Lesson Plan for Implementing

NETSSTemplate I
(More Directed Learning Activities)
Template with guiding questions
Teacher(s)
Name
Mallory L. Childers
Position

Special Education Teacher

School/District

Pickens County School System

E-mail

Mchild13@students.kennesaw.edu or mallorychilders@pickenscountyschools.org

Grade Level(s)

Special Education-3rd & 4th Grade (This lesson will take place in my resource reading/ELA class)

Content Area

Reading/English Language Arts (with Social Studies integration)

Time line

2 Weeks (Beginning April 11th-April 22nd), Final presentations-April 25th

Standards (What do you want students to know and be able to do? What knowledge, skills, and strategies do you
expect students to gain? Are there connections to other curriculum areas and subject area benchmarks?) Please
put a summary of the standards you will be addressing rather than abbreviations and numbers that indicate which
standards were addressed.

Content Standards

NETS*S Standards:

3rd and 4th grade Informational Writing, Production and Distribution of Writing, and Research to Build
and Present Knowledge Standards & 3rd and 4th Grade Social Studies Standards (see below for
specifics)
Creativity and innovation (using the Voki tool), Communication and collaboration (using the NotePub,
Primary Pad, and Voki tools), Research and information fluency (using the KidRex and NotePub
tools), Digital citizenship (using the Kidrex, NotePub, PrimaryPad, and Voki tools), and Technology
operation (using the Kidrex, NotePub, PrimaryPad, and Voki tools).

*See below for specific ELA, Social Studies, and ITSE/NET*S Standards
Specific Content Standards:
English Language Arts3rd Grade:
ELAGSE3W2-Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding
comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details.
c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of
information.
d. Provide a sense of closure.
ELAGSE3W4-With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization
are appropriate to task and purpose.
ELAGSE3W5-With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, and editing.
ELAGSE3W6-With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (use
keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
ELAGSE3W7-Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
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ELAGSE3W8-Recall information from experience or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief
notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.
4th Grade:
ELAGSE4W2-Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic clearly and group related information together in paragraphs or sections; include
formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples
related to the topic.
c. Link ideas within categories of information using words or phrases (e.g., another, for example, also,
because)
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.
ELAGSE4W4-Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience.
ELAGSE4W5-With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, and editing.
ELAGSE4W6-With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce
and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of
keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.
ELAGSE4W7-Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a
topic.
ELAGSE4W8-Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital
sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.
Social Studies3rd Grade:
SS3H2 The student will discuss the lives of Americans who expanded peoples rights and freedoms in a
democracy.
a. Paul Revere (independence), Frederick Douglass (civil rights), Susan B. Anthony (womens rights), Mary
McLeod Bethune (education), Franklin D. Roosevelt (New Deal and World War II), Eleanor Roosevelt
(United Nations and human rights), Thurgood Marshall (civil rights), Lyndon B. Johnson (Great Society
and voting rights), and Csar Chvez (workers rights).
b. Explain social barriers, restrictions, and obstacles that these historical figures had to overcome and
describe how they overcame them.
SS3G2 The student will describe the cultural and geographic systems associated with the historical figures in
SS3H2a.
a. Identify on a political map specific locations significant to the life and times of these historical figures.
b. Describe how place (physical and human characteristics) had an impact on the lives of these historical
figures.
c. Describe how each of these historical figures adapted to and was influenced by his/her environment.
d. Trace examples of travel and movement of these historical figures and their ideas across time.
e. Describe how the regions in which these historical figures lived affected their lives and had an impact on
their cultural identification.
SS3CG2 The student will discuss the character of different historical figures in SS3H2a.
a. Describe how the different historical figures in SS3H2a display positive character traits of cooperation,
diligence, courage, and leadership.
b. Explain how the historical figures in SS3H2a used positive character traits to support their beliefs in
liberty, justice, tolerance, and freedom of conscience and expression.
c. Explain how the historical figures in SS3H2a chose when to respect and accept authority.
4th Grade
SS4H2 The student will describe European exploration in North America.
a. Describe the reasons for, obstacles to, and accomplishments of the Spanish, French, and English
explorations of John Cabot, Vasco Nez de Balboa, Juan Ponce de Len, Christopher Columbus, Henry
Hudson, and Jacques Cartier.
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SS4H4 The student will explain the causes, events, and results of the American Revolution.
d. Describe key individuals in the American Revolution with emphasis on King George III, George
Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson,
Benedict Arnold, Patrick Henry, and John Adams.
SS4H5 The student will analyze the challenges faced by the new nation.
a. Identify the major leaders of the Constitutional Convention (James Madison and Benjamin Franklin) and
describe the major issues they debated, including the rights of states, the Great Compromise, and
slavery.
SS4H7 The student will examine the main ideas of the abolitionist and suffrage movements.
a. Discuss the biographies of Harriet Tubman and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
b. Explain the significance of Sojourner Truth to the abolition and suffrage movements.
Specific ITSE/NET-S Standards:
1. Creativity and innovation-Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop
innovative products and processes using technology.
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
b. Create original works as a means of personal and group expression
*Students will use the Voki tool to meet this standard.
2. Communication and collaboration-Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work
collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual student learning and contribute to the learning
of others.
a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital
environments and media.
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and
formats.
*Students will use the NotePub, PrimaryPad, and Voki tools to meet this standard.
3. Research and information fluency-Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry.
b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of
sources and media.
c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific
tasks.
*Students will use the KidRex and NotePub tools to meet this standard.
4. Digital citizenship-Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and
practice legal and ethical behavior.
a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and
productivity.
c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning.
d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.
*Students will use the KidRex, NotePub, Primary Pad, and Voki tools to meet this standard.
5. Technology operations and concepts-Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology
concepts, systems, and operations.
a. Understand and use technology systems.
b. Select and use applications effectively and productively.
c. Troubleshoot systems and applications.
d. Transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.
*Students will use the KidRex, NotePub, Primary Pad, and Voki tools to meet this standard.

