Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Grade Level/Subject: 4th Grade

Central Focus: Comprehension, map skills, and
Social Studies/Reading
comparative civilizations
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective: 4.G.1.3
Exemplify the interactions of various peoples, places,
and cultures in terms of adaptation and modification
Date submitted:
of the environment.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1 Refer to details and
Date taught: Nov. 4th, 2015
examples in a text when explaining what the text says
explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text
Daily Lesson Objective: Students will exemplify differences in cultures and refer to the
text and information to demonstrate knowledge of The Anasazi and will answer 4 out
of 5 questions correctly.
21st Century Skills: Global
Academic Language Demand (Language Function and
Awareness, Information
Vocabulary): Define Anasazi, plateau, pueblo, mesa,
Literacy
canyon, and wash
Prior Knowledge: Students know that Native Americans were here before us and the
have knowledge of basic geography. (Midwest is flat)

Activity

1. Focus and Review

2. Statement of
Objective
for Student
3. Teacher Input

Description of Activities and Setting

I will start with talking about what other places around
the United States might be like. We will discuss how
people live in different climates, environments,
regions, etc. I will activate their prior knowledge by
asking them questions about specific regions, the
Midwest, and what we know about Native Americans.
Today, I am going to teach you about The Anasazi. We
are going to explore the history and culture of the way
that these people lived and how they survived.
I will use the book provided by my CT Once There Were
Anasazi By Time Reader For Kids. I will read bits and
pieces of the book providing students with information
on how the Anasazi lived, found resources, survived,
farmed, etc. I will have already placed sticky notes on
pages with questions ready to ask the students as we
read through parts of the book. I will ask questions
such as
What do you notice about the cover of the book? What
does this let us know about the Anasazi before we
begin reading? What are some differences in where
The Anasazi lived and North Carolina? Can anyone tell
me what a plateau is? Do we have to hunt for our food
and water? What kind of animals do we hunt here in
North Carolina? We will reflect in a class discussion

Time

about whether or not we would want to live the way

the Anasazi do.

4. Guided Practice

5. Independent
Practice

6. Assessment
Methods of
all
objectives/skills:

7. Closure

8. Assessment
Results of
all
objectives/skills:

After we have gone over the book together and

learned about the Anasazi, I will show the students a
video on what it would be like to live in The Anasazi
tribe. I will tell the students that we are going to make
a culture quilt of what we know about the Anasazi. We
will look up examples together on the internet so I can
show them what this looks like. I will then pass around
construction paper to each student, letting them
choose a color themselves, and then they will begin
making an illustration with a caption about what they
learned about the Anasazi. I will encourage them to
use the vocabulary words we discussed in the reading
and I will ask them to consider all of the things that
Anasazi had to do to survive and live everyday life. I
will give students time to work on these and encourage
them to share ideas with their neighbors using inside
voices and once everyone has finished I will collect
them to put them all together and show to the class
the following day.
For the independent practice, I will pass around a
worksheet that I found on a website and that I have
slightly altered about the Anasazi and I will instruct
students that this is an individual assignment that is to
be completed in silence. The worksheet is 5 openended questions that will test for comprehension of
the text by the students referring to details in the
book we read.
I will expect students to get at least 4/5 questions on the
worksheet correct demonstrating their knowledge and
understanding of the Anasazi and how the culture compares to
culture in North Carolina.
Students will hand in their worksheets and then I will
finish the lesson by reviewing the main ideas of the
Anasazi and then asking students what they think
happened to the Anasazi and where they went. We will
brainstorm our ideas and then conclude with me
encouraging them to research more about them at
home or on their own time.

Targeted Students
Modifications/Accommodations:
Provided visual (video) for visual
learners, the book is for auditory
learners, and the drawing at the end is
for my creative students.

Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations:
There will be no time limit for students who
need a little more time to finish their
worksheet. They will be given whatever time
is left over from the worksheet to complete
their drawing.

Materials/Technology:
(Include any instructional materials (e.g., worksheets, assessments PowerPoint/Smart Board slides, etc.) needed to implement the lesson at
the end of the lesson plan.)

YouTube, worksheet, construction paper, markers/crayons/pens, Once There Were

Anasazi by Time Reader for Kids
References: Once There Were Anasazi by Time Reader for Kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrBhq6iXOTQ
http://www.kathimitchell.com/anaszi.html
Reflection on lesson: