|||| Name of Lesson: Read Aloud: Yankee Blue or Rebel Gray? The Civil War Adventures of Sam Shaw
Materials: Book Technology: None
Standard(s):SS5H1 The student will explain the causes, major events, and consequences of the Civil War. e. Describe the effects of war on the North and South.
ELA5R1 The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational texts. d. Relates a literary work to information about its setting (historically or culturally). i. Makes judgments and inferences about setting, characters, and events and supports them with elaborating and convincing evidence from the text.
Identify Desired Results
Enduring Understanding(s):
Essential Question(s):
There were differences in the North and South during the Civil War. The North did not want Slavery, but the South did. The North won the Civil war under the leadership of Ulysses S. Grant, and the South fell under the command of Robert E. Lee.
Can I make connections between life in the north and south during the Civil War? Can I understand life of a civil war soldier’s family?
What will students understand as a result of this plan?
What questions will focus this plan?
There were differences in the North and South during the Civil War. The North did not want Slavery, but the South did. The North won the Civil war under the leadership of Ulysses S. Grant, and the South fell under the command of Robert E. Lee.
Can I make connections between life in the north and south during the Civil War? Can I understand life of a civil war soldier’s family?
Determine Acceptable Evidence (Assessment)
What evidence will show that students understand . . .
Performance Task(s): Students should pretend they are a part of a family with a father or brother in the Civil War. The students should think about the struggles the sisters faced in the book, and try to put themselves in the sister’s shoes. The students should incorporate details from the book about life during the Civil War. Have students who volunteer share their letter(s) with the class!
Other Evidence: (quizzes, observation, work samples, etc.)
Students will turn in their writings, as well as share with the class if they would like to do so!
Plan Learning Experience and Instruction
Given the targeted understandings, other lesson/unit goals, and the assessment evidence identified, what knowledge and skills are needed?
Students will need to know . . .
Students will need to be able to . . .
Students will need to know what life was like during the Civil War. The people who lived in the North did not want slavery, and the people who lived in the South did. Families were often separated during the war, and sometimes fought on opposing sides, causing more separation. The Civil War took not only a toll on the United States, but also on the families that made up the states.
-relate to the families by paying close attention to the details discussed about each side
-pull in background knowledge about writing letters
|||| What teachings and learning experiences will equip students to demonstrate the targeted understandings?
||
Hook: The teacher will read aloud the book: Yankee Blue or Rebel Gray? The Civil War Adventures of Sam Shaw, by Kate Connell There are two sisters that have husbands on opposite sides during the war. They write letters back and forth, describing the hardships and challenges of life during the war.
Prior Knowledge: Students will need to know the different parts of a letter, and how to incorporate them into writing a letter. Pre-Reading Activity: The teacher will review the different parts of a writing an informal letter.
Rationale for type instruction(D), (CL), (PB)
This lesson will be using direct instruction. Students have prior knowledge of writing a letter based off of the lessons taught prior to this one. Students are to take what they learn from the letters between the sisters in the book, and apply them in writing their own letters about life during the Civil War.
During Reading Activity
Direct Instruction: The teacher will read the book, Yankee Blue or Rebel Grey? The Civil War Adventures of Sam Shaw by Kate Connell. In this book, there are two sisters writing letters back and forth to one another during the Civil War. Each sister has a husband fighting in the war, only they are on opposing sides. Each sister explains the struggles their husbands faced as well as the struggles they faced on the home front. After reading the letters, students are to pretend they are writing to one of their siblings or family members, incorporating what they know about writing a letter, as well as the details and events they learned from the sisters’ letters.
Differentiation: (needs, interests, abilities of learners) Certain students will receive one-on-one instruction from the teacher to prompt them during the brainstorming section of writing the letter. Students are also encouraged to peer edit with a partner.
After Reading
Conclude: Provide Opportunity to Rethink/Revise
Students are also encouraged to peer edit with a partner and revise any mistakes they may have found. Students will be given the opportunity to share their letters with the class.
Reflect:**
What went well?
The students really enjoyed learning about the Civil War through someone else’s eyes. They enjoyed the different view points from the two sisters, and were engaged the entire time the book was being read. I believe they had fun writing the letters as well.
What would I modify?
I would change this lesson to do it over a couple of days. There were several letters, and to keep the students hooked, I would read two letters a day until I finished the book.
What learners increased their knowledge of subject matter?
Most students already knew the basic components of writing a letter, so they learned the most about family life during the Civil War and how families were separated due to the war.
Did my assessment meet my goals to guide future instruction in this area?
Yes, students understood how to write a letter, as well as incorporated details about the Civil War into their letters. I really just wanted the students to have fun with this lesson and I feel that I achieved that!
Technology: None
e. Describe the effects of war on the North and South.
ELA5R1 The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational texts.
d. Relates a literary work to information about its setting (historically or culturally).
i. Makes judgments and inferences about setting, characters, and events and supports them with elaborating and convincing evidence from the text.
Can I understand life of a civil war soldier’s family?
Can I understand life of a civil war soldier’s family?
Students should pretend they are a part of a family with a father or brother in the Civil War. The students should think about the struggles the sisters faced in the book, and try to put themselves in the sister’s shoes. The students should incorporate details from the book about life during the Civil War. Have students who volunteer share their letter(s) with the class!
Students will turn in their writings, as well as share with the class if they would like to do so!
-pull in background knowledge about writing letters
|||| What teachings and learning experiences will equip students to demonstrate the targeted understandings?
||
There are two sisters that have husbands on opposite sides during the war. They write letters back and forth, describing the hardships and challenges of life during the war.
Pre-Reading Activity: The teacher will review the different parts of a writing an informal letter.
This lesson will be using direct instruction. Students have prior knowledge of writing a letter based off of the lessons taught prior to this one. Students are to take what they learn from the letters between the sisters in the book, and apply them in writing their own letters about life during the Civil War.
Direct Instruction: The teacher will read the book, Yankee Blue or Rebel Grey? The Civil War Adventures of Sam Shaw by Kate Connell. In this book, there are two sisters writing letters back and forth to one another during the Civil War. Each sister has a husband fighting in the war, only they are on opposing sides. Each sister explains the struggles their husbands faced as well as the struggles they faced on the home front. After reading the letters, students are to pretend they are writing to one of their siblings or family members, incorporating what they know about writing a letter, as well as the details and events they learned from the sisters’ letters.
Conclude: Provide Opportunity to Rethink/Revise
Students are also encouraged to peer edit with a partner and revise any mistakes they may have found. Students will be given the opportunity to share their letters with the class.
Reflect:**
The students really enjoyed learning about the Civil War through someone else’s eyes. They enjoyed the different view points from the two sisters, and were engaged the entire time the book was being read. I believe they had fun writing the letters as well.
I would change this lesson to do it over a couple of days. There were several letters, and to keep the students hooked, I would read two letters a day until I finished the book.
Most students already knew the basic components of writing a letter, so they learned the most about family life during the Civil War and how families were separated due to the war.
- Did my assessment meet my goals to guide future instruction in this area?
Yes, students understood how to write a letter, as well as incorporated details about the Civil War into their letters. I really just wanted the students to have fun with this lesson and I feel that I achieved that!