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Overview (a short summary of the lesson or unit including assignment or expected or possible products)
In years past, my school has hosted an event called The Wax Museum either within the setting of the school day
or as a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) sponsored event. Through The Wax Museum, students selected a
historical figure, researched facts about that figure, wrote a speech about their figure (from the perspective of their
figure), created a costume to dress as their figure, and presented their speech as their figure. Each student had
an on button (just like in a true wax museum) and visitors (students, teachers/staff, and parents) would go to
each student and push their button, then they would present their speech. It was truly a wonderful experience for
all students, especially my students with disabilities! I would literally watch my students with disabilities blossom
throughout The Wax Museum process.
Unfortunately, my school will not be able to hold The Wax Museum event like in the past due to a late Georgia
Milestones testing window and a variety of other events that are planned within the last month and a half of
school. With this knowledge, I decided to use this idea of The Wax Museum as the basis for my technology
lesson plan so that my students can still get the experience of this event but in a technology-driven way!
Throughout my lesson, students will select a historical figure from their 3 rd or 4th grade social studies curriculum.
They will utilize technology (KidRex) to research facts about their historical figure and to take notes from the
research. They will then utilize technology (through NotePub) to turn the notes from their research into a piece of
informational writing (through PrimaryPad), framed as a speech. Students will then utilize technology (Voki) to
present their speech in a digital fashion. I have created screencast presentations (through Screencast-O-Matic)
to guide students through the process of utilizing the different digital tools that will be utilized within my lesson.
I have created the following objectives (learning targets) to guide my students through my lesson plan.
Objectives/Learning Targets-I can select a historical figure from my social studies curriculum.
-I can introduce my historical figure appropriately.
-I can research and share information regarding my historical figures life story including birth date, childhood,
occupation, claim to fame, and date of death.
-I can research and share five interesting facts about my historical figure.
-I can take notes from the research that I have completed about my historical figure.
-I can turn my notes into a piece of informational writing about my historical figure.
-I can turn my piece of writing into a presentation about my historical figure.
-I can successfully present my final presentation regarding my historical figure.
Essential Questions (What essential question or learning are you addressing? What would students care or
want to know about the topic? What are some questions to get students thinking about the topic or generate
interest about the topic? Additionally, what questions can you ask students to help them focus on important
aspects of the topic? (Guiding questions) What background or prior knowledge will you expect students to bring
to this topic and build on?) Remember, essential questions are meant to guide the lesson by provoking inquiry.
They should not be answered with a simple yes or no and should have many acceptable answers.

