The document describes a lesson plan for a 12th grade economics class on the Dow Jones Transportation Index. The plan calls for front-loading content about the index through a smart board presentation and questions. Students will then engage in Socratic dialogue in small groups to discuss analytical and interpretive questions about the index and how it impacts the transportation sector and broader economy. The teacher's role is to facilitate the discussion and ensure rules are followed. Assessment will include evaluating the student dialogue and follow-up essays. Accommodations for ELL students are addressed.

1. DAVID ADAMS
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
EDUC 541A
MARCH 14, 2013
DR. LEAH WELTE

2. INTRODUCTION
SOCRATIC DIALOGUE
TRANSPORTATION INDEX

3. TRANSPORTATION INDEX
• The Dow Jones Transportation Average (DJTA, also called the
"Dow Jones Transports") is a U.S. stock market index from
Dow Jones Indexes of the transportation sector, and is the
most widely recognized gauge of the American transportation
sector. It is the oldest stock index still in use, even older than
its better-known relative, the Dow Jones Industrial Average
(DJIA).[1] (DISPLAYED ON SMART-BOARD WITH BILINGUAL
CAPABILITIES TO ADDRESS DIFFERENTIATION FOR ELL’S.)
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dow_Jones_Transportation_Aver
age

4. Special Considerations: The class holds 6 ELL students with
varying level 1-5 proficiency evaluations and differentiation
accommodations must be addressed.
Standard: CALIFORNIA STANDARD FOR 12TH GRADE
ECONOMICS: (12.2) Students analyze the elements of
America’s market economy in a global setting.
Objective: Students must demonstrate economic principals
of the transportation Index.. (T/S): describe economic
fundamentals. ( C): Examine causal economic relationships
of the U.S. economy (R ) Text, charts, front-loading (P)
essays,

5. ANALYSIS
• Choose the text (written, visual, audio)
•
• ANALYSIS:
• -Purpose
• -Inclusion of content
• -Teacher roles
•
• -Skill development
•
• -Point of View
•
• -Student roles
•
• -Utilization of question strategies
•
• -Philosophical Ideas
• Prepare levels of questions
• -Assessment

6. ANALYSIS CONT.
• PURPOSE: The purpose of this exercise is to • TEACHER ROLES: The teacher is forbidden
engage students in pedagogical approaches to contribute to the discussion and may only
to help them understand the Economic provide clarification for the students to stay
causal relationships of production on track. Teacher is also the monitor of
influenced by the Transportation Index. The time.
ramifications of cause and effect. • The teacher will facilitate the discussion
process, asking only questions that
• INCLUSION OF CONTENT: The Economic redirect, seek clarification, or caution
course text, graphs and financial regarding inappropriate discussion
encyclopedia will be utilized to help present practices.
the “Big Idea” through front-loading
techniques. In this format, “technical • SKILL DEVELOPMENT: Students will prepare
vocabulary” will be previewed along with questions based on Socratic dialogue. The
examination of the Economic current question must be exhausted prior to
interrelationships of the Transportation bringing in a new question. Presented ideas
Index influences on the entire economy. must be expounded upon by agreeing
partners by introducing additional facts not
simply stating “I agree.” This Socratic
process will assist students in
comprehensive input and engage their
cognitive development through
sociocultural theory. The smart-board will
also demonstrate the exercise with bilingual
verbiage to accommodate ELL’s.

7. ANALYSIS CONT.
• POINT OF VIEW: By students performing • 3) Students must support their responses with evidence
exercises and teacher instruction of the from the Economic Encyclopedia or other text.
Transportation Index front-loading, they will • 4) All students must read along, reviewing Economic
evidence.
understand the fiscal ramifications of “what”,
“how” and “why” the index is so important. The
interrelationships of the Transportation Index • UTILIZATION OF QUESTION STRATEGIES:
and how it affects our economy. Therefore, we • All questions must stimulate, evaluate and address the
fiscal ramifications of Economic relationships stimulated
will check for prior knowledge during the front-
by the Transportation Index. In this exercise students
loading exercise (Structured Practice) followed are directly engaging the Economic text by
by group interaction exercises for (Guided comparing/contrasting various Economic scenarios
Practice.) which aligns with the CCSS demonstrating their
understanding of Economic principals.
• STUDENT ROLES:
• What happens when the transportation Index rises or
• 1) Set up the fishbowl with inside/outside decreases? What is immediately affected? How prices
circles. of manufactured products react to increased
• 2) Instruct inside student to initiate a question transportation costs? What happens to prices when
transportation cost are decreased? What products have
and state their thoughts, any agreement must students identified in their own homes affected by
elaborate/extend the question. transportation costs?

