PROPOSED LESSON PLAN REQUIREMENTS FOR ARTIFACT€¦  · Web viewWithin this service learning project my lessons focused on the writing components of a friendly letter along with

Service Learning Project Rationale

Context: I completed this assignment as a Block II requirement under the advisement of Dr. Sandra Oldendorf in CI 3110, Social Studies in the Elementary School. I taught this lesson to Mrs. Annie Croon’s fifth grade class at Gamewell Elementary School in Caldwell County. The service learning assignment aligned concurrently with my cooperating teacher’s unit on various types of letters. Within this service learning project my lessons focused on the writing components of a friendly letter along with teaching students about the branches of the military, what it means to be a veteran, and a cross cultural comparison of the lives of children in the United States opposed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Impact: The purpose for this lesson was to discuss with students the importance of expressing his/her gratitude towards retired and/or active duty military for their service and dedication to our country and the many sacrifices that they have made. Through this service learning project students will learn that making a difference in his/her community can be done by simply writing to express your gratitude and appreciation to someone who has risked their own life for the sake others. Students should be able to make a connection to a time in their own life when someone expressed gratitude for a task that they had completed and the joy and fulfillment that he/she felt when that person voiced their appreciation. This personal connection should help students to see that making a positive difference in an individual’s life can be done by simply expressing your gratitude.

This assignment was appropriately aligned with the NCSCoS for fifth grade and is as follows: NCSCoS – Competency Goal 4: The learner will trace key developments in United States history and describe their impact on the land and people of the nation and its neighboring countries.

Objective 4.05: Describe the impact of wars and conflicts on United States citizens, including but not limited to, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the

Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, and the twenty-first century war on terrorism.NCSCoS – (Subject integration) Competency Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.

Objective 4.06: Compose a draft that elaborates on major ideas and adheres to the topic by using an appropriate organizational pattern that accomplishes the purpose of the writing task and effectively communicates its content.

Objective 4.08: Focus revision on target elements by:- improving word choice.- rearranging text for clarity- creating simple and/or complex sentences for clarity or impact.

NCSCoS – Standard II: Time, Continuity, & ChangeObjective B: Demonstrate an ability to use correctly vocabulary associated with time such as

past, present, future and long ago; read a construct simple timelines, identifying examples of change; an recognize examples of cause and effect relationships.

Objective 4.09: Produce work that follows the conventions of a particular genre. (Friendly Letter.)

Alignment:Standard 1 – Teachers Demonstrate Leadership

1b. Teachers demonstrate leadership in the schoolThis standard was met by collaborating and aligning my instruction with the Veteran’s day program at Gamewell Elementary School as well as by helping to make a global connection between students in Lenoir, NC and active military members stationed in and around NC and overseas.

Standard 3 – Teachers Know the Content They TeachStandard 3.1 – Reading / Language Arts

A. Teachers align their instruction with the NC Standard Course of StudyThis standard was met by closely following and studying the language arts curriculum for fifth graders in North Carolina.

B. Teachers know the content appropriate to their teaching specialtyI met this standard by using content knowledge (known and researched) to create this unit.

Standard 3.4 – Social StudiesA. Teachers align their instruction with the NC Standard Course of Study

This standard was met by closely following and studying the social studies curriculum for fifth graders in North Carolina.

B. Teachers know the content appropriate to their teaching specialtyI met this standard by using content knowledge (known and researched) to create this unit.

3c. Teachers recognize the interconnectedness of content areas/disciplines.This standard was met by aligning my instruction with the NC Standard Course of study for fifth grade language arts and social studies. Through the activities created for the service learning project students worked diligently on friendly letters (LA) for service men and women active or retired (SS) in appreciation for their service to our country.

3d. Teachers make instruction relevant to studentsI tried to plan and teach my lessons with my students in mind. My goal in planning and creating this unit was to provide activities that draw from students’ prior knowledge and make the content being studied relatable to each student’s daily lives.

Service Learning Project

Title: Take Time to Thank a Vet!

Theme: Veterans Day

Grade Level: 5th

Duration: The content of this lesson can be taught in one day while the Friendly Letter activity will vary

depending on the writing levels of the students in the class.

Materials & Resources:

- Friendly Letter template

- “Modeled” Friendly Letter, to be shown as an example for students.

- Notebook paper

- Names and addresses of Veterans here in North Carolina.

Focus/review/interest building: Students will become familiar with the term “Veteran” and learn about

Veterans Day and why it was originally referred to as Armistice Day. During the Veterans Day

discussion, students will also learn about the mechanics of a war, our countries status and involvement,

and the sacrifices of a soldier. Once students have begun thinking critically about the daily lives of a

Veteran, they will express their gratitude and appreciation for their service through a friendly letter.

Prior to writing a friendly letter, the students will be taught the necessary components and will have seen

a model of an example of the finished product.

Lesson development:

- Students will learn about the five branches of the military (Army, Navy, Marines, Coast

Guard, and the Air Force). Provide students with images of these military branches in

uniform so that students have a visual image to associate.

