1. Katie Napier
CI 350
Harold Blanco
3 September 2013
Assure Method Lesson Plan
I.
Analyze Learners:There are twenty students in my fourth grade class (eleven girls
and nine boys); two of whom are Muslims, three are Jewish, and two are African
Americans. In addition, all of my students are approximately nine years old.
Since each student learns differently; I will need to incorporate a variety of teaching
methods so that all children will be able to comprehend the material covered.
II.
State Objectives: My fourth grade students will list and describe the holiday
traditions of specific cultureswhich they will learn through the use of songs, books,
videos, maps (and other visual aids), research, and hands-on activities (such as the
creation of group posters)by the end of the week with 95% accuracy.
III.
Select Methods, Media, and Materials:In order to integrate a variety of learning
styles,I will be utilizing an assortment of media, methods, and materials throughout
this lesson, such as the following:
Storybook:I will begin this lesson by reading the book entitled: Christmas
around the Worldby Mary D. Lankford (which describes the holiday traditions
of a variety of cultures).
Songs and Pictures:I will play some holiday music from a particular culture
(such as the German Christmas music found at the following
link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGVACo06mDI ). In addition, Iwill
utilize Google images to display various holiday treats from around the world

2. (such as “fufu,” an African Christmas dish made from goat). Overall, the
incorporation of such media will allow the children to both hear and see the
different ways that the holidays are celebrated around the world.
Smart Board/Overhead Projector:The smart board and overhead projector
will be utilized to display YouTube videos, maps, and pictures to the children.
Computer Lab: The students will be divided into groups to research
information regarding the holiday traditions of a specific culture.
Posters: The students will work within their groups to create a visual display
that will present their researched information. The materials for these
posters include: glue, markers, scissors, and poster board.
IV.
Utilize the Media and Materials:I will preview all videos, books, websites, and
electronic devices that will be utilized in class. This will allow me to check that all
materials work correctly and are age/grade appropriate. In addition, I will also
prepare the checklist that will be used to evaluate group projects and presentations.
Furthermore, I will arrange the desks in pods throughout the room (which will allow
for student collaboration). Also, since a portion of this lesson involves group
research, I will need to reserve the computer lab for an adequate amount of time so
that the children can effectively complete their group projects. Finally, I will place all
materials that will be utilized in the creation of group posters on a table in the back
of the room (an area that is readily accessible to all students).
V.
Require Learner Participation:To introduce the lesson, I will ask the students how
their families celebrate the holidays (such as Kwanza, Hanukah, and Christmas).

3. Once the children have had a chance to share some of their family traditions with
the class,I will then remind the children that some cultures celebrate the holiday
season differently than we do. At this point, I will read the book entitled: Christmas
around the World by Mary D. Lankford (which describes many of the holiday
customs and traditions of various cultures throughout the world). Once the story has
been read and discussed, I will then utilize the smart board to display a world map to
the class. This will allow the children to visualize the many regions of the world that
were discussed in the read-aloud. Once the children have “helped me” to locate
these regions on the map, I will utilize YouTube to play a few traditional holiday
songs that are sung in these regions, and I will display pictures of the various foods
and decorations that are used in holiday celebrations around the world (using
Google Images). Finally, I will divide the students into groups, and I will inform the
children that each group will research the holiday traditions of a specific
country/region and create a poster that describes their findings. (Each poster should
include information regarding:the foods, songs, festivals, decorations, and customs
that the people of their assigned region utilize in their holiday celebrations.) In
addition, I will also remind the students that they could choose to research the
holiday traditions forKwanza or Hanukah.Once the children have finished conducting
their research in the computer lab, we will then return to class so that the children
can begin to work on their group posters (which will display their information
gathered). Finally, I will allow the students to briefly present their findings to the
class.

4. VI.
Evaluate and Revise: Many of my students experience test anxiety (which negatively
affects their performance). Therefore, projects and presentations will be utilized as a
preferred method of assessment. Thus, in order to effectively assess my students, I
will:
Circulate throughout the room and ask the students various questions. (For
example, I will have the students compare and contrast their own holiday
traditions with the holiday customs of the cultures that they are
researching.)
Check that their posters contain:
o A brief description of at least 2-3 holiday foods commonly served in
the group’s assigned region
o A list of at least 2-4holiday songs
o A description of various holiday festivals, decorations, and customs of
their assigned country or region
Make sure that their group presentations are accurate and that all students
are actively participating.
*Once the lesson has been taught, I will allow the children to write a brief
paragraph describing the activities that they found enjoyable as well as the
activities that they found challenging. This information will ultimately help me to
make proper revisions in the future.