Unit of Instruction
The Revolutionary War - Seventh Grade
Target Students
STUDENT A (12-year-old Caucasian female)
Some Strengths:
- strong social skills
- determination to improve academic skills
Primary disability - Specific Learning Disability (SLD);
Secondary disability - speech/language impairment
IEP goals related to History:
- "Student will continue to improve her vocabulary skills by defining and using grade-level curriculum-based vocabulary."
- "Student will increase listening and reading comprehension skills so that she is able to answer comprehension questions."
STUDENT B (12-year-old male of Hispanic descent)
Some Strengths:
- ability to dictate detailed and complex essays orally
- grade level math abilities
Primary disability - SLD
Secondary disability - ADHD
IEP goals applicable to this class:
- "When provided with clear guidelines and a behavior plan, Student will follow directions, complete class work/homework; turn it in, and organize his materials."
- "When given structured expectations, Student will act within the behavioral guidelines of the class; if he is impulsive and breaks a rule, he will recognize and admit what behavior he did."
STUDENT C (12-year old Caucasian male)
Some Strengths:
- desire to learn more about nearly every subject he encounters
- ability to remember details about preferred subjects
Primary disability - Other Health Impairment (OHI) due to ADHD and Anxiety Disorder
Secondary disability - speech fluency disorder
Applicable IEP goals:
- "With adult cues, Student will be aware of the fact that he interrupts and write down bullet points to share when it would be more appropriate."
- "When given directions, Student will complete the task and ask less than three questions per assignment."
Content
Details: Important People, Places, Dates
Big Ideas
- Fighting for a cause
- Holding true to one's word
- Freedom/equality
- The War's influence on other countries
Specific Information on Formal Lesson Plan
Final lesson of Unit (5 / 5)
Process of This Lesson
- Direct Instruction
- Visual supports projected onscreen
- Students provided with note taking / study guide
- Cooperative learning (Think / Pair / Share)
Environmental Considerations / Instructional Arrangement
- Timing dictated by regular teacher
- Entire Revolutionary War in 5 days
Instructional Materials / Instructional Strategy
- Engagement Strategy: True / False sort
- Input Phase: The Road to Victory
- Formative Assessments: Questions from previous evening's homework, choral response
- Guided Practice: Think / Pair / Share - How might world be different today if Patriots hadn't won the war?
- Summative Assessment: Mini quiz about Yorktown and influence of War on other countries
- Closure Activity: History Millionaire!
Support and Supervision Structure
- Regular teacher provided content outline
- Regular teacher present in classroom
Product of This Lesson
- 100% on Mini Quiz: 3/3 target students; 20 / 21 students (95% of students)
- 5 / 6 points on essay question: 3 / 3 target students; 19 / 21 students (90% of all students)
Commentary on Lesson
How did it go?
- First day
- Days 2 - 5
What worked / didn't work about the instructional strategy and why?
- Direct Instruction
- Projected outline
- Note taking guide
- Cooperative learning
- RIO format (especially Engagement and Closure)
Why did learning occur?
- Student engagement high
- Clarity about important information
What 2 - 3 things would I do differently next time?
- Different timing
- More peer-mediated and cooperative learning
- More visuals / emphasis on multimedia