Special Education

Lesson Plan Template

Overview

Teacher(s): Kanna Werner Subject: Digital Literacy Grade: 6

Lesson length: ~40 min Lesson Topic/Unit: Research Questions

Learning Objectives:
I. By the end of this lesson, students II. By the end of this lesson, students III. I will know that students have met
will know: will be able to: this objective when:

 In order to find all the  Determine whether a  Students can tell me

information we question is open or whether a question is
want/need, we need to closed open or closed
come up with good  Generate open questions  Students can generate
research questions about a topic of interest examples of each type
 Good research questions  Explain why their of question
are open questions, not question is a good  Students can explain
closed questions question to research why research questions
 Closed questions have need to be open
one short answer. questions
 Open questions allow  Students can come up
for detail and with their own research
explanation. questions that are open
questions
IV. Essential question(s) for students to answer

What is an open question? Why should research questions be open questions? What types of questions
allow for the most detail and explanation?

State Standards:
In this section, identify and list the VA SOLs standards (or other) that are addressed in this lesson.

VA SOL 6th Grade Language Arts

6.9 The student will find, evaluate, and select appropriate resources for a research

product.

c) Use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate, and communicate

information.

6.1 The student will participate in and contribute to small-group activities.

a) Communicate as leader and contributor.

6.3 The student will understand the elements of media literacy.

a) Compare and contrast auditory, visual, and written media messages.

b) Identify the characteristics and effectiveness of a variety of media messages.

Context for Learning/Background Information

Situating the Lesson: In this section, list/describe topics of previous lessons related to the topic of this lesson that
students should be familiar with.

We have been talking about internet searches as a form of research for the past couple of lessons. We
have explored the best keywords to use to find helpful information online, as well as how to navigate a
results page once we have completed our keyword search. Now, we will talk about how to come up
with an effective research question so that students can start a project that puts their new internet search
skills to use. They will be researching a question that they generate based on either a company/product
that they would like to learn more about or a dream vacation. Today, we will talk about what good
research questions look like, and students will begin to brainstorm/draft their own questions. We will
then be researching these questions by filling out a “fact sheet” graphic organizer based on the
information that they find as well as discussing reliable sources to use on the internet to find this
information. Students will create a short presentation to give to the class based on the information that
they find through their research.

Lesson Content: In this section, briefly list/describe the content of the current lesson. (2-3 sentences)

In this lesson, I will introduce the students to the research project as well as guide them through the
process of picking a question to research. We will learn about the difference between closed and open
questions, as well as why open questions make the best research questions (they allow for detail and
explanation rather then just one short answer). Then, students will brainstorm their own research
questions based on either a company/product they want to know more about or a dream vacation.

Lesson Rationale: In this section, describe why students need this lesson the way you have planned it. What are you
offering them? What needs are you addressing? (2-3 sentences)

This lesson will allow studenst to see the bigger picture for the research/internet search skills we have
been learning about. They will be able to generate open questions for research after this lesson, which
will help them in their academic lives moving forward. The ability to create open questions, though,
will help them be successful in all areas of their lives, though.

Assessment of Student Learning

Assessment Procedures: In this section, describe the assessment procedures that will be used to measure learning of
the objective(s). Assessment procedure must be concrete and tangible, and teacher observation (without a record of it) is
unacceptable. Attach assessment probe or checklist to lesson plan. Multiple forms of assessment are strongly encouraged.