- Inform and explain to students about the current war on terrorism. Explain to students the

reasons as to why our troops are overseas.

- Cross Cultural Comparison - Talk to students about what life is like for children in Iraq and

Afghanistan. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences.

- Explain to students the components of a friendly letter (Heading, Greeting, Body, Closing,

and Signature). Review with students the various types of headings such as: Hello,

Greetings, Salutations – also, review with students the appropriate words to use for a closing

(Sincerely, Yours Fellow American, From).

- Vocabulary: Veteran / Armistice / Sacrifice / Allegiance / Oppression / Patriotism

- Critical Thinking Questions:

1) Who does Veterans Day honor?

2) Do you know any Veterans?

3) Explain what the term “armistice” means.

4) Why was the name of the holiday changed from Armistice Day to Veterans

Day?

5) What are some of the sacrifices that a service member may make? (Even on a

daily basis).

6) What are some ways that we can show our appreciation to our countries

armed service members?

Background information: Veterans Day is celebrated annually on November 11th. This holiday

was implemented as a special day to celebrate and honor those who have served in our nations

military. However, the holiday we know today as Veterans Day was once called something

different. Veterans Day was once referred to as Armistice Day because of the truce signed at the

end of World War I. (Armistice meaning truce) Armistice Day began being celebrated on

November 11th because in the 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, World War I

ended in a truce. On November 8th, 1954 the name was officially changed from Armistice Day

to Veterans Day in an effort to honor and celebrate all veterans, not only those who served in

World War I. A Veteran is someone who has served (or is currently serving) in one of the five

branches of the military.

The objective for this lesson is to provide students with a clearer understanding of the

United States Military while concurrently explaining to them certain aspects of the war our

country is fighting against terrorism. First, it is important to explain to the five branches of the

military to students. They need to first know that the Army is the oldest as well as the largest of

the five military branches and it focuses on ground operations. The Marine Corps is the second

oldest of the five military branches (founded by congress in November whereas the army was

founded by congress in June). The Marine, while being the smallest branch, are one of the

hardest trained because they are the “front line” and fist to deploy in a time of war. The primary

focus of the Navy is to protect the open seas, which they do so with the use of large ships,

submarines, and aircraft. The Air Force was established at the closing of World War II to

provide defense for our nation in air. Lastly, the US Coast Guard was implemented to protect

our nation stateside, although in a time of war the Coast Guard becomes an active part of the

Navy.

The last piece of information to share with students would be America’s current position

in the War on Terrorism. America has been fighting the War on Terrorism since 2001 after the

tack on 9/11 that brought down the Twin Towers in New York, NY. Our troops are fighting to

bring protect our own country while simultaneously trying to bring justice to the innocent people

who are under attack in their own country by radical Islamist extremist referred to as the Taliban.

Today, the United States still has troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan to try and help them

establish a fair and functioning government while also protecting the human rights of the

innocent children, women, and men who have been oppressed by radical groups.

Once students have an understanding of the sacrifices made by the Americans fighting to

preserve the freedom and human rights of our citizens and those of other nations then we will

follow the friendly letter template to write a friendly / “Thank You” letter to service men and

women. Contact your nearest VA hospital / Military base / Reservist Center for a list of Active

or Retired military members to send the letters to.

The friendly letter template is as follows:

Name Address

Date

Greetings,

Body _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Closing,Signature

Summary: Once students have completed their rough draft of the letter, revised and edited their work

(with the help of a teacher) then students will be ready to write their final letter.

Assessment:

An informal formative assessment on student learning will be done through a classroom

discussion on the content covered. Students will be formally assessed on the completion of their final

letter. The rubric is as follows:

Friendly Letter Rubric

Name:________________________________

Date:______________________ Topic: ______________________

Score 1 2 3 4 Student’s Score

Layout/ Design

Letter is unattractive or inappropriate. Text is difficult to read. It does not have proper grammar or punctuation for a friendly letter.

Letter appears busy or boring. Text may be difficult to read. May have some grammar and or punctuation that indicates it is a friendly letter.

The letter is eye-catching and attractive. Text is easy to read. Grammar, style, and punctuation is indicative of a friendly letter.

The letter is creatively designed with easily read text. Grammar, style, and purpose all excellent for a friendly letter.

Information, style, audience, tone

Information is poorly written, inaccurate, or incomplete.

Some information is provided, but is limited or inaccurate.

Information is well written and interesting to read.

Information is accurate and complete, is creatively written, and is cleverly presented.

Accurate Parts of the Friendly Letter

Improper form is used.

Most friendly letter elements out of place or missing.

Some friendly letter elements may be missing.

Letter is complete with all required elements. (Date, heading, body, closing, signature)

Grammar, Punctuation, and choice of words for the friendly letter

Grammar, punctuation, and choice of words poor for a friendly letter.

Information mislabeled or missing. Inaccurate punctuation or grammar.

