Lesson Plan Three

Specialized Methods and Practicum

Ottawa University
Amy Beckis
Brent Seager
April 12, 2015

LESSON THREE
2
The 1950s Station Activities
In this lesson, the students will be participating in collaborative groups at five different
stations that highlight significant events and components of the 1950s in the United States. The
students will begin the lesson by being given instruction in a whole group setting, and then will
be assigned to work at one of the five stations. The five stations include the economy, music, the
role of women, the Cold War, and life in the suburbs/Baby Boomers, as these are important
elements that helped to make the 1950s a transformational and influential era. The students will
be given eight minutes at each station to complete the readings or videos and the activities that
accompany the resources. After the time has elapsed, students will move to the next station on
their right. The information and activities at the stations will allow the students to gain a better
understanding about the events and significance of the 1950s and how this era transformed the
United States. The wrap up activity will involve whole group instruction in the form of a lecture
and class discussion, which will be used to check student comprehension of the lesson.
This lesson incorporates cooperative group learning, as the students will work together at
each station to complete the activities. However, differentiated instruction could be used for
special education students in the form of allowing these students to participate in each station
individually. Special education students could also be assigned an alternate assignment, which
will allow them to review the main information contained within this lesson. Another
differentiated instruction technique that could be utilized is to have the special education students
complete a multiple choice worksheet using their books and other resources. Even though other
differentiated instructional strategies could be used for special education students, I believe that
these three would be the most effective with this lesson.

OTTAWA UNIVERSITY
TEACHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
LESSON PLAN OUTLINE

LESSON THREE
3
Level 1
Name: Brent Seager
Date: 4/23/2015
School: Lansing High School

Grade Level: 11th

Approximate length of time: 50 min.
Subject: AP American History

Title: The 1950s.

Unit Goal: The students will be able to identify and describe the social and political changes that

occurred in the United States in the 1950s and how these changes helped to transform the United
States into the nation that it is today.
STANDARD, BENCHMARK, INDICATOR(S):

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting
insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate
summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.3
Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best
accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how
an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison
defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media
(e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a
problem.
(Common Core Standards, 2015)
WHAT IS (ARE) THE LEARNING OBJECTIVE(S) FOR THIS LESSON?

The student will be able to identify the many social, political, economic changes that occurred in
the United States in the aftermath of World War II. The student will be able to identify how
music, the Cold War, the roles of women, the economy, and life in the suburbs transformed the
United States. There are five different stations, music, the Cold War, life in the suburbs/Baby
Boomers, the economy, and the roles of women in the 1950s. The student will review articles,
information from websites, and videos to see how the social, political, and economic changes
impacted the citizens of the United States during the 1950s. The student will participate in a
collaborative group project that will rotate from station to station, as each station has a different
theme and activity. The student will understand the significance of the 1950s and how it has
impacted and influenced many generations of people in the United States.
HOW WILL YOU ASSESS STUDENT LEARNING?

Formative Assessment will be used in observing the students working at each of the five stations,
and it will also be used when asking questions to check for student comprehension.
Formal Assessment will be used in the activities completed by each student at each station.

LESSON THREE
4

WHAT MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT, AND RESOURCES ARE NECESSARY TO TEACH THIS

LESSON?

The students will draw on their prior knowledge of the post-World War II United States.
Students will also need the worksheet activities for each station, as each station has a different
activity.
The students will then need access to an iPad or computer to complete the activities, videos, and
readings that each station contains.
Each student will need a pen or pencil to complete the activities at each station.
Some questions to check student comprehension would include: What is one social change that
helped to define the 1950s? How did the Cold War shape the perceptions of Americans during
the 1950s? What was one thing that women in the 1950s have in common with women today?
How did music transform Americas youth, and can this trend noticeable in todays youth?
(Melissa LaGree, my cooperating teacher, on designing different activity stations)
WHAT ADAPTATIONS AND MODIFICATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED?

Students will be allotted extra time to complete the stations and activities. Students who are
absent or choose to work independently will be allowed to do so. For the stations and activities,
students will be allowed to access this information from the schools website.
WHAT EVIDENCE-BASED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES WILL BE USED?