8. ANALYSIS CONT.
• PHILOSOPHICAL IDEAS: • ASSESSMENT:
• The philosophical ideas of Socratic • The teacher will be able to assess the
dialogue allows for students to engage students by evaluation of the student
higher learning through interpretive dialogue. The teacher will also be able to
questioning. Higher level thinking also compare and contrast the Socratic
engages student’s cognitive development dialogue from the initial front-loading
leading to Economic understanding of components introduced along with
working interrelationships of the CCSS. analysis of the interpretive questioning.
• Further assessment can be addressed via
homework essay assignments to be
presented to the teacher the following day
(Individual Practice.)

9. DOW JONES TRANSPORTION INDEX GRAPH
6281.24+48.65 (0.78%)
As of March 14, 2013

10. ACTIVITY (Syntax) SCRIPT
• Students will review the Dow Jones • “The Transportation Index is a
Transportation Index displayed on the measurement of various transportation
“smart-board” along with reviewing corporations that transport manufacturing
product from one entity or state to
the Economic Encyclopedia and the
another entity or state. The cost of this
Economic text book. transportation will have tremendous
influence on the purchase price of the
• The front-loading process is product once received by the selling
corporation. Other factors such as the
introduced and questions will be
types of transportation, the distance to
prompted to produce: Factual (F), the final destination and gasoline cost will
Analytical (A) and Valuative (V) also effect the transportation process.
inquiry.

11. PREPARE LEVELS OF QUESTIONS
ACTIVITY & SCRIPT
• Create a list of analytical and interpretive
questions to guide the discussion.
• I have broken the class up into a large
• I would like the Socratic Dialogue to circle and an inner circle. Your assigned
construct interpretive questions that will partner is in the chair in front of you. I
examine the following: What happens to would like you all to engage in Socratic
transportation prices if the cost of Dialogue pertaining to the questions I
gasoline increases? Why do have listed on the smart-board or any
transportation cost increase if the price of similar questions that you derive from the
gasoline increases? How does the “Big Idea” presented. The questions are
distance from one destination to another to be interpretive therefore they are not
effect transportation cost? What can be any “right or wrong” questions merely an
done to reduce transportation cost? Why extrapolation from the Economic
is transportation of manufactured circumstances connected to the
products important? Transportation Index. Please take a
moment to review your notes from the
front-loading illustration then I would like
you to work with your partner to produce
interpretive questions.

12. INTRODUCE THE PROCESS TO STUDENTS
ACTIVITY & SCRIPT
• 1) Set up the fishbowl with inside/outside • Class I will now present the rules of the
circles. Socratic Dialogue that everyone must adhere
• 2) Instruct inside student to initiate a to within the discussion.
question and state their thoughts, any
agreement must elaborate/extend the • For clarification purposes we will review
question. each rule carefully and I will provide
• 3) Students must support their responses modeling of the aforementioned rules.
with evidence from the Economic
Encyclopedia or other text.
• 4) All students must read along, reviewing
Economic evidence.
• 5) New questions will not be introduced until
the initial question has been exhausted.
• 6) Teacher will facilitate the discussion
process.
• 7) This discussion is NOT a debate and
attacking other student commentary will not
be tolerated.

13. CONDUCT DISCUSSION
ACTIVITY & SCRIPT
• WALKING AROUND THE ROOM TO
OBSERVE SMALL GROUP INTERACTION. • “OK, CLASS YOU MAY NOW BEGIN!”

14. EVALUATE DISCUSSION
ACTIVITY & SCRIPT
• REVIEW INTERPRETIVE QUESTIONING • VERY WELL DONE, AND YOU ALL
CONTRIBUTED SOME VALID POINTS, I
ENJOYED HOW THE DISCUSSION WAS
CONDUCTED AND HOW IT EVOLVED.

15. REFLECTION
• I think that Socratic Dialogue is an • Additionally, a bilingual tutor
excellent way to promote higher should be made available in the
learning skills and stimulate classroom such as my present high
cognitive development. school of observation so that lower
Particularly when dealing with level ELL students can engage in
“technical vocabulary” associated their L1 language to successfully
with Economics, Science or transform the Economic
Mathematical content. I think that information. Lastly, the high
this particular exercise could be school should make available
made better by handing out Economic exercises on the school
Transportation Index diagrams that website with interactive games to
collaborate with the Smart-board help students assimilate the
illustrations. Therefore, any Economic information along with
student unclear on the concepts demonstrating the concepts to
will have the information instead parents of the student at home.
of taking notes that may be
improperly noted. DAVID ADAMS