Style, purpose, audience, grammar, and punctuation all fair and indicative of a friendly letter.

Excellent job on presentation, style, grammar, and punctuation.

Following Classroom Guidelines and Directions

Students are often out of their area without permission and are disruptive to the class.

Students occasionally leave area without permission.

Students stay in their area and talk quietly to their own partner only.

Students are always on task, stay in their own area, and work quietly. Students followed project directions and classroom directions.

Total:___________

Reflection:

After reflecting upon my lesson, of course, I have identified some areas that would

benefit from improvement. Although, I would like to speak about the positives before delving

into everything I would like to change. For starters, I decided to do a service learning project in

regards to Veterans Day because I know that many people in our community and nation wide

have been affected in some way by the war. My goal in doing this project was to get students to

understand that to making a difference in someone else’s life does not always involve a lots of

fundraising and or large group functions, but that every student can make a difference in the life

of another by simply expressing their gratitude and appreciation. Before the class became

immersed in the content of the military service men and women, the War on Terrorism, and the

components of a friendly letter, I asked students to think about a time in their life when they did

something brave or kind to help someone else or a cause. Then I asked students to think back

when they were shown gratitude for what they did. I asked them to channel that joy and

happiness because that is a feeling they can pass on to another human being through their

friendly letters to service men and women stationed in various parts of North Carolina. Having

students write letters to a specific service member in their own state was valuable so that the

students could understand that they are showing support and making a difference in the lives of

their fellow North Carolinians.

When talking with my cooperating teacher, we decided that Veterans Day would be a

valuable topic for student learning. Once the idea was in place for the theme of the service

learning project the next step was to narrow down and decide how we would share our

appreciation. Through a guided discussion we came to the conclusion that a friendly letter would

allow each student to speak to an individual person and bring that connection to another level.

We also concluded that letters would be a better way to fully express our gratitude for the daily

sacrifices made by the members of our armed forces.

The “Thank a Vet” service learning project lasted a full week. On the first day of the

service learning lesson the students and I discussed what Veterans Day was and why we

celebrate it. We spoke about the origin of Veterans Day and how it came to be referred to as

such and we also spoke about what it means to be a veteran and the sacrifices and commitment

they make to our country with the objective of protecting our nation’s freedom and human rights.

Once we spoke about Veterans Day and what it means to be a veteran when then shifted our

content focus to the five branches of the military. We discussed the armed forces individually

and I shared pictures of images of men and women of a particular branch so that students would

be able to make a visual connection. We spoke of the similarities and differences of the five

branches of the military as well as whom the Commander-in-Chief is (The President of the

United States). After the discussion on the men and women of the armed forces we once again

shifted our gears to discuss the modern day war and our nation’s involvement. We first

referenced the attack on the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York, NY on September

11th, 2001 and terrorist group involved. We then focused on our purpose for having troops

stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan and that we are not only over there to protect the freedom of

the United States but we are also there to help the innocent children, women, and men who are

being oppressed by Islamic extremists. We discussed how the people of the two countries are

being heavily controlled by the government and how children are even forced into war situations

against their will. As far as areas of improvement and modification to this lesson I would say

that the students would have benefited from the presence of an actual war veteran and/or active

military member in the classroom for a discussion followed by questions from the students. I say

this because again, it helps students to visualize and make a connection to the content. Also,

some students in the class had so many questions that they wanted to ask, just “why, why, why”

which of course there is nothing wrong with, but because myself have never served in the

military it was difficult for me to really answer some of the students questions. Another area of

improvement for this lesson would be having children’s literature on the present day war as well

as children who are being force into war situations so that students would be able to connect on

another level to the topic at hand.

Overall, I believe this service learning project was beneficial to the students. They all

seemed very enthused and anxious to write letters to service men and women and once they

found out that they would be writing to an “actual person” well that made their excitement build

even more. I was very pleased with the outcome of the students’ letters. They did well at

incorporating the key components of a friendly letter while also making certain to express their

gratitude and appreciation for the sacrifices made men and women of the military. This

assignment was definitely a learning experience for me. I learned a great deal about successful

classroom discussions and how to get students involved and excited about what they are learning

and that is through a personal connection. Originally I had not planned on having the students

write to a specific military service member, but once I decided to it brought the students level of

excitement and involvement up. This addition helped me to realize that lessons are constantly

being modified and revamped to bring the best work out of each and every student.

Works Cited:

Department of Public Instruction (DPI). (2004). North Carolina Standard Course of Study –

Social Studies. Information retrieved on November 1st, 2009 from

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/socialstudies/

National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). (2009). NCSS Standards. Information

retrieved on November 1st, 2009 from

http://www.mhschool.com/socialstudies/2009/teacher/pdf/ncss.pdf

Soldier Net. (2009). Five Branches of The Military. Information retrieved on November 1st,

2009 from http://www.soldier.net/five-branches-of-the-military/

Wikipedia. (2009). War on Terrorism. Information retrieved on November 1st, 2009 from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Terrorism