Assessment Type(s): In this
section, describe how you will assess
students.
The class will start out with a
quick assessment for our do now
about keywords. This three
Assessment Criteria: In this
section, describe how students will
demonstrate mastery on your
assessment(s).
Students will demonstrate
mastery if they can choose
specific, precise keywords about
Feedback: In this section, describe
what feedback from the assessment(s)
you will give students and how you will
give it to them.
The feedback on the check-in do
now will come after I grade
them. I will go through and
question check-in will ask
students about different
situations in which they would
need to use keywords to find
information online. Students
will type in the keywords that
they use and why so that I can
see what they know about good
keyword searches.
I will also be assessing student
understanding throughout our
discussions about closed vs.
open questions to see how their
answers show me what they
have learned about these types
of questions.
I will also be assessing student
understanding of these types of
questions by the questions they
post on our class padlets about
their topics.
the topics in the check-in and
tell me why they picked those
keywords (goal answer: the
keywords are precise enough
that the results page will show
them the information they are
looking for immediately).
They will also demonstrate
mastery if they can tell me the
difference between a closed and
an open question (short answers
vs. more detail and explanation)
as well as generate their own
open questions on the padlets.
leave comments on students’
answers telling them if their
keywords were precise enough
or asking questions about how
they could make their keywords
more precise.
 Would these keywords
help us find information
about ____?
 What other information
could these keywords
pull up that would not
help us with our
question?
 What could we add to
these keywords to make
them more specific to
our topic?
I will also be guiding students
through the process of
distinguishing between open and
closed questions.
 Could I answer this
question with one word?
 How could I rephrase
this question to make it
so the person I’m asking
would have to give me
more details or
explanation?
 Are there any words that
we use to start off
questions that are better
to use for open
questions?
 If I ask a question
starting with the word
“why” or “how,” could
someone answer with
one word?
 What type of question
would those questions
be?
I would ask them these same
questions if I noticed on the
padlet that the student has been
 posting closed questions.

Materials & Resources

Teacher Materials (I need): Attach teacher Student Materials (They need): Attach ALL student
instructional materials to lesson plan submission. If you are instructional materials to lesson plan (i.e., worksheet,
using a SMARTBoard during lesson, include a file with graphic organizer, test/quiz, etc).
materials (saved as a pdf). If you are using external websites,
videos, etc, list the links below.  Laptops
 Desks
 Laptop
 Chairs
 Laptop stand
 Pencils
 Projector
 Paper copies of “Radical Researcher
 White board Project Sheet”
 White board markers  Links to the brainstorm questions padlets
 21st Century Skills Google Slides in Google Classroom
 The Key to Keywords Check In Google
form in Google Classroom

Behavior Management

General Concerns: What routines
are already in place to help you
manage student behavior/keep students
focused & on task?
To get student attention, I say
“give me five” and hold a hand
up. The students then hold their
hands up, stop talking, and give
me their attention. If they do
this well, they get a class points.
The class points reward them for
positive behaviors or actions we
see in our students. If the
students do not have a
successful give me five, I will
ask them how they could
improve and let them practice it
again for a point. If the class
gets 60 class points, they get a
class party.
Specific Concerns: Are there any Feedback: How will you provide
specific antecedents, unique situations, feedback to students about their
or other student behavior concerns that behavior during this lesson?
may impact this lesson? Indicate how
you are planning to confront those I will be circulating during the
concerns. class, praising positive
behaviors that I see and
Since we will be posting on
awarding class points as needed.
padlet, an online platform where
I will give class points for
students can post responses to a
students in their seats when the
prompt (kind of like writing on a
bell rings. I will also give points
big piece of butcher paper), I
for their successful give me
will go over the expectations for
fives. I will remind them of
their posts. I will tell them that
what I am looking for (“if I see
they have to sign their names to
everyone in their seats working
their posts or else I will take
on the do now when class starts
them down. I will tell them that
I can give us some points”) and
any inappropriate posts will
tell them when and why I am
send that person straight to A11
giving points (“Looks like
(which is the school’s “time out”
everyone is in their seats,
room for behavior problems).
working on their do now!
That’s worth a couple of
points!”).

Preparing Students for Instructional Content

Estimated time:

Review of prerequisite skills: In this section, identify Student-Friendly Objective: Re-state the lesson’s
any skills or content that you will review with students prior learning objective in student-friendly language.
to new instruction. This could be the warm-up, “do now”, or
other introductory part of lesson that reviews prior learning.
The Do Now for this class will be a check-in
about keywords called “The Key to Keywords
Check-In.” It is a Google Form that students will
fill out so that I can see where they are in their
knowledge of how to best use keywords in
internet searches.
Today we are going to be starting a new research
project! First, we are going to learn about the best
types of questions to ask for a research project, so
that we can create awesome questions to answer
for our own projects.

