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 podcasts,
books, maps (and other visual aids), blogs, and hands-on activities (such as the
creation of digital stories)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 the following media, methods, and materials throughout this
lesson:
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).
Maps:I will utilize the smart board to display a world map.
Podcasts: I will utilize a podcast to play some holiday music from a particular
culture.

2. Visual Aids:Iwill utilize Google images to various holiday treats from around
the world (such as “fufu,” an African Christmas dish made from goat).
Computer Lab: The students will be divided into groups to research
information regarding the holiday traditions of a specific culture.
QR Code: This QR code will be utilized to access child-friendly blogs.
Blogs:students will utilize multicultural blogs to conduct research.
Digital Stories:Students will utilize Windows Live Movie Maker to create a
digital story regarding to display researched information.
IV.
Utilize the Media and Materials:I will preview the blogs and podcasts that will be
utilized. In addition, I will check that all electronic devices are working properly (such
as the class smart board). 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.
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).
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 around the globe). Once the story has

3. 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 willplay a podcast for the class so that the students can
be exposed to a few traditional holiday songs of these regions. Then I will display
pictures of the various foods and decorations that are used in holiday celebrations
around the world. Finally, I will divide the students into groups, and inform the
children that each group will research the holiday traditions of a specific
country/regionutilizing multicultural blogs. (The students will utilize the QR codes
that are located around the room to access the links to these sites). Once the
students have completed their group research, they will begin creating brief digital
stories that will display their group’s findings.(Each digital story 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.Finally, I will allow the students to briefly present their
projects to the class.
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:

4. 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 digital stories 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.