SETON HILL UNIVERSITY

Lesson Plan Template

TOPIC
Name
Subject
Grade Level
Date/Duration
Big Ideas

Essential
Questions
PA/Common
Core/Standards

Objective

DETAILS
CK
Meaghan Sherer
Social Studies
4th
One class period (prerequisite knowledge-already learned
about Aborigines of Australia in a previous lesson; this is a
day two lesson)
Facts are supported by evidence; defined and proved as
true.
Opinions are statements that express beliefs, values, or
feelings.
o Opinions cannot be proved as true or false.
Can we have different answers for the same question?
Do some questions require a specific answer, where
there is only one right answer?
8.4.4.D.- Distinguish between conflict and cooperation
among groups and organization that impacted
development of the history of the world. (1)
8.1.4.B.- Distinguish between fact and opinion from
multiple points of view, and primary sources as
related to historical events. (2)

CC.1.4.4.H- Introduce the topic and state an opinion on

the topic. (3)

CC.1.4.4.I- Provide reasons that are supported by facts

and details. (4)

CC.1.4.4.S- Draw evidence from literary or

informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research, applying grade-level reading standards for
literature and informational texts. (5)

Students will recall information about the Aborigines

and use their previously acquired knowledge to be able
to distinguish if a statement is a fact or an opinion in
both group and individual lessons. (1)
In a group activity, students will have to tell me
whether the given statement about the Aborigines is a
fact or an opinion by holding up Fact or Opinion
paddles correctly 8 out of 10 times. (2)
After stating whether a statement was a fact or opinion,
a couple of students will be called on and share with
the class the justification of their answer. (3, 4)
In an individual activity, students will complete a
graphic organizer separating facts from opinions about
Aboriginal people correctly 10 out of 12 times. (1, 2)

Bloom's
Taxonomy
Webb's Depth of
Knowledge
(DOK)

Formative &
Summative
Assessment
Evidence

ISTE Standards
for Students

Framework for
21st Century
Learning

Accommodation
s, Modifications

While individually working on their graphic organizers,

stations will be set up with previously viewed materials
about the Aboriginal people so that students can recall
evidence to aid in proving their facts to ensure 100%
accuracy. (2, 4, 5)
Students will be assessed informally by raising the
Fact or Opinion paddles.
Students will be assessed formally on their ability to
correctly fill out the graphic organizer using information
about the Aborigines.
Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas,
products or processes.
Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and
ethically use information from a variety of sources and
media.
Global awareness
Critical thinking
Information literacy
Behavioral- ADHD- students desk will be equipped with
bouncy bands. These bouncy bands are strong
rubber like bands at the foot of their desk raised off the
ground slightly. They are free to bounce their legs and
feet to get their energy out and, hopefully, be more
attentive to what is going on in the lesson being taught.
Having this tool close to the floor will also minimize
distractions to other children.
Student(s) will be moving around during the
independent practice as well.

SUPERVISING
TEACHERS
SIGNATURE

Seton Hill University Lesson Plan Template Step-by-Step

Procedures
RATIONALE for
the Learning
Plan
Introduction

CK
Activating Prior Knowledge/Hook/Lead-In/Anticipatory
Set
On the board there will be a T-chart with Fact on the
left and Opinion on the right. Below fact will be signal
words such as: numbers, statistics, verified,
document(s), eyewitness, record, collaborate, prove,
history, places, names, etc. On the right underneath
Opinion there will be words such as: agree/disagree,
like, believe, best/worst, favorite, pretty/ugly, other
adjectives.
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6xlUg7i1gs