Technology integration will be used in the form of reviewing videos and documents. Discovery
learning will be used in the reviewing of the information at each station and in completing the
following activities at each station.
WHAT QUESTIONS NEED TO BE CONSIDERED DURING THE LESSON?

Pre-requisite skills: Familiarity with American history, post-World War II, and the Cold War.
Verbal response to individual students and collaborative groups will be used to check for student
comprehension of the materials and information in this lesson.
From here on, write as if you are talking to the children/students.
FOCUSING EVENT (BASED ON THE PRE-REQUISITE SKILLS AND/OR KNOWLEDGE)

After participating in a short whole group instructional lecture that introduces the lesson and
gives directions for the activity, you will be assigned to a station.
Each station contains a video, website article, and an activity, the topics are music, economics,
the role of women in the 1950s, the Cold War, and life in the suburbs/Baby Boomers.
At each station, there will be worksheets, review these and the instructions, and then complete
the activity and worksheet.
You will spend eight minutes at each station, and after the time is up at each station, you will
rotate to the station to your right.
If you are unable to complete the activities at each station, there will be time tomorrow to
complete the activities and stations.
PURPOSE (THE WHY OF THE LESSON)

LESSON THREE
5
During this lesson, you will learn how to identify and describe many events during the 1950s
that transformed the United States and still continue to influence people today. You will then use
the information to complete the activities at each station. This will allow you to see first-hand
the significant impact of many events that occurred in the 1950s and how these events
influenced and helped to shape the United States into the nation that it is today..
DELIVERY OF INFORMATION

You will be assigned into groups and then placed at one of the five stations. The information and
activities that each group will need, will be located at each station. You will then begin
reviewing the information and then complete the following activities. After the eight minutes
have elapsed, you will rotate to the next station to your right. If your group does not complete
the activities at each station, you will be allotted time in class tomorrow to complete the lesson.
MODELING/DEMONSTRATION/SKILL CUES

Today, we are learning about the 1950s and how this decade completely transformed the United
States. You will be reviewing videos, website readings, and completing activities at five
different stations. The topics included in this lesson are economics, music, and life in the
suburbs/Baby Boomers, the role of women, and the Cold War.
GUIDED PRACTICE

Whole group instruction will be used in explaining the assignment prior to assigning students to
each station. Collaborative group learning will take place, as the students will work together to
complete the activities at each station in the time allotted.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE/EXTENSIONS AND REFINEMENTS

Students will work in collaborative groups at each station, which will allow you to identify the
many events of the 1950s that have transformed the United States today. The information and
activities at each station will allow you to build upon your working knowledge of the 1950s and
the United States which will allow you to transition into the next unit over the 1960s.
CLOSURE/WRAP-UP (ENDING THE LESSON)

The wrap up will consist of whole group instruction, as the collaborative groups will be asked
different questions about each of the stations. This will allow the students to reflect upon the
information and activities at each station, which will allow them to build upon current
knowledge and build a different perspective and appreciation for the transformation which
occurred in the United States during the 1950s.
REVIEW, EVALUATE, AND REFLECT
Based on the information obtained from planning, teaching and assessing this lesson, respond to
the following questions:
What data do you have to support the instruction?
What indications do you have, in addition to the data, that your instruction was
successful?
What do you perceive as the strengths of your instruction?
What would you change when teaching this lesson again?
What have you learned about content, teaching and learning from teaching this lesson?

LESSON THREE
6
References
America Rocks and Rolls. (2014). Retrieved from: http://www.ushistory.org/us/53d.asp
Burgosvan. (2011). 1950s Homelife Suburban Sprawl and the Baby Boom [Video file].
Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT_A9PFOY18
Common Core Standards. (2015). Retrieved from: http://www.corestandards.org/ELALiteracy/RH/6-8/
CoolOldVideos. (2012). Duck and Cover Propaganda Film 1950s [Video file]. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_1jkLxhh20
Pop Culture: 1950. (2014). Retrieved from:
https://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/fast_facts/1950_fast_facts.ht
ml
Stoneham, N. (n.d.). Womens Roles in the 1950s. Retrieved from:
http://1950s.weebly.com/womens-roles.html