3rd-grade Inquiry Unit - Identify Lesson


http://tinyurl.com/di4ll-3-identify


Lesson Title: What Are Our Questions about César Chávez or Dolores Huerta? (or How Does Food Get to Our Tables in Denton?

Inquiry Phase: Identify

Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Essential Questions:
  1. What can we learn by studying the lives of people who have influenced the well-being of a community?
  2. How do we formulate open-ended questions and conduct an inquiry project?

Lesson Plan Objectives: At the end of these lessons, students will be able to:
  1. Define the difference between red light (closed) and green light (open-ended) questions.
  2. Categorize questions in terms of Who? What? How? Where? When? and Why?
  3. Develop green light (open-ended) questions for inquiry study.

Assessment Tool(s): Who? What? How? Where? When? Why? Identify Graphic Organizer

Resources for this Unit of Study: http://tinyurl.com/di4ll-3-resources

Resources for this Lesson:
Who? What? How? Where? When? Why? Identify Graphic Organizer
Venn Diagram Teacher Resource from Immerse Phase Lesson

Estimated Lesson Time: One 30-minute Lesson

Instructional Plan Outline:
Classroom Teacher – School Librarian(s) Collaboration:
Educators prepare for think-alouds to demonstrate posing and categorizing “red light” (closed) and “green light” (open-ended) questions. Educators jointly review the students’ Who? What? How? Where? When? Why? Identify graphic organizers.

Measurable Outcome or Final Product: Each student will complete the Who? What? How? Where? When? Why? Identify graphic organizer and star “green light” (open-ended) questions and put a smiley face beside their most engaging question.

Preparation
  • The educators make one copy of the Who? What? How? Where? When? Why? Identify graphic organizer for each student or provide the graphic organizer electronically.
  • Educators consider if specific students should work with a partner or small group from the beginning of this lesson.
  • Integrate academic vocabulary into think-alouds: inquiry, close-ended and open-ended questions, personal interests, connection, record, and self-assessment.
  • Integrate discipline-specific academic vocabulary into the lesson: community, well-being, and contemporary heroes.

Motivation – Note: #1, #2, and #3 are especially necessary if more than one day has passed since the Immerse or Explore Phase.
  • Educators project the Venn Diagram Teacher Resource from the Immerse Phase lesson and use think-alouds to reflect with one another on what the class learned about Dolores Huerta and César Chávez.
  • Educators share their personal connections to the information. (For more advanced classes consider making connections to the Denton Community Market.)
  • Students review their graphic organizers and share one piece of information that was most interesting to them and any personal connections.
  • Educators post the lesson objectives and let students know they will be developing questions about Dolores Huerta or César Chávez (or the Denton Community Market).

Presentation
  • While one educator solicits students’ responses, the other records questions on the whiteboard that are prompted by the information on the Venn diagram.
  • Organize the questions on the board in two columns; one for Dolores Huerta and the other for César Chávez.
  • After at least one question is posted for each note, define or review the characteristics of “red light” and “green light” questions.
  • Distribute red and green light symbols on Popsicle sticks or use a thumbs down (red light) or thumbs up (green light) response system.
  • Choose Dolores Huerta or César Chávez and and categorize a sampling of questions (red- and green-light) until students are clear about the difference. Then categorize and record selected questions on the Who? What? How? Where? When? Why? Identify Graphic Organizer.
  • Students will then pick one of these two contemporary heroes and develop questions, categorize them, and add them to their Who? What? How? Where? When? Why? Identify Graphic Organizer.

Guided Practice
  • Educators note students’ ability to develop “green light” (open-ended) questions and categorize them on the graphic organizer.
  • Educators prompt students who need support in developing or categorizing questions.

Closure
  • Students star “green light” (open-ended) questions and put a smiley face beside their most engaging question.
  • Optional: Conduct a poll. Are most students’ most engaging questions in the Why? category?

Reflection
  • How did building background knowledge help you develop a green light question that is engaging to you?

Assessment
  • Educators review students’ Who? What? How? Where? When? Why? Identify Graphic Organizers to assess the quantity and quality of the open-ended questions students recorded and whether or not the questions are appropriately categorized.

Follow Up
  • Educators determine whether students should work individually, in partners, or in small groups to continue their inquiry into Dolores Huerta or César Chávez (or the Denton Community Market).

Lesson Plan Resources

For Students


For Educators





Lesson Plans