Lesson+Plan+Three

Grade Level: Second Grade

Unit: Social Studies

Lesson Objectives:
 * Student will understand how to make a timeline, and grasp the usefullness in them.
 * Student will be able to identify at least ten major events in their family history.
 * Students will be able to collabrively work with a parent/guardian to obtain information.
 * Students will understand the differences in fellow classmate's family histories.
 * Students will be able to present their family history timeline to the class.
 * Students will understand what the term "family" means.

Time required to complete this lesson: approximately 1-2 hours at home and 1 hour of class time.

Title of lesson: My Family, Your Family, Our Family.

Resources/Material Needed: -poster board paper -Internet/computer to make timeline on "Timetoast" -Any other possible materials students and family will need to find information on family history

Description of lesson: This lesson will begin with a classroom dicussion on the definition of family. Collectively, the students will make a collage of their personal definitions of family. The point of this portion of the lesson is to have students understand that families vary in size, shape, appearance, etc. Also, students should understand that they can belong to several different families. They can have their families at home (immediate family), a family of friends, and a classroom family. Next, the students will be shown an example of the teacher's family history timeline. This will be shown on an overhead projector connected to a computer to visually show the students how to use the "Timetoast" program. This will show the students what a timeline should look like, and provide an explanation of what the overall purpose of a timeline is. After this, students will be assigned to make their own family history timeline at home. This will require the help of a parent or guardian, especially with finding dates and events in their family history. There will be a minimum requirnment of 10 family history events/dates on the timeline. The students will then be required to print their timelines, bring them to class, and present their findings in small groups of 3-4.

Assignment: The majority of this lesson is in the form of a homework assignment. This is necessary because students will need the assistance of their parent or guardian to find all of the information for their timeline. Students will then have the opportunity to make a family collage using Photovisi. This will be the fun and creative portion of the assignment where students can share pictures with each other of important events in their families history.

Technology used: The technology used for this lesson will be a Web 2.0 tool called Timetoast. This is an easy and interactive tool used to make timelines online.

The technology used in this lesson changes the teaching / learning in this way: The use of the Internet and Timetoast will enhance the learning of students in several ways. This tool is very interactive and provides a creative and fun way for students to learn about timelines. This form of technology is also an excellent way for students to learn about their own history, which makes a lasting connection. The students could be asked to make a timeline on paper, but using Timetoast makes the process easier and more effecient. This allows students to have more time have discussions with their parent or guardian and focus more on the big picture of the lesson, rather than unnecesary details.


 * Below is an example of the Timetoast timeline that is being used for this lesson. The creativity is endless! For example, pictures can be added to any timeline event! Enjoy!

media type="custom" key="5463143" width="120" height="100"


 * Below is the link to the family collage example from Photovisi.

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