Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Grade Level/Subject: 5th

Central Focus: Read a selection of text and summarize key

ideas while learning about Americas history.

Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.2
Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how
they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
5.H.1 Analyze the chronology of key events in the United
States.

Date submitted:
taught:

Date

Daily Lesson Objective: Students will be able to determine why certain artifacts were important
for European explorers and support this idea with details from the text.They must find the main
idea and details for 8 different artifacts.
21st Century Skills: Critical thinking
and problem solving, Collaboration,
Communication

Academic Language Demand (Language Function and

Vocabulary):
Summarize key details and Interpret

Prior Knowledge: Understand that nonfiction text is factual information. Understand that America
was Discovered by European explorers.

Activity

1. Focus and Review

Description of Activities and Setting

Teacher will go over what nonfiction texts is by asking

questions. Who can tell me what they know about nonfiction
texts? Can anyone give me an example of a nonfiction text?
What about our textbooks?
We will then take turns (as a whole class) reading the
introduction and first section of our texts to understand what
our topic is about. I will check for understanding by asking the
students to summarize the two sections individually.
For the first section I expect students to point out that they are
reading about the Age of Exploration and the explorers coming
to America.
For the second section I expect students to point out what
underwater archaeologists are and what they study.

2. Statement of
Objective
for Student

Today you are going to read a selection of non fiction text and
summarize main ideas to learn about the discovery of America.

Time

15 min.

3. Teacher Input

Today we are going to be archaeologists! In order to learn

about the Europeans discovery of America we are going to
explore one of their sunken ships for artifacts! Then we will
read about each artifact and determine why it was important
that the explorers bring it along with them.
I will explain that the front of the classroom is a sunken ship
and that each part has been taped off around each artifact so
that the Archaeologists can study them and determine why they
were important to the explorers.
In order to be archeologists, we need to be good researchers.
As researchers we must read about the things we find in rider to
figure out why they are important. For each artifact you find,
there is at least one paragraph in your textbook on that
artifact, I need you to read about that artifact and figure out
the main reason that object was important to European
explorers.

2-3 min.

I will explain to the class the procedure. You will be working in

groups of three or four that I will choose. Each individual will have a
worksheet where you will write down the evidence you find. Your
group may only have one artifact at a time, when you are finished
studying that artifact you may go back to the same area that you
found it. Each section of the floor is marked with a letter and a
number, that letter and number correspond with one on your
worksheet.
4. Guided Practice

We are going to try one together. I will call on one student to

demonstrate the procedure and help them as needed.
X come up and pick an artifact. Okay, awesome. Who thinks
they know what this is? Thats a really great idea, but how can
we make sure. We can look in our textbooks and see if we can
find anything about that. Does anyone see a paragraph about
this artifact. Great, now read it out loud to the class. Who
thinks they know why this was an important artifact for the
Europeans to bring with them? Why do you think so? What that
the main idea of the text? How do you know? Great job! Write
that down on your worksheet.
Once the student has returned with an artifact I will explain
how the numbers correspond and show them where they will
write down their findings. I will also explain to the students that
all of the artifacts are in their textbook and their job is to
summarize their readings and come up with the main idea as to
why that particular artifact was important.

5 min

I will ask if any students have any questions.

5. Independent
Practice

The students will work together finding artifacts and writing down
their findings (main ideas and details) on a worksheet. I will walk
around and ask students about their findings.

25-30 min

6. Assessment
I will assess the students based on their ability to follow the instructions and their
Methods of
ability to use the nonfiction text as a means to find main ideas and details.
all objectives/skills:
7. Closure

The students will come together as I class and I will ask one or two
groups to share an artifact that they found and what they learned
about that artifact.

5-7 min.

8. Assessment
I will collect the worksheets as an assessment. I expect students to find 6 out of
Results of
the 8 artifacts and write sufficiently about their findings.
all objectives/skills:
Targeted Students
Modifications/Accommodations: If students in
the class are ELL students, or students with
reading disabilities I will group them together and
help them read the passages while they find key
details to write about.

Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations:
Students who finish early can write a reflection
about the simulation lesson and talk about what it
was like to be an archaeologists for a day.

Materials/Technology:
- Tape
- Corn
- Coins
- Bible
- Tobacco leaves (Green Construction paper)
- Flags (paper on popsicle sticks)
- World map
- Compass
- Plastic astrolabe
- worksheet (1 per student)
- Student textbook ( Social Studies Alive: Americas Past) -1 per student
References:
Reflection on lesson: