Angela Hutchinson

Non-Fiction Lesson
E340-Reading in Elementary School
February 26, 2015
H is for Hoosier- 4th Grade Non-Fiction Lesson Plan
Academic Objectives

Students will be able to put the event is Indianas history in order in a timeline manner.
Students will educate younger students about Indiana history and fun facts.

Key Concepts and Standards

Standard 1-History: Students trace the historical periods, places, people, events and
movements that have led to the development of Indiana as a state.
Reading 4.RN.1: Read and comprehend a variety of nonfiction within a range of
complexity appropriate for grades 4-5. By the end of grade 4, students interact with texts
proficiently and independently at the low end of the range and with scaffolding as needed
at the high end.
Writing 4.W.6.2a: Capitalization Capitalizing names of magazines, newspapers, works
of art, musical compositions, organizations, and the first word in quotations, when
appropriate.
Speaking and Listening 4.SL.2.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) on grade-appropriate topics and
texts, building on others ideas and expressing personal ideas clearly.

Approximate Duration of Lesson

One week five -1 hour periods

Materials Needed for Implementation of Lesson

H is for Hoosier: An Indiana Alphabet by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds (at least 3 copies)
Poster board, glue, crayons, markers, scissors
Computer/Printer

Key Vocabulary

Dunes- a sand hill or sand ridge formed by the wind, usually in desert regions or near
lakes and oceans.
Centennial, Bicentennial (2016)
Voyageurs - a person who is an expert woodsman, boatman, and guide in remote regions.
Slates A writing tablet made of slate rock

 Stalactites - a deposit, usually of calcium carbonate, shaped like an icicle, hanging from
the roof of a cave.
Stalagmites - a deposit, usually of calcium carbonate, more or less resembling an inverted
stalactite, formed on the floor of a cave or the like by the dripping of percolating
calcareous water.
Motto - a sentence, phrase, or word expressing the spirit or purpose of a person,
organization, city, etc., and often inscribed on a badge, banner, etc.
Instructional Strategies

Oral reading by both the teacher and the students

Vocabulary visual and context clues
Group collaboration
Student/class project
Students demonstrate a timeline with the facts they learned about the persons, places, and
things in the literature reading

Steps Utilized
Day 1
Read H is for Hoosier: An Indiana Alphabet by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds (only the
alphabet portion giving the students a few details about the historic information in the
margins). Discuss vocabulary as it comes up in the text.
Mini-lesson/review on capitalization main focus on the writing aspect of the project
Instructional advisory about the project (group and individual expectations)
Have the students draw a letter of the alphabet out of a hat. The letter the student picked
will select the topic they will present specific details about to the class (also may use this
to have the students form a human timeline for a younger group of children for a fun
history fun fact day).
Group students by their letter noun: person place- thing
Allow about 25 to 30 minutes for the students to collaborate about their topics with one
another.
Day 2
In each group, every student will read aloud the text that is found under their letter in the
book. After reading and a brief discussion, students will complete individual activities for
their poster.
Individually, students will begin collecting important information about their topic. Each
student needs at least 5 major facts that are listed in the book to relay to the class by
making a poster about their topic.
Day 3
Students will work on getting their information and images ready for their poster project
about their topic.
Their poster must have a date listed, if the book gave a date in the text. (When the posters
are complete, students will be able to form themselves in a line as their specific

topic/event came about. Those that do not have a date will be saved for the end as fun
facts).
Day 4
Have the students work together on how the timeline should be set up and the order in
which everyone will stand in the line.
Complete posters
Practice for presentation
Day 5
Present a human timeline using their project posters.
Culminating Activity/Activities

Collaborate with other students about the topics

Students will create posters about their topic making sure that they use the correct
capitalization when needed.
Present information about specific topic.
Present to a younger students.

Assessment Method

Review the students posters

Assess their presentations about the knowledge that was obtained during the lesson.
Discuss with the students what they thought was the most interesting about Indiana and
its history.