Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template

Caroline Henderson
3rd Grade
Crozet Elementary; Ms. Hutchins
March 30, 2016
Will your university supervisor observe this lesson? No
Topic: Morning Meeting
Required for 4881 - Rationale: (Why are you teaching these objectives? Why did you select the
instructional strategies that you did?)
I wanted to do a morning activity that focused on mindfulness. After my time spent in the
classroom and talking with our mentor teacher, I have noticed that the students feed off of the
energy of the other students. I wanted an activity that would require them to be mindful of their
own feelings while working towards a goal as a class.
I thought the bell activity would be good because it requires them to be silent while still focused
on a task. It also allows them to be out of their seats, after sitting at their tables for snack and the
greeting, share, and morning message part of the morning meeting. After each round of passing
the bell, I will get feedback from the students by asking them questions about how they felt or
what they noticed during the activity. This requires the students to be mindful about their own
thinking and how that related to the result of the activity.

Enduring Understandings: (What big idea(s) will students understand as a result of this
lesson?)
The student will understand that in order to successfully complete a difficult challenge, our
minds must be completely focused.
Essential Questions: (What question(s) will students grapple with as they learn through this
lesson?)

When I am faced with a difficult task, what does my mind focus on? How does this affect the
result of the task?
Primary Content Objectives:
Students will know: (facts/information)
-

They must be respectful of other classmates when completing a group activity

Students will be able to do: (skills and behaviors)

-

Articulate what they were thinking or feeling during the activity

Work as a class to pass a bell around a circle without making it ring and without talking

Related state or national standards: (Examples include State Standards of Learning, Common
Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards or National Curriculum Standards for
Social Studies)
Physical Education (Social Development):
3.4 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the purposes for rules, procedures, and
respectful behaviors, while in various physical activity settings
c) Describe the importance of cooperating and work cooperatively with peers to achieve a goal

Assessment: (How (and when) will students be assessed? What evidence will you collect to
determine whether students have met the lesson objectives? Will the assessment(s) be a preassessment (diagnostic), formative (ongoing feedback) or summative?)
Formative Assessment: I will informally assess the students during the bell activity by observing
the class when they pass the bell around. I will notice what students are focused and what
students are not. I will also ask the students how they felt while the bell was being passed around
and after the second time compare the two times. If the teacher wishes to do this activity again or
another mindfulness activity, he/she can use the student responses about their focus and attention
when planning the next activity.

Materials and Resources: (List here all materials that you will need in order to successfully
teach this lesson. Include technology and website links, texts, graphic organizers, student
handouts, physical manipulatives, etc.)

Whiteboard for morning message

Share sign up sheet
3-4 bells

Key Vocabulary and Definitions:

Mindfulness: being aware of our feelings and thoughts
Lesson Procedures:
1. Introduction and goal orientation:
- The students will line up outside the classroom on the way back from art. I will direct
them to get their snack and to have a seat at their table and get ready for the morning
meeting. I will tap 5 students at a time to go into the classroom. If students are not ready
to go in to the classroom for snack, I will say, I will wait until you are showing me that
you are ready for snack.

2. Connecting to prior knowledge and experiences: (Questions or activities that help

students make links)
- After students have eaten their snack, I will ring the chime to get the students attention.
If they do not respond to the first chime I will say, I do not see third graders showing me
they heard the chime. I am going to ring it again. When you hear the chime, show me that
you are ready to listen.
- I will say, Greet the other members of your table with a hand shake. Remember when
you shake their hand, look them in the eye and tell them good morning. The students
will greet each other.
- If a student is signed up to share for today, I will ask that student that student if they are
ready to share. I will say to the class, Lets all show [students name] that we are ready
for them to share. [Students name], you can begin when everyone is ready. If students
need more reminders I will ask them, How can we show [students name] that we are
ready to listen to them? What should we be doing?
- After the student has shared and called on three students for questions, I will ask someone
to read the morning message to the class. The morning message will be an in and out box
that I wrote on the board. A student had to complete the teachers in and out box and then
write their own in and out box to have other students complete.
- I will ask the students if they want to share their in and out box. I will also ask if there are
any in and out boxes that they dont agree with.

3. Tasks and activities: (What challenging tasks and activities will students engage in as
they construct knowledge, learn new skills or behaviors and develop understandings?)
- I will direct the students to our next activity by saying, We are now going to be moving
into a group activity. When I call your table, stand in a circle boy-girl at the carpet and
wait for the next directions.
- I will call the front tables, the middle table, and then the back two tables. When all the
students are in a circle I will say, I will wait until I see everyone ready for the
directions.
- I will say, As a class, we are going to pass this bell around in the circle without making
it ring. We are also not going to be able to talk while the bell is being passed around.
What will have to happen in order for us to achieve this goal?
o Student Responses: Concentrate, pay attention, dont laugh
- If a student brings up not laughing if someone makes the bell ring, I will agree with them
and ask them the following question, What should you do if the bell makes a sound? If
a student doesnt bring this up, I will ask them the question after they have answered.
o Student Responses: Stay quiet and continue to pass the bell
- I will grab a bell and say, I will start passing the bell as soon as everyone is showing me
they are ready for the activity.
- After the bell has made it around the circle, I will ask the students, What did you notice
yourself doing while the bell was being passed around?
o Student Responses: I was keeping my eye on the bell; I was nervous when it was
my turn; I was very focused
- I will repeat the activity but with 3 or 4 bells this time.

4. Closure: (How will you wrap up the lesson and reinforce key ideas? Closure may include
some form of assessment or exit slip)
- After the bells have been passed around I will ask, What did you notice this time? Did it
feel similar or different compared to the first time? I will ask the students if they agree
or disagree with response their classmates are making. If students felt a different way, I
will ask them to explain their feelings.
o Student Responses: The second time was a lot harder so I was more nervous than
the first time; It was hard to concentrate on all of the bells
- I will tell the class what I noticed during the bell activity. I will say, I noticed that when
everyone was concentrating and focusing on the bell, as a class you were able to
complete this task well. Raise your hand if you agree that when you concentrate and
focus on your schoolwork, you are able to complete it better. I agree with that as well.

Accommodations for individual differences: (How will the lesson be differentiated to support
diverse learners? Describe additional supports that can be used for re-teaching if needed, and a

challenging extension for students for demonstrate mastery quickly or show evidence of a lot of
prior knowledge.)
If the first round of the bell activity doesnt go as smoothly as planned, I will take some time to
reteach the activity and focus more on strategies the students can use to pass the bell without
making a sound. I will ask the students, What are some things that can help us not make the bell
sound when passing it? I will also suggest that students grab it by the handle and move slowly
and steadily. Instead of adding more bells, we will try one bell again and talk about what went
better or worse the second time.

Behavioral and organizational strategies: (What behaviors will you model or discuss with
students? What do you want to remember about organizing the lesson and materials? Use this
section for reminders to yourself about behavioral and organizational strategies. For example, do
you want to explicitly model how to work with partners in this lesson? Or demonstrate how to
use mathematical tools?)
The morning message will be given to the mentor teacher prior to the day of the lesson and
written on the board in the morning. I will have the bells with me when I go to stand in the circle.
I have the students going into the classroom to get their snack in groups of five so that the area
doesnt become too overcrowded. I will ring the chime to get the students attention at the end of
snack time. If they do not respond to the first chime I will say, I do not see third graders
showing me they heard the chime. I am going to ring it again. When you hear the chime, show
me that you are ready to listen.
When it is time for a student to share, I will say to the class, Lets all show [students name] that
we are ready for them to share. [Students name], you can begin when everyone is ready. If
students need more reminders I will ask them, How can we show [students name] that we are
ready to listen to them? What should we be doing?
I will call the students by tables to go stand in a circle boy-girl on the carpet. I will wait until I
see everyone ready before I explain the directions. Before the activity, I will discuss with the
students what they should do if someone accidentally rings the bell so that if it happens, it wont
disrupt the activity.