What makes a lesson plan?? Evaluating Lesson 10!

    So you have made a lesson. Now what? Is it any good? This post will review one such lesson plan to evaluate it's point of view, format, type, structure, technology used, the model of teaching, and its pedagogical value. Lets get started!

I have posted the link for the lesson here: Lesson 10 Foundations and Formations of Government

       From the onset we can say that this lesson addresses NYS Social Studies Standard 5.

         Standard 5:

"Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the         necessity for establishing governments; the governmental systems of the United States and other nations; the United States Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation." ((K-12 social studies framework)

    This lesson's main pedological value rests on it's content. This content aims to expose the student to a range of topics on government as required in Standard 5.

 

       Ok, so we now understand why the content matters and why its important!  But what model does this lesson employ to teach standard 5 in social studies? In education, we identity 4 families which (nearly) all instruction fall under. These four models each have distinctive advantages. Each family group allows the educator  to employ different strategies and methods to achieve desired outcomes. 

    In lesson 10, the teacher utilizes the information processing model. We can determine this by viewing how the teacher gives students a plethora of different activities and questions. This lesson asks student to receive and evaluate information using inquiry based methods. This lessons asks the learner questions and poses problems to be addressed. For instance, slide 1 entitled "ENGAGE" poses the question: "Do  people need government?" There are other activities in which the teacher asks the student to digest and then share what they have gleaned from the content.

    We have covered this lesson's pedological value, and we know the model type used in this lesson. What about format? We can clearly see the teacher has set this lesson up as a google slide with interactive bitmojis, a colorful design and links leading the student to videos and other content.

    The structure for this lesson centers around an inquiry based lesson. It functions much the same way as the scientific method. It asks the student to evaluate data, reflect on problems, find answers or solutions, and hen share information and reflect with peers. 

    

                                                                  References

K-12 social studies framework. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2021, from http://www.nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction/k-12-social-studies-framework