TCNJ Lesson Plan

Schools Long Ago Gallery Walk

Student Name: Sydney Rossi

School Name: John Fitch Elementary

Grade Level: 1st

Host Teachers Name: Christine Schrack

Guiding and/or Essential Questions:

What is the past?
What were schools like in the past?
How have inventions evolved over time?
How can we compare and contrast schools from the past and schools today?
Pre-lesson Assignments and/or Student Prior Knowledge:
This is the first lesson in the Schools Long Ago mini-unit. Students will not know much about
the topic. The gallery walk will be used as a hook to get them interested in the topic.
Standards:
6.1.4.C.16: Explain how creativity and innovation resulted in scientific achievement and
inventions in many cultures during different historical periods.
Learning Objectives and Assessments:
Learning Objectives
Students will analyze photographs of objects
from the past in order to determine what they
were used for.

Assessment
Teacher will assess students written responses
on the chart paper.

Materials/Resources:
7 Mystery Object photos on chart papers
o Mystery objects will include a slate, hornbook, horse and buggy, coal stove,
primer, an old wooden desk, and quill pen
Plan for set-up/distribution/cleanup of materials:
Teacher will hang the 7 mystery object posters around the room while students
are packing up.
Step by Step plan:
1. Introduction
o Teacher will write the word past on the board and ask students if they can define
the word. Teacher will guide students to the definition that the past is anything that
has already happened.

o Students will turn and talk to their shoulder partner about one thing that has happened
in the past. Teacher will listen to responses as she walks around the room to check for
understanding.
2. Gallery Walk
o Teacher will explain that she has posted 7 sheets of chart paper around the classroom
with mystery objects from the past on them. Teacher will explain that the students
will travel in groups to each chart paper to analyze the photo and try to answer the
questions on the chart paper. The questions include: what is the object, what do you
think it was used for, and who used it.
o Teacher will break students up into mixed-ability groups and assign each group to a
starting location.
o Students will write their answers to the questions about the photograph on the chart
paper with their group. Teacher will circulate the classroom during this time to
monitor understanding and ask questions.
o Students will walk clockwise to the next chart paper at the sound of the bell.
o Once all students have been to all mystery objects, teacher will ask the students to sit
back down. Teacher will bring all chart pages to the front of the classroom for
students to see at once.
3. Discussion
o Starting with mystery object #1, students will raise their hands to share what they
thought the object was, what they thought it was used for and who they thought used
it.
o Once the students have gotten a chance to share their predictions, teacher will explain
the real use of each object.
o Teacher will also share some other information about the past. For example, teachers
commonly stayed with their students families because they did own a house in town
and that schools usually only had 1 classroom for students of all ages.
4. Closure
o Teacher will explain that they will be learning more about schools from long ago
tomorrow.
Key Questions:
What do you think the object is?
What do you think the object was used for?
Who do you think used the object?
How is the object similar to something we use today?
How is the object different from objects we use today?
Logistics:
Timing:

Introduction: 3 minutes
Gallery Walk: 21 minutes
Discussion: 10 minutes
Closure: 3 minutes

Transitions:

Teacher will ring the bell to signal the switching of stations during the gallery
walk activity.

Classroom Management:
Student M.R. struggles with anger issues. Teacher will monitor her behavior
throughout the lesson. Teacher will use M.R.s behavior chart to encourage her to
stay on task.
All students participate in a class behavior chart. Teacher will use this to
encourage students to stay on task throughout the lesson.
Differentiation
Students L.S. and B.C. have trouble following multi-step directions. Teacher will
check in with these students frequently throughout the lesson in order to keep
them on task.
Students will be placed in mixed-ability groups.
A few students struggle to write, teacher will check in with these students to help
them participate in the activity.