discuss some of the things we notice.
TTW start the timer on the computer for three minutes while the students describe what they notice
about the state of Virginia.
TTW pull a popsicle stick for the students to describe what they notice after the timer is up.

Those are all some really good observations about our map. One thing I really liked was when ____
mentioned that Virginia is divided into different regions. Now, I want you to think back to when we
learned about the different products and industries throughout Virginia. Now, think about how that
information might relate to Virginia being divided into different regions?
TTW pull multiple popsicle sticks for students to share how they think products and industries are
specific to certain regions.
Wow friends I am so glad to see how much you all remember from our previous studies this year. Today
we are going to be locating and labeling the different regions of Virginia that the American Indians,
English, and Africans settled. Can somebody raise their hand and predict why I thought it was
important for us to notice the separation of regions in Virginia, and to remember how products and
industries in Virginia were specific to certain regions?
TTW pull multiple popsicle sticks for students to share their predictions of how the different cultural
groups lived in different regions of Virginia.
The Middle (30 min.)
Those were all some very accurate predictions of what we will be studying today. In fact, different
cultural groups settled in different regions of Virginia. Lets take a look at that word culture. Think about
what the word culture means using your own words.
TTW pull multiple popsicle sticks for students to reiterate the meaning of culture to the class.
Thank you for that accurate description of the word culture. Like you said, culture is the beliefs,
customs, arts, etc. of a particular society, group, or place of time. Now, we are going to take a look at a
short presentation on some of these different cultural groups. Friends, as we begin going through the
slides I would like for you to actively listen to the information. That means while we are talking about
each thing you are writing down information you might think is important and really thinking about the
material and making connections. When you are actively listening, you are not talking about what is
going on, just thinking and jotting ideas or information down as it comes to your head. I am passing out
a graphic organizer to help keep your notes in order.
TTW present a short Prezi on the regions the American Indians, English, and Africans settled in Virginia.
The Prezi will also include reasons why they choose these areas and examples of cultural landscape
from each culture.
Okay friends, you all have done a great job actively listening to the presentation today. Next we are
going to be creating a small representation of each of these three cultures and posting them on our
map of Virginia. Before we get started, I would like to show you a few examples as well as a few nonexamples, and then brainstorm a class list of possible representations or symbols we can draw.
TTW hold up two representations of the American Indian culture, one example and one non-example.
Raise you hand and tell me what culture you think this might represent?

TTW pull a popsicle stick for student to name American Indians.

Thank you, ______. These pictures represent the American Indian culture. Now I want you to look at the
difference between this picture and this picture.
TTW add the non-example under the Elmo.
TTW pull a couple popsicle sticks for students to point out the differences in effort, color, and accuracy
between the example and the non-example.
Those are all correct answers. This picture represents a good example of the type of work I expect from
you today, and this picture represents a poor example of work that I do not want to see turned in today.
Everyone in this classroom is capable or turning in this type of work. Now that we know the
expectations of the quality of our work, together we are going to brainstorm a list of ideas we might
use to represent the different cultures we learned about today. First we will look at the American
Indians. Raising your hands, who can name something we can use to represent the American Indians
that settled all throughout Virginia prior to English colonization?
TTW call on a couple of students to list ideas of appropriate representations of the American Indian
culture.
TTW write the suggestions on a graphic organizer under the Elmo
Bow & Arrow
Arrowhead
Headdress
Wigwam
Longhouse
Indian
Thank you for all of those suggestions. Now we are going to brainstorm some symbols we might use to
represent the English culture. Raising your hands, who can name something we can use to represent
the English that settled primarily in the Piedmont and Coastal Plains regions of Virginia?
TTW call on a couple of students to list ideas of appropriate representations of the English culture.
TTW write the suggestions on a graphic organizer under the Elmo.
Top hat
Boat
Musket
Colonist
Tobacco
Log house
Awesome job! Now, raising your hands, who can name something we can use to represent the African
culture that also settled primarily in the Piedmont and Coastal Plains regions of Virginia?
TTW call on a couple of students to list ideas of appropriate representations of the African culture.
TTW write the suggestions on a graphic organizer under the Elmo.
4

Drums
Music
Map of Africa
Shack
Slave

You all created a great list of ideas to use as your representation of each culture. Now, I am going to
hand out three squares to each person. Individually, I want you to design a small picture that helps you
remember the culture that you are representing. You may use an idea from our class list, or you may
come up with another on your own. However, if you come up with something on your own, it must be
relatable to the culture it is representing. Please use your colored pencils. When you are finished with
all three, please make sure you have written your name on the back of each and meet me over at our
Virginia map. Once I have checked you off, you will post them onto our map in the correct region of
settlement. For example, if I want to post my representation I drew of the American Indian culture for
before English colonization, where would I post my picture?
TTW pull a popsicle stick for a student to respond, all over Virginia.
Perfect! I am going to set the timer on the board again. You should have all of your drawings completed
and posted on our map before our time is up!
TTW walk around and monitor student work.
TTW answer any questions about the assignment or material.
TTW assist students when posting their representations on the interactive map of Virginia while
checking them off on the class list.
TTW give the students a two-minute warning before the timer is up.
The End (5 min.)
You all did an outstanding job on your representations and everyone placed them in the correct regions!
To end class today, we are going to complete a short exit-slip. This is to be completed individually.
When you are done, please raise your hand and I will come around and collect them.
TTW pass out an exit-slip to each student.
TTW walk around and collect it when students are raising their hands
Thank you everyone listening and giving your full attention during class today. As a review, today we
learned how to locate and label the regions of Virginia where the American Indians settled prior to
colonization, and where the English and Africans primarily settled. Tomorrow we will learn about where
the Scots-Irish and Germans primarily settled, and take a look at some cities and types of architecture in
Virginia that reflect the culture of some of these immigrants.

Reflection Questions:
Did all of the students master todays objective? How do you know? (Use formative assessment data
to support your claims).

Based on the result of your assessment, what will you do tomorrow?

Can you go ahead as planned or will you need to reteach concepts from todays lesson? (Explain how
you will reteach and/or connect and feed forward.)

If you have to teach this lesson again, what might you do the same and what might you do differently?