L2+Hall,+Catherine

=**UMF LESSON PLAN FORMAT**=

**Grade Level: Grades 9-12 Topic: English, Current Events**

 * =**Objectives**:= ||
 * Students will understand that initial research questions may need to be modified during the research process. ||
 * Student will know how to adapt research questions to fit the available information. ||
 * Student will be able to adjust the initial research question to fit the available information. ||

C 1 Research Grade 9 - Diploma** Current Events
 * =**Maine Learning Results Alignment**= ||
 * **//Maine Learning Results: English Language Arts -// C Research
 * Students develop research questions and modify them as necessary to elicit, present, and critique evidence from a variety of primary and secondary sources following the conventions of documentation.**
 * b. Make judgments about conflicted findings from different sources.** ||


 * Rationale:** Students will begin using primary and secondary sources to find answers to their research questions, and will begin adapting their research questions if necessary.
 * =Assessment= ||
 * **Formative** (Assessment for Learning)
 * Students will show refine their initial research question, adding or deleting parts as necessary. They will ask questions as they work, and will be assessed based on the questions they ask and the progress they are making. ||
 * **Summative** (Assessment of Learning)
 * The original and refined research questions will be posted on the wiki for the teacher to look at. The teacher can see if the students understand research questions and how to refine them and can leave comments using the discussion feature of the wiki. ||

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 * =**Integration**= ||
 * __**Social Science**__: Current Events
 * __Technology:__** Students will use a wiki to organize their information and document the changes they make to their research questions. ||


 * =**Groupings**= ||
 * Students will receive the same objects as they received in the previous lesson, but this time they will be in groups so that each member has a different object. This will allow students to get different ideas and perspectives. The roles will be observer, reporter, leader, and recorder. As in the previous lesson, all students in the group should take the role of recorder since they are all working on different topics and questions. ||

Music will be playing in the background for **musical** learners.
 * =Differentiated Instruction= ||
 * **Strategies**
 * Interpersonal** learners will work in groups to improve their research questions.
 * Logical/Mathematical** learners will organize their information in an outline.
 * Visual** learners will be able to organize their information on a graphic organizer instead of an outline.
 * Bodily-Kinesthetic** learners will be able to use laptops to organize their information and do research, and they will have squeeze balls to squeeze during class.
 * Naturalist** learners may have picked a topic having to do with nature, and they will have a beanie baby during class. ||
 * **Modifications/Accommodations**
 * I will incorporate as many intelligences as I can into the lesson. I will consult students' IEP's, 504's, and ELLIDEP's if there are any, and make adjustments accordingly. Students will be warned that there are some very contraversial topics, but remind them that they are free to choose their own topic. Absent students will miss out on the group work, but will be able come in before or after school if they would like help refining their research questions, or would simply like access to the resources that are available in the classroom. They will also need to have a conference with the teacher. ||
 * **Extensions**
 * Students will use a wiki to organize their information and to give and receive feedback from other students and the teacher. ||

This will be a one day lesson, and will be a work day. ||
 * =Materials, Resources and Technology= ||
 * * Pens
 * Pencils
 * Paper
 * Laptops
 * 4 Squeeze Balls
 * 4 Foam Musical Notes
 * 4 Beanie Babies
 * 4 Geometric Shapes


 * =Source for Lesson Plan and Research= ||
 * The lesson was created by Catherine Hall. ||


 * =Maine Standards for Initial Teacher Certification and Rationale= ||
 * __Standard 3__ - Demonstrates a knowledge of the diverse ways in which students learn and develop by providing learning opportunities that support their intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and cultural development.
 * Rationale:** This lesson meets this standard by allowing students to carefully examine their research questions, and to use specific steps to refine their research questions. Although specific steps are used, they do not need to be in any specific order. A safe, comfortable atmosphere has been established in the classroom. ||
 * __Standard 4__ - Plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, curriculum goals, and learning and development theory.
 * Rationale:** This lesson meets this standard by allowing students to work one on one with the teacher and have access to classroom resources while they are working. Students are also allowed to work according to their multiple intelligences. The goal of this lesson is to prepare students to meet the MLR this unit was designed around. ||
 * __Standard 5__ - Understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies and appropriate technology to meet students’ needs.
 * Rationale:** This lesson meets this standard because the teacher uses lecture, group work, individual conferences, and individual work to help the students learn about refining research questions. Students will be using a wiki to post their refined research question and to organize their sources and ideas for their final project. ||
 * __Standard 8__ - Understands and uses a variety of formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and support the development of the learner.
 * Rationale:** The formal assessment will be the final product. The teacher will evaluate the refined research question as an informal assessment. The teacher will also look at any resources the students have listed on their wikis to see how effective the research question is. ||


