Milwaukee Neighborhoods: Diverse Social Sciences Lesson

11/30/15
Lesson Title
Date
Milwaukee History
4th Grade
Unit Title
Subject/Grade Level/Lesson Duration
Section A. Lesson Preparation
Rationale Why is it important for students to learn the content of the lesson?
It is important for students to learn about the city that they live, because it will give them
a stronger connection with their home city. Milwaukee has a strong and important history
that will help students understand how and why Milwaukee came to be. Through learning
Milwaukees history, students will create an appreciation for the city and develop ideas
about how to improve the city. It is important for students to know that Milwaukee has
not always been how it is today. This lesson is about learning the geography of
Milwaukee, which includes the specific neighborhoods. It is important for students to
understand the physical make up of the city they live in.
Description of Learners What factors must be considered in order to accommodate the
diversity of learners in your class?
1. What are your students developmental assets? (Cognitive? Physical? Social?
Emotional? Motivational?)
There are 23 students in my classroom at Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning.
All of the students are African American and from a low socio-economic status. All of the
students are proficient in English, but are at low reading levels.
2. How can the personal/cultural/community assets of your students can be
utilized in this lesson?
This unit is about Milwaukee history; students are able to use their personal knowledge
about their experience living in Milwaukee. This lesson is about the geography of
Milwaukee, and students will use their background knowledge of living in Milwaukee to
support their learning during this lesson.
3. What prior knowledge, skills, and understanding must students have in
order to successfully engage in this lesson?
Students must have prior skills of using the Internet to conduct research. Students must
be able to understand the differences between a sociologist, historian, politician and
economist and their thinking.
4. What preconceptions/misconceptions/misunderstandings/errors might
students have about the concepts in this lesson?

Students may not understand that there are specific neighborhoods within
Milwaukee. I will show them a map of Milwaukee, and introduce them to a few
neighborhoods.
5. What are individual learning needs in this class? What supports/
modifications/ accommodations to instruction or assessment may need to be
made? (Content? Process? Product?)
There are three students with exceptional needs. Two students are diagnosed with ADHD.
One student has anger management issues. There are several resources for these students
with exceptional needs in order to give them equal opportunities such their individualized
education programs and teacher aids. These particular students remain in the classroom as
much as possible, however they occasionally leave the classroom to work with their aids
if they need extra help on a specific topic or are behind. There is also a school social
worker as well a school counselor to support the all of the students in the classroom.
Objectives/Learner Outcomes and Assessments (formal and informal)
1.

List the measurable learning outcomes (knowledge, skills, dispositions) that

students are expected to demonstrate as a result of the lesson?
Students are expected to understand that there are many different neighborhoods
in Milwaukee. Each neighborhood has something valuable to offer the city, but
many neighborhoods also have lots of room for improvement. They will also
understand how to think like a historian, sociologist, economist and politician.

2.

For each of the above outcomes, what ASSESSMENTS will you use to evaluate
each of your learning outcomes? (Give a brief description).
I will informal assess the students when I introduce the lesson and ask them if
they know any neighborhoods in Milwaukee and what they know about it. I will
also be informally assessing the students while they are doing their research. I will
walk around to make sure theyre on task and understanding the lesson. I will
formally assess each student when they present their neighborhood to the class. I
will make sure that they understand the differences between the thinking of each
profession.

Standards Addressed What Core State Standards (English/Language Arts, Math,

Disciplinary Literacy) or Wisconsin model academic standards (Science, Social Studies,
Foreign Language) are specifically addressed in the lesson? Please list the number and
text of the standard. If only a portion of a standard is being addressed, then only list the
relevant part(s).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,

and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on
others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons
and information.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1.B

Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.9

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,

and research.
B.4.10 Explain the history, culture, tribal sovereignty, and current status of the American
Indian tribes and bands in Wisconsin

Materials/Resources/Technology List all materials/resources/technology needed to

support instructional procedures in this lesson.
Computers or tablets for each student to conduct research
Books in the classroom on Milwaukee neighborhoods
Map of Milwaukee and each neighborhood
Section B: Introduction to Lesson
Purpose How will you state the purpose of the lesson?
The purpose of this lesson is for students to investigate and learn about the history of the
different neighborhoods and communities within Milwaukee. Today, you are going to be
in groups and each of you will be assigned a specific role and will become an expert on
your community.
Prior learning What do students know? What can they do? What are they
learning to do? How will you make connections to prior learning?
Students have prior knowledge of the neighborhood that they live in. They also have prior
knowledge of using technology resources to do research.
Connections to personal/cultural/community assets How will you make
connections to your students strengths as a way to motivate students to engage in
the learning activities you have planned? (HOOKS)
I make connections to students personal/cultural and community assets by having them
create a drawing of their own neighborhood. Students will also be watching a short
YouTube clip that goes through several neighborhoods in Milwaukee. Both of these will
help hook students into the lesson.

