SOCIAL STUDIES

LESSON PLAN

MRS. SIGNOR

Overview
This lesson is designed to help students share and talk about responsible actions. The
lesson will begin by students listening to a story about the life of Abraham Lincoln, followed by a
personal story where the teacher was faced with a dilemma. Students will work in groups to
create possible solutions to the dilemma and upload the solutions in real time to Google Docs.
The students will work together as a whole class to categorize the solutions in to Responsible
or Irresponsible actions. Then, students will journal about their own story about a time where
they faced a dilemma and how they practiced responsibility and the outcomes of their choices.
Students will then research Abraham Lincoln using the computer and complete a timeline
worksheet. Following this activity, students will create digital posters in groups to represent
difficult dilemmas they may face this year.
Essential Questions
What does it mean to be responsible?
What does it mean to be irresponsible?
How can we find positive solutions to everyday challenges?
Keywords/Vocabulary
Abraham Lincoln
Responsibility
Irresponsible
Dilemma
Resources and Materials
Journals Worksheet
Google Docs
Computers
Everyday Dilemmas Worksheet
Background Reading
Timeline Worksheet
Poster board/Blank Chart Paper
Markers
Pencils
Microsoft Word
Rubistar Rubric
Standards
Content Standards
1. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7
o Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos,
or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
2. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.3
o Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to

history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates
are raised or lowered).

NETS*S Standards
1. Creativity and Innovation
o Students are demonstrating creative thinking, construct knowledge, and
are developing innovative products by using technology.
2. Communication and Collaboration
o Students are using digital media to interact, collaborate, and publish with
peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and
media. The students will be sharing their videos with their fellow students
to contribute to the learning of others.
3. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
o Students will use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research,
manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using
appropriate digital tools and resources.
Assessment
Students will be assessed on their digital campaign posters using a rubric (see attached
forms) and students will complete an online assessment of their work using Socrative (see
attached forms).
Technologies Used
Rubistar
Google Docs
Microsoft Word
Socrative
Instruction Plan
Preparation
Teacher must create copies of worksheets for students to have.
Management
Students will work in the classroom on this lesson. The students will work
individually, as a whole class, and in small groups throughout the lesson.
o Individually; journal activity, timeline activity, dilemmas worksheet, selfevaluations
o Whole class; Introduction to lesson, working of debt story,
o Small groups; responsible vs. irresponsible brainstorming, digital posters
Instruction and Activities
Students will be engaged and working collaboratively, individually, and in small
groups throughout the entire lesson.
Teacher will be facilitating learning process and providing assistance when
necessary.
Differentiation
This lesson plan accommodates all types of learners.
1. Visual; visual learners will be engaged and stimulated by researching the
life of Abraham Lincoln using internet resources.
2. Auditory; auditory learners will be engaged and stimulated by the
presentation of different stories that related to dilemmas and solution.
Closure and Reflection

Students will complete the lesson by self-assessing themselves and their work
using an online Socrative quiz (see attached).
Students will be evaluated on their collaboration and digital posters using a
rubric (see attached).

Part 1: Teacher: Share a personal experience from your childhood in which you were
faced with a dilemma (i.e. borrowing something and losing it, stealing, breaking something that
didn't belong to you). Leave out the ending of the story, allow the students to pair up and share
about possible ways to resolve the situation. Encourage the students to brainstorm as many
resolutions as possible. Have them type their endings on Google Docs. Write the words
"Responsible" and "Irresponsible" as headings on the document. Discuss and categorize the
brainstormed outcomes as a class by creating a new document in which the whole class sorts out
the bulleted points into appropriate headings as determined by the class.
Part 2: Journal: Have the students write about a time they were faced with a difficult
situation and had the opportunity to practice responsibility and what the outcomes of their
choices were.
Part 3: Have students use a computer to research and be able to complete Abraham
Lincoln timeline worksheet.
Part 4: Refocus on the story about Abraham working off a debt because a borrowed book
was ruined. Discuss how he took responsibility and worked to repay the cost of the book. Have
the students pick out other dilemmas in Lincoln's life and identify how he demonstrated
responsibility in each situation.
Part 5: Everyday Dilemmas: In groups, brainstorm dilemmas that students may run into
during the school year and how a responsible person would respond. (create slogans, i.e. " if you
borrow it, bring it back") Have students create digital posters, using Microsoft Word, depicting a
young Abraham Lincoln responding responsibly (using the slogans in school settings). Allow
each group to present their digital poster to the rest of the class and explain how they think a
young Abraham Lincoln would have responded.
Sources
http://www.studentreasures.com/abraham-lincoln-for-kids.html