A3. The teacher uses relevant community, district, school, and classroom factors and characteristics in planning.
The above image is an altered copy of the original worksheet. Also attached on this page is the original copy of the worksheet and it’s Lesson Plan.
The most successful lessons are those that are relatable towards each student’s lives. With that being said, I chose to create a two-day lesson that was based around the current events in the world around us. On the week of the 2020 election, my students listened to a read aloud, “Duck for President,” by Doreen Cronin. After listening to this story, my students created their own campaign’s on the worksheet presented above. Following this, they presented their art work and ideas to the class.
The following day, my students partook in a voting assimilation that further developed their understanding of the election process. I created a Kahoot game, presented on each child’s laptop. After I read each question to the children, they voted on their preferences. Following this, my students would explain which topic won the election, and further explain why they chose their option.
This lesson proved to be extremely successful due to it’s relation to the current events outside of the classroom. Furthermore, this lesson was beneficial towards my student’s learnings, as it included a variety of instructional forms. For example, my students partook in technological learning, active participation, and direct instruction. By providing my students with a variety of learning experiences, each child was able to make personal connections towards the community and the academic content.
Lastly, this lesson included a variety of elements that supported my understanding of each child’s Funds of Knowledge. I feel that it is extremely important to know each child’s interests and preferences outside of the classroom. Being that the children could not only write about these areas but also vote and explain their interests, I now better understand each child. This is important to note because I now have further information about each child’s life that I can use in lessons throughout the year.