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Essential Questions-Who is my historical figure?

-How can I introduce my historical figure?
-What is my historical figures life story (birth date, childhood, occupation, claim to fame, date of death)?
-What five important facts do I want others to know about my historical figure?
-How do I research facts about my historical figure?
-How do I take notes from the research that I have completed about my historical figure?
-How do I turn my notes into a piece of informational writing about my historical figure?
-How do I turn my piece of writing into a presentation about my historical figure?
-How do I present my final presentation?
Background/Prior Knowledge Expectations*I expect students to have general background knowledge of their historical figure from their social studies
curriculum for this lesson plan. I also expect students to have a general understanding of informational writing
(writing to inform) for this lesson plan. I expect students to have general knowledge of how to utilize student
desktop computers/Chromebooks/the internet for this lesson plan.
Assessment (What will students do or produce to illustrate their learning? What can students do to generate new
knowledge? How will you assess how students are progressing (formative assessment)? How will you assess
what they produce or do? How will you differentiate products?) You must attach copies of your assessment and/or
rubrics. Include these in your presentation as well.
Students will produce several different artifacts to illustrate their learning, these artifacts encompass both
formative and summative assessments.
Formative Assessment Artifacts-The research notes that students take using NotePub will be considered a
form of formative assessment. The writing that students produce using PrimaryPad will be considered a form of
formative assessment.
Summative Assessment Artifacts-The final presentation that students will complete using Voki will be
considered the summative assessment. Students summative assessments, along with pieces of their formative
assessments, will be assessed utilizing a teacher-created rubric that is uploaded with this lesson plan. This rubric
will address the content of the presentation (both the social studies and informational writing components) and the
final student presentation.
Differentiated Products-The products produced within my lesson plan will be differentiated in a variety of ways.
Individual student IEP accommodations will be addressed throughout the lesson plan implementation, as well lotech assistive technology devices. Students will have the option to choose the historical figure that they want to
research throughout this lesson plan. I will differentiate my students formative assessments by providing varying
levels of scaffolding/support through the note taking/writing process. If students are more comfortable utilizing
paper and pencil for note taking/writing, they will have that option; however, the digital tools of NotePub and
PrimaryPad will be the tools promoted throughout the lesson plan. I will provide Speech Builder templates to
students in need of more support when transforming their notes into writing via PrimaryPad. The Speech Builder
template is uploaded with this lesson plan. I will differentiate my students summative assessments by providing
them with multiple choices throughout the Voki process. They will be able to design their own Voki
character/background according to their individual interests. They will also be able to choose whether they would
like to type their speech into Voki and have a computer generated voice present their speech or if they would like
to utilize the microphone component of Voki and record their own voice as they give their speech.

Resources (How does technology support student learning? What digital tools, and resourcesonline student
tools, research sites, student handouts, tools, tutorials, templates, assessment rubrics, etchelp elucidate or
explain the content or allow students to interact with the content? What previous technology skills should students
have to complete this project?)

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Researching Tool-KidRex-Students will utilize KidRex to research information (including their life story/interesting
facts) about their historical figure. KidRex is a student safe search engine.
Notetaking Tool-NotePub-Students will utilize NotePub to take informal notes about their research (through
KidRex).
Collaborative Writing Tool-PrimaryPad-Students will utilize PrimaryPad to turn their informal notes (taken
through NotePub) into a piece of informational writing that will later be used for their summative assessment
presentation. I will be able to work with students through PrimaryPad to help them edit their writing.
Presentation Production Tool-Voki-Students will utilize Voki to present their informational writing pieces. They
will have the option of choosing their own character/background and either typing in their informational writing or
recording their informational writing for their final presentation.
Teaching Tool-Screencast-O-Matic-I have created three separate screencasts to teach students how to utilize
the digital tools/resources within my lesson plan. The first screencast focuses on researching (through KidRex)
and note taking (through NotePub). The second screencast focuses on note taking (through NotePub) and
informational writing (through PrimaryPad). The final screencast focuses on written presentations (through
PrimaryPad) and final summative presentations (through Voki). Links to the screencasts that I have created are
provided below:
Researching & Note Takinghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVY-n0i2D6s&feature=youtu.be
Note Taking & Presentation Writinghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7dVfPyLqSE&feature=youtu.be
Written Presentations & Vokihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_hHNixaboQ&feature=youtu.be