Section C: Content/Procedures/Sequence (Include estimated time for each activity)

Content outline

Instructional strategies/learning tasks/sequence of

activities (include what you and the students will be
doing that supports diverse student needs)

Introduction to lesson
(Hook)

IwillbeginthislessonbyplayingashortYouTube
videoofatourofMilwaukeestreets.

Draw your neighborhood

AfterstudentswatchtheYoutubevideo,theywilldraw
apictureoftheirneighborhoodinMilwaukee.(Thiswill
getthestudentsthinkingaboutthecommunitytheylive
in.)

Cooperative Learning
Groups:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqvwUlj72FM

IwillthenintroducetheneighborhoodsofMilwaukee.
EachstudentwillgetamapofMilwaukeeandasaclass
wewillcolorandlabeleachneighborhood.Students
willthenworkingroupsoffourtoconductastudyona
neighborhoodinMilwaukee.Studentswillbeassigneda
neighborhood,suchasAvenuesWest,BayView,
BrewersHill,Havenswoodortheycandochoosea
wholearealike,MilwaukeesNorthside,Eastside,
Southside.

Neighborhood Study:
Once they choose a neighborhood or community,
students will conduct an investigation on the
community. Each student within the group will be
assigned a specific role, as a sociologist, historian,
politician and economist. They will use the internet
to answer several questions about their
neighborhood.
Sociologist:
What can you find in my neighborhood?
What do I like about my neighborhood?
What would I like to change about my
neighborhood?
What should be done to make my
neighborhood a good place to live?

Politician:
What laws are in my neighborhood?
Who makes these the laws?
What laws should be added or taken away?
Who are the citizens and workers that serve
this neighborhood?
How can I contribute to my neighborhood
as a citizen?
Historian:

Whatisthenameofmyneighborhood?
Whydoesithavethatname?
Wholivedinmyneighborhoodfirst?
Whendidpeople,businesses,orindustries
moveintomyneighborhood?
Whathistoricallandmarksarelocatedinmy
neighborhood?Whereandwhyaretheylocated
there?

Economist:

Whatarethemajorbusinesses,industriesin
myneighborhood?(thenandnow)
Whatarethemajorservicesavailableinmy
neighborhood?
Whatjobsareavailableinmy
neighborhood?Whatjobsarenotavailable?
Whoarethepeoplewhofirstworkedinmy
neighborhood?
Whoarethepeoplewhoworkinmy
neighborhoodtoday?

**AllquestionsareadaptedfromMakingofMilwaukee
Curriculum

Presentation

Next, students will create a presentation about their

neighborhood and present it to the class. Students
will can choose to use Padlet, Doodlekit,
PowerPoint.
Each group will get 10 minutes to present their
community/neighborhood. (This may have to be a
separate lesson) This is when I will formally assess
students understanding of this lesson.

Section D: Closure
Summary of lesson How will you bring the lesson to a close? (One-two
statements that you will say at the end of the lesson)
At the end of the lesson, I will restate the purpose of the lesson. I will ask the students,
what they think the purpose of todays lesson was? Why is important to be knowledgable
about the neighborhoods and communities in Milwaukee?
Assignment What independent work will be assigned?
Students will be assigned to come up with three things that they could do to improve their
own community.
Section E: Self-Assessment and Reflection (To be completed only if and after you teach
the lesson)
1. Was the lesson successful? What DATA or EVIDENCE support your
conclusions?
I will use evidence from the debate as well as classroom discussions to conclude if the
lesson was successful or not. It will be successful if students are able to conduct research
on their neighborhoods and create a presentation as a group. Students will be successful if
they understand the difference between a sociologist, politician, economist and historian.
2. Based on your conclusion above about what your students know and are able to
do (individually and collectively), what next steps in instruction are you planning?

a. For the class as a whole:

The next thing we will focus on is how they would improve their own community as well
as other communities in Milwaukee. What would they want to do and how would they do
that? We will discuss the importance of neighborhoods and communities.
b. For individuals with specific learning needs within the class
For students will specific learning needs I might need to provide additional support and
scaffolding. Students will be in heterogeneous groups to do their neighborhood study,
which help support their learning.