Emily Rohwer

9/29/14
Online Lesson Critique
Lesson 1: Where I Come From
http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/where-i-come#sect-thelesson
Summary: This 3rd grade lesson begins with students learning from their parents about what
cultures and countries their ancestors have come from, making a travel log with a page for
each of the places their families have come from, and then mapping these places. Next,
students research online from news sites what life is like in these places today and collect
souvenirs such as pictures, news clips, charts, or advertisements to add to the pages of their
travel log. Lastly, each student chooses one country or culture from their family history for to
study at a deeper level for the next few weeks and then gives a report on their findings. This
lesson plan provides 3 guiding questions: What parts of the world has your family come
from? What is life like there today? What are your feelings about these places your family
once called home? The lesson plan also gives many links to resources that students could
use during the extended study after the lesson.
Suggestions: This lesson definitely has potential, but there are a lot of elements missing
from it currently. There is no introductory activity mentioned, so I would add in sharing of
travel logs with a partner or small group, or I would make my own travel log and share that
with students as a way to start the lesson. There were also no standards given with this
lesson, so I would find the specific grade level standards that I want this lesson to cover. This
lesson is supposed to be for 3rd grade, but it doesnt tie in very well with the 3rd grade
standards except for the ones relating to map skills, so I would consider using it at a lower
grade level instead.
Grade: 23
Lesson 2: Ben Franklin Timeline
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/ben-franklin-timeline.cfm
Summary: This 4th grade lessons objectives are to understand the contributions of
individuals from various backgrounds who have influenced the history of the United States
and to understand the characteristics of leadership. It includes a materials list. The lesson
begins with students researching Ben Franklin and writing a paragraph about one of his
accomplishments. Students make an illustration and collage to go along with their paragraph,
and make sure to include a date for what they have written about. When all the paragraphs
are done, they are all assembled into one big timeline. The lesson comes with suggested
accommodations for younger or more advanced students, and discussion questions. A
checklist including aspects of their project such as accuracy and clear illustrations is
suggested for assessment. Additional links, suggested reading, and lesson vocabulary are
also included.
Suggestions: I think this lesson could be improved by having more clearly stated objectives.
Students understanding something isnt measurable or observable. There is also no
evidence of higher order thinking, so I would add in a part of the lesson where students
analyze what made Benjamin Franklin a good leader or have them evaluate how the United
States would be different without his contributions. The lesson isnt tied to any GLCE
standards so I would fix that. The concluding activity of putting together the paragraphs to
make a timeline isnt enough to give students the bigger picture of Ben Franklins life without
a discussion of all the events on the timeline, which is currently missing from the lesson. I
would include a teacher-led discussion of all the events, or maybe the teacher could read a

book to the class that provides an overview of his life so students can see the big picture and
not just their one event.
Grade: 20
Lesson 3: Community Maps
http://www.teachnology.com/lessons/lsn_pln_view_lessons.php?action=view&cat_id=10&lsn_id=13750
Summary: This is a 2nd grade lesson to teach students how to use a map key, understand
and use symbols, and to read a map of their community. It has a good introduction that
connects the lesson to prior knowledge that students have learned by studying important
places in their community. The lesson also does a good job of explaining what a symbol is
and how to use them in maps. The input part of the lesson consists of the teacher asking
several questions about a large map of the community to guide students thinking. Then,
students receive their own map with some parts missing and follow directions to complete the
map. The lesson has a conclusion in which the teacher reviews the main concepts learned in
the lesson by asking questions to check for understanding.
Suggestions: I think this lesson does a good job of teaching students the objectives, but it
could have been improved if students had the chance to create their own maps, symbols, and
map keys instead of just filling in blanks on a map given to them. Also, students were not the
ones constructing their knowledge the teacher was the one conducting the input. There was
also not very much room for creativity for the students, or higher level thinking. I would give
students maps in groups first and let them make their own observations about them and build
their own knowledge a bit before telling them everything about the maps.
Grade: 24
Lesson 4: Civil War North vs. South
http://www.teachnology.com/lessons/lsn_pln_view_lessons.php?action=view&cat_id=10&lsn_id=3325
Summary: This is a 5th grade lesson in which students learn about the significance of the
Civil War by studying primary sources such as the Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg
Address, letters, songs, and pictures. The lesson starts with a KWL review, and then students
go to stations to examine different primary sources and write about them in their social
studies notebooks. Students identify the document and the time period/location, and
summarize it in their own words. Then, students will publish a written journal of their findings
in an online forum, which will be graded by a rubric, comments will be made and the KWL
chart will be completed as closure to the lesson. This lesson gives accommodations for lower
level readers and several ways to assess students throughout the lesson. Objectives are
clear and involve higher-level thinking as students need to evaluate the primary sources.
Suggestions: This is the best lesson of the ones I have reviewed for this assignment. The
only suggestions I would make would be to connect the lesson to GLCE standards, and to a
big idea or essential questions. The lesson currently is centered on the question what is the
significance of the Civil War? This lesson could instead connect to an essential question
such as is war ever necessary? One other suggestion would be to make the objectives
slightly more measurable and observable.
Grade: 29

Lesson 5: Learning about Timelines

http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/history/timelinesk2.html
Summary: This is listed as a K-2 lesson, but I thought it would work best in 1st grade. The
purpose of the lesson is to understand the concept of timelines by making a class timeline
and then a timeline of the students life. Resources and objectives are listed, but the
objectives are not tied to any standards. The lesson starts with an explanation of what the
lesson will be about and teacher input about what a timeline is. The teacher helps students
brainstorm events that happened in class and when the events happened. Then, students
arrange the events into a timeline of the school year. After this students create an individual
timeline of events that have happened in their lifetime. Adding significant events to the
timeline throughout the rest of the school year is suggested.
Suggestions: I liked the concept of this lesson, but I think it could have gone more in-depth
and the topic of timelines could be explored more. The teacher could have given additional
examples of timelines, preferably some real world examples. The characteristics of timelines
and when and how they are used should have been discussed more thoroughly. There was
also not much of an introduction or conclusion, so those should be added to the lesson. I
liked that there was a lot of student involvement and practice actually making the timelines,
but one more thing that I would add is a big idea or essential questions. One possible
essential question could be Does our past influence us? Also, there should be standards
clearly tied to the objectives for the lesson.
Grade: 23