Previous Technology Skills Needed-I expect students to have general knowledge of how to utilize student
desktop computers/Chromebooks/the internet for this lesson plan. The new digital tools (KidRex, NotePub,
PrimaryPad, Voki, and Screencasts) will be explicitly taught to students throughout this lesson plan through direct
instruction and screencasts.
Instructional Plan
Preparation (What student needs, interests, and prior learning provide a foundation for this lesson? How can
you find out if students have this foundation? What difficulties might students have?)
In order to prepare for this lesson, I collaborated with both the 3 rd grade general education and 4th grade general
education teachers to gauge my students prior knowledge of their social studies historical figures (I do not serve
these students in social studies, they are all served through paraprofessional support within the general education
classroom for social studies). They provided me with a list of historical figures that my students should work on or
could choose from for this lesson plan. They helped me to see that my students had the proper foundation of
general understanding of their historical figures to be able to complete this lesson plan successfully.
In terms of preparing for the reading/ELA portion of this lesson, I have been working on explicit writing instruction
with my students throughout the year. I know that they have a general understanding of informational writing;
however, some of the components of informational writing will need to be specifically addressed throughout the
implementation of this lesson plan. I have created specific opportunities to address these components throughout
my lesson plan.
In order to prepare my students for the technology components of this lesson, I have made certain that my
students have had regular access to technology either through the use of student desktop computers or student
Chromebooks within the weeks leading up to the implementation of my lesson plan. I have also made sure that
my students have a general understanding of how to utilize the internet (they utilize internet sites on a daily basis
in order to complete different learning tasks). I suspect that my students might have difficulty with utilizing the
new digital tools (KidRex, NotePub, PrimaryPad, and Voki) that will be utilized throughout my lesson plan. I
decided to create screencasts (links provided above) that illustrated the use of each of the aforementioned digital
tools to best support my students throughout my lesson plan.
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Management Describe the classroom management strategies will you use to manage your students and the use
of digital tools and resources. How and where will your students work? (Small groups, whole group, individuals,
classroom, lab, etc.) What strategies will you use to achieve equitable access to the Internet while completing this
lesson? Describe what technical issues might arise during the Internet lesson and explain how you will resolve or
trouble-shoot them? Please note: Trouble-shooting should occur prior to implementing the lesson as well as
throughout the process. Be sure to indicate how you prepared for problems and work through the issues that
occurred as you implemented and even after the lesson was completed.

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I will utilize my typical classroom/behavior management plan through the implementation of this lesson to help
manage both my students and the use of digital tools/resources.
Mallorys Classroom Behavior Plan
Statement of Purpose: Mrs. Mallorys classroom is a safe, respectful, and responsible learning environment, where all students are
encouraged to do their best.
Classroom Expectations: Follow directions, raise your hand, be safe, be responsible, and try your best. We also adhere to the schoolwide
PBIS expectations.
Positive Consequences:
-Free and FrequentClassroom money payment (smaller amounts), verbal praise, smiles, stickers, stamps, thumbs up, hugs
-IntermittentClassroom money payment (medium amounts), phone call home, e-mail home, note home, special privilege/choice
-Strong and Long-TermClassroom money payment (larger amount), special project, special recognition (positive office referral), star student recognition
Negative Consequences:
Level 1-Verbal redirection/planned ignoring
Level 2-Loss of classroom money (amount varies with consequences)
Level 3-Loss of a privilege (silent lunch, walking laps at recess, writing focused on target behavior at recess)
Level 4-Time-out (sent to another classroom, typically a lower grade, for a set amount of time to complete work)
Level 5-Parent/guardian contact

Level 6-Office referral (via Educators handbook/BIP)

Token Economy:
We utilize a token economy in my resource classroom. Students are paid classroom money for exhibiting the
following behaviors-attending class (.5), exhibiting good manners (.10), turning in their homework (.50),
completing class assignments (.50), meeting classroom and school expectations (.25), helping others (.50)
exhibiting excellent behavior (.50), and going above and beyond ($1.00). Money amounts are listed to the side in
parentheses. Each Friday, students have the opportunity to count their money and stop and shop for behavior
recognition. They have selected money choices ranging from $1 to $5 or more choices. Examples of the
choices follow. $1-candy choice, no shoes day, and drawing time. $2-lego time, 5 minutes of computer/iPad,
chewing gum, music time, or block time. $3-dance party, 10 minutes of computer/iPad, snack choice, be the
teacher, or errand runner. $4-special snack, 15 minutes of computer/iPad, Pokmon cards, treasure box choice,
or board games. $5 or more-lunch with teacher/paraprofessional, bring a toy to school for class, special treat, 30
minutes of computer/iPad, project/experiment, or extra recess (if this can be arranged).
Other Information:
My students will work in a whole group and individual basis, within my classroom, throughout the implementation
of my lesson plan. I will ensure that my students have equitable access to the internet throughout the
implementation of this lesson plan by providing them with the use of 4 student desktop computers and 10
Chromebooks. This should provide enough devices for each student in my class (8 students) and allow for
backup devices if needed. I prepared student usernames/passwords/pads for both the NotePub and PrimaryPad
digital tools prior to implementing my lesson plan in order to lessen some potential technological issues. These
usernames/passwords will be posted in my classroom throughout the implementation of my lesson plan.
Potential technological issues that I foresee arising throughout my lesson plan include internet access (there have
been times where our wireless internet access has been spotty at times in the past few months) and lack of
familiarity with the new digital tools within this lesson plan (KidRex, NotePub, PrimaryPad, Voki). In order to
prepare for these potential issues, I have made prior arrangements. To address the access of spotty wireless
internet access, I have ensured access to the special education classroom across the hall so that my students
could utilize the desktop computers in that classroom if any wireless internet issues were to arise. In order to
address the lack of familiarity with the new digital tools that will be utilized within my lesson plan, I created
screencasts for my students to view within the whole group setting and on their own time (if necessary) that
illustrate the explicit use of these digital tools and walk students through the process of using these tools
independently.

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Instructional Strategies and Learning Activities Describe the research-based instructional strategies you will
use with this lesson. How will your learning environment support these activities? What is your role? What are the
students' roles in the lesson? How can you ensure higher order thinking at the analysis, evaluation, or
creativity levels of Blooms Taxonomy? How can the technology support your teaching? What authentic,
relevant, and meaningful learning activities and tasks will your students complete? How will they build knowledge
and skills? How will students use digital tools and resources to communicate and collaborate with each other
and others? How will you facilitate the collaboration?

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Instructional Strategies and Learning ActivitiesUniversal design for learning will be the driving force throughout this lesson plan. According to Haager and
Klingner, universal design for learning is a proactive approach to adapting the curriculum so that it is appropriate
for all learners (2005, p. 140). Students will be provided with multiple means of representation, action and
engagement, and expression throughout this lesson (The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements, 2009). By
using Universal Design for Learning as the foundation of my lesson plan and my instructional strategies, I should
be able to truly focus on my students individual needs and provide them with choices that will make their learning
meaningful.
This lesson will begin with an anticipatory set. I have created a Voki to introduce my students to this lesson plan
(and the final digital tool that they will be using within the lesson plan) and give them a brief overview of the task
they will be completing throughout the lesson plan (link below). According to Lenz and Deshler, a common
practice for introducing a new lesson is the use of an anticipatory set (2004, p. 201). My goal for using the
anticipatory set to introduce the concepts within this lesson is to help my students tie their previously learning to
todays learning and to spark interest within my students in order to get them excited about the content they will
be learning. Lenz and Deshler explained that an anticipatory set is a hook to gain students attention, giving
them an opportunity to think about their previous learning, as well as their personal knowledge, as a way to set
the state for new or expanded knowledge development (2004, p. 201).
Link to Anticipatory Set Voki-http://www.voki.com/site/pickup?
scid=12614582&width=575&height=323&chsm=7e7f806dbeb5b5c8541b4f992366f5f2

Direct instruction will also be utilized throughout this lesson plan in order to introduce my students to the
components of their task (instructions, social studies components, and informational writing components) within
this lesson plan and in order to introduce them to the digital tools that will be utilized throughout this lesson plan.
According to Haager and Klingner, with direct instruction, skills are taught in small sequential steps, students are
active participants in the lesson, and immediate feedback is provided (2005, p. 133). I have created example
Voki presentations to show my students during the direct instruction portion of my lesson so that they are aware of
what their finished product could/should look like (links below). I have also created screencasts to help guide my
students through the use of the digital tools they will utilize throughout the lesson plan (links on p. 6 of this plan).
Example Voki Linkshttp://www.voki.com/site/pickup?scid=12621025&width=575&height=323&chsm=d3d7f57b564334767964d35187a023e3
http://www.voki.com/site/pickup?scid=12621036&width=575&height=323&chsm=5b6004b9975a8d1e00a6241729eef5c1

Guided practice will also be paired with direct instruction in order to provide students with scaffolded instruction.
This guided practice will take place when my students are utilizing their digital tools to research, take notes, write,
and/or create their Voki. Haager and Klingner explained that scaffolded instruction involves the teacher providing
support as necessary to help meet the needs of his/her students (2005). Support should gradually decrease as
appropriate with scaffolded instruction (Haager and Klingner, 2005).
Blooms TaxonomyI will ensure higher order thinking at the analysis, evaluation, and creativity levels of Blooms Taxonomy by
exposing my students to a variety of digital tools to use for the research, note taking, informational writing, and
presentation components of the lesson plan. Students will have the opportunity to analyze resources, evaluate
resources, and effectively use resources in their note taking, writing, and presentation. Students will have the
opportunity to utilize their creativity through the writing and presentation components of the lesson plan.
Other InformationTechnology will support my teaching in many different ways because it will serve as the backbone to each
instructional component (anticipatory set, direct instruction, and guided practice). It will provide my students with
rich learning experiences within each component of my lesson plan. The authentic/meaningful learning tasks that
my students will complete include the anticipatory set, direct instruction (explicit teaching of each digital tool,
social studies component, and reading/ELA component), and guided practice (use of each digital tool to research,
take notes, compose informational writing, and present a final presentation). These components of my lesson
plan build upon each other because students are introduced to content/concepts/tools, explicitly taught
content/concepts/tools, and then they are provided the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of
content/concepts through the use of digital tools. Students will use the final digital tool of Voki to communicate
their knowledge of their historical figure with their peers through an interactive presentation.
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Differentiation (How will you differentiate content and process to accommodate various learning styles and
abilities? How will you help students learn independently and with others? How will you provide extensions and
opportunities for enrichment? What assistive technologies will you need to provide?)
Content- Individual student IEP accommodations will be addressed throughout the lesson plan implementation,
as well assistive technology devices. Teacher and paraprofessional support will be utilized as needed. Students
have the ability to choose their historical figure; therefore, they are driving the content of the presentation.
Process- Individual student IEP accommodations will be addressed throughout the lesson plan implementation,
as well assistive technology devices. Teacher and paraprofessional support will be utilized as needed. Students
will be provided with a Speech Builder template to help them transform their notes into informational writing if
needed/necessary.
Independent/Collaborative Work-Students will work independently, with teacher/para assistance, for the
majority of the lesson plan utilizing the above mentioned instructional strategies and differentiation components.
They will collaborate with their peers to share their final presentations.
Extension/Enrichment-Students will have the opportunity to include more than the required content components
for their project (e.g. they can include more than their historical figures date of birth, childhood, occupation, claim
to fame, date of death, and five interesting facts).
Assistive Technologies-Below are a list of the applicable lo-tech assistive technology devices listed on my
students IEPs. These devices will be provided for use and utilized if needed throughout my lesson plan.
-Audio books/text, whisper phones, specialized paper for writing assignments, learning/memory strategies, visual
timer, and visual organizer.
Reflection (Will there be a closing event? Will students be asked to reflect upon their work? Will students be
asked to provide feedback on the assignment itself? What will be your process for answering the following
questions?
Did students find the lesson meaningful and worth completing?
In what ways was this lesson effective?
What went well and why?
What did not go well and why?
How would you teach this lesson differently?
Closing Event-After the two weeks allotted for implementing this lesson plan, I plan to allow class time for my
students to present their Voki presentations to their peers in my classroom and to other adults (I have recruited
some individuals throughout the school to come watch final presentations). After Georgia Milestones Testing,
students will have the opportunity to present their final Voki presentations to their grade level peers/teachers
within their Social Studies classes.
Reflection-Students will be asked to complete a brief self-reflection of this lesson plan as a whole and of their
work in particular. This self-reflection asks students whether or not they enjoyed completing the lesson plan, to
list their favorite part of the lesson plan, to see if they included each required component of the final presentation,
and to share their thoughts about their finished presentation. The self-reflection is uploaded with this lesson plan.
The information that I will collect throughout my lesson plan (formative assessments), my students summative
assessments, observations from the main closing event (taking place in my classroom), and my students
reflections will help me to complete my reflection of this lesson plan that is included in the next section.
Closure: Anything else you would like to reflect upon regarding lessons learned and/or your experience with
implementing this lesson. What advice would you give others if they were to implement the lesson? Please
provide a quality reflection on your experience with this lesson and its implementation.

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I truly enjoyed implementing this lesson! When I was in the planning process, I felt overwhelmed at the amount of
work that I was planning for my students. I worried that they would have difficulty completing all steps of the
lesson plan and that they would become frustrated with the entire concept of the plan. I was pleasantly surprised
when my students were thrilled to complete the lesson plan!
I felt that this lesson plan was effective because it required students to step away from the traditional format of
researching, notetaking, writing, and presenting through the use of innovative technology. By allowing my
students to utilize Voki for their final presentations, they were able to be as creative as possible while still meeting
the project requirements. The impact that this lesson had on my students was clear during our final presentations
when they each gleamed with pride while presenting their Voki presentations.
There were many different pieces of my lesson plan that went well. First and foremost, my students loved being
able to choose their own historical figure for this assignment. It was wonderful to see them genuinely interested in
so many figures from history. I felt that the anticipatory set presentation, screencasts, and finished product
presentation examples, that I created to highlight the use of the digital tools that were utilized within my lesson
plan, were extremely helpful. The anticipatory set presentation got my students immediately interested in the idea
of creating a Voki. The screencasts helped my students to see the digital tools in action. The finished product
presentations helped my students to be able to see an example of the end goal of my lesson plan. My students
did a wonderful job researching their historical figures using the KidRex.org search engine. I feel that it was
important that I gave my students specific components to search for (including date of birth, childhood, job, claim
to fame, date of death, and five interesting facts) because it helped to narrow down the search process. This
process did require teacher/paraprofessional support at times; however, I felt it was extremely beneficial. The
process of taking the information from my students notes and transferring it into PrimaryPad, using the Speech
Builder template, was also extremely successful. I did not originally plan on creating a Speech Builder template;
however, I quickly realized that my students needed more support with their informational writing and decided to
add this tool to my lesson plan. This template provided the organizational support that they needed so that they
could share their knowledge of their historical figure. I also enjoyed that I could easily log into PrimaryPad as a
teacher and edit my students work. This made the presentation finalization process quick and easy! Lastly, I feel
that the Voki creation process was also a huge hit with my students. They loved being able to choose their own
character, select a background, and input their speeches into the Voki program. Their unique personalities were
truly highlighted through their Voki choices.
Even though many parts of my lesson plan were successful, there were also parts that did not go as I planned. I
had originally intended to have utilize NotePub to take notes from their KidRex.org research. When it came time
for my students to log into NotePub, I quickly realized it was blocked by my countys web filter. I e-mailed the
technology department and asked them to consider unblocking this website (along with a lengthy explanation of
the many uses of NotePub) and was told that they would consider in the future. At that point I was ready to move
on with implementing the rest of my lesson plan and I had to result to having my students use paper and pencil to
take their notes. I was disappointed that my students did not have the capability to utilize the NotePub tool;
however, they were shown this tool through my screencast videos and they easily adapted to utilizing paper and
pencil to record their notes from their research. Another difficulty that I experienced throughout the
implementation of my lesson plan was when the technology department took my Chromebooks for a few days to
update them in preparation for our upcoming Georgia Milestones assessment. I had to get creative with a
desktop computer rotation during this time to make sure that all of my students were able to work on their
projects.
If I were to teach this lesson again, I would work to find a digital tool, that was comparable to NotePub, that my
students could use to take notes from their research. I would also do more investigation of the tools filtered by my
county before beginning the implementation of my lesson plan.