Explicit
Instructions

this is a video refreshing their minds about their already

acquired knowledge about the Aborigines of Australia for
the upcoming activity.
While watching the video, students will write down any
facts they can pull from the video
o I will pause the video when necessary for the
students when there is important information they
should be taking down.
After viewing the video, students will get in groups (their
rows) and agree on one fact that they found they most
fascinating. They will discuss why that this is a fact
taking into consideration certain words that are used.
They will write it down and this fact will be added to the
jar of facts and opinions that will be read later on.
Big Idea Statement
Facts are supported by evidence; defined and proved as
true.
Opinions are statements that express beliefs, values, or
feelings.
o Opinions cannot be proved as true or false.
Essential Questions Statement
Can we have different answers for the same question?
Do some questions require a specific answer, where
there is only one right answer?
Objective Statement
Students will recall information about the Aborigines and
use their previously acquired knowledge to be able to
distinguish if a statement is a fact or an opinion in both
group and individual lessons. (1)
In a group activity, students will have to tell me whether
the given statement about the Aborigines is a fact or an
opinion by holding up Fact or Opinion paddles
correctly 8 out of 10 times. (2)
After stating whether a statement was a fact or opinion,
a couple of students will be called on and share with the
class the justification of their answer. (3, 4)
In an individual activity, students will complete a graphic
organizer separating facts from opinions about
Aboriginal people correctly 10 out of 12 times. (1, 2)
While individually working on their graphic organizers,
stations will be set up with previously viewed materials
about the Aboriginal people so that students can recall
evidence to aid in proving their facts to ensure 100%
accuracy. (2, 4, 5)
Transition
None
Key Vocabulary
Fact
Opinion

Lesson
Procedure

Aborigines/Aboriginal/Indigenous
PreAssessment of Students
Review what we learned yesterday about Aboriginal
Australians:
o Can anyone remind me what we learned
yesterday?
o Whom did we learn about?
o Where are they from?
o How long have they lived there?
o What are some things that sets them apart from
other Australians?
Modeling of the Concept
Today we will be taking the information that we learned
about the Aboriginal people of Australia and decide if
statements about them are facts or opinions. Now up on
the board I have a T-chart with some signal words.
Signal words are words that, if you see them, it is a red
flag saying Im a fact! or Im an opinion!. If you hear
or see a word listed under facts, the statement can be
proven as true. If a word in a statement is found under
opinion, the statement cannot be proven as true and is
just a belief of someone.
There are more than just these words that can be signal
words, these are just some common examples.
Guiding the Practice
Students will have two paddles, one with Fact on it and
one with Opinion on it.
Students will take turns picking statements from a jar
and read it to the class. Students will decide based on
the wording of the statement, and their knowledge of
the subject, if the statement is a fact or an opinion.
o The fact the groups wrote down will be utilized
here.
If the majority of the class seems to think the answer is
opinion when it is actually fact (and vice versa) they
will be reminded of the certain signal words they should
be looking for. They will also be reminded of things that
we read the day before along with information from the
video we viewed today.
Providing the Independent Practice
Students will be given a graphic organizer set up in a Tchart format, like the one on the board (Facts on the
left and Opinions on the right) and will have to cut and
paste 6 facts and 6 opinions about Aboriginal people
under the correct columns.
While completing this portion of the activity sources we
used to learn about the Aborigines, books, videos, etc.,
will be set up in stations around the room that the
students will be able to get up and reference.

Once the students have completed the T-chart, they will

fill out the bottom of the graphic organizer that asks
them to define fact and opinion in their own words
and to give an example not used above in their
completed T-chart.
Transition
Everyone will come back to their seats after turning in
their graphic organizer to review what we learned.
Reading
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6xlUg7i1gs
Materials
Fact and Opinion paddles
Technology
Jar
Equipment
Strips of paper
Supplies
Fact and opinion graphic organizer sheet (T-Chart)
Evaluation of
Formal Evaluation
the
Students will be assessed formally on their ability to
Learning/Master
correctly fill out the graphic organizer using information
y of the
about the Aborigines.
Concept
Informal Evaluation
Students will be assessed informally by raising the
Fact or Opinion paddles.
Closure
Summary & Review of the Learning
Once the class has come back together, a volunteer will
read and answer the first Essential Question on the
board, Can we have different answers for the same
question?
Another volunteer will read and answer the second
Essential Question on the board, Do some questions
require a specific answer, where there is only one right
answer?
They will be asked to provide examples using the
Aboriginal people as a prompt.
Homework/Assignments
Come up with five facts and five opinions about you and
your family in a T-chart graphic organizer.
Teacher

Self-reflection