Artifact 3
Name: Biopoem Lesson Plan
Reflection:
This is a lesson plan I wrote for my Elementary Curriculum course in the fall of 2003. I taught this lesson with three other UNI students at Prairie View Elementary in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The lesson was about Thomas Edison. We broke the class into small groups and had each group read a chapter from a biography on Thomas Edison. After the students read, we came back together and created a biopoem (a biography poem) about Thomas Edison using information taken from the book.
This lesson went very well. When we started, I told the students what they were responsible for throughout the lesson. In my small group, the students took turns reading, which helped make sure everyone was following along. I made sure everyone shared ideas during our small group and whole class discussion, and I incorporated classroom management skills (rhythmic hand claps) to bring the class back together. This lesson went well because it was organized well, and because it allowed the students to construct their own ideas and assumptions based on what they learned about Thomas Edison.
I would use this lesson again if I were doing a lesson on biographies, or if we were learning about an important historical figure. The great thing about this lesson, is that students can read and create their own biopoem based on individuals that interest them. This is a great classroom management assignment, because when kids are interested in what they're learning, they're more motivated and less likely to cause disruptions. One thing I would change about this lesson would be to have a copy of the text for each child, instead of having the kids share. Sharing the text caused problems between some of the students.
Standards/Criteria Connections:
Standard One - I saw the students demonstrate new knowledge and application
skills that supported their intellectual and personal development through
their understanding of new information.
Standard Two - This lesson was adapted to meet the needs of every student,
specifically based upon reading ability.
Standard Three - We created a lesson that supported our established objectives,
standards, and goals.
Standard Seven - We assessed the students by having them create a class biopoem.
This allowed us to see what the students had learned from the lesson and if
they could apply what they learned to an activity.
Standard Nine - This lesson was created through the collaboration and teamwork
of a group of UNI students.
Artifact: