Lesson Plan: Building a School Community

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Educator's Name: Pamela Himebrook
School: Forest Elementary School
School District: Forest Municipal School District
Student Grade Levels: 4 (can easily be adapted for many grades)
Subject: Language Arts
Title of Lesson Plan: Building a School Community
Competency Number:
6: Participate cooperatively while engaging in small group activities to analyze and interpret information, to make decisions, to solve problems, and to produce a given product.
Objectives:
  1. Participate in team building through concrete and abstract activities.
  2. Continue to develop strategies for listening and speaking that respect the rights and contributions of others.
  3. Analyze, evaluate, and compromise to arrive at consensus.
Instructional Format:
Small, cooperative groups
Prior Preparation: 
The teacher will need to work with the appropriate school personnel (counselor, office staff, principal) to develop a method for feasibly implementing this plan.
Materials Needed:
  • Various school documents (appropriate to particular school situation)
  • Computer/printer/paper
  • Brown or white lunch bags
  • Various treats/supplies
  • Plain white paper
  • MAGNOLIA access for each student
Duration of Activity:
Initial planning -- one to two weeks
Implementation and follow-up -- ongoing
Activity:
Each student will be logged onto MAGNOLIA. They will go to "SIRS Discoverer" and click onto "Kids Corner." Once there, students will click onto "Things to Make and Do: Social Issues Projects." Students will then scroll down to the article written by Current Health (April/May 1999) "Be a Team Player." Students will then have an open-class discussion about the importance of working together to arrive at a solution to greeting new students.

Students will be divided into small, cooperative groups (2 to 4 students) to develop a plan for orienting/welcoming new students to their school/grade level. They will work in 5 stages to complete a plan of orientation/welcome.

Explore Activity:
This listening/speaking exercise will help students get to know one another. Students interview classmates and then introduce their partner to the class. Students will work in pairs. They will then take turns interviewing each other, using the following questions as a guide. Teacher will encourage students to create more of their own questions and obtain more details with respect to answers given. The whole class will discuss the characteristics that determine a good presentation of a speech. Students will help their partners prepare speeches for the class by providing information, helping with the editing of the draft copy, and then providing encouragement for the speech preparation.

Individual students will be academically evaluated, based upon their written submission of the interview and speech, and upon their oral presentation of the speech. Each pair of students should meet after the speeches have been completed and determine two things they did well together in preparing for this activity, and one thing they could improve upon. The whole class will discuss what they learned about interviewing, speaking, and listening to one another. 

Directions for students:

Interview your partner, using the following questions as a guide. Feel free to add your own questions. Then, individually write the draft copy of a speech you will use to introduce him/her. Once your draft copy has been completed, sit down with your partner and help each other edit your work for the final copy. Then do your final copy. Practice what you are going to say with your partner. Then you will be ready to present your introduction to the class.
  • When were you born? Where were you born?
  • How many people are members of your family?
  • Have you ever had any accidents? If so, what happened?
  • What do you like to do in your free time?
  • What is your favorite subject in school? Why?
  • What is the most exciting thing that ever happened to you?
  • If you could make any dream come true, what would you do?
  • What would you like to do when you get older?
  • What is your favorite time of year? Why?
  • Things I like Things I don't like
    Food:
    Movies:
    T.V.:
    Sports:
    Colors:
    Smells:
Formal Assessment:
Teacher is evaluating students on their ability to work collaboratively in groups.