 * =Teaching and Learning Sequence:= ||
 * The desks will be set up in groups of four. Students will begin the class facing the front of the room, but may move around as necessary once they begin working. After everyone has arrived, they will be instructed to sit with three other people, each of whom have a different object. Every member of each group should have a different object.

Agenda: Instruct students to sit in groups (2-3 minutes) Tell students that today is a work day (5 minutes) Let students work while the teacher has conferences ||
 * Have students save their work and put the laptops away.

Students will understand that initial research questions may need to be modified during the research process. Many times, a research questions that seemed good at first ends up being too broad or too narrow to yield good results. Modifying the research question will often fix the problem and allow the researcher to find more results more quickly. This lesson addresses Maine Learning Results: English Language Arts - C Research C 1 Research Grade 9 - Diploma Current Events Students develop research questions and modify them as necessary to elicit, present, and critique evidence from a variety of primary and secondary sources following the conventions of documentation. b. Make judgments about conflicted findings from different sources. To hook the students, the teacher will first ask the students a complicated question with a lot of questions in it, then a straightforward question. She will then ask them which one is easier to answer and why they think that is. She will explain that refining a research question is like turning a complicated question into a simple question to get better results. **What, Why, Where, Hook, Tailor: Verbal, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Naturalist, Musical, Logical/Mathematical**

Except for the first part of class, where the teacher explains why refining research questions is important, the teaching will be done by conferences with individual students. The teacher will ask them how their research is coming and what they think of their research question. She will then answer any questions they have and give them instruction on refining their research question to make the reserach process go more smoothly. Students will be allowed to work in pairs, groups, or by themselves to refine their research questions and do research. The teacher will check for understanding by looking at students' questions and the resources they have been able to find. Refining a research question requires some experimentation to get it right. Some research questions need a lot of refining and others need very little refining. It is important to remember that a research question exists to help the researcher and if it ceases to be helpful, it should be modified. **Equip, Explore, Rethink, Tailors: Interpersonal, Intrapersonal** ||
 * Students will work in groups to refine their research questions. After they have refined their research questions, students may work alone or in pairs or groups to begin researching their topic. Music will be playing during this time for the musical learners in the class. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to use a variety of primary and secondary sources to answer their research questions, and they will be able to refine and adapt their research questions if they are not finding answers. Students will be grouped similarly to the previous lesson. As each student walks in, they will receive the same object they received the day before, but this time each person in the group will have a different object. This will allow students to work with different people and get different perspectives and ideas. the roles people in the group can have are the observer, recorder, reporter, and leader. Every student in the group should be a recorder because they will all be working on different questions and topics. This entire lesson is focused on rethinking, refining, and revising the work students have done the day before. **Explore, Experience, Rethink, Revise, Refine, Tailor: Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Musical** ||
 * Students will work in groups to refine their research questions. After they have refined their research questions, students may work alone or in pairs or groups to begin researching their topic. Music will be playing during this time for the musical learners in the class. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to use a variety of primary and secondary sources to answer their research questions, and they will be able to refine and adapt their research questions if they are not finding answers. Students will be grouped similarly to the previous lesson. As each student walks in, they will receive the same object they received the day before, but this time each person in the group will have a different object. This will allow students to work with different people and get different perspectives and ideas. the roles people in the group can have are the observer, recorder, reporter, and leader. Every student in the group should be a recorder because they will all be working on different questions and topics. This entire lesson is focused on rethinking, refining, and revising the work students have done the day before. **Explore, Experience, Rethink, Revise, Refine, Tailor: Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Musical** ||

Students will self assess based on the resources they find. If they are having a difficult time finding resources, they may need to revise their research question. However, if they can easily find resources, they probably do not need to refine the question, or they may want to make it more complex. The teacher will look at the student's old research question compared to the refined research question posted on the wiki. Any suggestions will be posted using the discussion feature. The refined research question and the resources the students find during class will be used to help them put together their final project. **Evaluate, Tailor: Verbal**

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