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References

Georgia Department of Education (2015). 3rd grade English language arts Georgia standards of excellence (ELAGSE).
Retrieved from https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards/Frameworks/ELA-Grade-3-Standards.pdf

Georgia Department of Education (n.d.). 4th grade English language arts Georgia standards of excellence (ELAGSE).
Retrieved from https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards/Frameworks/ELA-Grade-4-Standards.pdf

Georgia Department of Education (2008). Grade four-United States history to 1860. Retrieved from
https://www.georgiastandards.org/Standards/Georgia%20Performance%20Standards/Gr4%20Social%20Studies
%20Stds%202009-2010%205-27-09.pdf

Georgia Department of Education (2008). Grade three-Our democratic heritage. Retrieved from
https://www.georgiastandards.org/Standards/Georgia%20Performance%20Standards/Gr3%20Social%20Studies
%20Stds%202009-2010%205-27-08.pdf

Hagger, D., & Klingner, J. (2005). Instructional Approaches for Inclusive Classrooms. In V. Lanigan (Ed.), Differentiating
instruction in inclusive classrooms: The special educators guide (pp. 97-150). Boston: Pearson A & B.

ITSE (2016). ITSE Standards Students. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-forstudents

KidRex.org (2016). KidRex. Retrieved from http://www.KidRex.org/

Lenz, K. B., & Deshler, D.D (2004). Lesson Planning and Delivery. In V. Lanigan (Ed.), Teaching content to all evidencebased inclusive practices in middle and secondary schools (pp.195-220). Boston: Pearson A & B.

NotePub (n.d.). Retrieved from http://notepub.com/

PrimaryPad (n.d.). Retrieved from http://primarypad.com/

Screencast-O-Matic (n.d.). Retrieved from https://screencast-o-matic.com/home

Oddcast Inc. (2016). Voki. Retrieved from http://voki.com/

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RESOURCES

Speech Builder Template

Hi! My name is ___________________. I was born on

__________________. During my childhood, I
_____________________________________________. When I
grew up, my job was
_______________________________________. I was famous for
_______________________________________________. I died on
_____________________________________________.
Here are five cool facts about me:
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12345-

Technology Project Rubric

Student Name: ________________________________
Overall Process Points
-Researched facts about historical figure, 5 points (possible), ________ (earned)
-Took notes about facts, 5 points (possible), ________ (earned)
-Used the Speech Builder template to transform notes into a speech, typed speech, 10 points (possible),
________ (earned)
-Transformed written speech into final presentation, 10 points (possible), ________ (earned)
-Presented final presentation to the class, 10 points (possible), ________ (earned)
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Overall Process Points Possible=40, Actual Points Earned ________

Final Presentation Content Points
-Presentation included accurate information regarding historical figures date of birth, 10 points (possible),
________ (earned)
-Presentation included accurate information regarding historical figures childhood, 10 points (possible),
________ (earned)
-Presentation included accurate information about historical figures job/occupation, 10 points (possible),
________ (earned)
-Presentation included accurate information regarding the historical figures claim to fame, 10 points
(possible), ________ (earned)
-Presentation included accurate information regarding the historical figures date of death (if applicable),
10 points (possible), ________ (earned)
-Presentation included at least 5 interesting facts regarding the historical figure, 10 points (possible),
________ (earned)
Overall Final Presentation Content Points Possible=60, Actual Points Earned ________

Total Technology Project Points Possible=100, Actual Points Earned ________ (Final Grade)

Technology Project Student Self-Reflection

Student Name: ________________________________

*Please answer the following questions.
-Did you enjoy completing the technology project?
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Yes

No

-What was your favorite part of the project?

(Circle one)
-Researching your historical figure
-Taking notes on your research
-Turning your notes into informational writing
-Creating your Voki presentation
-Sharing your Voki presentation
-Did you include each of the required components in your project?
Place a check by the components you included.
-Date of Birth
_____
-Childhood
_____
-Job
_____
-Claim to Fame
_____
-Date of Death
_____
-Five Facts
_____
-How do you feel about your finished project?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

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