Essential Vocabulary
Estimated time:
Reviewing vocabulary: In this section, identify any
vocabulary that must be reviewed or re-taught.
Keywords are the most important words related to
a subject. We use them to find information.
Pre-teaching vocabulary: In this section, identify any
vocabulary you need to introduce or pre-teach ahead of the
main lesson. If this is a vocabulary-centered lesson, skip
this section.
 Closed questions have one short answer.
 Open questions allow for detail and
explanation.

Instruction
Estimated time:

Direct Instruction (I DO): In
this section, describe the direct
instruction that will be provided. How
will you model/demonstrate ideas?
How will you use “think aloud” and
cognitive modeling?
We will start class after our do
now with our usual check-in
about what students did over the
weekend. Then, I will tell
students that we are going to be
starting a new project. I will tell
them that it is going to be a mini
research project about either a
company/brand/product that
they like or a dream vacation
they have always wanted to
take.
I will have them turn and talk to
the person sitting next to them
about which of these options
appeals to them most and why.
Then, we will come back
together and I will take student
volunteers to share what they
are thinking of learning more
about for the project.
Guided Practice (WE DO): In
this section, describe the practice that
students will be provided with. Include
how you will determine that students
are ready to independently practice.
I will change the slide to a slide
with a list of closed questions,
then ask various students in the
class the closed questions (i.e.
“are you a student?” “what is
your favorite color?”). After
students have answered my
questions, I will ask them what
they noticed about the answers,
guiding them towards seeing
that they are one-word answers
that don’t give a lot of
information.
I will then show the slide with a
list of open questions. I will ask
them the open questions (i.e.
how was the last book you read?
Why do you like horror
movies?). Then, I will ask
students what they noticed about
these responses, guiding them
towards seeing that these
answers were longer and gave
Independent Practice (YOU
DO): In this section, describe the
independent practice students will
complete.
Next, I will tell students that
they will be coming up with
their own open questions about
either the
company/brand/product or the
dream vacation that they will be
researching. I will tell them that
they will be brainstorming and
posting these questions on a
padlet.
I will open up a padlet and show
the students how to add a post,
modeling in the process the type
of question that I want them to
be asking. I will click the plus-
sign at the bottom, put my name
as the title of the post, then type
the question, “what are the best
things to do on a week-long trip
to Paris?”
I will tell students that they will
follow the same process: their
name should be the title of their
Next, I will tell them that in
order to start our research, we
need to come up with a question
we need to answer. I will tell
them that some questions are
better than others to ask for a
research project.
more details.
Then, I will ask them if
someone can tell me in one
statement the difference between
closed and open questions,
guiding them to see that closed
questions can be answered with
one, short statement while open
questions allow for more detail
and explanation.
post and their question should
be the body of the post. I will
tell them that any inappropriate
post will send them straight to
A11.
I will tell them that there are two
padlet links in Google
Classroom: one for the company
questions and one for the
vacation questions. Then, I will
have them open their laptops,
open up the padlet for the topic
of their choice, and start
brainstorming.

Students will be able to

brainstorm for the last few
minutes of class. If they finish
early, they can go to typing.com
or finish something they need to
work on for our class.

Closure
Estimated time:

Lesson Review: In this section,
review the learning that occurred
during the lesson. Be specific and ask
students to review in a way that reflects
what they learned, rather than what the
topic was or what activities were used
to facilitate learning.
At the end of class, I will have
students volunteer to share one
of their open questions. We will
talk about why that question is
open, and why open questions
work the best for research
projects.
Forward Look: In this section, link Homework: Describe any
this lesson to future learning. State how homework assignments. Use N/A if
this lesson is related to the next lesson there is no homework assignment.
or future learning.
N/A
I will tell students that next class
we will officially pick one of
our brainstorm questions as the
question we want to research. I
will tell them that we will also
be looking at safe searching
online.

Differentiation

Students who finish the check-in Do Now early will work on the typing.com lessons that teach how to
home-row “touch” type. They can also work on anything for this class that they haven’t finished and
need to turn in. I have translated all of the materials into Spanish for our ELLs, so that they can access
the check-in and activities as well. This project is also differentiated by interest, since students can
choose the topic of their research (company/product/brand or dream vacation) so long as they have an
open question.